Home Yoga Practice: Intermediate Yoga with Rodney Yee DVD

Most weeks, I attend three yoga classes at my gym. I attend two power yoga classes, which I find are a good workout and have made a noticeable difference in my strength, and one Hatha yoga class, which is a perfect end to my Tuesdays with a balance of focused breathing, strengthening poses, meditation, and relaxation. Although I feel more balanced and centered after the Hatha class, I enjoy both types of yoga for what they are. I supplement these with home practice, although not as often as I should, sometimes with DVDs and sometimes with a variety of poses I choose on my own.

This Tuesday, the weather was terrible–rainy, cold, dreary–and I failed to attend either of my two regular Tuesday classes. In their places, I did the Intermediate Yoga with Rodney Yee DVD and a 15-20 minute meditation. I’ve done this video a few times, and I like it for the most part.

The video begins with sun salutation. Next, he guides through a series of triangle pose, half-moon pose, warrior poses, various types of foward bends, and reversed triangle pose. The second part of the DVD focuses on a few inverted poses against a wall: hand-, forearm-, and head-stand poses with child’s pose, standing forward bend, and downward-facing dog (my favorite) between to rest. The last part of the DVD is focused on backbends and other flexibility poses, hip openers, and relaxation.

Overall, I find the 65-minute practice challenging and moderately paced.

Challenging: Although I can do most of the poses, I am not very good at them yet. For example, my attempt at reversed triangle pose is just sad, and I can only hold a hand stand for a few seconds at a time. I like this because each time I practice, I can see a little bit of improvement. And the soreness the next day reinforces the fact that I worked hard.

Pace: The first time I did the video, I struggled to keep up and felt he was going too fast, but now that I’ve done it a few times, I like the pace. He gives enough time to get in the pose, but not as much time as a beginner’s DVD would.

I find the most challenging part of the DVD the last segment (backbends, flexibility, and hip openers). I can’t push myself all the way up in the backbend, so I do it half-way for now, and I can’t do anything remotely close to half lotus. I’m working on it though, and I think that’s what counts. My yoga teacher (of the wonderful evening class) reminds us each week that “yoga is non-competitive” and not to look at our neighbors’ abilities. I try not to judge my sad attempt at lotus legs to Rodney Yee’s, but I’ll definitely be celebrating if I am ever as flexible as he. Or this guy.

photo credit: Nicholas_T

Here is a preview of the Intemediate Yoga with Rodney Yee DVD, and you can purchase the DVD from Gaiam.

WeedGuard Plus Paper Mulch Review

One of the best barriers between the ground (aka weeds) and your top layer of mulch is paper. Paper suppresses weeds and suffocates weed seeds; however, it still allows heat, water, and air through to your soil.

In addition to my use of newspaper in the garden, I also use paper mulch. Last year, I bought WeedGuard Plus non-fertilized paper mulch rolls, and they worked amazingly well. These rolls are available in a variety of widths and lengths, so you can customize your purchase to your garden size. I like WeedGuard Plus paper mulch because it is heavy grade, easy to apply, effective at suppressing weeds, and environmentally friendly.

Heavy Grade. The paper is the consistency of really heavy construction paper. It can easily be punctured to plant seeds or seedlings but doesn’t tear with every movement. It also held up nicely to rain for the first half of the season.

Easy Application. If you have a really big space, and access to a tractor, you can attach the rolls and just drive in a straight line while the paper trails along the rows. Or, if you’re normal, like me, you can just roll out the lengths you need, cut, and walk the paper to the rows.

Weed Suppression. The paper does its job smothering out weeds. I laid it on top of full-on lawn, and the grass was smothered out in about a month. It also prevented grass and weeds breaking through it for the first half of the season. Once the paper starts to break down, though, you could see weeds come through if you don’t have enough mulch (hay, leaves, etc.) on top of it. I made this mistake last year.

