February 15, 2019 at 07:43AM by CWC I was such an Oscar the Grouch before yoga class the other day. Not only was I was not looking forward to it, I also was consumed with a sense of dread about having to move through my flow. But once I was on my mat and a few asanas down, the anger melted away, and I was immersed in my practice. Sixty minutes later, when I was leaving the studio, a sense of peace washed over me, and it occurred to me that yoga might actually make me a nicer person…and I’m not alone. “Yoga is everything to my mood,” says Kyle Miller, yogi pro and co-founder of Los Angeles’s Love Yoga space. “Practicing gives me the time and space to pay attention inward, to recalibrate myself, and to be selfish in a good way. It’s taught me everything about human nature and the fleeting nature of moods and feelings, and that ultimately everyone has the same desires and fears. This soothes me and helps me when my mood is slipping from my control.” “[Yoga] soothes me and helps me when my mood is slipping from my control.” —Kyle Miller Of course, after any workout, you feel that rush of endorphins (and thanks to Reese Witherspoon I know that endorphins make you happy). But that’s not quite the extent of it with yoga, because it’s a holistically mindful experience. “Yoga involves not just movement, but it also really focuses on mindfulness and breath,” says Eudene Harry, MD,
Category: Yoga
Inhale this essential oil combo for a more focused yoga practice
February 14, 2019 at 11:17AM by CWC Whether it’s putting on a cute new pair of leggings or blasting my favorite new Backstreet Boys song (don’t @ me—that new album is amazing), I’m all about finding ways to make a workout more enjoyable. And during a recent yoga class, I discovered that the key to going harder-better-faster-stronger might actually be through scent. Before I slipped into my first sun salutation yesterday morning at an event for P.E. Nation’s new collaboration with O&M, Urban Zen yoga instructor Menna Olvera Feder asked the group to inhale the scent from a small cotton pad dipped in essential oils that had been placed on our mats before the start of class. It was a combination of peppermint and frankincense, and the scent was intoxicating. When I entered the room, I had been feeling tired and just kind of meh (it was first thing in the morning, the weather was gross—you know what I mean), but one quick inhale of the unassuming square of cotton had me perked up and ready to focus. And, it seems, that was Feder’s plan all along. “Both the oils have benefits for the brain because they contain sesquiterpenes which stimulate the mind,” she says. “I was looking to energize you for the morning, so I used peppermint and to create a mindful state of being, which is why I selected frankincense.” Both oils tout a ton of feel-good properties on their own, and when they’re combined, they become even stronger. Peppermint, she
I exclusively wore jumpsuits to yoga for a month, and I have some thoughts…
February 11, 2019 at 12:08PM by CWC Growing up, for almost 10 years, I had the same ballet teacher, Ms. B (whose last name, despite what my 5-year-old imagination told me, did not stand for “ballet”), and I coveted her style. I don’t think I ever saw her wearing anything other than a black unitard, an oversized cropped sweater, chunky mid-calf socks, and jazz shoes. It was all things ’90s, all things dance, and all things that are somehow back in style today. So, a decade later, I decided it was time to take the look for a spin. I’m happy to report that not only did I wear a bodysuit to work out in public and live to tell the tale—and 6 times over, no less—but I’m actually now so into them, that I don’t know why it took this love affair so long to develop in the first place. The draw, at the most basic level, is all about convenience. I wanted to be able to slip into an outfit that needed zero work: no riding-up tanks or falling-down leggings allowed. I’m not sure it’s totally true, but I even felt like I actually got a better workout in a bodysuit. And isn’t how you feel really all that matters, anyhow? Over the past month, I’ve pretty much tried it all when it comes to what I’m lovingly calling workout onesies. I’ve gone for thong leotards (with super-cute leggings to match, of course!), performance one-pieces that I’ve taken to yoga and out to dinner with equal ease,
This year, fitting in a Valentine’s Day yoga class could give you extra cosmic magic
February 10, 2019 at 06:00AM by CWC Who doesn’t love a long, luxurious savasana? (Oh yeah, me—when I’m feeling anxious.) According to astrologer Jennifer Racioppi, it’s extra worth it to stick it out at the end of class on Thursday, because the best (cosmic) way to boost boo time on Valentine’s Day is by taking it slow. Monday, February 11 The waxing moon, moving through luscious Taurus, asks you to keep a close on eye on what feels pleasurable to you. However, Venus, Taurus’ ruler, currently travels in the sign of practical Capricorn, meaning what might feel most pleasurable probably dovetails as responsible, too. Yes, getting things done will feel sexy today. What might feel most pleasurable probably dovetails as responsible, too. Yes, getting things done will feel sexy today. So, get out your to-do list and be sure to check things off. Trust your instincts. With Venus ruling the moon, and simultaneously making a harmonious angle to the moon, today requires you to lead with your fierce and wild feminine side. Tuesday, February 12 Today marks the halfway point between the last new moon in Aquarius and the upcoming full moon in Virgo. The waxing quarter moon, happening at 23 degrees of Taurus, squares the sun (aka makes a sharp angle) at 23 degrees of Aquarius—translation: it’s a good time to reflect on intentions set at the previous new moon. Check in. How are things progressing? Are your thoughts, words, and actions aligned with what you say you want? If
