6 Compelling Reasons to Meditate

Meditation: Why it is good for your Mental and Physical Health

Meditation is the art of focusing 100% of your attention in one area. In the area of mindfulness meditation we're starting to get a better understanding of why it seems to be beneficial for so many aspects of life, from disease and pain management, to sleep, to control of emotions. What is Mindfulness exactly, as described by Perspectives on Psychological Science Study mindfulness is a "the nonjudgmental awareness of experiences in the present moment"

Here are 6 compelling reasons to begin a meditation practice:

• IT LOWERS STRESS - LITERALLY - Research published in the journal of Health Psychology shows that mindfulness is not only associated with feeling less stressed, its also linked with decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
• IT CHANGES THE BRAIN IN A PROTECTIVE WAY - University of Oregon researchers found that integrative body-mind training -- which is a meditation technique -- can actually result in brain changes that may be protective against mental illness. The meditation practice was linked with increased signaling connections in the brain, something called axonal density, as well as increased protective tissue (myelin) around the axons in the anterior cingulate brain region.
• IT MAKES MUSIC SOUND BETTER -  Mindfulness meditation improves our focused engagement in music, helping us to truly enjoy and experience what we're listening to, according to a study in the journal Psychology of Music. 
• IT SUPPORTS YOUR WEIGHT-LOSS GOALS - Trying to shed a few pounds to get to a healthier weight? Mindfulness could be your best friend, according to a survey of psychologists conducted by Consumer Reports and the American Psychological Association. Mindfulness training was considered an "excellent" or "good" strategy for weight loss by seven out of 10 psychologists in the survey. 
• IT HELPS US EVEN WHEN WE'RE NOT ACTIVELY PRACTICING IT - You don't have to actually be meditating for it to still benefit your brain's emotional processing. That's the finding of a study in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, which shows that the amygdala brain region's response to emotional stimuli is changed by meditation, and this effect occurs even when a person isn't actively meditating.
• IT MAKES YOU A BETTER PERSON - Sure, we love all the things meditation does for us. But it could also benefit people we interact with, by making us more compassionate, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science. Researchers from Northeastern and Harvard universities found that meditation is linked with more virtuous, "do-good" behavior.

Interested in starting a meditation practice?  Be realistic in your expectations. Training or taming the mind is a skill to develop over a lifetime. Sure, there are some immediate benefits to be found, but some take longer than others. If expectations are too high then you may well feel disappointed and demotivated at some stage. So just take one day at a time. 
A wonderful method to try is simply breathing! Breathing Meditation: This technique takes those pre-yoga class "Oms" to the next level. Also called yogic breathing or Pranayama, this meditation style is all about controlling the inhales and exhales. Greatist Expert Dr. Jeffrey Rubin explains, "Longer exhales tend to be calming, while longer inhales are energizing. For meditative purposes either the ratio of exhale to inhale is even or the exhale is longer than the inhale for a calming effect."

Interested in exploring meditation a bit more, come try Candlelight Yin Yoga Sunday evenings 7:00PM-8:30PM at Sana Vita Studio.  This meditative style of yoga holds postures for longer lengths of time, increasing flexibility, melting away tension, decreasing feelings of stress and anxiety, and increasing a sense of calmness and peacefulness. CLICK HERE for more information of to sign up!

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How to Make Your Resolutions Permanent

At the beginning of ever year statistically nearly 50% of all Americans make New Years Resolutions. Some of the resolutions that make the top ten list every year are losing weight, staying fit and healthy, and enjoying life to the fullest. Maintaining integrity towards reaching these goals tends to fade as the weeks and months pass into the new year. How does one stay on track with their goals? James Clear an entrepreneur, writer, and weight lifter who thinks a lot about goals, habits, and success, has a much better approach to achieving almost any goal--and it's an approach anyone can use. The idea is changing your perspective and focusing on the process not the goal.

Goals reduce your current happiness. When you're working toward a goal, you're essentially saying, "I'm not good enough yet... but I will be when I reach my goal." The problem with this mindset is that you're teaching yourself to always put off happiness and success until the next milestone is achieved. "Once I reach my goal, I'll be happy. Once I achieve my goal, I'll be successful."

