If you are going to practice one pose in a day, let it be Downward Dog.

A masterful pose as it strengthens and lengthens the muscles of the arms, the shoulders, core, legs and it also gives you the benefit of inverting which is beneficial to many of the bodies’ systems (i.e., nervous, endocrine, circulatory). We explore the most commonly practiced pose in yoga, Downward Facing Dog in this posture lab offered by YogaWorks teacher trainer and MyYogaWorks instructor, Melanie Metzler.

Set Up
In YogaWorks Teacher Trainings, we teach from the foundation up – what’s on the floor and taking the weight of the pose, then moving through the rest of the body.  We also start with a preparatory pose that sets up the actions of the final pose that we are focusing on to warm up the body first.

A great preparatory pose for Downward Facing Dog is Child’s Pose.  Child’s Pose offers a great opportunity to learn the actions of the hands, arms and shoulders while resting the forehead on the mat and buttocks on the heels. Walk the hands forward toward the front of the mat. Hands are shoulder distance apart. Press the hands into the mat and feel the forearms and the elbows lift off the mat. Firm the outer arm muscles in toward the ears so you are already building strength and getting a stretch through the arms, chest and shoulders.  On the next inhale, press up onto hands and knees. On the exhale, curl your toes under and press up into Downward Facing Dog.

Key Actions
As you have already spent time setting up the hands, arms and shoulders, once in Downward Facing Dog, pay close attention to the feet. Step the feet mat width apart. As Melanie suggests, for the first Down Dog, bend the knees and begin to focus on pressing the hands down and lifting your hips up, so you are stretching through the shoulders all the way up through the spine. Let the breath travel up and down the spine.  Focus on the length and the firmness and support of the arms.  Take a break and rest in child’s pose.

For round two of Down dog, begin by lifting up to the tip toes and focus on pressing the tops of the thigh bones back while on the tip toes so that you can work on straightening your legs, then slowly work the heels down toward the floor. They may not get to the floor which is absolutely fine. But as you are working the heels toward the floor, keep working the hips up off the wrists and shoulders, so you maintain that sense of length through the side waist.

Modifications
For students who have elbows that splay wider than the shoulders, you can offer them a strap to place above their elbows and teach the actions of firming into the midline by trying to make the strap loose.  You can also teach the actions of the legs firming in and up through the use of a block between the thighs.

Risks
The areas to pay close attention to in this pose are the neck, shoulders and the lower back. When the elbows splay wider than shoulder distance apart there is a lot of congestion that can accumulate around the neck. Another area of the body to pay close attention to as well is the lower back. There is a tendency to tilt the pelvis and splay the ribs on bendy bodies which end up arching the low back. In this case have the student work on lifting their forearms and soften the ribs to ensure they are working on strength and using their core. For those in stiffer bodies, tight hamstrings become an obstacle, so have the students work with knees bent, so they aren’t rounding their backs but working toward lengthening the arms and spine.

Benefits
Downward dog lengthens and strengthens the arms, opens the shoulder muscles, lengthens the entire back and spinal muscles, stretches the hamstrings and has the benefits of inversions as well.

We hope you enjoy this educational video, brought to you by MyYogaWorks.

Frosting:
That store-bought frosting from a tub might taste great on cakes and cookies, but it’s packed with problems. “It’s one of the only items in the grocery store that still has trans fats, which are terrible for your health and waistline,” says Melina Jampolis, MD, physician nutrition expert and coauthor of The Calendar Diet. “Trans fat raises bad cholesterol, lowers good cholesterol, and causes inflammation, which can lead to belly fat and diseases ranging from heart disease to diabetes.” On top of that, tub frosting is loaded with sugar, and high-sugar diets contribute to premature wrinkles. Yikes.

