Time for a new mat?

I am one to be attached to things, especially things that are great! I love my manduka mat (besides the fact that it's purple - one of my least favorite colors). I love my manduka mat for many reason, including that it has lasted forever and ever and ever and... you get the point.

I needed some new inspiration, and maybe a change in color so while i was away at Kripalu, I noticed these mats which I've heard many positive things about. Jade Yoga Mats are made of 100% natural rubber and are non-slipper, sturdy, and just enough cushion. They also come a in a variety of colors, which was a bonus for me after having a selection of only two colors with manduka. I decided to go with black because it goes with everything right? :)

So far, the mat is great! It works very well with my vigorous practice and sweating. The only downside is it stinks like rubber, which I hope will disintegrate with more use.

Unfortunately, jadeyoga.com only sells these mats in bulk purchases, but it can be purchased at other retail outlets such as amazon.com or vickerey.com. Let me know if you have one and what you think of it!

Say Good-Bye to Sweaty Palms!

Hugger Mugger, a company that offers quality yoga-related products, came out with this brilliant idea -- a cork slope to put underneath the front or back of your mat. If placed under the front of your mat, it helps with slippery palms, which is a common tendency during challenging yoga practices. And best of all, it's only $16.95!!! At that price, you could probably get two - one for the front and back of the mat. I haven't tried this product yet, as I do not get sweaty palms during practice, but I am tempted....

If anyone gets this product, you MUST tell me about it!!!
Here's a link to the product as well as Hugger Muggers fabulous website!
Hugger Mugger Cork Wedge
Enjoy!

TIME Magazine Article: "When Yoga Hurts"

As you can tell, it has been a while since I have updated my blog, specifically this page of it. I try as best as I can to update and include any yoga-related findings as I can, but due to time and schedule constraints, I am unable to update it as often as I'd like. But thanks for checking back often for updates. I hope that these posting are interesting to you, and if you come across something yoga-related and would like to share with others, feel free to send me an e-mail, and I will be more than happy to post it here...

Onto the purpose of this posting, I came across an article in TIME magazine a few weeks back and thought it was important that others see the other side of yoga that not many people recognize until they are in that situation. I know some of you really are dedicated to your practice, but sometimes, what's more important is to be dedicated to your body and your limitations, and respect those boundaries. Here is the article:

When Yoga Hurts
TIME Magazine Oct. 4, 2007
By Pamela Paul

Amy Toosley was standing in a split pose when her yoga instructor gave her leg a little prod. "I heard the loudest pop I've ever heard, and the instructor said, 'Ooh! Good release, huh?'" Toosley recalls. "Not really--I could hardly walk." With her hamstring muscle snapped, Toosley, 32, avoided yoga for the next three months, and almost a year later, she is still in pain.

Bad-mouthing yoga seems like begging for a hit of unfavorable karma. But with more than 14 million people practicing yoga or tai chi nationwide, up 136% since 2000, orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists and chiropractors across the country are dealing with the increasing fallout from yoga gone awry. Over the past three years, 13,000 Americans were treated in an emergency room or a doctor's office for yoga-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Often people get hurt because they assume that yoga is simple and that anybody can pretzel himself or herself on demand. Edward Toriello, an orthopedic surgeon and spokesman for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, says most of the injuries he sees are sustained by "weekend warrior" baby boomers who begin yoga without realizing that their bodies are no longer what they used to be. "They think that yoga is an easy way to start exercising, so they go to class once a week, not stretched out at all, and they get hurt."

At the same time, others see yoga--a practice originally conceived to help people achieve inner peace and tranquillity--as a way to get a vigorous workout. More than five times as many people take yoga classes at health clubs today as did a decade ago, and enthusiasts have devised all kinds of variations appalling to purists: hip-hop yoga, disco yoga, power yoga, not to mention controversial hot yoga, or Bikram, which incites people to push themselves to their limit in sweltering rooms in which temperatures are set at 105ºF (41ºC).

