Spring Yoga Playlist: #1: Spirited and Folky

 For those of us who have had the opportunity to experience one of Sparkle's amazing Ashtanga or Core yoga classes here at Ayuh Yoga, knows that this experience is enhanced even further by the eclectic array of music she chooses to accompany us through each hour of blissful practice.


After every class, I just want to go home and download every single song she plays! Sparkle was nice enough to share her playlist for us.


Spirited and Folky Playlist:

1. "Reveling" - Ani DiFranco

2. "Journey in Satchidananda" - Alice Coltrane

3. "Nova" - Amon Tobin

4. "Natureland" - Amon Tobin

5. "Easy Muffin" - Amon Tobin

6. "Train Underwater" - Bright Eyes

7. "Skeleton Crew" - Kovacs and the Polar Bear

8. "Sometimes (I wish)" - City & Colour

9. "Sam Malone" - City & Colour

10. "Lua" - Bright Eyes

11. "Ruth" - Kovacs and the Polar Bear

12. "Heart Sewin" - Kovacs and the Polar Bear


Thanks for sharing Sparkle! For the rest of us: download like a yogi!

Vegan!

Vielka here.

I was doing our grocery shopping at Whole Foods yesterday. We usually alternate between grocery stores so that I can get my vegan items and not get bored. I was a pretty dedicated vegan a while back but after getting pregnant and traveling quite a bit, it proved difficult to stay a vegan. Now that the baby isn't a baby anymore, I'm back to being vegan-ish for now; meaning, I enjoy a vegan-lifestyle most of the time with the occasional piece of cheese or chicken to make a smooth transition. My veganism is for a number of reasons: some moral, some environmental, some health.

So back to yesterday. The person at the register said he was confused seeing a bunch of vegan items and then some kefir and a roasted chicken. I told him that I'm the vegan in the house but it is difficult for me to have my son be vegan, especially at 18 months. That really seemed to upset my friend at the register. Babies and toddlers have sensitive stomachs and are allergy-prone so giving too much soy or nuts can be harmful and isn't advised, I explained. He said to feed them beans; I responded that clearly he has never been around babies because that's way too much fiber to give a kid daily! I also told him that while adults don't need all that calcium or protein, growing kids do but that frankly, my kid does drink milk and kefir but rarely eats meat and can almost be considered a vegetarian. And he just kept shaking his head. The person bagging the groceries said that she completely understood where I was coming from so that made me feel better.

In thinking about yoga and diets, it does seem being a vegetarian or vegan is most appropriate. Meat is heavy to digest. This means that a lot of blood moves to your stomach to help you digest meat. The more meat, the longer it takes and the more blood. This is why after a large steak dinner, you might feel super tired and need a nap. This makes the cycle worse, slowing down that metabolism even more. The irony is, if food is meant to give us energy, why are we eating to the point where we have to take naps? Keeping this in mind, we know we can at the very least, reduce our portions of meat so we don't feel weighed down. I love reading Michael Pollan books for more of this logic: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables.

In thinking about working out and yoga in particular, if you eat too much or anything large directly before class, the blood is still helping your stomach while you are trying to get it to focus on your muscles during each posture. And imagine if you are doing an inversion, such as downward dog, trying to focus on your core and digestion. What confusion!

So wondering what you can eat to give you energy before yoga? Try some fruit, veggies, grains...

See you soon!

The Heat!!

This is Vielka from Ayuh. As many of you know, I do much of the logistics at the studio. Brian, as the director, creates the overall feel of the studio. Brian has, in the past, posted a commentary about the heat. So I thought it appropriate that I do the same, from my position, especially now that we are coming on a year and getting ready for summer.

A number of people ask me if yoga can provide a good workout, a good sweat. And I always tell them, absolutely! I am a former college track & field athlete and enjoy lifting heavy weights so I find Power Yoga to be my yoga of choice. And I don't think I would get that intense workout, that parallels an hour on the track, if it were not for the heat.

But like many of you, I also like a more meditative practice on occasion. Taking Hatha Yoga or Gentle Yoga quiets it all down for me...and neither class is heated!

We wanted to create something at Ayuh Yoga where people of all different backgrounds and abilities could find something and participate in that something regularly. So there is something for the quiet folks, active folks, and folks who like the heat extra hot!

But with any start-up business, we are not always able to accommodate all requests as quickly as one may like. And heating a studio of our size to the temperature needed while keeping costs low to our clients requires quite a bit of scheduling savvy especially with Bay Area schizophrenic weather. So on an unseasonably cold day, we might have to start heating up the room from the day before; on a hot day, perhaps just an hour before. And we have certainly floundered along the way. Our apologies for that.

I will say that when I am moving into Warrior II, making sure my gaze is correct, moving with my breath, engaging my legs and arms while positioning my toe at the correct angle, I don't often times think about the temperature of the room on top of all of that. I just know that at whichever temperature, I am definitely getting my yoga on.

Best, Vielka

Working out with a friend

Archie, personal trainer and Boot Camp Hour instructor at Ayuh Yoga, sent us this great article about the amazing results you get with supervised workouts. Even the most fit of us reach our goals much easier when we are working out with a friend or an instructor. While we think that we can get the same benefits from doing something at home with a DVD, studies show that you get much better results when you are with a trained professional. Enjoy!

Consultations and Private Sessions

We understand that if you are new, you may feel especially intimidated coming into a yoga studio for the first time: What do you do if you need a break? Where do you put your shoes? And if you are like me, wondering if anyone is looking at your toes in need of a pedicure. At Ayuh Yoga, we offer consultations and private sessions where you can have your questions answered and get some yoga experience before entering the room for the first time.

If you are new to yoga, you have the option of "trading in" your Ayuh Yoga Full Membership that first month in exchange for three (3) private sessions with a yoga instructor. You will understand yoga etiquette, how postures should look and feel, and remove that worry about your toes!

Here is some more information about consultations and private sessions:

* We can schedule a consultation with our personal trainers, yoga instructors, and/or Pilates instructor.
* If you are new to personal training, yoga or Pilates, consultations give you the opportunity to discuss your health and fitness goals and hear suggestions to make those goals a reality.
* Consultations allow you to get to know the instructors better and remove some of the intimidation you may feel when starting here. If you already feel comfortable here, consultations allow you to check-in.
* During your consultation, you may hear a number of offerings that are available at Ayuh Yoga including one-on-one sessions for yoga, Pilates, and fitness. These sessions are private and may be best suited for new students, people with specific needs related to most anything including pregnancy and post-natal, weight or joint issues. These sessions also allow the instructors to direct their full attention to you--correcting alignment and tailoring the program specifically to your needs, including schedule.

Here at Ayuh Yoga, we are most concerned with your health and want to make sure you are getting the most out of your yoga practice.



See you soon!

Ayuh Yoga

The End of Summer is Near

Often times, we only think about our health in terms of looking good. So if it isn't swimsuit season, we forget that being healthy is a long term, lifestyle change that works best if you're consistent. With the summer coming to an end in the next month, be sure to stay healthy mentally and physically. See you soon!

New Pics

Hey everyone! We just wanted to share a few pictures that our friend over at iamtimbang.com took. Thanks Michael!