Rapping with MC Yogi

MC Yogi, the hottest phenomenon in the yoga world, is coming to our studio in Las Vegas. The weekend of March 19-21, he'll lead a concert on Friday night and two special yoga workshops on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. We're so excited and honored because this is the first time MC Yogi has ever led events in Las Vegas. His mix of rap music, ancient deities and flow yoga is so unique and has rocked yogis everywhere. His Elephant Power CD is a blockbuster bestseller around the globe.

In an article in LA Yoga, MC Yogi says "Some people compare me to Eminem, since he’s a white rapper. But I focus on yoga deities. That’s the difference. In that sense, I’m an un-rapper! I’m the antithesis of the usual rapper. Like the first album focuses a bit on Ganesh, who has an elephant head. He’s the lord of overcoming obstacles. I like to make this joke when people compare me to Eminem. Since I am rapping about a divine elephant, they can think of me like this: I’m M&M with peanuts." Read the full article to get to know him better. For details on MC Yogi's events at Yoga Sanctuary, click here.

Tiger Woods: Take A Swing At Yoga

Hey Tiger! Want to improve your golf game despite all the distractions in your life? Breathe focus and awareness into your golf swing with yoga. As this recent online article points out, “the physical benefits of yoga will definitely aid your golf game, but perhaps an even greater advantage will be the mental benefits. Meditation techniques used during a yoga practice provide golfers with the tools to help develop the mental discipline that golf demands.” So integrate yoga into your training and achieve greater calm, focus, and fitness for the 18 holes ahead.

What Does Your Favorite Yoga Pose Say About You?

Every yogi has one particular pose they love above all others. It's the pose that feels most like home, and the one you keep wishing the teacher would call out soon. But did it ever occur to you that your favorite yoga pose gives insights into your personality? Cyndi Lee, founder of the famous OM yoga center in New York City, believes so and shares some psycho-yoga pose analysis in an online article. If you're a fan of inversions, for example, Cyndi feels you're probably a creative type "who sees things from all sides" or "just likes to shake things up!" However, if you gravitate towards forward bends, twists, backbends or tree poses, Cyndi has a whole different take on you. Whether you agree or disagree with Cyndi's musings, feel free to post a comment.

video: Dragon Vinyasa - Yoga Meets Martial Arts

What do you get when you combine flowing yoga with ancient martial arts? Creativity, power, energy, strength and an amazing class called Dragon Vinyasa. Invented by Yoga Sanctuary teachers Ottavio and Naomi Gesmundo, Dragon Vinyasa interweaves elements of Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga with Tai Chi & Kempo Martial Arts into an all-inclusive workout to advance the mind and body. If you love a vigorous yoga class ... like to sweat out the old and wake up your exercise routine ... experience Dragon Vinyasa. To quote Ottavio and Naomi, learn to "Inhale Life. Exhale Peace." They teach Dragon Vinyasa every Monday night at our East Las Vegas studio. Watch a clip from their DVD below.

Yoga Wisdom #2,632: Airplanes of Consciousness

You know when you're in a yoga class and the instructor pours forth some rare and beautiful gem of wisdom and you marvel at how your life is forever improved with this understanding and then you go on to forget said understanding due to the difficulties of the plow pose?

It happens to me all the time.

We here at Yoga Rants and Raves are working to re-strand your necklace of knowledge one pearl at a time. When I remember a pearl, I will share it with you here. But I need your help. I can't remember them all, especially when my yoga attendance is low enough to force me to repeat a grade. Please email us with your ideas and/or comment on this blog.

Enough preamble, here is my pearl of wisdom of the day:

One of the instructors at yoga sanctuary (I think it was a male), explained this beautiful metaphor about planes of consciousness. Of the aeronautical variety:

When you go about your daily life, you're like a low-flying plane that gets batted about by every storm and wind draft. But doing yoga is like boarding a 747 and sailing above the daily storms and cruising at the altitude where the air is calm. You can still see the storms below, but you have peace. With practice, you can teach yourself at cruise at a higher altitude at will, not just during child's pose.

video: Paul McCartney Does Eye Yoga

Is too much screen time in front of the computer or TV causing eye strain? Former Beatle Paul McCartney would urge you to have a session of eye yoga. No yoga mat required. Paul learned the eye exercises on a trip to India and practices it around six times a day. Supposedly one can benefit immensely from eye yoga. Practicing the exercises daily may help strengthen the muscles around the eyes and even enhance eyesight. Paul demonstrates his new workout routine in the video below.

'Try Reiki,' Dr. Oz Tells Millions on TV

For anyone looking for proof that the ancient art of Reiki has gained mainstream popularity, check out the video below. Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz television show, enthusiastically endorses Reiki as one of his favorite alternative therapies and features a hands-on demonstration on his program. One of the leading cardiovascular surgeons in the United States, Dr. Oz has integrated the use of Reiki during open heart surgeries and heart transplant operations. And he isn't the only physician embracing this ancient Japanese therapy. Around the world, the healing benefits of Reiki are getting increased recognition throughout the medical community. Many renowned hospitals now offer Reiki treatments including John Hopkins, The Cleveland Clinic, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. Yoga Sanctuary is pleased to offer Reiki treatments at our studios. Two of our wonderful yoga instructors are also Certified Reiki Practitioners and provide healing, soothing Reiki and energy balancing treatments by appointment. For more information, click here for flyer.

