Sasha Yoga + Wellness

10/27/2025

Movement and physical activity can open our bodies, hearts (cheesy, but true), and headspace. But if we swing too far towards that delicious feeling of space, fluidity, mobility, and flexibility, we lose our sense of grounding and balance.

The same goes for movement that takes us upside down—it can actually offer a playful and grounding perspective shift, so long as we know how to feel rooted both on our head/hands and on our feet.

Restorative practices and mindful movement like yin yoga, Tai Chi, gentle swimming, and breathwork are an incredible—and arguably necessary—compliment to other physical activities and an overstimulated world. They nourish both body and mind, free and settle emotions, and literally anchor us to our breath.

You can also always sprinkle some movement into your travels—before, during, and/or after. When there’s a will, there’s a way, and you’ll feel so much better for it because, guess what—it’ll ground you.

Lastly, movement is a means of moving stagnant energy. It keeps things flowing physically, mentally, and emotionally so that our roots don’t weight us down, but rather free us. Consider how that concept might apply to you…

In short: Mindful movement roots us in our body, mind, and the present moment. Without that sense of embodied awareness, we risk moving from one thing to the next without much attention or intention—which can sometimes make life feel like a relentless hamster wheel (it’s not!).

Work with me 1:1 for holistic lifestyle coaching or personalized yoga to cultivate physical, mental, and emotional roots that feel both attainable and sustainable.

Which movement practices feel grounding and rooting for your body and mind?

https://sashayogawellness.com/2025/10/24/october-roots-rooted-movement/

Rooting resources & tools to move with attention & intention My relationship with movement and physical activity wasn’t always very grounded, especially during the 8+ years I was tossing extra...

10/24/2025

It's not only how we live our day-to-day lives, but also the types of movement we choose that can either add to or subtract from our sense of feeling rooted. This is very personal and it shifts depending on a variety of ever-changing factors like age, physical and mental health, location, injuries, even time of day and time of year.

And when our external world feels at all chaotic—whether its something within our personal lives, communities, or disturbing news headlines—it’s essential that the movement practices help us ground rather than uproot our bodies and minds.

What movement practice would feel balancing for your body and mind right now—more intensity, or more softness?

How could this mindful movement enhance both your personal and professional life?

https://sashanelson.substack.com/p/october-roots-rooted-movement

Rooting resources & tools to move with attention & intention

10/21/2025

Neck pain is no fun! (Video on YouTube 🎥) It’s more and more common from staring at devices and sitting for long periods of time, but can also show up after a rough night’s sleep, travel, carrying heavy bags, or general stress 🫠

As a student, it’s important to know how to relieve pain so we understand if and how to modify when needed—especially if we’re in a group yoga class—and how to take care of ourselves on our own 🙏🏻

It’s also imperative for longevity to pay attention to how we feel so we can learn how to respond accordingly, and to know when third party intervention is useful / needed 👍🏻

As a teacher, it’s important to know how to help private clients or students in a group class modify due to neck pain if and when needed—whether they just have a creaky neck or are healing from an injury 🧘🏼‍♀️

This short yoga session is curated to:
—Relieve areas of tension, especially neck and shoulders.
—Relax the brain with modifications featuring head support.
—Create shoulder blade stability and shoulder release, both of which can help release neck or upper back tightness.

Notes:
—These postures can be useful before or after a long day, or during / after travels, so take a few of these poses with you on the road to use when needed.
—Please modify if and whenever necessary (take care of yourself!), and let me know of any questions.
—Consult ​a professional if you have any​ pressing issues or specific questions and needs.

Enjoy taking care of your body in this way 🤍

10/20/2025

As the buzz of the holiday season approaches, consider these takeaway notes on cultivating mind-body rootedness around tech, media, communication and engagement, online and offline activism, and modern-day life in general:

—Be good to yourselves and others.
—Get to know yourself and others. Consider what you believe in and why; stay curious when others believe and / or behave differently.
—Reflect on the Sufi saying: “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”
—Consider Buddhism’s Right Speech / Sammā Vācā: Speaking truthfully and avoiding “malicious talk,” harsh words, and “idle chatter.”
—Be willing to have difficult and conflicting conversations. Be open to approaching them with as much awareness, curiosity, compassion, and clarity as possible.
—Stand up for what you believe in when you feel grounded and clear, in ways that feel the most rooted and accessible.
—Don’t feel guilty if you’re not standing up or speaking out in the same ways that others are. People have different and unique ways of actualizing activism—online or offline; in their personal daily lives or within their communities.
—Stay informed and set media boundaries; read good news, too. Let the information you learn inform how you want to live and the type of person you want to be.
—Remember that triggers happen. We can choose how we act / react and respond.
—Don’t act out of pressure or guilt. Do act with consciousness, intention, and as much compassion as possible.
—Take time away from phones and devices. Step away from technology when you can and reconnect with yourself, others, animals, nature. Cook, dance, write, garden, make something with your hands, create and experience art, be offline.
—Laugh when you can along the way.

