January 16, 2019 at 07:53AM by CWC If you’ve ever been to a yoga class, you’ll most definitely be familiar with the “om” symbol—whether it was swinging from a mala necklace at the front desk, painted on the studio wall, or tattooed onto the lower back of the girl down-dogging beside you. (It may seem a little basic now, but Indra Devi, the iconoclast who brought Hatha yoga to the west in the 1940s, would have definitely approved.) Yet despite the fact that it’s absolutely everywhere, have you ever stopped to consider what the om symbol meaning is actually? It’s a lot more layered than you might think, according to Vidya Shetty, an Ayurvedic counselor at YO1 Wellness Center in New York’s Catskill mountains. First, we should clarify what the spoken word “om” means. “Om is the primordial sound from which the entire universe was created,” Shetty explains. “It’s debated that the patterns of sound waves around the sun and the sound wave patterns of om are similar.” Originally found in the Vedas, a collection of Hindu texts written in India between 1500 and 1000 BCE, om is also referred to as “Shabdha Brahman”—”God as sound” or “God as vibration”—and the “Anahat,” or “unstruck” sound. Chanting “om” at the beginning and end of a yoga class is thought to help us tap into that universal energy. “Om connects us to our practices in a deeper way, creating spiritual awareness,” says Shetty. She adds that the vibration and rhythm of chanting “om” out
Category: 2019 Health
The gender pay gap is yet another thing you can blame on your parents
January 16, 2019 at 07:37AM by CWC Like most kids, I got a weekly allowance. As long as I kept my room clean, helped out with the dishes, and checked off the other tasks on my weekly chore list, I was handed a crisp Lincoln at the end of each week. My parents often preached the importance of saving, so I was pretty good about letting those $5 bills pile up until I had enough to buy whichever toy I most coveted at the moment. But the conversation stopped there, and it’s like that for a lot of girls. This week, a survey by Giftcards.com is making headlines with some disappointing responses. Parents not only give their sons a higher allowance than their daughters, they are also more likely to talk to them about bank accounts, taxes, credit cards, and investing. Girls, on the other hand, aren’t given much advice about building wealth. Unfortunately, the survey’s results are right in-line with past reports. Last year, The New York Times reported that girls do more chores than boys. And another survey, by chores and allowance app BusyKid, also released data showing a gender pay gap for childhood allowance. Um, not cool. Simply paying sons and daughters equally is an obvious correction, but Shannon McLay, the founder and CEO of The Financial Gym, says deeper conversations surrounding money matter greatly, too. “Financial literacy starts at home,” she says. “Our clients who struggle with money, their parents either never talked to them about it,
All these celeb #10YearChallenge pics are missing something I saw in my own—signs of aging
January 16, 2019 at 07:30AM by CWC As someone who struggled with acne and perioral dermatitis for much of my adult life, I’ve never had much headspace to think about aging. While my friends entered their 30s with standing Botox appointments and retinol serums in their medicine cabinets, my attention was focused on preventing breakouts through whatever means necessary. And I was always so preoccupied with the number of zits I had that I guess I just failed to notice the more subtle shifts changing the landscape of my face over time. That is until those 10 Year Challenge posts started appearing on Instagram. You know the ones, where people post a photo from 10 years ago next to one from the present day. I love a good TBT moment, so I was initially stoked to throw my own before and after shots into the ring—and I decided to go even further back than a decade, choosing my first-ever Facebook profile picture as the throwback. But when I actually placed my 2006 and 2018 shots side by side? Not gonna lie, it was pretty jarring. In the high-def image of my 36-year-old self, all I could see were the giant pores on my cheeks, the bags under my eyes, and the deep lines around my mouth. I knew all of these things existed, but they were especially obvious when collaged next to a soft-focus, black-and-white photo of myself at 24. Yes, Insta, I most definitely do want to delete this photo.
