Incinerate the Easter Candy with Vigorous Vinyasa Yoga
Apr 9, 2012
Not that I ever do this, but I’ve heard that sometimes even adults go a little candy crazy around the holidays. And that Easter has the best candy. And that some folks emerged from the weekend feeling rather sluggish and girthier than they’d like.
That’s when it’s time to bring it on with a sweaty, creative, rock your socks off Vinyasa practice, and this class Kathleen Kastner Mortenson delivers! Kathleen guides you through a fun, energized sequence including arm balances, standing balances, and hip openers. You’ll emerge from this 75 minute online yoga class feeling clearer, stronger, leaner, and renewed.
And if you feel like you need a few Cadbury mini eggs to savor afterwards, it’s okay.
~MA
How Do You Use YogaVibes?
Apr 5, 2012
Keepin’ it real ~ Meredith and me practicing with YogaVibes at home
So here’s how it is ~ we had this idea for bringing yoga online and how we would use it if we could. But what we want might not be at all what you want, and therein we find a question. How do you use YogaVibes?
Are you a yoga teacher looking for inspiration?
Are you a student trying to fit in a yoga practice on the road/in off hours/at an affordable price?
Are you an athlete striving to improve your performance with yoga?
Are you a saucy blend with several reasons which bring you to online yoga?
Are you none of those and irritated at being overlooked?
Tell me! I yearn to know you.
If YogaVibes isn’t giving you the kick in the pants you need, we’re not doing our job, and we really want to do our job! Not to get all needy on you, but we’re pleasers, and we hope you like what we’re up to. If we’re not lighting your fire tell us what we can do better. Help us stay out of the corner, sniveling and groveling in a puddle of our own failure. Not to make you feel guilty or anything…
But seriously, we feel passionate about what we do and equally passionate about making it right for you. We really do listen to every comment, critique, accolade, and admonition and take them to heart and into action as we move forward. We hope you’ll make your voice heard so that we can provide you with just what you need.
Muchos besos, mi amor
~MA
Seven Scintillating Reasons to Try Online Yoga
Apr 4, 2012
- Bloated? Slip on your oldest, rattiest, comfiest yoga pants and enjoy your practice without feeling like a sausage.
- That deliciously garlicky five bean soup over quinoa tasted great at lunch, but produced some less than desirable after effects.
- You recently noticed you’ve acquired a stalker at your favorite studio and need to lay low for a spell.
- The plumber said he could come sometime between 8am and 7pm, so be sure to be home!
- You love your regular teacher, but she’s been using the same playlist for six weeks and you’re concerned what you may do if forced to listen to that John Mayer song one.more.time.
- You’re developing high blood pressure stressing out about getting to class on time.
- No one will hear you snoring during savasana.
Core Hell with Annie Carpenter
Apr 3, 2012
If you’re going through hell, keep going. ~Winston Churchill
Annie Carpenter will give you the abs of the devil
I don’t pretend to know the reason you want a stronger core, but I do know most of us do. Whether it’s for vanity (looking hot in that bikini! dazzling your yoga classmates with your smokin’ arm balances!) or health (peeing when you sneeze is no fun), core strength is a hot topic in yoga land today. But old school sit-ups are both boring and largely ineffective, and some days there just isn’t time for a full length yoga practice. Annie Carpenter to the rescue! In 23 minutes, Annie’s Core Hell class will put you through the wringer and firm your core like nobody’s business.
Tempted? I know you are! Roll out your mat and get ready to tone up with Annie’s efficient and effective sequence. Your hard core dreams are about to come true!
~MA
Three Minutes to Calmer, More Focused Kids
Apr 2, 2012
Do you ever wonder how you can help your kids learn to calm down and focus? Are you rushing around in the morning before school, yelling at everyone to hurry up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, put on shoes, and use the bathroom? It sounds a little like my house each morning as I attempt to get my three boys off to school. It’s a wonder they can learn anything at all with that kind of morning!
Alice Redding, founder of STRIPES Yoga in Richardson, TX has come up with a 3-minute program for teaching your children to slow down and prepare their minds and bodies for learning. Alice has helped hundreds of children and adolescents regain self-confidence and the skills needed to succeed in school and at at home, and serves as a consultant to schools. Watch the free yoga for kids video below where Alice and her students demonstrate the three easy steps to helping your children get “learning ready.”
