In Yoga, there is one main object we have and that is our physical body. In practicing yoga we use our body to stretch, breath, and maybe even stand on our heads! Practicing yoga on the beach is fun, and the scenery is beautiful, but sometime it is nice to have a yoga mat under our feet rather than the sand. Yoga mats are helpful in yoga because they provide a grip. Especially in a yoga class where the body sweats, like in vinyasa yoga, a good sticky yoga mat is helpful in providing stability and grip to the hands and feet. If there is not a good grip to the mat our bodies slide and it sometimes created frustration in the mind. Another important thing about yoga mats is the thickness. There are different types of thickness to one’s yoga mat and it solely depends on the practitioner’s desire.

Other yoga props we might use are yoga blocks, yoga straps or a yoga bolster. A yoga block is an excellent tool in assisting. Whenever there are limitations of flexibility, a yoga block can be used to support the hands or create more space. A yoga block can essentially raise the floor for us! A yoga strap is another great tool in assistance because it gives us length. In some yoga postures, we might bind the hands together, or bind the hands and feet; in this case a yoga strap is the number one prop to use. The yoga strap allows us to hook our foot so we can get into the posture. Not only do yoga blocks and yoga straps help in assisting the postures, they can also help deepen the postures. For the advanced students, they can use these props to work on technique and alignment of a pose, or even to deepen their flexibility. For yoga bolsters, this prop is mainly used in a more restorative class however can be used whenever needed. A bolster is a great tool in helping with assistance and comfort in the yoga postures. A yoga bolster can also be used in seated or laying down meditations to encourage comfort and support while being in stillness.

Sometimes yoga props are deemed for the inexperienced student or the beginner. There is no shame in using yoga props. Some of the most highly known and advanced teachers in the world use props in their everyday yoga practice. Yoga props are made to help assist and deepen our yoga. Yoga props can open new doors to new postures!

Here we are, in the beautiful beaches of Costa Rica, and one of the top activities to do at the beach is to Surf. In surfing there are many people interested in learning about the sport. Some questions are asked about how to learn, or what the benefits are. We have been pondering the questions, "What do beginner and pro surfers have in common?" and "What is something that is very important to use in surfing?" We then got to the conclusion that it is the SWIMSUIT! Even though the board, the type of waves, the weather and the tide are also very important, the apparel for surfing is important to get out into the water and catch a great wave! When doing this type of water sport you need to have the correct swimsuit. With the right swimsuit you will feel confident and ready to hit the water!

Finally, we have found the perfect, specifically designed surfing bikini!. The swimsuits are deigned here in Costa Rica through a local, Tica girl, Andrea. She provides us the bikinis, so if you don't have a bikini for surfing you do not have to worry you can buy it with us by ordering before your retreat with us, or you may purchase it when you're here.

This surf swimwear stays on and in place. The tops tie up with a cross back and are designed to be fully adjustable. The prints are all original and designed with fun and colorful details and fabrics. You can mix the sizes for the top and bottom. This is very helpful to get a personal and custom fit for your body.

Also has styles with coverage suitable for your liking. This is perfect for those who enjoy showing a little more skin, or for those looking for a full coverage bikini.

We encourage you to try our Bikinisi! You won't be disappointed in the design and comfort that they offer.

If you are interested in buying one of these great Bikinis, call us & we will give you the BEST price!!!

Because we are Yoga Surfaris!!!

You Choose the Natural Exfoliate Ingredients
Make your own body polish! Choose your favorite fragrances, control the granularity of the scrub, avoid ingredients that you may be allergic to, and create a big potful of body polish with about $10 worth of ingredients. Or you can make a cupful for under a dollar and decide if you like the recipe. It's a breeze: you'll need a spoon, a bowl, and a container for storage.

Step 1: Choose Your Salt or Sugar Exfoliate (amount = 2 parts)
Review the table below to see the types of sugar or salts that are readily available at any grocery or health food store.

1. Salts (listed finer to courser)

   • Fine Salt
   • Table Salt
   • Sea Salt
   • Kosher Salt
   • Epsom Salt

   Sugars (listed finer to courser)

   • Fine Sugar
   • Brown Sugar
   • White Sugar
   • Turbinado (raw sugar)

Step 2: Choose a Beauty Oil (amount = 1 part)
The beauty oil will turn the salt or sugar into a moisturizing slurry that can be rubbed into wet or dry skin. Review the table of beauty oils below to see their skin benefits. You can always use more than one oil. These can be found at most grocery or drugstores with a natural food department.

1. Suggested Beauty Oils for Body Scrubs

   • Apricot oil - great for sensitive skin
   • Avocado oil - great for dry skin
   • Coconut oil - great for moisturizing
   • Grape seed oil - great for oily skin, acne prone skin
   • Jojoba oil - great for moisturizing for all skin types
   • Olive oil - great for moisturizing (but strong smell)
   • Sesame oil - great for its anti-oxidant properties
   • Almond oil - great for moisturizing for all skin types
   • Vitamin E oil - great for healing & moisturizing

Step 3: Choose Your Fragrance & Special Additives (several drops)
The sky is the limit when it comes to adding fragrance to your homemade body scrub. You can use any blend of essential oils that can be found at many natural food stores. You can also use fragrance sources from your own kitchen like vanilla extract or citrus fruits. This is a place to experiment and make it your own!
You may also want to add additional ingredients to your scrubs like aloe vera for its skin soothing properties, tea tree oil for its anti-inflammatory properties or honey to improve the texture or your scrub. If need more ideas on additives you can incorporate view the ingredient labels of premade natural body scrubs at your local beauty store or natural foods market.
Storing Your Body Scrub

Scrubs stored in the refrigerator should last up to 4 weeks. Just keep a couple days worth in the shower for regular use. If your scrub starts to smell, look or feel "funny" throw it out and start a new

Many of us today are overwhelmed with all the foods we are told to avoid. Rather than talking about what not to eat, I thought it would be more effective to focus on some simple and very achievable steps to optimize one’s health. So here are 5 health-enhancing tips to incorporate into your daily routine that will boost your health, regulate your pH, and increase your antioxidant intake.

