Ever since I was a child I’ve always wanted to contribute and make the world a better place. From helping the poor to conserving the earth’s resources. But how? I was always stuck and paralyzed by the vastness and enormity of the needs of the world. How can my small insignificant penny help the world?? Like yoga, altruism is a practice and a process. I have learned that yoga is a process. A spiritual, mental and physical process that takes time and patience. This Earth Day I am convicted to rededicate my resources to helping the earth. And the way that I will approach this is the way I approach my yoga practice, with small steps. Learning more about your environment and how to protect it is a good place to start.

Here are some other ways to take yoga off the mat and celebrate Earth Day this week and everyday:

1. Many studios around the world are offering classes and fundraisers to worthy global causes. Check out your local listings or studios in your area for Earth Day events.

2. Dedicate your practice to a cause. Set an intention for your practice and send it out into the World.

3. Plant a Tree. Do a search on the internet and you will find many organizations that are planting trees on Earth Day. Join in on the fun.

4. Recycle. Go through your house and see if there are things you can recycle like plastic bags and containers. Gently used clothing can be donate or old toys can be give away to be reused.

5. Reduce water consumption, reduce your shower by 5 minutes and check for leaking faucets and fixtures.

6. Do yoga outside and enjoy the earth beneath you.

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

I love yoga and I love running. Truth be told, I am not very disciplined when it comes to stretching after a run. I started running 10 years ago and have participated in plenty of running events ranging from 5ks to Marathons. Marathon training is especially brutal on the body. And that’s when I started experiencing lots of aches and pains such as lower back pain, burnout, fatigue. However, that all started to change when I found yoga. Yoga has helped me both mentally and physically endure the rigors of marathon training. Now I will not run without incorporating a little yoga into my routine.  Here are my favorite yoga poses post run:

Butterfly (Bound Angle) Pose

Butterfly (Bound Angle Pose) – This is an excellent groin and hip opener. Also, relieves inner thigh muscle tension. Sit down on the ground and press the soles of your feet together. Keep the spine and neck straight. Do not allow the heels to be raised. Breath and gently press down on your thighs with your hands or elbows.  Practice this with rhythmic and natural breathing. Hold for 8 breaths.  Contraindications: Sciatica patients.

Standing Forward Fold

Standing Forward Fold – This is a great pose that stretches the hamstrings, calves and hips. It also strengthens the thighs and knees. From a standing position (mountain pose), exhale and fold forward hinging at your hips not your waist. Bring your hands down to your shins, your ankles or the floor.  Or you can grab for opposite elbows. Press your heels firmly into the ground and lift your sit bones up to the sky. Stay in the pose for 30 seconds. To come up out of it, bring your hands to your hips and inhale as you lengthen through your spine and press the tailbone down as you come up.  Contraindications: Back injury, do this pose on bent knees.

Chair Pose

Chair Pose – This pose stretches your shoulders and chest, while also strengthening your ankles, thighs, calves and spine. From a Standing forward fold, inhale, bend your knees and sink your hips low so that your thighs come close  to parallel with the floor as you raise your arms over head (biceps by your ears). Relax your shoulder blades back and down. Tuck your tailbone down and lift through your chest.  Hold for 5 to 8 breaths then come to a forward fold.  Contraindications: High blood pressure.

Twist (Half Lord) Pose

Twist (Half Lord) – This pose is great for stretching the shoulders, hips and neck. Also, energizing for the spine! From seated crossed leg position, raise your right leg and bring your right food over to the outside of your left thigh (your right leg is bent with your knee pointed to the ceiling). Inhale, lengthen your spine with your arms over head and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. Your right hand is on the floor behind you. Continue breathing. As you inhale continue to lengthen your spine and as you exhale twist a little deeper. Hold for about 30 seconds to 1 minute then gently release and do the opposite side. Contraindications: Back or spine injury.

Half Pigeon Pose

Half Pigeon – This pose is excellent for stretching your thighs, groin, psoas, abdomen, and neck. It is also a great way to open up your chest and shoulders.  To get into the pose, come to all fours, shoulders underneath your wrists and hips directly over your knees. Slide your right knee towards the back of your right wrist and bring your right shin onto the floor in front of you. Your left knee comes down to the floor be sure to straighten your left leg and point your toes directly behind you. Level off your hips, and square them to the front of the room.  Inhale, lift through your chest and exhale fold over your right shin. You can stay up on your palms or continue to come down onto your forearms, maybe even your forehead.  You should feel the stretch in your right hip. Hold for 1 min or more. Use rhythmic and natural breathing. Plant your palms onto the mat and come up slowly, come up to all fours and shake out your right leg before moving on the other side. Contraindications: Sacroiliac, ankle or knee injury.

