Yoga-ing when You are Flat Broke – How to Get Free, Trade or Discounted Yoga Classes

Down and out and need to be stretched and inspired?  When I was working full time and making close to 6 figures I didn’t think too much about how to get free classes.  I just paid full retail price and floated out of my class with my yoga buzz.  I also took a few yoga-centered vacations at places like Omega and Kripalu.

Yoga-ing when You are Flat Broke  - How to Get Free, Trade or Discounted Yoga Classes

Yoga-ing when You are Flat Broke – How to Get Free, Trade or Discounted Yoga Classes

The key is to be creative in your mindset and think about what you have of value and what you can offer the studio in exchange for you getting your downdog on.

  1. Often studios will let you take the first class for free or at a steep discount. Yogaworks lets you take the first took weeks of unlimited classes at one of their studios for $20.
  2. Barter is back!  Some studios will let you do a work exchange for a workshop or teacher training.   I know one college student that mopped the floors of her yoga studio a few times a week so she could do the more advanced and pricey teacher trainings.  Can you do massage, graphic design, accounting, basic admin work, web site design?  Maybe you can trade.
  3. I monitor via twitalerts terms like yoga philly, yoga philadelphia and almost every week there are deals from studios for a month of classes at 75% off from sites like Living Social, Groupon etc.  This strategy works well for major metropolitan areas but not so much for small rural ones.  You can sign up for a free account at twilert.com and moniter Twitter for certain keywords ….much better than following your Twitter feed every day (does anyone actually do that?)
  4. If all else fails, ask.  I really wanted to take a yoga teacher training but the $1500 was just out of my budget.  I emailed the teacher how much I wanted to take her training.  The teacher offered one scholarship to one student each term that did not have the means and I received it for 50% off. Congratulations to me!
  5. There was a training I really wanted to take and I offered to be the teacher’s assistant.  I didn’t need to do that much during the class and I received an awesome core strength teacher training.
  6. Are you a blogger or do you write reviews on sites like Yelp, Citysearch etc?   Ask if there are press passes in exchange for an article or blog and list where you will publish these.
  7. Offer to post flyers at the cafes, natural food stores, wellness centers, etc that you frequent.  Be specific about where you will post these, how often and how many.  Can someone offer to do this for me?  I’d love for someone that lives near one of the studios that I teach at every week to go flyering once a month.
  8. If you read the fine print of your health care plan, they might reimburse you fully or partially for fitness classes.
  9. Can you recruit a small group of friends to come to classes with you?  Maybe you are pregnant and know a few other pregnant women that would love to take a Tuesday afternoon prenatal yoga class.  Offer to organize the group and see what discount you would get as the organizer.
  10. When I was “liberated” from a Fortune 500 company a few years ago I got a great severance package. They offered to pay up to $8,000 for educational benefits.  That is how I got quite a bit of my yoga teacher training.  See if your company offers educational reimbursements for current employees.
  11. There is an ocean of online yoga videos for free or at a steep disount online.  Do a search under videos in Google and be specific about what kind of yoga you want.  Do you want a vigorous vinyasa class or a gentle beginner class?  Since you can’t watch an hour video for free usually there are many sites that you pay a monthly membership $20 and can do as many classes as you want a month.
  12. For the studios that are very near you, subscribe to their newsletters.  They will mention free workshops, anniversary weeks etc.  If they cram up your inbox too much, ask them nicely to only mail once a month otherwise you will need to unsubscribe.  (I’ve done this politely and the studio was respectful and put me on a “low flow” option.
  13. Do you have a birthday coming up?  If people ask what you want, let them know you would love to have a monthly pass for yoga classses at the local hot yoga studio that is blocks from your house.  I would much rather buy something my friend will enjoy and appreciate instead of a soap-on-a-rope. (Yes, I have bought that for someone before).

What are your ideas and techniques for getting free, trade or discounted yoga classes?

Dump Your Exercise Excuses

 

Yoga to lose weight?

 Dump Your Excuses to Exercise

The benefits of exercise are many—equaled in number only by our excuses for avoiding it.

Just one in four U.S. adults works out at low to moderate intensity for 30 minutes most days of the week or at vigorous intensity for 20 minutes three days a week.
Some of those excuses—I weigh too much, I’m too old, I have too many health problems—are in themselves strong arguments for increasing physical activity. It’s harder to see through other reasons that show up in surveys asking why people don’t exercise.

Jasmine Kaloudis, a yoga and fitness instructor in Philadelphia, suggest these ways to work around the most common excuses and mostly around yoga to lose weight.

“I don’t like exercise”

Kaloudis suggests you think back to your childhood. “When we were kids, we ran and jumped and played all the time, and then we grew up and it became ‘exercise,'” she says.

Here’s what to do:

Add movement to something you like to do. If you play golf, walk the course. If you like music, listen to your favorite tunes as you walk. Take a stroll with family or friends.

