Posts Tagged ‘intermediate yoga’
Monday, April 30th, 2012
After only a single day’s passing Janet Stone’s iPhone app, Yoga with Janet Stone, debuted at #2 in the iTunes store. The app can be found in the Health & Beauty category, as well as currently in the New & Noteworthy category due to its overnight success. Having partnered with company lolofit, the app guides you through Janet’s “vigorous-yet-sumptuous approach to Vinyasa” in a “dynamic form of yoga flows from one posture to the next in rhythm with your breath.”
As an advocate of the Eggs, Janet has incorporated our ergonomic yoga blocks into several of her sequences in the app. Through Radiant Mom Yoga Janet has adopted the Eggs as an integral prop in her practice and teaching.
With over 100 flows arranged into 6 practices that change daily or 4 that progress in difficulty, yogis will find many options from beginner to advanced levels. The app includes over 5 hours of Janet’s audio instruction along with over 3 and a half hours of video tutorials. If you choose to design your own sequence, users may do so with the included Practice Builder.
Of the many perks of the app one that is most notable is the option to track your practice, as well as share with your friends. With several hours of yoga music, meditation sessions, and the Eggs by your side, you’re in for quite the complete at-home yoga practice. If you can’t keep up with Janet on the road, then this is the perfect alternative!
Tags: advanced yoga, beginner yoga, ergonomic yoga block, intermediate yoga, iphone, itunes, Janet Stone, janet stone yoga app, meditation, three minute egg, yoga egg, yoga music, yoga with janet stone
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
I returned from my Ayurvedic weekend with an odd combination of dread and resolve. The threat to move me back to the beginners’ class was looming from Friday’s session, and the beating I took from the teacher at the spa had left its scars. But I was determined to stay in headstand for the full 5 minutes.
The class started at 7:00 am with handstands at the wall. Seriously? Handstands? What happened to a gentle cat/cow or some breathing exercises? We then moved into downward dog and some forward folding for at least a few minutes before the teacher announced it was time for Sirsasana – headstand. Having failed to tuck in my shirt for Handstands and never fully regaining my composure after that, I approached headstand with a combination of caution, care, and resolve to do it right. I would press into my forearms, extend through my heels, separate my hips from my ribcage, and lengthen my shoulders to avoid placing too much pressure on my head – all while maintaining one point of focus and smooth easy breathing. I began feeling fatigued after about 90 seconds into the pose. My neck was starting to hurt and my arms were shaking, but I looked across from me at an upside down man who seemed to float effortlessly on the other side of the room, and I decided that if he could do it, so could I. (more…)
Tags: asana practice, beginner yoga, camel pose, endurance, handstand, Headstand, India, intermediate yoga, Iyengar yoga, Jason Scholder, Patience, Pune, sirsasana, ustransana
Posted in A Yogi Abroad | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
I have now been in India for one week, and today was both the best and worst day I’ve had in terms of yoga. It was the best day because we had yet another amazing teacher and for me it was our first time in the same room. All of the teachers here are excellent, and this woman has certain qualities that make her shine. She is beautiful, confident, her smile is disarming, and she loves to yell and hit. In this last way she is not so unique. If you come to India to do yoga; tuck in your shirt, suck in your stomach and keep your knees and elbows straight. Or, be prepared to suffer the consequences. Today, I suffered quite a bit. (more…)
Tags: asana practice, beginner yoga, Headstand, India, intermediate yoga, Iyengar yoga, Pune, RIMYI, Salamba Sirsasana, travels
Posted in A Yogi Abroad | 1 Comment »
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
“Sometimes, legs may ache, and the mind might say, ‘Skip yoga!’ But an intelligent mind has to find out why they are paining and work out how to remove that pain. One finds a means to escape, but to persist and pursue needs a strong mind. Practice is like using a pin to remove a splinter in the hand. In the same way, one has to learn to use the intelligence to practice to remove the so-called pains and reform the practices so that these pricks do not occur at all.”—B.K.S. Iyengar, Yoga Wisdom & Practice
Where To
- Under the sitting-bones
- Under or between the hands
Why To
- For people with discomfort in the knees, or difficulty finding lift in the spine, using an Egg under the hands can both relieve some of the tension in the knees and encourage a sense of lightness from lifting out of the lower back.
