When I think of a yoga retreat my mind fills with visions of yoga classes on a beach, vegetarian meals, and daily massages in an exotic locale. But you don't have to go to an exotic place to have a yoga retreat--there are likely tons of studios close by. Go to a new one every day, take from as many different teachers as you can and instead of a pricey summer yoga retreat, you can have something more like a "yoga adventure."
In fact, the yoga adventure trip may be this summer's trend in the yoga community.
The writers of YoYoYogis (a blog at yoyoyogi.com) are spending their summer exploring 100 different yoga studio in 100 days. They're visiting studios from all over the West Coast, but Seattle to San Diego and blogging about their experiences along the way.
Meanwhile, the folks at YogaMates are trying out 50 studios in 50 days and will be tracking their progress through video blogs.
I wonder if anyone is taking a yoga adventure on the East Coast, then we'd have a nice well-rounded idea of the yoga scene across the country. Have you ever gone on a yoga adventure?
This September will mark the first official National Yoga Month designated by the Department of Health & Human Services. National Yoga Month was developed to raise awareness of yoga's health benefits and provide people with guidance and tools to improve their well-being.
Organizers are calling on the yoga community, particularly yoga teachers and studios, to help through hosting events and offering free classes and donation classes that help support the cause. See www.yogamonth.org for more information.
Deepening your practice doesn't always mean getting your body into a deeper asana. In fact, sometimes you'll get more out of sitting down with a book and deepening your knowledge of the practice.
But there are so many important yoga books filled with philosophy, history, anatomy, and spirituality that it can seem like an impossible task to just pick one up and start studying. For many yoga students, it's even more difficult to stay motivated to keep reading when the books get too esoteric or life gets in the way. If either of these scenarios for yoga study sounds like you, you might consider joining a yoga book club. Sometimes a little extra support from friends is all you need. You could get together a group of friends once a week to discuss the texts or write your thoughts through an online community group like the YJ Community Yoga Study Group.
Or you could read along with a new blog called the Namaste Book Club where you can now vote for the first book the club will read together. You can even follow the club leaders' tweets on Twitter for constant reminders (that you should get away from your computer and crack open a book, perhaps?)
Have any of you ever participated in a yoga book club? What are some books you think should be first on the list?
I'm not sure where it came from, but the idea that yoga teachers should never date yoga students seems to be prevalent in the yoga community. It was taught as ethics in my teacher training course a few years ago, and every once in a while you'll see a story about a forbidden yoga relationship. Take, for example, this story from SFGate.com.
Laura Camp, an Oakland, Calif. yoga teacher, describes meeting her now husband (a student in her class) like this: "I had rules about not dating students," she tells SFgate. "It was the first time in 15 years of teaching that I felt an 'uh-oh.'" Of course, the two are now an adorable married yoga couple.
When I read stories like this, I can't help but wonder: Why is there such a stigma around yoga teachers and students dating when both parties are consenting adults? If there are special circumstances that make this kind of relationship acceptable, what are they?
It's not uncommon for people in the yoga community to gather up the troops and host a yoga fundraiser for a worthy cause. There are donation-based classes that support charities for all kinds--yoga in schools, funding for homeless shelters and animal shelters--you name it!
So it should not surprising that on June 27 Seattle yogis will gather at Cal Anderson Park and Playfield to practice together in the name of equality, according to SeattlePI.com. The yoga class is part of a larger event, StonewallForty, which commemorates the 40th anniversary of Stonewall -- the 1969 confrontation that kicked off the nation's gay rights movement. Event organizers hope that 1,000 yogis will donate $15, Equal Rights Washington and Lambda Legal.
Would you participate in an event like this? Do you think it's a good idea for the yoga community to get involved with this controversial issue?
What do you normally get your dear ol' dad for Father's Day? A tie? Slippers?
It can be difficult to find the perfect present to show your dad how much you appreciate him. If your dad's a yoga practitioner, I have some gift ideas for you--something that signifies a bond you share.
Here are my humble suggestions for Father's Day gifts for the yogi dads.
If your dad is already a yoga practitioner, he probably has all the props he needs. So what could be a sweeter gift than a book that reminds him of your common bond? Consider My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste or Real Men Do Yoga by John Capouya.
Better yet, buy him a gift certificate to his local studio. (If you live near by go to his favorite class with him!)
Every yogi needs to soothe his or her aching muscles from time to time. Treat your dad to a massage. His back will thank you!