Whoa! Yoga for Horses

No, we're not talking about horses sneaking into yoga classes (like we wouldn't notice?) so they could practice yoga and sing mantras like OM, OM on the Range. (Sorry, we couldn't resist that.) But according to a recent article, a yoga teacher named Gloria Hester in Tucson, Arizona is using yoga to heal horses. By intuitively applying yoga and other techniques, "folks and horses are taught to let go of patterns that are detrimental to health and well being." Click here to read the article.

video: Steve Ross, A Very Happy Yogi

Steve Ross is a very popular guy. After wedging yourself alongside 70-plus students at his studio in Los Angeles, Maha Yoga, a glance around the classroom gives the first impression of a social hour, rather than a yoga class. Everybody is excited because they're about to spend time with Steve Ross, one of the happiest and most upbeat yoga teachers on earth. Whether Steve is leading one of his famous kirtan/concerts -- or an exuberant yoga class at his studio or on his INHALE television show -- it's always a celebration and everyone is invited to the party. Steve also brings a relaxed spirituality to his events and to his bestseller HAPPY YOGA. Steve talks about his yogic lifestyle, love of music, and more in the video below.

Steve will lead a kirtan/concert and two yoga workshops at Yoga Sanctuary the weekend of February 19-21. Click here for details.

Mother Earth Brings Love Full Circle

By Heidi Kyser

Co-Owner of Gaia Flower & Gift Shop in Las Vegas and Yoga Teacher at Yoga Sanctuary

I still remember the first (and last) time I told Peter that I didn’t believe in giving flowers, because it was such a wasteful, harmful practice.

“Somebody grows them – in a hothouse full of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, I’m sure – just so they can be cut down, put in an ugly glass vase the same as a dozen others you have stacked up under your sink, and then thrown away after a week. What’s the point?”

I wasn’t thinking. Too late, I could see his heart breaking as his expression sank. After all, I was talking to someone who owned a plant and floral company, whose livelihood depended on others’ belief in the kindness and thoughtfulness of offering flowers.

That was around 10 years ago. We were just friends then. Oh, how things change…

In the intervening years, Peter and I have grown to be partners, first in life and now in Gaia.

When we were dating, he would send me flowers with gentle teasing about my thoughtless remark from years earlier. After we moved in together, he would bring home from work arrangements that he’d asked his designer to make especially for me. While my friends complained about never getting flowers from their boy/girlfriends, I grew to expect them.

And, without ever taking me to task directly, Peter showed me, over the years, that there is unquantifiable value in giving flowers. Although I have become accustomed to having them around, it still amazes me how much their simple presence on a table brightens the mood. They are a joy to contemplate. And of course, I see now that they are a gesture from his heart to mine.

Now that we have Gaia, flowers are even more special than ever. Our shop (named after the Greek goddess personifying Earth) represents our chance to combine the thoughtfulness Peter has always understood flowers to represent, with the lighter impact on the environment that we are both committed to making in every aspect of our lives.

Burying your nose in a bouquet of ecoroses and breathing in deeply, I may not smell anything different than the fragrance of a conventional rose. But I feel the love more truly, more deeply than ever before. And that’s the point.

Comment from Yoga Rants and Raves: If you're looking for a beautiful Valentine's Day gift created with loving intention, visit or call Gaia in downtown Las Vegas. Here's a link to their website: http://www.gaiaflowers.com/

Photo Credit: Diane Taylor

To the Moon with Rocket Yoga

"Rocket yoga promises to get students to fitness nirvana faster." These are the words at the start of an online article featuring Rocket Yoga creator and "It's Yoga" founder Larry Schultz. A leading figure in the world yoga community, Larry's studios and teacher trainings have inspired thousands to embrace a more dynamic yoga practice, one that will keep them in peak condition physically and mentally. His revolutionary Rocket Yoga is key to his teachings and has attracted a huge following. And get this ... Larry developed Rocket Yoga for the Grateful Dead!! Larry was the group's private yoga instructor and he designed the Rocket Yoga series to keep them fit during their tours. On Friday night February 5 and Saturday afternoon February 6, Larry brings his exciting Rocket Yoga workshops to Yoga Sanctuary. For details, click here.

video: Kid Yoga, Good Karma

A big shoutout to CNN for their recent piece on kids yoga. As CNN points out in this video, increased flexibility, strength and stress relief are just a few of the reasons yoga for kids has gotten so popular. Another reason: the kids have a blast! We always hear laughing and giggling at our kid yoga classes held weekly at our east and west Yoga Sanctuary studios in Las Vegas. For info on our kid yoga classes, click here.

