I am a clown, and I teach others to...
12 minutes ago in St. John\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s, CA
Posted on January 17th, 2012

LINDSEY LEWIS A certified Hatha, Kundalini and Yin yoga teacher, Lindsey is also a behind-the-scenes team member at www.myyogaonline.com. Find her yoga at home videos here, and her website here. Lindsey's personal mantra? Live free
Tags: online yoga videos, online yoga, yoga videos, yoga at home, free yoga videos, yoga videos online, online yoga class, yoga class online, yoga teachers online, at home yoga
Posted on January 17th, 2012

Here at My Yoga Online, we like keeping things pure and simple. Water. Fresh fruit. Raw almonds. Whole-grain oats.
So it’s no surprise that we also like the Halfmoon natural rubber yoga mat—a great choice for both performance and sustainability. This mat stands up to the test of time. Made from naturally harvested rubber, it’s non-toxic, biodegradable and recyclable. Plus, it’s dual-layered to address all of your performance needs for grip, durability, comfort and support.
We were thrilled when we heard this Canadian company was debuting a mat cleaner, too. A synergistic blend of natural cleansing and disinfecting ingredients, the Halfmoon mat cleaner removes dirt and kills germs the natural way. It’s antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic, and 100% natural. Plus, it comes in three nose-soothing scents: lavender bergamot, lemon fennel, and unscented.
Halfmoon Yoga Products is giving one lucky My Yoga Online member one yoga mat and one bottle of mat cleaner.
How to Enter: Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: Why are all-natural materials important to you?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within North America (USA and Canada). Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, January 17, 2012 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love. Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here [tktk custom page rules] to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: Tuesday Giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, yoga mats, halfmoon yoga, halfmoon yoga products, halfmoon yoga props, yoga mat giveaway, yoga cleaner giveaway, yoga cleaners
Posted on January 10th, 2012

Question: How important are natural ingredients?
By the time she heads out the front door, the modern woman has spritzed, sudsed, and slathered herself in more than 127 different chemicals, many of them more toxic than beautifying.
So how can you look and feel great while safeguarding your health? Get smart and go green from head to toe with the help of eco-expert Gillian Deacon. In The Green Body Guide, you'll learn how to read the ingredients to identify and understand the preservatives that are bad for your body and damaging to the earth, including formaldehyde in deodorant, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and shaving cream; coal tar in hair dyes; lead in lipstick; and many more. This handbook offers a huge range of personal-care choices that are sustainable, both for your health and for the earth
One lucky My Yoga Online member will receive a copy of There’s Lead in Your Lipstick.
How to Enter: Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: How important are natural ingredients?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within North America. Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, January 10, 2012 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love. Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: Healthy Living, Tuesday Giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, natural beauty products, healthy living book
Posted on January 3rd, 2012

Question: What's Your Resolution?
We’ve heard everything from the office and the street for a morning run to the meditation cushion or beneath the bed-covers.
That’s why we’re such big fans of Canadian-designed and –manufactured Tonic Lifestyle Apparel. They get that we want clothes that we can wear for yoga, and beyond. Tonic began in March 2004 as a lifestyle line of clothing for today's modern women. Particularly inspired by the healthy and active west coast lifestyle, the line works for women who want pieces that are both highly functional and stylish.
Going beyond their initial idea to meet the needs of yoga practitioners, Tonic’s line of active wear works for any physical discipline. For proof, simply look to the company’s ‘Active Spirits’—the many fitness and yoga pros across North America who love the line including: Anne Green, track and field Olympian, Misha West, professional figure skater, and My Yoga Online teacher and YYoga studio director Christine Price Clark.
To see Tonic in action, check out My Yoga Online teacher Melina Meza’s Seasonal Vinyasa Flow
Tonic Lifestyle Apparel is giving one lucky My Yoga Online member a top and bottom from their Holiday collection.
How to Enter:
Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: What's Your Resolution?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within North America (USA and Canada). Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, January 03, 2012 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love.
Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, tonic lifestyle apparel, yoga clothing, yoga giveaway, yoga wear giveaway, tonic yoga wear
Posted on December 29th, 2011

