It takes 3500 calories to create or lose a 1lb of fat.  That means in order to lose a pound a week (of fat, not water or lean muscle mass) you need to have a 3500 calorie deficit.  This is 500 calories per day.  Which means you have to burn 500 calories more than you eat, or eat 500 calorie less than you burn.  We burn calories through daily activity but based on our fitness levels and activity levels this can be a diverse range.

It seems that I burn between 7 and 10 calories per minute during a Zumba class, 4-6 calories per minute during a Power Yoga class, and only 1 calorie per minute while I sleep.

If I skip through the parking lot to the grocery store I burn 6.5 calories per second.  I think I may just skip everywhere I go from now on – thank you bodybugg for turning me on to a fun, safe and fast way to lose weight and travel.

November 19th, 2009 | Tags: BodyBugg, skipping, Thai Bodywork, weight loss | Category: BodyBugg, Daily Post, Fitness, Hatha Yoga, Zumba | Leave a comment

At least 15 percent of Americans experience infertility and the likelihood increases with age.    Couples trying to conceive contend with an array of stressors; physical, emotional , and financial. Many of the unseen stress is very powerful and draining energetically.  The practice of yoga brings balance to the body – both the physical and subtle energetic bodies.  It is also a practical and proven way to relieve and reduce stress. Stress management skills (the basis of many yoga practices) have been shown to help increase the odds of conception in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization.  The University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson found that stress management skills when practiced by a group of patients over two sessions produced a result of 28% of couples conceiving versus the just 6% who conceived without practicing these techniques.

In a similar study one out of 3 infertile women conceived who participated in a relaxation response based behavioral training program became pregnant after 6 months.  Breathing, massage, meditation and yoga are all excellent forms of stress management and when coupled with a balanced diet, avoidance of alcohol, limited intake of caffeine, artificial foods and chemicals, and overly processed foods provides a safe, practical and holistic way to approach infertility that should not adversely affect any other medical interventions.

Below is a miniature Fertility Yoga sequence I have developed – it focuses on opening the energy in the sacral and root chakras (those that effect the reproductive organs), as well as opening the hips and pelvis.  The poses are no different that those found in any other yoga class, it is the intention of the practitioner, the sankalpa, that one sets that dictates the path energy takes during practice.  Take a few moments in the starting pose to set an intention of love, acceptance and compassion for yourself, your body and your partner.  Breathe into the lower abdomen for several  moments before moving on.  Finish with the self massage, sending thoughts of love to your womb as you massage, then move into a supported savasana.  Make sure to complete poses on each side.  As with all exercise, consult your primary health care provider.

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November 12th, 2009 | Tags: Article, fertility, infertility, yoga sequence, yoga therapy | Category: Bodywork, Daily Post, Fitness, Hatha Yoga, Health, Meditation, Pregnancy, yoga therapy | Leave a comment

Equanimity of the Seven Chakras

By Colette Barry

Rest your body on the floor either in the Savasana (Corpse) or Sukhasana (Easy) pose. Close your eyes and begin to allow your mind to to quiet. See nothing and hear nothing. For a moment allow yourself to erase any thoughts or sounds that have been occupying your mind. Feel the peacefulness and tranquility in you and around you.

Begin to allow your mind to visualize the color red. Red represents the the Root Chakra, located down at the base of the spine. Feel the red beginning to burn warm, heated energy rising up within your soul. A sense of desire to survive and feeling grounded to the earth are qualities of the Root Chakra. Say to yourself I am stable, safe and secure. This is the Root Chakra affirmation.

Begin to visualize the color orange, it’s vibrancy and energy. Orange represents the Sacral Chakras located below the naval and above the pubic bone. Feel the life and energy in the orange, circulating and swirling intermixing with the red to create a healing energy within your body and soul. Sensuality and union with nature exist in the Sacral Chakras. Say to yourself I feel the creativity streaming through my body, soul and mind. This is the Sacral Chakras affirmation.

Allow your mind to now visualize the color yellow. A bright, illuminating color glowing in your being. This is the Solar Plexus Chakras located above the navel and below the chest. Sense the warmth and energy permeating throughout your body reaching up to the crown of your head, returning down to your toes. Inner harmony and acceptance are qualities of the the Solar Plexus. Feel the energy that the red, orange and yellow creates, circulating and stirring within your entire body, healing and mending your soul. Say to yourself I am full of radiant light and energy. This is the Solar Plexus Chakras affirmation.

Now we are at the heart, the Heart Chakras color is green. Feel the life and harmony of the color green. The heart Chakras is located at the center of the Chest. Green brings life and divine love into your mind and body. Allow yourself to be energized stirring and mixing all the colors creating a healthy balance within one another. Say to yourself I love opening my heart and sharing it with others. This is the Heart Chakra affirmation.

