Michelle Yoga - Victoria, BC.

Discipline… Where can I get me some??

Michelle Rubin — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 03:56:59 +0000

One of the most common questions I hear from new and old students alike…. how did you become so disciplined? Were you always that way? I always answer HECK NO… nor would I consider myself all that disciplined. We all have stuff we could be working on. I may be able to stand on my head & touch my toes for hours on end, however saying no to that second (or third) cup of coffee is rarely accomplished in my daily routeen. Some things are easy to make a habit, while others habits require a little more Tapas, or right effort. During the first decade that I took yoga classes, I generally needed a stiff drink to get me thought the door…. I hated Yoga! I knew I needed it, so I stuck to it and here I am teaching you to get over the hump… preferably without needing a double martini before class.

How to start forming good habits to replace old bad ones: as a person who is a seasoned veteran in bad and good habits, I feel I have some insight to share on this topic. One of the oldest written texts on yoga, The Upanishads, says it a whole lot more eloquently than I ever could, so lets start there:

Watch your thoughts; they become your words. Watch your words; they become your actions. watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become your character. Watch your character; for it becomes your destiny.

Apparently some things never change and a few millennia after this was written the same rules apply. Changing one’s self begins by acknowledging what we want to change. Wether you drink, smoke, eat or do nothing too much…. first you have to be honest with yourself and own it. Stop with the justifications and excuses. Take responsibility for your behaviour. Figure out what needs to change, and set about a realistic plan.

By realistic I mean BE REASONABLE. don’t allow unrealistic expectation to sabotage your intention of change. Here are some rules to being realistic when starting a home yoga practice:

# 1. Ask yourself “is a home practice the best option?” For students very new to yoga I would rarely think the answer is yes. Find yourself a good teacher, a time and a place that works with your schedule and come hell or high water don’t miss the class. Add additional classes to your routine when you feel ready for them, you will soon see that you have more time then you think, because the action of doing yoga will soon become a habit. Like all good habits from time to time you may find yourself straying off the path of discipline, but dont give up!!! Remember if you are going to do yoga for the next 80 years, you will from time to time take breaks. Always remember that you’re not going to wish you had done less yoga when you’re 85…. so get back on track and hit your mat!

#2. For those of you who indeed feel it’s time to start a home practice, well done for this is when you take over as being your own guru. Set aside a time that works with your lifestyle and current habits. For example if you are a night owl, 6 am before work is not a good time to schedule your practice. If you’re hoping to achieve a 5 -7 day a week home practice right off the bat you’re most probably going to fail. Choose a consistant time and day(s) every week, for example every Tuesday and Thursday at 5:30 – 6:30pm right after work. No excuses… Go straight home, phone off, and before you do ANYTHING, do your practice.

#3. Get material: You may have done a gizilion classes over the years, but put yourself on a mat in your living room and what the heck are you suppost to do??? Ween yourself off group classes slowly and as your home practice takes off you may find just one day a week with a teacher sufficient. I have found students who come to me for a series of privates to develops a home practice specifically for their needs have the least amount of trouble transitioning to a home practice. Generally it takes one hour private sessions per week over the coarse of a month to memorize a one hour routine. If privates are not an option for you try memorizing a pose per class or studying online videos, then practice that pose repeatedly until you feel you know it well. A few weeks of learning one pose per week and you’ll have a routine in no time.

#4. Stay positive: Like with anything, be happy with where you are at and be gentle on yourself. There is not a human on this planet who is perfect so don’t expect to be the first to attain perfection. Developing a home yoga practice is not an easy habit to create so acknowledge what you accomplish. I personally found writing my intended practice times on the calendar and highlighting each practice after I completed it to be helpful in getting a home practice started. It’s very satisfying to look back over a month and see all the yellow lines which symbolize my commitment to myself. By focusing on the days you did practice instead of the days you missed, you’ll ignite the fire to keep trying. With time you will no longer need the calendar because your practice will simply become a part of your routine, much like brushing your teeth only more enjoyable. How many kids rush to the sink before bed and brush their teeth without being coaxed and yet here we all are as adults brushing daily without a thought of hesitation (right?). Remember before we become truly great at something we must be okay with being medioker at it as we learn what is needed to excel.

#5. START NOW!!! One thing I know for sure about Yoga is that nobody else is going to do it for you. Use the space you have, wear the cloths you own, and if you don’t have a yoga mat use a rug like they do in India or take it to the grass and start NOW. When your eighty you will be so glad you did.

