Why practice HOT yoga??

Why practice HOT yoga??

Hot yoga loosens the muscles naturally and safely, allowing you to find more freedom, flexibility and ease in tight areas. Practicing hot yoga a few times a week helps the tight muscles stay strong, but also become more pliable and flexible. The benefit: You’ll lengthen and strengthen your body so you can remain active, in shape, and feel good for a long time!

At Empower Yoga, we strive to provide a well-rounded workout (cardio, weight bearing, stretching and more) that makes you feel good from head to toe. If you can commit and incorporate yoga regularly (2 to 3 times a week), you’ll see results like better sleep, improved respiration, energy and vitality, and weight loss within a month.

Here are just some of the other benefits of hot yoga:

• Improved range of motion and flexibility

• Better balance and mobility

• Improved focus

• Mindfulness

• Increased core strength

• Injury prevention

The heat makes your muscles more elastic and pliable allowing for deeper and safer stretching. The heat also allows blood and oxygen to be delivered to the muscles helping them to build, lengthen and repair more easily. This increased blood and oxygen also speeds up the body’s ability to breakdown glucose and fatty acids that help shed fat tissue and weight.

In addition, hot yoga gives the body the rest it needs from repetitive motions of sports or daily life while still offering a solid and supportive workout. Another great benefit is the breath control you learn in yoga will help keep your mind and body calm in stressful conditions on and off your mat.

So what are you waiting for?? Register for class today!!

Check out our NEW Client Special- 30 Days of UNLIMITED yoga- $59

COMING ALIVE!

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”   Howard Thurman

Following your passion and feeling alive can seem like a nice thought and rather naive, but I truly feel that it’s necessary for life. When we feel alive, we give off a powerful energy that is not only important for ourselves and our own well being but also benefits those around us- family, friends, co-workers, etc. This energy can be infectious and encourages others to come alive too.

It isn’t easy to pursue what makes us feel alive. Many of us feel trapped by circumstances and therefore make excuses for why we can’t do something. Therefore, doing what makes us feel alive seems like wishful thinking and hard for us to actually do.

It takes guts to make the choices needed to feel alive. To live a life you’ve dreamed of and to actually take the steps or perhaps leap of faith needed to get there. But I believe you have what it takes. It’s up to you to find your path and make it happen. It may be hard, but it’ll be worth it. Your journey is one of the most important gifts you can give yourself.

If you aren’t doing something you love and what you’re doing isn’t meaningful or making a positive difference, is it worth doing it?

Perhaps this is something you might want to ask yourself or explore further. You’ve got one chance at this life. Why not try to live it to the fullest while you’re here.

What are you doing today that makes you feel alive?

Here are some things that may be able to help you feel more alive:

Listen to the signals from the Universe! 

The Universe is always sending you messages, but you must be open to receiving them. These signals can help you and open new doors for you. However, they may not be so obvious and in your face. They sometimes get drowned out by the noises around you. So you need to actively listen. Often these signals are telling you to take a risk, and if we’re feeling uncomfortable to do so, we ignore them. But next time, what if you listened and took that risk? Ask yourself what you could be doing more of or what it is you would like to do and see what happens and comes up for you. 

Let go of “shoulds.” 

“Should” messages are familiar to all of us. Our lives are saturated with societal norms of success, beauty, intellect, strength, femininity, masculinity, etc... We may not even realize how overwhelmed we are by shoulds. This is what I should be doing. This is how I should look. This is how it should look. This is how we should act. This is where I should be right now etc…

It’s time to let those pressures and expectations go. Shoulds cripple our creativity and our energy. They make us feel disappointed in ourselves and often rob us of precious time exploring what really matters. What if we stopped doing what was expected and started doing the unexpected to help us live our life more fully? Imagine that. 

Remember that you are worth it!

The struggle to feel alive is worth it. You have one life and it is up to you to live it. Pursuing what makes us feel alive often gets wrongly labeled as being self-centered. However, it’s anything but! Taking time to do things that make you feel alive, happy, and enjoy your life is important. Think about the people who’ve inspired you the most. Are they self-centered? Rarely. Are they doing things that make them feel alive? Most definitely. They have not followed the same beaten path to get them there so why should you? Take the risk, you are worth it.

NEW BEGINNINGS!

The climate of the world and the time of year has certainly ushered many beginnings. 

For me, September is a month that signals new beginnings. September, more than January, feels like the start of a new year for a variety of reasons. Life settles into a routine. Vacations and lazy days of summer are over. Children return to school. Days are shorter and nights are cooler. 

From childhood, we are programmed to see September as a fresh start. Childhood memories trigger new energy when we remember new school clothes, new books, new teachers, etc.. Making this time of year a great opportunity for us to make a change, to start something new and take stock of the year.  A full quarter of 2020 remains to make progress on the goals and aspirations that were important back in January that we may not have been able to do, but perhaps we can start now.  

