Tips for Yoga Morning Exercises

Morning Start
The perfect and most advisable time to do yoga is early in the morning. It can be done at almost any time of the day but the benefits you get from your Yoga exercises are fully appreciated and will take into effect when done in the morning. It is one of the best ways to start off your day. You can continue to enjoy the relaxing and rejuvenating after effects of your yoga exercise the whole day.

Your Surroundings
In performing yoga, make sure that the place where you're performing yoga is calm, peaceful, quiet, and well ventilated. It should be free from distractions. Turning off your cellular phone would be a good start. Make sure that no one would distract you. Tell the members of the household that you need to be by yourself for a while. Find a place to do your yoga routine where you can just hear your breathing, or you can hear the breeze running through your body, the chirping of the birds, and whatever that would make you feel relaxed as you do these yoga routines.

Warm up
Before doing the routine, make sure you do some warm up exercises to avoid straining your muscles in the process. Remember that yoga is supposed to be a relaxing experience. If you feel a strain, don't force yourself to do the yoga position. There are advanced and beginner types of yoga exercises. Start from the bottom and work your way up. It is a gradual process and it is a routine. Each day you can try different routines depending on the level of difficulty. If you think you are ready to level up, then you can do so. But remember, take it slow.

Be Organised
Before doing the yoga routine, make sure you have everything you need in place. That way, it would be continuous and you don't need to stop during every exercise. Have a bottle of water nearby, a face towel, your yoga mat or any mat you would need, and other things you might need for your routine.

Breathing Technique
Remember the breathing technique. As you do these yoga routine exercises, do not forget the breathing techniques. Breathe in through your nose and exhale through your mouth. As you start a new position, breathe in and feel every muscle stretch. Hold your breath for a few seconds, breath in and out and as you release, slowly exhale. Know Your Limitation Do not force yourself with the position you might find difficult or you might have problems with, especially those that require muscle strength in your back.

Know your limitations and abilities.
You don't want to have a bruised, strained, and aching body at the end of your yoga exercise. Enjoy Every Minute of It Lastly, always remember that yoga is a routine exercise that intertwines your mind, body, and soul. Enjoy the routine so you would want to do it every day. Remember that yoga is a gradual routine process. You take it step by step. No need to rush.


If you would like some help with your Yoga and Weight Loss have a look at this easy to listen to

YOGA AUDIO BOOK

If you take all these tips in mind during your yoga routine, you would surely feel great at the end of it and it would be the best starting highlight of your day.

Eye Make-up Remover

The skin around your eyes is very sensitive. They reveal so much about us that it is worth our while spending time each day taking care of them. They are one of our most important organs and they take a lot of wear and tear from modern life – computers, televison screens, reading and make-up.

When choosing a make-up remover for you eyes always choose

· a good brand
· an organic/bio brand
· one that is gentle and effective

So it is essential to invest in the best eye make-up remover. Avoid using soap as this may not only irritate the skin and causes too much pushing and scrubbing

Here are a few that I have already tried, tested and would recommend:

Dr Haushka’s Cleansing Milk

Hempgarden Cleansing Lotion

JHnature Cleansing Milk

Sweet Almond Oil

· All of these products are specially geared to dealing with sensitive skin, easy to use and are very affordable.
· What is even better is that they can be used to remove the impurities on your face, lips and eyes – no need to buy a different make-up remover.
· No need to use water with any of these products

I personally prefer Dr Haushka’s Cleansing Milk as I like the perfume and milky texture of the cleanser.

The purpose of eye make-up remover is to break down the sticky compounds in liner, mascara and shadow as well as daily dirt so that you can gently wipe off the various products without having to scrub at your delicate skin.

How to remove make-up effectively:
· Put a little of the product on a cotton pad
· With the pad gently apply the remover on dry skin all around your eyes.
· Do not force or push the skin with the pad
· With a clean pad gently remove the cream together with the impurities/make-up
· Repeat until the process until the cotton pad is clean.


So go on out and invest in one of these great products!

For more on Eye Care go to Relieving Tired Eyes, Eye Creams, Eye Make-up

Natural Foods

The expression ‘you are what you eat’ seems to have lost its meaning for many years now. However, our diet and eating habits are very important to our overall well-being.

Certainly if we eat only processed, refined and polluted foods our diet and consequently our health will be affected. Very few people realize that our skin acts as a purifier for our bodies and so if we eat nothing but greasy, fatty, polluted foods then we can not expect to have healthy skin. So what we eat is very important.

I know that it can be very difficult organizing meals and shopping for yourself and your family when you are working, have children, rushing between family, work and home.

However here are a few simple tips on how you can improve the quality of your diet which can be implemented very easily.
· when possible buy food that has been organically produced
· store food in glass or china containers – avoid plastic or cling film – and avoid using aluminium foil wrappings on acidic food such as fruit or fruit cakes
· Steam or stir-fry vegetables to retain their nutrients
· Do not used microwaves for any food containing dairy products as it affects their molecular structure. Also do not heat food covered in plastic wrapping as this can encourage the migration of toxic chemicals into your food.

