<![CDATA[My Site - Blog]]>Fri, 04 Jul 2025 23:41:43 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[50 Days]]>Sat, 09 Jun 2018 18:29:11 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/50-daysThe 50th day will be our first day in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

In the midst of the vritti (mind spinnings) of PCS (move), I remind myself of my anchors to tap into nirhoda (stillness). I’m guessing there’s gonna be a lot of trees.

​Day 1
June 6
​Arlington, VA
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Day 2
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Day 3
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Day 4
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Day 5
​Fly little bird!
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Day 6
​These guys know how to survive life in the DMV.
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Day 7
The Juliasana: stand, wag, and repeat.
Day 8
]]><![CDATA[Top Five Tips For Getting Back on Your Yoga Mat ... at HOME]]>Wed, 18 Mar 2015 09:18:55 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/top-five-tips-for-getting-back-on-your-yoga-mat-at-homeI love going to yoga classes. Nothing can beat the energy of a good group class, and no matter what class I go to I always learn something new. For me, nothing can ever replace group practice. 

But when I also have a home practice, I get SO much more out of my classes. And life in general. 

So, here are my TOP FIVE TIPS for getting on your mat at home!

#5  If you only have five minutes, just practice for five minutes.

Don't feel like you have to do an hour of yoga to make it count. Just three sun salutations (2 A and 1 B), go a long way towards stretching your entire body and energizing your mind.

#4  Focus on what you need that day.

Stretching every part of your body is not a requirement. If you have tight hips that day, do a few squats and a butterfly or pigeon. Tight shoulders? Try cow face pose and alternate with eagle arms. Stressed and exhausted? Legs up the wall, with or without a wall.

#3  Make an appointment with yourself.

When we're home it is so easy to prioritize housework (not to mention Facebook) over self-care. Remind yourself that it is much harder to squeeze in five minutes of yoga than it is to throw a load of laundry in on the fly. So, if you have a few minutes of precious alone time, make it a priority to use that time for yourself. 

#2  Do yoga off your mat. 

Yoga does not have to be a zen experience in the perfect location. You can fit yoga into your daily activities. Waiting for water to boil? Do a triangle in the kitchen. Kid driving you crazy? Take five diaphragmatic breaths before returning to battle ... that is, patient, nonviolent parenting. 

#1  And my #1 tip for practicing yoga at home? MUSIC. 

Make yourself a playlist (email me for artist recommendations) and play the music from your phone if you don't have speakers. Music inspires us, relaxes us, and makes our home practice flow. 

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane
]]><![CDATA[October 08th, 2014]]>Wed, 08 Oct 2014 17:08:34 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/october-08th-2014The Power Inside You
Harnessing the power of your own energy for peace and happiness

This morning I read an article on npr.comthat illustrated how much power we have in influencing how we experience our lives. The article, titled "Why Saying is Believing - The Science of Self-Talk," offered research based evidence that the language we use - both when talking to ourselves and to others - directly affects our perceptions. 

In coping with pain and stress, I have experienced this first hand. If, in my internal dialogue, I choose to focus on the negative aspects of the pain or stress, those aspects will magnify. However, if I offer myself alternatives, such as "I choose to approach this challenge with calm and confidence," I really do believe that I CAN deal with whatever is facing me with calm and confidence. 

However, sometimes having the right words just isn't enough. We can say all the right things, but they just won't stick. This is when the power of our own energy comes in. EFT tapping can help us harness that powerful energy, converting our self-talk into much more than just talk: into a belief that we feel deep in our core. As our bodies come back into balance, our minds begin to believe. 

So this month I am offering you the gift of a detailed instructional video: "How to do EFT." If you've ever wanted to try EFT tapping, this short video gives you step by step instructions and a stress relief demo that you can follow along with as you tap. You can use it to gain relief from a specific issue, or for general stress and pain relief, and you can view it as often as you need it. 

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane

]]><![CDATA[August 31st, 2014]]>Sun, 31 Aug 2014 09:54:47 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/august-31st-2014Need Relief from Chronic Headaches?
Your at-home guide to healing headache pain:
The Quick Start Guide to Life Without Migraines: Four Steps to Natural Pain Relief

Now available onAmazon.com. 

