I grew up fearing my own breath and fearing my own body. As a child, I was raised with the kind of religion that espouses “if I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take.” Now if you tell an obedient and anxious child these words to repeat then know that they will be internalized. This was the origin of my panic attacks. Each and every night, I feared when I fell asleep because I didn’t know if I would wake up. I didn’t know who would ultimately take my soul.

Breath in Yoga

In Sanskrit, the word for “self” and “breath” are the same: Atman आत्मन् 

In Hinduism, it also refers to our conception of soul

The practice of yoga is something deeply spiritual to me and my people. Although I have been a practitioner for nearly 10 years now, I did not fully understand the spirituality of yoga until very recently. The sacred and religious communion of mind and body, breath and stillness while harnessing internal heat and energy to achieve meditative mindfulness. Before now, when my yoga instructor uttered the words, “just keep breathing” or “focus on the breath and align each movement with it” then my internal dialogue amounted to not much more than “Bitch, please”. 

My Relationship with My Breathe

I was afraid of my breath. I was afraid of my body. There was something in recognizing the power of unionizing my body and mind that actively scared me. My breath becomes a foreign imposter to me when I experience panic attacks, bouts of hyperventilation, and surging waves of anxiety. It feels like it’s actively working against me, fighting my will and intention to feel the stress in my body.  Biologically, I know how my breaths of life-replenishing oxygen are valuable. Yet, it was something my body did without my voluntary control, without my permission, and without my knowledge. I don’t always want to be alive and that’s when my breath becomes my enemy. It’s a foreign, disconnected, and involuntary scientific process that I could not understand. 

Little did I know, my body was desperately trying to protect me. After being diagnosed with manifold chronic conditions and pain syndromes, I finally came to understand what my body was telling me with its pain signals. It was trying to stop me from falling off the ledge by sending a conscientious warning that I needed to slow down. I needed to breathe. Slowly but surely, an autoimmune illness would eat away at the lining surrounding my joints until they became ankylotic, dysfunctional, and excruciating.The connective tissue synovium became so inflamed that my joints themselves would begin to erode. Joint spaces were on their way to rupture, cartilage deteriorated until bone met bone in an unholy communion of pain, fissure, chronic inflammation, and irreversible damage. My disquieting pain was a canary in a coal mine, an omen of early demise which came 25 years too soon. A curse that plagued my family for generations and had finally found me. 

Struggling with Breathing

On average, we use 80% of our total lung capacity. This figure is lessened by our daily chaotic routines and schedules from our busy and stressful commute, workday, lack of adequate rest, lack of active diaphragmatic breathing and parasympathetic nervous system activation. 

My heart rate tends to rest near 110 beats per minute because my severe anxiety, restlessness, and drive to produce disables my nervous system from leaving its instinctual fight or flight response. Paradoxically, this means my body is not granted time to heal, time for the oxygen from my breaths to fully reach my extremities. Nor for my bloodstream to bring critical anti-inflammatory white blood cells to the joints in my hands, neck, back, and shoulders to repair the damage I consistently and involuntarily wreak. 

My body said: Resist the tugging in your chest (whether from excitement or anxiety, they maintain the same physical manifestation) that compels you to lean in closer, to breathe more quickly, and to get riled up. We need you to find a resting place, a glass of water, a gulp of air, we need you to finally let us stop and heal. 

“According to Hindu philosophy, the self or Atman is ultimately identical with the supreme reality of Brahman (the Hindu god of creation). Attaining Moksha means realizing this identity and becoming one with the divine. This state of oneness is characterized by a profound sense of peace, joy, and unity with all of creation.” 

– Alexandra Kesler

It occurred to me that I have been reticent in my role to return carbon dioxide to this earth, to return the gift of life that plants afford us on a temporary loan. With the expectation that we will hold up our end of the bargain to return the life-sustenance they grant us each and every moment. I haven’t been fully breathing. 

No Space to Breathe

We live in a world that deters rest, especially from people like me. From those who are multiply marginalized, who are BIPOC, queer, women and non-men, disabled, and who are not economically wealthy. Those who are also disempowered, overshadowed, overspoken, who are simultaneously overexploited and underappreciated. 

I was conditioned from a very young age, as a small child who knew death, grief, trauma, racism, and violence all too well that I needed to work 1,800 times harder than my peers to succeed. It was necessary to work 3 jobs, play 6 different sports, take 25 AP classes, volunteer for every opportunity that arose, win class awards, attain every scholarship, and graduate at the top of my class in order to simply rinse and repeat. My brain, body, and nervous system knew no rest, no peace, and no stillness. My friends joked about how I never slept or would fall asleep in the strangest places when exhaustion finally overtook me. My body had to forcibly step in and power me down. My peers would compete about who actually got the least sleep. As if this was a competition in fatigue, a prestigious medal to be won for chronic sleep deprivation, exhaustion, stress, and dysfunction. 

The world does not wish for us to rest, for us to realize our collective power and resist and destabilize the forces that be. Yet, this is precisely what must be done to save our planet, our bodies, our souls, and our minds.

Trying to Breathe

My hope in telling my story is that this reaches another small brown girl out there who fears her breath and body, and who fears her Atman. I want her to know that she is so powerful, so capable of a life replete with love, peace, fulfillment, rest, and joy. 

