How to clean a yoga mat?

If your mat is lightly soiled, use a spray bottle, damp sponge, or terry cloth rag to apply a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap. Rub the soiled areas. Wipe the mat with clean water; then rub with a dry terry cloth towel. Hang to air dry. If your mat is heavily soiled, submerge it in a solution of warm water and mild detergent; use very little soap as any residue may cause the mat to become slippery during future use. Thoroughly handwash the mat and rinse in clean water. After squeezing out the excess water, lay out the mat to on a dry towel together. Stepping on the rolled up mat will squeeze more moisture out of the mat and into the towel. Then unroll and hang to air dry. by Donna Raskin Other solutions to use:

• To remove tough spots use baking soda with warm water.

• Hydrogen peroxide and water is another alternative.

• Tea Tree Oil and warm water is very popular.

• Dr. Bronner's Peppermint soap in a bowl of water

Extended Cat Pose

This pose offers a variety of benefits. Using core muscles to balance, it helps to strengthen the abdominal, back, hip and shoulder muscles as well as developing and toning the arms and legs. Focus and concentration are improved.

1. Begin on all fours, hands under shoulders, fingers spread, middle fingers parallel and pointing forward; knees under hips about a fist distance apart.

2. Draw your belly toward your spine and lengthen the spine from tailbone to the crown of the head, nose is pointing toward the floor.

3. Inhaling, raise your right arm along side your ear.

4. Exhaling, raise and extend your left leg parallel to the floor.

5. Lift your torso upward creating space in the left shoulder and right hip areas. Extend through the fingertips of the extended hand and the heel (or toes) of the extended leg.

6. Hold the pose and breathe. Do not let your back sag. Gently draw the tailbone downward to lengthen the lumbar area.

7. Release gently.

8. Repeat on the opposite side.

International Women's Day London Ontario

Thursday 3 March

Adria Vasil – Author, Columnist, Feminist, Activist, Environmentalist

How Women are Leading the Charge to Protect Our Planet - And How YOU Can Too!

7:30 pm, Brescia University College Auditorium, Admission by Donation, Free parking

Sponsored by The Circle Women’s Centre

More info: www.thecircle.ca or 519-432-8353 ext. 28288

Friday 4 March

LAWC’s International Women's Day Breakfast & Auction…Speaker: Jennifer Morse - A Time for Healing

7:00 – 9:00 am; $40.00/tkt or $350/table; Best Western-Lamplighter Inn, 591 Wellington Rd. S

Sponsored by London Abused Women’s Centre

More info: Christy Floyd christy@lawc.on.ca or www.lawc.on.ca

Friday 4 March

EcoFeminist Anti-Fashion Show

7:00 – 9:00 pm, APK Live (Wellington @ York)

Sponsored by Sexual Assault Centre London in partnership with the Amazon Collective

More Info: 519-439-0844

Saturday 5 March

Ecofeminist Vendor Fair: Socially Conscious Clothes, Accessories, Resources, and Feminist Materials

10am – 2pm, Brescia University College Auditorium, Free Parking

Sponsored by Sexual Assault Centre London and The Circle Women’s Centre

More info: www.thecircle.ca or 519-439-0844

Saturday 5 March

Celebrating 100 Years of Inspirational Women: Through the Past, Present and Future

12 noon, Hamilton Road Senior Centre, 525 Hamilton Road

Speakers, activities and inspirational stories; all ages are welcome; a store bought potluck

Sponsored by Crouch Neighbourhood Resource Centre

More info: Megan Dell or Jacquie Carr at 519-642-7630

Saturday 5 March

Journée Internationale Des Femmes – discuter des atrocités commises à l’endroit des femmes en temps de guerre, ainsi que de la disponibilité des resources adéquates pour les aider lorsq’elles vivent au Canada.

(IWD event – discussing the atrocities committed against women in wartime and the availability of resources to assist them once they live in Canada).

2pm – 5pm, 920 Huron Street, French language event; translation services available.

