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This coronavirus epidemic has destroyed our sense of normalcy. It’s turned our worlds upside down, leaving us feeling scattered and out of sorts. Everything that was familiar and routine is gone. We’re finding ourselves having to make adjustments to our lives, to make room for this new (hopefully temporary, but real) normal. It can sound counterintuitive, but developing a daily routine can help us to feel a sense of control and help us to make room for our more-important-than-ever self-care. Routines create predictability and reduce our stress level. But what if reclaiming your previous self-care routine isn’t possible given these new circumstances? Or what if you never had much of a daily rhythm before, but feel desperate for the stability of one now? Where do you start? You start small. That’s where. Use the behavior change strategy of Kaizen or 1% improvement over time. “Kaizen” is a Japanese term that refers to small, continuous improvement.It’s about making 1% improvements every day. So, let’s say you’re someone who staying up past midnight every night lately. You want to go to bed earlier so you have energy for the next day. Instead of forcing yourself to go to bed at 10pm tonight, you go to bed five minutes earlier. Five minutes is your 1%. If you go to bed five minutes earlier everyday, it will take you at least 24 days to be in bed by 10pm. This is kaizen. At first, it feels like there is no improvement. (You might think: 11:55pm is barely earlier than midnight! I’m desperate for some change now!) It takes some time for each day of 1% change to accumulate. Once these small improvements do build up though, you’ll begin to see and feel the effects of your gradual shift. With gradual change and continuous improvements, our nervous systems slowly adjust to our new ways of being - allowing our new habits to stick. Which is really what we need. Better habits now to reduce our stress and better habits that last beyond this crisis, so we remain healthy in body and mind. Cate Stillman writes this in her book Body Thrive: “The problem with kaizen, for most of us, is that it seems too easy. When you get inspired to change or upgrade a habit, you want big returns. You bite off more than you can chew, which guarantees you’ll fail. The kaizen approach makes the bite small enough that you hardly notice as it nudges you in the direction you want to go.” This is what I teach in the Vibrant Life Program.A daily self-care routine that brings balance to the body and mind, that promotes vitality and longevity - so you can cope better right now and stay healthy in the future. And we do it one step at a time. 1% at a time. For lasting change that doesn’t add more stress to the nervous system. Because that’s the last thing we need right now. Won’t you join us? Learn 10 essential habits to thrive. Starting April 20.  Lael Peterson is a life coach and Certified Yoga Health Coach with over 20 years experience helping people thrive. She specializes in teaching people the habits and mindset they need to accomplish their goals. Her own life experiences with anxiety, addiction, and cancer combined with her professional expertise make her coaching relatable, practical and powerful. Lael is a member at Home Hot Yoga and believes that a regular hatha yoga practice is an essential component in a vibrant life! The Vibrant Life Program is a mini (coed) version of her popular 6 month program for women, Vibrant Body + Wise Mind.
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Our new identity...What with all that has been going on, Orlo and I have had some extra time to think these past couple weeks. We've been reflecting on our business and where it's going next. It comes down to this: We always try to be the trailblazers. And the more we think about this whole "hot yoga" racket -- honestly? We actually think it's kind of a fad. The reality is, everyone else is doing hot yoga now, almost like it's tried and true. But that's just not how we roll. We DO really like things that are hot, though. Bikram Yoga? Well, it's hot. So that's good. But otherwise, it's just way too intense for a lot of people to stomach. And we're a bit tired of all the stretching and sweating and looking in the mirror and what have you. Watch this video for the whole scoop:So there you have it. Because of the global pandemic, we were going to have to up our cleaning game anyway upon re-opening... so we figured we'd make the most of it and just turn the whole place into a kitchen! Hot Yogurt is:
We know this change may come as a shock to some of you, and we thank you for your loyalty and understanding. No need to cancel your membership, as we will be crediting your March dues toward a full month's supply of Hot Yogurt!! Please feel free to email us with any questions, once you've had some time to digest the news. Scroll down for the REALLY BIG announcement...🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 Keep scrolling 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 Keep scrolling 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 🥛 🔥 APRIL FOOLS!!!!Super Simple Seriously Scrumptious Saucy Sassy Soup. Sheesh!
I make my own chicken stock (recipe HERE) but your favorite store-bought stock will work too. If you don’t have an immersion blender, a standard blender will work too but can be a pain (and extra dishes, yuck.)
Hydration doesn't end with water!Bone (or boneless) broth is a delish way to stuff a bunch of veggie goodness into your body- without even having to chew.