1. Start your Day with Lemon Water

Once again this brings us back to the prime topic of pH balance. While lemons and other citrus fruits are acidic with their tart, tangy and puckering juices, once they are metabolized in the body, they leave what is referred to an alkaline ash. It is the ash, or residue, left from a metabolized food that is classified as being acidic or alkaline. Starting the day with a warm glass of filtered or spring water with the juice of 1/2 or 1/4 lemon will give your body a little pH boost in the right direction. Alkalinizing with lemon juice can prevent bacteria buildup as we know that all bacteria and viri thrive in an acidic environment. But it doesn’t stop with that. Lemon juice is a stimulant to the liver and liquifies bile, aiding in digestion and elimination, and can dissolve uric acid which can lead to gout. Lemon juice can also relieve heart burn, indigestion, bloating and gas.

2. Eat Something Green Everyday

Vegetables are the center piece of a healthy diet. In particular, greens offer so much nutritional benefit that they should be eaten on a daily basis. I’ll never forget my first nutrition teacher encouraging us to eat something green at every meal. While eating green at every meal might be a difficult habit to form at first, I know from personal practice that it is easy to at least have something green everyday. Include a green salad with your nightly dinner. Or get in the habit of sauteing nutrient dense dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, chard, or spinach. I like to rotate these on a regular basis. Kale and collards are my favorite dark leafy greens. They are superior in their nutrient content offering around 200% of the RDA for vitamin C, 160% for vitamin A, and kale offers over 1000% of vitamin K. The dark leafy greens are also are good sources of minerals such as iron, potassium, copper, manganese and phosphorous, not to mention, they are rich in anti-cancerous antioxidants such as carotenoids and flavonoids. And best of all greens are alkaline. So if you eat something green everyday (or at every meal), you are keeping your pH in check. See my previous blog post on Acid, Alkaline Balance to read more about why this is so important.

3. Switch to Sea Salt

Save the NaCl for home chemistry experiments. What our bodies need is real salt that comes from the seas. Unrefined sea salt naturally contains over 80 trace minerals, whereas table salt is 97.5% sodium chloride and 2% chemicals. Table salt is a highly refined substance where trace minerals, magnesium and naturally occurring iodine are removed, leaving sodium chloride. To make matters worse additives are added, such as aluminum compounds, an anti-caking agent; dextrose, a stabilizer; and bleach to return the color to a seemingly pristine substance. But the truth is your sea salt should not be bleach white either. Natural, unrefined sea salts have anywhere from a grey to pinkish hue. These different hues represent the different mineral contents in the salt. Sea salt is not something to avoid or blame for high blood pressure. It is not sodium that is the problem with high blood pressure, but the absence of other minerals; magnesium, potassium, calcium and a myriad of trace minerals that causes the problems. Sea salt can also regulate pH balance in the cells.

4. Add flavor with Ginger and Turmeric and Gain Important Therapeutic Benefits

Aside from offering delicious, distinctive flavors to many dishes, ginger and turmeric truly fall into the medicinal category. Ginger and turmeric are both rhizomes in the Zingiberaceae family. According to a study in the British Journal of Cancer, ginger and turmeric were found to inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors.  When has medicine tasted so good! Well, it has throughout history. Turmeric has been used for over 2500 years in India by practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine.  The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Both ginger and turmeric are well know for their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties. Ginger is particularly effective in the treatment of nausea and can inhibit intestinal growth of unfriendly bacteria. Fresh ginger tea is my go-to tea during the cold and flu season. Thinly slice or grate fresh ginger, bring to a boil (boil longer for stronger tea). Strain, add fresh lemon juice and a drop of honey.

5. Include Essential Omega 3 Oils

Omega 3 fatty acids are an essential fat, meaning the body cannot manufacture them, thus it is essential we get them from our diet. Extensive research shows that omega 3s reduce inflammation, help prevent heart disease and arthritis, as well as play an important role in healthy brain function and normal growth and development. Now what is the best source of Omega-3s, you ask. Well, there are 2 sources: plants and fish. Each source has a few benefits and draw-backs. The main plant sources are flax seeds and walnuts. The best fish sources are cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and herring. The benefit to getting your omega 3s from a plant is that you avoid mercury contamination. The draw back is that plant sources contain only ALA (a-linolenic acid), the precursor to the elongated forms of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which are building blocks for hormones and cell growth. However, recent studies show algae (what fish eat to get their omega 3s) to be a promising and more sustainable source of omega-3s as it contains DHA and is not a dangerous source of mercury. My advice, mix it up. Eat a variety to get the benefits from different sources. But avoid larger fish. Since they are higher on the food chain, they accumulate more mercury.

Lauren Mendez, NC is a certified Nutrition Consultant and Nutrition Educator through Bauman College. She is board certified through the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board. Lauren’s nutrition consulting practice, Holistic Food Coach, is dedicated to helping others attain good health through personalized nutrition and wellness programs. Her approach is holistic, identifying the root cause of the health concern and correcting it through diet and lifestyle changes. Lauren’s practice is based on a seasonal, whole foods diet, where vegetables are the center-piece.

More info: www.holisticfoodcoach.com