RSVP to Cynthia: 519-858-0954 or Cynthia.c@carrefourfemmes.on.ca

Sponsored by Carrefour des Femmes du Sud-Ouest de l’Ontario

Saturday 5 March

International Women’s Day Multicultural Dance

6-10 pm, South London Community Centre, 1119 Jalna Blvd, Women Only (age 11+)

Admission: Bring finger food & cutlery, More info: 519-686-8600

5 & 6 March

The Vagina Monologues & A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer

Shows @ 2pm & 7pm, $15 or 2 for $25, Althouse College Theatre

Info & tickets: vdaywestern.com & www.usc.uwo.ca/infosource/index.html

Sponsored by V-Day Western

Tuesday 8 March

Camouflage

7:00 pm, Palace Theatre, Free admission. Donations accepted for Women’s Community House. Free parking available at rear of theatre

Highly regarded London actors Rod Keith and Martha Zimmerman will be reading “Camouflage” followed by an audience discussion with the playwrights Jeff Nisker and Kathy Tomanec

Thursday 10 March

This is What a Feminist Looks Like…Poetry Slam

APK Live, 8-10pm, $5.00 or pay what you can

Sponsored by the Amazon Collective and Sexual Assault Centre London

Thursday 24 March

Grand Opening - MINE 101 - Men’s and Women’s Fashion Showcase

Doors open at 6pm, show at 7pm; 900 Oxford Street E.

Sponsored by Women’s Community House

More info: rachelle@shelterlondon.org

For more information: womenseventscommittee@gmail.com

The Circle Women's Centre

for Spirituality, Activism & the Earth

Brescia University College

London, Ontario, Canada

(519) 432-8353 ext. 28288

www.thecircle.ca

Pose of the Month: Upward Facing Dog

Aside from downward dog, upward facing dog is one of the most widely known and recognized yoga poses due to its numerous benefits and therapeutic uses. As cousin to the Cobra pose, it is considered one of the easiest of the back-bending poses and is usually performed during the Sun Salutation Series.

How to: Upward Facing Dog

Start by laying face down on your mat, legs should be long with a feeling of extension through the length of the toes and spread hips-width apart. Bend your elbows and place your palms flat to the ground, fingers spread, hands completely plugged into the floor and have your finger tips along side your chest.

Your wrist joints should be parallel to the front edge of the mat, with your wrists and elbows at a 90-degree angle. Elbows should stay tight to your sides.

From here, press down through the top of the feet; the top of all 10 toes should press into the floor. Press the palms down and gently lift your body off the floor. The ONLY parts of your body touching the ground should be the tops of the feet and the whole hand.

Once your arms are fully extended, double-check that your wrist joint is still under your shoulder-- aligning the wrist, elbow and shoulder joints together. (This positioning is critical and ensures a safe, less stressed lower back.) The most common mistake in this pose is having your hands too far out in front of you, creating tremendous low back pressure.

Safety First

It is very important to press down through your hands and lift through the top of your head during execution of the pose. Lengthening the neck and having the feeling of pushing down avoids the common "turtle head" mistake where the head seems to disappear into the neck.

Also roll your shoulders back, with shoulder blades facing toward each other. Never over-arch the back. (The action in the arms and legs collectively gives you this result.) Another point to remember is not to let your elbows bow or hyperextend. The bends in the elbows should face each other, remembering to open your chest.

To further relieve pressure on the low back, press your tailbone down with a tucking action. Look straight ahead--keeping a neutral neck to avoid compression on the neck and stiffening the throat.

Benefits of Upward Facing Dog

Strengthen the spine, arms and wrists
Stimulate the organs of the abdomen
Improve posture, by stretching anterior spine and strengthening posterior spine
Stretch chest and lungs, shoulders and abdomen
Help to relieve depression, fatigue and pain of sciatica
Increase lung capacity to relieve the symptoms of asthma

Poses like this are critical for a healthy back, especially with so many of our daily postures and chores that induce the forward fold of the torso. When we are forward all day--whether sitting at our desks or driving for hours on end--we over-stretch our back muscles and weaken our abdominals.

Back-bending poses like updog counteract this growing problem. Once we are in better more lifted postures, it automatically puts our abdominal organs in a better functioning position. It is also a great pose to tone our arms and legs and open our hearts.

By Gwen Lawrence
For Active.com

New Year Downtown Yoga Challenge

The New Year Downtown Yoga Challenge started on January 10, 2011. We have four teams of three and we are half way through the race. As of today, January 24th the standing is:

Team A - 33 classes
Team B - 52 Classes
Team C - 18 classes
Team D - 22 classes

Way to go Team B. While the yoga challenge is to complete as many classes as possible it is important to have fun. It is also an opportunity to fully develop a new positive, life-promoting habit and we know that for most of you, it is a personal achievement. Keep up the good work and we will see you in class.

Namaste,

Downtown Yoga Holistic Centre

Ardha Chandrasana / Half Moon Pose against a wall for support

The intense stretch of the spine in this pose keeps the spine supple, well aligned and increases mobility.

