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Monday, November 29, 2010

Hot Yoga Wear that truly sizzles!

O.K. Bikram Hot Yoga lovers....we have got the hottest yoga wear line for hot yoga EVER!!  Sizzling hip styles with super design and comfort, designer, Kristine Deer has hit the yoga world with her line K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear with a smash!   We are so excited to have her line for our hot yogi customers - we know you will love the look and feel as much as we do (we really had to cool down after modeling these ~ woo hoo!)

A little info....Kristine, the talent behind K.Deer, is actually an RYT200 certified Barkan Method Teacher herself - so she knows first hand what works and what doesn't when practicing hot.

After studying at Syracuse and the London College of Fashion, Kristine worked in the fashion industry in New York, designing and assisting for multiple companies. Due to the shift in the U.S. economy, Kristine lost her job and almost simultaneously, was introduced to Bikram Yoga. Her practice expanded to 6 days a week and out of necessity, she began designing and developing yoga shorts in her bedroom/studio (she fondly calls 'The Sweatshop'). When Kristine pulled her two passions of fashion design and hot yoga together,  K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear emerged.  Kristine designs and develops new products, tests them with her fellow teachers and friends in the hot yoga room, and then shares them with the hot yoga community. Kristine is driven to give other yogis the opportunity to feel as free as she does in her flattering yoga wear and is constantly growing the collection to meet the needs of hot yogis everywhere. Some of the greatest aspects of her design come from Kristine's personal desire to take care of our environment and local communities.  K.Deer Haute Yoga Wear only uses eco-friendly vegetable dyes, has domestic production operations and uses recyclable packaging - all truly important for any brands offered here at Yoga With Style.

So go ahead, 'get haute and sweaty, K.Deer's got you covered.'
Sunday, November 28, 2010

Earthlife Designs Exclusive to Yoga With Style

It is with great pride and pleasure that we offer to our customers some one of a kind pieces made by a most talented jewelry designer, Dagmar Magdalena Ceki.  We are thrilled that Dagmar has created designs exclusive to Yoga With Style.  We will be featuring a small quantity of her pieces at a time - so, once they are gone, they are gone (and you will own something made just for you)! 

Dagmar is truly an inspiration to us and we hope to offer some insights from her with the wealth of knowledge that she brings to her love of creating beautiful jewelry.  Each piece has specific meaning and wonder.  Dagmar lives in Sweden and she is a Rainbowserpent Medicine Woman, experienced as Shaman , Energy Coach, Natural Health Consultant, Qi Gong instructor and Reiki Master working in the Ways of The Divine Feminine.  Pretty amazing!  All of Dagmar's jewelry pieces are meant to be healing to the soul. The properties of the stones themselves exude this healing aura as well as captures the loving, healing energy brought into the creating process by Dagmar herself!

Look out for future blogs about Dagmar, her insights, information about stones and properties - she has been a wonderful person to get to know, connect with and we welcome her to our site!  Enjoy!

Please allow additional shipping time as these wonderful pieces are made in Sweden.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

kdeerHAUTEyoga: Santosha

kdeerHAUTEyoga: Santosha: "Contentment. 'Santosha invites us into contentment by taking refuge in a calm center, opening our hearts in gratitude for what we do have,..."
Friday, November 26, 2010

Some Like It Hot

http://aliveinthefire.blogspot.com/2010/11/black-friday-giveaway-some-like-it-hot.html
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12 Days of Breathing Event Day 1

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TIP/YOGA FACT OF THE DAY #1 Friday November 26, 2010

In Yoga, proper breathing helps to bring more oxygen to the blood and brain, and to control “Prana” (our vital life energy). Pranayama Yoga is a type of yoga that works in tandem with the Asanas. The union of these two Yogic Principles is considered as the highest form of purification and self-discipline, covering both mind and body. There are 4 stages of breathing in Pranayama Yoga. The first stage, which is a single inhalation is called Puraka.
Click here to continue and participate:
Facebook (1) | 12 Days of Breathing Event Day 1
Thursday, November 25, 2010

YogaDork Survival Guide to Thanksgiving-Black Friday-Holiday Madness

YogaDork Survival Guide to Thanksgiving-Black Friday-Holiday Madness

As always, a wonderful blog post from YogaDork. Great tips and advice! Thank you!

