Tag Archive for: wellness

Back to School: A Fresh Start for Creating New Habits

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The New Year is famous for its slogan, “new year, new you!” In January, gyms are packed with aspiring weightlifters, and bars are empty as we take our annual sabbatical from booze: Dry January. We’re all pumped to become the best versions of ourselves after weeks of holiday feasts and fun. It’s a perfect time for turning a new leaf and ringing in the new year with that buzzing sense of change and optimism. This has predictably been my way of starting off the new year too—sweating alongside a jam-packed yoga studio and heading home to meal prep my salads for lunches the following week.

The problem arises within two months; I’ve lost most of my momentum, and by spring break, I’m not even sure what my goals were to begin with. Good habits are finicky and are heavily influenced by the environment. One vacation can throw us off our 60-day Duolingo streak. Moving houses just down the street can change our morning walking routine. After reading James Clear’s “Atomic Habits,” I became slightly obsessed with setting good habits in all areas of my life, and the main thing I’ve discovered is that habits need to be flexible and work with our ever-changing lifestyles to take root.

Since going back to school serves as another significant milestone in the calendar year, let’s use this time for a fresh start to revisit and refine our goals. Here are five strategies I employ to maintain positive habits throughout the year.

Embrace Flexibility

During winter, I was fully obsessed with hot yoga to heat my body and get a good cardio workout in. With this summer heat, the last thing I want is to sweat more than I need to. So now I’ve switched to gyms and swimming laps. I try to think of my end goal, which is “to move my body every day,” and allow that to be the only criterion so that I can keep enjoying exercise all year round.

Craft a New Schedule

After months of summer fun, travel, and kids out of school, you are more than likely to have dropped a habit or three. That’s okay! Use this back-to-school schedule as a way to start again, or even better, start anew! If you fold a new habit into your new schedule, the mind will associate this habit with this new environment and will more likely stick to it. For example, “I drop off the kids at school, then I drive straight to the gym.” Do this for a week, and it will become automatic.

Schedule It Ahead

One thing that really helps me when I’ve fallen off my good habits is to pre-schedule my desired habit. Bonus points if I create outer accountability as an extra buffer. In the past when I’ve fallen behind with workouts, I booked classes that have a cancellation fee or joined a group workout with friends so I won’t want to disappoint them by not showing up. I’m currently studying a new language so I prepay scheduled lessons with a teacher online so I feel accountable to show up.

Start Small

In “Atomic Habits,” James Clear says habits are more attainable if you are consistent. So instead of trying to force myself to work out for two hours, I tell myself that I only need to go to the gym and stay for 10 minutes. Once I get there, I usually stay for an hour. It’s a mind trick I play to get out the door, and it works!

Simplify

I have one small habit that was so difficult to keep in the past: taking all my vitamins every day. So, I decided to make it very obvious and lazy-friendly. I put out all my supplements in a cute, clear container visible in the bathroom right next to my toothbrush so I couldn’t miss it. It worked!

Maintaining good habits is a lifelong journey and we’re bound to fail over and over again. The trick is to keep going, and find any good reason or season to start again.

Community Wellness & Workouts on The Seacoast This Summer

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Here at Bryony & Birch and Bryony Body, if there’s one thing we look forward to all year long, it’s being outside. We can weather these winters, but nothing compares to being able to do yoga or go for a paddle board on a beautiful summer day. And as you know, community is everything to us, so being able to do it with our friends and neighbors is the cherry on top. Below we’ve mapped out a few opportunities for you to get outside and get moving on the Seacoast this summer.

 

Flow & Paddle in Kennebunkport

Tuesday, July 25th, 9:30am at The Nonantum Resort

Join the team at The Daily Sweat for morning paddle boarding session in the beautiful and calm waters of Kennebunkport. Hosted at The Nonantum Resort, all you need to do is bring yourself and a water bottle. Boards will be provided!

Get more info here.

 

Image Credit: Flow Yoga Studio

Sunset Yoga at the Park in Portsmouth

Wednesday evenings, 7:30 – 8:30pm

Our friends at Flow Yoga Studio are hosting an outdoor yoga series in Portsmouth’s Prescott Park this summer. Free to join and it’s every Wednesday evening from 7:30 – 8:30pm, through August 16th.

Get more info here.