Does your Dad needs a little motivation to take his yoga to a deeper level? A daily meditation practice can have a profound affect on his practice--and his life! I like this meditation cushion from Prapatti because it's comfy for meditation and can also be used to give extra height for seated poses.
What did I leave out? Please share your gift ideals in the comment section below. Those of you who actually ARE yogi dads, help us out and tell us what you'd like to get. (For my dad, who is not a yogi, I might have to peruse a fishing blog.) :)
I realize the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here is not the kind of material you'd normally see on YJ's website. (And, I promise, this is the only time you'll see it on this blog.) However, I think this is a special circumstance. In a recent episode, Janice Dickinson, America's first super model turned reality TV star, shares that she is desperately seeking a natural laxative.
She tries papayas, prunes, espresso, and even a massage. At the end of the video fellow contestant Stephen Baldwin says, "I'm surprised she doesn't just have some yoga pose that makes it come flying right out." And so she turns to yoga.
Summer Solstice is just around the corner--the corner of Broadway and 7th Street. On June 21st, part of Times Square will become ginormous urban yoga studio as yoga students take their asana practice to the streets to celebrate the longest day of the year.
The event, hosted by the Times Square Alliance, will feature asana classes and yoga talks throughout the day. It is free to participants who registered early (though all sessions are now full).
Have any of you attended this event in the past? Were you able to tune out the city noises and focus on your breath?
Bikram Yoga founder Bikram Choudhury doesn't agree with the argument that yoga practitioners should live simple lives. "Where is it written that a yogi is not supposed to have a car or a diamond wrist watch?" he replied when a Boston Globe reporter asked how Choudhury felt about the controversy that surrounds his 35 Rolls-Royces and Bentleys.
Choudhury loves his cars. In the one short interview he said he studies cars when he needs a break from studying the human body and explained the use of heat in his yoga classes by likening the human body to a Ferrari. When the body is warm it can reach it's true potential, like a Ferrari driving on the highway with no other cars--or police officers--around.
If you've ever practiced Bikram Yoga (or another type of yoga in a heated room) do you notice a difference?
I recently caught with YJ contributor Jaimal Yogis to discuss his memoir about his experiences with surfing and Buddhism, Saltwater Yoga: A Surfers Quets to Find Zen on the Sea. A long-time yoga practitioner, Yogis (his real name--you'll have to read the book for details) offers a candid glimpse into his adventures as a surfer and spiritual seeker. Below, he talks about how it all relates to his yoga practice.
YJ:What inspired you to write your memoir?
Jaimal: My Zen practice, yoga, and surfing have always blended together for me. All three are tools that make me feel happy and whole. I'd never thought about writing a book about them, but one day during graduate school in New York I was having a terrible day--lots of stress--and I decided to sneak a meditation sit in between classes. It wasn't going well. I felt like I was drowning in negative waves, negative thoughts: "you're not going to get you deadlines in", "you should quit now", those kinds of things. I was able to pop out of the funk by pretending I was out surfing on a really bad day. My thoughts were just these ugly grizzly waves and none of them were really ridable so I had to let them pass. In other words, I decided I didn't want to ride (or identify with) these weird thoughts anymore. It worked. I wrote a short article about the experience for Shambhala Sun Magazine and before I knew it, tons of people were contacting me about the article. Wisdom Publications was one of those people and we worked out a book deal where I could just tell my spiritual surfing adventures, which was really fun. It just sort of happened on its own, which is how a Zen book should happen I suppose.
YJ: How does your book relate to yoga? Why do you think it would appeal to yoga practitioners?
Jaimal: On a fundamental level, I've never been one to separate yoga and Zen. As you know, Yoga means union. Zen is Japanese for "Dhyana"--a word often used in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras--which you could say is the type of concentration in which the mind is united with its object of concentration in such a way that union is all there is. So I don't think there's much division. I used the words "Zen" and "Buddha" because I was writing for a Buddhist publisher and I like those words a lot, but yoga (in sense of asana and more yogic styles of meditation) has been an equally huge part of my life--I've studied under just as many traditional yogis as traditional Buddhists--and the book could just as easily be called Saltwater Yogi: A Surfer's Quest to find Bliss on the Sea. These are just terms we use, but the essence of the search is the same. All paths return to the source, as many yogis have said. The Buddha was a yogi ... Anyway, you get the point. Surfing didn't exist in India at the time of the Buddha and Patanjali (the waves there aren't so great) but I think if it did, it might have been a style of yoga, a spiritual practice like it was for the ancient Hawaiians. A lot of yogis are starting to surf and vice-versa and they many of them seem to realize instantly that the two are very harmonious.
