Photo ©Evan Lovely

Yoga continues to grow in popularity throughout the world, and many workplaces are getting on board! As part of corporate wellness initiatives, companies including Apple, Google, Nike and General Motors have begun to offer yoga classes for their employees.

Benefits of yoga in the office include overall health improvements, stress reduction and promoting a community atmosphere among coworkers. Regular practice can increase productivity, concentration and energy levels throughout the work week. Office yoga is designed to be entry-level and low impact, so it’s easier for beginners and those with limited flexibility to participate and see the benefits of regular practice. It also helps to lessen the effects of sitting at a desk all day, where issues like neck strain and carpal tunnel can begin to take a toll.

Want to get a yoga program started at your office? First, you’ll need a quiet and comfortable room that’s large enough to accommodate your employees. You can set aside a lunch room, conference room, or other space that will be free during the class period. And of course you’ll need an instructor! Yoga Alliance is an excellent resource to find instructors in your area. Finally, each participant will need comfy clothing, as well as their own yoga mat, towel  and water bottle.

For all the supplies you’ll need for your office yoga program, visit www.barefootyoga.com!

Posted under Health and Fitness, Styles of Yoga, Yoga Clothing, Yoga Mats, Yoga News, Yoga Supplies

Keeping your balance during practice on dry land: sometimes challenging, but pretty manageable. Keeping your balance during practice on water? A whole different story.

A recent yoga trend that’s caught our eye is “yoga on water” (A.K.A. standup paddleboard yoga) which provides a sometimes not-so-sturdy surface to really beef up on your balance and strength.

It also offers a truly unique, meditative – and some yogis have said spiritual – experience by providing a very close connection to the outdoors while practicing. Feeling the water all around while practicing can provide an amazing and brand new feeling, with your feet planted firmly on the board and the gentle current of water underneath.

Some yogis feel it offers a brand new way of feeling grounded – more of a temporary stillness that is always changing with the tides and might offer a sudden flash of instability, quelled by an almost as sudden stillness.

Another great benefit of paddleboard yoga is the extra kick your muscles get from keeping steady on the board! Your body will feel the burn (in a good way, we promise) from the extra strength and care needed to stay “on board”. (A tip for the easiest way to keep your balance? Use small, slow movements when moving from pose to pose!)

While paddleboard yoga may seem like more of a stateside trend, it actually originated in Rishikesh, India! It began as a new way for yogis to get their OM in, and has grown in its popularity within the past few years as an awesome way to mix up and reinvigorate any practice.

For all of your dry land yoga needs, visit us today at BarefootYoga.com!

Posted under Health and Fitness, Styles of Yoga, Yoga News

Laughter Yoga, also called Hasyayoga, was created in 1995 by Indian doctor Madan Kataria and his wife Madhuri, a yoga instructor. The Katarias created laughter clubs that met in the parks of Mumbai, and soon the concept grew into a worldwide phenomenon. Today there are thousands of groups in dozens of countries!

The practice of Laughter Yoga combines yogic breathing, stretching and laughing as a form of exercise. It has many benefits, such as relieving stress, reducing depression, improving cardiovascular health, and enhancing the immune system. When practicing, it’s not necessary for participants to have something funny to chuckle at; even simulated laughter has the same benefits as a genuine belly laugh. And as practitioners quickly find out, with good eye contact and an open mindset, even self-generated laughter quickly turns into the real thing when you’re practicing with a group.

To participate in Laughter Yoga near you, you can check out a number of websites including Dr. Kataria’s website LaughterYoga.org and Meetup.com. And for all your yoga needs, visit barefootyoga.com!

“We are paying very high price for taking life seriously. Now it’s time to take laughter seriously.”

– Dr. Madan Kataria

Posted under Health and Fitness, Styles of Yoga, Yoga News