Bagels:
If you’re prone to skin problems and tempted to grab a bagel before you go in the morning, think twice. “Bagels have a massively high glycemic index, which increases insulin and leads to increased inflammation in the body, which is shown to possibly accelerate aging and worsen acne and rosacea,” says dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Tanzi, codirector of the Washington Institute of Dermatologic Laser Surgery in Washington, DC. Opt for an English muffin with peanut butter instead.

Processed Baked Goods:
So convenient, so tasty (if we’re being honest here), but so not worth it. Those pre-packaged mini muffins, doughnuts, and dessert cakes will add tons of calories and loads of unwanted sugar to your diet, plus they aren’t easy to digest. “These foods are bad on so many levels, because they are filled with high sugar content and preservatives for a longer shelf-life — they can literally sit there forever,” says Dr. Tanzi. “Sugar increases inflammation in the skin, which on top of irritating acne and rosacea, can make you look puffy and bloated. Skip the wrapped stuff and grab fresh fruit for a sweet fix instead.

Soda:
Dietitians and doctors all agree: Soda should be nixed from your diet completely. “One can of soda is like a can of water with 10 packets of sugar in it,” says nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, and director and owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC. “The recommended amount of daily sugar for a woman is about six teaspoons or 24 grams, and soda has way more than that.” Good old fashion H2O is still your best option. If you want to jazz it up, add a slice of fresh fruit for flavor.

Sugary Cereals:
A bowl of Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, or Cap’n Crunch might taste like nostalgia, but it’ll wreak some havoc with its high amount of inflammation-causing sugar and gluten content. “For some people with sensitive skin, gluten can exacerbate breakouts, leading to increased redness and, yes, more breakouts,” says Dr. Tanzi. Opt for low-sugar, gluten-free options like Rice Chex and Corn Flakes.

Stick Margarine:
Choose a small amount of regular butter or soft spread over stick-shaped margarine when topping foods or baking, says Taub-Dix. “Margarine is usually loaded with trans fat,” she says. Don’t forget that stick margarine is found in plenty of pastries, crackers, snack foods, and even microwave popcorn, so limit intake to keep cholesterol levels in check.

Jarred Sauce:
It’s easy to forget sources of sugar when you’re making recipes that aren’t traditionally considered sweet, but they do exist. Tomato sauce is a big culprit, says Dr. Tanzi. “Make your own, because the store stuff has a ton of sugar.”

Bacon:
Noshing on bacon as a side for breakfast, as a topping for salads, or as an addition to your sandwich? Bad habit. “I know it’s only 45 calories a strip, but it is really high in fat, sodium, and the preservative sodium nitrate,” says Taub-Dix. Veggies or a few nuts are better options for a crunch, and won’t create such problems for your heart and digestive system. You’re better off avoiding it, but if you must have a little bacon? “Stick to half a strip to crumble on foods like salads and sandwiches,” Taub-Dix says.

Maraschino Cherries:
This preserved fruit might turn up in your cocktail or on your sundae. Start choosing the real deal over sugar-packed, processed maraschino cherries. “These have artificial colors, like red-40 and red-3 dyes, that add no nutritional value,” says Taub-Dix.

Soy Sauce:
Soy sauce is low in calories and has some good vitamins and minerals like riboflavin and vitamin B-6, but the extremely high sodium content will leave you bloated and at risk for conditions like hypertension. “There are so many low-sodium, lighter soy sauce options, there’s no reason to buy the regular stuff anymore,” says Taub-Dix. Yet she still recommends using the light stuff sparingly. “A tablespoon of the low-sodium soy sauce is about 600 milligrams of sodium instead of 900, so it is less but not none.”

Source

Memorial Day Weekend is the official start of summer and we can’t wait for longer days, warmer nights, barbeques and bonfires.

But one of our favorite parts about summer? All of the killer music and yoga festivals that go down from June-September. Since we provided you guys with some healthy go-to festival eats we figured we would hook you up with a list of our fave festies below—put them on your to-do list, they’re definitely not-to-be-missed:

Bonnaroo
When: June 13 – 16
Where: Manchester, TN
Who: Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Björk, Wilco, Pretty Lights, R. Kelly, The National, The Lumineers, David Byrne & St. Vincent, Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar, Grizzly Bear, and more.