I did yoga every day for a year and learned a ton about myself in the process
February 08, 2019 at 09:26AM by CWC Hi, my name is Avery, and I have practiced yoga every day for the past year. Truly, if I’m being honest, while I have not skipped a single day in the past 365, I don’t think I’ve missed more than a handful over the past five years. That might sound crazy to those alarm clock snoozers or early-to-bedders, but I’m here to tell you that it has totally changed my life. Allow me to explain. A little over five years ago, I quit my full-time office job at a glossy fashion magazine to go out on my own as a freelance writer and stylist. Back then, I hadn’t exercised for more than a collective week since high school, and (spoiler alert!) that was longer than I cared to admit. So on that first Monday in May (yes, it really was…) I woke up before the sun—my very own boss—and was invigorated by the new non-scheduled schedule I was about to set up for myself. I started the day with a hot power yoga class. I had dabbled in heated yoga in high school, and then again in college, but it never really stuck. Now, with little structure to my full-of-work days as a freelancer, I needed something to jump-start that energy. So, I slipped into my leggings and tank top, threw my yoga mat in my bag, and off to Earth Yoga I went. Quietly sitting in the back of the class, it
Yep, hot yoga can turn your face into a burning, itchy mess—here’s how to deal
February 05, 2019 at 06:28AM by CWC This time of year, hot yoga classes are packed. It’s a way to temporarily escape the piercing cold and pretend you’re flowing in the sweltering heat of a tropical island. While some people don’t experience any negative affects from downward-dogging at temperatures reaching 105 degrees, hot yoga skin irritation overshadows any enjoyment for others. Experts have noted that frequent attendance at hot yoga classes can cause discoloration and persistent redness due to the heat triggering your skin’s pigment-producing cells. But if your skin is even mildly sensitive, you might experience an immediate reaction to excessive heat. “Hot yoga in particular can be especially irritating to your skin because it raises your core body temperature from the inside out, triggering what’s known as an inflammatory cascade,” says esthetician Jeannel Astarita, founder and CEO of Just Ageless in New York City. “The heat and inflammation causes the moisture that you naturally have in your skin to evaporate rapidly, leaving your skin dry, dehydrated, and irritated.” Luckily, there are some ways you can prepare your skin that might be able to help alleviate the irritation. “Use a gentle cleanser before your hot yoga class, and wash up immediately after to rid your face of oils and bacteria, which can sometimes cause breakouts, itching, or dryness on the skin. Then, apply a hydrating water-based moisturizer,” says Lana Pinchasov, a dermatology-certified physician’s assistant in New York City. Also, bring along a trusty, ice-cold water bottle for the ultimate relief. “The night before you go to
Yoga studios are supposed to be a safe space—how has that changed in the age of #MeToo?
January 31, 2019 at 05:00AM by CWC Ask any devoted yogi, and they’ll probably liken their practice to a form of therapy; they’ll head to the mat to work through the stresses of day-to-day life. Anxious about an upcoming presentation? A few deep breaths in warrior 2 might just snap you out of it. Feeling defeated after a bad work week? Nailing crow pose will bring out your inner badass real quick. Brokenhearted? Go on, cry in pigeon. (There’s probably somebody on the other side of the room doing the same.) But while yoga is really effective at clearing intense emotions from the body, its physicality can also unexpectedly dredge up lots of uncomfortable feelings from the recesses of our minds. “When people are coming into the yoga room and they’re moving their bodies and working with the breath, they’re inevitably opening up psychological material, whether they realize it or not,” says Ashley Turner, LMFT, a licensed therapist, yoga teacher, and creator of psychology-led yoga training program Yoga.Psyche.Soul. “Many times, people will have memories surface or just have an emotional release, and they may not even know what it’s attached to.” When the news cycle is packed with stories of sexual harassment and assault, as it has been in the 15 months since the #MeToo movement first took off on social media—and especially if these stories mirror your own experiences—these memories or feelings are often bobbing just below the water line, ready to rise up at any moment. In this way,
In modern day yoga, should we be valuing function over 5,000-year-old form?