- If there is strain in the knees due to flexion, sitting on Eggs creates space behind the knee joint, alleviating discomfort.
- Pressure or discomfort on the tops of the feet can be an issue for many people. This is often due to tightness in the quadriceps or insufficient mobility in the foot. Sitting up on Eggs adds space between the sitting-bones and the floor, thus alleviating some, if not all, of this pressure.
- Placing an Egg between the hands encourages broadening across the collar bones and protects the wrists.
How To
- Come to hands and knees and place 2 Eggs flat or round side up between your calves. If you need more height you can stack the Eggs, Lego Style, under your sitting-bones.
- Keeping your knees hip-distance apart, sit back on the Eggs.
- Bring the ankles as close to the hips as possible, tops of the feet pressing into the floor, to help reduce torque in the knee.
- Press your sitting-bones into the Eggs to encourage the heads of your femurs to descend towards the ground.
- Gently rotate your thighs inward.
- Inhale, and lift up out of your lower back as you lengthen your front body.
- Encourage your lower back ribs to move away from your pelvis as you extend through all four sides of your torso.
- Pressing your hands into the Egg, allow your shoulder blades to be drawn down the back as you broaden across the collarbones.
- Keep the lower front ribs soft.
- Bringing your gaze forward, draw your chin slightly in toward the spine and up, lengthening the cervical spine.
When Not To
- If knee pain persists in spite of the elevated sitting position, consult a physician before continuing kneeling poses.
- If you are suffering from an ankle injury, avoid this pose.
- If you experience mild pain in the top of your foot, place a rolled up hand towel between the top of your foot or front of your ankle and the floor.
Eggsperiments
- If you are sitting on a tall stack of Eggs, and still feel pressure in your knees, try placing an Egg in each hand and grounding into the Eggs on either side of your hips. Lift out of your lower back.
Tags: beginner yoga, ergonomic yoga blocks, hyperextension, intermediate yoga, knee discomfort, lower back lift, meditation, wrist protection, yoga blocks, yoga eggs, yoga props
Posted in Andasanas -- Egg Postures | No Comments »
Monday, June 27th, 2011
The Three Minute Egg® is not simply a replacement for the traditional square yoga blocks, although as people gain experience with the Eggs their blocks are often cast aside. The Three Minute Egg® is more than that. It’s a new way of thinking about yoga props. Even as its inventor, I am constantly surprised by its versatility (every teacher seems to find some unique application for the Eggs), and its versatility brings with it the need for some clarification.
Now that you’ve decided you want some Eggs, there’s a good chance you have a few questions. Can I get any colors I want? What’s a Hard-Boiled Egg? Do all the orange Eggs have signatures on them? In fact, you may be thinking (in a Ricky Ricardo sort of voice), “Jaaaason, you got some esplaining to do!” And so I will elaborate in this Buyer’s Guide for the Three Minute Egg® products.
We currently offer 3 variations on the original Three Minute Egg®: Namasteggs, Signature Eggs, and Hard-Boiled Eggs.
