Don't Shrink---Lengthen!

Don’t Shrink—Lengthen!

One of my 65-year-old students recently noticed something telling about yoga. While she’s maintaining her height, her friends are getting shorter! It’s true that we shrink when we age, but what’s going on here?

In short, it’s all about good posture. And yoga helps with that.

How? Improving your posture means finding what is imbalanced in your body. Yoga doesn’t just strengthen your core—it gives you a constant stream of information about what makes your body unique.

Each person has different muscles holding specific tensions that pull us off balance. Did you play a childhood sport that developed the muscles on one side of your body more than the other? How many times has your neck hurt from staring at the TV or computer screen? Or have your shoulders ached from gardening?

 Personal activities and skeletal structure can tighten different muscles in an imbalanced way, which, in turn, bends your posture.

For instance, I’ve found I have a very curved lumbar spine. It’s due to the tightness of my quads and hip flexors that pull down my iliac crest. Stretching out my quads and building up my hamstrings creates space for my sacrum to lengthen towards the ground. Once the iliac crest is lifted, there is space for the tailbone to release. After that, I can really straighten out and lengthen. My tension in gone!

Is it time for you to start lengthening? Begin by learning what makes your body unique.  

All asanas (poses) will help you in creating that union with your body. I especially recommend the tadasana (mountain pose). This pose will inform you of habits you have while standing. Once you identify your bad habits, different poses and practices can target the areas that you need to stretch.

Most likely, you’ll form better habits that will help you stand tall!

What to expect at your first Brazilian Wax

What to expect at your first Brazilian Wax

                    

It's swimsuit season, and many are looking for ways to keep their bikini line groomed without the hassle!

Brazilian waxes are often the route many choose to take, but for first-timers this can be nerve-racking. No need to worry! Here are a few things to keep in mind so you can walk in for your first Brazilian Wax with confidence.

When you enter the spa, you'll typically be greeted by an  esthetician (this is standard procedure at The Floating Lotus). You'll then be taken to the treatment room where you'll be asked if it's your first time. Good estheticians know you may be a little nervous and will do their best to help you feel relaxed.

Next you'll be told to remove everything from the waist down and given a towelette to cleanse the area. Your esthetician will step out while you prepare and re-enter once you're ready.

This is when you may feel most nervous. You may start to have many questions. You may be worried about the intrusiveness of it all. There are some positions that may be a little awkward. Our estheticians at The Floating Lotus are careful to work with positions that are less intrusive.

You may also be curious about the waxing itself, especially if you've never encountered wax before. The wax used at The Floating Lotus is by Lycon Wax and can be used on sensitive skin. The wax is never super hot, just warmer than room temperature. Your anxiety can actually make this part of the treatment seem worse, so having a good esthetician is key.

Here's how. While the waxing itself can be a little painful, a good esthetician will help you relax by sparking conversation. Stress can increase pain during a session, and small talk is a great distraction.  Before you know it, it's over! Most Brazilian Waxes last anywhere between 20-45 minutes.

Afterwards, no need to worry about shaving! The result can last for four to six weeks. In the meantime, it's important to exfoliate the area as new hair grows (typically five days after your wax). Other than that, throw on your bathing suit and enjoy a shave-free summer!

Happy Fourth of July from The Floating Lotus!

The Fourth of July is almost here and, like me, I'm sure you're all looking forward to some fun in the sun! 

The Floating Lotus will be closed on Monday, July 4, for the holiday. We will re-open for regular hours on Tuesday. 

Enjoy watching fireworks and sticking your toes in the sand, but don't neglect your skin. When the weekend's over, come in and enjoy a facial or body treatment with organic skincare products to nourish and renew that summer skin. 

Go ahead and enjoy a day at the lake, in the park, or on the hiking trail – we'll help you keep your skin healthy and glowing all summer long!

Winter Solstice 30 days of a Renewal Sadhana

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. We move from darkness into light.  It will be a New Moon as well.  This will be a powerful time to cultivate the seeds of the Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox.  If you have planted intentions earlier it is the time to nurture those ideas.  My 30 Sadhana (practice) will be about self renewal.  I look forward to this time to honor my health and well being by taking time to slow down.  My plan is to cut back my spa days from four to three days.   It will be a new experience for me to not always be on.  With all the busy days I yearn for the long moments of quiet and rest.  May you find a 30 day Sadhana that is transforming and enlightening.  Think about what you need to create in your life.  Plant the seeds and allow the days of light to grow those intentions to fruition.  Peace....

