So, please help me get this facebook train moving!  Giveaways to come soon for facebook like-ers.  Announcements to come soon, but don’t let that stop you!  No matter when you like MommyOm, you will be included!

Like me… please?!?

You know how folks who questions the science of global warming always turn to the cyclical nature of things.  How, when you’re talking about that expanse of time there’s all kinds of shit happens, going unrecorded for millennia, and that this is just another of those examples except now, like, we’ve got the technology to keep track.

I think yoga is sort of like, you know, nature.  It’s been around forever, and has gone through any number of crazy iterations.  It’s just now, in this age of endless record- blogging, social media, 24-hour news cycle- that we get exposed to every single one of them.

Perhaps when you’ve been around for thousands of years, there’s always some evolution- or revolution- required to keep things interesting and humans engaged, particularly in an era where engagement can be so very momentary.  There’s always gotta be something new to keep things exciting.

‘Cuz yoga is all about the excitement.

And sitting, being, here in this present moment with my body is not quite enough… I need to be lifted, twirling and flipping on merely the soles of the feet of a VERY strong partner in this moment to be in full appreciation of what it, and my body, brings.

This new trend, AcroYoga, is taking the yoga world by storm.  OK… maybe not by storm, but when you see the images, or the videos, of yogis and yoginis performing this brand of yoga, it’s really quite something to watch.  In addition to the discipline and skill, the sheer strength- oh, and did I mention trust?-  is really quite something to behold.

There are some yoga trends I’ve covered, such as Paddleboard Yoga, that I want to be a part of- the idea of yoga on water is a lovely one to me- and I do what I can to incorporate into my practice.  Past the characterization of trend, perhaps, but still a little off his rocker, Bikram was total surprise to me- I love it!!  But AcroYoga?  This remarkable combination of yoga and acrobatics is likely one trend that may of us will never partake but it is still truly something beautiful to be admired.

In short, while at first blush it may appear simply a matter of strength and flexibility, there’s actually more to it.  Co-founded by Jenny Sauer-Klein and Jason Nemer in 2003, “AcroYoga blends the wisdom of yoga, the dynamic power of acrobatics, and the loving kindness of healing arts. These three lineages form the foundation of a practice that cultivates trust, playfulness, and community.”

Remember when your dad used to lie down and balance you on his feet?  I would let go his hands and pretend to fly…  I do the same for my kids.  I often yearn to be the one balancing.

Maybe I shouldn’t be soquick to set this idea aside…..

It comes in the form of my bed and a roster of cable movies… yes, I know there’s Netflix, but I can’t adequately describe the particular brand of glee that comes from seeing a long list of romantic comedies or period pieces on my cable guide… with a particular penchant for my Big 5:  Hugh Grant, Sandra Bullock, Emma Thompson, Julia Roberts and… wait for it… Gwyneth Paltrow.

I’ve admitted to a few things here: 1. that I watch T.V in my bed; 2. all weekend; 3. have a remarkably high tolerance for fops and the british- real, fake, no matter- and; 4. lean decidedly towards brain candy in my weekend viewing… dear Emma excepted of course.

That said, it should seem all the more appropriate that in my equally vapid surfing over to Goop this should catch my eye.

In collaboration with Beyond Yoga, Gwyneth presents the Quilted One Shoulder Top.

I actually think that, with my fried eggs, I could pull this off, and will add it to my list to Santa.  But for most women with real breasts, I’m not sure how practical this might be if you have intentions of  actually practicing yoga in it.

I know Gwyneth makes it look oh so practical and practice-friendly- I mean, she’s sweating!- but, as you know, that’s what Gwyneth does… makes everything look just so easy.

And, while the ravages spare no one, perhaps, like me, the idea of needles filled with sickness and goo being injected into into your body is even more oogie than the perpetual frown that is steadily developing… “Are you mad, mommy- why do you always look mad, mom?”

But, hey!  All is not lost to those of us who reject the costly,  rather frightening and, let’s face it, frustratingly impermanent medical solutions.

Thanks to the drive to stay looking younger naturally there is a cheaper, non-medical, and let’s face it, frustratingly impermanent, yogic alternative!

