New Years Eve Sankalpa

Last year in a yoga class one of my teachers suggested to set an intention for New Years rather than setting a specific resolution. I absolutely forget what my intention was or if I even made one. Regardless, I thought it was an interesting idea. In yoga this setting of a goal or intention is known as sankalpa. We can make a small sankalpa for every practice, or in this case an intention for the whole year.   

With our New Years resolutions, it seems often we are playing to our egos. "I would like to be more fit this year." "I would like to get that promotion." Most resolutions start with "I" than rattle on with a very specific goal. Why limit to yourself to something so specific? Why limit yourself to setting life changing goals once a year? What is so magical about the bridging of one year to the next? Generally, I think resolutions are a great thing, but I still am left with lots of questions.

I haven't thought about a resolution or a sankalpa this year, so I'm not going to make up one for the sake of a post. I do hope to find an intention or motivation make my impact on the Earth a more positive one. That goes for 2013 and for 2014. Now just to figure out what general word would apply to such an abstract idea? Perhaps the word "yoga" itself would be a good intention given it means the union of the mind and the body, or at least it can be interpreted that way in some yogic schools of thoughts. In other words, I want my actions to match my ideals. Perhaps, "genuineness" would be a good word for it then? 

Anyways, happy new years! Before things get too heavy, I'm going to go drink some champagne. Here is to an awesome 2014 for all of humanity!  

Monthly Yoga Sanskrit: Avidyā

The word Avidyā mean "ignorance" or "delusion" in Sanskrit. In terms of Buddhism it means you either do not understand the four noble truth, or like me, you just misunderstand reality in itself. As soon as I saw this word it attracted me, because I just feel connected with it when it comes to the "spiritual" elements of yoga. 

For example, in a yoga class the other day our teacher had us waving our hands and chanting as we lunged, and it really took every element of self-control not to burst out laughing. What is wrong with me? Why can't I take these types of things seriously? 

For the past, well forever, I've denied myself the exploration of the spiritual world (whatever that means). I'm about to commence into Yoga Teacher Training in January, so I think my lack of exploration into the spiritual realm is going to work against me. The cynic in me doubts my capacity to take in these lessons at all without scoffing at the false comfort that religion provides.  

I'm curious though. I think the Dalai Lama is generally a cool guy.  Buddhism even sounds pretty rad. Hopefully an open mind will help me to stray further away from Avidyā- if that is the appropriate path. I can't help but question if there is a secular way to approach yoga, and if you skip over the spirituality do you miss the point? 

Do we go into yoga to stretch or do we go into yoga for something more than that? I'm sure it varies from person to person. Even as the most cynical of participants I have to say that I've taken away more than just more open hips and shoulders. Generally I feel more at ease in the world and myself... well , at least some of the time.  

Anyways, it will be fun to become familiar with a non-Western religion, and I look forward to learning about some Buddhism and other tidbits in Yoga Teacher Training. Hopefully it will at least make me more capable in writing about Sanskrit words for y'all. 

Yoga Cat Memes, Images and Comics for Your Enjoyment

I love cats and yoga. When the two combine it is the ultimate experience for me. Every time I see yoga cat memes, images and comics, I get just a little excited. Here are some fun yoga/cat pictures and memes I've found scattered through out the internet. Enjoy! I hope they bring you some warm smiles at this cold and dreary time of year. The top yoga cat meme is actually one of my kitties, Koko. 

Lyme Disease and Yoga Part I

I wanted to take the time share my experience of suffering through Lyme disease and how it led me to really get into yoga. I remember when I was suffering through the disease that it helped to read other people's experiences, so I hope this helps someone else. So the first part of this post is me telling my personal experience with Lyme. Part II will be how I connected through Yoga largely thanks to Lyme disease. 

So two years ago I found out I had Lyme disease. Everything about Lyme disease was a challenge. Diagnosis for me was a challenge that took around 6 months. My doctor had absolutely no idea what was wrong with me. I came in with a swollen knee, a classic symptom of Lyme, and she assumed that I torn something. She told me to not exercise for a couple months to let the injury heal. So I did that than came back after a couple months when the knee was still swollen. We did this two times before she decided I probably needed surgery!   

Despite the fact that I told her that I didn't experience any tear or pop that would indicate a knee injury, she sent me to get an (expensive) MRI then to a specialist. She also acted like the only possibility was that it was an injury that I somehow did not notice happening. Meanwhile, my Lyme is progressively getting worse as the disease inevitably does. The doctor insisted I go to the specialist she recommended, but I decided to go outside the circle to a different orthopaedic specialist. 

