Made resolutions for 2019...check. New habits...check. Big plans...also check.

The new year is such an exciting time filled with possibility. We take the time to journal, dream, hope and craft our vision for the new year. What will our career look like this year? Will we fall in love, get married, have children or move somewhere new? What travel spots will we check off the bucket list?

And then there are the small details. More time exercising and less time bingeing on Netflix. Less sugar and more veggies. Plotting a path to your healthiest self in the new year.

So many new ideas all swimming around in our heads, visions of health and happiness, but how do we begin to make them a reality? How do we move them from the space of dreams to the concrete?

The big question to ask yourself first is ‘what have you let go of?’. Where will you fit all the new dreams into your current reality?

As we make the shift from late summer to early fall, the changes in nature are abundant. The leaves are alive with color, only to then become brittle and float away on the wind. The air becomes cool and dry and the rivers slow to a trickle. We begin to make the shift away from the fiery activity of summer. As we turn our focus inward we may notice our bodies are mirroring what is happening in nature.

In Ayurvedic medicine the goal is to balance not only our individual dosha, or constitution, but to also remain in harmony with the shifting seasons. Fall and early winter are Vata season, and the qualities of this dosha tend to be dry, rough, light, cool and ever changing. As we see this happening in our environment it also may manifest in our inner constitutions. Our hair, skin and nails become brittle, the inner thermostat runs cooler, the lightness lends to spaciness and the mobility can cause us to feel less grounded. If these qualities sound familiar, the principles of Ayurveda can help encourage more balance during this time of year.

It seems like every day we hear about more and more people touting the health benefits of yoga. It is true that a regular practice can increase muscle strength and flexibility, boost immunity and improve energy focus.

While these benefits certainly apply to people from all walks of life, the benefits of yoga can be even more pronounced for women that are expecting. At a time when the body seems to be changing daily, and often does not feel like your own, yoga can help a woman to stay active, healthy and connected to her body during this transformational time. A consistent practice can also help prepare the mom-to-be for labor, delivery and motherhood. Here are five reasons why maintaining a regular yoga practice will benefit moms-to-be.