Friday May 16 is Bike to Work Day!

OK, so many of you know (or now know!) that part of the secret to my sanity is that I traded in a 1hr 15 minute commute to Everett in for a 0.03 commute to my downstairs. Yes, I work from home. My main studio is Dream Yoga and Dance, and trot out to the studio or work from my basement lounge about 3-4 days a week.

But because this is the 21st century, yoga instructors and dance instructors often have to commute to where the students are, and in my case, I have between 5 - 8 people who take a noon-time yoga class at T-mobile in the fitness center.

So here's my chance, and here's yours. Friday May 16 is "Bike to Work Day", part of a bike to work month initiated by many companies and our Mayor Nickels to encourage people to commute on bicycles to work. Though we will withhold judgement about whether we think Mayor Nickels needs to get on that bicycle a little more himself (!!!), the idea is great. There will be over 35 stations set up with snacks, resting spots, and I believe the Seattle police will be assisting the expected 20,000 riders that will turn out at the Town Center around 7:30 am.

I will be biking early with my man to T-mobile, and though I don't get a "Bike to Work" t-shirt (I'm not an official employee), I feel like I'm leading by example. Over the past two months, I've been in rehab physical therapy two times a week for a hyper mobile hip joint and associated gluteal muscle, but I got the official Okey Dokey from my PT to go ahead and do this, being sure to ice it and take it easy over the weekend.

Our ride begins in West Seattle, goes under the bridge and into Downtown and the International District. We come up to the entrance for bikes going across the I-90, and then we'll bike across the I-90 into Factoria. I'll have some time to hang out, and then teach my yoga class a few hours later.

After that, I'll bike ride up a hill into the Eastgate area to take a bellydance session with renowned bellydance and bollywood dancer and director, Nalini. After that session, I'll bike ride back down the hill to T-mobile, hang out for a bit, pick up the man from work, and we'll either bike back or ride the bus part ways, depending on how the hip is chattering.

I can't think of a better way to spend what is supposed to be a stellar day of Spring (minus sucking up the fumes of all the drivers who should be riding their bikes). Come join us, and take a little time to figure out your bike riding commute to work. The Seattle times has a big article that may be of help: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/flatpages/local/commuterbikeroutestotry.html

Commute, and feel good about reducing CO2 emissions while burning off some calories!

Next up: a report from the Eating Disorders symposium being held in Seattle May 14 - 16, and how we can keep our young people from developing this deadly mental and physical illness.

Support your LOCAL yoga class

Looking for a yoga class among the 1000+ offered across Seattle could make it more difficult to choose one. In a climate of choices, it's actually harder to shop when there are a plethora of "product" and differing pricing. Sometimes, we can even suffer from paralysis when we think we might be choosing something less valuable, only because we don't know ALL the available choices.

To narrow down your choices, think LOCAL first. 

Can you walk to the studio from your home or work?

Can you take a quick bike ride to the studio?

Is it located on a convenient bus route?

For example, I spoke to YogaLife studio owner Michael. He even prefers to host instructors who either live in the neighborhood of Queen Ann or Greenlake, or the instructor should teach more than one class back - t0 - back when commuting. 

By attending a studio near you, you reinforce your own attendance, build community, and support a local business and the presence of a peaceful entity. Oftentimes, yoga studios promote educational or charitable causes, recommend sustainability, and reinforce many of the habits we're trying to incorporate into our lives. 

Nothing is more local, however, than bringing yoga or dance to your workplace. If your workplace has an unused meeting room during the midday hour, you can hire an instructor to teach a one-hour format class for a flat rate or per-person fee. Like myself, these teachers can bring some props, help students get reasonably-priced mats they can keep at their desk, and keep the practice gentle so there isn't a lot of sweating involved. 

Support your local teachers and studios today!

Seattle P-I article on Yoga

I bet you knew there were a lot of yoga classes being offered in Seattle, but a P-I columnist reported that there are no less than 984 yoga classes offered across our city.

Yesterday, there was an article about the health benefits of yoga. 

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/362524_condor12.html

It is clear to me that yoga is considered mainstream practice, and no longer lives on the fringe with hippes, gypsies, and practitioners of TM. 

Yet, people still tell me:

1) I can't find a class near by me that works with my schedule

and

2) I can't find the time, with work and family

For those of you interested, there are alternatives. MiNeeds.com, a program launched by Microsoft, allows you to request a service, set a budget, and have people bid on that service. You can check their profiles, see what they provide, and reject or accept any bid. Want yardwork? Massage therapy? Private yoga in your home or in a studio? Have them come to you? Need to barter for something? 

Who knows? Maybe I'll be knocking on your door.

What do you think of MiNeeds.com? Check it out, and tell us about it.

Yoga for Running poses

For those of you who requested the names of three of the poses featured in June's "Yoga Journal" on yoga for running, there isn't a direct link to the article, but there are the names of the poses, and you can likely Google all of them and get a picture:

Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) -- it's a runner's lunge, but done much lower

Ardha Chandrasana (with foot against the wall) -- Half moon pose, but with a variation

Janu Sirsasana (Head of the Knee Pose)

The article was written by Sage Rountree, who has written a book, "The Athlete's Guide to Yoga", as well as run her first marathon in 2002. She uses yoga to help her be in comfort and discomfort as well as to keep herself steady. 

If you are interested in purchasing ONE book on yoga asana (posture), the "Bible" on postures is often considered to be Iyengar's massive text from the 1970's. However, if you would like to get a simple guide on Kripalu Yoga practice, purchase "Kripalu Yoga" by Richard Faulds and the staff at the Kripalu Center, which has simple descriptions and black and white picture of the core postures for warm up, standing, seated, inversions, and twists, as well as an overview of the system of yoga (the eight limbed path).