Yoga can happen from the outside in or the inside out. You can look at a pose or picture of someone else or the person next to you in class and try and move and pose and make your body in the same shape, which has nothing to do with you and will create tension and struggle in your body and mind. Or you can move from the inside out, finding your own way into the movements, allowing your body to move with ease, cultivating a strong, healthy body and calm capable mind. Moving from the inside out you’ll be able to do much more with less effort. Have fun, stay easy and enjoy the ride!
Tara Stiles, Founder of Strala Yoga, entrepreneur, best-selling author, visionary, Taurus soul sister *we share the same birthday, May 6th <3
How to get away without going anywhere  Lie down &amp; close your eyes. Let your breath be quiet and deep.Your mattress is a white sand beach and your body melts into its warmth. Your inner eye opens to the blue of the sky and the whiteness of clouds. Your inner ear opens to the rush of water flowing in, flowing out - like your breath. You’ve just created a beach day for the soul. No packing. No ticket. No plane. Just your bed - and a few minutes of your time. OM SHANTI OM

How to get away without going anywhere 

Lie down & close your eyes. Let your breath be quiet and deep.Your mattress is a white sand beach and your body melts into its warmth. Your inner eye opens to the blue of the sky and the whiteness of clouds. Your inner ear opens to the rush of water flowing in, flowing out - like your breath. You’ve just created a beach day for the soul. No packing. No ticket. No plane. Just your bed - and a few minutes of your time.

OM SHANTI OM

Good morning! Start your day connected and feeling great. Sit up and follow your breath. If your mind starts to wander, guide your attention back to your breath. 5 minutes is all it takes. Pass it on & have a great day!
Tara Stiles
Sending strength to all those affected by the #tornado: my heart and prayers are with you, #oklahoma

Sending strength to all those affected by the #tornado: my heart and prayers are with you, #oklahoma

I love a good rain at night. I love the sound of raindrops against the window as I wake up. It’s probably one of my most favorite sounds. Peaceful. Washing away the old. A fresh start. A new day.
Asana of the Week: Revolved Downward-Facing Dog Revolved Downward-Facing Dog is a variation on the popular pose and adds a deeper stretch to the hamstrings while enhancing detoxification, balance, and full-body coordination. How to: Revolved Downward-Facing Dog Start in Downward Facing Dog.  On an inhalation, lift your left hand and reach it beneath your torso and around to your right thigh. Allow your waist and torso to twist open to the right. Work toward placing your left hand on the ground to the outside of your right foot. If that is not possible yet, rest your hand on the outside of your right leg’s shin or upper thigh. Turn your head to look underneath your right arm. Keep your gaze soft. If you have no neck pain, gaze up at the ceiling. Hold for 5-10 breaths. To release, inhale as you un-twist and return your left hand to the mat. Come back into Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat the pose on the other side for the same amount of time, and then return to Downward-Facing Dog again. Benefits of Revolved Downward-Facing Dog The Revolved Downward-Facing Dog has a lot of benefits for all yoga students. Some of the major benefits are: Full-body stretching Strength-building Increased blood flow An energized and rejuvenated nervous system Relief from stress, headaches, fatigue, poor digestion, and back pain Be the first to receive weekly wellness, nutrition, and yoga inspiration delivered to your inbox, along with giveaways and exclusive event invitations. Learn more about Fern and her passion to help you become the healthiest person you know. Photo Credit: Yoga Journal

Asana of the Week: Revolved Downward-Facing Dog

Revolved Downward-Facing Dog is a variation on the popular pose and adds a deeper stretch to the hamstrings while enhancing detoxification, balance, and full-body coordination.

How to: Revolved Downward-Facing Dog

Start in Downward Facing Dog. 

  • On an inhalation, lift your left hand and reach it beneath your torso and around to your right thigh. Allow your waist and torso to twist open to the right. Work toward placing your left hand on the ground to the outside of your right foot. If that is not possible yet, rest your hand on the outside of your right leg’s shin or upper thigh.
  • Turn your head to look underneath your right arm. Keep your gaze soft. If you have no neck pain, gaze up at the ceiling.
  • Hold for 5-10 breaths. To release, inhale as you un-twist and return your left hand to the mat. Come back into Downward-Facing Dog. Repeat the pose on the other side for the same amount of time, and then return to Downward-Facing Dog again.

