Losing your muffin top without ommmming. A few years ago one of my co-workers said she can’t stand going to yoga class because she hates chanting om.
She loved the poses but just hated that aspect of the class. It made her feel uncomfortable. It made me think about why some people don’t feel yoga is right for them even if they know there are so many benefits to yoga.
I turned to yoga over 15 years ago and it has been part of my lifestyle and life journey ever since. I order and review all kinds of yoga products, DVDs, books, clothes (about 50% of what I wear is yoga apparel even if I am not doing yoga that day) mats, blocks, eye pillow, CDs, music, essential oils, gluten-free products, yoga-lifestyle cookbooks, cards ( I could open a small gift shop of all my yoga related products) as well as attending various yoga classes, workshops, retreats, kirtans etc.
I recently came across Shapeshifters Yoga Programwhich is described as helping you feel younger, stress-free, flexible and even SLIMMER. I wanted to see if it would be a good fit for the om-hating crowd that wanted a scientific based program that would help them lose flabby butts and guts and also maintain that toned sculpted look. With all the images of yogis contorting themselves into Russian Circus kind of poses, yoga can be scary. I was also looking for a program that would demystify some of the more exotic aspects of yoga. Starting yoga does not mean you start wearing a loin-cloth or wear a turban. In my classes, I just find folks that want to soothe their nerves along with toning and trimming.
Are you yoga-curious or thought about losing weight through yoga but feel weirded out but some of the more exotic aspects of the practice? Are you looking for a scientific based exercise practice that has the power to transform and sculpt your body if you are ready to commit to it?
There is a focus on overall flexibility, core-conditioning, body awareness and muscle-conditioning before you move on to master the more advanced part of the practice. There are some basic traditional stretches and yoga poses that all body types and sizes can do.
There is no oooming, no talk of your crown-chakras so you won’t feel like you have to wear a turban and a loincloth to do this program. It’s all scientific based, practical and utilitarian in how they explain the benefits with no woo-woo.
There is no extra equipment like a weight machine. The most extra equipment you need is a yoga mat.
You can do the practice almost anywhere any anytime.
I’ve done yoga poses in all kinds of weird places from the airport lounge area, toilets, waiting for a subway in NYC, in the car, on the beach, at the park, watching TV on the couch and even on the airplane – both in my seat and in the back of the plane where the flight attendants gather.
I used to live in a tiny match-box size apartment in NYC and the only space to practice in was in front of the front door.
When I stay in hotel with small rooms, I move all the furniture around so I have enough space to practice in.
The workouts are very compact – You can do most of the sequences in about 20-30 minutes. Being consistent and doing a little bit everyday is more important than doing 1-2 practices that are 90 minutes long every week.
It’s a comprehensive fitness program – There is a cardio component, a strengthening component, a stretching component and a recovery component. The methods are based on ancient wellness and fitness principles so they have been thoroughly tested, practiced and vetted.
There is an explanation of the benefits of the poses in the down-loadable Yoga Manual so you know why you are doing knee-bending and cranking (to prepare your body for the weight bearing movements.)
It’s a step-by-step plan that is also customizable.Shapeshifters is very structured but there are also some modifications based on your body type and athletic ability.
Ideal for Couch Potatoes or Seasoned Athletes. If you don’t know squat about diet, wellness, fitness or strength-training then this is a suitable program. If you do have some prior experience and knowledge with these, then it will build upon and complement your prior training and experience.
Very Professionally Presented – You’ll feel like you are at a Yoga Journal Video shoot with the quality of the video and the voice. I’ve listened to other videos before and some of them sound all muffled and the lightening and angles make it harder to follow the sequence.
Wallet-Friendly – You could get a personal yoga session for more than the cost of this video and wouldn’t get nearly the amount of tips, instruction, alignment cues that this has. It’s a lot of yoga for the buck.