Listen when I say: I need you to honor your soul, your heart, your breath, your rest. Protect it and do not let anyone take it from you. 

I need you to finally let yourself breathe. 

———

I’ve been thinking a lot about lungs. 

My lungs 

The miracle of breath 

The sensation of oxygenation 

The beauty of functional

Seamless

Weightless

Waterless 

Full

Breath

And for that, today I am grateful.

-Anya K.

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The post Yoga and winter holidays appeared first on Yoga District.

In autumn we may find ourselves celebrating the season with visits to a pumpkin patch, an orchard, or a nearby farm to purchase recently harvested pumpkins, squash, or homemade goods. Possibly even busy planning an elaborate holiday meal to share with friends and family. While some of the ingredients we need to plan a traditional holiday meal can be found in our local communities, others may travel from miles away.

In this blog post, Audrey will delve into what it means to know from where our food comes. She will explore the benefits of food sourcing as it relates to choosing locally-grown foods, and consider the nutritional, economic, and environmental impact of knowing our food sources.

Conscious Eating and Sourcing Food

Knowledge of where our food comes from gives us an opportunity to make mindful choices around the food we consume. By knowing the origin of our foods, we can further practice conscious eating. Part of this practice includes understanding the stages before our food ends up on our plates (1). In a previous blog post, we discussed the benefits of eating seasonally. However, unlike seasonal eating, sourcing food goes beyond what is available in that season, and considers how it is grown and transported to our grocery stores or farmer’s market stands (2). As a result, we can better understand how our food affects us and our communities.

Where Does Our Food Come From?

By the time food reaches our plates, we have little insight into its origins. Foods we eat everyday may come from gardens in our backyards or from farms in countries miles away (3). As a result of the global food supply system, we find that grocery stores are filled with a variety of produce, meat, and dairy options. With food from all over the world, it’s challenging to know exactly where our food comes. However, once we are able to better understand the source of our food, we can have more insight into how it was made and choose the foods that benefit our local economies and the environment (4).

Understanding How Our Food is Grown

By learning about the source of our food, we can also understand how fruits and vegetables are grown, or how the meats we consume are raised. For example, if we choose to purchase foods from local farms, we can develop relationships with those farmers and gain insight into the practices used to grow the foods we purchase (5).

If we can’t purchase food locally, we can also look at food labels to understand how food was grown. Labels such as “organic” can indicate the types of practices used to grow or raise food. Farmers who produce organic fruits and vegetables abide by strict standards in which produce is grown without the use of certain pesticides or fertilizers. Farms selling organic meat or dairy aren’t allowed to use growth hormones or antibiotics (6). These labels bring awareness around the types of practices used to produce or raise food and allow us to make more informed decisions while shopping for groceries. We can support our local economies by choosing foods grown within our communities or support the longevity of farms using sustainable, ethical labor and farming practices.

Environmental Impacts of Sourcing Food

Knowing how our food is grown allows us to become aware of the environmental impact of our purchases (7). With the rise of technology and globalization, it’s possible for us to eat our favorite foods at any time of the year. Since food can come from all over the world, it may have traveled many miles before it reached our plates. This distance traveled is also known as “food miles” and while the transportation of food plays a role in the environmental impact of our food choices, other factors are involved as well. Although foods may have traveled the same distance to reach us, some foods require trucks, boats, and even planes to reach our grocery stores causing a greater environmental impact (8a, 8b).

When purchasing our groceries, we can also consider the production and processing methods used by producers. Although some foods may not have to travel far, the farming practices used to produce those foods may have a greater environmental impact than foods that come from miles away. For example, some farmers may use fertilizers that contribute to greater greenhouse gas emissions or store food in a way that requires a significant use of energy (9). By considering the environmental impact of our purchases, we can make conscious food choices. 

Sourcing Food Locally

One way to better understand where our food comes from is to opt for local foods. “Eating local” means that we are choosing foods that are grown or produced within a specific area, region, or country (10). By purchasing these foods, we can better understand their origins because we are part of the communities that produce them.

If we purchase local produce, we may even be choosing the fresher and more environmentally sustainable option (11). Fruits and vegetables that take longer to reach us tend to lose nutritional value compared to those that are grown closer to home (12). As a result, locally-grown food can potentially be more nutritious. Buying locally can also support farms within our community and helps preserve the diversity of local farmlands (13). By learning more about the source of our food, we can further appreciate the food that nourishes us and choose foods that best serve us and our communities.

Sources:

1. 5 tips for sustainable eating, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2015/06/17/5-tips-for-sustainable-eating/
2. Know Where Your Food Comes From with USDA Foods, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/05/25/know-where-your-food-comes-usda-foods
3. A Map Of Where Your Food Originated May Surprise You, https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/06/13/481586649/a-map-of-where-your-food-originated-may-surprise-you
4. Where does our food come from – why should we care?, https://isappscience.org/where-our-food-comes-from/
5. Do You Know Your Farmer?, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2010/07/14/do-you-know-your-farmer
6. People Still Don’t Know the Difference Between “Organic” and “Local”, https://time.com/2970505/organic-misconception-local/
7. The Environmental Impact of Food has Huge Variability, https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/environmental-impact-food-has-huge-variability 
8. Food Miles, https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/2b3235d3-7c2c-461d-89ff-57d5dddc7d68/2b3235d3-7c2c-461d-89ff-57d5dddc7d68/ https://static.pbslearningmedia.org/media/alfresco/u/pr/kontentreal/e2%20transport%20Food%20Miles_2b3235d3-7c2c-461d-89ff-57d5dddc7d68/309_food_miles_edu.pdf 
9. Food Transportation, https://www.oregon.gov/deq/FilterDocs/PEF-FoodTransportation-ExecutiveSummary.pdf
10. The benefits of eating local foods, https://www.mcgill.ca/foodservices/sustainability/green/local
11. The Lexicon of Sustainability, https://www.pbs.org/video/lexicon-sustainability-local/
12. Giving thanks for locally grown food, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC128403/
13. Farm To Table: Does It Matter What We Eat?, https://www.edi.nih.gov/blog/communities/farm-table-does-it-matter-what-we-eat

