May 12, 2011 |
I’ve got some pretty cool playlists planned for May, but before I can share the tuneage with my yoga classes, I need to figure out how to use my new IPhone (I just switched from a BlackBerry), so wish me luck and a lot of patience.
Thought I would share my class playlist from this past week. I threw in some rock, reggae, rap, a song that probably was not the most appropriate for a yoga class, a personal mantra for living, and a few inspirational messages that all mashed up together quite nicely.
Opening Breath Meditation and Warm-ups
“After The Harvest” · The Angels of Venice
From Summer Solstice 2: A Windham Hill Collection – this CD has a nice mix of beautiful, mellow cuts that are perfect for grounding exercises at the beginning or end of class.
“All Woman” · Lisa Stansfield
I know the men in my class were getting in touch with their feminine side while listening to this one.
“Don’t Know Why” · Norah Jones
Standing — Sun Salutations and Flowing Sequences (e.g., yoga-mat dancing)
“All You Need is Love” · The Beatles
“Back on the Chain Gang” · The Pretenders
Shout-out to Akron, Ohio, native Chrissy! The acoustic version from the Isle of View album.
“Back to Black” · Amy Winehouse
I really love Amy’s music, but it was tough finding one appropriate to play, because songs like “Rehab” were not going to make the cut. I’ll admit, the lyrics of this song are about a bad breakup, but I just love the retro sound and beat of this song. I took the class through an empowering flow from a reverse warrior facing the front wall to one facing the back wall (I coined it the double reverse warrior), so we were all focused more on the flow and not so much on the words during this one, and it just all flowed together.
“Crazy” · Seal
“But we’re never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy
No, we’re never gonna survive unless we are a little crazy.”
Great advice from Seal and a little bit of a personal mantra for me.
“Ganesh is Fresh” · MC Yogi
How can you not smile when you hear a rap song about Ganesh during yoga class?
“Got to Get You into My Life” · Earth, Wind & Fire
This song does two things for me: it makes me incredibly happy, and it makes me want to dance on my yoga mat.
Floor — Back Bends, Heart Openers, Hip Openers, Abdominals, and Twists
“Could You Be Loved” · Bob Marley & The Wailers
The prerequisite reggae song (every yoga class needs at least one).
“Blessed” · Elton John
I’ve always loved Elton and let’s just say this prolific man has an incredible song list to pick from, so you will see him pop up often in my playlists. This love ballad has a special place in my heart, and I wanted to share its lovely message with my students…
“You, you’ll be blessed
You’ll have the best, I promise you that
I’ll pick a star from the sky, pull your name from my hat
I promise you that, promise you that
Promise you that, you’ll be blessed.” —Lyrics from “Blessed” by Elton John
“Angel” · Sarah McLachlan
Last week I included “Sweet Surrender” in my playlist, so Sarah has made the list two weeks in a row! Sarah just rocks and she is an avid yoga practitioner (she’s been practicing for 13 years). In a recent article in Yoga Journal, she had this to say about yoga: “I love the discipline. I love the focus. I tend to be a little airy fairy, and I just love that hour and a half where I can be completely and utterly in the moment. It grounds me. It just solidifies everything for me and allows me to be completely in the moment for myself, with myself. I need that.”
Savasana
“Bathe In These Waters” · Donna De Lory
Donna’s voice is just so sweet and calming and perfect for savasana. I got this track off the Yoga Revolution CD and really need to check out more of Donna’s music. BTW, I highly recommend Yoga Revolution, a compilation of yogalicious artists (Guru Singh, Sarah McLachlan, Wah!, Sheryl Crow, and Peter Gabriel are just a few) with songs perfect for yoga playlists.
Apr 21, 2011 |
Hey, New York and Paris don’t get to have all the runway fashion fun in the spring. The Daily Downward Dog was sporting some hot new spring fashions at the most glamorous yoga studios in Ohio last week. Forget the runway; my trusty yoga mat served as the best place to show off Mondetta Performance Gear’s (MPG) spring 2011 Collection.
