by Jasmine | Sep 20, 2013 | Couples Retreat, Couples Yoga, Partner Yoga
Partner Yoga Poses
If you are just starting your yoga journey, it is helpful to know the benefits and risks with certain classes of poses..usually divided into four categories.
If you are pregnant, working through any serious injuries then it is best to consult a rehabilitation doctor or OB/GYN before practicing to know what are some limitations that you should honor. For beginners, let go of striving and competition.
Partner Yoga Poses
Forward Bends, Side Bends, Inversions (Going Upside Down) Side Bends, Balancing Poses and Twists Yoga Poses for Partner
Forward Bends
Forward bends with the hands clasped behind the head in order to give the shoulders a deeper opening.
Directions: Stand both feet firmly on the ground. Bend both arms forward and then clasp behind and up in the air.
Benefits: Forward bends are calming, they also provide a nice stretch for the hamstrings as well as a nice opening for the shoulders.
Caution/Dangers: Those with high blood pressure conditions that are not taking medication should not do forward bends. 3rd Trimester pregnant women will probably not be able to bend down very far. Those with shoulder injuries should not try to hyperextend the shoulders. All should keep shoulders soft in pose and let shoulders blades slide down the back to give more of an opening.
People often feel calmed when forward bending and also slightly disoriented as they start to come up in the pose. It is helpful to come out of the pose very slowly, one vertebrate at a time, letting the head come up last.
Forward Bend Variation.
Directions: Stand both feet firmly on the ground. Bend both arms forward. Keep knees soft.
Benefits: Forward bends are calming to the central nervous system, they also provide a nice stretch for the hamstrings.
Caution/Dangers: Those with high blood pressure conditions that are not taking medication should not do forward bends. 3rd Trimester pregnant women will probably not be able to bend down very far. You can also use a wall to forward bend on or a solid chair.
Students often feel calmed when forward bending and sometimes slightly disoriented as they start to come up in the pose. It is helpful to come out of the pose very slowly, one vertebrate at a time, letting the head float up last.
What about you? What spiritual practices help you stay grounded?
by Jasmine | Sep 13, 2013 | Spirituality, Tantra, Yoga Music
Deva Premal and Miten… how do I idolize thee…. let me count the ways.
For those of you that have never had sacred ecstatic chant connect you to the ether of the universe if you live near Philadelphia, your chance is coming up in 10 days.
I remember my first concert or “satsang” with them. They don’t consider their events concerts but since the audience is participating by singing along they use the sanskrit word which means’ communal gathering”.
A few hippy dippy friends of mine had invited me to their concert and I had never heard of them before. I remember being so moved by the experience… the soul-touching way that community, music and intention can bond a group of strangers and transport you to a feeling of oneness and peace. I had never experienced that before with a bunch of strangers in a dark room and words escaped me and all I could do was cry.
That was the first of about a dozen concerts from them I attended over the last 15 years or so. I’ve have since gone to many of their other satsangs in Philadelphia, New York, another time in San Diego and also at the Omega Center outside of New York City.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IFlaG45xM8#t=12 (Gayatri mantra)
They also led a dolphin retreat in the Bahamas which I was Jonesing to go. They actually lead a few retreats around the world…. I think in Costa Rica and Greece.
If you are a yoga or tantra teacher, I think there is an unwritten rule in the manual that you have to own at least three of their CDs. I think I have four of them…. one of them I thought I lost and I bought it twice so not sure how that counts.
Although they usually sing in sanskrit, my favorite chant is ” There is So Much Magnificence”… often at concert Miten will divide the audience into two parts so there is a call and response aspect to it……. awe-inspiring!
The North America tour, which kicks off Sep 10, 2013, will reach from Miami to Vancouver and Montreal to Phoenix.
For information on concert locations and dates visit BrightStarEvents.net. I found a coupon code for 10% discount DEVA10. MantraFest 2013 will be performing in Philadelphia at Temple Performing Arts Center On September 22nd 2013 as part of the twenty five city tour.
