Image via Flickr user katerha

I haven't had a summer reading list since high school. That could be because that was the last time I had enough free time to sit down with a big stack of books to read for pleasure (Oh wait!, I had to do it for a grade?. Nevermind.)

This year I'm not working full time, so I've found myself with a little more down time. Sure, I'm writing whenever I get assignments, teaching a few yoga classes week, keeping my 2-year-old busy in the sweltering Charleston, SC heat, practicing yoga as much as I can, cooking a lot.... OK, I don't have time to read books now either. But, I am more motivated than ever to learn, grow, find financial freedom, clean up my act, and generally enjoy every moment as much as I possibly can. (If for no other reason, then because I've started to notice my daughter mimicking nearly everything she sees me do--from asking her Daddy to turn down the TV (oops!) to my Downward Facing Dog.) I want her to see me more often with a book in my hands and less with a screen in my face. (And, yes, I do read on a Kindle. It was just a figure of speech, OK?) So, I made my own summer reading list. You'll notice these are not all yoga books--but they all are very relevant to my life as a yoga teacher, mother, freelance writer, woman, etc.

Money: A Love Story. I think all yoga teachers should read this book by Kate Northrup about valuing yourself, spending money on the things you value, seeing sound financial decisions as a form of self-care, and understanding that there are a billion ways to create abundance in this world. This one was the first on my list, and I've already devoured it.. but still need to go back through and do all the journaling exercises.

It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven-Step Path to Becoming Truly Organized.  Kate Northrup mentions this book a couple of times in Money: A Love Story, and I knew it would be the next book I'd dive into. Even the title kind of strikes a nerve with me because I'm the type of person who has a million grand ideas and a ton of ambition and drive, but my life is just too chaotic right now to be as productive as I'd like. Case in point, the e-book I'm "writing" that's been collecting electronic dust in my Google Documents list for two years now... TWO!

Pushback: How Smart Women Ask--And Stand Up For--What They Want. This is another one that I think people in the yoga community have trouble with. Compassion is a part of the practice, and so it's really easy to think, "Yes, I do need to make X amount teaching this yoga class, but I certainly wouldn't want the studio owner to sacrifice what she needs to meet her bottom line... so I'll just take what she offers me." This attitude never helped anybody pay their bills, and settling for less than we deserve doesn't help the thousands of other yoga teachers out there struggling to pay their bills either.

Breathe: A Novel. Sure this sounds like just another fictional story of someone transforming through yoga... But, every now and then, I like to be reminded in a don't-take-yourself-so-serious way that yoga can be fun, healing, and, yes, even entertaining. I'd like to read this one on the beach, with a fruity umbrella-shaded drink in hand.

Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose. I've followed Gabrielle Bernstein online for a long time now--and I have loved her video tips and tricks for using meditation and Kundalini Yoga techniques to deal with everyday life. So I can't wait to dive into this book, which promises to offer 108 simple solutions to combat complicated problems like "stress, burnout, frustration, jealousy, resentment" without spending hours meditating and practicing yoga everyday. We'll see. I'm skeptical of anything that offers quick fixes, but I don't doubt I'll learn at least one or two more things to add to my toolbox.

To keep myself motivated and honest, I'm going to review each of these books when I'm done reading them. Will you join me? What are you reading this summer?

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I'm always on the look for cute and comfortable shoes I can wear to and from class and around town, so obviously I was thrilled with the generous folks at Juil asked me to try out a pair of theirs. These shoes are seriously cute, and I read that walking in a Juil shoe is like walking on sand. I live near the beach, so I'll be the judge of that. I've given these beauties a nice, long trial and here's what I found.

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For someone who has made her living as an editor for the the last 8 years, I sure do have difficult time editing myself when I get up in front of a yoga class sometimes. The things that really COULD make me a good teacher--my knowledge, passion for the practice, and sincere wish to both connect to my students and communicate the deeper philosophy of yoga--sometimes makes it hard for me to take a step back and focus on just one or two main points in one class. Unfortunately, when I get going and say whatever comes to mind, I know my students just can't process it all. At best, they take in what resonates with them and are able to tune me out the rest of the time. At worst, I'm sure there are times when they're confused, overwhelmed, and annoyed that I don't know how to shut the heck up and give them some room to just be--which is why they probably came to class in the first place.