YJ: Are you planning to write more books in the future? Do you know what your next topic will be?
Jaimal: Funny, I just started my new book two days ago. It's a little secretive right now, but it's basically a book that poses the question: "What would life be like if you tossed out fear, threw caution to the wind, and just followed your deepest dreams?" Essentially, some musician, surfer, and yogi friends of mine are hopping in a van and traveling the globe, trying to live out the dreams we had when we were kids, the ones we'd discarded as too silly or unattainable. We just want to see what happens. I'm narrating the journey. I'm so excited about it I can hardly contain myself but that's all I can really say about it right now.
This video made me chuckle, so I decided to share it with you. It looks like it was produced to give It's Yoga in Utah some publicity for it's Teacher Training Program. Would a video like this make you consider signing on for a teacher training?
A study at West Virginia University found mindfulness training exercises such as yoga, controlled breathing, meditation, and tai chi can help people handle stressful situations, according to an article on CNN.com.
The study followed 103 participants, half of which were given written instructions on how to manage stress while the other half practiced mindfulness techniques. Lead investigator Kimberly Williams said they found those who received the mindfulness training "had significantly less daily hassles, psychological distress and significantly fewer medical symptoms" —like lower blood pressure and fewer aches and pains—than those who were handed a pamphlet.
The story doesn't say what was written on that pamphlet, but I think most yoga practitioners agree that yoga, pranayama, and meditation help manage stress. Do you agree?
In a lawsuit against Dahn Yoga, a yoga organization with locations across the U.S., 26 former Dahn members allege the organization subjects its members to "psychological manipulation".
Dahn Yoga issued this response to ABC15 in Arizona, who has been following the story since 2007:
"Dahn Yoga & Health Centers, Inc. and its affiliates appreciate the contributions of over 2000 employees and franchise holders worldwide. Their happiness and well being are key to our success. We have reviewed the lawsuit and consider its claims frivolous. We are confident that the truth will be revealed in court."
Watch the video below for more information, or visit the ABC15 website for the text version.
Summer traveling can be challenging for a yoga student. Hours cooped up in crowded airplanes, routine meditation and asana sessions disrupted by altered schedules, so far from your yoga studio.
Travelers have long been seeking out cozy Bed and Breakfasts for that home-away-from-home feel. Luckily for traveling yogis, a crop of B&Bs are beginning to offer yoga packages so you can feel at home in your surroundings and our get your practice in, too.
Here are a few that looked interesting:
Cranberry Manor Bed and Breakfast in Sandwich, Mass. offers a special yoga package for its patrons. Create your own in house yoga practice. Schedule 75 minute session with Maureen Hammett in a variety of yoga styles.
Highland Lake Inn in Ashville, NC wants its guests to have a place for inner reflection, healing, and spiritual awakening, too. So it offers a yoga program for all guests.
Organic Yoga B&B is an ecological resort near Akumal, Mexico, where you can have space and time to reconnect with yourself, and nature, in the magical Mayan jungle. Practice meditation or yoga alone, or in a private class led by the owner of this unique bed and breakfast.
Have any of you ever stayed in a B&B that offered yoga? What did you think?
Unless you've been living in a cave lately (a rent-free cave) you probably know we're in a recession. And unless you've been living in that cave AND on an incredibly long media fast, you know that people are cutting back on their expenses. It seems like I hear some economist tells me how to more effectively hoard my money every five seconds. However, the same economists seem to be stumped about why we yogis keep spending our money on pricey yoga classes and (gasp!) pricier yoga mats. It's as if they're saying, I know these yogis say yoga keeps them calm through the chaos, but what is the real, economic reason?"
A recent Time article cites polls, yoga studios, and yoga teachers to come to this sweeping conclusion:
"Yogis are yuppies. And if there's one thing yuppies do, it's copycat their brethren. So as more stressed-out young professionals flood the yoga studios and see other people with comfy Manduka mats supporting their glutes, they're bound to buy the pricey products too. Look at me: I've got a Manduka; I'm totally into yoga."
Does having a pricey yoga mat signify to others that you're in an elite club of serious yoga practitioners or does it simply give you a cushier place for your Downward-Facing Dog?
