Spring = New Plants, New Soap, New Yoga Kits!

Yesterday I went to the store and bought some tomato, pepper, okra, and basil seeds and planted them. I am pretty excited about growing them because I have never planted anything before. I have the perfect apartment to do it in too because my back porch is always in the sun. It will be great to have fresh vegetables and spices!

Speaking of things that are fresh, I recently have been on a pesticide and additive hating kick. After discovering that some of the bath products I have been using contained WAY too many chemicals for my liking, I discovered Castille soap. It comes in a bunch of different natural scents (I chose lavender) and it can basically be used to clean just about anything! I have been using it as shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and face wash for the past 2 days, and I feel soooo clean! I also think it is cleaning my bathtub every time I shower as well because it leaves the room smelling so clean and wonderful when I am done showering.

And Spring is finally here! In a few weeks I will be starting a springtime fruit and vegetable fast. I did it last spring and it really got me in the mood for Spring cleaning :)

At YogaDirect, we've got these great new kits in. One is geared more for beginners and the other is for use with a Yoga Ball, but the best thing about these kits is they come with everything you need!

You can choose from either the Beginner Yoga Mat Kit with DVD




Or choose the Yoga On The Ball Kit with DVD

Getting Sick...and How to Get Better

It's official, I am getting sick. I am not sure if it is just a sinus infection or if I am getting a cold, but I am not feeling well. Either way, I have been upping my vitamin C intake and using my neti pot more often to keep my nasal passageways moist. My apartment has really dry heat pumping through it in the winter and I'll bet that is something that caused me to feel bad. Irrigating your nasal passageways with a neti pot is so good for you. You can get your own Neti Pot from YogaDirect.com



Another way you can help battle winter colds is to eat a proper diet full of fruits and vegetables, and taking a good multivitamin really helps as well. As a vegetarian, I have found that I don't get sick that often, and when I do, it isn't for that long. And though I still haven't set foot in an actual Yoga Studio in a while (for shame!) I have been keeping up with my postures in my home. I find that the cold weather in winter makes me so unmotivated to step outside, so practicing in my home has really been the only option for me these days :) But stretching and toning your muscles with Yoga also strengthens your immune system, so Yogis are less likely to get sick! Although if there is an illness going around in your family or in the place where you work, there's really not a lot you can do about it. For me, I'll just keep doing what I am doing and hope I start feeling better soon!

YogaDirect.com in the news!

YogaDirect.com was in the news! Here's the article:

YogaDirect’s Custom Printing Service Thrives Despite Recessed Economy

Hartford, CT, February 19, 2009 --- YogaDirect.com, the largest direct importer and manufacturer of quality yoga equipment in the United States, may be additional proof of the yoga industry’s recession resilience. “Demand has grown substantially within the first quarter alone!” reveals a pleased Sean O’Brien, YogaDirect’s national sales manager. “We knew 2009 would be a tipping point for YogaDirect, but our sales are wildly surpassing our forecasts.” The thriving business’ success is due in part to its innovative products and services, including custom printing, scented, and eco-friendly yoga mats.

In terms of their custom printed yoga mats, YogaDirect is bringing more options and greater flexibility to an expanding market that was traditionally only available to businesses willing to pay a hefty set up fee and buy in mass quantities. YogaDirect is making custom printing affordable for individuals, studios, and businesses by eliminating set up fees, removing minimum quantities, and offering creative services from their own in-house graphic design team. With 16 mat colors to choose from, the ability to print in up to 2 ink colors, and space for images as large as 10 inches by 11 Inches, the possibilities are limitless.

“It’s an especially exciting time for our custom printing, because of yoga’s increasing popularity coupled with the need for unique marketing and branding opportunities,” says O’Brien. “We have new accounts for resorts, gyms, universities, large corporations, and even individual yoga instructors.” Recent brands using YogaDirect’s custom printing service include Playtex, BodiRocker, and countless studios across the country. Large businesses are taking notice of the immense marketing opportunity available in the yoga industry and smaller companies are using this branding tool to differentiate themselves from local competition. Some small studios are using their custom printed mats as a promotion to attract new students and increase general awareness in their community while large corporations are using this alternative marketing channel to tap into a relatively new market. Adds O’Brien, “We not only beat the competition on price, quality, and customer service, but we can ship the finished product only 5-7 business days after receiving the art work.”

YogaDirect.com is the largest direct importer and manufacturer of quality yoga equipment in the United States. Since launching in 1999, YogaDirect has taken great pride in its’ outstanding customer service, 100% satisfaction money back guarantee policy, low prices, and high quality. For more information, please contact Shelly Ouellette at 1-800-331-8233 or visit www.YogaDirect.com.

Hurray for Amy!

Yesterday, one of my very good friends, Amy Merli, just got her Yoga Teacher's Certification and I am so proud of her! I wish certification was something I could do, but the way my schedule is right now, I have absolutely no time :( But hopefully Amy will come over and give me an occasional free class hahah!
You may remember Amy from the Yoga Photo Shoot we had here at YogaDirect.com a little while ago:

First Yoga of 2009

Yes, I know it is almost the end of January, but I suppose winter makes me hibernate a little bit. I have still been dancing regularly, but getting to a Yoga class just unfortunately hasn't happened.

