What helps us gain skill and confidence in balancing our health as it moves through the cycles of life and through the experiences of being human?  What keeps us from panicking and falling off the tightrope of healthy living and into a downward spiral of disease?  I would like to suggest that relaxation is one of the keys.  Whenever I am deeply relaxed I am able to think clearly and can often create more balanced decisions coming from both sides of my brain rather than reacting to life from the area of “fight or flight.”

One way to create this deep level of relaxation is through reflexology.  Reflexology could be compared to the balancing pole tight rope walkers use when they are first learning to create balance within their bodies while on the constantly shifting rope. Reflexology uses gentle pressure on “reflex” points in your hands and feet to essentially send the message through your nervous system for your whole body to relax.  Your body is relaxed, the fight or flight response is turned off, and your body is able to deal with imbalances more effectively.

I notice many people still view body therapies as a luxury or as something to turn to when they are ill.  My experience has been that as I listen to my body’s signals and schedule regular body therapies for myself, I rarely get sick and am able to bounce back easier from stressful situations.  There are many studies showing the benefits of reflexology for various imbalances and disease.  However, it does not take a study for us to be aware that our bodies are sending clear signals of balance or imbalance to us.  In my experience it is easier to stay balanced on the tightrope of life when I find body therapies and therapists I connect with and can trust to assist me in relaxing deeply into the experience of life.

Why not treat yourself to a reflexology treatment with me at Kolya Naturals and discover what balance feels like for you?

Hearing of Kate’s ordeal, it was hard to imagine that life could turn so suddenly and yet it has that ability… for Kate or for any one of us. Every day after reading her e-mail I found myself wanting her well, and imagined the yoga community around the world coming together to send our love and wishes for her steady and full recovery. Believing, together, we can influence the rebuilding of Kate’s physical strength, vitality and health.

Please read the post, linked below to Kate’s website, where she openly shares this most intimate journey. Needless to say – our yoga community will miss her coming this year – miss her beautiful, kind, compassionate spirit. Her message holds the experience of what she’s been through as well as her warrior strength and the faith and love for life she holds close.

My hope is that we will come together as a yoga community and be a womb-like blanket of support for Kate to draw upon. May we send her our heart-felt prayers and thoughts, whether we’ve had the pleasure of meeting or knowing her, or not. In out yogic hearts let’s unite and be with her each step of the way… sharing our OM’s, the ultimate universal vibration, for Kate…. OM Recovery…. OM Health…. OM Vitality.

Message from Kate: http://www.katepotteryoga.ca/street.html

Picture this: It’s 5:27 PM. You’re hungry after a busy day at work, itching to get home to see your family, and now you’re stuck in traffic. Frustration sets in. But you’re used to it since this is an every day occurrence.

You finally stroll into your house at 6:04 PM, your children are clamoring for your attention, and they’re hungry too. You pop some frozen dinners in the microwave knowing they’re not healthy, but also knowing that you just don’t have time to think, much less cook. After a quick dinner your day’s not even close to being over.

Now it’s time to do laundry, read with the kids, and of course a day’s work left over from the office. When do you have time to rest? At night you keep telling yourself.

But every night it’s the same old story. You flop into bed past 1 AM and close your eyes. Your mind is still racing from the day that just passed and the busy day ahead. So you toss and turn, hoping that you’ll be able to get at least a little shut-eye before your 6:00 AM wake up call (an annoyingly loud alarm clock you’ve had for 15 years).

And the next day it starts all over again. You’re tired at work, you don’t have time to eat, you’re stressed, and you can’t get out of the vicious cycle.

So what do you do?

First thing’s first: take a deep breath. You’re probably stressed out just reading this far.

To get a more restful sleep tonight do the following:

1) Get a notebook and take 5 minutes right before laying down to free write. What you want to do is get every thought from the past, present, and future out of your head and on paper where it’s safe and secure. This will free the clutter from your head and allow you to rest easier.

2) Get a new alarm clock that wakes you up gradually with classical music. This will do absolute wonders for your morning routine. What you want to do is set the alarm to go off 15-20 minutes earlier than you usually wake up. It will turn on very quietly and slowly bring you out of your slumber.

3) Add a few very healthy snacks to your daily routine. One of my favorites is a 2 oz pre-packaged bag of baby carrots. They taste good, they’re good for you, and they take no prep-time. When you’re hungry at work or on the way home, munch on these. Another great snack is raw almonds. Eating healthier works amazingly well to help you sleep better.

Please use these 3 simple tips to enjoy a more restful sleep every night.

by Survivor Bootcamp

Are you searching for a healthier way of eating? Have you ever wondered what a raw food diet is? Does it mean eating uncooked eggs, fish, meats, cheese and milk? For some raw foodists or raw fooders it does mean that.

The world of raw food opens up a world of possibilities; the chance to re-examine what healthy eating means to you, the chance to evaluate individual food choices, and most importantly an insight into what exactly it is that we’re putting into our bodies on a daily basis.

I would like to tell you a little about eating a raw vegan diet or following a raw vegan lifestyle, which I have been doing for about the past year and a half and I have never felt better!

A raw vegan diet simply means eating whole unprocessed foods in their natural state. Raw organic fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, nuts and seeds. Essentially a plant based diet. No refined flours, sugars or soy. Nothing heated above 105 degrees F (about 41 C).

The benefits are many; the food is in a state that is as close to “real” as possible and the way nature intended; however, the thinking outside the box part comes in when dealing with cereals, grains, and other food items we don’t normally associate with the word “raw”. For example, beans, grains and seeds can be sprouted to allow them to reach their peak nutritional value, making them easier to chew and digest. You may consider using a dehydrator as part of preparing various “breads”, crackers, etc. Gadgets such as a spiral vegetable slicer can also add fun and flavour to the raw food lifestyle.

