Posted on 29th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
blogging, cancer, cause, charity, nonprofits, yogabear, yogadork, zemantics
Thanks YogaDork (a funny, witty yoga blog for those who’ve never checked them out!) for bringing to my attention the opportunity YogaBear has to win $3000 for their nonprofit work!
Who is YogaBear? Yogabear is a non-profit organization committed to bringing free yoga to those with cancer through partnerships with yoga studios from around the nation. This is a cause dear to my heart because my own dad passed away from lung cancer exactly 10 years ago. So I’ll do whatever I can to help support YogaBear and hope you will too!
How can we help Yogabear win $3k? An organization called Zemanta is giving away $3k to charitable causes that are most blogged about. So basically, all you have to do is BLOG and include the tagline below in your post.
This blog post is part of Zemanta’s “Blogging For a Cause” campaign to raise awareness and funds for worthy causes that bloggers care about.
For Further Information: Rules of the Contest [Zemanta], YogaBear’s Blog
Posted on 28th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
eko mats, manduka, recession, time magazine, unemployment, yoga classes, yoga mats
“The Taj Mahal of Yoga Mats” – Rod Stryker
At a time when I was just considering dropping my yoga classes altogether, the Times comes out with an interesting article about the soaring sales of $100+ Manduka Yoga Mats and the spike in yoga class attendance during the recession. Hmm, I must be the oddball out on this one… perhaps it’s time to find something other than yoga to sacrifice. Many Yogi’s love their Manduka’s, raving that it’s super sticky and prevents the slippage that often occur with other mats. Like the quote above, it has been called the Taj Mahal of yoga mats and compared to the likes of Ferraris and Porsches – is this smart marketing or true to form?
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Posted on 27th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
bikram yoga, lock the knee, unemployment
I only ask because there’s this one pose in Bikram Yoga that I thought I’d never get down. I’m not talking about any of the balancing poses either because at least I expect those to be tough! The pose I’m talking about is actually the simple “Sit-Up” pose. My problem is not the sitting up part, my problem is the pulling your toes up until your heel is no longer touching the ground.
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Posted on 26th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
associated content, fitsugar, naked yoga, nude yoga, nude yoga and tai chi
These days there seems to be something for everyone. Whether it’s biking, swimming, running, dancing, yoga in the heat, yoga in the nude… you know. Did you catch that last one? 
There’s a popular practice out there that is far from mainstream and it has to do with doing yoga in the nude! The men at Oakland Park, Florida do just that – they practice yoga without a shred of clothing on. They aren’t the only ones, studios are cropping up slowly in big urban cities, namely San Francisco, New York, and Seattle. I don’t know how naked yogis do it, but they claim it’s better than practicing with your clothes on – they say it frees them and gives them a stronger sense of peace and focus. (more…)
Posted on 13th May 2009 by Jiggly in Food and Drink
complete proteins, diabetic, ezekial bread, oprah
One bread I’ve fallen in love with in recent years is Ezekial 4:9 bread. If it’s good enough for Oprah, it’s good enough for me! I used to frown upon this conspicuous little loaf whenever I passed it on the bread aisle, opting for softer and easier to pronounce brands (Sara Lee anyone?). What was I thinking? I love this bread when it’s toasted – so nutty and dense!
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Posted on 12th May 2009 by Jiggly in Lifestyle
church, religion, spirituality, Yoga and Pilates
That was the question posed by The Huffington Post. It seems that Americans are veering more and more away from formal religion and focusing on self improvement instead. They boldly state that:
… more and more people are connecting with regular and diverse spiritual practices such as meditation, yoga, mindfulness, expressive arts (such as dance, group singing/chanting), self-help studies, and spiritual travel. These things can all be done in connection with religious affiliation or without. These are not belief systems, they are active practices that shift awareness, emotion and help us to see where we get stuck in life.
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Posted on 11th May 2009 by Jiggly in Cardio and Toning
p90x
People are raving about it… Demi and Ashton are twittering about it – so what exactly is this P90X that everyone is abuzz about? The P90X system is an at home training system made up of a set of 12 DVD’s, a nutrition guide, and fitness guide. Created by celebrity trainer Tony Horton, its purpose is to give you 12 very different intense workouts in order to create “muscle confusion”. Muscle confusion forces your body to continually work hard because no two workouts are the same – your muscles do not have enough time to adapt to any one particular exercise. The moment you get slightly comfortable, this workout forces you to switch things up so it never gets to the point where it’s “too easy”.
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Posted on 6th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
clear skin, detox, hot yoga, Yoga and Pilates, yoga benefits
I was first lured into trying Bikram Yoga because a new studio had opened up near my house, and I was hearing so much buzz about Bikram Yoga that my curiosity got the best of me. What cinched the deal was this 2 week unlimited special the studio had going for $27. I was certainly expecting to increase my flexibility and tone up – and I have! But one side effect I wasn’t even thinking about or searching for was the way my complexion has improved ever since I took on the practice! For those who struggle with their skin, they know it’s no fun at all. It’s so frustrating that as an adult in her mid-20s, I still have to deal with the neverending blemishes that pop up here and there. For me, it feels like just when one pimple is about to go away, another one rears its ugly head! Who feels me on this?!
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Posted on 5th May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
good yoga instructors, yoga distractions
We all have our favorites when it comes to yoga instructors, don’t we? I know I do… and try my best to avoid those I can’t stand. Great yoga instructors certainly make a huge difference in the enjoyment of the practice!
Here are some of the characteristics of my favorite yoga instructors – what do you love or can’t stand?
- Soothing, calming, almost monotone voice.
- Clear instructions about hand and feet placement.
- They only adjust your pose when necessary in a very light, gentle way.
- Patient and understands that there will be varying levels in the room – not everyone is going to get everything right away.
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Posted on 3rd May 2009 by Jiggly in Yoga and Pilates
bikram yoga, lock the knee, quadriceps, Yoga and Pilates, yoga injuries
How many of us have heard that phrase before???
For those of you who have practiced Bikram Yoga at least once or twice, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “lock the knee lock the knee lock the knee!”. Locking the knee does NOT mean locking your knee so hard that it hyperextends and protrudes backwards. So what exactly is the proper way of “locking the knee” and what is the purpose and benefit of us doing so?
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