Posts in the Yoga Off The Mat category:

Our Idea Of A Super Bowl (In Vancouver)

Posted on by Yoga Hive

Super Bowl 2017 is just a few days away. It’s funny how the word Super bowl triggers the visual of a delicious bowl of veggies in our minds. It shouldn’t, right? We are pretty excited to see the funny advertising that brands are going to launch this year. But we’re always more excited about everything healthy! And this time, we’ve put our excitement to good use and have put together some of the best ‘Super Bowls’ in Vancouver! Everyday is a great day to get some healthy treats. And you’ll get to show off your snazzy new yoga pants too! (What you don’t have any? Well, head here now.)

1. Jugo Juice’s Smoothie Bowls

Vancouver healthy eating for yogis

Jugo Juice is usually found in most popular streets in Vancouver. And their smoothie bowls are like a punch of freshness and health which fill your stomach just right. Our favourite is the Berry Benefit. Power Plant and Simply Sunshine are good too. In the words of their own website – ‘These beauties work for breakfast, lunch or a snack. For lunch, snack or dinner!’ They also have the Baja Wellness bowl if you are looking for a gluten and dairy free option.

2. Railtown Cafe’s Salad Bar

Vancouver healthy eating for yogis

Railtown Cafe is must-eat for anyone visiting Vancouver. They can be found in Gastown and have recently opened a location on Howe Street. What’s great about their salad bar is that you get to pick what goes into your super healthy bowl. If it’s a protein day then you can pick some of the meat options too! Cauliflowers, Kale, Yams, Spinach, all the healthy options that you’d love to munch after your yoga class in Vancouver!

3. The Juice Truck

Vancouver healthy eating for yogis

Loosely inspired from the juice carts of Nepal and India, the Juice Truck is a great option for yogis and fitness crazy Vancouverites. They don’t just give you healthy juice but they also give a promise of detox with it. Their juice cleanse is a great option to couple with your 7-day yoga challenge. You could do a juice cleanse a week before you start your detox yoga challenge. That will maximise the effect of all the yoga you set out to do. They deliver in Vancouver and area. And there’s the option of pick up too.

4. Tractor Foods

Vancouver healthy eating for yogis

You can get a great veggie bowl from Tractor foods for less than 5 bucks. There are a lot of options to choose from and vegetarians will just love them. Mushrooms, kale, baby spinach, sprouts, you name the wellness you’re looking for. They’ve got four locations in Vancouver and two of them very close to YYoga studios. After a class of Hot Yoga, veggie bowls are always a great option.

You now have four more options to stay healthy and fit. And of course, four more places to go to in your new yoga pants. Have you seen the latest ones, by the way? We ship orders above $50 across Canada for free. Yogahive Canada is based in Richmond, BC and the healthy vibes of Vancouver keep inspiring us to keep moving!

Taking The Polar Bear Plunge This Year? Here’s What You Should Know

Posted on by Yoga Hive
Woman floating in water

polar bear swim vancouver
First of all, let us tell you that every swimmer should do this at least twice. Do it twice, and you will end up taking the polar bear plunge every year for the rest of your life. The first time you really don’t know what you’re getting into, and just have dive right in. The second time you actually have to conquer your fear because you remember the experience from the last plunge and you feel a nerve inside your heart turning blue and imagine some hair strands turning icy white. Remember Anna’s from Frozen? Exactly!

Polar bear plunge or swim, as some people call it, takes place across Canada. In many places, you have to pre-register and for each plunge someone takes, some amount goes to a charitable organization. But not everyone needs a good cause to be motivated for the challenge. Often people participate for the thrill of starting the new year with a challenge, diving straight into the icy cold ocean when there is still snow on the shore. Brrrr. And you thought hot yoga was a challenge. For all those first timers out there, we’ve put together some tips that should come handy.

#1. No heavy winter coats and no swimsuits. Here’s why:

If you think wearing your winter wear is going to make the swim any easier then you are wrong. First of all, the wet clothes are going to weigh you down and make your time in the water more difficult. And secondly, clothes or no clothes, the water is going to be painstakingly cold. You should rather focus on being light and active so that you can complete the plunge as quickly as can be.

