Green Options

 Slow Down Already! Quieting Our Minds, Beating Bad Habits

We live in a time of uncontested availability. Through our cell phones, laptops, and social media networks, we volunteer ourselves to friends, foes and colleagues regardless of time change or desire. It has become increasingly difficult to shut out the world and concentrate in a culture where speed and productivity are valued over mindfulness. More and more children are being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder each year and SAT scores are at the lowest level in the last decade. Children and adults are having a hard time staying focused, alert and entertained, and the need for meditation has never been this palpable.

 Yin Yoga: When the Tortoise Wins the Race

The resurgence of Yin Yoga exemplifies the desire for a meditative practice in our daily lives. Based on a series of passive floor-poses, Yin Yoga allows the practitioner to access connective tissue to stimulate moisture, new growth and energy through the meridians embedded in the fascia. The poses, held up to ten minutes or more, can feel uncomfortable- even painful- at first.

Do you play virtual games? Try this new flash game Gaiam just launched called ConcentratiOm (based on concentration). It features Rodney Yee (we recently featured here) and Colleen Saidman demonstrating yoga poses. . The way it works is simply based on concentration and players must uncover yoga mats and match up each pose with its name before time runs out. You can check it out here.  Simply play and you may win:

• 3-day yoga retreat + airfare
• $750 in Gaiam & Visa® gift cards
• 3-month Gaiam Yoga Club membership + 1GB iPod Shuffle®
• Gaiam yoga DVD collection

“Learning and remembering yoga pose names has never been more fun! See how many yoga poses you can match to their names in 2 minutes and enter for a chance to win fabulous prizes! Whether you’re new to yoga or an advanced yogi, you’ll have fun giving those brain cells a quick yoga workout. New poses every time you play!”

This is a fun educational game for anyone interested in learning more about yoga.

Recently, browsing around the “Ecosphere” I also read