Yoga Kittens 2011 Standard Wall Calendar by BrownTrout Publishers

Format: Standard Wall

Size Closed: 12.0 " x 12.0"

Size Opened: 24.0 " x 12.0"

Grid Size: Medium Square

Binding: Stapled

Time Span: 12-month +6

Publisher: BrownTrout Publishers



From the mind that brought you the bestselling Yoga Puppies calendar, comes this Yoga Kittens calendar. Yoga Kittens is an amusing take on the power of yoga to bend and delight, even the most finicky of felines. The Yoga Kittens calendar hosts a year full of images showing kittens positioned in classic yoga postures with the help of digital technology. These reworked kitten portraits will bend your mind and delight you. This calendar is great for inspiration, because after all, if a Tabby can hold Downward Dog pose, so can you! Namaste!

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Dogged Intentions: Sweating and Surviving 108 New Year’s Day Sun Salutations

Happy 2011! We made it! Read this yogadork’s tale of victory over 108 New Year’s Day Sun Salutations. Full post featured at YogaCityNYC:

Why do 108 Sun Salutations on January 1st, the day after one of the biggest celebratory nights of the year? The challenge! Yes, of course! If you can last through 108 rounds of sweatied sun saluting following a night of partying to the wee hours, you can certainly take on anything life throws at you the entire year!

Besides, you know all those terrible things you did in 2010? Here’s your chance for penance before you repeat all those terrible things in 2011. Just kidding! But honestly, if you’ve ever participated in the yogi marathon of Surya Namaskars, you might agree it’s as close to a retributional act as they come, and for this particular yogadork, 108 rounds of anything the day after New Year’s merrymaking is like running a 25K after St Patrick’s Day, barefoot, on your hands. And I’m part Irish.

I entered Yoga High the site of my self-imposed tapas, with gloves off, sidled up next to my fellow yogi warriors closely packed in on either side. Clearly, I was not the only yogi with dogged determination. Everyone had their games faces on. We can do this. It’s the start of a new year. New opportunities! New challenges! 108 Sun Salutes can’t be that bad.

Mel, co-owner and our fearless guide into the brave new year, gave a brief introduction explaining the significance of the number 108, and a pep talk/warning that we were in for some real transformation (translation: incredibly demanding physical practice) reminding us to take breaks when needed. It didn’t hurt that her t-shirt read “Ahimsa” as she encouraged us all to set an intention for ourselves, maybe something that would stick throughout the year, or at least through the battle of the next 2 hours.

Three powerful Oms and we were off! Mel put a welcomed twist on plain old Sun Salutes, leading us instead through 12 rounds of 9 at a time, starting with sun breaths to warm up and interspersing Surya A, with modified knees-chest-chin, Surya C (opening to Warrior 2) and Surya B, leaving momentary breaks in between to sneak in 5 blessed breaths. With the meditative nature of the movement, your body starts to transition between autopilot and “are we there yet?”. Also, “did I really volunteer for this? What number are we on? Is she counting correctly? She totally lost count. What’s my intention again?”

Lucky for us, Mel, famous for her class playlists got us through sticky parts with crowd pumpers like Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”, “Stronger” by Kanye West and “Sympathy for the Devil” by The Rolling Stones. By the time we reached what felt like eternity (but was just a little over halfway) Freddie Mercury’s spirited “don’t stop me now, I’m having such a good time” prompted both snickering and refreshed vigor. We powered on with gusto, sweating out those toxins. Oh, there was sweating indeed. And chafing, blistering, moaning, groaning, cheering and applause. The energy was palpable, but you couldn’t even smell the remains of last night’s liquor through our ujjayi breath.

Finally, two hours, 108 Surya Namaskars, two toe blisters, and 16 gallons of sweat later we all settled into the mercifully extended Savasana with a great sense of accomplishment. We made it!

Was it all worth it? What I learned at my first New Year’s Day yogathon, whether doing it for yourself, for someone else, a specific cause, or for world peace (which you start to tell yourself around number 95), the 108 challenge takes a barrel of courage and commitment to make it through, and perhaps that’s the point. My body will surely feel it for the next few days, but that air of achievement will linger for a long while after, longer than any tasty libation buzz, intentions intact.