I call it a lifestyle, because it really is more than a simple change of diet, as you start to see food and your relationship with it in a whole new light. Where was my food grown and what was involved in getting it to my plate? What are the nutritional values of the food I’m about to eat and how will it impact my energy levels and health as well as the health of our planet? Can I choose an alternative raw food that will taste and look as good as the accepted “normal” food. The answer is “Yes!”

Over the last several years I was always looking for healthier ways of eating. I was still searching, still trying to lose that last 15 pesky pounds of baby weight (my baby will be 22 this September!) I was avoiding white flour and refined sugar as much as possible, and adding in whole grains & lots of fruits and vegetables. I continued to enjoy butter, eggs, milk, chocolate, coffee, lattes, yogurt, ice cream, cake, cookies, pasta, chicken and fish. I could never see myself giving up any of these things. Overall I considered myself to be making fairly healthy food choices, but there were times that I didn’t feel “quite right”.

I started to become even more conscious of what I was eating and moved toward a more vegetarian diet which lead me to further discover the benefits of a raw food diet and lifestyle.

I would like to share a couple of my favourite raw food recipes (desserts, of course!) Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Mango Sorbet
2 cups chopped frozen or fresh* mangoes
1 cup water
1/3 cup agave syrup

Combine all ingredients in high speed blender or food processor until smooth. Keep in covered container in freezer. Will keep several weeks (but probably won’t last because it is so yummy!).
(*if using fresh, chop ahead and freeze first before blending)
Try berries, peaches or pineapple or any other favourite fruit

Liquid Chocolate
1 cup coconut oil
½ cup raw cacao powder
1 tbsp agave syrup (optional)

Place coconut oil in jar or glass measuring cup and let sit in bowl of hot water until it becomes liquid.
Then whisk in cacao powder and agave (if using).
Use to drizzle over ice creams, chilled fruits etc.
(also try with cinnamon, vanilla or mint)
Store in glass container with lid on counter or in cupboard. No need to refrigerate.

Thank you. Namaste ☺

Thank you to everyone who contributed to and participated in the 80th birthday celebration of Gerda Krebs, held at Yoga for Today on Friday June 17th. The love, appreciation, and reverence for Gerda could be felt in the air. She has contributed an unmeasurable amount to Yoga for Today, to our teachers and students and to yoga in the community and the entire province.

A special thanks goes out to Lisa Hickman and Martina Roemer for the delicious birthday cakes, Marie Casey for gift organization as well as the wonderful local flower shops which generously donated flowers for the occasion:
Panda Flowers, Klondyke Flowers, Flowers in the Park, Purple Daisy Flowers, Grower Direct Sherwood Park.

And now, a few words to honour Gerda, as written by Chris Erdmann Boyko:
“Do you know anyone 80 years of age still working in the occupation that supported them all their years through? At Yoga for Today in Sherwood Park we have the honour of knowing such a woman. Gerda Krebs, turning 80 on June 12^th, 2011, began her yoga career in 1971 at the age of 40 and today is still going strong. For 25 years we could turn our TV to Shaw Cable and enjoy “Yoga Fits In” with Gerda and her beloved cat, Tuffy. Gerda was one of the early pioneers of yoga way back in the day when yoga wasn’t quite so cool. She was committed to bringing health and wellness through yoga into our living rooms and into our hearts for over a quarter of a century! Today, Gerda still teaches yoga, devoting herself to bringing the best out in students and making positive differences in their lives. Teaching three weekly classes for the past ten years at yoga for Today and running an Apprenticeship Program that fulfills her passion to teach teachers, Gerda remains a pillar of inspiration, hope, health and longevity at it’s finest. After all, who do you know at 80 still working in their beloved field of work?”

Like most diseases and disorders there is a plethora of medication available both over the counter and with a prescription. Some of these just relive or mask symptoms without actually getting to the cause of the problem.

Many prominent experts (including Dr. Gay Hendricks, author of “Conscious Breathing”) on breathing are pointing to the fact that asthma is a disturbed breath pattern and that one way of approaching the treatment of asthma is through breath retraining for asthmatics. Asthmatics normally tend to take more breaths per minute than non- asthmatics. While it may seem like this would increase oxygen in the blood and cells it actually robs the body of oxygen. This is based on the fact that the more we breathe, the more carbon dioxide we breath out which is good only to a certain extent. If CO2 levels get too low in our bodies, the hemoglobins that carry oxygen thought the bloodstream become thick and don’t release enough oxygen to the cells. The body, in response to this decrease in oxygen to the cells, takes measures to make you breath slower- thus triggering the classic asthma attack.

How Can Yoga Help?

Many yoga breathing techniques focus on a natural breathing pattern, slowing the breath and restoring a natural rhythm. That being said, there are several yogic breathing techniques that may not be suited for asthmatics, such as rapid breathing, retention of inhalation or tightening of the throat. Also keep in mind that retraining your breath will take more than one yoga session. If you have been dealing with asthma for a number of years or your whole life, your breathing pattern is likely deeply engrained. It is a matter of consciously practicing yogic breathing until it becomes a force of habit, allowing your body to change its ways permanently.

** Never attempt any new form of exercise and never stop taking your medication without first consulting your doctor.**

A super-special ‘thanks’ goes out to Andrea and Jeff at Paper Leaf who have made the process of a complete web re-design easy and fun for all of us non-tech-savvy individuals at Yoga for Today.

Check out more of their great work at http://www.paper-leaf.com