July 29, 2014

The Indian Rosewood, or dalbergia sissoo is a premium timber used for making musical instruments, furniture, carvings, tools and boats. It is very durable and strong with naturally golden to dark brown tones. As a block, it gives great support and stability. Our Indian Rosewood Yoga Blocks are a beautiful sustainable prop for your yoga practice.

To browse all of our eco yoga props, including Rosewood and Bamboo Yoga Blocks, visit www.barefootyoga.com!

July 24, 2014

Our teacher of the month for July is Farzaneh Noori, co-founder of Yoga House in Pasadena, California. She has been practicing and teaching yoga for over 20 years, and has studied with a number of influential yogis in the process, including Tias Little, Paul Grilley and Jill Miller. She focuses strongly on the healing properties of yoga, and some of her most popular classes include Prenatal Yoga and Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer.

Farzaneh began her Therapeutic Yoga for Cancer classes in 2012. After her own cancer diagnosis and treatment, she attributed her recovery in a large part to the practice of yoga, and wanted to share its healing benefits with others coping with the disease. The classes are offered free of charge as a service to the community, and over time attendance has blossomed from a few participants to 20 or 30 per class. According to Yoga House’s website, “Each class offers a synthesis of several natural healing modalities: restorative yoga; gentle yoga; breath work; meditation; and hands-on healing, all of which promote a state of deep relaxation which enhances the body’s ability to heal itself.”

Yoga House was co-founded by Farzaneh Noori and Bruce Schwartz in 1997 and they’re a valued long-time customer of Barefoot Yoga, offering our yoga mats, bags, eye pillows and more. To experience Farzaneh’s inspiring and healing classes for yourself, visit Yoga House in Pasadena!

July 23, 2014

Uddiyana Bandha is the second of the inner lock in yoga. Uddiyana in Sanskrit means to ‘fly up’ or ‘rise up’. This suggests all your inner organs – the abdomen, the diaphragm and the stomach – moving up and rising toward your spine. In the abstract, it means moving your energy from your mula bandha upward.

To find Uddiyana Bandha, stand with feet hip distance apart. On an inhale, raise your arms by your ears and on exhale, through the mouth, fold and place your hands just above the knees. Without inhaling, straighten your arms and suction your stomach to your spine, concaving it up and back toward the back. Hold the pose as long as it comfortable before inhaling through your nose while straightening with arms again raised by your ears. Then exhale  through your nose to bring your arms down by your side.

Uddiyana Bandha massages the inner muscles of the lower back while it moves energy upward creating a feeling of lightness. This allows for lightness in movement and deeper twists. It aids in constipation and indigestion as it stimulates the digestive juices, increases your metabolic rate and tone those problematic abdominal muscles.

For yoga supplies to help with your practice, visit www.barefootyoga.com!