How To

Three Simple Ways to Do Crow Pose

Rachel Larson · August 7, 2023 ·

Crow pose can be both inspirational and somewhat intimidating. If you didn’t grow up in tumbling or gymnastics, the idea of balancing on your forearms with your head hovering off the ground can cause some hesitation. Instead of sitting it out and watching from the sidelines, try out these three modifications.

Click here for our free 2-minute step-by-step video to walk you through it or watch the video on YouTube HERE.

The Hover:
Instead of going for the full balance, why not set it up and lean into it, without lifting the feet off the ground. This option will challenge your arm and shoulder muscles, increase hip flexibility and core activation – all without the worry of dropping onto your head or falling into a somersault.
One-legged Hover:
Take it one step further and pick ONE foot off the ground. Oof Da, that is getting tough! This is a great option to do for a few classes to build upper body strength before trying to lift both feet.
Crow with the yoga block:
Here is where it gets fun. Grab a few yoga blocks and place them out in front of you where you anticipate your head would touch down if you tipped forward. Use two yoga blocks to cover more ground until you have a better idea of where to place the block.. I’ve seen people place the yoga block too close and end up missing the block, and somersaulting forward due to the miss!
Now when you pick both feet off the ground and transfer the weight to your arms, if you lose balance and begin to tip forward, you can gently set you head down on the yoga block. Easy breezy.

And just like that- you are doing a crow pose. Click here to try a yoga restore class with crow pose. Bring these tips and tricks along with you and let’s do this!

Questions? Email us at info@theflostate.com.

Want to reach your goals? Do these 5 things

Alice Halvorson · August 3, 2023 ·

Tis the season for goal setting, resolutions, and embarking on new ventures. Most of us have that nagging feeling that we want to make changes and start fresh. This can happen at any point for any reason, but the drive is especially strong right now as we usher in a new year. We always have good intentions, but many times we miss the mark with our plan (wait, I need a plan?!) and ultimately fail to reach whatever we set out to achieve. How can we do better? What do we need to change to reach the goals we set and get the results we seek?

Here are 5 things you should be doing to reach your goals:

Number 1: Make your Goals “Smart Goals”

You’ve probably heard this one already, but it bears repeating. Your goals should be S.M.A.R.T. That stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time Bound. Why?

Specific goals help bring focus to what you want. You can’t do everything; narrow it down.

Measurable goals are anchored in metrics that you can measure and therefore track. How will you know how far you’ve come if you don’t have a way to measure it?

Achievable goals are things that you know you can realistically accomplish. So probably not losing 20lbs in one month or climbing Mt. Everest…forget the extreme, get real instead.

Relevant goals are those that make sense in your life. Why is this goal important to you? This may be one of the most important aspects of your goal and goal setting in general – THE WHY. It has to mean something to you, or when the going gets tough, you’ll jump ship.

Time Bound goals have a deadline attached to them. You need this time frame so you can create your plan. It also gives you a sense of urgency that motivates you to act.

Number 2: Defining Your “WHY”

Get crystal clear on why you want to do this. Why change at all? Why THIS goal? Make it for you, not for anyone else. Why will this goal improve your life, health or situation? Why is it important? Visualize how you will feel once you achieve this goal. Is it striking a nerve or not? Go deeper and keep asking “why” until you can articulate why this goal is important to pursue.

Number 3: Learn from Past Experiences / Failures

Most likely you’ve tried to make changes before, or even tried to achieve this same goal in the past. Reflect on that. What worked? What didn’t? What were your “hiccups”? Where did you get stuck? When did it get hard and why? This reflection could give you some important information on what strategies to use this time around.

Number 4: Secure a Source of Accountability

Tell someone about your goal, and better yet, someone with whom you value their opinion (related article). And get specific. Talking about the plan you will do specifically (versus the end goal) is even more beneficial in terms of holding you accountable. There is a part of you that won’t want to let the person you tell down or risk their disappointment if you fail. Use this to your advantage! And along with that, get yourself an “Accountability Partner”. Maybe this is a coach, friend, trainer, colleague – someone that you trust and “gets it”…someone that will support you through the journey, but will also get real with you and coax you back on track when things get challenging. Speaking of challenges…

Number 5: Expect Challenges

If nothing changes, nothing changes. Reaching a new goal will require a shift in you and it will require WORK from you. This is uncomfortable. I believe this is one area where people tend to have a blind spot. We want to skirt through on motivation alone, thinking it should be relatively easy because we just want to succeed so bad. However, there will be times that you want to quit and following your plan will be hard. What’s your plan when it gets tough?

When that happens, you know what? Come back to this article. Come back to your “Why”. Analyze it all again. Call your accountability partner. Follow your plan. Keep on going. You’ll shatter your goals and learn a ton in the process!

6 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism Today

Rachel Larson · May 30, 2023 ·

Have you ever thought, “If only I had a faster metabolism?” You are not alone! One out of every three Americans struggles to maintain a healthy weight. One weight maintenance strategy is to use up more energy each day or increase our metabolism. By using more baseline calories each day, those few extra calories that slip through are less likely to be stored as fat. Interested? Read on.

What is Metabolism?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, metabolism is defined as “the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.” When most of us think of metabolism we think, “how many calories do I use in a day and how much can I eat without gaining weight!” One thing to keep in mind is 60-75% of our needed calories each day are just to keep us alive. The remainder are activity, exercise and thermogenic effects of food. We could unpack all sorts of things about the mechanics of metabolism, but we will cut to the chase today and tell you what you can do to speed it up!

