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That’s a Wrap!

And so, with this next day, January 2009 comes to a close. It’s been a rough week/month for the American worker, in what some could describe as a “corporate death march” with thousands of jobs cut all around. Alas we are still standing and ready to make it work from here. Have to keep things moving! Life does not slow down, and sometimes that is a good thing.

Here are the top headlines in yoga this week…

We discovered Lululemon is still chugging along steadily in their goal to exploit our new president to sell yoga pants.

We asked the burning question, What’s a Man to Wear to Yoga Class?

We learned that the yoga ban in Indonesia is not deterring the determined: Yoga Ban Not Stopping Indonesian Yogis

There’s Yoga in Baseball!

Martha Stewart does yoga, Doga not so much.

Nap time is making a comeback in the city that never sleeps.

David Lynch and Paul McCartney are getting transcendental.

Plans for the Weekend: Enjoy the Superbowl festivities and keep your eye out for yoga! Superbowl XLIII: Both Teams Do Yoga!

OR have fun at the FREE yoga session at MoMA

For those braving the elements at the Lululemon warehouse sale, we hope some of those elements are your fair share of free yoga and booze.

Also, we have to give a big HUGE thanks and shout out to YD pal Darla at darlateachesyoga.com for contributing to our Lulu/tea fund! Our profound gratitude.

Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu

Have a great weekend!

CNN has a feature up about recession stress and how even more people are flooding yoga class in search of relief.

[Washington yoga instructor Kyra Sudofsky] says evening classes that normally host 18 to 28 students are now packed with more than 30 people, many of them looking for an inexpensive way to release anxiety in a rocky economy.

They also highlight the “pay-what-you-can” model that more studios seem to be adopting as of late, which we brought up a few weeks ago.

Besides that the article doesn’t really say anything new. But we like how they point out the self-reclaiming benefit of a yoga practice. Sure it’s great for relaxation, but yoga also gives you a centering, stabilizing sense of control, something we desperately seek in this spiraling world.

Recession Relief – many are stretching for it [CNN]

Read more: Recession Yoga

Hey now, we got all excited yesterday about yogis in the Superbowl and today comes news of yoga in baseball!

Russell Martin is catcher for the LA Dodgers and new yoga convert:

“I’ve never felt better,” he said.

Fear not baseball fans, the soon-to-be 26-year-old isn’t planning to trade in the tools of ignorance behind the plate to pursue the ultimate goal of unifying the body, mind and spirit into oneness.

Rather, the two-time all-star is searching for new ways to keep his body healthy and strong throughout the 2009 season, eager to avoid the late-month swoons he’s experienced in each of his first three big-league seasons.

“Last year, I remember all the way through spring training and the beginning of the season even, my body was tight,” Martin recalled last weekend at Baseball Canada’s annual awards banquet. “When you’re a baseball player, you have to feel loose and that’s kind of like prehabilitation, that’s what my dad calls it.

“That was my main goal, to do some yoga, still do my explosive movement type stuff, because that’s all it is in baseball, reaction-type stuff, and flexibility. All those things, with a consistent work plan during the season, instead of seeing my numbers drop towards the end, hopefully I’ll see more of a stability and a consistency. That’s what I’m looking for.”

“Prehabilitation” is an awesome way to describe it. Three cheers for Russell and yogi baseballers. We look forward to hearing more about yoga in spring training.

[Canadian Press via Google News]

We don’t normally post about this kind of stuff on YD, being a yoga site and all, but it has come to our attention that Tropicana, teamed up with Cool Earth, has launched a forward-thinking promotion along with their retro 50’s style carton redesign. Evidently they’re offering to save 100 square feet of rainforest (in Peru we think) for every orange juice you buy/code you redeem. The problem is that in order to do so they require you to register an account and submit all your personal info at tropicanarainforest.com (name, address, etc) before punching in the 11-digit code from your OJ carton. Kinda not cool. What do they need our address and email for? Annoying e-marketing?