I really try hard not to talk so much that it's confusing or distracting for my students. I've tried a few different approaches to keep myself in check. I give only three cues for each pose. I find an essential action I want my students to work on and I stick to cues that help them understand that action in a variety of poses. I even plan moments of quiet into my sequences--Child's Pose breaks are my own time to zip it, re-group, or focus on my own breath for a moment. But there are still plenty of times I look out at my students and see furrowed brows and confused, blank expressions that quietly scream, "Could you GET ON WITH IT ALREADY?!"

Theme Weaver served as a really great reminder of how much more power my words have when I keep things succinct and focused on one thing.  The author, Michelle Berman Marchildon (AKA The Yoga Muse) offers practical advice for yoga teachers on how to choose a theme for class (something that resonates with you), plan your yoga classes around a theme (winging it is NOT a great idea), and how to make the theme applicable to the practice without overwhelming your students. It's a recipe for getting a message across to your students in a clear, concise way that they will understand and appreciate so they will keep coming back to you for more!

One word of caution: While I loved this book, unfortunately, just reading it won't make you an amazing teacher over night. The first time I tried to deliver a class theme using Marchildon's techniques, I was awkward and likely came across like I was trying a bit too hard. (It wasn't quite authentic to me because I was following someone else's formula.) But as I practiced using it more and more, I took what worked for me and let go of anything that just doesn't come naturally to me. Some teachers really rock at reading an inspirational quote in class, for example, but I found this just doesn't work with my silly approach.

 Still, I think this book should be required reading for yoga teacher trainees (and those of us who haven't done a teacher training in a while!). I loved her ideas on writing a mission statement and bio--because we should all be clear about what kind of teacher we want to be. For that matter, I think it's vital that more yoga teacher see themselves as trained professionals who should be PAID FAIRLY for their services in accordance with their education and experience. And, most importantly I love this book because, as Marchildon so eloquently put it: "Most yoga teachers could use a big cup up shut  up." Guilty. And thanks for not beating around the bush, Ms. Marchildon. I couldn't agree more.

Get your cup here. And if you read it, don't forget to let me know what you think about it by commenting below.

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When I was pregnant I thought I'd need a million different things to help me care for my baby--from cribs and co-sleepers to bouncy chairs and Bumbos--my Must Buy List was impressively long. I used all of that stuff a little bit (though, admittedly, there were some gadgets that I barely got out of the packaging before my daughter had outgrown them). But nothing (really, NOTHING!) has turned out to be as useful as my yoga ball (also known as exercise or stability balls). Yoga balls are inexpensive, fun, and, most important, versatile--seriously, they have a million different uses.

For example:

1. Back savers. When I was in my third trimester of pregnancy, there were two things that could ease my low back pain. One was a vibrating lumbar pillow that I used behind my desk and behind the wheel of my car every single day (kind of like this one). The other was squatting in the floor with my back leaded up against my yoga ball.

2. Inducing labor? I heard that bouncing on a yoga ball is a way to start contractions and ultimately induce labor. I'm pretty sure this is a crock of crap (it definitely did not work for me!), but I'm throwing it out there just in case.

3. Laboring at home. Once my labor started, my plan was to stay at home for as long as I possibly could so there would be fewer chances for interventions that I did not want at the hospital. Of course, I ended up rushing to the hospital positive I was going to have a baby any minute, then spent a good 8 more hours in a hospital bed before I finally got to meet my little one. In any case, for the early part of labor it was nice to have a yoga ball ("birthing ball") to help me move into different positions to get as comfortable as possible.

4. Colic calmer. Until my baby was a good 9 or 10 months old there was really only one way to calm her down when she cried--cradling her in my arms while I bounced gently on my yoga ball. I was elated when she finally let me sit in a rocking chair with a nice, solid back to rock her to sleep instead of bouncing. But, honestly, bouncing on a ball was definitely better than, say, walking the halls with her strapped to me in her Moby Wrap.

5. Indoor playground equipment. When my little one had gained good control over her head, she giggled with delight when I put her on her belly on the ball and gently rolled her back and forth. Once she learned to stand on her own, the ball made for an excellent bongo drum!