For only $0.99, you will receive a simple, four step program for healing pain naturally, including:

  • How to effectively identify your unique headache triggers 
  • Essential lifestyle changes to prevent headaches 
  • The connection between pain and stress - and what to do about it! 
  • Detailed instructions for a breakthrough method of healing and preventing headache pain naturally
  • A daily plan for healing headache pain
  • Links to FREE instructional videos 
Whether you suffer from chronic migraines, intermittent headaches, or would like to learn more about how to heal pain naturally, this book is a fantastic resource, and all you need is a Kindle, tablet, smartphone, or computer. Download your free Kindle reading appcompatible with your device, and begin your journey to a life free from pain today. 

Wishing you health and happiness, 

Diane

]]><![CDATA[FREE Belly Breathing Tutorial]]>Tue, 24 Jun 2014 08:10:05 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/free-belly-breathing-tutorialFeeling stressed and overwhelmed? Take five minutes and follow along with me as I take you through a brief diaphragmatic belly breathing tutorial. Enjoy!

https://soundcloud.com/mind-body-global-wellness/diaphragmatic-breathing-belly

]]><![CDATA[Free Persistent Headache Relief!]]>Wed, 14 May 2014 12:19:40 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/free-persistent-headache-reliefGot a headache?


Let me help you!
For FREE

If you have an acute headache that you just can't shake, contact me and I will help you relieve the pain with a free single session.

You will be helping me do research for a new eBook, and I will help you release the pain when nothing else is working. ]]><![CDATA[Focus on Women's Health - Caring for our Caregivers]]>Wed, 14 May 2014 12:06:13 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/focus-on-womens-health-caring-for-our-caregiversWomen are well known for our ability to care for others, and for our difficulty in caring for ourselves. Whether you are a mother, elder caregiver, or simply a woman who spends extra energy and time doing the hands-on work required to keep the people you love healthy, I acknowledge and thank you for your hard work. 

 This is not a discussion of whether or not women should be our primary caregivers. This is an acknowledgement that women are, for the most part, our primary caregivers. I sincerely acknowledge and thank all the men who are their family's primary, hands-on caregiver, but this week, let's focus on women. And yet, there is one way in which women need to improve their caregiving: caring for ourselves. 

There are many barriers that keep us from practicing self-care: time, money, the availability of help, and, of course, sheer fatigue. However, none of these barriers are insurmountable. So how do we change these habits and start taking care of ourselves? 

 There are many factors that go into acting on self-care, but the first--and most important--is to make the decision to do it. 

 You ARE worth it. You DO deserve it. 

 And it is absolutely necessary in order to continue taking good care of others. 

Get started today. Take a yoga class or go for a walk. Make time to treat yourself to a healthy meal. Take the first steps in getting help relieving your pain, stress, or anxiety. 

Originally published in my May 2014 eNewsletter

]]><![CDATA[April 02nd, 2014]]>Wed, 02 Apr 2014 12:30:51 GMThttp://www.mindbodyglobal.com/blog/april-02nd-2014
Open your heart and relieve your stress

In my yoga classes I ask students to "open their hearts" while in poses, the literal instruction being to open the upper chest, spread the collarbones, and counter the effects of sitting and standing with a rounded back and shoulders. So what do our hearts have to do with it?

In yoga, we call the center of the chest, directly beneath the breastbone, the heart center. In yogic philosophy this is the location of a chakra, or energy center, and no matter what your philosophical inclination, you may have noticed that when you are stressed you feel tightness, pressure, or pain in this area.* When we feel anxiety, we tend to close in on ourselves, instinctively protecting the vulnerable organs located in our torso. When we are chronically stressed, and our bodies and minds are permanently in "fight or flight" mode, we move through the world in this protective posture, scared to make ourselves vulnerable, and, perhaps, unwilling to open our hearts and minds to new information.

So I invite you to pay attention to your heart center: notice if you carry stress here, or if your back and shoulders are always rounded. And consider: what would be different if you led your life with an open heart? 

*Always have chest pain evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional. 

Originally published in my February 2014 eNewsletter. 


To read more blogs, packed with tips on yoga, wellness, and pain relief, please visit mindbodyglobal.blogspot.com. 
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