Author credit Jennifer Dawson
Photo by Brandon Nickerson from Pexels

Over 50 million Americans experience seasonal allergies every year with a variety of symptoms ranging from itchy eyes to nasal congestion. Even though these allergies are relatively harmless, there’s something to be said for the quality of your day to day existence; discomfort is discomfort. If you’re not keen on medication, there’s another alternative for relief: yoga. You may be familiar with yoga for a variety of things, like improving digestion or increasing your sleep quality. The benefits, however, don’t stop there. The right poses and sequences have the ability to aid many other areas, including providing relief from allergies.

A tempting getaway - four days (13th - 17th April) in an idyllic setting in sunny Morroco with Sine and Aidan,
two enthusiastic and insightful Iyengar yoga teachers with many years of experience and practice.
The venue is a traditional and stylish Moroccan villa with delightful gardens and great views of the nearby Atlas mountains.
Marrakesh airport is only 45 minutes away. There will be an emphasis on the mindfulness aspects of yoga.

Please see http://www.heliotrope-yoga-holidays.com/morocco.html for more details.

Over 40 weekend, and week-long retreats every year for the past 20 years at Burren Yoga Retreat in Ireland all year round. 
www.burrenyoga.com   Exceptional quality yoga and meditation teachers in a stunning location. 
Daily guided outings and amazing vegetarian food.  Tripadvisor award of Excellence part 8 years in a row. 

Click here for a short video about our retreats

Author credit Patricia Moceo

Today, the words yoga or meditation can produce stereotypical images of Buddha, in the lotus position, striking up weird humming noises. In its origin, this is a very small part of the Eastern framework of the primary purpose of yoga/meditation. In fact, these practices serve the purpose of teaching people how to live in communion with everyone and everything around them. Meditation requires surrender and acceptance of what was, what is, and what’s to come. Yoga is a holistic exercise that focuses on connecting the mind and body together in harmony despite seemingly negative resistance.

Author credit James Adams

When you want to stay in good shape in life, then you need to eat well. However, while most of us are more than aware of the link between what we eat and how we feel, we often think of how we feel physically. Did you know, though, that your food could have a huge and positive impact on the way that you feel on a day-to-day basis?

Nothing is going to make you feel happier and healthier than simply tucking into some good old food. So what kind of foods should you be targeting if you want to help improve your mood ion a regular basis? 

What can you start eating if you want to feel a bit better?

Here are some of the best foods that you should definitely be taking into your system if you want to start feeling a bit fitter, healthier and generally happier. If you eat these foods on a regular basis, or foods containing these, you should notice a big improvement in your mood and your general day-to-day approach to life.

Aurhor credit Loida Mckinnon

Today life without the Internet is indiscernible. We have become dependent on the Internet for our daily routine, at home, or at the office or at work internet connection has become a part of our existence. With the proliferation of devices that run on the internet, to get the best router for most people is the need for faster and efficient internet connection has become a necessity than a luxury.

Wireless internet is like electricity at this point — you only notice it exists when it stops working. Then you panic. But you don’t need to! You can fix it yourself with a few, simple tips.

Sometimes you run into an issue with one particular device. It’s probably just a momentary issue. Try turning off the Wi-Fi on your device, then re-enabling it. If that doesn’t work, do the same with your router by unplugging it and then plugging it back in 30 seconds later.

When you are experiencing problems with your internet connection, check your devices or the Wi-Fi router instead of calling the service provider or the cable company. The fault may be at your end, so the easy way is to check things at your end.

Author credit Jacob S

As a discipline, yoga can often pose many challenges, even for veterans. It requires a lot of practice, patience, focus, stamina, and flexibility. For those of you who are interested in getting the most out of their yoga practice, nootropics might be a potential tool in reaching that goal.
Nootropics are a class of drugs and supplements that improve brain health and cognition, and are characterized by a lack of serious side effects. Many nootropics also provide physical benefits to the body, and are therefore popular among weightlifters and scholars alike.
As many of you are doubtlessly aware, yoga is a discipline that requires the full attention of both your mind and body. With that in mind, nootropics start to seem like a great way to help you reach new heights and gain more out of each experience.
Below you will find a list of five nootropics that have the most potential to improve your experiences with yoga.

