Five Day Yoga will help beginners and experienced yogis with establishing a daily yoga practice.

Building a daily yoga practice requires a level of planning, intention, and consistency that can be difficult in the midst of an already full life. For this reason, psychotherapist and yoga teacher Ashley Turner offers yoga practitioners manageable 15-minute sequences in this DVD. The eloquent and accessible sessions can be done independently or linked together for a longer session. The overarching aim of the series is to lay the foundation for a dedicated practice, creating the positive habits that lead to transformation.

Five Day Yoga is divided into five themed physical practices, each with a short warm-up and savasana (final relaxation). The Strength and Stamina sequence strengthens the lower body and builds endurance with standing poses. Energy and Flexibility is an invigorating sequence, great for transitioning sluggish energy any time of day. The Core Power session gets you going in the morning, to condition the cardiovascular system and strengthen the abdominal muscles and core. In contrast, the Stretch & Restore is particularly helpful after a long day, targeting the back of the body to unwind tightness and improve posture. The final offering, Stress Relief and Meditation, is perfect for an anytime check-in to reconnect mind and body with a simple but powerful breath-based meditation.

The beautiful coastline garden setting, along with Turner’s soothing voice and graceful sequencing, creates an environment that encourages focus with ease. Five Day Yoga is suitable for both beginners and experienced yoga students creating a committed practice.  

Element Presents: 5 Day Yoga DVD

With Ashley Turner

Dragonfly Productions, Inc.

Reviewed by Beth Prandini, a YogaWorks certified teacher and lover of all things media: bethprandiniyoga.com.

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post Element Presents: 5 Day Yoga DVD Review appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

(Dragonfly Productions, Inc.)  A dedicated daily yoga practice has profound energetic effects on both the physical and subtle or energetic bodies. In the DVD, Element Presents: Daily Yoga, taught by beloved LA-based YogaWorks teacher Mia Togo, two 40-minute practices are expertly sequenced to reflect on the results of opening and closing the day with yoga practice.

The morning postures here awaken the body with a cohesive flow of sun salutations, standing poses, core work, and balancing asanas. Utilizing poses that build strength, increase circulation, and challenge balance, Togo connects to the energy of the breath encouraging practitioners to tap into their personal power for the day ahead. The morning practice ends with some stretching and then a grounding savasana to promote clarity and focus.

The evening offering is designed to relieve the tension and stress that can accumulate throughout the day. To help prepare the student for a restful night’s sleep, the sequence includes shoulder openers to relieve neck and upper back tension, twisting postures to revitalize the spine, and deep stretching to set the tone for deep relaxation.

Set in a beautiful coastline garden, the beauty and grace of Togo’s movements and instruction create a fluid and accessible presentation of the postures and their desired effects. The progression of the poses is laid out with discerning consideration, resulting in a restoration of life force for modern daily living. This DVD is suitable for beginners as well as long-time practitioners seeking a guided routine.

Reviewed by Beth Prandini, a YogaWorks certified teacher and lover of all things media. bethprandiniyoga.com

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post Element Presents: Daily Yoga DVD Review appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Optimal Integral Wellness

Thinking about the future can steal our attention away from the present moment and can lead us down the jagged path of anxiety. In his new DVD, Mindfulness Meditations for Anxiety, Ira Israel presents seven practices that redirect the mind away from the dissonance of black and white thinking. Encouraging practitioners to look for the balanced “gray-areas” through these techniques, Israel empowers victory over the fluctuations of an anxious mind.

With soothing musical accompaniment by Jacqueline Fuentes and Ayman, each of the seven selections begins with a quote which introduces a theme. Followed with commentary from Israel, the practice unfolds upon the theme, utilizing a focusing activity such as breathwork, visualization, mantra, or a brief writing exercise. All of the practices end in a period of silent mindfulness meditation culminating in the soft chiming of a bell, letting viewers know they can either end the period of meditation or return to the main menu for an additional practice.

Inviting viewers to discover for themselves the profound psychological outcomes of the practices, Israel urges viewers to, “entertain the possibility that there could be other models or paradigms more empowering” than medication to treat anxiety. Additional tools, including acceptance, gratitude, non-reactivity, and self-observation, are introduced to equip viewers with the knowledge that, “if we are the cause of our own anxiety, then we might also have the power to overcome it.”