Do you have a dog? Most dog love to run around and chase. Find a nearby dogpark if you don’t have a closed in yard. The kids will find great delight in this also.
Exercise with a friend. Instead of meeting at Starbucks for a fattening double mocha latte, suggest talking a walk around the lake. If you have children, play soccer or some outside games. If it’s cold, you can turn on the music inside and dance. Besides getting fit, you are creating memories. Schedule these kinds of activities on a weekly basis.

“It’s too expensive to join a gym or hire a personal trainer or buy fitness DVDs.”

The internet is your answer. There is an unbelievable amount of free exercise routines in all kinds of subjects such as yoga, martial arts, boxing, tennis. etc.

Often many gyms or fitness clubs will have special intro rates. If you are having financial challenges then let the club or trainer know what you can budget toward fitness and see if they can accomodate you.

If you also have a skill such as massage therapy or carpentery, see if you can trade or barter services. This can work well with independent practitioners but not with a big corporate gym chain.

“I don’t have the time”

This is the granddaddy of exercise excuses. With the demands of work, family, and other obligations, it seems plausible. Except when you consider that lack of exercise—and the poor health that follows—can affect the quality of every waking moment. Here’s how to overcome the excuse:
Make exercise a priority. If you think of exercise as being as important as brushing your teeth or any other “essential” routine, you’ll find time.
Avoid the “all or nothing” trap. If you can’t find 30 straight minutes to work out, try for three 10-minute blocks—or even one 10-minute block. A little exercise is better than none.

Be flexible.

Incorporate movement whenever you can. Walk instead of driving. Climb stairs instead of riding the elevator. Do calisthenics, stretch, or ride an exercise bike while you watch television.

This is a more drastic option, but consider getting rid or the TV or getting rid of some cable stations. How important is it to your life that you caught the last episode of Grey’s Anatomy? When you don’t have those extra stations, you won’t miss them. You will have more time and less excuses for being active and healthy. You’ll also save money on your cable bill.

Are you committed to changing your life or are you committed to your excuses?

 

☎️ How Yoga Helps Me Battle My Cell Phone Company 🥊

How Yoga Helps Me Battle My Cell Phone Bill

How Yoga Helps Me Battle My Cell Phone Bill

Instead of blogging about yoga poses or alternative health or wellness, I wanted to share a victory I had against Verizon so I can inspire you to see how yoga can help you when you are dealing with unfair and difficult people and situations.

We signed up with Verizon Fios with their cell phone, internet, cable and land-line package earlier this year.  I’ve had a lot of problems understanding their confusing billing practices and they messed up our install as well.

They actually had our calls going to our neighbor’s phone since they got the wires crossed.   I’ve been a customer of Verizon’s for over 10 years and can’t tell you how many times I’ve had some gi-normous bill that I had to battle against.  One bill (which was $900…not a typo) made my knees buckle and I just fell on the ground and started to bawl and decided the only solution was to join an ashram and get away from the complexities of modern life.

This last few times I called them, I was calm but assertive, polite but firm about the $200 that was owed to us as a promotional gift for signing up with their bundled service.  (On a more practical note, whenever you are not getting anywhere with the customer service rep, always ask to speak to a supervisor as quickly as you can since they are the only ones able to modify or add credits to your bill.

The other tip that works really well is to call the cancellation department and just say you want to cancel.  The reps at the cancellation department will go to great lengths to save you so if they ask if there is anything they can do to keep your business, tell them what the grievance is and what you would like.)  With patience and perseverance, I was able to get $208 as a credit on our bill going forward.

Because I have a pretty steady and committed yoga practice, I’m able to not be so reactive when faced with unfairness and unjustness.  I stay steady and calm with whoever I am dealing with but I know that my peaceful yet powerful persona is helping me get through to the other person.  I find that I am not as quick to get angry and I know that the other person is just doing the best that they know how from their level of consciousness.

And that $900 bill?  After a few calls and with persistent determination I got it reduced to $250.  I didn’t join an ashram to escape the responsibilities that go with living in a complex and highly wired world.   My yoga practice helps round out the rough edges for me so that life goes smoother.  Challenges and problems still come my way, but I find that I handle it much better by coming to terms with my response-ability….my ability to respond to chaos, challenge and confusion.

What about you?  What spiritual practices help you stay grounded?

🧘🏻‍♀️ Gentle Yummy Restorative Yoga and Cancer 🧘🏻‍♀️

Restorative yoga is one of the most underrated of all the kinds of yoga out there but one of the yummiest, the dessert of yoga.  You won’t get Taylor Lautner’s abs from doing this kind of practice since there is no jumping and hopping around like some of the power yoga classes out there but they are gentle restorative yoga poses if you have cancer.

