Carol sent me a copy of her book to review, almost a year ago, when it was first released. (Sorry, Carol.) I placed it in my car thinking every time I drove in my car, it would remind me to read the book. Apparently this did not work very well. It was not until my sister called me complaining of debilitating neck and shoulder pain that I finally sat down to read it. This is one of the points Carol makes in her book, Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain, that it is often not until our bodies are screaming in pain that we take the time to listen. Or in my case, not until someone I care about was screaming in pain and came to me for help. So I read the book from the perspective of a yoga instructor and health care practitioner. Is this something I could recommend to my clients? Is this something I would recommend even to my sister who does not practice yoga. And the answer I received was a resounding yes!

Carol Krucoff, a registered Yoga Therapist with the highly regarded and progressive Duke Integrative Medicine, is also an award-winning journalist and Founding Editor of the Health Section of the Washington Post. Healing Yoga for Neck and Shoulder Pain chronicles the simple facts of the pandemic of chronic and acute neck and shoulder pain in the United States as well as easy, common-sense solutions for relieving pain ON YOUR OWN. I am also happy to report that I was able to read the book as well as practice the sequence within a three hour stretch before dinner. This is not necessary, but the fact that it is possible, means that more people are likely to take in the information and copies could be placed in doctor’s offices, hospital emergency rooms, physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists and even dentists offices to great effect.

But the best part is that Carol gives you a practical application in 38 easily accessible yoga poses which can be practiced all together in one 45 minute to an hour session or can be broken up into smaller segments to practice throughout the day. I will definitely recommend this book to a whole range of people including those who want to prevent neck pain from becoming a problem in the first place.

You can purchase the book through Amazon. You may also consider downloading her Healing Moves CD A Mindful Practice for All Levels. Enjoy!

This month ever-cool Yogi, Father and Teacher, Tim Miller, shares with us some of the physical manifestations of the toxins that pollute our practice. Toxins can cause inflammation and heat the body. The toxins or obstacles that Tim shares are from Sutra I.30 of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. The practice of Ashtanga Yoga indicates a vigorous heating practice to burn the toxins clear from the body.

Later this summer, we will offer more recordings from Tim’s annual workshop in Ivy, Virginia in our NEW download store. For now, just chill and watch the video!

Thanks for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman!
Namaste.
Sara Agelasto,
Co-Founder and Managing Editor
iHanuman.com

New Feature: Tim Miller Discusses the Yoga Sutras and A Light Practice: Thanks to Ashtanga Yoga Charlottesville and the Southern Yogis who traveled from afar to attend this annual workshop with Tim Miller! iHanuman was honored to record several sessions from the weekend. This month, we share with you a selection from Tim’s yoga sutra discussion. Tim keeps the discussion cool and light, so we think you will enjoy it as a way to chill out this Summer Solstice. More videos from the weekend will be released later this summer in our NEW download store, so STAY TUNED! Watch the Video Selection Now!

Last Chance to Update Your Preferences for a Chance to Win!
Wanderlust Vermont is on a few days away on June 23 – 26! On the Summer Solstice, we will draw our winner! Enter to win by June 21st at 1:16pm for your chance to win a free ticket to Thursday June 23 and two tickets for the entire festival at 20% off! Update your preferences by clicking the link at the bottom of this email to Enter! Or send along to a friend who might like to go THIS Thursday!

Cool Down with Yoga!
What are some of the ways to practice yoga to cool down? Forward Bends like Pascimottanasana. Rest your forehead on a blanket, a pillow, or a block to calm the mind which can be rajasic or irritating. Other cooling poses include Prasarita Padattonasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold), Uttitha Trikonasana (Triangle Pose) or Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand). Let us know what helps you cool down in the heat of summer. Contact Us!

Credit: Fabio Trifoni

Yesterday, I spent the day in ceremony honoring my mother and grandmothers who have passed away and their mothers and grandmothers, who I never even met. I also honored some women in my life who passed on too early to experience motherhood and yet nurtured me through a difficult time. And then I honored the women in my life today; the ones who support and nurture me; the ones who inspire and humble me.

As I looked around, I found so much strength and grace in my circle of women. I intend to continue to strengthen our bond and help them tell their stories and find their voice through the work that I am able to do. This month we feature two inspiring young women in our global yoga community.

Kino MacGregor has been named one of the top 20 yoga teachers under the age of 40. Our feature this month includes two 15 minute clips from a recent workshop in Richmond, Virginia. We hope you enjoy.

Our second inspiring young woman is iHanuman Yoga Teacher, Sara Avant Stover. Sara recently published a book and embarked on a book tour this month sharing the wisdom from her new baby, “The Way of the Happy Woman: Living the Best Year of Your Life”.

We hope our stories inspire you to be the woman in the world that you have always wanted to be and support the feminine aspect in your life. Please share your stories with us. We love to hear from you.

Contact Us or Leave a Comment on Our website.

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com

Featured Video: Kino MacGregor Miami Ashtanga Yogini on the Sutras and Forward Bends

Featured Teacher: Sara Avant Stover, The Way of The Happy Woman Book Tour!

