Category: Sustainable Woman

Why Every Woman Should do Handstands Daily

Posted by Nerd on

Headstand (Shirshasana) is often referred to as the king of all yoga poses. Here are some reasons why you should headstand daily.

Some PROS

1.Let’s start off with my favorite, duh, a free facelift. While upside down, The inverted position of a headstand also flushes fresh nutrients and oxygen to the face, creating a glowing effect on the skin. Being upside down allows nutrients and oxygen to rush to the face. Not only is this healthy, it makes the skin glow.

2.Headstands release anxiety and relax the mind. It puts more smiles on your face, because duh when your upside down you automatically have a smile. Seriously though, your depression will decrease as you create more positive thoughts thanks to your flushed and detoxified adrenal glands

3.Headstands increase blood flow and nutrients to the scalp, decreasing the onset of grey hair. Some professionals believe it actually reverses grey hair back to its natural color.

4.Headstands give your heart a boost in circulation and make it easier to send blood up to the brain. De-oxygenated blood is able to flow easily from the extremities back to the heart

5.Headstands provide refreshed blood to the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. These are vital ass glands, they are like the masters that regulate all other glands in the body (thyroid, adrenals, and pineal). This includes our sex hormones, so expect hotter sexcapades with a consistent headstand practice.

6.People who have varicose veins will like the fact that being upside down drains the fluid that was retained in the feet.

7.Besides its healing power, headstands build on core strength. In order to stay upside down for a length of time, you will need a massive amount of strength in your upper back, arms, and shoulders. To accomplish a still headstand the practitioner must engage the transverse abdominus, the obliques, and the rectus abdominus. A tip to really strengthen the core would be to pike the legs at the same time when coming in and out of the pose.

8.Since headstands send more oxygenated blood to the brain, it eliminates your chances of having an ischemic stroke.

9.Helps to cure insomnia naturally.

10.Headstands increase memory improves mental balance and concentration. 

 

Some CONS

1.Headstands can be contraindicative if you have neck injuries, extremely high blood pressure, ear and eye problems, if you are menstruating, or have acid reflux.

2.Headstands improve your balance, besides strength. You need good balance to be able to hold yourself up. Freestanding headstands require you to have superior strength. Especially so you can transition poses.

3.Just do it, start building handstands into your everyday routine, even if you’re not ready for 5 mins, start slowly with 1 minute, go up by a minute every 5 days. Not only is this healthy physically, and mentally, it comes with killer bragging rights, and you earned them.

Shirshasana Steps

  1. Sit on knees like and interlock the fingers of both hands and place them in front on the yoga mat.
  2. Slowly place your head into the hollow of palms. be careful not to put any pressure on your skull. 
  3. Slowly lift your both legs towards upwards and keep it straight. Ask a friend or find a wall for help.
  4. The body should be in a straight line from down to up.
  5. Breathe normally in this position for 15 to 20 seconds or more than that if you can.
  6. Now slowly release pose to come to starting position by lower down your legs (Bending Knees) one by one.
  7. Repeat this for 3-4 cycles.
  8. You can practice it for 1 minute to a maximum of 5 minutes in the beginning. After a good practice increase duration. 

Photo Credit: Th33BestICanBe

InfluenceHers INSPIREBRUNCH April 22nd

Posted by Nerd on

Join inspiring and influential women in discussing topics that affect the communities we represent and meet the women leaders running these organizations.

Learn about the ways in which InfluenceHers is partnering with organization fighting homelessness, like our international partner Huruma Trust Fund an orphanage which is home to over 100 children rescued from the streets of Ngong, Kenya and our local partner The Star Boutique.

This month’s special guest will be Danielle Skeen, founder and Executive Director of The Star Boutique, a non-profit which serves teenage girls affected by homelessness. 

Read more about them here.

Read More about the event  here

Women History Month – Women in Sustainability (BWIN) : Majora Carter

Posted by Nerd on

Majora Carter redefined the field of environmental equality, starting in the South Bronx at the turn of the century. Now she is leading the local economic development movement across the USA.

 

Carter is an American urban revitalization strategist[1] and public radio host from the South Bronx area of New York City. Carter founded and led the non-profit environmental justice solutions corporation Sustainable South Bronx[2] from 2001 onward, before entering the private sector in 2008.

 

After leaving Sustainable South Bronx, Carter has served as president of a private consulting firm, Majora Carter Group, LLC (MCG). In the June 2010 issue of Fast Company magazine, Majora Carter was listed as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2014, B Corporation (certification) recognized MCG as one of the “Best for the World” according to its ranking among other B Corps of similar size.

 

We are huge believers in sustainability as a key to the long-term health and wellness of Black women, our families, our neighborhoods, and our communities. How we care for, move, and interact with our environment will determine the quality of our lives and our health for the foreseeable future.

 

Check out one amazing health, wellness, and sustainability “sheroe”, Majora Carter, urban revitalization expert and CEO of the Majora Carter Group who gave an excellent TED Talk about her work and why greening our communities is so important. 

 

March 8th A Day Without a Woman (Women’s History Month)

Posted by Nerd on

On International Women’s Day, March 8th, women and our allies will act together for equity, justice and the human rights of women and all gender-oppressed people, through a one-day demonstration of economic solidarity.

 

In the same spirit of love and liberation that inspired the Women’s March, we join together in making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, recognizing the enormous value that women of all backgrounds add to our socio-economic system–while receiving lower wages and experiencing greater inequities, vulnerability to discrimination, sexual harassment, and job insecurity. We recognize that trans and gender nonconforming people face heightened levels of discrimination, social oppression, and political targeting. We believe in gender justice.

 

Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:

  1. Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
  2. Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
  3. Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman

 

 

A Day Without A Woman: New York City

 

On a #DayWithoutAWoman, March 8th, we will gather in New York City for a show of solidarity and revolutionary love.

 

Meet us at 12pm at the intersection of 5th Ave & 59th St.