Not everyone makes a resolution each January, but chances are you have at least once in your life made a New Year's Resolution. Think back over past resolutions and shine a light on them. What were they all about? If you are like most people, your resolutions were to change something about yourself: either there was something that you were doing that you wanted to no longer do, or there was something that you were not doing that you vowed to start doing.
"I resolve to give up smoking, eat less, exercise more, spend more time with family, read more, finish that project, … (fill in the blank)."
These are "yang" resolution relating to activities: resolving to do something or refraining from doing something, or in other words to change yourself or your life in some way. These can be wonderful intentions and there are times, not necessarily only on January 1st, when we do need to tap into our yang energies and change the course of our lives, but to be balanced, we also need to look at the yin aspects of such intentions.
When we examine our resolutions we find that they are based on the unspoken assumption that the way we are right now is not good enough. There is a "should" lurking in our self-evaluation: we should be better, or different than we are right now. Where is that assumption coming from? Why are you not content with the way you are right now, with the way your life is right now? Whose voice is whispering in your ear that you should be different?
Balance requires consciously honouring both the yin and yang energies of life. Yang is about change, movement, passion, climbing great heights, and accomplishing great deeds. Yin is about acceptance, allowing, stillness, enjoying the present moment and doing small everyday tasks as if they were great deeds.
We are constantly urged in our society and in our culture to change, to improve, to seek what we don't have and fix the problems we do have. Step back for a moment and really look at every ad you see, notice the way media portrays the "ideal" life, hear what advice your friends and family offer to you. It is easy to fall into the belief that however we are right now is inadequate in so many ways. And, since we are so flawed, why not vow to improve? All we need to do is buy certain products, dress in a different ways, change jobs, relationships, locale, etc.
Over the past many years, we may have done all of this and more and yet, somehow, we still feel inadequate is so many ways. This yang approach to fixing life is not yielding the promised results. It is easy to blame ourselves for this failure, and that blame just feeds into the next cycle of change: we need to try harder or do more. It is not a surprise that so many New Year's resolutions lie broken in the gutter before the Xmas tree is taken away. We have tried in the past and still our culture deems us not yet good enough.
Let's look at the yinside of all of this. What is there about yourself that you can simply accept and not try to change? After all these years of trying to change, select something that you will simply allow to just be.
This is not easy! It is counter-cultural and counterintuitive. Some examples could be:
"I resolve to accept my body just as it is right now!"
"I resolve to allow my anger/fear/depression to manifest without judgement."
"I resolve to stay with my current partner/job/apartment/car/cat..."
"I resolve to let ... (fill in the blank) ... just be"
Perhaps in years past you resolved to give up something, to lose weight, or stop eating desserts or you gave up chocolate (gasp!) The shadow side of that yang decision may have been losing joy and comfort as you deliberately restricted the amount of pleasure you allowed yourself. As a consequence you were unhappy and this unhappiness spread to the loved ones in your life.
This is not to say that these yang resolutions were unwise, but rather to point out that every decision and action has a consequence to it. The key question to ask yourself is, "Am I better having made these resolutions in the past?" It is up to you to define "better" - healthier, happier, more content, more balanced… If you do not believe you are better off, then it is time to revisit the intention behind your resolutions.
This year, why not resolve to accept something about yourself that you will no longer try to change or improve! You may even decide that this is the year that you accept something about someone else and vow to no longer try to change him or her! Sure, go ahead and consciously make a yang resolution to do or not do something, but why not add a yin resolution this New Year's? What are you going to accept, allow and no longer try to change this year?
Let 2012 be your year of yin.
About Bernie Clark:
Bernie Clark has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1998. He has a bachelor degree in Science from the University of Waterloo and combines his intense interest in yoga with an understanding of the scientific approach to investigating the nature of things. His ongoing studies have taken him deeply inside mythology, comparative religions and psychology. All of these avenues of exploration have clarified his understanding of the ancient Eastern practices of yoga and meditation. His teaching, workshops and books have helped many students broaden their own understanding of health, life and the source of true joy. You can learn more about Bernie and his teaching at YinYoga.com.
Tags: Yoga, Wellness, yin yoga, health, bernie clark, resolutions
Posted on December 27th, 2011