6. It "tickles" my toddler. Now that my little one is 21 months old, we've been using the ball a lot again. One of her favorite things to do (again!) is to sit on my lap as I bounce up and down on the ball. When she was teeny tiny, my bouncing was to soothe her. Now, the bouncing is strictly for entertainment purposes. There's nothing more gratifying than hearing your toddler laugh and say (in a voice that sounds so grown up it's crazy!), "This is fun, Mommy! This is FUN!"

So there you have it.

If you're a mommy-to-be who I love and adore in real life (as opposed to just online) and you get a yoga ball from me as a gift, please do NOT think for a second I'm interested in encouraging you to "lose the baby weight" after you give birth. Please don't worry about that at all. You have your whole life to think about how you look in a bikini, but these precious moments with your little one will be over in the blink of an eye. Your body is amazing! It grew a person! I digress.

A yoga ball (exercise ball, stability ball, birthing ball, whatever you want to call it) was one of the best things I had as a new mama. If you've got one in your house already, I hope this post will give you some ideas about how to use it with your little one. If not... Buy one immediately! :) Here's a link to the the one I have.

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For months, I've been giving my yoga students a cue to press their hands into their mats so that, if it the mat were made of memory foam, it would show a complete imprint of every finger.  Like this!

I had no idea that a yoga mat made of memory foam actually exists, so when I came upon Vernice Vita memory foam mat I had to try it out! Practicing on the Vernice Vita  mat is like practicing on a cloud. It's cushy, squishy, and supportive in a way I've never quite experienced from any other surface. I've been practicing with the half inch"Cadillac Mat" for a few weeks now, and you know what my favorite part about it is? It made me realize that when I'm in Downward Facing Dog, I actually wasn't in the habit of pressing every finger down--even though I thought I was. It's ah-ha moments like this that can completely change the way you approach the practice. I live for these epiphanies, so I will forever be grateful for the experience.



Pros

• It's like practicing on a cloud--a fluffy, cushy, luxurious, supportive, amazing cloud.
• You can actually lift your hands and feet to SEE if your weight is distributed evenly, which is not only really cool, but useful to check out your alignment, too.
• Since your hands and feet make an imprint on the mat, it's almost impossible to slip. 
• It provides amazing support for knees, elbows, hips, and other bony body parts that sometimes can be painful on a thinner yoga mat.
• I've never seen anyone else using this mat in a studio, which makes me feel special and love it that much more. 

If you're thinking of buying a new mat, I recommend the Vernice Vita Cadillac mat if you like extra cushion or practice a style of yoga that is therapeutic, alignment focused, restorative or yin.

BONUS!: SpoiledYogi readers can save $10 on the purchase of any Vernice Vita Yoga mats by adding the discount code SPOILEDYOGI. (Just in case you haven't bought yourself a little something to put under the tree yet!)

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Anyone who has written anything from a term paper to the Great American Novel has felt it: That sinking feeling of emptiness when you stare at a blank Word document or piece of paper. You know you want to say something, but for whatever reason the words just won't come out. It's like someone built a dam between your creative energy and your mind and there's nothing you can do to access it.  In our culture we call this writer's block, and I learned early on that when this happens the best thing to do is get up, walk away, and hope that when I return to my computer in an hour.. or two.. or 24... the gate will be open and the ideas will flow freely. 

When I'm in the right frame of mind to write or create, it's never a struggle. The words just pour out effortlessly and when I'm done I often read back over my "work" and think to myself: Where did that even come from?

After spending some time reading Sally Kempton's new book, Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga, I know that this creative energy is the goddess Saraswati at work (I call her Sara for short). Sara often comes to see me in the mornings when I'm drinking my coffee. Often it's right before a deadline when I'm panicked that she shows up as if to say, "Chill out, Erica. We got this." Whatever I was struggling to say comes out like magic. Voila! (All this time I was giving credit to the caffeine!

Let me put it another way. Beyonce gets help from her alter-ego Sasha Fierce when she's performoing. Saraswati is my secret weapon for writing.