There are various adjustments to traditional yoga that allow for a gentle, therapeutic practice. This is called restorative yoga and classes generally consist of poses, breathing and meditation.

Yoga may also assist in managing depression, anxiety, insomnia, pain, and fatigue.   It can increase the quality of life for those directly affected by cancer and those who care for them. Complementary therapy such as yoga can be crucial in helping those affected by cancer develop a solid physical, emotional and mental base as they make- the sometimes difficult- transition from being a person with cancer to living as a cancer survivor.

Cancer patients often find themselves in distracted states of mind—bombarded as they are by frightening, sometimes contradictory, information, subjected to invasive, painful procedures, and not-always-compassionate medical care. When our minds are so grievously disturbed, we may find it impossible to make crucial decisions or relate satisfactorily to our family and friends. Practicing controlled breathing exercises (also called Pranayama), meditation can help in relieving tension. When the tension is released, energy can flow more easily in the body and allow patients to experience a sense of well-being, emotional mastery and strength. In healthy people when practiced appropriately with an experienced teacher, yoga is generally considered to be safe especially restorative yoga poses for cancer.

People with certain medical conditions should not do certain yoga practices or should consult a medical practitioner that is also knowledgeable about yoga poses and contraindications. For example, people with disc disease of the spine, extremely high or low blood pressure, glaucoma, retinal detachment, fragile or atherosclerotic arteries, a risk of blood clots, ear problems, severe osteoporosis, or cervical spondylitis should avoid some inverted poses.

Although yoga during pregnancy is safe if practiced under expert guidance, pregnant women should avoid certain poses that may be problematic and should only practice with a teacher trained in prenatal yoga.

Yoga can boost a woman’s quality of life while she’s being treated for breast cancer.  According to recent research, women who did yoga classes had better emotional, social, and spiritual well-being compared to women who didn’t do yoga. Women who were not having chemotherapy got more benefits from yoga. This could be because fatigue and other chemotherapy side effects may make it harder to participate in a yoga class.

Maintaining balance in your life while dealing with breast cancer can be difficult. Yoga focuses on the interactions between your mind, your body, and your behavior.  While scientific research on yoga is relatively new and the studies are small, early results have shown that some yoga may help ease physical and emotional symptoms in some people. When combined with conventional medicine, complementary therapies may offer a more integrated approach to healing.

Sleep disturbances and fatigue are an enormously burdensome problem among cancer survivors; 30 to 50 percent of newly diagnosed or recently treated cancer patients have trouble sleeping, and 70 to 96 percent of recently treated cancer patients complain of fatigue. The reasons for this aren’t clear. Experts cite psychosocial factors as well as physical ones.

Restorative yoga, which is the most gentle kind of yoga, may provide some relief of fatigue and depression problems for women with breast cancer. In restorative yoga you can hold the poses for longer because you’re being supported.  Researchers found women who practiced this gentler version of the popular mind-body therapy had a 50 percent reduction in depression and a 12 percent increase in feelings of peacefulness.

Practicing continuous flowing movements has a positive impact on the lymphatic system and in particular Lymphedema. When lymph fluid is disrupted through breast cancer surgery, trauma or infection there may be an excessive fluid build up.  This stagnant fluid can play havoc on the tissues and create swelling. There also can be a reduction of the oxygen intake or absorption to the lymphatic system; all of which increases the chance for infection.

Practicing a flowing yoga keeps the lymphatic fluid pumping throughout the body’s channels, rather than accumulating or backing up. It is great for maintaining healthy breast tissue.  To keep this fluid moving, we need to also foster relaxation. It will facilitate renewed or restored strength, and flexibility.

yoga-cancer-synergy-by-jasmine

Yoga for Pain Relief: Simple Practices to Calm Your Mind and Heal Your Pain

Flowing yoga movements develop a supple spine and a strong nervous system so when the nervous system is in balance the parasympathetic and sympathetic system work together creating great calm.

When flowing in the practice the poses encourage digestion, assimilation and elimination.  The body’s immune system is stimulated to maintain health. When flowing from a backward bend to a forward bend, the spine will roll vertebra by vertebra, either in an ascending or descending order, while following the natural wave of the spine.  Here it will recognize naturally that a backbend (extension) will flow from a forward bend (flexion) and vice versa.

There is so much to learn from survivors about being in a warrior pose. Living with fear helps make a warrior. It is the first lesson cancer teaches a survivor, being prepared for the uncertainty of their new life. Having worn the coat of a life-threatening diagnosis, practicing savasana is no longer just an “idea” or an abstraction, but can be an unavoidable part of daily life. I believe this is the biggest difference in teaching yoga to cancer survivors. A life-threatening illness can help us all learn how to live fearlessly. Another difference is that it can become a shared goal for both the yoga teacher and student. If faced directly, cancer is everyone’s teacher.

