Travel Insurance For Yoga Retreats

September 1, 2016September 8, 2016Autumn Adams

I get asked about yoga retreat travel insurance A TON! Even if your yoga retreat host doesn’t require retreat travel insurance I recommend that you purchase a basic policy. For the majority of my retreats I require travel insurance for my participants and that is simply to protect all parties involved. Travel insurance, depending on your plan, can help cover your expenses if you get delayed, your baggage is lost, you end up in the hospital, or you need to cancel due to a family emergency. It’s a crucial part of trip planning… especially when investing in a weeklong yoga retreat.

Here are a few yoga retreat travel insurance companies to get you moving in the right direction. As far as I know there aren’t any companies that specifically focus on travel insurance for yoga retreats, but the following are all reliable companies that will protect you should you need coverage for your next yoga retreat.

John Lewis – UK based. Easy to book online. Also has multitrip coverage. Sweet!

World Nomads – Multiple countries. Easy to get a quote online with easy to use comparison table to book the right insurance for you. Recommended by Lonely Planet.

Travel Guard– One of the larger travel insurance providers, but their website was a little clunky to use.

Insuremytrip.com and Squaremouth.com are great resources for comparing multiple options. There are so many travel insurance options on the market. It’s important to do your research and pick the best one for you.

It is also important to book your yoga retreat travel insurance as soon as you have your retreat and your flight booked. Most travel insurance options have a time limit between purchase of your travel and purchase of your travel insurance… sometimes it’s only two weeks.

Depending on the cost of your trip and the coverage you need/want you can expect to pay anywhere from $40-200… I’m sure there are probably some higher and some lower. Most travel insurance packages seem to be under $100 per person, not too bad for a little peace of mind.

See you on retreat!

Love and Light,

Autumn

A Mudra for Energy and Vitality: Pran Mudra

August 29, 2016June 1, 2020Autumn Adams

Hey yogis it’s Mudra Monday again. Pran mudra, or life mudra, is your hand mudra for the week and it’s a great mudra for energy and vitality. If you’re feeling low energy or you have a case of the “blahs”, this mudra can be super helpful when trying to overcome these doldrums. It helps boost our sense of vitality and helps improve our energy. I like to incorporate it into my asana practice, but I also find it powerful when done in my meditation practice.

A Mudra for Vitality: Pran Mudra Practice

To practice pran mudra guide your thumb to touch both your little finger and ring finger. Middle finger and index finger are extended straight. Practice this mudra with both hands. This mudra is best used in meditation and pranayama. Find a comfortable seat for meditation and pranayama and then draw your hands into the mudra and rest them on the back of your thighs/knees.

I like to practice this energizing mudra with a very simple pranayama called Sama Vritti. I find that combining Sama Vritti with Pran mudra gives me a sense of balanced energy and vitality. I’m energized, but still grounded. Sama vritti is an equal length inhale and exhale. This pranayama can be combined with the chant of “So hum” for maximum benefit. Chant “So” on the inhale and “hum” on the exhale. I like to imagine life force energy flowing into my body on each inhale and nourishing my cells on the exhale. Our minds are so powerful, let me know if you have a visualization that helps your practice.

Feel free to practice pran mudra for 5-30 minutes each day.

Benefits:

Pran mudra activates Muladhara (our root chakra) and pelvic floor, in addition to our third chakra, Manipura. Our third chakra is our center of personal power and self confidence. This simple hand mudra has many benefits, for example: it increases vitality while reducing fatigue, it improves our assertiveness, self confidence, courage and ability to see things through. When combined with slow, conscious deep breaths pran mudra is calming and can help overcome nervousness.

This mudra, in addition to improving confidence and courage can also help you envision your future in accordance with your dharma. According to Anodea Judith’s book Creating on Purpose “When you act from vision, rather than what the world tells you is possible, your life becomes energized, and your vision becomes contagious to others.” It’s time to take charge and live your ideal life. If you’re not happy with your current situation I encourage you to begin a mudra practice and to also begin working with a sankalpa.

This mudra activates prana, our life force, by uniting fire, water and earth elements.

Affirmations:

“I have the fortitude, confidence and courage to achieve what my heart desires.”

“My energy stores are plentiful. I feel vibrant and alive.”

Do you already practice pran mudra? Have you experienced its benefits? Send me a message I’d love to hear about it!

