How to do Yoga in the Morning | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Day 6

Melissa's Blog Posts, New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

How yoga helps with anxiety

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Today we are talking about how to do yoga in the morning. So this is maybe a two part question, how to actually get up and get going to do that yoga in the morning and then once you are up what yoga you should be doing. So tomorrow we will be answering the what yoga you should be doing in the morning, today we will be answering the, how can you actually do yoga in the morning.

#1 Go to bed early. Make sure you get a good night´s sleep so that it is easy for you to get up in the morning. This actually probably means having a bit of an evening routine as well. If you watch disturbing media with that blue light feeding your pituitary gland until late at night, then you probably will not get a very restful sleep. Try to dim the lights, turn off your screens, take a warm bath, and avoid anything mentally strenuous in the evenings. All of this will contribute to a good night´s sleep.

#2 Make sure you are ready for the morning. Have all your props together, lay out your yoga clothes the night before and choose your yoga class on YouTube. This way you will not waste any time fumbling around for these things in the morning.

#3 Do not check your phone or any social media in the morning. This takes you down a rabbit hole that you do not want to go down in the mornings.

#4 Make the morning special. Prepare a special drink to get you going. I like to start my morning with a warm lemon water to help detoxify with Botanica Ashwagandha Tincture to support my adrenals and Harmonic Arts Liver Tonic for my liver. Or if I am feeling like something really special to start my day I might make a Do Matcha Matcha Latte to kick start my time on my mat. These small observances make my morning rituals more special and ceremonial.

If you are a member of my online community we have more than 10 specific short yoga classes for you to start your day, so that you can get off to work or get the kids off to school.

If you are not already a member here is the link to sign up

If you made it all the way to the end of this video, put morning ritual in the comments.

Thank you so much for watching. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow when we will talk about what yoga to do in the morning.

See you then. Namaste, Melissa

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When Should I Practice Yoga? | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Day 5

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When Should I Practice Yoga

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One of the most asked questions I get is when should I practice yoga? What time of day is the best time of day to practice yoga?

And the answer is, it depends. It depends on you. Are you a morning person?

I am a morning person. I love to go to bed early and get up before the sun. So for me, practicing my yoga first thing in the wee early hours of the morning is a great fit. For my husband and my daughter, they are not morning people and it would make no sense for them to drag themselves out of bed in the morning to practice yoga. They both come alive at night. In fact, whenever my husband and I roll out our mats together, it is usually at night. So if you usually come alive at night, then practice your yoga at night.

Another part of the ¨it depends¨ answer, needs to consider the type of yoga you are going to practice. Yin yoga for example works best first thing in the morning when your connective tissues are cold. If your connective tissues are warmed up, then you will stay up at the superficial level of muscles and not get into the deeper levels of connective tissues, ligaments and bones. That being said, yin yoga is also a wonderful style of practice at the yin time of day, in the evening when the world is becoming quiet and dark again and embodying those yin qualities of being: stillness, slow, reflecting on the day.

We can look to traditional chinese medicine for our answers as well. Traditional Chinese Medicine would probably say morning. Between 9 and 11 am our spleen organ system, which controls our muscles and our four limbs in our body is most active, so this is a great time for more active forms of yoga such as hatha yoga, vinyasa flow yoga, power yoga and ashtanga yoga.

If you are practicing restorative yoga, the answer again would be it depends. I have often woken up in the morning after a terrible night´s sleep and turned to restorative yoga first thing in the morning. Restorative yoga can also be a wonderful practice right before bed to prepare your body for sleep. It might not be the best practice mid-day when your energy and the energy of the day is the highest.

If you have that 4 pm energy slump, yoga nidra or sleep yoga can be the perfect way to pull through the afternoon. Yoga nidra can also be a wonderful bedtime yoga practice to prepare for sleep and I have also used it plenty of nights when I need yoga for insomnia and want to do yoga in bed.

