During the month of April....
Bring in a friend or buy a 10 or more class package, and we'll enter your name in a drawing for a free massage at Balance Healing Center.
2 drawings, April 15 and 30
If these ARE your friends..they're free!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Spring Special!
During the month of April....
Bring in a friend or buy a 10 or more class package, and we'll enter your name in a drawing for a free massage at Balance Healing Center.
2 drawings, April 15 and 30
If these ARE your friends..they're free!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
News You Probably Can't Use...
...from Yoga Journal...
Before the invention of the sticky mat, doing yoga was a slippery proposition.
By Fernando Pagés Ruiz
Those of you who can remember the days before color television will also remember what it was like to do yoga without a sticky mat... slippery. "My feet would slide apart and I had to tense my legs to keep from falling," yoga teacher Angela Farmer recalls. "I was desperate to find something that would give me traction." So Farmer tried doing yoga on blankets, bulky foam mattresses, and even spat on her dry footsoles to keep from slipping, but nothing really worked.
One day while traveling in Germany, Farmer spotted a roll of matting at a local market. She squeezed the material between her fingers. It was thin, dense, and sticky. It was carpet padding. She bought a length of it and took it to yoga class. "It was heaven," Farmer recalls. She was able to grip the floor without straining. Farmer took this miraculous mat home to London, where other yogis took interest. Soon Farmer began toting rolls of carpet padding home every time she traveled to Germany. Richard Farmer, Angela's father, saw an opportunity. He contacted the padding manufacturer and soon became the first retailer of "sticky" mats, calling his new product "The Original Molivos Mat" in honor of his daughter, who led yoga workshops in Molivos, Greece. Export duties and international shipping costs made these European mats expensive in North America. Enter Sara Chambers, of Hugger Mugger, who decided to manufacture her own. With a chemist's help, she designed the first sticky mat specifically for yoga. Her "Tapas Mat" was more durable, less expensive, and available in colors.
But the German manufacturers wouldn't give up. They developed a new line of high-quality mats in three different colors and varied levels of thickness. Their latest import is a thick rubber mat called "The Black Mat," favored by flow-style yogis for its length, durability, and crumple resistance.
When you thumb through a yoga catalog, you might be surprised or confused by the array of available mats. Ruth Steiger, of Yoga Props, fields mat questions daily. "The first thing I ask people is what style of yoga they do. If they say Ashtanga, I recommend a 4-millimeter mat. If not, I ask what kind of surface they work on," Steiger says. For those who practice on carpet she recommends a dense mat of medium thickness. This mat also works well on wood floors, giving a solid, grounded feel. "But some people need extra cushioning," Steiger observes. For them, she recommends the same mat she suggests for Ashtangis because it "pads and cradles the bony places." But when traveling, an ultra-thin mat might be your best companion. "It folds into the space of a pair of socks," Steiger explains.
One of the latest sticky mat innovations comes from Malibu, California, yoga teacher Helen Howlett Campanella. Her "Yoga Map Mat" includes an attractive geometric design on its surface, providing cues for alignment and a reference to gauge your progress.
Before the invention of the sticky mat, doing yoga was a slippery proposition.
By Fernando Pagés Ruiz
Those of you who can remember the days before color television will also remember what it was like to do yoga without a sticky mat... slippery. "My feet would slide apart and I had to tense my legs to keep from falling," yoga teacher Angela Farmer recalls. "I was desperate to find something that would give me traction." So Farmer tried doing yoga on blankets, bulky foam mattresses, and even spat on her dry footsoles to keep from slipping, but nothing really worked.
One day while traveling in Germany, Farmer spotted a roll of matting at a local market. She squeezed the material between her fingers. It was thin, dense, and sticky. It was carpet padding. She bought a length of it and took it to yoga class. "It was heaven," Farmer recalls. She was able to grip the floor without straining. Farmer took this miraculous mat home to London, where other yogis took interest. Soon Farmer began toting rolls of carpet padding home every time she traveled to Germany. Richard Farmer, Angela's father, saw an opportunity. He contacted the padding manufacturer and soon became the first retailer of "sticky" mats, calling his new product "The Original Molivos Mat" in honor of his daughter, who led yoga workshops in Molivos, Greece. Export duties and international shipping costs made these European mats expensive in North America. Enter Sara Chambers, of Hugger Mugger, who decided to manufacture her own. With a chemist's help, she designed the first sticky mat specifically for yoga. Her "Tapas Mat" was more durable, less expensive, and available in colors.