Do you want to learn more about mudras? Check out this Intro to Mudras blog post or grab Gertrud Hirschi’s mudra book… it’s amazing or… check out my book, where you’ll find 30 different mudras and meditations.

Love and Light,

Autumn

*Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. These earnings help make the maintenance of this blog possible. You can rest assured that I only link to products I know and love.

Neem Oil Cleansing Method

August 26, 2016August 26, 2016Autumn Adams

Hey yogis, today I’m going to talk about skincare, specifically the oil cleansing method. A year or two ago I started having some “weird” flare ups around my mouth, chin, nose, and also near my eyes. I eventually realized that I had perioral dermatitis. I also realized that the docs don’t really know what causes it and that steroid creams would make it worse. Great!

After tons of online research and using my face as a testing lab… I narrowed down a skincare regime that has been working for months. I do know that if I start to slack off my skin will flare up again. I use a combination of calendula cream (or homemade calendula balm) along with the oil cleansing method to keep my skin in check.

Why do I use the oil cleansing method? It’s natural and synthetic chemical free! Oil dissolves oil. And I live in a super dry climate and it manages to keep my skin moisturized enough that I don’t need more than a spot treatment of calendula balm.

If oil cleansing is new to you, know that there is an adjustment period until you get your oil blend down to the right combination.

My recipe for oil cleansing:

3 T. Castor oil
3 T. Grapeseed or apricot kernal oil
1/4 t. Neem oil
3 drops lavender essential oil

I store it in an airtight 4 oz. mason jar in a drawer in my bathroom. Why do I choose the ingredients I do? Castor oil is antibacterial and astringent, so it’s good at removing the gunk from your face, but it is also very drying. Grapeseed oil is good for my sensitive skin and apricot kernal oil is good for dry skin. Neem has many natural properties like: anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-septic and antifungal. Neem is also good for those with dry, irritated skin, so it’s a must for me. When choosing your ingredients it is important to use good quality organic products, so you’re not putting synthetic chemicals on your face.

To wash I pre-rinse my face with warm water. I then pour a little of the oil into the palm of my hand. Then using the fingertips of the other hand I gently massage the oil into my face for a couple of minutes and let the oil set for a few seconds. To wash it off I use a CLEAN washcloth. I run the washcloth under hot water, wring it out and drape the washcloth over my face to “steam” and soften the oil. Then I use the washcloth to wipe the oil off. This will usually take a couple of swipes (rinsing the washcloth in between). I softly pat my skin dry and voila!

Easy Office Yoga

August 26, 2016September 8, 2016Autumn Adams

7 Simple and Easy Office Yoga Exercises

Hey yogis and workaholics and workaholic yogis… this blog post about easy office yoga is for you. But don’t worry, no experience is required. Within the past year or two my business has grown a lot and I am spending more and more time on my computer, so I welcome you to my office. When I feel tension and tightness creeping in or my posture disintegrating I work a few of these postures into my breaks.

Please don’t mind the cat butt or the melting dog face. There is always at least one pet in my office and today there were three.

I try to be super mindful about my posture, but I find myself starting to slump, or lean on an elbow or jutting my head forward… I’m seriously probably doing a combination of these three right now..ugh. I am fortunate that I work from home so I can get up and stretch, go for a walk or do some sun salutations pretty easily, but that’s not always the case. When I’m limited for time I will pick just a couple of these simple yoga exercises… and sometimes I will add in a low lunge to stretch out my ridiculously tight hip flexors.

There are plenty of opportunities to work these easy office yoga into your work routine that won’t make your coworkers weirded out (too much), but really… who cares? Here are 7 easy office yoga exercises you can do to reduce stress and tension, to improve your mood, and boost your circulation.

1. Easy Office Yoga for Your Back & Shoulders: Seated Cat-Cow

Benefits:

This movement is so simple and so overlooked. Seated cat-cow is a backbending and rounding motion and help relieve tension and tightness in the back, shoulders, neck and hips. Cat-cow can even help relieve tension headaches.

Practice:

Sit forward on the front edge of your chair and bring your hands to your thighs. For this exercise you will coordinate breath with movement. On your inhale breath you will tilt your pelvis forward and lift your chest and your gaze up to the ceiling to arch your back and backbend your spine. On your exhale breath begin by tilting the pelvis back, pulling your navel to spine and drawing chin to chest as your round your back. Repeat 5-10 times connecting breath with movement.