Hanuman Festival
When: June 13-16
Where: Boulder, CO
Who: MC Yogi, Trevor Hall, DJ Drez, Saul David Raye, Derek Russo, Jim Beckwith, Amanda Giacomini, DJ Taz, The Zen Drummer, Amy Ippoliti, Anand Mehrotra, Christina Sell, Saul David Raye, Darren Main, Giselle Mari, Gwen Lawrence, Kia Miller, Mary Clare Sweet, Matthew Sanford, Olivia Hsu, Sara Ivanhoe, Sianna Sherman, Tiffany Cruikshank, Tommy Rosen, and more!

Wanderlust Festival
When: VT: June 20-23, CO: July 4-7, CA: July 18-21, BC: August 1-4
Where: Vermont, Colorado, California, British Columbia
Who: Moby, Blue Canyon Boys, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, Quixotic, Caravan Palace, Sarah Neufeld, MC Yogi, Hannah Theim, DJ Drez, Garth Stevenson, Seane Corn, Ana Forrest, Elena Brower, Schuyler Grant, Aarona Pichinson, Adam Rinder, Annie Carpenter, Cameron Shayne, Carrie Owerko, Chelsy Korus, Dave Romanelli and more.

Electric Forest
When: June 27 – 30
Where: Rothbury, MI
Who: The String Cheese Incident, Pretty Lights, Passion Pit, Empire of the Sun, Knife Party, Dispatch, Lotus, Benny Benassi, Yeasayer, Beats Antique, Madeon, Holy Ghost!, Grimes, Tommy Trash, and more.

Bhakti Fest
When: Midwest: July 5-7, West: September 5-8
Where: Madison, WI, Joshua Tree, CA
Who: Jai Uttal, Saul David Raye, Sean Johnson, Govindas and Radha, Krishna Das, Girish, Shiva Rea, Shyamdas

Lightning In A Bottle
When: July 11-15
Where: Lake Skinner in Temecula, CA
Who: Purity Ring, Nicolas Jarr, Rusko, Paper Diamond, Pantyraid, Tycho, Emancipator, Blackbird Blackbird, Joplin, Lee Burridge, Ashley Turner, Bryan Kest, Kia Miller and more.

Gathering of the Vibes
When: July 25-28
Where: Bridgeport, CT
Who: The Black Crowes, Phil Lesh & Friends, Tedeschi Tricks Band, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Roots, Dark Star Orchestra, Deep Banana Blackout, Max Creek, Blues Traveler, Fishbone and more.

Lollapalooza
When: August 2 – 4
Where: Chicago, IL
Who: Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Keys, Black Sabbath, Jack White, Florence + the Machine, At the Drive-In, Bassnectar, AVICII, The Shins, Justice, Passion Pit, Kaskade, The Weeknd, Sigur Rós, and more.

Outside Lands
When: August 9 – 11
Where: San Francisco, CA
Who: Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pretty Lights, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nine Inch Nails, Willie Nelson & Family, Young the Giant, Band of Horses, Daryl Hall & John Oates and more.

Burning Man
When: August 26-September 2
Where: Black Rock City, Nevada
What: 2013 Art Theme: Cargo Cult. Read more about this year’s theme here.

For more events, yoga teacher training, yoga retreats and workshops happening this summer, please click here.

Adapt and adjust quickly. 

The rapid rate of change in our economy has made chaos a defining construct of business + life.

Embracing adaptability and the openness to learning from anywhere are proving to be two key ingredients to thriving best in this environment.

Regardless if you are mom, soloprenuer or big wig at a Fortune 500 company the new metrics of success have become our individual ability to be nimble and unfearful of change.

We can’t prevent the chaos of change only decide how we are to respond to it.

