The Yoga of Feng Shui Workshop
To register, click below to pay by credit card. To pay by check, email me at tisha@mindbodyom.com for my mailing address. See you at the studio!
25 Ways to Reuse Your “Old” Yoga Mat
This Post is from Jade Yoga Website…..
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Use as a seat liner for the back seat in the car while taking your dog to the vet or groomer.
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Place under an area rug for no-slip gripping.
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Drop off your old mat at an animal rescue group. Most of these places need soft, durable mats, rugs, towels, & blankets to line crates.
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Use an old mat in the garage or shop to keep from slipping on the workbench while using power tools on them.
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Line kitchen shelves to prevent glasses from slipping and scratching.
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Cut the mat into squares and use them as “bases” while playing baseball with the kids. Easy to carry and easy to clean!
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Use to kneel on in the garden to protect your knees!
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Use as kitchen drawer liners.
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Cut it up to make a mouse pad.
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Use it on the beach instead of a towel.
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Use as grip pads to open jars.
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Cut to size and use as foot pads for the bottom of furniture that is on a wood or ceramic floor. Glue on pieces with a non-toxic adhesive.
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Place it under your sleeping bag as a sleeping pad while camping.
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Make covers for sharp corners like in a parking garage or school.
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No more messy packing peanuts! Old yoga mats get a new life as a protector of valuables while moving or shipping.
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Make children’s toys: cut holes and create masks, hats, costumes and props; cut into shapes and letters for tub and pool toys.
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Cut and put down in front of the kitty litter box to stop the litter.
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Plug up drafty places, windows, doors, & under window air conditioners, and save energy!
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Great for those hard bleachers when watching sporting events.
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Makes a great liner under house plants, you can even cut it to fit each plant!
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Donate to nursing homes so that residents do not slip while getting in and out of bed.
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Place between your surfboard & car to protect both from abrasion.
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Lay it over the dashboard and steering wheel to keep the sun out!
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Keep in the car for those spur of the moment picnics, keeping groceries from sliding around in the trunk, or for a myriad of other uses limited only to your imagination!
Om Sweet Om: Create a Sacred Space to Expand Your Yoga Practice
When runners want to take their training to a new level, they may purchase some new Asics or change up their running route. But how do yogis deepen their practice, chataranga after chataranga? Perhaps a new mat, a new instructor, or a new studio.
Instead, try creating a sacred space for doing yoga in your home – a sanctuary that you love to be in. In doing so, you will not only maintain enthusiasm for your yoga practice, but you will expand it to a new level.
By designating a space for a particular function, it is much easier to transition into that activity. So, with a designated yoga space you will be able to turn inward much easier each time you enter your sacred space. It’s similar to the automatic response your body gets when it hears the word ‘savasana’ in yoga.
On an energetic level, that space will carry the same energy which builds and builds over time allowing you to go deeper each time. It is no wonder that it is much easier to meditate in an ashram… the energy of meditators over years has built up to the point you can step in and immediately feel at peace.
Your sacred space can be any size — from the size of your yoga mat to an entire room. Choose this space carefully. Go around your home and find a space that feels good. Or find a section or a whole room that is not living up to its potential. I once had a guest bedroom that just collected clutter. Finally, one day I decided to reclaim this room. I turned lemons into lemonade.
With a new coat of paint, a serious detox of clutter, an altar, and a few personal items, this became not only my favourite room in the house, but a yoga and meditation sanctuary. Soon thereafter, my yoga practice went to a new level followed by teacher training. Within six months, I was teaching my first yoga class.
Although this article is about creating space in your home, it’s also about creating space in your yoga practice. It therefore can’t go without mentioning the benefits of having a home practice. This is where you begin to truly tune into what you want and need your yoga practice to be. You become your own inner guru, or upaguru in Sanskrit.
A home practice allows you to listen to what your body wants to do next. Maybe you are feeling energized and do an extensive series of warrior poses and arm balances. Or perhaps you are feeling tired and need to do slow and deep hip openers on the mat. A home practice also allows time for a longer meditation.
Most importantly, by integrating a home practice with attending classes, yoga will go from being an activity to a way of life.
Here are you few tips to create your sacred space:
1. Location
Again, size doesn’t matter. However, privacy does. Choose a place in your home where you will not be disturbed by people or pets. If it is a shared space with another person or activity, then using a partition or screen is recommended.
2. Clean and De-clutter
Once you have chosen your location, clear everything out of it and clean the area of any dust, dirt, or residue. Also clear it energetically with sage, or any other herbal cleanser of your choice, such as cedar or sweetgrass. A clear space is a clear mind.
3. Energize
Next determine what you want in your space; for example, a yoga mat, meditation cushion or chair, blankets, and/or props. If there is enough room, you may want some type of storage to keep the space clutter-free. Also, if space allows, an altar table, whether it is a cardboard box or an heirloom piece from India, is recommended. In other words, you want to have a centering piece. Make it an altar where only inspiring and precious objects are placed. If space doesn’t permit, then hang an inspiring picture instead.
4. Personalize
From here, add any items that reflect you and appeal to the five senses…
candles, incense, bells, gemstones, crystals, images, essential oils, affirmation cards, books, music.
5. Keep it Fresh
Once you have your sacred space, you want to keep it free of dust and clutter. Keep the energy clear and fresh. If you feel like your practice is in a rut, then change things around in your sacred space. Add a picture, change a picture, or add a new candle or gemstone. Avoid stagnation on any level.
Now it’s time to hit the mat… Namaste!
photo by Nessa Land.
4 Steps to Create Your Personal Sanctuary
With little to no movement in the real estate market these days, it is more and more apparent that we must make the best of the space we are currently in. And, in doing so, it is important to designate a space in your home for retreating, centering, and meditating. In other words, create a personal sanctuary.
This space can be any size — from a 2’ x 2’ corner to the size of your yoga mat to an entire room.
Designating this space for your personal use is important because each time you sit there, you automatically know that it’s time to go inward. It’s similar to the automatic response your body gets when it hears the word ‘savasana’ in yoga. At first, it’s just nice to have a place to retreat. Then, after a while, it becomes a necessary part of your day.
On an energetic level, that space will carry the same energy which builds and builds over time allowing you to go deeper each time. It is no wonder that it is much easier to meditate in an ashram… the energy of meditators over years has built up to the point you can step in and immediately feel peaceful.
Here are you few tips to create your personal sanctuary.
1. Location
Again, size doesn’t matter. However, privacy does. Choose a place in your home where you will not be disturbed by people or pets. If it is a shared space with another person or activity, then using a partition rug or screen is recommended.
2. Clean and De-clutter
Once you have chosen your location, clear everything out of it and clean the area of any dust, dirt, or residue. Also clear it energetically with sage, or any other herbal cleanser of your choice, such as cedar or sweetgrass. A clear space is a clear mind.
3. Energize
Next determine what you want in your space. Perhaps a yoga mat, meditation cushion or chair, blankets. Make it comfortable so that you will want to spend time there. An altar table, whether it is a cardboard box or an heirloom piece from India, is highly recommended. In other words, you want to have a centering piece. Make it an altar where only inspiring and precious objects are placed.
4. Personalize
From here, add any items that reflect you and appeal to the five senses…
candles, incense, bells, gemstones, crystals, images, essential oils, affirmation cards, books, music.
Once you have created your personal sanctuary, sit, relax, stretch, breathe, read, enjoy tea, meditate, or do anything that so inspires you. There are no rules!
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