Sat Nam magazine

sat nam Wednesday 16th November 2014

Rachel Brathen

www.satnam.co.uk

The Men in Yoga issue

And why she is the QUEEN of Yoga.

MEN We Want You!

...in Yoga.

VS

YOGA BREAST CANCER

5 All you need to know about

#YOGAJOES

of the best yoga instagrams to follow for daily inspiration

Whats inside..

3 Top 5 Yoga Instagrams

Sat nam magazine brings you the top instagrams for yoga and meditation tips

4+5 This Weeks Yoga News

Toy action men find a new vocation with a little help from Dan Abramson, and all you need to know about the smart yoga mat

6+7 Men In Yoga

We discuss the real reason men should be practising Yoga, with help from Pete Gazi

8+9 Meet our Cover GIrl

Rachel Brathen aka Yoga Girl shows us how its done

10 Hot Yoga Review

Ever wanted to try hot yoga? Now you can know what to expect

11 Products and events

What’s coming up in the yoga world and this weeks trends

12 Next Month

A sneak peek into what the world of Yoga has to offer next month

Editor’s Letter; This month in the world of Sat Nam, our main focus is including men in yoga. However our leading lady this week is Rachel Brathen!

Emily x

Top 5

Presents...

SAT NAM

THE YOGA INSTAGRAMS FOR DAILY INSPIRATION. RIE EYMA R B U A

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3

Toy Soldiers Toy army men have taken an unusual stance after new project gets funding.

Dan Abramson, founder of www.Brogamats.com has successfully gained backing for a new take on green toy army men. The former figurines associated with violence and wars, have been redesigned and remade, in yoga positions.

Whilst still maintaining their trademark look of the vintage children’s toys, the resigned action figure appropriately named ‘Yoga Joe’, are placed in all the most famous Yoga positions. With the most popular ones in positions such as ‘Downward dog’ ‘Cobra pose’ and the headstand, that actually stands up vertically.

The peaceful action figures are hoping to attract more men, children and war veterans into the practice of Yoga. More unlikely are people turning to Yoga for health benefits, from injured people to letes; it is no longer simply a hobby for women to stay in shape.

The toy can be played with by children, much like the original, making yoga more widely recognised in everyday life.

...with a difference

Alternatively the Yoga Joe’s can be enjoyed by the older generation too, in the hope that Yogis will display them in their house or where the practice yoga to convey pride not only for Yoga but also for the focus and discipline of military men and women.

The current focus on feminism over recent months is likely to support this project, as the lines between what ‘men’ do and what ‘women’ do in traditional life is blurred.

Sat Nam magazine spoke to Dan Abramson on the revolutionary toy,

“I made Yoga Joes to in-

spire more young boys, men, and military folks to consider yoga.

”

It appears the discipline and physical intensity of being a soldier coincides well with the practice of yoga as the project has received pledges from around the globe, resulting in getting the funding needed for it. The donations have come from far and wide; ex-militants to professional yogis have all shown a huge interest in Yoga Joe’s.

Abramson finished: “I've received messages from families who are trying to reconcile life after service, and how yoga is helping them move forward. To have a product that can relate to them in any way, is so much more than what I intended for when launching this project.”

Get yours at www.brogamats.com in traditional green, or hot pink.

It took a year of failure and redesign, melting, bending, 3D-scanning, and 3D-printing, but I eventually figured out how to make a set from scratch. I thought maybe it could get more men and young boys into yoga, and maybe a generation of children might look at the practice differently. I also thought it could help military folks get over their own hang-ups about yoga.

LIMITED EDITION - HOT PINK

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Smart The

Yoga Mat

The SmartYoga Mat transforms into your own personal yoga guru with the click of a button. By measuring your pressure and positioning on the mat, it can guide you into your perfect pose from the comfort of your own home.

The advancing technological world has crossed over into Yoga and the otherwise peaceful and simplis tic sport, has warmly welcomed the Smart Yoga Mat.