Collectively we have transitioned into an era  that relentlessly denies the status quo. The dizzying rapidity at which change strikes us today is inescapable.

It’s perplexing at best and jarring at worst. So how exactly do you prosper or—at the very least—make the best of it?

You go with it.

Accepting, and yes, even indulging in adversity is the approach required by our chaotic economy + lives.

Reconfigure your DNA so that waiting is honored but innovation is encouraged.

“If something works we double down on it. If it doesn’t we discard it and move on.”   Brad Smith~ CEO of Intuit

Fear of change has no purpose in the current market. Institutionalizing flexibility and embracing inconsistency will keep you on your own leading edge + your business ahead of the curve.

“What really sets superstars apart from everyone else is the ability to escape dead ends quickly, while staying focused and motivated when it really counts.” Seth Godin

Inconsistency is the new constant.

There is no running from it, nor should we want too.

Decide to be undeterred by it.
Instead, encourage curiosity.

Mostly, understand that no matter what curve balls are thrown your way you are ready for it + flexibility is your greatest ally.

Zach Sobiech is a 17 year old diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. With only months to live, Zach turned to music to say goodbye. Zach turned 18 years old on May 3, 2013 and passed away yesterday, May 20, 2013. Check out what he has left behind:

We all want to be happy, right?

Right.

While doing research for my first book, I uncovered a formula to help people boost innate faith, increase confidence, + attain genuine happiness + satisfaction.

After years of schooling, training, and working with a plethora of clients, I have discovered the one thing we all want at the end of the day: to be happy.

All my clients say: “but I just want to be happy.”

So what stands in our way?

False or negative belief patterns about ourselves + the world and to get to happiness, we must first stop believing in and acting on the negative.
I’ve outlined some tips to help you be happier.  Like, right now.

Realize that opinions ≠ fact:
There are two things we’re not short of: people and their opinions.

Opinions are fantastic! They add variety, dimension, breadth and depth to any discussion or good debate. They have the potential to unify us + spark innovation. But, be wary of taking on other peoples opinions as fact or truth. This can damage your emotional stability and send ripples of doubt through your confidence and disrupt your happy.
It’s important that you cultivate an inner circle of trusted confidants whose opinions you consider carefully. But even then, watch how you let those ideas sink into your psyche.

Listening to others opinions and taking them as fact can precent you from reaching your full potential. Too often we listen to our rational mind and to what other people think, failing to ask ourselves how we feel about our current situation.

Stop obsessing over the past + worrying about the future:
Don’t cry over spilled milk. Life is a roller-coaster  and you’ll so much more comfortable in the now if you learn to focus on the moment + haul your attention away from the past.

Clean up fearful thought patterns:
How? Begin by actively noticing how your unresolved angst with the past and fear of the future is blocking you from your power. It’s keeping you stuck.  Start by asking yourself where you are playing small.  When you really, consciously pay attention to your behavior, you can start to get honest about what fears are at the root of your worry.

Change your mindset:
Let go of those fears and choose a more empowering mindset. When obsessive worry about the past or future comes up, say to yourself:

“My worry is unnecessary and I will not allow myself to go there. 
I choose to be kind toward myself instead.”

Our bodies are molecular entities that are always vibrating an energy. Your body is positive when your thoughts are positive and negative when your thoughts are negative. Our energy fields are magnets and they attract their likeness. If you’re caught up in worrying about your future, you will attract negativity into your life.

Who want’s that?

Meditation is one of the most crucial aspects to cultivate more peace and happiness in life.

It is literally the first thing I recommend to all my students and clients to build self-esteem and intuition, hear your truth, make wise, skillful choices, improve communication, increase creativity and productivity and let go.

We can be in one of two states—either the mind is running us or we are running our mind.

My mentor, Dr. Ron Alexander, speaks of MIND STRENGTH and the changes that can occur as we begin the process of training the mind. Mind strength is one of the most empowering tools we can employ to impact and improve all aspects of life.

