I'm not a juicer, I never have been, but lately I've been really craving vegetables... like all the time. So yesterday, while I was trying this new recipe, I came to a conclusion that juicing is just like yoga.

The beginning is always the hardest. Finding time to plan for your veggies, going to the supermarket, coming home to wash them, prepare them, clean the juicer, and then do it all over again. Exhausting right?

But of course it doesn't have to be that way. Start where you are, that's all you can do. If you are new to juicing, get a mid-priced juicer, don't spend a fortune. Begin juicing the vegetables you already eat and then incorporate the more fancy stuff as you experiment along. Begin slowly by adding juicing once a week to your eating habits and then start gradually making it more consistent. Listen to your body, choose the veggies you like and keep with it. 

The main reason why you'll want to consider incorporating vegetable juicing into your diet is because juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. This is important because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body's ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to "pre-digest" them for you, so you will receive most of the nutrition, rather than having it go down the toilet.

If you're the type of person like me who eats the same vegetable salads every day then you're violating the principle of regular food rotation. But with juicing, you can juice a wide variety of vegetables that you may not normally enjoy eating whole. Like ginger.

After researching around, I found the 10 most simple green juice recipes that will last you a long time.

Perfect Morning Essential: 4-6 Carrots, 4 stalks of Celery, 1 Lemon , 1 Macintosh or Yellow Apple

Hot Afternoon Boost Up: 4-6 Carrots, 4-6 stalks Celery, 1/2 bunch Cilantro, 2 Roma Tomatoes, 1 Lemon

Power After-Workout Drink: 1/2 Romaine lettuce, 3-4 leaves of Kale, 3-4 Carrots, 1/2 bunch Carrot top, 1 Apple, 1 Lime

Serious Detox: 1/2 sour green Apple, 1 Lime, 1 large Beet, 3-4 leaves Beet tops, 3-4 Carrots, 3-4 Celery stalks, small piece of Ginger

Excellent Craving Response: 3-4 large leaves of Kale, 1 whole stalk of Leek, 1 Lime, 1 large Tomato, 1/2 bunch Cilantro, 3-4 Carrots, small piece of Ginger

Delightful Green Snack: 1/2 of red Cabbage, 3-4 stalks of Celery, 4-5 leaves of Kale, 1 Lemon, 1 Lime, 1 Apple, small piece of fresh Ginger

Sweet Filling Delight: 3 cups fresh baby Spinach, 1 Lime, 1 large Tomato, 2-3 Carrots and 1/2 Carrot top bunch, 1/2 bunch Parsley, 1 stalk Celery

Quick Cleansing Drink: 2-3 Carrots, 4 Cucumbers, small piece of fresh Ginger, 1 Lemon, 1 whole Bee

Variety Vitamin Drink: 1 Lemon, 2 cups of Alfa Alfa Sprouts, small piece of fresh Ginger, 2 Carrots, 3 Cucumbers, 1/2 bunch Parsley

Exquisite Green Goodness: 3-4 leaves of Kale, 5 large Romaine Lettuce leaves, 1 Beet, 1/2 bunch of Cilantro, 1 Lime, 2 cups fresh Spinach, 1/2 App

Tip: Leeks and cabbages are challenging on some juicers so check your juicer’s instructions. If you taste some bitterness in these juices, add an apple or a tomato for taste.

Happy Juicing!

This Saturday I attended a 24-hour yoga extravaganza called Stretch For Survivors. The event was put on by a non-profit organization, Sisters 4 Survivors determined to empower women with breast cancer. Their mission is to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in the local community, to help women feel better about themselves throughout their journey, and to empower them from diagnosis to beyond.

The 24-hour yoga event kicked of at noon with world recognized yoga teacher, Tiffany Cruikshank. We explored the depths of fear, created space for love and opened our curiously to the unknown. The one hour Vinyasa flow was filled with an energy of empowerment, grace and surrender. Tiffany's presence was not only so vibrant but there was a huge level of comfort that came with being around her. 