The post conscious eating: where does our food come from? appeared first on Yoga District.

toasty squash soup

• 5 carrots
  
• ½ acorn squash
• ½ butternut squash
• 5 cloves roasted garlic
• 32 oz low sodium vegetable stock
• 2 inches of ginger root
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 1 ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon salt 

directions

1. Start by preparing the roasted garlic and squashes.
2. Set the oven to 350 F.
   
3. Take a bulb of garlic, peel off a couple layers, but not too many. You want the garlic bulb to remain intact. Cut off the top of the bulb. Cover the bulb with aluminium foil, leaving a hole at the top. Pour 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over the bulb. Twist the aluminium foil closed and place the bulb wrapped in aluminum foil on a baking tray.
   
4. Take each squash and use a fork to pierce the skin. Coat both squashes in the olive oil and place on a baking tray.
5. Roast the garlic for 30 minutes. (If you want some extra roasted garlic for hummus or another dish, prepare some additional bulbs of garlic.)
6. At the same time roast the squash for 15 minutes. Turn the squash and roast for another 10 minutes. 
7. Remove the squash and set aside to cool.
   
8. Remove the garlic cloves. They will be ready when they are soft. Peel 5 cloves for the recipe. 
9. After the squash has cooled for a bit, cut the squash in half and remove the pulp. Cut the squash into cubes. You should be able to use a potato peeler or a knife to remove the skin from the squash. 
10. Wash and scrub the carrots and cut into cubes.
    
11. Finely dice 1 shallot, the 5 cloves of roasted garlic and ginger root. 
12. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a small saucepan. Bring to a medium heat
13. . 
14. Start by sauteing the shallots for 2 minutes or until translucent.
15. 
16. Add the ginger and saute for 1 minute. Finally, add the garlic and saute for another minute. Stir throughout to ensure all ingredients do not burn. 
17. Transfer the ingredients into a soup pot and add the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer. 

Enjoy!

The post Spoon-Up Your Veggies this Fall appeared first on Yoga District.

• What food labels mean
• How food labels can impact our grocery runs
• How we can use food labels to find nourishment.

Food Labels and the Practice of Conscious Eating

In a previous post in this series, we discussed the benefits of seasonal eating. For many people, seasonal eating may be challenging. However, we can still practice conscious eating habits by taking advantage of the information provided by food labels.

Nutrition labels are required on most foods by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They provide consumers with information about the nutritional content of a food item (1). As effective tools in practicing conscious eating, they give us a glimpse into what makes up our food. These labels provide us with information about what ingredients are in our food and also help us understand how certain foods can nourish us. 

Anatomy of a Nutrition Label

Most of us have turned over a box of cereal or a granola bar only to find a slew of numbers and percentages. When confronted with many options of the same item, food labels are helpful in understanding how different foods can fit our nutritional needs.

Nutrition labels provide information on:

• Serving size 
• Calories
• Nutritional content.

These labels typically highlight specific nutrients. Also providing further information on how a particular nutrient in a food product can contribute to our daily intake.

Serving Sizes

Serving sizes are based on the amount an individual typically consumes of a given food. They are not a recommendation of how much someone should eat (2). Individual serving sizes can vary among different people. Therefore, the serving size presented may not necessarily be the amount that serves us. With this in mind, we can be more aware of what a serving size means to us individually. 

Calories

The number of calories listed on a label reflects the typical serving size consumed. Calories are based on the serving size. By knowing our individual daily calorie needs we can sense how a serving size contributes to our nutritional intake (3).

Most food labels are based on a 2000 calorie diet. However, for many of us, we may need more or fewer calories. As a result, a single serving can contribute differently to our individual caloric intake.

Nutritional content

After serving sizes and calories, nutrition labels list a percent daily value next to each nutrient. Percent Daily Values (%DV) allow us to understand how much of a specific nutrient a food will provide us in a day. 

In general, the FDA deems any food with a nutrient with a %DV of:

• 20% or more as high 
• 5% or less as low (4).

Using this information can help us make more informed decisions about which foods will serve our individual nutritional needs.  Keep this in mind when comparing different products and opt for the item that provides more of a specific nutrient needed to nourish us.

Understanding Nutrient Content Claims

By understanding the basic structure of food labels, we can better navigate the various food claims on different packages as well. You may have browsed through an aisle of packaged foods and seen nutrient content claims labeled as: 

• Low fat
• Sugar-free
• Low cholesterol. 

These labels highlight the level of a nutrient in a particular food product (5). 

