by Maribeth | Apr 10, 2018 | Ayurveda, Events
Family. Kids. Pets. Work. Neighbors. Yikes!
So many obligations take our time and our energy. It’s not that we don’t love doing all of these things, but why it is so much easier to take care of others rather than taking care of ourselves? My teacher, Deepak Chopra has a term that really resonates with me, Radical Well-being!
That’s want I want—not just to live well—I want radical well-being! But how do we get there?
I believe there are five pillars of radical well-being:
- Get enough sleep
- Get outside in nature and move!
- Meditate
- Eat fresh, real food
- Cultivate healthy emotions
Here’s why:
Sleep is so important. It’s where your body regenerates, restores, and repairs. I’m not talking about just a few hours of sleep a night, I’m talking about a good solid 6 to 8 hours where you go through the different stages of sleep, from wakefulness, light sleep, REM sleep, and deep sleep. Each stage has it’s own benefit and spending time each night in each stage is important to our radical well-being. So shut your electronics off early and set a sleep routine that sets you up for a successful night’s sleep. If you have trouble sleeping, never forget the power of a good nap!
Getting outside in nature allows you to breathe and move into the five elements that are around you AND within you! Take your shoes off and go earthing. Connecting to the Earth’s natural energy is foundational for vibrant health. When you make direct contact with the surface of the Earth your body receives a charge of energy that makes you feel better, fast. Take a walk by the ocean and listen to the sounds of the waves. Feel the warmth of the sun on your body. Ride a bike and feel the wind on your skin. Listen to the primordial sounds of nature: birds singing, waves lapping, leaves blowing. Feel the incredible amount of space around you and within you! And lastly don’t forget to look up at the night sky, it’s so beautiful!
Meditation is a wonderful way to find stillness and quiet the non-stop conversations inside your head. Although many think that there is complete silence in meditation, it’s a misnomer. Meditation is not complete silence, but rather time where you recognize the thoughts that you have and find the stillness between them.
I’ve heard that prayer is where you talk with God, and meditation is where you listen.
Food is an important part of radical well-being. Fresh food found in its most natural state; non-processed, non-packaged, non-altered. I’m looking forward to our farmers markets opening soon so I can support our local farmers and eat local produce! I love this quote from Hippocrates: “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. My Ayurveda training has helped me to understand this so much better.
Lastly, cultivating healthy emotions is an important part of radical well-being. Gratitude is the single greatest way to cultivate healthy emotions. It’s a powerful practice that we can use to expand our happiness, create loving relationships, and improve our health. When you’re feeling down, take a few moments to think about what you are grateful for in that moment. It takes practice, but it’s truly worth it!
I’d love to hear how you’re creating radical well-being in your life!
Namasté-
Maribeth
P.S. Are you looking for a way to jump start your radical well-being? Join me and a wonderful group for an Ayurveda Retreat at theBeach, April 27-29th. When you take time away from your every day routine and all of your commitments, to take time for YOU- you begin to create radical well-being.
There is no better time or place than right here, right now!
Space is limited – only 1 bedroom is currently available.
Commuter spots are available. Get everything included in the retreat, with the exception of the accommodations.
Click here for more information.
by Maribeth | Nov 5, 2017 | Events, Mind
Gratitude is a key way to turn negative thoughts into positive ones. Changing thought patterns through practicing gratitude can impact the physical, psychological and social aspects of a person’s well-being.
There are challenges to gratitude like narcissism, materialism and over-scheduling. Therefore, it is important to mindfully and consistently practice gratitude, much like meditation. You can practice gratitude by finding ways to verbalize, write it down, or share through social media; gratitude works best when it is shared.
Here are three ways to quickly practice the art of being grateful:
- Keep a Gratitude Journal: At the end of your day, write down at least three things that you are grateful for. This can be as simple as feeling grateful for being able to easily obtain clean water through a faucet, or for the people who take your garbage away each week (Imagine if no one came to get it!).
- Write a Gratitude Letter: Write a letter of thanks to someone who has positively impacted your life. Explain how they impacted your life-be sure to be specific and descriptive when you write. You can choose whether or not to mail the letter. Either way, you will receive the benefits of gratitude.
- Receive Gratefully: Be mindful and accepting when other people pay you compliments, or when you do something to be proud of. Recognize and accept the good feelings that result.
Practicing gratitude is essential for happiness. If you set your intentions for gratitude each day, eventually gratitude will be your attitude!
by Maribeth | Aug 16, 2016 | Events
Come celebrate National Yoga Month with our 4th annual 30 Day Challenge!
Our 30 Day Challenge is just $30 for Unlimited Yoga for the entire month of September if you are new to the studio! Current student or have not been in a while? Cost is $50. Yoga Club members? It’s included in your membership.
Each time you come you each week will be entered into a drawing for $20 Om Buck$ that you can use towards retail, class passes, and even memberships
At the end of the 30 days everyone who has been to the studio to practice without missing a day will be entered into a $100 Om Buck$ drawing.
Each participant will receive a special gift!
So don’t wait! Click here to sign up online!
by Maribeth | Aug 18, 2015 | Events, Yoga
Come celebrate National Yoga Month with our 3rd annual 30 Day Challenge!
30 days of unlimited yoga from September 1st to September 30th
Cost: $75
$50 Seniors (60+ please) and those brand new to the studio
That’s unlimited yoga for the 30 days of September. Every time you come into class you will be entered into our weekly drawing. Each week one lucky winner will win $20 in Om Buck$.
At the end of the month every one that has practiced 30 consecutive days in the studio or at our retreat will be entered in a drawing to win $100 in Om Buck$!
You can use your Om Buck$ in the studio towards retail, privates, class passes, memberships, and the Retreat at the Beach!
The more you practice the more you increase your chances to win! And for our current Class Pass Holders and IY Members we are happy to extend your current package 30 days so that you can participate in the Challenge without losing what you have already paid for- but you need to commit and to sign up by August 31 to get the 30 day credit!
So don’t wait! Click here to sign up online!
by Maribeth | Mar 11, 2015 | Events
What’s that I hear? The sound of the ocean? Ahhhhhh
Yes! Summer is here! When I was a child I spent my summers in the Catskill Mountains floating on the current of a creek in an inner tube.
Now I spend my summers (and winters) at the beach! I love walking the beach at sunrise before the world wakes up and seeing the dawn of a new day.
I love taking a bike ride in the heat of the day and feeling the hot air on my skin.
I love lying on the beach and feeling the warm sand beneath my skin and the warm sun on the top of my skin.
I love sipping a cool drink on my porch at night and looking up and seeing the stars.
But you know what I love the most? Just sitting in my beach chair looking at the ocean. Yup as simple as that.
In honor of summer – we have created a summer special:
Unlimited Yoga from now through August 31 for $250.00!
That includes beach yoga and sunrise yoga too! Click here to purchase*.
*under Series and Memberships, choose “classes” and look for the summer special!
Our summer schedule is up and running! We are excited to take our practice outside!
Join us for $10 Sunrise Beach Yoga:
Wednesdays 6:30 am – Garden City Beach Access #3 – first beach access on the south side of the pier
Sundays 7:00am Beach Yoga – North Litchfield Beach Access #51 – access just beyond the tennis courts off Parker Dr.
Summertime… such a beautiful time of the year to just be and enjoy the beauty that is around us. Whether you like to practice outside or indoors doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you just practice!
Wishing each of you a fun-filled and yoga filled summer!