Here’s the breakdown of how meditation works:

There are five major categories of brain waves, each corresponding to different activities we do. Meditation enables us to move from higher frequency brain waves to lower frequency and calm the mind.

Slower wavelengths = more time between thoughts = more opportunity to skillfully choose which thoughts you invest in

5 Categories of Brain Waves: Why Meditation Works

Gamma State:
In the Gamma state, the brain waves are at frequencies ranging from approximately 30 – 100Hz. This is the state of hyperactivity in the brain and active learning. Gamma state is the most opportune time to retain information. This is why Tony Robbins and other educators have audiences jumping up and down or dancing around – to increase the likelihood of permanent assimilation of information and lasting change in one’s “state”.

If overstimulated, it can lead to anxiety.

Beta State:
The Beta state, which is where we function for most of the day, is associated with the alert mindstate of the prefrontal cortex. Brain wave frequencies in this state range from 13 – 30Hz and this is a state of the “working” or ‘thinking mind’: analytical, planning, assessing and categorizing.

Alpha State:
Brain waves in the Alpha state range from 9 – 13Hz. This is the state where brain waves start to slow down out of thinking mind. We become more calm, peaceful and anchored. We often find ourselves in an “alpha state” after a thorough yoga class, a walk in the woods, a pleasurable sexual encounter or during any activity that helps relax the body and mind. We are lucid, reflective, have a slightly diffused awareness and at peace. This is often accompanied by an inner and/or outer glow – sometimes felt as “spacey”. The hemispheres of the brain are more balanced (neural integration).

Theta State:
When brain waves range from 4 – 8Hz in the Theta state, we are able to begin meditation. This is the point where the  verbal/thinking mind transitions to the meditative/visual mind. We begin to move from the planning mind to a deeper state of awareness (often felt as drowsy), with stronger intuition, more capacity for wholeness and complicated problem solving. The Theta state is associated with the 6th Chakra (3rd eye), so in this state we are able to practice visualization.

Delta State:
The final state is the Delta state, where brain waves range from 1 – 3 Hz. Tibetan monks that have been meditating for decades can reach this in an alert, wakened phase but most of us reach this final state during deep, dreamless sleep.

A Simple Meditation: How to Meditate

A simple meditation to use to begin the transition from Beta or Alpha to the Theta State is to focus on the breath. The breath and mind work in tandem, so as breath begins to lengthen, brain waves begin to calm and slow down.

To begin the meditation, sit comfortably in your chair with your shoulders relaxed and spine tall. Place your hands mindfully on your lap, close your eyes and as much as possible eliminate any stimulus that may distract you.

Watch your breath. Simply notice your breath flowing in. Flowing out. Don’t try to change it in any way. Just notice.

Silently repeat the mantra: “Breathing In. Breathing Out.” As your mind begins to wander, draw it back to your breath. Notice that as your breath begins to lengthen and fill your body, your mind begins to calm.

Consistency is Key. Try to do this breath meditation for 10 – 15 minutes first thing in the morning and/or at night. Be consistent with your meditation practice, particularly if it is difficult to sit still as you begin. Shorter meditation sessions on a regular basis are more productive than long sessions every few weeks.

Meditation is the #1 Tool I recommend to ALL my clients + students!

They say “imitation is the highest form of flattery,” but when does “imitation” become a something you hide behind that covers up your true nature, voice and actions as a yoga teacher?

These are the questions I’ve begun to ask myself, now, after 12 years of teaching. I’ve had some wonderful teachers over the years. I consider myself a “student” of teaching; I’m nervous when I walk in the room, still feel self-conscious when speaking in front of the class and wonder if I’m ever going to be “doing it right.”

