3pm Pick Me Up

After an early morning, or a long afternoon it's normal to feel as though you need a cup of coffee to get you through the rest of your day and night.  Ditch the latte and instead try some yoga asana for energizing the body.  These asana can be done even if there is only a 5-10 minute break.  These non-strenuous back bends also have the ability to lift your mood.

Suggested Asana : Sphinx, Cobra, Fish

Hot Yoga Class

This morning I took my first Bikram yoga class and it was wonderful!!  I left feeling detoxified and lively.  The class was called Hot 26 and was very appropriately named.  The room is heated to 105F and the sequence is 26 asana  selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury.  The Hot 26 class that I took part in started off with an inspirational reading from the instructor and began and ended with two different breathing exercises.  I was sweating within the first five minutes, dripping after 15, and drenched within a half hour.  I am normally not someone who would do well in heat and was a little nervous to try the class because of it, to my surprise the heat was not overwhelming and the sweating didn't bother me.  The class I took was 90 minutes, and it is recommended that you attend on an empty stomach (try not to eat within 3 hours of class) and be fully hydrated.  You will need a towel for your yoga mat, and also a wash cloth will help in some asana where you will be holding onto your feet, legs, or parts of your body.  Clothing that people had on in class were sports tops, sports bras, tank tops, spandex yoga shorts, or yoga capris, the men had on bathing suit shorts or gym shorts and a tank top.  Yoga long pants and a shirt with sleeves may be uncomfortable for these hot classes.  Other things to bring with you are lots of water, a change of clothes for after class, and of course your mat.  Some of the asana or alignments in this style of yoga may be different then other styles of yoga you are used to, but don't get discouraged or frustrated- it is the diversity in yoga that has made it into the large and beautiful community it is today.  There will always be a yoga class for someone to enjoy whether it is a guided meditation, in a room set to 105F, or at a gym.  I hope this post helps anyone who is curious about hot yoga and encourages you to try it.  Jersey Shore Hot Yoga has a $25 unlimited week for new students and you can try out all different classes by them (it will pay for itself by the second class!).
Light & Love

Looking for some new yoga music???

When first venturing into teaching yoga classes one of the many things that was new for me was the music.  It seemed as if everyone but me had heard of Krishna Das, Stephen Halpern, Soulfood, and MC Yogi.  Without the help of my friend Nadja and the large quantity of CDs she burned for me I am sure I would still not know many of them.
While doing some research on yoga music I stumbled across a DJ known as DJ HyFi (Ian Hyman).  DJ HyFi is a DJ for Yoga Anonymous (yogaanonymous.org) and he incorporates his love for music with his love for yoga.  He travels all over to studios and festivals to share his gifts of music and yoga with others.
Music and sounds can be very powerful healing tools, whether incorporated into yoga or listened to alone.  They are found throughout different cultures and used along side medicine and other healing practices throughout history.  Nada Yoga is a Yoga of sound and different music and sound vibrations are used in the practice to balance the inner energy or essence of the body.  I have also personally attended meditations where the Chakra or crystal bowls are played to bring harmony and healing to body.
Besides all the healing aspects, sometimes it is just great to have new music to take you to your positive and uplifting place while practicing.  Six of DJ HyFi's 1 hour etracks can be found at the link below and are free to download.  The mixes include yoga artists along with other popular artists you love.  Some of the classes are excellent for an early morning practice when you first wake up and are getting your energy going and some are more relaxing then others (awesome for a gentle class).  Whichever one you choose-they all flow beautifully.  I do recommend that if you are a teacher and thinking of using a mix in your class to just make sure you listen to the whole track first (as depending on the mix) because some of them do include rap- which may not be what your looking for in a 50+ class...but could be just a thing for a teen practice!!

I hope you enjoy, I personally love the latest Summer 2011 and Tribal Electricity track.
http://yoganonymous.org/yoganonymix/

Light & Love