In the afternoons, I imagine Sara leaves to help someone else, probably college students who stayed up too late the night before who work best after lunch. So I've always thought it was imperative to do my writing at that magic time of day where the words seemed to flow.
I never knew that I could simply ask Sara for help by imagining her in a meditation!

In Awakening Shakti, Kempton explains how to call on different goddess energies through meditation to help us with all areas of our lives, from wisdom and creativity to prosperity and beauty and more.

Growing up, I was taught that we all had God-given gifts and talents. The idea was that God decided before if you'd be a gifted artist or athlete, a whiz with numbers or a crazt scientist. Then, it's your job in life to nurture those talents, as if by working hard and learning as much as you can about something you have some sort of control over how successful you'll be in the world. The problem with this way of thinking is that it doesn't give you much reason to work hard at the things that don't come naturally to you--as if they're kind of a lost cause. But just because you're not great at getting things down on paper, for example, doesn't mean the world doesn't need to hear what you have to say. It's like saying you can't pracitce yoga becuase you're not flexible... how are you ever going to get flexible if you don't practice?

It's nice to have an experienced guide who can demystify the whole process and make it seem so-very-accessible--even for people who aren't experienced meditators. In fact, just reading the words in this book has a meditative quality. I think Saraswati must have been there during the writing process.

What energy do you wish you could cultivate more in your life? Have you ever thought about meditating on it?

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I am not into hot yoga. Something about being in a heated room with everybody vinyasa-ing in puddles of their own sweat is just not my idea of a good time. The heat makes me irritated and uncomfortable--and the odor!? No, thank you. Yuck. I'll stick to building heat from INside my body.

So, when the lovely folks at Rowve Yoga Bags told me about their bags, I had no idea that many hot yoga studios give their students plastic bags to carry their wet, disgusting, sweaty clothes home. While I understand the need to have something waterproof to keep the yuckiness away from everything else in your bag, yoga students tend to shy away from plastics that will take hundreds of years to decompose in a landfill--especially for one-time use. Most of us have made the shift from disposable plastic bags at the grocery store by bringing our own, reusable bags to the check out.

Rowve makes it possible to do the same thing when you go to your local Bikram studio--and they eliminate the stink factor, too. Even if you're not into hot yoga, these bags are a great idea for anyone who changes their clothes before they leave the studio or gym. Did I mention how adorable the bags are?

Even more than the functionality of the bags, I love that this mother-daughter team saw a need in the yoga space and took matters into their own hands to fill it. Eve, (the VE in Rowve) the daughter who is a yoga teacher, asked her mom Ronnie (the RO in Rowve), who is a seamstress to come up with a design that would wipe clean and close up tight, keeping the moisture and that familiar smell away.

Are there other similar products on the market? Probably. But I love the idea of supporting folks who, like so many of us yoga teachers and writers in the world, build their business on an ideal that helps them share yoga with others (and in this case, make it more convenient, too).

Tell us: What do you do with your sweaty clothes after yoga class? Do you change before you head home? Do you get sweaty enough that you need to? 

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Am I a narcissist?

Don't answer that.

It's a question I've been asking myself a lot lately, though, mostly because of a book I recently read about Bikram Yoga.

Hell-Bent: Obsession, Pain, and My Search for Transcendence or Something Like It is one of those books that every yoga teacher should read, not for inspiration or teaching tips (certainly not!) but for a good chuckle and some insight into what NOT to do. It paints a picture of Bikram Choudhury as an egotistic, selfish, power-mongering, money-hungry man that founded Bikram Yoga. I laughed at his crazy antics and even crazier tall tales. He sits in a throne during his teacher trainings while his students fawn over him offering massages and fetching him his drink of choice--Coke. He says he never sleeps, and yet is never out of bed in time to teach an early class. He no longer practices the yoga that's made him rich. He invented the disco ball. There are a million other unfounded and ridiculous claims.

It's easy to condemn Bikram--to say he doesn't embody the true spirit of yoga. He definitely has his faults. But here's the thing: All of us have some of the narcissistic qualities Lorr describes in his book.