The truth is, yoga, regardless of the form, doesn't offer a comprehensive way to get fit. According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, a national nonprofit organization that certifies fitness instructors and promotes physical fitness, dedicated yoga practitioners show no improvement in cardiovascular health. It's not the best way to lose weight either. A typical 50-min. class of hatha yoga, one of the most popular styles of yoga in the U.S., burns off fewer calories than are in three Oreos--about the same as a slow, 50-min. walk. Even power yoga burns fewer calories than a comparable session of calisthenics. And while yoga has been shown to alleviate stress and osteoarthritis, it doesn't develop the muscle-bearing strength needed to help with osteoporosis.

Part of the problem is that increasingly, the people teaching yoga don't know enough about it. Yoga was traditionally taught one-on-one by a yogi over a period of years, but today instructors can lead a class after just a weekend course. Though the Yoga Alliance, formed in 1999 and now based in Clinton, Md., has set a minimum standard of 200 hours of training for certification, only 16,168 of the estimated 70,000 instructors in the U.S. have been certified. "Yoga means bringing together mind, body and spirit, but in Western yoga, we've distilled it down to body," says Shana Meyerson, an instructor in Los Angeles. "That's not even yoga anymore. If the goal is to look like Madonna, you're better off running or spinning." Namaste to that.

Link to article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1668470,00.html

Donna De Lory Extended Savasana Performance @ Exhale Spa in Boston

Donna De Lory is artist and back-up singer for Madonna. Although not nearly as renown as Madonna, Donna De Lory has released several albums of her own with her recent one The Lover & The Beloved, which is sung sanskrit. I have played a few of her tracks during yoga practice in the past, so you may recognize some of her tunes. Her voice is melodic and has this very trance-like tone and beat. The lyrics are mainly in sanskrit, which is repeated over and over almost sounding like a beat of its own rather than words.

In any case, she will be performing this coming Sunday (7/29) at Exhale Spa in Boston from 430P-645P. The cost is yoga class ($18) + additionals $12 fee. This fee includes a 1.5 hour vinyasa practice and an extended savasana with Donna's performance. If interested, check out this link for their promotional flyer.

I haven't decided whether or not to go yet, but if anyone else is interested in joining me, it would definitely sway my decision. Let me know!!!

Spiritual Activism T-shirts

Yoga Tribe and Culture is a company that offers yoga-inspired clothing, accessories, and music. It is sponsored by several well-known yoga instructors mainly from the California region. This line produces 100% organic cotton shirts for men, women, and little gurus (as they call it) with inspiring quotes on every one of them.

This particular shirt (shown here) is the limited edition shirt for YouthAIDS, and organization that helps to educate and promote HIV/AIDS globally. $10 of each shirt goes to YouthAIDS and their efforts, so beautiful shirt for a wonderful cause!

Men's version is here
Women's version is here

Medford Farmer's Market

It's that season again where fresh produce can be purchased directly from the grower's themselves. The City of Medford now has a Farmer's Market which not only provides us locals with fresh veggies and fruits, but also helps supports local farmers. This year's Farmer's Market takes place every Thursday starting June 21st through October.

When: Every Thursday (June 21st through Oct. 18th) 2-7P
Where: River Street & adjacent cemetery space in Medford Square
Who: Farmers, Local Merchants, Craftspeople, and Performers

Additional information is on their blog: http://medfordsquaremarket.blogspot.com/

If you do make it out, let me know what you think. Also, if you have information about other farmer's markets nearby, let me know as well! I can post them on here to share with others.

So Do YOU Think You Can Dance?

I am so inspired by the dancers on "So You Think You Can Dance" and really want to pick up dancing for fun.

So believe it or not, there is actually an evening, weekly dance program in Medford at SpringStep! They offer several different types of dance that meets once a week for a small fee. Upcoming courses for the summer are reaching its deadline on July 5th, so if you are interesting in taking dance classes in the summer, you should register soon.

I think I will be signing up for Monday's hip-hop class which meets 630P-730P from July 9th - Aug 13. If you are interested in joining me, I could definitely use the company and laughs, do let me know.

