Gratitude from the Heart
 
What I love about yoga is that everyday we hit the mat we create an intention and remember what we are grateful for. It is a daily practice, not a once or twice a year reminder during the holiday season. When we tune into gratitude on a regular basis we cannot help but feel a shift in our heart center. This means also when things are not going well or how we think things should be, I call this fierce gratitude.  Breathing into grace in the face of adversity or challenges. When we live in a space of gratitude for what shows up in our daily life and create less resistance to the way things are, we feel more spaciousness in our heart space. We are lighter, more joyous and operate from a higher energy state. 
Creating a 'feel good' vibration more often than not lets you live in a flow of positive energy and imprints a groove into the nervous system. When we start to notice when we are aligned with our heart it is more clear when things show up that are not. With awareness we are able to flow more gracefully with less control in in our lives, knowing when to yield, and when to push or to create a neutral space with acceptance and loving kindness around discomfort or those tight areas. 
The heart of the practice is sending love to the most challenging spaces. The cave of the heart starts to become less rigid and begins to soften and open.  Ask your heart what qualities does it desire? For me its connection, intimacy, nurturing and joy. When we ask our heart what it needs, and listen, things start to shift, maybe a subtle or dramatic change. Ask your heart throughout your day what does it need?
 Over and over again and see what shows up and really listen in a conscious way (so notice when you start to ignore or disconnect from what is really going on) and you begin to let yourself be guided to move from a more authentic space without editing.  When we start to live more in the flow of our life, I call this limitless limits, there is less reactivity, drama, gripping and our experience is not as much of a roller coaster ride. We start to ride a smoother wave through our daily life as our heart shines even brighter. 


 

"Love is the real guru."

~Sally Kempton



Follow your Heart Beets

Beets can be messy, but there are so many benefits you'll love them regardless. Here are a few websites to get your beet juices flowing and easy organic ways to use beets in your daily recipes on 
Love Beets website.

. Plus a yummy Farro Beet Salad recipe to try out this Thanksgiving!  

Benefits of beets: Not only do beets cleanse the body and are high in many nutrients, magnesium, fiber, iron and A, B & C Vitamins, they're also heart healthy for you too!

Love Beets is a tru
e labor of love from husband and wife team,  Guy and Katherine Shropshire.  The Shropshire family, known for growing salad vegetables in England, decided to purchase a small beet factory with hopes of sharing a family favorite with others. They knew they wanted to find a way to attract young people to beets, so the family got to work experimenting with unique marinated beet recipes.

Farro Beet Salad Recipe
 


I recommend trying Bob's Red Mill Organic Farro. The ancient grain is high in fiber, B3 and zinc.  Farro is a hearty grain that was a mainstay of the daily diet in ancient Rome.





A Curated Collection by Zubin Shroff

T his curated collection of Zubin Shroff, director of the Bay Area studio, Piedmont Yoga, presents insights from some of today's most influential yoga teachers, and raises important questions about the significance of yoga in modern life today.  Through personal interviews and Shroff's large format portraits, this book encourages discussion about the diversity and health, rehabilitation, art, recovery, healing traditions, and even social activism.  Conversations with Modern Yogis is a visual and informative volume for all who are interested in the modern evolution of the timeless tradition of yoga.  And check out Kira Ryder voted one of Yoga Journals best teachers under 40 on the cover, who owns Lulu Bhanda studio in Ojai and mamma bear for the creation and operation of the Ojai Crib!


Restorative Yoga  
 
Cosmic Grounded Pose
by Freedom Style Yoga


Erich Schiffmann

   Yes, theres are lot's of heart opening poses, camel (ustrasana), wheel (urdhva dhanurasana), cobra (bhujangasana), bridge pose (setu bandha sarvangasana) to name a few.

I really was taken with Erich Schiffmann's Cosmic Grounded pose.  This pose is so powerful because the hands are an extension of the heart.  Lay on your back for several minutes and breathe into your hands as the palms face the sky and send the energy down to your heart and back out again into the world.  This is a quick pick me up for when your heart is feeling blocked or contracted and a good way to release tightness from the heart and mind. Let the energy nourish your body and feel the power of unconditional love as it flows through you.