I've never made any outlandish claims. I don't have any trademarks. I've never sued any one. But all the Bikram hubub of late has made me think about my own motives for becoming a yoga teacher.  I often tell people about how the yoga that I practice can improve their lives. I fancy myself so wise that I write about my experiences with yoga in 3 different blogs (sometimes more!). I look at other people's postures and tell them how to improve. I collect money for my expertise. And while I certainly practice as much as I can, there are those times when I don't unroll my mat nearly enough. I occasionally enjoy a Coke. I collect yoga clothes in much the same way Bikram collects cars. I don't always practice what I preach, but I still think people should listen to what I have to say. And I have a LOT to say.

If I learn nothing else from Bikram, I'm thankful for this lesson: It's important to explore my own narcissistic qualities from time to time to keep myself in check. It's even more important to be honest with my students (and everyone else who might look to me for guidance or inspiration) about my shortcomings and my own struggles with ego, ambition, and pride. Because it's only after we understand and accept ourselves (the good and the bad) can we begin to teach others how to accept themselves. For me, that's what yoga is all about.

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"It smells like hippie in here. Are you smoking weed?" This is how my husband greeted me a few days ago when he got home from work.

I probably don't have to tell you that I had been burning incense in the house--and, no, it wasn't because I was trying to cover up the smell of weed.

There are all kinds of misunderstandings about incense. As my husband so eloquently pointed out, some people associate the smell with the hippie movement. Nothing quite conjures up memories or experiences quite like the sense of smell. Think of the smell of freshly cut grass in the summer or the sweet smell of cookies baking at Grandma's house.

For many yoga students who have practiced in a studio that burns incense, the smell immediately brings to mind feelings of calmness and focus that they associate with yoga class. For me incense = yoga class = happy place. The second I light one of those sticks I come into the present moment. It's almost instantaneous.

The folks at myInsens, a new incense company geared toward yoga practitioners, want to help you recreate that feeling as often as possible. The smell is light, not overwhelming like some incense, and I love that their hand-rolled incense is fair traded and gives back to the villagers that make it. I could spend lots of time trying to describe the product to you, but you really have to try it for yourself!

myInsens has agreed to give one lucky reader a  single individual box of incense in the scent of his/her choice! All you have to do is COMMENT below before December 13 and answer the question:

What scent always reminds you of a memory for you or brings you into the present moment?

I'll randomly choose a winner and post it in the comments on December 14!

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I know it's only November, but do you have a New Year's Resolution yet? Many of us start to think about what goals we'd like to set for the next year around this time. I don't really like New Year's Resolutions, but there's one thing I'm determined to change--the food I feed myself and my family on a daily basis.

See, I have a baby who just started eating solid foods. And, being the yoga mama that I am, I am making my own baby food for her from fresh, organic, local when possible vegetables and fruits. It might sound hard, but it's actually super easy to make a big batch and freeze it into individual servings in ice cube trays. So I'm making an effort there, but I realized I'm putting forth all this effort to make sure my baby eats healthy foods while I serve frozen pizza to my husband and myself... something just doesn't add up. It won't be long until my little one will be eating the same foods I make for us, so if I want to keep her on the healthy foods track I need to find healthier options. (And applying the same, make a big-batch-and-freeze-for-later mentality I'm realizing it doesn't have to be much more effort than going to the grocery store to buy frozen pizza.)

Just when I was coming to this conclusion, I got a little surprise in my mailbox.

enLIGHTened: How I Lost 40 Pounds with a Yoga Mat, Fresh Pineapples, and a Beagle Pointer, now in paperback, tells a story of how my YJ blogging colleague Jessica Berger Gross changed her relationship to food through her yoga practice. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I couldn't put it down. I could relate to many of her struggles. The advice she offers is practical and simple enough that I could start putting it into action easily. The focus isn't really on weight loss so much as eating reasonably and getting exercise. In my experience if that's the focus everything else will fall into place--whether you need to lose weight, manage stress, or work your way out of depression--taking care of yourself in this way is a great start.

I'm not really interested in losing weight. Despite my admittedly rather poor eating habits (I'm a junk food vegetarian), I've been a healthy weight for most of my life. I managed to lose my extra baby weight within a month after giving birth (I attribute this to yoga and the fact that I didn't gain much because I was nauseous for most of my pregnancy). But enLIGHTened reminded me of the importance of eating right, taking long walks, and putting my health as a top priority no matter how many other things are happening in my life. And I'm also a  little obsessed with the veggie chilli recipe in her book--I'd never thought to put broccoli in chilli, but it is yumm-O.