Check out their website for further details and registration. If you plan on registering for the hip-hop course, let me know. If you aren't sure, then I encourage you to watch "So You Think You Can Dance" on Wed. nights. Okay, it's cheesy reality show, but I love it!

SpringStep's official website for more details

Boston Health & Fitness Expo

This weekend, at the Hynes Convention in Boston, the Health & Fitness Expo will take place. As you can tell, the event is free for all and I'm sure there will be tons of valuable info, free food, and fun activities.

If you are interested in joining me this weekend, perhaps Saturday afternoon, let me know. I am interested in going to see what it's all about. There better be something about yoga there!!! :)

For more details, check out their official website at: http://www1.whdh.com/healthexpo/

If you're interested in joining me, send me an e-mail!
Cheers and be well!

"Spiritual Bling" that's for sure!

The music I generally play during yoga practice is often times what I listen to most. I love ambient, funk, world music that's not only uplifting, but gets you rocking to it.

One of my fave groups currently is The Dum Dum Project - an Indian hip-hop/ambient/underground group from Brooklyn, NY. You may have heard some of their upbeat tracks during yoga. Some of my fave tracks from their latest album "Export Quality" are Hey Diwani, Hey Diwana and Nataraja.

If you're interested in chill-out music for the long ride to wherever then I would highly suggest this album - of course, that's if we have similar tastes in music.

Sometimes, I do tune out during yoga practice and not even realize the music is on, but when it is off, I certainly notice the distractions more, so I hope that although you may disagree with the music during class, that at least it filters the noises going on outside of the class. Besides, I can tell you are so focused during practice that you may not even realize the music in the background.

If you have suggestions for music, please share!

Yoga - "a tonic for the body and the mind"

There was a brief article in the LA times recently about yoga's benefits not only to the body, but to the mind as well:

The notion that yoga is a tonic for the mind, as well as the body, isn't such a stretch anymore.

Practicing yoga may boost a neurotransmitter associated with regulating depression and anxiety disorders, according to a new report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine and McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass., used magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging to measure levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, levels in the brains of eight regular yoga practitioners. They found that the yoga group experienced a 27% increase in GABA levels after an hour of yoga, while 11 control subjects, who read for an hour, received no such benefits.

"The study shows that there's a neurochemical response to the practice of yoga that's similar to neurochemical responses we see when people are treated with antidepressants," says lead author Dr. Chris Streeter, an assistant professor of neurology and psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine.

Although yoga has been associated with a reduction in depression and anxiety, the study is one of the first to provide hard evidence. "This is a behavioral intervention that you can use to augment treatment," says Streeter. "I would recommend it."

Like you needed an article to confirm that! :)

Ahh.... It's the smell of relaxation

I am a huge fan of lavender scent, especially within the home space. Lavender is considered by many to be a natural, alternative remedy for a variety of common ailments ranging from anxiety, headaches, to insomnia, which is why it's seen in so many products from perfume, to hand wash, to lotions, and even laundry detergents. Studies have shown that lavender can ease stress, induce relaxation, and even invigorate the senses.

Recently, I purchased a home plug scent diffuser from Henri Bendel collection at Bath & Body Works in lavender (of course). A bit skeptical, because these diffusers never last more than a day, but surely enough, I was wrong. The scent is absolutely amazing -- clean, fresh, and cool.

So I wanted to mimic this in our yoga classes, because breathing is difficult as is in Ardha Chandrasana (Balancing Half Moon Pose), but to be able to breathe in a lovely, relaxing scent makes it all the easier and better... so I am going to try Method's lavendar lemongrass aroma pill during class this week.

For those in attendance, let me know what you think!

Super duper yoga mat

After practicing yoga for over 6 years now, I have used several different mats mainly because none have ever lived up to my daily practice. I try to be conscious by purchasing mats that are made of eco-friendly materials, but for some reason they never seem to last.