If you would like my 7 days to better sleep with yoga and I will send you 1 video a day for 7 days with the best of yoga, ayurveda, self massage and pranayama (or breath practices) to help you get the best night’s sleep. https://www.melissawest.com/sleep/

Thank you so much for watching today. If you made it all the way to the end put the words bedtime yoga in the comments. I will see you tomorrow for day 6 of our 30 day New Year yoga challenge.

Namaste, Melissa

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How to do Yoga at Home | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Day 4

Melissa's Blog Posts, New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

So how can you do yoga at home?

I would suggest it starts the day before.

#1 Figure out what time of day is going to be best for your yoga practice. It might be first thing in the morning before you go to work, but if you have to be at work early, that might not be feasible for you, in which case I have several students who have a consistent evening yoga practice. Maybe it is easiest for you to close your office door at lunch and do a 45 minute yoga practice then. Make it work for you and your life and commit the time to yourself, even put it in your calendar.

#2 I find part of the commitment is to get everything together in one space, including my yoga clothes. So that means I have all my yoga props and everything I need for my yoga practice where I am going to practice my yoga. I practice first thing in the morning, bright and early. I used to roll out of bed and practice in my pajamas. However, for the past few months I have been laying out my yoga clothes the night before and putting them on in the morning. It makes my yoga practice more special and something I observe with more reverence when I show up in clothes rather than pajamas.

#3 Plan ahead what you are going to practice. If you do not have an at home yoga practice going yet, I would suggest planning what you are going to do ahead of time so that you do not waste any of your precious time on your yoga mat scrolling through the millions of possibilities online. If you go to my YouTube channel you will see I have tones of playlists to choose from. You can choose from many playlists on my channel from hatha yoga classes, restorative yoga classes, yin yoga classes, yoga for back pain, hip opening classes, yoga for emotions, transforming your inner critic, beginner yoga videos, and chakra yoga, to name a few

Link to Playlists
(when you click on the link make sure you click on the + 30 more for some reason YouTube only shows you a few)

#4 Show up and practice. One of my fellow sangha members at a recent meditation retreat gave the best piece of advice I have ever heard about sticking with her daily meditation practice. I think it applies well to practicing yoga at home too. It was genuinely simple. She said, ¨I do not go to bed until I have practiced.¨ I think this is exceptional advice. She said she would notice her willingness to watch an hour of tv or YouTube or to read a novel and say to herself, if I can do that, then I can meditate, but I am not going to let myself go to bed until I have done my practice.

Thank you so much for practicing today. Put the word home in the comments if you watched all the way to the end. I will see you tomorrow.

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How to Start Yoga at Home for Beginners | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Day 3

Melissa's Blog Posts, New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

How to Start Yoga

For the third day of our 30 day yoga challenge for the new year we are talking about starting yoga at home if are a beginner yoga student. If you are brand new to yoga, I will take you step by step through how to start yoga at home for beginners. We will begin by going through the different styles of yoga from power yoga, vinyasana yoga, ashtanga yoga, kundalini yoga, hatha yoga, restorative yoga, yin yoga, and yoga nidra. From there I will address common issues like creating a yoga space, getting your props together and choosing a time of day to practice. I will also recommend some YouTube videos to practice yoga at home so you can do yoga for beginners when you are just starting out.

So you are new to yoga and you want to know how to start yoga at home.

Choose Your Style

The first thing would be to choose the style of yoga that is going to best suite you. There are lots of different styles of yoga and you can choose the style that is going to best suit your personality. I am going to stick with the styles that you will find online since you will be practicing at home.

Ashtanga Yoga, Vinyasa flow and Power yoga are an athletic and active exercise style of yoga that move through a series of postures with movement and breath. You will get a cardiovascular workout with these kinds of classes.

Kundalini Yoga is a style of yoga that combines breathwork, vigorous movements and chanting in sets of exercises called kriyas. It is quite a powerful devotional style of yoga designed to raise the energy from the base of the spine up to the crown.

Hatha Yoga is a style of yoga that I teach. It combines standing postures with ground postures. Ha stands for sun and tha stands for moon. It is quite a balancing style of yoga which focuses on bringing harmony between the stimulating and active energies in our bodies with the quiet, nurturing, restorative energy of our bodies.