Miten comments: “For Deva and me, this tour is about coming together in celebration of a New Beginning—an invitation to celebrate the momentous shift in humanity’s planetary attitudes that is currently underway—a positive change in the way we view the resources we consume, a change in how we view ourselves as messengers of this transformation that is now upon us all.
The direct, daily experience that Deva and I have is that mantras support us through every challenge. Our mission is to share this powerful healing tool with the world. And we know that this is a mission we share with GuruGanesha. His music has always been remarkable for a depth of spiritual connection that has a real sparkle and twinkle.”
With a dozen beautiful albums and countless inspiring live performances to their credit, Deva Premal & Miten have become the foremost and best-selling duo in mantra music, with a fan base that includes everyone from Cher to the Dali Lama.
It all began in 1998, when Deva and Miten’s groundbreaking recording of the ancient Sanskrit “Gayatri Mantra” became the soundtrack for the burgeoning worldwide Yoga movement.
by Jasmine | Sep 10, 2013 | Beginner Yoga, Couples Retreat, Couples Yoga, Romantic Date Ideas, Spirituality
Guest Post by Ashley Josephine Herzberger
If practicing yoga for its calm-inducing, stress-reduction, weight loss, flexibility-increasing and/or fitness maintenance benefits doesn’t strike your fancy, fret not – you don’t have to practice yoga for any of those reasons. If, however, you want to be a better lover, you may want to reconsider.
Inherent in the magic spell of yoga is its ability to calm you down, connect you to yourself, the present moment and those around you, and help you feel less reactive, aggressive and more open, loving and appreciative. Being a better lover involves shifting from a space of reactive defensiveness to receptive openness.
5 Ways Yoga Makes You A Better Lover
How yoga makes you a better lover
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Relaxation
To be a good lover, we must move away from our fast-paced, high-stress state when we come home to our partner and families. Staying in a stressful state is dangerous as it leads to chronic stress, which can manifest as physical, mental and emotional pain down the road. You’ve probably known someone who’s had a breakdown, a hospital scare or an illness brought on and amplified by stress.
Yoga helps you relieve stress, as it focuses not only on physical poses that stretch and strengthen the body but also because it focuses on breathing, which counters cortisol (the stress chemical) released in the body. Anything you can do to release your stress will help you be more available to love your partner and enjoy his or her company.
Plus, to have good sex, you must know how to relax. It’s a physiological fact.
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Giving AND Receiving
Yoga also teaches you how to give and receive. Practicing yoga can be very challenging, but also extremely rewarding. Understanding the balance between pushing yourself to your limits and easing off to receive the benefits of relaxation during a yoga class is similar to the play between giving and receiving between partners.
Couples yoga is especially beneficial, as most poses require each partner to communicate and work together before either partner can experience the true benefits of the pose. While understanding balance for yourself is a big win, learning how to understand it between you and your partner is a relationship saver.
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Strength
It’s hard to argue that yoga does not make you strong. Many a muscly man walks into a yoga class skeptical about such “sissy” workouts, only to leave drenched in his own sweat, appalled at how hard yoga actually can be and somewhat ashamed that his big muscles couldn’t power him through the same poses petite ladies all around him naturally and effortlessly complete.
Besides the physical strength and tone yoga can provide to the body (and the eyes of your partners), the emotional and mental strength yoga builds must not be neglected. Emotionally, yoga makes you less reactive and more receptive, less assuming and more questioning, less freaking out and more calm and in control.
Oh, and women, it also helps you tone up your pelvic floor muscles, which happens to be one component of experiencing better orgasm.
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Connection
Practicing yoga by yourself also strengthens your connection to your Self and your spirit. There is nothing religious about yoga in and of itself, but you can certainly feel more connected to God, Buddha, Allah, Jesus, Mohammed, Abraham, whoever.
