This is literally my second time ever doing yoga, so I wanted a short workout. I found a 10 minute yoga class on YouTube that featured a “Sun Salutation”. I thought it would be fun to try. It was also my first chance to use my new yoga mat! I love the mat and will review it in a future post.
This video was made by the same studio whose video I watched the first time I did yoga. It’s the same instructor, but with a different model. Like the other video, Continue reading
I just finished the book “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Yes, that is the correct spelling. Yes, it’s impossible to pronounce!). Wow, what an amazing book. It’s a challenging read, but incredibly rewarding. Pretty much all 240 pages are packed with really profound insights on how to be happy. I wish someone would write “Flow For Dummies”!
Flow occurs when you’re doing an activity where the challenge matches your skill. When that happens the focus required absorbs you completely. When you’re playing tennis and you’re totally involved in the game, that’s a flow activity. You forget everything else but the game. That’s flow.
Yoga is arguably one of the best flow activities, and the book has a section specifically on flow and yoga. But almost anything can be a flow activity, from sports to music to reading. If it’s something you enjoy focusing on, it can be a flow activity.
In spite of all the wonders of modern technology, humans aren’t any happier now than they have been throughout history. We are healthier and live longer, but we aren’t happier. So what can we do about it? Csikszentmihalyi shows that how often Continue reading
When you read reviews of any mat (or just about anything for that matter), there are always people who love it, people who hate it, and many in between. Some want a mat that is not slippery, and those who don’t perspire much prefer one that’s not too sticky. Some want a lightweight mat to easily carry to and from class, and some want a mat that provides more cushion. So, just as in yoga itself, it’s really all about what you as an individual are looking for.
I recently shopped for a new yoga mat. My criteria were that it had to be environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic, not too thin, and free of any odors. I also wanted to spend under $40. I did loads and loads of online searches, read the pros and cons of the many mats out there and finally I decided on the Classic Yoga Mat from Aurorae. Continue reading
I just tried yoga for my first time ever! Nothing better than being able to do something like this in the comfort and privacy of home. I did this 20 minute yoga “class” on YouTube:
Overall it was pretty fun, and seemed to go by fast. The stretches felt really good, and the poses were just challenging enough to be interesting. It was definitely a good introduction to yoga. The video consisted of a female model demonstrating the postures, while the instructor Continue reading
Yoga is Awareness.
Yoga is a path toward a healthier mind and body. It is a teacher of “letting go” of unhealthy habits. Yoga is an awareness of all the beauty that surrounds us and finds the good in all life, humans, animals and plants. It is a key to unlock our hidden creativity, opening up new avenues of unimagined talents which come to the surface from our innermost areas of mind, body and spirit.
By seriously practicing Yoga you can find the following benefits:
Since this is our first blog post ever (yay!), we guess it should serve as a mission statement. “We” are Lee Marie, Maria, and Ayal. We’re all into yoga, and more generally, health and nutrition. Like most groups of people interested in these topics, we’re at various stages of learning and experience. One thing we all share is a desire to expand our knowledge about these important topics that can make such an impact on health and happiness.
This blog is a vehicle for us to share our discoveries, from invigorating workouts to delicious recipes. We’ll share the poses, practices, gear and recipes etc that inspire us, but also the things we tried and weren’t quite what we hoped for…and why. Continue reading