Next, The Throat Chakras. The throat Chakra is located within the throat area. The color is blue. Allow yourself to experience the liveliness of blue in every cell of your body. Feel the sense of inspiration and aspiration that this Chakra represents. Combine this vivid blue with all the other Chakra colors keeping them alive and flowing. Say to yourself, I freely express my thoughts and feelings. This is the throat Chakra affirmation.

Now allow your mind to turn to the color indigo, a vibrant and strong independent color. This is the Third Eye Chakra located in the center of the forehead. Imagination, idealism and a peace of mind dominate the Third Eye Chakras. Feel a sense of individualism within yourself and the power it entitles. Self Identity and purpose. Allow this and all the other colors to continue to move and stir within your mind and soul. Say to yourself I move toward my vision with clarity and purpose. This is your Third Eye Chakra affirmation.

Last, visualize the pure color of purple. This is the last Chakra, the Crown Chakra located at the top of the head, the crown. Here you embrace perfection, divine wisdom, understanding and enlightenment. Feel one with the spirit within you, it’s omniscient.

Allow all the colors of the Chakras to freely interchange and restore your body into a healthy balance. Say to yourself I am in total harmony, physically, mentally and spiritually. This is the Crown Chakra affirmation.

As you allow each color to radiate within you, feel a sense of peacefulness and stability permeating your body. All is good, healthy and healing. Once you have allowed yourself to visualize all that is read or spoken turn your mind back to your breath. Listen to your breath and attune your mind into the presence. It’s different, clearer and pleasant. Allow the colors to stay vivid in your mind throughout the day, reflecting on each color as needed..

Namaste

October 12th, 2009 | Tags: chakra, Meditation, yoga | Category: Community, Daily Post, Fitness, Hatha Yoga, Meditation, Yoga Class | Leave a comment

Indigo and ‘The Art Of Spiritual Peacemaking’

James F. Twyman is an internationally renowned author and musician who travels the world performing "The Peace Concert" in some of the greatest areas of violence and discord. His most recent book, The Art of Spiritual Peacemaking (June 2006) is based off a tremendously successful online course that has already reached over 30,000 people worldwide.

Also known as the "Peace Troubadour," he has been invited by government officials and humanitarian organizations to perform in countries like Iraq, Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Israel, East Timor, Mexico and South Africa, as well as the United Nations in New York, the US Capitol and the US Pentagon. He blends his unique style of music with his international reputation for drawing millions of people together in prayer to influence the process of peace in countries torn apart by hatred and war.

His ministry began in 1994 when he took the peace prayers from the twelve major religions of the world and arranged them to music. His goal was to show how all spiritual paths point to a single expression – Peace. In 1995 he was invited to perform the concert in Croatia and Bosnia during the height of the Balkan war. His best-selling book Emissary of Light – A Vision of Peace (Warner Books) recounts his amazing adventures traveling through the mountains of Bosnia learning the secrets of an ancient society of spiritual masters. The book has been translated into a dozen languages and was called "…the second coming of the ‘Celestine Prophecy‘" by Variety Magazine.

Since 1995 James has helped sponsor several major prayer vigils that have been attended by millions around the world. The most famous was called "The Great Experiment," conducted from the United Nations Church Center in New York City on April 23, 1998. More than five million people in at least eighty countries participated in the vigil by attending small prayer circles in hundreds of locations around the world. A month earlier he had been invited by Saddam Hussein to perform "The Peace Concert" in Baghdad, the same week the US and Britain were preparing to bomb Iraq. A week later, James was invited by government officials in Belfast to sing the "Prayer of St. Francis" at Stormont Castle during sensitive peace negotiations there.

James Twyman is also the founder of the "Cloth of Many Colors" peace project which weaves the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people from around the world into a single quilt nearly a mile long. This amazing quilt was presented at the United Nations in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and was literally wrapped around the U.S. Capitol on September 20, 2000. Currently, James promotes personal growth opportunities through spiritual awakening by offering web-based courses as well as conferences and events around the world. His support organization – The Beloved Community – has acquired beautiful forested acreage in Southern Oregon, which will become a camp and retreat center for those interested in learning to experience peace. James is also the writer and co-producer of the film Indigo which, in its premier, won the Santa Fe Film Festival Audience Choice Award in December 2003. It is the story of redemption and the grace of healing powers of a new generation of psychic and gifted (Indigo) children. James produced and directed the documentary, The Indigo Evolution released in 2006, which more deeply explores the phenomenon of Indigo children in the world.

This article was originally published in Sacred Pathways Magazine

October 12th, 2009 | Tags: Articles, Fitness, Indigo Children, Kids, yoga | Category: Children's Yoga, Daily Post, Hatha Yoga, Special Children, Yoga Class | Leave a comment