"Heart-opening yoga" is a term often associated with images of various back-bending yoga postures. While these chest-forward expressions are helpful in creating space, a student can perform backbends until Armageddon and still have restriction to the heart chakra and the flow of prana, our life force. Being bendy is good but having a truly open heart is vital. Read this article to find out how to implement the other seven limbs of yoga into your practice to truly open your heart space. 

Have you ever questioned the value of your heart? Probably not. The heart is known for being the powerhouse of the body, as vital as the brain. The heart muscle plays an integral role in our physical health; we wouldn’t survive without it. However, we value it for more than just its physical function. Our language and its metaphors—heartfelt, heavy-hearted, light-hearted, broken-hearted, having the heart of a lion, and so on—show that our culture associates the heart with psychological, emotional, and even spiritual importance.

Banyan’s Community Relations Manager, Erin Douglas, shares her weight loss journey in this blog post. Along with her partner, her dog Jasper, and her supportive community of Banyan friends and coworkers, Erin’s journey to lose fifteen pounds has already shown results! See her checklist and more in this article.  

Seeking shelter from winter’s elements is a natural tendency for most beings, and, ultimately, keeps us alive. Discover ways to make the most of your time spent inside this winter, and how to stay attuned with nature with the help of Ayurvedic herbs, diet, and lifestyle tips that will help you stay warm and balanced.

When we find ourselves reaching for food in moments of crisis or energetic overwhelm, we are witnessing a confused attempt at love—an unintelligent craving based on intelligent underpinnings. Your body can feel that it’s off kilter and is simply trying to restore a sense of equilibrium. Recognize the intelligence and beauty in the impulse (without judging yourself), while acknowledging what your body really wants: the restoration of balance that’s possible only when we’re willing to address the underlying cause of the problem. Read this article for more insight on the topic of emotional overeating from an Ayurvedic perspective. 

For many of us, black pepper is so popular we’d be surprised to find it missing from any dining experience. But have you heard of black pepper’s close relative, pippali? Here in the West, it doesn’t get as much recognition, but pippali, or Piper longum, is among the most celebrated herbs in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia and has been for centuries.

Since you know your body better than anyone else, you can make health promoting decisions to bring your body back into balance via diet and lifestyle modifications. As Ayurvedic practices become daily routines, they become second nature to you.

Winter is the optimal time of year to pay close attention to the care of our skin, since the skin is drier and ready to absorb all the nourishment we are willing to give it. Moreover, while it is important to take care of our skin from the outside we all know beauty comes from within, literally, making internal self-care just as essential to healthy, radiant skin. Learn how to keep your skin healthy during this challenging time of year with these easy Ayurvedic tips.

This recipe for a super easy ginger pickle will not only give your agni the boost that it may be looking for, but it will also align well with those healthy diet goals you are setting.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a recovering perfectionist. And quite honestly, my dedication to excellence served me well for a lot of years. But more recently, I have come to realize the degree to which it has also stood in my way. Interestingly, my relationship with Ayurveda tells the story of a dramatic shift in consciousness that, on the surface, may look like I’ve become a giant slacker. But deep down, I think it reflects something quite beautiful taking shape in my life.

Practically synonymous with “New Year’s” is the term “resolutions.” As health conscious individuals, our resolutions are typically regarding our well-being. Even with the best of intentions, we often do not follow through with our resolutions. This is often because we try and do everything at once. Instead, here is a step by step guide for the new year. 

The new year beckons the new, along with renewal, dreams, transformation, and the accompanying resolutions for the changes we seek. This year let’s avoid reaching for the lose weight, exercise more, wake up earlier, drive ourselves harder tools. Instead, let’s dive deep into our hearts and minds, into our joys and sorrows, and take the time to list our greatest challenges and most pressing goals.

In addition to listening to that inner voice that tells you when you've had enough, what can you do to make things a little easier on your digestive system? How about incorporating some delicious winter spices that can gently stimulate your appetite, aid the digestive process, and help you avoid the aftermath of overindulgence like gas, bloating, and upset stomach.

’Tis the season—the season for joy, celebration, family, friends, lights, gifts, and yes—challenges to our health. While the holiday season is rich in activities, the hustle and bustle can leave the immune system compromised. Here are six immune-boosting tips to help you stay happy and healthy this season!

Ayurveda recommends a counterbalancing lifestyle approach to help prevent imbalances: in the winter, balance the cold with warmth. Herbal spiced chai is a delicious beverage for generating internal warmth and keeping the digestive fire burning.

Looking for relaxation gifts? These suggestions are meant to offer support to anyone who is stressed, overworked, or just plain exhausted. 

Find out which poses you can practice in your very own bed! Whether you’re just beginning your day or unwinding before sleep, these ten easy postures can help to stretch and strengthen your hips, back, and belly, support your nervous system, stimulate digestion, and bring awareness to your breath.

We take care of our cars, our homes, our jobs, our children, and the many people we love. Why then can it be so difficult to give ourselves the care and attention we also need and deserve?

Gratitude swells from, and lightens the heart. But it also requires a certain presence, which I believe gives it a particularly slow, grounding quality. Here are some suggestions as to how you might play with expanding your own sense of gratitude.

To practice eating mindfully, take a deep breath and say a word of gratitude over your food. Now take your first bite. Put your eating utensil back down and rest your hands in your lap. If you are enjoying a sandwich or hand-held food, place it back on the plate. Sit and experience the taste on your tongue and the texture of the food in your mouth.

Read this article to find the perfect gift selections for yogis in particular. Here you will find helpful suggestions from our Banyan inventory of items that make for great gifts for yoga teachers and enthusiasts alike.

Spices are an incredible way to bring the six tastes into a meal and can have a powerful effect on the body and mind. Read this article to learn how to make some invigorating seasonal masalas, along with tips on purchasing, storing, toasting, grinding, and blending spices at home. 

Ayurvedic gifts that come from the heart can make a big impact on the people you love this holiday season. Whether you’re looking for Hanukah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, or Christmas presents, or gift ideas for another day of joyous celebration, show your loved ones just how much you value their wellness, happiness, and success with Ayurvedic herbal gifts and tools for health.

Read all about Adrenal Nourish™, a unique formula designed to support you and your lifestyle by aiding healthy functioning of the adrenal glands, while also contributing to the overall balance of the nervous system—often the root of adrenal imbalance.