January 25, 2019 at 11:38AM by CWC Western yoga studios take many forms. They’re modern day oases equipped with light therapy, old-school shalas bedecked with Hindu deities, and every shade of “Om” away from home in between. That Sanskrit “Namaste” sculpture keeping watch over an iPad at check-in, though? It could be viewed as an interesting metaphor: How do 21st century, American bodies—which spend pretty much all day standing up and sitting down—adapt an ancient (and still awesome) practice engineered for lifestyles we just don’t live anymore? As of 2016, an estimated 36.7 million Americans practiced yoga, 72 percent of whom were women. But if you turn back the clock to the earliest record of the practice in 2700 BCE, the lives of early yogis were much, much different. “If we look at the origins of yoga asana and look at the population that was practicing it, it was not mostly women. It was mostly young boys, and their lifestyle was probably significantly different than our lifestyle today,” says Lara Heimann, a physical therapist and yoga teacher in New Jersey. “So there are things that bodies can do that they used to do back then, and there are some things that—yeah—don’t make sense.” Yet, the practice endures and it just. keeps. iterating. As of 2016, an estimated 36.7 million Americans practiced yoga, 72 percent of whom were women. Google “yoga near me” in any metropolitan hotspot across the U.S., and your browser will be flooded with options: hot, Kundalini, aerial, and this list
The genius way Hilaria Baldwin uses yoga techniques to conquer parenting challenges
January 18, 2019 at 06:02AM by CWC When I call Hilaria Baldwin to chat parenting, the pregnant mother of three tells me she’s multitasking in the car with her husband Alec (Baldwin, the actor), en route to watch him do a quickie appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Uh, same. Her hectic schedule provides the perfect segue to dive into questions about how she manages to accomplish everything she does—Baldwin’s a wellness and fitness expert, author of The Living Clearly Method, co-owner of Yoga Vida studios in New York City, mother, wife and, it must be said, a real babe—without seeming to break a (non-workout-related) sweat. I especially wonder how she keeps it all together when new babies arrive, as they have with impressive frequency in the Baldwin house over the past five years. The trick, with parenting as with yoga, is to breathe through the burn and stay present. With a sweet “Oh my god,” Baldwin assures me she has off days just like the rest of us. “Do I cry sometimes? Absolutely,” she admits. “I have had a tiny meltdown after every baby.” Her trick for regaining balance, she says, is actually borrowed—like much of her advice—from her yoga practice. “I tell my students when they’re in a hard pose to just remember that this is temporary,” she explains. “It’s the same when you’re going through a difficult life transition—it might be difficult at that moment, but you’re going to figure it out.” The trick, she says, is to breathe through
8 yoga mats that are practically works of art
January 17, 2019 at 06:09AM by CWC I hate to admit it, but I spend approximately 70 percent of my yoga practice staring at my feet, wondering why there are so many random hairs on them and whether or not I’ll ever be responsible enough to remember to get regular pedicures. And frankly, I find the non-stop stream of foot-related thoughts to be incredibly distracting—because how am I supposed to find my zen in a full forward-fold when all I can think about is how weird my toes look? Upon a very unscientific poll (I asked three of my coworkers, one of whom copped to staring at other people’s feet during class in addition to her own), I found that I’m not the only one who spends time on the mat contemplating the meaning of toe hair when she should be focusing on her ujjayi breath. And my theory on the best way to fix it? Invest in a museum-worthy mat to stare at instead. These days, yoga mats have hit their peak. Not only can you get ultra high-tech options that are made out of cork or roll up on their own (yes—those are as amazing as they sound), but the market has also gotten a whole lot more aesthetically pleasing. While popping into down dog on a tasteful yoga mat probably won’t make your practice any better or bendier, it will give you something pretty to look at while you’re staring at the ground—and what’s not to love about that? A few