It’s a Hanumanasana Party!

Feb 29, 2012

Whoa Nellie! It’s that special year when we get an extra day. A day to frolic! A day to learn! A day to grow! A day to practice splits! In honor of leap year, we’ve gathered together four excellent options for refining your splits, ranging in time from almost 90 minutes to just over 3, depending on how much of your extra 24 you’re allotting to yoga.

Want to dive into a little yoga history and theory? Join Dechen Thurman in this online yoga class filmed at Wanderlust Vermont 2011 as he explores how Jivamukti Yoga can reduce the consequences of your choices in the past. Shani Dev (Saturn) is the Lord of Consequences who determines the severity of your karma. Hanuman (devotion) notices the crow of Shani Dev on his shoulder. The presence of this crow causes Hanuman to doubt his intentions and fear potential negative results of his past actions. Rather than fight the crow, Hanuman practices Mahima Siddhi (expansion) and grows large enough to pin the crow against the ceiling with his shoulders. Unable to bear the squeezing pressure of the monkey warrior’s throat lock, Shani Dev releases his grip. From here on in, Hamuman shall only enjoy the best possible results from his past actions. This story is the basis for the practice of yoga and has many yoga techniques concealed within it. Crow pose, hanumanasana, ujjai breath, shoulderstands and jalandara bandha are featured within the standard Jivamukti 14 point format. Get ready to engage in a wild and wondrous journey into the psychophysical mythic bodies of Hanuman and Shani Dev!

Not in the mood for stories, or just need something a little shorter? Try this 60 minute online yoga video with Kelley Gardner. Awaken, engage, and savor this step by step sequence to Hanumanasana (splits). In the process, you’ll learn how to create steady boundaries to hold the space for moving more deeply into splits.

Still too long? At less than 15 minutes, you’ve got time for Cora Wen’s lunge sequence. This online yoga class is good preparation for forward folding and hanumanasana (splits or monkey pose).

Just want to brush up? Try Kim McNeil’s hip flexor release progression. This short 3 minute online yoga video teaches you a sequence designed to help release the hip flexors, starting in lunge and moving to splits or hanumanasana. Kim offers many different modifications and opportunities to use props. For wannabe monkeys only!

Happy leap day!

New “Honest Effort” Yoga with Sage Rountree

Feb 27, 2012

Continuing with Sage Rountree’s new online yoga series, today’s class builds upon the foundations introduced in last Wednesday’s class, further exploring the concept of safely exploring your edge. Many athletes are conditioned to push as hard as possible, ignoring bodily cues of pain and discomfort. Similarly, many beginner yoga students are unused to differentiating between a comfortable edge of exertion and overdoing. Sage’s classes will help you safely tune into your body’s signals, improving your athletic performance and overall quality of life.

In this online yoga class for athletes and everyone, you’ll look at ways to put out an honest effort, without holding back but without overdoing it. Moving through Sun Salutations, core planks, and lunges, you’ll find the appropriate edge while building self-awareness for sports and life.

New Core Fusion Classes

Feb 23, 2012

Guess what, Core Fusion fans? We have not one, but two new classes from Fred DeVito for your workout pleasure!

From our permanent camera at exhale mind body spa SoHo, join Fred for athletically paced, well rounded classes, guaranteed to consistently deliver results.

Many of you have shared your stories of enjoying workouts with Fred and Lis from home with their fantastic DVDs, and how excited you are to be able to have the experience of a live class via YogaVibes. We always love to hear your stories, suggestions, and successes! Do you have a favorite Core Fusion class? Would you like more Core Fusion Cardio, Sport, or Yoga? Let us know and we’ll pass it along!

Finally, we’re delighted to share that Tammy Rowe will be filming two Core Fusion classes this Saturday, February 25. Look for Tammy’s classes soon!

New Yoga for Athletes with Sage Rountree

Feb 22, 2012

Are you new to yoga? Athlete or no, this class is perfect for you!

As you begin to learn more about yoga, you’ll probably hear the term “ahimsa” used frequently, and you may think to yourself, “What the heck is that?” Simply put, ahimsa means “to do no harm”, but the implications of this tenant reach much further than one may initially think. Just remember, yoga is a lifelong process of learning – you don’t need to figure it all out at once!

