Graphic gleaned from http://www.yoga-manchester.co.uk/2016/03/10/pride-in-the-name-of-yoga-by-vicken-couligian/. Happy Pride San Diego! Equality!
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Be Proud of Yourself
Graphic gleaned from http://www.yoga-manchester.co.uk/2016/03/10/pride-in-the-name-of-yoga-by-vicken-couligian/. Happy Pride San Diego! Equality!
Saturday, May 27, 2017
Playlists
I tend to play a weird (wide) variety of music in my classes and get queries all the time about the artists. So, here are some of the ones that have inspired the most questions.
The nature sounds with piano music (has those wolves and crickets every mentions) is New Age music from Tony Braasch, the album is "Moonlit Night."
The instrumental Broadway music is from The O'Neill Brothers Group, album "Instrumental Songs from Wicked, Les Miserables & Other Broadway Hits."
Another instrumental favorite is the artist Vargo, album "Beauty."
I'm also big on DJ Drez, Donna Delory, Wah!, Snatum Kaur and Jai Uttal.
| Song Title | Artist | Album |
| "1234" | Feist | |
| Animal Party | Karen K And The Jitterbugs | Big Ol' Truck |
| Bumblebee (Buzz Buzz) | The Laurie Berkner Band | Buzz Buzz |
| Catch The Moon | Elizabeth Mitchell and Lisa Loeb | For The Kids Too |
| Celebrate Love in Your Family | Beebo | Bunch of Songs |
| Doodlebugs | The Laurie Berkner Band | Whaddaya Think of That? |
| Fast and Slow (The Rabbit and the Turtle) | The Laurie Berkner Band | Rocketship Run |
| Fly Me to the Moon | The Laurie Berkner Band | Rocketship Run |
| Here Comes the Sun | The Beatles | |
| Joy to the World (Edit) | Three Dog Night | The Best of Three Dog Night |
| Jump and Fly | The Laurie Berkner Band | Rocketship Run |
| My Family | The Laurie Berkner Band | My Family - Single |
| Peace Like A River | Elizabeth Mitchell | You Are My Little Bird |
| Put Your Pj's On | Neshama Carlebach | Every Little Soul Must Shine |
| Say Hey (I Love You) [feat. Cherine Anderson] | Michael Franti and Spearhead | All Rebel Rockers |
| The Goldfish | The Laurie Berkner Band | Victor Vito |
| The Rainbow Connection | Jason Mraz | For The Kids Too |
| The Sun Shines On Everyone | Snatam Kaur | Feeling Good Today! |
| Victor Vito | The Laurie Berkner Band | Victor Vito |
| We Are the Dinosaurs | The Laurie Berkner Band | Whaddaya Think of That? |
| Wimoweh (The Lion Sleeps Tonight) | The Laurie Berkner Band | Whaddaya Think of That? |
| Yoga Makes Me Happy | Karma Kids Yoga | Come Play Yoga! |
| The Rainbow Connection | Sarah McLachlan | Gather Round:Songs For Kids And Other Folks |
| With a Little Help from My Friend | Sgt. Pepper's Little Kids Club Band | Kids Sing the Beatles |
| The Sun Shines On Everyone | Snatam Kaur | Feeling Good Today! |
| Big Ol' Truck | Karen K And The Jitterbugs | Big Ol' Truck |
| (I Woke Up in A) Fire Truck | Karen K And The Jitterbugs | Big Ol' Truck |
| Bigger Than the World | Karen K And The Jitterbugs | Big Ol' Truck |
| Joy to the World (Edit) | Three Dog Night | The Best of Three Dog Night |
Adult Classes
The "Yoga Church" instrumental music with the ocean sounds between songs are all from the recording group "Dollar Tree - Body & Soul II" and the albums are "Inner Peace" and "Spiritual Relaxation."The nature sounds with piano music (has those wolves and crickets every mentions) is New Age music from Tony Braasch, the album is "Moonlit Night."
The instrumental Broadway music is from The O'Neill Brothers Group, album "Instrumental Songs from Wicked, Les Miserables & Other Broadway Hits."
Another instrumental favorite is the artist Vargo, album "Beauty."
I'm also big on DJ Drez, Donna Delory, Wah!, Snatum Kaur and Jai Uttal.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Yoga Mat Reviews by Reviews.com
Received a nice communique via the interwebs the other day asking if I'd be so kind as to link to their comprehensive (well, 50-odd mat sampling) review of yoga mats. How could I not oblige? So please, click through and check out the top 10 of the 50 most popular mats, that include links for purchase (how convenient).
You can buy cheap yoga mats at just about any place these days, even your local pharmacy or Target, but if you want lasting quality, minimal VOC (off-gassing), good grip, durability, and if weight (or color or texture or material) is a concern, it helps to have a really good guide. Especially when prices go from the sublime ($12) to the ridiculous ($150 for custom paint jobs).
http://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/
For more on yoga mats, search this blog for "yoga mat reviews."
You can buy cheap yoga mats at just about any place these days, even your local pharmacy or Target, but if you want lasting quality, minimal VOC (off-gassing), good grip, durability, and if weight (or color or texture or material) is a concern, it helps to have a really good guide. Especially when prices go from the sublime ($12) to the ridiculous ($150 for custom paint jobs).
