About Taya Ng

http://www.vancouveryogareview.com

She is the founder of Vancouver Yoga Review.

Posts by Taya Ng:

Win a Lifetime Membership to Yogi Surprise!

Win a Lifetime Membership to Yogi Surprise!

Attention all yogis and yoginis! A new company called ‘Yogi Surprise‘ is set to launch very soon. It’s a monthly care package designed to complement the active yogi’s lifestyle! Think of it as a mini yoga retreat delivered to your doorstep. Each month, Yogi Surprise will send its members 6-8 full size products ranging from items like unique yoga accessories and natural beauty items to herbal tonics, organic snacks, super food essentials and more! Sounds fabulous doesn’t it? And best of all, here’s your chance to win a lifetime membership: http://invite.yogisurprise.com/

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Love My Mat – Handmade Yoga Accessories

Love My Mat – Handmade Yoga Accessories

Love My Mat is an environmentally-friendly Canadian company based in Ontario that was founded in 2008 by mother-daughter team, Shelley and Kathy. The duo lovingly hand craft unique yoga accessories made from reclaimed fabric, organic ingredients and responsible materials. Their line of eco-conscious, made-in-Canada yoga gear includes yoga mat bags, eye pillows, meditation cushions, bolsters, mat straps and stretch straps. They offer a varied collection of beautiful prints from gently used patterns making one-of-a-kind designs. Love My Mat recently sent us a few of their lovely products for review, so read on to learn about each item we received…

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Love My Mat’s Organic Yoga Mat Cleaner, the company’s original product, is a versatile yoga mat cleaner made from only four ingredients: citrus extract, tea tree oil, lavender and water! These three USDA Certified Organic ingredients are powerful antiseptics, strong enough to kill ninety-nine percent of germs but gentle enough to spray directly on your skin. The natural, fresh scent concoction is safe for daily use on all types of yoga mats, straps, blocks, and bolsters. So how do you use it effectively? This cleaner is a quick-dry, no wipe formula, so you simply shake the bottle gently, spray lightly (six to eight times) and let dry. In a minute, your mat is clean, dry and ready to roll up for your next yoga session.

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Love My Mat’s “Sitting Pretty Pillows” are their version of the traditional Meditation Cushion or zafu to raise the hips and alleviating discomfort, making the entire range of cross-legged sitting positions more stable for the meditator. Firmly stuffed with buckwheat hulls for comfort and support, this unique aqua & grey sit pillow is and covered with a pre-loved fabric made from a tablecloth Shelley found at a local thrift shop. The machine washable and dryable cover has a convenient handle for easy transport to and from yoga studios.

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Love My Mat’s Eye Pillows are filled with organic flax seeds to block out distracting light and add gentle acupressure to relieve facial tension. The subtle scent of aromatic lavender helps deepen relaxation and relieve stress. This eye pillow is pure bliss during savasana and aids in calming the body before bedtime. You can even us it cold to alleviate swelling and headache pain. And just like all of Love My Mat’s yoga products, each eye pillow is made with recycled fabric so each design is unique. The eye pillow sent to us is one-of-a-kind, made from a gently used duvet cover from Shelley’s aunt’s closet.

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You can help support this environmentally-friendly Canadian company by purchasing Love My Mat products via www.lovemymat.com and at select retail locations in British Columbia and Ontario.

**If you make a purchase through Love My Mat’s website, then you can use the code YVR15 to receive 15% your order within the next 30 days!**

New Shoot Pictures Yoga & Pilates DVDs

New Shoot Pictures Yoga & Pilates DVDs

New Shoot Pictures recently sent us some fitness DVDs for Vancouver Yoga Review, including four different yoga practices, prenatal pilates exercises, and even a ballet body workout. Filmed with some of the top yogis and fitness experts in the United Kingdom, these quality DVDs are just some of the offerings New Shoot Pictures presents. Read on to learn more about each one…

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Elements of Yoga: Earth Foundation — Tara Lee is one of the UK’s renowned yoga teachers and has a popular three-part DVD collection called “Elements of Yoga”. The first DVD in the series is based on the earth element and is designed to build the foundations of a yoga practice suitable for all skill levels and abilities. This DVD is divided into three 20-minute sequences which can be played in succession for a complete yoga practice, or as separate sessions for those with time constraints. The practices build a strong foundation of stability in the body, mind and spirit. Ideal for releasing symptoms of stress, these practices leave viewers feeling grounded and calm. If you are brand new to yoga or at the beginning stages of your practice, then this is a particularly appropriate DVD for you.

