Catching Up

I was out of town last week on a mini-vacation to the Oregon coast, and there were some posts that were supposed to publish but didn't. So I didn't ditch the place - blogger's just been broken.

Sign says: No coins necessary to operate stream

So to get caught up - here are a few things that occurred while I was away:

• Received Tara Stiles' book "Yoga Cures" for an upcoming review.
• Visited the Portland Art Museum where I saw a real Claude Monet Waterlily painting.
• Attended my 2nd Cirque du Soleil show - Ovo.
• Saw plenty of great street art.

• Visited the Sea Lion Caves where I saw hundreds of sea lions in the wild. Awesome!
• Bought a painting done by a sea lion named Lea from the Oregon Coast Aquarium. (100% of the proceeds go directly into animal care.)
• Went deep sea fishing and we brought back a ton of fish and saw more sea lions and a whale.

Sea Lions

10 Tips to Green Up your Yoga Practice for Earth Day

Sunday will be Earth Day so here are 10 Tips to Green Up your Practice

via http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/

1. Carpool - better yet, ride a bike, walk, or practice at home.

2. Upgrade your mat to a natural rubber model. (Donate or Upcycle the old one)

3. Stop buying bottled water. Drink your water from a reusable bottle like a Klean Kanteen.

4. Choose clothing made from organic or recycled materials.

5. Go to a non-heated studio sometimes. It takes energy to artificially build that much heat all day.

Source: http://www.michellemyhre.com/

6. Keep your post-yoga shower short, or at least buddy up.

7. Go online for your magazines, books, etc so trees can create oxygen not trash.

8. Use potted flowers instead of cut, so they don't have to die for you to keep sunshine on your altar.

9. Don't buy crap for your practice that you don't need. That's really the best option.

10. Practice outside to connect with nature.

Canadian Sign via http://pinterest.com/cosmiclila/

Moon Salutations with Shiva Rea

Moon Salutations, aka Soma Mandala Namaskar, are like sun salutations except for the moon and therefore they are practiced in a more calm smooth manner. They cultivate quiet feminine energy and are great for evening practices or during stressful times. I do this particular moon salutation pretty regularly (ever since I saw it in an issue of Yoga Journal) and it always makes me feel amazing and blissed out. Try adding this to your evenings to de-stress and soothe the mind and body.

Readers via Email - Click Here for the Video

Inspired Practice

Some people such as myself find warmer sunnier weather to be a catalyst for strengthening their practice. In the darker months I tend to hibernate, and during brighter days my energy shoots through the roof and I am more than happy to do my sun salutations in the sun. Other people (many people) seem to function just the opposite because they'd rather be out doing something like hiking or playing tennis than practicing yoga.

No matter which kind of practitioner you are - may today's images inspire you to practice. With vigor, with balance, with sensitivity, and with inner awakening.

Source: http://awakenedlotus.tumblr.com/post/21098961221#notes

Source: http://bitterlysweet-yogalover.tumblr.com/post/20813378136

Source: http://yogurtyoga.tumblr.com/post/21265348664/migas-hanuman-by-j-f-photos

Source: http://littlewynter.tumblr.com/post/21296348418

The Most Important Yoga Equipment

While I talk about shopping a fair amount on this blog I don't want anyone think I truly believe anything other than this:

Get Happy Hips Now

Start this week off right with the happiest hips in your neighborhood. I found this great little sequence via Vega Community that I thought was worth sharing. It was originally posted back in 2010, but I'd bet there are still people with surly back-talking hips that need it. So try out this sequence and see if it doesn't make your week a little more comfortable.

There's also a generously sized pdf version on the original page.

Masquerade Ball at Gallery 5

 For the Masquerade Ball at Gallery5, I made this animal-bird mask for Solie'l Paden and did her leopard body paint job and her hair. I also created the hat-mask that I'm wearing and painted my own face.  This image was shot by Rich Dunham.

Yoga Journal Free Digital Issue for Earth Day

Earth Day is still a while away (April 22nd), but there's no point in waiting to read the April/May issue of Yoga Journal for free online. Digital issues are perfect for Earth Day since they kill no trees and spend no energy being shipped about. Yay!

Get your digital issue here.

Fun fact: If you click the article titles on the cover page it'll take you directly to them.

