This may be your sign to start yoga...

Is yoga right for you? It is if you want to fight stress, get fit and stay healthy.

Picture this... Your mobile phone is ringing, your boss wants to talk to you and your partner wants to know what's for dinner. Stress and anxiety are everywhere. If they're getting the best of you, you might want to hit the mat and give yoga a try.

September is National Yoga Month. This national observance and awareness campaign helps to educate about the health benefits of yoga and to inspire a healthy lifestyle by practicing yoga while creating a more balanced lifestyle. Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching exercises, controlled breathing, and relaxation. Yoga can help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and improve heart function. And almost anyone can do it.

Understanding Yoga

Yoga is considered a mind-body type of complementary and alternative medicine practice. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Most people can benefit from any style of yoga — it's all about your personal preferences. The core components of yoga classes are:

Poses

Yoga poses, also called postures, are a series of movements designed to increase strength and flexibility. Poses range from lying on the floor while completely relaxed to difficult postures that will stretch your physical limits.

Breathing

Controlling your breathing is the most important part of yoga. In yoga, breath signifies your vital energy. Yoga teaches that controlling your breathing can help you control your body and quiet your mind.

The Health Benefits of Yoga

Stress Reduction

Studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress and anxiety. It can enhance your mood and overall well-being.

Improved Fitness

Practicing yoga can lead to improved balance, flexibility, range of motion, and strength. This means you're less likely to injure yourself in your other daily activities.

Management of Chronic Conditions

Yoga can help reduce risk factors for chronic diseases, such as heart

disease and high blood pressure. Yoga also helps alleviate chronic conditions, such as depression, pain, anxiety, and insomnia.

You can start learning yoga from books and videos, but beginners usually find it helpful to learn with an instructor. Classes also offer camaraderie and friendship, which are also important to overall well-being. When you find a class that sounds interesting, talk with the instructor so that you know what to expect.

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Pumpkin Pie Smoothie Recipe

Who doesn't love to indulge in Pumpkin to bring in the Fall?

The health benefits of pumpkins are numerous. Loaded with magnesium, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin C they are also a fabulous source of fiber. Pumpkins are packed with anti-inflammatory compounds and polyphenols that can protect the eyes, lower cholesterol and reduce joint pain. Pumpkins are also a great addition to your diet because they are low in calories and high in fiber.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup baked pumpkin or squash

1 cup unsweetened coconut or almond milk

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon fresh chopped ginger

1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla stevia

2 scoops of Easy Meal Vanilla

2 cups ice