Before School, Home "Tune Up"
We hope that we can serve as a resource for you as you attempt to provide your children with tools they can use from an early age to help them calm their minds and bodies in this increasingly fast-paced world. Please check out Alice Redding’s other free yoga videos designed for kids, as well as her full-length kids yoga class on YogaVibes! We’d love to hear what you and your kids think!
~Meredith
Find Integrity Through Intention & Alignment – Guest Post from Jessica Bellofatto
Mar 28, 2012
Jessica Bellofatto is the founder and director of KamaDeva Yoga in East Hampton, NY as well as a mother, yogini, doula, surfer, triathlete, avid stand-up paddleboarder, and one of YogaVibes’ partnering instructors. Jessica has already filmed four yoga classes for YogaVibes (up and ready for your yoga pleasure!) and will film more in April. Yay!
Today, Jessica wanted to share more about her online yoga class, entitled “Alignment + Intention = Integrity.” Thanks, Jessica!
In this class, we explore how when we line up the body consciously, methodically, deliberately, we are then able to experience the fullest expression of the asana. Asana is our SEAT, our connection to the earth. In the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, he tells us “Sthira Sukham Asanam” – that our seat, or our connection to the earth, should be cultivated as steady and joyful. So whether we are practicing asana on the mat or asana in the world, this is our intention. Doesn’t that sound fantastic? A steady, grounded, easeful, joyful connection to the earth. How do we define earth? Earth is all of it. The ground we stand on, the space we inhabit, the beings we relate to, whether at home, work, or while traveling.
When we act in accordance (ALIGNMENT) with our INTENTION (sthira sukham asanam), we are in INTEGRITY. And being in integrity feels GOOD. Being in integrity makes us proud of ourselves. We wake up each day psyched and grateful to go out in the world and do our work on this planet.
So, our yoga practice can facilitate this process of aligning ourselves with our intention. We learn how it works when we apply it to our bodies, and then we start realizing how it works when we apply it to our whole lives. Join me in this discovery and learn more by taking my online yoga class on YogaVibes. Namaste.
Alignment + Intention = Integrity
Make Your Earth Day Plans Now + Save Some Green
Mar 27, 2012
Spring is in the air! The flowers are blooming, the little birdies are tweeting, the wee green worms are swinging in the breeze – how could you not love your mama? Mama Earth, that is. Celebrate your love with some Earth Day fun!
“But, MA*,” you say, “it’s March, and Earth Day is in April.” That is true, but I hear some people plan ahead, and in the spirit of yoga, sharing, and helping you save some of your hard earned cash, I’m here to help.
If you’re overflowing with the party spirit, immerse yourself in amazing yoga, music, and transformation in sunny California at the Tadasana Festival. Our friends Kia Miller and Tommy Rosen have pulled together this spectacular weekend long event, and if you can make it Santa Monica, you’ll definitely want to go. Make your plans now and save some green ~ use the code yogavibes for $100 off a 3-day pass. Can’t swing the entire weekend? It’s okay! Use the code yogavibes1 and score a single-day pass for $99. Sweet!
Do the mountains make your heart go pitty-pat? Hie yourself to beautiful Asheville, NC for the 5th annual Earth Day festivities. The events are free, but you will have to drop some coin for transportation and lodging. Can’t help you out there, but maybe this whole planning early thing will give you an advantage. And, if you’re the outdoorsy type, you’ll find a host of camping opportunities in the area.
Looking for something closer to home? Get in touch with your local lululemon store to find out their earthy plans. You can give them a call, email, walk on in the store, or pop over to their Facebook page. As you may already know, you can find free yoga classes at your local lululemon (check with them for dates and times), but some locations beef things up for earth day, à la Salutation Nation. Free yoga? Yes, please!
Have an Earth Day event you’d like to share? Let us know and we’ll do our best to help spread the word!
Peace out!
*I know I’m not your ma. That’s my name. Or my initials, anyway. It’s what people call me. It’s my handle. Love handle.
New Core Fusion Yoga Class with Tammy Rowe
Mar 26, 2012
Oh happy day! A new Core Fusion Yoga class, just for you!
