20 Reasons Yogis DON’T Need a New Year’s Resolution

Warning this page may take longer to load as I’ve put up lots of video links for you.

It’s almost that time of year again. That time when everybody sets a new year’s resolution and starts the self-improvement projects. But if you already practice yoga, and especially if you have done my Inner Critic Series , this time of year can kick up your Pleaser, Rule Maker, Pusher, and Perfectionist.

The truth is, if you already practice yoga, you don’t need to set a new year’s resolution.

Here are 20 reasons why.

#1 Balancing of Strength and Flexibility

#1 You are already experiencing the balancing effects of hatha yoga. Ha means sun and tha means moon. Ha is masculine, heating, expanding and strengthening. Tha is feminine, cooling, contracting, and flexible. We need both in our practice to create balance. Flexibility without strength leads to fragility. Strength without flexibility leads to rigidity.

Namaste Yoga 191 : Intermediate Yoga Class

#2 Stress Relief

#2 You are already getting stress relief. Yoga allows you to access your parasympathetic nervous system and restore your body’s sensitive balance. Through yoga you can bring your body back into equilibrium. True relaxation involves more than just resting, rather balancing and restoring your energy. Yoga excels in rejuvenating relaxation. Through yoga asana and pranayama (breath practice) you are already releasing tension, stress, blockages in your body and experiencing deep relaxation and restoration of your energy. Way to go!

Namaste Yoga 192 Benefits of Yoga Series: Intermediate Yoga Class

#3 Strength Training

#3 You are already getting strength training. We practice strengthening postures in yoga and through that we experience strength in our breath that will be translated to our energetic, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies.

Namaste Yoga 193 Benefits of Yoga: Strength

#4 Flexibility

#4 You are already flexible in body, mind, emotions, energy and spirit. One of the main benefits of practicing yoga is flexibility. The yoga asanas allow us to become more limber in our bodies, bodies that are stiff from sitting all day at computers, on commuter trains, and flaking out on couches watching television. According to the Toa Te Ching, Whatever is flexible, and flowing will tend to grow, whereas whatever is rigid and blocked will whither and die. As yogis we stay fluid, young and supple through the practice of yoga asana.

Namaste Yoga 194: Flexibility Intermediate Yoga Class Video

#5 Bone Density

#5 You are building bone density. Your asanas (or yoga postures) create extra load (or weight) that creates more tension from tendons pulling on bone. The more tension, the more new bone your body will make. Yoga also as you know from our class on flexibility, has a lot of stretching, which research on bone density now shows also stimulates new bone growth.

Namaste Yoga 195: Intermediate Yoga Class for Bone Density

#6 Good Circulation

#6 You are already improving your circulation. Good circulation means that blood flows to all the cells and organs of your body. Good circulation includes the flow of lymphatic f...

20 Reasons Yogis DON’T Need a New Year’s Resolution Warning this page may take longer to load as I’ve put up lots of video links for you. It’s almost that time of year again. That time when everybody sets a new year’s resolution and starts the self-improvement projects. But if you already practice yoga, and […]

Happy Winter Solstice Come warm up inside with Carol and I for a Facebook Live stream We’ll make mulled apple cider together Thursday December 22 noon PT @ Yoga with Dr. Melissa West Also Don’t forget on Friday morning I will be live on YouTube for episode #363 from 8:30am Pacific.

Too much Fun in Victoria We started our week on Sunday with a short hike at Witty’s Lagoon to prove that you can hike in a dress. #youcandoanythinginadress I’m having so much fun for #dressember. See the photos below of all the dresses I’ve worn so far this month.

foot massage for insomnia

According to Ayurvedic medicine, our feet contain reflexology points that map out all the organs and parts of our bodies. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic medicine has recommended foot massage as part of your nightly routine before retiring to bed at night. Why would that be? Because your entire body is mapped onto your feet, when you massage your feet, you are receiving a full body treatment.

Massaging your feet at night is incredibly calming and stress reducing, especially for vata dosha, who are prone to anxiety and light sleep.

Today I am going to show you how to massage your feet before bed using Scentuals Yoga Serenity 100% Natural Massage Oil

For a 15% discount on the Scentuals Yoga Serenity 100% Natural Massage Oil or any other Scentual Products my viewers can enter discount code “melissawest15” when they check out at scentuals.ca They ship worldwide.