We happened to have a Tropicana OJ in the fridge, from which we noticed the “promotion,” and decided to give it a try, with made up information, naturally. And we’re happy to report Bob Booya at 45 Booya Street in Booyaville, IN has saved 100 sq feet of rainforest! If it worked like we think it did go to your local supermarket, take down all the codes and spend a few minutes punching in some of your favorite aliases at the tropicanarainforest.com site.

Also, we found at Care2.com they will enter the codes for you if you want…here’s the link

And that concludes our PSA for the week

How much weight should you lift during strength training workouts? It takes some experimentation to learn how much weight you need. Get tips for choosing the right weight for your workouts.

Get the details about how much exercise you really need to protect your heart from disease and keep it healthy and strong.

As a trainer, I was taught to set up strength training programs so that you work the large muscles first (the legs, chest and back), followed by the smaller muscles…

How in the world does a woman with six children get a fertility doctor to help her have more — eight more?

Babies born to obese mothers are at increased risk for dying, particularly in the first weeks of life, compared to babies born to normal-weight mothers, new research shows.

You may have heard Superbowl XLIII this Sunday pits the Arizona Cardinals against the Pittsburgh Steelers (no? don’t worry, to be sure we had to look it up!) But did you know both sides have yogis on their team??

We mentioned way back in September about yoga making baby steps into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training regimen. At that time the coach measured about 30 percent of the players getting involved and actually enjoying it, with another 30 percent giving it a try, albeit some begrudgingly. Maybe more have indulged since then?

So who are these yogi Steelers up against?

Chike Okeafor, defense for the Cardinals, is described as an “eccentric” with his less than conventional methods of training and preparing for game day – no not all the players wear a copper medallion to ward off chaotic energy. Okeafor also engages in game-time meditation and yoga during stretches. Awesome! None of the other players seem to join in, but no one judges or complains either.

In addition, Okeafor is trained by Kung Fu Master Eric Oram, who states,

“Literally, the transfer of energy shattered his wrist brace,” Oram said. “He had learned how to deflect energy and use energy, to not fight force on force. He’s using his whole body and the ground collectively to maximize the physics, to bring it all together and, ultimately, to maximize his power.”

Whoa. Working together Okeafor and Oram shaved off 1 second from the time it takes Okeafor to reach the quarterback. This guy is serious.

We don’t have a favorite at the moment, as we tend to be of the commercial-watching social-spectator ilk, but knowing both teams have experienced yoga in one way or another will make it all the more interesting to yogadorks like us. We smell a “take a drink when you see yoga at the superbowl” game in the works!

Chike Okeafor Brings Fourth Dimension to Cardinals [NYTimes]

Earlier… 30 Percent of Pittsburgh Steelers Join Team Yoga

More Yoga in Football!

An article in today’s NY Times poses the eternal question, What’s a man to wear to yoga class?

It’s true, there isn’t much in the way of options for yoga dudes out there, as retailers primarily target the female bod (wallet). But is there even a demanding market? Sure, brands like prAna, Lululemon and Barefoot Yoga bring their share of offerings, but we have to figure if the Lulus haven’t already launched a full assault maybe the demand isn’t really there? When it comes to men, the bottom region seems to present the biggest issue – with shorts too baggy inversions can be quite scandalous! and tight spandex might be for the cocky…ahem – but on top, a t-shirt or tank top can suffice nicely, besides the benefit of it being a cheap and abundant option.

The problem with some of the men’s yogawear out there is it’s either too retro-70’s-hippie or it’s too much money to spend on just a pair of shorts for yoga. The guys in the article mention opting mostly for other gym-type clothing like rugby shorts that don’t ride up or running gear for yoga class, or mix-and-match from American Apparel, JCrew etc. Who can blame them?

We don’t know the demographics of participants in our little “What do YOU wear to yoga class?” poll down on the sidebar there, and granted it hasn’t exactly received an onslaught of votes, but 66% of voters say they wear a mix and match of clothing, not too concerned about trends or spending the money. We’d be willing to bet for guys the percentage is much higher. So is the men’s yoga boutique really missing?

