And the Winner Is...

Congratulations to Rachel at Alive in the Fire! You Win a pair of pants and a tank from Champion!

Rachel said: If yoga pants gave me super powers: "My superpower would be to respond to difficult situations with gratitude (a truly yogic perspective)."

Thanks to all who entered.

Today is the final day of National Yoga Month and the last day of the 30 Day Yoga Challenge. If you've been following along since day one - Congratulations on reaching your 30 Days of home practice! If you started later than that - just keep going and send a shout out when you finish.

 Let me know how the challenge affected your life. If you feel that it didn't and it was a waste of time - tell me that too!

Now get your Yoga on.

Tender Thoughts

Today is the last day to enter to win pants and a tank from the Champion Shape line.

Winner announced tomorrow morning.

30 Day Challenge - Zombies Welcome

This video is advertising a different 30 Day Yoga Challenge than mine...check it out. It's exactly what I was going for with my challenge.

Yoga Outreach - Zombies from Spy Films on Vimeo.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Start a Revolution

"So the first step is to stop, notice, and appreciate what is happening. Even if this is all we do, it’s revolutionary." - Pema Chodron

♥ Anusara Yoga Class with Marie Lumholtz ♥

Each week I've been posting a new video for the 30 day challenge. Since this is the last week of the challenge - this is the last video. I've stepped up the length of class again - it's like 1.5 hours long. It's a full Anusara class with Marie Lumholtz... yay! Because it's Youtube, it may take a while to buffer through the whole thing. So I suggest you let it buffer while you do something else and come back to it later... unless of course you actually have great internet... then disregard this whole chit chat about the buffering.

Finish the 30 days off strong and you will sail right into a daily practice that lasts a lifetime.

These videos are all being added to the original 30 Day Yoga Challenge page, so if you've marked that post then you'll easily have access to all videos.

If you are just hearing about the challenge: You can begin at anytime, so start today!

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Calvin and Hobbes on Infinity

Asana Here and Now

For my 30 Day Yoga Challengers I have a little bonus sequence for you to check out. It comes straight out of Ram Dass' book, Remember: Be Here Now. I was surprised to find this little sequence. I'm really just posting it for you to look at. I liked the wavy little line used to direct the order in which to do them. It begins and ends in savasana, so if you're a big fan of this pose, maybe you could try book-ending your sequences like this.

Also - it's a really interesting book. If you're not put off by a lot of talk about LSD. National Yoga Month is a great time to try new sequences or read some classic yogi texts such as this one.

If you haven't joined the 30 Day Yoga Challenge - Start Now!

Then Enter the Giveaway to win some new yoga clothes!

Champion Shape Review & Giveaway

Last week I received an awesome little package at my door. It was an outfit from the new Champion Shape line to review. All black pants and tank top with smoothing shaping control panels and sweat-wicking materials. As you know I was in the middle of a slow-down detox week so I waited until the weekend to try them out. That way I could put this outfit through the ringer of a full 2-3 hour yoga practice. These pants and tank would go forward, backward, upside down, get twisted in, and sweated through. Luckily, they passed the test, and there's a giveaway too.

I'll start from the top.
As other reviews have mentioned - because it is a shape-smoothing tank it is slightly stiff and difficult to get on/off. Adam actually had to be called in to get it off, but I have multiple shirts from various athletic brands that require this. My shoulders and chest are just large enough that it's a common issue for me. Therefore I don't consider this a dealbreaker. It still fit well and did not leave red painful chafe marks (something I consider far more important). Another plus, was coverage confidence. Big busted women everywhere know that many tanks leave you feeling like you're going to fall out at any time. This was never a problem; even upside down.

 While the pants also have control panels in them I never found them stiff or uncomfortable in any way. I tend to have a problem with pants being too tight on my thighs, and these pants did not squeeze me the wrong way. They were totally comfortable. Adam also pointed out that there is a very flattering seam-line that runs along the butt of these pants. It makes your butt look rounder if you tend towards flatness.