After looking at the MRI, the orthopaedic specialist said I only had a tiny tear in my meniscus that would hardly be worth operating on. Based on my other symptoms he suggested that I get tested for Lyme's disease, and he seemed pretty confident that it was Lyme's disease. When I went back to see my GP she was upset that I didn't go to who she recommend, because "he just would have gone ahead and gotten the surgery taken care of." Well, I'm glad I didn't get a unnecessary surgery, but whatever, what do I know? 
I do not blame my doctor at all, but it seems odd to me in an area where the disease is extremely common she had no knowledge of it. I just want to warn people out there to not expect your GP to know what Lyme's disease is or to know to diagnose it. If you live in an area where Lyme disease is common it is a good idea to familiarize yourselves with the symptoms just in case, let the goddess forbid, you get Lyme's disease yourself. Very little research will show you how often Lyme's is misdiagnosed or not diagnosed at all, so be careful out there!

So back to my story, I went to Lab Corp to get tested for Lyme disease. After waiting a couple of weeks for my results, it turned out I had Lyme disease. I simultaneously experienced fear and relief. I was glad to know what was wrong with me after a half year of limping around, but oh shit, I just got diagnosed with a serious disease.

Once you are diagnosed there are two courses of action. The doctor will either prescribe you just pill antibiotics or an IV bag of antibiotics. My doctor, yes I stayed with the one who was mad I didn't get surgery I didn't need, said we should start with the pills then see if it was necessary to progress to the IV bag. Fortunately for me, two rounds of the antibiotics "cured" me as far as you can get cured from Lyme disease. 

Taking the pills suck. Your joints will hurt. The antibiotic brings out the worst of the symptoms including something called Lyme arthritis. It will be hard to get out of bed. You will need to constantly take pain killers. You can't go in the sun without risking getting burnt. 

On the sad side of things I had to limp my way around for about half a year including a trip to Seattle. My knee is only now starting to get back to 100%, but it still honestly occasionally hurts if I bend it the wrong way. It is supposedly normal to take a long time to heal if you are experiencing any joint swelling due to Lyme. Yeah, it sucks, but I promise one day it will get at least almost all the way better. Maybe. You'll just have to be patient (not that I was) for things to get back to normal. 

If anything I have Lyme to thank for a deeper appreciation of things like er, walking, but I also have a deeper appreciation for Yoga too. I also really, really hate ticks now. Not that anyone really likes ticks, but GEEZ, how lame is it that something tiny as a tick can throw a person's life off balance for years.  

Thank you Lyme disease for pretty much ruining my trip to Seattle.

The Wonderful Things Yoga Does for Us in One Inforgraphic

I'm always telling people that they should try yoga whenever they mention a problem. I try not to go off the deep end that yoga can fix everything, but the truth is that it does address a lot of common issues us modern day folks deal with due to our lifestyles. I know it helps me manage my weight, anxiety, knee problems and general grumpiness. 

Unlike other forms of workout, in my opinion, yoga leaves you feeling elated afterwards. Through sports, working out and outdoorsy stuff I've experienced a lot of post exercising highs, but there is nothing quite like the peace you feel after a good yoga class. I think if everyone just gave one yoga class a chance they would love it! Even if you enter yoga in the most dower mood, I think you'll have a hard time holding onto that negativity through a practice. 

So... lets give three cheers for yoga! 

All of the Cute Yoga Fashions I Can't Afford Right Now

Greed is not very zen. I'm working on eliminating my lust for all of the things! Especially all of the yoga fashion that tempts me everyday. It is not easy when one of my jobs is to actually write about yoga fashion. I already have yoga clothes coming out of my ears, but I thought I would share some of my latest yoga fashion finds for you to enjoy. Perhaps you can indulge your greedy side for me, or you can just feel as lustful for these cute yoga fashion items as I do! 

Left Click on the image to get details about where to get these items! 

yoga by holly-smells featuring prAna

The Neuroscience Behind How Yoga Reduces Stress

Psychology Today recently featured an interesting article called "Yoga: Changing the Brain's Stressful Habits". The writer, Alex Korb Ph.D., discusses his experience with yoga and how neuroscience fits into yoga. It turns out all the benefits of practicing yoga are not just new age hand waviness, but are backed up by science. 

Korb is extremely effective at simplifying the complexity of neuroscience in ways that most readers can understand. Korb explains how the mind and work together in the following passage: 

"The fascinating thing about the mind-body interaction is that it works both ways.  For example, if you're stressed, your muscles will tense (preparing to run away from a lion), and this will lead to more negative thinking.  Relaxing those muscles, particularly the facial muscles, will push the brain in the other direction, away from stress, and toward more relaxed thoughts.  Similarly, under stress, your breathing rate increases.  Slowing down your breathing pushes the brain away from the stress response, and again toward more relaxed thinking."

