By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

3 Simple Yoga Poses for Beating a Bad Mood!

Here are so many postures in yoga that help with depression and mood. Yoga is about dropping out of your head and into your body by way of pairing movement with breath. Connecting with the body is an awesome way to find presence, and presence is like a headlight that lets you see a way forward and out.

That said certain posed in particular have unique energy and mood shifting properties.

1.Camel Pose. Backbends are heart opening and energizing. They are great if you are drowsy at work or are having a hard time waking up in the morning, or if you’re in a funk and need a lift. Camel, Bridge, and Wheel are all great backbends, but I find Camel to be simultaneously grounding and stabilizing, as well as a huge emotional and energetic release. Beware – if you have trouble getting to sleep avoid backbends before bed.

2.Pigeon Pose. One of my favorite body workers likes to say, “Most people aren’t broken, they’re just stuck.” If you are stuck in your mind, chances are you are stuck in your body too. Excess energy tends to pool and get stuck around the large joints, especially the hips. Spending a solid two minutes in pigeon on each the right and the left, breathing with conscious awareness the whole time, is a great way to move stuck energy and relieve tension. A common pitfall here is spacing out. Make sure to stay in the room!

3.Headstand (or Legs Up the Wall). Every posture is a new perspective. If you need a totally new perspective on life, there’s no better posture than turning it all upside down with a headstand. When the mind is overactive, putting the heart above the mind both literally and figuratively helps to quiet the mental chatter. Inversions also promote digestion and hormonal equilibrium.

Mind Body Green / By Dr. Robin Berzin

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Mind Body Soul Surf Bali Energy Ball Snack

These healthy homemade protein energy balls are ideal as a workout snack. Our guests love them, so we thought we would share a couple of recipes we use here at the retreat. They give us the needed energy boost during our surfing lessons. Not only are they super easy to make, (no bake) but delicious and addicting!

RECIPE 1

1 Cup raw almonds

½ Cup sunflower seeds

Hand full raisins

Hand full pitted dates

2-4 Tbsp honey

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Pea size amount of vanilla pod

Desiccated coconut for coating

Grind nuts, seeds, raisins and dates in blender one at a time, add all ingredients together in a bowl and mix. Place the bowl in the fridge for approximately 1-2 hrs. This makes the mixture easier to roll in the desiccated coconut.

Roll into 1” balls and roll in the coconut to coat.

Variations: add walnuts, hazels nuts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds or chia seeds, maca powder

RECIPE 2

100g chopped walnuts or cashews toasted

100g almonds toasted

2 T linseed or sunflower seeds

100g dried apricots or figs

100g prunes

170g dates pitted and chopped

Through nuts into chopper/food processor, then dates, prunes and apricots

Add below and mix;

1T peanut butter or tahini

2T raw cacao or cocoa powder

1T cinnamon

2T honey or agave

pinch salt

100g desiccated coconut for coating

Roll into balls and roll in coconut to coat.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

A short, relaxing meditation to help stress and anxiety

This is a short, relaxing meditation which I have found to be of help in times of stress and anxiety.

Find a quiet spot where you can sit or lie in comfort for 10 minutes or so. You may also play soft meditation music in the background if you wish.

Begin by softly closing your eyes, and take several slow, deep breaths, and allow your body to relax, allow your mind to relax, feel the pressures of the day receede to the far recesses of your being.

Now imagine you are in a beautiful garden. It is a clear, sunny day. Feel the sun warming your whole body. Feel its warmth penetrating into your heart, your mind and your inner being (soul). You can feel it drawing the stress and anxiety from your body.

As you lie on the soft grass and feel the gentle breeze, you can smell the heady perfume of the flowers. You can hear the trickle of a small stream close by and the quiet chirping of the birds.

Breathe in the beautiful aromas of the flowers and feel them healing your body. Breathe out your anxieties and watch them settle on the water to be carried away down the stream and out of sight.

Again breathe in the pure healing essences of nature, and expel the anxiety and toxins from your body,see them floating away. Feel totally relaxed, bathed in the soft warm sunlight and the gentle breeze.

Now retain this feeling, and take it with you. Know that you can reach this peaceful place at any time. Retain it in your mind and in your body.

Remain in this relaxed state for a few minutes more, before slowly opening your eyes.

I’m also giving you 5 simple meditations to bring peace, love, and harmony into your day:

1 – Next time you drive somewhere, sit in your parked car for 10 full breaths before going inside. Think “I am” as you inhale and “happy in this moment” as you exhale.

