I've recently decided to take advantage of my Netflix membership to check out some Yoga DVDs. First on the list is Yoga Mind and Body with Ali McGraw and Erich Schiffman. I'll tell you up front: I'm a huge fan of Erich Schiffman. He's like what would happen if you fused Patanjali with The Dude from The Big Lebowski. This DVD did not disappoint. I can't believe I haven't seen it until now- it was originally released in 1994!

It's a moderate practice, clocking in at about 50 minutes. The pacing is perfect, and it's a nice potpourri of poses that is great for beginners who want to supplement their class as well as advanced practitioners who want to focus on alignment or playing the edge in basic poses. I love the standing pose flow which goes from Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana to Uttitha Parsvakonasana to Parsvatanasana, to Prasarita Padottanasana. Whew that was a lot of sanskrit right there!

Also I have to mention I love the MTV-esque editing* and the Dead Can Dance soundtrack.

Of course this only prompted me to dig deeper into the Netflix Yoga vault and thus the next installment of yoga reviews will feature Yoga for Indie Rockers. Stay tuned! Also feel free to add your favorite yoga resources or request reviews in the comments!

*True story: my first and favorite yoga DVD is MTV Yoga. Perhaps I should be embarrassed to admit that, but I promise it's actually a decent instructional DVD!

I'll be teaching a free class at Studio EDGE on Saturday, January 17th at 10:45 a.m. as part as an open house and trunk show for Unitees. I hope you can make it!

My husband gave me a new yoga mat for Christmas. For the record, it is The Black Mat by Manduka. Can I officially join the cool yogi club now?

Anyway, I'll stop boasting about THE DUKE and share with you what this new mat did for me. It's newness really invited a sense of play into my practice. I came onto my new mat with so many questions that started silly but eventually took me deeper into my practice. Is it stretchy? What does it feel like under my hands? What does it do if I hop on it? What's it like to balance on? What happens if I do this? How many poses can I get to from Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog)? How can I take this curiosity with me off the mat?

You don't have to run out and get a Manduka to invite play into your practice. (Although, I must admit, THE DUKE is pretty sweet!) Get on your mat and play! What happens if you move your mat into a different room? What's it like practicing at a different time? What if you close your eyes?

Do something you've never done before! Even if you can't think of anything new, every time you step on your mat you will do something new. In every practice, you've never done that pose in that way before and you'll never do it exactly that way again. Be present and see what happens, and then challenge yourself to have fun exploring every moment!

Yoga at Studio Edge
Begins January 7th
Wednesdays 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Thursdays 9:30 am - 11:am

This is an all-level yoga class - beginners welcome! Studio Edge is a brand new fitness studio located in Mount Washington in Baltimore. It's a beautiful studio, and I'm really excited to bring yoga to this space! Visit Studio Edge for more information.

Usually your SI joint doesn't get much action. In most men the joint fuses by the time they reach adulthood. Women need flexibility in that joint for childbirth, as the sacrum moves in the joint, the pelvis widens to make room for the baby to get out. It's designed to only to slide up and down in the pelvis. However, it is possible to torque it and pull one side of the sacrum to the side, up, or otherwise grinding into the pelvic bone in a generally unpleasant way. This is sacroilitis or SI injury.

On November 15th, I am participating in my studio's annual benefit event, Yoga Salutes Nonviolence. For this event, I will do 108 sun salutations, along with some of my fellow teachers and yoga friends. This event is to raise money for my county's Domestic Violence Center, and donations will go towards strengthening the DVC's services including the 24-hour helpline, emergency and transitional shelters, counseling, legal services, community awareness and violence prevention.

When I had the brilliant idea to launch a website for myself, I thought it would be so awesome to have a yoga blog. Now that it's here, I have no idea what to say! In the future, I'm likely to discuss the benefit of developing a daily yoga practice, how much I love my neti pot, and personal challenges and triumphs in my personal yoga journey. I hope you stick around! In the mean time, take a look around the site!