By practicing yoga we learn to manage stress caused by physical poses. The hope is to have this lesson transcends to the rest of our lives too. When that stressful meeting comes up or little Johnny spills the milk, our reactions can be calm instead of stressed. Honestly, that meeting or cleaning up milk are small things, but unfortunately, we tend to blow things out of proportion. Or as the kids put it "have a cow". Having a cow too often leads to problem like heart attacks, strokes, depression and the list goes on.    

I hate to say yoga or die, but there is no doubt in our desk-ridden, stressed out world yoga is a good thing. In yoga your body may be learning new ways to stretch, but it is more significant that your brain learns new ways to move. 

Your Monthly Yoga Sanskrit

By Wonderlane [CC-BY-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Above is a picture of the ruins of a university that was based out of ancient India. It attracted students from as far as Tibet, China, Greece, and Persia, and it was absolutely free for students to study here. By legend it was the location Buddha designated to teach his first students.

It is the Nalanda University. Nalanda in Sanskrit means “giver of knowledge”. “Nalam” translates to lotus. The lotus represents wisdom and knowledge. “Da” means to give. Nalanda is a perfect name for a university, but also a perfect word to think of for yoga sanskrit.  

As students of yoga, we naturally receive the gift of Nalanda from our teachers. One can not look inward to find the poses, but first make take the guidance of outward forces. Those forces help us listen to ourselves to find a yoga path.  
Although Nalanda is not the name of an actual yoga pose, I thought it would be an interesting place to start in my "Yoga Sanskrit" series. The passing of knowledge is one subject that I personally find to be sacred. Even with more and more of the world gaining access to seemingly endless knowledge from the internet, there are still some things we cannot learn digitally. Yoga serves as a perfect example. 

We can learn the yoga sanskrit names for all of the poses if we really want to without Nalanda, but to achieve good form in yoga we must seek to find the Nalanda outside of the internet world by going to yoga classes. I am thankful to have the means to access Nalanda, and one day I hope to pass on the knowledge I've learned from others.

Eat Pizza and Change the World at Tino's in Columbia, MD

Tino's Italian Bistro is hosting a dine-out Fundraiser for Neighbor Ride on Monday Aug 19th between 11 am-10 pm. Neighbor Ride is a program in Howard County that supplements transportation for seniors through a volunteer program. You can read more about Neighbor Ride on their website here. 

When I tried Tino's pizza it was okay for American style pizza, but don't expect your socks to be blown off with their standard pizza. Their salads actually out shown their pizza in my book with fresh toppings and a delicious house made salad dressing. So if you are trying to eat healthier, feel free to grab a salad instead or in addition to your pie. 

Tino's has a rather large wine list for a pizza place, but I haven't personally explored that facet of the restaurant. With all the lovely weather you can sit out back in their dining area. Maybe you can even stop by the Yoga Center of Columbia to take a class before or after, because the studio is literally just a couple minutes drive from this restaurant.  

Ten percent of all of the proceeds will be donated to Neighborhood ride for carryout-out, delivery, dine in, catering and wine sales (yes, you can drink for charity too)! 

Here is information about Tino's: 

8755 Centre Park Drive 

Columbia, MD 21045 

410-730-8466

www.tinositalianbistro.com

Yoga for Folks with Desk Jobs

This week the Huffington Post featured an article showcasing basic yoga postures that help reverse harm done by sitting at a desk for hours on end. Check out the yoga moves in the article here to see how you can alleviate the sore shoulders, hip, back and neck that comes from countless hours at the desk.

What the article didn't go into is stretches to avoid carpal tunnel. While an ergonomically sound desk set up does help alleviate the risk, this still is a common injury among office workers. As a freelance writer I spend many hours a day just typing away on the keyboard, so I try to always be mindful of any pain, tightness or discomfort that comes up. One way I deal with this is taking frequent breaks, but I also make sure to frequently stretch out my wrists.

Here is a video courtesy ehow.com showing one of my favorite stretches for the wrists. To get a deeper stretch point the fingertips down towards the ground instead of up towards the ceiling. There are also many other free videos available in this section of the website that show basic yoga moves to help ensure the health of your wrists.

I usually combine some of these moves into my daily home yoga practice. It really feels great after a long day of work to stretch everything out. I also randomly take breaks during the day to do some of these stretches which mixes up the monotony of work, chores and play. 

