Source: http://www.sonima.com/yoga/sunday-morning-yoga/

On Sunday morning, I finally have time to indulge in a sweet, slow stretch. I use what I can to go deeper, feel more, and take pause in my practice.

Reclined Bound Angle

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Start by lying on your back, with your feet together and your knees apart. Take a deep breath in, hold it, and then exhale fully through the mouth. Take two to five more breaths just like this.

Knees into Chest 

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Slowly pull your knees into your chest, and wrap your arms around your legs. Give yourself a little squeeze.

Easy Twist

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Open your arms out by your sides in a “T” shape. Keep your knees together and allow both knees to fall over to the right. Keep both shoulders flat on the ground, and bring your gaze over your left shoulder for a supine twist. Repeat on …

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/06/10/friday-faves/

Hey friends! Happy Friday! First things first: remember a few weeks ago how I shared that my Nutrition for Runners co-author Jason was in town and we recorded a short running nutrition Q&A video? It’s live on his site now! Check it out: running nutrition Q&A with a Registered Dietitian. We discuss commons mistakes runners often make with nutrition, the difference between exercising and training, and questions like “I’m running and eating right but not losing weight – what gives?” Enjoy!

And now, let’s kick start the weekend with some Friday faves – please feel free to play along in the comments!

1) My new iPhone lock screen picture – one of me and Matt from hiking in Canada. It makes me smile every time I turn on my phone. This suspension bridge (on the Dog Lake hike in Kootenay National Park) was absolutely stunning – one of my favorite hikes on the trip! 

2) This furry little face. We missed her while we were away but she was taken good care of thanks to a combination of my mom and a pet sitter. <img src="http://www.fannetasticfood.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/simple-smile.png" alt=":)" class="wp…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/_5-J1bGbjck/

“Life is not designed to give us what we need; life is designed to give us what we deserve.” ~Jim Rohn

Is there something wrong with being special?

Short answer: yes.

But why is that? Being special is… special!

That’s true, but there’s a downside most people aren’t aware of.

Before we go any further, let me clarify what I mean by “being special.”

In short, being special is about thinking that what applies to others doesn’t apply to you, thinking that you’re an exception to the rules of life that others have to follow.

It has nothing to do with having healthy self-esteem or thinking highly of oneself; in fact, it’s all about ego and self-deception.

And you could be thinking in such a destructive way without even realizing it.

The Trap of Being Put on a Pedestal

Let’s say when you were growing up, people put you on a pedestal for something you did well.

Maybe you used to get straight A’s, maybe you were a good boy/girl who never broke the rules, maybe you were more physically attractive than most of your peers, and so on.

In short, you had a privilege that set you apart from your peers, and you may have done nothing or very little to get that advantage.

Maybe yo…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/5FtGJyIQurA/

“Failed plans should not be interpreted as a failed vision. Visions don’t change, they are only refined. Plans rarely stay the same, and are scrapped or adjusted as needed. Be stubborn about the vision, but flexible with your plan.” ~John C. Maxwell

This year started as a complete mess for me.

After a five-week holiday away from December to January, it was difficult to get back to London and into the swing of things. Not only was I still in holiday mode, but I also came back without a plan.

I am at a point in my life where I am still exploring where in the world I want to be, what I want to be doing, and how.

My background is quite varied and broad. I am half Finnish, half New Zealander, but I grew up in Singapore. I came to London for university, where I studied Geology & Geophysics and then Business Management. I also developed a passion for running, which extended into overall health, fitness, and nutrition, thus I started working as a fitness and running instructor.

I am at quite a fragile point, deciding what path to go down (which field—earth science, business, or fitness; which country—stay in the UK, one of my home countries, somewhere completely new).

It is a decision made harder by having lots of options and a mind that tends to look for the perfe…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/06/cspi-and-public-citizen-sue-the-fda-over-absurd-delays-in-regulating-the-safety-of-oysters/

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has sued the FDA for ignoring its 2012 petition to prevent illnesses and deaths caused by eating raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico contaminated with toxic Vibrio vulnificus.

