We all know that pranayama, which is the Sanskrit word for “breath,” is an essential part of one’s yoga practice. Controlling and synchronizing the breath with yoga postures creates the ideal environment for awareness and healing. Some yogis like to add a smooth hum to the breath, a practice called Bharamari, or “Humming Bee Breath.” It is aptly named this because the sound emitted from the throat mimics that of a humming bee. It sounds similar to the ending portion of an Om chant. Practitioners say it calms the mind more deeply than a hum-less breath. It is also said to lower anxiety and stress. Click the video to watch a yoga teacher leading a Bharamari session. To read more about this practice, see www.yogapoint.com. (more…)
At some point in your life, you’ve probably heard about the benefits of weightless floating. People who have visited Israel have tested the waters in the Dead Sea and have found great healing benefits such as a reduction in muscular pain, an unprecedented relaxation, and mind clarity. The reason is the salt. The Dead Sea’s buoyancy is created by an overabundance of mineral salts. This watery wonder has approximately six times the amount of salt as the ocean; so much that nothing can live in the Dead Sea. But its therapeutic benefits are widely noted. Here in the U.S., floatation tanks are gaining popularity by simulating the environment of the Dead Sea. The tanks operate at skin temperature of about 94 degrees and use an abundance of Epsom salts to keep you afloat. So, after a strenuous yoga workout, try floating afterwards. (more…)
As a writer, I’ve always been intrigued by teachers who offer combination yoga-writing classes and retreats. They seem to be getting more popular and I am beginning to understand the connection. The key is in the flow (or lack of if you suffer from writer’s block.) Just as yoga is a flowing movement of mind and body, so is writing. Your pen moves as your mind does. The integration of these two powerful spiritual forms of expression makes perfect sense and can help the yogi who is a writer or a writer who practices yoga. It can even be beneficial to those who simply have an interest in one or the other (or both.) On a practical level, try doing a little yoga before writing that important letter. Monique Parker is a writing and yoga teacher based in Taos, New Mexico and is one of a growing trend of instructors who are opening creative channels for yoga students and writers across the globe. You can read more about her and her offerings at www.theyogaofwriting.com. (more…)
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
Whether or not to chant Om during a yoga class is a personal choice, both for the teacher and the students. Is this common practice just a way to “spiritualize” an otherwise Western approach to yoga or is it a way to actually invoke the divine and infuse that into a yoga practice? One yoga teacher has come to grips with a clearly defined dichotomy in his approach. As a student, chanting Om provides a deeply spiritual and uplifting experience for him. But as a teacher, his comfort level in leading an Om chant is just not there. Read more about the mystery behind this common practice here.
Green Your Practice
If you are a yogi, you are probably an eco-conscious consumer. You probably recycle, buy organic, and think twice about driving an SUV. But what about your yoga practice and the philosophy of the studio where you do your downward dogs? Is your mat earth-friendly and your yoga top created by a fair-trade clothing company? As a yoga studio owner, are you doing everything you can to ensure a non-toxic environment for your students? The Green Yoga Association strives to educate and support green yoga practices. Read here about how you can contribute to a wholesome clean yoga environment.
Do it at Your Desk
Got one of those jobs where you’re balled and chained to your desk all day? With just a few free minutes, you can use yogic principles to loosen those tight neck and shoulder muscles. Cynthia Funk, a teacher at the Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto, offers an easy-to-memorize three-minute video of seated yoga, designed for over-stressed office workers with neck and shoulder pain. If your lower back is the problem, here’s Cynthia’s seated three-minute solution for unwinding those muscles through twisting:
When cupid plucks his arrow this Valentine’s Day, instead of the clichéd dinner and chocolates, why not engage in couple’s yoga? Your local studio may offer a class or you can get a DVD and have fun in the privacy of your home while the two of you link body parts while strengthening your intimate connection and enhancing your spiritual union. Couples yoga taps into issues of trust, support, and playfulness and can be a powerful addition to your relationship. Engaging in a couples yoga retreat may help soften areas of conflict and create new bonds. To find out more about this profound practice and how to get started, click here.
Laugh Your Way to Good Health?
Serious yogis may cringe at the new “laughter yoga” spreading quickly throughout the world, but doctors say that the benefits are really no laughing matter. Dr. Madan Kataria, a physician in India nicknamed “The Laughter Guru,” started the practice when he discovered the physical and emotional benefits of laughter. In this video, Meredith Vieira talks with a U.S. yoga laughter instructor, Alex Eingorn, who is carrying on Dr. Kataria’s tradition. He says that laughter yoga enhances the immune system and has shown benefit as a cardiovascular exercise, citing a University of Stanford study that says “one minute of laughter is equal to six to ten minutes on the treadmill.” Looking for a place to participate in laughter yoga? Find a listing here.
Get in on the Game
If you’re one of the many people who believes that today’s electronic games could use a less violent approach, you’re not alone. Ubisoft is scheduled to release “Quick Yoga Training” to be used with Nintendo’s DS game playing system. How a user will actually be able to follow the poses with this system has yet to be seen, however, Japanese company, Konami, is currently leading the market in the electronic yoga game industry with their game, “Let’s Yoga,” expected to be available in the U.S. sometime this year. DS Fanboy blogs about this phenomenon here.
