Shira Turkl-Rubin

Oasis Co-Counselors!

New Counselor Friends! That’s Alice on the Left!

After just returning home from a week at IBD camp I’m feeling so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such incredible people. I volunteered to be a counselor to 14, 15 year olds as well as teach some yoga classes – it was intense but absolutely amazing all at the same time. I was able to share my yoga knowledge with my campers by teaching them poses to do when their belly hurts, how they can relax fuller by using lavender oil and sleep better by doing very simple poses in bed. I feel as though I’ve touched their lives in a really special way and I know I’ll never forget it.

My hope is for everyone with IBD to give yoga a try, learn meditation, try breathing exercises – it’s changed my life immensely and I’m here to tell you that it can and will change yours too. Even if you don’t have crohns or colitis, yoga can help with pretty much everything. Find the right teacher and give up the fact that yoga has to be about getting a workout – that’s not what it’s for. Getting a workout may be a plus, but the goal in my eyes is to listen to your body, hear your breath, tune in to you and walk out of class feeling like a new person.

Cheers to all of you camp counselors out there – you are truly angels for helping these children find their confidence, speak up and make incredible memories that they will never forget.

Bright Sunshine Flower

This week someone asked me what my yogic philosophy is. I absolutely loved this question because my answer rolled off my tongue and I didn’t even have to think twice about it. I know it’s because I live, eat and breathe this stuff, but anyway – here it is:

Listen to your body and everything else will eventually fall into place. When you stop, listen and are aware of the breath and how the body feels – that’s when the magic happens. Stress releases, anxiety falls to the wayside and the only important thing is you and your body. How magical.

I hope you can take some time this weekend to check in, listen to your breath and find peace in your body.

I’ll be at camp for a week! Yep, that’s right, I’m a camp counselor for 1 week at Camp Oasis which is a special camp for kids with crohns and colitis. I’ll be doing lots of breathing and team work too!

Enjoy the sunshine!

Have you ever been in a down and depressed rut not knowing how to get yourself out of it? Yea, me too. Sometimes I don’t even know why I’m in the rut or what got me there. What I do know is that it effects my belly in a negative way. Then, with one inspirational song that literally wakes me up I feel better – just like that, as if nothing ever happened. What is that about? Sometimes people, friends and family can help pull me out of a rut, but I just love it when it’s music that does the trick.

You know those songs where your whole body gets tingly and all you want to do is belt the music at the top of your lungs? Those are THE BEST! Sometimes music literally and physically soothes my soul. Are you with me?

Maybe you can find your wake up today. If yoga and meditation don’t always do the trick for you, get involved with music. Feel the beat through your body and enjoy.

It feels great to be alive and currently snuggling with my kitty Kali!

Here’s the song that woke me up:

Wake Me Up by Avicii. Click to Hear Song

Yoga in the Grass

Group Pic – Yoga Retreat!

After returning home from a wonderful weekend yoga retreat I’m feeling grateful, blessed and honored!

Grateful to have had the opportunity to work with such wonderful women (and 1 man!)

Blessed to work in a field that is my passion.

Honored to have shared the energy, restoration and nature with each person at The Garden.

One of my favorite parts was showing the student’s different restorative poses that they can relax in. Then I watched as they used the poses to relax on their own without my instruction! Now that’s a true yogi listening to their body. Priceless.

Another highlight for me was practicing yoga in the grass. As we stood in tadasana, mountain pose, the wind blew across our faces and rustled the trees. The sounds of nature inspired me to create new sequences and step out of my comfort zone. I stayed completely in the moment. We even saw 2 deer cross the field in front of us – incredible!

The food was vegetarian fare, inventive,  flavorful and not boring at all! It was all the things I could have possibly wanted for my retreat! Thanks Abby and Travis!

To feel in my element, relaxed, and at ease while working is exactly how I’d like to continue my career.

Stay tuned for future retreats. Next time it will probably be more exotic – Mexico or Costa Rica anyone? Which would you prefer? I’d like to know who’s interested in joining so I can start putting a list together. Email or message me letting me know your interest!

Can’t wait to share the retreat experience with you – it’s truly incredible!

I am using my couch pillow underneath my knees, pillows under my hands and a blanket to cover me. Set a timer and relax for 20 minutes!

Currently we’re on the 11^th day of the 21-day restorative yoga challenge. It’s a challenge for you – and only you. Can you practice 1 restorative yoga pose for 20 minutes every day for 21 days? On the Facebook page, which you can get here, I will show you which pose to do each day. Join us.