Sisters for survivors believe that women need more than just surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to heal and survive. They need solutions to these challenges to heal all aspects of themselves that are affected with the diagnosis of breast cancer. This is why founder Tonya Priestley had a very clear goal - to assist with the “everything else” in the process of healing to better the journey and quality of life. From make-overs, photo-shoots, to alternative health, they provide a source for services that help boost women's confidence.

The 24-hour yoga event was a way to create awareness that yoga can truly help dissipate tension and anxiety and enable cancer patients to settle into a greater sense of ease and well-being. As a huge advocate for Yoga Bear, a similar organization who I work with, It's a fact that stress depresses the body's natural immune function, which may be one of the reasons that there is evidence that cancer patients who practice yoga have greater recovery rates.

If you would like to donate to this amazing organization please click HERE. $30 can help pay for a woman to experience yoga therapy to reduce stress/increase mobility or to have a makeover when dealing with hair loss. $50 can help pay for a woman to have a massage or acupuncture to help them with pain and/or nausea and $400 can help sponsor a survivor for all of S4S's services. Any amount helps. 

Once you choose hope, anything's possible - Christopher Reeve.

Namasté,

I've decided to do more video blogging as it seems to be a great way to demo poses instead of lists and lists of to do's. First up - Salamba Sirsasana: Tripod Headstand.

I can think back to the very first time I attempted to “go upside down” or attempt an inversion; it was a few months after I first began to dabble with Yoga. It was in an Iyengar Yoga class, using ropes and hooks. I remember at the time it seemed novel and amusing. There was an air of carnival performance as I walked my feet up the wall, braided rope around my waist, threaded through metal loop hooks. I effectively got myself “inverted” with the assistance of the equipment, and was securely fastened to the wall. I recall feeling generally safe and unemotional about the exercise.

A year or so later, I was practicing at a different studio when my teacher instructed us to prepare and eventually come up into Salamba Sirsasana at the wall. “She must be joking!” I thought. “What is the point? Can’t I just watch?" The diatribe of excuses and indignation that blasted through my mind were only slightly louder than my heart hammering in protest. Everyone else in class, seemed to think the idea of being upside down for a minute was fabulous, joyful, even refreshing. They were smiling and helping one another. I tried to hide my fear with humour while I prayed that no one was watching me fumble, my legs turned to cement, my brow furrowed itself with anxiety and I was dreading that fall once again.

I kept falling and falling and falling and falling. Every attempt, I fell. Every fall, louder and louder. I was gripping and holding onto my breath, when all along I just had to breathe through it. 

My teacher’s calm confidence in my eventual success, created a crack in the foundation of my fear. I kept practicing and practicing. I purposefully sought out more challenging classes where I knew we would delve into inversions. I watched other practitioners who were more confident, read articles and exhaled when I was holding my breath in tight mindedness. My perspective changed and I changed, and my ability to go upside down is a true reflection of the amount of fear, holding and limited beliefs I have addressed on my mat and in my life. 

As the wise man once said, keep practicing and all is coming. Now I have fun with inversions and laugh at my falls, and become better and stronger because of them.

So when you feel stuck, or caught up in the challenges of life, change your life story by changing the way you see the world... literally.

I am beyond excited to be an ambassador for the first globally significant large-scale yoga and music festival to come to Los Angeles, the largest yoga market in the world.

Here is a bit of a taster from Yoganonymous:

The Tadasana Festival of Yoga and Music is a 3-day transformative experience in Santa Monica, CA over Earth Day Weekend, April 20- 22, 2012. Choose from 50 master teachers offering 100+ classes and workshops with live, in-class musical performances by artists from around the world, lectures and eco-conscious shopping in an outstanding location.

The Tadasana Village – at the edge of the beach facing the Pacific Ocean – features Themed Yoga Tents, Lecture Domes, Artwork, Chill Zones, an Organic Food Court, 60+ Booths of Eco-Goodness and so much more!