BTW, yesterday I asked my Twitter friends to share their favorite vegetarian recipes with me. Here are a few of my most recent favorites! (Add yours to the comment section below, please!)

Little Quinoa Patties
Mexican Black Bean Enchilada Casserole
Veggie Jambalaya

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My favorite way to spend time with my four-month-old is reading a good book to her. I read the same books over and over again. She can't ask me to read to her yet, But I know she loves it because I can see when I get out a book that her eyes scan the pictures and she often reaches her little hand out to hold the cardboard pages.We have a lot of children's books, but since I'm reading 4-5 a day, let's just say I'm starting to unintentionally memorize all the words. So when Little Pickle Press offered to let me review the new illustrated children's book BIG by Coleen Paratore as a part of their blog tour, I was thrilled to add  new to add into the rotation.

BIG is no ordinary children's book. It has beautiful illustrations by former greeting card illustrator (how cool is that?) Clare Fennell and an amazing message about what it means to "get big." As the youngest child in my family, I could certainly relate to feeling small and dreaming about the day I could be big and do all the fun things my older sisters could do. I'm sure every child sometimes feels like this sometimes. BIG shows them that it's possible for even the littlest child to make a difference in the world--and that's an empowering message I want my little one to hear over and over again.

The moral of the story is this: Being big is about being the best you can be and contributing in your own way to making the world a better place. It's the same message I hear lots in yoga classes, too: Start where you are. Do what you can. And know that even the smallest efforts matter.

My favorite line in the book sums it up nicely:

"Some people say BIG is measured by years or weight or inches. Others think BIG is how rich you are or where you live or how much stuff you own. These people are wrong." 

Learn more about the book here.

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I've finally succumbed to the realization that my beloved yoga mat is no longer meeting my needs. The giant hole that made me so proud when I unrolled the mat at studios--it represents 6 years of daily practice!--was becoming a little bigger with every practice. Bits of purple rubber flaked off everywhere and stuck to my hands and feet. I found myself having to stop what I was doing to wipe off excess pieces of mat.

When your mat is becoming more of a distraction and a hindrance to your practice than a useful tool, it's time to move on. If I've learned nothing else from my yoga practice, it's how to let go of the things that are no longer serving it. It is time for a new mat.

Now, I'm kind of a yoga products whore. I love mats, props, clothes, books, magazines--anything that reinforces my dedication and love for this practice. That said, I take the task of choosing a new yoga mat seriously. A yoga student's relationship to her mat is surprisingly intimate--not only does she rely on it to provide support and keep her safe, there's a lot of energy moving around during a yoga session and a mat collects that energy.

What do I look for in a mat?

• Good karma. I want to do as little harm as possible as I can to the world.
• Durability. My last mat lasted me 6 years, which is a great run. I want my next mat to last even longer than that!
• Thick and cushiony. I'm bony, so I want a mat that will be kind to my knees, wrists, ankles, and other bony parts when they're connecting with the ground.
• Grippy (Not Slippery When Wet). Yoga turns me into a sweaty mess. I need a mat that will
• Personality. Choosing a mat color is kind of a big commitment if you plan to use your mat every day for the next 10 years. I wanted a soothing color with some personality, too.

The kind folks at Manduka must have known it was time for a new mat. They were kind enough to send me an eKo  mat to try out--they have several new colors Azure, Smokey Quartz, Sage, Maize, Amore, Dublin. Poseidon, Sienna and Thunder and they all fit my criteria to a tee.

HOW TO WIN
It's easy. Now that I have a new mat, I need some advice for what to do with my old one. Comment below and tell me the most creative way you've reused an old yoga mat. I'll choose the winner based on creativity and usefulness. I'll announce the winner here next Monday, January 9th and you'll have until the following week to email me to claim your prize. Sound good?

AND THE WINNER IS...
Thanks for all your great advice! So many great ideas here!

Steph R! Congratulations!

Email me at spoiledyogi@gmail.com with your full name and address and I'll get a mat sent out to you!!