Restorative yoga is another style that I teach. This style of yoga is deeply rejuvenating and wonderful for stress and anxiety. It uses a lot of props though such as bolsters, blankets and blocks, so if you are new to yoga this may be an obstacle, however, you can usually make your own props using pillows and blankets that you have around your house.

I also teach yin yoga. This is another deeply nourishing and restorative style of yoga that holds the postures for about 5 minutes to affect the deeper connective tissues, joints and bones of the body. This style of yoga focuses on the traditional chinese meridians as well as mindfulness as a central part of its practice. It is a deeply meditative style of yoga.

Another style that I will be teaching a lot more of in 2018 is yoga nidra. It is a style of yoga that puts you into a conscious sleep that is more restful than sleep itself. It is a powerful meditation technique is incredibly rejuvenating for your physical, mental and emotional body. If you are exhausted and I know many of you are, then this is a style of yoga that you do not want to ignore. Think of it as the most powerful power nap you can take.

Join our Membership Community for our 8 Week Beginner Yoga Course

Yoga for Beginners Course with Melissa

This 8 week Yoga for Beginners Course is the most comprehensive and easy way to learn yoga slowly over time at your own pace. Complete it in 8 weeks or take your time. Melissa has chosen these classes and put them in the best order for you to be able to learn hatha yoga step by step. Within this framework you will be able to see what beginner yoga classes you have completed, you can mark your favourite classes and you can bookmark classes that you want to come back to. Each week you will be given space for rest and renewal with restorative yoga and yoga nidra (sleep yoga). You will begin with basic hatha yoga classes, learn the parts of a hatha yoga class, learn beginner yoga poses, learn the concepts that come up again and again in a beginner yoga class, practice some of the most requested classes from beginners including strength, flexibility and letting go of stress. This truly is the most comprehensive beginner yoga course available on the web and Melissa is here to support you on your journey here each step of the way in our community.

https://www.melissawest.com/membership/membership-sign-up/

If you are looking for Vinyasa Flow, Power or Ashtanga I would recommend my friends and fellow online yoga instructors Christina of Chriska Yoga, Anita Goa of Goa Flow, Maris Aylward of Yoga Upload, or O´M Yoga with Mary O´Meara

Once you decide what style to practice and now that you have a few recommendations, load up your youtube playlist and you are off to your yoga mat. 🙂

Clear your space

Once you have decided on what style of yoga to follow, the next the I would recommend is to clear a space in your home. You do not have to have a yoga room. In fact a hallway can work just fine. I practiced in my front hall for a number of years. I have gradually migrated into my living room. Just find a space where you will be able to lie down, stand up, move your arms and legs around and preferably have access to a wall.

Get Your Props Together

The next thing I like to do is to get all your props in one place. Put your yoga mat, strap, blocks, bolster, blanket, eye pillow, and everything you are going to need for your yoga class in the space that you are going to be practicing. If you are going to be practicing at home you are probably going to want to figure out how to follow online videos, so either grab a laptop, cell phone, tablet, or figure out how you can watch youtube videos on your TV.

Find a time

I will be talking about the best time of day to practice yoga in a future video in this 30 day challenge series, but basically, the best time of day to practice yoga is the time that best fits into your schedule. Maybe it is before work, maybe it is after work. For years, the best time of day for me was when I put my daughter down for her afternoon nap. I was guaranteed to get my uninterrupted practice in at that time. Find a time that you won´t be interrupted or rushed and then keep that appointment with yourself.

Have fun and practice

So now you have figured out what style of yoga you like to practice, you have found the classes on youtube, you have cleared a space, you have got all your props together and you have found your perfect time. All that is left is to press play on that Yoga YouTube video and have fun. Don´t forget to like those yoga youtube videos and leave your comments for those yoga youtube instructors. We sure do appreciate it.

Thanks so much for watching today. Say hi if you do decide to do my beginner 31 day challenge. I will see you tomorrow for the rest of the New Year 30 Day Challenge. Remember to leave a star in the comments if you are new to yoga 🙂

Namaste, Melissa

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Why Does Yoga Work? | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Day 2

Melissa's Blog Posts, New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

So, Why does yoga work?