–Yoga Dork

Tagged as: New Years

View the original article here

Happy Winter Wonderland From YD! #BlizzardAsana 2010

And since we’ve no place to go.
Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

Happy snow day east coasters! We’re quite literally snowed in, with most modes of transportation shut down due to this cah-razy blizzard.

We hope everyone is staying warm and safe, and enjoying some extended play time with your fam and holiday toys.

What’s your blizzardasana?

–

-

——

Earlier…

View the original article here

Funked Up! Breakti: Breakdancing and Yoga (video)

Did we not warn you all about the breakdancing yogis? It was written in the stars! Or is that, the graffiti? Anyways, here we are, a full on yoga and breakdancing combo called Breakti. What makes this different from other hybrids, in our opinion, is that yoga is very much an essential element throughout the practice. In fact, the session starts with 30-40mins of yoga and then gets down and funky with your sukha selves on the floor with spins, freezes and other cool breakdancing terms.

Is this a new trend for 2011? Well+Good say so, and according to ABC 7 who just did a news feature (see below!) on the fusion think it’s the greatest trend since cutting the rug.

It’s an interesting clip, stick through to the end – from 2.15 mark is priceless. Oh, TV newscasters making hip hop and yoga jokes. We heart you.

Via Breakti founder Anya Porter’s site anyaporter.com:

Breakti is an effort to create union (yoga) within our-Selves, as well as with gravity, music and our experience. We do this by weaving philosophy and specific structural principles of yoga together with music to inform a deeper understanding of our relationship to the floor and to rhythm, ultimately providing a foundation for the more dynamic movement of street dance (i.e. breakin’, house, rocking)

——

Earlier…

Tagged as: Anya Porter, breakdancing, Breakti

View the original article here

Is Yoga Un-Indian?

Is India un-yoga? What? Everyone knows yoga came from India, right? Though it seems most of what we know of the practice today has come from Western influence, even in yoga’s motherland. Is this true? Don’t take our word for it.

NPR has a story from Sandip Roy, an India-born American immigrant who’s just learning his downward facing dog, oh and that Indians typically have looser hips better for squatting, or so his yoga teacher explained to him in class. Indians don’t do yoga, he says.

We’ve been hemming and hawing over its historical origins, ties to religion and Hinduism, and probably will be, til the holy cows come home. India has been on a mission to document their heritage, including yoga, in the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, and now the Hindu American Foundation wants to “take back yoga” to reclaim its roots, which are deeply planted in India of course, but what of its people?

“We saw in large cities like Mumbai, power yoga studios cropping up, because Madonna does yoga,” says [Enlighten Up! director Kate] Churchill. “It has nothing to do with India. Whereas if you go to a power yoga studio in the U.S., they will say it’s a 5,000-year-old tradition.”

Are Indians catching on to what the West has adopted as their own?

I hear they come to your homes now in India to teach you yoga. Private lessons. And it’s the real thing. They learned it from American DVDs.

Zing!

(fit blonde celebriyogi photo for effect only)

——

Earlier…

Tagged as: Hindu American Foundation, Hinduism, India, Sandip Roy

View the original article here

Going with the Season

Everything Yoga: Going with the SeasonEverything YogaHomeArchivesSubscribeUseful LinksGet to Know the YogiHighly RecommendedResourcesServices -- Be Well Yoga TherapyThe Everything Yoga Blog StoreVideosWake Up & Join Living Yoga -- It's Free!Join the Living Yoga List & Get a Free Gift!As a subscriber of the Living Yoga list, you'll get ongoing access to free ebooks, special yoga-related offers, and special goodies to help you live your yoga and a happier, healthier life. When you sign up, you'll get a free ebook.Your First Name:Your Last Name:Your E-Mail:

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December 19, 2010Going with the Season

Around the holidays there is often so much to do. Even though my mind is telling me to speed up, my body is wanting to follow the rhythm of the Winter season and slow down. I find myself wanting to say no more than usual to invitations, obligations, and extra tasks. Even my yoga practices get a bit shorter (I tend to spend more time in meditation than doing asana around this time). As the year comes to a close, I break out my journal and start considering how I want to be in the New Year rather than what I want to accomplish.