But that does not mean that your swimming suit is going to be the best fit. You need to wear something like water-friendly yoga pants or leggings with a full sleeves top of the same material. This way your body will be covered and the water won’t lash at your bare skin. But you will still be light and active enough to enjoy the swim!

polar bear plunge canada

#2. Try to keep your head dry

We know it feels like cheating but hey, survival of the fittest and the cleverest! As much as possible try to keep your head from getting into the ice, ooops, water. But if you literally taking the plunge like jumping into the ocean then we guess there is no saving the head. Well, in that case, We suggest wearing a swimming cap underneath a tight skull cap. So that no icy water enters your ears to make you uncomfortable while you take on the ocean like a polar bear. Ear plugs will be great add-ons too.

#3. Eat well. For 2 days before and on the day.

Okay, so those of you planning to show off your healthy winter bodies in hot shorts or some crazy Halloween costumes might want to starve to get those abs peeking out. But that’s not really a great idea. Food keeps your body warm and helps it maintain the much-needed temperature to keep bodily functions going. 2 days before the plunge, start eating normally and healthy and do so on the day of the plunge too. Dry fruits like almonds, apricots and raisins can be great sources of heat and taking them every day keeps your body warm from inside.

#4. Take some friends along. It’s more fun.

The whole experience is more fun when you have people to take silly videos and photographs with. And possible one man on dry ground who keeps towels and dry warm clothes handy. Dry warm clothes. Sounds like a luxury, right? It will on D-day. Especially when you will notice all the people in Eskimo jackets gathered to watch baboons like us monkeying around in ice.

#5. Try to stay shallow.

Swim for a minute and assess what’s happening. Most probably that is just how much you will have to do to complete your challenge. But irrespectively, if you get too charged up and decide to swim really quickly and go too far? Boy, are you going to repent it! You might lose breath or you might stop feeling your legs, that’s when you’ll miss the ground. Which is why staying shallow is a great idea. Worst case scenario, you will be able to wade your way back to safe territory.

polar bear swim canada

Make your own ritual for your polar bear swim. Many people wear funny costumes usually their Halloween ones, some couples take the plunge on their wedding day or maybe wear their wedding dresses while taking it? Hmmmm. Some people strike a yoga pose in the icy water, some try to do a particular dance move. These little rituals just make polar bear swim even more fun. So what’s going to be your signature move?

polar bear swim

We are super excited to participate every year. For yoga lovers, it is just another way of practicing resilience, patience, and self-control. And we love to test ourselves. Plus the polar bear swim is kinda like a little excuse to buy more yoga pants, this time water-friendly ones! If this is not your kind of a challenge then maybe a 30-day yoga challenge is more your cup of tea. We love both! Here’s how the swim looked in Vancouver last year. Aren’t you excited for 2017, already!

Let us know your experience and if you have any special tips for first timers. the time is not far and we gotta prepare for the new year and the polar bear swim, together!

Meowga! Why doing yoga with your cat will be good for you

Posted on by Yoga Hive
Cat

Move over downward facing dogs. Cats have taken over yoga. Do you know the latest trend in yoga? Get your cat to your yoga mat and do some meowga. Carry the beautiful experience with you the entire day.

Yoga with your cat Meowga If you have a cat at home, you may have noticed how the curious little monster wants to join you on the yoga mat. Instead of getting annoyed at the situation, when you actually embrace it to start a whole new yoga trend, you are the guru of peace and happiness. And here’s why it is a whole lot of fun.

And here’s why it is a whole lot of fun.