I have examined my teaching from many angles and continue to do so. I recently heard a teacher speak about a particular popular transition in yoga classes and I realized I do that transition all the time. I don’t even really “think” about it; I just offer it up. Why? Am I not thinking? I certainly have the skills as a teacher, the academic knowledge and the classroom experience. So why would I offer something without little choice for whether it fits, is something I want to offer or makes sense for the student?

I remember a story someone told me once about a woman who was cooking a ham. She cut the ends off and put it in the pan and stuck it in the oven. She asked her mom, “Why do we cut the ends off the ham before cooking it?” Her mom said, “ I have no idea. Go ask your Grandmother. She taught me.” So she went to her Grandmother and asked the same question. The grandmother said, “I never had a pan big enough to fit the ham.”

In this story is a lesson that came to me as I recently taught a class. The mother in the story was doing something simply because it was the way she was taught but she wasn’t “thinking” about if the action made sense. She had literally turned off her thinking and was merely following example. I thought of this as it relates to the transition in my yoga sequence, passed on to me, and thought how similar a situation it was. In both cases, there was no thinking; only imitation.

But isn’t imitation how we learn? In a practice like yoga, where the practice, the teaching, the sequence, the theories are passed on from the greatest elder teachers to the newest teachers, isn’t it the primary way we are all learning?

Of course this is the case. But at some point, maybe sooner certainly than later, we need to start thinking for ourselves. Even if we end up in the same place, at least we will have made the conscious choice to be there.

So, how do we do this? Here are ten ways to find your own voice and actions as a teacher:

When you say something, mean it.
We all get caught saying the same thing all the time in the same way. The longer we’ve been teaching, the easier it is to do. Use the same awareness you would use in conversation when teaching a class. You may say the same words but the energy behind the words can be dull or can be full of life.

As a new teacher, use a suggested sequence but understand it. Use this until you feel comfortable teaching outside the sequence but not before.
The process of being yourself in front of your classes does not start after you get more experience as a teacher; it starts right away through how you carry yourself and build connection with students. However, to take on offering a different sequence every class as a new teacher can be overwhelming. Use the first few years to develop a sequence or use one from your mentor. Let that sequence give you the support you need so you can focus on everything else. As you gain experience, vary what you offer if you wish but be sure you can justify what you’re offering right from the start.

Have a friend take your class and tell you if you sound like yourself or if you sound like you’re trying to be like someone else.
When you walk into the studio, do you “become a teacher” or “are you a teacher?” You’ll know someone who is putting on the face of a teacher because their voice changes when they start to teach a yoga class. There is no doubt that you want to use a particular tone, volume and pace when teaching a class but you want to sound like yourself. Have a friend take your class and give you comments afterwards.

Use verbal cues that make sense for what is happening in the room.
When we’re teaching like someone else, we say things that don’t make any sense to what’s happening right in front of us. Instead of talking from your head, say things that are triggered by what you see. The cues and suggestions you offer should be applicable. This is how you build connection, authenticity and create the desired action.

Understand why you offer the poses you do.
When we’re trained on a particular way of teaching, we should get background information as to why the sequence is built the way it is. We should understand why the poses are in the order they are in, what actions they are designed to generate and how to speak to the alignment. Our ability to do this will help us develop our own authenticity because we will be choosing to offer something we understand. It’s when we offer something without choice or simply because someone we admire offered it that we lose touch with our own true self.

If you always start your class in the same way, ask yourself why.
You know the student that always puts their mat in the same spot and always does shoulder stand while everyone else is in shavasana? While there’s something to be said for sticking with what you love, being a creature of habit cuts off your authenticity because you’re not expressing what makes sense in that moment. If you always start your class with Child’s Pose, be sure it makes sense. There are many students who can’t take Child’s Pose without discomfort. They are classes where certain actions may be emphasized and it might make better sense to offer these actions right from the start.

Take classes from others and experience other ways to get from A to Z.
Although my training and most of my teaching is in Power Yoga, I am always interested to see how other teachers lead a class through a sequence. There are so many different styles and ways of expressing the practice. Being authentic means teaching from the heart and teaching what you love. Taking others’ classes sometimes will inspire you to add new things into your sequence but it also may re-affirm that you’re teaching exactly as you should be.

