Everyone’s favorite supermodel, Brazilian beauty Gisele Bundchen, practices Anusara Yoga. She talks about how yoga kept her fit during her pregnancy in the April issue of Vogue. You can read part of the article here . In it, you’ll learn that her son Benjamin Rein Brady was delivered at home in a water birth, her new line of natural skincare Sejaa (“seja” means “to be” in Portugese) is launching today, and that

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Supermodel Gisele Bundchen loves life and yoga

Gov. Robert F. McDonnell signed a

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Historic Legal Decision

2009 was an amazing year for yoga news. There were lots of great stories–inspirational, shocking, significant, and trivial. Yoga was portrayed positively and negatively in movies and reality TV shows. The debate about state licensing of teacher training programs generated grew as more and more states began to ask yoga schools to get licensed and more teachers fought back. Celebrities of all shapes and sizes found their way into yoga studios. Swami Ramdev made outlandish claims about yoga’s ability to cure homosexuality . And, of course we all debated the difference and likenesses between yoga and religion (multiple times). But this blog is not about 2009. 2010 is sure to be an even better year. It’s already off to a great start. If news stories are any indication, everybody and their brother has resolved to do yoga this year. A recent blog post on Chicagonow.com predicted a rise in digital yoga, yoga gyms, and more gyms offering yoga. What do you think will happen 2010? What was your favorite yoga news story of 2009? 

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Yoga and the New Year

I have a confession: I have been avoiding my yoga practice lately. After being sidelined for a few weeks by holiday travel, illness, and a pesky hamstring injury, I haven’t been able to get myself back on my mat. Now, I know in my head that the minute the asanas start flowing I’ll feel stronger and calmer and more centered — more me. My body, however, is rebelling. It seems to think its much nicer to sit on my couch and channel surf instead. But then I realized: This is the perfect time to recommit myself to my yoga practice. It’s the start of a new year — a new decade even — and I know this one will be the best one yet. As a student, as a teacher, we sometimes need these opportunities of renewal to remind ourselves what is most important to us. We are given the opportunity to commit and recommit to these things in a thoughtful and meaningful way. For me, my yoga practice will be a key focus to work back into my routine in the new year. What will it be for you?

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Recommitting to Your Yoga Practice

The shooting at the army base at Fort Hood that resulted in 13 lives lost and 30 people wounded was a tragedy that saddened the nation. But in the last year, the leaders at the base have been experimenting with new ways–including yoga–to help soldiers deal with the stress and pressure that comes with their jobs. In the aftermath of the shooting, they hope the “resiliency campus,” which in a huge facility that offers programs like yoga, aromatherapy, and video games with traditional counseling,  will help troops recover from the tragedy, reported the Wall Street Journal . “The campus … is designed to impart a new army philosophy focused on nurturing soldiers’ body, mind and spirit,” Brigadier General William Grimsley told the Wall Street Journal . “It marks a radical shift from the philosophy under which the army operated for years.” As a yoga student, I feel like any shift toward nurturing “body, mind and spirit” is a good one. What do you think?

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Can Yoga Improve Soldiers’ Mental Health?

Good Morning America recently featured yoga as an effective therapy for kids dealing with with both cancer and ADHD . Though no one knows exactly why yoga is an effective treatment, says the report, but it might have something to do with how yoga helps the brain regulate the stress hormone cortisol. Watch the video here , and please share your healing yoga stories by commenting below.

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Yoga Helps Kids with Cancer and ADHD

By now most of us have heard about the tragic Spiritual Warrior retreat and sweat lodge in Arizona that resulted in three deaths and dozens more hospitalizations. The retreat, led by James Author Ray, was meant to facilitate the “spiritual cleansing” of the 60 participants. It seems the participants pushed themselves too far in an attempt to reach their spiritual goals. It’s something we can all relate to as yoga students. Bay Area yoga teacher Katchie Ananda wrote a column in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday that I think draws an important parallel. “As a spiritual seeker, I’m very aware of the “edge,” the place where we push ourselves past our comfort zone, to let go of old patterns and explore a bigger potential. In a culture that is focused on comfort, that’s often an important exercise,” writes Ananda. “But how far should we push ourselves or encourage our students to push?” Have you ever pushed yourself too far in yoga class–physically, mentally, or spiritually? And how can you tell that it’s time to back off?

