by Valerie Brooks

Go Back to the Beginning

Remember your first yoga class? You may not want to, what with all the awkward attempts at poses, the unfamiliar language, and the feeling that you’re the only clueless one in the class. But, you survived it and now look at you. Well, this seasoned yogi blogs about a class that a friend convinced her to take in Budokon (a yoga/martial arts mixture). And although her friend assured her that her yoga training will get her through the class, she felt like a complete neophyte. Yes, the yoga did help but the poses were not in Sanskrit and the language eluded her. This experience forced her to be completely present and focused. She liked that feeling and felt prompted to encourage her blogees to try something new as well, whether it’s a new style of yoga, hula hooping, or maybe Tai Chi. Me? I mustered up my beginner’s mind and just started Qi Gong classes and I love it. Take a peek at Ty Burr’s review of “Enlighten Up!” at the Boston Globe and then go see the movie. Now there’s a guy willing to navigate any new class, embarrassment and all, in the name of research.

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Living in Santa Fe, New Mexico, I must say that oxygen is scarce around here. We’re at 7,000 feet above sea level and it’s easy to get winded. My fiancé even has an oxygen tank at home to stay one step ahead of his overworked lungs. But there’s also the option of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. This method puts the visitor inside a cushiony enclosed tank that resembles a mega-sleeping bag. Some oxygen chambers look more high-tech, though. You breathe in pure oxygen while you sleep, meditate, read, or listen to music. It is being prescribed by physicians for a host of conditions from inflammation disorders to arthritis, stroke recovery, and cancer. The theory is that it feeds more oxygen to the body’s tissues and accelerates the healing process. Here’s a short video on this little-known but beneficial therapy: Youtube Video.

A New Face on Downward Dog

Out of all the possible yoga poses, chances are you’ve done Downward Facing Dog more than any other. Los Angeles Times writer, Karen Voight, has been running a “Good Form” series on yoga variations, and here’s a great one for sprucing up Downward Dog. It’s designed for those who have perfected the form and are ready for a challenge to the pose. In her article, she offers a link to other variations on Downward Dog as well as many other poses. Go ahead and take a new plunge on an old asana at latimes.com.