I think I may have found my mat now, and one that may last me for a while. These mats are made of super high-quality material and according to them, will last you a lifetime (or two). They are on the pricey side (ranging from $57-$90), but if they will last me a lifetime (or two), then it's all worth it.

To find out more about these mats made by Manduka, check out their website. The only downside (at least in my opinion) is the limited offering of colors for mats. I'm a big green person if you haven't noticed already, and unfortunately, no green Manduka mats -- only black or purple. If you practice yoga often, then I suggest you invest in a high-quality mat coming from someone who has gone through 6 mats already. If you have any questions about Manduka mats, let me know! So far, it seems to stand up to my practice, but only time will tell.

Manduka website

No more slipping and sliding

Have you ever noticed how your down dogs slowly transition to plank without your own control? Perhaps you're so focused in uttitha trikonasana (that's triangle pose) and didn't realize you're slowly coming into hanumanasana (monkey pose). That's probably due to a sweaty mat and a vigorous practice.

Yogitoes, which is quite well-known (especially within the yoga community), has created this skidless towel that goes over your yoga mat, which not only picks up the sweat, but give you an added support from slipping and sliding during practice, and is easily washable by tossing it in to the washer and dryer.

These towels can be purchased directly through Yogitoes' website or on amazon.com (my resource for anything and everything.

Oh and by the way, if you practice yoga on a regular basis, I highly encourage you to get a mat of your own! You don't want to know whose toes have been on those mats at the gym. In fact, you're better off not knowing - so get one! They're everywhere now - even in grocery stores, so you have no excuse! Oh and besides, you'll soon be needing one of your own once yoga outdoors kicks in.

Big Sweet Tooth?

Okay, so maybe food isn't yoga-related, but I certainly think so! After a rigorous vinyasa flow, what better way to reward yourself than sweets! If you are like me, my sweet tooth needs to be satisfied on a daily basis. I am a huge, HUGE fan of cookies (chocolate chip being my fave), and I came across these cookies by Dancing Deer - Tangerine Butterfly Cookies - and they are delicious! They are on the pricier side at $5.99 for one bag of 12 cookies, but for the quality and freshness of it, they are totally worth it. Plus, Dancing Deer is a philanthropic company based in Boston, donating a percentage of their profits to local charities, so you can enjoy sweets for a good cause.

In addition to these Tangerine cookies, they also make a variety of other cookies, cakes, and brownies. You can either order them online (but why pay for S&H), or get them at Whole Foods. I'm a big foodie, so if you have suggestions of your own, please do share.

Oh and another note, jam thumbprint cookies by Iggy's Bread is another to-die-for. I would say they are my favorite cookies. Absolutely worth the drive to Cambridge for them, perhaps before yoga! :)

Bon Appetit!

Yoga Music You can Groove to...

I am obsessed with Shiva's music compilation! If you enjoy the music I play during class, then this CD is a MUST! I purchased this CD months ago, have been listening to it at least once a day, and continue to enjoy it. There was obvious thought in the music selection and placement throughout the CD. It starts off slowly with some melodic, meditative tracks then gradually picks up to upbeat, dance-like tunes that really are quite addictive!

If you are an iTunes nut like I am, unfortunately, this album is not available on iTunes, so you'll just have to buy it. Music like this is generally quite difficult in regular music stores (if any still exist), but if you are patience, Amazon.com has them. If you are not patient, I have seen them in Whole Foods Market around town.

If you have this CD already, let me know what you think of it, or have suggestions of your own. I always try to keep my music fresh for every class, so recommendations are welcomed!

Balance on this...

Numerous studies have shown that back pains especially in the lower back have increased due to sitting at the computer desk all day long, whether it be at work or at home. At home, I have used a balacing ball as my office chair, but this idea by Gaiam is even more brilliant! Who needs some fancy executive chair that will ruin your back if sat in improperly when you can get this one that will not only relieve back pains, but also keep your core engaged the entire time!

It's sold on Gaiam's website and retails for $100, which isn't bad considering most executive office chairs are in that vicinity.

check it out!