Bringing Your Yoga Mat on an Airplane

I am in love with my yoga mat. It isn't one of the flimsy, inexpensive ones. It is eco-friendly, cozy and purple and an integral part of my everyday life. It also has sentimental value since my fiance gave the mat to me for my birthday partly due to fact he was tired of me monopolizing his yoga mat all the time. I would recommend the Manduka mat to anyone who is looking for a comfortable and high quality mat. Here is the website for anyone who is curious.    

So when it came time to decide whether to bring it or not on a nearly half month trip, I hesitated as to whether to bring it or not. Would it get lost if I checked it in a bag? Would it get damaged if I put it in the bin with the other carry-on items. Not bringing it would mean not doing yoga for a long time though. Would I even want to hit the mat while on vacation? I decided to take it on my epic trip from Utah to San Francisco to Las Vegas then back home to Baltimore. 

Let me tell you after all five flights I was really glad that I brought my yoga mat in order to stretch out. I ended up using it only 5 times on the trip, but I found all of those practices really rewarding. From now on I will probably take my yoga mat with me on trips of any length over 5 days. Here are some tips that I have for travelers looking to bring along the yoga mat. 

1. Carry it on. There is the always the chance that your baggage will get lost in route to your destination. I felt a lot better carrying it on to the airplane with me just in case. Also, if an airline did lose my checked baggage I would probably need to practice yoga right away to stop myself from yelling at some unfortunate airport employee. Peace and love my ass, you lost my favorite top AND shoes! 

2. Strap vs. yoga mat bag. I would recommend using the yoga mat bag to avoid any substance of questionable character getting on your mat in the overhead bin. That being said, I like to live on the wild side, so I used the strap carrier to bring it with me. I haven't contracted any viruses yet, so I think I'm in the clear. 

3. Watch out for jerks with big bags. You know that person who brings the way too big carry-on. You do not want their over-sized bags squishing your mat. Although it would give you a chance to tell them what a jerk you think they are for carrying that big bag.  

4. Place your mat vertically in the bin. When you do put your mat in the bin, place it with one end towards the window and one towards the aisle. If you place it in the bin horizontally you are taking up a lot more space in the bin, and you are also more likely to get some misc. bag squishing your mat. 

5. Watch where you point that thing! I know I hit some people in the elbows (possibly one man in the face) accidentally by not really paying attention how my mat was situated when getting on and off the plane. When you are transporting the mat, make sure to have it situated so you aren't whacking everyone you pass like I did.     

6. Bring your back-up yoga mat. If you have a back-up mat consider taking it instead of your beloved first string yoga mat. Perhaps then you can consider just check it and hoping for the best. Make sure that you make direct eye contact with the airline employee you hand it to and say "don't screw this up". Actually, don't do that. Good luck fitting in a suitcase! Sorry, for that part you are on your own! 

Free Yoga Week at the Yoga Center of Columbia

The Yoga Center of Columbia offers free introductory courses at their facility on the first week of each session. This free week runs July 8-14. Here is a link to all of the free classes they will be offering.

If it is your first time going to the Yoga Center of Columbia, give yourself extra time to find it. You enter the building on the side facing away from the road. The studio is down the entrance hallway then to the right. If in doubt follow the people carrying yoga mats! It is a good idea to check out the studio street-view on Google to give you a good idea of what the parking lot and facility looks like.

Once you find it, it is a great facility. Parking is never a problem. The teachers are always friendly, helpful and polite. There are nice dressing rooms to store your shoes, jackets, etc. They use props to accommodate all skill levels. They teach in a style that is very specific to let you know exactly what every part of your body should be doing making each class a physical and mental challenge.

If you do plan on signing up for classes, I recommend trying out as many teachers as possible during free week. The teachers all press their students at different levels. With one teacher you may not break a sweat, but with other teachers you may leave feeling like you just faced one of the most challenging yoga classes of your life. For those who want a physical challenge, I recommend Rimmi, Tom or Moses. Students who want to take it a little more easy you should try out Lucy, Colleen or Debbie M.

Don't by shy, what do you have to lose? It is free for this week!

Laughter, The Dalai Lama and Yoga Memes

Memes are an enriching addition to our social media culture that give us a much needed touch of humor to everyday life. I get especially happy when I see yoga memes that offer insight and laughter to my practice, and I feel humor offers something valuable to any activity we silly humans take part of. 

The Dalai Lama wrote an article for the Daily Beast regarding how he manages to approach life with a sense of humor despite the challenges his country faces. I thought the passage is a good reminder to all of us, whether we are facing challenge on or off the mat, to not approach the world with too much pessimism, judgement and sadness.