Scentuals Yoga Serenity 100% Natural Massage Oil has Argan, Avocado and Rice Bran Oil

Argan Oil

* moisturizes , hydrates and softens your skin

* High in vitamin A and E and fatty acids

* The tocopherol from the vitamin E, helps to boost cell production

* Absorbs easily

* Non-greasy

* Non-irritating

* Eases inflammation

* Ideal treatment for cuticles and nails

Avocado Oil

* a great source of antioxidant carotenoids like alpha-carotene, beta carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. These free radical quenching compounds protect your skin from environmental damage that leads to fine lines, wrinkles and other visible signs of aging. High amounts of carotenoids in your diet have been shown in scientific studies to improve your skin’s density, thickness, tone and general appearance.

* Avocados are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C´s antioxidant properties are needed for the production of elastin and collagen which bind your skin cells together and maintain their firmness and structure

* Vitamin E in avocados prevent free radical damage from oxidizing fats in your skin cells that lead to aging skin.

* The high oleic acid content in avocados is a monounsaturated fatty acid that maintains moisture in the epidermal layer of your skin, helping to make it soft and hydrated.

Rice Bran Oil for Skin

* Rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids, penetrates deeply into your skin´s layers, hydrates and nourishes from within making it soft

* Improves your skin´s elasticity

* Boosts your skin´s natural regeneration process

* Renews and improves your skin´s surface

Benefits of Jasmine Essential Oil

* Helps with dehydrated skin

* Helps to relax and uplift your spirit, relieves stress, anxiety and lifts depression

* It´s anti-inflammatory properties can help with arthritis and gout

Benefits of Sandalwood Essential Oil

* This oil sedates inflammation, anxiety, fear, stress, and restlessness. It increases relaxation, calmness, concentration, inner vision, and positive thoughts. Keeps your brain calm and relaxed relieving stress and anxiety

* Anti-inflammatory, soothes the skin

* Antispasmodic – relaxes nerves, muscles and blood vessels – helpful for cramps and aches

Benefits of Rose Geranium Essential oil

* Relieves anxiety, depression and insomnia

* Uplifts mood, lessens fatigues and boosts emotional wellness

* Relieves aching muscles and stress

Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil

* Eliminates nervous tension

foot massage for insomnia According to Ayurvedic medicine, our feet contain reflexology points that map out all the organs and parts of our bodies. For thousands of years, Ayurvedic medicine has recommended foot massage as part of your nightly routine before retiring to bed at night. Why would that be? Because your entire body is […]

Snow in Victoria Our week started with some snow in Victoria B.C. We came out on Tuesday to photograph one of my favourite dresses from Duchess and Duke Modern Vintage Consignment Victoria B.C. The dress looked great against the snow. Snow doesn’t last long in Victoria B.C. so we made sure that we got out […]

Yoga for Immunity

Your lymphatic system is an important part of your immune system. Your lymphatic system is a drainage system. It collects excess fluid from all over your body and moves it through your lymph nodes so that these fluids can be filtered. The harmful organisms are trapped and destroyed by specialized white blood cells that are present in your lymph nodes.

The interesting thing about your lymphatic system from the perspective of yoga, is that it has no pump and it flows upwards against gravity. So there are various things we do in yoga to encourage its movement, such as twists and inversions.

Today I am going to show you a movement that we often do in yoga to get the flow of lymph going and boost your immune system.

If you would like a beautiful infographic made by one of my students, Mary Kay Stam, who is a talented designer, that she created called Yoga for the Lymph System then scroll down and put in your email address. There is loads more information about your lymphatic system, yoga poses, yoga flows and 4 tips to improve lymphatic drainage.

If you liked today’s blog post, give it a thumb’s up and click subscribe, we put out a new video like this every Wednesday.

If you know somebody who would benefit from today’s blog, please share it with them.

Today’s question for the comments is:

What is your favourite yoga twist or inversion? I would love to know how you are boosting your immune system through your yoga practice.

Namaste, Melissa

If you want more great ways to stimulate your immune system try:

Legs up the Wall for Your Immune System

Why is “legs up the wall” good for the immune system?

An immunity boosting smoothie:

Immunity Smoothie with Herbal Tea as Base

Namaste Yoga 22 to boost your immune system:

Namaste Yoga 22: Yoga Immunity Boost with Dr. Melissa West

Yoga Immunity Boost Video for members: Click Here

And we have a whole class series on our membership site called Yoga for Recuperation for when you actually are sick to bring you back to health.

 

Yoga for Immunity Your lymphatic system is an important part of your immune system. Your lymphatic system is a drainage system. It collects excess fluid from all over your body and moves it through your lymph nodes so that these fluids can be filtered. The harmful organisms are trapped and destroyed by specialized white blood […]

Dressember We began the vlog this week filming Yoga with Melissa 360, a class on How to Balance in Half Moon Balancing Pose. In this class we talked about how our energy is not always constant and how it waxes and wanes, just like the moon depending on the time of day, phase of the […]