Stand with your back 3 to 6 inches away from the wall. Take your feet 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart. Place a wooden block against the wall, about 12 inches from the right foot. Turn the right foot 90 degrees out and your left foot 15 degrees in. Extend the arms out to the side and take the right hand down, keeping the right side of the trunk extended. Place the right hand on the shin, keeping the back and shoulders to the wall. This is Extended Triangle pose. Now look down. Bend the right knee, lean to the right and place the right hand on the block. Bring the left foot slightly in towards the right foot.

Bring your weight onto the right foot and hand. Straighten the right leg and lift the left leg. Open your chest and stack your hips one on top of the other. Keep both legs stretching strongly, knees straight. Raise your left arm and keep it in line with the right arm. The back of the left hand touches the wall. Look up at your thumb.

Extend the spine horizontally from the tailbone to the back of the head. Stay for 20 to 30 seconds. To come down, bend the right leg and lower the left leg to the floor. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits: Ardha Chandrasana relieves stiffness and pain in the neck and shoulders. It strengthens the knees and improves balance and coordination. This pose also relieves suffering from cramps in the pelvic and abdominal regions and alleviates simple backaches. Done at the wall, the pose is accessible to beginners who can later try it in the middle of the room.

source: http://www.yogastudiocalgary.com/newsletter/newsletter_jan04.html

Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA

Adho Mukha Svanasana, also known as Downward Facing Dog, is an exceptional stretch that tones the legs and back of the ankles, opens the chest, massages the abdominal muscles and increases circulation to the head and neck.

Just watch a dog after his nap as he stretches his front paws away and sticks his bottom out and allows his spine to lengthen.



Brief Explanation of Posture

An inversion with both hands and feet on the floor lifting the hips

‘Adho Mukha Svanasana is an arm balance, a partial inversion and a restorative pose. It can be an active pose for stretching and strengthening various regions of the body or a pose we return to for a rest during practice.’ [1]

There are no Prohibitions in this posture but the following precautions should be made aware.

Be mindful if you experience wrist or ankle problems due to Arthritis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, RSI or Lupus. If you have arthritis then you are encouraged to weight bear on your wrists or ankles as this is beneficial but only when the symptoms are not active.

Be mindful of rounded backs (Kyphosis) and know that it's fine to bend your knees in the posture.

High Blood pressure and Heart problems - BWY Guidelines suggest that those who suffer from the above should not normally bring the head lower than the heart. Have a bolster or block to support the head.

Possible Props

Wedges or blocks can be used to raise the hands and feet.

A wall or chair can be used to raise the hands.

Straps can be used to lift the hips.

A bolster can be used to support the head in a relaxing downward dog.

Areas to be Prepared

Hamstring, spine and shoulder stretches

Shoulder flexibility

Method

From Marjaryasana (cat pose) check that your hands are below shoulders and knees are under hips. Spread your fingers on the mat and tuck your toes under. Draw in your lower abdomen and begin to lift your knees with control. Lift your heels, tilt the pelvis away slightly and begin to lift your hips towards the ceiling. Begin to straighten the legs and encourage the heels towards the floor. Encourage your shoulders back and down. The feet and palms of the hands should be wide and flat on the floor and the backs of the knees open to anchor the hips. The front ribs stay soft and the shoulders must be relaxed and free. Dog pose gives you energy. It is a lovely asana for really feeling the stretch from the tailbone to the top of the neck in one line as you exhale and reach further and further. It is also a very good asana to warm up in before doing inverted postures.

While in the posture encourage your shoulders back and down. Use your breath to deepen posture. Lengthen torso on inhale, release into posture on exhale and encourage your heels to the floor

To come out of the posture step your feet towards your hands and take some breaths in a relaxed forward bend. Lower the knees and come into Balasana (child’s pose)

Modifications

Keep the knees bent. Using a wall, chair or ledge to work at supported half downward dog.

Variations

From the downward dog position raise one leg keeping the toes of the foot pointing down toward the mat then open at the hip and lift the leg higher.

Bend your elbows and come onto your lower arms into half dog

Bring your wrists together so both thumbnails are touching.

Place your feet on a wall (in preparation for handstand)

Bring your ankles together and turn your toes outwards (ballet feet)

Wide legged downward dog



Counterposture

Balasana (Child’s pose)



Likely Practical Benefits

Stretches hamstrings and gluteus maximus muscles

Strengthens upper body

Stretches shoulder joints

Blood supply to brain increased

Blood supply to facial tissues and sinuses increased



Likely Esoteric Benefits

Resting

Calming

Restorative



source: http://www.yogabarn.co.uk/yoga-barn-journal/2010/4/10/yoga-posture-of-the-month-adho-mukha-svanasana-downward-dog.html