Since my focus is more internal, I back off from blogging, email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Yes, my friends, it's time to unplug for a bit. I'm going to take an electronic sabbatical until some time in early January. My emails will pile up. My blog page views will decline. Yet my sense of peace will expand. That's a trade-off I'm willing to make.

If unplugging seems a bit radical to you, check out this wonderful post on taking a Winter's Rest (i.e. a digital sabbatical) by Sara Avant Stover. She makes some excellent points about honoring the Winter season in us and taking a much-deserved rest. Although I'm not taking quite an extended Sabbatical, a little is better than none.

I'll be back in early January. I wish for you rest, peace, love, and the happiest of holidays.

Namaste!

P.S. If you're wanting to cut back on your yoga practice and fully embrace the concept of rest, here's a 5 minute quickie practice that will add a little dash of bliss to your rest: Bliss in 5 Minutes.

Eoin's new Blissology Project is a wonderful daily practice DVD set (or you can download all of the practices on his Web site) . I downloaded it last week and I absolutely love it. If you're wanting to start off 2011 with a regular yoga practice (or if you'd like to inject a little life into a flagging practice), check out The Blissology Project:

 

December 19, 2010 | Permalink

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Strength in Softness-The Root of Yoga

Posted on January 9th, 2011

It is easy to want instant strength and a quick fix solution to produce fast, immediate results. But in yoga the learning comes from allowing the body and the mind to unfold in a steady grace over many years of practice. Each breath along the path of yoga is meant to open your heart to deeper levels of peace and joy. Each practice is a methodical re-training of the habit pattern of the mind to be geared more towards compassion. Each posture holds a lesson that cannot be rushed. If the journey toward achieving a physical posture takes years, imagine how long it takes to achieve final liberation from the cycle of suffering. It takes a strong mind to stand in the midst of a very long journey and not be daunted by the greatness and scope of the path ahead.  

True strength is not brute force, it is a quiet decision to do whatever it takes to get the results that you want. Some postures teach practitioners specific spiritual lessons and there is no time limit on spiritual learning. Challenging arm balances are about connecting to an eternal place within, finding the self-empowerment to believe in yourself every step of the way. When you try to lift your body off the ground you are cultivating the kind of tenacity needed to effect spiritual transformation. In yoga you are the one who works every day for your own liberation. You are the one who must learn to believe in yourself, to cultivate the type of determination that is willing to put in the work to break through old patterns of suffering, revealing true and lasting peace. The yoga practice aims to give you spiritual strength, an inner resolve that carries you through good times and bad just the same. There is nothing stronger than your open hearted awareness.

Before I practiced yoga I had a different conception of strength. External force carried the message of a strong person. I learned through sincere self-inquiry that the mask of strength worn on the outside often belies a vulnerability within. When I started practicing yoga I got a glimpse of the nature of true strength and I was humbled to see how far I had to go in order to realize the strength and steadiness of mind that the spiritual path demands. Rather than being superficial, strength in yoga comes from a intimate place inside. When you touch your spiritual center you find the warmth of an open heart. This compassionate place within allows you to connect more fully to other living beings and actually be a force of healing the world. 

Each seemingly impossible posture forces you to tap into a place inside of yourself that is eternal. In the transformation of your body and mind you experience yourself at the deepest place possible, a place beyond the trials and tribulations of daily life. There are many words for the eternality held within each living being, but the most universal force in the world is love. In every beating heart there is a great capacity to feel and respond from a place of strength within. If you are able to tap into the divine heartbeat within you will also experience the true potential of the human spirit, a powerful creator that can hold the whole world, both good and bad, in compassionate arms forever. 

The story of yoga is actually a love story, a romance of the soul where you learn to fall graciously in love with your inner self. Not in a romantic sense, but in a truly unconditional, eternal and divine sense, the love that comes from the practice of yoga forms the foundation of all spiritual practice. Love is the only force strong enough to never quit, never give out and remain humbling willing to do the work that no one and nothing else will do. True love is eternal and lives inside each human being as a beginningless, birthless, deathless power center. Practice is the careful cultivation of the awareness of the gentle pulse of love within your own body, the feeling of the heartbeat of the universe complete with the energy that creates worlds and the direct experience of the limitless potential of the human spirit.