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Lessons from the Sweat Lodge Tragedy

There’s no denying Lululemon’s rise in popularity or its wildly popular marketing campaigns designed to inspire (and sometimes shock) us all to get healthy and look good doing it. As a New York Times writer put it in a recent article: “Everything [aboout Lululemon's stores] is  relentlessly cheery, as if someone were constantly tapping me on the shoulder and saying ‘Yay!’” But the writer gets at something more profound than the bottom line of the yoga-inspired clothing franchise. What does Lululemon’s success say about the yoga community when the company’s positive, goal-oriented approach to marketing has been so successful? Isn’t yoga really about accepting and loving yourself no matter what you look like in your pants? (Let’s face it, people, it’s not always a happy, sunny picture.) Is this really our secret yoga mantra?: “I am willing to bow to an elephant-headed god, but I refuse to look skanky when I walk to my car after class because there might be a hot guy around.” Are we losing something by adapting an ancient practice to fit into our modern lifestyles or just making it more accessible?

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A Secret Mantra?

The newest professional athlete to give yoga a try is basketball star Shaquille O’Neal. The Cleveland Cavaliers center tried a class in suburban Cleveland, according to the Associated Press . He needed two mats to accommodate his 7-foot-1, 325-pound frame. (The studio will be special ordering a 100-inch-long mat for his next class.) “I’m the worst yoga student in the history of yoga,” O’Neal said. But if he was out of his element, imagine how his teacher must have felt trying to come up with appropriate modifications for the basketball player. “He’s got some tight hamstrings,” his teacher Tami Schneider, owner of Cleveland Yoga in Beachwood told the AP. “He’s obviously a big, strong man. He told me he doesn’t stretch very often and that was pretty apparent. I’m looking forward to working with him to get him into some deeper stretches.” I bet it will help his game! What do you think?

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Shaq Tries Yoga

You probably already know that yoga can help your posture now, but a recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society suggests yoga also can also help lower the risk of Dowager’s Hump in the elderly. Dowager’s Hump, an abnormal outward curvature of the vertebrae of upper back, is often due to osteoporosis and is most common among elderly women (though men can get them, too.) In a group of elderly participants, those who did yoga three times a day for six months saw their upper spine curve lowered by about 5 percent compared to those who did no yoga, reported the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Read more about the study.

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Yoga May Decrease Risk for Dowager’s Hump

Despite its popularity, there are many misconceptions about yoga floating around in the media. The two that I think might be most prevalent are that all yoga students are crazy flexible and that yoga classes are mostly easy, gentle stretching. Those misconceptions really bother me, not because people don’t really understand what yoga is, but because it might keep people might really benefit from yoga from ever trying it. Like athletes, for example. So I enjoyed an article and video on Messenger Post Newspapers (in suburban Rochester, NY) about the Baptiste Power Yoga and how it’s different from the kind of yoga you most often see on TV. In a nutshell, here are the five things yoga teacher Mary Eggers pointed out in the article: 1. There are many styles of yoga. (Yes, some are gentle stretching, but some are so hard they with kick your butt–even if you’re in amazing shape.) 2. Yoga is great for athletes. 3. It’s not all about how flexible you are . . .Really. 4. It’s a workout. (See point 1). 5. It’s not just for women. It’s for everybody. I couldn’t agree more!  

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5 Things You Should Know about Yoga

The last time I came to the Estes Park Yoga Journal conference two years ago, I was NOT prepared. Other YJ Conferences I had been to were in hotels. You roll out of bed, walk downstairs, and take class… but Estes Park is different. You have to go outside and walk around a campus to find your classes. And sometimes it SNOWS in September. Let’s just say my yoga clothes, sweatshirt, and flip flops were not sufficient. This year, I brought warm clothes (and socks!) and I can’t WAIT to get outside and do some exploring tomorrow. Tomorrow’s itinerary: –Desikachar: The Yoga of Breath and Mind –Rod Styker: ParaYoga: Theory and Application of Bandha –Twitter Yogis Spontaneous Yoga 1pm (outside the admin building) –Panel Discussion “The Power of Women in Yoga” –Podcasting 101: Expanding Your Message Beyond Studio Walls –Seane Corn: Anahata Flow: Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness

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Fired Up! Ready to Go!