Each nutrient may have a different content threshold in determining what is considered free, low, high, reduced, etc. These criteria are defined by the FDA and foods must be authorized in order to have such labeling.

Since nutrient content claims vary among different foods, it is helpful to have a basic understanding of what these claims mean. 

FDA Food and Dietary Supplement Labels (6):

For more information on nutrient content claims for specific nutrients, check out the FDA’s Guidance for Industry: Food Labeling Guide (7). 

Applying our knowledge of food labels helps us understand what a food claims to offer nutrient-wise. As a result, we can take this information to make more informed choices that serve our individual dietary needs.

Using Food Labels

By understanding food labels, we can practice conscious eating habits while shopping for our groceries. They are tools that assist us in making more informed decisions about what foods best serve us.

Food labels can help us stay aware of how foods impact or contribute to our nutritional needs differently. However, since every individual has unique nutritional needs, it is important to use these labels as a tool.

If needed, seek nutritional assistance from a medical professional to better understand your individual daily calorie intake as well as what nutritional needs you may have.

Sources:

1. Nutrition Facts: A guide to food labels, https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/nutrition-facts/art-20048426
2. Serving Size on the New Nutrition Facts Label, https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/serving-size-new-nutrition-facts-label 
3. Food Label Tip: Watch Your Calories and Serving Sizes, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/healthdisp/pdf/tipsheets/Food-Label-Tip-Watch-Your-Calories-and-Serving-Sizes.pdf
4. How to Understand and Use the Nutrition Facts Label, https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/how-understand-and-use-nutrition-facts-label
5. Label Claims for Conventional Foods and Dietary Supplements, https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/label-claims-conventional-foods-and-dietary-supplements
6. Food Packaging Claims, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/food-packaging-claims
7. Guidance for Industry: Food Labeling Guide, https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/guidance-industry-food-labeling-guide

The post Conscious Eating: Navigating Food Labels appeared first on Yoga District.

Meet Andrea B., one of our senior teachers at Yoga District! Learn about her journey with yoga and meditation. Throughout her practice she always allows herself to begin anew.

Learning How to Begin Again

When I’ve strayed from my deepest aspirations, there are a few bits of wisdom that help me organize my actions and come back to myself. An especially powerful notion that my students are used to hearing is that you can begin again at any time.

Learning to Restart

I first heard this on a meditation retreat. I was, let’s be real, searching for a blissful and peaced out experience. In reality I was neck-deep in the all too familiar internal battle. It was waged by my ego as I struggled with disappointment and frustration about what was actually happening. When my teacher gently offered “you can begin at any time,” it was like someone had opened a window. There was another way forward.

It doesn’t need to be a revelation to realize that we can pause, come back to ourselves, and begin anew. The truth is that at any moment, we can decide to let go of the struggle. Let go of the story so that we can give ourselves the grace of beginning anew. It’s not magic. It’s not the domain of the enlightened and it’s not complicated. Like so much in our yoga and meditation journeys it’s something we can practice again and again until it’s metabolized into our bodies. We can choose to pause and interrupt the reaction. Take a breath and then just start over without judgment and with a sense of compassion for ourselves. 

Recognizing When to Begin Again

The trick is to recognize that we’ve gone astray, lost sight of our breath, lost connection to our intention, or slipped into a narrative. In that moment of waking up, we can skip the analysis and mental stir to just come back to the practice. When we notice our next breath then we can come home to our bodies. We can decide to participate in moment-by-moment awareness. It’s a way to build our resilience, confidence, and sense of connection to ourselves and others. We’re never so far from ourselves that we can’t return. It just takes an awareness that we might have left home.

Satya (Truth)

The good news is that we get to participate in the unfolding of our reality. We get to continue to participate in fruition every single day. We always have the power of creation when we pause to come home to ourselves. There are times in life that feel like a dead end. And there are times we recognize we’re at an intersection and every choice seems consequential. We get waylaid, stuck, or veer off the path. And eventually, we realize it. If we can slow down enough in that awakening to pause, then we can create the space to choose to take the first step back to ourselves, in satya (truth) and with compassion (1). 

Sankalpa (Deepest Aspirations)

My sankalpa (my deepest aspiration) in my teaching, relationships, and how I show up in the world, is to learn to embody myself fully (2). A profound alignment occurs when what’s inside (embodying what we believe and aspire to be) matches our outside actions. It becomes natural and effortless to notice when we’ve been disconnected from ourselves. I’ve committed to slowing down enough to recognize when I’m overly identifying with a story of suffering or of not being enough. I’ve learned that the flow of grace knows its way through me. That I’m most embodied when I show up, participate, and allow this flow to happen. Even if this means that sometimes I need to let go of the shore and let the current take me. Despite the inevitable muddy waters and unexpected obstacles as the river flows on, I want to be awake for the journey. That’s why I practice.

Finding Community

You can begin again, no matter where you’ve been or how far you’ve strayed. You can learn how to come home to yourself. How to recommit to embodying your truth. How to pause and take the next step forward in full, compassionate awareness. Lucky for us, we  are never alone in this aspiration to wake up. This is the power of sangha (3). Of joining with a community of people doing the same courageous work of tuning into what’s healthy for ourselves and the greater good. Here’s to tapping into the power of sangha together, on the mat, on the cushion, or wherever your flow takes you.

Check out Andrea B.’s current class offerings and sign up here!