I think the strongest part of the Shapeshifters programs is the kind of feedback, support and community that you get with their online forum. One user wrote that she couldn’t do a certain type of pose because of knee pain and the teacher wrote back and gave her some modifications. The teacher even checked back in a week later to see how the modifications was working for her.
Feeling supported and part of a community is a critical part of any weight loss program. As much as possible with an online program there is a strong sense of support so you don’t feel abandoned after you bought the product. When people post comments or questions, it looks like they get a response within an hour or two.
The Yoga Instructor, Kristine Fondran, has a background in exercise physiology, which is not required of most yoga teachers but really should be to prevent injuries. In 2008, as a part of her Master Degree in Exercise Science at Cleveland State University she conducted a research study on the benefits of a 10 minute, twice daily, Sun Salutation practice. So you know you are in expert training hands with her educational background.
There are videos for those of us that need to see how to get in the pose and there is also a written manual with descriptions and modifications for each pose.
What I didn’t like about Shape-Shifters…
Some of the materials is recycled- If you have bought any of Adam Murdock or Ryan Steer’s previous materials, then you might not feel like you are getting a completely new fitness program. If you are just being introduced to them for the first time, then this won’t bother you.
It’s not all entirely new practices and poses. I thought maybe I would come across completely original poses and yoga practices. If you are a seasoned yogi, like me, you might want something completely unseen. If you are not as familiar with yoga and yoga lifestyle concepts, then this information will be fresh.
There is no mention of diet, food in the online program. In their blog, there is lots of tips about what to eat, when to eat and there are also a lot of what I assume to be ads for weight loss products such as protein powders. In the blog there is a lot of commentary on the psychological , social and emotional rewards of food. If you buy this program, make sure to read their newsletter and blog for tips and advice about food and diet, otherwise you will miss a crucial component of this program.
She calls some of the poses in English unfamiliar names, such as Equestrian pose ( for Lounge). If you haven’t done much yoga before, this won’t bother you, but if you have it will be confusing. Also Half-Moon pose, a pose I often teach and have been taught is a completely different pose.
Are you wondering if this is a program that can really help you to transform your body and way of being?
If you are looking for a quick-fix, then yoga is not for you.
If you are looking for magical, instantaneous results then yoga is not for you.
If you enjoy feeling sluggish and edge, yoga is not for you.
If you want an easy, non-challenging workout, then yoga is not for you.
If you would rather make a permanent butt imprint in your couch and watch DWTS, Two and a Half Men, then this is not for you.
If you you are committed to your excuse that you aren’t flexible, don’t have time, don’t have the money to do any fitness program then this is not for you.
If you want to stay the same, yoga is not for you.
But it will take discipline,
It will take commitment on your part.
It won’t be a light endeavor.
It is not about going to a class once and never again. You will find all kinds of excuses and limitations that get in the way of you going to class.
You will have to show up. You will have to be on your mat. Even if you body is on the mat but your head is somewhere else, you will have to re-committ to being present.
What are ice-breaker questions and conversation topics for new engaged couples that they should ask each other?
After all the googley eyes, cooing, cudding, smooching, incessant texting did you ask more incisive questions about their beliefs, values about topics such as in-laws, finances, how to vacation, savings, thoughts about what religion to raise your kids, how to educate your kids and if you wanted to live in the city, the suburbs or the countryside?
You are probably aware that in many countries of the world engaged couples don’t really know each other before they get married. Well, that actually happens in every country.
Ice Breaker Questions and Conversation Topics for Engaged Couples
I’ve known men and women who “dated” for 6, 12 or even 24 months who were surprised at whom the person they married really was. A woman told me that after she was married for a couple of months, she found out her husband hated kids. A man wrote to me to say that he discovered several years into his marriage that his wife had been in prison.
Ice Breaker Questions and Conversation Topics for Engaged Couples
Other men and women have been shocked to learn what their mate thought about sex, religion, careers, household work, money and the future. In fact, many of these differences have led couples to divorce court.
