Weekend Design & Wellness Project
Photo by: Luke Stackpoole @withluke
DESIGN YOUR LIFE
3 Steps to Designing Your Life
Self
Personal Relationships
Professional Goals
SELF: List 3 things you are most grateful for in your life. Next, list 3 things you truly like about yourself.
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: List 3 friends that have supported you when you succeeded and when you’ve failed. List 3 people (family or friends) where you feel like you’re walking on eggshells when talking to them. Put a check mark next to the people that you feel add true value to your life.
PROFESSIONAL GOALS: List 3 careers or industries that interest you. Are you currently working within any of them? What activity or work would get you out of bed in the morning feeling like your full happy self?
WELLNESS ACTIVITY: A Balancing Act
Choose a focal point, stand firm in your left leg and lift the right leg to a height that you’re comfortable with (hovering the lifted foot just above the floor is a great way to get started finding your balance. You can hold on to a wall or counter at first, but the goal here is to balance on one leg without holding on to anything).
Count to 20 while taking slow deep breaths.
Switch legs and count to 20 while taking slow, deep breaths. Notice the differences from one side to the other.
*This balancing activity is especially beneficial for mature people as balance issues are a cause of most falls resulting in broken bones. It’s okay if it takes a while to let go of a support. This can be practiced multiple times a day.
Hot Yoga
Types of Hot Yoga
AND THE BEST HOT YOGA MAT
BENEFITS OF HOT YOGA: relieve stress, detoxify, stretches and tones the body, increases flexibility, eases joint and back pain, arthritis, knee injuries, lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels…
BEST HOT YOGA MAT: JUTE PREMIUM ECO YOGA MAT by Maji Sports (pronounced MAA-HE meaning water, in Swahili) is made of 100% raw materials from ECO friendly natural jute fibers, its durable and lightweight with a textured surface or superior grip. This mat comes in two sizes; 24”x68”x4.5 mm thick and 24”x72”x5 mm thick.
I’ve had this mat for about eight years and used it for Bikram and other hot yoga classes regularly and the mat looks and feels like it did when it was first purchased. The grip on the surface is fully intact and does not need a towel to be placed on top for hot yoga. I have never used a towel on this mat nor have I ever slipped.
HOT YOGA: BIKRAM YOGA | HOT VINYASA FLOW
BIKRAM YOGA: 26 posture sequence, 24 asanas (steady held position i.e, a twist ) and 1 pranayama (breathing exercise) repeated two times at 105 degrees with 40% humidity. Only shorts, tank tops, sports bras and bathing suits are admitted attire. Every Bikram class around the world has the exact same sequence with a military-like format with a script for instructors’ commands of each posture. There is absolutely no music or talking. If someone feels lightheaded or cannot continue the class, it is strongly suggested that they lie down on their mat rather than leave the room. The temperature change from the hot studio to the main area could cause a yogi to pass out. Bikram is the best choice for anyone that wants to track their progress through their practice. It is also great for those with tight legs that cannot touch their toes. The heat allows for flexibility to be achieved in a short amount of time.
Here is my friendly advice: First, I recommend Bikram yoga because it provides a foundation for all other yoga classes through the military-like fashion for the precision of postures and more importantly, for safety. Second, when the instructor yells, “Last chance, lock your knees, lock your knees, LOCK YOUR KNEES,” if you’re in a position like the forward fold, locking your knees could induce nausea. Lastly, it’s hot and gets real smelly so bring your patience and stay focused on the instructor’s voice to make it through the first class.
HOT VINYASA FLOW: Vinyasa flow is a form of power yoga and changes as per each instructor’s choreography. The flow consists of standing, sitting and twisting postures with the temperature ranging from 90 to 108 degrees. A vinyasa flow class comes with a more relaxed environment where chatting is more tolerated and you will most likely experience the scent of palo santo, or an essential oil concoction. This type of yoga is usually accompanied by calming “buddha lounge” or spa music. Core Power Yoga is an example of a country-wide studio practicing Hot Vinyasa Flow.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF BIKRAM: Bikram Yoga, the original “hot yoga,” which originated from Bishnu Charan Ghosh called the Ghosh Lineage. Bishnu Ghosh was Bikram Choudhury’s teacher in India. In the Ghosh Lineage, there is a second level with 84 postures. Bishnu Ghosh is also the younger brother of Paramahansa Yogananda (Self-Realization Fellowship). When Bikram Choudhury moved to the United States, he repackaged the Ghosh Lineage as Bikram Yoga. Bikram Choudhury has since returned to India, fleeing from lawsuits and controversy for his behavior and ethics within his studio.
As for the Bikram studios around the world, they are not franchised so they have the freedom to change their names to separate their studios from the Bikram brand and use the name 26-2 to refer to the Bikram style of hot yoga. These independent Bikram teachers and studios may also offer infusion style hot yoga such as; Hot Vinyasa Flow or Ashtanga. It’s important to know the differences of these styles of yoga and their direct health benefits.
Please consult a physician before attempting any type of new exercise. There are positive and negative side effect to everything. Listen to your intuition when it comes to your heath and always ask questions.
Humans and Mapping
The Cartography of Life
Photo by: Ian Dooley @sadswim
From navigation to way finding to wireframes and life plans, humans are natural cartographers. Early nomadic humans used their instincts for hunting and foraging for food and temporary safety. Today, humans use many forms of mapping for communication such as; charts for productivity and finances, wireframes for building websites, creating mind maps for brainstorming, traveling and of course, mapping out a life plan by gluing pretty pictures to a vision board. Even the most geographically challenged and unorganized of humans use maps simply by navigating through the functions of their phone or asking for directions. They still had to find someone to ask, heh?