I Think I May Have Found the Perfect Yoga Bottom
I have been wearing my long yoga pants all winter long, so last week, when the weather got up above 50 degrees, I was ready to start showing some leg again and pulled out the MPG Stance Capri legging. I am a huge fan of Capri pants, but I have never worn a pair that was skin-tight. In fact, I have to tell you that I never thought I would ever show up to yoga class in a pair of skin-tight leggings. Well, not anymore; MPG has made a convert out of me. I’m just kind of kicking myself that I’ve been missing out all this time on the beauty of skin-tight leggings.
When I tried on the leggings, the fabric (a polyester-spandex-blended jersey) felt fabulous on my skin, stayed cool, and breathed as I went through a spirited vinyasa flow. The best thing about the Stance Capri was that I never had to reach down to pull them up at the waist once during class, which is always the case with my nonclingy yoga pants. The Stance Capri was super comfortable to wear and I’m planning on buying a few more pairs.
How cute is this little workout skirt called Leap? It’s hard to tell the detail on the skirt in this picture, but it has little flaps like a cheerleader skirt, and underneath there is a pair of built-in shorts (technically making it a skort), so when you do your downward-facing dog, no worries, you won’t be flashing the person behind you. Just like the leggings, the Leap skort is also incredibly comfortable and kept me cute and cool while I rocked my asanas. I can’t wait to wear this skort when I teach beach yoga this summer.
In the back of both the Leap and Stance there is a convenient zippered pocket that would come in handy for a key, gym pass, or money.
I was feeling pretty damn vogue when I put on the Aspire top (mine came in bright coral) and ventured out to teach a morning yoga class. I got a lot of compliments on this shirt that was not overly clingy, but, instead, had just the right amount of cling. This shirt has a built-in bra liner and a layered design with an inner racer-back tank. I did feel a few times like the shoulders were starting to fall down but they never did. I’m sure if you have a larger rack than I do, this will not be an issue.
Equal Opportunity Style
Calling all you male models out there. MPG has awesome yoga clothing and performance wear for men too!
Springtime SAVINGS
It’s time to put those winter yoga clothes away and strut down your runway mat with some serious attitude and style in MPG’s spring 2011 line. To help make the trip more affordable, MPG is offering Daily Downward Dog readers a 25 percent discount on all retail purchases through May 15, 2011. Just use the coupon code dddlovesmpg upon checkout to get the 25 percent discount.
Every Fashion Show Needs a Little Swag
One lucky Daily Downward Dog reader will get the chance to show his or her style this spring with the selection of any one product from MPG’s spring product line. You don’t have to fly to Paris or NYC in order to win; just leave a comment and complete two (or more!) of the items below. I’ll throw in an entry in the hat for each item you complete.
- Go to www.mpgsport.com and take a look at their awesome spring styles. Once you are there, scroll down to the bottom of the page and sign up for their newsletter.
- “Like” MPG on their Facebook page.
- Follow @MPGtweet on Twitter.
- Tweet this giveaway on Twitter with mentions of @MPGtweet and @downwarddog and a link.
- Post this giveaway with a link on Facebook.
If you are feeling a little love for the Daily Downward Dog and want a little extra credit, you can also score some additional entries if you join the DDD e-mail list, RSS feed, or follow the DDD on Facebook or Twitter.
This contest is open to all residents of the U.S. and Canada and will be open until Saturday, April 30, at noon, when one lucky winner will be randomly selected from all entries. The winner will be notified and able to select any MPG product from the spring collection in the color and size of his or her choice as long as the product is in stock.
Mar 29, 2011 |
I’m a headband mama. You’ll see me sporting one to every yoga class I attend. The obvious reason is to keep the hair out of my eyes when I’m hanging out in downward-facing dog. The not so obvious reason is that it covers up some of my beautiful gray hair that is particularly abundant and frizzy right around the hairline when my hair is pulled back. I fully embrace my gray hair (gray hair is actually trendy right now, according to the New York Times), but sometimes it just needs to be tamed.
Now I have another reason to love my headbands: They add some flair and serious style to my yoga wardrobe, thanks to Kristine Deer and her awesome K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear line.
When you get one of Kristine’s products in the mail, it comes in a tiny package, but when you open it, the colors on the fabric just explode. Check out the three styles I received.
