“Yiddish Yoga” is not about how or why to do yoga yet when you finish it, especially if you are a grandma, but not necessarily so, you will want to run out and start yoga lessons. The book does not proselytize and yet has a stronger effect than any reasons I have heard for why one should do yoga. “Yiddish Yoga” is deep and light at the same time. It’s personal and adorable. Being a grandmother myself, I loved it.

Ruthie is a recently widowed New York City Jewish grandmother. She is given a year’s worth of yoga lessons as a gift from her granddaughter, Stephanie. Ruthie gently pokes fun at her Yoga experience with its various expressions and rituals. And at the same time Ruthie’s year-long journey with yoga inspires us.

Ruthie takes the reader through her year of yoga sessions with her constant humorous comments in Jewish slang about what she is confronting, both in the new learning and missing her husband. While Ruthie kvetches about her struggles she also absorbs the yoga philosophy as she grows in strength physically and emotionally.

The book is about 100 small pages with approximately a chapter a page. One can read it in one sitting, or a page a day. Both methods would be good. There are charming illustrations through out.

At the end Ruthie tells us that she has signed up for Yoga Teacher training in the Catskills in a hotel where she used to vacation with her husband, telling us that she has come full circle.

Here is a sample from a short chapter.

“VIRABHADRASANA I: Warrior I

Sammy teaches that the warrior asanas are especially powerful for women.

As a Democratic activist, living with osteoporosis, having raised a family, and now taking on yoga, I think of myself as a very powerful, capable woman. Eine shtark frau, Harry always said. A strong woman.

So when Sammy says, ‘Don’t be a worrier, be a warrior!’ I breath into that with my whole neshome, my whole soul.

I’m a Senior Citizen Power Bubby!”

The books is a mix of yoga and yiddish expressions. Besides being humorous as well as inspirational, “Yiddish Yoga“  has an extra gift of two Glossaries. There is a Yiddish Glossary with 56 expressions from A to Z. Beginning with:

“AZOY: So, thus, if you eat too many bialys before you do yoga, you will get a stomach ache — azoy.”

and

“ZAFTIG: To have a little something to hold on to, as my Harry used to say; to be a little plump.”

The Sanskrit / Yoga Glossary begins with:

“ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA: Downward Dog Pose. For an older dog, I sure have learned new tricks. Make sure you’re making the letter V-shape in this inversion. (If you pick up your leg, it’s called the Fire Hydrant Pose.)

About the Author
Lisa Grunberger’s poems have been published in numerous literary journals, and she often performs original poetry and performance pieces in NYC and Philadelphia. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Religion from the University of Chicago Divinity School and has been teaching yoga classes for many years. A native New Yorker, she now lives in Philadelphia. Yiddish Yoga is her first book.

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Cobra Yoga Pose Print, 11 X 17" - $10

The Cobra Pose

by Sherry Holistan

The Cobra pose is usually known as Bhujangasana in Eastern countries like India. “Bhujanga” means cobra in the Sanskrit language and hence the name which is widely accepted in the West.

The Cobra pose is greatly effective as it can relieve certain types of lower back aches as over time it strengthens the lower back.

In the pose or the Bhujangasana the body faces downwards where as the upper body is curled upwards. This allows the body to resemble a cobra which is ready to strike with its head raised. The cobra pose is usually the first to be practised in the series of backward bending poses which is usually followed by asanas like the Locust pose and bow postures.

The warm up of the muscles of the back is a must before a fully fledged performance of the yoga cobra pose as it requires powerful movement of the back bone muscles. The Cobra pose if practised without proper warm up, like any yoga pose or physical exercise, may result in strained muscles.

While performing it one should exercise caution not to push the physical limitations of one and one should only extend to the limit which is comfortable for oneself without straining one’s back. One of the tips to check if one is performing within the limits of ones strength is to remove the hands off the floor for a second so that the body will adjust to a height which is safe as well as comfortable.

The pose is highly beneficial for the lower back as it results in enhanced flexibility of the back. This is mainly because of the powerful backward stretch allowed by the Cobra pose. Spinal nerves are rejuvenated and strengthened by the regular practice of these types of positions. This posture is especially recommended for women as it relieves them from some menstrual problems as well as effectively tones the uterus as well as the ovaries. It also helps in achieving firm and strong buttocks. The traditional Indian texts are of the opinion that the pose increases internal heat of the body which boosts the immunity and fights diseases. They are also of the opinion that it is a helpful pose to awaken the kundalini.

People who have an injured back should not perform the yoga cobra pose. The cobra pose should be avoided by pregnant ladies as well. Also, the patients of hernia should not perform this pose, as it can aggravate the suffering. It is best to get instruction from a qualified instructor either in a class or from good yoga DVDs.

