This month’s giveaway is a free copy of Visvamitrasana: Volume 1 of the Sage Series, by Inflextion Publishing. This one-of-a-kind ebook contains a full audio/video class built around the pose Visvamitrasana, as well as a section on Sanskrit terminology, a chapter on the legend of the sage Visvamitra, and a few other goodies. As an …
As part of my attempt to “go beyond asana” this year, I’ve been trying to practice and learn more about pranayama (yogic breathing exercises). Luckily for me, one of my teachers is also into pranayama and he’s been incorporating about five minutes of breathwork into most of his classes lately. Of course, if you practice …
We’re about a month and a half into 2013, and I’m already hearing grumblings about aches and pains from the new students at the studio where I’ve been practicing. Some discomfort after yoga is perfectly normal, and it may even be a sign that you’re getting stronger and more open. But some of those pain …
Over the past several months, I’ve reviewed some popular yoga books here on Om Shanti. These reviews were fairly conventional in their style and format — i.e., I provided a basic overview of the book, without revealing too much, and mentioned a few things about each book that I liked. The next book on my reading list, …
The other night, I attended a yoga class that was filled with an unusual number of sneezing, sniffling yogis. At one point, I turned around to grab my Yogitoes from the back of my mat, only to find it surrounded by a little mound of someone else’s used tissues. Normally, I’m not too much of …
Yesterday morning, I started off 2013 in the best way possible — yoga! Along with twenty people or so, I sweated, stretched, and backbended my way into the new year. Throughout the class, the teacher encouraged us to think about the upcoming year and what we’d like to manifest in our yoga practices. He provided …
In Part 1 of this thread, I provided an overview of the various ways in which yoga teachers typically make money. I ended with some cautionary words about how difficult it is to actually make a living as a yoga teacher. I don’t mean to discourage anyone who has his or her heart set on … Continue reading »
With the world of yoga attire and accessories increasingly commercialized, it’s always a treat to come across a company holding true to its eco-friendly and ethical standards. So when I first tried on my Soul Flower tank and pants, I was elated to see the proudly-displayed inner tag reading: MADE IN CALIFORNIA. Post-consumer Recycled Plastic. … Continue reading »
If you’ve been practicing yoga for awhile, you probably have a favorite teacher by now. With any luck, you’ve formed a special bond with this teacher, and you attend his or her class with quasi-religious devotion. But one day this will happen: You walk into the doors of the studio, eager to get your flow … Continue reading »
Here we go again… “Bikram Sex Scandal Shocks Yoga World” was the headline of a recent article on the sexual harassment allegations against Bikram Choudhury, the celebrity guru who gave us Bikram Yoga, competitive yoga, hot yoga, and other wonders of the modern yoga world. Honestly, the only thing shocking about this scandal is that … Continue reading »
A few months ago, I posted about my ongoing struggles with prediabetes. Over the course of several years, I had been getting poor A1C readings, with the test results gradually ticking up each time. My A1C test results eventually got as high as 6.0, which is solidly in the prediabetic range. (A reading of 6.5 is … Continue reading »
In celebration of Earth Month, the April giveaway on Om Shanti: A Yoga Blog is a brand new yoga mat from Kharma Khare. Actually, “brand new” is a bit of a misnomer, since the Yoga Reincarnated mat is made entirely out of recycled car tires. This innovative company is taking used automobile tires that would otherwise end … Continue reading »
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard all about the Lululemon pants recall. I don’t want to get into a whole discussion or commentary here about this latest Lululemon fiasco — there are other yoga blogs out there that do a better job of keeping up with this stuff — but I … Continue reading »