Bikram Yoga - The 26 Pose Yoga in Heat

Bikram Yoga - The 26 Pose Yoga in Heat

Thank you article author: jennibagus

Bikram Yoga - The 26 Pose Yoga in Heat Bikram Yoga is named after its founder - Bikram Choudhury, who studied Yoga with Bishnu Ghosh, brother of Paramahansa Yogananda. It is a series of 26 poses performed in a room with temperature of 105 degrees Fahrenheit. Each Yoga Pose is usually performed twice and held for a certain period of time. Yoga Sessions start from Standing Postures, then the Backbends, Forward Bends, and Twists. The poses are accompanied by Kapalabhati Breath or the "blowing in firm".

Why practice Yoga in a heated room?

  • Heat is used in Bikram and Hot Yoga in order to allow you to go deeper and safer into a Yoga Pose.
  • Your body becomes more flexible in the heat and since most poses used in Bikram are physically challenging, heat allows you to get into a pose that you never imagined you can do.
  • It also eliminates the risk of injuries, promotes sweating, and helps you release the toxins in your body.
  • The Bikram Yoga Poses not only work on your muscles but also on your internal organs.
  • Each pose stretches and strengthens your muscles, joints, and ligaments and, at the same time release the toxins and work on your internal organs like the glands and the nervous system.
Some people are often discouraged to practice of Yoga by thinking that they are not flexible enough. Yoga is not about being flexible, but about strengthening your body and your spine in all directions with the goal of creating a union between the body, mind and spirit. All that matters is to try the right way without pushing yourself too far.

Reprinted with gratitude from : Bikram Yoga - The 26 Pose Yoga in Heat

Yoga with Style has a great new category just for hot/bikram yoga products such as towels, special mats etc. We will be adding to this category over the coming weeks as there are many new products out there for hot yoga practice - even special moisture wicking clothing for controlling warmth and managing sweat. (I have to say, it's pretty uncomfortable to do a hot yoga session in sweatpants!) So, we will have cute shorts and tanks, headbands, tanks for the guys all to help you look stylish while still controlling moisture!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

How do they Make a Burnout Tees?

We have been adding so many cool yoga tees lately and many of them have what is called a "burnout" effect to the fabric. They are super soft and sheer in spots - the sheer spots sometimes make a pattern, or sometimes the burnout is used make it look worn and broken in. (Just luv worn in tees!) So, we peeked around and found explicit instructions at eHow.com on this process. Turns out it's not so easy and we now have a true appreciation for the efforts and really amazing process designers go through to achieve this look, especially the added process of adding a graphic design to the final tee on top of creating an unusual fabric to print on!

We've learned that burnout or Devoré fabric is a material that has been chemically "burned" with an acid to produce sheer areas. This technique can be used on a wide range of fabrics, including t-shirts and velvets. However, the fabric must be a combination of cellulose (plant) fibers, such as cotton and linen, and protein or manmade fibers, such as silk, wool, polyester or nylon. The acid used burns away the cotton, leaving only the protein or manmade fibers behind.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Cotton Blend Tee-shirt
  • Fiber Etch or Devoré Paste
  • Latex or Rubber Gloves
  • Eye Goggles
  • Paint Brush
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Tailor's chalk or washable fabric marker
  • Iron
  • Embroidery scissors

    Instructions

  1. Wash the t-shirt. Make sure you wash the shirt prior to using the fiber etching solution. This is to remove any dirt, impurities or sizing that may interfere with the burnout process.
  2. Draw your design directly on your t-shirt. Make sure the designated burn-out areas are far enough away from one another to avoid compromising the integrity of the fabric.
  3. Prepare your work area. Lay out all your supplies prior to starting the project. Lay the t-shirt flat and place a thick layer of plastic wrap inside the shirt to prevent the burnout solution from bleeding through to the other side.
  4. Apply the fiber etching solution. Carefully read the instructions of your fiber etching solution. Use a paintbrush to apply the solution to the fabric on your design. Let the solution dry completely. It is usually wise to treat one side of a t-shirt at a time to avoid bleeding and mistakes.
  5. Apply the fiber etching solution according to the instructions. Use a paintbrush to apply the solution to the fabric on your design. Let the solution dry completely. It is usually wise to treat one side of a t-shirt at a time to avoid bleeding and mistakes.
  6. Rinse the t-shirt. Running the t-shirt through water should remove the burned out fibers. If washing does not remove all of them, remaining areas can be trimmed carefully using embroidery scissors.