 

Image Credit: Mom Comm

Waterfront Morning Workout Series in Newburyport

Weekday and weekend mornings, through August 6th

Anna Jaques Hospital sponsors the Waterfront Morning Workout Series, a series of family-friendly, all ages workout events that are free to the public. All you need to bring is your workout mat and some water.

Get more info here.

 

Image Credit: Creek Farm

Weekly Meditation at Creek Farm in Portsmouth

Thursday mornings, 8:00am

Looking for the perfect way to start your day? Drop-in to a weekly free meditation session, offered at Creek Farm in Portsmouth. Bring a meditation cushion, a chair or take a seat on their charming stone wall. Enjoy the power of a morning meditation outside.

Get more info here.

Join us at Bryony Body for yoga classes and more

Have you checked out our yoga studio in downtown Exeter yet? Come by Bryony Body for yoga in downtown Exeter, NH and meet members of your community who also love to flow.

Book a class at Bryony Body here.

Deepen Your Practice with Yoga Teacher Training at Bryony Body

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We are honored and thrilled to invite you to deepen your yoga practice through the first ever 200-hour Yoga Alliance Yoga Teacher Training at Bryony Body this fall.

Beginning September 8th, the training program will occur during the first Friday, Saturday and Sunday of each month, September through January. Training will include everything from yoga sutras to pranayama and asanas – all led by instructor, Gail Picillo.

We sat down with Gail to get all of the details about the program and to give you all the information needed to decide if it’s right for you.

Can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect from the yoga teacher training curriculum?

Students will learn multiple dimensions of yoga in order to make them a well-rounded intructor and/or to deepen their personal practice. They can expect to learn the philosophy of yoga including studying the Yoga Sutras, understanding the Eight Limbs of Yoga, reviewing traditional yoga texts including the Bhavada Gita, and introduction to Ayurveda. With the learning of the philosophical background, students will  also learn the physical attributes including understanding anatomy and how it relates to the asanas (yoga postures), the breakdown of asanas, surya namaskara (sun salutations), safe and proper hands-on-assists, and how to develop a flow to teach a class.  Students will learn about the subtle body including the koshas, vayus, energy lines, and the chakra system. Finally, students will learn about trauma-informed yoga and elements of functional yoga.

I don’t know if I want to become a yoga teacher, but I’m interested in deepening my practice. Who is yoga teacher training for exactly?

This training if for those who want to deepen their practice, as well as for those who want to become an instructor. When I first took my yoga teacher training, I had no intentions on becoming an instructor. I wanted to understand the philosophy behind yoga, how to correctly practice, and to truly learn how to “breathe.”  Though this training does have instructor knowledge, students will all benefit from the deepening of their own practice whether they plan to teach or not.

How much time outside of class should I plan to spend on homework and practicing?

Homework is offered after each training session.  This usually encompasses readings, personal practice, and observations of other yoga classes. How much time between each session is based on the individual and what they are looking to get from their practice.  It is difficult to determine the amount of time based on how fast a person can read. I try to keep the homework in a reasonable amount, as I am aware that many of us have other busy aspects of our lives such as jobs and families.

What will I walk away with when it’s all said and done?

You will be a certified Yoga Alliance 200 Hour Yoga teacher instructor, who will have a strong foundation for yoga.  You may choose to share this knowledge as an instructor, or simply to practice your knowledege in your day to day life.  No matter what you decide to do, this training will help you develop a better understanding of the Self.

What’s your favorite part of teaching yoga?

I often talk of myself as a conduit.  I let the yoga speak for itself and allow myself to be the instrument in which it is shared.  So my favorite part of teaching yoga is to observe people become more gentle with themselves, so that they offer themselves and others grace to simply “be.”

Thinking about enrolling? Here’s what you need to know.

To get the early bird discount and save $500 total on your registration fee, you’ll want to enroll by August 15th. After that date, you can save $300 by registering and paying in full by the official start date, September 8th. And if you’re looking for a manageable way to pay for training over time, you can pay your $200 non-refundable registration fee to lock in your spot and then email gailpicillo@gmail.com to get your payment plan set up.