In Sage Rountree’s newest online yoga class for athletes (and everyone), you’ll work towards discovering the appropriate edge of intensity, and how to apply the idea of ahimsa to yourself and your practice. Learn how to protect yourself from harm in poses by making wise choices. You’ll move through Sun Salutations and a fun core challenge before exploring the edge in IT band and groin stretches, finishing with backbends and relaxation.

Wanderlust

Feb 21, 2012

So we hear there’s this Wanderlust movie coming out in a few days (you may have heard of it – some little thing with Jennifer Aniston) and if you stumbled upon us looking for the dirt on it, whoops! Sorry! But before you click away, may we interest you in a little yoga? You know, like Jen does to get that rockin’ body? Not only that, but yoga you can do at home, FREE for 15 days? Come on, you know you want to.

We’ve already talked about the killer online yoga classes now available from last year’s Wanderlust Festival, but we only highlighted a few, so we thought we’d give you the lowdown on a few more…

We’ll start with another eye-opening practice with Schuyler Grant, filmed at Wanderlust Tahoe 2011. Explore uddiyana bandha, not as an isolated ‘kriya’ but as a compliment to the traditional blend of posture and breath, as the key to moving from flow to flight in the vinyasa practice. Inversions and arm balancing will make whole body sense when initiated from ‘the flying up’ lock. Twisting and backbending take on a new level of depth and support. Don’t expect traditional ab work, but do expect to feel muscles you never knew existed.

Or how about this workshop-style class taught by Anne Marie Kramer at Wanderlust Vermont 2011? Perfect for teachers and students looking to dive deeper into the mechanics and art of hand standing, you’ll flow through vinyasas to warm up and then experiment with tricky arm balances and inversions while grooving to inspiring tunes. Anne Marie Kramer takes you step-by-step through these uplifting poses, empowering you to explore them on your own. Take your practice to new heights. Everyone has the power to take flight on and off the mat!

Finally, if you’re feeling groovy, try Lauren Hanna’s Jala Namaskar class. Created by Shiva Rea, Jala Namaskar is a fluid practice of connecting to the undulating pulse of the water element. Filmed at Wanderlust Vermont 2011, the class focuses on Sahaja (free form movement) and pulsation within the asana. It will juice you up, unlock your creativity, and allow you to dive into the spontaneous dance of your fluid body. Yum!

Free Yoga on YogaDork

Feb 20, 2012

While we hope you’ve already taken advantage of our 15 day free trial, we know some of you are shy. Hesitant. You’ve been burned before. Fear not, timid yogi! Of course we think you’d adore your YogaVibes subscription, but we respect that sometimes these things take time. Meanwhile, our goal of sharing great yoga with others remains unchanged, so we periodically offer free classes through our fantastic partners.

If you don’t already follow YogaDork, you should! Yoga news, funnies, and miscellany fill the site – always an entertaining and interesting read – which is why we’re so jazzed to announce our new collaboration! (It’s not just the extra coffee I’ve had that’s making me use so many exclamation points, YD’s da bomb!)

We’ll be sharing one of our classes on YogaDork, rotating every couple of weeks, absolutely free. No strings. No sign-up. You’re incognito. You’re Batman.

To start things off, enjoy Cora Wen’s Janu Vira Cycle, a sequence of seated hip openers and twists. Perfect for beginning and winding down a practice of twists, hip openers, shoulder openers, and backbends. Enjoy!

Break Free from Your Yoga Rut!

Feb 15, 2012

It’s not at all unusual, most of us do it. Find that certain style of practice that we love, maybe because it makes us feel strong, or energized, or relaxed – whatever the reason for the initial resonance, all too often that feeling of love morphs into a feeling of being ever so slightly trapped. A feeling that trying something else isn’t doing “real” yoga. A feeling that there is only so much time in the day, and what if that different practice doesn’t feel good, or burn enough calories, or stir the sleeping serpent? What then?!

I feel pretty confident I’m not just projecting my angst. I get to talk to a lot of yogis, and many of them express this inner conflict. Sure, there are those who happily dance from one style to another, but, from what I’ve seen, they’re the lucky few. So what to do when you find yourself in this place? Shake things up!

