Grab a Deal on Yoga Journal Magazine

For one day only, (Monday, August 30th) you can grab yourself a one year subscription to Yoga Journal Magazine for just $4.39. What a bargain! This deal if valid for brand new subscriptions, as well as renewals. All you need to do is click on the link below to be taken to the place where you can purchase the subscription. Don't forget, this is only good for one day. Don't miss it.

Click here for the Yoga Journal Deal of the Day.

Hemalayaa Bollywood Boogie Workout

I never even heard of Bollywood until a couple of years ago when I saw Bollywood-style dancing on “So You Think You Can Dance.” It was fascinating–the costumes, the unique style of dance. I was intrigued. I never dreamed I would ever attempt anything even close, but here I am reviewing the above titled workout DVD. I have to say, it was . . . different.

It’s led by a fitness star and yogini, Hemalayaa. She looks like an Indian princess and definitely makes you feel like you’re one too. The DVD is broken into three 15 minute workouts, plus there are a few bonus features (which I have yet to watch). I did all three workouts consecutively and that was not at all hard to do. Maybe the term ‘workouts’ is over stating things. Seeing that I’m accustomed to P90X these were more like fun tension releasers than true workouts. Not sure how many calories I burned (and now that I think about it, I should have been tracking that), but I did have a good time.

The first segment had me wondering if I would get through all three. The movements were odd (but fun) and all I could do was imagine performing this routine with girlfriends and a few martinis. Boy would that generate some laughs. I even imagined getting out a video camera. I was just so curious to see how I looked trying these moves that were so ”flowy” and loose. There are times when you can’t see Hemalayaa’s entire body and have no idea what to do with your feet. These are the times when 'anal Paula' takes over and starts to stress. It’s always a good lesson for me to just relax and not be so concerned that I’m ‘doing it right.’ I truly think the biggest goal of these routines is just to have fun and laugh at yourself (which you will likely do).

The second segment got a little better for me. It was a bit more of a heart thumper. My only issue was that the footwork was the same over and over. This could be a good thing because you don’t have to remember much. Only problem is that if you don’t get it down pat, you’re in trouble. It was a little tricky, but as long as you get the “1,2,3” rhythm down, you’ll be OK. It’s alright if you don’t look just like the leaders. My heart rate got up with all the 1,2,3 jumping around and the best part was that I could feel the tension releasing from my notorious stiff and sore shoulder. I carry all my stress in my shoulders and this routine really made you flop your arms around and release all that tension. This session ended with some very cool ab floor work. I always loved ab work so I was right at home.

The third segment was, as far as I could tell, nearly exactly the same as the second. All the moves were the same, in the same order, with that same 1,2.3 footwork. I may have started to get a little bored by the time I got this far, but that might have been because I couldn’t go around in circles as the video instructed. It was all I could do to keep that 123 timing and footwork. For some reason the minute I tried to turn I was toast. So staying stationary was a bit boring, but I guess that is good motivation to master the footwork.

There is no doubt that is was a fun and different experience. There is also no doubt that I won’t be becoming a professional Bollywood dancer anytime soon, but it will still be fun to pretend I’m that princess.

See more of Hemalayaa’s videos here: http://www.acacialifestyle.com/series/hemalayaa

Horrifying DownDog

Are there any 40+ female yogis that can perform downdog in shorts, look at their thighs and not be horrified? Is it just me having this problem? Here I am in good shape, fairly happy with my overall body, and yet I’m completely disgusted in down dog. In fact I may never do it again. Ok, that may be a little extreme, but I don’t think I’ll be doing it in shorts any more. What is it about down dog that makes my skin look so terrible? I hate it. Yoga should not depress me. And life is so incredibly unfair. My husband is 13 years older than me and that darn bugger can still be an underwear model. His legs and rear end are as firm and chiseled now as when he was a teenager. I’m pretty sure I hate him and I really need to have a word with Mother Nature. Where is she when you need to talk to her?

August Desktop Calendar

The free YogaDudes desktop calendar is back by popular demand! After slacking in July and not putting out a calendar I realized that lots of folks out there actually look forward to these things and I didn't want to disappoint again this month. So here I am, on the ball, with the August calendar all ready to go. Just click on the small graphic above to open the larger format graphic. Once that larger graphic appears just right-click on it and "Save as Desktop."