We’d like to welcome Tammy Rowe, the most recent member of the exhale spa team to film in SoHo. Tammy Rowe joined the exhale family in 2006 after dancing professionally with the Chicago Bulls, Royal Caribbean, and numerous productions in New York City and Europe. She brings her dance background, expertise in movement and inspiring energy to each class. Tammy is a National Teacher Trainer for exhale and can be seen on the Core Fusion® Power Sculpt and Pure Intensity DVDs.
Core Fusion® Yoga inspires students with a combination of yoga asana to raise the body’s heat and increase cardio endurance, intense core functional training to strengthen and tone the core, and Qi Gong movements and stretching to produce a state of inner calm and balance. You may want to have two blocks and a strap available for this practice in addition to a mat.
Watch for another Core Fusion class from Tammy later this week, and classes from exhale Miami and exhale Chicago coming in April!
Six Tips to Create More Presence in Your Home Yoga Practice
Mar 23, 2012
It’s dancing in the streets time here at YogaVibes – we have a guest post today from one of our fantastic teachers, Sarah Starr! Since 2001, Sarah, host of internationally syndicated “Happy Yoga with Sarah Starr,” has conducted classes such as “Power of Now” and “Breathing Peace” with thousands of people in national workshops and conferences. Her inspiring work has landed features in numerous local, national and international publications, radio and news segments. Sarah encourages her students to relax, breathe and smile, as they become the watchers of their thoughts, worries and distracting mind dialogue. “If you’re not having fun, you’re not BEing Yoga.” For more information on Sarah’s upcoming workshops, events and Happy Yoga, visit Sarah’s websites www.sarahspeaks.com and www.happyyoga.tv.
Take it away, Sarah!
Why is it so difficult to stick with a home yoga practice? Sure the dishes, laundry and dust bunnies are staring at you as you roll out the mat, but how important are they really? There are plenty of distractions in life, but taking time to nurture yourself enhances all other aspects of your well-being, and you’re worth it! Here are a few tips to create more presence wherever you decide to practice yoga…
- Create Space – All you need is enough space for a mat. Allow the mat to become a sanctuary, a place where you can come to and drop all the events of the day. Let it be a place where you let go of all judgment of yourself.
- Let Go of Excuses – Take time to do a mental housecleaning on all of your excuses. “I have too much else to do” and “If I take time for myself, nothing will get done,” used to be my old excuses to stay too busy. As the thoughts come up, ask the question, “Does this belief serve me?” If it doesn’t, you can choose to let it go.
- Commit to Yourself – Give yourself permission to enjoy your practice and let go of any guilt around taking time for yourself. The ego loves to keep us running with our lists of things to do. And the ego knows that if we do slow down and connect within, it will lose control.
- Connect to Your Breath – The breath is a wonderful resource for feedback. If it becomes short and choppy, you may be pushing too hard. If you find you’re holding your breath, back off and take an easier variation of the posture.
- Listen to Your Body – Notice any sensations before you begin your practice. The old saying of “no pain, no gain” is outdated. Before you begin, allow your awareness to move through your body like a wave, from your toes, to your head and back again. Feel your body in its entirety. Notice any areas that may feel tight or stuck. Stay tuned into these areas as you move through your practice. Honor your body and if you feel increased discomfort in these areas, back off or take time to rest.
- Just Start – Having a hard time convincing yourself to get on the mat? Give yourself permission to keep it short and simple and you will be more likely to begin. If I need an extra push, I trick myself by saying, “Just 10 minutes. Just get into down dog.” Before I know it, an hour has passed and I am thankful for the time I’ve taken for myself to reconnect and rejuvenate.
Each day will be different and your body’s needs will fluctuate as well. Connect within and do what’s right for you in the moment. Know even 10 minutes a day will help to release stress, tone and lengthen the muscles, leaving you with a sense of ease for the rest of the day. The main thing is to enjoy yourself and just begin!
Now, tell us why you love to practice yoga at home or what has helped you develop a home practice.
Sarah, thanks so much for contributing to our blog! Liked what Sarah had to say? Take a class with her, no matter where you are, by viewing her online yoga classes available on YogaVibes, filmed on the beach (!) near her home in Wisconsin…
Expand Your Potential, on the Beach! Hip Openers & Creative Core Lead to Flying Pigeon Pose
Hip Openers & Creative Core Lead to Flying Pigeon Pose
Detoxifying Twists, Tone the Core and Jump into Grasshopper Pose
Detoxifying Twists, Tone the Core and Jump Into Grasshopper Pose
What I Taught Tuesday – Edition the First
Mar 22, 2012
Ever wonder who writes this stuff?