What are your thought about practicing yoga and when you have cancer?

🧘🏻‍♀️ Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight? 🧘🏻‍♀️

Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

Can Yoga Help You Lose Weight?

Did you know that most men gain 15 pounds within the first year they get married?   Results are similar for women.  Why is this we feel once we have “landed” someone that we no longer need to try and impress them.  I know when I was single I would forbid myself from eating white bread, I just didn’t feel like I had the luxury of getting fat.

Yoga is an exhilarating fitness challenge that allows couples to clear their heads, melting away anxiety and stress. The steady flow of poses encourages couples to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the human body. Encouraging each other in class helps build strong bonds of communication and trust. You will connect with your partner on a deeper level when you take a yoga class together.  Working up a sweat naturally induces the release of endorphins, making you feel happier and more content.   Yoga establishes the ultimate connection to your own body. You will find it much easier to connect to your partner’s body once you are able to connect to your own.

Stretching with your loved one turns the tables on the rat race, allowing you both to be in the moment and renewing your connection

What is the purpose of yoga?

Most non-practitioners of yoga assume that yogis are flexible and strong.  While that is indeed true, there’s more to the practice of yoga than a fabulous body.  Yoga brings a sense of quiet and stillness with a focus on deep, rhythmic breathing and the challenge to honor your body where it is on a particular day.  Let it go and allow your mind, body and spirit to come into alignment…that’s the mindset of a yogi.

However, partner yoga, where two yogis work in tandem, is playful and fun, exploratory—and harder than it looks.   To experience the depth of partner yoga, the partners must be willing to support and be supported and work as a team to deepen into poses together.   Encouraging and synchronizing each partner’s breath takes yogis further into postures and brings a sense of exhilaration upon realizing what has been accomplished jointly.Watching yogis release from shared asanas enriches the practice as the partners enthuse “wow, I never thought I could go so deeply into that pose!” or reveling in the intimacy of sharing something so personal with another.

  • Yoga is not about self-improvement, it’s about self-acceptance.
  • Yoga is a discipline, a practical philosophy to experience individual consciousness through the union of body, mind, and spirit.
  • We are each responsible for our spiritual growth and healing and yoga provides us with a way to move towards optimum vitality.
  • Yoga was originally created as a series of asanas (asana literally means “seat”) or positions that prepare the individual to do the work of meditation and to heal the body to its natural state.

We try to get close and stay close in a relationship — but our tactics often put a strain on the very bonds we’re trying to strengthen. Why not try breaking new ground? Get close with a partner yoga practice, and see how you can use it to strengthen your connection while having fun together.

What are things you and your sweetie do together to tone up and bond (keep it PG Rated guys) and have you done couples yoga for weight loss…..?

Yoga Poses for Abs and Weight Loss – My Review of a DVD for a quickie workout

Beth Shaw’s YogaAbs – A YogaFit Workout.

One caveat which is both a big plus and big minus at the same time is that she has you use a special yoga ball that you keep between your legs which ensures the proper alignment and also helps to prevent injuries.  You don’t have to order to the special YogaFit ball but you should buy one to do the practice.  I did the practice plenty of times just using a block or with nothing but there is a noticeable difference in your body when you don’t use the ball.

Some of the benefits promised according to the yogafit.com website are:

– Improve body alignment

– Create a stronger midsection

– Develop a solid yoga foundation

– Enhance self-esteem and confidence

Yoga Poses for Abs and Weight Loss - My Review of a DVD for a quickie workout

Yoga Poses for Abs and Weight Loss – More reviews on Amazon

– Improve powers of concentration and focus

I don’t think this is a comprehensive enough DVD to offer a real yoga foundation since many of the traditional poses such as side angle and warrior are not included. If you want an athletic and quick yoga workout this is a worthwhile video.    This is mostly a bunch of traditional sun salutations but by using the ball it is a little more intense on your core since you are doing a lot more squeezing  and engaging on your core muscles.   The music is also pretty cool and funky.  I think the best part of this yoga abs dvd is that it is such a compact workout.  I love being able to get a tough workout in below 30 minutes.  This is not much of a cool down so if you want the relaxation part in your practice you’ll have to add an extra few minutes… some yoga teachers say this is the most important part of your practice since all the physical work you are doing is integrating and coalescing.  I always feel like the relaxation part is the dessert of the practice, almost like I graduated from the standing poses and deserve a few minutes of being able to just lie down and consciously rest….mmmmmmmmm

It is an extra $5 for the YogaFit ball which is worth ordering if you don’t already have one.    I had a different ball but my dog ate it. (I never realized how much I would say that phrase until I got my first Puggle (Pug Beagle mix) two years ago.  I thought it was just a cliche excuse but this damm dog eats just about everything…. except her own boring dry dog food of course. )

What kinds of yoga DVDs have you worked out to?  What kind of results did you get?