"I have been confronted with many difficulties throughout the course of my life, and my country is going through a critical period. But I laugh often, and my laughter is contagious. When people ask me how I find the strength to laugh now, I reply that I am a professional laugher. Laughing is a characteristic of the Tibetans, who are different in this from the Japanese or the Indians. They are very cheerful, like the Italians, rather than a little reserved, like the Germans or the English.

My cheerfulness also comes from my family. I come from a small village, not a big city, and our way of life is more jovial. We are always amusing ourselves, teasing each other, joking. It’s our habit.

To that is added, as I often say, the responsibility of being realistic. Of course problems are there. But thinking only of the negative aspect doesn’t help to find solutions and it destroys peace of mind. Everything, though, is relative. You can see the positive side of even the worst tragedies if you adopt a holistic perspective. If you take the negative as absolute and definitive, however, you increase your worries and anxiety, whereas by broadening the way you look at a problem you understand what is bad about it, but you accept it. This attitude comes to me, from my practice and from Buddhist philosophy, which help me enormously."

The Dalai Lama mentions here that laughter is actually a tool for dealing with our challenges, not a chore to do despite of our challenges. Yoga is also a tool we can use to find peace despite the extremely difficult world we live in. Yoga is not just an exercise for our body, but to help train our minds put aside our troubles to pause and really enjoy the simple things- like laughter. 

Anyways, here are some of the yoga memes I came across that I especially liked. Feel free to comment with any yoga memes you come across that you would like me to add. Enjoy! 

Why Children of Uttarakhand, India Need Your Help

Last post I mentioned that Gogo Guru and Mango Tiger are collaborating together for a yogathon to raise money and gather supplies to send to the children of Uttarakhand province of India. This province is in a rural area of farming villages in India nestled along the Himalayan mountains. 

Despite India's recent economic success, education is slowly improving in rural areas. The fact is that even though areas like Uttarakhand are growing economically, only 10% of profits are kept in the state. The rest goes to outside provinces leaving very little money for the state to build much needed infrastructure. This 10% is garnered almost entirely from the workers' wages, who by the way, do not make that much. 

When you look at the schools in places like Uttarakhand, you begin to realize how much infrastructure is needed to support a viable school system. The schools in this area go without playgrounds, bathrooms for girls (sometimes none at all besides the great outdoors), cafeterias and certainly nothing as frivolous as an auditorium or gymnasium. Frequently there isn't even an enclosed building for the school. Instead students learn in open air classrooms that maybe have walls. If there is a building, there are usually not separate classrooms for different age groups.   

The basics of foods, supplies, restrooms or even warm clothes are often not available to children, making education a difficult task. It is hard to focus when you are hungry, need to pee, feel cold and stuck in over-crowded classroom. For girls, the lack of restrooms at schools is often reason enough from them to drop out due to lack of privacy. Even those who bare the embarrassment often drop out once their period begins. Beyond the basics not being met for female students, they face the challenge of cultural biases against females that are still pervasive in the Indian culture that makes female infanticide, childhood marriage and childhood prostitution still common, if not legal. 

For both genders, poverty becomes a double edged sword where they could escape poverty with education, but what are they to do in the mean time? Sometimes parents wonder if it wouldn't be better for their child to work than spend their time in school?  Many children never do attend primary school with only an average of around 70% of children actually going to primary school. As the grades go higher, fewer and fewer children attend. 

Parents often do not have enough money to spend on new clothes or school supplies. Families spend no money on new clothes for children, but rely on worn down hand me downs that don't keep children warm. Such small things are something that our first world nation can easily supply to change lives. 

Even the smallest donations can make the hugest difference to children in these rural communities. A warm sweater can keep a child warm for years. Ten dollars can buy lots of school supplies. Please consider dropping by the yogathon to make a donation of clothes or money this Saturday. If you cannot make it and still would like to help, visit Mango Tiger's website here to make a donation. 


References: 

WHERE IS UTTARAKHAND MONEY IN DELHI OR 

MUMBAI

Punjab, Uttarkhand poorest on teacher-pupil norms

Menstruation – A Barrier to Education

Charitable Yogathon at Gogo Guru this Saturday in Ellicott City

Want to do yoga for a good cause? Gogo Guru of Ellicott City is hosting a 5 class yogathon on June 15th to raise money and gather supplies to send to children in Uttarakhand, Northern India. They are working with the non-profit Mango Tiger that brings backpacks, jackets, school supplies and warm clothing to children in small villages who are in need. Bring cash, your checkbook or supplies to make a donation for the classes. How much you donate and how much time you spend in the yogathon is entirely up to you.