Spring Tonic for Beltane: Motherwort, Leonuris cardiaca, The Lion- Hearted Herb

Upcoming Features for the Summer Solstice: Tim Miller, John Schumacher, David Garrigues and More!

During this transition time, you also want to be extra gentle with yourself by getting enough sleep and practicing  standing poses to build your strength. iHanuman Yoga Teacher and Blissologist Eoin Finn recently taught a class tying together Yoga, Mysticism and the Nervous System which will be released this summer in our New Yoga Download Store! In the meantime, enjoy another Blissology class with Eoin Finn and cultivate Compassion for your self and others. All of us have experienced some sense of loss this winter and these practices are beneficial for this challenging time.

In May, look out for some recordings with Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, Kino MacGregor. Earlier this month iHanuman recorded a Sutra Talk and a workshop which breaks down some of the more challenging hip opening poses of the Ashtanga Primary Series.

Stay in touch with us this spring as we will be growing bigger and stronger with your continued love and support.

Thank you for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman and for participating with us into our 5th year.

Contact Us or Leave a Comment on Our website.

We LOVE to hear from you.

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com

• New Feature: Metta Practice and Upcoming Releases with Eoin Finn
• Upcoming  Audio and Video: Kino MacGregor Miami Ashtanga Yogini
• Spring Tips: Dandelion Spring Tonic

Credit: The Jois Foundation

Just finished practicing the primary series of Ashtanga Yoga with the grandson of the founder, Sri. K. Pattabhi Jois. The Ashtanga Practice as founded by Pattabhi Jois is a strenuous physical practice meant to be practiced as a series from start to finish either on your own or led by a teacher. Groups of practitioners gather together in the early morning to practice what is called “Mysore” named after the town in southern India where the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, (newly renamed after the Founder as the Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute ) exists.

I had the honor to practice with Pattabhi Jois during his last world tour in 2006 in San Francisco and Sharath brings that same lightness of heart. There was a little bit of sadness in my heart that Guruji is gone, but at the same time there is a whole new generation of teachers and students to carry on the lineage.

This Lives Stream sponsored by the Jois Foundation was a generous offering to the public and to the people who are not able to travel long distances to study with the many great teachers around the globe. It shows the amazing power of new media. Thank you to the Jois Foundation for providing this gift. Another live stream will be offered next Friday from Encinitas, California. We will be streaming it from our site as well. We hope you will join us.

Until then, Keep Practicing!

Credit: Woven - Montauk Beach

Finally March has arrived and we can begin to wake ourselves up from our long winter’s nap. In March, we clear away the clutter from the windy cold winter to allow the new green sprouts to show their color. We plant seeds for what we want to grow and blossom this spring and summer and prune the last of the dead limbs. What remains? What are we bringing forth into the new year to nourish the seeds and tender green shoots? And who are the people in our lives that will support us on this journey?

Yoga is a tradition passed on through a lineage of teachers
One often knows you as a student or teacher based upon your teacher. Our teachers are our guides not only on our yoga mat, but also through our life. And we must choose wisely the company with which we surround ourselves. These are the people who support us through good times and particularly through challenging times.

This month, Senior Iyengar Teacher, John Schumacher, shares with us his wisdom on how to navigate the ubiquity of teacher training programs and the growing number of yoga teachers. We must be skillful in deciding with whom to join on our path towards self-discovery.

Kate Hallahan, Co-Director of the Charlottesville Yoga School, offers us a lecture from one of her teacher training classes on teaching yoga for Women’s Health.

And we welcome one of the few teachers certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga, by the late Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, David Garrigues, to our community. Look forward to upcoming downloads with David.

We are honored to help provide a community in which some of the most experienced teachers in the world offer their teachings through new media.

Thank you for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman and for participating with us into our 5th year.

Enjoy the first breaths of spring air this month. And feel free to share with us your experience with your teachers and teacher trainings.

Contact Us or Leave a Comment on Our website.

We LOVE to hear from you.

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com
Love. Service. Devotion. Yoga

New Feature: The Yoga of Teacher Trainings with John Schumacher
Featured Free Audio: Teaching Women’s Yoga with Kate Hallahan
New Featured Teacher: David Garrigues, Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher
Upcoming Free Audio and Video: Eoin Finn on Yoga, Mysticism and The Nervous System

Linda DiCarlo in Shoulderstand Credit:Projo.com

Inverted Poses are some of the most beneficial poses yoga can offer. This is obvious to seasoned yogis and why shoulderstand is referred to as the Queen of Asanas and Headstand is referred to as the King of Asanas. Because we spend most of our time on our feet, inversions offer us the opportunity to turn things upside and allow gravity to work its magic in the opposite direction. I often say that I cannot imagine someone who lives their entire life without practicing an inversion.

Shoulder stand, says BKS Iyengar in his formidable Light on Yoga is

“one of the greatest boons bestowed upon humanity by the ancient sages…It is a panacea for almost ALL ailments…It is no overstatement to say that if a person regularly practices Sarvangasana he will feel new vigour and strength, and will be happy and he will feel the joy of life.”

