Do you ever find it challenging to celebrate family gatherings and still maintain your mindful eating habits?

If this challenge is showing up right now around Mother’s Day, you’re not alone!

After all, most families have their own eating habits and traditions that often don’t include consciously preparing seasonal recipes, eating for their unique body types or using food as medicine.

But, I can tell you from experience that there are two keys to happy multi-family meals:

1. Taking the initiative to contribute or cook food a dish that you will enjoy eating.

2. Present an invitation for your mom and the rest of your family to try something new. It could be a new dish, a tea for post-meal digestion or a yummy treat. The fact is that nobody likes to be harped on or made wrong about what they’re putting in their bodies so it’s import to learn how to gracefully usher in change.

If you’re up for being a Wellness Warrior this Mother’s Day let’s talk strategies for food.

Right now, we’re still in the heart of Spring, which is Mother Nature’s detox season. If you’re feeling an urge to detox and get rid of any heaviness and stagnation from winter, you’re not alone. In fact, you’re on the right track according to Ayurveda.

The best way to experience vibrant health is to pay attention to what’s naturally growing in your environment right now. You’ll likely notice an abundance of bitter roots, sprouts, greens and berries. These pungent (spicy), bitter and astringent foods help us naturally detox any excess fats and proteins out of our system.

This is really important for obvious reasons like disease prevention and immunity boosting. But it’s even more important for subtle reasons like being able to listen to your body, being able to tune into your intuition and your ability to show up fully in life.

Now you might be curious about what to specifically eat during the spring, so here’s a quick rundown:

* Eat more foods that are Pungent (spicy), Bitter, Astringent / Light, Dry, Warm

* Eat less foods that are Sweet, Sour, Salty / Heavy, Cold, Oily

Just for Yoga Today Readers

I’ve put together a free Mother’s Day Guide just for you. Head over to Vixi.com, drop in your email address, and I’ll send you over this special guide that includes:

* A springtime Ayurvedic grocery list for you to keep as a resource

* The 12 foods you’ll absolutely want to buy organic (due to pesticides)

* The 15 foods you can get away with buying non-organic

* 5 easy-to-make celebratory drinks for Mother’s Day

* 3 Ayurveda-approved dishes mom will love

Have fun incorporating Ayurveda into your Mother’s Day celebration (or just use this guide for specially-crafted spring inspiration)!

Click here to get your free Mother’s Day Guide.

Namaste,

Ashley Pitman

Want to dig a littler deeper? Click here for more information on the Ayurveda lifestyle.

Ashley Pitman is a fresh and authentic voice that brings potent ancient wisdom to the dinner table – as something the entire family can understand, embrace and enjoy. She supports thousands of people in crafting a thriving day-to-day experience that’s in favor of their best work – we’re talkin’ raw foods, ayurveda, cleansing, life-enhancing relationships, yoga, meditation, conscious business, and community. For tons of free valuable content visit her blog or sign up for the free weekly newsletter.

All material provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and in no way is any of the content to be construed as medical advice or instruction from Yoga Today. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing.

Hi Timi,

I have direct experience with the misplacement and pain of the SI joint.  For me, it happened before I learned about actively stabilizing before actively elongating in any and every pose.  The healing took a while because the ligaments had been stretched. They take time to regain tone as they are not designed to be stretched.  With the ligaments saggy, the SI joint can move around too much, causing pain.

For healing, it took a lot of muscle energy, keeping my thighs back as well as a strong action of the tailbone down, as all yoga poses require all the time.  Also, I was working with teachers who knew how to adjust the SI joint, which would relieve the pain because the adjustments bring the SI joint in to good alignment.

The pain comes from the excess movement of the joint.  Once stretched it takes time for ligaments to spring back.  Once you learn to stabilize, it will start to heal.  I recommend finding a good teacher who can make sure that you are using your muscles appropriately to not allow the ligaments to continue to be stressed.  A teacher can also help you see if your hips are in good alignment and help you learn how to not “hang out in your joints” which has probably created this hip instability.  The main focus for you is backing out of deep poses and finding a deeper meaning of muscle energy.  Always keep the muscles working as you go into poses, maintain that energy during and as you exit a pose.  It sounds like all of the instability in your hips both SI and groins is from a lack of stability as well as letting your thigh bones come forward which overstretches the ligaments of the groin, as well as creating agitation in your groins because the hip flexor muscles are not in optimal alignment.