Practicing yoga with your partner naturally makes you feel more connected to your partner. Besides the fact that you get a full session of yoga touching each other for the majority of the time, you get to experience gentle, relaxing and compassionate touch. For some couples, this is a rarity.
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Focus & Self-control
Finally, yoga helps you increase your focus and self-control. What does this have to do with making you a better lover? Increasing your focus helps you perform better at work but also helps you pay more attention to your significant other. It helps you put down the phone and get rid of distractions so that you can better connect with your partner.
Increasing self-control comes from the mental and emotional benefits of yoga, but also a particular muscular engagement called mula bandha. Similar to a Kegel exercise, engaging mula bandha holds your energy in, rather than allowing it to flow out, if you get my gist men. Over time, this increased focus and self-control can account for longer and more enjoyable sack sessions.
Whether you’re looking to feel more connected to your partner, be a better person for yourself and others, increase strength and flexibility, decrease stress and anxiety or just have better sex, yoga can definitely help you out on all fronts.
For more information and research about how yoga makes you a better lover, check out these articles from Psychology Today, Harvard Health Publications, and Men’s Health.
Guest Post by Ashley Josephine Herzberger
Ashley Josephine Herzberger helps busy women relax. She integrates yoga, meditation, energy practices and self-care exercises to empower women to redefine and rediscover balance in their work and lives. She recently published her first ebook, available for free download on her website, “The Unconventional Beginner’s Guide to Yoga.” Check out her online yoga community for women at AshleyJosephine.com.
by Jasmine | Aug 28, 2013 | Meditation, Yoga Music, Yoga Teacher training
Rock Your Asana Off….Cool Music to practice to. Yoga Music Reviews
One of my favorite things to do at places like Whole Foods (sometimes the CD listening station is tucked away so you have to look for it), Kripalu, Omega or the retail in a yoga studio is to put on headphones and listen to some of the music they are selling. One of my main tasks when I am at Kripalu is to plunk myself down and go through dozens of CDs and then only let my self buy my favorite 10%. I love having cool music to do yoga to so here are my yoga music reviews.
Just so you understand part of my leanings, if a CD has a lot of slow-moving and then fast tempo songs I tend to discard those, even if I really dig them since I want to have one consistent mood when I am teaching and don’t have to get up and change the music….I just find that disruptive for myself.
I tend to stay away from stuff that has loud bells or chimes in the middle of a long tranquil spell since it breaks the mood. It’s hard to hold half-moon pose when all of a sudden you hear a clanging, “GONG”. I also stay away from music that is heavy on spoken vocals, since that can also be distracting. Ambient music with a consistent tone tends to work best. Often, my students come up to me after class and ask what the music was, so I know I am on track with finding the right tunes.
Most of the music works well for other things like massage and other spiritual activities and some of them are just slow and sensual and great for just chilling and romancing. if you don’t like hearing someone chant Oooooommmmm for a full hour when you are practicing then you can check these out. I don’t tend to do a lot of oomming in my classes. I teach a lot of beginners and worried this might be scary for them. I like oomming myself, but can appreciate the non-hippy that is weirded out by this ritual in class. I wonder why they never play music in a Bikram class?
Never thought I would say the word ooomming ( if that is even a word) so much in one blog post.
So here is my list, in no particular order.
Deva Premal and Miten. For long-time yogis they will come as no surprise. For those newer to yoga, they have a soulful and sensual way of chanting ancient mantras. I have played this for lots of non-yogis when I was just chilling at home and they commented on how beautiful and soothing the music is. I think my favorite song is “There is so Much Magnificence”…..I contemplated playing this at our wedding reception. There is a deep healing quality to their songs and they seem to be very therapeutic whenever I am going through “stuff”.
The Gift of Love. Deepak Chopra. I worked at the Chopra Center for a year and was exposed to some really great stuff. There are actually a few different sets. I like them all. A lot of this music is fairly sensual as well and most of it is in English. Nice, modern beats to it. This CD works better for just chill hang out music since there are some spoken vocals on it that can be distracting.