Question: Where has your mat taken you? What poses have you rocked?
Jade Yoga mats come in a whole range of vibrant colours. They’ve also got enough grip so we don’t slide even during the most powered-up power class. They’re comfortable during savasana and—here’s the best part—they’re eco-friendly. Jade mats are made sustainably with natural rubber from rubber trees, a renewable resource. Unlike other mats, they don’t contain PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber. They’re made in the United States in compliance with all US environmental, labor and consumer protection laws. And, Jade plants a tree for every mat sold.
Plenty of big-name yogis are fans of Jade Yoga mats. If you go to their site you’ll see pics of Seane Corne, Sharon Gannon and David Life, Shiva Rea, Dharma Mittra, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, Cyndi Lee, Baron Baptiste, and Duncan Wong. P.s. Watch yoga videos of Sharon Gannon and David Life, Shiva Rea, and Dharma Mittra here on My Yoga Online.
Like their stuff?
My Yoga Online community members get 10% off Jade Yoga products—mats, blocks, and towels—when purchased at www.jadeyoga.com through January 27, 2012. Simply copy and use this coupon code: myyogaonline10. Please note: Discount cannot be combined with other discounts.
Jade Yoga www.jadeyoga.com is giving one Jade Yoga mat to one lucky My Yoga Online member.
How to Enter: Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: Where has your mat taken you? What poses have you rocked?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within the continental US only. Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, December 27, 2011 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too. [link to FB post]. Head on over to Jade Yoga Mats on Facebook www.facebook.com/jadeyoga, to ‘like’ their page and enter their weekly contests.
Share the love. Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: shiva rea, Tuesday Giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, dharma mittra, sharon gannon, david life, jade yoga mats, Jade yoga mat giveaway, high quality yoga mats
Posted on December 21st, 2011

At holiday time, we all enjoy giving the most we can to those we love. Yet in these challenging financial times, we may not have the resources to give much – materially. We can take comfort in the Yoga Sutra on Astheya (generosity) which tells us:
“Abiding in generosity and honesty (Astheya), material and spiritual prosperity is bestowed.”
Sutra 2.37 as translated by NJ Devi in The Secret Power of Yoga
The interesting thing about this Sutra is that it links generosity and honesty, speaking to the fact that we should give within our means, and from what is authentic in our hearts. And it promises that in return, we can expect to receive both material and spiritual prosperity, indicating the intertwined nature of giving and receiving.
Rather than go into debt to give more than we are capable of, we can generously share in other ways – our patience, service, skills, attention, energy and love. These are gifts that hold more lasting value than anything purchased at the mall anyway.
“Generosity gives great gifts in many small ways,” writes Devi. Consider for a moment how you might ‘give greatly in a small way.’
One interesting practice that engages our generosity of spirit is a “give-away.” Different from the commonly practiced “re-gifting” of something we didn’t want to someone else, a give-away asks us to offer something that we love to another, because they will benefit and be blessed by it as much as we are.
Another practice to consider is from an additional interpretation of Astheya, which is “non-stealing.” By reflecting on ways in which we might normally take from others - their time, their ideas, their energy – we can make adjustments and practice offering rather than obtaining. This requires that we recognize our natural abundance from our Source. When we recognize the infinity that exists in the Universe, we feel no lack or greed, or need to take from others. By opening our hearts we magnify prosperity for ourselves and those around us. As we cultivate a mentality of abundance, we also accept the nature of change and the impermanence of all things material. By embracing the ebb and flow of life, we enjoy freedom in the simplicity of letting all come and letting all go without expectation and attachment.
More than anything else, we can give generously of our love. Everyone needs that. Included in gifts of our love are actions and attitudes like compassion, understanding, thoughtfulness and helpfulness. By approaching gift giving in this way, we can offer our care in many simple yet profound ways – cooking someone a meal, watching their kids for a night, asking how they are and listening intently, praying for them.
The beauty of Astheya is that it asks us to link our honesty with our generosity and by doing so, experience the benefits of a prosperous heart.
About Jennie Lee:
Jennie Lee is a Yoga Therapist, retreat facilitator, and program developer, with over 6,000 teaching hours and 20 years of experience in Yoga philosophy, practice and meditation, as well as spiritual psychology, and body centered psychotherapy. An active member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, she founded Stillness in Motion Yoga & Wellness in 2002. She brings love and enthusiasm to her work in guiding people through the self-awareness and consciousness raising process, applying the ancient science of Yoga to facilitate growth and healing. Having overcome much loss herself, she holds tremendous compassion for those undergoing life’s challenges and is a knowledgeable and intuitive guide to anyone seeking positive life change. Her Hatha Yoga practice incorporates aspects of many lineages, including Astanga, Kundalini, Kripalu, and Viniyoga. She has led retreats internationally on numerous Yoga related themes including The Philosophy and Practice of the Eight Limbs of Yoga; Putting Insight Into Action; The Yoga of Imagination; and The Yoga of Conscious Trust. As a writer, Jennie Lee's work has been published in Yoga Therapy Today magazine, on the Yoga Finder website, and as a Featured Expert on Dr. Keith Ablow's Living the Truth website. She Jennie Lee can be contacted at 978-771-4000 or www.stillnessinmotion.info
Tags: Yoga, Wellness, Yoga Sutras, yamas, philosophy, spirituality, yoga blog, niyamas, generosity, astheya
Posted on December 20th, 2011

