Joyce bought the Eggs-travaganza in Tibetan Orange

Every once is a while, someone writes me a review of the Three Minute Egg which is simply too good not to share.  So I hope you’ll pardon the indulgence, but I’m going to post her review of the Eggs here on my blog.  I would encourage any and all of you to send me your thoughts on the Eggs.  You can do so using the contact page.  I’ll post them here or somewhere.  Thank you Joyce!

(Believe it or not, we live in the same town but have never met….)

If you are hesitating, don’t.  I am so glad I bought this product.  I find the Three Minute Egg incredible. [...] more

During my last appearance at a Yoga Journal conference recently held in San Francisco, I decided to donate $5 (to PARTNERS IN HEALTH in support of their relief efforts in Haiti) for each person who purchased one of my Three Minute Egg Starter Kits.  Lots of people bought Eggs, but unfortunately only a few bought starter kits.  Nevertheless, It feels good to do something, however small.  I have mixed feelings about this kind of giving, as I’m never sure how much of it actually gets to the people who need the help.  In the spirit of hope I make my donation — hoping that every bit counts, however small.

Try this for an added challenge!

When it comes to Advanced Yogis and yoga props, the response is almost inevitably, “Not for me, thanks. I don’t use props.”  Many will say that the more they advance, the less interest they have in yoga props, and the less they feel they need them.  And so I put forth the following question: What does it truly mean in yoga to be advanced?

The practice of asana inspires us to find where we are on any given day.  Making a declarative statement about where we are fails to factor in one of life’s biggest constants — change.  Our bodies change, our abilities change, our energy levels change and our goals change.  In this article, I invite you to think outside whatever box you’ve placed around advancing as a yogi,  particularly when it comes to using props.  [...] more

At least a year ago, i came across this yoga journal article which gets right at the heart of the matter. I thought i’d share it with you. Obviously, since I sell a yoga prop, I’m pro-prop. However, I am working so hard to get people to see the Three Minute Egg as more than a prop! Its uses aren’t limited to helping you overcome some vague yogic shortcoming. The Eggs can make your practice so much more fun and accessible. They can even make something things more challenging!

If you haven’t already done so, get yourself a set of Eggs and start Eggs-perimenting. I’m pretty sure you’re gonna love ‘em!

To Prop or Not to Prop

Are props a helpful supplement to your practice, or do they just get in the way? Here’s how to decide when to use—and not use—these tools. [...] more

I was just invited to attend the Texas Yoga conference in February (19-21), being held in Houston, featuring a large selection of yoga teachers from the area and beyond. This sounds like an amazing event to attend, and it’s very reasonably priced, which is nice. I’ll have just returned home from 3 weeks in California at the Yoga Journal Conference and shooting part of a documentary, so I’m not sure I’ll be able to make it, but if are/live anywhere in the area, let me know how it goes! Below is an excerpt from their sponsorship letter and I thought it had lots of valuable information for anyone considering yoga, or just wanting to be reassured they’re on the right track. I am making it available here for all to see. Thank you TYC!

The number of people practicing yoga in the US has reached nearly 16 million and is expected to continue to grow steadily.

The latest “Yoga in America” study, just released by Yoga Journal, shows that Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, including equipment, clothing, vacations and media (DVDs, videos, books and magazines). This figure represents an increase of 87 percent – almost doubled compared to the previous study in 2004.

Yoga Journal also reported that the 2008 study indicates that 15.8 million people, or 6.9 % of the US population, practice yoga. Of current non-practitioners, nearly 8%, or 18.3 million Americans, say they are very or extremely interested in yoga. And 4.1% of non-practitioners, or about 9.4 million people, say they will definitely try yoga within the next year.

The study also collected data on age, gender and other demographic factors:

• 72.2% are women; 27.8% are men.
• 40.6% are 18 to 34 years old; 41% are 35 to 54; and 18.4% are over 55.
• 28.4% have practiced yoga for one year or less; 21.4% have practiced for one to two
years; 25.6% have practiced two to five years; and 24.6% have practiced more than five
years.
• 71.4% are college educated; 27% have postgraduate degrees.
• 44% of yogis have household incomes of $75,000 or more; 24% have more than
$100,000.

The 2008 study indicated that almost half (49.4%) of current practitioners started practicing yoga to improve their overall health. In the 2003 study, that number was 5.6%. And they are continuing to practice for the same reason. According to the 2008 study, 52% are motivated to practice yoga to improve their overall health. In 2003, that number was 5.2%.

“Yoga is no longer simply a singular pursuit but a lifestyle choice and an established part of our health and cultural landscape,” says Bill Harper, publisher of Yoga Journal. “People come to yoga and stick with it because they want to live healthier lives.”

One significant trend to emerge from the study is the use of yoga as medical therapy. According to the study, 6.1%, or nearly 14 million Americans, say that a doctor or therapist has recommended yoga to them. In addition, nearly half (45%) of all adults agree that yoga would be a beneficial if they were undergoing treatment for a medical condition.

And what about those Baby Boomers?

In just a couple of years, according to recent statistics, the number of Baby Boomer-aged adults participating in yoga classes increased by three million. Attend a yoga class and you’ll find that it’s not exclusively populated by younger women. Older women – and many older men – are also attending yoga classes.

According to the National Institutes of Health, yoga:

• Improves mood and sense of well-being
• Counteracts stress
• Reduces heart rate and blood pressure
• Increases lung capacity
• Improves muscle relaxation and body composition
• Helps with conditions such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia
• Improves overall physical fitness, strength, and flexibility
• Positively affect levels of certain brain or blood chemicals

“Yoga as medicine represents the next great yoga wave,” says Kaitlin Quistgaard, editor in chief of Yoga Journal. “In the next few years, we will be seeing a lot more yoga in health care settings and more yoga recommended by the medical community as new research shows that yoga is a valuable therapeutic tool for many health conditions.