Taking Your Yoga Practice to the Next Level

Photo Credit: Avrielle Suleiman via Unsplash

By Guest Blogger Zack Spring

Taking Your Yoga Practice to the Next Level

Practicing yoga is a wonderful way to improve your balance, increase your flexibility, and develop your core strength. It is also very beneficial for your mind as it helps you be more aware and focused. So if you’re trying to incorporate more practices into your busy life, here are three strategies you should implement right now, courtesy of Nani Lotus Bodywork. 

Create a Stress-Free Zone

Practicing yoga is best done in a quiet and comfortable environment. If you feel that your house is too chaotic to really get into a deep state of relaxation, or too messy to be able to fully engage in mindfulness meditation and really obtain any benefit from your practice, consider decluttering a space just for yourself. 

Find a spot in your home where you’ll have enough room to stretch out, as far away from the hustle and bustle of the common areas as possible. Turn that spot into a calming sanctuary by removing anything that doesn’t belong there and organizing the space so that you won’t have any visual distractions during your practice. 

You can paint the walls in a color that relaxes or inspires you, and even add drapes, room-darkening shades, or blinds if you prefer to practice yoga by candlelight. The idea is to create a space you want to spend time in, where you can be fully focused on your breath and your flow.           

Carve Time Out for Practice

If you work from home, it’s easy to forget about taking breaks throughout the day. But spending all your time hunched over your desk – or worse, slouching on the couch while typing on your laptop keyboard – will do a number on your back, neck, and shoulders. So make sure to break up your workday by incorporating yoga exercises into your routine. 

Take a few minutes to practice poses that promote good posture and strengthen your core. Not only will it be good for your body, but it will be great for your mind as well. You’ll have better focus and clarity, and regular practice can even lead to better emotional balance and resilience. Stepping away from your desk for a handful of minutes and taking a few cleansing breaths or doing some yoga stretches may be all it takes to give you a renewed boost of energy that will help you get through the day. 

You can also set up an appointment with Nani Lotus Bodywork for guided yoga, massage, or reiki to refresh your body and mind.

Make Use of the Latest Technologies

Digital technologies have allowed us to take our practice anywhere, and they can even let us learn new techniques from the comfort of our own homes. If you don’t have time to go to a studio, you can sign up for online yoga classes and virtually meet up with a teacher. 

Look for a teacher that is not only passionate about yoga but is also able to clearly explain how to direct your body for every asana. Your yoga teacher should be safety-conscious and ask you if you have suffered an injury before starting a class. 

You can also download apps that will keep track of your progress and monitor your sessions as you practice. Choose an app that is easy to use, has valid and current information about poses and their benefits, and that will allow you to give and receive feedback. Some apps even suggest reading materials and videos you may enjoy and learn from, as well as healthy foods and supplements that can enhance your practice.      

Let Tech Enhance Your Yoga Practice

Yoga offers many benefits for the body and the mind. So find the time and space to practice regularly. And take advantage of the latest technologies to help you maintain your mental and physical health!


Zack Spring works as a tech consultant which requires him to travel frequently. He also enjoys running and cycling – staying active as possible. He created TravelFit.info to encourage his readers to stay active while traveling.

Here’s How My Harmonic Egg Session Went

Wait, what in God’s name am I referencing? 

An egg? 

An egg that is harmonic and can create a session?

Okay. So if you’ve listened to my podcast, you know that, along with my friend, we consider ourselves skeptical of woo woo ideas, notions, services and talismans. And since I’ve been inside the World of Woo for so long, I recognize the fact that my level of skepticism has waned and I’m far more open to try new, random things without needing to take a deep dive into believability.

And also, because, at the very least, these things create an experience of the senses, which ultimately is what life is about.

This is how I found myself resting inside a giant, sacred geometrical wooden egg with a soft, whitish lavender light above me, cushy zero gravity chair below me. I was covered underneath a sky blue and white plaid blanket, squished between two soft pillows, and had speakers pumping tunes from each side of the egg.

That’s right.

I sat inside an egg-shaped dome contraption thingamabob for 50 minutes to relax, and “heal”.

