Ushas mudra is the mudra for new beginnings, alertness and the second chakra, swadisthana, at the sacrum. The second chakra is our center of sexuality and creativity. In Sanskrit, Ushas means “break of the day” or “origin of good things” hence the mudra being used for new beginnings.
To Practice Ushas Mudra
Ushas mudra can be practiced first thing in the morning to help wake the body. It is the perfect practice when you have those three “snooze button” kind of mornings. To practice ushas mudra as a female interlace your fingers placing your right thumb between the index finger and thumb of your left hand. Your left thumb gentle presses into the thumb of the right hand. Males practice ushas mudra with the fingers interlaced and the right thumb resting on top of the left thumb.
Here is my favorite way to practice the mudra: maintaining the mudra take your hands back behind your head and let the head rest heavy in the palms of the hands, then stretch the elbows out to the side. With elbows pressing back into your pillow or bed begin to deepen your breath, perhaps arch your back slightly. Take a few rounds of deep breath here and then (still maintaining the mudra) stretch your arms overhead and turn the palms away from you. Stretch the body as long as you can and point out through your toes. Take some ankle circles. Take a few rounds of breath here and when you feel energized and alert make your way out of bed.
Ushas Mudra Benefits
According to Gertrud Hirschi, “This mudra concentrates the sexual energy of our second chakra and directs it into the energy centers above it.” Ushas mudra improves mental alertness, balances our hormones and concentrates sexual energy.
Affirmation for Ushas:
I am enthusiastic about life. I enjoy life’s pleasures.
A common question from retreat attendees is “how do I prepare for a yoga retreat?” For most of us, we don’t practice yoga 2+ hours each day, let alone 5, 6, or 7 days in a row so I think there is a bit of fear and apprehension that comes into play during the lead up to a yoga retreat. Don’t sweat it. You’ll be fine whether you practice once a week or everyday…. an experienced yogi or a newbie. The following are my tips for how to prepare for a yoga retreat, whether it’s your first retreat or your hundredth!
1. Prepare for a yoga retreat by keeping your yoga practice up.
Make sure to keep your practice up and add a class or two if you have time. But most importantly keep your yoga practice balanced. If you always practice vinyasa add a yin or restorative class or vice versa. Your body will thank you when it feels strong, open, vibrant, and relaxed on retreat.
Two weeks before your retreat is not the time to start practicing headstands/handstands/advanced postures if you’ve never done them before. Trust me you don’t want to injure yourself right before your retreat. Just wait. If those postures are on the agenda at your yoga retreat you will have plenty of time to explore them in a mindful manner.
Warrior 3
2. Trust the process and your teacher.
Booking a yoga retreat is a pretty courageous act, especially if it’s your first retreat or with a yoga teacher you don’t practice with regularly. Assuming you’ve done a bit of research to get to know the teacher a bit better, have chatted with them on the phone or via email and connected on social media it’s time to relax. An experienced retreat leader will make sure you receive all of the necessary information before you need it.Let go of the need to micromanage your life for just this little bit… you’re going on retreat aren’t you? Let your retreat leader guide you on your journey.
3. Be willing to put in 110%.
I’m not just talking physically here. Be willing to open up, to let go of old habits and preconceived self-limiting beliefs, to let down your walls and to connect with others. You already have a lot in common with the other people on the retreat, so be yourself and enjoy new friendships.
Yoga babes.
4. You don’t need 20 pairs of yoga pants, your hair dryer or your makeup.
I’m completely guilty of overpacking yoga leggings and I’ve seen it many times from my students too. You don’t need as much as you think. Likely, you will end up wearing the same couple of outfits over and over simply because it’s easy. And there is no need to primp during a yoga retreat. We will happily accept you as you are. Sweaty, crazy haired, and glowing.
5. Prepare fora yoga retreat by ask yourself “What is my intention?”
Get clear about your intention or sankalpa for the retreat. What are your goals? Why are you attending a yoga retreat in the first place? Is it to deepen your yoga practice? To learn meditation? To relax and rejuvenate? To connect with yourself? To heal emotionally, physically, spiritually? Whatever your intention don’t be afraid to honor that. Sometimes honoring your sankalpa means skipping a yoga practice to sleep in or journal or walk the beach. Sometimes it means being bold and letting down all the barriers you’ve built up. Sometimes it means trying something completely new.
6. Eat mindfully, so you don’t “shock” your system.
Healthy eats! Raw vegan wraps. Yum!
Most yoga retreats have amazing, healthy meals with minimal processed food, meat, alcohol and caffeine. You can prepare for a yoga retreat by beginning to cut processed food and toxins out of your diet a week or two before the retreat. Ease your way into a new healthy radiant you.
7. Practice on your travel mat beforehand.
If you’re bringing a travel mat, or even a new mat, make sure to practice on it beforehand. A slick mat, or one that stretches in downward facing dog is annoying at best. Test it out beforehand and if it doesn’t work out pack your old standby. A “crappy” mat can make for a frustrating yoga retreat. You don’t want something as simple as a yoga mat to detract from your experience.