Any time we get a rotisserie chicken from the store (organic of course) I save the bones (all of 'em) in a bag in the freezer for future use in stock. You can also purchase beef, and turkey bones frozen from most stores. If you are making vegetarian stock, just skip the bones, it’ll still be scrumptious!
You can also use this stock to make a ridiculously easy Cauliflower Soup. The order issued by Governor Brown on March 23 is called "Stay Home, Save Lives"Which is almost kinda funny because... it's exactly what we do here! (Just not in quite the way she means.) Well: until now.
This order means a few important things for Home. In a nutshell:
Most importantly, keep doing your yoga. And if it's been a minute? Get back on your mat today. You know it will make you feel better, and taking care of yourself is hugely important right now. As for re-opening (aka Home-coming!!) we're taking it 1 week at a time, so stay tuned for updates. And cross your (well-washed) fingers for all of us! We'll see you on your screen soon- and at Home before you know it. A special guest post from nutritional therapy practitioner and fellow yoga student, Amber.
*Please note: none of these comments have been approved by the FDA/CDC/WHO. They are my professional recommendation to help boost the immune system and are not meant as a cure. While the virus may not be deadly to you, it may be deadly to others. Please abide by the quarantine as recommended by the CDC and WHO to help prevent the spread of this disease to our loved ones with conditions that put them at risk. Also, please check with your doctor or myself if you are on any prescription medications as they may interact with the supplements above. Thank you! Wash your hands frequently, don’t touch your face, use products with at least 60% alcohol to disinfect and try to breathe! Take this time to unplug (after you read this of course ☺) and spend some quality time with your immediate family. Enjoy the time away from having to schedule every second of every day and run from one event to another. Just breathe, everything else is optional. I am available if you have any questions. My preferred way to reach out initially is through text message and from there we can set up a time to chat over the phone. Sending all the love and good vibes to you and your family and everyone affected by this virus, Amber Swanson, FNTP 503.789.7108 | amberhntp@gmail.com CascadeNutritionalTherapy.com Because of the various closures currently and the incubation period of the virus, we hope that by closing now for at least 2 weeks, we can help “flatten the curve,” and protect our community. Orlo and I have prided ourselves over the years that we “never close on purpose.” We have been open in blizzards, ice storms and heat waves. We have held classes with no electricity. We know that Bikram Yoga is saving peoples' lives every day. It saved mine. Maybe it saved yours too. That's why we wanted to remain open as long as possible during this crisis. We (and by we I mean our awesome staff and karma homies!) have been hardcore cleaning the heck out of everything and taking many extra precautions around the studio, such as switching to verbal check-in and putting wipes all over the place. We've done our best, but it ain't enough. When I face a difficult decision for the business, I look to Home’s core values of Inclusivity, Courage, Hospitality and Integrity. To remain open at this time would not be Inclusive of our community members who are more vulnerable to the serious effects of COVID-19, or who care for others who are vulnerable. To close requires a ton of Courage for us because, as a small business closing, even temporarily, will put great strain on our family as well as our staff who rely on us for income. It is scary to close, and being courageous means we will do it anyway. We will soon run out of the supplies we need for disinfecting. If we remained open, our Hospitality would soon be compromised by the inability to provide a safe environment for you. We want Home to be here for you, in all its sparkling clean and welcoming glory when this all blows over. Finally, closing our doors (for now) is an act of Integrity. We have always strived to be the kind of leaders who do the right thing, even when it’s hard. (And this is hard!) It is the hardest decision since that one time we found out we were pregnant and then decided to build a hot yoga studio from scratch with $0 to our name.Like that one, this one is right. Just because the studio will be closed does not mean you need to stop doing yoga and feeling good. Bikram Yoga can be practiced safely at home (the one you sleep at) even without the heat. It ain't the same- but it is sure better than nothing! In fact, this study found improved vascular health from performing the Bikram Yoga sequence of postures regardless of room temperature. We know you want to keep being a strong, pain-free and level-headed person with a robust immune system, especially now. That's why we've been busily collecting audio recordings of your favorite teachers and plugging them onto our YouTube channel where you (if you are a current or former student of Home) will be able to access them on demand. You may be wondering about your current yoga pass. Check out our Closure FAQ here or email us if the FAQ doesn't have the answer. Thank you for your patience as it may take us longer to reply. Many of you have reached out to express your support, and we are so grateful. Many of you have thanked us for remaining open until now, and we are grateful to you too! We are humbled that you put your trust in us, and we plan to continue deserving it. For now we’ll be doing our darndest to help you keep accessing the yoga, support and connection you need to continue loving your life during this unusual time. With love and gratitude, Kay Dover Studio Owner