As you can see, you don’t have to really do anything. The cat will do its job because its simply needs to scratch its back, wants your attention and is a curious little thing. This just makes it aperfect yoga companion, a stress buster like no other. You will smile as you plank, cuddle as you lie in child’s pose. You will just add a lot of happiness to your yoga sessions. Which is why yoga studios all over Canada are encouraging their members to get their cats to the studio once a week. They are even tying up with local shelters to get all their cats some meowga activity. Fun, eh? Here’s another reason why you should give this a shot. The sound of purr! “Soft kitty. Warm kitty. Little ball of fur! Happy kitty. Sleepy kitty. Purr Purr Purr.” Do you remember this cute lullaby from your childhood? You must have seen Penny sing it to Sheldon on Big Bang Theory quite often. The sound of purr is considered one of the most relaxing sounds in the world. Combine the purr with the powerful chanting of Ommm and you have yourself the ultimate peace concoction for your soul. Combining the cuteness of cats with anything is always a good idea. But combining it with yoga means that it is going to enhance the happy factor and hence, make your asanas more effective at nourishing you from within.

If you don’t agree with us, we’ll have a cat explain it to you.

Did we just hear an Awwwwwmmmm? Meowga is a whole lot of fun and a welcome change from the spin, flow, hot yoga loop that you already follow. Give it a shot and tell us how you liked it. We’d love to hear your Meowga stories and see your pictures or videos. Share your thoughts on Facebook and Instagram. #KeepMoving and namaste.

10-Minute Fat-burning Treadmill Workout

Posted on by Yoga Hive

fat-burning-treadmill-workout Hitting your cardio and strength goals every day is not an easy task. On some days, you can fit in a 45-minute Power Yoga class and still have time for a 30-minute meditation round. And on other days, you can’t even complete a sane round of sun salutations without being interrupted by piled up deadlines or pending household chores. Sure you’ve got muscles to warm up, weight to maintain and maybe a new playlist that you’ve been dying to listen to, but sometimes all you have is ten minutes. What do you do? How do you give yourself a fat-burning, heartbeat pumping workout that lets you go to bed content with your fitness goals, if 10 minutes is all you have? Let’s accept, 10 minutes of yoga is like someone gave you one french-fry and then took the plate away. You are left asking for more. So if

Sure you’ve got muscles to warm up, weight to maintain and maybe a new playlist that you’ve been dying to listen to, but sometimes all you have is ten minutes. What do you do? How do you give yourself a fat-burning, heartbeat pumping workout that lets you maintain your fitness goals, if 10 minutes are all you have? 10 minutes of yoga are too less. You just start to warm up and get into the flow in the first ten minutes. So if it’s not yoga, what can possibly be the best workout to squeeze in 45-minutes of exercise into 10 intense minutes?

10-Minute Treadmill Workout

Here’s a simple treadmill workout that won’t need you to spend a ton of time on the treadmill but still give you an effective cardio boost that burns just the right amount of energy before you get busy again. This is a killer cardio session that doesn’t need you to switch those buttons every 30 seconds. Each interval is of 2 minutes. A combination of walking, jogging and sprinting spread over workout amplifying incline levels. These are the most effective ten minutes you will spend on the treadmill!

Grab a gym towel, skip the yoga mat and hit the tread! Save this one to your phone and off you go!

10 minute fat burning treadmill workout

By the way, yoga has its own 10 minute workout for strength training and flexibility. A flow series which mixes some poses of sun salutations with other asanas (mostly our favourite) and is like the perfect concoction of inhaling, exhaling and stretching. It works your core and your legs and also tests your sense of balance. It’s a workout from YogaWorks and we found this on FitSugar’s youtube channel. Well. anything yoga and we are always ready to try, right?

10-Minute Yoga Workout

Ten minutes of intense workout and fat-burning. We’d love to do 4 rounds of these on a day when we’ve got a new playlist to enjoy! These workouts are fun for a change but nothing beats our regular sessions of flow yoga where we get to show off our snazzy graphic leggings and tank tops, on the yoga mat!  If you think these workouts can help someone you know, don’t forget to share this blog with them. And remember no matter how busy it gets, just keep moving!

5 Life Lessons To Learn From Your Yoga Practice

Posted on by Yoga Hive
life lessons from yoga practice

Your yoga practice, those 45 minutes or more that you spend on the yoga mat, give you much more than balance, health and Instagram clicks. They give you some valuable life lessons that mold you silently into a becoming a better yogi and a great person, too! Have you been taking notes? Well, we’ve taken them for you.

