#7DaysOfVeganYoga
21rd – 27th of September
The title pretty much says it all…
We bring you 7 days to change your life,perspective, and encourage the people around you or simply enjoy something different and fun.
Are you ready???
Yoga is a holistic practice which strengthens our bodies both physically, mentally and develops flexibility; -not merely physical flexibility, but more importantly: mental flexibility-.
This holistic approach involves looking at and addressing all areas. It is as important what happens on your mat as what happens when you step out of it. This leads us to be more aware of planet earth -of the other beings that inhabit it, and how we humans connecting with it, can take real action in our daily lives-. Recycle, eat as organic as possible, using cosmetics that have not been tested on animals and are environmental-friendly, cultivate our inner self to be better with our own selves and others. These are some of the changes that we can implement in our lives.As a result of a continuous practice, the body’s defense mechanism also improves in such a condition. A healthy life can be easily achieved if we learn to adopt a healthy lifestyle, healthy food choices (which doesn’t mean to punish yourself or starve) and regular practice of yoga and meditation.
There are all kinds of reasons for practicing asana (poses) regularly, from the desire to expand the sense of yourself to practical health concerns. The only requirement here is that your motivation come from within you.
The benefits of yoga are proven, but if you eat correctly after your practice, you will stretch those benefits even further. All the recipes that we will be offering are vegan and super yummy.
I invite you to focus on your breathing and the feeling of your body during yoga practice and your food selection afterward!
Why is t
his challenge different?
The goal is to encourage the community to go further than the asana itself and combine it with a healthy diet, cruelty-free. We also promote a plant based diet or at least one plant-based meal a day.
Every day each host will post an asana and recipe.
This challenge will help you integrate all those basic whole foods into your life in a fun and healthy way.
Below you will find an extended explanation day by day. For the HOW to use an ingredient I will give you one recipe but check each of the hosts every day since we will be offering different options for the ingredients as well for the asanas.
21st September
Day 1 – Boosting your Immune System
Yoga, perhaps, is one of the most effective and time-tested natural immunity boosters that we can adopt for a healthier life. It is an ancient art that strengthens the body and relaxes the mind.
Ingredient of day 1
Ginger
Ginger has been found in the scientific research to help balance the immune system to restore it to proper functioning. Ginger has also been found to enhance the protective functions of the immune system. It has as well, among other things, anti-inflammatory properties and promotes the elimination of pollutants from the lungs.
HOW to Use it:
Every morning immediately after waking up: drink fresh ginger with warm water and lemon.
This is an easy and super nice to start each morning.
Ginger can also be added to any meal, smoothie, sauce..etc.
Asana day 1
Child Pose/Balasana is an excellent pose to decongest the chest and build a better immunity defense system.
Unwinding yourself after a tremendous energy-filled workout or practice is essential for complete restoration. Plus, a very good yoga pose for immune system health!
22nd of September
Day 2 – Improve Digestion / Help in digestion
Yoga couples exercises with rhythmic breathing. Breathing brings life force into the body and cleans the body of toxic materials formed due to wrong diet, unhealthy lifestyle and accumulated stresses. It improves aging, creates body balance and longevity rejuvenating the whole system.
Ingredient of day 2
Greens
Have you ever tried any kind of lettuce or greens for breakfast?
Greens are so healthy and allow a better digestion. I invite you to eat some greens with every meal.
Example: romaine, crisphead-iceberg, spinach, rocket, butterhead, red and green leaf, oak leaves, lamb’s lettuce, escarole, endive, etc.
HOW to Use it:
A green of your choice.
–I recommend adding lemon or vinegar for smoothies ,salad dressings and cooking, will improve mineral absorption and will compensate the phytic acid allowing the iron to be absorbed-.
Then you can use it in a smoothie with other veggies like cucumber and you can add one fruit. Or doing a little shot of greens.
Or eating the leaves plus some orange, cherries, or any other fruit that you fancy.
It’s important to mix fruits with greens so we don’t get picks of sugar.
This will help our enzymes prepare to receive more food into our system.
