yogitoes mat towel v. Prana chamois

My previous blog post generated a few questions regarding which yoga mat towel to use.  Below I’ve listed my personal pros & cons of the Prana yoga chamois vs. the yogitoes towel.  As with everything in life, “to each his own”. 

Prana – skidless cloth  Pros:  o       Extends slightly beyond the mat.o       Simple —only one color so no decisions to be made.o       Long life – I’ve had mine for over two years and wash it after each practice.  It’s still holding strong.o       Absorbs the sweat and dries quickly. o       Very compact – great for traveling.−        Cons:  o       Only one color

Yogitoes –skidless mat towel  Pros:  o       Cool colors —most colors are trimmed with orange.  o       A portion of the retail price goes to YOGITOES FUND to provide programs to bring love & awareness to children.o       Absorbs sweat.−        Cons: o       Shrinks after several washes.

Why Do People Cover Their Yoga Mats with Fancy Towels?

When you start to generate body heat through movement and breathing (then add a heated yoga studio into the mix), the hands & feet become sweaty.  For some, the hands and feet can become extremely slippery.  Instead of feeling in control of your yoga poses, you’ll start to feel like you’re on a “slip-n-slide”.  Yoga mat towels prevent you from slipping once you start sweating as they absorb the sweat.

Another great reason to use them, regardless of whether you sweat or not during your yoga practice, is a mat towel puts a hygienic layer between you and your mat.  Of course, it’s recommended that you wipe down your yoga mat after each use even if you cover it.

Finally, a mat towel extends the life of your yoga mat and keeps it looking new longer.

My favorite yoga mat towel is made by Prana; though the yogitoes towel is extremely popular.  Both fit a standard yoga mat 24’x 68’.  Both can be found online via an easy Google search. 

Should My Feet Touch the Ground in Downward-Facing Dog (Sanskrit: Adho Mukha Svanasana)?

I love when my yoga students tell me they’ve picked up an asana book (asana is Sanskrit for “seat” or “pose”) or watched a yoga DVD.  It makes me feel like I’ve inspired them in some small way.  Though without a doubt, they usually have questions about what the book or DVD demonstrates –usually because what they’ve seen is slightly different than the way I teach it.  The title of this blog entry was conceived in this very way –a student recently asked me this question based on the Yoga for Dummies book she was reading.

As simple as yoga is & was meant to be, it has become a tad confusing over the last few years with the various asana and teaching styles that exist.  Downward-Facing Dog (a.k.a. Down Dog) is a very common yoga pose.  You’ll be hard-pressed to find a yoga class that doesn’t incorporate it.  Down Dog is also a prime example of how the popularity of yoga and its various styles has created different cues.

I (abellaYOGA) teach power vinyasa yoga.  The Down Dog cues I use encourage students to keep feet hip-width and heels reaching towards the floor but slightly off the floor.  Since the pose primarily focuses on lengthening the legs and spine, if the heels are flat on the ground the pose can no longer grow.  When the base of the pose (distance between hands & feet) is widened and the heels are slightly off the floor, there is room to explore, expand and ultimately take you beyond your edge.

On the flip side, my students with tight hamstrings can’t even straighten their legs let alone drop their heels towards the floor.  Unfortunately, some books and DVDs don’t and can’t address all the different body types and proper modifications to take.  For everybody, Down Dog will look and feel different.  Remember, yoga asana is about feeling, accepting where you are in your body and exploring your edge (going beyond your comfort zone).

I always tell my students “It doesn’t matter what a yoga pose looks like in a book; it’s about how it feels in your body”.  Learn to be okay with where you are in the pose.  This is your starting point.  Accept the beginning and then you can explore from there.  Yoga isn’t about forcing your body into a shape.  Yoga is about the journey and what you learn along the way –on and off the mat.  With exploration in your asana poses, comes expansion of the body, mind and spirit.  This is the heart of yoga.     

What to do about Muscle Cramps!?!?!

I was recently asked after teaching a large group yoga class in Old Town (Alexandria, VA) “what can I do about muscle cramps in my legs?”.  I replied drink more water before & after yoga.  Particularly during these 90+ degree days extra water is in order.

Since everything with the body, and not just in yoga class, starts in the feet I also suggested a few exercises to strengthen the muscles in the feet and calves.  I recommended the following to Donna (my student).  Try picking up a sock with your toes and holding for 15 seconds, or attempt to grip a tennis balls with the arches of the feet 5 times or so.  Another easy exercise is to simply lengthen and spread through the toes, balls and heels when the feet are shoeless. 

All you need is 5 minutes a day to build strong, happy feet.  Remember, the feet are the foundation of the body.

Though not completely satisfied with my answer, I Googled “muscles cramps yoga” and came across this article Freedom from Muscle Cramps.  I was happy to see that my answer to Donna was on target but also appreciated the additional info this article touches upon.  Thank you Elaine Iaccino for your article on muscle cramps.  For other great articles by Elaine please visit www.headsuponyourbody.com

Happy reading for happy feet! 