Read more: How to Make a Burnout Tee | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7450450_make-burnout-tee.html#ixzz16GBGoAcs




Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Free Spirit Knits: The List:

Free Spirit Knits: The List:: "The question, 'What is a free spirit?' has been on my mind recently. So I put together this list and I'm posting it today in honor of Artsy..."

Monday, November 22, 2010

AllieBags are here!

Here at Yoga With Style, we are astounded by the many artisans, friends and mompreneurs out there who are crafting beautiful things all the time right out of their bedrooms, kitchens, car trunks all over America.  We strive to connect with these talented people and offer you one of a kind items.  We connected with one such designer recently and boy, she is an amazing seamstress!

The designer behind AllieBags, Inc., Allie Schotanus, began her company when she, a practicing yogi herself, was in search of a bag in which she could carry her mat to class that was different from the norm. She wanted something that was both heavy-duty and unique. Using her grandmother's sewing machine, she created her first bag in 2009, "The Austin" after one of her favorite cities in the US. One bag lead to another and AllieBags was launched. Each line is featured after a different continent and the individual bags are named after cities in those continents. The bags are handcrafted by Allie in Gainesville, FL and distributed to locations throughout the country. We've fallen in love with Allie's bags and found them to be unique, beautiful, solidly constructed, and fully functional.  We are proud to partner with AllieBags to offer you their new "South America" line both online and at our Greenlawn, NY boutique just in time for the holidays! This collection features bags in rich jewel-toned hues and embroidery perfect for the season! If you have a yogi on your gift list in need of a really amazing yoga mat bag, AllieBags are just the perfect gift and something that will last and last.  Welcome AllieBags, Inc. to our growing collection of wonderful, talented designers!


Here is Allie at a recent trade show with her display of bags

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Check out The Cran-Berry Best

Check out The Cran-Berry Best
Saturday, November 20, 2010

Alive in the Fire: The Yin to Your Bikram Fire

Alive in the Fire: The Yin to Your Bikram Fire: "All photos are from Kelly Loves Whales' Flickr Photostream. She has a beautiful practice! So my bold, beautiful yogi friend Lindsay and I e..."

And Our November Free Tees For Change Winner is........

Congratulations to Jill G. from Placitas, New Mexico (wow sounds like a beautiful place to live Jill!)  We are so happy to send you your free Tees for Change yoga top - we know you will love it! We are also happy to have you on our mailing list as our customer!

Jill will be receiving Tee's For Change's Plum colored HOPE tee (she loves blues and purples :) - we love it!  
 
Here's a little bit about Jill - She primarily practices Kundalini Yoga at home. Home practice takes some amazing discipline!(We love to read about home practices so leave some comments about ways you get motivated!)  She practices by following a collection of dvds produced by Ana Brett and Ravi Singh. Jill's all-time favorite dvd of theirs is called Fat Free Yoga. The pacing, music, both rapid breathing and slow breathing, poses... all fantastic. After her practice of the hour plus dvd she says she always feels good from head to toe.

Jill is super busy as she and her husband own & operate a couple of online businesses together, Black Pearl Botanicals, LLC & Lavender Shoppe - so take a visit to her sites and check out their goodies (love love love lavender mmmmmmm)! You can also follow Jill on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/blackpearlbotan

Thanks again to Jill, we enjoy having you as our customer and friend. Shanti! Shanti!

Folks, you have to be in it to win it as they say, so next month's free tee winner will be selected on December 15th! Right in time for the holidays - like a freebie present to yourself!  Who can beat that.  So, if you have not done so already, be sure to sign to our mailing list to be automatically entered into this monthly drawing!

AND we have a new fun contest/event "The 12 Days of Breathing" starting Friday November 26th.  Read all about it by clicking on the gold gift box at the bottom of our splash page.  

Friday, November 19, 2010

Yoga Gift Baskets

We were so thrilled when the shipment of yoga-themed gift baskets arrived yesterday!  These are not just any baskets, they have incredibly thoughtful and unique contents and at all different price levels.......Stuff we've never seen before that would make any yogi happy (Wow, "Relax" Tea with a matching mug??!! neat).  The smile on our faces was put there by a woman named Caroline Cheshire, founder of Healing Baskets.  

When you first think of a gift basket, you think "what happened to so-and-so?" or "who had a baby?". The typical gift baskets are fruit or candy, flowers, or wine or some books.  Absolutely nothing wrong with that!  But these yoga-inspired baskets have a heart. These say "WOW" when you see them and make everyone smile. The parts to each one have been hand selected with care. I know our customers will love to see what's inside as we place them in our boutique.  