5 Life lessons your yoga practice teaches you

1. Every day is not the same

Some days your yoga moves flow seamlessly. One asana after the other, you do a fab job at acing the class in your yoga studio. You return home feeling content, your muscles stretched and worked out just enough.But other days, you seem to be all over the place. Your yoga teacher has to come to the rescue and get you into and out of that complex yoga pose. Just like that, every day in life is not the same. Some days are good, some days are bad. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Take each day like you take your yoga class. Give it your best and enjoy it.

2. Take baby steps

Learn to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run. We’ve all heard that, right? But we are impatient to get to the finish line. In relationships, at work, while learning a new language or teaching someone, we get restless and want the icing on the cake first. Yoga practice teaches you to start slow and steady. If you don’t take those initial baby steps, you will never be able to get to the complicated moves ahead.

3. This too shall pass

Remember how difficult it gets when you are in that uncomfortable hip opening pose, but you stay in that and embrace it with all your energy. And then it’s over, you are back to your standing pose again. It’s just a few moments of discomfort but they make you appreciate ordinary stance like standing straight or lying down. If you’re going through a bad phase, your yoga practice teaches you to hang in there, it’s just a phase, focus on the light at the end of the tunnel. 

4. Be glamorous and sweaty, be you

You don’t wake up every morning looking like Kim Kardashian or like all those pretty Vancouver yoga girls and Toronto yoga teachers you follow on Instagram. When you do yoga you get sweaty, the foundation won’t stay and you lose the cool new hairstyle you just made while watching a youtube tutorial. But after your yoga class, especially your hot yoga class, you are going to probably go for a shower and step out with a healthy glow. And she’s back, the glamorous diva! Just love yourself for whatever you are, sweaty or pretty. Take this lesson from your yoga practice and embrace yourself the way you are. You’ll get the time to look great and flawless, don’t pressurize yourself and push too hard. You are pretty, always. Yoga is your you time, and sometimes

5. There is never a destination

Is there an end to your yoga practice really? Where do you see yourself a few years from now? Maybe in a different yoga studio, or maybe teaching a yoga class. Wanderlusting? There is no real destination. It’s the journey that matters. Yoga is a beautiful journey, that never stops. And so is life. Stop to smell the flowers. Inhale and exhale. Don’t worry about where you are headed to. Just enjoy the trip.

From the yoga studio to your every day life, your asanas are teaching you something new every day. Stay in touch with your inner self, when you hear your soul, your body won’t need to scream. Share these lessons with your yoga friends and spread the knowledge. Namaste!

How To Stay Regular With Yoga In Colder Seasons

Posted on by Yoga Hive

Yoga routine in the fall

Keeping ourselves motivated to do yoga in the colder seasons! We cranked up our yoga routines to the fullest in the summers. And now as it gets colder by the day, we are finding it difficult to catch up with our routine. The extra 5 minutes of sleep in the morning feel like heaven. And the dark evenings just don’t feel like a great time to do yoga. Is there really a solution? In the middle of deadlines, chores around the house, Christmas parties, Yoga is just getting difficult to maintain. Well, we’ve got you a solution. And it comes in 5 easy steps.

1. Have a weekly plan.

On every Sunday sit and plan your yoga for the week ahead. Give yourself new challenges every day and a fresh routine too. Jot down your favourite asanas and spread them throughout the week. When you hit the rack, you know you have to wake up to a goal and you’ll feel excited to do those asanas that you’ve planned for the coming morning.

2. Get a playlist and freshen it every few days

Your playlist should include the music you love. It needn’t be any meditating trance just because you are doing yoga. It is perfectly fine to do yoga to EDM. Any beat that makes you happy inside is good for your yoga session. So make a playlist of your favourite songs and keep adding more to it every week or so. Music will add to your motivation.

3. Sleep hydrated

We all know it is important to have an early dinner to stay fit and wake up energized and wonderful. But did you know it is also important to wake up hydrated? This means drink enough water and avoid alcohol to close to sleeping time. If you are hydrated, your body will support you when the alarm rings.

