New Exercise Pad from Japan, Coming Soon to the USA
An exciting new exercise tool is coming to the United States soon from Japan. This super-firm pad, made from inter-woven fibers (hence, it’s call a “nest”) supports your body while you perform all sorts of exercises on it. It’s perfect for jogging in place, jumping and dancing, plus you can use it for extra leverage the way you’d use a Pilates ball — giving your situps, pushups, and other leverage-based exercises more efficiency. It also provides an excellent platform for elderly folks to workout with super-low impact. It’s also fun for kids and couples.
“Many actresses and athletes are fascinated by Vernest…it looks like a fancy coushion, but you’ll know its difference as soon as you put your body on it. Nothing else can give you the springiness and the floating feeling you get with Vernest. (more…)
Ever find a secret message. Better yet…have you ever sent one? Now you can send a secret message in a most unique way. Say It In Soap of Los Angeles, California, has developed and patented a process for hiding secret messages inside bath soap, to be revealed as the soap is used. The company offers a line of fun and decorative bath soaps in which customers can hide their own messages. The soaps use certified organic and natural ingredients and start at only $10.00.
Here’s a great hodgepodge of the latest cool happenings for the mind, body, and spirit. Downloads for the music lover, new gadgets for the tech-minded, meditation samples directly from the Chopra Center for the Ohm crowd, and yoga video links for facial rejuvenation are just some of the goodies this blogger has compiled for a kind of “Spring into Spring” theme. Get the latest on the “Mindful Clock Program” that Thich Nhat Hahn used as a gentle reminder to pause throughout the day. Catch a YouTube video clip of Alice Coltrane’s (John’s wife) spiritual quest to Bombay. Or, read the latest Time article on Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy. What a great mixed bag this is and it’s all at 
When people decide to embark upon a weight loss regimen, they typically don’t think of yoga first. Images of heart-pumping exercises come to mind rather than the graceful movements of yoga. But this blogger brings up some excellent points that suggest that yoga should not be overlooked as a major part of your weight loss routine. In addition to the flexibility and strengthening benefits yoga offers, the art itself touches upon the psychological and spiritual aspects that may have lead you to gain weight in the first place, and in addressing these, can restore you to a healthier weight. Yoga encourages the practitioner to enter a greater awareness of body and mind, while opening the channels of clarity. This system of knowingness can lead the yogi to a better understanding of the physical, mental, emotional, and psychological sources of his or her weight gain. There are many DVDs out there that address weight loss through yoga. So, roll out the mat and get in shape from all angles. More at 
Jill Miller traded her Jane Fonda workout videos for a yoga life when she was twelve years old, and that opened her up (literally) to a very flexible body. Yup, she can do those perfect splits that some people are jealous of. But in her latest blog, she talks about the downside of being hyper-mobile. And then like a positive yogi, she offers a remedy. She says that when a muscle is “that” flexible, there’s a lack of tension, and without that, there’s no signal to the body that you’re overdoing it. When your tendons and ligaments are very loose, the joints may not be receiving the protection you would normally give them because the body does not tense up and warn you to pull back. That is where, she says, proprioceptive neuro-muscular facilitation can help. This targeted form of stretching can assist super-flexible people to be more aware of their location within their own bodies. So, if you’re looking like Gumby on the yoga mat, this may be for you. 
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 
I love it when bloggers review products. I just feel that they have no agenda, and no vested interest in supporting the company (unless their cousin created the product and bribed the blogger). The item in question here are Wrist Assured Gloves (WAGS). You know those poses that put a real strain on the wrist? Well, these stylish helpers have a silicone pad built into the glove that reduces the flex of the wrist. The company’s website 
Many yogis find inversion poses to be attractive for a number of different reasons. They offer a different view of the world by literally turning us upside down; they’re more interesting than some of the “typical” yoga poses; they help circulate the blood to the gravity-challenged areas; and let’s face it—they’re fun. But inversions are considered advanced poses for good reason. They can cause injury if done incorrectly or if we do those that are contraindicated for certain health issues we may have, such as migraines or high blood pressure. This recent yoga blog addresses safety with inversion poses (particularly the vulnerable neck.) Before your next headstand, take a look at 
There’s no need to drive home the point that the recession has hit. But this certainly is an ideal time to start a home practice, until you can afford those classes again. One of my favorite bloggers, the everyday yogini, succeeds in her latest muses, in challenging readers to start a home practice. She cuts through the old excuses with aplomb. Time in the way? Then stop putting a time restraint on yourself. Never tell yourself that if you don’t practice for an hour or even a half hour, it’s not worth it. House need to be spotless before practicing? Be honest. You don’t even need a mat. And she’ll, of course, list all the reasons why striking a downward dog at home is good for you. Check out her blog at 
The holidays have passed…but there are always more around the corner. Post-celebrations can wreak havoc on your metabolism and leave you bloated, clogged, and sluggish. Yoga blogger, Sadie Nardini, has created a step-by-step holiday detox yoga sequence to address the issues of over-indulgence. She has chosen specific poses to help eliminate water weight, burn calories, oxygenate the body, tone the muscles, and release tightness due to stress. Her detailed instructions and photos will help make that extra glass of eggnog go down with a little less guilt. See 
Blogger Paloma Chavez has a great idea for your next vacation. Princess Cruise Lines is now offering healthy mindful options for your next sea adventure. Called Fitness @Sea, this in-cabin video series of fitness classes will help defray the over-eating that almost always accompanies a cruise. Now you can stretch, do yoga, cardio exercises, and flex in the comfort of an average-sized cabin. Kids can get it on the fun too with their Yoga Programs for teens and children, which is free for both kids and parents. The cruise line is also offering tai chi, meditation, and a Wii Fit Yoga Program. Other cruise lines will hopefully follow the trend. See 
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 
For some Westerners, yoga is all about the mat. For some, it’s about the mat and maybe some philosophy and chanting. But in ancient practices—and still active in India—it’s about yogic cleansing techniques called Shatkarma. Ashok Naik, a yoga instructor at Fitness First in England, discusses the six important areas of yoga devoted to the cleansing of the body. For example, there’s Dhauti, which refers to the washing of the alimentary canal (the digestive system, from mouth to rectum.) Some of these rituals are challenging and Naik recommends doing them only under the supervision of an experienced practitioner. People engaging in Shatkarma are able to tap into another area of yoga not often seen in mainstream Western yoga practices. In this blog, each cleansing method is spelled out for the curious yogi. See 
Interrupting the mayhem of corporate life with a power nap is a staple in Japan, but in the U.S? Not so much. But evidence shows that CEOs and even small business owners should take heed of the practice. This blogger discusses a segment she witnessed on the benefits of napping, hosted by Dr. Sarah Mednick. Apparently, just a 20-minutes snoozer can decrease sleepiness, and increase alertness and memory. You would think bosses would want this, right? I mean, doesn’t it stand to reason that napping can actually increase productivity? Well, Nike thinks so. They even encourage their employees to visit the pillow each day. Read about it here and watch the video: 
If Freud were around today, would he recommend yoga instead of analysis to help a patient with panic attacks? He just might. Sometimes it takes a celebrity to expose a sensitive topic in order for people to take notice. In this case, 26-year-old English actress, Samia Smith (of the popular “Coronation Street” television show) revealed that she’d been suffering from panic attacks since the age of eleven, and that yoga has helped her overcome this affliction. She began practicing a yoga regimen six days a week, which, she says, has helped relax her. The breathing aspect of yoga is the likely helper in relaxing the nervous system, which is key to helping calm a panic attack. This week’s blogger offers links to read further about yoga’s benefit to this unnerving condition. More at 
