Have a great summer!!

Hello all Yogis and Yoginis!

Thank you for the continued support of my little piece of the web! I will be taking a break from my yoga blog "Yoga for You" for the summer for some much needed family time and travel.

Keep up with your yoga practice and meditation and your journey of self-discovery through the beautiful warm months otherwise known as summer! Get outdoors! Do something in nature, a hike, a boat ride, a picnic-just enjoy being outside in the sun. I know I will!!

Peace & Blessings to all~Andrea

*Featured pose- Vasisthasana-side plank pose- one arm balance. Builds shoulder, upper arm and back strength. This yoga asana transcends gravity! It requires stamina, strength and detailed attention to alignment.

**Also- I leave with you a book to read over the summer:

"Happens every day" - Isabel Gilles

Just thought I'd share

Vrksasana-Tree Pose

Clarifies just how challenging it can be to stand on one leg.
A balancing posture like tree pose may take you to your edge, but finding your center will keep you from toppling over.
*Photo taken on Peralta Trail/Weavers Needle-photo by my hiking partner Angie Bulkley.

Guest Teaching Appearance!

Hi Everyone!

I am excited to annouce that I will be guest teaching a FREE Yoga class at the Lucy Clothing Store at San Tan Village Mall on Friday May 15th.

I will be at the store from 2-6pm that day giving Fitness tips and Yoga advice and the Free class will be from 5-6 pm in-store.

All you need to do is go in store now and sign up!

Hope to see you there!

Namaste~Andrea

Andrea recommends...

The last one...
This is a beautiful Yoga book, "The Yoga of Discipline" by Swami Chidvilasananda. Any yogi or yogini will enjoy the beautiful words of this wonderful, wise one. How to apply yoga principles to your everyday life...yoga off the mat. Peace~ enjoy my recommendations~Namaste for now~Andrea

The next item is...Honest Tea. I love the Organic Honey Green Tea which has 250mg of EGCG Super-Antioxidant in every bottle! They say if you can eat or drink things that have five ingredients or less it is better for you. The ingredients in this tea: organic can sugar (only 9g), organic green tea, organic honey, citric acid and purified water. Costco even carries it in a 12 pack, and who doesn't shop at Costco nowadays?? **Tip: try pouring some tea in a mug and warming to drink in the a.m.-yum!!

Here is the next fantastic-must have item I am recommending...The Lip Scrub by Sara Happ!! It comes in different "flavors" you could say. I love the Brown Sugar lip scrub. You're asking, "What does lip scrub have to do with a Blog about Yoga?" Well, part of a regular yoga practice is wanting to look and feel your best, and this lip scrub makes my lips feel great!! Just like yoga-younger and revitalized! Give it a try! You can find it online or if you live in Gilbert, AZ with me, you can find it at my hair place with my hair gal Molly.

OK, here are the other little beauties I am recommending....
Pamela's Products Simplebites Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies!!!
I can't begin to tell you how good these little chocolate cookies are! They have a real chocolate taste, a nice crunch to them and they are All Natural, Wheat-Free, Gluten Free and 0 Trans Fat!! Again...guilt free!!

The first "food item" I am recommending is...

Late July Organic Dark Chocolate Intense and Decadent Sandwich Cookies!
These cookies are Yummy!!! I found my package at Sprouts.So try your local health food store.

They have 4g of whole grains per serving servings + antioxidants.

For me, I can have one after dinner and satisfy my craving for something sweet with absolutely no guilt whatsoever!!

Enjoy!!

Dear Yoga Queen

I have a question for your blog:

I am approaching my 40th birthday very soon and am considering starting a yoga program.

Can yoga really improve my flexibility even at my age?