I believe a lot less couples would get divorced (or even not marry each other in the first place) if they actually knew each other well enough before they got married by asking ice breaker questions and engaging in these personal conversation topics. Engaged couples could cut down on a lot of their clashes if they knew more about their mate’s thoughts, beliefs and emotions. The best way to get to really know someone is with ice breaker questions about their values, beliefs and lifestyle choices.
Whether you have been dating for 5 months or have been married for 500 months, you absolutely must know your beloved’s answers to these questions
You need to use a certain amount of wisdom with these 1,000 questions. Someone who has just begun dating shouldn’t accelerate the relationship by starting off with questions on marriage and sex. If you don’t think you and your partner are quite ready to commit to one another, it would be best to start off with the questions on personality, your past experiences, favorites and perhaps pets. The best relationships are built on a solid friendship, so first address the questions that will help build that base.
Some people will want to answer four or five ice breaker questions in a sitting. Others might like to spend several hours and answer 50 or more. Some people will want to put the questions in letters and mail them to each other on the same day so their answers don’t influence each other’s. Those with computers might find email to be a good way to get to know each other (and even keep the emails for future reference).
Do not avoid certain conversation topics just because you find them uncomfortable or even embarrassing. Break down that communication barrier and learn to talk about those issues with your partner. If someone is unwilling to talk about certain issues, it should throw up a flag for potential problems down the road.
If you don’t think a question applies to you, ask it anyway. Your partner might have some interesting thoughts on the matter. What are some of the probing questions for engaged couples that I really like? Out of the 1,000 questions just will give you a little taste.
Do you have a role model in your profession? What about them do you admire?
Do you screen phone calls before answering the phone? Can you let the phone ring during meals or when company is over or do you feel compelled to always answer it?
How long do you usually take to get ready in the morning?
Would you rather live modestly and retire modestly at 50, or would you rather live more extravagantly and retire modestly at 65?
If I were really bothered about you sharing our fights/disagreements with your friends and family, would you agree not to do it? Or would you agree to discuss it with them only if we couldn’t solve the problem on our own within a couple of days?
What are the pros for eloping? What are the cons? Does it sound appealing to you?
Are there any scents that turn you on?
1,000 Questions for Couples before saying ” I do”
Does a person’s sexual past matter if you really love them?
What do you think is the best way for couples to handle disagreements?
If the doctors detected that your unborn child had a severe birth defect and they could easily abort it, would you still have the baby?
Have you given any thought to how you would want to discipline your children during early childhood, adolescent years and the teen years?
What did your previous partners complain most about you?
Is there anything that you constantly worry about?
If someone tells you a juicy tidbit about a friend or coworker, do you have difficulty keeping it to yourself? Do you ever tell people they shouldn’t gossip?
If you were paid a salary to work for any one charity for an entire year, which charity would you choose?
I run away from the perfume counters when I go to the department stores. I’m actually terrified those waif-girls, dressed in all black with their hair slicked up into a bun will spray me with the latest scent du jour. When they do that, I will not only smell like I just stepped out of a whorehouse, but will have a raging migraine the rest of the day.
I noticed my sensitivities to many large brand name beauty products and perfumes. I had even started avoided going to the movies since if I sat behind someone that slathered them self in some rose scented lotion, even that would give me a headache.
Working in the spa business, I was often offered complimentary beauty treatments such as facials and massages but I would always decline mani-pedis since going into those places would mean insta-migraine. I would often give an instant negative review for any spa where I was greeted with the scent of nail polish. Why do those workers always wear masks, like they are working at a nuclear reactor? If those environments seem so toxic, why is it that women feel it is a treat (and often an excuse to get together with a girlfriend) to get their nails done?
What is in these products I was wondering? Why don’t these beauty products affect other women they way they do me? Am I just more aware or is there something wrong with me, Am I oversensitive….I would often wonder.