About Kino MacGregor
Kino MacGregor is a small business owner (www.miamilifecenter.com), yoga teacher and freelance journalist who has produced two yoga DVDs and is currently working on her first book, Inner Peace, Irresistible Beauty to be released late April 2009. For complete details please see www.ashtanga-awareness.com.

Tags: Yoga, Spiritual Path, Awareness, Strength, Yoga for Beginners, benefits of yoga

View the original article here

The Original 1/2 Toe Sock for Yoga, Pilates and Lounging Around

Made from 80% bamboo fiber the New Toezies absorb moisture and is naturally anti-bacterial. Praised as "the natural green and eco-friendly new textile material of the 21st Century", bamboo fiber comes from nature and is returned to nature in the end. They are Sweat-absorbing, creating a cooling effect for the feet and can improve blood circulation while maintaining body temperature!

We looked at Mother Nature for inspiration on these two new colors. Juniper for the greens on Earth and Lucite Blue from the Seas.

The form-fitting Toezies features a ½ open five-toe design and non-skid sole for increased balance, control and superior grip.

S/M = Shoe size up to size 7
M/L = Shoe size 7 and up

Price:

Click here to buy from Amazon

Hip Flexors and Yoga: Our Friend or Foe?

Posted on December 19th, 2010

Each time I step into a lunge yoga pose, I appreciate just how much my hip flexors play on my postural health.  I clearly feel how these large bands of muscles become tight by over-sitting.  I often question, then, just how practical yoga is when addressing most people’s issues with hip flexor imbalance?

Yoga expert, David Keil, presents our hip flexors as an important muscle group that can assist us in many of our forward bends.  The main group of hip flexors attach at the upper thigh and cross the hip to attach partially at the inner hip crest and further up on the lower vertebrae. When we forward bend, we can improve the fold at our hips by visualizing our hip flexors engaging. This ultimately reduces rounding and hence compression from going into the lumbar spine.   The hip flexors contract and draw the hip points into the thighs, from which, the spine can follow the fold with space and integrity.  We can most readily practice this in seated folding postures like Wide Forward Bend.  If the hip flexors are integrated as such, we likely feel, immediately after these folding poses, a need to expand the front of the hips with a back arching asana. 

Therefore, in forward bends, our hip flexors appear to be a resourceful friend to maintaining quality and safety.  But looking at a complete yoga practice, I sometimes question other transitions and yoga exercises that may be unnecessarily involving the hip flexors.  Take example lying leg lift flows that are used as a means to develop core conditioning.  The motion of moving one or both legs up and then down towards the earth against gravity is countered with core and abdominal contractions.  The ultimate goal is to feel the abdominal area strengthen.  But what is happening with the hip flexors?  The hip flexors simply add a force load on the pelvis, which, without a countering core contraction, would cause the spine to lift off the ground.  In a theoretical sense, this sounds all good.  But in practical application, not only are we strengthening the core, but also the hip flexors.

So what’s the big deal with strengthening the hip flexors?  Strengthening of muscles involves repeated loading and shortening of muscle fibers.  From a functionality perspective, the majority of people already have chronically shortened hip flexors due to prolonged sitting and/or poor postural habits.  This is well presented by Dr. Carla Cupido as part of lower cross syndrome – a chronic energetic imbalance that leads to lower back pain and poor postural health.

Understanding that most of us sit far too much and likely are dealing with lower cross syndrome issues, does it make sense to develop even more imbalance in the pelvis and hips by adding yoga exercises that specifically condition our hip flexors further?  As yoga teachers, we should be aware of the functionality of our practices.   Do they service our students’ needs appropriately and support the therapeutic benefits that a yoga practice should generate?   Are we compromising the gain of core strength with worsening musculoskeletal imbalances?  Every time the hip bends, how are the hip flexors being engaged and does this engagement serve a greater purpose?

As students and teachers, I encourage you to first look at your lifestyle patterns.  Our practice and the intentions of yoga postures should first address the needs of our lifestyle.  Does our practice work to restore conditions and issues that have evolved from daily activities?  Our practice becomes more intelligent and with more profound purpose when we apply practicality and functionality.  

Article by Kreg Weiss, My Yoga Online teacher and co-founder.