The yoga of happiness, called Rasa Yoga, is a practice that doesn’t require a mat, a block, or even a downward dog. It’s a Tantric discipline based on the nine rasas (or families) of emotions. These emotional states of being include both positive and negative attributes. Rasa Sadhana is the practice of emotional fasting, or for a fixed period of time, eliminating some of the negative rasas. Here’s a video on the topic:
The Sound of Yoga
Kirtan (or devotional chanting) is a wonderful complement to any yoga practice. Krishna Das is one of the more well-known Kirtan artists but the practice is gaining popularity with yoga studios offering Kirtan concerts. David Newman, owner of Philadelphia-based “Yoga on Main” has been touring the world sharing his love of the musical form with yogis everywhere. Kirtan shows are an interactive experience between the artist and the audience. Learn more here.
More Yoga Goodies
Looking for new yoga props? After you’ve tried your local yoga studio or Whole Foods, try this comprehensive list of online stores to buy that new mat, bolster, or DVD. Go here.
One Asana At a Time
Can that backbend (Urdhva Dhanurasana) or crane pose (Bakasana) be the reason you end up visiting your doctor? It can be, according to Dr. Johnny Benjamin, Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Florida. He sees a great deal of yoga-related injuries because of people (mostly women) who are determined to contort into asanas that are beyond the level they have studied. “People will start at a level that is not appropriate for them,” Dr. Benjamin says. “A lady might go to a yoga class with a friend who’s been practicing yoga for some time, and try to do what she does, and her body isn’t ready for it.” Read more about this issue here.
February 3, 2008 is World Yoga Day. Many studios across the world in all disciplines will celebrate this day by offering free or pay-by-donation yoga classes. The idea, according to the World Yoga Day organization, is to gather people to cohesively join energies for the global proliferation of human rights. Classes will be held from 11 AM to 1 PM in all time zones. For information on how to participate and find out what studios will be celebrating this important day, click here.
Meanwhile, Yoga Day USA is January 26, 2008. The Yoga Alliance sponsors this event each year in the hopes of bringing new students to yoga while raising awareness about the myriad benefits of yoga. Studios across the U.S. will be offering low or no cost classes in all yoga disciplines. For more, click here.
Yoga Humor
How do you develop a Yogatude? It’s easy, according to the folks at the YogaDawg blog. All you need to do is enter a yoga class and, well, cop a ‘tude. Here’s how.
Strange Massage?
As a chronic daily tension headache sufferer, I have a strong yoga practice, I eat well, and I’ve managed to amass an array of doodads that promise to loosen my tight muscles. But it wasn’t until I visited the Myofascial Pain Release Center in Paoli, PA that I discovered a very different form of massage that would contort my body in strange ways only to find my headache gone after a session. For me, it was one of the very few treatments that worked. It’s like an oil-less limb stretch/yoga class on a massage table. Here’s some information about the concept behind myofascial pain release, written by John Barnes, the father of the practice. Check it out here.
This week’s web picks include a new video and some interesting blogging activity. All free and available on the Internet. Check out the entries for this week…
Discount Yoga Apparel
If you follow the links at this yoga apparel blog, you might run into some interesting sites with excellent yoga clothing and other threads made from organic, sustainable materials. The hottest thing now is bamboo clothing, which is actually made from a blend of cotton and bamboo fiber. The cotton provides the comfort and breathes, keeping you cool while the bamboo fiber is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and provides a linen-like texture and hand. Besides the aforementioned blog, try bambooclothing.com.
Yoga Videos
There are always new yoga video clips appearing on Youtube. Some are homemade and others are excerpts from professional DVDs. Either way, it costs nothing to watch and you might find something helpful:
This is a beautiful production with an excellent workout for abs. If you like it, there’s a DVD available at gaiam.com.
What is Iyengar Yoga?
Here’s an article from a fitness blog that explains the basics of Iyengar Yoga, a standing yoga. There are many different yogas with countless asanas, often making it difficult to know what practice is best for you. Check out Iyengar and decide for yourself. You can read the entire article here.
You can always find good videos on Youtube for yoga workouts, new postures and other related things. Here are a few of our top picks from recent activity…
Ford Models
The gorgeous girls at Ford Modeling Agency (on Youtube at youtube.com/fordmodels) are often uploading their yoga, Pilates and other workout vids for all to enjoy. Here are some of their recent highlights: Tara Stiles is a beautiful and fit model and yoga enthusiast. Her latest workout is great for beginners:
Kim Strother, besides being beautiful and fit, offers some great exercises in her recent video “How to get a flat stomach.” You can view it here:
From the Blogs
Can Yoga Burn Calories?: This article from Reuter’s Health points out the yoga alone may not be enough cardiovascular exercise to represent your only form of workouts. For sure, if you are watching your weight or needing to burn calories, yoga may not be enough to get your heart pumping and metabolism spinning. The article states that in a recent study, participants doing yoga “burned an average of 3.2 calories a minute.” Clearly, an aerobic exercise will burn a lot more than this. However, there are many yoga postures and forms that burn more calories, including an extensive Sun Salutation for at least 10 minutes. Check out the entire article here.
Infusing Jewish Teachings into Yoga: Yoga is a wonderfully flexible spiritual and physical practice. You can even bend it to your own spiritual practices or paradigms if you like. In this article at lohud.com, a Jewish community center practices a special Jewish version of yoga to avoid conflict with Jewish religious principals. Read the whole article here.
Yoga Gift Ideas: Here’s a great little article that highlights some gift giving ideas for young yogis. Items include a yoga video series, yoga exercise cards and some yoga accessories. See the entire article here.
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