Author name: Llewellyne Arden

“Without adequate opportunities to reset and recover, we cross the threshold from manageable stress to distress. Over time, this chronic activation can lead to anxiety, irritability, fatigue, exhaustion, and, inevitably, burnout.” (Psychology Today). Are you feeling frazzled, overwhelmed or fatigued? Relaxation Matters! Taking time out each day, even for a few minutes, can make a huge difference in regulating your nervous system. Yoga offers many ways to reset and recover from the stressors of daily life. Below are some simple and easy ways for a quick reset during your day and throughout the holiday season. Simple movements and resting positions work wonders for a quick reset. Find a counter, the back of a chair or desk to do a simple forward bend while resting your head as an easy and accessible way to catch a break during your day. Forward bends have a cooling and calming effect which counteracts the sometimes chaotic pace of modern life filled with responsibilities of family, work, and home space. The head facing down offers relief from outside stimulus. This signals to our often hypervigilant nervous system to pull in and calm down. While you’re resting you can gently roll your shoulders or  do some hip circles to further alleviate tension and stress.  Tune into your breath for instant calm. You know when you see someone in a panic your first response is to say “take a deep breath!” right? But what is a deep breath? Certainly not bigger breathing! This signals the “fight or flight” response through the autonomic nervous system. Instead, take one deep exhale to shift the stress trajectory,  then begin to calm your breathing by slowing it down on your exhales. The mind follows the breath and will slow down too. Breathe deeper into your body, towards the low ribs and belly. Place your hands on your belly and feel the movement of your breath to illicit a sense of grounding. Gradually reduce the amount of air to be lighter and quieter. Now that you’re breathing slow, low and light through your nose, count down ten breaths to a calm landing. Observe What’s Happening Observe what’s happening. That’s what mindfulness is. It’s not trying to clear your mind of all your thoughts, in fact that’s impossible because it’s the mind’s job to think and be curious and active. Instead, observe what is arising in the mind from a distance; acknowledging the thoughts and feelings without attaching to them. However, as you do this, it is inevitable that you will periodically find you have been on a little journey with the mind leading the way. Once you notice this bring your attention gently back to your breathing rhythm feeling it in your body. It may take a moment to come back to the present, but once you do, observe the thoughts again coming and going like passing clouds in the sky. Every time you get lost in your thoughts and then come back to observing is a celebration of awareness. Cultivate the Opposite We get good at what we practice. This goes both ways; helpful and harmful. A particular way of thinking or acting over time creates habitual pathways that, with repetition, eventually develop into super highways of reactivity from which it is difficult to find an exit ramp! If you find yourself in loops of worry, fear, anxiety or rumination, look to the opposite view to change it up. In yoga, this technique (pratipaksa bhavana) has been used for centuries to effectively interrupt negative thoughts and behavior to build new roads towards steadiness and balance. Here are some ideas to help you cultivate the opposite perspective: When you’re feeling defeated repeat an encouraging phrase that is meaningful to you; “I am doing the best I can, and I have all the support I need”. When you are feeling anxious visualize and embody an image that helps you to feel grounded; Exhale slowly and drop down into the feeling of your feet rooting into the earth. When your feeling frozen in overwhelm engage in an uplifting movement that leads you to feel confident and motivated (but not tired!); Stand up! inhale and lift your arms; exhale, bring your arms down in a forward bend, pause. Repeat!. The good news is that you get good at what you practice! SO by creating new perspectives, you reframe your view and forge new pathways. It just takes a bit of attention, intention and consistency. Beware of Warning Signs Noticing the signals of when you first start to feel like you’re spinning out of control or shutting down is the key to transforming difficult patterns. What are your body and breath sensations when this starts to happen? A tightness in the chest? Faster, louder breathing? Perhaps a yucky feeling in your tummy? What is it for you? Once you identify these signals, then you can more easily work with your reactions at the “seed” of their power before it grows into an uncontrollable river of flooding thoughts and emotions. Using awareness and balancing “tools” for the body, breath and mind will help you to catch and shift your reactive tendencies early to stay on a more steady and balanced path. Stock Your Toolbox for Success What works for you is what really matters, and it may take some time to figure out what is right for you. Having more than one tool in your “tool box” of techniques is key. You will need different tools for different situations. The idea is to become familiar with a few of these “tools” that work for you, and have them handy to put into action whenever you need them. You can learn some of these tools to regulate your nervous system in the Early Winter session starting December 2nd. Learn how to work with your body, breath and mind, and stock your “tool box” with what you need to stay in balance this holiday season. Keep reading to find out more!