Tadasana’s Yoga Alley – eight yoga studios in Santa Monica – is a three block stretch of some of the best yoga in the world situated a short walk from the beach among incredible restaurants and shops. These yoga studios are official Tadasana sites. With your Tadasana badge, you will also be able to take classes here.

Tadasana treats attendees to an outstanding community experience – world class yoga and one-of-a-kind musical events – all in a city that seems as if it were built to cater to the lifestyle of people who love yoga. A typical day begins around 8am with walks on the beach, smoothies, organic food and of course – yoga. There are early morning meditations for the early risers. Throughout the day, attendees choose from a variety of different classes, workshops and lectures. In addition to practicing yoga, the Tadasana Village, with its chill zones, vending and organic food court offers an awesome place for people to connect, shop, eat and hang. Yoga Alley provides an opportunity for people to experience Santa Monica and all it has to offer.

This year’s Tadasana Festival features some of today’s best yoga teachers! The lineup includes Seane Corn, Kia Miller, Ashley Turner, Elena Brower, Shiva Rea, Sianna Sherman, and MC Yogi just to name a few.

Join me in beautiful Santa Monica for a magnificent weekend full of light and laughter. Use my special promotion code for a discount on the 3-day passes available HERE. Enter code bosnak4 for $50 off.

Yoga supports your ability to be awesome. Music makes the impossible possible. Community makes everything worthwhile.

Namasté,

This weeks yoga story is about Jessica Lesley, a joyful yoga teacher from Los Angeles, California.

I was born at a hospital on March Air Force Base in Moreno Valley, CA to two military parents. Most children of military parents will tell you that packing up an moving to a new city/state/country every few years was the norm and I am no different. What is different is the reason I moved every few years. It wasn’t that Mom or Dad got stationed somewhere new, it was infidelity and broken trust that gave way to a new address. He would cheat, they would separate, she would forgive, we would start fresh and “be a family again” somewhere new.  

In addition to moving from house to house I was also dealing with severe asthma, what was a common cold being passed around at school easily turned into pneumonia for me. There were many trips to the hospital, breathing treatments at home, and a ton of medicine and antibiotics. There was no such thing as going outside to play or participating in a sport, it was too risky. Eventually I outgrew the asthma and I was certain that all my troubles were over.

Fast forward to adulthood plagued with anxiety and a reckless need to prove that I could do any physical activity better than you. The fear of not being able to breathe or being “the sick girl” combined with an unhealthy view of how to be friends with women (In my mind the issues with my parents relationship was other women - so I made other women the enemy). The few friendships I had were surface level and laced with mistrust and insecurity. 

I let the stigma of mental health disorders prevent me from asking for help with my anxiety. I also did not understand how to give my self permission to even receive help. The feelings of anxiety continued and actually grew more intense at the fear of speaking out on what was going on with me.

I went into my first yoga class just to try something new. I was already a regular at the gym and had tried almost every other class on the schedule, and with my excessive work out regimen I figured it would be nice to stretch. In addition to being physically fatigued, carrying the stress from past hurts began to show up almost daily in the form of panic attacks.

I came to yoga thinking that it would be a way to deal with the anxiety without really having to admit that there was a problem. See, with yoga when someone asked me why I was going to class so often I could give a generic response of “oh I just want to become more flexible” or “I want to tone my arms.” That was so much easier than to say “I am tired of being afraid of my own thoughts” or “I’m too ashamed to seek professional help.”

I wanted to escape from those feelings - instead yoga made me confront them. When I was on the mat I had no choice but to sit with the thoughts in my head. The postures held my focus just enough so there was no space to judge the thoughts (I also practice with my eyes closed to not judge others). Life as an asthmatic gave me an instant appreciation for slowing down my breath, allowing my body to expand as I inhaled and feeling a sense of release upon exhale. I went to every yoga class that I could and instead of focusing on the physical benefits, (as I had done with my workouts), I found joy in the more subtle changes taking place in my life off of the mat. 

Additionally all of my time in class brought me around a ton of other women, amazing women. Simply being around others who had such open hearts and a type of confidence that had nothing to do with physical appearance helped me see where I had been projecting my own issues on others. This has been one of the most beneficial aspects of my practice. 