• Sunday, 9:00 AM: Yoga 1.5 – 2 @ Online
• Tuesday, 7:30 AM: Free Community Meditation @ Online
• Tuesday, 5:15 PM: Strength and Mobility Happy Hour @ Online
• Tuesday, 5:15 PM: Strength and Mobility Happy Hour; Vaccinations and Distancing Req’d @ Petworth

Sources

1. Satya, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5354/satya
2. Sankalpa, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5751/sankalpa 
3. Sangha,  https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6238/sangha

The post Teacher Feature: Meet Andrea B! appeared first on Yoga District.

What is Seasonal Eating?

Although there are several definitions of seasonal eating, we will focus on the practice of purchasing and consuming fruits and vegetables harvested within the local climate (1). Those who participate in this practice opt for produce that’s naturally grown and harvested at any given time in the year. By doing so, they become aware of what produce is available to them and when. If they purchase foods from local vendors, they may even have a better understanding of the origins of the food they eat.

Seasonal eating encourages us to practice conscious eating habits through awareness of the foods we consume. We make more mindful decisions by understanding where our food comes from, how it is prepared, and its potential impact on us and our communities.

Benefits of Seasonal Eating

By using the seasons to guide our food choices, we can reap nutritional and economic benefits. Foods that are in season are typically harvested at their peak. Consequently, not only do they taste better but are rich in nutritional value. Since this produce is grown within our local climate, it also doesn’t need to travel far to reach our plates (2). This allows us to eat fresher, better tasting foods because the length of time between harvest and consumption is shortened. Seasonal eating not only enables  us to find nourishment from food but also enhances how we experience eating it.

The advantages of seasonal eating extend beyond its potential health benefits. It may even help our pockets! If you take a look around your grocery store, you may notice that the seasonal produce is cheaper than, for example, those avocados shipped from Mexico. The availability of seasonal produce is abundant at harvest. You may find yourself saving a few dollars when choosing produce grown within or near your community (3).

The Impact of Seasonal Eating on our Communities

Seasonal food choices can also help us reduce our carbon footprint. Since seasonal produce can be found locally, it doesn’t need to travel far for us to consume it. As a result, less resources are used to transport food to its desired destination.

Additionally, through this practice, we tend to support our communities by purchasing foods from neighborhood vendors (4). This, in turn, benefits our local economy by funding and supporting local businesses. Moreover, through our support of local farmers, we can familiarize ourselves with how our food is sourced. We invest in the health of ourselves as well as our communities.

Tips on how to Eat Seasonally – Wherever you are!

What produce is seasonal for me?

The availability of produce can vary from region to region. In the Washington, D.C. area, we are able to access a variety of produce throughout the year. We may notice an abundance of:

• spinach and asparagus (spring)
• tomatoes and peaches (summer)
• sweet potatoes and pumpkins (fall)
• carrots and leeks (winter)

We’re able to access a variety of fruits and vegetables due to the significant changes between seasons. However, this may not be the case in other communities. If you are interested in learning more about what is grown in your area then the “Seasonal Produce Guide” can help you discover what is available near you (5). 

Where can I find seasonal produce?

Whether you’re tending your own garden or purchasing produce from a vendor, there are many ways to gain access to seasonal produce. 

Those who want to invest in local food production can join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). As a member of a CSA, individuals support a farm’s operations and in return receive seasonal produce on a regular basis (6, 7). 

Through CSAs: 

• individuals can support local farmers
• play an active role in how their food is sourced
• gain direct access to local seasonal produce.

If you want to support your local community, but don’t want to commit to a CSA, then shopping at a nearby farmers market and/or food co-op are other  alternatives. At farmers markets or food co-ops, local vendors and farmers come together regularly to sell goods directly to consumers in their communities (8, 9, and 10). Since these vendors are local, farmers markets and food coops are able to offer their communities a wide variety of seasonal goods all year long.

Regardless of where you live, you can also find seasonal produce at your local grocery store. You may even see that some stores offer and highlight produce from local sources. By learning about what is seasonal in your community, you can choose the produce that doesn’t have to travel miles to reach your grocery store shelves. 

How can I eat seasonally all-year-round?

While the availability of produce can change throughout the year, you may find yourself craving strawberries in the winter or sweet potatoes in the summer. Since seasonal produce is cheaper due to its increased supply, we can take advantage of its reduced prices to extend its longevity. We can freeze or can surplus produce to enjoy at any time of the year (11). 

While seasonal eating may not fit everyone’s lifestyles, becoming more aware of what is available in your community can help you make more conscious food choices that may potentially benefit your health, communities, and your taste buds.

Sources

1. Seasonality and dietary requirements: will eating seasonal food contribute to health and environmental sustainability?, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/seasonality-and-dietary-requirements-will-eating-seasonal-food-contribute-to-health-and-environmental-sustainability/08545F71A12EF0FE233E8D1DEFEF227A 
2. Locally grown, seasonal produce offers nutritional, environmental benefits, https://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-201410070000–tms–premhnstr–k-e20141008-20141008-story.html 
3. Seasons of Eating Infographic, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/add-color/seasons-of-eating-infographic
4. Why Eat Seasonally?, https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/why-eat-seasonally
5. Produce Available in the US During Different Months of the Year, https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/ 
6. Community Supported Agriculture, https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/community-supported-agriculture#regional
7. Local Food Directories: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Directory, https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/csas
8. Farmer Market Resources, ​​https://farmersmarketcoalition.org/education/qanda/
9. Local Food Directories: National Farmers Market Directory, https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets 
10. Food Co-ops, http://www.ecolife.com/health-food/eating-local/food-coops-csa.html
11. 17 Strategies for Stashing Seasonal Produce in Your Freezer, https://www.thekitchn.com/the-seasonal-produce-i-put-in-my-freezer-love-your-freezer-216217

The post Conscious Eating: Using the Seasons to Guide our Palettes appeared first on Yoga District.