· Avoid all food additives (eg E numbers and artifical colourings)
· Avoid using aluminium cooking utensils. Use glass, stainless steel or high-quality enamel.
· Do not consume large quantities of salt, refined sugar and animal fats
· Increase your daily intake of fresh vegetables, raw food and fruit.

Today it is not always easy to buy fresh, unprocessed and unrefined foods but the healthier option is without doubt the better one and it does not have to be boring. There are many advertisers selling healthy alternatives and the search for cheaper foods provided by the supermarkets has led to some alarming health outbreaks in recent years.

The naturopathic approach to health is the need to clean out our bodies from its impurities or toxins that may build up and lead to disease. Often this is done by our bowels, bladder and skin but often the toxins that we take in from our diet makes the toxins levels in our bodies too high and can result in illness.

A detoxifying or cleansing diet can help clear out your system and by following the few simple steps outlined above you and your family can make a start to improving your diet and overall health.

Do you have any tips or recipes that you would like to add?

Father's Day

I know that many of us will be thinking of Fathers Day on 21st June. Most people think of Father's Day as the one day in the year to celebrate your Dad. However, many see it as more than that - a day to not only honour your father, but all men who have acted as a father figure in your life - whether as Stepfathers, Uncles or Grandfathers.

This year, like many of the past few years, it will be my husband, who I and my children will be celebrating on the 21st June.

There are a couple of versions as to who thought of the idea of a Father’s Day but one story is that it originated in 1909 when Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day". Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honour her father, William Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, and widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. When Mrs Dodd grew up she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

So the first Father's Day was observed on in Spokane Washington in 1910 and in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day."Eventually, it became official in 1966 when President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

So the actual beginning of Father’s Day was not all that long ago and the commercialisation of it, as we know of it today with the cards and gifts, did not come until much later.

It’s never easy to know what to do for that someone special on this special day. Breakfast in bed is certainly a good start with a card and special gift. E-cards seem to be the latest trend, but I prefer the personal touch and will be searching for that special card. Or, you could even make your own! Here are a few ideas for gifts:

· toiletries are always a good gift from shower/bath gels, soaps, eau de toilette/colognes, shaving creams
· they say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach so you can’t go wrong with chocolates, delicious hand-made biscuits, hamper, or a special family meal
· razors, shaving brushes & shaving sets, watches
· dvds, gadgets, books
· weekend break, golfing holiday, spa holiday
· personalised items such as a t-shirt, cap, bag
· gift voucher for practically anything

The list is really endless.

No matter what you buy for that special Man he will love it as it has been picked by You.

What are you going to do this Father's Day?

The Clothes We Wear

We should never underestimate the importance of the clothes we wear on our general health and bodies. Obviously the main purpose for wearing clothes is to keep us warm and protect our bodies. Unfortunately, only too often we do not really give much thought to the fabric that is used to make our clothing and the effects that these may have on our health.

It seems to becoming more and more common for people to have mild or even adverse reactions to the fabrics that we are using to make the clothes that we wear and even the detergents that we use to clean them. Synthetic fabrics are widely used but they often prevent our skin from breathing properly. We do need to ask what treatments the raw materials such as cotton and flax go through while they are being processed, what chemicals are used in the treatment of wool (even in sheep dips) or detergents used to clean it.

The result can unfortunately lead to thrush, athlete’s foot, rashes and sores. Instead, we should be wearing more natural materials and better still those that have been organically processed. For example underwear and bedclothes in particular should be of natural fabrics, non-synthetic and non-toxic.
Natural organic clothes are not only better for the body and the environment but they feel better on the skin, they are easy to maintain and are so adaptable to todays styles and fashions – leather belts, handbags, shoes; cotton dresses, underwear, blouses; silk scarves, shirts; beautiful hemp bags, hats … the list is endless.

There are many organizations out there now that grow organic natural products used to manufacture natural, organic clothes. This is the first step in leading a healthier lifestyle – try this simple step and see the difference it will make to you and your family.

Let us know if you know of any great sites that sell organic clothes.

Dover Train Case

Pamper yourself with this lovely Travel Case from Crabtree & Evelyn. A lovely pink coloured Trousse "Dover Train Case" containing 4 lovely items from 'Rosewater' line.

The Train Case contains:
1 Shower/Bath Gel 150ml
1 Body Lotion 150ml
1 Hand cream 100ml
1 Soap 100g

All perfumed with the wonderful, delicate scent of Rose including the famous Rose of Damas - one of the oldest roses, made from an infusion of fresh rose petals and pure water.

A lovely gift or for yourself to use on those weekend breaks or business trips - you can't be without it!

Use Coupon Code:

dovertraincaseblog at the checkout for La Source Naturelle to get an instant 10% discount on the Dover Train Case.

Have you tried any products from Crabtree & Evelyn. What do you think of them?