Healing Baskets are the first gift company to create gift baskets to truly capture the feelings of comfort, hope and happiness. Over the years of creating baskets, Caroline has been compelled through her own personal experiences to fulfill her dream of brightening lives, one friend at a time.  We are excited to partner with Caroline and tap into her endless creativity to offer you some really amazing baskets that are yoga themed.  Each have some really inspirational, fun and lovely elements.
 
Yoga With Style also offers a few of Caroline's inspirational gifts, which include beautifully engraved silver mobius bracelets (these will be available at Yoga With Style this coming week!) We feel these gift choices will brighten that special person's day and are are the perfect alternative to food baskets and flowers.

The 12 Days of Breathing

The 12 Days of Breathing

Announcing our 1st Annual "The 12 Days of Breathing" event - be sure to join the fun on 11/26/10 through December!
Tell your fellow yogi's!

Namaste!
Saturday, November 13, 2010

Blue Marbles

We have the pleasure of adding United By Blue to our artisans area.  United By Blue (or UBB for short) is super special to us.    As a beach lover myself since childhood, I spend a lot of time at our shores with my family.  It's a place of great memories, crazy fun times and quiet solitude sometimes.  But as my kids are digging in the sand to the other side of the earth to see what's at the bottom of their never ending hole, garbage and cigarette butts come with the sand piles.  Come on folks!  What's the deal?  Can't we just toss our garbage where it should go?  OK, So...... the staff and I, instead of getting angry, searched high and low for a brand that would help us get even I guess.  Get even with "those litter-bugs" as my 6 year old calls them.  A few Google searches, tweets and phone calls I landed an email and phone call from Brian Linton, the Founder (a/k/a President and Chief Trash Collector) of United By Blue.  He has a great company and, Yoga With Style,  in our efforts to support this delicate earth we want to protect for our children were thrilled to connect with Brian and offer their line of products to our customers. 

Brian explained that the Earth's oceans control the weather, water, create more oxygen than all land plants combined, and provide the main source of protein to more than 1 billion people. While much emphasis has been placed on the Green Movement, it’s just as important to protect and conserve our oceans – that’s where the Blue Movement comes in.  United By Blue is a leading business in the Blue Movement and strives to be an example for individuals and businesses of how a blue lifestyle starts with simple choices. No matter if you live in North Dakota or Florida, the fact is, we are all connected to the oceans.  UBB's products support this movement through organized beach cleanups all over the world.  For every shirt, bag, or piece of jewelry sold, UBB cleans up 1 POUND of garbage!  We thought, amazingWE CAN DO THIS TOO.  

The thing I love most about yoga and the yoga community is that it's not just about yoga itself. It's the way of life we choose to live and our surroundings too.  If we create a postive healthy environment, our practice and our lives are improved.  It's all connected. I could go on and on....you get it.  But this is why Yoga With Style has emphasized offering brands that we ourselves wear, support, believe in and are helpful to our environment and our children.

So what does this have to do with Blue Marbles???  Well, Brian and I chatted about the marbles too.  A very neat thing.   Started by marine biologist Wallace “J” Nichols, the Blue Marble movement is a symbolic reminder about the importance of our Big Blue Marble, our planet earth.
The concept is simple. And we quote from the UBB website: "Commit a random act of ocean kindness and pass the blue marble onto someone encouraging them to do the same. The impact of this project is through the connections hundreds and thousands of people are making as they pass their blue marble from person to person. The goal of the Blue Marble Movement is to have 1,000,000 marbles circling the globe spreading awareness and love for our oceans."

At UBB, they participate in the Blue Marble movement by including blue marbles in every package they send out. They also pass out blue marbles at every UBB Cleanup they host around the world.  SO, we will be organizing a local cleanup in our area over the coming months with UBB's help (will post when where etc. as it comes together).  In addition to offering our customers UBB Products (which for each piece we sell, UBB cleans up 1 lb. of garbage off the shores) we will have a basket of sparkly blue marbles at our boutique - stop by.  Take a marble.  Sign a pledge to clean up a local beach.  Pass your marble on.  Come back.  Take another if you want.  Join us.  It's that easy.  

Thank you Brian and the UBB for making a HUGE difference out there - we are happy to connect with you and join this most important movement, we are huge fans, love your products!!! 

