Ashtanga is a dynamic style of yoga that focuses on breath, posture, and the transitions between postures.  As with other yoga styles, there is a long-standing tradition of Ashtanga yoga in historic Indian culture -- Sri K. Pattabhi Jois is credited with making Ashtanga accessible to the modern world.  In the West, you are likely to find instructor-led Ashtanga classes, although it is historically taught via Mysore classes, which are self-led group practices.

There are series, or levels, in Ashtanga yoga, but all practices follow the same basic structure.  Practice begins with ten sun salutations followed by the standing poses, which comprise the opening sequence.  Following this are the seated poses, with a vinyasa (sun salutation) between each pose.  The finishing sequence consists of a series of inverted poses.  Ashtanga yoga purifies the body's organs and muscles through organ stimulation (via the various yoga poses) and through toxin-releasing sweat. 

Focuses in an Ashtanga practice include:

Ujjayi breathing:  deep diaphragm breaths that fill the lower belly first and move upward; often audible in beginners who focus on breathing through a slightly "closed" throat.

Drishtis:  meaning gaze, this is the focal point of the eyes which helps to develop concentration and intention, and supports proper body alignment.

Bandhas:  internal "locks" achieved by contracting a group of muscles in the pelvis, navel, or throat.  Assists in building energy and moving in and out of poses.

Yoga retreats are growing in popularity, and for good reason.  From group retreats focused on building personal and interpersonal relationships, to solo journeys to benefit one's physical, mental and spiritual self, yoga retreats have a great deal to offer.  For those who have just been introduced to a yoga practice, this is a wonderful way to get away from it all and truly explore all that yoga has to offer, and for the experienced practitioner, a wonderful time to reconnect with the practice and with oneself.  

When choosing a yoga retreat, there are a number of things to consider.  Location is obviously an important factor.  Traveling to a yoga retreat rather than attending one in your own town is usually preferable, as there is a great sense of freedom and relaxation that comes with leaving your everyday responsibilities.  Similarly, choosing one in an environment that suits you is also important.  Desert settings, tropical settings, mountain settings- take your pick of the natural surroundings that inspire you, or choose a new setting to explore a different part of the earth, and yourself.

The length of your stay at a yoga retreat should also be considered.  A weekend trip can be a wonderful way to take a mini-vacation and return to your daily life feeling refreshed and ready to tackle life head-on, while longer stays at a yoga retreat afford you more time to explore and learn.  It is also useful to remember that if you are not used to daily yoga practice you will likely experience some detoxifying effects, and you may encounter personal issues that are ready to be healed.  Others may simply find themselves a bit sore-- but a good massage usually takes care of that, and many yoga retreats also have a number of spa offerings.

Sure, you might feel like you're being healthy when you order a nutritious salad (meaning: not a pile of iceberg lettuce, but actually vegetables), but would you want to commit to eating all raw food, all the time?  The raw food movement, sometimes called the life food movement, is focused on eating only raw and unprocessed foods, often organically grown.  Although many are only familiar with the vegan version of this movement, there are vegetarians (lacto-ovo and others), as well as omnivores who participate.  A smaller component of the movement actually promotes a carnivorous (only animal product) diet.  Similarly, fruitarians- those who try to only eat fruit- are a part of the raw food movement.

One of the main tenets of the belief that raw food is better lies in the loss of nutrients through cooking or processing food.  While this is certainly true to a very large degree, it does not hold across the board.  A more holistic approach might be to look at each food individually to determine whether it should be eaten raw, slightly cooked, or thoroughly cooked.  As with most things in life, knowledge is power.

For some foods, scientists have discovered that light steaming actually makes nutrients available in food that the body would not otherwise be able to digest- broccoli is one such food.  If the focus is truly bio-availability, then knowing that the nutrients in spinach are most readily absorbed by the body when it is lightly steamed and eaten with vinegar makes it hard to argue for eating spinach raw. With both of these foods, overcooking leads to a loss of nutrients, so attention paid to each individual food will allow you to gain the most nutrients from them. Likewise, freezing blueberries unlocks many of their antioxidant properties - increasing their health benefits, which is what exploring healthy diets is all about.