What can Yoga do for You?

via Rise of the Yogi
designed by Danielle Joseph

Find Your Yoga Circle

This might be the best yoga infographic I've seen this year. Do you find this accurate for your practice? Maybe you're looking for something new to try. Maybe this collection of popular yoga circles will help you find your next big thing.

12 Symptoms of Spiritual Awakening

Source: http://www.recoverytradepublications.com/blog.html?entry=12-symptoms-of-a-spiritual

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation doesn't have to be a huge ordeal. Most sane people don't just start with 30+ minutes a day of seated meditation. In fact, meditation can be done lying down, sitting in a chair, walking down the street - or wherever. Start with this One Moment Meditation to easily jump start a functional meditation practice.

Healthy Vegetarian Eats

If you've been unfortunate enough to have oral surgery of any kind then you're familiar with having nothing to eat for a few days but the likes of pudding and meal replacement shakes. I tire of the same food excessively fast. After all the tomato soup and spaghettios-esque meals - I may never eat tomato-based products again. (Never say Never.)  By the end of week One I was watching an unappealing amount of FoodTV and I investigated a lot of food pins on Pinterest. I've been kind of obsessed. I really love food. Adam got some interesting meals out of it anyway.

Here's some yummy-looking items that I came across in my time spent glued to pictures of edibles. It just so happens they're all meat-free.

Broccoli Parmesan Fritters:
I love broccoli so I can't wait to make this. Click through for the recipe, and some serving ideas. Like topped with egg, garlic-lemon yogurt, or homemade ricotta.

Green Bean, Mushroom, and Caramelized Onion Tart:
I've never had a tart of any kind, and I don't actually like mushrooms. However, these pictures have sold me on this delicious looking recipe. Suggested as an appetizer or a light meal.

Portobello Mushroom and Kale Stroganoff:
I love the look of this way healthier version of the always delightful stroganoff. Looks easy to make which is always a plus no matter how experienced you are in the kitchen.

Find these recipes and more on my Food Pinterest Board.

Healthy Eating Ideas

Today I want to talk about food. I love food. I really really love food. My measured stress levels are regularly lower when I know I'm about to eat. Food is what fuels your body, and if you choose the right things it's downright delighful. By choosing healthy items in a variety of colors, textures, and carb/protein levels - you can get more energy and better health just by what you eat.

Here's a few delicious looking ideas from me to you. Find these and more on my Pinterest Food Board.

Healthy Wrap:
1/2 cup chopped chicken, 3 Tbsp Fuji apples chopped, 2 Tbsp red grapes chopped, 2 tsp honey, 2 Tbsp almond butter. Mix and wrap in a Romaine lettuce leaf.

Cucumber Subs:
Really any sandwich filling works for this bread-free sandwich. This one includes turkey, dijon mustard and laughing cow cheese. 

Vegetarian Sweet Potato Burgers with Avocado:
This had me at sweet potatoes and avocado. Click Through for the recipe and lots of pics.

Grilled Ham and Cheese on Waffles:
This one might be questionable on health-appeal 'cause I doubt frozen waffles are winning many health awards. Still - I don't know why my sandwiches haven't been using waffles as bread since always. Click through for the recipe.

Simple Healthy Breakfasts

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day. Yet most people have trouble getting to work on time - much less managing a healthy filling breakfast first. That being the case, lots of people skip breakfast completely or make do with something atrocious like donuts and coffee.

Here's a few simple healthy breakfasts to inspire you - all of which take about 30 minutes or less.

Baked Eggs in Ham Cups
These are super easy to make, and you can jazz it up or customize your cups easily by throwing in a few chopped veggies.

Berry Breakfast Quinoa
I love quinoa, and I love the idea of making it into breakfast food. This grain is high in protein, so it's spectacular for vegetarians.

Baked Eggs with Wilted Baby Spinach
This picture just looks delicious enough to make me want spinach for breakfast.