As I think about what lies ahead I have taken some time to step back, pause, & reflect on where I have been. I am someone who always has a plan, a goal, a direction and with the uncertainty of life at the moment it has forced me to redefine my expectations, evaluate my future, and in some ways begin again. I had to start to ask myself “what do you want?” 

Ganesha- God of beginnings and remover of obstacles.

My yoga studio has been closed for several months and while we have reopened (thank god) things are hard and feel so different. Things cannot operate as they once were. However, I try to remember that while we are limited in ways, there is still so much we can do and so much love, support, and hope that we can offer.  It's a new time and a new beginning for me in many ways. While some things remain the same, so much has changed and continues to change. 

To help with these transitionary times, I often look to my yoga practice for guidance. While practicing, I started to think about the elephant god, Ganesh. He is known as the remover of obstacles, a deity of prosperity, and the lord of new beginnings. It got me thinking about changing my mindset. When starting something new, it requires you to first clear space and recognizes the importance of the “beginners mindset” so that you can look at things with fresh clear eyes; filled with wonder and excitement. Not dwell on what was once or what was lost, but on where we can go from here. Since then, I have started to connect with the foundation of my yoga practice- asana, breath, mindfulness- and am using it as a way to harness the power and embrace the energy of Ganesh. To draw upon it for inspiration, wisdom, and clarity as I navigate these new times. I have to say that I am optimistic and incredibly hopeful for the future. 

I hope that whatever it is you may be beginning or going through, that you too find the hope and clarity you need. Try to remember that new beginnings can be exciting and bring a sense of anticipation. Now is your chance to start anew. Pause, reflect, and ask yourself, what is it that you want? Is it time for a new beginning?  Can you too harness the power of Ganesh, allow him to help remove any obstacles in your way and help inspire you to start again? Remember, every day is a new beginning in itself. What would be the first thing you would change today?

HOW TO DO IT ALL!

How do you manage to be a wife, entrepreneur, athlete, philanthropist, etc… and doing everything else, like having friends or doing stuff just for you? 

I don't have a magic pill or a secret weapon. What I do have is a huge drive and lots of goals and ambitions so I have found ways to manage my time accordingly to get in all the things I want to do done! 

Here are some things that have helped me “do it all.”

• We always find time for things that are important to us. So be honest with yourself, if you want something bad enough you'll figure out a way, otherwise you’ll figure out an excuse.

• Everything I do, every minute I spend is my choice. I often don’t think of things as “having to do them” but rather “I get to do them.” The truth is, you don’t have to do anything. What you choose to spend your time on is your choice. I think about what's important to me and what it will take to accomplish it and I will budget my time accordingly. 

• You don’t need more time, you just need to manage yourself, your attention and your energy more effectively. For instance, I am much more productive in the morning than in the afternoon so I plan my day's activities accordingly; based on the energy they take. More time = more time to waste. 

• Don’t get caught us with “there's not enough time” or “I need more hours in the day”. Limited time is actually a blessing. I think it helps us, in fact, get more done. Limited time helps remind us of what is important. We all have limited time to live on earth, but I believe that should give us more reason to learn… to work… to play…to experience.

• I think the biggest key to success it getting up early. It's important to wake up and seize the day. I start my day at 4am. It's my FAVORITE time of day, it's dark and quiet and it's just me. I walk the dogs, workout, then have my breakfast and coffee. I've taken care of myself so I am more prepared to take care of others.

• Make a commitment and stick with it. A strong commitment turns our desires into a strong action. We too often spend time on things that either have no value to us or our goals and we end up spreading ourselves so thin. If what you're doing doesn't match your goals, don’t do it.

• Be true to yourself & ditch the guilt! Making time for things that matter to you, means saying no to pretty much everything else. That means you’re going to say no to good things too and saying no means you’re going to disappoint people, but it happens and that's ok. Disappointing people feel awful. And yet… you can trust other people to handle their own feelings. You’re going to disappoint people, but you are also going to be true to who you were made to be.

A Decade in Review- By Keri Mandell

Ten years ago, I was twenty-eight. I was married, living in Boston, and working in Brookline Public School. Such as in life, there were good times and bad. Over the last decade, my life has changed pretty dramatically. After having cancerous cells removed from my cervix and leaning I could never have kids, I was deeply depressed. Then finding out my dad and stepmom had terminal cancer, I found myself in a pretty dark and scary place. Now years later, I did climb out of the hole I was in and can say that I have truly learned to appreciate and love my life. Those dark times taught me that life is fragile. We do not know how long we have. I try to live every day to the fullest, strive to work hard and train hard, to be kind, give back, and hopefully inspire people along the way.  I want to leave my mark on this world so that when I look back at my life, I can say that I gave it my all, that I helped as many people as I could, making a difference in their lives through my actions and words.   