Benefits of Revolved Downward-Facing Dog

The Revolved Downward-Facing Dog has a lot of benefits for all yoga students. Some of the major benefits are:

  • Full-body stretching
  • Strength-building
  • Increased blood flow
  • An energized and rejuvenated nervous system
  • Relief from stress, headaches, fatigue, poor digestion, and back pain

Be the first to receive weekly wellness, nutrition, and yoga inspiration delivered to your inbox, along with giveaways and exclusive event invitations.

Learn more about Fern and her passion to help you become the healthiest person you know.

Photo Credit: Yoga Journal

Easy Healthy Recipe: A Mediterranean Twist on the Classic Stuffed Pepper Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Parsley, Dill &amp; Tahini This delicious stuffed pep packs in protein, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. The recipe I&#8217;ve created below serves one. You can simply double/triple up the measurements to adjust serving size. Ingredients: Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why. 1 large organic bell pepper 1 cup of quinoa (my favorite is TruRoots Organic Sprouted Quinoa) 2 tbs raw organic tahini (I adore Dastony Stone Ground Raw Organic Tahini) 1 tsp coconut aminos dash of Himalayan Sea Salt, to taste dash of cracked black pepper, to taste 1 lemon, juiced Handful of organic fresh parsley, chopped Few pieces of organic dill, to taste Directions: 1. Make the Quinoa.  2. As the quinoa is boiling, chop the parsley, juice the lemons and gather the rest of the ingredients.  3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  4. Boil the whole pepper in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper and allow to cool, then carefully slice off the top and remove the ribs and seeds from the inside. Shave a very thin slice off the bottom to allow the pepper to stand up level, if needed.  4. Once quinoa has finished boiling (it will be fluffy), mix in the coconut aminos, sea salt, black pepper, 1 tsp of the tahini, and most of the fresh parsley.  5. Place the pepper in a baking dish and stuff with the quinoa mixture. Allow the pepper to bake for 10-20 minutes, watching carefully.  6. Remove pepper from oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Top with the remaining 1 tsp tahini, parsley, and dill. Add more cracked black pepper, to taste.  Enjoy!  This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, paleo, rich in vitamins and super foods, and absolutely DELICIOUS.  Learn more about Fern and her passion to help you become the healthiest person you know. Be the first to receive weekly wellness, nutrition, and yoga inspiration delivered to your inbox, along with giveaways and exclusive event invitations.

Easy Healthy Recipe: A Mediterranean Twist on the Classic Stuffed Pepper

Vegan Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa, Parsley, Dill & Tahini


This delicious stuffed pep packs in protein, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber.


The recipe I’ve created below serves one. You can simply double/triple up the measurements to adjust serving size.

Ingredients:

Try to buy everything organic. Here’s why.

1 large organic bell pepper

1 cup of quinoa (my favorite is TruRoots Organic Sprouted Quinoa)

2 tbs raw organic tahini (I adore Dastony Stone Ground Raw Organic Tahini)

1 tsp coconut aminos

dash of Himalayan Sea Salt, to taste

dash of cracked black pepper, to taste

1 lemon, juiced

Handful of organic fresh parsley, chopped

Few pieces of organic dill, to taste

Directions:

1. Make the Quinoa. 

2. As the quinoa is boiling, chop the parsley, juice the lemons and gather the rest of the ingredients. 

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

4. Boil the whole pepper in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the pepper and allow to cool, then carefully slice off the top and remove the ribs and seeds from the inside. Shave a very thin slice off the bottom to allow the pepper to stand up level, if needed. 

4. Once quinoa has finished boiling (it will be fluffy), mix in the coconut aminos, sea salt, black pepper, 1 tsp of the tahini, and most of the fresh parsley. 