I started to seek out products with no scents, botanically based and with the USDA organic seal of approval. The word “natural” in the beauty (and food product industry) has no regulatory or legal merit behind it and is probably the most cliched, abused and meaningless term in both of these industries. I guess using ingredients that have been proven to cause birth defects can render something “natural”, some well-compensated executive started thinking and slapped this moniker on every synthetic formulation and put some flowers and green leaves on the packaging to make it appear like it was made directly with ingredients that came from virgin soil.
Even using some of the major very expensive high-end beauty products would start to make me feel heady and yuck-brain. Working in the aesthetic medical business, I was exposed to some of the best and the worst practices and products. I became increasingly more aware of the toxic melange that was added to most of beauty products and started to have a deeper appreciation for the cleaner lines – Jurlique, Juice Beauty, Soleo, Bare Escentuals, John Masters, Waleda, Burt Bees, Avalon Organics, Evan Healy, Dr Hauschka, Jane Iredale, Josie Maran and a few others (as mentioned in the book).
Reading this book made me rethink all of my choices related to how we buy (or why we don’t buy) cosmetics.
So many of my paranoid conspiracy theories about the poisonous ingredients were confirmed. This book is well researched, written in down-to-earth language and is filled with great tips on how to beautify ourselves with both home-made tips which range from using egg whites for hair mousse, avocados to moisturize our bodies and hair, to using beets for lipstick. It also lists which beauty brands are ones that are made with cleaner ingredients that also perform just as powerfully. They also include well-known stores, such as Whole Foods and Target that carry some of these more pure beauty lines.
What is in these products I was wondering? Why don’t these beauty products affect other women they way they do me? Am I oversensitive?
This book also gives a few tips on advocacy at the end on what we can do to incite the FDA and our politicians to start to regulate and police this industry so that our bodies and faces are better protected. It’s written in a no-nonsense but entertaining fashion that makes it a compelling and informative read.
Let’s not forget the most powerful tool all of us have – our wallets. Buying products that are made with our health and lives in mind is the most daring action we can all take. The authors of this book are to applauded for the daunting task of researching this gigantic almost unregulated industry that affects our bodies and faces in the most intimate of ways.
I think I realized that I was a serious yoga practitioner when I bought a yoga mat bag. I remember being at yoga studios and feeling like I was constantly getting whacked by the other yoga students with their sideways yoga bags. I know you are supposed to feel all compassionate and peaceful after a deep yoga class but when someone obliviously whacks me with their yoga mat strapped on their back ( because they are too cheap to pay for a bag) I just want to clock them in the face with a tire iron ( I know you do too…. you thought it but I wrote it!)
It was actually a Christmast present from my hotty hellenic hubby a year ago. I did quite a bit of searching on Amazon for a bag. I wanted one that fit 2 yoga mats since I sometimes have to lend them to my students in my beginner yoga classes.
I also wanted to be able to stuff a bunch of yoga CD, aromatherapy ( I spray this on my yoga students’ feet when they are in a restorative pose) and also my water bottle. I can also stuff a few other yoga props in there like yoga blocks which I also lend out to students quite a bit. I also like how there are two straps so I can wear it on my back like a backpack.
Please don’t just get the yoga straps that you just tie around your mat… you are going to end up hitting someone and who knows how centered and calm they will be at the time.
I can also use this for non-yoga stuff such as when I travel to San Diego to see my family next. It’s quite lightweight so I can stuff my books, pillow, blanket and some snacks in here for my next West Coast flight.
So do you have a yoga mat bag? How did you choose it? Do you just carry your mat into class?
What are the best yoga mats and how do you choose one?
Now that I have been practicing yoga for almost 2 decades I have probably used, bought or borrowed almost 100 yoga mats. When you are a yoga beginner I usually tell my students to just go to Target and get a $10 mat. Some of my students have told me they went to Tj Maxx and got a mat for $5.
I am not a big fan of borrowing a mat from a friend or a yoga studio. Most yoga studios do not regularly clean the mats and at the power yoga studios they often are drenched with dried, caked sweat…..making them smell like the plague.