Does any of this resonate? I would love to know your thoughts on this.

https://sashayogawellness.com/2025/10/16/october-roots-inspiration-insights-to-get-rooted-in-your-beliefs-actions/

Tools & reflections around how to mindfully navigate tech, media & modern life This feeling has been brewing for a while now, but especially within the past year, I’ve found...

10/17/2025

Roots provide stability as a tree grows and expands; they absorb and distribute nutrients for the health of the tree; they even communicate through an expansive underground network. Similarly, when we’re rooted in ourselves, we’re more stable and resilient in body and mind; we communicate more clearly, make more nourishing choices, and may even feel more free and expansive.

Roots need favorable soil conditions to flourish as seasons shift, which we can relate to creating the internal and external conditions that help to sustain our personal roots. This comes from habits and practices we add to or eliminate from our daily routines—whether it’s a form of self-care or self-discipline (often interrelated).

Being highly influenced by our environment and surroundings can obviously create a strong sense of un-rootedness. This makes it imperative to cultivate a sense of groundedness in ourselves before we discern if and how we engage online and offline, if we do in fact share the same perspective as others, etc.

Because I’m a sensitive person—and have supported both yoga and coaching clients through similar sensitivities—I’ve written a lot about working with un-rooted experiences like emotional overwhelm, cultivating stability in uncertain or tense times, safely expressing feelings, and regulating a wired-and-tired nervous system.

All that said, I’m still sometimes struggling with—and therefore investigating—how to create rooted conditions for my body and mind in ways that help me stay healthily informed with current events, communicate clearly and effectively, and consume content intentionally (even if the intention is for entertainment and laughter—also valuable).

Because while many of us may occasionally fantasize about living off the grid, being rooted doesn’t necessarily mean shutting yourself off from the world. It’s more so about staying connected without getting completely lost or depleted by the noise—finding your unique balance between engagement and stillness.

Contact me for personalized 1:1 support around cultivating a balanced mind, body, and lifestyle that suits your needs.

https://sashayogawellness.com/2025/10/16/october-roots-inspiration-insights-to-get-rooted-in-your-beliefs-actions/

Tools & reflections around how to mindfully navigate tech, media & modern life This feeling has been brewing for a while now, but especially within the past year, I’ve found...

10/16/2025

When it comes to sharing and consuming information around wellness, beliefs, science, and current events, I know I am not the only one who has been feeling a bit discouraged, confused, and occasionally a bit bulldozed by it all.

This has left me—and a few others I’ve spoken with—at a crossroads of if and how to share and engage online. It’s prompted inner inquiry around what I value, why I share or consume certain things, and whether I should toss my devices into the sea and communicate via smoke signals.

But since I do live in the modern world and do see the value in sharing useful information, this reflection is my way of exploring how I can reroute and re-root my body, my mind, and my relationship with tech / media / communication to find a balance that works—including a balanced headspace from which to share and consume from.

As to how to do this without overthinking…I’ll get back to you. Until then, I highly recommend meditation!

https://sashanelson.substack.com/p/october-roots-inspiration-and-insights

Tools & reflections around how to mindfully navigate tech, media & modern life

10/15/2025

Almost 3 years in Nice 🌊 I loved living in Paris and I miss it (mostly miss the people!), but I would always dream of moving to the sea. Once that dream came true, life surprised me again with tough curve balls and ego-checks.

I know it’s all truly for the best and has inspired a deeper level of inner growth, etc etc, but phewph 🫠

I‘ve done my best with the tools I have (thank goodness for the tools), and although I can’t say I’m always 100% proud of how I’ve handled things (human, not robot), I’m continually thankful for:

the important lessons,

this special time in this special corner of the world,

weathering many low moments (and many amazing moments!) alongside the salt water (and a loving partner) 🤍

Like ‘s recent post said on 13 pillars of joy: “Remember that life is a giant miracle.” ✨

And like Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote, “Wherever you go, there you are.” Always more to learn, always an opportunity to grow—wherever you are now and wherever you go from there 🌎

Anyone else get thrown some major monkey wrenches before or after moving, or manifesting a big dream?

Take good care 💫

10/13/2025

The aim of "eating healthy" for me has shifted from doing everything "right" to eating in a way that supports both health *and* happiness, which ultimately supports feeling rooted and grounded in both body and mind.

It’s worth noting that happiness might be fleeting when we over-indulge in things that don’t serve us, so consider longterm vs short term happiness (i.e. wellness for longevity purposes) if you’re faced with difficult choices—food and beyond. This can help us cultivate physical and mental / emotional rootedness throughout our life.

This doesn't mean that the short-term happiness of a delicious pastry isn't wonderful, but more so that we have the power to make conscious choices when it comes to what we eat, including how and why we eat it—and joy can absolutely be part of that choice.

My most recent Substack includes a few of my go-to templates for simple, nourishing meals that can be enjoyed as seasonal concoctions, and can be adapted to enjoy year-round.