Released on the site Indiegogo, SmartMat has attracted a huge amount of attention already and has raised over $175,000 within a few days of release. The sensors built in the mat are used to track the alignment of your poses and advise you using a smartphone/tablet.

At $247, it is significantly more expensive than a standard yoga, usually costing under $50. The first release of the high end Yoga mats have already sold out. However, for an added $100 you can pre-order one from the next batch which is scheduled to ship in September 2015.

By entering your weight and your measurements, the mat can detect how deep into your poses you are, and suggest ways to increase flexibility and ease into poses. The SmartMat will also know your limitations and ensure that you are not going to develop an injury whilst practising yoga unsupervised.

“I am amazed that the technology has got to this stage, Cleo Fielding, a follower of Hot yoga said:

where your movements are tracked and commented on. I think it is an remarkable idea, however would it work in a 50 degree room, the sweat produced during one hot yoga session is a sure way to damage your phone or mat” she goes on to say

“I can’t help but fear that is disrupts the tranquillity of Yoga.”

VS

Breast Yoga Cancer There have been many different studies testing the effects of Yoga in breast cancer patients. The Tom Baker Cancer Centre carried out a cellular study and found that breast cancer survivors who practiced mindful based meditation daily for 8 weeks, had a more healthy display of Telomeres – the protein found at the end of chromosomes. The longer the Telomeres, the more likely they are to protect against diseases.

Another study looked into which therapy benefitted breast cancer patients most effectively. Meditation, Yoga and relaxation were found to be the most beneficial, with evidence that the practice tackles mood disorders that people with cancer often experience.

They also assessed how yoga affected the anxiety, stress and negative effect of chemotherapy on the body and mind of a patient. Positive results showed that there is an emotional side effect to these things than could help to be kept at bay by Yoga.

Breathing, stretching and meditation techniques found in Yoga have also been proven to alleviate depression in cancer patients whilst improving the general quality of life, according to the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre.

Breast cancer survivor Petra Brewster says:

“I would definitely

consider practicing yoga. I have never tried it before but the medication I am on makes me extremely tired. This medication has to be taken for the next 5 years but I would definitely try it as an alternative to having to take even

more tablets.

”

5

Men in

For a long time, yoga was aimed at a particular group of people, usually women trying to get or stay in shape. Over the past 10 or 15 years there has been a huge increase in the number of people who practice yoga.

In the USA the number grew from 4 million to 20 million between 2001 and 2011. In recent years a lot more of us have been practising, which might be hard to avoid when there are yoga classes popping up everywhere. The practice has become a very ‘trendy’ and modern form of exercise.

Everyone has heard about the list of health benefits that comes from yoga and everyone is telling their friends. Studies show that it improves flexibility, fitness, posture, mood, stress levels, focus and the list goes on, and it is no wonder people are finding time to fit it into their weekly routine. Another benefit of studying yoga is that there are many different types and styles, so it is easy to find a certain yoga practice that suits you and your needs.

Bikram Yoga -

the same 26

poses repeated in 105 degree heat.

Vinyasa Yoga - A class which

starts with sun salutations and focuses on ‘flowing’ between poses.

Ashtanga Yoga-

A more

physically demanding practice, known as ‘Power Yoga’.

Hatha Yoga – A more relaxing

class with gentle movements carried out at a slower pace.

Iyengar Yoga- This class in-

corporates props such as straps, blocks and harnesses to assist positions.

Prenatal Yoga- This yoga is

dedicated to pregnant women, focusing on relaxing and breathing.

I feel like there are stigmas attached to Yoga, like those who practice it are a group of pretentious hippies who sing in unison and bend themselves to within an inch of their life. The truth is that the classes are welcoming and uncompetitive, everything is optional and you do leave feeling a lot better.

I can understand why men feel like yoga isn’t for them, it could be seen as ‘girly’ to practice yoga. (I don’t know how because you have to be hella strong to stay in position.) Men might also feel out of place in a room full of women stretched into compromising positions. But once you have gotten into the mind-set of a yoga class.

