No comment necessary…
Babies are such natural yogis! I have just ordered the Itsy Bitsy Yoga book for babies, and I’m really excited to try it out. But do babies really need a book to do yoga? Seems like they already know everything there is to know!
Lately a few friends have asked me where to find a good yoga class if you’ve never done yoga before. I LOVE questions like these! I’m always excited when people are interested in yoga, especially newbies. Is this how missionaries feel when they find someone willing to listen?
If you’re new to yoga it’s really important to look for a good intro series with an instructor who is experienced in teaching beginners. An intro series lets you discover the practice at a slow pace in a fun and supportive setting, where the person next to you is not powering through his or her 50th Chaturanga. And committing to a series of classes forces you to go back even if you feel confused after your first class. It can take some time to get the hang of it 
(You want me to put my foot where? While focusing on my breath? Huh?)
There’s a great 6-week Introduction to Yoga series coming up at Yogalife if you’re here in Seattle:
Sunday Feb 21st 4:00-5:15pm
More info on the Yogalife website.
I made a second attempt at a power yoga class at Haute Yoga today, wanting to test my theory that power yoga in a hot room can be a migraine trigger. Today was the last day of my two week introductory pass, so I’ve obviously not been too keen on testing this theory…
I made it to the studio just a few minutes before class, and the room was packed. And really hot. And it already smelled like sweat. I felt like I was going to the dentist.
So I bailed.
I literally ran across the street to Yogalife, remembering that they have a class at the same time. Natalie led a one hour Ashtanga-inspired vinyasa class, and I loved every second of it. I left feeling calm and energized, and I decided that if I don’t test this hot power yoga migraine theory, it’s okay
(Note: I have nothing against Haute Yoga, it’s just not for me. Their studio is really nice, and if hot yoga is your thing you’ll love it!)
I’ve been on an oatmeal kick this winter, usually mixing in flax seeds and canned pumpkin. It’s been hard to find canned pumpkin this side of Christmas, so I needed to find something new to add to my oatmeal. Recently I feel like I’ve been reading about chia seeds and goji berries everywhere, so I decided to give them a try.
I love the chia seeds! They make the oatmeal nice and creamy, and taste kind of nutty. The goji berries add an interesting flavor, but mainly I just love the color. Just from looking at them you know they are healthy!
Goji berries
What’s now generally called the goji berry is actually the wolfberry, Lycium barbarum L., a tart, reddish-orange fruit grown in central China (not, it appears, the Himalayas) for more than 2,000 years. It has exceptional nutrient density, and is especially rich in carotenoids including beta-carotene and lycopene. (from Dr. Weil)
Chia seeds
Chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, even more so than flax seeds. And it has another advantage over flax: chia is so rich in antioxidants that the seeds don’t deteriorate and can be stored for long periods without becoming rancid. And, unlike flax, they do not have to be ground to make their nutrients available to the body. Chia seeds also provide fiber (25 grams give you 6.9 grams of fiber) as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc. (from Dr. Weil)
Last week I decided to check out a new (well, newish) yoga studio in Seattle, Haute Yoga on Queen Anne. They offer hot yoga and power yoga classes, and despite the groan-inducing name and Lululemon profile they have a good list of teachers.
When I got there the staff at the front desk were friendly, and as expected I had to sign a waiver that it wouldn’t be their fault if I injured myself on the premises. What surprised me was that no one asked if I had ever done yoga before. Is that not important in these more exercise-focused studios?
The studio is nice and clean with a view of a small back garden, and even if I went for a class listed as power yoga the room was really hot. I know lots of people like to sweat and feel that they are getting a good workout, but I just don’t get it. I much prefer to generate heat through the practice. The class was as expected more workout than yoga, including rap music and instructions to “pick up the pace, people!” I left feeling more worn out than calmed down, and the next day I got a head-splitting migraine. Coincidence?
I have a theory that power yoga/hot yoga aggravate the nervous system, while a more breath-focused practice triggers the relaxation response. For migraine sufferers the hot room might also lead to blood vessels in the head and neck expanding, another link to migraines. A regular yoga practice has helped eliminate most migraines for me, so I find it surprising that a yoga class can actually trigger an attack. Has anyone else had this experience? I’m planning on going back to Haute Yoga to test my theory. Not that I want a migraine, but I’m really curious if there is a connection.