Here’s some info from Harmonic Egg’s main website:

An ancient technology rediscovered – Ancient Egyptians and Greeks used the healing properties of sound in their healing rituals, and the Aboriginal people of Australia to the present day still use their didgeridoo and drums to heal broken bones and muscle tears. ​

In the Harmonic Egg three powerful elements are combined. Energy frequencies of light (color) and music brought together in a geometrically shaped space with the aim of balancing body, mind, and soul with each other. This stimulates the self-healing ability of the body.

As of the herbal world, I have a tendency of believing combinations of – whatever – have a more lasting impact than a single entity. Theoretically speaking, combining the right music (scientifically proven to chill a person out), light therapy (again: science is backing the healing effects of certain tones) and the sacred geometrical shape of this egg could activate healing. 

Alright: I’m unsure if science is backing this one, but I KNOW in my heart of hearts, there is magic in the shape of a perfectly formed water droplet, in curvatures of a leaf, a sea shell, the perfect dimensions of… an egg?

Okay, maybe I need to research that one.

The website further tells us that:

Data suggests that energy therapy balances the Autonomic Nervous System, detoxes the body, reduces inflammation, increases circulation, and clears trauma at a cellular level.

The resonant frequency used by the Harmonic Egg® / Ellipse® has an ability to detect the vibration of your body and any imbalance. That imbalance is harmonized with the exact opposite frequency.

And as an aside, the creator of the egg had an experience inside another type of chamber, has a background in engineering, and TA DA! She created this Harmonic Egg.

Back to my Egg-sperience:

I was brought into the egg room by a technician-in-training. I was introduced to the person who co-owned the egg–a hypnotherapist, Reiki master and psychic among other things–and she introduced herself and plainly asked me to tell about myself to her.

Prior to this, I had to fill out loads of paperwork and disclaimers. She was quick to tap into my energy by looking around my body, sort of said to herself, “I see what’s going on here” and gave me a very quick spiel about the egg. (To which I replied that yeah, I was very tired. I wasn’t thrilled about the assessment without more fanfare, but then again, assuming she had read my paperwork, she must have known about my profession. Still a bit alarming, though.)

The Egg-owner also made mention of smells I might encounter inside the egg — she suggested woodsy or lavender — as this was my “odor” and what my “detox” would smell like.

She also mentioned my past bouts of mono. (So yes, this is truly something asked on the paperwork — and I have a whole slew of feelings regarding EBV, but I won’t go into that here.) I laughed it off (it’s been about 10 years since I had my last flair-up) but she was quick to say not to negate the virus which I house.

She told me she had sobbed inside the egg only yesterday (and due to the wooden nature of the egg, it purportedly doesn’t absorb others’ energies, and is thusly self-cleansing by nature). She said I may sob too — I did not. She also told me I may feel more tired when I left, and how every time is different. I’ve been in this field long enough to know that this is the lingo for many modalities.

I took off my jewelry and shoes, popped into the chair. The technician adjusted it for me, pushing me back, lifting my feet. She gave me the pillows and blanket, had me figure out where to press the bell in case I needed something. The door slowly closed after they made sure the sound was on, and I was alone.

It took me about 5-minutes to calm down; I was excited, I was nervous. I felt my energy being tapped into again, and I assumed it was a part of the process.

Maybe that “tapping into” is more of an opening on my part?

The egg itself is rather spacious — I am a little claustrophobic, but there was so much room on either side of me, and in front of me that I felt fine. The music had a trickle of water running just beneath the tunes, and it seemed like generic, soothing music. As I mentioned, the light was a lavender white, plenty bright to see, not so bright to be bothersome. I closed my eyes and turned on Reiki.

I had expected the colors to change in the egg; they did not. I had expected the music to be louder and more vibratory; it was not. I suppose, overall, it was less a kick-in-the-psychic-ass, and more of a subtle soothefest.