After falling in love with this practice I knew I wanted to share yoga with others by becoming a teacher.  The impact yoga has had on my life off the mat means so much more to me than the physical results of asana.

To find out more about Jessica, visit her vibrant WEBSITE, like her on FaceBook or follow her on Twitter.

Namasté,

There are times when I find myself torn between a situation, where I completely lose track of my breath. During times of emotional stress our sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and effects a number of physical responses. Our heart rate rises, we perspire, our muscles tense and our breathing becomes rapid and shallow. If you find yourself here, stop. Exhale everything out that doesn't serve you and create space in your lungs to receive. 

A few weeks back I stepped into the hot room with a desire to slow down my heart rate. Confused and frustrated with the things that were happening that week, I melted into my mat with a huge desire for direction, for a new perspective, for inspiration and guidance. 

My teacher said: "Inhale opportunity, exhale regret."

Was she talking to me? How could she tell? Was I being that obvious?

I felt like I was partially in a yoga class but the rest of me was discovering something much, much more. This was different and I wanted to explore. 

Inhaling opportunity is about not looking back at our lives and thinking of ways that it could have been. It's about getting out there and creating what can be now. It's a work in progress, dance between two worlds. Internal insight and analysis, external expression and creation. It's about remembering that there is always going to be something more to do, see, and be. More to try, to taste, to touch. There will be more magic to “explore, dream, and discover” if you create that space.

Our lives are full of wide open possibilities and the limits we come across are self-imposed shackles that we’ve created for ourselves. The famous writer George Bernard Shaw said that, “The possibilities are numerous once we decide to act and not react.”

We have the power but it’s only activated once we act upon it’s urges. When we put the action into the law of attraction. When we start to see opportunities where others see limitations. And most importantly when we begin to maneuver our life toward a vision or our own making. Although it may be tough right now, it'll pass. Give yourself that time to let it pass, and with that exhale regret.

In life, regrets are inevitable. No matter how much you plan out your decisions, you will still have regrets. What could have been and what you can’t know for sure will always be in the back of your mind, especially if you are disappointed with the outcome of your final choices. But for those of us who let regrets paralyze our present, it’s time to accept what is instead of what could have been, and start constructively dealing with where we are. 

When we’re full of this toxic feeling, it simply means we haven’t adequately worked through the emotions associated with our past experiences. Having regrets, especially ones we never voice, is a way of refusing to let go of something.

So why are we holding onto something that doesn't serve us?

It’s time to start creating opportunities for ourselves. It’s time to explore, dream and discover the wonder and magic that is our life.

We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations - Charles R. Swindoll

Namasté,

For the past couple of days the skyline has been quite magical in Portland. During the weekdays I'm at work before it's light out, but this past week I was lucky enough to still be in bed and capture the shot above. Roughly about five times a week I step on my mat to begin my yoga practice in a very deliberate and meaningful way. I follow in an ancient tradition that dates back thousands of years – the practice of sun worship, commonly known as sun salutations. 

In an article I recently read they explain that ancient yogis traditionally practiced the sun salute at sunrise, facing east. While the sequence has seen countless variations throughout its rich history, the idea of paying homage to the sun hasn't changed. The name offers a hint as to why. Surya in Sanskrit means sun, but it also refers to fire, long associated with transformation in the yogic tradition. Namas refers to a bow or show of respect, while kara, which shares an etymological root with karma, means making or doing. 

Taken together Surya Namaskara means "making reverence or acting respectfully toward our own ability to learn and change." By practicing sun salutes, we invite the warm glow of enlightenment into our lives to grow more grounded, open, supple, and strong. That morning as I looked beside the man sleeping next to me and the two adorable kitties who were purring with contentment, I knew that I had nowhere to go, nowhere to be and nothing to achieve.