So, yogis, we're thinking GREEN and BLUE.
Friday, November 12, 2010

Gemstone Beads: The Beauty Of Citrine Gems

Gemstone Beads: The Beauty Of Citrine Gems

Above is a link to a great informative article all about the gemstone Citrine.  I am reading more and more about crystals, gems and healing that this one peaked my interest.  One of our new artisans, Ten Things Jewelry, has a few necklaces that feature this stone. The chains almost look gold in the photos on our site, but they are sparkling citrine - tiny rays of warm sunshine to have around your neck during the cold months ahead! Will be blogging more about crystals in the weeks ahead.  Enjoy!
Thursday, November 11, 2010

Saving The Beach One Day at a Time (and one mat at a time)!

We have had the pleasure of connecting with so many interesting people through this business and within the yoga community.  One of these people has struck a chord with us in particular, Kim Masoner, founder of www.savethebeach.org.  She initially amazed us with her tweets about beach clean up efforts but we were astounded by her most recent venture, helping the homeless.  Kim and her organization collect recycled plastic bags, usually grocery bags and dry cleaning bags, and has been crocheting them into mats for the homeless in her area.  What an amazing idea!  We have started a plastic bag collection here at Yoga With Style both in our homes and at our new boutique.  In addition, when Kim and I emailed each other, she mentioned wanting to be able to give the mats inside a bag that they use to keep the mat when not using it.  We are so happy to support Kim's efforts and for every yoga mat bag she has purchased, Yoga With Style has doubled her order as a donation.  These mat bags are an economical solution and weather resistant.  We pledge our support to Kim and her organization now and in the future and will continue to donate bags as her efforts grow. If you'd like to read about Kim and her efforts her are links to her site and to photos and the story which appeared on twitter about the mats she creates: Site: http://www.saveourbeach.org/  Mats: http://yfrog.com/5tynyaj

Thanks Kim for making the world a better place, one cleanup and one mat at a time.
We all can make a difference!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Beach Clean Up

--http://www.twitter.com/yogawithstyle/status/2542501973987329'>
This is an amazing feat and Yoga With Style will be an ongoing support to this most worthy cause. Check it out!
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Ten Things Jewelry

Ten Things Jewelry

Just in and SO GORGEOUS! A great collection we'd love to share with you from Ten Things Jewelry. Ten Things is a collection of yoga-inspired,Bohemian, handmade designs.With over ten years experience as a fashion stylist and self-taught designer, the talent behind Ten Things, Kerri Jones, draws her inspiration the everyday beauty that surrounds her, and of course, the gorgeous Southern California coast. 
As a wife and mother of two teenagers and many animals, Kerri's weekends are spent at the beach, surfing, shopping, practicing yoga and eating vegetarian burritos (yum!).


Yoga With Style loves the vibe and quality of Kerri's pieces and is happy to share them with you! Take a look at this collection as we are sure there is someone on your holiday list that would love one of Ten Thing's designs (maybe a pre-holiday gift to yourself! I am making my wish list NOW!).
Namaste ~

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Cleaning out - Aparigraha

I have been reading some meditations and some writings from various yoga books and such.  I came upon an essay that explained the meaning of APARIGRAHA, or non-hoarding, and it struck a chord with me.  Aparigraha, or non-hoarding, as mentioned is the "art of appreciating emptiness in one's life" (as quoted by Rolf Gates in Meditations from the Mat).  In yoga, we "practice aparigraha by letting go of our expectations and letting go of the concerns of the day", explains Rolf.  I so appreciate that opportunity when I practice yoga.  Being able to clean out my mind of the day's worries is so essential to me functioning effectively on a daily basis and makes such a difference in my overall mood and patience level.  I have to say this Fall I think I took this concept to another level and interpretation by physically cleaning out a lot of things in the house where we live - I had a huge stash of baby keepsakes from when my kids were infants - I had a tough time letting some of those things go as I kept them with the thought that "well, what if we have more children?" But now, that's not in our plans (although one cannot always plan these things right??!!!) so I was ready to give these things to charity.  I kept the handmade things that were heirlooms and it felt good to part with the rest.  I kept going....into old seasonal decorations....old household items from former homes....and on it went.  A carload of stuff was sent to charity.  I am from the school of thought that "if you don't use it, get rid of it and if you keep it, use it and enjoy it because you can't take this stuff with you when you're gone"  That may be morbid, but it helps me enjoy what I have - I don't save "special" things for a "special" occasion, because everyday is special.  That "occasion" may never come.  It has helped me rid myself and home of non-essentials and not get crazy if the kids sit on antique furniture....it doesn't matter.  Rid the mind of non-essentials and enjoy the moment.  These moments and things don't last forever.
Read Rolf Gate's Meditations from the Mat and other neat meditation titles in our Books category at Yoga With Style!

