Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 26, 2015

13

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 Mountain Views News Saturday, September 26, 2015 


THE JOY OF YOGA

PRATYAHARA 


In Patanjali’s Yoga 
Sutras, the eight 
limbs of yoga lay 
out a path for living 
and practice. It is 
thought that the 
practitioner must 
master each limb before proceeding to the next. Some 
yogis practice it in precise order while others invite all 
eight limbs into their life. The fifth limb is Pratyahara, 
or withdrawal of the senses. This withdrawal of the 
senses, is essential for mastery of limbs that lie ahead 
such as one pointed focus, sustained concentration 
and devotion and ultimately, total bliss. 

 There’s a relationship between the inner world of 
breath and meditation and the external world of screen 
time, advertising and the nightly news. Pratyahara 
acts as a bridge to bring us from the external world 
into the inner space. Of course, asana and pranayama 
help greatly too, but using Pratyahara in everyday life 
is a powerful tool. Think first of the five senses: sight, 
sound, touch, smell and taste. Using the senses as a 
guide, what negativity could you remove from your 
awareness? Or what is incredibly distracting? We are 
constantly bombarded with sensory experiences that 
divert us from our life goals and desires. 

 The most simple Pratyahara practice is to close the 
eyes and find your breath. Hear only the sound of 
your breath. Notice immediately where your attention 
goes. Further, you may try closing the eyes and using 
the thumbs to plug the ears. Again, hear the sound 
of your breath, notice your inner landscape. This 
practice could progress to close the eyes, ears, nostrils 
and mouth (careful measure should be taken to not 
deprive yourself of oxygen). 

 If you feel yourself being pulled unconsciously 
by your senses (through food or screen time for 
example), incorporate Pratyahara into your day. 
It’s super effective paired with pranayama or breath 
practice. 

Enjoy and see you in class soon! 

Namaste, Keely Totten 


WHY I LOVE AVOCADOS!!

What doesn’t taste better with avocado on it? Not much! Avocados are 
a wonderful thing to add to your diet. Native to South America, it is an 
excellent source of soluble fiber which gets plaque out of your arteries 
and lowers cholesterol. This can help people reverse arteriosclerosis 
(hardening of the arteries). Avocados are an excellent source of protein 
and one of the highest sources of glutathione. This gives you energy, 
helps your cells to repair themselves and it is anti-aging!

 Avocados, due to their mono and polyunsaturated fat content, 
are a great substitution for foods rich in saturated fat. Try substituting 
avocado for cheese on a sandwich or burger. Avocados also contribute 
nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can add 
to the nutrient quality of your diet. Most American diets are deficient in 
magnesium and potassium. Avocados are a great source of both of these 
minerals. They improve the absorption of carotenoids rich foods when 
they are consumed at the same time. Many of our best foods for obtaining 
carotenoids—for example, sweet potatoes, carrots, and leafy greens contain 
very little fat so it is hard for our bodies to absorb these beneficial carotenoids. Adding avocado to your 
salad may be just the answer. Try substituting avocado for oil of any kind in your favorite salad dressing 
recipe. Using a blender for this generally works best. Avocados can be mixed with some cocoa powder 
and stevia to make delicious chocolate pudding. 

 At the end of the 
day, avocados are an 
awesome food. They’re 
loaded with nutrients, 
many of which are 
lacking in the modern 
diet. They are a source of 
heart healthy fats and… 
taste amazing. What 
more could you ask for?

Dr. Tina is a traditional 
naturopath and nutritionist 
at Vibrant Living 
Wellness Center


BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS


FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


Taking the Complexity Out of Estate Planning

Remember that old joke: How do you eat an 
elephant? Answer: One bite at a time. At the heart 
of that gag is the truth about how you tackle any 
seemingly complex task, taking it one step at a time 
so as not to overwhelm yourself.

Many people neglect to create an estate plan because 
they see it as the proverbial elephant...too big, too 
complex. But if you approach estate planning in a 
systematic fashion, it takes the complexity right out 
of it – especially with the help of a knowledgeable 
estate attorney.

Here are some tips on how you can reduce the 
complexity in creating an estate plan:

Add up your assets. Take into account your 
retirement accounts, life insurance policies, 
potential inheritance, savings, property 
ownership, etc.

