Any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value. ***https://www.dictionary.com/browse/alchemy
Fall is that magical transitional time of the year, signaling the end of a cycle. The beauty of it foreshadows the growth that inevitably follows. Shedding the old, so that something new may grow. For myself, I am winding down my teaching and training hours, and moving into a quiet and contemplative state. Like Mother Earth and fallow fields, giving myself time to rest and regenerate.
May your holidays be filled with warmth, the company of good people, delicious food, and long walks in crisp air. 🙏🏿🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🙏🏻🙏🏼
P.S. Below: a yummy recipe for a warming soup, the link to my newest meditation on Insight Timer, and the link to my little shop on ETSY (an opportunity for holiday shopping for those you love).
My Insight Timer Meditation: Resting in Gentle Awareness
Simple and soothing, this meditation guides you towards resting in gentle, open awareness. Beginning with grounding into the body and breath, then leading into meditating on the space behind the eyes. Resting our attention here often helps to quiet the mind and connect with our innate sense of inner awareness. Find it HERE. It’s FREE on the Insight Meditation app
The GIVING SALE is happening right now in my little shop. Thoughtful gifts for anyone on your list. Made with love and mantra (tiny prayers for love, wisdom, truth, and illumination).
Welcome to Spring! 🌷 And, my bi-monthly newsletter. The topic–the vagus nerve and it’s connection to better wellness.
The vagus nerve (also known as the vagal nerves) connects the brain to the heart and digestive system, and modulates specific body systems such as digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and immune system responses. The vagus nerve is a key component to the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as the rest and digest system), and is the counter to the sympathetic nervous system (flight or fight response). Interestingly, it’s also the longest cranial nerve running from the brain to the intestinal system via a long and wandering route throughout the body, connecting with almost every major organ.
Increasing “vagal tone” is one way to improve personal wellness, particularly if you’re under stress or have increased anxiety. Here are 4 simple ways to improve vagal tone, and decrease stress:
Humming. Yes, humming! Try humming to your favorite tune, or extending the “mmmm” sound when chanting OM
Laughter. They say laughter is the best medicine, and I totally agree. Watch your favorite comedies, or listen to a comedian. You can even simply start chuckling for no reason, then let yourself drop into the feeling of laughter.
Cool down. Try finishing your shower with cool or cold water for just a minute or two. Dunking your face in cold water is also highly effective in helping to stop spiraling anxiety or panic. [2008 research].
Slow down your breathing. My favorite method for slowing my breath down is the 4-7-8 pattern. When we are in an elevated state of emotional response our heart rate and breathing increase. This is our sympathetic/flight or fight response kicking in. Slowing down the breath–in particular, lengthening the exhale–slows the heart rate and signals to the brain that you’re safe. A few years back I created a short guided 4-7-8 breath video. You can find it HERE.
In closing, I’ve also included a simple recipe for DIY turmeric tincture. There is some scientific evidence that turmeric can reduce anxiety and inflammation in the body. And finally, for just “good energy” or “good vibes”, check out my little labor of love on ETSY–Made With Mantra Shop. Gemology is a little hobby of mine. 🙏🏼
In health & wellness, Claudia
Turmeric, a deep golden-orange spice, a relative of ginger, is a flowering perennial and herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The rhizomes are used both fresh and dried, and have been used in ayurvedic and other forms of traditional medicine in China and India for hundreds of years. The active ingredient is a polyphenol (a natural compound) called curcumin. Turmeric is also rich in phytonutrients. Some of the benefits of turmeric include lowering of: inflammation, arthritis symptoms, hyperlipidemia (cholesterol in blood), anxiety, and metabolic syndrome. [Johns Hopkins Medicine]
This is a recipe for making a simple turmeric tincture. Just add a dropper full to smoothies, soups, or other beverages.
