by mcaines@gmail.com | Mar 26, 2018 | Healthy Living, Off the Mat
I know when I’m coming down with something: my head aches and I’m tired, not like “Oh I shouldn’t have stayed up so late to watch that last episode tired” but “what demon has stolen all my life juice and left me feeling like a sack of crap” tired. Luckily, colds and flus usually don’t linger for me because the second I begin to feel under the weather I start in on the list below – it usually just takes a day or two for me to start feeling like myself again.
Here are my tricks:
1. Get the garlic into ya! Peel it and pop it. Into your mouth. RAWWWW. It’ll burn like a MOFO but chase it with some water and you’ll be fine.
2. Plug in your blender or juicer! Make yourself an immune boosting concoction of beets, greens, carrots, ginger, and anything else in your fridge that’s crunchy and colorful.
3. Rest! Skip the Vinyasa and chill. Try on a few Restorative Postures or enjoy the healing affects of Yoga Nidra. I’ve learned that “sucking it up” and just pushing through will only lead to a prolonged period of feeling like garbage. Don’t be a hero: give yourself a couple of days to rest and recover and it’ll make all the difference.
4. Break out the essential oils! Try YogaTherapy NL’s Immune Booster (a delicious blend of oils like Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, and Peppermint) to ward off the ickies. Inhale the scent with some soothing deep breaths or massage a few drops into the soles of your feet before bed.
5. Brew a turmeric latte! Turmeric can help with inflammation so I try and add it in wherever I can. To make yourself a 
Golden Drink combine a mug full of water or milk (or half and half), a teaspoon of coconut oil, a teaspoon of turmeric, half teaspoon of cinnamon, and some black pepper (turmeric is more easily absorbed by the body when combined with pepper). Heat in a saucepan over the stove until it’s good and hot – add in a little honey or maple syrup to taste. I like to transfer the potion to a blender to get a nice smooth mixture but you can always pour into a mug right away (just be sure to stir constantly with a spoon as you sip so all of the magical powders don’t settle to the bottom).
Here’s to staying healthy and well!
-melanie-
xo
by mcaines@gmail.com | Mar 19, 2018 | Uncategorized
As the weather warms and the light brightens there’s a real shift in how we feel, right? There’s that desire to peel away the layers of the former, cooler months and to shake off what feels old, heavy, stale, and stagnant. So how can we cleanse ourselves of all the mental & physical crap that can accumulate?
1. Morning Detox: treat yourself to a cup of warm water & the juice of half a lemon every morning. It’s a great way to cleanse the liver (and who doesn’t need that?!)
2. Twist it out: get on your yoga mat and indulge in some juicy Twists. Twist help to wring out the internal organs and stimulate the digestion process. It’s a great way to make some space in there! (Check out my Spring Cleaning: Let’s Twist! practice HERE)
3. Throw it out: consider your surroundings and notice what is collecting dust and taking up space. Not using it? Toss it. You’ll feel better about living and working in a room that’s clean.
4. Clear the mental clutter: a friend of mine says that meditating is like taking a shower for your mind. There’s a lot going on up there, and sometimes it needs a good scrub. Consider this intention: “let go of what pains you and embrace what sustains you” or “everything positive in, everything negative out.” Sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes, and with every exhale let go of any negativity, stress, or tension that you are tired of carrying around with you.
And voila – enjoy your brand new, squeaky clean self!
I’m curious: what are you favorite ways to shrug off winter and welcome spring?
-melanie-
xo
by mcaines@gmail.com | Mar 8, 2018 | Healthy Living, Off the Mat, Travel
I was supposed to wrote a blog post but I took a nap instead.
It was delicious. It was glorious. It was exactly what I needed . . . but it didn’t come easily.
I’ve just returned from a brilliant trip that involved taking a vacay and leading a yoga retreat in Costa Rica. I had a great time and felt so nourished and relaxed and fulfilled during the trip. But now I’m back and I am tired (like, “do I have a tropical disease or am I just really tired?” tired). And my supportive inner cheerleader is saying “Your trip was great! You’re completely refreshed! You shouldn’t be feel this way! You’ve got this!”)
But let’s be real: the act of travel is f*cking exhausting (I may have tried to squeeze in too much on the journey home with 3 cities, 4 flights, and a day-long yoga teacher training course. Lesson learned).
So I hopped off the plane and into the yoga studio to teach a room full of students I was delighted to see, followed by unpacking, and laundry, and bills, and emails, and real life. A few days later and I’m still feeling worn out. I was chatting with a couple of my fellow Nova Yoga teachers about it, saying how I just wanted to LIE DOWN between classes. It kinda went like this:
“Have a nap.”
“I can’t . . . I have a blog post to write.”
“The post can wait – if you’re tired, rest.”
“Ok.”
And off to Napland I went. But why couldn’t I get there on my own? Why did I have to wait for someone else to grant me permission to take care of myself?
I’m really good at treating myself in certain ways: eat that cake, buy those boots, take that trip. Done, done, and done. Take me out of my home base and I’m ready to chill, hard. But when I’m home and faced with the responsibility of owning and running a business I really struggle with resting and taking time off without feeling guilty about it. I know I take on a lot: it’s my workaholic nature but I also love what I do and have so many ideas I want to act on and projects I want to start (cue inner cheerleader: YOU CAN DO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING!)
So here’s my work: I know that I’m really good at getting shit done and I wouldn’t trade that for anything – my determination and work ethic has served me well and has allowed me to create a rockin’ business and life that I love. But I DO need to get better at giving myself permission to chill, do nothing for an hour, or take an afternoon to rest if I need (even though the to-do list might be 108 pages long) SANS GUILT. We all know that self-care makes us better humans, right? Everyone benefits when we take time to take care.
So here’s to giving ourselves permission to be human: eat the cake, book the massage, take the nap, and don’t think twice about it.
-melanie-
xo
