Living Yoga

One of the stipulations I had when I became vegan was that I must, at any cost, still eat delicious sweets.  Namely, chocolate.  As a matter of fact, I’m pretty sure that I can survive without chocolate but don’t think I would want to because what’s the point?  Luckily after doing my research I found out that chocolate as nature intended it is not only vegan, but healthy!  It is rich in antioxidants and minerals and…it doesn’t really matter at this point because that’s enough for me, I’m sold.

For some yummy raw chocolate recipes, check out Naked Chocolate.

For a wonderful video podcast, recipes on raw eating in general (although they have some fantastic desserts as well), watch the highly entertaining and informative Freshtopia.

Very often I’m on the go and want a quick fix.  Thankfully, I discovered Liz Lovely’s wonderful, organic, vegan cookies. These are so good it’s insane!

Need to satisfy that ice cream craving?  Try Soy Dream’s (or Rice Dream’s) delicious, non-dairy desserts.

These are a few of my favorite sweet treats that I enjoy with all the taste and without the guilt.  If you got a favorite or great recipe, drop me a line.

Enjoy!

Thanks to rawchoc.com for the photo.

At all times it’s important to keep your personal yoga mat clean (and, yes, I recommend using your own personal mat), but that mat can get even nastier in the heat of the summer and if you’re a hot yoga practitioner, forget about it, time to clean that baby!

There are sprays and wipes you can use for regular cleaning after each use, check out the link below for some great supplies:

http://www.yogaaccessories.com/YogaMatCleaners.asp

And, betcha didn’t know that you can also throw your mat in the laundry machine…absolutely! Wash with some mild detergent in cold water and lay it out to dry.

Then treat your body to a yoga practice on your sparkly fresh mat!

Thank you geniusbeauty.com for the photo.

Locust pose is an ick name for some great back strengthening exercises demonstrated here.  Have a great 4th!

It’s that barbeque-ing and picnic-ing time of year where I find my vegan-self bringing vegetarian options to meat filled social gatherings so I can eat burgers along with my friends.

Meat imitations like Tofurky slices and Veggie Burgers are not something I eat on a daily basis but are great for social gatherings when you want something you can just cook up, pop into a bun and enjoy alongside your carnivorous loved ones.  If you’re looking for some palatable alternatives to meat this 4th of July weekend, take a look at these items that have received rave reviews from me and, believe it or not, carnivorous friends of mine.

Chik Patties – Tastes like chicken!  Almost.  Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike love these.

Boca Burgers – Yum, and again, non-veggies also approve.

Smart Dogs – A delicious substitute for hot dogs.

Enjoy.  If you have other favorites, please drop me a line to let me know about it.  Next week I’ll blog about some of my favorite sweet snacks.

Thanks to mccrosson.com for the photo.

I know that in yoga I’m not supposed to judge and all that but I can’t help that I want to look and feel sexy at all times.  Especially when I’m teaching or practicing yoga because anything that gives me a more positive outlook while I’m taking care of my body will make that workout time much easier and more effective.  Is there anyone reading this that doesn’t want to feel and look sexy?  Good, because I found some great online fitness wear shops with clothing that’s functional yet still very flattering and, of course, SEXY for today’s yogini.

http://www.lululemon.com/ - Yoga and other high quality fitness wear that looks fantastic.  Plus some interesting tips on living an effective life.

http://www.fitcouture.com/ - Fitness wear in cute cuts and bright colors.  Got one of my favorite tops here.

http://www.lucy.com - Simple, casual and practical fitness clothing.

http://www.shaktiactivewear.com - If you don’t like sexy clothing, then don’t go here because this yoga line is HOT!

If you have any other favorites for your sexy workout wear, feel free to drop me a line and let me know because it’s time for me to hit those summer sales!  Have fun and look hot.

Last week I took an AntiGravity Yoga class at Crunch for the first time.  Wow!  (No pun intended.)   I always joke around on my podcast exclaiming, “I’m flying!” in the some of postures, but this AntiGravity class taught me how to really fly!  Here is the class description on their website:

“Wings” is the AntiGravity Yoga movement sequence which is exclusive to Crunch. This one hour workout was designed especially with Crunch members in mind. It’s challenging, it’s fun, it’s affective. The AntiGravity Hammock acts as a soft trapeze, supporting you as you master simple suspension techniques leading to advanced inverted poses. AntiGravity yoga is unique; it is unbelievable for relieving compressed joints and aligning the body from head to toe.”

With the use of a hammock securely hanging from the ceiling, participants do everything from back bends, leg stretches, flips, and many variations of inversions in one hour.  I was literally hanging like Spiderman in the beginning of class and resting comfortably in my hammock for savasana at the end of class.  Things that I thought were scary and looked impossible at the beginning of class were fun and exhilarating about twenty minutes in.

If I can fly, you definitely can too!  For more info on AntiGravity Yoga visit http://www.antigravityyoga.com/

Thanks to nymag.com for the photo.

I remember in elementary school thinking that I couldn’t wait to be grown up, done with school and having to do assignments.  In high school and college I fantasized about the freedom I’d have from studying once I was in the real world.   Needless to say…ha ha ha ha ha and ha!

It seems that the older I get, the bigger my to-do list gets.  The more free time I manage to obtain, the more projects I take on to fill up that time.  Probably most women today can relate, but last week somebody said something enlightening to me, “No matter what, you aren’t going to get it all done.”

No matter what, you aren’t going to get it all done.

It was a relief to hear.  To know that I’m not just a crazy person, that it is of my own making giving me the power to change it, and releasing the burden, knowing it’s okay to not do everything.  If this sounds like you, release yourself from that burden this weekend.  It is perfectly okay not to do everything on your to-do list.  That it’s okay to take time out for your self and to have fun.  Do something you enjoy this weekend without having it on your to-do list.

Have a beautiful weekend!

For those of you that are very flexible, here are some tips to get the most out of stretches.

In my ongoing effort to plug Spinning Nation, the first national fundraising indoor cycling event in history this Saturday June 28th, I thought I’d give a little tip about avoiding the “painful crotch” syndrome on the spin bike.

First of all, yoga practitioners always look the most comfortable on the spin bikes because of their breath awareness, posture, core strength and flexibility. All of which make for a better, longer and safer work out.

However, the thing that is the hardest for most people to adjust to at first is the feeling of the seat going up the crotch, which can be painful. My advice to is keep your core strength engaged, as you would in a downward dog or plank pose, and keep your butt very light on the seat by focusing on pushing down into the pedals. This will keep you energetically, but not literally, lifted so there isn’t so much weight on the seat.

Phew!  Now that that’s solved there’s no reason you can’t enjoy a spin this Saturday for 1, 2, 3 or even 4 hours if you’re really into it! For more info on Spinning Nation, visit spinningnation.org.

I know, I know…you go to the gym or a yoga class and the last thing you want to do is be STILL!  I mean, aren’t we supposed to be moving around to burn up some more calories or something like that?

Many times people leave my yoga classes right before the final relaxation pose, Savasana.  Yes, I too am guilty of doing that occasionally and I sometimes skip it during my personal practice at home.  But I keep reminding myself and others that it is probably the most important part of the whole practice.  It is the “letting go.”  You can build all the strength you want and get as flexible as you want, but if you skip the “letting go” portion you are just holding everything in your body which can create more tension.

Savasana also allows your body to cool down after your practice, especially important during the summer, and calm your mind.  So the next time you’re tempted to skip the final relaxation, give yourself at least a minute in the pose and see if you feel different afterwards.

Happy savasana-ing!