Ultima Replenisher Give Away

The nice folks at Ultima Replenisher apparently liked what I said about their products and they contacted me to see if I would like to give away some sample packs to YogaDudes followers. Seems like a good deal to me. They are willing to give away 5 sample boxes. Each box includes 24 flavor packets in 4 different flavors. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog (or on our Facebook wall). Let’s make it interesting. Just comment and tell me what you think your favorite flavor will be. There are 4 to pick from: grape, orange, wild raspberry, and lemonade.

Winners will be drawn randomly (if we get more than 5 comments). Come on, just list a flavor. You know you want to try them for free . . .

The Best Yoga Bra and the Best Compliment

This past weekend I was shopping in a boutique in Mystic CT when I ran across a great bra. It seems to be a clever combination of a sports bra and a cami. It has no hooks or wires and is meant to be worn under deep v tops. I was imagining what tops I would wear it under and then the idea struck that it would be the most perfect yoga bra - super comfy with the option of switching out to invisible straps. I was sold! When I brought it up to the check out counter the woman takes a look at what I’m buying and says to me, “Do you do yoga? You look like you do yoga.” I just had to laugh. I couldn’t believe the question and was so incredibly flattered by her comment. When I told her that I had yoga in mind during my decision making process she told me that lots of people were buying these bras for that specific reason. She just wanted to make sure I knew that they also offered a different bra model (without the pretty lace) that was better suited for yoga class. I have gotten lots of compliments in my life for various things, but I have to say . . . hearing “You look like you do yoga” had to be one of my all-time favorites!

And by the way, for more info on this great new bra, please click here.

The Answer to my Dehydration Problems

I recently discovered a product that is the answer to my dreams. I am so bad with getting enough fluids in me. Part of the problem is that I never take the necessary breaks from my day to go and retrieve the fluid. Granted it’s usually just a short walk to the kitchen (either at home or the office) during the week, but maybe the problem is not only my lack of commitment in taking a break from work. Many times I leave the office with a full mug of warm water still sitting on my desk. I think the biggest challenge for me is the fact that I just plain don’t like to drink water. I never drink (what I consider evil) soda and I try to stay away from any sugary drink that contains high fructose corn syrup or caffeine. This seems to severely limit my choices and reading all the labels just gets tiring and frustrating. I wish I could just magically make tap water taste better. No more driving to the grocery store constantly. No more loading up the recycling bin with all of my enhanced water bottles. There has to be a better way.

Well, there is and I found it. The solution is Ultima Replenisher. It’s s a natural sports drink with zero sugar. It contains a full complement of electrolytes, not just a ton of sodium. Ultima also contains complex carbs for energy, water-soluble vitamins and vitamin enhancers for day-to-day health maintenance, and antioxidants to protect body systems from free radicals (toxins). Ultima uses no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. Doesn’t this sound too good to be true? That’s what I thought, but it’s really spot on for what I was looking for. It doesn’t taste like Gatoraid or any other really sweet drink. It has just a hint of flavor – just enough to make me want to guzzle down the entire glass of water. The fact that is has beneficial stuff in it, well that's just icing on the cake. I just needed water to taste a little better to motivate me to drink more. And the fact that I’m not filling up my recycling bin with empty bottles thrills me to pieces. You can either buy this stuff in individual packets, which makes it super easy to carry around everywhere you go, or you can buy it in canisters and the price is much less than what you would pay for bottled water.

I’ve been stirring a packet into my water bottle when I go biking, and mixing myself up a ‘cocktail’ of it for my dinner time drink. I even came up with the brilliant idea of mixing up a batch, pouring it into an ice cube tray and then using the frozen cubes to spike my water bottles. Not only does it keep my hiking water cold, but it adds a little extra flavor.

If you’re like me and have been craving a healthy alternative to the sugary drinks and are tired of just plain water, check out Ultima Replenisher at www.ultimareplenisher.com.