 

Overall:
At $40 for the top, and $50 for the pants, they are highly affordable in the yoga clothes world. The sweat-wicking worked great - I never felt soggy or gross. As you can see by the pics, all that control clearly did not impede movement or range of motion in any way. Not too shabby.

The Champion Shape Giveaway!

I was so pleased with the set I tried out, that I asked for a set for one of my readers, so we can finish off National Yoga Month with a bang.

One of you is getting free Champion Shape pants and a tank!

Who can enter: Anyone

When: Giveaway Ends Sept 29th at Midnight

(winner announced sept 30th by random number generator)

How to Enter:

(Mandatory) First Entry: Leave a comment on this post telling me: "If yoga pants gave you super powers - What would yours be?" (1 entry)

(Optional) Extra Credit Entries:

leave a separate comment (or 2 where allowed) here for each one that you do.

Become a Follower of my Blog - 1 entry

Follow my twitter - 1 entry

Tweet about the giveaway - 1 entry per day

Blog about it - 2 entries

Facebook it - 2 entries

That's up to 8 entries/comments on day one and 1 more entry daily for tweeting.
Yowza that's a lot of entries!

Make sure there's a way for me to contact you in your comments, or I'll have to give your prize to the cat.

Yoga Warrior

"Kill therefore with the sword of wisdom the doubt born of ignorance that lies in thy heart. Be one in self-harmony, in Yoga, and arise, great warrior, arise." - Bhagavad Gita

Photo Source: Reverse Warrior from  j / f / photos Flickr page.

Week 3 Practice Video - 30 Day Yoga Challenge

Today marks the beginning of the 3rd week of the 30 Day Yoga Challenge (for National Yoga Month). If you've been following along then you know I've been digging up a new video each week you can practice with to keep things fresh and interesting. The first couple weeks I featured yoga practices for absolute beginners that were about 20-30 minutes in length. This week I'm bumping it up to an All Levels Vinyasa Flow class with Ally Hamilton that is just shy of One Hour long.

All levels means that it is suitable for beginner, intermediate, or advanced students. There's something for everyone here. However, since it's a flow class it helps to be at least vaguely familiar with some basics. If you've been practicing with the earlier videos posted here you'll be prepared. If this is your first class ever - you'll still be ok. You'll just have to look at the screen more often to know what the heck they're doing all the time.

I really like this sequence and the fact that this video includes a guided savasana instead of dropping you off to do it yourself. Lovely full instruction and a great Ganesha painting made this video my top pick for this week. Enjoy!

One Hour Vinyasa Flow - All Level - with Ally Hamilton from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

These videos are all being added to the original 30 Day Yoga Challenge page, so if you've marked that post then you'll easily have access to all videos.

If you are just hearing about the challenge: You can begin at anytime, so start today!

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Halfway There - Challenge Update

Now that we're halfway through the 30 day challenge, it's a good time to check in. With each other and with ourselves. How's your practice coming along? What are some obstacles you've encountered and what are you doing about them? Feeling any different? Are you doing it alone or with support? Are you enjoying it? If you're not having any fun - you may be too serious. Now lighten up and do something silly. Sometimes a buddy and some partnered balance poses are all you need to associate yoga with giggle fits.

My home practice right now is:
I'm doing the detox this week so its very small. The practices YJ provides are like 30 minutes long, which is a huge drop back from my usual 2-3 hour thing. I think it's good for me though. As someone with a dominant vata dosha I tend to be on overdrive as much as possible. I need to sometimes focus on doing less and doing it slower. This week is definitely accomplishing that. I'm still doing my hour long morning session, but to have such calm afternoons is sweet.

My favorite part may be the self-abhyanga that I've been doing daily as part of my slow-down detox. It truly makes me feel luxurious and clean and pampered. What is abhyanga you ask? It's a self-massage with warm organic sesame oil that is done pre-shower. I coat myself in warm oil literally from head to toe - then I sit and meditate to let it soak in. Then I shower. Try it! Quality instructions here.