Explain to someone you just met why you love teaching.
Write down what you said and notice the action words in the statements you made. Use these actions and statements to fuel your commentary during class instead of things you’ve heard from someone else. One of my teachers, Baron Baptiste, always encouraged us to speak from our own experience. If you meet someone and they ask you why you teach yoga, listen to what you say. In those statements are the nuggets of personal experience and authenticity that you want to bring to your class.

Don’t say something you picked up from someone else or do something you picked up from someone else unless a) you like it b) you understand it c) it makes sense for your class.
Remember: that flashy sequence in that class you just took might not work unless you understand the mechanics behind it and it’s something you love and can stand behind as a teacher. Once you do, if you love it an it’s authentically “you,” add it in.

If you avoid certain poses, sequences or transitions, start to learn them and practice them on your own. Determine if they will make sense for you to teach. If not, leave them. If yes, include them.
I do not like double Pigeon pose myself so I rarely teach it. This can be a common experience among teachers. But just as our students need to learn why they avoid certain poses, teachers do also. When we avoid teaching certain poses, we cut out a chance to express and share something that we might just love. If you decide you don’t enjoy a certain pose, as long as you can understand your avoidance and feel okay about it, don’t offer it. But stay open.

You never know!

As the lush, green hills of Northern California turn brown once again, we are reminded that summer is here.

There is no clearer sign to me that we are transitioning from vassant ritu [spring] to grishma ritu [summer] which lasts from approximately May 15th to July 15th. Pools are open and water tables are out while everyone from kids to adults is seeking out more water play. Activities are changing along with the increase in temperature.

As the sun gets stronger, the accumulated kapha [water and earth] in the atmosphere will dry up leaving more akash [space] for vata dosha to increase. Keeping vata in control will help minimize such problems as dry skin, constipation, back pain or osteoarthritis. The vata increase in the atmosphere will progress over the next few months so hold tight and just relax your way through summer. This relaxation will really help your body conserve it’s much needed energy.

In order to get through the summer without too much depletion and dryness, we must mindfully consume kapha. By kapha in this context, I refer to things which are madhur [sweet], snigdha [unctuous], sheeta [cooling] and drava [liquid].  Milk, squash, water and coconut are a few examples. More are listed below.

Since we do not want our bodies to dry up like the hills, we need to consume the opposite qualities to that which is exhausting and depleting us. Agni [digestive fire] is still only at mild strength so while we should begin to eat a few more energy building foods, they should be more laghu [light] than your typical summer barbecue food.

So, we covered that we are supposed to eat, sweet foods? Check. Next up is to mention that this is the season for napping. The reason naps are beneficial this summer season is because they increase snigdha [unctuousness] in the body. That time to run a marathon? It’s passed. The time to begin an intense asana practice? That too has passed. Time to lay in a hammock on your covered porch? Yes! Time to sit out with your loved ones in the moonlight? Yes! Time to check out that Yin Yoga class at the studio in your town? Yes again! It’s best to rest and not overexert yourself for the next few months.

The foods which we should begin to cut down on include the katu [pungent], tikta [bitter] and kashay [astringent] tastes which were dominant in the spring. It is now time to favor sweet, cooling, unctuous, slightly fatty and fragrant foods and liquids. For the next week, slowly introduce more summer foods like summer squash, rice, pumpkin, beets, opo squash, carrot or okra. Stop using raw onions in dishes and cook them in ghee instead to convert them from katu [pungent] to madhur [sweet].

In regard to drinks, it is time to bring back lassi (recipe below). Cut back on coffee and even that spicy chai. Add fennel or toasted coconut when you do make some. Get some coconut water. Sweet juices are okay. I say, the fresher, the better. Favor pomegranate and grape juice.