Zen Awakening

In the mornings, I often find myself disturbingly awoken by some cheesy pop song from the radio. Upon several hits of the snooze button, I finally wake up all groggy and still half asleep.

Well, imagine waking up to the serene, sweet sound of a gentle gong. I have been in yoga classes where the instructor will bring us back to awareness from savasana using a Tibetan gong. It is one of the most beautiful, energizing sounds in the world. This alarm clock from Now and Zen (what a cool name!) will do just that.

As mentioned on their site: "In the morning, its exquisite sounds summon your consciousness into awakening with a series of subtle gongs that provide an elegant beginning to your day. When the alarm is triggered, the gong strikes just once … then automatically, it strikes again in 3-1/2 minutes … then in 2 minutes … then in 1 minute … As shown in the chart below, the gong strikes gradually increase over 10 minutes, eventually striking every 5 seconds until turned off."

The only downside is it's quite steep for an alarm clock ($149.95). Whether you feel waking up to serene bells justifies $150 is up to you - I'm still deciding if it is... but it is definitely a neat idea!

Ayurvedic Luxuries

While I was away for training, Ayurvedic was prevalent throughout the facility, the teachings, and the services at Kripalu. I recently stumbled across a skincare line created by Christy Turlington (a fellow yoga ethusiast) and company, which bases its line on Ayurvedic traditions. In Ayurvedic traditions, there are three doshas, VATA (Air), PITTA (Fire) and KAPHA (Earth), and to achieve a natural equilibrium, we need to be balanced among all three. To find out your dosha, you can take a simple quiz here, OR if you are interested in Sundari's skincare line, you can take their skin test here.

SUNDÃRI (n. sun-'dar-ee) means "a beautiful woman" in Sanskrit.

SUNDÃRI is a collection of Ayurvedic inspired luxury skin care products suited to meet the needs of contemporary women. SUNDÃRI skin care was created by three women, Ayla Hussain, Cavan Mahony and Christy Turlington , each contributing their own specific expertise and passion for holistic skin care. Ayurveda, acknowledged as the oldest medical science in India, is a 5000 year old science of life advocating a methodology that seeks to establish ones holistic balance. Ayurveda teaches that the balancing of mind, body and spirit will ultimately lead to peace, harmony and lasting beauty. SUNDÃRI embodies the principles of this Indian philosophy by containing the purest botanicals with the application of the safest and most effective technology to create the SUNDÃRI product and treatment line.

Make Poverty History!

As some of you know, I am a grad student and last semester, I took a class called "Leadership". During this course, we had to select someone whom we thought to be great leaders in our society, and my group picked Bono. I was a bit hesitant in presenting him as our leader, because much of what I knew of him was his affiliation to U2 (and I LOVE their music). After further research, I was amazed and inspired by this man and his drive, desire, determination to make a change in this world. One of his many campaigns is ONE, which I am a member of.

We're working on a project right now where cities across the nation can declare themselves Cities of ONE. A City of ONE is publicly committed to the end of global poverty. As more cities across the country become cities of ONE, the end of extreme poverty and AIDS will no longer seem a distant goal, but rather a national priority.

Since I reside in Medford, I am asking my Mayor to make an official proclamation in support of ONE, and you should do the same. Just a handful of signatures in a city can make a proclamation happen. Sign the petition to make your city, our city a City of ONE.

Sign a petition asking your Mayor to make an official proclamation in support of the ONE Campaign.
sign petition here

It's time we do something to make a change... let's start now.

Good-bye to Junk, Hello to More Green

Do you give a dime? For a dime a day ($36/year), you can have all the junk mail you receive diminish and a tree planted each month. What's great about this idea is that it can be sent as a gift, which is much more thoughtful than something that will eventually collect dust.

As you are probably all aware, there are numerous changes we can make to make our home a cleaner place to live for ourselves and for those generations after us. This is one of the many innovative ways to make a change, unless you really really love your junk mail.

For more info, check out their website and consider offering this gift to someone you love or even for yourself!
greendimes