Move, Eat and Live in Balance On the fall equinox, September 21st, I offered an Ayurvedic workshop as a fun exploration of how to use the ancient and holistic wisdom of Ayurveda, focusing on diet, lifestyle and routine, to be healthy, resilient and balanced this fall.I had been drawn to offer a workshop like this for several years. My training in Ayurveda, and my own personal integration of ayurvedic lifestyle over the past decade has given me so much support that I wanted to share it with others. “Balance your body, balance your life.” Balancing the Elements with Movement and Breath The day started out with the 7 of us gathered in my cozy classroom space at HEAL, on the beautiful, sunny, equinox morning. After, determining and discussing our ayurvedic constitutions (doshas), we engaged in a movement practice to help balance the elemental qualities of each dosha, known as; vata, pitta, and kapha. For the airy, spacey qualities of vata in us, we did a grounding practice to invite more stillness and pause. For those of us with more of the fiery qualites of pitta, we needed a fun, flowing, and cooling practice. And for the earthy kapha types, we brought up the energy to create more heat with uplifting movement and breath. Cooking and eating for our doshas was next on the agenda! We then headed over to the Vortex kitchen that was all set up for making a cleansing, seasonal ayurvedic meal together. First things first though! To rejuvenate from our movement practice, we made a delicious snack of dates, stuffed with nut and seed butters and toppings sprinkled for each of our dosha types. To go along with our stuffed dates, we each made a cleansing tea of seeds, roots and pods steeped in our individual pint jars. As we sat out in the sun and enjoyed our dates and tea together, we plotted out our next endeavor; to make Kitchari, the classic ayurvedic meal for a fall digestive reset. A Cleansing Seasonal Meal After our snack break, we dove into the tasks of chopping, steaming, stirring, sautéing and blending to make a beautiful and tasty meal of kitchari; a combination of yellow mung dal, rice, and seasonal veggies with all the toppings! And for our side dish we had sweet, steamed beets with a pumpkin seed and parsley dressing. Delicious! Ayurvedic lifestyle and routines for a healthy and balanced fall season! And to finish the day we discussed: Relaxation practices to release tension and get good sleep. Immune Protection with respiratory and oral care Balancing daily routine and diet for the colder, darker season. In the end, everyone agreed that it was a fun and successful day exploring movement, diet and lifestyle through the view of Ayurveda and learning how to apply these concepts to our own constitutional make up! We came away equipped with ways to care for ourselves to boost our vitality this fall according to our own unique needs. I am excited to gather again at the seasonal change to explore how Ayurveda can support you! If you are interested in learning more about Ayurveda, please reach out. We can meet for a one on one consult or you can get on the list for the next Ayurvedic workshop! Warming Fall Tea In a quart jar add: 1/2 teaspoon each; whole coriander, cumin and fennel seeds Three thick slices each of fresh ginger and turmeric root Steep in boiled water for 20 minutes. For a stronger tea simmer on low for 10 minutes. Add fresh squeezed lemon and honey to taste. Strain and Enjoy! Boost Your Vitality This Fall With Weekly Yoga! Movement to increase circulation and vitality Mindful awareness to calm an anxious and busy mind Somatic Movement to release tension and pain Strengthening for balance and alignment to prevent injuries Breath work for respiratory health and to boost immunity Guided meditation and relaxation to improve sleep patterns Build connection with your body, mind and heart Weekly Classes with Package Options or Simply Drop in! See Schedule Practices Created Just for You! What you get with Individualized Sessions: Ease Physical DiscomfortRestore mobility and reduce pain with gentle, adaptive movement. Relieve Stress & Mental FatigueFind calm, clarity and balance through breathwork and mindfulness. Boost Energy & VitalitySupport your body’s natural rhythms for better sleep and renewed energy. Experience Personalized CareEvery session is tailored to your unique needs and goals. Reconnect with YourselfCultivate confidence, emotional balance and inner peace. Embrace a Holistic ApproachIntegrate movement, breath, and lifestyle shifts for lasting well-being. To find out more about how yoga therapy can support you, please get in touch to schedule a preliminary info call. Schedule a Call Prenatal Yoga Starting October 17th Yoga is taught to each pregnant person on their own unique journey of pregnancy through all the trimesters. Breathwork, supportive yoga poses, and guided relaxation are included in every session to support you in pregnancy and birth. Fridays at 11:15 – 12:30 Contact Me

