Restorative Asanas to cool your body & mind

Balance the heat of Summer with these 2 cooling poses!

Supta Baddha Konasana • Reclined Bound Angle Pose • Goddess Pose

Supta Baddha Konasana is an amazing pose to practice year long and is particularly cooling for the body and mind. 

Place a block at desired height under far end of bolster to give a slight incline to add support to the spine. Sit with sacrum against the bolster and sit bones on the mat (or blanket for extra cushion) Butterfly your knees & bring the sole of your feet together, placing a rolled up blanket or a block under each knee for support. Begin reclining on the bolster. You can place a folded blanket under your head and another one over your belly and hips area to encourage relaxation.
Stay in this pose for 7-10 minutes.

Benefits of Supta Baddha Konasana

• Lowers blood pressure
• Decreases heart rate
• Decreases muscle tension
• Offers relief from fatigue and insomnia
• Reduces nervous tension and stress
• Relief from anxiety and panic attacks
• Increases overall energy levels

Viparita Karani • Legs Up The Wall

Viparita Karani is known for the calming effects it has on the mind and body.

Legs Up the Wall is a rejuvenating inverted pose that brings relief to the legs, feet, spine, and nervous system. It can be practiced at anytime although some school of thoughts say to avoid this pose during menstruation. 

It can be practiced with or without props. I like using a bolster or a blanket under my sacrum, a blanket over my belly and sometimes one over my feet to ground my heated mind!

Benefits of Viparita Karani:

• Reduces Anxiety & Stress
• Aids with digestive problems
• Relieves Headaches
• Helps with high and low blood pressure
• Relieves insomnia
• Relieves migraines
• Helps with menstrual cramps & PMS

For the ultimate experience join me for weekly restorative classes at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in Chelsea and Williamsburg. Click here to check my calendar

Cooling Off your body & mind with Peppermint

Summer is finally here and the heat is ON!!
Peppermint is my oil of choice during the summer months and I wanted to share a few recipes to keep your mind and body cool during the hottest months of the year!

I carry it everywhere I go, breathe it directly from the bottle while waiting for the subway, rub a drop of it on the back of my neck for an instant cooling sensation & add it to my diffuser every morning.

Benefits of Peppermint goes beyond its cooling effect on the body!!

TO DIFFUSE:
• 4 drops of Peppermint
• 4 drops of Wild Orange or Lemon
That blend is cooling and energizing!
Great to clear the mind when our Summer projects get out of hand.

Enjoy & Stay Cool!!

Yoga Nidra Bliss Offerings.... and Sankalpa

Next Yoga Nidra Bliss will be New Year's Day at Laughing Lotus BK!

Let's start the New Year setting our intention for 2017 and beyond, and let our intentions be driven not by what our ego desires but what we truly desire deep down inside. 

“When you say something with your whole being…. it can transform the world” -Thich Nhat Hanh

Sankalpa comes from the sanskrit word Kalpa translating as a wish, a desire or a vow and San refers to the connection with the higher truth. Sankalpa is a resolution or a resolve.

Only after a deep meditation, like the practice of Yoga Nidra, as we remove layer after layer of what our ego has a tendency to cover up, can we access what is at our core.
After Yoga Nidra, we have access to more raw and pure information about ourselves because we are removing all the distractions surrounding us from our daily life.
From that state, setting a resolution and finding what would truly make us happy and fulfilled is quite powerful. It is like planting a seed, watering it with each practice and watching it grow and become fruitful.

A sankalpa does not change who you are deep inside, it lets the "YOU" or in sanskrit "So Ham" (I AM) shine out brighter so you can become who you always wanted to be, who you were always meant to be. 

Let your sankalpa and Yoga Nidra practice motivate you to fulfill your aspiration & your heartfelt desire.
What do you really want in your life, right now? What is your life goal?
Once you set your sankalpa, keep coming back to it until your intention becomes a reality. It is a practice of mindfulness and remembering.

Instead of the typical "This year I will....." let's start with "This year I AM" and watch yourself become who you always wanted to be! 

Limited space available. Please sign up online to reserve your blissful spot!

Happy Holidays! Namaste
 

My love for Yoga Nidra

Meditation has made a huge difference in my life.

As a child, I was temper tantrum driven (I know, it's hard to believe, right? Ask my mom :) )
As a teenager and adult, I was really quick to get into arguments, disagreements, especially with my family, If I knew (or thought) I was right. I would not back down, no matter how trivial the subject was (it made for some interesting dinner parties!)