Beth Prandini is a YogaWorks Certified Yoga Teacher and a lover of all media. bethprandiniyoga.com

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post DVD Review: Mindfulness Meditations for Anxiety by: Ira Israel appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Don’t let your down dog get stinky.

The yoga mat — it’s the prized possession of the modern practitioner.

Dedicated yogis know from experience that as a deep commitment to the practice develops, the mat can begin to transform into a sacred space — one where increasing amounts of quality time are spent. Lives can be greatly impacted by the learning that comes from new realms of awareness and perception within the practice.

However, just as our devotion to yoga starts to grow, something else may be growing on the mat beneath our feet: bacteria, fungus, germs, and everyday odor. Fed by a dedicated (and frequently sweaty) asana practice, these creatures thrive in what might be considered the ultimate yogi petri dish: the yoga mat.

With the variety and quality of yoga mats on the market today, buying a new mat can be a major investment. Protecting this investment by maintaining cleanliness without breaking down the mat can save both money and resources. However, many students who are new to yoga choose to borrow or rent their mats, unsure if they want to commit to a regular down dog, let alone invest in their own yoga mat. Understandably, these students may also be unaware of some basic studio courtesies such as using a towel to absorb their sweat or washing their feet if they have just come from a hike or from the beach.

Overlooking these cleanliness practices is not a phenomenon limited to beginners. After sweating on a mat or yoga towel, one is more than likely to just roll it up and toss it into a dark, stuffy car trunk, creating the perfect environment for bacterial growth and odor build-up. This is something we may fail to notice until a teacher clues us in with a subtle hint. “These are the moments,” says Studio Surya Yoga owner Yonnus Becker, “when I might lovingly spray my Schulze’s Air Detox or use some essential oil to send the message.”

Beyond keeping your mat clean as a courtesy to those around you, concerns about bacteria, fungus, and germs on our mat are real, especially for those of us who may rent or borrow mats at studios and gyms. A 2006 New York Times article interviewed leading dermatologists who found a high correlation between ailments such as athlete’s foot, staph infection, and viral warts on the feet and skin of practitioners who borrowed mats rather than used their own. Although most yoga studios and gyms clean their mats after each use, there are a variety of methods for cleaning mats, which yield varying results. This begs the question: how should we best clean our mats to discourage fungal and bacterial growth while also preventing unwanted odor?

In general, experts recommend choosing products that are harsh on viral, fungal and bacterial elements, but gentle on both the mat material and your skin. Many natural products have been formulated with essential oils, such as tea tree oil, and natural surfactants in order to break down infectious agents without breaking down natural rubber or drying out your mat.

Most of these products are sprayed or wiped on your mat, left to sit for a few minutes to sanitize, and then wiped off with a cloth or sponge and left out to dry. For a deep clean, most mats can be placed in a front-loading washing machine with a small amount of mat cleansing product. Before attempting this, however, make sure you check with your mat manufacturer to see if this could cause breakdown in your specific mat material. Some mats can also be dried on low in a standard dryer, but again, be sure to double-check with the manufacturer.

New technologies are also coming to the forefront. Matsana — a new machine currently employed in several local L.A. studios — uses UV light to disinfect yoga mats. In independent laboratory tests, the UV light used in this technology destroyed 99.9% of all viral and bacterial elements, including staph and e-coli. Studios such as YogaWorks on Montana Avenue use this machine to keep their mats clean for students needing to borrow a mat; it is also available for those who wish to disinfect their own mats. As an added bonus, Matsana is an eco-friendly choice as it disinfects without the use of chemicals or water waste.

As we care for the tools of our practice, such as our yoga mat, and practice courteous class etiquette, we ensure a healthy practice for ourselves and for our fellow yogis. Ally Hamilton, teacher at Yogis Anonymous in Santa Monica, calls this knowledge Sweat Etiquette or “Sweatiquette.” She reminds her students, “The practice of saucha, or cleanliness, has as much to do with personal hygiene as with spiritual purity.”