Try Yoga Today classes on Muscle Energy and Inner Spiral to learn or refine the techniques that will expedite your healing and BLESSINGS on your journey!

This youtube video teaches muscular energy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKxQCL8fD6M&feature=relmfu

This one addresses it a little bit too:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3xNlarOno4&feature=relmfu

Namaste,

Neesha

Are you ready for a little truth about dairy?

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you’re not alone…and there’s a good chance that dairy is the culprit!

If your meals consistently revolve around dairy you’ll age quicker, experience poor digestion, have more cellulite, and above all, make yourself more susceptible to diseases like heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

With a culture that has dairy so engrained in it’s diet, it’s easy to believe all the hype and think that dairy is good for us. It makes sense. After all, when you grow up learning that you need 2-3 servings of dairy from the food pyramid, you’re just trying to follow guidelines for a healthy and balanced diet.

But I can tell you from loads of research and experience that dairy can wreck major havoc on your health. Plus, most mass production dairy farms have a negative impact on animals and the environment.

The good news is that there’s no need to feel like you’re missing out on anything if you decide to give dairy the boot. There are loads of healthy and tasty alternatives on the market – most of which you can easily make at home. Even just a few dairy replacements will have you noticing incredible, positive changes in your body.

Here’s a list of alternatives to common dairy products (and a special free gift for Yoga Today members):

Milk  (I recommend making your own milks. It’s easy, cheap and you can be sure that no sweeteners or anything else is added to the milk.)

Almond milk  (unsweetened)

Brazil nut milk

Coconut milk

Rice milk

Hemp milk

Oat milk

Cheese

Cashew cheese

Brazil nut cheese

Macadamia nut cheese

Daiya (a tapioca-based cheese)

Yogurt

Coconut yogurt (So Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt is a great brand)

Sour Cream / Creamy Dressing

Cashew cream

Cashew sour cream

Oil-free, herb-based dressing

Nut-based dressing

Ice Cream

Coconut ice cream (Coconut Bliss and So Delicious are two great brands)

Rice milk ice cream (Rice Dream)

Frozen fruit ice cream

Just for Yoga Today Readers

I’ve put together a free dairy-free resource kit just for you.  Head over to Vixi.com, drop in your email address, and I’ll send you over this special resource kit that includes:

* Answers to the question, “where will I get my calcium?”

* List of plant-based foods high in calcium

* Answers to the question, “where will I get my protein?”

* List of plant-based foods high in protein

* 2 make-your-own nut milk recipes & 1 coconut milk recipe

* Cashew Cream recipe that you can use on just about anything

* 3 of my favorite easy-to-make salad dressing recipes

* 4 delicious dairy-free dessert recipes

Thanks for being curious about your health and have fun trying out new dairy-free ways of eating that won’t leave you missing the real (not so life-enhancing) thing!

Click here to get your free Dairy-Free Resource Kit.

Namaste,

Ashley Pitman

Want to dig a littler deeper? Click here for more information on the Ayurveda lifestyle.

Ashley Pitman is a fresh and authentic voice that brings potent ancient wisdom to the dinner table – as something the entire family can understand, embrace and enjoy. She supports thousands of people in crafting a thriving day-to-day experience that’s in favor of their best work – we’re talkin’ raw foods, ayurveda, cleansing, life-enhancing relationships, yoga, meditation, conscious business, and community. For tons of free valuable content visit her blog or sign up for the free weekly newsletter.

All material provided in this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and in no way is any of the content to be construed as medical advice or instruction from Yoga Today. Consult your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and wellbeing.

Can you please recommend some books on Kundalini yoga?

Thank You,

Fanny, Oslo, Norway

Dear Fanny,

I would suggest starting with Gurmukh Khaur Khalsa’s The Eight Human Talents. This is an easy to read account of the author’s personal story and how her Kundalini practice has positively affected her life, and it’s also a great educational study on the main Chakras.