Tags: Yoga Tips, Yoga, Hip Anatomy, hip flexor muscles, yoga anatomy

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Fresh Start

Everything Yoga: Fresh StartEverything YogaHomeArchivesSubscribeUseful LinksGet to Know the YogiHighly RecommendedResourcesServices -- Be Well Yoga TherapyThe Everything Yoga Blog StoreVideosWake Up & Join Living Yoga -- It's Free!Join the Living Yoga List & Get a Free Gift!As a subscriber of the Living Yoga list, you'll get ongoing access to free ebooks, special yoga-related offers, and special goodies to help you live your yoga and a happier, healthier life. When you sign up, you'll get a free ebook.Your First Name:Your Last Name:Your E-Mail:

Tired of Bad Yoga?
Search Everything Yoga
WebItsAllAboutYogaAdd me to your TypePad People listYoga Blogs & PodcastsNadine's Yoga Blog 908 Asanas Synergy by Jasmine Yoga Gypsy Spoiled Yogi Yoga Lab Austin YOGANONYMOUS Rand(Om) BitesYogam Saranam: Yoga Diary Falling Open The Capricious Yogi Suburban Yogini Is Yoga Legal? Simply Yogini True Yoga On the Ashtanga path while on Mother Earth Yoga with Nikki Chau ISHTA Yoga Blog The Joy of Yoga My Other Car is a Yoga Mat PodcastOmazingAutumn Lotus YogaLexiYogaYoga Rants & Ravesit's all yoga, babySouthern YogiYoga AddictedEco YoginiYoga DorkThe World According to Om GalElephantbeansPadmani Yoga PodcastJoy YogaFive Points Yoga: Yoga On and Off the MatJonathan Bartlett: Philadelphia Yoga ExaminerTeaching Kids YogaChai & YogaYoga Diva's Divine LifeYoga With JohnYogaDudesSkeptic YogiThe Business YoginiEoin's Bliss BlogMy Yoga Online BlogYoga-AbodeMastery of Meditation, Enlightenment, and Kundalini YogaYoga BuzzLinda's Yoga JourneyGrounding Thru The Sit BonesMahamondoYOGAmazingHip Tranquil ChickThe Accidental YogistYoga PeepsPlayin' the EdgeThe Yoga Journal BlogPrana JournalAbout Yoga Blog Sites Worth VisitingiNamaste Do Yoga With Me My Yoga Online LiftVibe The Global Vegan GreenMonkey Alternative Medicine Zone The Beauty Bean Less Is More YogaTrampoline ReviewsTeach Yoga -- Yoga Jobs & Resources for Yoga Instructors Women's Peace Collection LifeunityOrganic EnvyLove Peace YogaBeautoriumYogi Seeker28 ZenDharma BoutiqueEven Keel Yoga Yoga for Better HealthYoga Jewelry from Sacred CharmsAdventurous Women BlogBlissChick -- Be the change. Live your bliss.Mind Body Green -- Share and Discuss Better, Healthier, Greener LivingA Complaint Free WorldWellsphere -- Tools, Support & Motivation to Live Well and Stay WellMarsya -- Handmade Chakra-Activating JewelryFind Bliss -- Tools for Conscious LivingBeYou.tvBig YogaJoyful Belly -- Ayurveda & CookingYoga JillianOnline Yoga Studio -- YogaDownload.comYogaYakEveryday Bliss Blog powered by TypePad « Year-End Review, a Holiday Tune, and 10 Guidelines to Enlightenment |Main

January 05, 2011Fresh Start

Right about now, you're probably sick of talk about New Year's Resolutions and the like. You might even be tired of hearing about ways to lose weight, gain money, and/or annihilate bad habits. I, too, get a bit overloaded (and tired of) all of the New Year's messages that we're bombarded with. The truth is, we can make a new start at any time, in any moment. We don't need a new year or a date on the calendar.

That said, why is this time of year so darned popular with making changes in one's life? I suspect it has something to do with the proximity of the holidays. Slowing down, taking time off -- these are the stuff of introspection and personal realizations. While I was away and offline (oh, how I enjoyed being disconnected from technology for a few weeks), I made some decisions about how I spend my days and what I give my time to. Rather than make resolutions, I am choosing to focus on making new choices. For me it's not about being thinner or richer (not that either of those things are bad, mind you) this year. Instead, it's about being more aligned with me.

