I made the tastiest lunch on the fly the other day.
In the bowl:
- Coucous
- Roasted broccoli & carrots {left-over’s from the night before)
- Green beans
- Edamame
Added a little balsamic, salt and pepper and viola! Lunch was served! It was just what I was craving.
Let’s talk posture.
Remember as a kid your mom saying “Sit up straight.” when you were slouching over? {just me?} Well, mom was on to something important. Having good posture is not only a more flattering look, its important for the health of your body. I’ve been noticing lately, especially when I sit at the computer for a long amount of time, that I’m slouching like crazy.
I use the ridiculous picture above to show you what it normally looks like when I slouch in my office chair. Like a humpback. Not.A.Good.Look. 
Here are just a few reasons why good posture is important for your health:
I don’t know about you, but I want my joints to work for a very long, long, time. So I’ve got to keep my posture in check and remember my mom saying “Sit up straight!”
Yoga is a great way to improve your posture (something thats been lacking in my life lately), I found these 4 tips over at LiveStrong.com…
1. Use Mountain Pose to Train the Body to Stand up Straight
Mountain pose is a great position to help improve your posture and it can be used before all standing yoga postures to help correct alignment. Stand up straight with your arms at your sides and palms facing the body. First check that your weight is distributed evenly in your feet. Make sure you are not rolling in or out, or that you are not putting more weight in either the toes or heels. You should have equal weight on all points of the foot and on all your toes. The knees are slightly bent and not locked. Pull the hips directly under the shoulders. Roll your shoulders down and back. Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together. Lightly tighten the abdominal muscles. Keep your chin parallel to the floor and think about lifting the crown of the head to the ceiling. Pretend that there is a string attached to the top of your head that is lifting you straight up. Hold for five to 10 deep breaths.
Goddess pose can be used to not only strengthen the legs but if done against a wall it can help you to correct your posture. Stand with your back against a wall in a squat position. The feet should be wide apart with the toes turned out. Place the feet away from the wall enough so that you are actually leaning against the wall. Your buttocks, back and shoulders should be touching the wall. Bring your arms up into a “W” shape. The elbows should be shoulder high and the palms facing forward. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Without straining bring both your arms and hands back until they touch the wall. If they can not touch just go as far as you can. As you continue to stretch you will improve your flexibility and posture. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and draw your chin back until the back of your head touches the wall as well. Do not lift the chin or tilt the head back to make it touch. If you cannot touch, just go as far as you are able. Hold for five to 10 deep belly breaths.
3. Try an Overhead Strap Stretch
If you do not have a yoga strap you can use a long towel or sheet. Sit up straight either on the floor or in a chair. Hold onto the strap with your palms facing the floor and rest the strap in your lap. The wider your hands are apart the easier the stretch will be. Pull lightly on the strap and lift it up and overhead and continue to bring it behind your head and back until your hands touch the floor behind you. Go gently if you have shoulder issues and you can let your hands slide on the strap if you need to. Then pull lightly on the strap and lift it back up and overhead to the starting position. Try to not duck your head as you bring the strap back around. Repeat slowly eight to 12 times.
4. Relax in Restorative Bound Angle Pose
If you do not have a yoga bolster you can use a couch cushion or a pile of blankets. Sit on the floor and put the bolster behind you. Do not sit on the bolster. If your neck is sensitive put the bolster the long way so that when you lie back your head will be on the bolster. If you want a deeper stretch, put the bolster the short way so when you lie back the bolster falls under your armpits and your head drops back onto the floor. Lie back on the bolster and put your arms out to the side in a “T” position with the palms facing up. Your knees can be bent with the feet on the floor or you can keep the soles of the feet together and let the knees drop out to the side and away from one another. Hold for five to 10 deep belly breaths.
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Yoga moves I plan on incorporating into my daily life. What about you? Are you standing tall today? 
Who’s saying what?