Sep 23, 2010 |
So, you’ve seen the ads and wondered what My Yoga Online is all about. Well, in a nutshell it is an online subscription service that offers a huge selection of yoga, Pilates, and meditation classes on-demand. If you’ve thought about trying it but need a little nudge in the right direction, here’s my top-ten list of reasons why you should give it a try.
- You Call the Shots: We’re all busy, lead crazy lives, and have way too much on the to-do list. It’s really easy to eliminate a yoga workout—or any form of exercise, for that matter—because we can’t fit class schedules into our life schedules. My Yoga Online eliminates all the excuses by providing online access to yoga classes 24/7. Anytime you’re ready just pull out your mat and schedule your very own class. You can even download classes onto your phone for yoga to go!
- Flexibility: My Yoga Online takes this yoga flexibility thing pretty seriously. If you’ve only got a few minutes to get that yoga high for the day, My Yoga Online has classes that run in length from five to ninety minutes, so you can pick the class length that meets your time constraints.
- 31 Flavors: For $9.95 you get all-you–can-eat yoga for a month. That means you can try a different class each day for a month—and try out 31 different flavors of yoga. Pick from a variety of yoga styles, like hatha, power, ashtanga, Kundalini, Yogalates, and Zen meditation, all available in beginner to advanced classes. Variety really is the spice of life!
- Work is Stressing Me Out: Pressing deadline, obnoxious boss…My Yoga Online has you covered with a selection of workplace and at-your-desk practices to help you eliminate your workday stress.
- Meet Fellow Yoga Dorks: When you join My Yoga Online, you can create a profile and be part of their yogini community with your very own wellness diary, a blog, forums, and newsletters. You can track your progress and goals and get support from fellow yoginis who share your passion for downward dogs.
My Yoga Online co-founder Michelle Trantina
- Money, Money, Honey: Nothing beats attending a live class, but if you forego a few live classes and utilize My Yoga Online, you are gonna save some serious money, honey! Their Web site claims that you can save 90 percent compared to traditional studio fees and 20 percent on their yoga class and music downloads.
- Cool Free Stuff: Even if you don’t subscribe to My Yoga Online, you can still take advantage of a lot of really cool stuff on their Web site. They have a section of yoga poses that provides helpful pictures, instructional steps to complete the pose, including modifications, and the benefits of the pose. They also have a whole section with articles that demystify yoga, explain what meditation is all about, the power of pranayama, what the heck is a chakra, and they even have a glossary of terms.
- Who Sings That Song? Don’t you just hate when you hear a song you like on the radio and they don’t tell you the artist’s name when it’s over? At the end of every online class, My Yoga Online tells you the artist who provided the background music for the class. They provide a music store so you can pick up the songs you like—and even offer them at a discount! How cool is that?! You can download individual songs to build up your very own rockin’ playlist.
- Sorry, I Need My Yoga Live and In Person: My Yoga Online realizes the need for that live yoga class vibe, and they have a local wellness guide that allows you to search for yoga instruction and equipment by state.
My Yoga Online co-founder Kreg Weiss
- Kick-ass Yoga Classes: Quite frankly, this is the number one reason to try My Yoga Online. Their yoga classes—led by world-class yoga teachers—are amazing! They constantly update the library and have one of the best online collections I’ve seen. I love going to a live classes, but for the price, convenience, and variety of classes, My Yoga Online has become my go-to yoga fix!
- I couldn’t stop at 10: Want to check out My Yoga Online for free? Or even better, want to win a FREE year subscription to My Yoga Online? Visit their site from now until September 30 and view one of the free classes they are offering during National Yoga Month. Leave a comment below about the class you tried and what you thought about it, and we’ll pick one lucky winner to get a whole year free of My Yoga Online!
Aug 31, 2010 |
I always love it when a yoga instructor starts out a class with a homily. It’s kind of like going to church and hearing a sermon. Hopefully, the message resonates and is something you can carry with you throughout the rest of class or take with you off the yoga mat into your daily life.
One of my favorite yoga instructors had a really great lesson for us last week. She talked about how our culture has become so rude. She quoted a recent study that proved that Americans in general have become ruder to each other. Think about it. The last time you went out and ran errands, did you find the people surrounding you being rude and discourteous to each other? Were you one of the people being rude? With our busy lifestyles, daily stress, and time constraints, it’s very easy to slap on a bad attitude as we interact with the public. I know I am guilty of this very behavior. Heck, in the past I’ve gotten upset at a store clerk if she was too perky or was just trying to help me pick something out. So, why do we do this? We all know mean people suck! It certainly doesn’t serve us, and in the long run, it’s always a hell of a lot more fun to be happy and do things with a positive attitude.
At the end of class, feeling great from an amazing yoga practice, we all sat with hands at heart center and heads bowed when the instructor asked us to lose the rude and, instead, spread joy and peace to others as we went through the rest of our day. What a great message—and one that I will remember. It is a practice I need to work on and one I will be taking off the mat. Remember, mean people suck, so don’t be one of them.
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!
Aug 25, 2010 |
In my blog on Monday (“What’s Om Got to Do With It?”), I provided the definition of om, which represents the union of mind, body, and spirit and the whole universe compressed together into one single sound.
I provided the definition for two reasons. First, I really wanted my readers to understand the meaning; and second, because I really didn’t understand what it meant. I wanted to understand the benefits of chanting. I knew having a deeper meaning of what om meant would help it take on a whole new meaning in my yoga practice and I was right!
In my yoga class this morning, the yoga instructor led us in chanting om three times at the beginning of class. I closed my eyes and started to think about my part in the ever-changing cycle across the universe. The deep-resonating sound came up from my belly as I slowly pronounced each of the three syllables: aaaauuummm. I let myself be aware of my surroundings, my breath, my energy, and the deep, loud fullness of the sound. On the second round of chanting my journey began in earnest, and I felt the flowing movement of the Earth as a sense of connection enveloped me. It was both soothing and satisfying, and it definitely got my head in the right place to begin the class.
This getting to know the meaning of yoga stuff is really cool!
Instead of just sitting there chanting om and wondering what the heck it meant, I got to experience an amazing feeling of calm and connection. I am definitely going to delve more into the benefits of chanting.
If you’re looking for a person who is deeply connected—maybe not from a business sense, but connected with the universe—I’m your woman!
Photo: Jyn Meyer
Aug 20, 2010 |
My yoga instructor totally made me laugh the other day when we were in pyramid yoga pose (parsvottonasana). She must have noticed quite a few of us struggling, because she said to us, “Don’t fight the pose; embrace the pose.” It made me think to myself, Yeah, why am I being such a dork, struggling to get my head to my leg, barely keeping my balance, and not enjoying the benefits of the pose? Putting a whole new spin on the pose by embracing it suddenly made all the difference in the world. I stopped thinking about how awkward I felt, the mildly uncomfortable stretch in the back of my leg, and just let myself enjoy the lengthening of my muscles as I relaxed into the pose. My head started to slowly move forward, I was keeping my balance, and I got a big smile on my face. I kept taking the instructors advice throughout the yoga class and let the love flow for each and every yoga pose.
The reason it made me laugh is because it reminded me so much of one of my favorite sayings: “I’m a lover, not a fighter.” I don’t know where I originally heard this, but I use it a lot, and it always makes me laugh.
So, next time you’re in a difficult yoga pose (or position in life), try being a lover, not a fighter. Open up your mind and embrace the situation; you’ll be amazed what a difference it can make.
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!