2. Easy Office Yoga for Your Spine: Seated Twist

Benefits:

Twists massage and tone our abdominal organs and release tension in our lower backs. Twists also stimulate our parasympathetic nervous system, so they are calming in nature. Gentle twists are also beneficial for our intervertebral discs.

Practice:

Sit tall in your chair with both feet firmly planted on the ground and hips width apart. Bring your left hand to the outer edge of your right thigh and your right hand to the outer edge of your chair (on the right side) or to the back of the chair (see photo). Inhale to lengthen your spine and sit a little taller and exhale to twist. Draw your gaze over your right shoulder. Keep the spine long as you twist. Hold for 5-7 breaths and then repeat on the opposite side.

3. Easy Office Yoga Exercise for Your Hips and Lower Back: Seated Figure 4

Benefits:

Tight hips can contribute to lower back pain. This seated figure 4 stretch is the perfect stretch for the piriformis.

Practice:

Sit forward on the front portion of your chair. You want your sit bones (the bony protuberances that you sit on) at the bottom of your pelvis to be almost to the edge of your chair. To start cross your right ankle with foot flexed over your left thigh. Let your right knee drop down. See how this feels. If this feels okay you can use the right hand to gently press the right knee down while tilting the pelvis slightly forward. Hold for 10 breaths and then switch sides.

4. Easy Office Yoga for Your Lower Back: Seated Forward Fold

Benefits:

In your seated forward fold you have an opportunity to release the muscles of your back.

Practice:

Sit forward on the front edge of your chair, knees bent, feet planted hips width apart. Inhale and lengthen your spine long and exhale hinge forward from your hips and bring your belly to your thighs. Hold for 5-10 breaths.

5. Downward dog at your desk, chair or wall.

Benefits:

Downward dog stretches the muscles of the shoulders, the side body and the muscles of the back body.

Practice:

Bring hands shoulder width distance to the edge of your desk, your chair back or the wall and walk your feet away until your back can straighten and your biceps are by your ears. It’s okay to have the knees bent if you need to… the focus is on straightening the back.

6. Easy Office Yoga Exercise For Your Eyes

Benefits:

Eye exercises can help relieve strain in the eyes while toning the optic nerve. It will also help relieve any tension you may hold around your eyes.

Practice:

To start just find a comfortable seat. Begin with a side to side motion. Taking the gaze all the way to the right and then all the way to the left without strain. Repeat 5 times to each side. The change the gaze to move to the top and bottom of your vision. Repeat 5 times each. Then do circles with your eye gaze. Letting the gaze draw a circle around the outer edges of your vision. Repeat 5 times clockwise and 5 times counter clockwise. Slow down the motion in the places the eyes get a little jumpy or sticky. Then close your eyes, bring the palms of your hands together and rub them together quickly until heat is generated and then bring your palms to your eyes. Leave the hands there until they’ve cooled.

7. 5 minute Pranayama and Meditation for Wellbeing

Take 5 minutes for a gentle breathing and meditation exercise. Sitting comfortable in your chair or outside in a quiet place close your eyes and begin to bring your awareness to your breath. Set a timer for 5 minutes (so you won’t be late to return to work). At first just notice the breath without changing it. Become aware of its texture, the quality, it’s depth without judging or labeling it. Then begin to deepen your breath. Inhale for 4 counts. Pause at the top of your inhale. Exhale for 4 counts. Pause at the bottom of your exhale. Breathe in this manner for 10-15 breaths. Then allow your breath to return to normal. Follow your breath for the remaining time with eyes closed. When your mind wanders off bring your awareness back to your breath.

Yogi’s I’d love to hear how these yoga exercises influence your mood, attitude, and productivity in the office. Feel free to shoot me a private message. I am also available for corporate yoga sessions and would be happy to guide your staff in weekly/biweekly/monthly in-office yoga classes. I have plans available for both small and large offices. Contact Autumn for more information.

What is Dinacharya?

August 24, 2016November 1, 2016Autumn Adams

What is dinacharya?

Dinacharya is the daily ritual to live a healthy and balanced life according to the ancient tradition of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is yoga’s sister science. The two traditions have been practiced side-by-side for thousands of years. Yoga supports many of the functions of Ayurveda and Ayurveda supports many of the functions of yoga, so the two are often intertwined.