Steel Cut Oats Made Easy

Oats are amazingly healthy, filling, and delicious. If you have doubts - maybe you just haven't had the right oats yet. Here's some ideas that take as little as 2 minutes to prepare. Have fun with your oats and learn to love this nutritional powerhouse.

Steel Cut Oats with Banana and Walnuts

This is my favorite way to serve steel cut oats. A single serving size is 1/4 cup uncooked oats. Doesn't sound like much, but these oats are quite filling especially once you top it off with a chopped banana and 1 Tbsp. of walnuts. Click through for the basic recipe.

They generally take around 20 minutes to cook, but steel cut oats are extremely versatile. Cook time can be shortened or lengthened for more or less chewy/creamy oats. I like to cook mine in half water half milk for 30 minutes. Play around with it - change the fruit, change the nuts, throw in some ground flaxseed, try almond milk, whatever you can imagine.

The protein content is not equal in all steel cut oats - I use Bob's Red Mill for the most protein. These are also available in organic, instant, and gluten free.

If you don't want to slave over a pot of oats for 20 minutes - Overnight Steel Cut Oats might be for you. No slow cooker required. You can even divide it into jars for Oats-To-Go all week long.

Still too much? Completely Cook-Free Chai Oats might be your thing.

Yogi Gift Guide 2012 - Part 3

World Travelers:
Rosetta Stone $180+ - so they'll be prepared when they finally reach that dream destination.

Warrior Princess Dress/Tunic $78 - Keep packing simple with multi-use pieces like this dress that doubles as a tunic.

Ahnu Footwear $60+ - Comfy, cute, and packs well.

Hanuman Wrap $59+ - versatile, attractive, and great for chilly planes.

Yoga Vibes Subscription $20/month or $200/year - classes on demand when they can't get to a studio.

Yoga Teachers:
Lotus Wei Mini Serums $60 - This mini serums kit is great for giving adjustments and mini massages.

Punjammies $19+ - Beautiful  pajamas  for resting fully - "created in after-care facilities for women who have been rescued, released or escaped from a life of forced prostitution."

White Sage/Sweetgrass Incense $12/box - simplify the constant use of sage and sweetgrass.

The Anatomy Coloring Book $14 - keeping continued education fun.

Stark Skincare, The Whole Shebang $120 - The entire Stark line (minus the lip balm $12).

Toms Shoes $54+ - Tons of styles for everyone that are both comfortable and fashionable. Don't know their size, or think they'd like sunglasses, hats, shirts, etc? Maybe a Gift Card $5+. Just about anything purchased benefits those in developing countries with shoes or sight via the One for One movement.

Adventurous Types:
Hula Hoop $21+ - for getting into the flow in a different way.

We Love Colors Leggings $26 - choose from 51 colors.

Aerial Yoga Class - look around and find a fun new class for them to try.

Mystical Mandala Coloring Book $4

YogaSlackers slackline and dvd set $100 - take their yoga practice (and their abs) to a whole new level.

Yogi Gift Guide 2012 - Part 2

Glitzy Yogi:
Handmade Feather Earrings $30 - Dipped in Gold, or Forest Nymph Peacock, or Gypsy Magick Peacock

Nectar Creations Twist Yoga Leggings $50 - Amazingly comfortable ♥

Foat Design Pullover Shawl $42 - Handmade in Minnesota from rescued fabric

Kalyana Jewelry Holder $53 - a pretty holder for their pretty jewelry

Wreck This Journal $10 - remind him/her to get a little dirty

Down to Earth Yogi:
Organic Terrarium $22+ - small, beautiful piece of nature for home.

Kahina Giving Beauty Travel Basics Set $85- or just the argan oil at $36+.

Eat More Kale Tee $25 - Handprinted in Vermont.

Buddha Bowls $25/ea - Good sized bowls handmade in southern California.

Big Head Squirrel Feeder $15 - because squirrels.

Immaterialists: 
GaiamTV Subscription $10/month - Way more than just yoga classes - without clutter.

Experience Gifts - hot air balloon ride, ice skating, tickets to Cirque du Soleil, a massage...