To cheer me up after the migraine: I just found out that I’ve been included in the list Top Health and Wellness Blogs to Watch in 2010 by the Medical Assistants site! Thanks for adding me to this great list of health blogs
I was just looking through my RSS subscriptions, and realized I don’t have that many yoga blogs in my list. Lots of great fitness/health blogs, but it’s been a while since I’ve come across any new and interesting yoga blogs. I would love to discover a few new voices, so if you write a yoga blog or follow a few interesting ones, please send links my way!
Jenna at Simply, Naturally, Homegrown sent me an email asking about tips for choosing a yoga teacher training. She writes:
I’m trying to find a yoga teacher training right now and am so overwhelmed by the process! I want to do a month long intensive and came across your experience when doing some research and was hoping you could shed some light on the whole process. I’m looking for a training that will offer me a great foundation since it is my first training but also love the spirituality and messages of Jivamukti. The Jivamukti teacher training is a little intimidating to me for a first training but if you have any advice on any programs that mix alignment with spirituality or any advice on the process in general I would greatly appreciate it!
Thanks for the question, Jenna! I had a hard time as well deciding on a teacher training. I wanted a program that would enhance my own practice and allow me to study yoga in-depth, but that was also technical enough to give me a foundation for teaching yoga safely. I’m still not sure if teaching is right for me, but I learned a lot at the training that I use in my practice. And it was a lot of fun!
If you like the Jivamukti mix of alignment and spirituality, but for some reason (location, cost, experience, etc.) isn’t able to do their training, I would say select a program that is more technical than philosophical. If you learn a foundation of alignment, adjustments, sequencing, and anatomy you can add philosophy and other elements of Jivamukti from books and your own practice. I was really happy with the YogaWorks training, which focused on the practical aspects more than the philosophy. But this is highly individual, so my main advice would be to really think about what you want. Some questions to consider:
Finally I would say don’t worry about not having enough experience to do a training. A 200-hour training is supposed to be a foundation to build upon, and you are there to learn!
I wasn’t inspired to continue Dave Farmar’s podcast today, so I decided to do the 15 minute Ashtanga short form from David Swenson’s Ashtanga Yoga practice book. (This usually takes me about half an hour…) I switched some of the suggested poses: after the Suryas I did Trik, Parsva, and Prasarita C, followed by Marichy A, Navasana, Halasana, shoulderstand, Matsyasana, a simple twist, happy baby, and finally Savasana. I also skipped the vinyasas between the seated poses.
Now, I’m pretty sure this sequence had nothing to do with Ashtanga, other than being inspired by Swenson’s short forms. You Ashtangis out there, how orthodox are you when it comes to practicing the Primary Series in sequence? Do you always practice Primary in sequence, or do you sometimes play around with both length and form?
My home practice is usually limited to about half an hour. If I feel like doing an Ashtanga inspired practice, what should I do?
One of the blogs I love and read regularly is Eat, Live, Run, and in today’s post Jenna mentioned Dave Farmar’s yoga podcasts. Since I wouldn’t be able to make it to a class today I decided to give Farmar’s podcast a try. I’m usually not a big fan of DVDs or podcasts for my home practice, I find it too distracting to keep looking at a screen or playing with the iPod. Today, though, was one of those days I needed a little direction, or my practice would most likely have been 10 minutes of savasana.
I downloaded the most recent podcast, a “105-minute Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga class for intermediates.” I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do more than the first half an hour, but I thought I’d check it out. I really liked the detailed instructions, avoiding the rush I usually experience in Baptiste classes. (Side note: Why is it that every time I try to go for a Baptiste class the breath count is twice as fast as mine? Unless you’re panting there’s no way to link breath to movement. Anyway, I was happy to find that I didn’t have this problem with Farmar’s podcast class.)
After about 25 minutes of the podcast I did a few final poses on my own to end my practice (navasana, spinal rocking, an easy twist, happy baby, savasana). Podcast to be continued tomorrow!
Wishing a healthy happy new year to everyone!
The beginning of a new year always feels like a fresh start, even if I usually don’t make any new year’s resolutions. I want to use this January to recommit to my yoga practice and try to get on the mat every day. December was not a good month for me health-wise, with a bad cold, migraines and almost no yoga. I know yoga will make me feel better and kick-start my immune system, but it’s when I need it the most it’s the hardest to practice.
To help me get motivated and find inspiration, I have started posting and reading on WoYoPracMo. I have practiced every day in January so far, so I’m off to a good start!
Eating well is a big part of feeling healthy and keeping winter colds at bay. This morning I had a big bowl of cinnamon pumpkin oatmeal (1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1 tsp cinnamon), and of course lots of chai