Try incorporating these poses into your routine after you run to help you stay strong and feel good!

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

Flying Yoga with Laura Camp

I met Laura Camp during my first yoga teacher training. She is so warm and authentic you can’t help but love her. The most important thing that she has inspired in me is a love for yoga and a desire to deepen my own personal development. Laura is the Director and Founder of Flying Yoga Shala in Oakland. She teaches public classes and advance yoga trainings in her studio. Her studio was voted best of the bay in 2010 for Best Airborne Ashtanga.

What was your first introduction to yoga?

I was a dancer performing in a show; I tore my calf muscle while on stage. I had never had an injury that bad. I was looking around for things to rehab my leg.  I belonged to a health club and I wandered into this yoga class and I always thought yoga was really boring and for old people. It was 1998 so yoga was not as popular. There was this man in there, this really small man who said “come in, come in, you will like this class” and it was amazing. It shocked me at how hard it was after being a dancer and a fitness person I thought I was in top shape. That was my start. I became so enthralled by it and I started following my teacher everywhere. At first I was hooked by the physicality of it. I quickly realized it would help me balance the body. Then I realized I was very unhappy and resisted Shavasana or anything that wasn’t exercise related for a long time. Then eventually I just got really tired and did Shavasana and relaxed and started crying. Yoga slowly penetrated my life.

When did you decide to become a yoga teacher?

I was already teaching dance and literally after a few months after taking yoga my yoga teacher says “I want you to sub for me” and I said I don’t know what I’m doing and he said “you’ll be fine”. I was terrified so I memorized everything he said verbatim and I just did it and everybody said” that was great” and “I learned so many new things”.  It was 1998 so there were not many teacher training programs and it was a different world. I apprentice with my teacher for a few years. I really didn’t want to teach. I felt that if I taught I would lose my own practice so I resisted. Teaching kept coming up. I had a corporate job and I got laid off from my job so I said okay I’ll try teaching full time. I really feel like I was pushed into it. And now that I look back I feel like oh, it’s the perfect job for me.

What is your style of yoga?

I call it Camp yoga because it’s so eclectic and it’s based on Ashtanga and it’s fast paced and lots of variety. I am always trying to vary the pace and the poses to try and trick the student’s brains especially the ones who have been with me a long time so that we are not doing the same things the same way all the time.  My classes do have a cardiovascular endurance and flexibility component. I also like acrobatics and inversions especially for women, it helps develop upper body strength and something amazing happens to their psyche – they become empowered.

Any advice you would give to someone new to yoga?

I think before you walk into a class you should do some research and learn a little bit about the background of yoga. Also, choosing the right class helps. Try to find a class that suits your personality so that you are not turned off by the whole thing. I would love a new person to know that there are a lot of styles out there and if you don’t like one just keep trying different ones because yoga is so wonderful.

Do you have any advice on how to avoid injury?

Bend your knees. Especially in forward bends, people should always bend their knees unless they really know what they are doing. Secondly, learn how to pull shoulder blades down your back (learn to activate your lat muscles) so that when you are on your hands and arms you are not tiring out your neck muscles. I think if people learn how to do these two things you can avoid a lot of common injuries.

To learn more about Laura please visit: flyingyogashala.com

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

“Dwelling on the negative simply contributes to its power.” ~Shirley Maclaine

Looking for that summer glow? You won’t find it at the bottom of chemical filled products. The warmer months mean less is more but there are tools and tricks to help us stay looking gorgeous.

Scrub off the winter skin and replenish with an Aubrey White Camellia Oil 

This multi purpose oil contains white camellia, which has been hand-harvested in Japan. Use it for your skin, hair and even scalp. I also like to keep nourishing oils around to aid troubled cuticles.

Summer exposure to the sun means you have to protect yourself and your family. While on the go I found La Fresh oil-free SPF 30+ all natural and earth friendly wipes to be a life saver. If you do get bit of a burn this summer try using their Instant Body Soother wipes to keep your skin comfortable and well moisturized. These wipes are the lightest beauty product you will ever have to pack or carry around.