Mostly, me. Helpful, hmm? But who am I?
Wow, gettin’ all existential. Can’t answer that.
I can tell you that in addition to working for YogaVibes, I’m a certified yoga instructor, diet sunkist enthusiast, mom of three, CIA operative, and independent artist. Slash one of those. You choose.
We here at YV HQ thought it might be “fun” {ironic punctuation} from time to time to highlight a few of the asanas or sequences I felt inclined to slip into one of my classes. Why not the full flow? Well, not everyone likes to flow. Plus, that’s a lot of words. Mayhap I’m lazy. Let’s keep the mystery, shall we?
So, in the interest of stretching this out (ha, see what I did there?), I’ll break down the structure of one of my full length classes on a later date and share the meaty main sequence today. If you’re thinking about trying this at home in an independent practice, take a few minutes to warm up with a bit of centering, gentle stretching, and sun salutations.
Standing at the top of your mat, inhale and sweep your arms out to the sides, above your head, and then draw your hands to your heart as you lift your right knee. Cross your right ankle above your left knee, and sink your hips back as though in utkatasana - we’ll call this flying pigeon. Take several breaths here, being mindful that you firm your core and lengthen through your low back. If you’d like to move further, play with balance by twisting to the left, spine long, working towards placing your right tricep in the arch of your right foot. Stay here for several more breaths.
Unwind from your twist, take hands to heart, and release your right foot, lightly stepping to the back of your mat for crescent lunge. Again, firm your core, lengthen through your low back, and focus on leveling your pelvic bowl. Energetically press your right hip forward as you draw back through your left hip. If you’d like to move further, take your right hand to the ground to the inside of your left foot. Keeping your gaze to the ground, begin to twist open to the left. If your spine allows you to twist more deeply, you can take your right tricep to the outside of your left thigh, binding if you’d like. If this pulls your hips out of alignment or curves your spine towards the left side of your mat, back off. Hold for several breaths.
Unwind from your twist, lift your torso back to standing, and reach your arms up, lengthening through both sides of your body. Take your hands to your mat to frame your left foot and gently lift to standing splits. Stay here for several breaths, gaining stability by engaging an inner spiral of both thighs. Perhaps you’d like to play with balance by taking both hands to your left ankle.
Allow your right leg to descend, crossing your right ankle behind your left. Adjust your balance and enjoy a forward fold for several breaths. Notice the difference in sensation with your ankles crossed versus feet side by side.
Place your hands on the mat, shoulder width apart, and begin to squat, opening your knees out but keeping your ankles crossed. Take bakasana with crossed ankles. Recall that abdominal/core strength begins with muscles which run from your inner thighs, through your abdomen, and to your spine. Recruiting these muscles will help you become more stable in standing and balancing asanas.
Lightly touch down with your left foot and lift to standing in warrior III. Think about lifting your right inner thigh towards the ceiling, rolling your right big toe to point to the ground, leveling your pelvis, and keeping your chest lifted and open, parallel to the ground. Stay here several breaths. If you notice the left side of your body curling inwards (armpit to hip), lengthen by drawing your left hip back and slightly up, and your right hip forwards and slightly down.
Step your right foot midway back on your mat and lift your torso to standing. Take your hands to your hips, firm your core, and lengthen your low back. Press strongly into the right outer foot and heel, but don’t roll onto the edge – keep balance by pressing the ball mount of your right foot back into your mat. Engage the quadricep of your left leg and begin to lengthen your spine forward, out, and down, folding over your left leg for pyramid pose. Hold here for several breaths.
Take your hands to your mat to frame your left foot, inhale and flatten your back, exhale as you step back to plank position and move through chaturanga dandasana, urdva mukha svanasana, and adho mukha svanasana. Step forward to a forward fold, and repeat the sequence, this time lifting your left knee and standing on your right leg.
Once you’ve finished your this standing sequence, settle down on your mat for some gentle twists, backbends, and final relaxation.
Until next time – namaste, y’all!