Of course while I was away from my daily life, it was easier for me to choose differently. I had more time on my hands (the tyranny of email sure is amazing -- and not in a good way); I had more mental space; I was out of my routine and my usual surroundings. Now that I'm back and plugged in again, it's a little more challenging not only to continue to make the right choices but to even grasp that choices exist. Habit and unconsciousness are provocative, that's for sure.

I'm happy to say that I'm still choosing right for me. In order to do that, I've had to let some things go (realizing that not everyone who pitches me regarding blog content doesn't need a response). Rather than thing of it as taking something away (in this instance, taking away time spent pouring through my inbox), I'm choosing to see it as adding something (more time to do what truly ignites me. Sorry email, but you just don't light me up.). Ironically, the more I add, the more simple life gets.

So far, I've simplified my eating (fewer choices for meals), my technology time (I've set time limits for how much time I spend at the computer), my work (I'm focusing only on the projects that delight and excite), my morning ritual (I've got my spiritual practice down to under 30 minutes), and my workouts (I've stopped trying to fit everything in to one day and worked out a schedule that includes all of the forms of physical fitness that I love -- yoga, Nia, rebounding, hiking, and dancing). So far, so good. Sure, tweaking is going to be necessary as time goes on, but I'm liking the changes thus far.

The biggest change for me so far is my meditation practice. I've upped the amount of time that I meditate each day. No more "I don't have time to sit" excuses. I sat all through my holiday time away and the simple act of sitting with myself each day gave me peace, clarity, and focus. No more irregular meditation for me, thank you very much.

So, what are you adding to your life to be who you want to be in 2011?

If you're looking to make some changes, here are a few things that can help:

Body

Want to develop a more regular yoga practice? Try adding 10 minutes of yoga to your day. Think you can't benefit from a mere 10 minutes of yoga a day? Try it and see for yourself. I highly recommend Mark Whitwell's 7 Minute Yoga Routine, which you can find on his iPromise app (yep, there IS an app for everything).If you want to deepen your asana practice by learning more about your body, check out Leslie Kaminoff's 9-month yoga anatomy course. The course, which starts in a few days, is offered online (so no travel expenses) in three trimesters (Breathing, The Spine, and The Articular Body). It is a bit of an investment but one that's worth while. Click here to learn more. If you want to be healthier, try adding more vegetables or green smoothies to your diet. The book, Green for Life, is what jumpstarted my interest in green drinks. If you want to burn fat more efficiently (and still have plenty of time to fit a yoga practice into your day), try adding 20 minutes of high intensity interval training into your routine 3 days/week. 

Mind

Want more peace, focus, and a sense of well-being and less reactivity? Try adding 10-15 minutes of meditation (start with 10 minutes and then work your way up to 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening). Don't get caught up in posture or a technique. Simply sit with yourself and notice what comes up. Meditation doesn't have to be a complex undertaking.Looking for ways to rewire your brain? The book, Buddha's Brain, offers up some excellent exercises to help you change your brain's natural tendencies and maintain a sense of peace in our chaotic world. The book is an easy read (you don't have to be a neuroscience major to read it) and is filled with helpful exercises to start you down the Buddha path in minutes a day.If you want to clear your head, add this wonderful 10-minute brain balancing Kundalini set to your day. It's easy to do and it is perfect for clearing up brain fog. I love to use this when I get the blahs in the late afternoon or to clear my head before starting a new project.

And in the Body, Mind, and Spirit Category...

The folks over at MyYogaOnline.com are kicking off the new year with a variety of Whole Health Programs, which are free to members through April 1. The programs include Sleep Well, Be Well; De-Stress Express; Energy Boost; Get Lean, Get Healthy; Get Focused; and Yoga for the Beginner. Each Whole Health Program is composed of eight stages delivered via email, on the user’s chosen schedule, featuring top tips, online videos, and articles on the program’s focus written by health and wellness experts. Click here for more information. 

Have fun adding to your life and making the best choices for you!

Namaste!

January 05, 2011 | Permalink

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