Supernatural Botanicals

Think you have what it takes to pull this move off….gracefully?  My friends over at www.YogaJournal.com never let me down when it comes to new, challenging poses.  Even for a yogi like me, I find this extraordinarily challenging.    It absolutely sets my glutes a-flame!  It’s doable, though, not impossible.  Follow the steps below to do it perfectly.  Try it now…go ahead, lay down in the floor and see what you’ve got.  You may surprise yourself. 

Step by Step

 1.  Begin by preparing as you would for Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow Pose). Lie on your back, feet on the floor, heels under the knees, and step your feet a little wider than your hips. Bend your arms and place your palms on the floor by your ears, fingertips facing the shoulders, shoulder-width apart. Pause for a moment to focus and tune in to your breathing.

 2.  As you exhale, press your knees away from your torso and lift your hips, shoulders, and head from the floor as you straighten your arms. Widen and draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone to lift your shoulders and lighten the load on your arms.

 3.  Bend your arms and place the crown of your head on the floor between your hands and feet, keeping your elbows shoulder-width apart and directly over your wrists. To ensure that your neck does not become compressed, exhale, press your hands into the floor, and again draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone. Keep your chest open and lifted.

 4.  On your next exhalation, slide one hand past your ear to cup the back of your head, bringing your weight onto your forearm. Repeat the same action with the other arm, interlacing your fingers behind your head (you may be more successful in these arm movements if you lift onto your tiptoes).

 5.   With a powerful exhalation, press down through your inner elbows and wrists and lift your chest to raise your head off the floor. As your head lifts, press your inner heels down. Of course, your head may seem glued to the floor; if that’s the case, continue to hold the pose where you are.

 6.  If you do manage to lift your head, the pose may actually become easier, since this movement allows your upper arms to directly support your weight, easing the demand on your muscles. But be careful not to strain the shoulder joints by pushing them beyond your elbows. Avoid this over extension by keeping your weight evenly distributed between your elbows and wrists, and by not allowing your elbows to slide more than shoulder-width apart. It is absolutely fine to remain in this position, with your head raised and your heels directly below your knees.

7.  In the full pose, however, you walk the feet away from your hands until your legs are nearly straight; then plant your inner feet and exhale as you stretch down through your calves and push to straighten the legs completely.

8.  Place the crown of your head back on the floor inside the cup of your hands, press your elbows into the floor and draw your shoulder blades toward your tail bone to help your shoulders stay lifted. Your middle back will be asked to extend more deeply.

 9.   Come out of this asana with great attention. First, walk your feet back under your knees. Remain on your crown and return your palms to the floor next to your ears. Again check to make sure your hands are directly under your elbows. Push with your hands to lift the head and tuck your chin and tail bone in as you roll your spine back down to the floor, tail bone touching last. Consciously slow your breathing down until you are once again at rest and can feel the powerful calm that is the product of balanced backbends.

So you’ve mastered Downward Facing Dog pose in yoga, let’s keep going!  This is Dolphin pose.  This is a super-deep stretch that opens up your shoulders and digs deeper into stretching those hamstrings and glutes.

Benefits of Dolphin pose are:

Benefits

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches
• Strengthens the arms and legs
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
• Relieves menstrual discomfort when done with head supported
• Helps prevent osteoporosis
• Improves digestion
• Relieves headache, insomnia, back pain, and fatigue
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure, asthma, flat feet, sciatica

So the next time your head is pounding from a stress headache, forgo the Tylenol and center yourself with some postures to relieve tightness from the neck and shoulders.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your forearms on the floor with your shoulders directly above your wrists. Firmly press your palms together and your forearms into the floor.

2.  Curl your toes under, then exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

3.  Continue to press the forearms actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them away from the spine and draw them toward the tailbone. Hold your head between the upper arms; don’t let it hang or press heavily against the floor.

4.  You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds it’s best to keep them bent. Continue to lengthen your tailbone away from the pelvis and lift the top of your sternum away from the floor.

5.  Stay between 30 seconds to one minute. Then release your knees to the floor with an exhale.

Looking for more great yoga stretches?  Head over to Yoga Journal and find 117 more moves just like this.

   There’s no doubt that lots of us are worried about our financial futures.  No one is here to bail you out.  It can feel all too overwhelming and daunting at times.  But did you ever stop to think of the benefits of this forced recession?  I think we can see tremendous benefit beyond our recession pain.  Here’s why:

*  We are more cognizant of our spending and saving.  Cognizance brings bigger thinking to the table, forces you to set goals and to take ownership of your actions. 

*  We are eating at home more.  Because we are eating at home more, we are eating healthier.  For great healthy, fast recipes, see Sam The Cooking Guy.