Yoga is at its heart a mysticism that turns our common way of perceiving, evaluating and living our lives on it's head, one that does not define progress in terms of success and failure, but instead defines progress as becoming free from success and failure. Yoga teaches that we get unstuck by staying put, remaining steadfast in our own wisdom while delving deeply into it. Beyond letting go of ideas, beyond making the mind still and thought-free, there is an experience of fullness, plenitude and enthusiasm within that the texts of yoga describe as "purno-aham-vimarsha," the experiential awareness that in our innermost nature we are already perfect and complete. We always have been, and always will be; there is nothing to achieve and nowhere to go. We just need to entertain that understanding and become quiet enough to experience it, even if just for a moment, and then gradually make it a steady state of awareness through our practice. This experience is no further from you than your own breath. Just as your breath is always with you, so the experience of perfection is always close at hand.

After a huge inspiration sprung upon me to spend the next few hours staying put in bed and not feeling guilty about it, I grabbed my borrowed library book and returned to the page I had bookmarked. It read:

"Life’s work is to wake up, to let the things that enter into the circle wake you up rather than put you to sleep. The only way to do this is to open, be curious, and develop some sense of sympathy for everything that comes along, to get to know its nature and let it teach you what it will. It’s going to stick around until you learn your lesson, at any rate. You can leave your marriage, you can quit your job, you can only go where people are going to praise you, you can manipulate your world until you’re blue in the face to try to make it always smooth, but the same old demons will always come up until finally you have learned your lesson, the lesson they came to teach you. Then those same demons will appear as friendly, warmhearted companions on the path" - Pema Chodron, The Wisdom of No Escape.

Namasté,

This weeks story is about Tali Koziol, from Denver, Colorado. A courageous woman who discovered a new world through yoga.

I always wanted to love yoga.  However, until my thirties, I didn’t.  I went to various teachers with personalities that weren’t quite my cup of tea. I went to classes that were too hard or too easy. I was like Goldilocks, always looking for what was “just right.”

Then everything changed when I went to work for my father, leaving behind a career in event planning and marketing to help run his auto repair shop.  One of our clients happened to be a yoga instructor. My father thought it would be a nice company benefit for us to go to yoga once a week. What started out as my father, my cousin, and me attending classes eventually became  me attending alone.

I kept going because I finally loved yoga. My instructor, Shelly, always gave me the right instructions and meeting in private lesson my progress was quick. I began to notice that everything in life felt easier. I had been managing depression for over 15 years and yoga seemed to be the missing piece.  It gave me the awareness of the connection that already exists between the mind, body, and spirit so that I could recognize when I was off-balance. Being able to recognize this and tend to it keeps me from spiraling downward.

 I eventually wanted to share the gift of yoga with others but new I wanted to attend a school that would be different than Shelly’s so I branched away from the style that Shelly teaches (similar to Iyengar) and found Shannon Paige . What drew me most to Shannon’s Vinyasa and Prana Flow classes wasn’t just the style of yoga but how she taught and that everyone felt like a tribe there. Her classes never tell you that yoga makes everything better or that everything will be fine. I loved that.  She teaches from a way that makes you feel understood and appreciated. I knew that’s who I wanted to study with.

So into my 200 hour program I went keeping up my studies with Shelly the whole time. I really learned more about myself than I ever could have managed. Yoga has taught me that I cannot always control how the world treats me or what happens to me. What I can control is how I respond. That is where I teach from.

I now teach Vinyasa Flow, Anjali Restorative Yoga, and Bhava Vinyasa (Flow and Restore for Depression and Anxiety). As I work with my students I try to give them what my teachers give me, an empowered  sense of strength and the willingness to rest and be rejuvenated. I am now in my advanced teacher training program working to hone my skills and I teach Social Media and prepare website for yoga instructors and other wellness professionals. 

I never would have thought that making the shift to work for my dad and give back to him for all that he's done for me would be the push I needed. I not only grew to love yoga but have found a whole new world that I am passionate about.  It's funny what happens when you least expect it. 

To find out more about Tali, visit her blog My Cupcake Mafia or her yoga site Urban Asana Denver.