Janaration

I love my job - I get to work with the most creative, kindhearted people, I just cherish the new relationships that have been formed from the launch of Yoga With Style!  One of those creative people, Jana Camp, is new to our site, but folks, keep an eye on this designer because her creations are out of this world!  We welcome Janaration to Yoga With Style with open arms as this jewelry company embodies all that we aim to deliver to our customer - amazing, earthy, delicate, yet rich jewelry with inspirations from yoga and nature.  Their pieces combine the spiritual elements of yoga into a beautiful piece of wearable art.  The designs incorporate healing elements that not only look amazing, "but radiate a positive, healing message that inspires and promotes spiritual growth" (to quote Jana Camp herself!).  I have so many favorites from the line, that it's hard for me to just pick one, but if I was hard pressed (and plan to get my hands on one asap!) it would be the floating lotus necklace.  Janaration has been featured in a lot of press and hot spots around LA and the US.  Their angel wings lariat was featured on "LIVE" on Fox5 Good Day Atlanta in November 2009.  Many of Janaration's designs have been spotted around town on the arms and necks of Hollywood celebs! We are huge fans of Janaration and hope you will enjoy shopping this collection! 
Friday, November 5, 2010

Tees For Change

Tees For Change

We have the Fall line in of one of our favorite brands, Tees for Change! Check out all the wonderful, inspiring and eco-friendly tops. We'll be adding more daily, so keep checking back - some of our favorite designs have been added today.

All their tees are fair trade and made under sweatshop-free conditions from 100% organic cotton or a blend of 70% bamboo/30% organic cotton. The cotton is cultivated without the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, which is good for the environment and for the workers who grow and manufacture the shirts. Naturally sustainable bamboo is fast-growing and, because of its natural antibacterial properties, it needs no pesticides and is 100% biodegradable.

We especially love and support Tees For Change here at Yoga With Style because of their dedication to the environment. They have partnered with Trees for the Future to plant a tree for EVERY tee we purchase. Trees for the Future plants trees in Asia, Latin America and Africa. Their last tree planting helped plant over 5000 trees in Cameroon and they have planted over 10,000 trees since starting the company in 2007.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Yoga Lounge

On Sale again folks - we just LOVE this piece and it's SOOOOO comfy!
http://www.yogawithstyle.com/item_198/Yoga-Lounge.htm
Sunday, October 31, 2010

Jennifer from Greenlawn, NY | Win a Job as the next Good Mood Blogger.

Vote for us! Jennifer from Greenlawn, NY | Win a Job as the next Good Mood Blogger.

Yoga Life Port Washington


Here at Yoga With Style we have had fun each month visiting local studios and featuring them here on our site.  We love meeting instructors and hearing about their take on yoga, their style, and giving us some insights to share with our customers and the yoga community.

This month, I had the opportunity to sit down and meet with yoga studio owner and instructor Joanne Hsieh Kane.  Joanne and her husband Drew (also an instructor) together with partners Dena Vigilis and Shari Thompson, own and operate Yoga Life Port Washington.  It was really nice to visit their studio which I found to be a calm, clean, simple and welcoming place – just what we like!  

The studio vibe is definitely reflective of Joanne as upon first meeting her, I felt like I had known her for years, an old friend that I felt completely at ease with.  So many yoga instructors we meet here at Yoga With Style inspire us, and when you meet them, they have a light about them, an aura.  You cannot quite put your finger on it, but they always make you feel like you have their full attention, and you know that they “get it” and it always makes me, personally feel calm and wish I could capture that same energy in my own life.  That is, in my opinion, the sign of a true yogi – someone who reflects this outward love of life and gentle light around them.  That, to me, is Joanne.

Here are some highlights of things I chatted about with Joanne about her life as a yoga instructor, mom and studio owner:
YWS: Tell me about a time that a student inspired you (or made you laugh):
J: There isn’t only one time that a student has inspired me.  Every day, I am inspired by those that come to their mat.  Yoga is a daily practice that requires one to show up regardless of what is going on.  Commitment, Consistency, and Dedication are inspirations that I take from the students.