But the German manufacturers wouldn't give up. They developed a new line of high-quality mats in three different colors and varied levels of thickness. Their latest import is a thick rubber mat called "The Black Mat," favored by flow-style yogis for its length, durability, and crumple resistance.
When you thumb through a yoga catalog, you might be surprised or confused by the array of available mats. Ruth Steiger, of Yoga Props, fields mat questions daily. "The first thing I ask people is what style of yoga they do. If they say Ashtanga, I recommend a 4-millimeter mat. If not, I ask what kind of surface they work on," Steiger says. For those who practice on carpet she recommends a dense mat of medium thickness. This mat also works well on wood floors, giving a solid, grounded feel. "But some people need extra cushioning," Steiger observes. For them, she recommends the same mat she suggests for Ashtangis because it "pads and cradles the bony places." But when traveling, an ultra-thin mat might be your best companion. "It folds into the space of a pair of socks," Steiger explains.
One of the latest sticky mat innovations comes from Malibu, California, yoga teacher Helen Howlett Campanella. Her "Yoga Map Mat" includes an attractive geometric design on its surface, providing cues for alignment and a reference to gauge your progress.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Is Yoga Enough to Keep You Fit?--From Yoga Journal
This is a beautifully written and researched piece that is chock-full of useful and enlightening information. I'd heard about John Schumacher's "fitness challenge" a few years ago, but this article really expands upon the whole subject in a wonderful way. A must-read.
Yoga Journal sends three yogis to the lab to test the theory that yoga is all you need for optimal fitness. CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE....
By Alisa Bauman
When it came to the fitness benefits yoga can or can't provide, yoga teacher John Schumacher had heard it all. A student of B. K. S. Iyengar for 20 years and founder of the Unity Woods studios in the Washington, D.C. area, Schumacher was convinced yoga provides a complete fitness regime. But many people, even some of his own students, disagreed. Yoga might be good for flexibility or relaxation, they'd say, but to be truly fit, you had to combine it with an activity like running or weight lifting.
Schumacher just didn't buy it.
He knew three decades of yoga practice—and only yoga practice—had kept him fit. He didn't need to power walk. He didn't need to lift weights. His fitness formula consisted of daily asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathwork). That's all he needed.
Four years ago at age 52, Schumacher decided to prove his point. He signed up for physiological testing at a lab in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As he expected, Schumacher tested near the top of his age group for a variety of fitness tests, including maximum heart and exercise recovery rates. His doctor told him that he was in excellent physical condition and estimated that Schumacher had less than a one percent chance of suffering a cardiac event. "I've always maintained that yoga provides more than adequate cardiovascular benefits," says Schumacher. "Now I have the evidence that regular yoga practice at a certain level of intensity will provide you with what you need."
Evidence of yoga's ability to bolster fitness, however, goes well beyond Schumacher's personal experience. Yoga Journal's testing of three yogis also yielded impressive results. Even physiologists who don't do yoga now agree that the practice provides benefits well beyond flexibility and relaxation. Recent research—though preliminary—shows that yoga may also improve strength, aerobic capacity, and lung function. If you practice yoga, you already knew that. But if, like Schumacher, you've been told by friends, family, doctors, or even other yoga students that you need to add some power walking for your heart or strength training for your muscles, here's evidence that yoga is all you need for a fit mind and body....
Yoga Journal sends three yogis to the lab to test the theory that yoga is all you need for optimal fitness. CLICK TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE....