Asana day 2
Choose any Twist: Twists in general are so helpful for improving digestion: Ardha Matsyendrasana or any variation, Supta Matsyendrasana /Supine twist, Revolved Downward Dog, Paravritta Trikonasana, Paravritta Parsvakonasana, Side chair pose…
These have a specific ability to cleanse the digestive system. While you twist, you are reducing blood flow to the digestive organs, so when you release, you’re letting in “new” blood to the digestive organs. You can also think of twists as having the same effect on your digestive system as twisting a cloth: —you will be wringing out the toxins.
23rd of September
Day 3 – Fat is Good, GROUNDING
Asana practice helps us to be more mindful and in the present. It awakens a sense of thankfulness and grounds us by being able to be grateful of everything that surrounds us.
The health benefits of consuming a sufficient amount of fat in the right forms and proper proportions has been shown to be immensely important in an endless number of areas impacting the state of body and mind.
Ingredient of day 3
Nuts
Don’t let concerns about gaining weight prevent you from enjoying the delicious taste and many health benefits of nuts!
A lot of studies conclude, «Frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain. These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain.»
Their mix of omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber will help you feel full and suppress your appetite. -I recommend- walnuts, almonds, cashews and pistachios.
Walnuts are as effective as olive oil at reducing inflammation and oxidation in the arteries after eating a fatty meal (oils of some nuts and seeds such as flax, mustard, and hemp have similar properties)
It’s the only nut to contain measurable amounts of Omega 3′s, these nuts look like little bitty brains for a reason; they’re great for improving your mood, cognitive function and are some of the most highly recommended nuts for good heart health. Try using raw walnuts on top of oatmeal, in smoothies, or use them in raw energy bars of all kinds. Keep in mind that walnuts and other nuts are healthiest in their raw state since high heats changes the fatty acid structure. Baking walnuts should be safe, such as in muffins and cookies, but avoid roasted nuts that are often torched at high temperatures.
Almonds contain lots of healthy fats, fiber, protein, magnesium and vitamin E.
The health benefits of almonds include lower blood sugar levels, reduced blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels. They can also reduce hunger and promote weight loss.
HOW to Use it:
Important: Soak the nuts in water between 7 to 9 hours.
I eat them raw, in salads, as dessert or snack between meals. Remember to check the Insta challenge and see what other cool recipes the hosts are showing.
Why to soak? The phytates and enzyme inhibitors that make nuts and seeds so tricky to digest can be easily neutralized by soaking in water and low temperature dehydrating. The combination of minerals and heat works to break down irritating compounds while preserving the beneficial fats and proteins.
Asana day 3
Grounding with standing balance poses: Half moon, revolved half moon, any kind of warrior, uthita hasta padangustasana, dancer pose, eagle pose…or wherever your imagination takes you.
Working on a lot of elements simultaneously will give you a chance to target individual weak points at the same time. A series of standing poses moves the body through a full range of motion in every major joint, prepares it for deeper poses, and teaches it to move in an integrated way. This requires a lot of concentration and grounding to the deepest level. A firm foundation is a key to the integrity of any structure. Standing balancing poses make us aware of our connection with the Earth and teach us to be relaxed and balanced on our feet.
24th of September
Day 4 – Natural Antioxidant
Yoga boosts the body’s natural defense system against free radicals, raising the levels for natural antioxidants and strengthening the immune system.
Some people believe that certain yoga poses for asthma provide great relief from symptoms. Yoga practice is a good exercise for those who suffer from asthma because of the controlled deep breathing involved.
However, if you don’t suffer from asthma, it is never bad to keep controlling your breath and opening your heart 😉
Ingredient of day 4
Celery is a really healthful and medicinal plant.
It is rich in vitamin C, it lowers cholesterol, prevents cancer, manages pain from arthritis, helps weight loss attempts, detoxifies the body, reduces high blood pressure, and promotes overall health in a vast number of ways.
HOW to Use it:
Smoothie of your choice.
Recommending: Celery with any of these fruits: orange, persimmon, banana, pear, apple…and you can even add a plant milk (soy, almond, coconut, oats, rice milk).
