May10

Pose + Purpose: Malasana

Posted By: Daphne's
Categories: Healthy Living, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

 

This month's pose + purpose is malasana, or Garland pose. While this posture may appear to be easy, it can actually be a hard one to master, especially for those with tight Achille's Tendons. This deep squat is a wonderful hip opener and for some, it maybe even a little bit of a balancing exercise. Garland pose provides a deep stretch for the calves, lower back, and groin but please avoid it if you feel any discomfort in the knees. In yoga, we only want to feel the stretch in our muscles, never our joints.
To access Garland pose, start by standing with feet as wide as your mat. Bend your knees and come into a deep squat. You might notice that your heels lift off the ground in order to achieve this, if so, roll up a towel and place under your heels for added stability. Take your arms to inside of your knees. Palms come together for prayer position, and use your elbows to gently press your thighs more open. As you do this, open your chest to create one long line of energy from the top of your head down to your tailbone. To take the pose a little deeper, press your heels down, work your feet parallel to one another, and carefully move your feet closer together. Once settled into the pose, refocus on your breathe for 30 seconds or more. When ready to leave Garland pose, slowly release your hands to the floor, gently begin to straighten your knees, and roll up to standing.

0 Comments

Mar30

EAT WELL. LIVE WELL. PIN WELL.

Posted By: Daphne's
Categories: anaerobic exercise, Art, Artist of the Month, California Greek Culture, chicken wraps, climbing walls, Coconut Milk, Daphne's California Greek, EAT WELL, Exercise, Healthy Living, healthy living, liquid gold, Live Well, pinterest, pinteresting, pinterests, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

Are you on Pinterest?
Frankly stated, it's a visual feast for just about everything and we are officially hooked!
If you haven't already, sign up now and follow our boards H E R E.

0 Comments

Mar22

Pose + Purpose: Virabhadrasana III

Posted By: Daphne's
Categories: California Greek Culture, Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Fitness, fitness, fitness club, healthy living, Healthy Living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Virabhadrasana, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is a standing asana called Virabhadrasana III, or Warrior III Pose. This posture strengthens your legs, tones your core, and improves your balance.

1. Begin in crescent lunge. Your right knee is bent to a 90-degree angle and your left leg is straight and engaged behind you. Your torso is perpendicular to the ground and your arms are lifted up in line with your torso.

2. Moving into warrior III, bring your arms out in front of you, parallel to the ground. Gracefully float your left leg up, as you simultaneously straighten the right, standing leg. 

3. Your left leg and your arms should now be parallel to the ground so that from the side, your body looks as if it were making a "T". Be sure to engage your core because it will help you to find balance and will also protect your lower back. Finally, find a micro-bend in your standing leg to protect the knee joint.

4. Focus on maintaining the posture by concentrating on your breath for 10-30 seconds. When ready to come out of the posture make your way back to a crescent lunge by slowly bending your standing leg and lowering the left leg down to the floor behind you.

-YogaBabe

 

0 Comments

Feb14

Outdoor Valentine's Dates

Posted By: Daphne's
Categories: a valentines date, California Greek Culture, climbing gyms, climbing walls, Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Fitness, fitness, fitness, healthy living, Healthy Living, Live Well, Parsva Bakasana, partner yoga, stand up paddleboarding, Tandem Cycling, valentines, valentines day, valentines day ideas, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures

Rather than the typical bouquet of flowers, expensive dinner and that heart-shaped box of chocolates, get both your hearts pumping (literally!) on one of these outdoor, active Valentine’s dates… then maybe add on that bouquet of flowers, dinner and chocolates to score some bonus points with your valentine!

Partner Yoga
Partner Yoga postures utilize the forms and principles of individual postures while incorporating the presence of another to deepen the impact of the pose. Both partners are fully engaged and reaping many benefits just as traditional yoga like balance, strength and flexibility.
Estimated calories burned per hour: 300 depending on level of exertion and weight.

Rock Climbing
An exhilarating and challenging sport that can be enjoyed almost anywhere! Besides the obvious health benefits related to climbing (improved cardiovascular health and full-boyd muscle toning), the outdoor or indoor sport is great for communication between you and your valentine or (in rock climbing terms) climber and belayer.
Estimated calories burned per hour: 400 depending on level of exertion and weight.

Stand Up Paddleboarding 

Improve your balance and strengthen major muscle groups (shoulders, arms, legs, back and core) and soak up some vitamin D during this water workout!
Estimated calories burned per hour: 250 to 1000 depending on level of exertion and weight.

Tandem Bike
Strengthen the bond, teamwork and endurance with your significant other on this double workout on wheels.
Tip: Put the stronger rider up front to for all of the shifting, steering, braking, and heavy pedaling.
Calories burned per hour: up to 500 depending on level of exertion and weight.

