by Jasmine | Feb 21, 2022 | Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Down and out and need to be stretched and inspired? When I was working full time and making close to 6 figures I didn’t think too much about how to get free classes. I just paid full retail price and floated out of my class with my yoga buzz. I also took a few yoga-centered vacations at places like Omega and Kripalu.
Yoga-ing when You are Flat Broke – How to Get Free, Trade or Discounted Yoga Classes
The key is to be creative in your mindset and think about what you have of value and what you can offer the studio in exchange for you getting your downdog on.
- Often studios will let you take the first class for free or at a steep discount. Yogaworks lets you take the first took weeks of unlimited classes at one of their studios for $20.
- Barter is back! Some studios will let you do a work exchange for a workshop or teacher training. I know one college student that mopped the floors of her yoga studio a few times a week so she could do the more advanced and pricey teacher trainings. Can you do massage, graphic design, accounting, basic admin work, web site design? Maybe you can trade.
- I monitor via twitalerts terms like yoga philly, yoga philadelphia and almost every week there are deals from studios for a month of classes at 75% off from sites like Living Social, Groupon etc. This strategy works well for major metropolitan areas but not so much for small rural ones. You can sign up for a free account at twilert.com and moniter Twitter for certain keywords ….much better than following your Twitter feed every day (does anyone actually do that?)
- If all else fails, ask. I really wanted to take a yoga teacher training but the $1500 was just out of my budget. I emailed the teacher how much I wanted to take her training. The teacher offered one scholarship to one student each term that did not have the means and I received it for 50% off. Congratulations to me!
- There was a training I really wanted to take and I offered to be the teacher’s assistant. I didn’t need to do that much during the class and I received an awesome core strength teacher training.
- Are you a blogger or do you write reviews on sites like Yelp, Citysearch etc? Ask if there are press passes in exchange for an article or blog and list where you will publish these.
- Offer to post flyers at the cafes, natural food stores, wellness centers, etc that you frequent. Be specific about where you will post these, how often and how many. Can someone offer to do this for me? I’d love for someone that lives near one of the studios that I teach at every week to go flyering once a month.
- If you read the fine print of your health care plan, they might reimburse you fully or partially for fitness classes.
- Can you recruit a small group of friends to come to classes with you? Maybe you are pregnant and know a few other pregnant women that would love to take a Tuesday afternoon prenatal yoga class. Offer to organize the group and see what discount you would get as the organizer.
- When I was “liberated” from a Fortune 500 company a few years ago I got a great severance package. They offered to pay up to $8,000 for educational benefits. That is how I got quite a bit of my yoga teacher training. See if your company offers educational reimbursements for current employees.
- There is an ocean of online yoga videos for free or at a steep disount online. Do a search under videos in Google and be specific about what kind of yoga you want. Do you want a vigorous vinyasa class or a gentle beginner class? Since you can’t watch an hour video for free usually there are many sites that you pay a monthly membership $20 and can do as many classes as you want a month.
- For the studios that are very near you, subscribe to their newsletters. They will mention free workshops, anniversary weeks etc. If they cram up your inbox too much, ask them nicely to only mail once a month otherwise you will need to unsubscribe. (I’ve done this politely and the studio was respectful and put me on a “low flow” option.
- Do you have a birthday coming up? If people ask what you want, let them know you would love to have a monthly pass for yoga classses at the local hot yoga studio that is blocks from your house. I would much rather buy something my friend will enjoy and appreciate instead of a soap-on-a-rope. (Yes, I have bought that for someone before).
What are your ideas and techniques for getting free, trade or discounted yoga classes?
by Jasmine | Apr 28, 2018 | Beginner Yoga, Stuff I like, Weight loss, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health
Beth Shaw’s YogaAbs – A YogaFit Workout.
One caveat which is both a big plus and big minus at the same time is that she has you use a special yoga ball that you keep between your legs which ensures the proper alignment and also helps to prevent injuries. You don’t have to order to the special YogaFit ball but you should buy one to do the practice. I did the practice plenty of times just using a block or with nothing but there is a noticeable difference in your body when you don’t use the ball.