To find out more about the children of Uttarakhand, read my follow-up post about the unique challenges the children of this province phase. Here is the flyer for more information:

Donate to Future Yogic Art Exhibition at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is looking for donations to fund the Yoga: The Art of Transformation exhibit at the Arthur M. Sackley Gallery which is set to open this fall. Yoga: The Art of Transformation will be the world's first exhibit dedicated strictly to yogic art. No matter how much money they raise, the exhibit will open. Whether you have spare change to donate or not, it will definitely be worth checking out. The thing is with the money they raise, they can add lots of cool things, like yoga classes. 

The Smithsonian is largely funded by our tax dollars to pay staff, maintenance, utilities, etc., but the museum's fundraising efforts finance all exhibits.  Usually The Smithsonian reaches out to the rich and corporations for money, but due to the popularity of yoga this time they decided to try their first crowd sourcing campaign. Crowd sourcing is basically when organizations try to gather donations from lots of smaller donors rather than a couple of big ones. 

What is also rad about this whole thing is if you make a donation your name will be displayed on a digital plague in the museum lobby. I don't know about you, but I never expected my name to be displayed in The Smithsonian. Now you can add your name to the countless corporation names and private donor names all over the place that help keep the museum exhibits fresh and admissions free to the public. You will forever have bragging rights for being a patron of the arts! That isn't very zen, is it? Oh well. 

I feel very fortunate to have free access to museums largely thanks to The Smithsonian. Us folks surrounding the Washington D.C. area are lucky to have free access to such elaborate displays of knowledge. The first time I realized museums in other places charge for admission I was shocked! Donating to The Smithsonian or having a membership gives you a chance to give back to the invaluable access to knowledge that sometimes many of us take for granted as people a "normal" things. 

Image from Smithsonian Website. Just a little taste of awesome things to come in the Yoga: The Art of Transformation Exhibit! 

5 Reasons to Make Your Own Homemade Chicken Stock

Home-made Thai-style lemongrass chicken soup

I never made chicken stock before this year, 2013. Now that I know how to do it, I don't think I can go back to store bought chicken stocks. 

The following is a list of reasons why I love chicken stock. I will do a follow-up post on the extremely simple recipe to making your own chicken stock.

5 Reasons I love Homemade Stock

1) The difference in taste is remarkable. Real chicken stock makes store bought stock taste basically like salty water. I swear I could just eat home made chicken stock without adding veggies, meat or anything. Try it! 

2) Tin cans are evil? The dangers of BPA in canned good are still being studied, until their is conclusive evidence I've tried to reduce my use of canned goods. In addition, the energy required to create, recycle then recreate tin is not so enviro-friendly. 

3) The Sodium Police! We do know that sodium is terrible for your cardiovascular health when eaten in large quantities. If you haven't looked at the sodium count on a canned good before, you are in for a shocker. Most canned soups contained around 50% of your daily recommended intake. 

While sodium reduced chicken stock is a wonderful answer to this problem, I feel like less salt makes the store bought stuff even less flavorful.  

When you make your own stock you can control how much salt you want to put in. I usually only put in about teaspoon, sometimes less. It still tastes absolutely wonderful! 

4) You know what goes in it. I'm extremely skeptical of the quality of meat brands used for store bought chicken stock. At least around here, we go for all natural and/or organic chicken. We use the bones, the internal organs, extra skin and meat to make the stock. I feel better just knowing what type of meat my stock is made from. 

5) Less wasteful. I don't know about you, but I have little appetite for the insides of a chicken. I have usually thrown our chicken leftovers to the neighborhood foxes and raccoons. While I'm sure the chickens and raccoons miss their snacks, I think it is better to use up all the bits of the chicken possible. Especially since chickens take a good deal of energy to breed, slaughter, pack up then ship to the store. 

When we throw out leftovers to the critters now, it is leftovers from making the broth. We've taken all of the energy we could out of that chicken. The critters still seem to gobble up all our leavings. 

Women's Right in Afghanistan: Taking My Rights for Granted

I often find myself taking my rights for granted. Getting caught up in the grind of everyday adulthood can make me feel any range of emotions from bitter to envious to regret.

In the quest to be more mindful, it is essential to appreciate the rights we have. As a woman in the United States, we definitely have it easier than some of our international counterparts.   