One of the awesome things about practicing from home is the ability to dabble. Attending a class in person can feel daunting, like there are too many opportunities for missteps. What if I don’t like the teacher? What if the style icks me out? What if I get lost and don’t even find the class? All this dissolves in the comfort of your home.

Today I invite you to release the pressure, play around with a style of yoga you’ve never tried before, break out of your box! Not sure where to start? Don’t worry – if you’re not into the first online yoga class you choose, you can always pop back and start a new one.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Love Your Body! Online Curvy Yoga with Anna Guest-Jelley

Feb 14, 2012

We can’t think of a more excellent day to premiere Anna Guest-Jelley’s first classes for YogaVibes. On this day of love, who deserves your love more than yourself?

As the Founder of Curvy Yoga, Anna writes and teaches about yoga and embodiment as the foundations of living well-lived (and body well-loved). She is also the co-teacher of 30 Days of CurvyYoga and editor of Curvy Voices, a forthcoming anthology sharing the personal stories of people who have improved their body image through yoga. In addition, she is the co-founder of Teachasana, the first site by and for yoga teachers. To learn more about Anna, please visit her website www.curvyyoga.com.

Anna’s first class, Body Love, Body Awareness, explores the first step toward a more loving relationship with your body – body awareness. In this online yoga class, you’ll draw your attention to your body through a slow flow standing sequence. Although this class is designed for beginners, it’s also great for folks who would love a gentle, full body stretch today, culminating in a curvy loving kindness meditation to send you on your way with gentleness.

Want to get your curvy flow on? If so, Anna’s second online yoga class, Curvy Flow, is for you! Flow through several different Sun Salutation options designed with people of all shapes and sizes in mind. This class is appropriate for beginners to more seasoned practitioners who are looking for an accessible, body positive experience.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Heads Up East Coast! Jennifer Pastiloff’s Comin’ to Town!

Feb 8, 2012

As we hope you’ve discerned, one of our main goals at YogaVibes is to build community by allowing you to practice online yoga classes with whomever you wish, no matter where you live. As part and parcel of that desire, we try to keep you abreast of our awesome teachers’ travel schedules, so that when they do come to your ‘hood, you can meet them in person.

We’ve shared our love of Jennifer Pastiloff before – her infectious zest for life never ceases to amaze and inspire! That’s why we wanted to be sure to encourage our east coast friends to attend one (or all!) of her upcoming workshops.

On Wednesday, March 28, Jen will teach at Dhyana Yoga in Philadelphia, 6:30pm – 8:30pm : Register here

On Thursday, March 29, Jen will be at Yoga Vida NYC, 6:15pm – 8:15pm: Register here

And On Sunday, April 1 (no joke!), Jen will be at Pure Yoga NYC, 1:30pm – 3:30pm: Register here 

Want to really get away? How about Italy? Join Jen July 2 – July 9, 2012 for a yogic dream in Tuscany! Details here.

Yeah, I wouldn’t mind a week there at all!

Finally, lest we forget, take a peek at Jen’s appearance on Good Morning America – isn’t she great?!

YogaVibes Partners with Wanderlust Festival

Feb 7, 2012

We’ve been keeping a secret and can’t wait to shout it from the rooftops – YogaVibes has partnered with Wanderlust Festival! We’ve been quietly launching the classes filmed at last year’s events at Stratton Mountain and Squaw Valley, and we’ll release the rest over the next few weeks.

Look for online yoga classes from Rod Stryker, Schuyler Grant, Dana Flynn, Rolf Gates, John Friend and loads of other amazing teachers. Wanderlust features many asana practices, but you’ll also find videos that will appeal to those of you looking to deepen your experience with workshop style and discussion oriented scenarios.

Attending Wanderlust is a yogi’s dream – great food, great music, great community, and, of course, great yoga! But if it’s not in the cards for you to make it, you can still participate in the energy and enthusiasm by experiencing a class from the comfort of your own home.

Here’s a sampling ~

Rod Stryker’s Yoga of Fulfillment and the Science of Destiny:

Schuyler Grant’s Kula Flow:

Dana Flynn’s Lotus Flow:

Rolf Gates’ Seventh Chakra/Vinyasa: Gratitude + Devotion:

John Friend’s Summer Solstice Practice:

Check out the full selection on YogaVibes!