Since I found yoga and meditation, I've learned to listen to my breath and now notice when it is changing. It has helped me stay calm through disagreements, be more loving and compassionate to the people I care about and ultimately be truly heard instead of making myself be heard.

I like Yoga Nidra because it is a guided meditation accessible to all. It has taught me to go deep into myself, find that quiet place where I feel safe and because it is guided, I am less likely to let my mind wander off which keeps me very present, in the moment, while my body rest deeply.

As you go through the different stages of relaxation, you can feel your stress melting, your body relaxing, your mind quieting. It is like a fairy took a magic wands and with a flick of the wrist released you momentarily from your burdens.
With that said, it is also a way to go deep into yourself and release traumas you have been through... some from childhood you might not even be consciously aware, you were carrying with you.
As you acknowledge their effects on you and release them (consciously or unconsciously), you will feel lighter.
As you come back from the deep sleep effect that is Yoga Nidra, you may feel that your senses are more alive. Lights and colors get brighter, sounds sharper.

I could talk about Yoga Nidra for hours, but the best way to understand its effect is to experience it.

There are many downloadable mp3, YouTube videos, CDs out there or you can find a teacher who will guide you in a group setting or solo in a private session.

I regularly offer Yoga Nidra Bliss workshop, my next one will be this Saturday (Aug. 27th) from 2p-4p at Laughing Lotus Yoga Center Brooklyn.
If you live in the area, come experience this amazing practice with me!

If you have any questions feel free to email me!

For more details about the workshop or to sign up, CLICK HERE!

From Brooklyn, with LOVE. Namaste
 

Feeling Hot! Hot! Hot! 3 Cooling Summer Beauty Masks...

Pitta is the Dosha of the summer and fire is its element. Not surprising since it is the hottest season of the year in the Northern atmosphere!

Cucumber is a vegetable known for its cooling effect. it can help heal mild sunburns by soothing the skin and speeding up its healing process. It is also known to bring relief to some rashes and inflammations. But cucumbers can also help with your summer beauty routine.

If your skin feels irritated and has a tendency to redden during the summer months the following mask will bring you some relief and will make your skin feel refreshed and nourished:

Yogurt Cucumber mask

Ingredients for the mask:

• 1 Cucumber
• 1/2 cup of Plain unflavored Yogurt, with active cultures
• 1 teaspoon non-fat Milk Powder

How to:

Peel and cut the cucumber into small cubes. Seeds can be removed smoother consistency of the final product. Put the cut up cucumber in a food processor and add the yogurt and the milk powder. 

Blend all the ingredients together until you have a smooth substance that will stay on your face without running.

Wash your face with warm water to open up the skin pores. Pat dry with a clean towel.

Keeping the eye area clear, spread the paste gently over your face and neck with your fingertipsNow lie down, relax and leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes

Wash it off with a warm wash cloth and warm water. Run cold water over another wash cloth and pat your face to close your clean pores.

Cucumber Honey Mask

(great for oily skin)

The honey in this mask promotes elasticity of the skin through its exfoliating properties. Honey also promotes new tissue growth which leads to better looking skin. You can also substitute the honey with aloe vera, which has equally beneficial properties.
Ingredients for the mask:

Ingredients for the mask:

• 1/2 Cucumber
• 2 tbsp honey or aloe vera

How to:

To make this mask. Peel, cut and blend the cucumber in a food processor (making sure to not over blend it so it doesn't get too runny), then add 1 spoon of honey or aloe vera.

Wash your face with warm water to open up the skin pores. Pat dry with a clean towel.
Apply the gel like paste to your face and neck for 15 minutes.
Wash it off with a cool wash cloth and cool water.

Homemade Cucumber, Brown Sugar, Honey And Milk Face Mask: 

Brown sugar acts as an effective exfoliant. After using this mask your face will feel fresh and rejuvenated. You can vary the ingredients of this mask according to what are available in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 fresh cucumber
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.

How to:

 Peel and blend the cucumber to make its puree. Mix together the milk, honey and brown sugar thoroughly and then add this mixture to the blended cucumber.

Using clean fingertips gently massage the mixture onto your face in circular motion, leaving it there for 20 minutes  or till it dries out.

When the face mask is dried up, gently rinse the mask off using warm water first and then cold water.  Pat dry your face with a clean soft towel.

After your mask, moisturize your skin with a drop or 2 of rosehip oil, a little neem cream or your favorite moisturizer!

Show off your natural glow and smile!
Namaste