Philanthropic Donations - take that money you would've spent on stuff and give it to a reputable charity.

Flowers – a literal gift of light

Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga by Rolf Gates $15 - Kindle Edition

Yogi Gift Guide 2012 - Part 1

This entire week is devoted to my annual 3-Part Gift Guide. Tons of ideas for everyone you know at a variety of price points. Why? Because giving makes people happy. Whether it's something small or something extravagant - and the holiday season is all about giving.

 Past gift guides:

2011 Yogi Gift Guides: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

2010 Yogi Gift Guides: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

Dudes:
Prints of Hubble Photos $6+ - for connecting with the Universe

The Meditator’s Workbook: A Journey to the Center $11 - by Matthew Flickstein

Evolution Tee $44

Manduka 79" eKO® Mat $88 - it's big, and I support that.

Ashram Yoga Rug $50 - 100% cotton rug prevents slipping.

Beginners: 
YogaGlo Gift Subscription $18+ - cause people are more likely to try new things in the privacy of home

Kipling Adara Tote $89 - vegan friendly nylon is easy to clean and still useful if the yoga thing doesn't work out.

Yoga Is: A Transformational Journey DVD $15 - in case they're still on the fence about it.

"Beautiful" Tee $26

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice $13 - by T.K.V. Desikachar

Stocking Stuffers/Small Gifts: 
S.W. Basics Vegan Lip Balm $5/ea
Essential Oils Deck $12
Buddha Nose Bath Tea Sachets $30
Hydrea Beechwood Body Brush $12
Karma Warrior Keychain $4
Yoga Teacher Barbie $19
Pocket Bhagavad Gita $24
Natural Deodorants: Lavanila $10+ or Soapwalla $12
iTunes gift card $15+ (for podcasts or music)

Recover with Sleep

Autumn and winter are a time for rest. Menstruation is a period for rest and rejuvenation. At least once a week you should have an "off-day" no matter your fitness plan. Part of a healthy lifestyle is rest. Make sure sleep is a priority. Some people need 7 hours - some people are zombies unless they get closer to 12 hours. Get the right amount of sleep for you.

• Create a bedtime routine that soothes and quiets your system.
• Remove stimulants like caffeine and electronics from your evening.
• Make your sleep space a haven.
• Make it dark - like really dark.
• Oil your skin and wear cozy clothes (if you wear any).
• Don't exercise too close to bedtime.
• Practice calming nighttime yoga if you just have to do something.

Books for New Yogis

October's almost over which means the weather is perfect for settling in with a blanket, a hot chocolate, someone to snuggle with, and a great book. That book can totally further your yoga education if you pick one of my top 10 beginner-friendly books. Listed in no particular order.

• Yoga Body, Buddha Mind. Some philosophy and a lot of practice. Has little stickman sequences in the back.
• My Body Is A Temple: Yoga As a Path to Wholeness. Mostly philosophy, and I really like the author.
• The Mirror of Yoga: Awakening the Intelligence of Body and Mind. Haven't read it, but I hear it's accessible and humorous.
• How Yoga Works. Pretty much covers the yoga sutras, but in fictional story form.
• Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness. Constantly declared one of the best hatha yoga books ever.

via http://www.cutestpaw.com/images/need-him/

• Yoga Beyond Belief: Insights to Awaken and Deepen Your Practice. Really good book. Hard to explain quickly... theres a long description on the amazon page.
• Jivamukti Yoga: Practices for Liberating Body and Soul. Lots of philosophy, also some sequences and poses with plenty of pictures.
• Myths of the Asanas: The Ancient Origins of Yoga. Fun stories teach you where poses came from.
• Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life. "off-the-mat practices to guide you in deepening your relationships..."
• The Secret Power of Yoga: A Woman's Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras.

There are a lot of great books that are considered yogi must-reads that didn't make this list because of their ability to overwhelm newcomers. Leave your suggestions in the comments.