Sherry Holistan is a Hatha, Vinyasa and Bakti Yoga Practitioner.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sherry_Holistan

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Click on the image to find more Swine Flu help.

“The news which has dominated the world and made people forget about recession and other related issues has to do with swine flu. So what exactly is swine flu and why has it caused such an impact? Swine Flu also known as the H1N1 flu is one of the several kinds of swine influenza virus. It is predominantly found only in pigs. People with regular exposure to pigs are at more risk. The outbreak is due to a new strain and it has spread across the world causing loss of life and prompting the WHO (World Health Organization) to declare it as “public health emergency of international concern”. The vaccine that is used to treat it is known as Tami flu. This is the conventional form of treatment.

So how do you prevent the virus affecting you or your loved ones? It has been found that people with the least immune strength are the first to get affected. People with asthma as well as other respiratory problems are among the high risk groups. How does one strengthen the immune system and get rid of respiratory problems at the same time? The solution lies in the ancient and widely practiced form of science called Yoga.

Yoga has different types of asanas which strengthen the lungs and correct form of breathing has been found to effectively cure and prevent a number of diseases. Pranayama or the breathing exercise strengthens the internal organs, the nerves and glands of the body. The major types of Pranayama are Nadi Sodhana, Shitali Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama, Kapalbhati Pranayama and Digra Pranayama. Regular practice has been found to increase the immunity. An individual whose entire body is strong stands a better chance of fighting swine flu.

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We are in the sign of Leo the Lion, July 23 to August 23rd.

Your ruling planet is not a planet, but the sun associated with vitality and authority. Your colors are gold and orange. Your gem is Ruby. The body parts ruled by Leo are the spine and the heart. Your best quality is exuberance. Among other things you are Loyal, Luminary, Leader and Lover, ruled by Shining Sun.

The Lion is considered the king of the jungle,  Some Leos even have hair resembling the thick mane of the Lion. The Lioness proudly cares for the young, hunts and takes care of survival with relentless intent and ferocity, when needed.

Leos are warm of spirit, eager for action and are driven by a desire to be loved for what you bring to others. You are a magnanimous leader and a faithful servant. Once scorned in love, however, you’ll withdraw your affections and the light, once brilliant, can go cold.

I created a new poster for Leo Yoga Babe, doing her pose next to her guardian lion. It measures 11 x 17 inches and costs $10.

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This was an unusual new moon, not only because of the eclipse, but because is is also the second New Moon in Cancer. This rare event is called the “Secret Moon.”

Astrologer Lynne Hayes says, “Because Cancer rules the Moon, it is particularly powerful in Cancer and because this is an eclipse of the Sun, the lunar influence is even more powerful. The Moon presides over all issues of emotion, but also our emotional connections to each other and to our ancestral history. Cancer is known for its concern with family matters but that sense of family extends beyond the nuclear family, and even the extended family, to the entire tribe of which we are a part.  Some of us have strong family ties; others of us create our own tribes that serve the family role.”

You can read Lynn’s full article about the new moon and the eclipse on her Astrological Musings.

Cap for Astro Cancer YogaBabes

This stonewashed cap looks great and wears well. It has an embroidered design of a Cancer YogaBabe, with a brass closure that allows for the one-size-fits-all design.

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The sign of Cancer begins on the Summer solstice – longest day of the year on June 21st. This year the new moon in Cancer followed on the  22nd.  This is my second anniversary for this Solstice time. You can check out what I posted for Cancer Yoga Babe last year.

My favorite astrologer, Lynn Hayes has an interesting post on Caner and this new moon.

From her article today,

“Cancer of course is the sign of the family and nurturing those we love, but it also extends to our ancestors, our tribal affiliations, the inheritance of our clan.  Many of us have chosen our own clan and have created new family linkages, and these are extremely important to the development of humanity.  The more aware we become and as our wisdom becomes deeper and broader, the more we need to share it with others rather than stay comfortably protected in a womb of safety. “

For Lynn’s entire article you can read it HERE.

Help save the planet while you rehydrate in style with an eye-catching BPA-free water bottle from SIGG. Made from a single piece of aluminum, it’s ultra-lightweight yet rugged and crack-resistant. To minimize unwanted tastes and scents, the inside is lined with a water-based, non-toxic epoxy resin that exceeds FDA leaching requirements.

* Holds 1.0L
* Recyclable & reusable
* BPA-free

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On May 9th I posted a Yoga Inspiration contest to win a YogaBabe product. I posted a notice of this on Twitter and Face Book where I have 195 Friends, most of which related to yoga and 337 followers on Twitter.

To my dismay only one person entered the contest so of course she had to win.

