yoga

DCOY Giveaway: The Yoga Mat Tie–A Simple, Yet Brilliant Solution to Sloppy Yoga Mats

February 19, 2013 by #DailyCupofYoga 37 Comments

The simplicity of yoga is one of its most beautiful and appealing aspects. Not a lot of equipment required, right?…

Well, a yoga mat isn’t necessarily even an absolute necessity, but I think most of us would admit yoga isn’t nearly as pleasant without a little sticky mat under our feet and hands. Everything else is pretty much gravy in my book…and boy do I love gravy The picture above…definitely me.

So yeah, despite having a ton of yoga gear, a constant pet-peeve of mine has always been when I finish my yoga practice, roll up my mat, and put it in the closet somehow it always seems to find a way to unroll itself. Luckily, the “Yoga Mat Tie” provides a simple, yet brilliant solution to one of these tough to deal with first-world yoga conundrums–the sloppy yoga mat… I’ve been using Yoga Mat Ties for a couple of months and they’re awesome!

For our giveaway this week we’re excited to partner with the nice folks out of Boulder, Colorado, who handmake each and every Yoga Mat Tie.

To enter:
1. Head on over to Twitter and follow @TheYogaMatTie (you’re probably already following us), AND
2. Leave a comment about your yoga accessory philosophy.

I’m already a self-confessed gravy/gear man, but I’d like to hear your thoughts on bolsters, blocks, blankets, and belts. Regardless of whether you’re a gear junkie or not, once you try the Yoga Mat Tie I think you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

We’ll pick a winner at random this weekend. Good luck and namaste!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Sarah (comment link), the lucky winner of a Yoga Mat Tie. Many thanks to everyone for your awesome comments and playing along!

Tagged With: contest, giveaway, product review, yoga gear, yoga mat tie Filed Under: gear, giveaway, product review, yoga

Finding Time For “Me”…Is It Possible?

February 14, 2013 by #DailyCupofYoga 15 Comments

I cherish time alone. Time to be in the quiet and spaciousness of life. Time to stare out the window and wonder what if questions. Time to hear my breath and place my hand on my heart to feel my internal rhythm. Time to create, read, write down ideas, and drink French press coffee. Time to lie on the floor in my bedroom to connect my spine to the earth while listening to the words of Bob Marley or Tori Amos. Time to root through my closet, create outfits, and put on a personal fashion show. Time to write cards and read cooking magazines. Time to hear the creaky sounds of the house and the squirrels running along the roof. Time to listen to my thoughts and not use my voice or my ears for conversation. Time to reflect on how my outer landscape is aligning with my inner galaxy. Time for me and time to just be.

It’s not often that I am able to carve out this time. With a full house, it is sweet, ever sweeter these days, to hear only my breath and the flipping of the pages of my book. Lately, I have been asking myself….What is created in the spaces in between? If the spaciousness created by being with just me is sparing, how else can I be with myself? How else can I give to myself? Where else can I create this den to hibernate in? I lean into moments of aloneness whether it is driving from where I live to where I work, walking along Main Street to get a coffee, or cooking a meal that warms my heart and belly even while the living room is alive with news headlines and conversation. I’m experimenting with time and space. I am leaning into new ways of being with me.

Since the present undeniably transitions into the past and the future holds shiny allure, it is a practice to be in the spotlight of now. For me, space and silence offer an invitation to melt into the now with ease and grace. However, the hum of life can easily consume this space and silence. To draw myself into the moment and back into my bones, I go to my yoga mat. I surrender myself to a yoga practice offered in a filled room and with a teacher who guides with presence and kindness. I sink into my mat, heavy with relief, need, and commitment. I offer my breath, sweat, and focus to reclaiming myself again and again. And I recommit to myself, all those things that I know to be true within me and all those things that I want in my life….abundance, grounding, security. I recommit to living fully. At the close of my practice, I offer gratitude to this time and space to be with me. I am reminded that I always have the opportunity to turn my gaze inward and make any moment a haven, a time to be with me.

I would love to hear how alone time and spaciousness show up in your life. Where do you find moments of presence and openness? How do you offer yourself care and attention?