Pretty in Pink, Psychedelic Paisley, and I wore the black and brown number off the mat and out on the town.
I could not wait to try out these headbands because I seriously needed to bring a splash of color to my black-yoga-pants-and-plain-T-shirt routine. I tried out the pink one first and knew it was a hit right away based on the number of compliments I received from my yoga students.
The fabric is smooth and silky, and, unlike many headbands out there, it does not fit so tightly that it cuts off the circulation of blood to your head. In fact, I ended up wearing this headband all day and am happy to report it is a headache-free headband.
Kristine uses domestic-printed fabrics, which are printed with natural dyes and never treated with chemicals. The fabric is a Lycra-nylon blend that is best suited for getting wet, so you won’t end up with soggy, stretched-out fabric. When washed properly, the fabric retains no smells and dries super fast. From fabric to labels, to packaging, Kristine strives to use only local and all-American sources and recycled packaging (love that).
So, I have to be honest and tell you that when Kristine first approached me, she wanted me to try out her hot yoga shorts. The entire K.Deer collection is designed for the demands of the hot yoga room, and her shorts are designed to keep you cool while you are rockin’ out in a Bikram or hot yoga class.
I told Kristine that I love her smart prints, but there is no way in hell I would ever be seen in her yoga shorts. There is just too much going on at the top of my legs to reveal to the rest of the yoga community. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t share her yoga shorts with all of you hot yoga addicts who are not afraid to show some leg in these colorful and fun creations. These shorts will truly allow you to express yourself.
I love that Kristine took her two passions of yoga and fashion and put them together to create her yoga line (she is an RYT 200-certified Barkan method teacher and Syracuse University-educated fashion designer). She is truly an inspiration for me to take my own passions to create meaningful and enjoyable work.
Thanks, Kristine, for creating products that help me feel unique and seriously stylish on the yoga mat! Keep up the haute work!
You can get more details about the entire K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear line at www.kdeerhauteyogawear.com and her Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/kmdeer or read more about Kristine and find her products at Yoga With Style.
with love by kdeer
“love or fear? i choose love. yoga has let me open up to loving more and fearing less. it’s a process. start small. love one thing at a time, and connect mentally with the love you have for a feeling, personal attribute, or part of your body. let go of judgment; judgment is fear in another form that manifests when we don’t have enough love for ourselves. let go of fear; you are probably your biggest critic. you probably stand in your own way more than any other obstacle. let go and open up to love.”
Dec 20, 2010 |
What are you doin’ New Year’s Eve and Christmas Eve?
I’m going to be teaching yoga!
I have to admit that has a nice ring to it.
I think one of the coolest yoga classes I took in 2009 was on New Year’s Eve. The class was at 10 a.m. and the only one my studio offered that day. I thought the class would be empty, with everyone getting ready for their holiday celebrations, so imagine my delight when I walked into a packed class. All these yoga dorks were just like me and wanted to sneak in one last yoga high for the year. I snorkeled my way into a spot in the middle, and the yoga instructor took us through a vigorous vinyasa flow. We all breathed out anything from 2009 that didn’t serve us and breathed in all the hope and possibilities for 2010. We got the room so hot, the mirrors started to fog up. There was such an incredible prana flowing through the room that, at one point, we all broke out in dance. I felt blissful and exhilarated when I left the studio that day, ready to take on the world and whatever the new year was going to throw at me.
I would never have dreamed on January 1, 2010, that by the end of this year, I would be teaching my very own New Year’s Eve yoga class! What a transformation my life has taken this year. I went from being a stressed-out workaholic to a meditating, yoga blogging, pranaholic. I should be the poster child for how to make a 180-degree life change and live to tell about it.
So, I’m in the midst of planning my New Year’s Eve class, and I want it to be just as special as the one I attended last year (although it will be hard to beat, thanks to Elizabeth Clay). I’m going to throw in a Simhasana (lion pose) so we can growl out the parts of the year we want to leave behind and bring in some heart openers to let love and goodwill come into our hearts for the coming year. A little laughter yoga will be in the mix to remind us to laugh every day in the coming year. I’m also planning a kick-ass playlist, with my ultimate goal to get that class dancing!