What can I do to burn more calories?

Get stronger

Increase lean mass by 2-4% pounds of muscle and boost your RMR (resting metabolic rate) by 7-8%.

Eat foods that require more energy to consume

Pick fruits and vegetables that take more time and effort to eat. Add in protein as it requires more energy to digest and break down.

Don’t starve yourself

Dramatic reductions in calories and crash diets slows metabolism by over 22%. Don’t do it! Odds are you will gain back everything you “lost” and more.

Control your appetite but respect your hunger!

Be aware that hunger and appetite are different and that appetite is linked with stress.
Hunger is when our bodies need food on a cellular and metabolic level. Don’t ignore hunger! Eat when your body needs nourishment.
Appetite is getting a second slice of pie on Thanksgiving after 3 plates of food. Or when we keep eating after a stressful day. Be aware of the difference.

Sleep more than 6 hours per night

Lack of sleep is linked with cravings for more energy-dense and unhealthy foods.
Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

Control stress

Stress increases cortisol, which drives us to choose unhealthy foods and can sabotage our good intentions.

5 Ways to Manage Stress

Rachel Larson · January 17, 2023 ·

Feeling stressed out? Well, join the club. According to The American Institute of Stress:

77 percent of people experience stress that affects their physical health
73 percent of people have stress that impacts their mental health
48 percent of people have trouble sleeping because of stress

Unfortunately, for nearly half of Americans, stress levels are getting worse – not better.

Stress is like quicksand…slowly drawing us down, and by the time we realize it, it’s almost pulled us under. However, once armed with a greater understanding of why we “stress out”, you can take back some control and proactively reduce your stress. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or costly.

5 quick tips on how to Stress Less and find more calm and joy

Move

It’s no surprise that movement and exercise make us feel better. But why is it so hard to do it? Stress causes people to feel tired, agitated, unmotivated, sad, tense and can even cause acid reflux and other GI issues. Know that if you are feeling stressed and unhappy, movement can help you break free from that feeling and “reset” your system. Some days just stretching is all we have the energy to do. Other days, we may be ready for a full yoga class or even a jog on the treadmill. Know that anything is worth doing. Free yourself from expectations on what you “should do” and just do what you can.

Breathe

Breath is one of the most powerful tools we have to reduce stress now. And, when we are experiencing stress [feelings of overwhelming burden or inability to keep up with demands] the last thing we instinctively do is sit down and breathe for a few minutes. Yet, it is the fastest and most efficient way to dial things down a bit and regroup. You can lower your resting heart rate and calm stress hormones by taking just a few minutes to breathe slowly in and exhale through the nose. Try this 2 minute breath video.

Eat Mindfully

What we choose to eat is also influenced by stress and can add to our stress. That’s right – what you eat might be stressing you out! And your stress is likely fueling some less-than-optimal eating habits. When in a stressed state, we tend to crave – and justify – eating more fried, high calorie, and unhealthy foods. We feel terrible, so we look to food to feel better. And we think that because we are burdened with so much, that we deserve to indulge. Unfortunately, this only masks our stress for a few brief moments, until it comes roaring back.

Food eaten to “feel better” is a bandaid, not a solution. And over time, if food is your crutch, you are more likely to develop chronic diseases such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and/or anxiety (American Institute on Stress). Sound familiar? You are not alone. You are one of the majority of Americans struggling with run-away stressors. Please know that you can find your way back to a healthier state. Deep breaths!

Slow down and ask yourself, am I really hungry, or seeking food for a different reason? Stock the house with foods you feel good about eating. So, when you find yourself foraging for food in the pantry and kitchen, you will feel better about the choices you make. Identify the triggers that push you over the edge and consider what you can plan to do differently when confronted with it. It is easier to replace a bad habit with a better one. Trying to remove the bad habit leaves a vacuum. You will get sucked back in if you don’t swap out the old for something new.

Be Present

Did you know that mind wandering without awareness actually makes us more stressed and less happy? According to Killilngsworth and Gilbert (2010) people are less happy when their minds wander than when they are present and experiencing the “right now” moments. You can also think of it this way…if our minds are wandering, we are likely reliving what happened in the past (ruminating) or busy worrying about the future.

Both ruminating and worrying rob us of joy in the present moment. This week, notice if you walk into a room and forget why you went there; if you drive somewhere and don’t remember the journey; if you daydream during a conversation or a meeting; when you weren’t really “listening” wholeheartedly, because your mind was somewhere else. Awareness of when, how often and what distracts you is the first step in reclaiming some control over your thinking. The quality of your thoughts in “default” or mind-drifting mode directly impacts your happiness and ability to experience joy. Be present.

Be Aware of Your Stress Level

Multiple times a day, try to pause and do a stress inventory. How am I feeling right now? What am I thinking about? Do I feel tension in my body? Where do I feel it? Am I breathing or holding my breath? Do I feel agitated or nervous? Why? Where are those feelings coming from? After a brief inventory, recenter by exhaling slowly. Let your shoulders relax away from your ears, stand tall. If you are feeling stressed and a few breaths aren’t enough. Consider going for a walk or doing a Flostate stretch or yoga video. Maybe you need to burn off some stress by doing something more intense like running or strength training. Find a way to channel your energy and “reset”.

Hopefully this article helped arm you with helpful information that you can implement today. You CAN reduce your stress and reclaim your calm! Visit us at www.theflostate.com.

*If you are experiencing severe stress, consider reaching out to your health care team for some extra help and advice.