I'm please to welcome DJ HyFI to Burlington from his trips around the country, spreading music, yoga and love.

Join us on Saturday, July 24th from 6-8 pm on a journey across a sonic landscape of groovin' beats and lush atmospherics. The journey starts with an hour and a half of asana to live DJ mixing and flows into a 30 min sonic meditation/savasana.

In the yoga portion of the workshop, I will lead you to new depth and in the meditative portion of the workshop, DJ HyFi will be layering and mixing ambient sounds to create a smooth sound scape that will transport you to another dimension.
-Jane Jarecki Lanza

Just relax and let the river carry you along...
$25
6-8 pm
Register: Pre-registration required

Yoga-teacher turned DJ who spends his time touring the country spinning live in-studio at Yoga workshops and events nationwide… DJ HyFi brings it to the next level! To download DJ HyFi’s June 2010 mix for free :: click here ::

Many pregnant women in our classes talk about experiencing leg cramps, especially during the second trimester. They can be surprisingly painful, with muscle aches lasting for days. The rest of us can also get leg cramps this time of year, with our increased activities, and the dehydration that sometimes comes with it! To help avoid leg cramps, make sure you are getting potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium  – in the right ratio.

Foods that are high in these minerals are: bananas, oranges, grapefruit, yogurt, cottage cheese, dark green leafy vegetables, like kale, salmon, sardines, almonds and others. Eat plenty of these foods to help prevent leg cramps.Carbonated beverages are also known to interfere with your body’s calcium uptake, so do your best to avoid drinking these and sodas on a regular basis. Instead, brew a pot of raspberry leaf and nettle tea. Mix half of the tea with orange juice and you’ll have a wonderful supply of these minerals to discourage leg cramps.

Another benefit for pregnant women is that these herbs tone the uterus, which can help during labor and birth. Sometimes pregnant women experience restless legs, when legs ache or jerk, especially at night. This may indicate anemia or low iron. Nettles are high in iron so it is beneficial to drink nettle tea.
If you get a leg cramp: flex your foot – bring the toes toward the ankle – and extend through the ball of the foot and heel. Do not point your toes as this can increase the cramp.If you have varicose veins do not massage your leg or apply heat until a clot is ruled out.

Also try these poses:

Runner’s stretch – Stand with your hands supported, about 3 feet from a wall or table.  Bring your right foot forward and step your left foot back. Bend the right knee and straighten your left leg. Breathe steadily and deeply. Soften into the left calf muscle as you exhale. Change sides.

Pyramid pose – Place your hands on a wall or table with the right foot about 2 feet away from the wall. Step your left leg back with the toes turned in about 60 degrees. Have your heels in line. Square your hips, firm your legs and as you exhale bend forward at the hips. Walk the hands up the wall to extend your spine. Root strongly through the feet. This pose also helps with sciatica and hip pain.

But, then something started to happen. Over time I become more and more aware of the people around me who were practicing, and it felt good. I felt more connected to my surroundings. At the same time, I was becoming more connected to my surroundings outside of yoga and was more and more working and surrounding myself with other people. That’s really the kind of person I am. I can certainly be isolated, but ultimately being around people is just more fun and I’m way happier with other people.

I feel that through just doing the practice I became more in touch with my true self, who I really was, and I started to connect and create a world that was more connected to the real me. I like the idea of thinking that through the practice of yoga what you need, what your True Self needs, comes to be. The person you are on the outside slowly starts to transform into the person you really are inside. It’s a nice thing to consider, and yet another reason to keep practicing and discovering through yoga.