Most humans, especially in the United States, don’t have time to practice the full dinacharya practice… it’s just not practical with jobs, kids, etc. I’d rather not bore you with too much information, so here is a list of a fairly attainable morning practice of dinacharya…. but it’s still 13 items!!! Okay, but lets be honest you most likely at least do 5 of them already without thinking about it.

1. Rise early before the sun.

I’m not going to lie the morning hours are beautiful and peaceful, but I am kapha and getting out of bed in the morning is often the hardest part of my day. No joke. At least one day a week though I wake up before 5:00 am and I’m probably better for it.All my kaphas out there…. you understand how hard it is to get out of bed early (early I mean 6-7 am), but if you can stomach it just try to get up at 4:30 am or even 5 am before the first kapha cycle of day begins (first cycle: 6-10am; second cycle 6-10pm). According to Dr. Vasant Lad, the leading Ayurvedic doctor in the United States, “It is good to wake up before the sun rises, when there are loving (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and freshness to the senses. Sunrise varies according to the seasons, but on average vata people should get up about 6 a.m., pitta people by 5.30 a.m., and kapha by 4.30 a.m. Right after waking, look at your hands for a few moments, then gently move them over your face and chest down to the waist. This cleans the aura.”

2. Drink a large glass of warm lemon water.

Well this one is easy. Slice up a lemon and squeeze it into some warm water. Drink your lemon water before anything else goes in your body (including coffee). Warm lemon water helps jump start your metabolism and digestion and also flushes the kidneys.

3. Wash face and clear out sinuses with neti pot.

Likely you already wash your face in the morning, but using a neti pot might be new to you. To be honest I don’t neti pot everyday, but I do use it when I feel congested, when I am experiencing allergy symptoms, or suspect that I might be getting sick. I also will use my neti pot if I plan on having an extensive pranayama session. Want to try out using a neti pot? Watch this Web MD video first (also, please feel free to contact me if you have questions).

4. Scrape tongue.

Yep, give it a good scrape before you brush your teeth. The build up of ama (toxins) in the body is what causes that white filmy layer on the tongue. The practice of tongue scraping takes just a couple of seconds and helps improve overall oral health. You can purchase tongue scrapers at most natural food stores like Whole Foods or Natural Grocers.

5. Brush teeth.

Brush your teeth. Please tell me you’re already doing this!

6. Evacuate your bowels.

It’s time to go number 2. The warm lemon water should assist with emptying your bowels. In a perfect world you would relieve yourself within one hour of getting out of bed. When we are unable to evacuate our bowels a build up of toxins within the body can occur. Anyone else get headaches when the plumbing isn’t working right? I do… and it’s terrible. If the whole morning routine is new to you it may take a couple of days to get into the rhythm. Don’t stress.

7. 10-20 minutes of yoga.

Once you’ve had your bowel movement begin your yoga practice. A few simple stretches and movements to the body can help “clear out the cobwebs” that built up overnight and improve mood and overall wellbeing.

8. 5-10 minutes of pranayama or breathing exercises.

A very simple pranayama exercise would be 1:1 ratio breathing. An example would be inhale for 4 counts and exhale for 4 counts. Another option would be to practice nadi shodana (alternate nostril breathing). If you will be venturing into more stimulating/challenging pranayama exercises please consult with your yoga/pranayama teacher. You may even want to consult with your doctor.

9. 5-15 minutes of meditation.

I recommend practicing meditation seated and not lying down. Find a comfortable seat in a comfortable quiet place. A simple meditation would be to follow the breath as it flows in and out of your body. There are also plenty of meditation apps that you can use for a guided practice.

10. 5-10 minute abhyanga.

Abhyanga, the self massage, is the best part of dinacharya. Use a warmed sesame or coconut oil and massage the limbs in long strokes, the joints and abdomen in circular strokes. Don’t forget your back, scalp and face. (I have sensitive skin, so I use a different blend on my face than on my body.)

11. 10-20 minute oil pulling.

Oil pulling might take a little time to get used to. Oil pulling clears out any residual bacterial buildup in the mouth. It improves breath and overall dental health. Use a tablespoon or so of coconut oil and swish it around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Spit it out when you’re finished. Do not swallow the oil. You can oil pull while you’re doing your self massage or while showering to save time.

12. Shower or bathe.

Yep, hop in the shower or bath and you’re good to go.

13. Eat breakfast.

Eat a healthy, balanced breakfast.

I’d love to hear about your morning ritual. What do you do to make sure your day gets started on the right foot?

Love and Light,

Autumn