All of these Eggs are the same size and shape. The Hard-Boiled Eggs (only available in Gray) are harder and a tiny bit heavier. The difference in hardness is important and noticeable. The difference in weight (unless you’re holding a gigantic box) is not. The general principle is this: if the Eggs are in your hands (think Upward Facing Dog), and your weight is on the Eggs (or any arm-balancing pose), you want those Eggs to be Hard-Boiled. For the most part, 2 is enough, although in some instances, you may want more. If you’re standing on an Egg, it absolutely needs to be Hard-Boiled. If the Eggs are supporting your head, spine, ribs, or chest (think Supported Back Bends or Forward Restorative Twist) and you’re planning to stay there a while, you will be more comfortable and better able to relax into the slightly softer Namasteggs (available in 7 colors other than Gray). A minimum of 4 is recommended (3 under the back/chest and one under the head). This golden ratio of 2 Hard-Boiled Eggs to 4 Namasteggs is what led us to create the Breakfast of Yogis and Yogi Meal (the only difference being that the Yogi Meal comes with our introductory DVD). (more…)
Tags: 3 Minute Egg, 3ME Buyer's Guide, advanced yoga and props, Ashtanga, beginning yoga, buyer's guide, intermediate yoga, iyengar, pregnancy yoga, restorative yoga, Senior Yoga, three minute egg, Vinyasa, yin yoga, yoga props, yoga with wrist pain
Posted in Product Information | 5 Comments »
Monday, May 30th, 2011
Thank you everyone for ‘Yakking” about us. We won! We have officially joined the ranks of “Most Yakkable!!!”
Below is the list of amazing things people have said about the Eggs. Thanks to everyone who contributed. Happy reading! (and it appears you can keep on yakking about the Eggs if you like, so go for it!)
Tags: "help with back pain" "back pain" "yoga props" "back pain and three minute egg", 3 Minute Egg, advanced yoga and props, asana practice, beginning yoga, blocks, chiropractic, egg blocks, experiences, intermediate yoga, physical therapy, restorative yoga, Thank you, therapeutic yoga, three minute egg, using props in advanced yoga, wrist, yoga and props, yoga blocks, yoga bricks, yoga equipment, yoga for beginners, yoga props, yoga therapy, yoga with wrist pain
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
I feel a combination of gratitude and astonishment when people review the Three Minute Egg® and have this many positive things to say. I of course think it’s a great product, but I’m supposed to feel that way. I invented it! When other people take the time to share their thoughts and recommendations, all I can say is, “Thank you.” So today I am saying a belated ‘Thank you’ to Yoga Deals for doing such a nice write-up on my product. If you have anything you’d like to add, please do! And please share this with your yoga community. I really appreciate it!
design within stretch – three minute egg – product review
the three minute egg is the new block on the mat, but what’s with the name? according to the founder and ‘recovering’ furniture maker, jason (aka creative dude with a bad back), the name was hatched (i couldn’t resist) because of the “great benefits [that] can come from a practice where one holds challenging poses for up to 3 minutes & restorative poses for at least 3 or more.” jason also mentioned, that we should be on the lookout for… (more…)
Tags: 3 Minute Egg, asana practice, beginning yoga, blocks, egg blocks, experiences, intermediate yoga, restorative yoga, Thank you, therapeutic yoga, three minute egg, using props in advanced yoga, yoga and props, yoga blocks, yoga blog, yoga bricks, yoga deal, yoga equipment, yoga for beginners, yoga therapy
Posted in Product Reviews | No Comments »
Monday, June 7th, 2010
NY Yoga Raw Food Expo
The Three Mi
nute Egg will be exhibiting our revolutionary yoga prop, and offering free yoga classes at the NEW YORK YOGA AND RAW FOOD EXPO in NEW YORK CITY at THE HOTEL NEW YORKER from JUNE 11TH –JUNE 13TH. Two teachers will be leading classes on behalf of the Three Minute Egg. Schedule is as follows:
Friday 6:30 pm — Dr. Cornell Colbert – Finding the Asana in You — Murray Hill Room 4th floor. all levels
Your body was not made for the asanas; the asanas were made for you! Find each asana in yourself during this alignment-based class for all levels. Rediscover (or experience for the first time) the magic feeling of comfort in every pose. Take your postures deeper (both physically and spiritually) without the pain.
Saturday 4:00 pm — Mia park — Hanging in the Balance — Murray Hill Room 4th floor. level 2/3
Have you ever wondered how the folks in the front row do all those crazy arm-balances? Untangle the mystery in this Arm-Balancing Flow series. A gentle but challenging flow will help open up the body, preparing you for an advanced finale that’s easy on your wrists! You’ll never feel the need to be in the back row again!