Well it may be difficult to answer the question, why does yoga work, there are more and more case studies being done showing that yoga does work.

A 2017 study in the Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research found significant gains in flexibility and balance in the yoga group compared to the non-yoga group in measuring a group of athletes in their experiment.

My Yoga for Flexibility for Beginners Class: Click here

I have a fabulous yin yoga for sleep video for you: Click Here

Yoga has been shown to reduce stress. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Research did a study to see if yoga would help first year college students reduce stress and improve their physical and mental health. The study was reported as promising as they found that the yoga had a positive impact on their social lives, stress levels, as well as physical health.

My Yoga for Stress Video: Click Here

In July 0f 2017, The American Journal of Occupational Therapy reported that in 13 studies of yoga with older adults, yoga decreased risks of falls and helped to improve their quality of sleep.

I have a fabulous yin yoga for sleep video for you: Click Here

And of course a whole series on balance for you: Click Here

When we are talking about the benefits of yoga for women, there was a 2017 study on yoga and menstrual cramps. The study showed that yoga significantly reduced the menstrual cramps for the women participating.

Please enjoy my restorative yoga class for menstrual cramps: Click Here

A study in the Journal of American College of Cardiology on restorative yoga found that restorative yoga was much more effective than relaxation and stretching at reducing heart rate and blood pressure even twenty four hours after the restorative yoga classes. Through this study cardiologists saw the potential of restorative yoga as a therapeutic option for patients with high blood pressure.

For my restorative yoga classes: Click Here

Yin Yoga, which is known for its focus on mindfulness has been shown to decrease stress and worry. The International Journal of Anxiety, Stress, and Coping published a 2017 article on a 10 week yin yoga and mindfulness study that showed a decrease in stress and worry that was still present after a five week follow up.

For my yin yoga classes: Click Here

A May 2017 article published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary medicine found that yoga nidra reduces stress levels, muscle fatigue, muscle tension and improves self-care. The study involved nurses who participated in weekly sessions of yoga nidra in order to promote their own wellness and build resilience to help them manage their patients within a hurried and stressful healthcare system. Nurses reported less stress and muscle fatigue following yoga nidra sessions.

My yoga nidra class: Click Here

And just to finish for today, a 2017 study in the Journal of Complementary Therapies found that just one ¨single video-instructed session of hatha yoga was able to improve stress reactivity and recovery from an acute stress task in healthy individuals.¨

What does that mean? If you have had a particularly stressful event in your day, you can come home, pull up a Yoga with Dr. Melissa West video and you will recover from that stressful event.

Put a dancing emoji in the comments if that doesn´t excite you!

I am super looking forward to our next 29 days together. See you tomorrow!

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New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge Overview & FAQ | New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge | Yoga Lifestyle with Dr. Melissa West

Melissa's Blog Posts, New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

New Year 30 Day Yoga Challenge

In this video I will give you an overview about our New Year 30 Day challenge and some of the most frequently asked questions that we get about the challenge. I will share with you how we will be incorporating yoga into your daily life with our short five minute daily yoga videos in January of 2018 on my Yoga Lifestyle channel.

This 30 day challenge will include yoga videos about the benefits of yoga, when to practice yoga, how yoga works, how to yoga videos for stress, relaxation, back pain, how to use your yoga props, how to do certain yoga poses, incorporating yoga into your daily life, yoga breathing, and how yoga can improve everything from your height to your eyesight. If you are looking forward to the challenge put: I am excited in the comments 🙂

Other Yoga Challenge: 31 Day Beginner Yoga Challenge: Click Here

8 days of back pain help with yoga and I will send you 1 video a day for 8 days with the best of yoga, ayurveda, self massage and pranayama (or breath practices) to help your back.

7 days to better sleep with yoga and I will send you 1 video a day for 7 days with the best of yoga, ayurveda, self massage and pranayama (or breath practices) to help you get the best night’s sleep.

7 days of yoga to relieve anxiety

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