Join Aaron, a Yoga District’s teacher trainee, as he shares his current teacher training experiences through a series of posts. Find out what happens in yoga teacher training and if it might be something you would want to try yourself.

A NEW CHAPTER

Last week I started Yoga District’s 200-hr Yoga Teacher Training. And as our class begins the process of peeling back the many layers of yoga, as it’s described in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, I can’t help but feel an immense sense of joy and gratitude (1).

Now that I’m in the program, I have a good idea of what to expect going forward. But leading up to it I had a ton of questions:

• Should I do this if I’m still undecided about wanting to teach?
• If so, what yoga studio should I do the training in? 
• What does a typical day in teacher training even look like?

My list of questions went on and on. Googling did help a bit but I wasn’t always able to find the answers. So over the next couple of months I’d like to share my own journey through Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) with the hopes that it might help answer some of those questions for people curious about doing it themselves one day.

IS YTT RIGHT FOR ME?

Before I dive into what YTT is like, I want to talk about the first step. And that’s deciding if making the investment of doing a YTT is something you want to do or not. 

When I was trying to answer this question for myself, I worried that if I found out that teaching wasn’t for me, then my YTT somehow wouldn’t be considered a “success”. But after researching other’s journeys I realized YTT isn’t only for people who want to teach. 

Finding this out gave me a sense of relief and helped me enjoy the prospect of doing a YTT even if the outcome was just deepening my own practice. Especially because in the past I’ve had to stop doing yoga altogether because of injuring my elbow after practicing yoga in an anatomically unsafe way. I figured if I can come out of YTT just learning how to have a safe practice that allows me to do yoga for the rest of my life then that alone would be worth the investment.

Lo and behold, one of my favorite parts about YTT so far are the pose breakdowns. During class, the teacher will take a pose from our workbook and teach us how to do them (and cue them for other people) in a safe way.  An example, for Downward-Facing Dog (Adho mukha svanasana) one of our teachers explained to us how to distribute our body weight into the palms of our hands in a way that relieves unnecessary pressure from the delicate wrist joint. 

So if you’re unsure if you want to teach yoga, I wouldn’t let that stop you. Maybe you’re on the fence like me and okay using the opportunity to deepen your own practice. Or, something else like having the opportunity to meet other people in the community that share your passion for yoga.

Whatever that personal reason looks like for you, I do invite you to explore that reason because doing a 200 hour training program is a commitment. And when you have to show up for a 6 hour yoga training after a long day, being able to come back to that “why” makes it easier to be present and have a positive experience.

PICKING A STUDIO

If you do decide that doing a YTT is something you’re interested in, the next part is finding a studio. Typing “Yoga Teacher Training” into Google’s search engine is one way to go. But, there are a lot of options out there.

Two things that helped me narrow my search down are:

1. Knowing it’s possible to reap all the benefits of a YTT without going to a far-off location.
2. There’s always the opportunity to do more than one YTT in case there’s something else you want to learn.
   

What might be worth giving importance is finding a place where you’re comfortable and the training aligns with your values.

I chose Yoga District because I’ve grown comfortable with the community through years of practicing there. And I got a sense from Yoga District’s teachers and the teacher training application that the program would go beyond teaching postures to incorporate other aspects of yoga like breathing, meditation, and philosophy too. This was important to me because it wasn’t until I practiced yoga holistically that I started to find physical and psychological relief from pain that plagued me for years.

It can be really helpful to keep in mind what you’re looking for in a training. I was in my ultimate happy place, on our first day of training when we learned different ways to sit comfortably on the floor for meditation and then segued into a 30 minute meditation. But I recognize that this would have been a challenge for me if I were looking for a training program strictly focused on the asana part of yoga. So this is something that’s definitely worth taking into consideration. And if it’s hard to tell, maybe just reach out to one of the teachers at the studio and see if they can help.

A DAY IN YTT

In terms of what a typical day of YTT looks like, no two days are the same as the classes have different teachers. And each teacher has their own unique way of instruction based on their background, expertise, and preferences. 

Due to current circumstances, my particular YTT is a hybrid program. Two days out of the week we meet online for 3 hours in the morning and 3 in the evening. Then on Saturday, we meet in-person at a studio for about 7 hours with a lunch break.

A common structure for any given class is something like:

Mediation

• Each training session normally starts with about 25 minutes of seated meditation consisting of 5 minutes of AUMs, 5 minutes of Bhastrika, 5 minutes of Kaphalabhati, 10 minutes of calming breath, and then 5 minutes of “So Hum” mantra-based meditation and finally closing with another round of AUMs (2, 3, 4, and 5).
• We’re encouraged to do these morning meditations even outside of the 3 days we have class. If you haven’t tried it before, I think it’s worth giving it a shot. I’ve found that it’s a nice way to start the day in a mindful way. And, afterwards it helps me set a grounded calm cadence for the rest of the day. If 30 minutes isn’t available, you could always change the duration to something that fits your schedule.
• Pro tip: The “Insight Timer” app has a timer feature with the capability to add intervals. You can meditate for 30 minutes and be notified when to switch to the next meditation style every 5 minutes. If you set this up in the app then you could continue to meditate without having to worry about looking at your device.