Consider setting up a trust. Trusts are simply 
vehicles for protecting your assets from 
creditors – yours or your heirs – and from 
potential future ex-spouses. They are also a 
great mechanism for maintaining your privacy 
and allowing your assets to pass to your heirs 
without the expense and hassle of probate, 
which can tie up assets for a year or more. And 
they also help you and your heirs avoid estate 
taxes. 

Think about whom you trust to act as your 
agent(s). You will need to appoint a person or 
persons to act as your agent through a power 
of attorney in case you become incapacitated 
and are unable to make decisions yourself. 
This applies for health care decisions as well as 
financial oversight. 

 

Realize what a will can and cannot do for you. 
A will gives you the legal power to pass along 
assets and property to heirs as well as name a 
guardian for minor children and appoint the 
people you want to carry out your wishes after 
you are gone – i.e., who will administer your 
estate and safeguard assets for your minor 
children.

A will does NOT shield your assets from creditors, 
predators, or opportunists – yours or your heirs – 
nor does a will enable your family to avoid the very 
costly, lengthy, and public court process known as 
probate. A trust, on the other hand, accomplishes 
all of that and more.

If you would like to learn more about your own 
estate planning options, call our office today to 
schedule a time for us to sit down and talk. We 
normally charge $750 for a Family Estate Planning 
Session, but because this planning is so important, 
I’ve made space for the next two people who 
mention this article to have a complete planning 
session at no charge. Call 626.355.4000 today and 
mention this article.

A local attorney and father, 
Marc Garlett is on a mission to help parents protect 
what they love most. His office is located at 49 S. 
Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. 
Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk about 
ensuring a legacy of love and financial security for 
your family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.
GarlettLaw.com for more information.

DELICIOUSLY SIMPLE MARKETING 

RECIPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are just around the corner. It’s the 
season of spending. Retailers are counting on 
the tradition. Smart Business-to-Business (B2B) 
knows that budgets need to be consumed before 
the end of the year. Savvy non-profits know that 
donations go up as folks look for a year-end tax 
break.

 All of which means it is time for small 
businesses and non-profits to hurry up and move 
forward to leverage these opportunities.

 Here is the basic recipe:

 Prepare a game plan. Know what you want to 
offer. Devise a valuable “what’s in it for them” 
offer. It could be a coupon, a discount, a special 
event but it must have value to your audience.

 Target the audience. Who should you aim 
your efforts toward? Know what your ideal 
customer looks like, their age, sex, their likes 
and interests, their wants and needs, where they 
‘hang out’ on line the channels they frequent 
(Facebook, Twitter, Istagram, etc.)

 Choose the channels of communication. Email 
Marketing is a great way to target your current 
customers and prospects. Social media is a 
useful media for building your brand awareness, 
Advertising on Facebook can be a powerful tool 
to drive new business. Maybe a printed piece can 
be sent. How will you get the message out there?

Create the campaign. Find relevant images and 
or videos that will support your message. Craft 
you copy- how you say something can make a 
difference.

 Create a delivery schedule. When will you 
schedule your emails, posts, phone calls and 
other activities?

 Execute the campaign. This is the most 
important ingredient. One that 
all to often gets shelved because 
of fear or lack of confidence. 
Press SEND, spend some money 
on Facebook ads, inform your 
staff of how they need to re-post 
your social media messages, 
get the ball rolling and keep it 
rolling.

 Now, get cookin’ and 
don’t forget to add your own 
flavor!

.

About MJ: MJ and her brother 
David own HUTdogs, a creative 
services business that specializes 
in Internet Marketing strategies 
and Social Media. They offer 
social media management 
services and help their clients 
build a strong on-line presence. 
“Like” them on Facebook for 
trending news in social media, 
internet marketing and other 
helpful tips, www.facebook.
com/hutdogs.

 Sign up for their 
upcoming classes, webinars and 
presentations at: www.hutdogs.
com/workshops/schedule 


626-355-5700245 West Sierra Madre BlvdSierra Madre, CA 91024www.TheKensingtonSierraMadre.comRCFE License198601953Learn What to Expectfor You and Your Loved Onewith Parkinson’sWednesday, September 30, 2015 from 6:00pm-7:30pmat The Kensington, 245 West Sierra Madre Blvd, Sierra Madre, CAHors d’oeuvres and refreshments servedRSVP to SSciurba@KensingtonSL.com or 626-355-5700YOUR INVITATION TO A SPEAKER PRESENTATION AT THE KENSINGTONPleaseRSVP
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