With ten minutes to go, the music slowly fades out. You’re left alone with your thoughts and tinnitus. I wasn’t aware of this part of the session, so I half-wondered if they’d forgotten me (I’m often too timid in making sure I haven’t been forgotten), or if the music had shut off by mistake. But I told my thoughts that they were a wad of nothing, and tried to relax again.

SEE. I saw waves of purple/indigo with my eyes open. With the coloring of the egg, it was easy for me to see the waves of energy, be my own or not. I asked to see another color, and an orange came in, but it wasn’t bright. I’ve seen brighter colors before.

TASTE. Nothing.

HEAR. Just the tunes and my own tinnitus!

SMELL. I did have a short burst of cedar appear; but it certainly could have been MAJORLY influenced via the power of suggestion. But if that’s my detox scent, I dig it!

FEEL. I felt a bubble of joy burst up forth from my heart center at one point. While my intention was to relax, I projected a sense of openness to receive. I imagined my grandparents on either side of me, and told them this space was simply for love. I imagined their hands in mine.

Did I feel like I was inside a spaceship at times? Why yes, yes I did.

Did I have to go to the bathroom? Why yes, yes I did. I decided that since I was detoxing, this meant I was releasing stored fluids of emotions. Like what I did there?

I stepped out feeling rested, but I had questions.

Was this particular shade of light chosen for me and my paperwork and assessment?

Yes.

Was this music chosen for me as well?

Yes. It’s chosen to work with my system where I am in the moment, as opposed to force an outcome.

I’m guessing this means my paperwork was assessed in advance and a plan was made prior to my arrival. Perhaps she would have changed the tunes and light had I been completely different than she had thought. I don’t really know. It looks like owners who are listed on the main website need to keep up with training for the listing.

I am interested in learning more about the process.

Would I try it again? Sure, why not. We all need quiet space at times. It’s close by. I have a feeling there’s a world of Egg Culture out there that I’ve only begun to scrape.

If you want more information, the original website can be found here. Located across the world, you can search to see if one is located near you.

Essential Oils + Serendipity

I use several brands of essential oils, but my favorite brand is Rocky Mountain Oils. I started using them around the time of their merger with Native American Nutritionals. (I think that’s what the other company was called! It’s been so long.)

(Unrelated, it’s hard to focus as my cat, Pilot, is staring at me and rolling all around me.)

There he is!

In January of this year, I got a chat sent to me from Rocky Mountain Oils via Instagram. While I know I’m literally in the business of love, trust, acceptance and all that, I’m quite terribly skeptical, slightly cynical, and not very trusting. (Look, I’m a WIP like anyone else!!!)

This “passion project” of one of the owners of the oil company was presented to me as a Zoom interview by an assistant. The assistant would interview me and highlight what I’m doing in my tiny little corner of the world.

Did I mention how much I love their oils? I use their chakra oils weekly on myself and incorporate them into my practice pretty often. Also, I assure you, I’m not making any money if you click on the link or order from them. I’m just sharing what’s swell.

At any rate, the interview turned out to be a real thing. I was a nervous wreck. I’d seen some of their other videos (and by the way, I intend to watch as many as possible). There are SO many fascinating women out there doing their thing, their wonderful, amazing thing–and I find them all so inspirational. This passion project is such a lovely idea.

Prior to the interview, I had prepared some information which was going to last about 5 minutes. Only when I got on the call, I was told that interest was dropping off at the 2-3 minute mark and I should try to keep it that short.

I blubbered through the darn thing trying to figure out what I wanted to touch upon. A great lesson in adaptation. But hey, all the same, I put myself out there.

I had truly just asked the Universe how I was supposed to have these kismet moments, serendipitous happenings anymore?

I rarely leave the house!

And the Universe said, you can still sync up, you can still get caught in the flow… through Instagram.🤪🤪🤪🤪

You can watch the madness here.

9 Unique Methods for Enhancing Your Mental Wellbeing

Image via Pexels

by Guest Blogger Julia Merrill

Human minds often become accustomed to patterns and routines, which can create a plateau and impede our progress as individuals. That’s why Swellness Vibes has taken the time to outline a few unique techniques that you can use to kick-start your mental well-being and get yourself out of a rut.