Wow!  I feel so grateful that Katie O'Byrne editor for Natural Awakenings AR let me share 5 of my beauty tips in the November issue!

Here is the article I wrote:

Top 5 skin care tips to keeping your face looking its best. 

Your face is the first thing that someone sees and you want it to look healthy and glowing. Here are my top 5 tricks to keeping a healthy glow.

·         Hydration is vital for healthy glowing skin.  When you do not get enough water your skin gets dry.  The dryer your skin the more lack luster, wrinkly and fatigued the skin texture will be.  Plus, drinking/eating foods that support hydration is important.

·         Get plenty of rest.  Have you ever been asked, “are you feeling well?”  after having a restless night of sleep.  You may feel fine, but your skin is reflecting a tired and stressful appearance.

·         The crucial home care steps:  cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish.  These steps are the most basic for healthy skin.  Cleansing and exfoliating removes the top layer of dead skin, so that when you nourish with a serum, masque, or moisturizer the hydration can get to the lower levels of the epidermis. 

·         Stress free living is key.  The more stress you care can damage cells and stress can cause facial wrinkles….think frown lines between the eyebrows.

·         Get moving!  Exercise is great for circulation!  Circulation is great for glowing skin and it is  wonderful at combating tress.  The more oxygen filled blood that you can get pumping will eliminate  dull, stressed, and tired looking skin.  When blood is moving it is rejuvenating your skin from the inside out.  

If you want healthy looking skin just follow these simple steps.  You can come see me for any further skin care questions.  I have been an esthetician for 9 years and not all skin care concerns can be corrected with just these steps above, but they are a great way to start.

Cassandra Benning Aesthetics License Number: 13990


Cassandra Benning is the owner of The Floating Lotus Yoga Studio and Day Spa. Has been sharing her knowledge about skin care since 2005 when she received her esthetics.  Cassandra’s  skin care journey started when she was 12 years old: having Grade 2 acne, she quickly learned the necessity of caring for skin.

AAHHH!!! The Power of Lemon Water!

It is refreshing and detoxifying!  It has a plethora of health benefits that has helped me feel free of toxicity and dehydration.  Below are a few of the many benefits that lemon water can give you.

Lemon Smiles,
Cassandra

• The lemon is high in vitamin C which helps the body's immune system function more efficiently.  
• It balances the pH in the body.
• It helps reduce pain and inflammation in joints
• Dissolves uric acid in the body
• Detoxifies the body 

10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

 10 Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

It has been a couple of years since I have done a green smoothie cleanse.  For one year my vitamix blender was in storage while Eric and I lived with his parents.  This coming from a gal that lived a raw food lifestyle for a year.  Talking about clean eating I never knew you could get high from being so pure with food!

Anyway a little over a year ago we finished building our house, got married, and now I feel life has settled down enough to detox my body.  I have been wanting to get back to green smoothies everyday, but once you get out of a habit it's hard to start again.

Since I have been with Eric I have slowly reintroduced meat into my diet.  When I meet him I was eating a mostly vegetarian diet with small amounts of fish and eggs. Adding meat, like chicken and turkey, into my life was new.  I felt like I needed to add some animal protein into my diet because I was feeling like I was missing something.  My body was weak and I was suffering from carb/energy crashes.
  

So, I started adding a little bit of chicken and then it snowballed into all varieties of meat with the exception of beef.  I eventually did a low carb, high fat, and high protein eating lifestyle.  Eric does great with this lifestyle diet.  I do not.  I tried it along with many other forms of eating habits through the years.  By detoxing all the meat I consumed over the last two years,  I have finally become aware of what works best for me.  This is the whole point!  I am so grateful for the green smoothie detox.  It has shown me that I do better with green smoothies and I can balance them with veggies, salads and a little meat for optimal health.  This is what works for me.  I wish you the best journey in finding what works best for you.

Know your body, listen to it, and your body will guide you into the perfect balance.

Happy Eating!