Yesterday I went to a yoga flow class that was a little different. The first half of the class was business as usual with warm-ups followed by a few rounds of Surya A and B. For the second half the pace was slowed down and we worked on only a handful of poses, holding each [...]
I have started dabbling in the Ashtanga Primary Series. I wish I could say “I have started practicing the Primary Series,” but that wouldn’t accurately describe my humble attempts. I’m trying to keep a beginner’s mind… I have Richard Freeman’s Ashtanga Yoga: The Primary Series DVD (impressive, but not very helpful) and David Swenson’s Ashtanga [...]
I have a terrible track record with yoga mats. My Jade Harmony mat is shedding green rubber all over my clothes and the floor, leaving a trail every time I practice. I have only had this mat since June, and I was really hoping that the natural rubber would last a little longer than thinner [...]
I’ve been doing a little research on Ashtanga lately. I have taken Ashtanga-inspired yoga classes before, but never ventured into Primary Series territory. Then recently I found myself browsing around the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute site, Ashtangi.net and Ashtanga.com, and I even ordered a primary series DVD with Richard Freeman. I guess you can say that I’m [...]
Being an occasional insomniac I’m always on the lookout for good advice for sleepless nights. You can increase your chances of a good night’s sleep by doing a short restorative yoga practice just before bedtime. One of the main causes of insomnia is stress and an over-active mind, and yoga triggers the relaxation response in the [...]
Think you’re too old for yoga? Then read this inspiring story about 87 year old Ann Husch, who practices yoga every day and teaches three yoga classes a week: From the St. Louis Post: At 87, no worries: Yoga helps keep her going What an amazing woman! In the article Ann shares her philosophy about yoga: “With [...]
I think it must be a sign that I’ve been studying too much lately, but I found this new asana mentioned in the blog Samadhi & the City really, really funny. From the post New York: Beating the Heat with Bikram? by Valerie Reiss: “I thought it could be a good way to jumpstart my [...]
In yoga, complementary actions are essentially actions that do the same thing. For example, in downward-facing dog externally rotating the upper arms and aligning the wrist creases with the front of your mat have the same effect on the arms. Complementary actions work towards the same direction, or towards the same result in the body. [...]
This is really cool, I found a whole network of yogis! WoYoPracMo is an inspirational and supportive yoga community that was started January 1, 2008, challenging yogis to practice every day for the month of January. (Hence the name World Yoga Practice Month.) But when January was up they all liked the community so much they decided to continue. If you’re interested, check [...]
Do you take your kids to the library for books and story time? Now it looks like you can come for yoga classes too. The Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich, Illinois, has started a Yoga for Preschoolers class, running every Thursday morning in May. The Lake Zurich Courier reports that the kids love [...]