1. Start Birdwatching

Birdwatching (or ornitherapy) can reduce symptoms of depression and provide an energy boost. Focusing on something outside of yourself takes your mind off of your troubles. Plus, time in nature has repeatedly been demonstrated to be soothing.

2. Try Improv Classes

Improv teaches you adaptability and provides the benefits of childlike play. Since improvising actors must accept the expressions and situations put forth by others, the exercise expands your awareness of others. The routines also teach acceptance without judgment.

3. Seek Innovative Counseling Methods

Therapy doesn’t just involve sitting on a couch and pouring out a history of your past. As psychiatry and psychology advance, new methods of coping with mental anguish are created to assist modern people. For example, ACT, or acceptance and commitment therapy, uses a principle of diffused mindfulness to help you observe your emotions with dispassionate curiosity. The Gottman Method has proven successful in assisting couples to create deeper bonds. You can also visit Swellness Vibes for more contemporary wellness tips!

4. Adjust Your Work Schedule

If you can work a hybrid schedule, take full advantage of your work-from-home time and increase your remote hours. The flexibility created by eliminating your commute makes space for mood-boosting activities like family time, exercise, extra sleep, and healthy meal prep.

5. Change Careers

When your current career leaves you disappointed and stressed, make plans to move on. Reports confirm that people spend fewer years with a company on average, and career changes are no longer seen as a negative item on your resume. Returning to school to earn a degree can position you to advance. Once you decide on your preferred degree, find an accredited online school. Compare tuition fees for competitive rates. With virtual studies, you can balance working full-time and caring for family obligations.

6. Adopt an Unconventional Pet

Cats and dogs need love, but many other pets would enjoy a warm home. Descented skunks are surprisingly playful and may not cause allergies. A lizard can be low-maintenance and fascinating to observe. Chinchillas are easy to keep in tiny homes and can live up to 20 years for long-lasting bonds. States vary in their regulations for what animals can be a pet, so check the laws before you bring a unique fuzzy or scaly friend home.

7. Declutter Your Life

Your dwelling needs to be a pleasurable retreat away from the outside world. Disarray creates confusion and can make your space unsafe. Avoid getting overwhelmed at the prospect of cleaning the whole home by targeting one room at a time, starting this weekend. Touch each item and sense if it brings you joy. Discard unnecessary and uninspiring items. Then create an organization system with creative containers and give every item a purposeful home.

8. Write Under a Pseudonym

If you want to put your experience into the world but are afraid of what family and acquaintances may think, start a blog under an assumed name. Now you have an outlet for your feelings and experiences without worrying about judgment.

9. Dunk Your Head in Cold Water

A variety of grounding techniques can be used to recalibrate when you’re spiraling. Submerging your head in cold water can serve as a gentle shock treatment to help you refocus when you’re overwhelmed.

Use these techniques to get started; in fact, along the way, you might encounter even more outside-the-box ways to enhance your mental health. Whatever you use, prioritize your self-care so you can be your best self!

Swellness Vibes is a site of offerings to feed your mind, body and soul. If you have any questions, please feel free to email infoallisonkeli@gmail.com.

Julia Merrill created BefriendYourDoc.org to share tips she has developed to help patients be their own advocate in seeking medical care, dealing with insurance companies, and contributing to their own health and well-being.

Continuing Ed Topics: Pain

This post wraps up the current series of continuing education, although I’m sure the next time I need to renew my license, I’ll have another series of the same.

Today’s topic is a great one, from a human perspective, from a bodywork perspective—pain! 

Pain is such a complicated and fascinating facet of existence. The word ‘pain’ is derived from Greek and means punishment or penalty. The continuing ed class I took was slightly dated–from 2013 I believe–so it goes without saying that the statistics from the class have since been updated. Yet, I assure you, the sentiment is going to be the same.