Click here to learn more and register for Yoga Teacher Training at Bryony Body.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks We’re Stocked Up On For The Summer

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If we want to discuss blessings in disguise from the pandemic, here’s one: the wide variety of non- and low-alcoholic beverages that are now available to us both in-store and at the bar. If you haven’t noticed, next time you’re out for drinks with friends, look for the “Non-Alcoholic” section of the cocktail menu and you’ll likely find a variety of NA beers or even some tempting mocktail options. While we’ve always enjoyed a refreshing glass of wine or cocktail in moderation, having non-alcoholic options that not only extend past O’Doul’s, but are sometimes better than the alcohol version, that’s what we can get behind.

Interested? Below we’ve listed out some of our favorite non-alcoholic beverages that we’re stocking up on this summer. Because at the end of the day, happy hour is about spending quality relaxation time with friends, while having a refreshing beverage (regardless of the ABV.)

Beer from Athletic Brewing Company

Image credit: athleticbrewing.com

Athletic Brewing were the ones who really spearheaded the non-alcoholic beer movement and in 2023, they’re still at the top of their game. They have excellent staples like their Run Wild IPA and the Upside Dawn Golden, and introduce seasonal options like the Chelada Nada and their Lemon Radler for those of us who like a twist of citrus in our summer beverages. Their beers taste just like beers with alcohol and contain half the calories. The perfect end-of-the-weekday wind down drink, if you ask us.

Cocktails from Seedlip

Image Credit: seedlipdrinks.com

Cocktails more your thing? Sure, there’s nothing quite like a boozy margarita, but when tequila isn’t an option, we turn to the next best thing: Seedlip Spirits. You can buy bottles of their concoctions: Grove 42 (think: margarita or a gin & tonic), Spice 94 (think: espresso martini or a moscow mule) or Garden 108 (think: a ginger highball or a bloody mary). Their website provides dozens of cocktail recipes for each of their spirits, and if you’re wanting to make it even easier, they have specific cocktail kits that give you everything you need to mix up your favorite drink.

Mixers from Ghia

Image credit: drinkghia.com

Instead of creating a non-alcoholic version of a spirit, the team over at Ghia has created a unique beverage that can stand on its own as a boozy sippable cocktail (all non-alcoholic) and as a mixer for the spirit of your choice. It’s a super interesting take on a non-alcoholic cocktail because it gives you the feeling of having an old fashioned or a manhattan… without the booze. Genius, if you ask us.

 

Spring In Our Step! Self-Care Rituals We Swear By

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As lovers of all things self-care, we’re here for all of the new wellness trends, old classics and everything in between. As we slowly start to crawl out of the winter months and prepare for a new season of growth, warmth and re-connection, we want to make sure our skin, hair and bodies are feeling refreshed and ready.

Deep conditioning… everything

As northeasterners, we know that winter takes its toll on our skin, hair, nails and in some cases our mental health. When it comes to revitalizing our skin, we love using hemp seed oil right out of the shower – it provides the ultimate moisture (without clogging our pores.)

For our hair, we love keeping a deep conditioning mask in our shower, so we can do one treatment per week. Better yet, save yourself some time and book a deep conditioning hair treatment along with your next haircut at Bryony & Birch. Scalp massage included for free… you can’t beat that.

 

Fitness every day keeps the doctor away

If you caught Jonah Hill’s powerful documentary, Stutz, on Netflix this winter, you may be familiar with one of the fundamentals that his therapist says makes people feel more alive: our Life Force. He explains that at the most primal level, our Life Force is derived from our relationship with our physical body, and that the simple act of exercising every day is the single most effective tool we have to keep us moving forward. Whether you like group classes or 1:1 training, Bryony Body in downtown Exeter has a variety of fitness, yoga and wellness class options for you. Traditional exercise not your thing? Try having a dance party in your living room or going for a walk. Exercise can be simple!

Making hydration a priority

As a 30-something, I can say with equal parts shame and pride, that I take hydration very seriously. When I don’t get my 80oz of water per day, I feel it in my sleep quality, my energy levels and my diet. In my endless pursuit of clear skin and more energy, drinking water (and keeping track of how much I drink) is a staple in my self-care regimen. If it’s something you struggle to incorporate into your daily routine, try getting a better water bottle: anything insulated and with a built-in straw, is going to make it easy for you to get your water in while you’re on the go or sitting at your desk.

