My Favorite Yoga App

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Have you guys tried the Cody app?

 It's hands-down my favorite yoga and fitness app. They offer some incredible at-home workouts with fantastic yoga teachers.

 My two favorite yoga routines:

  • Ultimate Yoga Shred with Sadie Nardini. This 14-day plan features HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for optimal cardio, fat burning, and lean muscle building.


  • Bodystrong with Ashley Galvin. This 30-day set of videos is designed to tone and strengthen the whole body using challenging asana series, multiple reps, and workouts targeting major areas like the core, legs, arms, and booty.



 I have a lot of gratitude for both Sadie and Ashley for sharing these kick-ass yoga classes, and a big thanks to the team at Cody for continually offering high-quality videos. Namaste.

Yoga at Home with Rachel Brathen

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When you practice yoga, it should feel good.

Sometimes the poses are a little uncomfortable, but they should not be painful. Additionally, the practice itself should not be punishing. Yoga is meant to nourish the body, mind and spirit. On and off the mat, our goal is to practice ahimsa, which is nonviolence. Do no harm.

Have you ever been in a studio class where you felt like the pace was moving too fast, or the sequencing was too hard or confusing? Maybe you went to beginner’s or all-levels class, but felt like the teacher was teaching an ‘advanced’ class. We’ve all been there!

Photo via Rachel Brathen on Instagram.

Today I want to share Rachel Brathen’s amazing yoga videos. Rachel is a world-famous teacher whose approach incorporates ease and grace into the practice. Her knowledge of anatomy finds its way into her cueing, but she manages to keep it simple. I highly recommend these videos for beginners, and also for advanced yogis who are looking to get back to the basics.

She mixes it up and teaches a little differently than most teachers I know, and I love that. If you’re feeling stuck in your practice, or want to try something new—something that feels really good in your body—check these out.

You can find the videos online over at Gaiam. They're a great deal -- I recommend the $40 'Ultimate Collection' which includes 10 different yoga practices!

Photo via Rachel Brathen on Instagram. 
Adopt an attitude of sukha, or ease. Pause to feel the sweetness in the poses. Rest when you need rest.

Let your practice nourish you.

As Rachel says, Let yourself have slow days. Adapt your practice to how you’re feeling right now. But no matter where you find yourself, keep practicing.

Photo via Rachel Brathen on Instagram.
Rachel is an amazing yogini and resource on all things yoga. If you’re looking for more inspiration, try her blog, new book, Happiness Tour, and awesome Instagram feed.
If you'd like to watch the videos on YouTube, here are the links:
Rachel Brathen Yoga: Find Your Purpose 
Rachel Brathen Yoga: Release & Let Go

Eco-Friendly Yoga Wear

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Photo via Balini Sportswear on Kickstarter.

As a yoga blogger, I'm always grateful to connect with other yogis who share an entrepreneurial spirit, and a giving heart.

Ada from Balini Sports is one such yogini. When she emailed me about her yoga wear company, I was immediately impressed by her passion for yoga and her generosity in sending me some sports bras to try out. It's a gift to be able to connect with people like Ada, and that's why today I'd love for you to check out her Kickstarter video. She's raising money so that she can continue to grow her business and generate awareness around the importance of creating environmentally friendly yoga wear.

Photos via Balini Sportswear.

The Balini Sports collection of yoga wear is incredibly comfortable, functional, and stylish, and made by a team who truly care about what they're doing. Ada is truly a gem, and I couldn't be happier for her and the incredible impact she's making in the yoga wear community. I hope you'll support her Kickstarter and check out the awesome clothes, too! Thanks, Ada, for all you do. Namaste.

PS The video features some incredible underwater yoga photography... and if you're into hot yoga, these clothes are perfect for you!

All Bodies are Beautiful

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Video via Kickstarter.

I love this project, and I can so relate to what Taryn, the creator says:

"Women and girls are constantly held back and lead to believe they’re not as good as they should be. Why? Because every day we feel we’re being judged on our appearance and how far away it is from an unachievable ideal.

Lose weight, reduce wrinkles, fight cellulite; we’re constantly told to fight a battle to be someone other than who we are."

With Embrace, Taryn seeks to explore body image and encourage people around the world to shift their thinking. What a beautiful story, and a beautiful goal!

In yoga, we seek to embody our bodies -- to connect with our own physicality, to nurture, to release, and ultimately to love our bodies.

I encourage you to check out the Body Image Movement, and I hope you'll truly hear me when I say: you are beautiful.

Namaste.

Why Do You Love Yoga?

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Video via Lululemon on YouTube.

I love this video from Lululemon featuring Wanderlust yogis speaking about their love of yoga.

How has the practice changed you?

How does yoga wake you up? Help you fight through challenges? Bring you home? 

It is through the challenge that we discover a new space or a new pathway to change. I come right back to myself.

PS Read this for more inspiration on how yoga is a true love story, one that sometimes requires walking through darkness before you can find new consciousness.

Insanely Cool Yoga Video

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I watched this yoga video and immediately wanted to watch it again. And again.

Not only is Phillip Askew's control of asana downright impressive, but the sense that comes through in watching his flow is that he has a sincere dedication to his practice.

He is a devoted yogi.

How many hours has he spent holding a headstand? How long before he could do Hanumanasana? The point is that he's lost track of the time it took, but he knows the patience required to reach that place in the journey.

I love the humble moments in the film, too: at eighteen seconds, when he sits quietly on the bridge, and at four minutes, when he thoughtfully places each ankle behind his head before a well-deserved savasana.