If you’d like personalized holistic support, I’m happy to help you uncover which foods, daily practices, and tools best support your unique body and lifestyle.

https://sashayogawellness.com/2025/10/09/october-roots-food-to-feel-rooted-in-body-mind/

Seasonal & year-round meal ideas & templates for health & joy When I think of roots, I often think of root vegetables, which naturally makes me think of Fall, which...

10/10/2025

Even though my aim has always been to receive the health benefits from food, I’ve cycled through some orthorexic dietary behaviors in the past—labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” judging myself if I ate out of season or non-local, or stressing about food combining 🫠

But as I’ve worked on softening my inner critic and remembering why I care about eating as seasonally as possible (i.e. being a steward of the planet), I found more balance between loving what I eat, eating what I love—even if it’s not perfectly Ayurvedic, and doing my best to nourish both my body and the Earth 🌎

There are, of course, reasons why eating seasonally is genuinely good for you—i.e. supports digestion, immunity, and overall longevity—but joy is also essential for mind-body health. Finding your personal sweet spot is helpful—which might change over time depending on factors like health needs, food accessibility, or location 🥗

And whether you’re eating seasonally or not, food is also a tangible way to connect with your familial roots—which is another wonderful way to feel grounded and rooted in body and mind 🇮🇹

In so many ways, the food on your plate is directly connected to how rooted and grounded you feel in body and mind—whether or not you’re food combining, eating 100% organic or Ayurvedic, etc 🥦

So if you’re feeling ungrounded or off-balance, it could be worth reflecting not just on what you’re consuming, but also how, when, and why you’re consuming it (deeper topics for another time!) 🌀

I invite you to explore rootedness in this way by nourishing yourself as lovingly, seasonally, and mindfully as possible—and to consider why this intention matters 🙏🏻

Read “October Roots: Food to Feel Rooted in Body & Mind” on Substack & subscribe for access to my simple go-to meal templates ✌🏻

Take care 🤍

10/09/2025

Root vegetables are, quite literally, a means of rooting and connecting us to the Earth and the season through food. They offer an array of health benefits, too—from minerals to anti-inflammatory properties to immune-boosting vitamins.

Even though my aim has always been to receive said health benefits from food, I’ve cycled through some unfortunate orthorexic dietary behaviors in the past—labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” judging myself if I ate out of season or non-local, or stressing about food combining.

But as I’ve worked on softening my inner critic and remembering why I care about eating as seasonally as possible (i.e. being a steward of the planet), I found more balance between loving what I eat, eating what I love—even if it’s not perfectly Ayurvedic, and doing my best to nourish my body and the Earth.

There are, of course, reasons why eating seasonally is genuinely good for you—i.e. supports digestion, immunity, and overall longevity—but joy is also essential for mind-body health. Finding your personal sweet spot is helpful—which might change over time depending on factors like health needs, food accessibility, or location.

And whether you’re eating seasonally or not, food is also a tangible means of connecting with your familial roots—which is another wonderful way to feel grounded and rooted in body and mind.

In this and so many other ways, the food on your plate is directly connected to how rooted and grounded you feel in body and mind—whether or not you’re food combining, eating Ayurvedically, etc.

So if you’re feeling ungrounded or off-balance, it could be worth reflecting not just on what you’re consuming, but also how, when, and why you’re consuming it.

I invite you to explore rootedness in this way by nourishing yourself as lovingly, seasonally, and mindfully as possible—and to consider why this intention matters.

https://sashanelson.substack.com/p/october-roots-food-to-feel-rooted

Seasonal & year-round meal ideas & templates for health & joy

10/03/2025

In summary: be yourself, work on yourself, take care of yourself, trust yourself, love yourself 🤍

(Also: do all of this so you feel grounded enough to take care of others and our planet 🌎)

Any of these resonate?

10/02/2025

Even though I find Fall to be a lovely time for grounding and letting go / letting be, I’ve found myself a bit disoriented from the shifting temperatures, social media overload, and news-induced emotional overwhelm.

Feeling rooted is something I have to intentionally work on, and it gets easily exacerbated by excess stimulation—whether it’s construction noise while I'm writing, cold winds, feeling hungry, disturbing headlines, or simply doing too many things at once.

Talking with a few friends recently, I know I’m not the only one who feels this way—whether in our personal or professional lives.

As such, throughout October on Substack, I’m exploring tools to feel rooted in body and mind—which I find especially helpful before the crisp and airy months of winter arrive.

This goes beyond cozy soups and teas by getting rooted in both the body and headspace, because a grounded physical and mental state can prepare us to approach the holiday season and new year from a place of steadiness, presence, and clarity.

When you think of the concept and qualities of roots, what comes to mind?

What tools or practices help you feel rooted when life feels otherwise?

https://sashanelson.substack.com/p/october-roots-mind-body-balance-for

Soup Season vs. Disorienting Distractions