Now, let’s have some silly fun that maaay be the beginning of something life-changing. How about for the next few days and perhaps into the weekend, try to notice all of the ways that you use some form of mapping in your daily life? Most of our routine navigation is done on autopilot so let’s shift into manual flight mode for this exercise? When you notice your mind drifting off, break out a notebook and write down the tasks for the rest of the day. If you hit a roadblock on a work project, try creating a mind map by writing the end goal in the center of the paper. Next, draw lines extending all the way around the center word and on each line write the first word that comes to you. Continue this until all the lines have a different word on them and be sure to add as many lines and words as necessary. If you’re not dealing with a particular issue then, make a plan to do something you’ve been thinking about for a while. For this mind map write down how you will get there, what will you wear, who will be with you and what you’ll eat. If you’d rather think of something more long term, find a picture of one of your future goals. Perfect! You’re now officially a life cartographer.
The benefits of this exercise are to improve memory, organization, to generate a flow of creative thoughts for brainstorming, enhance presentation skills and to stay focused on goals and planning. Creating a map of anything imaginable is a productive use of a break from a routine. It does not have to take a lot of time, in fact, the less time it takes, the better. This way, you cannot overthink your initial instincts. Before you know it, you will be mapping at every idle moment that comes along.
Acupuncture
Holistic
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine
AT VILLAGE WELLNESS, BERWYN, PA
Lance David Isakov, M.Ac., L.Ac. Dipl.Ac., CYT
Lance David Isakov, originally from South Africa, moved to the Philadelphia area with his family at age 9. As a young child, Lance’s dreams of becoming a doctor sprang from his fascination with witch doctors and Shaman. After learning meditation early on in college, Lance decided to change his major to Cultural Anthropology to learn about indigenous cultures and their traditional healing practices. After many journeys around the country learning from the greatest healers and shaman, Lance returned to Philadelphia and started Village Wellness. Fast forward to today, Village Wellness has earned several well deserved local awards with the highest revered practitioners and countless devoted patients. Lance has created a wellness community powerful enough to heal the world twice over.
Village Wellness offers group and private acupuncture along with reiki, workshops, wellness events, corporate wellness… and a wellness blog
Curious about Kundalini yoga, AWAKE, is a daily, 30 minute Kundalini practice with Lance held weekdays from 8:30-9am on Zoom. This practice is kindly donation based.
All of the information below is directly from the Village Wellness website:
Holistic Acupuncture
Holistic Acupuncture is a style of Acupuncture developed by Lance Isakov, L.Ac.. Rooted in a Five Element Acupuncture foundation, Holistic Acupuncture pulls on influences from a variety of styles and healing modalities including TCM, Dr. Tan Style Acupuncture, Kiiko Matsumoto, Facial Rejuvenation, Esoteric Acupuncture, Energy Work, and Shamanism. Holistic Acupuncture is a complete Healing Art that includes diagnosis and treatment.
At its core, Holistic Acupuncture is a healing art dedicated to addressing healing at all levels of self – mind, body, and spirit. Whether you come in with pain, anxiety, trying to figure out your life purpose, or all of the above, Holistic Acupuncture will be of service.
Not feeling like yourself
Anxiety
Depression
Emotional Issues
Body & Joint Pain
Women's Health
Fertility
Insomnia
Fatigue
Stress
Sports Injuries
Headaches & Migraines
Allergies
Pre & Post Op Support
Fibromyalgia
Cold & Flu Prevention
Neurological disorders
Sleep disorders
Low Energy
Cancer Support
ADD & ADHD
Hormonal Disorders
Life Direction
Lyme Disease
Spiritual support.
Auto-Immune disorders
PMS & Menopause issues
Book an appointment today at Village Wellness 6 Waterloo Ave Berwyn Pa 19312 610-203-3747
My personal experience with Lance is almost indescribable. I desperately sought out the best acupuncturist in Philadelphia to hopefully cure the torturous migraines I had experienced since childhood. In addition to Lance easing the migraine pain and keeping them at bay, he opened my mind and heart to a world I was already willingly discovering. To say that this man is pure love, kindness and all things healing would be an understatement. I will forever be grateful for all that Lance has provided for me.
Rethink & Rearrange
WHAT IF
there could be more light, space or room if you moved just one piece of furniture? Could your desk use more natural light or are you finally over bumping your leg on that dresser? Thought so.
Stand in your least favorite room and think about what bothers you the most. Does it feel small, is there too much stuff or is the lighting dull?
Think about how you’d really like to use this space. Maybe recall something you saw in a magazine, on Pinterest, or a design show. What best describes the function and lifestyle you want? Before you get frustrated for having limited construction skills, a small budget, minimal time or maybe being partnered with a duct tape fix it person, relax. The solution may be so much easier than kicking your way through a wall and renting a dumpster for your front lawn.
Now, what if you moved the desk to be under or closer to the window? Maybe a chair from another room is just the piece this room needs to create a cozy reading space. As for that dresser that keeps bruising your legs, it can go in the corner or the opposite wall so your legs can heal. Moving one piece of furniture or adding some much needed light to a dark corner can make a drastic difference in your productivity or for your relaxation. That’s all it may take to clear a path and reinvent a space. Keep rethinking and rearranging other rooms until you love them all the same.