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There are two things in life that I can count on to make me feel uplifted, positive about life, and (dare I say) joyful: My yoga practice and writing about my yoga practice.

It's not surprising, then, that I devoured Writing Yoga: A Guide to Keeping a Practice Journal by Bruce Black. In this gem, published earlier this year by Rodmell Press, I discovered chapter after chapter of inspiring ideas for expressing my yoga through writing.

I could also relate to Black's stories about his own yoga practice, and how writing down his experiences before and after he unrolled his mat changed the way he thought about his practice. I've had similar experiences through this blog. Writing adds a whole other contemplative level to an already very contemplative practice. I'm a firm believer that when I sit down and actually put my experiences onto paper (or computer screen as the case may be) I gain a new perspective on things. Yoga practice in no exception.

If you haven't already read through Writing Yoga, I encourage you to grab a copy and let Black be your guide as you explore what beautiful, complex emotions you can uncover through writing about your yoga practice.

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It feels like summer Charleston, SC with temperatures reaching 90 degrees some days. And even though I'm not exactly a "hot yoga" kind of girl most of the time there's no getting around it these days. I can't even walk from my front door to my car (20 feet away maybe?) without working up a sweat, and it's not even June yet. It's going to be a long, hot summer.

This poses a bit of a problem for my wardrobe since I do not like to wear shorts. Not ever. There's just something about shorts that isn't aesthetically pleasing to me and they leave me feeling a little too exposed. During the hottest of summer days, I opt for a breezy dress or skirt instead. And when it comes to my yoga practice? Well, I've been known to just suffer through it and wear my tried-and-true yoga pants anyway.

Luckily, this year there are more options for my yoga practice: many of my favorite athletic wear companies are making skirts that offer more coverage than shorts but are still cool and breezy.

My favorite is this skirt/skort by MPG, called Leap.

It might have been designed for running or tennis, I don't know. But the built-in shorts underneath this adorable skirt makes it perfect for yoga! You don't have to worry about giving the lucky person on the mat behind you a peep show when you practice your Down Dog.

Inversions? No problem. You're covered.

To and from class is OK, too. Since there's no clingy spandex you don't have to bring along a cover up.

I've been living in this skirt for my yoga practice, walking the dog, grocery store runs, and most anything else I'm doing that's doesn't require me to go into the office.

What do you wear to yoga during the hottest months of summer?

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For me, yoga is more than a practice. It's an art form. So when I look for yoga clothes, I look for something that can help me to express the beauty, originality, and serenity I feel when I practice.

That's exactly what I found when I got an unexpected package in the mail from a Twitter friend, Mish Volonino, the founder and designer at MishogaWear. She sent me the most sophisticated pair of tie-dyed yoga pants I've ever seen! (And you KNOW I have a lot of yoga pants!) The image above shows the hand painted Buddha on the pant leg right beneath the Tibetan writing that says "Om Mani Padme Hum," the universal mantra of Tibet. This is admittedly a foreign concept to me, but I love the sweet sentiment. My photography does not do it justice.

You see, Mish is more than a designer... She's real artist. Mish paints the designs onto her custom-made yoga clothes by hand. She also does hand embroidery, screen printing, drawing of designs, and crystal embellishments. The result is a unique, but totally wearable work of art! 

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There are few things in life that give me more pride that the giant hole I have worn in my yoga mat. Every time I look at it I beam thinking about the hours of yoga practice it took to cause such a gaping hole in my high-end yoga mat. It's been by my side through many break-throughs and break downs. So, obviously, I am not interested in throwing it out or replacing it with another one.

But, lately, I've been feeling just a little bit self conscious about my old, stinky, worn out mat when I go to studio classes. I try not to worry about what other people think of me, but nobody wants to be perceived as the smelly person in class (or, in this case, the person with the smelly mat). Of course, my mat doesn't stink, but I think it looks like it might. You know what I mean?

So when Manduka offered to let me try one of their eQua Plus Towels, I thought it might be the perfect solution for me. The towel is big enough to cover my hole!! Plus, it turns out it's pretty useful, too. In a hot and sweaty class, it kept my hands and feet from slipping. I also love the girly color--I chose pink, obviously!--and the soft, velvety feel (which was really surprising to me because it's made out of recycled coconut shells). And Manduka promises their coconut fabric is a technology that eliminates bacteria and will never stink! I also love that this is a product with tons of uses. I plan to take mine with me to the pool, gym, and wrap up in it when I'm chilly for my morning meditation session.