Solution: Commit to a process, not a goal. Choosing a goal puts a huge burden on your shoulders. Can you imagine if you had made it your goal to write two books this year? One would become stressed even thinking about writing a word! We do this to ourselves all the time. We put unnecessary stress on ourselves to lose weight or to succeed in business or to write a best-selling novel. Instead, keep things simple and reduce stress by focusing on the daily process and sticking to your schedule instead of worrying about big, life-changing goals. When you focus on the practice instead of the performance, you can enjoy the present moment and improve at the same time.

At Sana Vita Studio, we share the belief that it is imperative to focus on the practice and we want to help you achieve your goal of improved health and enjoying life to the fullest. Sana Vita Studio's mission is to help you improve your relationship with your body through Yoga, Pilates and Yamuna Body Rolling training by giving you a powerful long term plan to optimize your health and fitness.

There is a progression that we teach that offers tremendous results. Together we can create an optimal plan for you to stay motivated and engaged for the long haul. The key to long-term success is having a well laid out plan to optimize your health. Focus on the process and the results will follow.

We have a full schedule of wonderful classes to make 2015 your best year yet! Also, until the end of January we are offering 1 Private Sessions for $55 to new and existing clients!

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Autumn Stress Management

Stress. It is a factor in our daily routines and as we transition away from the warmth and ease of summer into autumn we are faced with shorter days and colder weather that will effect our moods and our overall health.  Included in the suggestions from The National Institutes of Mental Health to combat stress is engaging in exercise and creating time for yourself.  Pilates, Yoga, and Yamuna  classes are mind-body based exercises that create a connection where you can learn to use your thoughts to positively influence some of your body’s physical responses, thereby decreasing stress.  NIMH suggested these 8 ideas to reduce stress in your life:

Speak Up: Communicate that you are setting boundaries, prioritizing and saying “no” when you need to. By taking these steps, you can prevent yourself from being pulled in different directions. Focus on the highest priority, and limit activities to minimize being overwhelmed.

Create Time-Out Space: Carve out time for yourself. This will allow you to take yourself off the grid. Set aside a regular time to do something you enjoy, without interruptions or distractions. Plan to spend at least one hour each day on your time-out; you’ll be surprised at how energized you feel.

Exercise: This is a tremendous stress buster. Whether it is ten minutes or 30 minutes, moving your body will create a sense of well-being, and give you more energy. Exercise also increases the production of feel good endomorphins, self-confidence, and can aid in improving your sleep.

Talk Don’t Text: Have traditional conversations with friends and family members, sharing what is going on in your life or what may create emotional distress. Though the digital age has benefits, texting is not the same as talking it out with friends, family and other members of your support team.

Gratitude Affects Attitude: Reflect on the positive and think of the things you can express gratitude for. We often feel put upon and may neglect to be grateful,—remember there is something in everyone’s world that can be a challenge.

Adjust Eating Habits: Make wise food choices. Add fruits and vegetables to your diet along with whole grains, nuts and legumes. Reduce the number of fried and/or high fat foods. By making a few adjustments to choose wholesome foods, you can minimize self-induced stress about what you are eating.

Stay Hydrated: All of the organs in the body need water to work at optimal levels and if water consumption is lower than it should be, this will put stress on body organs. When faced with routine stress, low water consumption and poor hydration can magnify the situation. Drinking an extra glass or two of water is an easy fix.

Get Enough Sleep: I talked about sleep deprivation just a month or so ago. Getting enough sleep is essential and beneficial to the body’s organs. Ample sleep will reduce the stress hormones in the bloodstream. Long term higher levels of stress hormones are not good for the heart and can elevate blood pressure.

Join us at Sana Vita for a stress free transition into the autumn months ahead. This month we are featuring a sweepstakes:

Win 2 passes for a ‪Free‬ ‪‎Yamuna Body Rolling Class for you and a friend!

Perfect for every level, whether you're a beginner or just want to know more. Limit one entry per email address per day. Enter each day to increase your chances of winning.

Sweepstakes begins Oct. 1st and ends Oct. 15th.

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