Have you ever noticed that when life gets busy the first thing to suffer is your yoga practice? Yoga becomes one more thing ‘to do’. That is too bad because yoga is most likely exactly what you need now.

If you are feeling a little overwhelmed right now maybe all you need to get back onto your mat is a little inspiration or something to dedicate to your practice. As a yoga student, I appreciate how one little nugget of wisdom can inspire me and motivate my practice for weeks – sometimes even longer. Here are a few inspirational quotes that might help give you that extra ‘push’.

“Yoga exists in the world because everything is linked.” — Desikashar

“Do your own practice and all is coming.” — Sri K Patthabi Jois

“They must change often, who would be constant in happiness.” — Confucius

“Praise and blame, gain and loss, pleasure and sorrow come and go like the wind. To be happy, rest like a giant tree, in the midst of them all.” — Buddha

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” — Albert Einstein

“A photographer gets people to pose for him. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves.” — T. Guillemets

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.” – Upanishads

“When the choice is to be right or to be kind, always make the choice that brings peace .” — Wayne W. Dyer

“We need to forget what we think we are, so that we can really become what we are” — Paul Coelho

“There can only be two mistakes one can make along the road to truth: not going all the way, and not starting” — Buddha

“You cannot always control what goes on outside. But you can always control what goes on inside.” — Wayne W. Dyer

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

Macaron Day is well known in Paris but confectionery loving New Yorkers have had their macaron day today a third year in the row courtesy of François Payard. The delicate and crunchy sweets have been my favorite for some time now and today I am indulging.

Go out and experience what the talk is all about. Mention Macaron Day at participating bakeries and get a free macaron. Don’t feel so bad about spending on these little treats, a portion of today’s macaron sales will be donated to City-Harvest.

Find your organic macaron on the participating map.

Prayer Twist

Seems like everyone is doing a cleanse or a detox diet these days. A detox (short for detoxification) diet will remove toxins and poisons from your body. Yoga is a great complement to a detox diet. Your body is designed to engage in detoxification every day. A way to facilitate this process is to do yoga. In a well rounded yoga practice the body is pulled, pushed, twisted and turned upside down. This process is so helpful for removing waste and toxins from your body.

Here are a few specific yoga poses that help with the detox process:

Prayer Twist – (Parivrtta Utkatasana in Sanskrit)

Benefits:

• Rinses the internal organs and kidneys
• Creates flexibility in the spine
• Sculpts buttocks, thighs and muscles along the spine

How to do get into the pose:

1. Bring your feet together (big toes touching), on an inhale, bend your knees, extend your arms overhead (biceps by your ears).
2. Roll the weight into your heels, squeeze your sit bones and engage your quadriceps.
3. On an exhale, draw your hands down to your heart center, palms together in a prayer position.
4. Inhale, draw your chest forward and on an exhale, twist to your right from your torso and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh. Gaze towards your right shoulder.
5. Stack your shoulders and elbows in one line. And press your thumbs to heart center to open up your chest and shoulders.
6. For a modification your could look down. You can also, sit higher in your chair to ease up on the intensity.
7. Breathe for 3-5 breath cycles then release into a forward fold then repeat on the left side.

Revolving Crescent Lunge

Eileen Filomeno, RYT, is a Yoga Teacher in Berkeley, California. She is inspired to share her love of yoga and is committed to sustainable, organic living and well–being.

Craving that summer glow minus the skin damage? Many are happy to use self tanners and receive airbrush tanning services without thinking about the chemicals. A perfect tan is worth the extra thought and where else can you find what you might be looking for other than right here. From sunscreen to relaxation – If you need an organic summer solution, we have it.

Look for an organic option. Where can you find an organic airbrush tan? The NY Sun Club caters to your specific skin tone and provides you with a custom tanning solution. Organic airbrush tanning is safe, chemical free and odorless. Two beautiful looking locations and friendly as well as knowledgeable staff are ready to give your skin a tan, plus nourishment. Visit the NY Sun Club website to find out more. Remember to keep your skin safe this and every summer.

Thoughts on beauty:

The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mode but the true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives the passion that she shows. The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.
Audrey Hepburn