YWS: What is your favorite pose/asana and why?   
J: Sukhasana (steady seat) is my favorite pose because it allows me to feel grounded, centered and still in my mind!  And of course, Savasana!  I love the space that you find after a strong practice- it feels like an out of body experience!!
YWS: Who inspires you every day and why?
J: My kids inspire me every day.  They have taught me over and over again that life is constantly changing and to remain humble through it all.

YWS: What is the most important thing a new yoga instructor (or maybe
someone who is thinking about becoming an instructor) should know? 
J:  Don’t be a yoga teacher if you think you will make a million bucks!
YWS: What are some ways you find the time for your own personal practice (i.e. many
instructors get so busy that they lose their own "me" time)?
J:  I spend a lot of time in my car and turning off the radio and driving in silence has helped me create “me” time.    I find little pockets of time to get to my mat or to take a ballet class (most of the time when I know my husband will be home for the kids).

YWS: How do you instill some of the principles of being a yoga instructor in your children?  
J: Having compassion, consideration, and respect for others (how would it feel to be somebody else?) as well as your own self-respect.  If we don’t have it for ourselves, how can we expect to have it for others??

You can visit Yoga Port Washington online at http://www.yogalifepw.com/  The studio is at 927 Port Washington Boulevard in Port Washington, New York.  Read more about Joanne and her instructors online – we hope you will take a visit there and experience all that Yoga Life Port Washington has to offer.  Thanks for my visit Joanne!
Saturday, October 30, 2010

Bicycling.com: Yoga for Cyclists | Bicycling Magazine

Bicycling.com: Yoga for Cyclists | Bicycling Magazine

Click the above link for a great quick read and a few poses for biking!

My husband loves to road bike - in fact we both love to bike on road and off road and have many memories of long rides together to nowhere in particular (way before kiddies of course!). My hybrid mountain bike has gathered a bit of garage dust these days since my hip injury (and the fact that my youngest child is not ready for a 2 wheeler or long rides and my oldest just got off training wheels! excuses excuses right??!!) So, I long for the days of nice long rides in the dirt (or on the road) - I will definitely incorporate the poses suggested in the latest issue of Bicycling mag so that SOMEDAY SOON we'll get out there again! In the mean time, since my husband is out there a lot, these asanas will definitely get him stretched in no time - Men sometimes get intimidated by even attending a yoga class from the sheer physical limitations of not being so flexible...but in the 20 years I have been doing yoga, I have attended many classes with male students and some with pride/competitive nature left at the door, they do extremely well. We can all, male or female, really step up our ability and growth in our favorite sports if yoga is made a habit - it's perfect injury prevention!

Lotus Stones

Lotus Stones

Yoga with Style is proud to offer Lotus Stones, a wonderful jewelry and accessories designer to our Designer Boutique category. Based in London, England, the designer behind Lotus Stones is passionate about crystals and chakra balancing. Their vision is to create beautiful chakra healing jewelry. They select the most suitable crystals with a beneficial influence on the chakras, and make body jewelry in order to place those crystals closer to their corresponding chakras. Each piece is carefully handmade using the highest quality stones, crystals and fine Sterling silver for a stylish look to suit any occasion.
What we love most is that the pieces are delicate and feminine, unique. The pieces are beautiful to wear for all occasions and not something you typically see in New Age/Chakra jewelry. We see their pieces worn with jeans and a tee or with a little back dress to go to the office or party (and secretly you know you are healing yourself by wearing it at the same time!). We also carry their vegetarian leather headband - another unique accessory! The amethyst hair clips are precious.
Enjoy taking a look at this new vendor and to Lotus Stones we say Namatse & Welcome! Keep checking back as we will be seeing more and more of this talented designer!

Mama's Home Tie Dyes

Mama's Home Tie Dyes

Baby, it's getting cold outside, but boy we can sure hold onto the rainbows of summer with Mama's Home Tie Dyes. We love her stuff and are proud to offer her line to our customers!
Now through November 15, 2010 get a FREE pair of Bamboo socks with every Mama's purchase on our site over $50.00 - ENJOY and bring out your inner Hippie and rock your tie dye at your next yoga class.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Some Like it HOT (but still want STYLE!)

We are excited to offer our customers the full line of amazing inspirational towels from Canadian designer, Baktuli.  We cannot wait to use them at our next Bikram class! These towels are stylish and luxurious, made using premium lightweight Turkish cotton. Each towel is inscribed with an inspirational quote to honour yoga's mind-body connection, and encourage positive mental attitudes during practice.