Recently a friend and newly anointed yoga teacher asked me for advice on how to pick a yoga studio to teach at. I thought it was a great question from a newbie since I see so many new teachers salivate over ANY class they can call their own, even if it’s at 4:30am AND 20 miles outside of town AND they have to pay for cleaning AND the list goes on… After several years of trial and error I think the best way to ensure success is to make sure you consider all aspects of any teaching opportunity: Do you like the studio & its students? A studio you teach at should be a place you feel at home in and you would want to practice there yourself. Every studio has a very different personality so some will fit and some just won’t. Do you like the owner? The owner/management has so much influence on a studio and your experience in it. Make sure your personalities mesh before committing to a class Do people like working there? Talk to other teachers and get their experience. Are you going to get a time slot that works well? While it can be good experience when you’re starting out to get any slot (especially at a studio you really want to teach at), it can also be a real bummer to show up and have just a few students (or none at all some days). Figure out what attendance that slot currently gets and what you are willing to live with. What don’t you know yet? Do you get paid per student or a flat-fee? Is there a minimum you will be paid or if you show up and no-one else does do you go home empty-handed? Do they take anything out of your pay per month (like insurance or a cleaning fee)? Are you required to have liability insurance on your own? How often are you paid? Do they have front desk people working or do you have to sign people in? How early are you expected to be there for your class? Are you responsible for getting your own subs? Is there a sub list or can you get anyone to sub? What is the process? Are there any other things you will be expected to do? For those more seasoned teachers out there—what else do you consider before committing to a new studio or new class? Need ideas on how to get your chosen studio to notice you? Learn how to catch a studio’s attention .

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Where to Teach

We all know the first yogis did not have stretchy pants to highlight their, um, alignment. They didn’t have yoga mats, props, or hardwood floors either. In the beginning, yoga was not about the stuff. Fast forward a few thousand years and what’s the first thing you see when you walk into a yoga studio? Stuff. Lots of expensive yoga stuff. Today’s yoga students purchase things that seem practical–maybe that cute top will motivate you to practice more or a new mat will help with your Down Dog. But there’s no denying that many of the modern yoga gadgets we buy have more to do with identifying ourselves as yogis. I, for one, have bought many useless yoga gadgets in my post-yoga bliss that I later regretted. (Yes, a new yoga mat might be useful, but nobody needs five!) Today’s Huffington Post blog post asks you to help sort out the gimmicky yoga products from the useful ones. Have you ever bought a yoga product that wasn’t quite as useful as you initially thought?

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New-Fangled Yoga Gadgets: Gimmick or Useful?

That is the questions I ask myself each week as I start to think about my classes. Some weeks the answer is a clear “yes” and I will plan a class around a pose, a sequence, a story, or even a feeling. And some weeks it feels better to just, well, go with the flow. Yet, I still wonder what the right balance is between planning and spontaneity. As a student or a teacher. which approach do you prefer? Or do you even notice a difference from your blissful place on the mat? To read more on this topic, go to Yoga Journal’s article, ” What’s Your Plan? ”

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To Plan or Not to Plan

A study published recently in the journal Spine found that yoga may help relieve pain and improve mood in patients with chronic back pain. The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health found that patients who took a yoga class tailored to people with chronic back pain twice a week were in less pain and less likely to be depressed than their counterparts who did not practice yoga. (For more information about the study click here . Are you surprised? Has yoga helped you or someone you know manage chronic back pain?

