I have found myself in many conditions over the course of my life: obese, underweight, sickly, vital. From the time I found my way into this world, I seemed like a passenger in many senses, being a passenger to my state of health was one of them. It seemed to just happen, how I felt. As a child, I assumed I didn’t have a lot to do with it. I figured my state of well-being was essentially random, entirely defined by chance, and, if there was a problem, that “the doctor” surely would handle it.

As I have grown older and wiser, I have come to believe that this is actually not the case. As I aged, young me became more and more sure that how I spent my time, and even more so what I ate, might be affecting my health in much more profound ways than pure chance. But, even more than that: the strange smelling, foul tasting fluids the doctors was telling my mother to buy for me when I was feeling unwell may not have actually be the best remedy for the problems at all. Young me would have been surprised to know that if I just paid more attention to what I was eating, there would not have been need for all those pharmaceutical nasties my mother had to spend so much of her and my father’s hard earned money on. I would not have believed you if you told me the best medicine is the delicious food I ate every day to sate my hunger.

Some people eat just for the enjoyment of the sensations certain foods give them over the course of eating them. But, eating with only sensory pleasure in mind is going to probably end up with a greater possibility of health problems later in life. I could eat sweets, literally, all day when I was a child, and did! It was fun for a while, but all that lousy eating caught up with me fast, and I truly believe that my terrible eating habits learned early on in life set the stage for the endlessly mercurial state of ill-health that I have been grappling with for most of my time on this Earth. Learning that feeding ourselves is more than simply about enjoyment is key. Hunger is not supposed to be entertainment, or simply about sensorial pleasure. Nor is it simply about sating hunger. We must learn to nourish ourselves. We must always consider what is going to do our bodies the most good. But, figuring this out takes a lot of hard work! Learning to eat intelligently is a complicated journey, and it is a trail fraught with difficulty, and much room for error. The bottom line is: we need to educate ourselves, and learn how to feed ourselves correctly. That must be decided, first and foremost, by you.

Recognising the importance of eating healthy is everything to me nowadays. It seems sometimes that most people do not know much about food, other than how to get it from plate to face. Which, when you consider how central food is to the life of every human being on the planet, is rather bizarre… But, there is hope!  This is the first in a series of articles that will be written with the aim of giving those that are not quite sure how exactly to eat healthy some strategies on how they might begin to approach doing so. We hope this will lend a hand in assisting all our readers, students, and subscribers in their pursuit of living a happy, healthy life. This is our mission here at Inner Light Yoga.

Namaste!

-Sage

Let this week be your inspiration to a daily morning practice and healthier eating habits. On five consecutive mornings we meet up before work and duties for a full practice of  Hatha Yoga, Freshly Pressed Organic Juice and Nutrition Tips. There’s no better way to start the day!
Venue:  Douglas Yoga Centre, Maryborough Woods, Douglas, Cork
Cost: €60 (€20 non refundable deposit to be paid before 22nd July)
Booking: 089 418 7147    innerlightyoga@gmx.com
 

€20 Deposit

5 steps to a better health

• 1. Drink more water! – Have you heard this dozens of times? There is a reason for it. Roughly 60-70% of the body is made of water. It is one of the most essential elements to health. The human brain is made up of 95% water, blood is 82% and lungs 90%. Water regulates body temperature and serves as a lubricant in digestion, and other body processes. It is also required for transport of nutrients.

For more information about water and to find out how much water you need to drink, visit WATER MERCOLA

• 2. Add more fresh vegetables to your diet. – This simple choice can remarkably improve your overall health. Diet rich in vegetables and fruits can protect you from heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Antioxidants present in vegetables and fruits can help slow down your body’s aging process.

Click here for list of Best and Worst Vegetables to Eat

• 3. Get enough sleep. Cells and tissues need time to recover from the wear and tear of daily life. Insufficient sleep may cause health problems by altering levels of the hormones involved in such processes as metabolism, appetite regulation, and stress response. To learn more about healthy sleep and hidden cost of insufficient sleep click here.

• 4. Go out to enjoy fresh air and sunshine.  Direct sunlight is your body’s main source of vitamin D, which has been known to help fight off osteoporosis, cancer, depression and to boost immune system. Research shows that spending time in fresh air, surrounded by nature, increases energy in 90 percent of people. “Nature is fuel for the soul, “ Richard Ryan, researcher and professor of psychology at the University of Rochester, tells the University of Rochester. “Often when we feel depleted we reach for a cup of coffee, but research suggests a better way to get energized is to connect with nature.”

• 5. Sit less move more! Physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risk of many diseases. Exercise and yoga can help to reduce stress, improve circulation and increase serotonin levels.“Exercise leads to an increase in natural killer cells, neutrophils and monocytes, which ultimately increases immune function,” Ather Ali, ND, MPH, assistant director of Complementary/Alternative Medicine Research at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center tells Health.com.

BIG THANKS to six beautiful ladies who joined me for 5 Day Yoga Challenge.
It was such a pleasure to meet you every morning and practice Yoga. I got used to it so much that I can’t believe I am not getting up 5am on Monday 😉.
I love how everyday we got more and more comfortable with each other and the beautiful energy all of you brought to the room. Thank you for your commitment, it was great to see your progress over the 5 days.
I am looking forward to our next challenge.
Have a lovely weekend!
Namaste
Karolina
<3
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This yoga sequence includes postures which require engagement of the abdominal muscles, arms and legs. It is energetic, strong and enjoyable practice. All you need is 10 minutes and a yoga mat!

Hi everyone!
Recently I got many enquiries about yoga for children, so I decided to give it a try. We will have a tester class on the 8th of April, Wednesday, right after Easter (time to be confirmed). This class will be 60 min long. I am planning on combining yoga and simple dance sequences to keep it fun and entertaining, and to work on improving children’s posture. We would also focus on other aspects of yoga, such as Pranayama (breathing techniques for stress relieve) and meditation (to improve focus and concentration).
Here are some of the benefits of yoga for children:

– Improves listening skills.
– Eases anxiety and tension.
– Enhances focus, concentration, comprehension and memory.
– Encourages respect for oneself and others.
– Promotes better posture.
– Increases flexibility.
– Reduces stress and teaches techniques which help to manage stress.