Keep your friends close

Studies show that friendship & community bring so much joy and happiness into our lives, that we can actually live longer and be healthier because of it. Having moved around quite a bit, I can attest to this. In certain phases of my life where I’ve had less community, I’ve struggled to feel myself. In other phases where I’ve had my people around, I’ve thrived. Making the effort to be near our friends, family and community is something that we all need to view as self-care because our connections and relationships are ultimately what lift us up. If you live on the North Shore or Seacoast, we invite you to follow along with us on Instagram, so you can catch our local events and communal gatherings. Here at Bryony, we RELISH in our community and feel so passionate about giving back to it!

How to Reset & Renew at the End of the Year

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Sure, the holidays are busy. But there is also a lot of downtime while businesses shut down and employees are encouraged to take a break and spend time with their loved ones. What you do with that time, determines how you end your year. Here at Bryony & Birch, we’re all in favor of an intentional reset and renew – and we’ve outlined some of our favorite ways to do that below.

Organize the Year’s Best Photos

If you have a pet or a child, your phone probably looks pretty similar: it’s filled with photos of them. We know the drill – you take 10-20 shots in an effort to get the smile and then you move on with your life and forget to delete the outtakes, which results in an overwhelming camera roll that ultimately stops you from doing anything at all with the good shots.

This quiet time at the end of the year is the perfect space to go through and pick out the year’s best shots. Delete the outtakes or tuck them away in the cloud. Print, frame or do something creative with your favorite shots from the year and hand them up in your home. Being surrounded by recent photos of our loved ones is one of those things (alongside rugs and curtains) that makes a house a home.

Bake Something

I should start out by saying that I do not identify as a baker. I’m too much of a loosey goosey, salt-to-taste kind of gal. That said, when I bake, it’s because I’ve carved out a no-plans afternoon to do it. I’ll put a TV show on my iPad or a record on to set the vibe, make myself a fresh cup of coffee and take as much or as little time as I need to. And the best part is: later that day (or maybe right when it’s done) you have a fresh pie or some cookies to indulge in or share with friends.

Set the Phone Aside

It feels like all year long, I’m on my phone. When I’m not checking email or Instagram, I’m Facetiming with friends or texting to coordinate with caregivers or home projects. It’s honestly relentless, if you don’t set aside intentional no phone time. There’s no better time to do it then during the slow and cozy winter season. Take that week between Christmas and New Years to set aside your phone and instead focus on your people or taking a walk. A no phone reset may be the most important one of them all.

Practice Doing Nothing

This one is slightly controversial, but yes – do absolutely nothing. For some, that looks like laying on the couch with a good book and a cup of tea and for others, that means doing some yoga while the baby plays nearby. It doesn’t have to look a certain way because the point is for there to be no pressure at all about how you spend the time. Delight in your nothing, even for just an hour, and you’ll be surprised at how refreshed you may feel.

We’ll See You Next Year!

Anddd that’s a wrap! This being our final post in 2022, we can officially say, we’ll see you next year. We will be open from 9am – 8pm on Thursday, Dec. 22nd, for your last minute shopping needs and closed from Dec. 24th – 26th to celebrate the holidays with our loved ones. If your end-of-year reset & renew involves finally taking time to get your hair done, come in and see us –  you can book an appointment here.

Wishing you the happiest holiday season and new year, from our team to yours!

What’s Cooking This Fall: Nourishing & Cozy Recipes from Bryony

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When the weather starts to turn cool, our favorite way to warm up is with hearty and healthy recipes that can easily last us a few meals (we’re taking pre-made lunches for the workweek!) While we prefer to keep it vegetarian, meat can be added to almost any of these for some extra protein.

One Pot Lemon Orzo Soup

The best part about this one pot meal from Half Baked Harvest is that it takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Easy to put together on a weekday, it gets us our greens, tastes delicious and is very hearty and filling. Not to mention, it’s flexible and allows you to use what you have on hand!

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
  • Red pepper flakes
  • 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 cups dry orzo pasta
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 can cannellini beans
  • ½ bunch of kale, spinach (or whatever green you have on hand)
  • ½ cup basil pesto
  • ½ cup whole milk or coconut milk (whatever you have on hand)
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Instructions:

  1. Heat your olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat.
  2. Add shallots, garlic and chili flakes. Cook for about 5 minutes.
  3. Drop in the butter, and then stir in the orzo. Cook until golden (about 1-3 minutes) and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Stir in your beans and your green of choice.
  5. Simmer for 8-10 minutes – it will become very creamy!
  6. Stir in the pesto, milk, parmesan and lemon and cook for another few minutes to warm through.
  7. Serve in bowls with additional parmesan and black pepper.

