How To: Come to hands and knees (on your mat, a bed, the floor etc.) take your knees wide so that your legs look like a “V” and bring your big toes together to touch. Walk yourself forward and allow your belly, chest chin and head to release. Rest your forehead to the ground and your arms down by your sides or stretched out in front of you for a deeper stretch. While in this posture, focus on the quality of your breath. Start 3 part breath by breathing deeply into your belly, chest, upper chest then exhaling upper chest, chest, belly becomes soft. Rest in this posture for 1-2 minutes then start to transition into the next posture by making your way onto your back, otherwise press yourself back up to seated.
How To: Lie down on to your back (your mat, a bed, the floor etc.) draw your knees into your chest, rock from side to side, this helps to release your lower back before going into the posture. Support your head and neck by placing a thin pillow or blanket directly underneath your head; allow your neck to be free. Bring the soles of your feet together; keep them pressed together while lowering them to the mat (this looks like a diamond shape with the legs). Lightly place your palms on your stomach and bring your awareness to your breath. Focus on keeping your face, tongue, and jaw relaxed. Rest in this posture for 2-3 minutes then gently draw the knees together. Prepare for the next posture or roll off onto your right side, resting in fetal position before coming back up to a comfortable seat.
How To: For this pose, face sitting a wall. Lie flat on your back and extend your legs up the wall so that your entire body resembles an “L” shape. Gentle rest your arms to the side of your body, with your palms facing the ceiling. You will feel a warming sensation in your legs and for a deeper stretch, move closer to the wall. Rest in this posture for 2-3 minutes then gently draw your knees into your chest and roll off onto your right side, rest in fetal position for a few breath then slowly press yourself up to a comfortable seat.
Here at Nourish and Refine, we believe that both health and beauty starts from within. We value simple and wholesome ingredients in both our skincare and the food we eat. With summer fully upon us, we love to throw together light yet healthful smoothies to keep us fueled throughout the day. Here are some of our favorites!
“The Classic” Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
· 2 cups of fresh baby spinach
· 1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
· ½ cup of fresh blueberries
· 1 cup of frozen pineapple
· 1 medium orange, peeled and seeded
· A handful of ice cubes
Benefits:
· A great source of healthy fat
· A boost of vitamin c
Vitamin C Smoothie
Ingredients:
· 1 cup frozen strawberries
· 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
· 1 tsp of butter extract
· A handful of ice cubes
Benefits:
· Hits your daily need for vitamin c
· Helps to fight inflammation
· It tastes like guilt free strawberry shortcake
Almond Butter Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:
· 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
· 1 fresh banana
· 2 tablespoons of almond butter
· 2 tsp of cinnamon
· A handful of ice cubes
Benefits:
· Packed with protein to keep you both focused and fueled
· A boost of magnesium
Bright Light
“This Luxury soy wax candle is the loveliest addition to your home. The meaning of luxury is a state of great comfort and ease, and this candle offers that as you enjoy its calming scent.”
Sun Salutations
“My go-to self-care practice is yoga. As a practitioner for 16 years and a teacher for six, yoga has been my go-to way to make sure I’m taking the best care of myself.”
Luxe Lorien
“I love the Lorien Hotel & Spa because the hotel embodies the rich heritage of Old Town Alexandria while offering a modern twist.”
Second Chance
“I love shopping at Mint Condition in Alexandria, VA because they have gently used or new pieces for 75% off of retail!” You can shop via their Instagram!
Soothing Spa
“I love Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa. You can find their locations across the US."
Mask Up
“We partnered with DMARAN Designs for a limited edition Refresh face mask set, which includes a gorgeous watercolor mask by the founder, Mara Rodriguez.”
Flower Power
“Our newest Floral Face Mist is made of pure white rose water and lavender water. It provides your skin with an extra dose of vitamins and antioxidants.”