Some of the benefits promised according to the yogafit.com website are:
– Improve body alignment
– Create a stronger midsection
– Develop a solid yoga foundation
– Enhance self-esteem and confidence
Yoga Poses for Abs and Weight Loss – More reviews on Amazon
– Improve powers of concentration and focus
I don’t think this is a comprehensive enough DVD to offer a real yoga foundation since many of the traditional poses such as side angle and warrior are not included. If you want an athletic and quick yoga workout this is a worthwhile video. This is mostly a bunch of traditional sun salutations but by using the ball it is a little more intense on your core since you are doing a lot more squeezing and engaging on your core muscles. The music is also pretty cool and funky. I think the best part of this yoga abs dvd is that it is such a compact workout. I love being able to get a tough workout in below 30 minutes. This is not much of a cool down so if you want the relaxation part in your practice you’ll have to add an extra few minutes… some yoga teachers say this is the most important part of your practice since all the physical work you are doing is integrating and coalescing. I always feel like the relaxation part is the dessert of the practice, almost like I graduated from the standing poses and deserve a few minutes of being able to just lie down and consciously rest….mmmmmmmmm
It is an extra $5 for the YogaFit ball which is worth ordering if you don’t already have one. I had a different ball but my dog ate it. (I never realized how much I would say that phrase until I got my first Puggle (Pug Beagle mix) two years ago. I thought it was just a cliche excuse but this damm dog eats just about everything…. except her own boring dry dog food of course. )
What kinds of yoga DVDs have you worked out to? What kind of results did you get?
by Jasmine | Jun 12, 2014 | Alternative Health, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts
I was reading a Yoga Journal review about Jill Miller’s Kneehab video and decided to go ahead and order it but didn’t give much credence to ordering this. Her Kneehab video is divided into 5 parts that give exercises, poses and moves for people that are just recovering from surgery to seasoned athletes. Not all of the poses will be accessible if you are in a lot of knee pain and the moves are designed to help you progress, stretch and strengthen and you will be able to start doing more of the moves. After doing a few of the segments for about a week, I woke up in the morning and my knees were not on fire. ( I don’t know why but my knee pain was always the worst first thing in the morning)
I started to do the moves every day and each day my knees were yelling at me less and getting quieter.
So I decided to order her DVD for upper body pain. This DVD is divided into 5 segments specifically for pain in different parts of your body such as your neck, shoulders, hands, wrists and back. The segments range from 5-10 minutes so they are very easy to fit into your day. I actually do some of the moves when I am watching tv or on the toilet (am I sharing too much again?) I found that my pain and tightness had gone down considerably. I have been teaching many of these sequences in my yoga classes and love seeing the look of relief and delight on my students faces when they are able to manage their own health through these moves.
Even though it is called Yoga Tune Up it actually feels more like a yoga-flavored physical therapy session. So if your primary purposes is to have a more traditional yoga practice with the emphasis on meditation, mindfulness and breathing then this is not the tape for you. If your primary purpose is to find a very-low cost way to find your own relief from neck, shoulder, hand, wrist or knee pain and you are willing to make your health and body a priority in your life (you are going to have to carve out time to do these moves on a regular basis) It’s less time to do this tape then to have to see a acupuncturist, chiropractor or physical therapist though a few times a week.
I had also bought a few years ago Desiree Rumbaugh’s Yoga to the Rescue for Neck and Shoulders and that does have a more flow-y and yoga-like but I did not get a significant or long-lasting relief with it. I do love how she shows how to do the pose the right way and she also shows the (very common) wrong way to do some traditional yoga poses.
I actually plan on going to some of her seminars in Boston ( driving 6 hours each way) so I can become more of an expert in Yoga Tune Up and help other people find an escape from chronic physical pain that they can manager themselves. I love to empower people so they can take charge of their own health.
The poses, sequences and routines of the Yoga Tune Up Program are designed to stretch, strengthen and heal from head-to-toe. With a focus on finding your body’s “blind spots” – areas that have become weakened due to overuse, underuse or misuse, and are now prone to pain and injury – these specialized routines will help balance out your entire physiology.
by Jasmine | Nov 8, 2013 | Beginner Yoga, Meditation, Weight loss, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Health, Yoga Teacher training
Yoga for Vampires – DVD Reviews… Ones you can practice at home, whenever…..
Here are some of my personal favorites. I have always been drawn to ones that work on developing a pretty six-pack, just so you know my bias. Also ones that are about 30 minutes long I usually like also. Here are my favorite Yoga DVD Reviews.
Mark Blanchard – Power Yoga. He is a Yogi to many celebs, including Andy Garcia among others. It is an intense work-out and many of the poses are not accessible to beginners or to those that are not very flexible or have a lot of upper body strength. If you do this on a regular basis you will get that sculpted, toned look. I think it is 90 minutes. His language is very inspiring. This is a great one for those that have a foundation of yoga and are up for a challenging practice.
Ten Zen Tummy Toners – Rodney Yee and Cameron Shayne. These are actually two 25 minute workouts, that you can combine or do separately, I actually bought this because I am a Rodney Yee fan but have ended up doing the Cameron Shayne workout more only because my knees have been hurting lately and the Rodney Yee one was making my knees ache more.