Author credit Layla Parker

Yoga is not just a simple exercise. More than a fitness routine, this particular regimen improves the mental condition and physical wellness of a person. Yoga isn't extensive; however, the way it gives relief to the body is awe-inspiring. 
It is notable that yoga can make your mind feel calm and sedated. Therefore, it is always associated with better sleep and relaxation. Many practitioners of yoga have already reported improvements in their sleeping habit after engaging in various yoga routines.
The breathing techniques and the bizarre poses that are present in yoga can effectively relieve the stress of the mind and body. It teaches you to strike a perfect balance between your calming and energizing elements so that you can relax better.
If you want to learn more yoga tips for better sleep, then just read on.

Author credit  Matt Foster
Photo by Gary Lopater on Unsplash

While it is far from universal, many of today’s travellers are more enlightened and informed about the environmental impact of air travel. This awareness is now gaining momentum and putting pressure on airports and airlines to make environmentally friendly changes. Individual behaviour is changing too and people can choose greener alternatives within their travel plans.
Although you can’t just focus all the blame on travel, the more we do, the faster we will have a whole way of living which promotes sustainability. We can learn to make choices that will change our consumption of resources.
There are some surprisingly easy ways in which you can make changes that will reduce your environmental impact when flying.

Author credit Jessica Ann
Photo by Form on Unsplash

Lower back pain has become one of the most expensive disorders, in general. As it happens, 80% of Americans are affected by the said condition. And this is why you would always encounter a lot of people who claim to have experienced pain in their lower back.

There can be several causes to lower back pains. It could be from a serious injury or just simply from having a poor posture and position. But regardless of the cause, this condition affects the overall quality of life. It hinders a lot of people from doing their regular activities. And it even affects the day-to-day lifestyle mobility.

So, if you are having this kind of concern right now, using an inversion table might help. But, did you know that there are numerous stretches and routines that you can use to alleviate the symptoms of back pain?

If you are not aware of these stretches and moves, then this is for you. Here are some of the best stretching routines that you can do on a daily basis to relieve lower back pain:

Author credit Helen Bradford
A lot of the times, we get caught up in our day to day hectic lives, working maybe a little too hard and stressing about things that do not matter that much. Sometimes it is essential that we take a moment to make sure that our own basic needs are met. One of the most common answers someone will give you if you ask them whether they have a self-care routine is that they simply do not have time for such things. The truth is that everyone, even the busiest people out there can make time to take care of their soul and overall well being. As a matter of fact, continuously keeping up with a stressful lifestyle might have serious consequences in the long run. Thankfully, here are some important tips that will help you out.

Author credit Daniel Clark

It’s a never-ending debate if women should train like men or not. Everyone has own reasons and justifications for his or her opinions. Generally, training is done for healthy physic and, the motto is going to be the same for both men and women. However, the definition of healthy physic differs from person to person and men to women. How do you define a perfect body of women? Everyone will have a different answer to this. Some would prefer a muscular body like Jennifer Broomfield while others would like a perfectly toned body like Megan Fox.

Author credit Emily Castelino

There was a time when people thought that pregnant women needed complete bed rest but those days are long gone as medical scientists proved that exercise during pregnancy is beneficial for both mother and child. However, it is important to note that strenuous exercise can have a negative impact which is why pregnant women can only indulge in exercises that do not place undue stress on their bodies. The medical community has acknowledged that prenatal yoga is well indicated for pregnant women as studies show that it leads to improvements in labor and birth outcomes.  

Why Prenatal Yoga is the perfect pregnancy exercise

Despite a surprisingly common misconception, yoga is not just something that people for for relaxation. 
In fact, it’s quite the opposite really. While some people find yoga relaxing, a lot of people use it as a means of exercising.