Ekova – This usually would not come up in a Yoga class. These beats are faster moving and funkier…they feel almost african at times since there are some deep rhythmic beats in some songs. I wouldn’t recommend this for massage but for a a more vigorous yoga class.
Spa Sonique – Don’t let the overly feminine cover with purple flowers scare you (for men). This has some very beautiful beats, great for massage or a romantic night as well.
Wah! ( Not a typo) If a chanting Indian Guru and Natalie Merchant had a baby this is who would pop out. Her music is chanty, soulful without being too “out-there”.
by Jasmine | Aug 13, 2013 | Vegetables, Yoga Health
Guest Post by Paige Forster
Image credit: Wikimedia
In the contemporary world, the internet has greatly influenced how businesses are conducted. Online shopping has become so favorable to people across the world. People were just used to buying products such as clothes, electronics, shoes and furniture on the internet but the good news is that today you can also buy vegetables online.
So, if you have not tried buying vegetables online read along to see 7 reasons that can influence you to buy vegetables online.
Convenient
This is one of the major reasons that should draw you to buying vegetables online. Today, people are living fast-paced lives because they have multiple tasks to do in order to put food on the table and they hardly have enough time to go shopping for groceries. Online shopping is very convenient since you can shop at the comfort of your home or office without necessarily altering your busy schedule. In addition, you can shop any time you want because the online stores are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to worry that the grocery store will be closed before you do your shopping. This gives you peace to carry on with your normal chores and do the shopping later even if it is at the middle of the night.
Wide Variety
Online grocery stores provide a wide range of vegetables that you can order. This is to cater for various tastes and preferences of individuals from various parts of the world. There is a plethora of vegetables you can buy without moving from one place to another to analyze what various vendors are offering the market. With online shopping, you can compare prices as well as products within few minutes by just browsing through various sites. This gives you the opportunity to purchase the best products at the best prices.
Home Delivery
When you buy your vegetables online, the vendor will ensure that the goods are delivered to your doorstep. This enables you to save gas, time as well as effort of having to go to a local shop to buy the vegetables and carry them home.
Flexibility
Because online stores are open around the clock, you have the flexibility of buying the vegetables whenever you want. This provides you ample time to do other important things at peace. Online shopping enables you to choose what you want and more so be delivered at your home seamless and hassle free.
Saves Time and Money
Shopping online for vegetables saves you considerable amount of time as well as money. First, you save money because you do not have to use fuel to go to your local grocery store to do your shopping. In addition, online grocery stores such as Charlies Fruit Online give their clients discounts from time to time. You can take advantage of such offers to save several dollars in your purchase. On the other hand, you save time because you can easily get what you want. As long as you have a list of the types of vegetables you want, you will just type on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo and you will get sites that match your requirements.
Information and Reviews
When you are shopping online, you have an opportunity to have a look at what other customers are saying about a particular product or a certain vendor before you can commit your hard earned cash in the purchase. This enables you to make a sound and informed decision. If an online vegetable store has numerous bad reviews then it is a red flag that all is not well. It will be appropriate to look for other alternatives so that you might not end up losing your money to unscrupulous vendors.
No Hurry
If you are not sure of the types of vegetables you want to buy, you can take your sweet time browsing various online stores since the stores do not close. You will not feel pressured or rushed to commit in purchasing a product. In addition, you have ample time to compare what various vendors are offering in terms of quality and price to settle for the best deal.
There is a plethora of benefits that accrue from shopping vegetables online. Discussed above are some of the reasons and it is crystal clear that it saves you ample time and money as well as it is very effective and efficient.
Guest Post by Paige Forster
Paige Forster is a professional writer. In addition, he works in one of the most established grocery online store, Charlies Fruit Online. He also contributes in some of the popular marketing companies on the internet.