5. Place the pepper in a baking dish and stuff with the quinoa mixture. Allow the pepper to bake for 10-20 minutes, watching carefully. 

6. Remove pepper from oven and allow to cool a few minutes. Top with the remaining 1 tsp tahini, parsley, and dill. Add more cracked black pepper, to taste. 

Enjoy! 

This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, paleo, rich in vitamins and super foods, and absolutely DELICIOUS. 

Learn more about Fern and her passion to help you become the healthiest person you know.

Be the first to receive weekly wellness, nutrition, and yoga inspiration delivered to your inbox, along with giveaways and exclusive event invitations.

Today&#8217;s practice&#8230; Every interaction, either with a loved one or a total stranger, engage with kindness.

Today’s practice… Every interaction, either with a loved one or a total stranger, engage with kindness.

Dharma Talk - Week of May 13, 2013 - Are you giving yourself enough?  We must first have compassion for ourselves before we can have compassion for others. We have so much more to give once we have nourished ourself. This can be a difficult concept to grasp when we just want to heal the world. But if we take on all the weight of the world on our shoulders and if we don&#8217;t nurture ourselves, we can become so deeply involved with helping, teaching, guiding, and supporting others that we almost forget to care for ourselves. This seems so intuitive, yet many of us forget to be kind to ourselves. In forgetting to be kind to ourselves, we shoot ourselves in the leg, we sabotage our own wellbeing and therefore the wellbeing of others we are serving. We see this a lot with work situations, sometimes even in our relationships. We give, we give more, we give our entire being. We come home stressed, wiped out, burdened. When we don&#8217;t give ourselves a little bit of time each day to do something that feels really good for our soul, really nourishing, then we have a greater potential to burn out and feel exhausted. Nurturing ourselves simply means doing something that feels kind to our body, our mind, our soul. It can be as easy as preparing a comforting meal, meditating, coming to our yoga mat, curling up on the couch with a blanket and watching tv, listening to relaxing music with candles, getting a massage, running, going to the gym, sipping some tea in a quiet space, or taking a warm bath (my personal favorite!) When we nurture out inner child, we can be so much more loving to others. We aren&#8217;t on edge, ready to crack. We are softer, more thoughtful, more generous. Our power to help, to serve, to be there for others is beyond limits. A recent article in Yoga Journal takes the concept of self-compassion a little bit deeper: One of the world&#8217;s leading researchers on the topic is Kristin Neff, associate professor of human development at the University of Texas, Austin. She says, &#8220;The number one thing I&#8217;ve found in my research is that people think it&#8217;s good to be a little self-compassionate, but not too much. There is a strong belief that we need self-criticism to motivate us. Meaning, &#8216;If I&#8217;m not hard on myself, I&#8217;ll let myself get away with everything.&#8217;&#8221; This, says Neff, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about what self-compassion is: being kind and supportive with yourself when you&#8217;re confronting personal weaknesses, challenges, and setbacks. &#8220;Self-compassion goes beyond self-acceptance,&#8221; she says. &#8220;It has an active element of caring, of wanting the best for yourself. It means saying to yourself, &#8216;I want to heal, to be happy, to be healthy,&#8217; and knowing that sometimes requires you to make a change.&#8221; She says that if you view the change you&#8217;re trying to make as an act of self-care instead of trying to motivate yourself with anger or rejection, you&#8217;ll be more likely to succeed. Neff also says that people think self-compassion means feeling sorry for themselves or letting themselves off the hook, but research suggests that the opposite is true. In a set of five studies she and her colleagues published in 2007 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants were asked to respond to real, remembered, and imagined failures. In every scenario, participants who scored higher on Neff&#8217;s self-compassion scale were less upset by failures and less likely to obsess about them. They were also less defensive and more willing to take responsibility for the outcomes. Neff&#8217;s research has found that people who are hard on themselves are less resilient after a setback and more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. When you&#8217;re self-critical, you treat yourself in ways you would never want to treat someone you love: beating yourself up for every imperfection, punishing yourself for any weakness, and discouraging yourself from going after what you really want. Self-compassion provides the supportive emotional environment necessary for change. She says that without the usual guilt, shame, and self-doubt, you can look at yourself clearly, make conscious choices, and take the right steps.  While the ultimate goal of yoga is to reside in your true nature, which is free of suffering, getting to that point is—as Sri Patanjali points out—a long journey. Along the way, there are small steps you can take to cultivate self-compassion in your yoga practice and in your life.  Maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha duhkha punya apunya visayanam bhavanatah cittaprasadanam - Yoga Sutra 1.33 This sutra advises us to cultivate love for those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, joy for those who are virtuous, and equanimity for those who make mistakes. Patanjali&#8217;s advice also applies to how we relate to ourselves. Cultivating self-compassion enables us to cultivate compassion and freedom from suffering of all others. 