After a hiatus, in which I was blogging about the first-ever Yoga Journal Conference in New York City and visiting family, I'm back to blogging all of the buzz in the yoga community. (Did you miss me?)
First, I wanted to fill you in on a few fabulous yoga news stories you might have missed in my absence:
A Financial Times writer tries to heal himself with Anusara Yoga. He says he's a "bad yogi," but we know better. Read more here.
Plus-size yoga classes get some attention in the New York Times. Is it a great idea to have classes for this niche, or does it create an unnecessary divide? Read more here.
Vinnie Marino, the "unlikely Yoga King of Los Angeles" was also featured in NYT in a piece that included a fascinating glimpse into his classes. "More than a grueling workout, Mr. Marino's class is a community, maybe even a benign cult. Students go almost daily to keep fit, as well as for the social life. They bond at his retreats. Some have gotten married." Read more here. (You can also see Vinnie Marino on the YJ Web series, Ogden: The Inappropriate Yoga Guy.)
For more serious yoga news . . .
New York is following Michigan's lead and has begun asking studios with yoga teacher training programs to register as trade schools. Read more here.
Upon waking for the last day of the conference, we learned that Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, 93, has passed. The official announcement is posted here, and you can find up-to-the-minute memorial posts and reactions from students worldwide here via twitter.
What are some of your best memories with him? Please share them below in the comments field.
(This entry was written by Online Editorial Director Andrea Kowalski)
New York City, consider this your warning. Health food stores, now's the time to stock up. Yoga studios, you might want to hire an extra hand. Local New York yogis, sign up for your regular yoga classes early. Yoga students from far and wide will be descending on your city this weekend (some of us as early as Thursday) to attend the first annual Yoga Journal New York City Conference.
If you'd like to experience any of the fabulous teachers in the line up (Sharon Gannon, David Live, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Rodney Yee, Krishna Das--just to name a few) there's still time to register. If you're just in the mood for a sampling, check out our calendar of Special Events. Most are free and open to the public.
Finally, even if you won't be in NY, you can live vicariously through us by reading the NY Conference Blog and follow my tweets on Twitter.com: @Yoga_Journal
For many yoga students music is goes hand in hand with their asana practice. It's often the music that sets the tone for an active class or helps to quiet a monkey mind during Savasana. So when I first heard about the Wanderlust Festival--a festival that combines yoga and music--my first reaction was "It's about time!"
The first ever Wanderlust Festival, which features artists such Michael Franti and Andrew Bird and renowned yoga teachers such as John Friend and Shiva Rea, will take place July 24-26 festival at Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe, California. Pre-sale tickets are available now, starting at $152.50 each.
Gather your girls, a few pink feather boas, and a gaudy beauty pageant sash that says "Bachelorette!" It's wedding season—and with that comes the rehearsal dinner, the bridal shower, the next-day brunch, and of course the infamous bachelor/bachelorette party. It can all be overwhelming whether you're the bride or groom, a member of the wedding party, or a regular wedding guest. No matter what your role in the big day, it's the perfect time to do lots of yoga.
If you're not (ahem) married to the traditional customs that come with all of the pre- and post-wedding events, consider opting for a yoga session instead. Hire a yoga teacher that specializes in wedding events (yogaforweddings.com) or simply ask a local teacher to lead the festivities. It's healthier—and certainly more wholesome—than a night of cocktails and strippers, lets guests off the hook from buying yet another casserole dish, and is so much more gratifying that playing a how-well-do-you-know-the-couple game.
Have any of you attended or hosted a yoga wedding event?
Prizes include a spa vacation in Vermont,
a stained-glass window depicting the seven energy centers of the body,
Yoga DVDs, a yoga vacation in San Francisco and more...
Your subscription includes
2 FREE GIFTS: Yoga to the Rescue:
Poses for Stress
The next time you find your
nerves frazzled, use this
rejuvenating flow sequence to
relieve the effects of stress.
Yoga to the Rescue: Poses for a Headache
Got a pounding headache?
This sequence of supported
poses can send it packing.
If your dad is already a yoga practitioner, he probably has all the props he needs. So what could be a sweeter gift than a book that reminds him of your common bond? Consider My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste or Real Men Do Yoga 
yogajournal.com
vegetariantimes.com
backpacker.com
optimumwellness.com
wholefoodsmarket.com
betternutrition.com