By Alisa Bauman
When it came to the fitness benefits yoga can or can't provide, yoga teacher John Schumacher had heard it all. A student of B. K. S. Iyengar for 20 years and founder of the Unity Woods studios in the Washington, D.C. area, Schumacher was convinced yoga provides a complete fitness regime. But many people, even some of his own students, disagreed. Yoga might be good for flexibility or relaxation, they'd say, but to be truly fit, you had to combine it with an activity like running or weight lifting.
Schumacher just didn't buy it.
He knew three decades of yoga practice—and only yoga practice—had kept him fit. He didn't need to power walk. He didn't need to lift weights. His fitness formula consisted of daily asanas (poses) and pranayama (breathwork). That's all he needed.
Four years ago at age 52, Schumacher decided to prove his point. He signed up for physiological testing at a lab in Gaithersburg, Maryland. As he expected, Schumacher tested near the top of his age group for a variety of fitness tests, including maximum heart and exercise recovery rates. His doctor told him that he was in excellent physical condition and estimated that Schumacher had less than a one percent chance of suffering a cardiac event. "I've always maintained that yoga provides more than adequate cardiovascular benefits," says Schumacher. "Now I have the evidence that regular yoga practice at a certain level of intensity will provide you with what you need."
Evidence of yoga's ability to bolster fitness, however, goes well beyond Schumacher's personal experience. Yoga Journal's testing of three yogis also yielded impressive results. Even physiologists who don't do yoga now agree that the practice provides benefits well beyond flexibility and relaxation. Recent research—though preliminary—shows that yoga may also improve strength, aerobic capacity, and lung function. If you practice yoga, you already knew that. But if, like Schumacher, you've been told by friends, family, doctors, or even other yoga students that you need to add some power walking for your heart or strength training for your muscles, here's evidence that yoga is all you need for a fit mind and body....
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Sign Up for Absolute Beginner's Series Closes Today
Have you been contemplating beginning your yogic journey? If so, consider Yoga for the Absolute Beginner, a 2-hour workshop that prepares you for regular studio classes. $30 includes the seminar PLUS a free week of studio classes!Next class: Monday, March 16, 7pm-9pm
SIGN UPS END TODAY! DON'T MISS IT!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Join Us For Candlelight Yoga....
If you have not already done so, please call to reserve your spot for Friday's Candlelight Yoga. An hour of yoga followed by a dessert table. Even if you're not a "yoga regular" it's a fun evening out!
A Little Yoga Humor
Yes, it does turn out be an ad in the end, but it's still worth watching!
Have a great weekend!
Have a great weekend!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Upcoming Events at Shanti Yoga Center
Candlelight Yoga: Friday, March 13 : 7:00pm -10:30pm
1-hour of yoga followed by a dessert buffet
Call to reserve your spot 773-774.8444
Restore, Renew, Recover—Yoga To End the Work Week!
Friday Night March 6, 7pm-8:30pm
Join Brian for 30 minutes of meditation and a 45-minute restorative practice.
$15 at the door
Yoga For The Absolute Beginner
A 2- hour workshop with a free week of classes: $30
Designed to support the beginning yoga student.
Yoga for the Absolute Beginner introduces you to basic yoga poses and familiarizes you with everything you need to be comfortable on the mat. This class will lay the foundation for a regular practice and empower you to practice safely and feel confident to move to other classes.
Monday, March 16, 7pm-9pm
Introductory Offer!
3 classes for $25 (first-time students only, expires after 2 wks.)
1-hour of yoga followed by a dessert buffet
Call to reserve your spot 773-774.8444
Restore, Renew, Recover—Yoga To End the Work Week!
Friday Night March 6, 7pm-8:30pm
Join Brian for 30 minutes of meditation and a 45-minute restorative practice.
$15 at the door
Yoga For The Absolute Beginner
A 2- hour workshop with a free week of classes: $30
Designed to support the beginning yoga student.
Yoga for the Absolute Beginner introduces you to basic yoga poses and familiarizes you with everything you need to be comfortable on the mat. This class will lay the foundation for a regular practice and empower you to practice safely and feel confident to move to other classes.
Monday, March 16, 7pm-9pm
Introductory Offer!
3 classes for $25 (first-time students only, expires after 2 wks.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)