At Home we believe that preventative medicine is the way to go: if you can reduce your risk of disease, then you won't have to deal with treating yourself for a bunch of disease! And Bikram Yoga is some serious preventative medicine. (Of course this amazing system we teach is also highly effective for healing injuries or chronic pain, but that’s another blog post.) Today I want to talk about Bikram Yoga and the immune system. Because honestly, our most valuable personal asset in fighting the Coronavirus (or any virus) is: the human immune system. Here are 5 ways your Bikram Yoga practice supports your immune system function: 1. Improved stress responseWhen a person is stressed out, it inhibits their body’s ability to fight stuff off. (That’s why your stressball neighbor is always getting sick.) And it’s not the stressors that are the problem- it’s the body’s stress response that makes an impact! For one thing, cortisol is one of the main hormones released as part of the stress response. Evolution-wise, cortisol’s job is to give you a burst of energy in order to fight off an immediate threat. If there is actually an immediate threat (like a tiger, rawrr) that’s very helpful. But if the stressor is something constant, like pressure from your job or the collection agency that keeps on calling, your cortisol levels remain elevated, which increases inflammation. Being continually stressed out also decreases the body’s lymphocytes. Those are the white blood cells whose job is to fight off infection. The fewer lymphocytes you’re working with, the more at risk you are for viruses. Good news is - while it’s unlikely you’ll ever remove all stressors from your life (plus that would be kind of boring) - you have a ton of control when it comes to how you perceive those stressors and therefore how your body responds to them. Bikram Yoga helps improve your stress response by making sure you regularly practice tools for coping with stress (such as calm breathing through the nose) in a stressful environment (standing on one leg in your underwear in a heated room, looking at yourself in your mirror.) And the more you practice, the better you get. 2. Gets you moving3. Keeps ya hydratedThere really are few experiences that will make you appreciate water more than a nice hot Bikram Yoga class. Which is awesome, because your body needs water for all its systems to do their thing! Did you know that water makes up about 80% of your blood? Without sufficient water, your kidneys can not adequately flush toxins, waste, and bacteria from the body. Water also makes up 95% of lymphatic fluid (full of those helpful lymphocytes who fight off “invaders” like viruses! 4. Makes you crave the good foodMaybe it’s just me, but after a juicy class I want salad and a smoothie way more than I want deep fried fish sticks. Proper nutrition (including a variety of fruits and vegetables) is key for good immune function. Both overnourished (obese) and undernourished people tend to get sick more often than those who eat a balanced diet. 5. Anti-microbial sweat!When you sweat, your skin produces natural antibiotics such as dermcidin. These antibiotics are more effective in the long term than lab-made ones, because germs are not capable of quickly developing resistance to them. Dermcidin is capable of fighting off both bacteria and fungi, and has been shown to triumph over dangerous bugs like tuberculosis and staphylococcus- which are difficult to treat because they are resistant to conventional antibiotics. So maybe we should be slathering ourselves in sweat, instead of Purell? The Coronavirus situation is changing daily, and it's a good idea to stay updated. (Be careful where you get your news though!)
Here is a comparison between the current Coronavirus and the flu, to help you put things into perspective. In the meantime, something we definitely know about this virus, as well as the flu and the common cold is that having a strong and healthy immune system can only help you! So for protection: wash your hands a lot, and practice using your "Germ Pocket." To maintain a robust immune system, keep doing your Bikram Yoga practice. Click the link below to book your next class. (And if you haven't started yet, grab your intro pass here!) The sit-up. It's not officially a yoga pose, but more of a transition move to get you from savasana to your next posture. Official yoga pose or not, correct sit-up technique can make a big difference, especially if you have back pain (or if you want to have amazingly strong abs!) From savasana:
Try it in class today. Book your next class!Booking online is a convenient way to plan in your you-time. It also helps us know to save a spot for you! Check out these quick tutorials we made on how to do it. How to book from your computer:How to book/ cancel using the Mindbody app:When you book online we'll hold your spot until the class start time, so even if you book online plan to arrive 10-15 minutes early. If you have not signed in at the desk by the class start time, we will release your spot to a standby student.
If you can't make it to a class you have booked, please use the Mindbody app or your online account to cancel yourself out of the class asap. This link goes directly to your personal schedule. Thank you so much for helping us keep things running smoothly during sign-in desk for all students! See you at Home. |
AuthorBoss lady, yoga-doer and life-lover, Kay D. 
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7025 N. Lombard Street, #200, Portland, OR 97203
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