Question: In what unusual place have you practiced yoga?
Yoga works best when it can be done anywhere, anytime. Yoga is a personal, do-it-for-you and the world benefits kind of practice. Wherever you love to practice is the best place to do it. Here at My Yoga Online, we’ve seen people practicing in parks, on rocks in rivers, on docks, and even in boathouses. A do-anywhere, anytime practice is what we’re all about.
Our service enables anyone, anywhere to access the mind-body health and wellness benefits of this ancient practice that is so relevant to modern day life. Our Premium membership offers unlimited access to:
- An always-expanding library of yoga, Pilates, meditation videos
- Expert information on workplace wellness, green living, expert health advice
- A Q&A forum with professionals
- Whole Health Programs addressing the top health and wellness concerns of the people we care about—you.
My Yoga Online www.myyogaonline.com is giving one of three different one-year Premium My Yoga Online memberships to three different members of the My Yoga Online community.
How to Enter: Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: In what unusual place have you practiced yoga?
Looking for a last-minute, mindful Christmas present?
A MyYogaOnline.com gift certificate is just one click away.
This prize giveaway is available to anyone, anywhere in the world. Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love. Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: Tuesday Giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, online yoga, yoga giveaway, yoga videos, My Yoga Online giveaway
Posted on December 15th, 2011

In the midst of the holiday buzz, I hope you are creating regular space for quiet, reflective listening in these dark days approaching the winter solstice. Winter is Nature’s time to hibernate and retreat. Since we are also connected to Nature, it is wise that we follow her lead and begin to slow down, get ample amounts of sleep, rest, meditate, and retreat in order to recharge after a long productive year. After all, most of the natural world becomes dormant during this season, why shouldn’t we?
Intention
Where to begin? For starters, I highly recommend opening your winter routine with an intention that inspires you and opens your heart space for deeper listening. While keeping in mind the particular demands of your life, look at any undesirable behavioral pattern, habit, or attachment you have and consider removing just one to help you change, enhance, or grow into a more conscious being this season. What is currently occupying your life energy right now? Which part of your self is likely to go out of balance (diet, spending habits, travel, or other)? And, do you have any goals on the horizon for the near future (such as graduation, exercising three times a week, buying a new car, or taking a vacation)? Choosing your goals and taking the appropriate action is where intention comes in handy everyday as a way to redirect your time, energy (prana), and resources
Meditation
After an intention is set, consider starting a morning meditation practice to drop into deeper listening. Make sure you have found the right amount of support to be physically comfortable in a chair, cushion, or lotus position. A short 5- to10-minute, medium 10- to 20-minute, or long 20- to 60-minute sit will have a tremendous effect on your day. In my experience, meditating on and off over the past 17 years, I’ve noticed greater balance, clarity, and efficiency in my day-to-day choices when my day begins on the meditation cushion. By reflecting on the meaning of yoga (union) and my relationship to spirit, I’ve gained more self-awareness, confidence, and trust in my life’s purpose and meaning. Dedication and love for the practice and Self will eventually lead you to a still point—which feels like your own personal retreat center—to return to again and again.
Please, don’t just take my word on this, try it for yourself. And as Jamyang Kyenste Rinpoche said, “The more and more you listen, the more and more you will hear. The more you hear, the more and more deeply you will understand.”
Diet
