JivaFit » Yoga

Yoga on Rollerblades? Introducing Mobile Yoga

Julie — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:19:54 +0000

Rollerblade invited me to try a new workout recently called Mobile Yoga–as you might guess it’s yoga on Rollerblades. They provided the skates and I brought the mat. At first, I thought the concept was crazy, but I’ve never been afraid to try the latest hybrid workout so I took the challenge. I expected to attempt downward dogs and standing splits on skates, luckily Mobile Yoga 101 is much more doable.

Cleveland-based yoga and skating instructor Kris Fondran created the workout not to impress others by putting pretzel-like poses in motion, but because she noticed that both yoga and skating have similar qualities of balance, rhythm and flow. By blending the two, Kris adds cardio, muscular strength and endurance to the meditative yoga practice.

We started our session sans skates much like a typical yoga class with a meditation and stretching. Since the other writers and editors in the class were also novice skaters, we laced up and started with easy beginner techniques. Once we were comfortable on our Rollerblades, Kris challenged us to add in little aspects of yoga like connecting the strokes to the breath, skating in a rolling prayer position and lunging into a warrior position.

If you’re really looking to practice yoga, Mobile Yoga might not be for you, but I do love it as new motivation to get outside and get on Rollerblades. Even if you’re not near Ohio, you can try out the practice by downloading the workout or watching a video. Or to get started, the next time you go inline skating, focus on your breath and notice the rhythm and flow behind your technique.

I Love this Workout: Budokon

Julie — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:34:42 +0000

If you’re looking for a new innovative and HARD workout to try, sign up for Budokon. Developed by Cameron Shayne, Budokon is a fusion of martial arts and yoga that’s designed to create a healthy body and a sound mind which rings true to the JivaFit motto. And celebrities like Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston have been fans for awhile.

It’s a workout that requires you to use every inch of your body and every single muscle from head to toe. This class will help you get stronger without lifting a single dumbell–it’s all about using your body. The class starts with a yoga session, though you’ll do dancing dogs in addition to your downward dogs and classic Vinyasa movements will be modified to the rolling wave. The moves get progressively more challenging as the class gears up for the martial arts set. The crocodile for example requires you to jump to a fighting stance from lying flat on the ground. The practice finishes with kicking, punching, blocking and so on in a martial arts series.

If you want to give it a try, search the site for an instructor near you or watch one of Shayne’s workout DVDs. I tried a couple of them and unlike some fitness videos that aren’t don’t even compare to taking an actual class, these were pretty challenging.

Creating Internal Balance Through Yoga

Julie — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:21:08 +0000

Here’s a nice mind-body workout I found from MyYogaOnline. The ten minute routine will help you relax after the long holiday weekend, find inner balance and ease your mind and body before you start another hectic week.

Detox with Yoga Twists

Julie — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:56:47 +0000

If you ever overindulge on the weekends–a night (or two) of cocktails, a giant brunch, one of everything at the baseball game and a heaping second BBQ helping–you might not feel your best come Monday. Instead of scolding yourself for everything you did wrong, start your week off with a few detoxifying yoga poses. A series of twists (like this workout from Tara Stiles) can be very cleansing and will help your body release accumulated toxins. By the time you’re done, you’ll feel rejuvenated instead of regretful.

Fine Tune Your Focus

Julie — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:45:04 +0000

I took a one-on-one yoga class last weekend. Throughout our practice my instructor kept reminding me to focus all of my attention on the part of my body where I felt it most. So when I was in a super challenging pose that required a lot of strength–I focused not only on my breath, but also on the muscle or muscles that were working the hardest. Or if I was doing a stretch that was particularly hard, I’d focus on the least flexible point to get deeper into the pose.

This is a good philosophy for any kind of training, not just yoga. Studies have shown that if you focus intently on flexing your bicep during a curl, you’ll work harder to build that muscle than if your mind wanders. And it’s certainly more productive to think about the area you need work than the difficulty of the work. So next time you’re trying to get through the last few reps of weight lifting or the last few minutes of an activity, bring all of your attention to that hard working muscle and see if you can push yourself that extra step.

Sprinting Around the Web

Julie — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:15:03 +0000

The Fit List offers tips on how to make your workout more eco-friendly from wearing organic cotton gym clothes to opting for outdoor trails instead of treadmills that require electricity.

Vital Juice Daily explains how to cure allergies, headaches and more using acupressure.

FitSugar reveals what you should know about exercise, air pollution and the conditions at the Beijing Olympic park.

The LA Times shows us how to improve our posture with one easy yoga move.

Positivity Blog lists 36 stress relieving tips to help you become a “relaxation ninja”.

Ecorazzi explains why the Olympic torch isn’t winning any medals for the environment as it travels the world in a jet-fueled private plane and burns propane to stay lit.