4. Pump up the alarm

Set a motivating track as your alarm. Skip the usual phone ringtones that simply depress you, and pick new tracks every week. These can be your own recorded voice message too! Whatever makes you want to sit up and get to your wonderful yoga workout session works.

5. Sleep in your yoga clothes

This is really an extreme. You’ll probably want to do this when you see nothing else working out. And you should also drop this as soon as the problem is solved. Because we’d want you to keep your yoga wear fresh and associated only with yoga. But if the task of changing clothes and getting ready for yoga is simply making you lazier, then just skip it. Wear your yoga clothes and go to bed. This way when you wake up you know all you gotta do is head to the studio or the yoga mat.

These 5 steps will help you keep your yoga routine working even on cold winter days. Once you push yourself a little, your body will get accustomed to it and you won’t need to train it any longer.

By the way, the biggest motivation to do yoga every day and to follow your yoga routine in the fall is to show off your awesome yoga pants! And if you lovely ones like these then nothing can come in your way. Do share your stories and feedback with us on Facebook and Instagram.

How To Start Your Day Better

Posted on by Chris Lam
Girl waking up in the morning

Every new year, we make resolutions about eating healthy, de-stressing, losing weight or blocking out all the negativity from our lives. We get over-excited and set out unrealistic goals. From the first week itself, we barely manage to stick to them and then the usual madness kicks in.

As months pass, we forget about those resolutions until it’s time to make some more. And we make the same ‘new’ year resolutions, again.

What if we told you there was a way you could do a little everyday, as a result of which, you’ll be so healthy and energetic that next time you can actually make resolutions that are not about health, stress and weight. Take it one small step at a time.

Yep! All you have to do is start your day right. And here are 5 ways you can do just that.

Drink two glasses of water

In Japan, people have the habit of drinking two glasses of water, first thing in the morning, as soon as they wake up. Did you know that Japan has the greatest longevity in the world? There are more than 50,000 Japanese people who are 100+ years old. They must be doing something right! Drinking two glasses of water in the morning hydrates your dehydrated body and pushes all the right buttons that kick your metabolism. This not only helps you lose weight, or stay fit, but also helps in enhancing your immunity against serious diseases like cancer.

All you really need is water, two plain glasses of water.

Wake up the right way

When you wake up from a restful night and open your eyes to the bright world, it’s the same as waking up from meditation. After meditation, we yogis open our eyes slowly and awake every tiny cell in our bodies to the bright light outside. We have to do the same thing when we wake up in the morning. A very healthy and peaceful ritual is rubbing your hands to generate heat and then spreading that heat to your eyes and your face.

This isn’t some just some ritual, but is based on proven scientific logic. Here’s how it goes:

When we sleep, our body relaxes and generates positive energy. And when we wake up, we pounce to mobile technology, check for any notifications, hop off the bed and get the day started. We need to pause right there. Go back to when we first wake up. We should get up and sit on the bed, with our feet firm on the ground. Before we open our eyes, we should bring our hands together and rub the palms against each other, to generate all that warmth that our body has collected during the night and then spread that warmth to our face. Just like we apply a facial cream. This small ritual will bring us peace and prepare us for the day. It’s like an alarm clock for our soul, offering it the energy to wake up.

Eat an apple

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Here’s a fun fact about this old adage – it’s true! Lose that coffee or that green tea. The best thing to break your fast with, is an apple. It fuels your brain and fires up your metabolism. With soluble fibres and just the right amount of calories, an apple also enhances your exercise endurance. So if you are going to be hitting the gym or going for your morning jog, you need to replace those caffeine shots with apple slices and you will probably see better results.

Perform 12 rounds of Sun Salutations

They are called sun salutations for a reason, because they are supposed to be done in the morning! Sun salutations performed in the morning, are much more powerful than those performed in the evenings. The morning rays of the sun work in tandem with your body to naturally heal you from inside. They help you time your body with the rhythm of the nature and enhance metabolism while healing from within. Amongst other benefits, they even help you lose weight.