Good luck on your path to discipline!
Michelle

Ten Top Tips to Cleansing

Michelle Rubin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:52:46 +0000

BE REASONABLE ~ being extreme is very rarely in ones best interest, keep in mind you have the rest of your life to change; in my experience slow and steady wins the race… Starting off with a 12 day master cleanse as your first cleanse experience is not a great option. Research and find a user friendly cleanse. The Wild Rose Detox split with a friend for 6 days works great. Another option people new to cleansing tolerate well is giving up sugar, wheat, booze, cigarettes, dairy & caffeine for 6 – 12 days. For rookies with strong addictions, pick just a few key items to eliminate, remember Rome wasn’t build in a day, so be sure to set your self up for success. I remember trying to give up smoking while doing the master cleanse…. Not pretty and completely unsuccessful… by day four of just lemonade I broke the cleanse by eating a wonder bar while smoking a cigarette.
TIMIMG ~ set your self up to succeed: Family holidays are not good times to cleanse. Best to start a cleanse after the holidays, when you’ve had your fill of junk. Don’t choose the apple cleanse when apples are not in season. Try to cleanse in good weather when fresh produce is available. Choose a time when work and life stress are manageable, as you will not be functioning at 100 %. I generally feel that simple things are hard to remember while cleansing… For example in class the other day I couldn’t remember the name of a pose, that pose was table. Most cleanses will also leave you feeling more tired than usual, and if you are not a veteran to cleansing you may feel flu like symptoms the first few days.
RECRUIT OTHERS ~ the more the merrier! Particularly people you live or work with. The more you surround yourself with positive influences the easier it will be. Being social while cleansing can be a real challenge, and is made easier with a cleanse team.
WATER ~ assist your body in elimination of toxins by drinking as much water & herbal tea as possible. Flushing the system is a major function of a good cleanse. You’re going to pee an unconceivable amount while cleansing, so make sure your outings are bathroom friendly.
ASSIST ELIMINATION ~ by using a laxative tea or a salt-water flush you will get more benefits from the cleanse and clean out your digestive tract. Most cleanse kits have included herbs, etc. for elimination… Personally I like Senna laxative tea or a salt-water flush. Be sure to consult an experienced yoga teacher or holistic health practitioner before you attempt a salt-water flush.
STOCK UP ON FRIENDLY FOOD ~ A trip to the grocery store hungry is just asking for trouble… not only will the desire to cheat be incredibly strong but your decision making process is challenged when you are hungry, particularly on a cleanse. Before starting your cleanse, stock up on cleanse friendly foods that you like. I find having a big pot of soup around lowers my chances of cheating!
SWEAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ~ be sure to take the time to hit a sauna and/or steam room. I find that a good sweat gets me through those first few days of discomfort caused by detoxing from addictive things like caffeine and sugar. I particularly like contrast therapy, which is going from hot to cold repeatedly (sauna to cold shower to sauna to cold shower…) helps to pump toxins out of your skin.
AVOID EATING OUT ~ leave the house prepared with snacks, even when visiting a friend. Best to avoid restaurants all together… Even if you go to a restaurant for a tea and plain salad the temptation is too much for the mind to fight and chances are you will justify a cheat.
IF YOU CHEAT DON’T GIVE UP ~ or beat yourself up. The old saying goes: ‘If you fall off the wagon, pick yourself up and get back on.’ Follow this motto to creating new positive habits. Don’t allow the expectation of perfection to sabotage your goal of making healthy changes.
COME OFF SLOWLY ~ going for pizza or a burger to break your cleanse, though tempting, is not the best way to reintroduce your favorite foods back into your diet. Start slow with small amounts of the foods that were eliminated and keep 80% of your diet still cleanse friendly. Take a week to build up to your regular diet. Often the desire for certain foods will be reduced from having taken a break from your dietary routine. Try to maintain some of the good habits you have created on your cleanse. Be mindful to not overeat the items you had the most trouble eliminating. Were you addicted to coffee? If so, instead of your usual three cups a day, be present by drinking a big glass of water before savoring each sip of one cup of coffee.

The more you cleanse, the better you feel. Personally, I cleanse twice a year in the spring and end of summer. I like short, easy cleanses that bring my body back to balance. By curbing my addictions regularly, I am more conscious of what I put into my body. When I feel my habits rearing out of control, I take a few days off to cleanse.

Check out my selection of easy and tasty cleanse friendly recipe ideas on my blog . Good luck with your next detox cleanse!

The Cleanse that Cures :: Borscht

Michelle Rubin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:44:30 +0000

Here’s a quick video of me making a big hearty pot of Borscht.

It’s a quick, easy, from scratch recipe that will warm you up and leave you feeling satisfied. Enjoy!

Watch this ‘fascia’nating video!

Michelle Rubin — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 05:39:53 +0000

Dr. Gil Hedley, anatomy professor, explains how time and injuries affect the body, and how Yoga keeps our vessels ‘fuzz’ free.

Antioxidants

Steven Rubin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 22:56:03 +0000

What do you really know about antioxidants? They’re good for us? They prevent disease?

