Laughter Yoga

This has to be the best news ever! I've been reading about "Laughter Yoga" and what I've learned is astonishing. I always thought that good hearty laughing works your stomach muscles and burns calories, but the benefits seems to go much deeper than that. Not only does it provides an aerobic workout that exercises the heart, diaphragm, abdominal, intercostal, respiratory and facial muscles, but scientific studies show that laughter boosts our body's oxygen and energy levels and also boosts levels of immune cells that attack cancer, infection and virus.

Laughter releases endorphins, a natural pain killer that is responsible for the 'runner's high'. Laughter yoga sessions stimulate the lymphatic system and boost our immune system, and can reduce levels of stress poisons in our bodies by 50% or more within an hour. Laughter is used in hospitals around the world to speed healing and improve patients mental outlook. It can be especially beneficial to cancer patients. It can treat and often cure depression and improves our ability to cope with stress. Studies show that laughter boosts creativity and communication skills and also boosts our self confidence.

Can you imagine all this good can come from simply enjoying ourselves? So go get yourself a good comedy, a joke book, or watch America's Funnies Videos and know that you're truly doing by body some good.

Here's a little something to get you started:

30 Minutes to Bliss

Release stress, boost your immunity, and honor yourself by creating an at-home bathing ritual.

When was the last time you enjoyed a long soak in your bathtub? Maybe you shy away from taking baths because of time, or prefer the ease of the shower; either way, skipping your nightly bath is a missed opportunity to boost your immunity, releasing stress, and honor yourself with a little me-time.

Creating your own bathing ritual is a simple and enjoyable experience. To begin, remove any clutter from your bathroom. Cool colors like purples, blues, and whites are all inviting bathing colors; too many hot or bright colors can be distracting, so limit colors like red, orange, and gold. If you can, go out and buy some cozy and luxurious towels. Finally, find your favorite bathing essentials, i.e. bath salts, candles, and oils. Some of Find Bliss's favorites include the Babassu Milk Bath from Inara (inaraorganic.com), an organic line featuring babassu, a rich, moisturizing oil from the Brazilian Babassu palm. To maximize the healing benefits of your bath, add a scoop of bath salts from Abra Therapeutics (abratherapeutics.com). Their unique salts are designed for specific conditions and ailments varying from PMS Relief to Sleep Therapy. Need a quick pick-me-up? With its invigorating aroma the Energy Tonic blend is the perfect prelude to an evening on the town. Finally, retreat to your bathroom, turn off your cell-phone, treo, and ipod, and turn down the lights. Light some soy candles, run the bath, and gently slip away to your own private spa retreat.

Need a little more inspiration? Visit www.findbliss.com

New YogaDudes Tanks Coming Soon

Please help us pick our next tank top design. Our new blank tanks are on the way and we need to decide which design to print on them. We recently got a couple requests for black shirts so these new tanks will be black with white printing. The design choices are show above. Please case your vote by selecting your favorite design in the poll to the right of this entry.

Are You a Realist?

Take a fun online survey to see if you are a realist. I am. This is what it said about me.
Take the quiz yourself by clicking on the link at the bottom of this post.

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Make a New Years "Intention" Rather than "Resolution"

I found this article on the Yoga Journal web site and I loved it. My biggest New Years resolution was to drink more water. On New Years Day I barely swallowed one glass. That is simply pitiful and it depressed me. This article made me feel better. Adopting this outlook on New Year resolutions is a much healthier and easier approach.

POSITIVE POWER A Sanskrit word, sankalpa means "will, purpose, or determination." To make a sankalpa is to set an intention—it's like a New Year's resolution with a yogic twist. While a resolution often zeros in on a perceived negative aspect of ourselves (as in, "I want to lose weight"), a sankalpa explores what's behind the thought or feeling ("I crave chocolate chip cookies when I'm feeling stressed or sad. I will set an intention to become conscious of this craving and allow my feelings to arise and pass, rather than fill up on fats").

EFFORT COUNTS A sankalpa also praises the nobility of the effort rather than focusing on what you are doing wrong. "New Year's resolutions leave me feeling guilty and mad at myself for not keeping them," says Wendy McClellan, a yoga teacher in Louisville, Kentucky. So, last year, in a conscious effort to reject the resolution rut, she taught a special New Year's Eve yoga class and encouraged students to look back and let go. Her intention, or sankalpa? To open her heart to new possibilities. "An intention has much more of a global sense than a resolution," she says. "It helps me be softer with myself." With a sankalpa, the self-loathing that comes from dwelling on past transgressions can begin to dissolve. In its place is an exercise in effort and surrender—create an intention and open yourself to the universe.

LOOK INWARD For several days, set aside time to write in a journal and meditate. Mull over your typical resolutions. How do they make you feel? Anxious? Unsettled? Incomplete? Now contemplate how you would like to feel during the coming year. Is there any way you can reframe your results-oriented resolutions into something that will make this year's journey more joyful and worthwhile?

REPHRASE IT Create a short sentence or phrase for your sankalpa. Be careful not to set limitations based on fear. For example, instead of "May life bring me only happiness and joy this year" consider "May I be happy and open to what life brings me."

BE FIRM BUT FAIR Change doesn't happen overnight. When you stray from the essence of your sankalpa, don't berate yourself. Instead, gently remind yourself of your intention. But be firm in your resolve—it's a good idea to incorporate your sankalpa into your daily routine. Use it as a mantra during pranayama or meditation practice; post it on your computer, phone, or mirror; or simply say it to yourself quietly before going to sleep.