Spoiled by Manduka

I’ve said before “Manduka yoga mats rock”.  For the last 3 years, the purplelite ™ (Manduka’s 4.5 pound-travel mat) has been my yoga ride.  It’s an awesome mat.  I still highly recommend it.

Recently though, I was brainwashed by the environmentally friendly marketing leprechauns that I needed a new mat.  Frankly, I’ve been a tad curious about all these new eco-friendly yoga mats available.  Functionally, are they as good as what existed before?  Are people trashing their old mats for a hip eco-mat?  If so, that’s not very green.

Since my sturdy purplelite is starting to look slightly worn, I decided to go for the Manduka eKO friendly mat (eKO Lite™).  The sale price offered though The Y Catalog push me over the edge to finally make the purchase. The eKO Lite is nice but it’s not the same experience.

Like the purplelite, the eKO mat is durable and resists bunching.  For those looking for an enviro-friendly mat, it’s a natural rubber mat that apparently will “decompose completely at the end of its useful life without wasting valuable landfill space” (quoted from the Manduka site).  I understand what this means, but can’t we just donate mats when we’re done with them, create other uses for them, etc.?  And how long will it take the mat to decompose?  I’m assuming they don’t just magically puff out like smoke.

Including the fact that I jumped on the green bandwagon, I’m disappointed in my eco-friendly mat purchase/experience.  First, my purplite mat is still in good condition so I didn’t REALLY need to to go “green” to do yoga.  Second, the new eKO mat I bought lacks the comfort/support/cushion that Manduka mats are known for.  The purplelite™ as well as the 7lb. Black Mat ™ (yes, I have this one in my home studio) are luxury yoga mats.  Maybe my joints are getting old – who knows?!!?  The reality is it’s hard to go from comfort and luxury to no-cush, no support.  No offense, but its kind of like going from an S-Class Mercedes to an environmentally friendly car that has zero creature comforts.

Long story short, change is good right?  It’s getting through the first few steps of newness that we often resist.  In trying to practice what I preach, I’m staying open to the change.  When I go to practice in a studio or teach a corporate yoga class, I’m forcing myself to stick with my new eKO Lite.  I’m slowly getting use to have less support and I have been forced to shift my practice slightly.  For instance, in Ustrasana (camel pose) I now have no choice but to double-up my mat to protect my boney knees.  It’s made me realize how spoiled I’ve been by the Manduka purplelite.  It’s also reminded me of what the majority of my students feel when using thin yoga mats – no love from the hard floor below.  On the plus side, toting around one pound less of weight is a nice feature and is better for my spine.

Looking for a yoga mat?  Go with the Manduka purplelite.  In my opinion it is still the king of all yoga mats, including Manduka mats.  As for my purplelite yoga mat, it is currently the mat I use on the back deck of my house.

Hooping and Chakras

Is it me or is hooping (aka hula hooping) a wonderful way to open the lower chakras (1-3)?   Chakras are energy centers in our bodies.  The root chakra, the first of the 7 main chakras in the human body, resides at the base of the spinal column.  Traveling up the spine from the root chakra are six other centers of energy.  Each chakra plays a role in how we feel – mentally, emotionally and physically.

Back to hooping…I bought my Hoopnotic ™ hoop this summer to add some diversity/creative fitness to my primary forms of movement (yoga, cycling, walking the dog and lifting).  Recently I did a two-hour hooping workshop.  Two things I noticed:  1) my already in-shape yoga abs were sore for two days after the workshop.  2) I felt extremely relaxed in my hips/pelvic region.  I’m viewing these as added bonuses to hooping.

The hips/pelvic region is where the base of the spine starts and the first two chakras reside so I’m thinking hooping is a great way to release tense/stressful/negative energy that we store in our lower chakras.  The abdominal/belly region is home to the third chakra and is obviously, based on my hooping experience, impacted by hooping.

The more I type it makes sense that the chakras are impacted by this fun form of movement.  Since I’m brand new to hooping, I’d love to hear from other hoopers on this topic.

Discipline

Discipline is practice.  Practice is discipline.  Meditation takes both practice and discipline.

I’m reading Judith Lasater’s Living Your Yoga for the third time.  What’s different this time is I’ve decided to actually follow-through with the suggested practices at the end of each chapter.  They are practices and discipline is required.