Yoga on Steroids

I recently went to see one of the amazing Cirque du Soleil shows. This wasn’t my first one. I’ve seen two others in the past and although all the shows were different the affect it had on me was the same. I just get so completely inspired by the sheer strength and athleticism of those performers. It just blows my mind. Made me want to run home and attempt some crazy untouchable yoga pose that I never before thought possible. I mean, here I am complaining that the wheel pose is challenging. Lifting one leg always seemed impossible to me, but I’m watching women on the stage, not only in wheel pose with one air straight up, but HOLDING and BALANCING another human being on that lifted leg. How weak and inferior did I feel? I decided that I need to find some poses that I never dreamed I could do and try to work toward. When I first tried to do the crow pose, I couldn’t do it. Took me weeks to finally get it. Maybe, just maybe, I could work myself up to something really cool and impressive. I need some suggestions on which poses to try, without killing myself. Anybody got any suggestions?

Buying Organic Where It Matters Most

The importance of eating organic foods is not exactly a revelation. I know it’s important. I’ve always known it’s important. But ever since watching the documentary Food Inc. I have a renewed sense of importance. That movie sure does have a way of convincing you to spend the extra money on organically grown and raised food. It’s always a struggle in the supermarket when you have the organic food in one hand and the non-organic food (costing half the price) in the other hand . . .

So when I stumbled across an article in Natural Health magazine that discussed “Buying the Organics That Matter” it really caught my eye. It explains that if you only buy some organic produce, to use the following guide to get the most bang for your buck. This list is known as the “Dirty Dozen.” The most important items that you should strive to go for the organic products include the ones that are most heavily sprayed with pesticides. These include:

peaches
apples bell peppers
celery
nectarines
strawberries
cherries
kale
lettuce
imported grapes
carrots
pears

The items that are the least likely to be contaminated include:

onions
avocados
frozen sweet corn
pineapples
mangoes
asparagus
frozen sweet peas
kiwis
cabbages
eggplants
papayas
watermelons
broccoli
tomatoes
sweet potatoes

Yoga While Cycling

I’ve read lots and lots of articles about Yoga and Cycling, but never anything about yoga while cycling. Maybe that is because it’s darn difficult to do. But today I had a great experience from stretching while cycling. And before I go any further I just want to say that I am not in any way recommending that anyone who may be reading this attempts to ride their bicycles without holding the handlebars. If you are not a cyclist that regularly sits back and rides ‘hands free’ than perhaps you shouldn’t read any further. But if you’re like me and are accustomed to riding hands free, or maybe you’re a unicyclist, than by all means, read on.

For the past two days I’ve been suffering from (what I think is) a pinched nerve in my upper right back. When I move in certain ways I get strange unexplained shooting pains. Sometimes it feels as though a creature with extremely sharp teeth has a hold of me and won’t let go. Or perhaps this is what it feels like to get shot and have the bullet still lodged in you. Bottom line, it’s no picnic and I’ve been miserable in pain. But, of course, that doesn’t stop me from hiking, biking, kayaking, or doing yoga. I must beat this thing!

So this morning I started my day with my favorite 30 minute yoga routine. By 20 minutes into the routine I was convinced that yoga is going to cure me. I was feeling great. Every down dog and side plank gave me more and more relief and I was thrilled. Until I got to the chair pose. For whatever reason putting my arms out in front of me and slightly lifted is a recipe for disaster. The shooting pains started again and I barely got through the rest of the routine. My spirits were breaking and I knew I needed a bike ride.

Fortunately, the riding position on my road bike was favorable to my pinched nerve and most of the ride was pain-free. But when I deviated from my standard riding position (by standing up, moving my hand position on the bars, or going over rough gravel roads) the pain started again. I remembered a tip I recently learned from a yoga and pilates instructor . . . she showed me a great back stretch that involved hunching up your shoulders, rolling them all the way back and then dropping them as far down as you can. That move completely opens your chest. From that point you bring your arms almost to a ‘namaste’ position in front of your chest, only instead of having your palms facing each other you point one palm to the ground, the other to the sky and clasp your fingers together while pulling one hand firmly with the other. The more tension you use to pull on your fingers, the better stretch you get along your back. It’s pure magic and I performed this little number several times while riding my bike today. I’m pretty sure it’s what got me through the otherwise painful ride. I am going to continue to practice yoga while riding, pinched nerve or not. It was great!