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Chronic Back Pain Reduced through Yoga, Study Says

I’ll never forget the time a yoga teacher looked at me in a pose (it was a variation of Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose), scowled, shook her head, and announced loudly to the entire class, “I can see we’ve got a LOT to learn!” As former YJ Samadhi and the City blogger Valerie Reiss wrote in her latest post at Beliefnet.com , some yoga teachers are not interested in infusing our practices with warm, fuzzy feelings. And, whether they intend to or not, sometimes they can be just plain ol’ mean. “Have I just been jaded by my old Bikram practice where the teachers often wear their harshness like a badge?,” writes Valerie. “Or is it New York, where, frankly I have had some excellent teachers but very few I would call remotely warm or fuzzy?” I don’t think it’s New York, Valerie. You can find grumpy people everywhere–even yoga studios. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn a lesson from them–yoga, self-restraint, compassion, or perhaps even what NOT to do. Have any of you ever had an encounter with a mean yoga teacher? How did you deal with it? Did you go back?

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Is Your Yoga Teacher Mean?

A Columbia, SC museum is hosting a yoga class in the middle of an art gallery. Doing yoga among beautiful pieces of art enhances the senses says Rikki Donahue, the yoga teacher who will lead classes at the museum through September 9th. “You notice the vastness of the canvas, the colors and the mixture and your senses are so much more aware,” Donahue said. Would you take part in a class like this? For more information visit wltx.com or watch the video below.

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Art + Yoga = Bliss

If you’ve always wanted to become a yoga teacher but the stars haven’t aligned to make it possible, this might be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Yoga Works , the yoga studio chain with 23 studios in California and New York, and Zobha , the yoga clothing company, are offering a need-based yoga teacher training scholarship in January 2010. This pilot program will be for the Yoga Works 200-hour teacher training at the new Walnut Creek, California location (that’s near San Francisco, for those of you who aren’t familiar). ” The scholarship will be available to individuals who are excellent candidates for the program, but may not have the means to make it a reality,” said a recent press release. When I learn more about the application process, I’ll be sure to let you know. Other teacher training scholarships (Click the links for more info.): YogaBasics.com awards a teacher training scholarship for $600 twice a year. Scholarships are available for Yoga Journal conferences .   Have any of you have benefited from a teacher training scholarship program? What about a work study? Also, let us know of any other yoga scholarship programs out there!

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Teacher Training Scholarships

If we’ve learned anything from this recession, it’s that yoga is not a “luxury” expenditure but an important necessity for many who have found ways to stretch their (already thin) dollars to make it yoga class. In fact, many studios are noticing an increase in attendance ! Yoga students see layoffs as their perfect opportunity to finally enroll in a teacher training . Now, the NY Times is reporting that unemployed yogis are finding a way to immerse themselves in their practice without breaking the bank–by moving into an ashram for a residency work-exchange program. That’s right. Their former employers (and the crummy economy) gave these yogis the freedom to leave their homes and everyday lives. The ashrams, in exchange for a little karma yoga washing dishes or preparing food, gave them the opportunity to study for cheap. However, as Yehnemsah Oneha of Ananda Ashram in New York warns, the ashram’s immersion program is intended for deep spiritual study and contemplation, not hiding out from the world. “If you’re applying because you can’t deal with life, that’s not a good motivation,” she said. What do you think? Is a long visit to an ashram a good idea for the unemployed?

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Economy Got You Down? Head for the Hills.

Hello friends, long time no post. Many are the excuses: My ex crashed my car and I might be getting sued by a slick posse of insurance lawyers. Why did I let him drive it? He had to take our sick daughter to my mother’s house because I couldn’t get off work and pobrecita couldn’t go to school. I didn’t need the car back right away, but would have reconsidered had I known he was going to take it out late-night and poorly time red lights on Geary Ave. Did I mention the car was in my big brother’s name, and how he is much less than amused? My grandmother suddenly fell ill and passed away within a matter of weeks. Between work and school I saw my little girl only while she slept, or when I was shouting at her to hurry because we were going to be late for * (*insert any destination here). There were other things going on too, but of those I shall spare ya’ll the visceral details. Fortuitously, during this time of extreme friction I was also swimming the limpid waters of yoga philosophy, and surrounded by a fantastic, supportive community (I’d like to shout a big mahalo to everyone that took care of my daughter while I was in class…it takes a village indeed). As I swerved around town oscillating between an anxious panic and a serene calm, I often experienced moments of intense gratitude that any such calm ever existed, and that I was sometimes granted access to it, even in the midst of chaos. Funny thing about gratitude: the more you indulge in it, the more it comes to visit. I am awed at the blessings showered upon me on a daily basis. So when someone shakes their head in pity and tut tuts about how I’ve had a rough couple of months, I don’t mean to be flippant when I shrug, “C’est la vie!” I’m not pretending I don’t care, but I am most certainly drinking out of an over-flowing cup! Excuses and rapid personal growth aside, I apologize for my absence. I simply had to take inventory and focus on the basics for a minute. This blog was one of the things that could  await the return of my attention. The kid, the job, Granny, and the team of lawyers were not. I am very happy to be back.     