Dharma Talk - Week of May 13, 2013 - Are you giving yourself enough? 

We must first have compassion for ourselves before we can have compassion for others. We have so much more to give once we have nourished ourself. This can be a difficult concept to grasp when we just want to heal the world. But if we take on all the weight of the world on our shoulders and if we don’t nurture ourselves, we can become so deeply involved with helping, teaching, guiding, and supporting others that we almost forget to care for ourselves. This seems so intuitive, yet many of us forget to be kind to ourselves. In forgetting to be kind to ourselves, we shoot ourselves in the leg, we sabotage our own wellbeing and therefore the wellbeing of others we are serving. We see this a lot with work situations, sometimes even in our relationships. We give, we give more, we give our entire being. We come home stressed, wiped out, burdened. When we don’t give ourselves a little bit of time each day to do something that feels really good for our soul, really nourishing, then we have a greater potential to burn out and feel exhausted. Nurturing ourselves simply means doing something that feels kind to our body, our mind, our soul. It can be as easy as preparing a comforting meal, meditating, coming to our yoga mat, curling up on the couch with a blanket and watching tv, listening to relaxing music with candles, getting a massage, running, going to the gym, sipping some tea in a quiet space, or taking a warm bath (my personal favorite!) When we nurture out inner child, we can be so much more loving to others. We aren’t on edge, ready to crack. We are softer, more thoughtful, more generous. Our power to help, to serve, to be there for others is beyond limits.

A recent article in Yoga Journal takes the concept of self-compassion a little bit deeper: One of the world’s leading researchers on the topic is Kristin Neff, associate professor of human development at the University of Texas, Austin. She says, “The number one thing I’ve found in my research is that people think it’s good to be a little self-compassionate, but not too much. There is a strong belief that we need self-criticism to motivate us. Meaning, ‘If I’m not hard on myself, I’ll let myself get away with everything.’” This, says Neff, reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about what self-compassion is: being kind and supportive with yourself when you’re confronting personal weaknesses, challenges, and setbacks. “Self-compassion goes beyond self-acceptance,” she says. “It has an active element of caring, of wanting the best for yourself. It means saying to yourself, ‘I want to heal, to be happy, to be healthy,’ and knowing that sometimes requires you to make a change.” She says that if you view the change you’re trying to make as an act of self-care instead of trying to motivate yourself with anger or rejection, you’ll be more likely to succeed.

Neff also says that people think self-compassion means feeling sorry for themselves or letting themselves off the hook, but research suggests that the opposite is true. In a set of five studies she and her colleagues published in 2007 in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, participants were asked to respond to real, remembered, and imagined failures. In every scenario, participants who scored higher on Neff’s self-compassion scale were less upset by failures and less likely to obsess about them. They were also less defensive and more willing to take responsibility for the outcomes.

Neff’s research has found that people who are hard on themselves are less resilient after a setback and more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. When you’re self-critical, you treat yourself in ways you would never want to treat someone you love: beating yourself up for every imperfection, punishing yourself for any weakness, and discouraging yourself from going after what you really want. Self-compassion provides the supportive emotional environment necessary for change. She says that without the usual guilt, shame, and self-doubt, you can look at yourself clearly, make conscious choices, and take the right steps. 

