by Valerie Brooks

Low Cost, Home-grown Yoga Props

If you need a new mat, block, strap, or other yoga doodad, but don’t want to spend a fortune, read the Frugal Yankee Yogi’s latest blog. She’ll have you substituting items you probably have at home for the fancier (and pricier) in-store props. Don’t want to spring for a block? Use a hardback dictionary. Need a new mat? Use a rolled up wool or cotton blanket. Thinking of buying a yoga strap? Why not just use one of your belts? Save money on buying a bolster and just use a firm pillow. She even has tips for saving money when you do choose to buy your props. For example, she suggests comparing Land’s End prices to Hugger Mugger’s. See cheapyoga.blogspot.com.

Can Crystals Heal?

Crystals are attractive gems, no doubt about it. But do they actually have the power to affect the mind and body? This video offers an excellent introduction to the world of crystals. Through text and visual imagery, you will learn about the many uses of crystals, including how to make a crystal healing grid, use them during a Reiki session, and how each crystal relates to the seven chakras. Many swear by the power these ancient gems hold, claiming that they assist in creating harmony, psychic ability, physical healing, and removing negative energies. Crystals are even known to follow one’s intention. Learn all about them here in this eight-minute video. Go to youtube.com.

Yoga For the Memory-Challenged

Losing cognitive ability, or experiencing the extreme—Alzheimer’s—can be devastating. But one yoga teacher has decided to offer those who struggle with this condition a chance to regain control when their minds are moving in the opposite direction. Patrice Flesch, a Boston-based yoga teacher at South End Yoga Studio, use words like concentration, focus, and recall quite a bit in her yoga classes. The teacher of 35 years says, “The yoga trains your mind to focus. Removing stress helps you be able to concentrate more.” Other classes have been popping across the country that use yoga as a min-booster, such as the Superbrain Yoga Class being offered in Sarasota, Florida. Professionals working in the field of Alzheimer’s site tremendous relusts with yoga, claiming that the movement keeps Alzheimer’s sufferers mobile rather than stationary, the social interaction stirs the mind, and the concentration keeps them less agitated. Go to boston.com.