At no moment in watching his practice do I get the sense that Phillip is trying to impress others by practicing yoga in public places. He is simply exhibiting his truest self: the one that moves effortlessly between the poses, the one that honors his own body and spirit on a regular basis.

Thank you, Phillip and the filmmakers, for sharing this beautiful example of what yoga really is. Namaste.

Why We Breathe: A Yoga Documentary

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I recently learned about an inspiring yoga documentary called Why We Breathe on Hearts Expanding, a yoga blog I love and follow regularly.

The film features the question: why do you do yoga? The filmmakers interviewed a variety of well-known, experienced yogis and teachers to learn why they practice, what keeps them going, and why they love yoga.

The documentary features contributions from Dice Iida-Klein, Briohny Smyth, Kathryn Budig, Tiffany Cruikshank, John Yax, Chris Yax, and Angela Tara Hsu.

You can find out more about the project on their website or on their Facebook page.

Have you seen any other cool yoga films lately?

Yoga is Simple (A Video Post)

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Weekend Flow from KC and Sara on Vimeo.
I love the way this video shows off the beauty of simple moments in yoga. 

The ease with which you roll out a mat. The careful, slow stretches that start your practice, following the breath. 

The small steps used to readjust alignment in Downward Dog.

The way the fingers grasp in gyan mudra, an effortless touch. The way the eyes look back as you arch into cobra pose. The way the toes flex at the height of Bird of Paradise or in an arm balance.

The upturning of a hand in savasana. The outward breath. The letting go.

Yoga Flash Mobs

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Photo by Something for Kate on Flickr.

Have you ever participated in a flash mob?
I keep reading about ones where people gather in mass to do yoga or meditation as a way of promoting peace. I'd love to get involved in one, or maybe even organize one.

Photo by emjc on Flickr.

I love the way yoga brings people together to change the world for the better.

 Practicing in public generates so much positive energy, don't you think?


Art for Peace

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Picture this: you're walking down a city street in Chicago and you stumble upon a Buddha head peeking out of the sidewalk. Or you walk by a park and see one nestled peacefully in the grass. Maybe you're at Lake Michigan and discover a Buddha resting peacefully along the water's edge.

The Ten Thousand Ripples (TTR) multi-platform public art project hopes to make this a reality. Artist Indira Johnson is teaming up with a group called Changing Worlds to combine sculpture, community engagement activities, art residencies, a citywide exhibition and an ongoing conversation about encouraging peace in the world.

Video and photos in this post via Ten Thousand Ripples on Kickstarter.

I love that the project draws awareness around the topic of peace through the medium of urban sculpture art. As it reads on the project's Kickstarter page:

We’ve designed it so that artists, neighborhood leaders, and residents are at the center of this community-driven planning and public involvement effort. 



Help support the ripple effect to promote peace! Donate here. 

PS Evanston residents might recognize the work of Indira -- she's the lady behind the bronze chairs at Raymond Park, too. :)

PPS Big props to my lovely friend Shuling for shooting the video! You really are doing what your motto says: creating a better world through media.

Namaste, all.

Defying Gravity

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This guy has some serious gravity-defying moves on his bike. I'm inspired by his fearlessness, body awareness, and what must be some really flexible joints :)

Thrill seekers, you should also check out this post on skylining (aka the closest humans can come to flying). Eeeek! 


Have an adventuresome weekend, all.

Climbing Trees

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My Own Hands from Land and Sky Media on Vimeo.


With spring all around us, it's time to celebrate the natural beauty of the world. If you climbed trees as a kid, you've got to check out this video. Doesn't it inspire you to get outside and walk barefoot in the grass, or even dare to try climbing again? :)

Dance Around & Be Curious About the World

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To me, this video evokes pure joy. There is something infectious about that playful song, her flirtatious smile, and the boundless energy in those pretty pink feet as they frolic around the screen.

Sometimes we need to take a moment out of our adult lives and run around like little kids, don't you think? :)

PS Anna Rummey is one of my favorite bloggers out there (you may remember her from this post, or this one). It is so fun watching her family grow together and the photos of little baby bear always prove irresistible to me! Thank you, Anna, for sharing the essence of childhood and for being unafraid to show us the whimsical, joyous side of life. Happy Friday, all!

Wild Thing (You Make My Heart Sing)

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Photo via Geeky Yogini.

Lately I've been working on my Wild Thing pose. Do you guys know this one? 


It's also referred to as "flipping the dog" since you come into it by starting in Downward Facing Dog, and then transferring weight to one side of the body and arching backward.


Camatkarasana pose (known as “Wild Thing”) is such a fun, playful, energetic posture. And it's challenging! You need a lot of strength in your shoulders and core to do it.


Do any of you have any Wild Things tips? I'd love to hear them.
Above photo via Leigh Ferrara Yoga.  Below photo via Yoga Union CWC. 

Here's a little description from Yoga Journal on getting into the pose:
From Downward Dog, bring your weight into your right hand and roll onto the outer edge of your right foot. Step your left foot back and place your toes on the floor with your knee bent at 90 degrees. Exhale and, keeping your right leg straight, push your body away from the floor. Use your legs and buttocks to lift your tailbone and hips as high as you can, until you are almost standing on your right foot. Keep breathing and curl your head back, extending your left arm from your heart and expressing your power and freedom.
To see "Wild Thing" in action, check out this video from Amy Ippoliti and Julieta Claire:


Here's to open hearts as you get your "Wild Thing" on!