Sure, but how about really getting to know more about it. There is a huge amount of scientific data available on the subject, so I have tried to find a handful of well-written articles on the subject, and specifically how it relates to Michelle’s Cleanse that Cures.

The Cleanse That Cures :: Antioxidant Smoothie

A good place to begin your understanding of Antioxidants is with Free Radicals. I have found a particularly easy to understand, peer-reviewed article which offers a great introduction to the topic. If this topic is of interest to you, there are lots of great further reading suggestions at the bottom of this blog.

“It is a paradox that oxygen, which is considered as essential for life, is also reported to be toxic. Its toxicity is because of the process that unleashes the free radicals. The term free radical seems to appear a lot lately in everything, from vitamin brochures to cosmetic advertisements. Free radicals are unstable highly reactive and energized molecules having unpaired electrons.

Generally free radicals attack the nearest stable molecules, ‘stealing’ its electrons. When the molecule that has been attacked and loses its electron it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, initiating lipid peroxidation which results in destabilization and disintegration of the cell membranes or oxidation of other cellular components like proteins and DNA, finally resulting in the disruption of cells. Oxidation caused by free radicals sets reduced capabilities to combat ageing and serious illness, including cancer, kidney damage, atheroscelrosis and heart diseases.

Some free radicals arise normally during metabolism. Sometimes the body’s immune system’s cells purposefully create them to neutralize viruses and bacteria. However environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also generate free radicals. Thus free radicals on one hand can produce beneficial effects but can also induce harmful oxidation and cause serious cellular damages, if generated in excess.

Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-stealing reaction. The antioxidants do not themselves become free radicals by donating electrons because they are stable in either form. These act as scavengers and play the housekeeper’s role by mopping up free radicals before they get a chance to create havoc in a body. Thus they may well be defined as the substances that are capable of quenching or stabilizing free radicals. Antioxidants have also been suggested to have a well defined role as preservatives. These have been defined by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as substances used to preserve food by retarding deterioration, rancidity or discoloration caused by oxidation.”

From Charanjit Kaur and Harish C. Kapoor. Antioxidants in Fruits and Vegetables – The Millennium’s Health. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. July 7, 2008.

For further information and reading, check out some of these articles:

http://www.antioxidantchart.com/
Bente L. Halvorsen et al. Content of redox-active compounds (ie, antioxidants) in foods consumed in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Vol 84:1. July, 2006. pp. 95-135.
Rune Blomhoff. Dietary Antioxidants and Cardiovascular Disease. Current Opinion in Lipidology. Vol. 16:1. February 2005. pp. 47-54.
Dominique Boivin et al. Inhibition of Cancer Cell Proliferation and Suppression of TNF-induced Activation of NFkB by Edible Berry Juice. Anticancer Research. Vol 27:2. March-April 2007. pp. 937-948.
Wilhelmina Kalt. Effects of Production and Processing Factors on Major Fruit and Vegetable Antioxidants. Journal of Food Science. Vol 70:1. January, 2005. pp. R11-R19.

How do you get your Cinnamon?

Steven Rubin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:20:01 +0000

When I think of how to use Cinnamon, it usually comes down to not the healthiest foods. Pastries and other deserts, in cream of wheat in the morning, in my Mexican black beans, and these days – on my citrus fruit. This is a great cleanse-friendly snack:

Cut up some fresh citrus fruit, top with powdered cinnamon, and voila!

“Evidence suggests that cinnamon has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, cardiovascular, cholesterol-lowering, and immunomodulatory effects.” (Joerg Gruenwald, Janine Freder & Nicole Armbruester. Cinnamon and Health. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Volume 50, Issue 9, 2010)

Cinnamon has been studied for it’s health benefits, including anti-cancer, anti type II diabetes, and as an anti-oxidant. Here are some excellent references for more information:

Keith Singletary, PhD. Cinnamon: Overview of Health Benefits. Nutrition Today, November/December 2008. Volume 43:6 – pp 263-266
Dr. Hyla Cass. Can Cinnamon Fight Cancer? In laboratory study, cinnamon extract halts the proliferation of human cancer cells.
Kwon Ho-Keun, Hwang Ji-Sun, So Jae-Seon, Lee Choong-Gu, Sahoo Anupama, Ryu Jae-Ha, Jeon Won, Ko Byoung, Im Chang-Rok, Lee Sung, Park Zee, Im Sin-Hyeog. Cinnamon extract induces tumor cell death through inhibition of NFκB and AP1. BMC Cancer, Vol. 11:1.

Alam Khan, MS, PHD, Mahpara Safdar, MS, Mohammad Muzaffar Ali Khan, MS, PHD, Khan Nawaz Khattak, and Richard A. Anderson, PHD. Cinnamon Improves Glucose and Lipids of People With Type 2 Diabetes. American Diabetes Association, 06/2003.