For those of you who don’t know what sun salutations are and probably imagine them to be some yogic performance that requires gymnastic abilities, here’s a definition. They are a set of 12 easy yoga asanas which bring your body, breath and mind together. One complete round of sun salutation, exercises all the muscles in your body and also detoxifies the internal organs. And 12 is the number of rounds you need to do daily, as a part of your regime to start your day right.

Keep a To-Do list

There is something really positive about ticking things off a list. It’s just the easiest way to de-stress. When you put your tasks down on a paper or in your mobile, they all seem achievable. It’s like a mini plan-of-action you make everyday. And if you make one at the end of each day, you just need to refer to it, first thing in the morning, to feel like it’s all taken care of. When you note everything down, you will also be able to manage your time accordingly. You won’t be in two places at the same time or having that feeling of forgetting something perpetually. You will have your little list ready to assure you, everything is in order.

There you go. 5 simple hacks to help you start your day better. There’s really nothing to them. And once you get started, they will just become a part of your life. Isn’t that what we started with? Adopting a lifestyle and not just running behind resolutions. Every day’s another chance… to get stronger, eat better, live healthier & to be a better version of you.

And every day’s a chance to take a new step towards that healthy resolution. Just keep moving.

Outdoor Yoga – 5 Ideas You Must Try This Summer

Posted on by Chris Lam

Yoga In The Sun

We just love taking hot yoga classes and we love the after effects. But here’s a fact, yoga is meant to be practiced outdoors. If you didn’t know that already, you have got to try it once to understand why. Originally, thousands of years back, Yoga was practiced by Brahmins and Rishis in Northern India under the skies where they used to meditate and preach. Also because breathing is an integral part of Yoga , Yoga practice is meant to be done in the open. If you breathe correctly, you can multiply the effect of your Yoga Asanas. So wouldn’t you rather breathe the fresh summer air than the recycled carbon in your yoga studio?

Yoga Hive has taken time out of fetching you Yoga Fashion and has put together 5 great outdoor yoga ideas you have to try this summer. They are just too good! Here goes:

1. Paddleboard Yoga

Picture yourself practicing classic yoga poses while floating on a paddleboard in the middle of the blue ocean. It adds just the right amount of adventure and helps train you for better balance. You can always pick the asanas that destress you the most or you can start with the ones that you are most comfortable with. Sitting poses are generally easier to do on a paddleboard. By the way, it’s also called yoga boarding and did you know that most of the yoga wear that we offer on our website is water friendly? Get ready, already!

2. Yoga Festivals

Some yogis do like to practice yoga in isolation, but for those who love travelling and meeting the Yoga community, yoga festivals are the best summer vacations. A good yoga festival will always teach you something new, help you meet more people who share the same passion and bring you closer to nature (most of the yoga sessions are held under the clear blue skies). Some yoga festivals will even offer live music, amazing organic food options and of course, a chance to explore a completely new place. Here’s a website that can help keep you updated – www.yogafestival.com or you can always wanderlust! (They are coming to Whistler in July , by the way)

3. Yoga at Sunrise

The first rays of the morning sun have healing powers that can never be bottled in a medicine or a tablet. And when you add to that the power of yoga, you have yourself the best remedy to many serious ailments. Did you know that waking up before the sun, brings your body in harmony with the rhythm of the universe? And your health improves, as your body heals from inside. If our hectic urban work routines don’t allow us to do this every day, we can definitely take in some healing yoga at sunrise during these beautiful summer weekends.

4. Yoga in the mountains

We are Canadians, and we are always close to the mountains. Maybe a weekend getaway or maybe a 45 minute long drive, but we promise you, it will be worth it. There is a charming mystery that engulfs you when you are in the mountains. Practicing Yoga in a place which is already soothing your senses, will help heighten your sensitivity and make your soul relax. You will be closer to the nature, and you will feel motivated to push yourself harder. Your yoga session in the mountains, might even help you crack that headstand pose you have been struggling with for weeks.

