Top Tips for Stress Relief

Our mood can be easily influenced by external stressors out of our control. The reactivity of the brain in these situations comes down to conditioning. The more we pattern the neural pathways, the easier it will be to have a calm response. You can think of these neural pathways like hiking trails- when we walk over and over again on a certain trail, the path smooths and becomes easier to experience.

When we practice thoughts and reactions (whether positive or negative) the more that becomes the default in the brain and cements that specific path. We actually have the power to influence these paths, how often we walk them. The positive patterning allows for calmer reactions to any stressful circumstance that then becomes the consistent behavior.

A comprehensive Harvard University study found meditation can actually change the structure of the brain: Eight weeks of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation and self-referential processing.

These 10-minute meditations are led by my team member Adam Peot, Certified Meditation Coach and Yoga Instructor. Adam has a gentle way of shifting physiology, always creating a sense of ease and zero pressure in a meditation practice.

ENHANCE ENERGY

IMPROVE CREATIVITY

REDUCE STRESS

PROLONG FOCUS

5 Basic Yoga Poses To Make You Feel Fantastic In 15 Minutes

The practice of yoga can do wonders for your overall mood, physique and peace of mind. With our fast-paced lives and crazy work schedules we rarely get to take time for ourselves to reboot. Fortunately, spending hours at an ashram or a week at a spa is not required. Yoga is the perfect practice to implement into your daily life, because you can experience its many benefits quickly. All it takes is 15 minutes a day for a sunnier disposition, heightened sex drive and a greater sense of well-being.

Here are five basic poses that will help you feel better in your own skin, and they don't take long if you want to include them in your daily routine!

Dolphin

1. Come into a straight-arm plank with wrists under shoulders and legs extended straight back. Keeping your hands in place, shift your hips up and back.

2. Point tailbone straight up to the ceiling, relax head and draw shoulders away from the ears. Press chest toward thighs, spread hands wide and begin to engage your core.

3. Hold for 10 deep breaths.

Warrior II

1. Stand with feet wider than hip-width. Turn right toes out and left toes inward at a 45-degree angle. Deeply bend right knee so thigh comes close to parallel with the ground. Keep left leg straight.

2. Extend arms directly out from shoulders and gaze over your right finger tips. Draw core in tight and stay low in the legs.

3. Hold for 10 deep breaths each side.

Triangle

1. Stand with feet wider than hip-width. Turn right toes out and left toes inward at a 45-degree angle. Keep both legs straight as your hinge at your hips toward the right leg. Draw your torso as far to the right as possible, maintaining length through your spine.

2. Place right hand above or below the knee and extend left arm directly above shoulder. Spin right hip forward and left hip back. Gaze toward the floor to stretch the neck.

3. Hold for 10 deep breaths each side.

Warrior III

1. Come into a lunge position with right foot forward (knee bent) and left foot back (straight leg). Hinge forward at your hips and bring torso close to parallel with the floor. At the same time, kick left leg up to hip-height, forming a straight line from the crown of your head to your toes.

2. Place both hands at heart center, draw belly button toward the spine and gaze a few inches in front of you.

3. Hold for 10 deep breaths each side.

Pigeon

1. Come into a downward dog (see pose #1) with tailbone pointing toward the ceiling and hands pressing into the floor. Lift right leg up to hip height, then gently swing it forward. Bend right knee and lower leg onto the mat.

2. Try to get your shin close to parallel with the front of the mat and always keep foot flexed. Left leg stays straight. Fall forward over right shin and rest hands or forehead on the mat.

3. Hold for 10 deep breaths each side.

*If your hips are very tight, please place a pillow or blanket under right hip to assist in this posture.

Namaste.

This One Exercise Will Strengthen Your Core — STAT

Planks are one of the most effective exercises out there. They can ignite your metabolism, improve circulation to the brain, and help the body and mind reach peak performance. That said, many people do them incorrectly or do the same type of plank over and over again—and really, where's the fun in that?

That's why I designed this four-minute plank routine that you can do anywhere and everywhere—it requires no space, and if you do it often enough, your core will be solid in no time.

Why we should all do planks

Planks engage the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and glutes. This is important because each muscle group serves a different purpose, and together they protect your body from injury.

The transverse abdominis increases abdominal pressure so you can lift more weight, which is needed to increase your strength. The rectus abdominis improves performance in sports that require jumping, while the obliques are responsible for side-bending and waist-twisting moves. The glutes take pressure off the back and reduces risk of injury (looking at you, folks with lower-back pain). Any type of plank will boost energy and improve productivity—and in this quick workout, I give you four different plank variations to try.

The 4-minute plank workout

The workout is simple: Do four different types of planks in four minutes. I've varied the types of planks included and explained what proper form looks like for each of them.

The circuit looks like this:

• 1 minute regular forearm plank

• 1 minute side plank (30 seconds on right, 30 seconds on left)

• 1 minute straight-arm plank

• 1 minute straight-arm plank with shoulder touches

Never done these before? Check out my step-by-step instructions for how to do each below!

Forearm Plank

• Come onto your forearms with legs extended straight back.

• Clasp hands and bring elbows directly under your shoulders.

• Come up onto the balls of your feet, forming a straight line from head to heels.

• Draw belly button toward your spine. Engage quads and glutes the entire time.

• Hold for 60 seconds.

Side Plank

• Come onto your right forearm with elbow under shoulder and feet stacked.

• Lift your hips as high you can, forming a straight line from head to heels.

• Extend your left arm directly over shoulder, and press right hand into the mat.

• Keep core engaged the entire time.

• Hold for 30 seconds on each side.

Straight-Arm Plank

• Place your hands under your shoulders and come up onto the balls of your feet.

• Keep your arms fully extended, and gaze toward the floor.

• Squeeze your shoulder blades together and draw your belly button toward your spine.

• Keep your quads and glutes engaged the entire time.

• Hold for 60 seconds.

Straight-Arm Plank With Shoulder Touch

*This is the same as the straight-arm plank above, just adding alternating shoulder touches!

• Place your hands under your shoulders and come up onto the balls of your feet.

• Bring your feet wider than mat width.

• Keep your arms extended straight, and gaze toward the floor.

• While keeping your hips still, bring your right hand up to touch left shoulder.

• Return to center, and bring left hand up to touch right shoulder.

• Continue to alternate, keeping your torso and legs as still as possible.

• Do this for 60 seconds straight.