What it is, and how to build it for balance and ease in movement. Where do you think your core is? Most people think it is just in their abdomen. But your core actually goes from the bottom of your feet all the way up to your head! Just like a tree has a core of denser rings closer to the center, so does the human body in the way of having shorter stabilizing muscles all the way up the center of our body. Have you ever watched a tree swaying in the wind? It can maintain its stability and stand up to the push and pull of the forceful wind with this denser core maintaining its center of gravity. We too, with a conditioned and integrated core, are able to maintain stability within the powerful forces of our daily movements and the influence of gravity. Our connective tissue is the key to integrating core stability. The Intricacte Web Recent research has revealed that the intricate web of tissue called fascia, is woven throughout our bodies and has an important role in body integration for functional movement. Many fascial connections in the body have been identified from the extensive work of Tom Meyers, a pioneer in the world of fascial research. The muscles closer to the bones, all the way up the body is a ‘core system’ deep within our center that Meyers calls the “deep front line”. Take a look at how the main core muscles (depicted in pink) in his model of the “deep front line” start at the feet, go up the inner legs, into the deepest areas of the trunk, and even into the neck and head. The full body core muscles are meant to work together to create an integrated center that dynamically supports you in all of your movements. When we need to balance or do dynamic movement we can stabilize and mobilize from the inside out! Functional Stability Functional stability is knowing when and where to engage your core and when to release it according to the activities that you are doing. This is important to avoid becoming too rigid in your movements, relying on the joints for support or overworking one area of your body over another. This can lead to muscle strain, joint issues and harmful compensation patterns. As you build functional stability in your core through movement practices, you are also building body resiliency by increasing responsiveness, coordination and range of motion. There are many benefits to developing functional stability in your core: Prevents muscle strain Protects the joints from injury Improves balance Supports functional diaphragmatic breathing Develops an upright posture Increases fluidity in movement Builds body confidence How Yoga Builds your Core Strength Yoga challenges the full body core by offering multi-directional movement and balancing poses facilitated by the breath and mindfulness. As you move in and out of the poses your full body core is learning to stabilize in different ways as it responds to the bigger movements of the outer muscle groups along with gravity and varied limb positions: Balance Challenges the core to engage from the bottom up! Side Bends and Twists Balances left and right sides of the core. Lunges and Back Bends Engages the back core while releasing the front body. Forward Bends Engages the front core while releasing the back body.Vitality Yoga offers a full schedule of classes this fall for you to integrate into your full body core! Check it out! Click Here Core in Action Connect with your core through the power of the breath and supportive yet challenging sequences that encourage you to find your edge. This class will help you to build confidence in your everyday movements as you learn to balance stability with mobility. Tuesdays 9-10:15 a.m.10-week session, September 9 – November 11 Contact Me to Register Can’t make the full session? Sign up for a 4 class pass or drop in any time! Summer classes are still in session until August 26th! Starting September 9th! Fall Session Core in Action Yoga, Tuesday mornings Somatic movement and Yoga Nidra, Tuesday afternoons All Levels Yoga, Thursday evenings Somatic Movement and Breathwork, Friday mornings A Fall Equinox Ayurvedic and Yoga workshop, September 21st Individual therapeutic offerings for balancing your own unique needs Contact Me to Register