The Hugger Mugger Yoga Blog

Marjarasana (Cat Pose) Every morning as I begin to stir, the three felines that share my sleeping hours begin to mobilize along with me. The promise of breakfast, of course, is the great motivator, but before breakfast—before they do anything else—they do a little cat yoga. They begin with Downward Facing Cat. As their front paws stretch forward, I watch as the stretch ripples its way up to the pinnacle of their bodies:  their hips. Then they return to all fours, and I watch their furry skin elongate and vibrate as they stretch each foreleg forward and each hind...

More than 25 years ago I decided that I would ingest only foods that would contribute to my health and well-being, and avoid “non-foods” that have no nutritional value. Things like chemical-ridden processed foods and zero-nutrition soft drinks were officially off my food list. I haven’t eaten meat since 1978, and spent about 12 years on a vegan diet before returning to eating occasional eggs and goat or sheep cheese. I eat local, organic and homegrown foods whenever possible and always cook from scratch. Fortunately, I love to cook. There are times when I enjoy eating sweet treats at friends’...

Turkey and stuffing may get most of the Thanksgiving accolades, but for those of us who are meatless, it’s the side dishes that end up being the stars. Think cranberries, yams, green beans and Brussels sprouts. While your holiday dinner is now just a memory, you can still enjoy some of its flavor by making a Yam Brussels Sprouts Pizza. The idea for this recipe comes from the Fall 2018 edition of Forks Over Knives magazine. When I made this pizza, I mostly followed the recipe for the topping, but chose not to make my own crust. I do enjoy...

Almost every Thanksgiving for the past 25 years, I’ve taught my 7:30 am yoga class. It would certainly be easier to sleep in on what is usually a busy day in the kitchen. Instead, my students and I enjoy regenerating with Thanksgiving yoga to prepare for the day ahead. Years ago, we practiced mostly abdominal and digestive poses. In recent years, I’ve added restorative yoga to the mix. For some, holiday gatherings can be exhausting. Whether it’s the work involved or the heightened social interaction, holidays can take a toll. Restorative yoga helps smooth out our nervous systems and renew...

’Tis the season of elevated eating. This Thursday is, of course, Thanksgiving. It’s always been one of my favorite holidays. My grandfather’s birthday was around Thanksgiving, so every year, my whole extended family would get together to celebrate. It was the only time we all celebrated together during the year. Back then, of course, we had traditional fare. In the past 40 years, since I stopped eating meat, I’ve had to be a bit more creative. It’s generally easy to sustain myself on non-turkey side dishes at even the most traditional gatherings. But I’ve also enjoyed coming up with vegan...

About 25 years ago I attended a workshop with a well-known yoga teacher. We were working up to Urdva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow), stretching our quads and preparing our shoulders for at least 30 minutes before we started practicing the most rudimentary backbends. By the time we finished Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) I was feeling warmed up and ready. The teacher then showed us how to practice Urdva Dhanurasana with our feet on a chair and our hands on the floor. This is an especially helpful way for people with less bendy lumbars and tighter shoulders to feel the exhilaration...

According to Feeding America, 40 million people face hunger in the U.S. today — including more than 12 million children and more than five million seniors. In Utah, 382,000 people—one in eight overall, and one in seven children—live with the daily threat of hunger. Last year Utah Food Bank, founded in 1904, distributed 39.2 million pounds of food, the equivalent of  32.7 million meals, to individuals and families throughout the state. Housed in an 86,000-square-foot warehouse stacked floor to ceiling, the food bank’s Salt Lake City distribution center actually has no pantry. Rather, it distributes food and supplies to 149...

Superfood bowls are so much fun to put together. With veggies, legumes, grains, sauces and dressings all mixed into one bowl, these one-dish meals can seem like a hodgepodge. Maybe they are, but I enjoy the opportunity to try unusual combinations of flavors and textures. Many bowls combine lots of different elements. This bowl includes veggies and legumes, but instead of dressings and sauces, it utilizes harissa and other spices to deepen the flavor. This makes this bowl relatively simple and quick to make. Broccoli, cauliflower, radishes and leafy greens are, simply, some of the most nutritious foods around. They’re...

Since the yoga boom began in the early 2000s, asana practice has experienced transformation. New styles of yoga and new poses have entered the practice. Some of these innovations have come and gone; others have proven that they have staying power. Many of these poses, such as some of the crazier arm balances, aren’t accessible to much of the population of practitioners. There are a few, though, that have proven to have staying power. Viparita Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior Pose) is one of these. Popular in many Vinyasa classes, the pose has also become part of the Hatha Yoga standing pose...

It’s 3:00 am. You’re wide awake, mind racing. You might be worried about paying your mortgage. You might be puzzling over something someone said to you and rehearsing your response. Maybe an upcoming project has you feeling overwhelmed. Perhaps you are excited, on the cusp of an event you’ve long anticipated. Or maybe the state of the world has got your mind reeling. Each minute that ticks by brings you closer to rising time. This knowledge gives you something else to worry about. This has been my pattern for most of my life. Whether I have a hard time getting...