I'm always interested in how yogis are portrayed on television because whether we like it or not, television has a huge impact on how the non-yogis in the world see the yoga community. It might only take one scene of a reality tv show that depicts a crazy, out-of-touch yogi to inhibit hundreds (thousands even?) of people from trying their first yoga class.

So I was really interested when a couple of married yoga teachers made their debut on the The Amazing Race on CBS. (OK, not interested enough to actually watch the premier, but I did follow up on the media coverage of it.) Unfortunately, the couple was eliminated right away before the show even really got started.

Do you think their short stint on the show portrayed the yoga community in a favorable way? Here are a couple of videos to help you make up your mind.

Or click here to watch them talk about their strategy for the show.

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We all know the first yogis did not have stretchy pants to highlight their, um, alignment. They didn't have yoga mats, props, or hardwood floors either. In the beginning, yoga was not about the stuff. Fast forward a few thousand years and what's the first thing you see when you walk into a yoga studio? Stuff. Lots of expensive yoga stuff.

Today's yoga students purchase things that seem practical--maybe that cute top will motivate you to practice more or a new mat will help with your Down Dog. But there's no denying that many of the modern yoga gadgets we buy have more to do with identifying ourselves as yogis. I, for one, have bought many useless yoga gadgets in my post-yoga bliss that I later regretted. (Yes, a new yoga mat might be useful, but nobody needs five!)

Today's Huffington Post blog post asks you to help sort out the gimmicky yoga products from the useful ones.

Have you ever bought a yoga product that wasn't quite as useful as you initially thought?

*Note: Please make sure to type in the secret word when you comment. We had to change things up a bit to keep the spammers away. Thanks!

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To accompany an article about the economic woes of yoga teachers, Slate created a video about all the other less-than-pleasant things that go along with teaching yoga. I think it's a must-watch. Go ahead. I'll wait. (Sorry, no way to embed this video here.)

Let's review:

Yoga teachers get hit on--a lot--with really bad pick up lines? Check.
They find themselves a little too up-close-and-personal with their students? Check.
Students say really inappropriate and uncomfortable things? Oh yeah.
Sometimes teachers don't really feel up to teaching, but power through it anyway? Sure.

Sometimes a teacher will be still hung over from the night before and showed up without bothering to shower or sleep (much less plan out a class) before they come into the studio  and fall asleep in the middle of class? Um, NO! NO! and NO!

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Slate magazine's site Doublex.com recently featured an article about the trials and tribulations of being a yoga teacher. We all know making a living as a teacher isn't easy, and with teacher training enrollment up during a down economy it sounds like the competition for teaching gigs is going to keep growing. (From a supply and demand standpoint, that also might mean lower pay for the teachers who land those gigs, which would make it harder than ever to pay the bills.) "If you want yoga to pay your bills, you've got to leave the deep breathing and asanas at the door and do the capitalist hustle," writes the article's author Anna Sale.

My question is for the yoga teachers who read this blog. Do you feel like you're doing a "capitalist hustle" these days, juggling many different small jobs just to pay the bills?

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Two followers of Baba Ramdev have bought the Scottish island of Little Cumbrae with plans to establish an "international yoga camp" there, reported the Guardian.co.uk. The island will be renamed Peace Island. According to this article in the Daily Record, there will be an opening ceremony on September 27.

Do you like the idea of having a whole island devoted to yoga? Or is it a little much?
 

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A study published recently in the journal Spine found that yoga may help relieve pain and improve mood in patients with chronic back pain. The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health found that patients who took a yoga class tailored to people with chronic back pain twice a week were in less pain and less likely to be depressed than their counterparts who did not practice yoga. (For more information about the study click here.

Are you surprised? Has yoga helped you or someone you know manage chronic back pain?

Posted by Erica Rodefer at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (12) | TrackBacks (0)

At long last, the Yoga Journal iPractice iPhone application launched today, which means if you have an iPhone you can have access to 15 sequences from expert teachers in our pockets at all times. Visit yogajournal.com/ipractice to download the full version of the app for $4.99 or search for Yoga Journal in the iTunes App Store. (A free version with two sequences will be available soon!)

This is a project we've been working on in the YJ offices for what seems like forever so I'm really happy to announce it's arrival! In it's honor, I'd like to point out a few other yoga applications I think are cool. To get any of these apps, simply search for them in the iTunes App Store.

Meditate - Meditation Timer (SimpleTouch Software, $1.99) If you're still using your kitchen timer to help you with your seated meditation practice, this app might be for you. It has a soothing bell that lets you know it's time to come out, and the counter is nice and big so it's easy to see if you like to peek to see how much time you have left.

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - The Threads fo Union (IndiaNic LLC, $0.99) This is an electronic version of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Chakra Deck (Kardeo, $0.99) This app is like a mobile deck of cards that gives you helpful information about individual chakras, how to identify imbalances, as well as yoga exercises you can try to bring that chakra back into balance.

Do you use any iPhone applications? If you don't have an iPhone, are there any other technological tools you use to help you with your practice? 

  

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