I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year than a little booty shaking from my yoga mat.
If you live anywhere near the Akron, Ohio, area, I would love for you to join me on New Year’s Eve. My class is an all-levels hatha-style yoga that is suitable for beginners to more advanced students.
I’m also teaching a special class on Christmas Eve. If you want to get away from the holiday madness and give yourself the gift of your breath and a relaxing yoga class, then please join me this coming Friday at 10:00 a.m. as well. I promise to only put a few cheesy holiday songs on the Christmas Eve playlist.
Yeah, 2010 was an amazing year for me, and I am thrilled that I get to wear black stretchy pants to work instead of a black power suit.
If you can’t make it to Ohio, give yourself a gift and find a local yoga class near you or dial into a class at MyYogaOnline (they are open everyday 24/7!).
Om shanti, shanti, shanti…wishing you peace and love today and throughout the coming year.
P.S. Thanks to @yogabrooks for this awesome headline idea and her awesome yoga blog.
P.S.S. Shanti means peace!
Dec 16, 2010 |
I had a minor seasonal attitude disorder last week. It was December 10 and I was not the slightest bit in the holiday mood. In fact, I was dreading all the extra holiday commitments and hoping for a quiet, peaceful celebration with my family sans gifts (yoga-teacher training tends to drain the available disposable income). My problem was solved by strapping on a pair of three-sixteenths-of-an-inch-thick metal blades to the bottom of my feet and attempting to stay vertical on an outdoor man-made ice oval. Yep, going ice-skating with my niece among the shimmering holiday lights and piped in holiday tuneage on a crisp, cool December night did the trick.
As we walked out to the oval with those blades of steel strapped onto our feet, I couldn’t help but think about how weird the concept of ice-skating is. I mean, really, who was the genius who came up with this concept? You really have to love a recreational activity where you freeze your ass off, seriously challenge your sense of balance, and run the risk of serious knee, neck, and ankle injury.
And then I started to think that maybe this is how a lot of yoga students feel the first time they step onto their yoga mats. They are probably thinking, What am I doing here in this darkened studio, in tight, black stretchy pants, about to move and stretch my body in ways it’s never gone before, and chanting stuff in Sanskrit I don’t know the meaning of?
There is always the fear of the unknown in a new activity, but if we don’t take the risk, we’ll never know the reward. There were a lot of parents sitting it out on the sidelines watching their kids whirl around the rink. I have to believe their inner child was dying to get out there and have fun, but their sensible (boring) adult sides pulled them back. I’m here to tell you, the risk of bodily injury was definitely worth the fun I experienced that night.
Both sports require a degree of falling on your face. I’ve fallen out of yoga poses before, and as embarrassing as that may be, it’s the only way to learn. You just gotta get back on that mat, lose the fear, and try again.
Ice Skating at Lock 3 in Beautiful Downtown Akron
While my niece and I were skating, we took a little spill (well, actually it was a pretty damn good biff). I landed hard on my right knee, and my niece came down with an Olympic-size thud on her tush. I thought my newfound balancing skills honed from hours of yoga practice would see me through a few spins around the rink, but all bets are off when you mix ice, inexperience, and those damn rented three-sixteenths-of-an-inch metal blades into the mix. The rink supervisor—who saw our fall and thought I broke my knee—advised us to sit it out for a while to make sure we were okay. While we sat there (me with a pile of snow on my throbbing knee), my niece wanted to call it quits, but I said no way! I was not going to let our skating date end on a bad note. We rested a while and got back out there, facing our fears, my niece going on to master a beautiful circle loop-turn, and me embracing my inner Peggy Fleming.
I’m happy to report that my knee made it through the incident, and I went on to teach yoga the next morning, thanks to a long, hot soak in the tub and a little Tiger Balm. Seriously, I think my practice of yoga helped me bounce back in fine form after a spill like that.
I’m so glad that yoga has taught me to take risks both off and on the mat, to embrace my inner child, and take the time to play.
If you live in northeast Ohio and are looking for a great winter activity, check out the ice skating rink at Lock 3 in downtown Akron.