2 – Instead of singing along with the radio on your drive, say 10 nice things about yourself out loud, starting each item with “I am” – I am beautiful, I am strong, I am funny, I am creative… Start your list with a whisper and end it with a shout!

3 – Grab a pillow and set a timer for 4 minutes. Sit up nice and tall on your pillow and imagine your favorite vacation spot. Think of the smells, sounds, and sensations of everything in that spot.

4 – Close your eyes and hum in the shower. If your tone is high, slowly bring it down one note until your voice is as deep as it can get. If it’s low, make it higher and higher. Examine how each tone makes you feel. Find your favorite note and use that one to hum during your next meditation.

5 – Place your hand on your heart. Take 10 deep breaths. With each inhale, imagine someone you love. With each exhale, send them love straight from your heart. Can you feel the energy coming from your heart space?

xx MBS

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Reconnect, Relax and Recharge Through Surf and Yoga in a Women’s Wellness Retreat

Reconnect, Relax and Recharge Through Surf and Yoga in a Women’s Wellness Retreat 

If you are looking for new experiences, need fresh energy in your life, feel tired and uninspired, need healing time and want to do what your heart desires? Than a woman’s surf and yoga retreat might be just what you need to gain a new perspective, expand your horizons and bring positive energy into your body, mind and soul.

Why join a woman’s retreat?

When you let go of daily responsibilities you can give yourself the gift of self-care and love. You’ll get off the fast track and re-discover your own rhythm. You’ll also have precious time to reflect on what you want to manifest upon your return home.

Recharging, rejuvenating, renewing – these are words associated with all wellness retreats. So what’s different and special about a retreat for women? Can a retreat that’s specifically for women take your own personal journey one step further?

Retreats in general, provide the opportunity to step back from the demands of daily life, reflect and re-orient your focus and priorities. During a retreat, many moments of quiet introspection can help you rediscover what is important to you, and what you want to manifest. Retreats inspire you to make positive changes, as well as appreciate and have gratitude for what you already have in your life. And while ‘finding yourself’ is something that can happen unexpectedly on any retreat, there is a special atmosphere in all-women’s retreats that stimulate inspiration, empowerment and new perspectives.

Being with all women tends to bring out a sense of sisterhood and support. Women bond, laugh, cry, get sexy, act silly and express ourselves in full color. Discovering common ground, and sharing life stories and rites of passage with other women helps you connect, not just with them, but with parts of yourself that you may have lost touch with.
In this kind of uplifting atmosphere, it can be easier to direct your attention towards yourself, restoring your mental and physical energy as it starts to flow into rather than away from you. This lifts your spirits, revitalizes your body and boosts your confidence.  At the same time, the freedom to observe yourself without feeling observed shifts from self-consciousness to self-awareness.

What’s special about a surf and yoga retreat?

Surfing and yoga work in harmony together, both requiring strength, flexibility, balance and focus. Most importantly they both require you to be in the present moment. Surfing and yoga are both pure indulgent and yet so simple. It’s a great way to get fit and tone and sculpt your body, and it only takes a yoga mat, a surfboard and some waves.

“Surfing will leave you feeling alive, at peace and truly connected with Mother Nature. There is no greater feeling in the world than sitting on your board, looking to the horizon and waiting for your next wave to come in. Out in the ocean you experience what it means to live in the moment and to forget everything else around you. It’s meditative and calms your mind. You feel the magic of the ocean, its energy and being connected to it. The thrill of taking off on a wave and the rush of the ride is truly amazing.”

Surfing will make you glow as you connect with mother nature, feeling the wind blowing in your hair, the water splashing gently on your skin and the sun radiating its warmth on your body, whether you have just rode the face of a wave or stood up for the first time. Yoga will circulate your blood, eliminating many toxins, which will have you radiating with health. The feeling of both is pure bliss and they will both leave you smiling from the inside out.

Surfing and yoga both are conversations between your mind, body and soul. Both teach you to quiet your monkey mind enough to concentrate on catching the next wave or executing the next pose. They are very grounding experiences and a great chance to gain clarity in life and help build your mediation practice.

Just like a challenging yoga pose, where you need to surrender to your breath and gently fall into the pose when your body and mind are ready, surfing teaches us about “Patience”. In a world that is built on control its nice to surrender and just go with the flow and wait for the wave to roll in on its own time, or for the pose to come when we are truly ready.

Whether you manage to quiet your busy mind through yoga or find a quiet beach where you are out on the water alone. Both will soothe your soul. It will give you space to quietly reflect on life, and allow the answers to everyday questions come into your head. It will put your everyday life into perfect perspective.