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Elements of Yoga: Air & Water Flow — The second DVD in Tara Lee’s Elements of Yoga series proceeds the earth foundation and was created as a flow based practice, focusing on connecting to natural air and water elements inside everyone. The practice is divided into three twenty-minute sequences and, like the first DVD in the collection, it can also be played in succession or individually. In addition, there are four bonus features: 10 minute balancing series, 10 minute core workout, 10 minute breathing exercise and a 5 minute relaxation. These sequences aid in forming space in the physical body by joining flowing mobility with breath as well as expanding the body’s chest and heart center. If flow yoga is your preferred style, then we’d certainly recommend this Tara Lee DVD.

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Elements of Yoga: Fire Dynamic — The third and final DVD in the series, Tara Lee’s dynamic practice was designed to build heat and strength in the body while cleansing and purifying the mind and soul. It is divided into three 20-40 minute sequences which can be played consecutively or separately. In addition, there are 4 bonus features: 10 minute balancing series, 10 minute core workout, 10 minute breathing exercise and 5 minute relaxation. The fire element lies at the center of our being so this practice was created to strengthen the core as well as give practitioners a strong, fluid practice that will burn up toxins. Anyone looking to release heavy emotions and detoxify the body will surely benefit from this DVD.

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Power Yoga & Kriya Yoga (For Anti-Ageing) — Yoga and meditation master, Yogi Ashokananda created a series of unique practices that are rooted in the ancient wisdom of yoga and meditation, yet have been reformed to correspond with modern lifestyles. Divided into three twenty-minute sequences, each program can be played individually or in linear succession. Practice One – Strengthening: This is a firm yet supportive practice of yoga, working through the whole body, rejuvenating along the way through each pose. Practice Two – Kriya Yoga Anti Ageing: Kriya Yoga joins the motion of the physical movement in bodies with its dynamic power helping to become cognizant of one’s own creative attainability, reducing the aging process and expanding cardiovascular ability. Practice Three – Power Within: The focus of this specific power yoga practice is on endurance as well as consciousness of one’s capacity to love and respect their spiritual and physical self. Yogi’s power yoga DVD is helpful for those looking for a yoga practice focusing on authentic Indian traditions.

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Prenatal Pilates Strengthen & Sculpt — Exercise specialist, Caroline Sandry created this DVD for women at all trimesters so they can stay in shape while moving through the different stages of pregnancy. Practicing these programs helps moms-to-be stay strong and supple while preparing for the physical demands of labor and delivery. These routines have been carefully choreographed to help sculpt, tone and strengthen women’s bodies and are divided into a twenty-minute Total Body Workout, a twenty-minute Standing Workout, a twenty-minute Mat Workout, a seventeen-minute Bonus Solutions Section, and a Pregnancy Tutorial to benefit mother and baby. This DVD is a must for pregnant women!

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Ballet Fitness — The sixth DVD sent to us was created by London-based professional choreographer Nicky McGinty. She presents six unique ballet themed fitness programs designed to target and firm specific body parts as well as provide an overall cardiovascular workout. Additionally, these elegant ballet routines help viewers locate and strengthen core muscles and flatten stomachs. These specific arrangements consist of barre work, floor work and a few lively dance routines. If you’re looking to sculpt a lean body and help shed unwanted pounds, then you should check out this DVD as it’s a great alternative to traditional yoga and pilates.

You can purchase New Shoot Pictures DVDs on Amazon (click here), and watch previews on My Yoga Online and YouTube.

Light Activewear: Vancouver Yoga Attire Company

Light Activewear: Vancouver Yoga Attire Company

Light Activewear is locally-designed in Vancouver apparel company that was founded by two environmentally-conscious sisters, Michelle and Judy Lei. By infusing fashion-forward designs with high-tech, functional materials, Light Activewear offers high quality yoga couture for the modern day yogini.

