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