Why do I love restorative yoga so much? Maybe you’re wondering what restorative yoga is? In this current world that we live in we are constantly bombarded with emails, questions, business, family, pets, life… When do you get a chance to actually do nothing? When you go on vacation once or twice a year? Restorative yoga helps you take a 20-minute vacation in your own home. Shut down the screens, turn off the noise, find solace in your sacred space called your home. Silence your phone, unplug and unwind for 20 minutes a day. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t sound so long, but when you actually lie down and set yourself up to rest the thoughts bombard your mind and you might get restless – this is all part of the challenge. Stay with it. Don’t let your thoughts get the best of you – show them who the boss is. You have control of your thoughts. I repeat: you have control of your thoughts. Turn them off and restore. You’ll be so well rested that you won’t even know what hit you!

Now you can see why I love restorative yoga and want to share it with the world!  Practice with me even if you’re not in Rockland County or NYC, you can be anywhere in the world! Here’s the Facebook page for you to see which pose to do each day. Join us.

Click the Picture to see my full schedule

Hi there!

Since moving from NYC to Sparkill, NY, which is in Rockland County, I’ve been working to create my yoga community. Fortunately there are local yoga studios and happenings around town, that’s why we were drawn to living here in the first place! Since Sparkill is tiny, we are lucky to have many surrounding towns such as: Tappan, Piermont, Orangeburg and  Nyack which are all in NY – but we also have nearby towns in NJ too! Northvale, Norwood, Alpine, Closter, Montvale, Westwood.

The great news is that I now have a space below my apartment that I am able to hold yoga, meditation classes and privates. As well as working at The Aimee Raupp Wellness and Fertility Center in Nyack, NY I now have this brand new space that’s just waiting to be broken in by new students!

I can’t wait to share it with you all!

I specialize in teaching kids yoga, restorative yoga, gentle yoga, yoga for your belly blues, vinyasa yoga all levels and meditation.

All classes are $20 except for the FREE meditation class. Signup is required for all classes! Contact me

My class schedule is as follows:

Monday:

8:15am-9:30am Vinyasa Yoga All Levels

9:30am-10am FREE Meditation class

Tuesday:

8:30am-9:45am Vinyasa Yoga All Levels

Thursday

9am-10:15am Vinyasa Yoga All Levels

I am also offering private and semi-private yoga sessions. If you are interested please contact me HERE for more info and pricing.

See you on the mat!

I’ve been dealing with ulcerative colitis since I was 12 years old and I’ve got some great tips to share with you. The tips below come from my book called The Fix Your Belly Blues Program. It’s a 21-day program created to help you find the right diet that works for you, learn how to cleanse properly and connect the mind/body. Here are my top 10 tips to get you moving and motivated to kick your health into shape. Remember, you are in control of your health – let your body do the healing.

1)     Find practitioners who you feel a connection with – whether it’s acupuncture, yoga, chiropractic, kinesiology, massage etc. It’s so important to be able to talk with them, vent, and relax all at the same time – what an incredible release that is.

2)     Find a wonderful, supportive therapist

3)     Take probiotics everyday (especially while traveling). Megafoods is a great brand – although pricey, it’s the best.

4)     Eat fermented foods ie: raw sauerkraut, (the brand Real Pickles sauerkraut is delicious). Lactose free yogurt by the brand Green Valley Organics is awesome. It’s yogurt w/ probiotics, organic and lactose free!! Amazing! The same brand also makes kefir, which is also a fermented product that I recommend. Raw kombucha is GREAT for us IBDers – It’s a probiotic drink. I like GT’s brand original flavor since it’s low in sugar.

5)     Stay away from white sugar, brown sugar, any sugar substitutes (equal, splenda etc.) instead use honey, agave, maple syrup. Watch your sugar intake in general, it causes inflammation

6)      Steer clear of caffeine – it also causes inflammation

7)     Eat as many whole foods as you can. Soup with tons of soft veggies, well-blended smoothies, fresh green juices, etc.

8)     Create a meditation practice and maintain a regular workout at the gym.

9)     Take a good brand of cod liver oil. I like Green Pastures Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil. Since it’s fermented, it’s easier to digest and doesn’t come up on me throughout the day.

10)   I recommend a gluten free diet. Be careful with soy sauce and salad dressing as they contain gluten and you may not have realized that. Stay away from too much soy – it’s in everything. Eat clean, nutrient packed foods and you’re half way there – then add in the mind/body aspect and you’re on your way!