For the next couple weeks, I will be dedicating my practice to Support Women's Rights Bill in Afghanistan. A basic bill that protects women from forced marriage, violence, rape and murder. I am writing this post in hope of raising awareness of the bill. 

Even if my positive thoughts do not make change, as I fear that they don't, it will help me on a journey to be more content with much more than the basics. Freeing up negative energy, gives me more room to contribute more to the betterment of the world in just a tiny way. That is the most all of us can ask for in the end.    

Below is more about the bill from Fwazia Koofi's, a fearless women's right leader in Afghanistan, Facebook. 

"A lawmaker comes to Parliament as a representative of the people that voted for him or her. That means that he or she is not supposed to just do what they like but listen to the people that voted for him or her. In the case of the Woman's Rights bill, everyone has the right and should act to make sure your MP knows that you want this bill passed

The bill is a new law passed by presidential decree in 2009, that bans violence against women, child marriages and forced marriages but it has been stuck since then and faced a strong opposition within the lower house by some religious lawmakers. It was presented once again on May 17, however after protests from some MPs the parliament halted the debate.


The bill if passed prohibits violence against women, rape, beating, underage marriages, murder of women, forced into prostitution , depriving the right of inheritance, alimony evasion, sexual abuse, verbal abuse and other gender discrimination outside the house and inside. Anyone who commit such as act will be facing charges.


Please take a friendly action and share this post to become a part of our campaign for women rights in Afghanistan.


Thank you,
Fawzia Koofi
Head of parliament's women's commission" 

Living Social Deal on Air Yoga in a Waterfront Studio in Baltimore

Living Social is always offering these awesome deals on yoga classes, but unfortunately most of them are far off in Washington D.C. or Baltimore. If you are low on cash, have a fuel efficient car, work in the city, enjoy going to Baltimore, and/or have some spare time, using a Living Social Deal for yoga classes in the city can be a inexpensive way to attend yoga classes. Every now and then a Yoga deal for a studio in Howard County will pop up in Living Social, and I will make sure to post any of the local deals that come up occasionally.

Picture of the Baltimore Location of the Air Yoga Classes
Courtesy Club Solution Magazine

Today this particular deal on five Air Yoga class for $25 at a waterfront studio in Baltimore caught my eye. You can buy the coupon until 5/19, and you need to claim all five classes before 9/21. See the coupon for further details. Even if you only make it to two or three classes, it is still a pretty good deal for yoga classes.  

I personally haven't tried air yoga, but I may just have to try it out with this coupon. The view looks spectacular from the Baltimore studio. Have any of you readers tried it? If anything, the classes would be a good excuse to get out to Baltimore and pick up some groceries at their wonderful Whole Foods or grab a cocktail at Pazo. 

The Problem with Yoga Videos

I prefer to do Yoga at Home,
Sometimes with Videos 

Let me start off with saying that I love at home yoga videos. With videos, I was able to start doing yoga when I couldn't afford yoga classes. Even though I take yoga classes, have developed my own at home practice and prefer my own pacing- I will still pop on a yoga video every  now and again to see what is out there. One of my favorite sites for free yoga videos is Do Yoga with Me. 

If you can't afford yoga classes, don't have the time or are located out in the middle of no where- videos are a great option. I would encourage you as soon as the opportunity arises to seek out a class, workshop or retreat. 

I could not see the problem with videos until I took my first yoga class. Being stubborn, I resisted going in to a class a long time, because I prefer working out in the privacy of my home. When I finally gave in to taking a class, I learned more in one class than I probably had in a couple of years regularly practicing along with videos. I could kick myself for all the time wasted learning to do yoga essentially the wrong way.  The following is to explain the major shortcomings of videos. Please feel free to leave a comment to let me know your experience with yoga videos. 

I want my Half Moon and I want it NOW! 

The most disturbing and dangerous thing about yoga videos is they seem to cater to an audience that wants instant gratification. The person planning the classes is probably torn between wanting to deliver an exciting and challenging work out, and actually teaching the proper alignment of the body required to do yoga correctly. Failing to make an exciting video will not make for viewers who will stick around. 

Due to the audience, the video makers are trying to please instead of teach. For this reason I think yoga videos often skip on the meticulous instructions that good teachers will offer. Yoga teachers in class have the luck to have a captive audience who will eventually see the value of all the very specific instructions, and not to mention holding a pose correctly is ten times harder than holding it incorrectly. It may be "boring" to hear exactly every small adjustment that needs to be done just for mountain pose in yoga on video, but to truly become more advanced in yoga, proper alignment is key.