As with yoga as a regular practice to keep our muscles strong and limber, staving off the inevitable fraying with time, the age-old practice is effective with our facial muscles as well.  It can be the alternative to the more invasive needle procedures that can be financially prohibitive not to mention just plain gross.

Developed by Annelise Hagen, of New York Yoga, who wrote a book on mastering what she calls the ultimate facelift, facial yoga provides a wonderfully natural and invigorating way to stay looking younger.

As Annelise explains, there is a particular technique to making the faces that make up the unique practice.

That said, there is one bird that drives me a little crazy…  The Pigeon!

When you consider the mental, emotional and physical benefits of yoga, it’s really no surprise!

Athletic pursuits such as running and jumping, not to mention getting thrown off your feet at a full run by a 350 pound gorilla, tend to tighten and shorten the muscles, inhibiting flexibility and increasing the likelihood of injury.  Health and longevity in any sport are enhanced when the muscles are limber and loose and those of us who practice regularly know that there is nothing like that blissful feeling of length that comes from a session of yoga.

NBA star Blake Griffin attests to the benefits, ”For me, flexibility is huge,” Griffin said. “Staying loose and healthy and staying limber–you can tell a difference when your muscles are tight or when you’re stretched out and completely relaxed. I’ve heard from a lot of guys that flexibility is the key to longevity in this league,” Griffin said. “For those guys who want to play a long time, I think it’s important.”

Along with the physical and medical benefits are the mental and emotional effects as well.  According to a German study published in 2005, 24 women who described themselves as “emotionally distressed” took two 90-minute yoga classes a week for three months. Women in a control group maintained their normal activities and were asked not to begin an exercise or stress-reduction program during the study period. At the end of three months, women in the yoga group reported vast improvements in perceived stress, depression, anxiety, energy, fatigue, and well-being.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/662388#ixzz1rw3PC4xQ

More on the lovely Briohny Kate-Smyth here and here.

Image via Wikipedia

Lest I overstate how I feel about my first four days, I have to stress that my ADHD, crack addicted orangutan- I mean monkey- of a mind still prevails.  My early morning thirty minutes is a virtual cluster f*# of to-do’s, did-do’s, oh sh*t’s, oh-god-i-forgot-to-do’s, WTF’s, and so many more wonderful distractions.

And I indulge.

But I still sit.  I redirect.  I bring my attention to my breath.

Over and over and over again.

While it sounds tedious, it has been a most pleasant space early in the quiet of the morning.  Before the emails, the work, the kids, the noise… the chaos.

And somehow I’m energized first thing, better preparing me for the day.

And the nagging headache I’ve been waking up with?  Blissfully diminished at the end of the half hour… despite the orangutan.

OK… so things have kinda been falling apart.  Just a lil’ bit.

But inspired anew, with a tidy place to transform my butt-ugly-early mornings from groggily logging on to facebook- I mean, my email and other work related stuff- to something truly transformative.  I’m turning to meditation to aid in persistent headaches, a pesky snacking habit and even more pesky weight gain… and really just an over-all case of the blah’s- physically and mentally.

I’ll let you know how it goes.  Consider this a 365 Day Project of a different shade.

Forget New Years.  Meditation. Everyday. Now.

Tell it, Senor Kabat-Zinn….

But there’s another trend making its way through the yogic ranks and, as someone who lives near a lake, while I love the idea of it, I’m really not sure how, at $2000 bucks a pop just in equipment alone, it could really even catch on.

Yoga atop a paddle board on the water.  Everything about it sounds wonderfully peaceful with the additional benefit of really targeting the core, as you work to keep yourself steady and not flipped over into the water.

Again, the heat of the sun on your body… sitting only centimetres above the cool water… the gentle lapping of the waves… seagulls…. It really sounds idyllic. 

According to the instructor in the video below as well as others who are leading the trend, while balancing on the board helps you achieve a much more thorough workout for the core, it is really the connection to nature that is the biggest draw.  As you quietly practice, there is a whole other world of aquatic flora and fauna just beneath you.

Currently, I think it has grown popular in places like Florida, though more and more they seem to be cropping up all around the U.S.  It’s definitely made my list to try… though, given the outlay for a paddle board, I only have an old windsurfer at my disposal.

I’ll let you know how it goes…..