Andrea said she would like to see a design with the words, “Calm Focus, Breathe” because she uses those words with her practice. I created the design for T-shirts and a clock which you can see by clicking on the clock. Andrea chose the clock to use with her practice.

During this time Darren Rowse ran a 31 Days to Build A Better Blog event and just released a book on that project. On June 9th Darren posted a blog, “13 Lessons Learned Launching an eBook.”

I was particularly struck by his lessons numbers 5 and 6.

# 5. Email promotions out performed blog post promotions for affiliates

My initial findings in watching affiliates promote the workbook is that those who have promoted it to their email lists seem to have driven more sales than those who blogged about it.

Those who blogged about it seem to have driven more sales than those who Tweeted about it. While I don’t have enough information on how big people’s lists and readerships are the anecdotal info that I do have is that email won the day for this product.

6. Facebook…. Not so Good

One of the promotions I ran for the workbook was on Facebook by sending a message to all my ‘fans’ on my page there. As far as I can tell that didn’t really convert to more than a couple of sales.

Considering there were 14,500 people who received that message it probably wasn’t the most successful of promotions.”

When I read that Darren Rowse, the guru of blogging with so many people receiving that message, I stopped feeling like such a failure in my own endeavor.

My question to anyone is, what do you think about all the hype about FaceBook being good for marketing? I think it is great for connecting with friends, but if Darren Rowse only made a couple of sales out of 14,500 people that’s something to think about.

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There is an excellent article today on the blog, Learning Curve on the Ecliptic about Gemini.  An excerpt from her article:

“Gemini represents our communicative abilities, how, and to what extent we choose to reach out to one another, verbally, orally, and to a lesser extent, physically. …

If you know someone who has a ridiculously large circle of acquaintances and friends, talks a lot, loves networking, writing, chatting, has a wide range of interests and knowledge, it’s a certainty that Gemini figures heavily in their astrology. . .”

Click on the clock to see other Gemini Yoga Babe products.

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Contest Rules:

• Contest starts today, May 9th, Full Moon in Scorpio and ends, June 7th, Full Moon in Sagittarius.
• Describe what you would like to see for a yoga inspired design. This can be a theme in words, an image you would like me to create or a combination of both.
• Anyone can enter with no limits to the number of entries.
• Each entry must be posted in separate comment here.

Ideas for inspiration:

• What words with what pose would you like to see?
• What is your Mantra?
• Do men who do yoga want something different for them?
• What about yoga Kids? What would they like?
• Do you have a Yoga Store or Yoga Studio where you would like to see your logo design on T-shirts, cards, a clock or perhaps buttons?

The winner:

• I will pick an idea that inspires me to create a product and the winner will be sent the product.
• That idea can be for a T-shirt, Clock, Message Bag, Travel cup or the new Sigg water bottle.
• Winner can pick any item of their choosing with the exception of the Flip Video’s.
• I will notify the winner within a week of the end date of the contest and post the winner on this blog.
• I will create the award winning design and post that in my YogaBabeCafe shop.
• The winner will need to email me their address so I can have the product shipped to them.

Below are a few products I have in my YogaBabe Store to show as existing examples. I’m looking forward to seeing your inspirations for new designs. Use your imagination. Be inspired.

Sigg water bottle

Taurus Spaghetti Tank T

Ceramic travel mug

Chakra yoga clock

faire full boat yoga tote

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Taurus the bull is the sign of the builder. Taurus is an earth sign born from April 21st to May 21st. Your ruler is the planet Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Your colors are blue and mauve. Your gem is emerald. The body parts ruled by Taurus are the neck and throat. Your best quality is dependability. Among other things you are True, Tranquil, Tolerant, and Tactile, ruled by Venial Venus.

You can find a more detailed and interesting discussion on the sign of Taurus on one of my favorite blogs, Learning Curve on the Ecliptic.

The Lotus and The Stars site has a section called Astro-Yoga and has this to say about Taurus and Yoga:

Taurus epitomizes stamina and endurance, and this series builds both qualities. The downward-facing dog, at the heart of the series, enhances upper body strength while bringing more blood to the brain. The posture strengthens the abdominals and legs and energizes the body. The palms and the soles of the feet are grounded and connected with the earth. The counter posture, the cobra or upward-facing dog, tones the entire spine, corrects poor posture, and stretches the muscles from the lower back to the neck and shoulders. The posture also increases circulation to the spine and aids digestion.

For pictures go to the Astro-Yoga Taurus page.

A note about why I chose the pose of a seated meditation for the yoga position of Taurus is that Taurus is a fixed sign and that’s the image that came to me first. The downward-facing dog pose feels very appropriate as well.

By clicking on the clock image you will be taken to the Taurus YogaBabe shop.

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