Podcasts for the Body, Mind, and Spirit

The iPod may just be a yogi’s best friend with the massive amount of offerings for today’s on-the-run practitioners. All of the following free broadcasts can be found at the iTunes store at www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts. Some of the more popular podcasts include:

Yoga

• Half-hour hour weekly sessions with Jason Crandell from YogaJournal.com
• 20-minute yoga sessions from YogaDownload
• Power Yoga with Dave Farmar – programs range from 60 to 105-minute sessions
• Byron Miller’s CalYoga program is a video podcast

Mind and Spirit

• Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Inspiration is a show where the wellness guru speaks about subjects like spiritual intelligence, depression and addiction, and the wisdom of the Tao.
• Deepak Chopra has both audio and video podcasts on subjects such as stress management, environmental attunement, and building your immunities.
• Try Zencast for informative discussions on Buddhism, including topics such as mindfulness of breathing, practicing happiness, and the art of questioning.

A Personalized Practice

Think all yoga mats look alike? The folks at www.justmymat.com believe they do, so they’ve created personalized design options for your sticky floor buddy. You can choose to put your name on your mat, pick your own color, and even a particular font. Not only will it boast your individual taste, it will not likely be accidentally placed into the studio closet, end up in someone else’s bag, or get stolen. Their mats are made from eco-friendly materials and contain no PVC, lead, or toluene. They are also biodegradable and recyclable. The website also offers a great yoga blog with everything from new mommy yoga to DVD reviews.
Check it out here.

Yoga for the Young Ones

According to a growing number of pediatricians, getting your kids on a yoga path may be beneficial to some of the common issues plaguing children. While yoga has the same effects on kids as it does on adults in terms of increasing flexibility, balance, and strength, it may also address adolescent obstacles, such as taming the effects of ADD (attention deficit disorder), enhancing concentration in the classroom, and building confidence in physical areas such as sports and body image. Some child yoga instructors also note benefits in terms of medical health, such as aiding in digestive problems, obesity, and asthma. Many studios are now offering yoga classes for kids as well as those for parents and kids together. A company called FitnessBeginnings offers many video choices to get your child started in a new yoga practice. You can find them here.

For general information on children and yoga, a good place to start is with Lisa Orkin, a yoga teacher and therapist, who discusses her experiences in working with children. Her site is located at yogasite.com/yoga%20kids.htm.