Local retreats are 2019’s travel trend to watch—just ask Wanderlust
January 16, 2019 at 07:01AM by CWC When you Google the word “retreat,” the search results likely return remote mountaintops and seaside bungalows. In 2019, though, prepare for a switch up: The OG event for fitness-loving festival-goers—you know, Wanderlust festivals—is getting the local treatment. Yes, city-dwellers, it’s coming to your own backyard. On Thursday, Wanderlust officially announces its lineup of two-day events coming to city parks across the country. There’s something special about traveling to fulfill your craving for adventure, but there’s definitely magic to be found in staying put. Atlanta, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, and New York are up first, with more locales to be announced. Tickets start at $200. “I think the idea of actually producing a festival that really has the texture, the experts, and the tons of classes you can do at a festival in a city is just a compelling idea.” —Sean Hoess, co-founder and CEO of Wanderlust “I think the idea of actually producing a festival that really has the texture, the experts, and the tons of classes you can do at a festival in a city is just a compelling idea,” says Sean Hoess, co-founder and CEO of Wanderlust. In the past, the bohemian festival has been comprised of two main arms, Wanderlust 108 (the original four-day event) and Wellspring (a three-day gathering in Palm Springs). With the two-day format, Wanderlust intends to host a selection of world-renowned wellness luminaries, offering 50 workout class options. While not every featured teacher has been announced, Jessamyn Stanley, Light Watkins, and
6 ways to save more cash this year—without the 52-Week Money Challenge
January 16, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Whether you get your financial-planning advice from a wealth manager or your weird Uncle Bob whose only credential is having read Rich Dad Poor Dad more than 20 years ago, you’ve probably heard the same money mantra over and over again: save, save, save. And as fundamental as savings can be to both goal-reaching and peace of mind, few of us are doing it. According to a recent survey conducted by Bankrate.com, 25 percent of both Millennials and Generation Xers have zero savings. Zero. To be fair, socking away a portion of your paycheck can seem daunting if not downright impossible, thanks to fun stuff like rising student loan debt and employment gaps, among other socioeconomic factors. But having even a little money stashed away in an emergency fund can mean the difference between getting that faulty car radiator fixed and walking five miles to work every day. “The [emergency fund] goal is three to six months’ of fixed expenses, but that’s hard for a lot of people,” says Shannah Compton Game, a certified financial planner and millennial money strategist. ”I would say if you have a regular, W-2-type job, maybe you aim for one to three months. If you’re self-employed or running your own business, lean more towards six-months-plus. I always tell people if you can only get to one month, consider that a victory. And once you get to one month maybe you try to get to the second month.” Good
Someone please explain why my eye won’t stop twitching
January 15, 2019 at 02:07PM by CWC By Leigh Wingus and Beth Anne Macaluso Filed under bad surprises: finding out your ex is seeing someone new, learning your milk is expired after pouring it into your coffee, and random eye twitches that come out of nowhere. Why do bad things happen to good people? While it’s definitely annoying, chances are a little bit of eye twitching (or eyelid myokymia, if you’re nasty) every once in a while isn’t a real cause for concern. Basically, it happens when the muscles around your eyelid spasm, forcing your lid to move involuntarily and making it feel like your lids are extras in a horror movie. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s annoying AF, and more than a little disruptive to day-to-day life. (Thankfully, the phenomenon is usually too small for your friends, partner, or coworkers to notice, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. So there’s that!) If this sounds familiar and you’re looking to get your eye twitching under control, here are a few things that could be causing it to go haywire—and a few things you can do to start dealing with it today. Why is my eye twitching, you ask? Here are some possible causes: 1. You’re not getting enough sleep. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. And according to Robert Graham, MD, not getting enough sleep could be contributing to that whole eye twitching thing. So if you’re
Think you have a food allergy? A lot of other people do, too—but they don’t
January 15, 2019 at 01:49PM by CWC Last week, Reuters reported on the chronic confusion surrounding the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity. In fact, half of people who think they have a food allergy actually don’t. (Spoiler: It’s probably a sensitivity.) And get this: While one in five American adults has some sort of food-related condition, the majority of people don’t receive a proper diagnoses from a doctor. So, what is a food allergy and what isn’t? You might be thinking that it’s no big deal or that people can just discover on their own which foods, if any, give them problems. Nutrition to Fit founder Lindsey Janeiro, RD, says that would be a major mistake. “Food allergies in particular are very serious and could be life-threatening,” she says. Dismissing the seriousness of a food allergy can mean a trip the emergency room, but a food sensitivity is nothing to ignore. Before you can ace the vocabulary test, you’ll have to learn the differences. If you’re confused about how to find out if you have a food sensitivity or wonder if you may have been misdiagnosed, you’re not alone. Keep reading for all the facts. Food allergies are not the same as food sensitivities “A food allergy is an immune system response,” Janeiro says. The offending ingredient—whether it’s gluten, dairy, peanuts, or something else—is a dangerous invader. When you ingest a food to which you’re allergic, your body creates antibodies to protect itself from what it believes