One of the reasons this pose has such a beneficial impact is because of its direct stimulation and regulation of the thyroid and parathyroid glands located in the throat region. The thyroid gland regulates how quickly the body uses energy. An imbalance in the thyroid can lead to either an overactive thyroid or an under active thyroid. Shoulder stand, in particular, helps to balance the hormones regulated by the thyroid gland. This pose is recommended to practice at least once a day (unless contraindicated – contraindications include high blood pressure, headache, menstruation, neck or shoulder injury, pregnancy or diarrhea. Shoulder stand is considered an intermediate yoga pose and should not be practiced without proper guidance or experience.) However, it is important that you learn how to practice these poses correctly and with needed support to avoid injury. Please enjoy our video of Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, John Schumacher, teaching the proper set up and alignment for practicing Supported Shoulder stand.

Credit: Lululemon Athletica

Love is in the air this month. And if it’s not, we need to ask ourselves, ‘Why not?” There have been many a February in my life where I did not have a significant other and often felt lacking and inferior in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. What I discovered is that sense of lack was usually due to missing self love. I had not learned to love myself, so how could I expect to someone else to love me?

Now, even though I am married to one of the best men in the world, self-love is still the most important love for me during February and every other month of the year. I have found that loving myself often leads to something greater. It allows me to love others and to share myself with not only my significant other and family members, but members of my greater community.

In honor of the month of love, iHanuman offers the members of our community a free heart meditation from one of the most well-loved teachers in the world, Erich Schiffmann. This meditation session comes from a recently released workshop recorded in Yellow Springs, Ohio. We hope you will practice this meditation, get in touch with your true self and share the free video with your friends.

We hope you will continue your commitment to yourself and practice yoga more fully this month so you can bring your love and light into the world.

What other ways will you Love Yourself this month?

Contact Us or Leave a Comment HERE on Our website.

We LOVE to hear from you.

“Thank YOU for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman.”

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com

New Feature: Heart Meditation and New Video Release from Erich Schiffmann
New Featured Teacher: Evan Harris, Co- Owner Ashtanga Yoga Shala
Upcoming Releases: Free Audio and Video with Eoin Finn, John Schumacher, Kate Hallahan and More!

In yoga or the Hindu Tradition often associated with yoga, one would invoke the Elephant God, Ganesh. Ganesh is the God of Wisdom. He is the remover of obstacles and brings the confidence and strength needed to embark on a new endeavor. ( For a short lesson on how to chant a meditation in honor of the God Ganesh, watch this video from one of our favorite yogis, MC Yogi. )

And then be inspired by some classical Indian Tabla Music and Teachings with a free podcast for this months’ feature.

Looking for a way to start the new year off right?

Join me for 90 days of yoga. Starting on the winter solstice and for the next 90 days until the Spring Equinox, we will be sharing with you some sequences, teachings and downloads to inspire your yoga practice into the new year.

Try iHanuman Yoga Teacher, John Schumacher’s, Live Yoga Class recordings, from Fall 2010.

Join iHanuman with a Teacher Page for the New Year and share your experiences with our growing community of teachers and students.

What are some of the ways you will inspire and nourish your yoga practice in 2011?

Contact Us or Leave a Comment on Our website.

We LOVE to hear from you.

“Thank YOU for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman.”

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com

New Feature: The Yoga of Sound with Loren Oppenheimer – Classical Indian Tabla Player

New Audio Downloads: John Schumacher’s Live Classes Fall 2010 are Now Available!

Coming Soon: Live Video Workshop with Erich Schiffmann

Our feature this month is a discussion with Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, John Schumacher. John tackles the question, ” Can Yoga Save the World?”

Kate Hallahan, has provided us with some of the answers as she gives us an introduction to the yoga sutras. (She is also mentioned in the December Yoga Journal for her donation-based Guerilla Yoga Project!)

iHanuman Yoga Teacher, Sara Avant Stover, interviews Yoga Activist, Seane Corn on “How to Get Off the Mat and Into the World.”

Enjoy our gifts to you this holiday season. We hope you will share them with your friends. With all of the hustle and bustle that can surround the holy-days, one way to stay grounded, in addition to your regular yoga practice, is to take the focus off of ourselves and help those less fortunate. Isn’t that what St. Nicholas did?

Let us know how you plan to save the world with yoga this month!

Contact Us or Leave a Comment on Our website.

We LOVE to hear from you.

“Thank YOU for helping to build the bridge with iHanuman.”

Namaste,
Sara Miles Pope Agelasto
Managing Editor and Co-Founder, iHanuman.com

Want to know what I think? Read about it on my iHanuman Teacher Page.

New Feature: Free Podcast “Can Yoga Save the World?” – Senior Teacher John Schumacher

Featured Teacher Complimentary Audio: Kate Hallahan Introduces the Yoga Sutras

FREE Audio Download: Get Off the mat and Into the World with Seane Corn