I also recommend reading Shakti Parwa Khalsa’s Kundalini Yoga, as an excellent manual or “how to” guide for practitioners of all levels.

If you are ready to dive into some practice, here are a few of my favorite Kundalini classes on Yoga Today:

Stress Reducing Rapid Kundalini

Wind Down

Flip the Switch – Turn on Your Energy with Kundalini

Happy practicing!!

Namaste,

Sarah Kline

Here is your chance to win a coveted spot at Yoga Today’s June Workshop!

1. On our Facebook or Twitter page: post the name of your favorite Yoga Today class, along with a picture of yourself in a heart opening pose

2. Your name will be entered to win a spot at our workshop for 3 days & 15 hours of uplifting yoga practice - a $450 value! (travel not included)

3. Post by this Friday (4/13) at 4PM EST and the winner will be announced at 5PM EST (4/13)

If chosen, you will join Neesha, Adi, Sarah and the Yoga Today crew in beautiful Jackson Hole, WY, gain hands-on instruction from your favorite Yoga Today instructors, and make new friends in the Yoga Today community!

For more information about this awesome event head over to the Yoga Today Shop.

We hope to see you in Jackson Hole!

Namaste,

The Crew at Yoga Today

Lose yourself in the meditation and practice “nerve cleansing” in this calming practice. This is a shortened practice. For the full-length class please go to yogatoday.com!

Lift your mood and feel the positive the energy of the majestic Teton Mountains in this inspiring, all-levels Anusara practice. This is a light practice, for the full class, please visit yogatoday.com.

Looking for a way to unwind? De-stress from a hectic day with this restorative Kundalini practice. This is a light practice. For the full class please visit yogatoday.com.

Are you noticing the juicing movement happening around you? How about the smoothie movement?

People are catching on to the fact that vegetable-based juices and smoothies help reduce inflammation in the body, boost energy levels, regulate the bowels and can even help you shed a couple of pounds. These glasses of goodness balance your pH and give you a direct shot of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, protein and oxygen.

But, who said juicing is just for grown ups?

You can absolutely provide the incredible health benefits that come from juicing to your children as well! Prepare them, prep them and teach them this natural way of eating that’ll help prevent chronic disease later in life and also fuel them for a nourished, grounded and beautiful childhood right now. Juicing and smoothies are especially wonderful if your child has a hard time eating their daily dose of vegetables.

For grown ups, the rule of thumb is 3:1. That is three parts veggies and one part fruit. If your kid seems to like this proportion, that’s great! If they’re not so keen on it, try adding more fruit and move towards a 50/50 ratio of veggies to fruit.

Dilute these potent juices with water to suit your children’s taste buds. Serve them as an alternative to juice boxes or soda. Even make them into ice blocks or popsicles during the warm months. You could add sparkling water for the fizz if your kids are older, too.

And, i’ll let you in on another little secret….adding a straw and a fun name like Giggly Green Juice or X-ray Vision Carrot Juice seems to make the experience even better. Have fun inspiring your kids to drink their veggies and watch them grow into healthy human beings.

All you need to get the job done is a juicer or a blender and nut milk bag.

Would you like to try making a glass of fresh juice or a veggie-based smoothie for you kid?  Click here to download a free copy of the Juice & Smoothie Recipe Book for Kids with eight drink recipes your kids will love.

~ Ashley Pitman

Want to dig a littler deeper? Click here for more information on the Ayurveda lifestyle.

Ashley Pitman is a fresh and authentic voice that brings potent ancient wisdom to the dinner table – as something the entire family can understand, embrace and enjoy. She supports thousands of people in crafting a thriving day-to-day experience that’s in favor of their best work – we’re talkin’ raw foods, ayurveda, cleansing, life-enhancing relationships, yoga, meditation, conscious business, and community. For tons of free valuable content visit her blog or sign up for the free weekly newsletter.

A Guru Challenge class! Join Neesha and as she warms up the neck and shoulders in this step by step guide to headstands in preparation for cosmic dancer pose. This a light practice – for the full, one hour class please visit: http://yogatoday.com/videos/953126083.