The over-sized towels match the dimensions of a yoga mat, and have been designed to ensure maximum yogi grip. They are fashioned out of Microban so they are anti-microbial, stain resistant, and moisture absorbent. That means more style and function, and less funky!

Baktuli is “the” perfect yoga towel, yet the colourful towels are also great for after a workout, at home in the bathroom, or the beach (maybe you have a hot vacation planned for this holiday or winter break!). These towels are a wonderful and inspirational gift for your favorite hot yoga lover on your holiday gift list! Please leave us feedback on these - we'd love to know how you like using them.  Check out the cute designs!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010

yoga poses for cyclists

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We have been enjoying learning about crystals and gemstones here at Yoga With Style as we have added some really neat books, dvds, jewelry and inspirational items all related to the Chakras and healing.  Keep checking back with us as more products related to this area are coming!  

Here is a comprehensive list of gemstone properties - we wanted to share this with our customers:

Gemstone Properties
Amazonite - It inspires truth, sincerity, honor, self love, communication, eloquence,
integrity, trust, clairvoyance, clarity, prophecy and openness.
Amethyst - Known as a stone of the mind, it brings calmness and clarity where there is
anxiety and confusion. It will help you learn of all things spiritual, mystical and psychic. It
can also aid in healing magic, helping to overcome addictions.
Aventurine - Attracting abundance & wealth. Stone of chance or luck. It is also considered
an all purpose healing stone. Another potent stone for relieving stress, anxiety, and emotional
discomfort.
Black Onyx - Enhances steadfastness and determination, setting ones mind to a task. It is
grounding stone, valuable in difficult or confusing times in our lives. Extremely helpful to the
process of "letting go".
Bloodstone - Most often used to instill courage in dangerous situations and protect from
dangerous desires. It is also a powerful healing stone, and helps balance the base, navel and
heart chakras.
Black Tourmaline - Use to represent the element of Earth in your ritual magic, or to
absorb negative energies in protective magic. It is also quite useful for grounding.
Carnelian - An excellent career stone, aiding with choices and decisions. Aids in focusing
and providing motivation. Energizes personal power, and reveals hidden talents.
Citrine - Good for bringing happiness, joy and optimism into your life. Never contains or
holds negative energy, and energizes and improves self esteem, helping to open the mind.
Fushsite Ruby - A variant of fuchsite that contains ruby crystals within it, this stone is
quite useful in trying to reach nature spirits, perform healing magic, or otherwise attract
wealth and prosperity.
Garnet - This rich red stone is often used as a powerful addition to protective magic, as
well as in representing the element of fire or for reaching into deeper reserves of energy.
Jasper - Known as stone of protection, driving away evil, and helping to find compassion,
contentment and courage. Good for astral travel and grounding.
Labradorite - Very good for enhancing night vision, great help in developing the ability
to see auras. Promotes strength of will and a feeling of inner worth about your own abilities,
while relieving insecurity and apprehension about your value as a spiritual being.
Malachite - Very powerful in aiding with the interpretation and transfer of information
that leads to spiritual evolution. Excellent stone for identifying, recognizing and releasing
negative experiences. Represents fidelity in love and friendship.
Moonstone - Helps to soothe and balance the emotions. They assist in the master of your
emotions by bringing them under control of your will, instead of repressing or expressing
them. Represents the great Mother Goddess.
Moss Agate - Foster love, abundance, wealth, good luck, longevity, acceptance, courage,
protection, balance, harmony, generosity, strength, security and appreciation of nature. All
agates have excellent protective and healing energy, and stimulate analytical capabilities
and precision.
Quartz - Stimulates the cooperation of multiple energies toward a common goal. It is a
gentle grounding stone that instills balance and harmony, and can help bring peace to you,
enhancing quiet reflection during meditation without the interference of the thinking mind.
Rainbow Moonstone - Able to attract and inspire love, and help lovers work through
difficult times. It is also a potent aid in divination or psychic practices, helping to reach out
to and access the many and varied paths of the mind.
Rose Quartz - Is a stone of love and healing. Helps heal emotional wounds and pain.
Opens heart to beauty, helping to heal with calming energies by reducing resentments.
Tiger Eye - Excellent grounding stone! If you need to make some changes in your life,
this is the stone for you! Promotes balance and strength to get through difficult phases of
life; relieves doubt and bestows decision making with vision and clarity.
Topaz - Promotes individuality and creativity, while providing self confidence in your
own decisions. Helps to remove doubts about your decisions, and promotes the expression
of ideas. Activates the laws of attraction and manifestation of your desires.