Yoga for Crafters

Yoga for Crafters - Link round up

Photo Source: whalemountain's embroidered yoga art on Etsy

1) Free/Donation yoga classes in Austin area from AustinYogaTeachers.com

2) Kids yoga classes in Cedar Park, TX

3) Reconstructed yoga pants tutorial on Craftster

4) Yoga exercise - wrist bending - great for crafters

5) Yoga for carpal tunnel syndrome

Happy practicing! And happy crafting!

Yoga for Crafters - link round up

Photo Source: frivoloustendencies

1) Yoga for Cancer Patients - "While yoga doesn’t cure the disease, its stretching and breathing exercises did improve sleep, reduce dependence on sedatives and help cancer patients resume the routine activities of everyday life"

2) How to survive the first yoga class - "Check your concerns at the door, relax, remember to breathe and you'll be well on your way to your first downdog"

3) Yoga instructor job forum - find jobs, ask questions, compare salaries

Yoga for Crafters - link round up

Photo Source: Egg Lotus by bellazia on Etsy

1) Yoga for Crafters: The Knit and Crochet Edition - another great article from Becky Striepe

2) Yoga dog fabric - from eQuilter

3) Tutorial: Wedgie-free toddler yoga pants - I love the name

Don't forget to stretch: http://wendyding.com/blog/web-designer-stretches-2

Yoga News - Link Roundup

Photo Source: Recycled Yoga bag by empowerdaughters on Etsy

Check out the yoga mat carrier to the left made from recycled rice bag material. Half of each bag's proceeds go to benefit Daughters NGO. 

And here is the latest Yoga link roundup:

1) Fussy's post on "Don't give IT what IT wants" - yoga and life lessons

2) From Yoga Flavored Life: 10 Reasons why everyone should practice yoga

(and how great are the 108 yoga poses to download to help create sequences)

3) Gwen Bell's "What can yoga teach us about the social web"

Namaste!

Yoga for Crafters - another use for a tennis ball

Photo Source: The Tennis Birds

So I've been doing a lot of embroidery these past few weeks and the area between my shoulder blades is crying for help. 

This may get filed under the category "everyone knows about that" - but in case you didn't. I've been rolling around on the floor with a tennis ball. Usually two. Ah, tennis ball massage. Try it on your trigger points. For a less intense experience, a racquetball works as well.

Yoga sequence - week of 10/12/09

Photo Source: Chakra flags by visionwise on Etsy

Last week in class, I had a few students mention they were experiencing sciatic pain. Sciatica (a compression and inflammation of the spinal nerves) seems to be pretty common. Here is a sequence for relieving minor sciatic pain:

Beginner-friendly Hatha sequence

1. take a cross-legged comfortable seat - ground through sit bones, grow tall in side body, hug your midline, roll shoulders up and back, close eyes, focus on breath, think about decompressing
   
2. belly breathing - (one hand on heart, one on belly) inhale (inflate stomach) exhale (pull navel to spine)
3. seated - circle around hips
4. seated - spine flex
5. inhale/exhale arms up & down
6. seated twist, repeat 
7. crossed legs, palms up facing ceiling
8. extend legs - windshield wiper legs
9. extended legs - point/flex, then ankle rotations
10. recross legs (opposite cross) - side bend R and L
11. inner wrist stretch on leg, then wrist rotation
12. L ear to L shoulder, R ear to R shoulder, C chin to chest
13. tabletop - rotate hips
14. cat/cow
15. child's pose
16. thunderbolt x4
17. down dog/puppy pose x2
18. standing - mountain
19. inhale/exhale - arms up, then meet down through center, x4
20. standing crescent pose
21. tiptoe balance
22. forward bends
23. extended side angle pose
24. wide-legged forward bend
25. seated twist (one leg extended, one leg crossed over, twist), reverse sides
26. head to knee pose
    
27. come to stomach - cobra
28. locust pose - arms like cactus
    
29. come to back -- bridge pose - three variations - feet together, feet hip width, feet mat width
    
30. bridge pose with arms overhead on inhale
31. reclined hand to big toe pose
    
32. supine twist (both knees into chest)
33. back - push and pull knees into chest w/breath
34. final relaxation pose
35. final seated

Namaste.

Yoga and Crafts - link roundup

Photo Source: BranchandBirdie floor cushion on Etsy

Austin crafty friends - take note of the following:
1) Handmade Nation film screening at the Alamo Sept. 6th, 2009
2) All the awesome classes being taught by the Wondercraft (there may even be a Yoga for Crafters class taught some time in the future through the Wondercraft group)

Austin Yoga friends - some links for you
1) I just finished a 40 hour teacher training with Leslie Lytle of OmMama on how to teach prenatal, postnatal and yoga for labor & delivery. If you get a chance to take training with her, do it, it's an amazing experience.
2) Free Day of Yoga all around town Monday, Sept. 7th, 2009

Yoga iPhone Apps

 Photo Source: Yoga Stretch

Have an iPhone? Practice yoga? Wondering which apps are best for you? Check out some of these top choices ...

1) Yoga Moves - $1.99
"with Yoga Moves, you'll have a robust Yoga studio with you at all times..."
2) Yoga STRETCH - $0.99
"Yoga STRETCH is your own personal Yoga instructor walking you through a full Session including audio commentary, images and music."
3) Yoga Trainer Pro - $1.99
"With hundreds of poses, learn Yoga at your own pace with guides suited to all, from beginner to advanced."

And check out over 100 other health & wellness app recommendations.

How to make a yoga mat sticky again?

Photo Source: Yoga Mat Bag by madebyKateAnn on Etsy

I own a few yoga mats and have found that my most favorite one has lost almost all of its stickiness.

So I went online to see if there was anyway to re-sticky my mat. The skidless towel may work for some - but without a lot of water, it did not really work for me.

Metafilter had lots of advice.

So did All Spirit Fitness.

Fit Sugar has recommendations as well.

I think it might be time to wash my mats again.