Green Options

Like this post? Subscribe to our RSS feed and stay up to date.

Now (on top of my yoga meditations) I’ve been reading another little guidebook on simple self meditations to instantly remind me of the beauty in our everyday surroundings, and let me share they work like magic.

“Don’t self-medicate—self-meditate” is one motto for this book (both online and off) on self-meditation which encourages us to reap the evergrowing array of benefits related to the practice of meditating.

Creatively drawn from spiritual practices from Zen, to yoga, Sufism, and insight meditation, this book touches meditation basics, mantras and koans, tips, and ideas. A pocket guide style book, it reminds us to practice our inner breath, that recharges us with energy and vitality. Often people believe the only way to enlightenment is in long drawn out meditation retreats, and while those are amazing, it really only takes time out to meditate a few minutes a day for the same health benefits.

From Amazon’s description

…hundreds and hundreds of meditation practices that can be done during the course of our daily lives. You don’t need to go to a mountain retreat, renounce meat, or walk through coals on the soles of your feet—here’s a meditation to have with a cup of tea….

When we go to a yoga class, we work to re-oxygenate our bodies with heart opening breathing exercises, inhale deeply, and breath in clean refreshing pure air. Unfortunately, many yoga mats are made of toxic materials that seep into the air. Worse yet, is hot yoga classes are often not ventilated. The best way to purify a yoga studio is to switch to eco riendly mats, educating each yogi that signs up for a class about the benefits of green mats and only carrying them in house. As I’ve said many times before, yoga is one of the most rejuvenating, restoring, enlivening and uplifting kinds of exercise out there. What many are unaware of is just how toxic many yoga supplies may be.  Articles like this one from the Green Yoga Association help clear the air as to what is good for our healing studios.

There are a good many options out there, and I’ll share my long time favorite the Harmony mat (some say they slip more on this rubber mat but personally I like the ability to grip and stretch the mat as I ease into form) which most yoga places carry. From the Jade Harmony Mat site~

Harmony is Green
Harmony is constructed of natural rubber a renewable resource tapped from rubber trees - containing no PVC or ozone depleting substances - perfect for the yogi concerned about the environment.

To be more complete, here is a long list of some green options out there for yoga mats:

Yoga has been an interest of mine for quite some time now. We are joined now by Ginger Coy, a dear old friend of mine, who has recently completed a yoga teacher training and shares with us some of the ways yoga has changed her life.

1. Since you’ve become a yogi, what are some of the health benefits you’ve enjoyed?
I feel much more solid, integrated and aligned. I have a much healthier body, mind, spirit and heart and a vastly improved outlook on life. When I first started I did not have the endurance, balance, coordination, and strength that I have now. I had very little upper body strength. I couldn’t push up into a backbend (Urdhva Dhanurasana, Full Wheel) or lower down to Chaturanga Dandasana with skill and ease. Now I am stronger than ever!

2. Do you have any poses or breathing exercises that help to restore health and vitality to the body to feel better?
Downward facing dog is a great pose to release the hamstrings and increase flexibility for stiff backs and arms. It is an inversion which has a cooling effect and is great for the nervous system. It will also help increase wrist strength and arm strength.
When practicing yoga, it is important to remember to breathe through your nose. It is calming to exhale twice as long as you inhale.

Recently I wrote about inspirational Yoga Wisom.  Now I’m tuning in again for this video which talks about the philosophy of wholeness, and defines all types of yoga.

Found on the Yoga Channel in StumbleUpon! StumbleUpon is fun and sometimes inspirational source for gems on the web. I find both the buddhism and yoga channels to be a serendipitous source of ancient wisdom.

When you have time, please check SU out and sign up, we’d [...]

Lately I’ve been reading Liz Lark’s 1,001 Pearls of Yoga Wisdom ~ Take your Practice Beyond the Mat. In fact, today as I picked up the book for a burst of inspiration I came across this Ralph Waldo Emerson quote:

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”

And as I was reading this in the morning over tea, blackberries, honey and toast, life became miraculously better with another burst of yogi wisdom in my cup of Yogi Tea with a charming quote on the teabag tag reading:

“The purpose of life is to enjoy every moment.”

Indeed we try!

When I taught grades K-8 in a one-room schoolhouse, we began each morning with the sun salutation, only I called it the “good morning” stretch in order to not freak out some right wing parents.

We would go to the grassy field, form a circle, and flow through this vinyasa each morning. On rainy days, we modified this practice in the classroom. I’ve recently come across several articles about yoga in the classroom and the benefits to children.

I love this book! Well, maybe I am a little biased, since I love yoga, but I think the simple text of this book intermixed with yoga poses is genius. Written by Baron Baptiste and illustrated by Sophie Fatus, My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids introduces some asanas in the context of a story.

The story begins with the typical primary school discussion of parental careers. As each child shares what their parent’s job is, the main character refers to a yoga pose his/her dad does that relates to the occupation.

On the following page, the yoga pose is discussed and demonstrated step by step for children to try. The pages of My Daddy is a Pretzel alternate between the children sharing their parents’ jobs and yoga poses.

I love yoga and could not live without it. My children have experienced my practice in utero and throughout their childhoods. Sometimes they are inspired to join, but more often than not, they crawl under my downward facing dog or sit atop my bridge asana. I have tried to encourage their own practice through games and books, but they often lose interest. Finally, I have found the solution: Nothing inspires a child to practice yoga more than their very own yoga mat, eco-friendly of course!

Lotuspad makes eco yoga mats and yoga accessories for kids. Lotuspad eco yoga mats are made from TPE, meaning they are PVC-free, biodegradable, and non-toxic. These mats are sized perfectly for children and certain to inspire their practice. They do not have an odor and come in many colors sure to delight any child. My daughter is now excited to do yoga with me; all she needed was her very own mat.

If you practice yoga, you know personally the benefits to all aspects of your life. Children can also reap these benefits from regular yoga practice. No matter what form of yoga children practice, they will increase their well-being, reduce stress, and purify their little, physical bodies.

There is evidence that special needs children may especially benefit from yoga. For example, often children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and

[...]

If you practice yoga, you know personally the benefits to all aspects of your life. Children can also reap these benefits from regular yoga practice. No matter what form of yoga children practice, they will increase their well-being, reduce stress, and purify their little, physical bodies.

There is evidence that special needs children may especially benefit from yoga. For example, often children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

[...]

Our family’s first adventure into cooperative games was the Yoga Garden Game. My daughter and I started playing this game when she was three years old, as she had shown an interest in yoga. In the Yoga Garden Game, players work together to plant the flowers before nighttime falls. Players take turns rolling the dice to move a bumble bee around the circular game board. Depending on where you land, [...]