Laurel Attanasio is filled with light, love and contagious energy. Through her fun-filled flow classes, her students strengthen, lengthen and cleanse their bodies. Laurel loves motivating her students to breathe fully, work harder and then relax completely. She is certified as a 500-hour Advanced Yoga Teacher, a Mat Pilates Teacher and a SUP Yoga Teacher and teaches classes locally in her hometown of Bethlehem, PA as well as workshops and retreats throughout the globe. Here, Laurel shares the daily practices the keep her healthy, happy, and beautifully centered.
Biorhythms
I am an early riser. So, I am up and out of bed between 6 and 7am. I love waking up with the sun. My morning routine usually starts with a detox/green tea combo with lemon. Then, I prepare a brew of tea that I will drink throughout the day. It usually consists of fennel, fenugreek and cumin seeds and fresh gingerroot. I also love espresso. So, after my morning tea, I will make a latte with espresso and coconut milk. I will fill my water bottle with my homebrew tea and drink that throughout the day.
After all my tea prepping, I do a few core strengthening yoga poses to build heat and prana throughout my body. Then, I meditate before I begin working. I typically work for a few hours and then head out for a run, spin class or a boot camp class. Yoga is usually sprinkled throughout the day when I can fit it in between yoga clients, yoga classes and other work responsibilities.
Afternoons always include a walk with my chi-weenie, Zeek. He needs his exercise too and it gets me some much needed fresh air and movement. I hate sitting for long periods of time.
My husband works long hours and commutes to NYC. So, dinner is usually around 7/7:30PM. I am a vegan. So, it always includes lots of veggies! When the weather is nice, after dinner, we head out for a 1-2 mile walk to help us digest our food.
Bedtime is between 9-10PM. I love to read in bed while my essential oil diffuser is filling the air with goodness.
Diet
I am vegan and I do not eat any soy products. I also avoid gluten, but will indulge on occasion when eating out or when in Italy. Breakfast: I honestly do not eat much for breakfast. I don’t have much of an appetite and I also believe in allowing the digestion system to rest for 12-14 hours each day. So, if we get done eating at 8PM, I will most likely not eat anything until after 10am. This is not for everyone, but I feel great when I allow my body to take a break from digesting. Once I do eat, it will be a banana with seeds, vegan protein shake, or a vegan protein bar. Lunch: Lunch is usually more fruit and seeds, kimchi or some type of kraut. I love fermented veggies. Snacks: Throughout the day, I will snack on seeds and fruit. I am pretty simple. On the weekends, hummus and guacamole are pretty standard snacks in our house. If I am relaxing in the evening, I will snack on coconut oil popcorn, gluten free pretzels, brown rice rice cakes or dates rolled in coconut. Dinner: Dinner always includes a ton of veggies. I love roasting asparagus, cabbage, sweet potatoes, broccoli rabe and so much more. I throw garlic, shallots and coconut oil on the pan and roast. It is easy peasy! In the summer, I make a lot of salads and add olives and beans along with lots of greens and seasonal veggies. Drink: I love red wine from California and Italy. I will also indulge in a Moscow Mule on warm evenings. Throughout the day, I love kombucha! Splurge: A local restaurant serves chick pea fries. They are so amazing! Supplements: I take a lot of supplements since I am vegan, very active and also because I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis, when I was 30. My daily routine includes probiotics, vitamin C, B12, iron, aloe vera, a bone strength complex, evening primrose oil, charcoal, food enzymes, sleep thru complex and triphala. If I had a little too much wine, I will throw milk thistle into the mix.
Fitness
I love mixing up my workout routine. I typically spin 1 or 2 days a week, run 3-5 days a week and take a boot camp with weights class 2 days a week. In the summer, I will add paddle boarding into the mix.
Yoga is a part of my day. It may include a long practice or just a few quick moves. My runs and yoga are typically always solo. I love the alone time and time it gives me to reflect.
Most of my routine is pretty rigorous, but I love incorporating a lot of stretching and slow movement into my yoga practice.
Relationships
Trust and respect are crucial to any relationship. My husband and I will be married 15 years this August and we would have never made it without both of these elements. On a less serious level, but still very important, the ability to laugh together is super important. My husband is my best friend and we laugh about a lot. I value these same qualities in my other relationships as well. Without trust and respect, we do not have a relationship and if we cannot make each other smile and laugh, why bother.
Home
I like to keep everything pretty simple. We are very much minimalists. The more stuff I have, the more it clutters my mind. I work from home. So, organization and cleanliness are all very important to me.
Stress-Release and Centering Tools
I love to move my body. I love moments alone with my husband. I love to feel the sun on my skin. I love to cook!
If I am down and out, I head out for a run and then get on my mat. The run provides me time to think and my yoga mat provides me time to let the thoughts go. It is a beautiful balance.
Soul
I truly love to teach yoga. It gives me life, energy and so much joy.
When I am not working, I am happiest while paddle boarding with my husband and my chi-weenie, Zeek. It is so quiet and so calming to be out in the water without any connection to the world.
I think I bring joy to my yoga students’ lives and that is so rewarding. I feel that I am here to lift them up and help them find happiness. With that, I feel very uplifted.
I love to sit quietly and meditate. I love feeling the energy surround me and the powerfulness in the quiet. There is so much positive and powerful energy out there.
I just started filming yoga videos with Gather Yoga. I am super excited because this has been an obstacle for me. I have been terrified to be filmed and this has been such a great opportunity for me to overcome a fear. Videos air June 1 on Gather Yoga.
I am also excited to return to Italy to teach a Retreat in Piedmonte this September. I love hosting retreats in Italy. The Italian culture is really yoga off the mat. The slower pace, the disconnection from constant connection and the intention in action is so beautiful there.