Spiced Moroccan Butternut Squash & Couscous

A vegetarian take on one of our favorite recipes from New York Times Cooking: Sarah Digregorio’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine with Butternut Squash. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients – the concoction of flavor that this delivers is unbelievable. With its sweet, savory and nourishing profile, this dish is perfect for the Fall. We like to make a big batch on Sunday afternoons and eat it for lunch all week!

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium to large butternut squash – cut into slices and then halved, gutted and cut into wedges
  • 8 pitted dates
  • 1 onion – chopped
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp hot smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 large red onion
  • ¼ cup minced ginger
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ¼ cup lemon juice (or 1 large lemon)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • Served with: Cooked couscous and flavored to your liking (we like adding walnuts and cranberries)
  • Garnished with: Plain yogurt & toasted almonds

Instructions:

  1. Add your oil to a 6 to 8 quart slow cooker or dutch oven and set to medium. Add your dates, butternut squash, garlic, red onion and ginger.
  2. While everything is heating up, combine your spices in a small bowl and add to the pot. Mix everything together in the spices and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Once brown bits are starting to form on the bottom of the pan, add your broth and lemon juice, stirring to scrape up the bits and get everything submerged.
  4. Cover your pot and let it simmer on medium low for 1 – 1.5 hours (or 4 hours, if using a slow cooker.)
  5. You’ll know it’s done when the squash is almost falling apart. Serve with couscous and top with yogurt and almonds.

Chili Verde with White Beans

This vegetarian (and slightly simplified) rendition of J. Kenji López-Alt’s Chicken Chile Verde is the perfect way for a spice lover to warm up this fall. While Kenji recommends roasting your own peppers, we prefer buying them pre-roasted and skinned, to make it extra easy to throw this together!

Ingredients:

  • 7 tomatillos, quartered
  • 1 pound of roasted and skinned hatch green chilis or poblanos
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 large white onion, chopped
  • 2 serranos or jalapenos (don’t include, if you don’t like spicy)
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 can cannellini beans
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • ½ cup cilantro
  • 1 tbsp asian fish sauce
  • Serve with: Cornbread and cheddar cheese

Instructions:

  1. Combine tomatillos, hatch green chilis, garlic, onion, serranos, cumin and a pinch of salt in a dutch oven, over medium high heat.
  2. Once the vegetables are toasted, add your broth and bring to a simmer.
  3. Once simmering, put the cover on your dutch oven and turn the heat down to medium low. Let it cook for 1 hour.
  4. Add your cilantro and fish sauce and use an immersion blender to blend your chili together until smooth.
  5. Add your white beans and cook for a few more minutes, until everything is heated up.
  6. Serve with cornbread and some shredded cheddar cheese.

Best Hair Salon Tips for Your Post-Summer Hair

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There’s no doubt about it, this summer has been a hot one. We’ve beached, pooled, road tripped, ate and drank all the things, and ultimately – had ourselves the exact kind of hot girl summer we’ve been craving the last few years. But all of the fun aside, this summer has taken a beating on our hair. Before we officially enter sherpa fleece season, a hair reset is a must. If you’re with us on that, read through our tips for repairing your sun-bleached summer hair and resetting your hair regimen for a healthy fall and winter ahead.

Get a Haircut

The best way to get rid of those crusty sun-bleached dead ends is to chop them off! At the Bryony & Birch Hair Loft, our stylists can do just that and more. If you’re looking for more than a trim, and want to change up your look, come in and treat yourself to a cut you’ll love. Get more information on cuts, colors and pricing at our hair salon in downtown Amesbury.

Get a Moisturizing Treatment

From the pool to the beach to the trail, your hair has been soaking up all of the sun, wind and salt it can handle! If it’s feeling dry and damaged from all of the adventures, you can pump some life and shine back into it with a moisturizing treatment. At Bryony & Birch, we love Electric London’s line of ultra-moisturizing products. Come into the Hair Loft to pick up one of their moisturizing hair masks or tack a moisturizing treatment onto your next haircut. Book a treatment with one of our stylists here.