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Fess’n Up

This video was on a local TV station in the San Francisco Bay Area. It gives a few nice tips for practicing yoga while you’re traveling–particularly on an airplane. I have to admit, even though I may want to do yoga when I’m on a cramped plane or bus, I just can’t imaging getting up and doing Triangle Pose in the middle of the aisle. What do you think? Is it OK to practice yoga in an airplane aisle or does it impend on the personal space of other travelers?

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Just Plane Yoga

The gay rights debate has made its way into India, where a high court recently ruled to legalize homosexuality. And, according to The Telegraph , Swami “Baba” Ramdev isn’t thrilled about it. He filed a petition to India’s Supreme Court asking that the ruling be overturned. “[Homosexuality] can be treated like any other congenital defect,” he told The Telegraph. ” Such tendencies can be treated by yoga, pranayam and other meditation techniques.” The ruling offends the structure of the Indian value system, Indian culture and traditions, as derived from religious scriptures, he wrote in the petition.

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Swami "Baba" Ramdev Says Yoga Can "Cure" Homosexuality

This September will mark the first official National Yoga Month designated by the Department of Health & Human Services. National Yoga Month was developed to raise awareness of yoga’s health benefits and provide people with guidance and tools to improve their well-being. Organizers are calling on the yoga community, particularly yoga teachers and studios, to help through hosting events and offering free classes and donation classes that help support the cause. See www.yogamonth.org for more information. Are any of you planning to participate?

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September is National Yoga Month

I’m not sure where it came from, but the idea that yoga teachers should never date yoga students seems to be prevalent in the yoga community. It was taught as ethics in my teacher training course a few years ago, and every once in a while you’ll see a story about a forbidden yoga relationship

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Student and Teacher Sitting in a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G

What do you normally get your dear ol’ dad for Father’s Day? A tie

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Is Your Daddy a Pretzel?

This video made me chuckle, so I decided to share it with you. It looks like it was produced to give It’s Yoga in Utah some publicity for it’s Teacher Training Program. Would a video like this make you consider signing on for a teacher training?

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Yoga Robotics

A study at West Virginia University found mindfulness training exercises such as yoga, controlled breathing, meditation, and tai chi can help people handle stressful situations, according to an article on CNN.com . The study followed 103 participants, half of which were given written instructions on how to manage stress while the other half practiced mindfulness techniques. Lead investigator Kimberly Williams said they found those who received the mindfulness training “had significantly less daily hassles, psychological distress and significantly fewer medical symptoms” —like lower blood pressure and fewer aches and pains—than those who were handed a pamphlet

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Mindfulness Techniques Relieve Stress

Summer traveling can be challenging for a yoga student. Hours cooped up in crowded airplanes, routine meditation and asana sessions disrupted by altered schedules, so far from your yoga studio. Travelers have long been seeking out cozy Bed and Breakfasts for that home-away-from-home feel.

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Bed, Breakfast, and Yoga

If you’ve ever wondered if there’s a scientific reason you feel such a warm, happy glow after your favorite yoga class (also known as a yoga buzz), the latest issue of Oprah magazine offers an explanation. The culprits are the the Vagus nerve, which serves as a messenger between the central nervous system and major organs, and a hormone, Oxytocin, which seems to facilitate a connection between ourselves with others. When both are triggered, our spirits are lifted and we feel happier

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How Yoga Makes You Happy