The beauty of both is that if you don’t succeed, you stop, learn, re-focus and feel better prepared for the next time. It’s an endless discovery of both physical and mental strength. This is why the awakening of ones mind, body and soul through surfing and yoga is so inspiring on every level.

You will be amazed at how the camaraderie inspired by an all-woman retreat brings with it a sense of sheer fun!  We’re simply wild and radiant when we let loose and allow the full range of our emotion and beauty shine.  All-women retreats encourage personal growth, empowerment, inspire to follow your own bliss and are a great deal of fun. So in summary, the best retreat to go for is an all women’s retreat that focuses on surfing and yoga!

For more on our retreat philosophy please click here.

(Text inspiration from Gayle Olsen and Claire Charters)

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Coconut Oil Pulling: The Beginner’s Guide

I keep a jar of coconut oil and a spoon in my bathroom and put a spoonful in my mouth upon arising.  I would ‘swish swish swish’ while I showered, got dressed, made my daughter breakfast, etc.  I probably averaged 10 minutes a day.  There were 2 days, we woke up a bit late and I did the oil pulling a little later in the morning, but I still did it!

I am going to keep this up for the next week and hope that I can make this a regular part of my morning routine.  In my experience, sticking with something for at least a few weeks, helps ensure it becomes part of a routine.

What is oil pulling?

Great question.
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that dates back thousands of years.

It is a super simple process.  Essentially you swish and gargle oil (coconut is used often due to the myriad benefits of coconut oil), much like you would mouthwash, but for a much longer time, anywhere from 5-20 minutes.  The oil pulls toxins, bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeasts, plaque and more out of your mouth.  You then spit the oil out (DO NOT SWALLOW) and rinse.

Many experts say it should be done first thing in the morning, which I have been trying to do.  But doing it at anytime will still be beneficial.

The benefits of oil pulling are numerous.  Oil pulling can be detoxifying, cleansing and healing to the body.  It leads to improved skin health with less acne and a glowing complexion. It has the benefit of whitening teeth and improving gum health.  There are also countless testimonials, online, where people experience healing with arthritis, asthma, hormone imbalances, skin conditions, and more.

Since I started oil pulling, I have noticed whiter, shinier teeth and a better overall feeling in my mouth and gums.  Oil pulling is a great technique to add to your cleansing regiment, in addition to dry brushing, drinking green drinks, etc. . You can even add essential oils for oil pulling to make it more powerful!

How to Do Oil Pulling

• Take a spoonful of coconut oil (sesame oil is also traditionally used) and place in mouth.
• Swish forcefully around your mouth for at least 5 minutes (ideally up to 20 ).  Do this while you are showering, getting dressed, etc.  The time goes by quickly.
• Spit out the oil into the garbage (don’t spit in sink, it may clog your pipes!).
• Rinse with warm water.
• You can brush your teeth now, also, if you would like.

Good luck and enjoy the process.

xx MBS

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

What to Eat for Healthy Hair

Just like skin, the condition of your hair is an outward sign of inside health. The cells that make up each strand of hair require a regular supply of key nutrients. Eat the correct balance of the following vitamins and minerals to supply hair with all that it needs to remain shiny, lustrous and strong…

Protein

As hair is made of protein, ensuring you have enough protein in your diet is crucial for making hair strong and healthy. If you are not consuming enough protein in your diet, your hair is likely to become dry, brittle and weak. Extremely low protein diets may result in hair loss. Choose chicken, turkey, fish, dairy products and eggs as excellent sources of protein along with vegetarian sources such as legumes and nuts.

Iron

Iron is an especially important mineral for hair and too little iron (anaemia) is a major cause of hair loss. The hair follicle and root are fed by a nutrient rich blood supply. When iron levels (serum ferritin) fall below a certain point, you may experience anaemia. This disrupts the nutrient supply to the follicle, affecting the hair growth cycle and may result in shedding. Animal products such as red meat, chicken and fish provide iron with a high bioavailability, meaning the iron is readily available to the body. Vegetarians can raise their iron stores by including lentils, spinach and other leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale and salad greens.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C aids the absorption of iron so foods high in vitamin C are good to eat in conjunction with iron-rich foods. Vitamin C is also an antioxidant so is used readily by the body. The best sources are blackcurrants, blueberries, broccoli, guava, kiwi fruits, oranges, papaya, strawberries and sweet potatoes. Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen that strengthens the capillaries that supply the hair shafts.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids are important fats our body cannot make itself, and therefore must be obtained through our diet. Omega-3s are found in the cells that line the scalp and also provide the oils that keep your scalp and hair hydrated. Look out for oily fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, trout and mackerel and plant sources including avocado, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is needed by the body to make sebum. Sebum is an oily substance created by our hairs sebaceous glands and provides a natural conditioner for a healthy scalp. Without sebum we may experience an itchy scalp and dry hair. Include animal products and orange/yellow coloured vegetables which are high in beta-carotene (which makes vitamin A) such as carrots, pumpkins and sweet potatoes.