YogaDudes Wholesale Program

It's been a long and slow process of rebuilding the YogaDudes website and shopping cart. Not something that I want to do again anytime soon. There are still some glitches that we are working out and we are hoping to take the wholesale program for a test drive. We are looking for studios that are interested in purchasing (or at least viewing) the YogaDudes wholesale prices. If you are interested and are willing to help us beta test this aspect of our shopping cart, please either leave a comment on this blog or email us at info@yogadudes.com. There is no commitment. We just want to add some 'wholesale users' to the program and get some feedback on your user experience. If you ever want to buy wholesale products from us in the future you should be all set up to do so.

Please help us out and give it a whirl . . .

Introducing Yoga Graffiti

What is Yoga Graffiti you ask? It's a creative and fun photo contest put on by a fellow yogi blogger. For the month of June, she is holding a Yoga Graffiti Photo Challenge to support her teacher Baron Baptise and the Africa Yoga Project to raise $50K in order to deliver a yoga immersion to 300 people in East Africa.

Here's how to participate: Tag yourself (aka strike a yoga pose) in the most fun, creative, and least expected place to do yoga. Be creative. The more fun, creative, or least expected place to strike a yoga pose will get more brownie points. (i.e. a beautiful dancer’s pose on a beautiful beach, although beautiful will probably not get much attention than say holding crow pose in a shopping cart in front of Costco — those carts are big).

Entering the challenge scores you a chance to win a $200 lululemon athletica gift card. All you have to do is submit your photo and donate a minimum of $5 per photo to enter the challenge. All proceeds will benefit Africa Yoga Project.

Please click here for complete details.

Free June Desktop Calendar

I swear I had this done before June 1st. First month ever that I was actually early. But then I went on vacation and now I'm late again. sigh. If you would like to make this image your desktop calendar, just click on the image above to bring up the larger image. Then right-click and "save as desktop."

And a special thanks to Nadia Nasiri of www.getoffthemat.com for supplying the photograph.

Don't Miss a Great Deal on Yoga Journal Magazine

For one day only, (Thursday, May 20th) you can grab yourself a one year subscription to Yoga Journal Magazine for just $4.29. What a bargain! This deal if valid for brand new subscriptions, as well as renewals. All you need to do is click on the link below to be taken to the place where you can purchase the subscription. Don't forget, this is only good for one day. Don't miss it.

Best Deal Magazines Deal of the Day

Finding Inspiration from Chocolate

This seems like a great reason to reach for a yummy treat. What's better than both chocolate and a great inspirational note? Thank you Dove.

My New Motivation to Run

No, it's not because I'm about to go on vacation where I'll be sporting a bathing suit most days. And no, I haven't lost my mind and agreed to run in another race. So why am I all jazzed to get home every day and run? Because it takes less time than any of my other workouts!

I finally completed my third straight season of P90X and I'm ecstatic over the thought of gaining one little half hour back into my evenings. My husband and I normally take a one hour hike with our dogs, but a few days ago we decided to lace up our running shoes and give trail running a try. I always love to test my post-P90X physical condition and not many things test it like running. So we gave it a try and to my delight, I enjoyed it. Well, minus my nasty allergy issues that I always struggle with. Aside from the throat restricting, the wheezing, and the feeling like I'm being strangled, I really enjoyed the run – so much so that we decided to run every night. I'm just loving the fact that our workout now takes 30 minutes instead of 60.

But I can't help to wonder what gives me more of a work out. Do you burn more calories walking at a brisk pace on varying elevations for one hour, or jogging that same distance in half the time? This really has me pondering. I have several unreliable heart rate monitors and it appears that I average a heart rate of about 125 when I'm hiking. I can't get a reading while I'm running so I may never find out the answer to this question. Does anybody out there have and use a reliable heart rate monitor that doesn't require a chest strap? I see many products that you wear on your belt, or on your wrist, and I just can't figure out how they work. I have a chest strap and that darn thing doesn't even work. Please, if you know of a good means of measuring heart rate and calories burned, please let me know.