8. Learn about your destination.
Where are you going? What is that part of the world known for? Do you have time for extra excursions? Prepare for a yoga retreat by doing a little research beforehand. It will get you pumped up about where you’re going and it might even get your friends excited enough to tag along. Sweet!
9. Set aside all expectations.
Manage your expectations. As you prepare for a yoga retreat make sure to ask your retreat leader questions about things you want clarity about…. transportation, food, excursions. Get the answers you need and want… and then let it go. The nature of retreats, especially international retreats, is that sometimes things need to change to bring the best experience to the students. Maybe the teacher has had to rearrange excursions due to whether or even swap them out completely… maybe instead of going on that jungle hike you’ll get a lovely massage instead. Don’t worry about it. The instructor wants you to love the experience as much as you want to love the experience, so roll with the punches, go with the flow, ride the wave. It will be amazing.
“To explore what it would mean to live fully, sensually alive and passionately on purpose, I have to drop my preconceived ideas of who and what I am.”
Guys it’s already fall! Summer flew by, but I’m not upset about it because fall means cozy sweaters, cute boots, hot yoga, and delicious fall recipes. Speaking of recipes, let’s talk soup. I LOVE soup, but I have never been a great soup creator to be completely honest. That’s why I start simple when it comes to soup 😉
Today for lunch I made a straight up 5 star italian tomato soup. Sounds pretty basic, but there was a flavor explosion going on in my mouth! My kids loved it and slurped up the very last drop. Also the mouth watering tomato herb aroma flowing through the house wasn’t too bad either!
This particular tomato soup is so easy and takes about an hour to make from scratch! Not to mention it’s vegan as well:) Vegan tomato soup… yes please!!!
Vegan Tomato Soup Ingredients:
2 lbs of fresh organic tomatoes (different varieties ensures maximum flavor! I used heirloom and your typical on the vine tomatoes.)
1-2 organic shallots peeled and cut into chunks
2 orgainc garlic cloves peeled and cut into chunks
3 springs of organic thyme, leaves picked from stem
1-2 tablespoons of organic extra virgin olive oil
Salt + pepper
½ heaping cup of raw cashews (soaked for at least 2-3 hours and drained)
1 tablespoon organic tomato paste
¼ cup organic basil (fresh)
2- 2 ½ cups of vegetable stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Steps to Make Your Super Delicious Vegan Tomato Soup:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Slice your tomatoes. For larger tomatoes slice into quarters and for smaller slice into halves, if cherry tomatoes leave as is. Place your sliced tomatoes on baking sheet.
Cozy up the garlic and shallots to the sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle thyme leaves over the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots.
Then drizzle the 1-2 tbsps olive oil over the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots. Add salt and pepper to season the tomatoes. Then place baking sheet in oven for about 30-35 minutes.
While tomatoes are in the oven blend cashews, tomato paste, basil, vegetable stock together. Set aside.
When tomatoes are starting to look wrinkled/roasted and your mouth is watering from the very fragrant tomatoes then go ahead and pull those babies out. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and shallots to the blended cashew mixture and blend on high until your have a smooth puree soup texture. (If you have to blend a few tomatoes at a time due to space in your blender that is perfectly okay!)
Once all blended and smooth go ahead and add the soup to a pot and bring to a simmer. Add in the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste!
I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate more veggies into my diet and Steve and I have been on a cauliflower kick lately or maybe I should say still! We make this AMAZING creamy cauliflower soup every fall and winter, so it’s not a surprise that it would show up here. The hazelnuts really give this soup a rich, creamy texture. It’s perfect for the cooler fall weather we’ve been having in Bend.
Toasted Hazelnut and Cauliflower Soup Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, florets only
3-4 large shallots, sliced into 1/4 inch ribbons
2/3 cup toasted hazelnuts
4 roasted garlic cloves, minced
7-8 cups of veggie broth
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Easy Instructions for Your Hazelnut and Cauliflower Soup
1. Toast the hazelnuts in the toaster oven or regular oven. Our toaster oven gets nice and hot and it took less than 8 minutes to get them a nice golden color. Be careful not to burn the hazelnuts. Once the hazelnuts are toasted remove the skins by rolling them between your hands. Discard the skins.
2. Heat oil on medium in a large soup pot. Add shallots and saute until soft and then add garlic being careful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and saute for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Now it’s time to add the veggie broth. Start with 5-6 cups. Bring it to a boil, then let it simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Depending on how much liquid cooks off you may want to add another cup or two of broth, so your soup won’t turn out like baby food.
5. Once the cauliflower is tender and the broth has simmered down let it cool slightly, then add it to your blender or food processor with the toasted hazelnuts. Blend until the soup reaches your desired consistency. I was able to put the entire batch into our blender, but it might be necessary to blend in batches. (Note: sometimes I like to pre-blend/process the toasted hazelnuts, it seems to give the soup a creamier texture)
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
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