While the ultimate goal of yoga is to reside in your true nature, which is free of suffering, getting to that point is—as Sri Patanjali points out—a long journey. Along the way, there are small steps you can take to cultivate self-compassion in your yoga practice and in your life. 

Maitri karuna mudita upeksanam sukha duhkha punya apunya visayanam bhavanatah cittaprasadanam - Yoga Sutra 1.33

This sutra advises us to cultivate love for those who are happy, compassion for those who are suffering, joy for those who are virtuous, and equanimity for those who make mistakes. Patanjali’s advice also applies to how we relate to ourselves. Cultivating self-compassion enables us to cultivate compassion and freedom from suffering of all others. 

megs-on-legs

HOT OFF THE PRESS - Why eating seasonally will help prevent spring allergy symptoms

Springtime is magical, uplifting, and even sexy. As nature moves out of the dark, wet, chilly winter towards spring, flowers bloom, hearts race, and baby animals start stretching their legs for their first walk in the sunshine. Nature makes it look so smooth, but for us humans it’s not nearly such a graceful transition... read more from Fern at Yogi Times

@purefoodandwine @katedurell @jessicashoffel dessert this divine is hard to resist.. Just a few spoonfuls of this ginger-spiced cashew icecream and apple crumble won&#8217;t kill my anti-sugar diet! #birthdaywish #candle #girlsnight #foodporn #vegan #rawfoodie (at Pure Food &amp; Wine)

@purefoodandwine @katedurell @jessicashoffel dessert this divine is hard to resist.. Just a few spoonfuls of this ginger-spiced cashew icecream and apple crumble won’t kill my anti-sugar diet! #birthdaywish #candle #girlsnight #foodporn #vegan #rawfoodie (at Pure Food & Wine)

@sarmamelngailis thank you for your culinary awesomeness, so happy I discovered @purefoodandwine a few years ago!! pure heaven with @jessicashoffel @katedurell #foodporn #rawfoodie #vegan #girlsnight #happytummy (at Pure Food &amp; Wine)

@sarmamelngailis thank you for your culinary awesomeness, so happy I discovered @purefoodandwine a few years ago!! pure heaven with @jessicashoffel @katedurell #foodporn #rawfoodie #vegan #girlsnight #happytummy (at Pure Food & Wine)

Asana of the week: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - One legged Royal Pigeon Pose Benefits: Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, abdomen, chest and shoulders, and neck Stimulates the abdominal organs Opens the shoulders and chest There are no shortcuts to this pose, but getting there is royal fun. Step by step, from Yoga Journal. 

Asana of the week:

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - One legged Royal Pigeon Pose

Benefits:

  • Stretches the thighs, groins and psoas, abdomen, chest and shoulders, and neck
  • Stimulates the abdominal organs
  • Opens the shoulders and chest

There are no shortcuts to this pose, but getting there is royal fun. Step by step, from Yoga Journal. 

Mindful Monday: “Body is not stiff, mind is stiff.” -Sri K. Pattabhi Jois Photography by Cara Brostrom. Design by Allison Meierding.

Mindful Monday:

“Body is not stiff, mind is stiff.” -Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Photography by Cara Brostrom. Design by Allison Meierding.

yogamanifesto

Mom and Dad, Happy Mother&#8217;s Day to you both. Thanks for always having strong shoulders and for inspiring me to bring love, strength, and kindness to the world. To all the beautiful mothers, thank you for your nurturing, thank you for picking us up when we fall down and for holding us tight in those moments when we both need it the most. And to the mother that is inside each of us, that motherly loving spirit, shine that soul, shine. BE LOVE. #mothersday #love #blessed #family #guidance #strength

Mom and Dad, Happy Mother’s Day to you both. Thanks for always having strong shoulders and for inspiring me to bring love, strength, and kindness to the world. To all the beautiful mothers, thank you for your nurturing, thank you for picking us up when we fall down and for holding us tight in those moments when we both need it the most. And to the mother that is inside each of us, that motherly loving spirit, shine that soul, shine. BE LOVE. #mothersday #love #blessed #family #guidance #strength