I also provide some useful lifestyle tips and yoga postures for those who suffer from glaucoma, which is a disease where damage to the optic nerve leads to progressive, irreversible vision loss.

Read the full article here at Yoga Journal.

According to fans of raw food, enzymes are considered the life force of a food, helping us to digest and absorb nutrients. When we regularly eat cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, this is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated ageing, and weight gain.

The good news is, adopting a raw food diet, even for part of your day, can have a positive impact on the quality of your life – and your yoga sessions. Here are six good reasons to inspire you to eat raw food.

Raw Food Benefit #1: More Nutritional Value than Cooked Foods

Most vitamins and phytonutrients are destroyed or damaged when cooked or processed above 45-50 degrees Celsius so they’re less available for assimilation. In short, when you cook your food, you’re destroying the nutrients. It’s like eating empty foods, or empty calories, that just fill you up temporarily without getting any nutritional benefits.

Raw Food Benefit #2: Fast & Efficient Digestion

Digestion can be one of the most energy draining activities for your body, especially when we eat highly processed food. Raw foods, on the other hand, contain living enzymes – the ones that are destroyed when food is cooked above 45-50 degrees Celsius – that help your body digest food quickly and eliminate it more easily.

Raw Food Benefit #3: More Energy

Since less energy is required for digestion and elimination, you’ll quickly notice the extra energy you have throughout the day. Plus, eating fresh, raw fruits and vegetables will boost the vitamins and micronutrients in your diet, and raising energy levels in the process.

Raw Food Benefit #4: Deeper Sleep

Eating large amounts of cooked food taxes our digestive system, which can often cause us discomfort at night as our bodies slowly breakdown and process what’s in our stomachs. Not only does this result in disrupted sleep patterns but can also lead to lethargy during the day. Eating raw, live food enables our digestive system to process it quicker during the day, which means deeper, restful sleep at night.

Raw Food Benefit #5: Continuous Detoxing

Raw foods are rich in fibre, which is an essential element in the detoxification process. Instead of having to focus on digesting unhealthy, over-cooked, artificial foods, your body is free to release mucus, toxins, and naturally accumulated waste. Good health requires good elimination—and fibre assists in that process.

Raw Food Benefit #6: Healthy Weight Management

Another fantastic benefit is raw food weight loss because it doesn’t contain junk food, harmful additives, hydrogenated oils, or lots of empty calories. Raw food provides maximum nutrition for minimum calories. Plus, fruits and veggies are naturally low in fat.

In addition to delicious raw food recipes, Yoga Health Retreats provides fresh, organic food during our Byron Bay Yoga and Bali Yoga retreats. Not only do they nourish the body throughout the day but also showcase locally grown produce.

Experience the joy and vitality of our Self Discovery retreat here.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIH9PCOv6lw

A walk through our ‘Joyful Spirit’ Purnati Bali Yoga Health Retreat held in March 2012

Adopting a child at 47 years of age was a very challenging time in my life as I went into Perimenopause quite suddenly. My usual routine of practising meditation and yoga at 6am was completely turned upside down when our beautiful little Chinese girl came into our lives!

Finding creative ways to practice Yoga with Jasmine in my studio was challenging but also very endearing at times; it was a real lesson in letting go of my ego and being selfless and considerate to her needs.

With limited time on my hands, I started with Sun Salutations to quickly warm up my body, standing poses for strength, weight bearing poses to improve joint function and, if I was lucky, an inversion (shoulder stand) or short svasana.

I also moved my meditation session to coincide with Jasmine’s afternoon nap and found that I had more energy for her when she woke up. Initially, it was an adjustment adapting to this new life in our house but I soon found my rhythm again the more I practised.

If you can’t make it to one of our Bali Yoga Retreats or Byron Bay Yoga Retreats – let along a yoga class down the road! – then our one-hour yoga DVD is the next best thing. From yoga postures, simple breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, you increase your flexibility, strength and a sense of peace and calm, in the comfort of your home.

Order your Yoga Health Retreats DVD or CD here.

When I first started meditating many years ago, I have to say I found it very difficult! My busy and distracted mind would jump from thought to thought and my concentration was very weak. The more I sat the more my mind would bounce around and then I would become even more restless!

So, why did I keep doing it?

Put simply, I wanted to see if I could experience the inner peace that was talked about in all the meditation books and articles I was reading.

I started with short, 5-10 minutes sittings. Some days I felt uncomfortable and annoyed while on other days I started to let go and feel something different. It was only after a while when I that the effects started to become more apparent. At first I noticed during the day that in a quiet moment I felt still in a way that was not how I usually felt. Other situations where there was stress I didn’t react but managed to keep my emotions contained.

As the years have passed, meditation has become a part of my daily life. I usually sit for around 20-30 minutes, sometimes shorter if my little girl interrupts me! But I try to do it in a time and place where I can completely remove myself from my surroundings and really go into the meditation with a good intention and focus.

There will always be days where it is more challenging to train the mind to be quiet and still but there are days when it is effortless.

Meditation teaches us acceptance and purity of heart. It reminds us to be in the “now” without agenda or expectation. This is when life starts to really flow and feel a lot easier.

Immersing yourself in one of our Bali Yoga Retreats or Byron Bay Yoga Retreats is a sure-fire way to kick-start your yoga regime. Find out about our next Byron Bay and Bali retreat here.