Namasté,

People who run marathons know that the only way they can develop and maintain the strength and stamina they need to finish, let alone win, those races is through constant conditioning. For many of us, our busy lives are like a marathon that never ends, and all too often we don’t make time to stay in shape for the long run we face every day. As a result, we soon end up feeling physically and emotionally exhausted.

When I am not teaching yoga, I am immersed in fashion. Every two months, I implement fashion trends and concepts for seasonal collections, style over 8 windows, 48 mannequins, create fashion display and merchandise a 10,000 sq foot store. Our seasonal floor-sets are usually 12hr shifts and lasts up to 4 days. Add on teaching, blogging, and everything else I am responsible for, I end up exhausted, shattered and sometimes even frustrated. 

It is just as important to take the “me time” you need to catch your breath, put things in perspective, and reconnect with the one person who has the power to make your life fantastic rather than frantic: YOU. Creating a rewarding life requires balance. Rest, relaxation, regular exercise, a healthful diet, and a few strong friendships or family connections are all essential components of living well and getting the most out of life. Ironically, with all the demands of work, friends and family, the part of our life-conditioning regimen that we most often sacrifice is time for ourselves.

Most people would describe me as someone who is "on-the-go." I actually am not. Although I have a lot of projects, I'm quite good with time management. 

To create time, I usually make myself unavailable. I turn off my mobile, turn off IM, log out of Facebook/Twitter and close my email. Not only does making myself unavailable keep me from being interrupted, the whole routine of preparing myself and mentally deciding I’m unavailable really helps me to focus on what needs to be done.

My "me time" is very important and usually nothing fancy. Most of the time I love curling up with a freshly brewed pot of tea by the fire and read. I mostly read to create content for my blog, for articles and broaden my knowledge. When I'm not reading motivational, wisdom books, I'm usually trying to figure out Leslie Kaminoff's Yoga Anatomy book. I read to prep for my classes, for my students and to make me a better teacher. 

I get asked to cover a lot of classes, write articles, attend fashion events. Sometimes I wish I could say yes to every single one of them but I cannot. How many commitments have you taken on out of obligation, because you felt they were the right thing to do – or simply because you weren’t thinking about it and said yes to them?  I’m all for trying new things, but if you’ve taken on too much and are being stretched thin – stop trying to optimize and squeeze seconds out of the day, when cutting activities and projects can save hours. 

With so many other people needing your attention and asking for help, it may feel selfish to insist on a little me time now and then. But just as you can’t exhale for long without inhaling, you can’t keep giving to others indefinitely without taking time to renew your spirit and give back to yourself.

Namasté,

I am truly honored and excited to be offering you a one week yoga retreat in my home land of Turkey. To be taking my passion to the country I was born in is truly a magical gift. 

We will practice yoga twice daily. AM practice will be a sun inspired Vinyasa flow and PM practice will be more of a workshop style. I'll be adding yin yoga to wind down from the day and prepare us for a delicious sleep.

Side (pronounced see-deh), is a beautiful coastal resort on the Mediterranean. It is approximately 15kms east of Antalya (one of Turkey`s largest cities) and is located on a small peninsula only 800m in length. In this pretty town, modern architecture, chic shops and late night bars stand in juxtaposition with the ruins of an ancient city. Flanked by two stretches of golden beach, surrounded by the sparkling waters of Mediterranean on both sides and bestowed with the endless archeological wonders - Side has aptly prospered as one of the most popular resorts for holiday makers from across the globe. 

The family run Pansiyon is set in the heart of Side Old Town, just a few steps from the warm sea. Yoga is practiced outside in the private courtyard garden; an oasis of mediterranean flowers, plants and fruit trees. We will also take our practice to other locations on the beach or at one of the ancient sites such as the Temple of Apollo and the ancient library. We will literally be immersed in the culture. 

I would love for you to join me in the Turkish Riviera in what will be an epic experience. I will only be taking a small group so book your place early by simply securing your place with a deposit and pay the rest 4 weeks before arrival.

For more information please contact the lovely Joanne at Yoga Holidays Turkey.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover - Mark Twain.

Namasté,