Seriously, take a deep breath: It’ll make your workout easier
January 15, 2019 at 12:49PM by CWC If you opt for a high-impact or cardio classes, you’ll find yourself breathless at least once during your workout. It’s a guarantee. Figuring out how to breathe when running is tough. But you definitely have the power to keep your breathing pattern from completely sabotaging your endeavors, according to Aaptiv running coach and CrossFit trainer Meghan Takacs. Instead of stopping to take a (literal) breather, the coach recommends forcing yourself to inhale and exhale deeply without breaking stride. “Taking that deep breath mid tempo run can deliver more oxygen to your body and therefore help you run more efficiently,” she says. “The key to preventing lung and leg fatigue is to breathe deeply. That will help expand your diaphragm.” If you’re still not sure whether you should breathe through your nose or mouth, Takacs recommends the latter. Inhaling and exhaling through your mouth allows you to take in more oxygen (the good stuff!). “It also relaxes the muscles in your face, which helps you relax and breathe more efficiently,” she says. Whether you’re putting your endurance to the test with extra mileage or a brutal HIIT sequence, Takacs explains that regulating your breathing at the start of the workout will help you learn to train smarter. “I always tell my listeners to sync their breathing pattern with their lower body cadence,” she says. “When you body gets into a flow, it’s easier to maintain pace and form. Keeping your breathing central and steady—belly breathing—helps to avoid shallow
NBD: Searches for this $7 shampoo are up 4800% on Google
January 15, 2019 at 12:35PM by CWC Remember how good it felt in middle school when you showed up with the coolest new Lisa Frank trapper-keeper before anyone else had it, and then a week later half of the kids in your class had the same rainbow-colored folder peeking out of their backpacks? Well, that’s how I feel about Love Beauty and Planet shampoo and conditioner. I fell deeply in love with the sustainable brand’s haircare products when they first launched last year, and now, it seems, the rest of the Internet has finally caught on to how amazing it is. According to Google Trends, searches for the product are up 4800 percent, which makes me feel wildly validated in my love affair with the stuff. While I could wax poetic for thousands of words about how much I love all things LBP, I’ll limit myself to sharing a few reasons why I’ve made it a permanent staple in my shower routine. The Internet’s new favorite shampoo comes in six different scents, each of which is meant to treat different hair concerns: murumuru butter and rose for color treated hair (#itme), coconut milk and white jasmine for curls, Indian lilac and clove leaf for shine, coconut oil and ylang ylang for repairing damage, tea tree oil and vetiver for detoxing and volumizing, and turmeric and tonka essence for a sulfate-free way to strengthen strands. Not only are the products good for your hair, though, they’re also good for the planet. The bottles
Close or codependent? Here’s how to tell the difference and not lose your sense of self in your relationships
January 15, 2019 at 12:09PM by CWC Codependency is one of those clinical terms, like disassociative episodes or anxiety, that gets casually tossed around so often its actual definition is hard to gauge. So, what does it mean to be codependent …really? While part of human nature and relationships involve relying on each other, “when we need that person to make us feel important, to make us feel that we matter” that’s codependence, says Brian Jory, PhD, psychologist and author of Cupid on Trial. Rather than it being a choice or something that’s done out of enjoyment, codependent relationships are grounded in compulsiveness and desperation, he adds. In extreme cases of codependency, the person in question will “build an identity for themselves around caring for their partner,” Dr. Jory says. “They value themselves only in their ability to take care of their partner but come up short in the skills of self-care.” Although codependency has a mostly negative connotation and can be unhealthy, according to New York-based clinical psychologist Jordana Jacobs, PhD, it’s not always black and white. She says people can, in fact, have healthy relationships if the participants have a similar need and desire for codependency. “When you have two people who feel comfortable deeply relying on one another and are mutually communicative about their needs, then it is possible to function well within a codependent relationship,” explains Dr. Jacobs. Problems arise when “the dynamic is imbalanced, with one person desiring enmeshed codependence and the other desiring diffuse independence,” she adds. Telltale signs such a relationship