Class Begins 

• If the teacher is new, the class introduces themselves. Our training program has 8 teachers total.
• Then the instructor will cover a certain concept related to teaching. This can be anything from yoga outreach, to creating a sequence for a class. Or detailing the history of yoga so that we can be mindful of cultural appropriation as we share yoga with others (6).

Teacher Self-Care

• For instance during one day of training, our instructors took the time to guide us on how to take care of ourselves as teachers. Through reading and conversation we learned that if we don’t take care of ourselves then we won’t be able to effectively share yoga compassionately with others.
• For me this point really hit home. My favorite yoga teachers are the ones that carry an essence of calm confidence in their class. And I can only imagine if they (or one day, me) were to be in a place of needing self-care then how this could disrupt the ability of a student to get the most out of their practice with the teacher.
  

Teaching Exercises

• I’m going to talk a lot more about teaching exercises in one of my future posts. But from the very first week we’re invited to actually start teaching. 
• I mentioned earlier about being unsure if teaching is something I want to do. That said, I found the experience of having to instruct my classmates through a sequence fun and a great confidence builder. Even better, as someone who is curious about teaching, it forces me to verbalize to other people how to move unharmed between postures. And having the opportunity to practice teaching in a safe environment with my classmates who are also learning is a joyful experience. 

WHAT’S TO COME

There’s still so much to cover. Next time I’ll delve into what it was like meeting my class in person and our sense of community 

Also, throughout the training, we’re scheduled to dive deeper into the benefits of meditation and break down more poses in depth. I look forward to sharing all that and more in the weeks to come! 

Sources:

1. The Yoga Sutras, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56305.The_Yoga_Sutras
2. AUM, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/4957/om
3. Kapalbhati Pranayama, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6469/kapalbhati-pranayama
4. Bhastrika Pranayama, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/6438/bhastrika-pranayama
5. So Hum: Contemplation Meditation, https://www.yogajournal.com/meditation/so-hum-contemplation-meditation/
6. History of Yoga, https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/the-roots-of-yoga/

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Join Audrey, a member of our Yoga District community, as she explores how food nourishes us. She will delve into the topic of conscious eating and consider how food can affect many aspects of our lives.

We can’t always make ideal food choices. This series will shed light on how we can approach food in a way that serves us individually. Also, it will offer guidance to those interested in incorporating or building conscious eating habits into their daily routines. 

What Is Conscious Eating?

For some of us, eating has become a routine activity we don’t think much about. We have three meals planned (give or take). We may find ourselves rushing out the door without time to fully savor our meals.

Conscious eating is a practice that extends from the philosophy of mindfulness. Mindfulness encourages us to pay attention to the present and to accept our thoughts without judgment (1). Similarly, conscious eating is driven by a non-judgmental, individual experience of food (2). It is a practice that focuses on cultivating experiences that allow us to appreciate the food that nourishes us. 

Conscious eating considers food in the present moment. Also, its prior stages such as how we choose, prepare, and serve food. It helps us understand where our food comes from and how it’s made. Plus, how our choices affect us internally and externally (3).

Yogic Values of Food

How we nourish ourselves plays a significant role in serving our yoga practice. In Taittiriya Upanishad, the five koshas, or sheaths, make up an individual (4). The first kosha, Annamaya kosha, translates to “consisting of food.” This is the outermost layer that nourishes the physical body but also supports the inner koshas (5). Through awareness of foods we consume and their effects on our bodies, we can fuel ourselves in a way that benefits us more than just physically.

With conscious eating habits, we can also practice the first niyama, saucha, which means purity (6). Pay attention to what we eat and how we approach food. Thereby further striving for cleanliness and purity in our environments. We can become more aware of what foods we consume. Examine how they make us feel and choose food that better serves us.

Upcoming Topics

Navigating Food Labels

Shopping for groceries can be overwhelming. Even if we need to pick up one thing, we are often faced with a decision of whether to grab the organic, natural, or farm raised item. We may also find ourselves trying to decipher food labels to compare different versions of the same item. In this blog post, we’ll explore food labels – what they mean and how they can impact our everyday grocery runs.

Seasonal Eating

As the seasons change, we may notice a shift in what is available at our local farmer’s market. By using the seasons to guide what we eat, we can reap nutritional benefits and support our local communities (7). In this blog post, we’ll look into what seasonal eating is and learn about its benefits on a personal and community level. We’ll also look into what foods are available each season and offer guidance on how to make seasonal food choices.

Where does our food come from?

Understanding where our food comes from can help us improve our approach and decisions around food.  Potentially providing benefit to our communities (8). In this blog post, we will explore the nutritional and environmental benefits of knowing where our food comes from. We will also delve into some of the environmental implications of food transport and supply. Plus, offer guidance on how to source food locally.