Sunday 3:30 — Dr. Cornell Colbert – Because Your Body’s Not Square — Murray Hill Room 4th floor. all levels
Restorative yoga can do more to purify your physiology than the hottest, hardest class you can imagine. There’s no better way to wind down a 3-day yoga marathon than with a series of effortless asanas. Learn some painless yet profound postures you can enjoy doing at home. Sometimes the hardest work of all is finding stillness in activity. This restorative practice will teach you how to nourish inner activity while you relish remaining completely still.
Want a way to kick off your summer. Please tell all your friends. See you there!
(more…)
Tags: 3 Minute Egg, advanced yoga and props, asana practice, beginning yoga, blocks, egg blocks, Free yoga, intermediate yoga, iyengar, physical therapy, restorative yoga, Senior Yoga, therapeutic yoga, three minute egg, using props in advanced yoga, yoga and props, yoga blocks, yoga bricks, yoga equipment, yoga props, yoga therapy, yoga workshop
Posted in Announcements | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
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…)
Tags: 3 Minute Egg, advanced yoga and props, asana practice, beginning yoga, blocks, egg blocks, experiences, intermediate yoga, Senior Yoga, Thank you, three minute egg, using props in advanced yoga, yoga and props, yoga blocks, yoga props
Posted in Customer Stories, Product Reviews | No Comments »
Sunday, December 13th, 2009
Before diving into the descriptive elements of an intermediate asana practice, it’s imperative to point out that our practice can only be labeled when it is stagnant. As yoga practitioners we can see the metamorphosis of our body and mind every time we step onto our mats. Change only comes about with action, and change has the innate ability to positively impact our practice. Whether we are challenged by new goals we have set for ourselves, or by obstacles that we hadn’t anticipated, change requires an adaptation of mind and body.
When it comes to defining our practice, the lines between beginning, intermediate, and advanced can get rather blurry. There is a limit to what can be gained by labeling our abilities. For the sake of qualifying where our physical practice lands on this continuum, (and to better ascertain our own levels of understanding and awareness) we can set a few markers that can help us gauge our progress.
Begin with the mindset that we need to accept our practice as it is, with the understanding that the asanas present us with the opportunity to be aware of our internal state, as well as our physical disposition. They show us where we are stuck, and offer us opportunities to transcend our challenges. Because we are always changing, we should be ever ready to work within the flow of our practice. But it is necessary to be honest enough with ourselves to acknowledge our limitations, edges and habits. Whether or not you can touch your toes doesn’t move you from one category to another. A more helpful set of criteria would include understanding the actions necessary to take you into a posture, and the ability to make the subtle changes needed to find ease in each pose. Simultaneously, we bring our awareness to where we are now, where we can be, and where it’s too soon to go. It can take far more discipline to exercise restraint than to keep pushing ourselves. Understanding our bodies’ limitations is one of the key elements required to developing the trust necessary to further our practice. As we encounter more demanding asanas, it becomes even more critical to keep the lines of communication open between body and mind. This keeps us safe and inspires the evolution of our practice. This loving, nurturing and compassionate approach to a practice allows us to find the comfort and ease necessary to fully understand the potency of each posture.
Since the asanas were made for us, and not the other way around, it should not be assumed that we can properly enter a posture and stay there comfortably, the first time we try it. Finding and understanding the correct alignment for our body takes mindfulness and time. Our bodies don’t always conform easily to these new experiences, and that’s okay. We have our whole lifetime to practice yoga. We don’t have to get it all right the first time we step onto a mat. The physical practice of yoga is a journey and our bodies are not stagnant. Life affects us both physically and mentally. As we move through this intermediate phase of our yoga, the most helpful thing we can do for ourselves is to respond compassionately to the effect it has on our bodies.
Tags: asana practice, compassionate yoga, intermediate yoga
Posted in Yoga Instruction | 1 Comment »
