by Valerie Brooks

Thousand-Day Meditation

Some numerologists believe that the number eleven is significant, and according to the Kundalini Yogi, Bhajan, the beginning of the Aquarian Age will start on 11-11-2011. In response to this proclamation, the Kundalini Yoga community began a thousand-day group meditation to usher in the Age of Aquarius. The thousandth day landed on February 14th, and the meditations led by Bhajan are now available on DVD and CD, and they are called 1,000 Years and Beyond. The SpiritVoyage blog offers links to these, plus a link to a sound clip where you can hear a sampling of the “Sat Siri Siri Akal” meditation/mantra that was invoked for this occasion, in a number of languages. This mantra roughly translates to “A Loving God, Who is Beyond Death.” See spiritvoyage.net.

Wii Fit Demo Video

If you are one of the many people who have the Wii Fit Video Game but feel overwhelmed by all the ways to use it, this instructional video can help. It offers a basic demo tour of its offerings, with detailed highlights of the yoga program, which include easy instructions, highlighted areas on the animated bodies to emphasize where the stretches should occur, and breathing tips for each asana. The Wii Fit Video Game is quite comprehensive, with a variety of offerings, including yoga, aerobics, balance games, muscle workouts, and favorites, with your choice of male or female instructors. This demo video will give you an overview of each program, while the narrator offers tips on difficulty levels and some of his personal favorites.

Eddie Bauer’s New Yoga Clothing Line

Americans spend an estimated $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, and Eddie Bauer clothing stores are getting in on the action. The store’s new chief executive, Neil Fiske, is creating a new image that says “serious active wear,” and that includes a new yoga line. The offerings are stylish and the prices fall somewhere below Lululemon and Lucy Activewear, but above discounters like T.J. Maxx and Target. The new Eddie Bauer line promises that their yoga duds will be high-performance, stretchable, and breathable. In recessionary times, they’re hoping to tap into the market of women who no longer buy yoga clothing just for workouts, but for lounging around or even just for comfort. More on their new venture can be found at Seattle Times.