Sep 3, 2010 |
Wednesday, September 1 was the kickoff of National Yoga Month, and you’ve got 28 days left to get into the festivities. The purpose of National Yoga Month is to create awareness about the many benefits of yoga and hopefully encourage Americans to get out there and give yoga a try!
If you’ve always wanted to try it but don’t know where to start, here are two great programs going on this month to get you onto a yoga mat.
1) You absolutely must visit the Yoga Month Web site. They have links to hundreds of free classes and events and a list of over 1200 yoga studios nationwide offering one free week of yoga.
2) If you would rather try yoga out in the comfort of your home, My Yoga Online is offering free online training sessions. My Yoga Online is a premium on-demand subscription service for yoga and wellness videos. They offer one of the largest and most diverse mind-body video and article libraries in the world. The cool thing is that their classes fit your schedule—you can log on at anytime, from anywhere, and have access to the perfect class for you. If you have always wanted to try My Yoga Online, now’s your chance to check it out for free before you sign up.
I’m personally celebrating National Yoga Month by setting some new intentions for my yoga practice and have a personal goal to do a headstand by the end of the month. I’ll also keep you posted on additional Yoga Month activities and helpful tips to get you started on your very own yoga journey.
With all these festivities and FREE classes, there really is no excuse to give it a try!
Stop by every weekday for the Daily Downward Dog, my journal of cool yoga experiences. Thank you for checking out the ads and products when you visit to help fund this site!
Sep 1, 2010 |
I have not been a good yoga student lately. My head is not in the game. I’m surprised I haven’t had to pay more for the extra baggage I’ve been bringing with me to class—stressful thoughts from the day, all the items I didn’t accomplish on my to-do list, the errands I still need to run, and whether I have anything yummy in my fridge to eat after class. I’m a classic type-A personality, so it’s hard for me to come down and be in the moment during yoga class.
When I lose my focus, I sometimes miss the instructors’ directions and find myself turned to the left while the rest of the class is facing me, turned to the right. It makes it extremely difficult to focus on balancing poses, and forget about keeping my breathing steady.
Seriously, I feel like going to yoga class with a cluttered head is like going to church drunk. It totally goes against everything yoga is supposed to be about—being in the present, focusing on your body and your breath, and growing spiritually. It’s why I love yoga so much for the relaxing state and sense of calm that it brings to my life both on and off the mat.
My focus factor issue really hit me when I was lying in savasana last week and, instead of getting into a deep state of relaxation, I was thinking about a new tag line for a client. That’s when I knew I needed to make a change.
I really want to grow deeper in my yoga practice and know I cannot do this until I come to class with a clear head. Since the month of September is National Yoga Month, I’m going to use this month to turn a few things around. I’m going to make a point to get to class earlier so I have a chance to catch my breath, calm down, and set my intentions for my practice. I’ll use this time to get a jump start on my pranayama breathing and to turn off the clutter in my mind.
What are you doing to celebrate National Yoga Month? I’d love to hear about any special activities being planned to celebrate Yoga Month or a special intention you are going to make to your yoga practice.
If you have a great way to clear the clutter from your mind before beginning your yoga practice, please leave a comment and let me know about it.
Stop by every weekday for the Daily Downward Dog, my journal of cool yoga experiences, Yoga for Back Pain Relief, and Affordable Yoga Products. Thank you for checking out the ads and products when you visit to help fund this site!