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[Editor's note: This is a guest post by Amanda Upton, a life coach, career coach, educator and yoga teacher based out of Brattleboro, Vermont. Her passion is supporting men and women in creating a life they really want and love. Along with putting her heart and soul into her work, she dances wherever and whenever she can, swims in lakes, oceans, swimming holes, and pools, practices yoga on and off the mat, and cooks lots of veggies and Mexican food. Visit her website, rootdowncoaching.com, follower her on Twitter, or like her on Facebook].

Photo credit: Camilia Lee

Tagged With: amanda upton, guest post Filed Under: guest post, meditation, mindfulness, yoga

DCOY Giveaway: Core of the Yoga Sutras by B.K.S. Iyengar

February 10, 2013 by #DailyCupofYoga 149 Comments

After an illustrious lifetime of expounding yogic wisdom to the eager masses, it only seems fitting that B.K.S. Iyengar, the undisputed heavyweight champion of the modern-day yoga bible, turns his gaze toward yoga’s foundational philosophical text, the Yoga Sutras. In Core of the Yoga Sutras, Mr. Iyengar provides unique commentary on Patanjali’s 196 aphorisms that only someone with his experience and authority can bring to the work.

B.K.S. Iyengar′s insight on the sutras show us how we can transform ourselves through the practice of yoga, gradually developing the mind, body and emotions, so we can become spiritually evolved…or something like that All jest aside, this is a wonderful introduction to the spiritual philosophy that is the foundation of yoga practice.

This week we’re excited to be giving away a copy of Core of the Yoga Sutras, courtesy of Harper Collins!

To Enter: Each of us comes to yoga for a variety of reasons–for me, my back always hurt and I was tired of taking pills and yoga seemed like it would help. At the end of the day, a lot of us practice yoga because it helps us with some aspect of our life. So, to enter, just answer the following question: “Yoga helps __________.” No right or wrong answers, and we’ll pick a winner at random sometime this week. Good luck!

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic week!

[Valentine's Day Update: Thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway this week! Obviously "yoga helps" in so many ways--the comments were a joy to read. Congrats to Alex as the lucky winner of a copy of Core of the Yoga Sutras!!]

Tagged With: b.k.s. iyengar, contest, giveaway, yoga sutras Filed Under: books, giveaway, yoga

5 Reasons Why You Don’t Need a Yoga Teacher

February 9, 2013 by #DailyCupofYoga 8 Comments

Samadhi. Nobody can get you there except you.

Okay, there may be one exception: Shakti Phat. This is when an ascended master yogi gathers all her—but typically his—spiritual energy to awaken yours. And does. Simply by touching you on the forehead. Shazam! Suddenly you see you are a drop in the ocean, and the ocean is you. Suddenly you see you are infinitesimally small, and also the size of the universe. Suddenly you know we are all made of star stuff. No doubt. No question.

This place of ultimate love, of experiencing love and being lived as love is not elusive. It’s inside you. And yes, you can learn asana, mudra, Bandha, pranayama, meditations, mantras and prayers to help you clear the way to what already exists beneath your surface. You can sweat and strive and earn your tapas—dedicated, disciplined practice. You can stoke the fire in your power center, clear your chakras, meditate on your third eye, drink your yogi tea, and get up at 4 am for sadhana. You can do all of that. I do all of that, too, at times.

And us yoga teachers can teach you so many tools. Hundreds of tools. There are thousands of ways to kneel and kiss the sky. Ultimately, that’s all we’re doing. Helping you to kneel and kiss the sky. But you can do that on your own. You can get there all on your own.

Gratitude. Awe. Joy. Laughter. Loving. These are all paths to the ultimate goal of yoga: nirvana, Samadhi, love, joy, union with the universe. Where the knower is the known. The seer is the seen. We merge with what we have been looking for. Because it was inside us all along.

5 Reasons Why You Don’t Need a Yoga Teacher

Nobody is more spiritual than you. And nobody is less spiritual than you.
Your Sat Guru—true teacher—is you.
You have the light of the universe inside you, just like everybody else.
We are all made of star stuff.
There are thousands of ways to kneel and kiss the sky.

Much love,
L

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[Editor's note: This is a guest post by Lindsey Lewis, yoga teacher, life coach and founder of www.libreliving.com. For more inspiration check out some of Lindsey's other articles
on Daily Cup of Yoga.]

Photo credit: Camillia Lee