From the category archives:

yoga

Book Review: 27 Things to Know About Yoga

August 31, 2010

Welcome to Day #3 of the Blog Book Tour for Victoria Klein’s new yoga book, 27 Things to Know About Yoga ! I couldn’t be happier to share and recommend this gem of a yoga book with each of you. Part how-to book, part intro to yoga philosophy and lifestyle, 27 Things is that book you wish you had in your bag with you at the airport when you really need something fun and interesting to read and don’t feel like tying your brain into knots. Open the book anywhere and you’ll find bite-sized bits of wisdom that will inspire your practice both on and off the yoga mat. Perfect for Yoga Newbies! I especially recommend 27 Things for those just getting into yoga. As Ms. Klein states in the introduction, “Think of this as a gateway book: a great starting point or quick reference in your ongoing journey for intelligent and useful information about yoga.” That’s a perfect description of the book. For the yoga newbie, 27 Things should give you the confidence and direction you need to go to your first class, delve into a variety of yoga styles, or seek out a teacher that suits you. 27 Things also gives straightforward answers about what to wear, what to eat, and what to bring to class. With a little bit of practical wisdom from the author, you won’t have any more excuses for not giving yoga a try. Also Great for Yoga Vets! I may still struggle to look natural when touching my toes (due to hamstrings about as stretchy as a piece of dry wood…), but I do consider myself somewhat of a veteran in the world of yoga book reading. Although 27 Things is probably geared more towards breaking the ice with the curious about yoga crowd, it contains plenty of insight that a seasoned yogi can also appreciate. Motivation to practice doesn’t grow on trees, and you can certainly expect to receive a good dose of it in this book. Thing 21 reminds the reader that yoga is very much about discipline, and that “No matter your schedule, budget, or location, yoga is meant to be practiced every minute of every day….It may be hard to imagine meeting yourself on your yoga mat every day, but that is what needs to be done.” This is a great little book. It’s cheap (less than 10 bucks on Amazon ), it’s an easy read, and it just may be the book you need in your bag to help you survive your next plane ride. Filed under: book reviews , yoga

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Test post from Blogo for preview

August 31, 2010

This is a test post sent by Blogo in order to generate a preview template. It should be deleted shortly. Filed under: yoga

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How to Care for Manduka Black Mat PRO

August 28, 2010

I’m happy about a lot of things today, but right now I’m happy to have my Manduka Black Mat PRO back under my feet for my yoga practice.  I’ve been practicing on the Manduka eQua towel for the last two months during our move to Japan, which has been an adequate short term solution, but there’s really no substitute for standing on a cushy sticky mat, and for that there’s none better than the Black Mat PRO (it’s just not ultra-portable…). Another thing I’m happy about is having my treadmill back so I can conveniently combine two of my favorite activities:  running and yoga.  While running and yoga go together like PB & J, I’m also well aware that when I run first it definitely makes for some extra sweaty yoga and an extra sweaty yoga mat.  After a while it just gets gross to think about serenely resting my forehead in a warm pool of salty sweat that probably seeped out the bottom of my right foot. Bottomline:  If you’re a yogi/runner, then you need to clean your mat more frequently.  I’ve written about this before , but once again here’s a few tips from Manduka.com on how to properly care for your Black Mat PRO To Store: Roll your Black Mat PRO with the top side (fabric-finish) facing outwards [Interestingly enough, the photo to this post that came from Manduka's website has the mat rolled opposite of this]. This keeps the corners of the mat flat when practicing. To Break In: The surface texture of the Black Mat PRO improves with use. Our customers have found that the best way to “break in” their mat is to use it on a daily basis. Another trick is to sprinkle coarse sea salt over your mat, scrub it down with a sponge, and air dry in the sunshine [Never thought of this, but sounds good for a brand new mat]. To Clean: We recommend using Manduka Mat Renew or any non-solvent household cleaner and a damp cloth or sponge. Hang to dry in the sunshine. DO NOT put your mat in the washing machine- it may break the machine and ruin your mat! [In fact, I've heard from one reader that the washing machine shredded her Black Mat PRO  Not a happy camper...] Go forth, run, do yoga, and please clean your mat. Filed under: yoga

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Links for 2010-08-26 [del.icio.us]

August 27, 2010

Victoria Klein :: Writer + Photographer + Dabbler ? 27 Things to Know About Yoga

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