Or, here’s our question: Do guys really care?

ps. there’s a nice little slideshow with the article

Yoga and the Missing Boutique [NY Times]

According to an article in today’s TIME, the Indonesia yoga ban doesn’t seem to be flustering too many yogis in the country as classes continue without much of a hitch.

Indeed, women like Evita Dwiandiya, another student at Jakartadogyoga, say they will continue to attend their weekly yoga classes. “This is not a mass movement or anything,” says Evita, who works in Jakarta’s private sector. “We’ll see if anybody remembers in three months.”

But the ruling is turning the heads of those already critical of the Ulema Council’s overreaching grasps for authority.

“I think the fatwa was issued now because of their ties to clerics in Malaysia,” suggests Hamid Basyaibm of the Liberal Islam Network. Few doubt it will have much effect. “The Council is trying to reassert its authority among Muslims as the guardians of Islamic belief,” says Azyumardi Azra, director of graduate studies at the State Islamic University in Jakarta. “The fatwa is counterproductive because Muslims who do yoga do not feel it alters their fundamental belief in Islam.”

It’s good to see Muslim yogis still practicing what they believe to be beneficial to their health and wellness. Sadly, it all seems a little too politically tweaked for us.

[TIME]

Our pigskin package will excite any diehard fan

Strength/conditioning coach has Pittsburgh ready for Super Bowl

As the world marvels over the miracle births of eight seemingly healthy babies in California, ethicists and fertility experts argue that it’s far from a ‘medical triumph.’

The so-called breast cancer genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 can raise the risk that a man who develops prostate cancer will get an aggressive form of the disease, U.S. researchers reported.

Fastidious mogul Martha Stewart focused yesterday’s show on tips to “Stress Less” which included a segment on yoga, more specifically “partner yoga” …with your pup. Now as much as we’d like a furry friend, our tiny apartment and harebrained schedule don’t facilitate dog ownership at the moment. And so, it’s safe to say we have not tried ‘Doga’, as in Dog Yoga.

However, this clip surely doesn’t make us feel like we’re missing much. It seems rather silly actually, and as gracious as Martha was, we think she thought so as well. But she is so darned adorable doing yoga! oh and that puppy is cute too.

Check Defamer for the video

Have you ever fallen asleep in savasana? Yes? Wussies. Just kidding! We’re not ashamed to admit dosing off, and how funny (and endearing) is it when you hear your neighboring yogi give a little snore? It feels pretty good to get in a some snoozetime. Well, now there’s a class for that.  Equinox on the Upper East Side is now offering yoga+meditation+powernap in a group class called PowerNap-Plus (really). It’s 20 minutes of “free-flowing” yoga and meditation followed by 15-20 minutes of power napping.

“The point of the class, we’re all sleep deprived, we’re overstimulated, we’re over-stressed,” says instructor LaShaun Dale. “Many of us are overexercised in this population and it is really meant to create an environment and an appointment for you to take a first step, an initial step toward wellness.”

Restorative yoga might have the same effect, no? Honestly if we had the luxury of an hour in the middle of the day to just go off and snooze you can believe we’d be drooling on our pillows in no time. But right now we might have to stick to the 5 minute serenity breaks here and there throughout the day. And anyway, isn’t this the city that never sleeps?! We’re on our third cup of tea!

[NY1]

This Beginner Upper Body Workout strengthens the muscles of the chest, back, shoulders and arms

Do you ever have those days when you go back and forth with whether to do your workout? You planned on it and you even have all your stuff…

With health care costs high on the national agenda, advocates of home births are challenging the medical and political establishments to give midwives a larger role.

Hey NYCers, sign up now for Flavor Pill sponsored Free Yoga at MoMa, this Sunday morning Feb 1, as a ceremonious farewell to Pipilotti Rist’s fantastically interactive installation Pour Your Body Out exhibit (aerial view pictured above).

The practice will be led by Virayoga found Elena Brower.