*  Gym memberships are on the decline according to studies, but this doesn’t mean that you have to stop exercising.  People are finally discovering their sidewalks outside their own door and are exercising outside…where it’s free. 

*  We are watching less TV:  According to reports from cable companies, they are losing customers in droves.  It forces you to do something free…like go to the library, reacquaint yourself with that sidewalk out in front of your house, reorganize your closets, or just take some zen time. 

*  The recession is helping us to focus on what’s important in life, helping us to reevaluate our goals, like…relationships, family, God, happiness, being kind and helping one another. 

Perhaps those are the good things we can take away from the recession.  After all, just because you’ve been doing something the same way for a long time doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right way.  Step back, look at things from 1000 feet, and re-think your life and all the people and things in it.  Start to focus in, keep your chin up, and remain happy.   That’s what will get you through. 

Enter for your chance to win a Wellness Retreat at La Puerta.  One lucky winner and a guest will escape to this award-winning health and wellness resort for one week, including spa treatments, access to over 50 fitness classes and complimentary meals and beverages.  Great giveaway.  Go get on that now!   Good luck!

A 1990s study of 141 senior class photographs from the 1960 yearbook of Mills College examined the nature of smiles in the photos: genuine smiles, the so-called Duchenne smile, versus a forced photo-smile. Researchers found that genuine smilers were more likely to be married, to stay married, and to experience more personal well being.

That makes me think of these pictures.  I asked Dylan what he was doing to his cheeks when he was smiling, and he said he was trying to smile big, like I do.  He achieved his goal in the bottom picture. 

   Colorado has held the record for the lowest obesity rate in the county for nearly two decases.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 18.7% of Coloradans are overweight; the average for all states is 26%.   Their secret:  83% get regular physical activity, thereby making Colorado the slimmest state for 18 years! 

   December can be maddening.  Almost every day of the month is dedicated to making someone else happy…which is a great thing, but don’t forget about yourself.  Take some time to reflect, to appreciate your life, your family, and the good things around you.  Make this year your “first annual” whatever.  Make some memories, start some traditions, do something to make people remember you when you’re gone.  Stay positive and happy this month.  That’s what it’s all about, after all.  This holiday was created around a great and joyous event (remember?)  Fill your home with great scents, indulge in at home spa treatments, take a nap, just take a second for yourself.  Throw an hour of Yoga or Pilates in, and you’re set, girlfriend.  Now go on and take a sec! 

Pack your bags and get ready to indulge at a relaxing resort and spa!

Enter the Red Lobster Fired Up Sweepstakes for a chance to win and you and a guest could enjoy The Boulders Resort & Golden Door Spa in Carefree, Arizona! Enjoy dinner, spa service or golf, and $500 in spending money! TBS and Red Lobster are ready to give you the royal treatment!

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• Round trip coach airfare to Phoenix, AZ
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• Dinner one evening in Latilla – A fine dining experience in a rustic setting
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• $500 in spending money (for winner only)
• $250 gift certificate to Red Lobster

Enter to win now!  http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,158966,00.html

What exactly is aromatherapy?  Aromatherapy is the practice of using volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being.  Essential oils, the pure essence of a plant, have been found to provide both psychological and physical benefits when used correctly and safely, from mood elevating to healing. 

   Lavender:  Lavender is used for stress or sleep.  The aroma of lavender has been known to calm and relax the mind.  Lavender has additionally been used for:  Acne, allergies, anxiety, asthma, athlete’s foot, bruises, burns, chicken pox, colic, cuts, cystitis, depression, headeache, earache, oily skin, and vertigo. 

   Grapefruit:  Grapefruit is thought to sharpen mental acuity, stimulate thought, and create a cheerful balance.   Grapefruit essential oil is also very beneficial to oily skin, improves complexion, and helps with cellulitis and water retention.  Not to mention, it smells delicious!

   Orange:  Similar to Grapefruit’s benefits, orange essential oil stimulates the mind, evokes a cheerful mood and happiness, and smells amazing.  Orange essential oils are also thought to aid in digestion and clear oily skin.

   Ylang Ylang has a beautiful sweet, slightly fruity fragrance.  It has also been used to treat anxiety, depression, frigidity, hypertension, palpatations, and stress. 

    Rose essential oil immediately takes you to that place of calm.  Beautiful floral scent.  Rose oil has been used therapeutically to treat depression, eczema, stress, frigidity, and menopause symptoms. 

Put some thought behind the scents you choose.  They do much more than make you smell amazing.  They create balance, and submurge you in a zen-like state. 

For a limited time, receive a one year subscription to Healing Lifestyles and Spas Magazine with any $75.00 purchase at Supernatural Botanicals, www.SupernaturalBotanicals.com   Click here for offer details:  http://supernaturalbotanicals.com/SpecialOfferHealingLifestylesandSpaMagazine.html