If you drink spiced cow milk, use less warming spices and now switch to cardamom and fennel. It is highly recommended to drink milk at night in the summer. Instead of reaching for alcohol, which is highly discouraged, I now go for the warm milk. A pretty far cry from what I used to do but I feel so much better.

A few examples of foods to favor:

Cereals: Wheat, Oats, Rice, Sweet Corn

Legume: Mung Bean (Green and Yellow)

Spices: Cumin, Fennel, Coriander Seeds, Mint, Cardamom

Salt: Himalayan Rock Salt

Dairy: Ghee, Milk, Sweet Butter, Yogurt Lassi with added sugar

Fruits: Mango, Pomegranate, Dates, Coconut, Nectarine, Plums, Raisins, Honey Dew, Cantaloupe, Lime

Vegetables: , Cucumbers, Beets, Carrots, Summer Squash, Opo Squash, Green beans, White Onions, Mint, Cilantro, Okra, Snake gourd, Yam, Wax Gourd, Cauliflower

Meat: Clear Broths

Other: Rose Petal Jam

Rose Lassi Recipe

Ingredients:

>>½ cup of whole milk yogurt
>>2 cups of water ( previously boiled but brought back to room temperature)
>>1 tablespoon of rose water or 2 tsp of rose sugar
>>3 tablespoons of raw sugar
>>A pinch of cardamom (optional)

Directions:

 >>Hand whisk/churn yogurt with a molinillo (or use blender / immersion blender)

>>Add water to yogurt

>>Add rest of ingredients

>>Churn until frothy

An ambitious project to establish a human colony on Mars has attracted applications from tens of thousands of would-be astronauts, just two weeks after applications opened.

The mission, a private venture by the Dutch non-profit organization Mars One, aims to send a crew to the Red Planet in 2022 – and, due to the physiological change in the human body after a stay on Mars, there’d be no coming back. That hasn’t deterred people, though: so far, over 78,000 people have applied to become one of Mars’ first immigrants (the company is expecting 500,000 applicants by the time applications close on August 31). “This is turning out to be the most desired job in history,” says Bas Lansdorp, co-founder of Mars One.

Day-to-day life on Mars will be no picnic: The organization says that the daily routine on the planet would involve construction work on the colony (installing greenhouses, for example), maintenance of the settlement’s systems and research into Mars’ climate and geological history–all in an inhospitable environment with unbreathable air and an average temperature in the planet’s mid-latitudes of around -58 degrees Farenheit.

But Mars One says it is not looking for applicants with specific skills, such as a science degree, that might be useful during an interplanetary posting. Instead, they are looking for people who “have a deep sense of purpose, willingness to build and maintain healthy relationships, the capacity for self-reflection and ability to trust.” They also want volunteers who are “resilient, adaptable, curious, creative and resourceful.” Candidates will receive a minimum of eight years training before leaving Earth, the company says.

“Gone are the days when bravery and the number of hours flying a supersonic jet were the top criteria for selection. Now, we are more concerned with how well each astronaut works and lives with the others–and for a lifetime of challenges ahead,” said Norbert Kraft, a former Senior Research Associate at NASA and Chief Medical Director for Mars One in a statement published on Mars One’s website.

Candidates hailing from over 120 countries (although the vast majority are from the U.S.) uploaded a video to Mars One’s website explaining why they’re suitable for the mission. Kyle, a 21-year-old grocery store clerk from the U.S., says he wants to be “an explorer and pioneer at the forefront of history.” Steven, a 43-year-old American who works in electronics, has even higher hopes for the mission: “I would like to go to Mars… to discover new life,” he says.

In addition to people skills, successful applicants must be good fundraisers too: Mars One plans to raise much of the mission’s $6 billion estimated cost through a reality TV show following the applicants as they undergo preparations for the one-way trip to Mars. They’ve got a little way to go yet, though: as of April 29, the money raised through donations and merchandise stood at $84,121.

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