Environmentally friendly. WeedGuard Plus is 100% biodegradable, and the non-fertilized rolls are OMRI listed. Don’t be silly and buy the fertilized rolls. You don’t need chemicals meant for warfare to grow great food!

Rating. 9/10

Justification. The paper broke down before the growing season was over, which means that their claim that it can float on top of the rows isn’t entirely accurate. It needs additional mulch on top or a second application mid-season. I’m going with additional mulch on top because leaves and pine straw are free.

I won’t lie, WeedGuard Plus isn’t cheap. For that reason, when I ran out last year (becuase I failed to order enough to cover the entire garden) and was going to buy a second roll, I shopped around for alternatives. I found several and ordered one from Amazon. Mistake. Read that again. Mistake. Although that company claimed the weight of the paper was the same as WeedGuard Plus, they lied. They sold me craft paper, not heavy-duty mulching paper. It was flimsy and tore with the slightest bit of twisting or dragging when I put it down. And, as I’m sure you can imagine, the first storm managed to rip the rest to pieces.

Over and over again, I learn the lesson that you get what you pay for. That is certainly the case with paper mulch. Spring for the WeedGuard Plus. I promise you won’t be disappointed, and if covered with plenty of other mulch, it should last the entire season and then compost down into your soil for the next year.

This year I ordered two 35 in. x 500 ft. rolls, which should be plenty to cover my garden and even have some left over for next year or other areas of the yard.

If you choose to buy WeedGuard Plus rolls, I suggest laying the rolls out before planting. It is much easier to plant through the paper than to try to pull already-planted seedlings through holes. I plan to cover the garden with paper, then cover again with mulch, then poke holes and drop seeds through and lightly cover with dirt. For the few seedlings I buy, I will just dig bigger holes and plant directly in the paper and pack in the soil around the seedling.

In case you’re curious what this stuff looks like, here’s a picture:

Pepper plants with WeedGuard Plus.

Photo linked to source

Youngstown Gardening Gloves Review

A good pair of gardening gloves can make all the difference. Cheap gardening gloves often have poorly placed seams and skin-irritating fabric. I had one such pair last year and threw them out after just a few uses, and the pair I liked were ripped breaking up a dog fight (another story for another day). So I got to go shopping for new gloves this year, and I sprung for some good ones. They aren’t the $50 kind that Martha Stewart might wear, but they are the nicest gloves I’ve owned. And, so far, they’ve been well worth the $15 I paid for them.

Mine are this red color. They are also available in pink.

While shopping at my local co-op, I found these Youngstown gardening gloves. I’ve used them for two raking sessions and one hedge-trimming session so far, and I have no blisters. None! They are comfortable, soft, durable, and a perfect fit.

Comfortable: These gloves are slightly padded on the palm to allow for a little support when picking up sharp objects. They also have a short wrist cuff, which I like because it keeps my hands a little cooler. In addition, the wrist cuff has a velcro closure to allow a customized fit.

Soft: The padded palm is soft, which is nice, but the gloves also have a terry-cloth panel on the thumb, which is perfect for wiping the sweat off the brow or nose. The fabric also seems to pull moisture away from the skin, so when I take them off, my hands aren’t soaking wet and gross.

Durable: To be fair, I haven’t had them very long, but I can already tell they are durable. The material is not flimsy, and the fingertips are reinforced, which should keep the seams from snagging. The stitching looks tight as well, and they are machine washable.

Perfect fit: These are not one-size-fits-all gloves. They are sold in small, medium, and large, and are designed to fit women’s hands. I bought medium after trying on small and medium in the store, and they are just the right size.  The aforementioned velcro also contributes to the perfect fit.

My rating: 10/10

My justification: They are the best gloves I’ve ever owned

If you’re in the market for some new gardening gloves (or even if you’re not), might I highly suggest the Youngstown gloves. If you’re a man, you might try these. Go out and get some new gardening gloves this year and get ready for spring!