Zinc and selenium

Scalp protection involves other important minerals, notably zinc and selenium. A lack of zinc can lead to hair loss and a dry, flaky scalp. Fortified cereals and wholegrains are a good source of zinc along with oysters, beef and eggs.

Vitamin E

The sun can damage our hair just like it can damage our skin so ensure you eat foods rich in vitamin E to provide protection for your hair. Nuts are nutritional powerhouses, providing zinc and selenium as well as vitamin E so try to include them as part of a balanced diet.

Biotin

Biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin. Too little biotin can cause brittle hair and may lead to hair loss. Include biotin rich foods such as wholegrains, liver, egg yolk, soy flour and yeast.

Natural treatments

Make your own hair mask for a deep, nourishing treatment every two weeks. Whisk an egg yolk and mix with half a mashed avocado and a spoonful of honey. Massage onto damp, clean hair and leave for 30 minutes before rinsing thoroughly.

By Jo Lewin

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

When was the last time you did something out of the ordinary, tried a new sport, cooked a new recipe or even took a new yoga class? We all get stuck in the rut of daily life, so this month try to take a step back, take some you time and ask yourself what is it that you always wanted to do?

And then, go do it- NOW.

Don’t wait until ‘the time is right’ because it’s never the ‘right’ time. Go for it, wear that new dress and go out to that new restaurant with your girlfriends – do what your heart desires. Yes, you probably will be a little nervous or even scared, but trust me – it’s worth it! Surf at that different break, take a Bikram yoga class, book an adventure holiday, choose a different hair color, the list is endless, start small or go big. Whatever you do, do something. You will thank yourself for it.

xx MBS

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

3 DIY Overnight Hair Masks for Healthy Hair

3 Overnight Hair Masks for healthy hair

A deeply penetrating overnight treatment for damaged hair that repairs while you sleep. These powerful treatments repair and replenish damaged hair, restores and reinforces hair strength, and prevents future breakage. The hair masks absorb instantly making your hair longer, stronger and healthier.

1.Overnight Avocado Hair Mask:

As part of hair care to add shine and softness, try an overnight hair mask made with avocado and extra virgin coconut oil. This is especially effective if you are having trouble with split ends.

How to make the mask: In a bowl, mash avocado and mix with coconut oil until you have a smooth consistency. Then using a brush coat your hair strands. Tie your hair into a bun and cover with a shower cap. Leave on over night. Shampoo and condition in the morning.

2.Overnight Coconut Milk Mask:

Mix a drop or two of lavender oil with 2 tbsps of coconut milk in a bowl. Massage the mixture into scalp and hair for a few minutes. Make sure every strand of hair is covered and rub into the ends. Leave on overnight and rinse out with shampoo.

3.Overnight Olive Oil Mask:

This easy-to-use overnight treatment will give your hair a shiny, smooth and soft look. Once a week mix a tsp of aloe vera along with a tbsp of olive oil. Then put the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds. Apply on roots to tips. Place a shower cap over the hair and then a towel over shower cap. Shampoo and condition in the morning.

By Mind Body Soul Surf Bali

Supercharge Your Metabolism

Try this simple morning ritual to supercharge your metabolism:

Drink warm lemon water right when you wake up.

When you wake up and don’t know what to do first, taking up the habit of having a cup of warm lemon water will serve you well. It cleanses the digestive system and gets your metabolism on point so that you’re firing on all cylinders.

The water should be warm so that it’s not a shock to your system, but you can switch to cold water for the remainder of your water intake, as this has been shown to raise your resting metabolic rate.

You can also add in a bit of organic, raw honey to sweeten up the sour lemon and introduce digestive enzymes and antioxidants to the equation.

Making It Work: Each time you’re at the store make sure you pick up a bag of organic lemons. Having them on hand is key if you want to stick with this long enough to make a habit out of it. Lemons keep very well in the refrigerator, so they won’t go bad before you can use them up.