The company recently sent me a couple of their yoga garments for review on Vancouver Yoga Review. If you saw my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds, then you know I was really excited to receive my Light Activewear package in the mail. Inside the package I discovered their comfy black & yellow Eliza Capris and cute Darla Jacket. Read on to find out my thoughts on these two items…

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Since I’m a soon-to-be-mommy, I found the Eliza Capris to be super comfortable because they don’t have a tight elastic around the waist to accommodate for my expanding belly. However, even non-pregnant yogis will appreciate their über comfy fit as well. Since their signature fabric is developed with a proprietary blend of materials specifically made for their garments, they provide the perfect amount of stretch and support. And I love that the fabric is smooth and cool to touch, while maintaining a light weight feel.

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The Darla Jacket is also soft and smooth so there’s no pilling on the outside, but the best apart is that it’s a sustainable product made from 100% recycled polyester. The unique thing about using this recycled polyester is that the fabric is actually constructed by using plastic water bottles, making them into a wearable material. Also, it does not require any water or chemicals to dye the fabric. So not only does using this type of fabric help reduce waste, but it also saves on natural resources and valuable energy.

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In May, Light Activewear launched a very successful crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to raise enough money so they could take the samples into production. They managed to achieved an impressive 120% of their target, so now you can purchase one of these sustainable jackets in November. The following video further discusses this campaign:

As you can see, this local Vancouver company truly cares about their products, customers, and the planet! You can support this local small business by purchasing Light Activewear via their website www.lightactivewear.com and select retail locations (click here). Follow Light Activewear on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with new items and promotions.

Join Yogi Ashokananda & Other World Renowned Speakers In Vancouver

Join Yogi Ashokananda & Other World Renowned Speakers In Vancouver

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Join yoga & meditation master, Yogi Ashokananda, and seven other world renowned speakers all under one roof in Vancouver! Organized by The Gift of Life Foundation, BrainSolutions 2013 Conference will be taking place at the end of this month at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This two day event will encompass everything from nutrition and detoxification to breathing, exercise and meditation.

BrainSolutions 2013 Conference

Where: VANCOUVER CONVENTION CENTRE
1055 Canada Place
Vancouver, BC V6C 0C3
Canada

When: August 24th – 25th, 2013

For tickets and further information, brainsolutions.ca

YYoga Launches First-of-Its-Kind Yoga App

YYoga Launches First-of-Its-Kind Yoga App

Vancouver’s YYoga has officially taken yoga to another level with the launch of its new YYoga app! The unique app integrates gamification and social sharing to inspire and motivate people to achieve their fitness goals.

Benefits this app offers include:

• Easy booking: The YYoga app lets people reserve a spot in class with one touch of the screen unlike any other yoga studio.

• Gamification for motivation: The YYoga app offers a variety of yoga and fitness challenges, designed to inspire people to achieve new goals. The gamification challenges reflect the four main reasons people say they do yoga: to minimize stress; try a new style of yoga; to push themselves to practice more; and to develop more energy. Throughout the challenges, users receive beads towards a full Mala necklace, which is awarded and shared on social media upon completion. The mala necklace has yogic significance to users.

• Educational support: The YYoga app offers a dictionary of poses with instructions so that people have this information at their fingertips when they practice at home or wish to review after class.

• Social support: The YYoga app allows users to create unique profiles, invite friends to join them, and share their progress and class history with their community.

To learn more about the new YYoga app visit: http://www.yyoga.ca/app
To download the app visit: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/yyoga/id563965468?ls=1&mt=8

New Yoga Studio To Open In Point Grey

New Yoga Studio To Open In Point Grey

Exciting news Vancouver yogis and yoginis — a new yoga studio will be opening on October 27th in Point Grey!

The Rein Centre Yoga & Psychotherapy was born out of a deep passion for yoga and the desire to create a very accepting and comfortable yoga community. It is their desire to foster a place where yogis of all levels feel welcomed and supported to further their journey on the yoga path. Located on West 10th Avenue & Trimble Street, the centre offers drop-in yoga, yoga psychotherapy workshops, meditation, and psychological services in a small intimate boutique studio.