They saw my comments about the Manduka yoga back in 2012, and thought I might want to share a broader based reviews."I work for a small research team (Reviews.com), and we recently conducted an unbiased review of yoga mats, and Manduka came out as one of our top picks too! Anyways, I figured because you mentioned that specific yoga mat, you might be interested in seeing our full guide. We put in over 50 hours of research, surveyed over 100 yoga professionals, and consulted with "Boston's 2014 Best Yoga Instructor" to bring you the best!" NOTE: Their pages has been updated as of August 22, 2019!
http://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/
For more on yoga mats, search this blog for "yoga mat reviews."
Monday, April 3, 2017
Tennis Balls for Tight Muscles - self massage techniques from Yoga International
(copied from THIS link )
Imagine you have a friend small enough to fit in your purse or briefcase who will give you nightly massages, easing stress, fatigue, and muscle tension all for a onetime cost of about $3. Think yellow. Think tennis balls.
The procedure is simple: place a tennis ball on a part of the body that is sore or tight and rest your weight on it. The pressure softens tight muscles and increases circulation. Dancers have long used tennis ball self-massage to work out their kinked-up muscles, and body workers frequently prescribe the practice for clients healing from chronic injuries. Asana practitioners searching for ways to increase flexibility and comfort in their bodies are beginning to get on the ball, too.
Self-massage with tennis balls is greatly enhanced by stretching, which further increases circulation and reeducates the muscles to rest at a longer length. Combining asana with self-massage is particularly useful for those of us who have muscles that for various reasons—injury, overuse, or years of inactivity—resist stretching. Here are some tips for using tennis ball therapy to unlock the gluteals, lengthen the hamstrings and adductors, and restore balance to the muscles along the spine.
We’ll start with a simple technique so you can get a feel for how this works before going on to more complex applications. Lie in savasana and place the tennis ball in the center of the fleshiest part of the left buttock. The pressure may be painful, but if it feels like good pain and you can relax in it, stay there for a few breaths. (If you find you are contracting muscles in defense against the pain, move the tennis ball around to find a spot that is less painful, or practice on a padded surface, which will reduce the pressure.) Relax and breathe. Imagine the breath circulating around the pressure and visualize the muscle softening over the ball. After a minute or so, remove the ball. Before repeating the process on the right side, notice how the left buttock feels flatter than the right and softens more easily into the floor.
(click HERE to read the rest of the article!)
Imagine you have a friend small enough to fit in your purse or briefcase who will give you nightly massages, easing stress, fatigue, and muscle tension all for a onetime cost of about $3. Think yellow. Think tennis balls.
The procedure is simple: place a tennis ball on a part of the body that is sore or tight and rest your weight on it. The pressure softens tight muscles and increases circulation. Dancers have long used tennis ball self-massage to work out their kinked-up muscles, and body workers frequently prescribe the practice for clients healing from chronic injuries. Asana practitioners searching for ways to increase flexibility and comfort in their bodies are beginning to get on the ball, too.
Self-massage with tennis balls is greatly enhanced by stretching, which further increases circulation and reeducates the muscles to rest at a longer length. Combining asana with self-massage is particularly useful for those of us who have muscles that for various reasons—injury, overuse, or years of inactivity—resist stretching. Here are some tips for using tennis ball therapy to unlock the gluteals, lengthen the hamstrings and adductors, and restore balance to the muscles along the spine.
We’ll start with a simple technique so you can get a feel for how this works before going on to more complex applications. Lie in savasana and place the tennis ball in the center of the fleshiest part of the left buttock. The pressure may be painful, but if it feels like good pain and you can relax in it, stay there for a few breaths. (If you find you are contracting muscles in defense against the pain, move the tennis ball around to find a spot that is less painful, or practice on a padded surface, which will reduce the pressure.) Relax and breathe. Imagine the breath circulating around the pressure and visualize the muscle softening over the ball. After a minute or so, remove the ball. Before repeating the process on the right side, notice how the left buttock feels flatter than the right and softens more easily into the floor.
(click HERE to read the rest of the article!)
Monday, March 6, 2017
Belt Yourself - Working the Psoas (SEW-az) - Your Knee in Triangle Pose
1) A few tips on how to best use a yoga strap (aka, belt).
http://www.bodywindow.com/yoga-strap.html
2) A little bit here on how to release that deep hip flexor (that one that lets you lift your leg in front of you when walking, climbing stairs, or even helping to hold you upright) that can give you back pain if it's too tight:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/release-tension-in-the-psoas
3) And how to get your legs and upper body and arms active in Triangle Pose so you never lean toward the ground, but always lift up (and avoid knee problems as well).
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/why-its-so-easy-to-hyperextend-your-front-knee-in-triangle-pose-and-ho
2) A little bit here on how to release that deep hip flexor (that one that lets you lift your leg in front of you when walking, climbing stairs, or even helping to hold you upright) that can give you back pain if it's too tight:
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/release-tension-in-the-psoas
3) And how to get your legs and upper body and arms active in Triangle Pose so you never lean toward the ground, but always lift up (and avoid knee problems as well).
https://yogainternational.com/article/view/why-its-so-easy-to-hyperextend-your-front-knee-in-triangle-pose-and-ho
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