1 cup diced fresh turmeric 1 cup of at least 70% alcohol based solvent like vodka (can also substitute organic raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar, or food grade vegetable glycerin) 1 tbsp ground black pepper, or 2tbsp whole black pepper
Place all ingredients in a sterilized glass canning jar with lid. Let the mixture sit for a minimum of 2 weeks, as long as a month. Shake the jar daily. Strain through cheese cloth, and pour into dark dropper bottles. ***Turmeric can stain hands, clothes, and any tools used. Wear gloves to prevent yellowing of hands.
That very first sip of my favorite tea. My cat purring on my lap. The scrunch of snow under my skis when I stop amongst the snow-draped trees, and settle into a well of silence mid-mountain. Moments, just tiny moments, that offer joy, or peace, or a sense of contentment.
Those tiny slices of time that spark awe and bring ease, are called “glimmers” (a term coined by Deb Dana, a licensed clinical social worker, who specializes in trauma). Glimmers can strengthen our nervous system, and increase our well-being. Good health is more than fitness. It’s true, deep wellness which encompasses mental, spiritual (anything that points us to something greater outside of our limited human experiences), and physical health.
For me, this new year is about keeping my face turned toward the light, and the good people in my life. One of my favorite quotes from Mr. Rogers (which was something his mother told him when he was young and worried about the news): “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Those helpers, are glimmers also.
In closing, I have two new videos up–a yin yoga practice with an emphasis on hips and low back; and the final video in my 5 Essential Exercises series–The Bridge.
In health & wellness, Claudia
“Smile. Give Earth the biggest smile you’ve got. See every glimmer of light in the scariest, darkest sky. And when people think you’re crazy, then you know you’ve accomplished something very few dare to try.” ― Lana M.H. Wilder
“Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it. Once you’ve lost it, you can never get it back.” – Harvey Mackay
Maybe it’s the season. Maybe it’s an aging parent. Or, a sense of my own mortality. Milestone birthdays tend to bring up a lot of feels for me. Time seems to slip by faster and faster. Is it the passing of a decade, or the beginning of a decade? The most common theory on why we perceive the speeding up of time is that our perception of time is directly proportional to our neural processing speed, which slows as we age. Another theory by Cindy Lustig, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan: “When we are older, we tend to have lives that are more structured around routines, and fewer of the big landmark events that we use to demarcate different epochs of the ‘time of our lives,’” And, finally, another viewpoint by Steve Taylor, PhD, senior lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University, UK, is that our experience of time is highly flexible and subjective. The more information our minds process, the slower time passes. Time speeds up with increasing age because we have fewer new experiences and our perception is less vivid.
What all this really drives home for me is that we should never stop exploring, learning, and experiencing new things. We can’t stop time, but we can slow down our perception of it by living mindfully, and bringing in new experiences.
Get out and take those trips you’ve been dreaming about. Climb a local mountain, enjoy live music (and dance like no one is watching), ride in a hot air balloon if you’ve never done it–you won’t regret it! My point is simple, don’t wait. Do those things you’ve been putting off until “the time is right.” Right now is the perfect time.
In health & wellness, Claudia
P.S. The fourth installment in my 5 Essential Exercises video series is up (The Plank), and a new yoga video have been added to my Vimeo platform: Glow Flow – Moon Salute.
And, hello muscles! In this post, I continue the discussion I began last month on the benefits of strength training as we grow older.
Exercise, and particularly strength training, is critical to maintaining bone health. We achieve peak bone mass during the first three decades of life, which then begins to decline over the rest of our lifespan. For women, the losses accelerate after the onset of menopause (O’Flaherty, 2000). Contributing factors to bone loss are a sedentary lifestyle, low calcium and vitamin D levels, and hormonal changes. As we age bone remodeling decreases in both sexes leading to a negative bone balance at specific critical sites (Rosen et al. 1994). A large part of the solution is weight training, which has been shown to effectively increase bone mineral density in the spine and hips of post-menopausal women (Zehnacker & Bemis-Dougherty, 2007). [More research is needed on the effects of resistance training on bone density in older men.]