However, I did get to do a Yoga Photo Shoot this past weekend with one of my favorite photographers, Mr. E. Cipher...so I did my first bit of Yoga of the new year. Let me tell you, I felt SO out of shape. I did Bow Pose for one photo, and I was amazed to see how much my flexibility had decreased since I had last done Yoga (more than a month ago). I used to be able to see my toes over my head in that posture, and now I can barely get my thighs off the ground! The shoot was great for a good stretch though, because the film and the camera the photographer uses required me to hold each pose for at least a minute before the photo could be taken. And today (the day after), I am in some serious muscle pain - even the muscles in the front of my neck hurt. But it is a good hurt because it has reminded me that I have been neglecting my muscles.

Where I work at YogaDirect.com, we have added a "New Items" section to the site so that you can see exactly what is new all the time! You can get to it by clicking on this link: New Items at YogaDirect.com

At YogaDirect.com we also have added Custom Yoga Mat Printing to our list of services we offer. For businesses who would like the Yoga Mats they distribute to have a more personalized look, we can now print logos and other branding right onto our Yoga Mats. It's pretty cool, and they have been selling like hot cakes! To learn more about it, click here: Custom Yoga Mat Printing at YogaDirect.com

The "Aha!" Moment During the Master Cleanse

I glazed over the fact that I was fasting for the past week in my last post, but I feel like I should dive deeper into the subject because of my "Aha!" moment.

I guess the real reason I started the "master cleanse" 9 days ago was because i wanted to feel what it was going to do to my body. I also thought i might have some sort of epiphany or something. Only drinking a mixture of water, maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne pepper for 10 days aught to make you feel something, right?

I have to admit that this has been the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Going on all day only drinking this "lemonade" mixture whenever I feel hungry is such a hard thing to do when all you really wanna scarf is some Doritos. Or even some fried tofu with green beans and garlic sauce. Or a Boston Creme Donut. Here I go again.

Halfway through the fast, when it started becoming increasingly hard, a friend reminded me that when the body doesn't have to use its energy digesting food, it can use its energy to help other areas of your body that may be otherwise neglected. This thought helped a lot...and it was the beginning of me internalizing what was going on.

A few hours ago while I was feeling a little bummed that tomorrow would be my last day on the fast and I had yet to experience an "aha!" moment, it came to me. Much like digestion, my feelings toward my "American" eating habits were also being changed by the cleanse. The past 9 days, I have only drank when I was hungry. And though I was only taking in about 650 calories a day, I felt more alive than I have ever been. I for once was allowing myself to stop thinking about food all the time and was then able t focus on other things in my life that I had been neglecting.

I tried to begin listing "for instances," but none came to me :) But I do feel an indescribable difference. A difference large enough to convince myself that though this cleanse has been the hardest thing I have ever done, I need to do it every year. If only as a reminder of this indescribable feeling I have.

When I can eat regular food on Sunday (there is a "weaning off" process that last a few days after the 10 day of the cleanse), I will admit I am going to have some guacamole...some Mexican food! But hopefully I will carry on a bit of the habits I started with the cleanse.

Some weird things that happened during the cleanse:
-Lactic acid built up faster in my legs when I was at rehearsal
-I felt more focused when I drove my car
-Oddly, I felt more energetic, and more flexible than normal
-I lost almost 15 pounds...in 9 days
-I craved Doritos like you wouldn't believe...and I also craved meat, which is weird because I have been a vegetarian for 15 years

All in all, I know that I said earlier that I wouldn't recommend this cleanse to anyone, but after tonight, I think it is necessary to recharge your body and mind at least once a year.

Procrastination?

Wow, it has been over a month since my last post. Where did the time go? Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to completely dive into those three Yoga videos I wrote about in my last post. They will just have to wait until I am done with the zillions of projects I have going on both with my job and extra curricular dancing as well.


Speaking of projects, we added a cool new shirt to YogaDirect.com It says "I'll Be OHM for the Holidays." It comes in men's and ladies' sizes. They make great gifts!




Busy busy busy! There's also been some photo shoots going on! My good friend Amy who will be a Certified Yoga Instructor in January came by to do a photo shoot with some of our new items, like the Dome Yoga Balls, our new Printed Alignment Yoga Mats, the new sizes and weights for our Weighted Pilates Balls, and our new Zafus. Here's a sample of some one of the great shots we got of her using Resistance Bands.




I also had a photo shoot with a photographer trying to build his portfolio with dance and dancer photos. Here's a funny photo of myself posing with a Yoga Ball I got from YogaDirect.com




I have also been on the "Master Cleanse" this past week. I am currently on day 8 of the 10 day fast, and I am actually feeling great. (Although working in an office full of food has made it a little more rough than expected). I did a fruit and vegetable fast in the spring, and after experiencing this one, I feel that it is a good idea to continue this spring and fall fasts every year...kind of like spring cleaning for my body.

That's all for now. Hopefully I will be able to get in a few more posts before the end of the year...just in time for new year's resolutions! I know what is going to be #1 on my list: MORE YOGA!