Links Tandem, Tandem, SUP, Yoga, Rock Climbing, FITday

0 Comments

Jan24

POSE + PURPOSE: Parivrtta Utkatasana

Posted By: YogaBabes
Categories: Jessica Mulvey, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is Parivrtta Utkatasana, or Chair pose with Prayer twist. This twist stimulates your abdominal organs, stretches your spine, improves balance, and strengthens your core and legs. Chair pose with Prayer twist is a beautiful posture that is accessible to yogis of all levels.

1. Begin by finding chair pose, feet are together, legs are bent deeply, arms come up overhead, and your shoulders stack over your hips. (YogaBabes tip: make sure you tuck your tailbone, it will protect your lower back! I notice that most of us stick our bums out while in this pose.) 

2. Bring your arms to 'prayer' position. Inhale and lengthen your spine, then exhale while twisting your shoulders to the right. Draw your left elbow to the outside of your right knee. 

3. Puff up your chest to maintain good posture. Glance down at your knees to makes sure the left knee is not pulling forward and your hips are squared. Gaze over your right shoulder so that your cervical spine is part of the spinal twist. Finally, press your hands together on each exhale to twist a little deeper. Remain in the pose for 5 slow breaths or more to fully experience the benefits of the prayer twist.

4. Slowly, release back to chair pose on an exhale and repeat on the other side. After you preform Parivrtta Utkatasana on the left side, gracefully surrender to a forward fold to release any lower back tension that may have been created.

-YogaBabe

0 Comments

Dec29

YOGABABE POSE + PURPOSE

Posted By: YogaBabes
Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Healthy Living, healthy living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Parsva Bakasana, side crow, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes, YogaBabes

This month's pose + purpose is Parsva Bakasana or Side crow, which is an arm balancing posture that enhances your sense of balance while toning your core simultaneously. Please note that if you have any wrist or lower back injuries, you should avoid this pose.

1. Come to a squatting position with the knees into the chest.

2. Come up on to the balls of your feet and bring your palms flat on the floor in front of you about shoulder's distance apart.

3. Keeping the palms in place, twist so that your lower body, your knees and your hips face to the left and bend your arms to a 90-degree angle

4. Hook the outside of your right knee on your left elbow. Lift your left leg and glue it on top of your right.

5. Bring your gaze about 6-10inches in front of you and shift your weight forward so that your toe float up off the ground

6. Engage your core and lift up slightly in your chest. Smile!

7. Now try the other side.

-YogaBabe

0 Comments

Nov17

yogababe pose + purpose

Posted By: Daphne's
Categories: Daphne's California Greek, Exercise, Fitness, Healthy Living, Jessica Mulvey, Live Well, Prasarita Padottanasana, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

This month’s pose and purpose is: Prasarita Padottanasana or wide-legged forward bend (with hands interlaced behind your back). This posture is wonderful because you can easily perform it at your office. I chose this posture because if you are reading this blog is most likely means you are sitting at your computer, yeah? Which also means that a nice anterior deltoid and pectoralis major stretch could be just what the yoga instructor ordered.  Essentially, this pose stretches your hamstrings, your pecs, and your shoulders while also releasing neck tension. 

Stand with your feet about 3 feet apart. Reach your hands behind you, and interlace your fingers. Take a deep inhale, lift your chest, and slow fold forward. Once you have folded forward enough to feel the hamstrings being stretched, micro-bend in your knees. A micro-bend is when you slightly bend your knees so that it protects the joint, but it’s a bend so small you would not visibly notice it. Now, slowly move your hands up and over your head so you feel a gentle stretch through your chest and shoulders. After your take 5 slow breaths, release your hands to your waist and slowly roll up to standing. 

-YogaBabe

0 Comments

Sep27

Guest Blog From YogaBabes

Posted By: YogaBabes
Categories: Jessica Mulvey, yoga classes, yoga poses, yoga postures, YogaBabes

Namaste,

I'm Jessica from YogaBabes and I couldn't have been more delighted when Daphne's invited me to be a guest on their blog! 
I am a passionate yoga teacher, food connoisseur, green living lover, and blogging enthusiast that will be dropping by Daphne's blog monthly to share my yoga tips and tid bites on healthy living. I have my bachelors in science from Loyola Marymount University in Natural Science and yoga certified through CorePower Yoga.
Seeing as though this month is National Yoga Month, I wanted to celebrate with Daphne's by giving half off (starting today through the end of October) to anyone who mentions Daphne's when booking a private yoga session through YogaBabes. Email me HERE for scheduling. 

Alright, now for the Pose & the Purpose
The pose of the month is Marichyasana, also called: 1-Legged Seated Spinal Twist. I love this pose because it elongates your spine, improves posture, and it also aids in digestion.

Begin seated on your mat with your legs extended straight out in front of you.
Bend your right knee and place your heel as close to your right sit-bone as you can. 
Reach your right arm behind you and plant your palm on the floor. Press your right hand on the floor behind you to help lengthen your spine. 
Place your left elbow on the outside of your right knee to encourage a deeper twist. Stay here for 5 or more. Use each inhale to lengthen the spine and each exhale to twist further.

0 Comments

Archives

Categories