To reverse bone loss combine resistance training (exercises such as squats, leg press, leg extension, hamstring curl, hip extension, back extension, bench press, shoulder press, biceps curl and triceps extension) with high impact activities (jumping, skipping, hopping, jogging). If you already have osteoporosis, or other joint issues, then choose walking, hiking, or low impact aerobic classes.
How much resistance training is needed to affect change? Try doing 2-3 sessions per week, of 5-6 different exercises for both upper and lower body, 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions (70-90% of 1 repetition maximum), which can be done in as little as 20 minutes.
There’s no down side to adding in a few sessions per week. 😃 Increasing muscle mass equals better metabolism, better body composition, and better bones!
👙🩳🩱🦴
In closing, I offer you two new videos. The first video is the second in my 5 Essential Exercises series – The Push. I cover four of my favorite upper body exercises that just about anyone can do. The second video is a vinyasa yoga practice where I talk a bit about the fifth limb in Patanjali’s yoga system – Pratayahara (turning in).
Pause for just a moment. Take a long, slow inhale. Now exhale. Notice how you feel right now. No need to describe it, simply notice. Maybe try taking one or two more long slow breaths. Notice and feel.
Such a simple thing–to pause, breath, and feel.
That’s my one simple goal for 2024. To pause, slow down, breath, and notice what I am feeling–before responding to anything. Before I start a new task. Before I enter a conversation. During a conversation (this one is essential). It’s applicable to anything I am doing, even while writing this newsletter. The pause for me is key to responding in a thoughtful way, versus from a triggered pattern.
May this be an invitation for you to practice pausing in the new year.
Moving into the new year, I have a new vinyasa yoga class available for you on Vimeo. The theme: new year, new possibilities. Find it HERE.
I am adding a brand NEW class to my virtual teaching schedule: Strength & Conditioning (Small Group).The focus: Improving basic fitness with strength training, balance work, coordination, and flexibility training. Every Wednesday, from 8:00-9:00am. This offering begins January 31st.
For spreading love, kindness, grace, and compassion. These are truly the four best gifts that I can think of. They are the cure for what ails us individually and collectively.
May all beings feel safe. May all beings be free. May all beings have happiness. May all beings be at peace.
I will be honest. I have a short list of material things I would love. Who doesn’t? But, what I really want most is what is reflected in those four short sentences above. The questions I ask myself daily: How can I be more kind? How can I listen more fully to the person standing in front of me? Can I better understand that their experiences are different from mine? Is there at least one thing I can appreciate about x, y or z?
This year has been extremely challenging globally. Heck, the previous three years were pretty challenging also. While we may not be able to shift things on a global scale, we absolutely can on an individual level. We begin with treating ourselves with kindness, then spread that to loved ones, friends, neighbors, anyone we come in contact with.
May your holidays be filled with warmth and love, family (whether by blood or choice), and good friends.
OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI
P.S. A new FREE YIN YOGA class hosted on VIMEO is available HERE.
I will be the first to admit that lately the world seems to be becoming darker. Peace feels like a distant beacon of hope. I also know that one of the best ways to shift my doom and gloom is to get outside and walk, feel the breeze on my face, watch the leaves shimmer in the light, and listen to the sounds of the larger world around me.
Fall is a beautiful transitional season. It reminds me to let go of things I can’t control, and to count my blessings. I also get to dive into my cozy fleece hoodies and joggers! The key for me is balance–when my thoughts get dark, I balance them with light. My hope is that this newsletter brings you some light also!
This October and November, the offerings include:
a delicious baked bean recipe, full of spice, heat (and yes, pumpkins!),
a yin yoga session focused on releasing tension in the upper body,
In closing, I leave you with words from the poet Tyler Knott Gregson:
Into the great darkness when veils are thin and we see handprints pressing on the curtain between this life and the next,
I heard them whisper
“If it is light you seek you must carry your own fire.”