The event is the morning of Superbowl Sunday, 9am, so if you think you might not make it due to spinach dip duty, they ask that you please not RSVP.

Price
FREE w/ RSVP (email: downwarddog AT flavorpill.com)

When
Sunday Feb 1 (9am)

Where
MoMA (11 W 53rd St)

212.708.9400

thanks to Yogoer for the heads up.

photo credit flickr

Earlier…Meditations on Mutations: Museum Yoga

Enigmatic director David Lynch (Erasurehad, Twin Peaks, Lost Highway) has announced plans for a huge benefit concert to raise money for his projects in transcendental meditation. What projects? Well we’re going to bet you weren’t aware of the David Lynch Foundation, an organization he started in 2005 that donates money to schools and children for programs to teach them transcendental mediation technique*, and also funds research institutions for evaluating the effects of the practice.

A message from David states:

The stresses of today’s world are taking an enormous toll on our children right now. There are hundreds of schools, with thousands of students, who are eager to relieve this stress and bring out the full potential of every student by providing this Consciousness-Based education today.

The “global benefit” is slated for April 4 in NYC and will feature Moby, Sheryl Crow, Pearl Jam guitarist Eddie Vedder, Donovan and of course the Macca, Sir Paul McCartney.

David Lynch has been honing his meditation muscle for the past 34 years, and 2 years ago got close to the method’s predominant proponent Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, whom we all know Sir Paul famously visited with the Beatles in the late 60s (and who passed away last February at age 91). Apparently David Lynch convinced Maharishi to lower the cost of the yogic courses so more students could participate and has spent the last 2 years touring the world promoting it.

Next up is a film documenting his mission to deliver the meditation message.

And for Paul, well, we just hope he’s working on more of his yoga videos. (If you haven’t seen Sir Paul’s eye yoga you must)

* in short, transcendental meditation is the technique practiced for twenty minutes twice a day while sitting with one’s eyes closed, involving a “meaningless” mantra given by a certified TM instructor, but involving no concentration of contemplation [wikipedia link if you like]

[MonstersandCritics]

In light of recent yoga ban news in Indonesia, the world’s foremost yog spokesguru Swami Ramdev has been quoted in his support of a non-religion encroaching practice. While some Islamic scholars and government officials say just do yoga without the chanting, Ramdev goes the fill-in-the-blank route:

Yoga guru Swami Ramdev had earlier said that one could do yoga without pronouncing ‘Om’ and in fact could substitute it with ‘Allah’ or God’ or any other word. Ramdev’s Haridwar-based Patanjali Yogapeeth has already asked its Christian and Muslim followers to begin yoga with a prolonged utterance of Allah or God.

See? Yoga is just like Godtube or pop music, just fill in your own worshiped deity.

[Indian Express]

The outcome of the big fatwa meeting this past weekend basically echoed the conclusions drawn from the Malaysian ban last November: Yoga is OK as long as it is strictly for exercise. So, no chanting. Needless to say, yoga teachers in the region are not thrilled, although considering the circumstances we see this as somewhat of a reasonable compromise. In other words, it could’ve been worse.

Pujiastuti Sindhu, a Muslim and the owner of the Yoga Leaf Studio in Bandung, disagrees with the ruling…

“The clerics are afraid that people who practise yoga are worshipping another god but we are not. It’s only because they don’t understand what yoga is and they feel it’s a threat. They should go to yoga class and try it,” she said, adding that the purpose of chanting mantras was not to pray but to focus thoughts and had no relationship with worshipping.

While a ban on yoga sucks at least it’s not strictly forbidden, and it is encouraging to hear a forward thinking attitude.

Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla, who opened the meeting on Saturday, urged the Ulema Council to ensure that its fatwas did not “sow fear” and were in line with a changing world.

Meanwhile, the jury is still out on the smoking ban (mainly due to economics and political crap we won’t get into). Pretty hilarious though, yoga and smoking  – obviously very closely related dangers facing the people today!

Yoga Teachers Dispute Fatwa [Reuters via News24.com]

[Straits Times]