What if eating became a part of your meditation practice? To start, choose a special, clean place to eat each meal, free of clutter and distractions. I believe it is valuable to choose a specific comfortable seat just for eating—like you would do for meditation—other than your couch, desk, bed, or car. This is one very important way to promote conscious eating; it can also prevent overeating which puts out your agni(inner digestive fire). In general, the more mindful you are when you eat, the more you relish and savor your foods and the more satiated you feel with less. As a winter practice, consider savoring how your food tastes and smells, pay attention to how well your body digests it, and tune in to how much you need to satisfy your hunger. With too much food in your belly, it’s easy to lose motivation; without enough food, it’s hard to maintain focus or stamina to get through one day, let alone answer your heart’s calling.
About Melina Meza:
Melina Meza, BS Nutrition, 500-RYT, has been exploring the art and science of yoga and nutrition for over 16 years. She combines her knowledge of Hatha Yoga, Ayurveda, whole foods nutrition and healthy living into a unique style called Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga. Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga emphasizes the healing teachings of the ancient yogis and inspires students to adapt their asana practice, diet and lifestyle routines to better harmonize with the seasonal changes occurring in nature. Melina is the lead teacher at Seattle’s 8 Limbs Yoga Centers and is also the author of Art of Sequencing an innovative book that includes 34 unique yoga sequences and over 1,500 photos offering creative inspiration for experienced yoga teachers as well as fresh instructional ideas to jump start a home practice. More information about Melina and her offerings can be found at www.melinameza.com.
Posted on December 13th, 2011

Question: What foods do you eat when you’re feeling out of balance?
Ayur Veda, the holistic health science closely related to yoga, considers food a vital component of maintaining vibrant health.
So does medical herbalist and Ayurveda practitioner Todd Caldecott. Todd is a graduate of the Coastal Mountain College of Healing Arts, and a registered professional member of the American Herbalists Guild. He is the former clinical director of Wild Rose College, author of the acclaimed textbook Ayurveda: The Divine Science of Life, and editor of the new text on Nepalese ethnobotany called Ayurveda in Nepal: The Teachings of Vaidya Mana Bajra Bajracharya. Food As Medicine: The Theory and Practice of Food, is his third book project, and is scheduled to be followed by a new series on clinical herbal medicine in 2012.
Here’s what Caldecott has to say about Food as Medicine: “This year marks 15 years in clinical practice since I graduated from college, and over this time I have worked with hundreds of patients, in both Canada and the United States, as well as India and the Caribbean. During this time, as I have worked to help my patients discover and resolve their health problems, one of the issues I most frequently encounter is just how confused people are on the subject of diet. This book is a concise encapsulation of my clinical approach to diet, supported by traditional knowledge and extensive research, and contains over 50 delicious recipes to support your health. This book is ideally suited to folks with a strong interest in diet, as well as students and allied health practitioners including yoga teachers, herbalists, naturopaths, chiropractors, nutritionists, nurses and doctors.”
Todd Caldecott is giving one copy of Food as Medicine www.foodasmedicine.ca to one lucky My Yoga Online member.
How to Enter: Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: What foods do you eat when you’re feeling out of balance?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within North America (USA and Canada). Contest runs until the end of Tuesday, December 6, 2011 11:59 PST.
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love. Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click ‘SHARE’ at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
Tags: Tuesday Giveaway, tuesday yoga giveaway, ayur veda, ayur veda, holistic health, holistic healing, Todd Caldecott, ayur veda book