I personally enjoy it the most this way: celery + banana + spinach + coconut water (due to the electrolytes and sweetness) + spirulina/moringa/macca powder
Asana day 4
Anything that opens your lungs and heart.
Options: wheel pose, cobra, upward facing dog, camel pose, back bow, locust pose, pigeon pose, king pigeon pose…etc.
The goal is to open the chest wide and practice deep breathing in the pose that you chose.
25th of September
Day 5 – Building, Repairing, and Maintaining tissue
Many of Yoga practitioners are vegetarians or vegan and it’s important to be conscious of what we eat. When we practice asanas, we are asking our bodies to do something for us; in return, we need to acknowledge what our body needs in order to be healthy. Without enough protein, our brains can’t function at their best, memory becomes poor, thoughts might feel a little disorganized along with other negative effects. Your immune system and energy levels will also decline in which case you end up feeling much worse than you should after all that great yoga you’ve been doing.
High protein foods are very important to keep your muscles from being too sore after your yoga workout. They will also help you build strength and stamina if you prefer a faster style practice.
Ingredient for day 5
Protein is one powerful nutrient. It is part of every living cell, and it plays a major role in your body — from building your body tissues to making hormones. An adequate protein intake in the diet is important across the life cycle, especially as we age.
Beans and Legumes
High in fiber, calcium, and iron, beans and legumes are also a great source of protein. Combined with high protein whole grains like buckwheat, brown rice,millet, quinoa, teff, amaranth, beans and legumes not only make a delicious meal but often provide the full compliment of essential amino acids needed by humans.
I mentioned only gluten free grains, but of course. you can feel free to mix it with pasta, cous cous or any other grain. I started a few months ago to withdraw from Gluten and I eat it in the slightest amount or in a gluten form that I can digest better like Spelt.
HOW to Use it:
Warm quinoa salad (GLUTEN FREE, really important to me) with red lentils (both cooked in 9min).
Add some green leafs, tomatoes, cucumber and add eggplant and zuchinni, cooked in the oven. So is neither hot or cold salad. Warm is the perfect temperature for me.
Asana
Arm balance, to choose: tittibhasana/firefly, bhujapidasana/shoulder press, tolasana/ scale pose, crow pose / bakasana, side crow, koundiyasana I or II, peacock/mayurasana, astavakrasana/eight angle pose, side plank pose/vasisthasana.
When we practice yoga poses such as arm balances we are in effect “weight training” supporting our own body weight in gravity.
People often ask me:
>How can yogis increase muscle tone and definition, I have seen even practitioners with an increase in muscle size, with only yoga?! “Don’t you lift weights?”
->If it’s me answering: ‘Yes — I lift my own body weight!”
Yoga tones muscles all over your body, in balance with each other, besides increasing muscle endurance.
However, remember that Yoga is not about focusing on how you can sculpt your physique. Yoga is a way of thinking, feeling and being; outer appearance is a side effect. And a healthy body we all know has to do with a healthy mind.
26th of September
Day 6 – Promoting Brain Health
There are studies proving that yoga can be used to manage heart and brain health. A particularly interesting finding in a study was that yoga can increase the levels of a protein called “brain-derived neurotrophic factor” (BDNF), which affects our memory, brain plasticity, and mood. Physical exercise is known to improve brain function by multiplying and strengthening your nerve cells, as well as strengthening the connections between them. There is a particular study that found a connection between yoga and higher levels of BDNF. Higher levels of BDNF not only helps your neurons multiply and protect themselves, it also increases blood flow to your brain and can actually slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Obviously, the more you practice yoga, the more flexible and strong your muscles will become. Likewise, as studies have indicated, yoga practice can lead to a healthier mind. {Extracted from YogaUonline }
Ingredient of the day
Dates
They are easily digested, allowing your body to make full use of their goodness. They are source of fiber and energy.
A study reported the most prominent health benefits of dates: there are at least 15 minerals in dates, including selenium, an element believed to help prevent cancer and important in immune function, protein, containing 23 types of amino acids, some of which are not present in the most popular fruits, such as oranges, apples, and bananas. The study concluded that dates could be considered a nearly ideal food, with a wide range of essential nutrients and potential health benefits.