Sources:

1. Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress, https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation
2. Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556586/
3. Mindful eating, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/mindful-eating
4. The Koshas: 5 Layers of Being, https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-koshas-5-layers-of-being/ 
5. Annamaya Kosha, https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5889/annamaya-kosha 
6. The First Niyama: Saucha, https://www.yogauonline.com/yoga-basics/first-niyama-saucha 
7. Why Eat Seasonally?, https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/why-eat-seasonally 
8. Know Where Your Food Comes From with USDA Foods, https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/05/25/know-where-your-food-comes-usda-foods

The post Conscious Eating: Extending the Practice of Yoga to Food appeared first on Yoga District.

It’s time to sweep dusty nooks and crannies, scrub neglected floors and surfaces, and purge the clutter. If you’re like me, you might wonder how this tradition started and why it feels right to do it each spring. 

Keep reading to learn about the history of this tradition. Also, discover some of the psychological benefits that make it worth doing year after year. 

People have been practicing spring cleaning for thousands of years. The history of spring cleaning traces back to spiritual traditions from around the world and may be explained in part by human biology. Regardless of our spiritual beliefs, we can all profit from the psychological benefits of this age-old practice.

Spiritual Traditions

In Judeo-Christian traditions, spring cleaning dates back to the liberation of Israelites from Egypt, now celebrated as the holiday of Passover. To prepare for Passover, the Torah commands not a crumb of leaven (yeast used to make bread rise) in the house. As a result, one would thoroughly clean the entire home (1).

Spring cleaning also plays a major role in ancient Buddhist purification rituals. For example, during Thailand’s Songkran Festival held in April, Thai people pour water over each other to wash away bad thoughts and behaviors. They also deeply clean their homes and temples to purify these spaces (2).

In Persian culture, spring cleaning traces back 3,000 years ago to a spring tradition called khaneh tekani. This translates to “shaking the house.” It was believed that sweeping up dust and removing clutter from one’s home would prevent ill-fortune in the upcoming year (3).

Within the yogic tradition, spring cleaning embodies a Niyama, or ethical observance, called saucha. Saucha means purity in thought, word, environment, body, and deed. It relates to keeping boundaries which includes ensuring a clean, non-distracting environment to live, work, and practice (4).

Biological Explanations

Spring cleaning may also have something to do with our neurochemistry. During the shorter and darker days of winter, our bodies produce more melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy. As we move toward spring and the days begin to lengthen, we produce less of this hormone and receive a boost of energy from the sun. We often put this energy toward chores such as cleaning (5). 

Also, as we emerge from winter hibernation, our natural instinct is to open doors and windows, interact with others, and spend time outside soaking up the sunshine deprived from our bodies over the past 3 to 5 months (6). When we organize and deep clean our homes, we can focus our attention on enjoying the sunny days ahead.

Psychological Benefits

There are many psychological benefits to spring cleaning that make it worthwhile. Psychologists agree that spring cleaning results in improved mood, reduced stress, and increased creativity (7).

One of the top five stressors for Americans is home cleanliness. Clutter causes stress by overwhelming our senses and reminding us of undone chores and to-do lists (8). By cleaning physical spaces, we can also organize our mental space in a way that produces positive and clear thinking. For this reason, spring cleaning increases mood, productivity, and creativity.

This tradition also allows us to declutter which can save us time and money and help reduce the mental strain of busy schedules and finances. When we organize our homes, we don’t waste time looking for our keys, phones, and bills underneath piles of paperwork. We also prevent future, unnecessary purchases by taking inventory of the items we own. When we find old or unused items, donating them can increase generosity and self-esteem as well.

Another psychological benefit of spring cleaning is the feeling of the “fresh start effect” (9). After being inside all winter, spring cleaning allows us to get moving and start anew. Even small tasks such as reorganizing the spice cabinet give us the momentum to take control of other aspects of our lives, such as health, finances, or relationships.

Lastly, spring cleaning is an opportunity to let go of emotional attachments to possessions (10). By getting rid of items that don’t serve us, yet continue to take up physical and mental space, we free our minds to focus on the immaterial pleasures that make us feel truly joyful.

Sources:

1. The Surprising History Behind Spring Cleaning, https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/the-surprising-history-behind-spring-cleaning-53303
2. Songkran , https://www.thaiworldview.com/feast/songkran2.htm
3. ‘Shaking the house’ on Persian New Year, https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/opinion/blogs/shaking-the-house-on-persian-new-year/article_f302fd2a-3c08-5fa1-baf3-0e84cb4aebe9.html
4. Saucha-Niyama, https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/blog/saucha-niyama-5-age-old-ways-to-deep-detox-your-body-and-mind-every-day/
5. Neurochemistry of Spring Cleaning, https://www.windowgenie.com/blog/the-history-of-spring-cleaning.html
6. Why we Spring Cleaning, https://www.sparefoot.com/self-storage/blog/14187-a-brief-history-of-spring-cleaning/
7. The Psychology Behind Spring Cleaning, https://www.dignityhealth.org/articles/the-psychology-behind-spring-cleaning
8. The Psychology of Spring Cleaning, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-new-you/201504/the-psychology-spring-cleaning
9. How Psychology Explains the Itch for Spring Cleaning, https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/how-psychology-explains-itch-spring-cleaning 
10. Psychological Benefits Of Spring Cleaning & How To Make It Fun!, https://growingupbilingual.com/psychological-benefits-of-spring-cleaning-how-to-make-it-fun/

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