Many famous men, who are far from feminine, have chosen Yoga as their preferred exercise. Understandably so, yoga isn’t solely about your physical body, but also the mind and spirit. It is also heavily about focus and concentration, something that is hugely beneficial to a professional athlete for example. Many of the most famous basketball players in the world have used yoga to improve performance, Shaquille O’Neal to name one, and LeBron James also used yoga to ease his back Flexibility will inevitably lead to agility and alertness in sport; a clear mind and attention to detail are other attributes that go hand in hand with yoga practice, which can be transferred in sport. Yoga heavily focuses on the core, and control over your muscles, something any athlete would need.

Working your muscles and even bones in that way can also aid the prevention of injury during any sport.

If at this point, you’re still thinking ‘yeah sounds great but yoga is still girly,’ well let me inform you that Robert Downey Junior swears by yoga and he was Iron Man! The epitome of masculinity, and he didn’t get the physique sat at home reading about yoga that’s for sure.

Also, the two badass leading roles in True Detective, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey practice yoga regularly. Harrelson was even quoted in a 2009 Playboy interview saying “Yoga is the best thing for your sex life! It keeps you limber in all kinds of ways. It teaches you to love your body and your partner’s body. But more than anything, it keeps your mind liquid, and nothing’s sexier than that….I think yoga is a great way to force your outside of your mental and physical rigidity” So, how much more persuasion do you need?

A couple of other things that might interest men to take up meditation besides the immune system benefits are thing like increased fertility, with stress reducing the sperm count – relaxation can have the opposite effect.

Hawkes, Russell Okung famously said: “Meditation

is as important as lifting weights and being out here on the field for practice. It’s about quieting your mind and getting into certain states where everything outside of you doesn’t matter in that moment.

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Yoga How long have you been practicing Yoga for? I have been practicing yoga for over 15

years now and I have been teaching the art of yoga for just over three years.

How has it impacted/improved your life? Yoga has impacted my life in so many different ways. Originally my forte was primarily martial arts. Then I got talking to someone who recommended yoga as he said that there was a good chance that it would very much improve my martial arts. I went along to a class and I found it did improve my martial arts considerably. After that I was hooked and took a yoga teacher training course. I also used to suffer very severely with asthma, yet since practicing yoga my asthma has completely disappeared.

What specifically made you start practicing Yoga?I needed a ying to the yang. In

other words although I was a martial artist I still needed something that would provide me with a sense of calm and balance and I found that yoga was it.

(Male Yogi)

M E ET A M OGI

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Name: Peter Ogazi Nickname: Yogazi Profession: Yoga Teacher, Health and Social Care Lecturer Location: Manchester What is your favourite type of Yoga? Astanga and Vinyassa. These are the more dy-

namic styles of physical yoga. I have found them best suited to me and more beneficial than other forms of yoga.

Do you have a favourite pose? Peacock

pose (also known, as Mayurasana is a challenging pose that rests all your weight on your hands whilst keeping your legs off the ground parallel to the floor. It will tone your abdominal muscles, improve your concentration, and aid digestion.)

What is your Favourite thing about teaching Yoga? Seeing the students progress from beginners level to a more advanced level, whilst also getting feedback from students stating how practicing yoga has changed there life for the better.

We have narrowed it down to our top 5 reasons why men should practice yoga:

5

Yoga will calm your mind and reduce stress levels for good.

1

4

3

2

Yoga will benefit It can prevent InIt is challenging your overall jury and help with but more a lor health, including pain if you already more fun than the sleep pattern and have an injury gym diet.

Just incase you needed another reason, GIRLS LOVE IT.

Rachel Brathen

Meet our cover girl..

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Living in aruba means the pictures she posts are always beautiful and serene, which i think is more important her yoga skills.

This sweedish yogi has taken the world of instagram by storm. with over 1.2 MILLION followers, her page is brimming with yoga inspiration, advice and personal tales. Every picture comes equppt with a detailed caption of how she is feeling in the moment, how she got to where is is and the mystery of where she might go next.