Bonus tip: Educate yourself. I’d say that’s the most important tip I can give you. Read, surf the web, talk to people who have the same disease and ask tons of questions.

Even though doctors are very smart, they do not know everything. I hate to say this but most GI doctors know the bare minimum about diet. In fact they will tell you to eat whatever you want with IBD and that diet has nothing to do with it. I don’t believe that for one second because food is half the battle.

There will be times when you’ll be completely stumped about what to eat because everything you put into your mouth makes you feel terrible. Well, it’s time to take action. Start with soft cooked root veggies and work your way up from there. Don’t forget about the yoga/meditation aspect of the work. It’s not a one size fits all type of thing here – you have to find what foods work for you. What yoga poses feel good for you, which meditation practices work for you. You get the idea? I can’t do the work for you but I can explain what needs to be done to get you on the right track. Ultimately your in control. Stand in your confident shoes and get moving. Don’t feel helpless, you are what you eat. Start taking responsibility for your actions. This is your life, so start living it.

Check out my book where you can find more step-by- step instructions to guide you along your path to health. I will show you a yoga and meditation practice that I feel works well for IBDers. Ultimately you decide which poses to keep and which to take out. The Fix Your Belly Blues Program is now available!

Cheers to you and this lifetime of health and happiness.

It’s HOT out there today! What can you do to stay cool? Keep yourself hydrated of course. One of the best foods to eat to keep you cool on a day like today is watermelon!

Watermelon is 92% water and is filled with vitamin C, A, B vitamins, magnesium and potassium! It’s sweet and is a great dessert instead of that chocolate cake you’ve been eyeing all day.

Stick to the healthy stuff, your body will thank you – I’m sure of it.

There’s nothing like fresh tea from your own garden – even if it’s a small garden like ours. 2 weeks ago I planted herbs! I’ve always wanted to do this and now it’s happening. Why does it make sense to grow your own? Well, firstly you’ll save $$. How often do you need cilantro for a dish and are forced to buy a huge bunch that you know you’ll never finish? Now you have the opportunity to pick the exact amount that you need without letting it go to waste!

I hate throwing food away and that’s what I’m forced to do when I buy these large bunches. Now all I have to do is work on keeping my plants alive! I’m a rookie when it comes to gardening so if you have tips for me then leave them in the comment section!

Tea recipe from my garden:

Basil

Peppermint

Lemon Balm

Chamomile

Steep in hot water and let chill for iced tea or drink warm. Enjoy for a fresh, calming, soothing tea.

Today, despite the rain, it’s a ground breaking day for me – and maybe for you too.

I’ve been working with a shoulder injury for about year now. I’ve rested it, stretched, practiced yoga, gotten massage, acupuncture, chiropractor adjustments, the works – finally today I felt as back to my “normal” yoga practice as I have in a long time. Yes, I still feel my shoulder at times so I know it’s not fully gone, BUT the great news is that it’s feeling stronger. I feel stronger.

It’s amazing how that simple fact makes me feel better, a lot better. I got home after sweating my butt off in a packed Vinyasa class in Nyack and started dancing around my apt! That’s how I know I’m feeling better. FINALLY!

It’s taken a while, but anyone suffering from an injury can relate to my struggle.

Here are 5 tips to working with an injury:

1)   Patience is the key to dealing with all injuries. I know, you probably hear this all the time, but you have to go inside and have a small conversation with yourself. Maybe it goes something like this “Even with my injury, I can still move in other ways and it’s ok to rest. I repeat, it’s OKAY to rest.”

2)   Rest whenever you can. Your body heals when it’s in a resting state.

3)   Move forward – continue to go to yoga classes even with your injury. Talk to the teacher before class and tell him/her about your injury so you can learn how to modify. Don’t feel bad about doing something different then the rest of class, you are doing the right thing by listening to your body.

4)   Ask for help – There are others around you, family, friends, etc. who can help – Let them.

5)   Ask for support – injuries can take a serious toll on your mind. When you need a boost don’t be afraid to ask for it – that’s what friends and family are for.

For those doubting your injury will get better – STOP STINKING THINKING – be positive, stay positive and be proactive. If you need physical therapy, go and get it. Don’t wait because the longer you let an injury go, the more likely it will stay injured for longer.

Have faith in the strength of your body and mind to heal you. I doubted it  for a moment and here I am, giving you advice.

Be kind to yourself.