This decade was both good and bad. There were times when I felt like I was drowning and others when I felt invincible. Looking back and reflecting about the last decade has given me a chance to look back and see how far I’ve come. It’s given me a chance to learn some real and valuable sh*t. I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned with you.

Don’t be afraid to follow your heart and do what makes you truly happy.

In today’s society, we are told what to do, what to think, almost brainwashed a little.  For a long time, I felt I had to follow the norm and live by what I believed to be society's standards- you go to college, you get a job, you get married, you have kids, you die…

I was afraid to follow my dreams or even admit I had any. I was afraid to be different, to go against the grain, to stand out… well, now I say screw that. I live by my rules. I discovered over the last decade that fitness was a passion of mine. I was so distraught about the idea of not being able to have kids that I thought I was less of a woman, I was unworthy of love, I was tainted goods. I told my husband to divorce me. Then one day, a friend brought me to my first yoga class. I always say yoga saved my life and it did… it helped open new doors. Yoga has taught me to love myself, and it helped show me that I was so much more and stronger than I ever imagined. After finding yoga, I developed my love for physical fitness. Almost 5 years ago, I quit my job in education to pursue a career in the fitness industry and opened my own yoga studio- Empower Yoga. Was it easy?  HELL no!! Worth it? Absolutely!! I can honestly say that I am living my best life and while being a business owner is hard, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am happy and thriving and so incredibly grateful for my life. It has been so much more than I ever could have imagined.

Don’t be afraid to fail. You have to live your life.

Don't let the fear of failure hold you back from living your best life. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. 

Resilience is the secret ingredient to success. If you can figure out how to stay the course and get back in the game after failure, you’ll go places and live your dreams. The truth is, most successful people have spent almost as much time down for the count than they do in the fight itself. For example, Thomas Edison failed 10,000 times before he created the light bulb. 

The lesson to learn from all successful people's stories is if you haven’t failed, you are not reaching high enough. You’re not stretching yourself. Playing it safe sounds easier at first glance, but it’s a mirage and will NEVER get you to where you want to be. If you are going places, failure is just part of the deal. You can fix failure, but you can’t fix the things you never tried. So stop playing it safe and get in the game!

My favorite quote is: Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” This is where the magic happens. You may fail, but so be it… You have to learn to fail in order to learn to be great. 

Don’t take rejection personally. 

Repeat after me… Rejection is not an expression of self-worth. I’ve experienced a lot of rejection over the last ten years- personally and professionally.  Rejection just means that there is something better out there for you. It’s redirecting you down the right path. Trust that the Universe has a plan and it knows what it is doing. 

Be grateful for where you are now while striving to reach new goals. 

Live in the moment every day. Be grateful for where you are and what you have NOW. While I believe goals and ambitions are important, what’s also important is appreciating the things in your life and the people in your life that are here NOW.  Sometimes we get so caught up in wanting more and more, we forget what's important and often what is in front of us. We need to be satisfied with what we have in this very, singular moment. 

Work out for your insides & not your outsides.

“Change happens from the inside out. Not the other way around.” 

I have always struggled with my weight and appearance. I suffer from body dysmorphia and have battled eating disorders for years. I’ve compared myself to other people and never felt like I matched up or was worthy. I felt like if I had or did certain things that I would be happy.  But what I discovered was that my outward appearance or circumstances still didn't make me happy. I had to stop comparing myself to others and learn to love myself first. 

What you manifest, you become.

Personal manifesting is unreal. If we take the time to visualize the way we want our life to be, truly write it all down, draw pictures of things we want to create and set the scene for our lives, THINGS HAPPEN. It sounds crazy, but it truly works. Think about your vision and goals for the future. Say them to yourself, talk about it to others, release it into the Universe and watch as things start to happen and appear. 

You are not that important to most people. 

I mean this kindly & honestly. PEOPLE AREN’T THINKING ABOUT YOU OR WHAT YOU ARE DOING AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY ARE. I struggled to learn this, especially growing up. Like most teens and young adults, you want to be “cool” and to fit in. We are always so concerned about what others think of us. We try to present ourselves in the best way (I mean look at most of the stuff people post on social media), we are afraid to be vulnerable or different.  We are afraid that if we don't have our lives figured out by a certain point that people won't take us seriously or we are less than. Stop trying to get people to like you. Honestly, no one cares if you’re not married, don’t have kids, gained ten pounds. The right people are going to like you no matter what and the others don't matter. But what matters most is that you like yourself!

No one has everything figured out.

We are all doing our best. We are constantly changing and evolving. It’s ok to not know what you want to do when you grow up. Believe me, I’m 38 and I’m still unsure sometimes. It’s ok to now have life planned out and figured out. Enjoy the process of becoming.