Other things I've been doing as part of my practice and detox week: Reading books all day long, going to bed earlier, getting up earlier (like when it's still dark), and abstaining from killing things. This sounds like a no-brainer, but I didn't realize how hard it is to NOT kill spiders and flies. I accidentally killed a mosquito Tuesday night.

Awakening with Yoga

"To the disciples, Yogananda often said, “Be patient in your yoga practice. A plant won’t grow the moment you plant the seed. ‘Make haste slowly,’ as the saying goes. It may take time to achieve the results you long for, but the more you practice, the more you will see your life changing. “The day will dawn at last when you won’t even recognize yourself as the person you were." - “The Essence of Self-Realization: The Wisdom of Paramhansa Yogananda”

Something to keep in mind as you practice, but especially if you are just starting.

Yes, this is my dog.

On the Popularity of Kitchari

I've always heard good things about kitchari. Always. Good Things. Everyone always sounds so enthusiastic. I was optimistically curious about it for this 7 day detox. Made some yesterday: I did my best - it's fairly simple and I've made much more complicated foods.

I didn't care for it. Neither did Adam. It came out just tasting like cumin rice. Tried adding the cilantro chutney they recommended for flavor - and I didn't have faith to begin with because I hate cilantro so I only used a tiny amount. Anyway, it was something I would have to choke down plain. It was just gross with chutney. Instead I went to IHOP... man I suck at that. The strawberry pancakes were good though. Good thing I wasn't really intending to do the whole detox plan and eat kitchari for three meals a day. Then I'd really be a failure. I don't need detox guilt.

The dog however, was very excited about the kitchari. He loved the smell of it while it was cooking and he did tricks without being asked to for a tiny chihuahua sized taste of it... and he gobbled it up. Loved it. Well... the dog is better at detoxing than I am.  Ha! Maybe I just suck at making kitchari. I'll definitely be trying again in the future.

I did accidentally make mung bean sprouts though.

7-Day Detox with Yoga Journal

Yoga Journal is having a 7-day fall detox program created by Ayurvedic consultant Scott Blossom. Anyone can join and I signed up, but I'm not really going to do the whole program. It's not one of those detox programs where you fast or live off juice for weeks. Instead it's one week of cleansing kitchari (a rice, beans, veggie mix), hot tea, lots of self care, yoga, and meditation.

However, I'm not really a detoxer. I don't do that kind of thing... but I do intend to slow down my days, follow the self care techniques such as abhyanga (daily self massage with oil), yoga classes, and meditations. I'm even going to try kitchari which is a cleansing but nourishing dish. I'm turning off my cell phone for the week and I'm essentially going to treat this week as a retreat at home.

The detox program has officially started today with daily emails going out to guide you through it with guided meditation and yoga sequences with awesome teachers like Sianna Sherman. It's all pretty spelled out for you, so it would be good for those that have never done a detox of any kind before. They even provide a shopping list (for recipe ingredients and the like) which is pretty helpful. However, the list is incomplete, so be careful with that.

Go Here for a basic breakdown of the plan and HERE to sign up. You can join at anytime, but if you want to slow down with me - start today!

Restorative Sequence with Samantha Mehra

When I started the 30 Day Challenge I posted a great video for beginners to get you started. Since we're starting the 2nd week of the challenge today I thought it was time for a 2nd video. If you've been doing the challenge but aren't used to doing yoga everyday you may be a little sore lately. If that's the case (and even if it's not), then you should totally do the practice in this new video. It's a restorative vinyasa sequence which just means that it's a soft quiet practice that may use props. In this case she does use 2 yoga blocks, but you can use blankets, towels, books, or whatever you have around as a substitute.

This sequence starts out with some pranayama, or breathing exercise, and even if you're weirded out by the whole thing you should give it a try. Nadi Shodhana is great for your energy and your sinuses. That's the breathing exercise she has you do - and it's my favorite one ever. Bonus that she has a great accent. Enjoy!