Get a Toner

If you typically get a hair color service, then you’re probably familiar with your hair color starting to dull a few months after you get it done, especially if you’ve been spending a lot of time outside in the sun. To give that color a refresh and extend the life of it, book a toner with one of our hair stylists. A toner is like a top coat for your hair – it enhances your current color and gives it that fresh, polished, hair salon feel. In the Bryony & Birch Hair Loft, you can come in and get just a toner, blow dry and style, if a refresh is in order, but no haircut is needed.

Refresh Your Hair Regimen

Sometimes we get so married to a haircare product line or brand, that when the condition of our hair inevitably changes, we fail to treat it with the proper care that it actually needs and craves. That’s why we recommend taking a look at your hair regimen at least once a year and giving it a refresh. Our stylists at the Bryony & Birch Hair Loft are more than happy to give you some recommendations on product lines that can treat your hair’s specific needs. We always recommend finding a line with a shampoo, conditioner and moisturizing mask that you can incorporate into your daily and weekly regimen. Out with the old and in with the new!

Accessorize Your Hair

If you’re looking to update your look without making changes to the length or color of your hair, we always look to hair accessories for a nice bump in style. Think: butterfly clips, scrunchies, bright earrings or even a cute new beanie. All of them do the work of elevating your look without making any semi-permanent changes.

Bryony & Birch Offers Haircuts, Colors and More

Located in downtown Amesbury, Bryony & Birch is a hair salon that offers cuts, colors, toners, moisturizing treatments, extensions and more. We offer wedding party preparation services and also have a studio rental space that we rent to local entrepreneurs, creatives and anyone looking to host an event or workshop. Stop in the next time you’re in the area to browse our vintage rack, get a haircut or just say hello. We love our community and we’d love to meet you!

How to Start a Daily Meditation Practice

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I’ve flirted with having a solid daily meditation practice since my early 20’s. Back then, I’d get on a good streak for a couple of weeks, and then head out to a wedding weekend or into a busy season of work and it would fall to the wayside. It wasn’t until I became pregnant in March of 2021, that I not only felt motivated to wake up each and every day to do it, but I genuinely loved and looked forward to it.

When it comes to starting a daily meditation practice, the rule of thumb is to be easy with yourself. This is not one of those habits that you need to get mad at yourself for not sticking to – it is self-care work, yes, but it’s still work! Sitting in the same category as exercise and a healthy diet, meditation can be challenging to work into a daily routine, but oh-so-rewarding when we do. Here are some insights from my own meditation journey that might help you start your own.

The benefit of a daily meditation practice

Throughout our day, we have experiences and conversations that we’re constantly reacting to. Oftentimes, without thinking or processing how they actually make us feel. And having those unaware reactions over and over again block us from feeling the calming and healing power of being present. Meditation is a beautiful practice that allows us to embrace stillness, presence and observance of our thoughts, by simply pressing pause.

The benefits of a daily meditation practice include lowered anxiety, increased happiness, and a myriad of health benefits that all follow suit when your body is less stressed.

Set a time and a place

One of the best ways to introduce a positive new habit is to attempt to do it at the same time and in the same place every single day. I meditate every single morning, before my baby and dogs wake up. I set my alarm for 6am, pour myself an iced coffee, and head to my little meditation corner – complete with a cozy rug and pillow to sit on. Creating this ritual every morning has made meditating as easy as brushing my teeth.

If you’re the kind of person who loves tracking a good habit streak, check out the Streak app. A friend of mine uses this to track her meditation practice and finds that seeing herself on a good streak, is enough motivation to keep going.

Start with a 5 minute meditation

You may hear about people who meditate for an hour a day and think: who has time for that? The funny thing is, once you have a developed meditation practice, you might be that person. But you don’t have to start there! Start with something easy and attainable, like a 5 minute meditation. You may want to increase that over time – or not!

Use a meditation app

Almost everyone I know who has a daily meditation practice, uses (or has used) an app to help guide their meditations. To me, listening to another person guide me through the process of clearing my mind is the ultimate relaxation. It’s one less thing I have to do, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable.

