Namaste, oil drillers: Yoga on the agenda at Texas industry conference.
Self-trust like whoa: How to teach a great yoga class with only five minutes to prepare.
Fer shurrr: Six mindset shifts all yogis should know, including beginners.
Because science: Kirtan kriya can help prevent Alzheimer’s and here’s why. The connection between yoga and dental health.
Word: Women in yoga history you should know.
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The fine yoga blog, Yoga Approved, has this recipe for a simple yoga mat cleaner made from essential oils that we tried and like. We added a teensy bit of bergamot and lemon essential oils to their recipe and loved the scent even more. So, there’s that.
But, a particular paragraph in the post’s intro is the most OMG-factor thing on the page, no disrespect intended to the excellent mat spray, but seriously, for real:
In a lab test conducted on several different yoga mats, some of the mats were found to have Staph, yeast build-up (a form of fungus), fecal matter, allergens, and millions of bacteria, to name just a few of the findings.
Sooo, in the spirit of cleaning the hell out of your yoga mat, in addition to the aforementioned great recipe from Yoga Approved that we doctored up, here are a few more now that we’ve completely creeped you out, too: here’s a really beautiful one from The Healthy Maven, this rose-water version from Living Well Mom, MindBodyGreen’s nice eucalyptus one, and this minty one from Avocado Living.
GO. CLEAN. YOUR. MAT.
Some days we just fall in love with an entire yoga blog. Also, we don’t ever mean “blog post” when we say “blog” because 2019. So by “fall in love with an entire yoga blog” we mean the whole blog; the posts, the writer, the content, everything.
Okay, with that said, here’s who we are loving this week:
Bad Yogi Magazine. No explanation needed. We heart this blog.
Body Divine Yoga. Lovely, little deep-dives on great topics related to yoga.
Body Positive Yoga. The woman behind this entire site and program is amazing. The end.
Daily Cup of Yoga. Newsy and informative, great for feeling up-to-date.
Fuck Yeah Yoga. Truly one of the finest things on tumblr for yogis.
Happy Monday, yogis! Here are your must-read yoga links for today:
Say yes to this: the world’s dreamiest places for outdoor yoga. 10 ways to relax that don’t involve Netflix or junk food. How to modify common yoga poses if you have shoulder pain. Also loving this “Zen AF” tank.
Hashtag that’s not how it works: Russian prison reinstates yoga classes after temporarily suspending them after claims yoga “makes people gay” (*facepalm*)
That’s more like it: yoga replacing detention at Arizona elementary school. Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner calls goat yoga the best day of her life.
Word, science: to file under “stuff we already know but it’s nice to have this data on the record,” study shows workers who do yoga at work are less stressed. Also: yoga may help ease mood disorders in Parkinson’s patients.
Words to live by: “There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Gandhi
“The very heart of yoga practice is ‘abyhasa’– steady effort in the direction you want to go.” – quote by Sally Kempton
Studying the mudras, the hand gestures we often do in moments of yoga stillness, pranayama and meditation (and the subtle-yet-wonderful thing for which this blog is named), can be a deeply rewarding practice. It can also be confusing as hell, so here are three easy ones to start with that you can use anytime you want to bring about the good vibes.
In Sanskrit, mudra means “seal” or “closure” and we use these hand gestures to direct focus and energy within the body, by using the hands.
Different areas of the hands are connected, neurologically and/or energetically, with different areas in the body and the brain. So by placing our hands in various yoga mudras, we theoretically stimulate different areas of the brain and create specific energy circuits in the body and help generate a specific state of mind.
Anjali mudra: You’ve definite done this one. Simply the palms together in front of your heart space to express love and gratitude, and as a gesture of honor and respect to yourself, toward others, and toward the universe. Say it: AHN-jah-lee MOU-dra
Gyan mudra: You’ll, no doubt, see this one a lot, too, as it’s probably one of the most used in yoga after the Anjali mudra. To do it, simply bring the tips of the thumb and index finger together, and keep the other three fingers together, lightly stretched. (Envision giving someone an “ok” hand gesture to get an idea of the shape.) This mudra is said to increase concentration, creativity, and is a gesture of knowledge. To receive energy from it, keep your palms facing upwards with this mudra. To help feel more grounded, go palms down on top of your legs. Say it: GIE-ahn MOU-dra
Prana mudra: This is a really lovely and energizing mudra, as it is said to help activate stagnant energy in the body and mind. To do it, bring the tips of your thumb, ring finger, and little finger together. This mudra is said to encourage the flow of prana energy (prana = the vital life force in all things), making you feel energized and strong. Say it: PRA-nah MOU-dra
Want more? He’s a great, in-depth tutorial about these and other mudras from the Chopra Center.
Read this: Great post on feeling strong and the evolution of a yoga practice. Another about chakra work for with stress and racing thoughts.
Wish we thought of this: yoga dice.
Admit it: this “fart yoga coloring book” made you laugh and you immediately thought of someone who needs a copy.
So, these are super cute: tiny crocheted yogis!
OMG, Grandma: How to keep your sex life hot later in life.
Into it: this was called the most feminist period app. We’re testing it out and so far, it’s giving a lot of insightful info about cycle-awareness. Speaking of apps, here’s a good list of sustainable living apps.
We’re down, dog: summer 2019 yoga festivals.
Your Monday round-up of stuff to read, watch, consider, taste, and try from around the interwebs today, yogis.
Living the life: there’s a lovely piece on Becoming Minimalist that asks us to mindfully reframe out thinking about what things cost from money to time.
Lookit: documentary about the science of yoga. Speaking of: read this piece about the link between yoga and body satisfaction. The best free yoga videos for March.
No, I love you more: yoga and massage for couples. Also: here are four ways to hack your brain for better sex (the tl;dr: let your freak flag fly.) And, five reasons why your partner is the best yoga partner. And– hear me out– this piece makes a surprisingly good case for tracking your cycle with your partner.
This is a thing: now you can learn Sanskrit with an app called YogaLingo. Also “rage yoga” is a thing that is happening?
And who doesn’t need that? 6 relaxing yoga poses to calm your racing mind, from Finer Minds. Related to that, Purpose Fairy has a good list of 15 meditation benefits for an anxious and active mind.
Teach your yoga: Nobody can teach yoga quite like you, and that’s your super-power, mmmkay?
Show some respect: 4 women in yoga history you should know.