Here are the stats compiled for that 2013 class:

  • Pain is the number one reason why people go see doctors, and also the most common reason for seeking out alternative and complementary treatments.
  • In 2011, the Institute of Medicine reported that 100 million Americans reported chronic pain and that the price tag associated with said pain, annually, was $635,000,000. You know that price has just gone up.
  • 100 billion aspirin tablets are used annually in the world.
  • The shape and color of pain tablets significantly change the effectiveness of the drug.
  • Here’s a fun one to ponder: people over 60 tend to have less pain than those under 60.
  • Talk therapy and back therapy both help with back pain…statistically about the same.
  • Pain was considered a spiritual punishment prior to the 1600s. Only then did Rene Descartes attribute pain to tissue damage.

This model of tissue damage being the only source of pain creates a wall when chronic pain is compared to acute pain. With acute pain, you can usually point fingers to the source of the issue. When you remove the issue, pain theoretically goes away. 

Chronic pain usually doesn’t have a straight line connecting multiple dots. It typically has many lines creating a crazy pattern, thus making this type of pain unpredictable. Even if you remove all that seems to be causing the pain, the pain may not resolve. (This also makes me think of how you can cure something but not heal it, and vice versa.)

These facts lead to a rather large and looming factor about pain: Pain is an illusion. (But so is reality, right???)

I’m not sure about you, but this one sits sort of -eh- with me. But… as stated in the course packet for the class I took, “Tissue damage is not necessary or sufficient for pain.” 

From a personal bodywork perspective, I cannot tell you how many times–almost on a weekly basis–people will present with the same feel of the tissue. It could be a tightness, a knot, a collection of aggravated muscles–but one client will be miserable and the other one will tell me s/he feels great.

You know how much I love the brain. A client and I were just talking about the pain impulse coming only from the brain and not from the tissue or affected area at all. What then? (Ok, we know this can’t be the only way, just like the other way isn’t conclusive, either.)

There’s a study from 2004 (Derbyshire) that states “Brainwave patterns in people who think they are receiving painful stimulus but aren’t are almost identical to brainwaves of people actually receiving painful stimulus”.

The plot thickens…

We’ve all heard about phantom limb pain… again… our friend, the brain.

Under this umbrella, it kind of does look like the brain is causing the pains and not the other way around! It’s receiving the sensory input from the affected area, but depending on context, the person receiving it, memory, cellular memory… only then does the brain decide whether or not the sensory input painful.

Here’s the thing. And I’m not going to go into the particular population that likes pain–that’s another topic–but for the most part, we don’t like pain. We stray away from it. We do things to keep ourselves from being in pain.

Pain often alerts us when something is WRONG and needs attention. It keeps us from making more damage by asking us to change our behavior (like touching something hot). It can activate healing by encouraging us to get care (massages, chiropractic, etc). 

But. Pain can stop being of use when it’s no longer necessary for those responses.

According to this class, it’s believed that that brain processes pain like an emotion. Whether or not something reads as good or bad is an emotional assessment. Apparently brain studies have suggested that the midbrain is affected when something is painful, much like an emotion affects the midbrain. Pain can also be activated by the upper brain–for instance, if anxiety is an issue, pain can be perceived as worse.

The point of the class, I think, is that by observation or learning about pain, pain can be changed. There are studies suggesting that those who are invested in studying pain have less of it. If you can understand where it is coming from, it can lose its hold on you (whether or not you still feel it).

Of course, there’s the issue of chronic pain leading to brain conditions like depression, hypochondria, aforementioned anxiety, lack of sleep, cognitive impairment among others… which of course… can make pain worse.

It’s a slippery slope. I think the best way to deal with pain from a bodyworker’s perspective is honestly just to be attentive to the needs of the client. Offer validation by listening to the client and then palpating the affected area. Hopefully the combination of hearing the client as well as actively working the tissue is enough to offer even a tiny part of relief as part of a whole care regimen.

Thoughts about your own pain?

In Closing

Interestingly enough, when I typed in pain to find an image suitable for this post, the first images were all of emotional pain! And because of this emotional pain, these people were tightened into balls…which restricts movement..which can cause physical pain!

I’ve also purchased additional textbooks on the matter, so don’t be surprised if I talk about this fascinating topic again.

Thanks for reading!