Style Philosophy
“Keep it simple and refined. Invest in great pieces that will last for years to come.” - Nikki Powers
Drink Water
Believe it or not, our bodies are made up of 60% water. Water is the key to staying sharp, focused, and glowing. Research tells us to drink 8 cups of water a day, but we think that is just the minimal amount of water that your body needs. When we are in the office, we like to take a liter size re-usable water bottle and aim to finish it by 5:00pm. Be prepared for many bathroom breaks, but the extra steps won’t hurt.
Stretch At Your Desk
Do you ever find yourself sitting for hours and hours on end at your desk? We are all guilty of letting hours fly by without giving our bodies the time to stretch or move. One of the best ways to maintain your flexibility and overall health, is to take incremental breaks to stretch. You can even use your desk as a tool to help!
Maintain Good Posture
Good posture is the KEY to good health. Does your neck, upper shoulders, or lower back ache after a long day at the office? If you’re experiencing soreness or deep aches after work, it’s time to work on your posture. Our tip is to set reminders for every hour to bring your attention to your posture. Are you sitting up straight or are you slouched over at your computer?
Protect Your Eyes
Our eyes are exposed all day long in the office, and most of us leave with tired eyes. There is no way for us to not be exposed to blue light on your phones and laptops, but there are ways to lessen the effects of harmful lights. Our tip is to dim the brightness on your laptop and on your phone. There is also “night-mode” on all iPhones that is specifically tailored to limit blue light exposure and to be gentle on the eyes. At night, enjoy relaxing with our silk eye mask. It’s perfect for quieting the mind and calming your nerves after a long workday.
Imagine this. You wake up in the morning on the “right-side-of-the-bed” and you have endless energy as you begin your day. That’s the dream, right? Now, back to reality. We all know that this hardly happens, but we have a fix for you. Try this simple yoga sequence for a quick morning boost.
Chair Pose
If you are a dedicated yogi, you may have heard this pose called “fierce pose.” The name truly implies this energizing pose.
Step 1: Take a deep breath in
Step 2: Put your feet together or hips with the part, on the floor or mat
Step 3: Exhale as you bend your knees, bringing your thighs parallel to the floor
Step 4: Draw back your shoulder blades and reach your elbows back towards your ears
Step 5: Hold this pose for 30 seconds
Benefits: This pose warms up the body, creating a buildup of energy. It also focuses on training and strengthening the thighs, butt, hips and back.
Downward Facing Dog
Beginners and experts alike have all heard of and are familiar with the downward facing dog. This may be of the most well known posture in all of yoga, and for good reason. The benefits of the posture are endless.
Step 1: Take a deep breath in
Step 2: Start on your hands and knees. Alight your wrists underneath your shoulders and knees directly under your hips
Step 3: Stretch your elbows back
Step 4: Exhale as your tuck your toes and lift your knees off the floor. If you were to visualize this, your body would look like a 90-degree angle with your hands on the floor, your butt in the air, and your feet on the ground
Step 5: Hold this pose for 30 seconds
Benefits: This pose is one of yoga’s most rejuvenating poses. It wakes up your body, changes your sense, and deeply stretches your back and legs. It is also known to increase the blood flow to the brain to calm the nervous system and release stress.
Wide Leg Forward Fold
This posture is great for lengthening the spine, stretching your hamstrings, and waking your body up from (hopefully) 8 hours of slumber. Here we go:
Step 1: Take a deep breath in
Step 2: Standing in the center of your mat or on the floor
Step 3: Stretch your arms straight out to your sides and widen your stance until your ankles are directly underneath your wrists. Take a LARGE step
Step 4: Straighten your legs and engage your thighs
Step 5: Exhale and lean your upper body forward
Step 6: As you lower your upper body, lower your hands to bring your fingers to the mat
Step 7: Move your weight slightly forward into the balls of your feet
Step 8: Hold this pose for 30 seconds
Benefits: This posture will challenge you in your stretching. It will help to elongate your hamstrings, calves, hips, lower back, spine, wrists and forearms.