Another thing that’s nice about using an app is that these days, there are so many specific types of meditations to help someone through literally any season of life. Pregnant and struggling with first trimester nausea? There’s a meditation for that. Wanting to quit your job, but don’t know how to approach the conversation with your boss? There’s one for that too.

Meditate while doing yoga

If you’re having trouble finding the time and space to meditate, consider working your meditation practice into a routine that you already have. For example, during yoga! You can sign up for a yoga class at Bryony Body in Exeter, NH and treat your entire class as an exercise in meditation. Movement & meditation go hand in hand, so please – feel free to combine them.

Join us for yoga and meditation in Exeter

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

We offer in person and virtual yoga classes at Bryony Body in Exeter, NH. Take a look at our membership options to find the best fit for you. We can’t wait to see you in class!

Take a Barre Yoga Fusion Class For an Optimal Mind Body Experience

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It’s April, and we’re willing to bet more than a few of you have gotten behind on those well-meaning New Year’s resolutions. Well, why not get a fresh start with a new class? Maybe you’re familiar with our yoga classes, but did you know that we also offer strength training classes as well? Today we’ll be talking to one of our instructors, Jessica Gutstein, about her specialty – our Barre Yoga Fusion class! But first let’s tackle a couple of common questions regarding barre.

What is a Barre Yoga Fusion class?

If you’ve never heard of barre, don’t get confused – it’s not just for ballet dancers! Our 45-minute Barre Yoga Fusion class combines the essential elements of barre and yoga for an optimal mind-body experience. The low-impact, high energy Barre workout is designed to improve flexibility, tone, and strengthen the body through the use of small isometric movements, weights, and resistance exercises. The yoga elements of the class focus on breathing, lengthening the muscles, and quieting the mind. By combining these modalities, you will feel relaxed, recharged and ready to make the most of your day. This unique sequence is designed for all fitness levels.

Is a ballet background necessary to do a Barre Class?

No! You don’t need any ballet or dance experience at all to fully interact in and enjoy our Barre Yoga Fusion class. Barre was originally designed by a dancer, Lotte Berk, who started teaching in the 1970s and continued until she was well into her 80s. Some of her more famous clients included Joan Collins and Barbra Streisand. Because Lotte wanted both dancers and non-dancers to be able to reap Barre’s benefits, she designed the exercise to use basic dance positions that aid in developing muscle tone and core strength. Many Barre classes utilize a barre like ballet dancers do, however, it can also be done on mats on the floor or with no equipment at all. Barre can have therapeutic benefits as well and many have used it to ease back into exercising after an injury.

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Meet Our Barre Yoga Fusion instructor, Jessica Gutstein

Jessica has been practicing yoga since 2002, teaching yoga since 2007 and teaching barre since 2017. To the Seacoast community and Bryony Body, she brings years of experience as well as a love for the mind-body connection each exercise provides.

“Leading this class is the greatest joy for me. Each student arrives with whatever body and mind they were blessed with on that particular day.

My goal is to help quiet the noise that life is constantly throwing at us through movement, breath work and a grounded approach to full body wellness. I want students to leave feeling a sense of strength and space in their bodies and minds, ready to tackle their day.”

Why might someone enjoy a Barre Yoga Fusion class as opposed to just doing Barre or just doing yoga?

Our instructor, Jessica says, “A barre yoga fusion experience combines the core tenants of both a high energy barre workout with the meditative and healing aspects of yoga.”

The beauty and healing lies in the strength and stillness, grit and grace that this synergistic practice offers.

Jessica continues, “The practice can be modified for all fitness levels and emphasizes basics of breath, stretching/lengthening, body awareness and concentrated muscle and core development.”

What times and days of the week do you offer the class?

Our Barre Yoga Fusion class is offered at Bryony Body in Exeter, NH on Wednesdays from 9:30 – 10:15am. To try it out, you can sign up on MindBody and if you’re a first timer, take advantage of our introductory 1-month trial membership.

Photo Credit: Kate Donovan Photography

Join us at Bryony Body

Now that you have a better handle on Barre (excuse the pun), we hope you will come check out a class! We look forward to welcoming new students no matter your age, body type, or experience level. Barre not your thing? We have several other types of classes to choose from, including strength training and basic yoga which you can find on our Bryony Body Yoga and Wellness Classes page. We are committed to meeting you where you’re at, so contact us today so that we can help you get started on the next step in your wellness journey!

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