Our Yogi of The Week

aka... YOGA GIRL

She has recently released her own book named ‘YOGA GIRL’, about her own journey into yoga and how it has transformed her life from yoga teacher, to celebrity. Her days are now spent flying around the world with her husband, Dennis (instagram: Dennisfromsalad) and her dog Ringo (Instagram: Ringothegringo).

She hosts yoga retreats, does interviews and has been on many talk shows ahead of her new book release.

Rachel is dedicated to her fans and even documents her whole life on snapchat, and accepts all her fans to watch.

O TO E T CU

How m you w uch do a in thi nt to be s class yoga right now?

9

Hot Yoga Review After attending yoga classes for a couple of months I decided it was time to try a different style of yoga. After considerable research I signed up for a Hot Yoga course at the Yoga Lounge, it was £20 for 10 days.

Upon arrival the first difference I noticed was that you had to place a towel on top of your yoga mat, so I assumed it was going to be a sweaty affair. This was then confirmed by the line of men and women walking out of the previous class various shades of red, pink and purple dripping with sweat.

The poses started much the same as normal yoga; switching between cow and cat pose, the only difference being that you’re already dripping with sweat. You do feel as though you can get deeper into the poses when your muscles are in a 105 degrees Fahrenheit room.

You are not meant to eat up for 3 hours prior to the class, and for good reason. The heat in the room itself combined with bending your body in those positions can make you feel extremely sick and even dizzy. Coming to the class hydrated and staying hydrated throughout is vital as you sweat an unnatural amount during the hour.

There are a couple of poses I did during hot yoga that I never tried during normal yoga, these include; Eagle pose, which I had tried on my own before, and found much easier in the Hot Yoga environment.

The hot yoga felt more of a workout as well, not only because it was harder work, but also because we focused on certain areas, such as abs. The instructor combined yoga and abdominal workouts, which meant your muscles, burned more and were more able to be stretched and worked due to the heat.

Towards the end of the class you are bright red and you can feel your heartbeat in your head, so when you hear the instructor ask you to get into resting pose on your mat you can hear an audible sigh of relief from everyone in class.

Then to conclude the class the group is invited to join in a number of Sanskrit chants, which can be quiet unnerving if you don’t know what everyone is saying and you find yourself just making noises until you hear a word you understand like ‘Namaste’.

I enjoyed hot yoga more than normal yoga as I felt a higher sense of achievement after the class and felt more like I was gaining strength and tone with each class. The only problem with hot yoga is the cost, once you have used your introductory offer the classes go up to around £10 per class, as opposed to £2 per class like normal yoga.

We Have Given it SAT NAM’s seal of approval

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BROGAMATS BRINGS YOU:

THE LUMBERJACK YOGA MAT BAG

Free open classes Sample a wide range of yoga and pilates. Open sessions are for all levels of experience including beginners, and are the ideal way to try something new. Sessions are held with some of the country's leading teachers and professional organisations.

Workshops Take a longer class and experience the teaching styles of talented inspirational teachers. A chance to try a different style of yoga including popular fusions influenced by yoga, pilates, dance and music.

Exhibition Visit over 200 exhibition stands covering all aspects of Yoga, Pilates, Ayurveda and naturally healthy products. From mats to bolsters, bags & belts to holidays, teacher training and clothing.

1 Day Pass Adult £9 Concession £7.50 2 Day Pass Adult £15 Concession £12.50 3 Day Pass Adult £20 Concession £16.50

BOW AND ARROW YOGA MAT BAG

THE BURRITO YOGA MAT BAG

www.yogarebel.com YOGA REBEL® is the new store from urbanyoga® and is quickly becoming Europe's Premier Yoga Store.

Match your bra to your leggings for the ultimate yoga look.

Zany yoga pa are on nts po this s int eason .

5

of the hottest trends this week

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SAT NAM Top 10

perfect gifts for Yogi’s

Wednesday 16th December 2014

www.satnam.co.uk

The Mindfulness Issue How to enjoy Yoga this Christmas

Veggie

easy, simple reciples for a peaceful christmas