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If I tell you a secret, will you promise not to judge me?

About a year ago, I realized that the ball of my right foot was a little tender when I walked. Upon closer inspection, I was horrified (and a bit disgusted) to find out that I had a plantar wart! How could this be? I wear shower shoes if I take a shower in a public place... I am adamant about using my own yoga mat, and it's not like I walk around barefoot! Wait a minute ... I do walk around barefoot. Every time I go to a yoga studio, I leave my shoes on a outside the studio door (because it's a sacred space) and I wander around looking for a nice spot to unroll my mag. Just think of all the germs I encounter during that walk! How many other bare-footed folks had walked there that day? I guess it was only a matter of time.. I'm all bet
er now, but I never want this to happen again--to me or anyone else for that matter.

Luckily, there are products out there to diminish the risk. When I first heard about Blake Brody's In-Studio Footwear--a shoe meant to be worn ON your mat--I was skeptical. Sure, they're adorable vegan ballet flats, I thought, but there are reasons we practice in bare feet, right? As usual, I caved to the cute and agreed to try these bad boys out to see if they could be as functional as the website's description says they are. I was pleasantly surprised. Not only did the shoes provide extra grip for my feet on my holey, worn out yoga mat making standing poses more stable, it also offered a unique support for my feet unlike anything I'd experienced before. My feet are flat, and the arch support in the shoes reminded me to ground through all four-points of my feet. For some reason I can not explain, these shoes also made it easier to roll over my toes as I moved from Up Dog to Down Dog, which is something I've always had a little trouble with. The only negative I could come up with is that practicing in shoes that are so fitted does make it a little more challenging to lift and spread the toes. So when that's the practice, I'd recommend taking them off and putting them to the side (in a clean, dry spot, of course). But given the extra support, cuteness factor, and hygienic value I'd say they're well worth the $98 price tag (some styles go up to $135). Plus, wearing them reminded me of taking ballet class when I was little, so I'll give an extra bonus point or two for nostalgia. All in all, I think I might have stumbled upon the next trend in yoga fashion!

Read more about Blake Brody and her amazingly cute yoga shoes at blakebrody.com.

What do you think? Would you ever try in-studio footwear? Have you ever gotten a wart or Athlete's Foot or some other horrible foot ailment from a yoga studio? Would you admit it if you had?

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As you might know, I'm a bit of a yoga clothes and products connoisseur.  I  love trying new styles and brands. It's so exciting to see the creative and innovative designs each season. So, of course I was thrilled when Mondetta Performance Gear invited me to try some of their pieces! A yoga /active wear brand I'd never heard of!?, I thought. How can this be?

Radiant

I was even happier when I felt the high-performance fabrics--soft, supple, stretchy.. maybe even a little bit squishy (and trust me, that's a good thing!). The colors are bright and friendly. The fit? Fantastic. And the designs are inspired, out-of-the-box, and fashion forward.

I immediately fell in love with the long sleeved number pictured on the right. The print is super-cute, and it's the perfect layering piece for a yoga class or a quick jog on a chilly day.

Affluent

I'm also a big fan of the Affluent 2 Tank (left) because its design is unlike anything else I've seen. It has a unique neckline (a mixture between a V-neck and a square neck) with gathers. It's nice and long so it offers full coverage and I love the feminine A-line fit--just make sure you tuck it in before you invert! Did I mention how SOFT the fabric is?

However, I might be most impressed by the company's efforts to make the world a better place. As a yoga student who wants to do as little harm as possible, it's important to me to support companies that make an effort to do the same. The Mondetta Charity Foundation provides assistance to children in East Africa who have either have AIDS or have been orphaned by the disease. MPG pays for the administrative costs so all the money the foundation raises can go straight to the cause. Plus, one percent of every garment MPG sells goes to the foundation.

Check out the rest of the MPG line here. And read more about the MPG Foundation here.

Have you ever tried MPG clothes?

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