The heart is the first brain and when our brainwaves are in sync we are operating to our highest self. When the heart is balanced we feel more balanced and spacious. The heart is in the middle of the seven chakras (energy centers). Each chakra is associated with different body functions and life issues. The color of the heart chakra is emerald green (think of an emerald green sun), the  Sanskrit name is Anahata and the  sound vibration is Yam, the unstruck chord.  The element is air, so the heart assumes the sensations that you fill it with. When we are overly focused in our head then the heart can be cut of from the emotions in the rest of our body. The areas of the body that are affected are the circulatory system, thymus, shoulders and lu ngs.
 

The spiritual lesson from the heart center is forgiveness, trust, letting go, compassion and love.

Love is the greatest healer.

 

Have a heart filled holiday season with your loved ones!
 
healthy zen love,
melanee    
             


                      
  About
Melanee Cooper 
and Healthy Zen
Founded by  Melanee Cooper  in 2012, Healthy Zen  was  one of the first private practices to offer yoga, meditation, and nutritional counseling, providing clients a holistic approach to optimal wellness. 


 
 
 
Testimonials


"Ive been a yoga student of Melanee's at the SBYC for 1 year and attend her mindful yoga class 2-3x a week. Melanee skillfully guides her students through mentally and physically challenging exercises, in a safe and nurturing environment. Her passion for yoga is evident in her teaching and also in her way of living."
   - Robin

"Melanee is a caring, compassionate & committed instructor who is quite in tune with her students' needs.  Melanee often reminds us some basic, yet vital elements of our yoga practice that also translate to living daily life in a more meaningful & enriching way...physically, mentally, and spiritually." -Bob

"I have been practicing yoga for 10 years with many teachers (mostly Singapore & Germany) prior to moving to Santa Barbara.  I have been taking Melanee's mindful yoga class for about a year now.  Melanee has an incredible talent for connecting with people and takes pains to learn about (and remember!) the needs of each student.  She crafts her class, which has a natural flow to them and one passes from pose to pose as if by instinct.  There is never any rush to move through the practice and at least for me- this translates into no possibility of injury."  
-Cheri

Schedule a private, group yoga session or health consultation with Melanee today! 

 


LuckyUschi's
 production brings women together to engage in work within a supportive co mmunity.  Introducing a unique learning process through the creation of our garments and home textiles, the members of our self help groups create unique designs that are truly made by loving hands.  The funds that women generate through their work allow them to support their families and become members of their local economy.  LuckyUschi's profits are shared back into the community to support the ongoing growth of this work.


Ojai's local restaurant,  Farmer and the Cook, provides a unique program that is highly recommended called the CSA Program.  Their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program provides their members-who buy a season's share in the farmer's produce with monthly boxes of the harvest.  Their CSA has pickups every week, and the produce they harvest hasn't been out of the ground or off the stalk for more than 5 or 6 hours!  See their website for pricing and delivery areas.

Yoga Music

Looking for the perfect yoga music?  Look no further!  Here's a couple of my favorites to try out;

Jim Beckwith's Lovelution

Laura Tyree's Amma Bhakti



Melanee's Yoga Teaching Schedule

Monday
10:45 am -12:00 pm
Yoga Therapeutics
@ healthy zen house

3:30 pm-4:55 pm
Mindful Yoga Level 1/2
 
 
Wednesday
12:15 pm-1:15 pm
Lunchtime Flow

3:30 pm-4:55 pm
Mindful Yoga Level 1/2
 
Thursday
10:00 am-4:00 pm
private sessions
@ healthy zen house
 
Gentle yoga
Yoga Therapeutics
Restorative yoga
Meditation 

 
Custom tailored to your needs.

 
Email  melanee@healthyzen.com to book your session at our beautiful healthy zen house.