~Amanda

Dear Amanda,

That's a great question. The answer is yes, it is never too late to improve flexibilty! When it comes to flexibility the first thing people usually think of is simply touching their toes. Which I recommend doing every day in the shower to start getting the body moving. In many cases, low back pain is caused by tight hamstrings (the muscles that lie at the back of the legs above the knee) which cause the hips and pelvis to rotate back, flattening the lower back and causing back problems. Touching the toes everyday can help to reduce, if not eliminate some of the back pain that 80 % of Americans complain about.

When we are talking about "flexibilty" we are really not talking about the bed of the muscle itself, but the ligaments, tendons and connective tissues. When connective tissue is unused or under used (when not stretching), it provides significant resistance and limits flexibility. The elastin ( a component of the tissue) begins to fray and loses some of its elasticity, and the collagen (another component) increases in stiffness and in density. Aging has some of the effects on connective tissue that lack of use has. So it is time to get moving with 40 fast approaching!

As a yoga instructor, the #1 complaint I hear is, "I'm just not flexible." And my answer is always the same, "That's okay, it will come with time." You should expect to increase flexibility gradually. A yoga class is a great place to start as a certified instructor can guide you safely in and out of the stretches. It is important to never use force or frustration. Your body will actually progress more if you yield or surrender to a stretch and use the exhalation to go deeper.

Namaste~Andrea

Embracing Change...

Our story begins...

Once there was a frog who lived in a well.... this well was the only home this little froggy had ever known. One day, a beautiful swan came along and landed on the side of the well. The frog had never seen a swan before, and so a conversation began.
The swan eventually asked the frog, "Have you never been outside of this well? It is beautiful, it is huge out here, so much to see, so much to do!" The frog, with a confused look on his froggy face, began to swim furiously around his well. From one side to the other, with incredible energy he swam all around the circumference of the well. Then looking up at the swan he asked, "Surely it isn't bigger than this?" As he looked around at the water in his well. The swan replied, "Yes, it is, it is huge out here and beautiful, there is sooo much to see and to do!" Again, the frog began to swim furiously all around his well. From one side to the other and began again, all around three more times, then panting he asked the swan, "Surely, it isn't bigger than THIS?!" The swan, looking annoyed this time said, "Yes. It IS bigger than this, and stop calling me Shirley!" And the
beautiful swan flew off never to be seen again.
The moral of our story: If we are never open what is bigger and better out there, we will never know. If we keep swimming around in the same well day after day doing the same routine, we will never know change. We have to make small steps every day away from our normal routine if we are in search of change, or something different, or something better.
This year I encourage you-my blog followers-get out of your well!
(this story was borrowed from the wonderful Yogi Jeff Martens at IVY and the beautiful Yogini
Maredith also at IVY who never fail to put a small smile on my face even though they are kickin my behind in Yoga class)
Namaste-Andrea

A note for the New Year

Most of us make New Years resolutions about losing a little weight, getting healthier, maybe cleaning out the garage and donating more. These are all great ideas. This year, why not think big!? Ask yourself: Are you living the life you want? Are you doing the most with your gifts? Are you making the most out of your time on this planet? I realize that these are big questions. I'm not assuming (nor should you) that there is anything wrong with the life you have now. I'm talking about living the life you dream of and deserve. Consider it a check up for your spirit and your soul. What small steps do you need to take? It might be as simple as breaking a habit that is detrimental to your health, leaving a job that is no longer fulfilling (or starting one that feels a little scary) or finally taking up a hobby or sport that has intimidated you in the past (I'm going to take ice skating lessons at the new local ice rink!) It might mean figuring out how to carve out more time for an activity (like Yoga classes) or for a person you love.

I'm sure you can think of a million reasons why you can't or shouldn't "rock the boat" in your life. Instead of focusing on the obstacles, why not begin by envisioning what your life would look like if you could design it to your exact specifications. How would you spend an average day? Who would you like to be with? How do you picture yourself feeling physically and emotionally? When you really let that sink in, you may decide the end result is worth the risk of taking the steps you need to get there.

It's your life, after all. Make this your year!

Peace & Blessings for the New year~Andrea