What do you mean by “root down”?

When teaching yoga class, I often say “root down” (or “ground down”) as you reach up.  Recently a student asked me “why?” 

In yoga asana practice and in life, it’s essential to establish a solid foundation before you start to move in whatever direction your life or your yoga pose takes you.  To fully benefit and feel the effects of a standing asana, you really need to find the connection to the ground below you.  This usually starts with the feet.  Can you feel your heels pressing into the mat?  Can you feel action in balls of your feet?  As with any asana, find the strength as well as the ease.  The ease in the feet is in the toes –they should be light and not gripping the mat.  So lift them up and then place them back down, lightly. 

Once you establish your stability in the feet, you work your way up.  Start to find the strength in your the legs and core.  Now you’re standing in your power.  Now you can apply this strength (sthira) to find the ease (sukha) in the yoga pose at hand.  Feel your lower body power as you find a corresponding lift in the ribs, chest and heart.  Let yourself be light and bright.  Feel the freedom the pose has to offer.  The trick to finding this freedom is to set your foundation. 

Yoga poses aren’t about confining the body into a ball or tightening into a pretzel.  The poses are aimed to open the body up.  Lengthen the body.  Find freedom.  In order to accomplish this, you need to stand firm in your roots and explore from there.  It’s the same in life.  If you feel lost or unclear about a situation, go back to the root cause.  Start over.  Analyze and explore the situation just like you might explore your Warrior II.  Start from the feet, your foundation, and build from there.    

Rewiring my Thinking and my Business

It was a year ago yesterday (8/4) that I was laid off from my last corporate marketing job.  No more cramming my feet into high-heels, wearing PINK shirts and paying dry cleaning bills.  My closet is still filled with clothes I haven’t touched since interviewing for marketing consulting work last Fall.  (I think it’s finally time to donate the clothes).  I was miserable in those interviews.  My heart was so not there.  I still wonder “what happened?”  What shifted inside of me?  I use to like marketing and working in the corporate world.  I use to like wearing nice clothes and looking professional everyday.  I use to like the nice paychecks I received biweekly.  Again, what gives?   

I’m not sure what happened but slowly I grew to like teaching yoga more than I thought I would.   It will be a year in October that I officially swapped my professional attire for yoga clothes, full-time, and started abellaYOGA.  I’m happy to report my yoga business has blossomed.  I’m making decent money as a yoga teacher.  Sure, it’s not what I use to make and I’ve cut back on a few things (sort of).  But really, the money is relative…I was asked last night by my friend’s obnoxious sister “is being a yoga teacher lucrative?”.  Well, I may not be wearing $3K David Yurman rings on each hand and Jimmy Choos but I’m happy.  I’m very happy and she so is not and it was so obvious (I’ll just leave it at that).  Unfortunately, so many people let money rule them.  Money truly does not equal happiness.  Money does not equal freedom.      

Okay, I’m getting sidetracked…the downside to my business growing is I feel a little behind on some of the administrative biz stuff and I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed my summer.  It’s August and I have yet to take a vacation!  I can’t seem to keep up with my blog.  I’m now using it as a tool to vent and write random thoughts.  (It was conceived as a Q&A yoga blog and I’m behind on answering some recent questions my clients have posed.)  My online marketing efforts have been pushed aside.  My website is outdated, once again!  Though I have expanded my networking pracitce (I joined BNI) which is key to expanding my private client business.  My very, very part-time lucy job is now interferring.  I’m behind on my expense reporting (yikes I have to meet with my accountant in a couple weeks).  I have a presentation to give on Tuesday that I have yet to prepare. 

Yes, I have a lot going on as a yoga teacher.  I don’t simply teach yoga.  I’m running a business.  I create the strategy, the tasks, the to do list.  I’m in control.  Or am I?  Are all these “to do’s” really necessary?  No one is telling me I have to blog, market, network, etc.  I’m creating my own chaos.  I think a lot of us tend to do that and not just with work but with our personal stuff.  So, I’m rewiring/prioritizing my “to do’s” so that I can enjoy the rest of my summer.  I’m also going to test “can I work less (i.e. do less adminstrative crap, drop lucy) and make more?  And I don’t be more in the sense of $$$.  I mean make more time to see more clients (this isn’t work to me), take more yoga classes and ride my bike more with my husband.  Simply, have more time for fun and freedom to do the things that make me happy.       

I’m spending my weekend looking at the big picture and wondering “what really matters?”.   Subconsciously, I think this is what happened when I was laid off.  I looked at my life and wondered “what really matters?”.  I think last Aug/Sept events were pivotal points in my life.  They were the beginning of a journey I didn’t even know I was about to take.  A year later (today) I’m still in this new journey and still uncovering what really matters.  As I slowly, and consciously, rewire my thinking, things are starting to fall into place.  So far I like what’s happened and excited to find out where I may go.  Wish me luck as I continue to rewire and test my new business idea, “work less, make more”.