5. Barefoot yoga on the grass

Where yoga originated, it had its own lists of do’s and don’ts. And one very interesting do, was doing Yoga barefoot on the grass. Especially on grass with morning dew. It is believed that when your feet come in touch with the grass, the contact releases pressure waves in your body that make you live a longer healthier life. It’s like a quick morning detox. You might need to look for an even spot because you are used to the smooth surface of a mat. Don’t let the grass or the mud or any tiny bugs bother you, enjoy being in touch with nature.

We hope we have convinced you to give at least one of these a shot, this summer. The amazing collection of yoga wear, accessories and props at YogaHive.ca are all there to help make your experience stylish and trendy! Do share your pictures or experience with us in the comments below. Or you can also get in touch with us on facebook and instagram. We are never tired of any yoga stories!

Best of luck, yogis! Keep moving… with YogaHive.ca

5 Do’s and Don’ts For Cleaning Your Yoga Mat

Posted on by Chris Lam

Yoga Mat

Here’s a question: How often DO you clean your yoga mat?

OK, think of it this way. How often do you clean your yoga-wear?

Now ask yourself the first question and see if the answers match up. My guess is no. So why is that? Sure, your pants, shorts and tanks are closer to your skin then the yoga mat, but we all sweat (from time to time) and when we’re working at it, it gets on the mat. And what do you do? Roll it up and forget about it until next time.

Consider adding your yoga mat to your regular laundering duties. After all, no one wants to smell that. Seriously. Here we give you a few Do’s and Don’ts on how to clean your mat.

1. DO: Mats should be cleaned weekly. This is especially true if you sweat a lot, practice a lot, or do yoga in the great outdoors. A quick wipe with a damp cloth or yoga wipes are great after every session, but consider a proper cleaning weekly. Make it part of your Sunday laundry duties.

2. DO: Consider what your mat is made of. If it’s all rubber, create a half-and-half solution of water and vinegar. And depending on the mat, you might also be able to add a little essential oil to the mixture – but again, depending on the mat, this may or may not be advisable.

3. DON’T: Soaking your mat might seem like a good way to clean it, but it’s actually a big no-no. Mats can absorb some of the water, which will cause mold and other problems, not to mention it’ll ruin the qualities of the mat.

4. DON’T: Leaving your mat out in the sun to dry might seem like a good, natural, idea, but it could actually cause more harm than good. The sun could dry out the mat and it could crumble up, making it lose its sticky property.

5. DO: Lastly, do consider throwing your mat in the washing machine once a month. Do NOT include soap, just put it through the cycle and then into the dryer on medium to high heat to dry.

How often do you clean your mat? And how do you like to clean it? If you have any Do’s and Don’ts tips to share, include them in the comments section below or give a shout on our Facebook page! We’d love to hear from you.

Don’t lose your crazy. Full Moon survival guide.

Posted on by Helen Stepchuk

Moonlight

It’s Full Moon and it’s time to pause and reflect. It brings out everything to the surface and amplifies our emotions. If you are spiritually grounded, you will feel more empowered. But if you are not sure of your path, this Full Moon will confuse you even more. This is a good thing, since this is a sign to listen to yourself and an invitation to become more self-aware.

Here are a few rituals you can adopt to explore a new side of you:

  • Spend some time alone. Turn of that TV and put that book down. Alone meaning, literally alone with yourself. No music, no chatter around. Perhaps go for a walk and just be with you, with your thoughts.  Observe what’s happening in your mind.
  • Do not judge yourself or others. When we judge other people, or ourselves, we close the door of expansion. We block ourselves from good things coming through, as judgement is never a positive thing, and negativity is poisonous. Stay on the positive way. You don’t need to be fake-happpy, but try not to be judgemental. Be curious.
  • Slow down. Meditate or just be slow. Walk slower than usual. Eat slower. Listen to others more patiently. You will be amazed at how many incredible things we miss around us, by being always in a rush.
  • Watch your feelings and accept them for what they are.  Do not overanalyze your behaviour or your feelings. Sometimes things are just the way they are without any logical explanation. We do not need to know where our feelings are coming from, we just need to learn to live with our feelings. Humans are so complex, so if every time we have a strange thought or feeling we’d try to find a logical reasoning behind it, we’d drive ourselves crazy. Just live with your feelings. Acknowledge them, feel them, know them, but don’t try to fix them. Accept them for what they are without any stories.
  • Have an open mind.  Expand your perception of things around you. What if, just what if, some of the things you’ve been clinging to, are not worth it. Or, what if something you believed your whole life, is not serving your any more? Or what you thought was good for you, is actually giving you the anxiety you have today. Maybe. What if.