Functional Gifts for YTT Grads

Every season a pile of new yoga teachers is unleashed into the wild. Whenever I graduated everyone wanted to send me some sort of graduation gift. At the time all I really knew to ask for was yoga clothes because I didn't know what would be truly useful. Now it's been a few years and I know my way around a little better.

Here's My Top 10 Gifts to make a new teacher's life easier:

• Business Cards/Holders - Creative high quality business cards are more memorable.
• Parking Money - A parking meter cashkey would've saved me a lot of trouble when I first started teaching downtown.
• Hot tea - Sipping hot tea while teaching or just after class is great for overworked throats.
• Yoga Anatomy book - never stop studying.
• Yoga classes - to prevent burnout and stay inspired. Self-care is important.

• Square - to accept credit/debit for private sessions
• Blessed to Serve - I declared this book required reading for aspiring teachers.
• Yoga Teacher Bag - a good sized dedicated bag for classes keeps everything in one spot and makes it easy to carry all over town.
• Yoga clothes - Layers for cold classrooms, and nice new clothes for interviews/auditions.
• Binder - for organizing class plans/articles/notes/waivers/contracts...

Things I Like

My summer vacation trip to Wanderlust CA is coming up at the end of July, so in preparation I've got a few things on my mind: Music, Yoga, Sunshine, and Hoopdance. Yay! With that in mind - here's this week's edition of "Things I Like".

MC Yogi Interview & New Album

Exclusion and American Yoga

Gaia Pranam Hoopdance DVD

Make Your Own Hula Hoop Tutorial

PRANAM DVD Trailer from Gaia Pranam on Vimeo.

Things I Love This Week

I'm in a very happy pro-love mood this week. I just bought these "Let Love Rule" Toms and I think they're fabulous and comfortable. They'd be great to/from yoga classes, walking in a Pride parade, or just around the house. I recommend them. Very much. In case you've been living under a rock - learn about Toms and their One for One movement here. 

Other things I love this week:

Aelita Andre - Art Prodigy or Just Having Fun?

Five Yoga Poses for Happy Hips

The Summer Hair Challenge at NMDL (enter by June 24th)

The "What's in your Yoga Bag?" column on Namastilo

http://pinterest.com/pin/144818944238089582/

Five Simple Rules for Happiness

http://pinterest.com/pin/144818944237977159/

Free Online Yoga Resources

To qualify for this list pages had to meet a few "requirements":
Have at least some free stuff all the time and not just a free trial
Post more than just a couple times
Not set off my anti-virus software
Most have been widely recommended by others.

This is nowhere near an exhaustive list. Just a jumping off point.
Heart-felt thanks to everyone that is making all this magnificent yoga available to the world.

Asana Videos:

Youtube - Sadie Nardini, Yogatic, Tara Stiles, KinoYoga...

Vimeo - Kripalu
http://www.artofattention.com/videos/
http://yogayak.com/ - full classes, meditation, pranayama, etc.
http://www.learnitlive.com/
http://www.yogajournal.com/video/

http://www.doyogawithme.com/

http://www.yogatoday.com/ - some free

http://www.yoganonymous.com/take-a-class/ - weekly free class through GaiamTV

http://www.yogacards.com/

http://erichschiffmann.com/category/medium/audio/

http://pinterest.com/pin/267049452874333658/

Podcasts (mostly iTunes):

http://elsiesyogakula.com/
http://hillarysyogapractice.wordpress.com/

http://www.yogadownload.com/Resources/Podcast.aspx
Faith Hunter
Eoin Finn
Les Leventhal
Kinndli McCollum
TeriLeigh Schmidt
Sofi Dillof
Live Love Teach Yoga School

http://www.omlightphotography.com/2011/11/aubrys-class/

Free PDFs of major texts:

http://www.yogavidya.com/freepdfs.html

Meditation:

http://www.meditationsutras.com/
http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/free-audio-meditations

Other:
http://bighappyday.com/ -short fun videos for philosophy, motivation, education, etc.

Yamas and Niyamas

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of the Yamas and Niyamas. Maybe post this on your wall.

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/