HOW to Use it:
That’s the beauty of all those whole foods, you always can eat them by themselves, anyway, I bring you today this tasty and yummy recipe:
Vegan Ice Cream
pitted dates, frozen bananas (just peel them and put them in the freezer a day before or few hours before) and carob bean (which also you can substitute by Cacao powder). Put all together in a food processor or blender.
Asana day 6
Any inversion: headstand, tripod, handstand, legs up on the wall, shoulder stand…you choose
Yoga Inversions build core strength and strengthen muscles in the back and abdomen, as well has been found many other ways they can benefit a person’s health. Including improving digestion, stimulates brain function, increases blood flow, decreases symptoms of depression and helps in your mood.
27th of September
Day 7 – SELF-COMPASSION
“Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care.” ~Buddha
One of the messages in yoga’s seminal scripture, the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, is that self-transformation doesn’t happen overnight, but you can overcome negative patterns one step at a time. If you are gentle with yourself and accept your setbacks with compassion, you can change your life for the better. New scientific research is giving this ancient wisdom credence and showing that, when it comes to making a change, self-compassion is your greatest source of strength.
Today I invite you to reflect.
How do you feel today?
Did the yoga together with those small habits brought something new and beneficial to your being?
Share it with us!!
Ingredient for day 7
Coconut oil
Useful for so many things!! From washing mouth, healing, moisturizing, and of course, cooking.
HOW:
• Coconut Oil for Hair– This nourishing oil has been used for centuries in hair and its unique fat composition makes it especially beneficial for certain hair types. It can be used as a hair mask, oil treatment, or in homemade hair products.
• To Moisturize and Nourish Skin– The same properties make coconut oil great for skin as well. Many people find that it is an effective natural moisturizer. Its natural antioxidant properties make it great for stopping wrinkles and skin irritation.
• Digestive Help– The high concentration of beneficial fats in coconut oil make it helpful for digestion. Its antimicrobial properties can help fight irritation and infection in the gut from Candida.
• Great Source of Healthy Fats– Over 50% of the fat in coconut oil is lauric acid- the same substance present in breast milk. In fact, coconut oil is the richest source of lauric acid after breast milk.
• Mental Boost– MCTs are also well known for their ability to contribute to focus and mental performance. Adding coconut oil to a drink in the morning can help improve mental performance all day.
• Hormone Support– Getting the wrong kinds of fats can create havoc on hormones. Coconut oil contains specific fats that support the body’s natural hormone production.
• Immune Support– The MCTs (including lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid) have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties that make it beneficial for immune support.
Today there are no excuses you can use it in infinite ways!!
Asana day 7
In a simple cross-sitting, Japanese sitting, half lotus or full lotus and choose your own mudra.
I choose to use Lotus Mudra: a hand gesture that represents possibility and the movement from darkness to light. The Lotus flower grows out of the mud, in the same way we can transform our suffering into our strength and learn to be more compassionate and loving beings.
As well it´s a flower that opens towards the sun energy and towards life. Its a Mudra related with Heart Chakra representing the purity of the emotions flourishing from Love.
As you hold your Lotus at your heart center, take 10 deep breaths into your hands and stay curious about what is happening. At your own time, release your hands onto your knees and let a big falling out breath come out your mouth.
To participate in this meaningful Challenge in Instagram:
Follow the HOSTS:
@_sannyasin_
@reinodenita
@yoga_woman
@mundoelefante
@pinkdharma
Nuno, sannyasin – a Portuguese beautiful Ashtangi soul that follows a vegan Philosophy life. Anaís an amazing and inspiring Chilean Yogi lover of animals and Yoga. Mundoelefante, created by Juan and Maria, a lovely Chilean couple I met in India, also Ashtangis and Vegans. Rosa who chose PinkDharma because she believes her quest is spreading the word about the healing elements of food following a Vegan philosophy and diet. And Nita with El Reino de Nita, which put all these together to give to the world a taste of Veganism and a deeper look into the Yoga World.
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Written by El Reino de Nita