12 Questions for Yoga Teacher Marissa Harris

Our recent interview with new Yoga Sanctuary teacher Marissa Harris provided plenty of "wow moments." First she tells us she grew up in Kahalu'u, Hawaii. (Wow!) Then after attending college in New Hampshire, she tells us she lived in places like Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Alaska. (Wow, Wow!) In the interview which follows, Marissa also shares the greatest lesson and reward that yoga has given to her, her favorite comfort foods and music, and other sides to her life on and off the yoga mat. Starting February 6, Marissa will teach a Power Flow class every Saturday at 9:15 am at our east Las Vegas studio. To learn more about Marissa, click here.

1. What is your hometown and what brought you to Las Vegas?

I grew up in Kahalu'u, Hawaii, where my whole family still lives. At 18, I moved to New Hampshire for college. In the years since I've lived in Argentina, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Alaska and Vermont. Las Vegas seemed exciting, so I came here in 2005.

2. What styles of yoga are you drawn to?

I make a conscious effort to stay open-minded about my practice. It sometimes takes me a while to adjust to a new style or instructor, so I try to be patient and to withhold judgment until I've incorporated the shapes and flow into my body enough to see the advantages and benefits of the style. That said, my personal practice is Vinyasa with a strong emphasis on alignment.

3. What is the greatest lesson yoga has taught you?

To take responsibility for my own life and my own being. By showing up on the mat and doing the work, a body can be transformed. The same is true for more subtle aspects of a person and ultimately, one's destiny. Honest effort reaps results.

4. What is the biggest reward yoga has given you?

Yoga has transformed my life (and continues to) in innumerable ways. The greatest gift it has given me over the course of the last year is more clarity with respect to my own path and the courage to make changes that resonate with my true self.

5. Tell us the most important concept you want your students to take away from your yoga classes?

In class I'm known to frequently say "you're in your body; I'm not." No two practices are ever the same--different bodies are different, and the same body is different on different days. I strive to provide my students with options and modifications to help each find the manifestation of a pose that is right for them at that moment. Ultimately I'd like to help students nurture their practices to the point where my instructions are no more than a rough outline for the time they spend on the mat.

To read our entire interview with Marissa, click here.

video: Larry Schultz "Rocket Series"

The first weekend in February, Las Vegas yogis can rocket to bliss when yoga legend Larry Schultz visits our studio. Internationally renowned, Larry is founder of the "It's Yoga" studios and teacher training programs, as well as creator of the famous Rocket Series. The Rocket is a fun, playful and empowering yoga series adaptable to students of all levels. In the video below, Larry talks about the incredible benefits of the Rocket while students demonstrate different poses. For details on Larry's February 5 and 6 workshops at Yoga Sanctuary, click here.

How To: Cure A Broken Heart with Yoga in Two Hours or Less

1. When you wake up in the morning and the first thing you feel is a sense of loss and directionless despair, get ye to the yoga studio. Welcome a sense of direction.

2. When dressing for yoga, be sure to wear your diamond earrings. Not the ones that s/he gave you. But the ones you won at the strip club when you were drowning your sorrows in unhealthy distractions. Now you feel desirable again. (Bonus: you’ve found a healthy distraction.) But do not wear makeup. That would be ridiculous.

3. When asked to state your intention at the beginning of yoga class, do NOT state this: “I wish to gain the ability through yoga to crush my ex with the psychic powers of my mind alone.” Instead chose this intention: “I wish to love and respect myself.”

4. When doing the chair pose, bend as deep as your legs will hold you. Let the lactic acid build up in your thighs until you want to scream. Realize there is a pain worse than a broken heart.

5. Breath. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t worry about breathing through your nose or mouth specifically. Those restrictions are for the whole-hearted. Just respirate. If you can continue long enough, you won’t die. If you’re alive, then you are forced to accept that your heart isn’t actually broken. It’s functioning as normal and the other stuff is just a figure of speech.

6. When given the choice between vinyasa and child’s pose, take child’s pose. You deserve a rest. Rest. But do not stay there for long. You are better than that.

7. When in warrior’s pose, realize that you are a warrior. Applaud your inner strength. You are awesome. Repeat your intention. The loving yourself one, not the other one.

8. When the exercises are over, listen to the wise words of the yoga instructor. Realize that everything she says about letting go and about having nothing to do or UNdo and about not having anything missing in your life, all that is true. With or without a romantic interest.

9. When in shibasana (corpse pose), imagine your consciousness as a tranquil sea (perhaps resembling the set of Cirque de Soleil’s O). When the sadness and regrets and anxieties rise up and distract you from the sea, imagine those thoughts as little flash-paper boats. Set them sail, and just before they dip over the horizon, set them on fire and watch them flash and disappear. Enjoy the tranquil sea. Repeat.

10. At the closing, when you say “Namaste,” remember what that means: That the divine in me salutes the divine in you. Remember that you possess the divine, too.

Go forth in peace. And do not check your cell phone until you’ve gone forth at least 30 yards from the yoga studio.