You Don't Get Your Work Out

Without learning proper alignment, you do not get the same level of work out. Our bodies have this funny thing of always wanting to make things easier on us. Without proper instruction, you may not even notice that your body is doing these things to make it easier for you. Ultimately making it easier on your muscles not only makes your work out challenging, it also is extremely hard on your joints. 

Videos Limit Growth

Videos are never set up in series to help a viewer grow to the point of advancing to the next level, the way a good yoga studio does. In weeks of yoga classes, each class will build upon the other with hopes of students  achieving deeper and more challenging poses. Usually this means gradually working on strengthening and lengthening the muscles while working on the basics of pose, until the fine day comes when you are doing the much coveted half-moon or whatever pose you are working on. 

Instead with videos, you are usually left with unconnected classes that you can repeat, but there won't be an overall syllabus to your yoga study. It doesn't necessarily teach you how to strengthen the muscles and/or correctly align your body to achieve what your body is capable of. Instead you develop bad habits that are rough on your joints, and for some reason you can never ever get closer to those more challenging poses.   

Yoga is Not One Size Fits All 

In the yoga video world, viewers are launched into whatever the video teacher finds appropriate for a mystery audience. Most videos are broken up into beginner, intermediate and advanced. Whatever those stages mean, it is clear the stages are not uniformly defined through out the yoga video world. While I can have no problem doing advanced with one video, in another video I am struggling to keep up with a beginner level. For me, this is just a point of frustration, but for someone less-fit, elderly or careless, it can mean injury. Some yoga sites do more specifically go into who the yoga video is made for, but this isn't the same as a teacher deciding what is appropriate for their class. A video also lacks teacher's eyes to be able to help guide you physically and verbally to help make sure you aren't hurting yourself.  

A Guide to Practicing Yoga Outside

Some people practice outdoors without their mat, we like to take our gear. 

My favorite place to practice is out in the great outdoors. When you settle on the yoga mat for your practice, you'll slowly feel nature come to life. The sun on your shoulders will warm you as the birds and squirrels start scuttling around in the background. One of the most interesting things about practicing outside is how animals will come very close by to those practicing yoga, as if they have some insight into the peaceful nature of the practice. By the end of your practice you may feel like Snow White or some other Disney Princess surrounded by all of the critters. 

The following is a guide on how to do yoga outside for people who already have a home practice. If you do not have a home practice, I recommend doing some research, chatting with your teacher and planning to establish what your flows will be doing outdoors. It is such a rewarding experience to practice outside, I hope you will enjoy your outdoor practice.

Step 1: Get Prepared 

Gather all of your props- the mat, blocks, a water bottle, blankets, straps and anything you will need for your practice ready to take outside. There is nothing worse than needing to stop the physical and mental flow of a work out, because you need to go back inside to grab something.   

For practicing yoga outside, you will need one very special piece of equipment, a beach towel or blanket, to go under the mat. You will want to use one of those items as a ground cover between your mat and the surface you practice on outside. This prevents you from tracking in any dirt, pesticides, squished bugs and other icky things into your home. 

You should also prepare your skin for the elements. Bug spray, sunscreen, etc. to make sure you can enjoy the outdoors without the unpleasant and unhealthy side effects of bug bites and sun exposure.

Step 2: Scope out Your Spot   


Find a place to preform your yoga practice outside. Ideally somewhere with a flat surface. Porches are a really good option, but you can go out in the grass if you are so inclined. It is a little more lumpy, but it can be fun to get that close to the Earth for your practice.

At my house I do it in the backyard to avoid the noise of traffic and advertising the fact I'm doing yoga. In the dangerous world we live in, it is good also not to unnecessarily draw attentions to ourselves by bending every which way in our front yards. It also ensures no "friendly" passer-bys will feel the need to make chit chat when you are in the middle of your practice. 


When you set out your blanket or towel make sure that it is flat as possible on the ground. Any major wrinkles you will actually be able to feel through your mat. After your ground cover is down, roll out your mat on top.   


Step 3: Yoga Outside Leaves no Trace

Important Warning (especially for Marylanders): When you come in, make sure to check for ticks! Tick-borne Lyme disease is a huge problem in Maryland with over 100,000 cases reported annually according to the CDC. It is also a very under-reported and under-diagnosed disease, so that number is actually probably low. You should even take a shower to make sure to wash off any ticks that may have leached on, and this will also allow you to wash off any bug spray, sun screen and sweat you worked up during your practice.  

The rest is just a matter of hauling everything inside. To reduce laundry I actually put my beach towel in a safe place, so I can take it out the next time I'm ready to practice outside. If you love it as much as I do, that won't be too long after your first outdoor practice.