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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Eating Habits are Contagious

Do you wish you made better food choices? Interestingly enough, reading the latest book or scouring the internet is not the best way. Studies show the best way to change the way you eat is to talk to someone who you consider healthy and learn about their daily diet. You are more likely to stick with a new healthy lifestyle if you socially engaged with the person or group you consult. Good thing we offer group nutritional coaching classes at Sana Vita Studio!

Simply, we do not want be to told what to do, but want to be told what others do. Just think about it when you were young and began making choices about your wardrobe.... which one seemed like the better option: wearing what your mom told you was cool or wearing what friends valued as cool? Same difference when it comes to food choices. As soon as we can start making choices about what we eat, we become greatly impacted by the influence of others which we admire and by groups of people we dislike. For example, if you get happy hour cocktails and appetizers every Friday with your favorite co-workers, you probably look forward to it! You may associate happiness with this weekly feasting. On the flip side, if a group you dislike enjoys a certain kind of food, you adjust your tastes so you do not align with whatever they like, because you do not want to be associated with them.

Make a list of your favorite foods or frequented foods...

• Are any of them something your family or friends enjoy? 

• Are any of them well respected by a group of people you aspire to be like or associate with? Maybe from a publication, food source (store or restaurant), people or person you respect...

• Are any new foods (healthy, think chia seeds or or unhealthy, think cronuts...) you enjoy that a friend or family member told you about?

I thought about my favorite foods: baked potatoes, pad thai, cookies, peas, collard greens, raspberries, tuna, tamales and lasagna.

Baked potatoes, tuna, peas, cookies, chef or chopped salads - all family favorites. And i'm constantly finding new ways of preparing all of them on food blogs and from publications. Pad thai, collard greens, tamales - all friend favorites and things we like to eat when we are together. Raspberries - my favorite fruit after I watched a family member incorporate them into her diet. They are low GI, full of antioxidants, and fun to eat. Lasagna - my idol, Garfield's favorite food.

All of my favorite foods neatly fit into a category above... how about yours?

We are socially engaged with food. We should consider the way the internet, specifically social media, impacts the foods we crave. Try following healthy people and blogs that will motivate you, instead of looking pictures of your friend's Sunday night football chicken wing platters. Social media websites like Facebook and Twitter give you the ability to discretely hide or mute posts by friends or family that may be throwing stones at your new healthy lifestyle.

Because healthy (and unhealthy) behavior is contagious try posting new recipes and exercises you have found tried and true that are actually good for you. You could change your love ones lives by being a positive food and fitness source! Posting pictures of Sana Vita Studio or a cute #healthie (like a #selfie... but when you are being engaging in something healthy) keeps you health-positive and motivated and in return may do the same for people that follow you on social media!

Click here to read more about our nutritional coaching services.
Be kind to yourself..follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
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Bring a Friend for Free in March

BRING A *FRIEND FOR FREE DURING THE MONTH OF MARCH! 
Exercising with a friend offers many benefits:
Friends hold each other accountable. Fewer skipped workouts mean you maintain and reach your fitness goals.

You will push yourself further. Working out with a friend pushes you to do the exercise and do it to the best of your ability. You are more willing to try something new. Friends provide the confidence boost to try new classes and enjoy the new experience together. Have your friend REGISTER HERE and select FREE SPRING FRIEND. Get fit and healthy together!

* Free Friend must be a new client to Sana Vita Studio. This offer is not valid with any other deal or a client registered under Class Pass. One class only and valid for Pilates Equipment, Pilates Mat, Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Yamuna Body Rolling.

New Classes - based on your feedback!

Monday's 7:00PM Pilates Mat with Kara
Thursday's 7:30PM Pilates Mat with Annette
Sunday's 7:00PM Candlelight Yin Yoga with Deanna
Sign up today!

Spring is almost here!
Stay motivated with a friend!

Heart Happiness with Yoga

February is American Heart Month.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and increasing knowledge about prevention.  Yoga can be used to improve heart health as a preventive measure. We offer Power Yoga, Yin Yoga, and Pre-Natal Yoga at Sana Vita Studio and for American Heart Month we have a wonderful Special of 3 Yoga Classes for $30!  

Why yoga?

Yoga Helps Beat Stress: When you encounter a stressful situation, the brain releases adrenaline into your system to help you either fight or flee the threat. This causes your heart to beat faster and your blood pressure increases.  While this response can help you protect yourself when facing a threat, living in a constant state of stress may wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, people who are prone to stress have a higher risk for heart disease than their calmer counterparts.“What we want is a nervous system that reacts to stressful situations when they happen, but then shifts back to relaxation,” Yoga may help by dampening your body’s reaction to stress. 

Yoga reduces inflammation:  Learning to relax through yoga may help decrease stress-related inflammation. A 2010 study published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine showed that when individuals who practiced yoga regularly were exposed to a stressor, they had less of a blood compound linked to inflammation than novice practitioners.

