Stress, nutrition, eating patterns, travel and sleep all play a role in how our bodies digest food and how our gut might feel. In today’s blog, two 5 Koshas teachers dive deeper into how yoga can help you become more aware of patterns, and how specific practices can bring relief. The Second Brain Mary Hilliker, […]
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Featuring Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, Certified Viniyoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist This is Part 3 in our series on Yoga for Structural Health. See our March and April blog posts to access the full series. Part 1 – Feet, Knees, Legs Part 2 – The Spine As the weather gets warmer, chores and beloved […]
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Part 1: Feet, Legs and Knees Featuring Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, Certified Viniyoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist To be strong, our bodies need their own owner’s manual for structural health. But how do we start to trouble-shoot what needs work or routine maintenance? This 3-part series will walk you through the interconnectedness of our […]
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By Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Certified Viniyoga Teacher & Yoga Therapist Good sleep is necessary to our overall health and well-being, but it can be fleeting. On average, adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep per 24 hours. Children need more, especially at key developmental stages, ranging from 8 to 13 hours […]
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By Mary Hilliker, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT “Each cakra represents an essential chamber in the temple of the Self. Each one houses an aspect of the sacred and is necessary for wholeness. The more we clean and properly decorate the temple, the more we court the presence of the divine.” – Anodea Judith in Eastern Body, […]
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by Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT Do you ever feel that you have a carnival in your mind, heart, or body? A stuck emotion here, an attitude lingering, a ruminating thought there, an ache or pain in a joint, tight back or neck muscles – all these possibilities creating either a ‘stuckness’ or a […]
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By Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT We plant seeds, sometimes with great intention and clarity. We have a plan and things are working out. The harvest is bountiful and rich beyond measure. The more common situation in life is that seeds are planted but there are obstacles. We’re still open to the process and […]
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by Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT When sleep escapes you and fatigue is your daytime companion, it’s time to evaluate what actions you can take to improve sleep. Your yoga toolbox has many tools, but you need to know which ones to apply to your situation. Insomnia was a major health issue across […]
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By Mary Hilliker, RDN, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT How can we emerge from this year? Let’s just say it. It’s been a crazy year. Uncertainty and quickly changing circumstances have dominated our lives. Situations and events that tear at the heart have happened with greater frequency. Even the most balanced and steady among us have […]
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What have you had to give up an attachment to this year? Some of the attachments may be more superficial, some more deeply difficult. Your list might be long. Family rituals, friend gatherings, travel, work, school life with in-person contact, in-person volunteer work, shared interest with others in hobbies, sports or causes, in-person entertainment. You […]
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Autumn brings a distraction, more so this year as we navigate the change along with the pandemic and all its twists, turns and complexities. Have you noticed how your mind and thoughts run around like squirrels gathering and burying acorns? Squirrel! It is the season of the squirrel. Summer has said its last goodbye for […]
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The stress from the COVID-19 pandemic is as unprecedented as the the public health regulations and recommendations needed to control it. There’s stress around the fear of getting infected. There’s stress around making a living as the economy contracts. Parents are stressed about their children keeping up with their education. There’s stress in the uncertainty […]
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When we start to pay attention in an intentional and nonjudgmental way, as we do when we cultivate mindfulness, and thus bring ourselves back into the present moment, we are tapping into very deep natural resources of strength, creativity, balance and yes, wisdom – interior resources that me may never have realized we even possess. […]
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Summer has said it’s last goodbye for the year. The crispness and color of fall is upon us. With the season change comes the very real problem of fatigue for many who live in northern climes. It’s one of the more overwhelming symptoms of seasonal affective disorder and a troubling symptom for many as the […]
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Change in our life comes in many different ways. Sometimes we plan for the change. A retirement, career change or getting married are examples of things that we often consciously choose. And then some changes blow in like a strong wind taking with it any sense of order and stability. There are many teachings in […]
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The ancient tools of yoga can help you feel your best through cancer treatment and assist in helping you reclaim your life after cancer. Yoga can help with side effects from medically essential and life-giving treatments. Yoga can be adapted to provide relief for nausea, fatigue, constipation, sleeplessness, anxiety, depression, “chemo brain”, and neuropathy. Feeling […]
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“When sleep escapes you and drowsiness and fuzzy thinking are your daytime companions, it’s time to evaluate what action you can take to improve sleep. Mind-body practices, including yoga, can improve sleep and daytime energy.” The roots of sleeplessness may be related to age, stress, hormonal changes, pain, digestive distress, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, other […]
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Tame the Anxiety & Worry Monkeys Mental and emotional ease are states of being that we can all appreciate. We put our best selves forward when we are peaceful, calm and focused. We need fast, easy and accessible tools to bring us back to order and calm when fear, anxiety, stress or worry monkeys knock […]
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Grief is a unique combination of sadness, memories, fog, strong emotions, bodily experiences and occasional moments of peace and clarity. This simple quote reveals so much about what we are just beginning to understand about the science of chronic stress and the effects of grief. Dr. van der Kolk, a researcher who studies the effect […]
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The deliciousness of a sweet heirloom tomato, the snap of fresh green beans, the tangy sweetness of a fresh strawberry, the heady scent of a blossoming peony…it’s within reach now that the sun graces the sky for long days. Gardening has approximately equal parts science, weather, faith and hard work. The hard work can lead […]
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