S. Shobana, K. Akhilender Naidu. Antioxidant activity of selected Indian spices.
Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids. Volume 62:2, 02/2000, pp 107–110

“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.”

- Hippocrates

To Life,

Steven

Cold Kicker & Radiation Drink :: When you feel your body fighting something

Michelle Rubin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 23:28:03 +0000

These are two different drink recipes that I have been using for MANY years. I make a big pot of Cold Kicker whenever I feel a cold coming on, and I use Radiation Drink during flu season to keep my immune system running at peak performance.

Cold Kicker is my version of a healthy, home-made neo-citron. When I feel myself fighting a bug I make myself a huge pot of this drink, have as hot a bath as I can handle with Epsom salts, crank up the heat in our bedroom and spend the day in bed. Lots of liquids, including Cold Kicker, herbal tea, and water, and no food for 24 hours.

Ingredients:

juice of 4 – 5 lemons including zest

lots of grated ginger ( it’s easiest to grate frozen ginger with a micro plane, so I always keep some in the freezer)

1 tsp. turmeric

1 clove finely chopped garlic (if you don’t like how this tastes in the drink, cut some chunks and swallow them like tablets with water)

dash of cayenne pepper (go easy)

honey to taste

Directions

Bring ingredients to a boil with water in a large soup pot

simmer for 10 – 15 minutes

Top Tip

If the acidity of the lemon bothers your teeth, rinse your mouth with milk to neutralize the acid. NEVER brush your teeth immediately after eating acidic foods… Brushing + Acid will destroy your teeth’s natural enamel.

Radiation Drink has been my go to concoction during flu season since the late 1990′s. At the first sign of any flu symptoms I use this recipe to fire up my immune system.

Ingredients

milk or milk substitute (I use almond milk)

lots of grated ginger

1 tsp. turmeric (this drink is a vivid yellow colour)

Honey to taste

Directions

heat milk, but not to a boil.

add ginger, turmeric and honey

let steep, but not boil.

occasionally I add a black tea bag, cardamom and a dash of cinnamon for a chai effect

Here’s to your health, and a boost in your immunity!

The Buisness of Yoga

Michelle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:40:00 +0000

Wow… over the coarse of the my near 30 year relationship with yoga I have seen more than a few changes. I remember a time when Savasana was not a household word, when yoga classes were held in cold school gymnasiums or someone’s living room, when yoga empire would be assumed to be a new Star Wars movie and when teachers had all studied in India with a dedicated master & lifelong practitioner of not just asana but all yogic principles. Considering nearly every philosopher since recorded time has found one way or another to say ... the only thing that is consistent is change... we best not be getting our knickers in a knot about the change yoga has undergone and will continue to undergo.

Now in the era of glamorous drop in studios, yoga corporations, yoga teacher training factories and every type of yoga trademark or product under the sun I can not help but smile. Change is inevitable and change is good…. That is what yoga has taught me. Occasionally I hear individuals , including myself make fun of what has become of this new western version of yoga…… but who hasn’t enjoyed a gym yoga class or eyes up a pair of Lululemon pants, sipped on a Yogi Tea or flipped through the pages of Yoga Journal?

Could I even support myself as a yoga teacher without all this hype that brings millions of students to the mat each day? Health is said to be the fastest growing industry in the Western world, yoga being at the forefront of that growth... how can that be bad?

I have a choice to be apart of commercialized yoga or not or I can choose to practice by similar principles of the many yogis before me. I can choose teachers who have dedicated their lives to study. I can choose to attempt to learn and integrate all 8 limbs on & off the mat. I can choose to teach in an environment without the fluctuation of drop in to dedicated students willing to commit to this ancient practice. I can choose to adapt my practice and my teaching as I continue change and grow. I can choose to follow my own inner guru who tells me all yoga is great, all yoga helps people, all yoga has purpose . However, as people are not exactly the same, not all yoga is the same. Just as there is room for all the different types of people we must make room and accept all the different styles of yoga. As students and teachers of yoga we need to choose what our truth is and honor it to the best of our ability. Trust that if you follow your heart it will lead you where you are meant to go.

In the light of all the yoga drama in the media over the past few months regarding the Anusara and Ashtanga communities my heart goes out to them. It is never a good feeling to be judged. We all make mistakes and have to live with the consequences... this does not make us any more or less yogic….. as Jesus said “ let he who is free of sin cast the first stone. “ In my experience there is no right or wrong when it comes to yoga simply learning, the more we practice the more difficult the lessons become.

"Out beyond ideas of wrong doing and right doing, there is a field; I'll meet you there." ~ Rumi

XoXoOXoOXoOXoOXoXOX

Deep Backbending Prep #2

Michelle — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:23:00 +0000