Yoga may lower blood pressure:  According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, long-term high blood pressure can weaken your heart and damage blood vessel walls, causing plaque to build up and potentially narrow or block arteries. This is a leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

While poor diet and lack of exercise are major risk factors, “we know there’s an element of stress involved in high blood pressure,” says McCall. A 2012 review published in the journal Holistic Nursing Practice suggests that yoga practice may be an effective treatment for high blood pressure because of its ability to decrease the body’s response to stress.

Yoga promotes physical activity:  People who are physically inactive are twice as likely to be at risk for heart disease as those who do exercise, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Yoga improves strength and flexibility, which contributes to cardiovascular health. 

Thinking prevention? As part of an overall healthy lifestyle, yoga can help lower blood pressure, increase lung capacity, improve respiratory function and heart rate, and boost circulation and muscle tone. It can also improve your overall well-being while offering strength-building benefits.  You may see benefits right away. After your first yoga class, your blood pressure will likely be lower, you’ll be relaxed and you’ll feel better!

Enjoy yoga at Sana Vita Studio with our February Special of 3 Yoga Classes for $30!
SIGN UP now and your heart will thank you for it!


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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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Boost Your Health with Gratitude

During the Holidays many people take time to be give thanks for all the good things in their life. Research shows that if you can maintain a state a gratitude throughout the rest of the year you will be rewarded with better health. Just a shift towards a positive attitude can have a dramatic effect on your overall well being. "Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors like regular exercise, a healthy diet, regular physical examinations," says University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons.

Be Grateful this Holiday season for all of the things you do have and can achieve. Let Sana Vita Studio guide you to gratitude and health with our nutritional coaching and exercise programs.

Along with a healthy diet and regular exercise, following small steps can make a big difference in the way you experience your life:
 
    1.    Write down 10 things for which you are grateful.
    2.    Reach out to one person who has made a difference in my life and tell them (verbally, in a card, an email or even social media).
    3.    Write a handwritten card to someone I love and tell them how much they mean to me.
    4.    Do one random act of kindness that I would be grateful for if someone did the same in return for me.
    5.    Write down one thing for which I am ungrateful and then write at least one thing that it has taught me and/or about which I am grateful. With this awareness, whenever the ungrateful energy starts to seep in about this one thing, I can focus on shifting to an Attitude of Gratitude.

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Keep Calm & Eat Less Sugar During Holidays

The Holiday Season is upon us. A wonderful time to enjoy our family, buying presents, and engaging in holiday merriment. One thing that is synonymous with the holidays is baked goods, sweets, and candies. It’s no wonder that a lot of us, even those of us who lead an incredibly healthy lifestyle, end up loading up on sugar much more than we usually do. You won’t fall ill from one holiday indulgence, of course, but the problem is that sugar has addictive properties—and what begins as an innocent treat can easily morph into a daily sugar fix. When you eat a sugary food, a flood of dopamine is released in your brain. That dopamine creates an increased sugar tolerance, requiring you to eat more to get that same feeling of pleasure.

Most of us know that consuming too much sugar regularly is directly linked to diseases like obesity and diabetes. But what you may not know is that it’s also been linked to cancer, and even degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Being mindful this holiday season can carry over into a lifetime of great choices for your over all health.

Our Nutritionist Kelli Bonomo offers these 5 tips to help keep yourself on track, maximize your Nutrition and avoid the Holiday Fat Trap:

1. ) Always keep your Blood Sugar Stable: Three ways to keep your blood sugar stable: Keep meal   intervals to every 3-4 hours, implement the correct portions and watch the ratios of protein, carbs and fats.

2.) When you have a holiday party, dinner or event, keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day. This is the key to preventing weight gain.

3.) If you are going to indulge in the holiday feast, be sure that you get back on track 3 hours later by eating a balance of protein and fat to help lower your blood sugar and prevent weight gain.

4.) When having a cocktail, glass of wine, or a beer, always remove any complex or starchy carbohydrates from the meal, your body has the potential to store alcohol as fat.

5.) Water helps your liver metabolize fat... hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, especially if you have fallen off plan. Flush that body with water to move out all the extra sodium, sugar and alcohol!

Want to keep your nutrition in check into the New Year? Coming in January, Nutritionist Kelli Bonomo will be offering a program "LOOK GREAT IN 8, DITCH THE SCALE" a coaching program that will include:

* 8 week Nutritional coaching series: Includes 3 phases: Detox, Ignite and Thrive
* 1-hour coaching event every Wednesday evening for 8 weeks (time TBA)
* 2 week supply of CORE Meal replacement shakes
* 3 months FREE Access to Online Nutritional Software, includes meal plans, recipe and additional      tools at the THRIVE phase of coaching
* Before and After measurements, weight, body fat and pictures
* More information coming soon!!

CLICK HERE 

For information about the Nutritional Coaching available at Sana Vita Studio 

CLICK HERE 

For information about our studio

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