It’s actually a great way to build and to tone your muscles. There is several different types of yoga and a wide variety of poses, all of which are beneficial for different things.
If you want to build up your core, yoga is a great way to go about that. Pilates is another method which you may prefer, but yoga is more popular and more practiced.

Here’s five yoga poses that will help you in getting that rock solid core:

1. Boat Pose

Author credit Jennifer Dawson
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The human self-esteem, which is inherently fragile in nature, often requires special nurturing in order to blossom.  The great Buddha himself once said: “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Without a healthy self esteem we largely lack the initiative required to live our best lives. It also leaves us insecure to the point where we allow our fears to control our lives. By regularly engaging in yoga, it will not only become significantly easier to maintain adequate physical and mental health, but it will also boost your self-esteem in wonderful ways.  Here’s how incorporating yoga into an esteem-boosting lifestyle will see you live an overall happier, more fulfilling life.

Author credit Helen Bradford

It has long been known that our well-being, including our mental health, is influenced by what we eat. Nutritionists generally draw a distinction between fats, carbs and proteins, while yogis classify foods based on how they affect our mind and body. They believe that the foods we eat are a reflection of our conscious development because the food is the creator of a life force they call prana. Yoga suggests a vegetarian diet which encourages love and peace with all beings. If we don’t eat with care and gratitude, then all other aspects of our lives will endure strain. A diet with healthy eating habits is important for yogis and non-yogis alike. Here is a list of some foods which you are encouraged to enjoy and others you should avoid.

Foods to Enjoy

Author credit Bella Hardy

You must have heard people saying, “There is some purpose in pain.” Only a person in pain will know what that means. Back pain, whether it is severe, acute, or continuous numbing pain, makes you feel tired, depressed, and sometimes angry.

Every day when you wake up, you try to feel your back, and you wish that the pain would magically go away. This mental trauma can aggravate your pain, and it starts to get you down.

Sometimes the back pain can be due to sleeping on the wrong side, over-training of some sport or physical exercise. This may cause inflammation of muscles, and you get severe pain in your back. Similarly, there are chronic back pains which are severe, and it makes life difficult.

Author credit Jennifer Dawson
Photo by Antonika Chanel on Unsplash

Have you recently taken a yoga holiday? With estimates of 300,000-460,000 people in the UK  practicing yoga, you are not alone. Like countless yogis before you, a yoga retreat was the ideal experience for you to create space for personal growth, meet like minded individuals from all over the globe, and connect with your inner self in a structured and focused way. The great news is, your yoga holiday doesn’t have to stop at the end of your stay. You can take your yoga holiday home and enjoy the benefits of your retreat any and every day. 

By Susan Perry-Livett

Most of us, especially in busy cities with equally busy lives, feel that they need a serious break sometimes. Some of us would normally say that we need a holiday, but is a holiday enough? Maybe we need more than just a cocktail, a beautiful beach and a good book.

Yoga, meditation, massage and other holistic healing retreats can be just what you need when a holiday is just not enough. Yoga retreats can really create a platform for transformation and self-discovery. Here some fantastic reasons why to take a yoga retreat:

By Susan Perry-Livett

Yoga is all about discovering that much-required awareness of your body in both space and time. When you are first staring out, it can seems quite awkward and thanks ok, you just need to create space for learning and to be patient with yourself as you discover yoga. Here are some things to keep in mind when you are first staring out in yoga:

Listen  to Your Body

A little challenge can be good at times, but yoga is not about pushing yourself. Advancement in asana comes slowly, little by little. Yoga is a practice, not a perfection. Also if you experience a sharp pain while in a pose, stop and tell your teacher about it. Yoga is not supposed to be painful. Mild pleasant pain when stretching is ok, shooting pain is not ok. Don’t push yourself too hard, take it slow, and you won’t injure yourself.