B.K.S. Iyengar - Inhale, Exhale

“When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world.” - B.K.S. Iyengar

Unboxing #NDL02 from Quarterly Co.

I've been eagerly awaiting my 2nd package from No More Dirty Looks and Quarterly for days. I'm still joyously experiencing the three items from last quarter's package, by the way. After I spent a good portion of yesterday morning at the DMV - I was exceptionally happy to find what was inside the latest mailing.

Search this hashtag on Twitter to find out what other subscribers are saying.

A letter introducing the theme, the items, and how to use them.

  

This Quarter's Loot:

Essence of Vali Sleep

Blissoma Harmony Candle

Wei of Chocolate Wei Relaxed

Lotus Wei Quiet Mind Energy Mist

Everything here is to "create rituals for unwinding". Mostly aromatherapy type stuff which I don't usually use, but I'm more than willing to give it a try. I'm particularly interested in the Energy Mist - probably because I think it's pretty.

Aren't these chocolates cute?
Two words: Chocolate Meditation

My favorite detail at the end of each letter.

Want to get your own Quarterly package from NMDL? Go Here.

Meditation Education

Better Buddies Makes Better Pet Products

If you have a pet and care about the environment then you need to know about a great little company that recently landed in my inbox. Better Buddies makes awesome pet supplies like beds and food mats. Their products are made of good things like hemp, organic cotton, and upcycled/recycled materials. They give to good causes.

I have a dog - a lovely little dog you've seen here from time to time. He eats like 4 times a day and on a hardwood floor. In the winter I think his feet get cold, and year round he makes spills and pushes his bowls around a fair amount. Obviously he needs a good sized placemat. If you've ever shopped around for a pet food mat then you know the options aren't exactly amazing.

Luckily, Better Buddies has come up with an idea that affects my dog love and my yoga love all at once. It's like this product was just MADE for yogis and their blissed out pets. It's even eco friendly because they're upcycling old yoga mats into cute food mats.

About the Mats:

Mats run 23"x17"
$19.99

We have taken discarded yoga mats sent in through donation and put them through a Wash + Stop^TM sanitation process, and cut them into perfect dog and cat food mats.

We celebrate each Bone Appetit and Meow Mat as a one-of-a- kind expression for all yogis and their pets! No two mats are alike in color or texture as each original yoga mat was different. Better Buddies is so proud to bring new life to yoga mats that have lost their purpose.

Unlike standard pet food mats, the Bone Appetit and Meow Mats are easily washable in the dishwasher and are slide resistant.

Better Buddies has partnered with the Best Friends Animal Society to begin work on various social responsibility programs and currently donates 10% of profit. Better Buddies’ mission is to shift society’s focus to adoption as the means to find a pet and to make no-kill kennels the way to find them.

Buy Them Here!

Yoga Moves to Cure Pain

This is almost a Recycled Post, but since it's never been on this blog before - it's like new.

I recently came across this prAna blog post from way back in 2009, but pain relief through yoga is always in season so I'm sharing it with you today.

50 Excellent Yoga Moves to Cure Any Kind of Pain or Problem

It's broken up into categories such as:
Back and Neck
Legs and Hamstrings
Arms Shoulders and Core
&
Relaxation Poses

In the Art Studio

My posts have become slightly less reliable lately. For this I apologize, and I'd like to offer an explanation.

Little known fact - I used to be an artist. There's always this argument about whether yoga is art and I just transitioned into a different art style, but I consider the two to be too separate to be related. For me anyway. Nothing even remotely compares to drawing and painting. As long as this exists - there is no other art to me.

Once upon a time I did some art school and I was offered money for my work and people thought I had talent or something. However, it's hard to pay the bills as an art major so I went into biology instead (clearly I threw that idea out the window when I ultimately chose yoga). Anyway - with both art and yoga in my every day - I'm finding a ridiculous amount of happiness and fulfillment.

My latest project - and my first foray into soft pastels.

I recently cleared some space and started a home art studio. I got tired of sitting in the kitchen floor to draw and paint all hours of the day. So now I have this room all to myself and it's quiet and full of sunlight and I am spending all my time there. Sometimes I wash the colors off my hands and climb into bed in the wee hours of the night/morning - forgetting all about the blog-post I was supposed to write. So forgive me and be patient as I figure out how to arrange my schedule/life of activities - again. It's always something.