30 Day Yoga Challenge

I just stumbled upon an interesting web site. It’s called Dashama 30 Day Yoga Challenge and they are offering a free 30 day program to bring yoga into your life. If you sign up you will receive one email per day that will include a brief (usually about 10 minutes) instructional yoga video. If you are ready to dedicate just 10 minutes a day to a yoga practice this is a great way to stay motivated. So far I just watched the first video and it included 7 minutes of seated stretches. I think these daily emails will serve as a great reminder to take a break from your otherwise busy day in order to something beneficial to your health. Everybody can spare just 10 minutes. I plan to watch and practice with these videos every day before lunch.

Here’s a peek at the promotional video that explains this 30 day challenge.

What do you have to lose? Give it a try!

Things I Learned This Week

I was on the road this week, on a business trip. This meant that I got knocked off my P90X schedule. I really hate when that happens. Fortunately my last business trip landed conveniently during a Recovery Week which meant that I could manage to keep up in my hotel room. But this time my trip landed during my last ‘real week’ of the program. I’m getting home just in time for my final Recovery Week and it pains me to think that I have to prolong the program by yet another week. Uuugh.

But this week has taught me two things. First, I realized that I soon as I removed the weight lifting and one hour hard-core cardio sessions from my life, my appetite went right back to normal. I have been starving non-stop for the past two months and now here I am, in the middle of a big city, surrounded by great food (on the company tab, no less) and I can’t be bothered with food. I get to normal meal times and almost force myself to eat something, when normally at home I’m counting down the minutes until I get to eat again. This just proves my theory and makes me wonder why I bother burning so many calories a day when it just causes me to eat that many more. Seems like a silly run around on a hamster wheel, but I know that won’t stop me.

My second lesson of the week involves yoga. Because the hotel that I’m staying in doesn’t have a gym, yoga is the best and easiest way to work out every day. And what I’ve discovered is how much I improved by doing my routine every single day. I started out this week sweating and watching the clock in anticipation of the routine ending. But the second day was a littler easier. And the third day even easier. By the fourth day I was stunned at how easily I breezed through the rigorous routine. I know that practicing anything makes you better, but the speed at which you see improvement in yoga by a consistent and frequent practice is astonishing. Practicing once a week seems like you never get a chance to really build those yoga muscles and get in the zone. You are therefore struggling every time you practice. But if you can increase the amount of days per week in which you practice it really seems to pay off. For me yoga went from a chore to pleasure in just 4 days!

I’m curious how many days per week most enthusiastic yogi practice . . . Please share if you will . . . How many days per week to you practice?

Free May Desktop Calendar from YogaDudes

Here's a nice Springy desktop to usher in May. I tried drawing some cute birds doing "in-flight" yoga poses, but let's just say it didn't work out. Perhaps the simple birdhouses are perfect on their own. To make this your desktop calendar, just click on the image above to bring up the larger image. Then right-click and "save as desktop."

Happy Spring!

The Biggest Drawback to P90X

I've stated several times in the past that the biggest challenge to P90X is the time commitment and now I'm realizing the biggest drawback . . .

I am always starving! I mean seriously, since the day I started this routine nearly 3 months ago I am constantly hungry. And that is very unlike me. My body has a great self regulating ability. It somehow knows exactly what I need to maintain my weight and adjusts my hunger accordingly. When I'm loafing around and not working out for long stretches of time (yes, that happens at certain times of the year) I eat very little, I guess because of my very low appetite. But lately, my goodness, I'm consumed with thoughts of "How long before I get to eat again and what will I eat next?" I hate it. I feel like my husband, who is constantly complaining that he's hungry no matter how much I feed him.

There is still a little piece of me that wonders why I go through all of this. I can just do nothing to work out and my body will adjust to maintain my healthy weight. Seems like it would be a whole heck of a lot easier. BUT, I'm a psycho and I need the rush of working out and I need to feel good about myself for being strong . . . so I'm going to find more to eat now. I think there's a jar of almonds close by . . . and some leftover Easter candy too. I'm on it.