Pose of the Month: Sun Salutations
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As the weather warms up and the skies become clearer, the rays of sunshine that welcome us remind us of the warmth, energy, and joy of Spring.
Sun salutations are thousands of years old and are practiced in several forms of yoga. They are a quintessential part of the yoga practice, a very grounding and constant part of the flow of the practice. Sun salutations are a way of bring cardiovascular exercise into yoga, and are also beneficial to the lungs, muscles, and joints.
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We hope to break it down step-by-step for those of you who may not be familiar with practicing sun salutations.
The video below from
Yoga Journal
guides the viewer through the steps of a simple Surya Namaskar Sun Salutation with annotations added by Sukha. To see these annotations, click the Closed Captioning icon at the bottom right-hand corner of the video.
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Community Spotlight:
Cycling for a Cause: Bob Fores and RFM❤️ (Ride For Mom)
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Bob Fores, in addition to his busy professional career and social commitments, has dedicated the last several years to an idea- an idea that has evolved into an incredible example of community, charity, and healthy living in action.
Ride For Mom
began as an intention; after losing his mother, Jinx, to her second battle with cancer, Bob began to focus on how preventable some forms of cancer and diseases such as diabetes and heart disease can be. He decided one day that he wanted to go on a symbolic bike ride- a ride for mom- as a commitment to living a healthy and active lifestyle. The encouragement of friends and a series of serendipitous acts and offers of support brought the idea to kismet:
Ride For Mom
became a community-focused event with a mission: Be Active. Eat Healthy. Live Better.
Ride For Mom
is now a licensed non-profit; funded by the community and staffed by volunteers. Annually on the Saturday before Mother's Day, 10, 35, and 77 mile rides are open to all who wish to participate. Route maps, SAG (support and gear), a T-shirt, event swag, and lunch are provided to all who register. Proceeds from the event will go to
Ride For Mom
's beneficiaries- other local charitable organizations that support the
Be Active Eat Healthy Live Better
mission statement.
Early check-in and a pre-ride social event will be held on Friday, May 11, 2018 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Green’s on Tenth located at 953 10th Street, Modesto. Registration and the start and end points of the rides on the 12th will be held at Johansen High School in Modesto.
Join the fun! Ride for Mom is always excited for new participants and new volunteers. The event will be rain or shine on Saturday, March 12th. Register, donate, or volunteer by going to
rideformom.com
Be Active. Eat Healthy. Live Better. -Ride for Mom
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May 4th: Go Red with the American Heart Association
The American Heart Association's big annual Go Red event is here! Like the February event, this will be an incredible opportunity for the Modesto community to promote awareness of heart disease as one of the leading causes of death in women. This women's luncheon event will bring together influential members of the Modesto community, including Modesto's own home-town hero, Olympian Kendall Wesenberg! The event will be held on the 4th, at the Modesto Centre Plaza, with a Shopping, Health and Beauty Expo from 10AM-2PM. Sign up on the American Heart Association website, linked
here
. Don't forget to stop by the Sukha Studios booth while you shop and please say hello!
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Mother's Day in Modesto
Local Events to celebrate mothers and the other most influential women in your life!
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May 13th is Mother's Day; an annual holiday that reminds us all to celebrate and appreciate the strong and phenomenal women in our lives. Here are a few events to enjoy with those special women on the holiday weekend:
Mother's Day Storytime
- The Barnes and Noble on McHenry Avenue will be hosting a special storytime event for children and mothers in honor of the day. Saturday May 12, at 11:00 AM- enjoy the special Mother's Day Storytime featuring books by bestselling authors Hoda Kotb and Jimmy Fallon. Additional activities will follow the readings.
Mother's Day Tea at the McHenry Mansion
- Hosted by the McHenry Mansion Foundation, this is a delightful way to treat those special people in your life to a traditional Victorian tea. Enjoy the tea and tasty fare in a friendly and fun atmosphere. The beautiful fully restored historic Victorian home will be open and available for viewing that day. There will be two seatings for this special tea: 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Reservations are required. Contact the McHenry Mansion Gift Shop/Visitor Center, phone: 209-549-0428 or 209-522-1739. The reservation deadline is May 9, 2018.
An Afternoon with Audra McDonald
- really want to "wow" Mom? Take her to enjoy the unparralleled talent of Audra McDonald, live at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Audra McDonald is a Julliard trainer singer and actress, and
is the winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. Her talent is not to be missed! Get your tickets at the Gallo Center box office, or at
galloarts.org.
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SUKHA Gives Back:
Random Acts of Kindness
Sukha Studios is happy to give back to our community as a business, but we at Sukha also want to make giving feel personal again. As a new initiative, Sukha Studios is excited to present it's staff with the opportunity to perform random acts of kindness within the community. Sukha Studios wants to empower its staff- and the community- to find creative ways to give back.
Recently, front desk attendant Vanessa Farmer was selected to begin this project with an act of kindness of her choosing. Vanessa was given $50 and a simple direction: use the money to perform an act of kindness. Vanessa made a stranger's day by paying for her meal at Mexicali Grill. Sometimes it's the little acts of kindness that can stand out the most.
In addition, Vanessa gifted the remaining money to a local charity. Sukha Studios is excited to see what else our staff can do- stay tuned for more random act of kindness reports, ideas, and encouragement.
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Kombucha: Why it's Worth the Try
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Not much scientific and nutritional research has been done on this ancient tea that has now become a new, hip drink, but kombucha is currently being revived in popularity and hailed as one of the healthiest supplements that can be added to one's diet.
Kombucha has been a drink as early as 221 BC in China where it was known as "The Tea of Immortality" and was enjoyed throughout Eastern Europe. It was eventually named kombucha a few centuries later by Japan.
Kombucha tea is a fermented drink made with tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast. It is made by adding the colony to sugar and tea, and allowing the mix to ferment. The resulting liquid contains vinegar, B vitamins and a number of other chemical compounds.
Kombucha has some evidence of being beneficial to one's health. According to
healthline.com
; there is some legitimate evidence for the following claims: kombucha is a good source of probiotics and antioxidants, it may reduce one's risk of heart disease, may aid in the management of type 2 diabetes, and according to some studies it may even prevent the growth and spread of cancerous cells.
It should be noted that homemade kombucha tea can be risky to drink, as instruments while making it must be completely sterile. The CDC, FDA and Cornell University Food Science all found kombucha to be safe when properly fermented. To read more about how to properly ferment your own tea, click
here
.
As a fermented dietary supplement, there can be some risks in addition to the benefits. Read about any risks of kombucha that may be relevant to you
here
.
As with everything, there are risks and benefits to this drink, but as the days warm up, why not considering buying a cold bottle of kombucha on your next outing, and feeling its powerful effects for yourself?
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Astronomy Corner: Jupiter at Opposition
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Jupiter is the solar system's largest planet. In fact, if you took all of the other planets and combined their masses, Jupiter's mass would still be 2.5 times greater. That's why it's an exciting event when Jupiter approaches opposition.
This event typically occurs approximately every 400 days, and it is a day in which one can see Jupiter in the sky without the aid of a telescope. However, with a telescope, one can see details of the planet, such as its moons, and its cloud belt.
Visible in Modesto on May 8, Jupiter, which is part of the Libra constellation, will reach opposition at approximately 8:34 pm until 5:28 am. It will reach its highest and most visible point and about 1:03 am.
For more information, follow Sukha's social media (
Facebook
and
Instagram
) for announcements of upcoming workshops on Astronomy and Astrology.
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209-996-YOGA sukhastudios.com
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