We can utilize many tools in our practice-kit to help maintain mind-body-spirit health. Practicing saucha on our mat can provide us with a clean and clear understanding of ourselves and the way we affect our environment. With this knowledge, we can continue to tend steadily to our practice, blossoming up from the clean, fertile ground of our yoga mat toward the sunlight of our Higher Self.

Beth Prandini has found both youthful joy and radiant health through the practice of yoga. Diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with a Rheumatoid Arthritis crossover at the age of 19, Beth used yoga to help regulate the effects of her diagnosis. More than a decade of remission has passed for Beth and she graduated with both a B.A. in English/Theater and an M.A. in Education from Pepperdine University. Beth is currently a writer and a YogaWorks Certified Yoga Teacher: bethprandiniyoga.com.

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post Clean Mat. Clean Mind. appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The 240-minute DVD is broken up into three types of practice sequences: those for home, office, and travel. Each section is divided into both a step-by-step instruction of the sequence and a guided practice set to music for a fluid experience.

Waltzer’s offers a practical and therapeutic approach. The postures selected encourage lengthening and stretching to relieve muscle tension and pain that may result from poor posture, or everyday work and activity. Her cues gracefully highlight the anatomical effects of each pose and the practical benefits that will last off of the mat and into the routine of daily life.

Included in the DVD is a bonus selection called “Learn Yoga Breathing” in which techniques such as ujaii and diaphragmatic breathing are taught in a simple and easy to understand manner. Walzer clearly explains how to connect breath with movement, and how proper breath benefits the entire body, especially in maintaining health in the lower back.

Walzer’s offering can be summed up in her own words when she tells the viewer that “Slow intentional breathing is probably the most important thing I can share.”

Easy Yoga Stretches guides real-life students in a way that helps them to understand and experience the powerful impact Yoga can have on everyday life.

Reviewed by Beth Dian Prandini, an LA-based Yoga teacher
www.bethprandiniyoga.com

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post Easy Yoga Stretches with Audrey Walzer appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The program consists of five easy movements, each supported as needed with chairs, a wall, or a bolster. Every stretch is safe and accessible for any group, including those who are wheelchair-bound.

The DVD is broken into three menu selections. The first 25-minute section contains an introduction and detailed instruction of each pose. Between each pose is a drop in text titled, “Why should you do this and how will it help you,” which highlights the energetic and anatomical benefits of each pose.

The second menu item – “Good to Know”- contains interviews with Dr. Beth S. Marcus MD and Jeffrey M. Ring PhD explaining how these stretches can benefit the central nervous system, improve balance and alleviate depression.

The final selection is the full routine of the five poses for an effective and time-maximizing practice.

Briggs’s spirit and ease as a teacher radiate. Her voice sings out mottos such as “It’s never too late, you’re never too old” as she guides her students step-by step through taking care of their muscles and joints. This inspirational program is a wonderful reintroduction to caring for our bodies, reminding us that, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Reviewed by Beth Prandini

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post “Stretch in Time” with Elyse Briggs appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

The program consists of five easy movements, each supported as needed with chairs, a wall, or a bolster. Every stretch is safe and accessible for any group, including those who are wheelchair-bound.

The DVD is broken into three menu selections. The first 25-minute section contains an introduction and detailed instruction of each pose. Between each pose is a drop in text titled, “Why should you do this and how will it help you,” which highlights the energetic and anatomical benefits of each pose.

The second menu item – “Good to Know”- contains interviews with Dr. Beth S. Marcus MD and Jeffrey M. Ring PhD explaining how these stretches can benefit the central nervous system, improve balance and alleviate depression.

The final selection is the full routine of the five poses for an effective and time-maximizing practice.

Briggs’s spirit and ease as a teacher radiate. Her voice sings out mottos such as “It’s never too late, you’re never too old” as she guides her students step-by step through taking care of their muscles and joints. This inspirational program is a wonderful reintroduction to caring for our bodies, reminding us that, “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

Reel Ideas Production

Reviewed by Beth Prandini

Beth Dian Prandini

www.bethprandiniyoga.com

The post Stretch In Time Elyse Briggs appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.