If you borrow one from a friend you also have no idea how many times they put their sweaty butt or dirty feet on the mat where you are putting your fingers, hands and face. Germaphobes beware of the borrowed mat! I know that sometimes you have to pay a few bucks at a studio to borrow a mat and that is cheaper than buying one so it’s tempting to just delay buying one. When I used to borrow mats at yoga studios ( I haven’t for years now) I used to smell the mat like a bloodhound to inspect when it was cleaned last.
So how do you choose the best yoga mat for you?
There are a lot of things to think about when getting a yoga mat.
Thick yoga mats
If you are a yoga beginner and a bit out of shape then I recommend a very thick yoga mat so when you are going to be kneeling and on all fours you have a lot of cushioning. You can also roll up your yoga mat from the back for your knees or just a bit from the front for your wrists to have some cushioning.
Portable yoga mats
If you are traveling a lot then you want a really thin mat that rolls up nice and tight and doesn’t take too much space in your luggage. You can also buy Yoga gloves and yoga booties for your hands and feet. You just wear special gloves and booties so you can do your practice on any kind of surface with no risk of slipping.
Yoga props when you are traveling
If you want to be eco-conscious then you can get a mat made from sustainable materials like bamboo. There are also yoga rugs out there which are quite traditional but I am just not fond of.
If you are doing hot or power yoga then you want a mat where you won’t slip and slide a lot and you want your feet to “stick” to the mat.
There are also all kinds of yoga designs besides just a regular purple mat you can get. I’ve seen mats with butterflies, sunsets and Yogamatic makes custom mats where you can put your own photo on it. I bought one of these for a friend’s wedding and it was around $90 plus shipping.
What matters most to you when buying a yoga mat? Portability? Thickness? Stickiness? Sustainability? Aesthetics? Post your answers below.
Anyone else out there taken Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga? I’ve been doing this at home the last few days with his DVDs. I like the pace, simple but descriptive enough instructions. He also gives an in-depth anatomy and bio-mechanics. He also has all kinds of graphics about anatomy and the body. It’s a lot of yoga, instruction and education on one DVD. There are actually a few practices on each DVD. For example, I have been watching the Yoga for Low Back Pain DVD and there is a sequence just for low back pain and sciatica, a sequence for hip pain and also a strength building sequence for low back pain and hip tightness.
Yoga master Gary Kraftsow developed protocols for a recent National Institutes of Health-sponsored study of treatment for back pain. This two-DVD series is based on this work and on his 30 years of experience as a yoga therapist. The detailed instruction, gentle repetitive movements, and focus on moving with awareness and the breath make these ideal practices for a wide range of people, including those who may not have pain but can benefit from strengthening and stabilizing their backs.
Yoga Therapy for the Low Back, Sacrum & Hips
There is also a more detailed practice workshop on there but the pace is slower and he is more explaining how to do the pose, which means he only shows how to do the pose on one side so you can’t follow the flow of it since you are left to your own devices to do the pose on the other side. That’s fine if you want very detailed instructions on how to do each movement but it’s not as flowy if you just want to do the practice.
He has quite a few poses where you are kneeling on your knees, which is fine for me. I’ve found that my very overweight students are not able to do the kneeling poses or poses where you are on all fours since that is too much pressure on your knees and for some on their wrists.
Anyone else out there taken Gary Kraftsow’s Viniyoga? I’ve been doing this at home the last few days with his DVDs. I like the pace, simple but descriptive enough instructions. He also gives an in-depth anatomy and bio-mechanics. He also has all kinds of graphics about anatomy and the body. It’s a lot of yoga, instruction and education on one DVD. There are actually a few practices on each DVD. For example, I have been watching the Yoga for Low Back Pain DVD and there is a sequence just for low back pain and sciatica, a sequence for hip pain and also a strength building sequence for low back pain and hip tightness.