A Vinyasa of Restorative Poses with Samantha Mehra: TerraFlow Video 38 from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

This video is also being added on to the original 30 Day Yoga Challenge page, so if you've marked that post then you'll easily have access to both videos.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video.

Beginner's Week Re-Cycled

A lot of brand new yogis are taking part in the challenge, so I think this is a good time to revisit some posts I did last year. These are all for beginners. I cover everything from finding a teacher to what to wear and when to eat. I like to think they're helpful. Maybe you'll think so too.

Give it a Shot

I'm a Beginner - Help!

Building a Foundation

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Wear This - Not That

Beginning Yoga - For Men

If you haven't joined the 30 Day Challenge yet - no worries! Start at any time.

Hippies

I've posted this kind of sign before I think (because they really amuse me) but this weekend I actually came across one for sale in a little road-side shop. Naturally, I bought it. One day when I open my own studio this little piece of awesome from Beartown will be on my studio wall.

Noah Maze Collection - (Videos)

My apologies to the readers that don't watch the videos... but here's a whole set of videos I stumbled across sometime last week. They're all Noah Maze a couple years ago at an Intensive. In the videos he does various little yoga tricks and fancy moves (some of which I cannot imagine how to do). I've only gotten to attend one weekend of classes with him, but he is a great teacher and practitioner. From what I can tell - Noah Maze is a god. Just look at that magnificent bastard.

If that doesn't inspire you to Join the 30 Day Challenge to build a home practice, I don't know what will.

Readers via Email - Click Here to see the four videos.

Come as You are

"You may think that to try something new you need to be totally open hearted, or completely courageous, or superstrong and stretchy. But you can come as you are, bringing the very body you have today, with equal doses of skepticism and eagerness, right onto the mat with you." - Cyndi Lee

Join the 30 Day Yoga Challenge 
Skeptics Welcome.

30 Day Yoga Challenge

In case you haven't already heard - September is National Yoga Month!

Whether you're an absolute beginner who is curious about starting yoga, or you want to take your practice deeper with a regular home practice - There's no better time than the present.

I hereby challenge you, dear reader, to a 30 Day Yoga Challenge.

The challenge: Practice yoga at home every day for 30 days.
The details are completely up to you. You can use a DVD, online streaming classes, books, magazines, or a sequence you built yourself. Do whatever you want - because it's YOUR practice. Have music or not, do it alone or with friends, at night or in the morning, naked or fully clothed, indoors or out. I recommend you practice for a minimum of 20 minutes, but practice any length of time you're comfortable with.  Start the challenge at anytime - it doesn't have to be on the 1st. And if you miss a day or two - just pick up where you left off.

You'll feel better physically and emotionally, experience more mental clarity, and might even feel more upbeat. Practice every day for 30 days and see if it doesn't change your life.

Here's a video to get you started. It's maybe a 20 minute beginners' sequence. Do it every day and you'll see improvements in your asana and your attitude.

A Beginners' Sequence from BridgetLyonsYoga on Vimeo.

Here's the Restorative sequence video for Week 2. Toss this into the mix for balance. It uses 2 yoga blocks, but they can be substituted with pillows, blankets, towels, or whatever you have around.

A Vinyasa of Restorative Poses with Samantha Mehra: TerraFlow Video 38 from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

For Week 3, here's a full One Hour All Levels Vinyasa Flow class complete with savasana.
All Levels = Good for Anyone.

One Hour Vinyasa Flow - All Level - with Ally Hamilton from YogaEarth on Vimeo.

Week 4! The final video is a 1.5 hour Anusara Yoga Class with Marie Lumholtz. It's a little longer, but I think you'll love it.

Write me to tell me if you're accepting the challenge... and/or send me a pic of you doing yoga! I'll post any pics I receive (along with a link to any site you choose), but will only post stories with your explicit permission. Send stories and pics to karmafloats {at} hotmail {dot} com

Readers via Email - Click Here to see the Videos