The best way to tackle an emotional turbulence is to be aware of it first. So, don’t hide your madness today. Tune in inwards. Follow your light. Explore. Surrender. Be curious.

Tell us how it goes. Do share your favourite Full Moon rituals with us on Facebook>>.

Namaste.

The new moon rituals for the rookie.

Posted on by Helen Stepchuk

If you have any friends or relatives working at the police or ER, they would tell you that the Moon affects their work. Well, not directly, but  the amount of calls and accidents happening during the Full Moon is uncanny. Something definitely is going on when the Moon is full. From not being able to sleep during Full Moon to mood swings and heightened anxiety, I am sure all of us have experiences the effect of the Moon one way or another. But what about the new Moon then? Does it affect our behaviour as well?

Apparently, both phases are very similar, although only the Full Moon got the bad reputation, the New Moon has a similar effect on humans. Not as strongly as the Full Moon though. So, let’s take a look how we can benefit from the cycles and what we can do to improve our human lives during the various cycles of the Moon.

New Moon - Full Moon - Rituals

With November 11th – the New Moon and November 25th the Full Moon (you may want to mark your calendar), here are a few simple rituals to try out a few days before and few days after the occurrence.

The New Moon

1. Reflect. This is the great time to start a new project, set goals, or simply review your progress and to re-shuffle your priorities. Even if you are not much into astronomy or the spiritual affects  or the whole Moon cycle theory, it never hurts to look at your life with fresh eyes once a month (at least). We see the new Moon 12 times a year, so not that often when you think about it.

2. Try something new. It doesn’t have to be anything too extraordinary, but something like trying a new recipe or a new yoga class – anything new, something you’ve always wanted to try, but was waiting for the right moment to do it. Now’s your chance.

3. Forgive. That’s right. Is there someone in your life who is on your “do not talk to, avoid, she/he is such a #$%” list? More often than not, we avoid things/people who stir strong reactions/negative emotions in us. And oftentimes, this means that whatever they’ve done, *we believe* they did us wrong. And this is a sure way to the grudge-ville. Nothing good comes from holding grudges. Besides, the only person who suffers the most is the one who holds the  grudge. Once a month reconsider the list. You don’t have to love them, but you could forgive them. Moreover, no one is perfect. We all did something wrong once or twice. 😉

Stay tuned for the second part of this article later this month with the three easy-but-useful rituals to survive the Full Moon. And seriously, do mark your calendar – November the 25th – Full Moon. 😉

Tell us, do you have any New Moon rituals our YogaHive.ca community should know about? Head over to Facebook and comment on our New Moon post there. Do share your wisdom with the world. See you there. 

Namaste.

November mantra: stay positive

Posted on by Helen Stepchuk

practice what you preach

 

Hello, November!

We are only two months away from the new year and, as usual, it’s the time for contemplation, goal-setting, and re-evaluation of our priorities. We decided to switch things around a little bit and start thinking about plans and goals in November. We want to enter December fresh and un-cluttered, so there’s no “pressure” to set the goals, but pure enjoinment to take all the festivities in, without the overwhelm of it. Are you with us on this one? If yes, tune in to our blog every Wednesday to press a fresh button.

Practice what you preach.

This month, we are launching a new series – Practice What You Preach – to remind ourselves what we believe in and to check in if we indeed practice our values and beliefs. Do we truly practice what we preach as yogis?

Do we always stay positive?

Do we always show compassion for each other?

Do we always have the patience for people around us?

 

Join our growing community on Facebook and Instagram, tell us how YOU practice what you preach. Use hashtag #KeepMovingCanada

Namaste.

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