Chipotle Pumpkin Baked Beans
2 cups cooked cannellini beans
1 1/2 C water
1 1/2 C cooked cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
1/4 C tomato paste
2 small canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
3 T brown sugar
2 T molasses, maple syrup or date syrup
2 T cider vinegar
1 t dried oregano
½ t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
3 pepperettes, chopped (optional)
1 large carrot, chopped
2 chopped shallots
Heat oven to 350 Farhenheit. Blend together pumpkin, water, tomato paste, chipotle pepper, brown sugar, molasses, cider vinegar, oregano, cinnamon, salt and black pepper into a smooth paste. Place beans, pepperettes (if using), carrot and shallots in a casserole dish. Sir in pumpkin mixture. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Makes four servings. *** Source: IDEAFit.com
The growing season has begun. 🌞 And, I’m eagerly anticipating fresh lettuce, basil, and tomatoes–among other delicious edibles being planted in the garden. 🌱🥬🍅🍓🫐
This month I’m proud of myself for getting this newsletter out at the first of the month! 😃 It’s another short, but sweet, one. I am taking a few precious weeks off from teaching for a personal re-set–and some much needed travel time. In the meantime, you can still practice with me on my VIMEO platform. This month marks the start of a monthly series of new yoga classes (one new full class video a month) that I will be making available on VIMEO. May’s video: My 6 Essential Yin Yoga Poses. You will also find my Exercise Videos of the Month Series there. These videos are all FREE. 🌟😃🌟
In closing, please also find a delicious Raspberry-Granola Chia Pudding recipe (soluble fiber = protection against cognitive decline). And, this month all gemstone bracelets (in Spring fresh colors) are 15% off in my little Etsy shop–MADE WITH MANTRA.
In Health & Wellness, Claudia
As reported in Nutritional Neuroscience, soluble fiber was found to be protective against cognitive decline. Better management of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure are thought to be the mechanisms. Sources of soluble fiber include: flax, oats, barley, apples, peas, beans, berries and chia seeds.
RASPBERRY-GRANOLA CHIA PUDDING
1/2 C milk or unsweetened nondairy milk
1 C plain Greek yogurt
1 C fresh or frozen (thawed) raspberries, plus more for topping
2 T fresh mint (optional)
2 t honey
1 t lemon zest
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
6 T chia seeds
2/3 C low-sugar granola
Place milk, yogurt, berries, mint (if using), honey, lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Divide mixture between two wide-mouth jars. Add 3 tablespoons chia seeds to each jar, and stir to combine. Seal jars, then place in refrigerator to chill overnight. When ready to serve, top each jar with ½ cup of granola and a sprinkling of raspberries. Makes two servings. ***Source: IDEAFIT.com***
Keeping it simple this month. The warmer temps and fresh spring breezes, are inviting me to push away from my desk and spend more time outside. The first tulip greens are pushing through, and last year’s old growth is begging to be pruned, and cleared out. (Pssst. Gardening can improve dexterity, strength, endurance, and flexibility!)
In this month’s newsletter you will find my current virtual yoga teaching schedule, my new favorite core/arm/leg combination strengthening exercise, and a delicious recipe for a sweet potato yogurt bowl. (Research reported in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed that adults with a higher total dairy intake had a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.)
After the freeze and the long slow thaw the seeds we buried reach again for the sun. –Tyler Knott Gregson
May this new Spring season bring you fresh opportunities. 🌸🌼🌺
In Health & Wellness, Claudia
Sweet-Potato Yogurt Bowl
2 C sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed, cooked
1 C milk or unsweetened dairy-free milk of choice
2 T maple syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger powder
1/8 t salt
4 C plain Greek yogurt
Granola, nuts, seeds and/or berries (for topping)
Place sweet potatoes, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a blender container and blend until smooth. (Blend in additional milk if needed for a smoother texture.) For each serving, place 1 cup yogurt in a serving bowl and swirl in the desired amount of sweet potato sauce. Add toppings. Makes four servings.
Claudia Fountain Fitness + Yoga 
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