Shiva Rea – Creative Core Abs. I love the music and drumming in this and it is filmed with the dramatic backdrop of the desert. Her language is very beautiful too. It’s only 34 minutes. She does go a bit fast for beginners so this is probably better suited to at least intermediate or advanced level yogis since the poses are not always explained slowly. You do get the toned, sculpted look if you do this a few times a week on a consistent basis.
Yin Yoga – Paul Grilley. Yin Yoga is a very meditative, slow, patient practice. It’s almost like a meditation in slow motion. You’re not building up core strength in this kind of practice. Yin Yoga is great to do when you need to just take the edge off and want to have a deep inner experience. He is great at explaining anatomy and the benefits a quieter practice. He offers lots of modifications as well, which is not something most yoga DVDs offer. This is great value since you get 3 DVDs for a reasonable price. There is also an instructional part where he is just explaining the theory of Yin Yoga, which is great for Yoga Teachers. This would be a great one for beginners, inflexible or people that just feel really stiff.
Creative Yoga – Claire Diab. This is a great one for beginners and those with less flexibility. She does a great job of slowly and simply explaining the poses and offering modifications. She also has two segments on here that you can combine for a nice long juicy practice or a shorter one you can squeeze into your schedule. I used to do this one with my mom, who is not a regular yoga practitioner but finds all the yoga poses are accessible to her.
Yoga Music Reviews- Top 10 CDs I play in Class
by Jasmine | Aug 22, 2012 | Alternative Health, Beginner Yoga, Reviews, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts, Yoga Teacher training
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.
by Jasmine | Apr 20, 2012 | Couples Yoga, Date Night, Partner Yoga, Yoga DVDs, & Podcasts
Intimacy Ideas for Couples – Yoga – Doing It Together
Partner Yoga – Doing It Together
Intimacy – Into Me You See
If your couch is starting to get a permanent imprint from you sitting there it may be time to mix things up with a buoyant and bonding couple yoga session. With all the date night activities out there, most of them involve the two of you watching some kind of performance, often in the dark where the two of you are not interacting and not focused on each other for most of the evening.
Other date night activities can often be in crowded noisy places such as bar or concert which makes it harder to hear and focus on each other. Even just going out to a restaurant you often get interrupted many times by the waiter asking for your order (I don’t know about you but it always irritates me when I am in the midst of an in-depth topic and the waiter just butts in asking if we want to get a drink instead of pausing a few moments to and giving us some space to conclude our sentence or conversation.
My hottie, hellenic, hubby and I started practicing partner yoga, our sessions would be mixed with poses that were strengthening, restorative, balancing, silly, and challenging. We would often just experiment with movement and shapes and create or modify traditional poses. We find that the practice, helps to balance out upsets and disagreements that we had earlier in the week. All those times that you wanted to whack your partner across the head with a frying pan, start to dissolve in a practice that is about supporting, nurturing and soothing and finding intimacy for each other.
Here are some of my Reviews of some of my favorite Couples Yoga DVDs and Books
Here are some tips on how to be a good yoga partner.
Practicing Yoga Together – Intimacy Ideas for Couples
Hygiene – Before your practice, you should be clean and brush your teeth. How fun is it to grab someone’s arm that is sticky and sweaty or hold someone’s foot that smells like the ebola? Since you will be in close proximity to your partner, skip the tuna fish sandwich with extra onions right before your practice also.
Limitations – If one of you is much more athletic or flexible than the other then don’t expect your partner to be able to do some of the balancing poses or to be able to get their foot behind their head.
Distractions – Send the kids to grandma’s, turn off your Iphone (even if it vibrates every time you get a text that is going to take your focus off your partner)
Size – If there is a big different in height and weight you won’t be perfectly symmetrical in many of the poses and feet, arms and hands won’t always line up as you might want. For the weight-bearing poses, where you are putting your partner’s weight on top of yours ( such as a hand-stand on top of your partner’s downdog) For some of the other balancing poses where you are leaning back, the heavier partner should let the lighter partner lean back first to not throw them off balance.
Acceptance – Are you able to let go of the need to do the pose just like on the cover of Yoga Journal? Can you be accepting of your partner’s inability to do the full expression of the pose.
Synchronicity – Yoga is not just about stretching…otherwise it’s just calisthenics. Put more emphasis on coordinating the rise and fall of your breath with your partner, especially in the seated poses and you will feel more in sync with them.
Non-Verbal Communication – Some of the poses you will be back to back and if you have some discomfort and you need to readjust and don’t want to have to talk to loudly in the session, you can tap your fingers on them or squeeze their hand to let them know that something needs to be altered in the pose.
Intimacy Ideas for Couples – Practicing Yoga Together
What kinds of special activities do you do with your sweetie to stay soulfully connected? Post your answers on our Facebook page.