Photo linked to source.

Comfortable Meditation with Zafus

After a week of hiatus from anything remotely considered yoga, I sat and pseudo-meditated this morning. I say pseudo because I had a hard time focusing, my feet kept falling asleep, and I found myself thinking about this blog entry. Nonetheless, I’m counting it as meditating–better than last week’s hiatus, I think. I did sit up tall, close my eyes, and do my best to focus on my breath for 25 minutes. And I sat on my zafu, which I am growing to love and is the focus of today’s post.

For those who may not know: A zafu is a round meditation cushion that helps elevate your rear and relax your hips and legs. I find meditating on a zafu is much more comfortable than sitting on the floor cross-legged. I have less tension in my legs and hip sockets, and I am able to sit up taller. Some people say that overcoming physical discomfort is part of training your mind, but I say, “Why have discomfort in the first place?” A zafu does not eliminate all discomfort–I did mention my feet falling asleep, right?–but it helps a lot. I also find it prevents me from falling into a hunch half way through my sitting.

If you’re in the market for a zafu, or are considering starting a meditation practice, might I suggest Carolina Morning. Based in North Carolina, this company makes many meditation aides and sustainable furniture products. Also, all products are made in the U.S. by people living in or near the Appalachian mountains, supporting locals and reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Zafus in many colors!

Photo credit: Carolina Morning Web site

Boardtown Organics: My Solution for Local, Free-range Chicken and Eggs

As you all know, I have sworn off non-local meat, and, although Sanderson Farms is a Mississippi company, that’s not quite what I was going for with “local.”  So far this year, my meals have been mostly meatless until recently when I got a deer, just about as local as you can get.  But I was looking around on Local Harvest and discovered a family farm just outside my door.  Boardtown Organics (Boardtown, by the way, is what Starkville was before it was Starkville) is a small operation just outside the city limits, but I don’t even have to go there to pick up the food.  I just order a day ahead and go to Main Street and pick up my order.  How easy is that?

Living in the city limits, I cannot raise my own chickens, so this place is perfect for that.  I ordered one whole chicken and a dozen eggs.  Both were fantastic!  If you haven’t had farm-fresh eggs, then you simply must find the nearest person who has laying hens and ask for some.  They are wonderful.  Or contact Boardtown Organics if you’re in the area, only $2.50/dozen.  That’s a good dollar cheaper than “free-range” varieties at Kroger.  And so much better, I might add.  Orangey center that doesn’t run all over the place when you break the egg in the skillet.

We should have weighed it, but we didn’t.  Suffice to say that the chicken was huge.  It fed my husband and me for over a week.  We grilled the legs, wings, and thighs.  Pan fried one-half of the breast (which fed us both) and topped it with olives.  Halved the other half of the breast and used one half to top a salad and the other half to make chicken fried rice.  Of course we had leftovers, and those were mostly mixed together for sandwiches, salad, etc.  We also made chicken stock for the first time by using the bones and meat that clings to the bones.  Considering the entire chicken only cost $10, we ate some pretty cheap meals, and all were absolutely delicious.  I have read that truly free-range, happy chickens (I think this makes them happy) that are allowed to roam about and eat bugs taste more “chickenier,” and I can now say that I agree.  May sound crazy, but, somehow, I could taste the chicken more.  It didn’t just taste like whatever I seasoned it with.  It tasted like chicken.

Their Web site advertises a CSA (community supported agriculture) effort this year, but I plan to grow pretty much all I’ll need on my own.  As for chicken, they are almost out of the last batch processed, but I’m told they should have more ready in May.

This is in the biggest bowl we own.

Lessons learned:

1.  Local, responsibly-raised food tastes better.

2.  Local, responsibly-raised food, despite all expectations, is cheaper than factory food from somewhere else.

3.  Owners of local, family farms are kind and honest.

Take a look at that half a breast. Huge. I know.