The lawsuit, filed jointly with Public Citizen, asks the FDA to set standards to make sure these bacteria are “nondetectable in oysters and other molluscan shellfish sold for raw consumption.”

The FDA is supposed to respond to the complaint by July 25.

This issue goes back a long way.  I wrote about it in 2011 in the context of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, Food Safety: FDA Needs to Reassess Its Approach to Reducing an Illness Caused by Eating Raw Oysters.

Vibrio vulnificus bacteria are considered “flesh-eating;” they kill half the 30 or so people who eat contaminated raw oysters.   Treating the raw oysters before allowing them to be sold kills the bacteria.  California requires this and nobody eating California oysters gets sick from Vibrio.  As I wrote in 2011:

In 2001, the oyster industry trade association, the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC), promised the FDA that this industry would substantially reduce Vibrio infections in oysters within seven years through a program of voluntary self-regulation and education aimed at high-risk groups. If this program failed to reduce the infection rate, the ISSC agreed that the FDA could require oysters to be tre…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/how-to-fall-asleep-faster?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

It’s tempting to take a pill or just sip sleep-inducing tea, but these quick fixes don’t address the root of what’s keeping you awake at night. As this video from The School of Life explains, your insomnia might be a result of something simple you’re forgetting to do during the day—that is, think. Just running through your to-do list won’t help, though. It’s those bigger, more philosophical questions (Am I happy? Am I in the right job? Am I with the right person?) that need attention during daylight hours—or else they’ll pop up late at night. So set aside some time to reflect on your career, relationships, regrets, or purpose and prepare to catch some more zzzs.

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Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/06/commencement-speech-cunys-macaulay-honors-college/

I gave the commencement address to graduates of Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York this week. Here’s what I said.  And here’s what someone in the audience tweeted:

I was especially pleased because it came with an honorary degree.

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Source: http://greatist.com/live/nadkins-the-luxuirous-way-to-clean-your-balls?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Sweaty balls (or Schweddy Balls, if you’re Alec Baldwin) are a fact of life for most guys, especially in the summer months. It was only a matter of time before someone finally tried to capitalize on the sticky situation. Introducing Nadkins, the original “male jewels refresher towelette.” How luxurious! If their tagline doesn’t convince to clean your testicles, this hilarious video will.

We hope keeping your genitals clean is already a top priority, but you don’t need to shell out $12.50 for a 10-pack of Nadkins. Baby wipes or soap and water are way cheaper—and just as effective.

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Source: http://www.theminimalists.com/forsake/

By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus · Follow: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

We forsake innumerable issues every day. And that’s usually okay because most of what’s going on in the world doesn’t require our attention: local politics in Saskatoon, escalator maintenance at a nearby shopping mall, bronze statues of great basketball players.

It’s not that we can’t focus on these inane concerns—it’s just that they aren’t top of mind.

But of course we forsake many of our so-called priorities, too: health, relationships, creativity, contribution.

It’s not that we can’t focus on these important matters—it’s just that they aren’t top of mind.

Which brings some questions to mind:

What am I focused on today?

What should I be focused on? That is, what aligns with my values, beliefs, desires, interests, mission? Would life be better if I focused on those few things and forsook the rest?

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Source: http://greatist.com/live/brock-turner-the-letter-his-father-should-have-written?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Odds are you’ve heard about the Stanford swimmer rape case that’s all over the news. If not here’s the story: A judge sentenced 20-year-old Brock Turner to just six months in county jail, along with probation, for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. And people are rightfully outraged at the lenient sentence—it’s far less than the six years prosecutors recommended and the 14-year maximum sentence.

Adding fuel to the fire, a letter by Turner’s father talks about how much his son has suffered (yes, his son) and calls for probation only, saying jail “is a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action.”

Twitter user Jez Kemp rewrote the letter to point out the crazy ways the media has talked about Turner’s case and sexual assault in general. Instead of focusing on the victim’s suffering, we talk about the rapist. His fall from grace. His athletic accomplishments. His lack of criminal history. As Kemp shows with the rewrite, Turner got a lot of attention (and sympathy) while standing trial, but we really should be thinking about and working to protect the victim and the countless others who have stories just like hers.

Here’s the original version:

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