It is right now, in each moment, what ever is, exactly as it is.
All of the information out there, is just a hint on what Yoga may or may not be like for you.
Every one of us are unique expressions of the same whole.
Although at its source Yoga is the same we each have our own unique perception and experience of what it is to us.
So stop looking for Yoga you cant find it. It will never meet some kind of theoretical, conceptual expectation you may put on it.
Let Yoga find you, be completely open to this experience right now. That’s all there is …

Start your Tuesday morning with a level 3 community class at Evolution.
7-9 am
$5-$10 Donation

Join Danny Morris for a practice derived from the Anusara Eye of the Tiger sequence. This class is an opportunity for the Intermediate to Advanced student to take their practice to the next level. The 2 hour practice flows through sun salutations, inversions, standing poses, hip openers, arm balances, headstands, back bends, shoulder stands, forward bends and twists concluding with meditation and savasana. Broken down into four unique sequences each week we explore a different set of advanced poses in each category. The poses are called out a few at a time allowing each student to work at their own pace. In an open friendly and fun workshop environment each student can share what they have learned about the pose and offer each other assists when needed. Sometimes progress is made, sometimes we still laugh at the thought of achieving a pose but its good to start somewhere and attempt what you never thought was possible. After challenging yourself relax into your heart for a deep meditation and savasana leaving you invigorated and empowered to begin your day.

You’ve heard of the Down Dog Pose, but what about doing the Down Dog with an actual pup? Doggie yoga, or “doga,” has taken off across the country, allowing for yoga enthusiasts to bond with their canine companions in an entirely new way. No Frisbees, rubber balls, or rawhide bones – doga is all about stretching, balance, and building a deep bond with your favorite pooch.

The practice of doga combines massages, meditation, and yoga stretches for both the humans and animals involved. Doga emphasizes the importance of constant physical contact between the pup and the owner. This contact helps otherwise nervous or jittery dogs to calm down as their owners do a variety of yoga poses around them, sometimes even using them like props. For example, in one Seattle Humane Society yoga session, the Down Dog is done just like it would be done any other time, except in doga, the top of your head does not rest on the mat, but on your pup’s relaxed or snoozing body. When a session is going well, most of the pups involved in the doga class will stay relatively calm, thanks in no small part to the gentle energy being generated around the room.

Doga is a generally new thing, and obviously has attracted its fair share of critics. It is lambasted as being a silly fad by some, especially because the idea of a dog doing yoga can understandably seem absurd. Yet, the experience can be hugely beneficial to both the dog and the human involved. Animals have long provided people with a sense of love and calm. Combining the relaxing and stress-reducing practice of yoga with the calming effect of a loved puppy’s presence invariably makes many dog owners happy, which in turn is good for mental health. In addition, just as owning a dog can encourage an owner to regularly take walks or jogs, doga can encourage an owner to regularly practice yoga. This will benefit the owner’s overall physical health. As for the pooches, many of the stretches and massages are done to encourage healthy digestion and circulation. However, most importantly, none of the dogs in doga are ever forced to participate in anything that would harm them.

All in all, doga should not so much be seen as an alternative to regular “normal” yoga sessions, but rather as another fun way to incorporate yoga into your life. It will allow you to bond with your beloved pet while also participating in a fun group exercise that gives you and your pup a break from the typical daily walk in the park.

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of Nursing Degrees.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id:  kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

What does this have to do with yoga?

To me, yoga is the “anti-run.”  And I don’t mean, that it’s everything running isn’t, because there are many similarities.  But yoga does for me many things running doesn’t.  And yoga un-does for me many things running does.  Running is repetitive.  Marathon running is VERY repetitive.  Yoga moves the body in all different directions.  Yoga restores mobility, balance and stability.  Yoga grounds the mind to be present in the here and now.  Running, well, anyone who’s run a marathon knows that the last thing you need at mile 23 is to be aware – acutely aware – of where you are and what you’re doing.  Denial and escape – now that’s more like it.

But together, running and yoga make a good team.  Yoga can be a vital asset to a marathon training program – to “un-do” the repetitive motions.  To improve strength, balance, breathing and mindfulness.    And running brings time for exploring the outside world and letting the mind wander to all reaches.

-Alison Aiken, PT & evolution Yoga Teacher