Coincidentally, the first chapter I’m working on (chapter 2) is titled “Discipline”.  For the next month, I have decided to commit to practicing one thing 15 minutes per day.

Picking one thing is tough!  Like many, I have a long list of “to do’s” I want to accomplish.  And again like many, my excuse has been lack of time.  What I’ve realized in just reading Chapter 2 is the truth is I lack commitment and clear intention as to why I want to do these “things”.   Like most things, it’s easy to make the list (i.e. talk about it) and a lot harder to carry it out (i.e. do it).  If your heart and intention aren’t in sync than more than likely you won’t fully accomplish the “to do”.

Discipline is less about what you get and more about what you give.  So for 10-15 minutes a day, I’m giving myself the gift of meditation.  It’s only been 5 days but so far so good.  I’m also not beating myself up if it isn’t the full 10-15 minutes.  The fact that I’m carving out the time, sitting in my space and doing my best to listen within is the practice.

Practice isn’t about being perfect.  Just practicing is perfect and meditation is a perfect discipline.

Follow the Law

Laws govern the universe. Like attracts like (law of attraction). Murphy’s law. Law of cause and effect. Law of gender (everything is either male or female, yin or yang).

Laws govern society –legally and ethically. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not kill.

Spiritual laws exist. Biblically, there are the 10 commandments. In the world of yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas define how to treat others and more importantly one’s Self.

My point is many types of laws exist. Some are very dated. Some are current.

In my personal life there is a law I don’t agree with (it’s not appropriate for me to share details at this time) but I must abide by it or suffer the consequences. What has helped me to accept the situation is stepping back from it and noticing how I am reacting to it. I’m making a bigger deal out of it than it really is. As much as I don’t agree with what has been handed to me, it is what it is. The reality is the situation isn’t that bad and it’s a lot easier to follow the law than to work against it.

My personal law: Go with the flow. It’s easier to flow with the current than to move against it.

My Mala Beads Broke

I’m sad to report a thread on my crystal mala beads came loose over the weekend.  The beads are no longer wearable.  I wonder…did I jinx myself by writing my previous posting?

On the flip side, I emailed The Y Catalog (www.theYcatalog.com) to find out what type of return policy they have or if there is a way to repair them.  I received a reply within 24 hours. Like most retailers, they offer a 30-day return/exchange/refund.  I have had my beads slightly more than 30 days so I was pleasantly surprised that they have offered to exchange them.  I am more than happy with the way they handled my request.

If you haven’t ordered from The Y Catalog, check out their site.  They have a great selection of quality yoga items.  Best of all, 10% of everything you spend goes to supporting charitable causes.

Yoga Jewelry vs. Mala Beads

I practice yoga a lot.  I have a lot of “yoga” type clothes.  I have a ton of yoga books, mats, related music, etc.  One thing I’m “anti” is yoga jewelry.  Don’t get me wrong; there are some nice/cute/sexy pieces out there.  For instance, check out www.SatyaJewelry.com or www.theYcatalog.com.  And I love jewelry, but yoga jewelry?

My personal opinion is the yoga accessory category has gone overboard.  I don’t need to wear yoga jewelry to verify my commitment to yoga.  I don’t need to tattoo an OM symbol on my neck to prove to others I’m a yogi.

I know accessories are an expression of who we are but at some point, enough is enough.  True expression comes from the heart –thoughts, words and actions.  Yoga is a way of life.  People can see it from my face, posture and shine.  I don’t need material items to express yoga; it naturally expresses itself through me, out of me.

On the flip side, to keep me focused in my meditation practice I did purchase some jade mala beads last year from The Y Catalog.  I originally just used them for my meditation practice but then I started to wear them.  They felt good to wear.  Next thing I knew, I was receiving compliments on them…multiple compliments.

What happened next?  I ordered the faceted crystal mala beads, and I love them.  I rotate between the crystal and jade beads for meditation and wear them regularly as well.  Funny thing, I continue to receive compliments.  Needless to say, I have mixed feelings now on what I term yoga jewelry.

P.S.  If you’re not sure what mala beads are, check out this link: www.yogajournal.com/practice/2579