Posts from ‘media’
The BBC newscaster watches BKS Iyengar in a fancy headstand variation (screengrab via bbc.co.uk)
In this classic video from the BBC archives, BKS Iyengar introduces Brits to the marvels of yoga and successfully wrenches the newscaster into her first headstand. The clip is titled BBC news item from 1966 – BKS Iyengar demonstrates yoga, and this demonstration does indeed happen, paired with a charming woodwind soundtrack. But at the three-minute mark, another vintage clip is spliced in and the newscaster’s pastel sweatsuit and Adidas trainers indicate that we’re no longer in the 60s, baby.
A little digging around the BBC website reveals that the latter clip was from a 1981 BBC evening magazine program. Filmmaker Adam Curtis included the clip in an essay about physical culture and nation-building, in which he almost managed to draw parallels between politics in Iraq and modern yoga (with a couple of edits and a decent conclusion the reader might be able to understand what they have in common – as it stands, it’s not entirely clear, but still interesting).
The video is not embeddable, but you can watch the whole thing here. It’ll be the best six minutes of your day, really. Continue Reading
Lululemon has pulled yoga pants from their shelves after they realized the products were determined “too sheer” (read: basically see through).
“The ingredients, weight and longevity qualities of the pants remain the same but the coverage does not, resulting in a level of sheerness in some of our women’s black Luon bottoms that falls short of our very high standards,” the company announced in a March 18 press release. Since Lululemon has been working with the same company since 2004, the varient in quality is not the result of “changing manufacturers or quality of ingredients,” but some kind of manufacturing glitch.
Luon, a combination of nylon and Lycra, is Lululemon’s signature fabric and credited with giving the products their unique form-hugging abilities.
According to a handy FAQ prepared by the company, 17% of women’s pants are affected by the manufacturing issue. This has also affected Lululemon’s stock price, which dropped 7% within hours of the announcement, and the company stands to lose an estimated $20 million in sales (from an expected $350 – $355 million to $333 – $343 million) during its first quarter of 2013.
Valentine’s Day is on the horizon – and you know what that means? My inbox and Facebook feed have been full of invitations to partner yoga classes, acro yoga workshops and introduction to tantra sessions, along with recipes for vegan chocolate pomegranate sauces, five poses to “fire up your sex life” and hearty soups that “support your sex organs.“
My Yoga Online, however, is leading the way with their “Yoga for Better Sex” series running from February 1 – 14. Every day during this two week period, subscribers to the online yoga service get an article, informative video or yoga practice intended to “elevate yourself to a place of intimacy, creativity and healing, just in time for Valentine’s Day.” In the introductory video for the series, MYO identifies the perceived duality in the sex + yoga equation:
Sex = naughty.
Yoga = good.
Together they’re taboo!
And, ultimately, the sex you’re having right now isn’t good enough. This is pretty much in line with the messaging we receive from the dominant culture. Continue Reading
First of all, here is a seal “doing yoga” on a rock off the coast of Estonia. Of course, we can’t be certain if it’s actually “doing yoga” (as the Daily Mail reports), but it’s definitely stretching, definitely blissed out and definitely adorable. For more seal yoga cuteness, check out the full article here.
While you’re admiring the cutest yogi seal in the world, listen to this exclusive interview with yours truly! Joni, the Accidental Yogist, invited a handful of bloggers onto her weekly radio show, Yoga Chat, to talk about “Transforming Yoga One Blog at a Time.” Maria Santoferraro from Daily Downward Dog, Jay Winston from Yoga for Cynics (and elephant journal) and I candidly discussed our yoga blogging adventures. Check it out!