They’re currently offering a fantastic $35 new member special of unlimited yoga for two weeks. For further information, visit their website ReinCentre.com.

New Yoga Wear Brand Debuts a Kick Asana Collection

New Yoga Wear Brand Debuts a Kick Asana Collection

Founded by yoga die-hards, YogaGlyphs introduces a new collection of t-shirts focused on comfort and quality with a touch of humor. This debut collection for YogaGlyphs encompasses 7 styles for women and 3 styles for men, featuring unique body shapes that are functional and comfortable.  Quality fabrics will carry a person from the yoga mat through the rest of their day.


YogaGlyphs Fall 2012 Women’s Collection Original Me

Tank on Me

Flashdance

YogaGlyphs Fall 2012 Men’s Collection

The complete YogaGlyphs Fall 2012 Collection is available online at YogaGlyphs.com.

 

Free Yoga & Coconut Water at Bikram Yoga Vancouver!

Free Yoga & Coconut Water at Bikram Yoga Vancouver!

Bikram Yoga Vancouver is celebrating its first anniversary this Saturday (September 29) and is holding a big birthday bash to celebrate the occasion. It’s been a year since the opening of their Cambie street location at City Square Mall, so they are offering FREE yoga classes all day for anyone and everyone. If you didn’t think that was great enough, Cocos Pure is also giving away FREE coconut water, and Zenzation is holding draws for free yoga mats and hot yoga towels! Serious discounts on retail and yoga packages will also be made available for anyone looking for a great deal. See you there!

Where: Unit #22-555 West 12th Avenue, City Square Mall, Vancouver | Phone: 604-568-068 | www.bikramyogavancouver.com

When: Saturday, September 29th

Who: Everyone!

Just Yoga Vancouver – Mount Pleasant Studio

Just Yoga Vancouver – Mount Pleasant Studio

A new Mount Pleasant yoga studio opened a few months ago with a practical philosophy to yoga & wellbeing:

Just Yoga aims to provide a safe, friendly, down-to earth approach to all things holistic and soulfully wonderful. We believe in re-connecting Vancouver, on and off the mat, we believe in having a low environmental footprint, and we believe in making yoga truly accessible to everyone, which means keeping class prices as low as possible and offering discounts to those who need it. We honour our teachers and those who have taught before us, our members and everyone in our community, and uphold respect for all living beings as equals.

The studio itself was designed, renovated, and is run by Jeni Bond, with the help of a wonderful band of teachers with healing backgrounds. Jeni believes in the power of yoga to heal, through connection with yourself, with others and the Earth. She set up Just Yoga to share the tools, techniques and lessons that have helped her along the way.

“If it wasn’t for yoga I’m not sure where I’d be, I need that balance. When you feel lost, disconnected, lonely, sick or depressed, reach out for something that will elevate your spirit – yoga is one way to do that.”

Healing is the main goal, on all levels. Teaching people to listen to themselves, to delve deeply into their lives and find courage to heal and re-connect with others. Teachers learn people’s names and encourage them to talk to each other, deepening their connections. This is yoga with heart & soul.

For more information about Just Yoga Vancouver, visit their website www.justyoga.ca and connect with them on Twitter @JustYogaVan and Facebook.

Just Yoga
53 East Broadway (@ Quebec Street)
Tel: 604 709 9642 (YOGA)

Help Wanted: Want to write for us?

Help Wanted: Want to write for us?

We’re hoping that if you’re reading this it’s because you love all things YOGA! You consider yourself a ‘yogi’ and enjoy practicing yoga on a regular basis. We love doing yoga in Vancouver as much as you do and we’re currently looking to find people to write for us. We need help reviewing things you attend such as yoga studios, conferences, products, clothing and anything else related to yoga! If you want to join us, here’s what we’re looking for in new writers:

– Knowledgeable and passionate about yoga, fitness, health and wellness.
– Would like to share your yoga experiences through writing. Do you think you have what it takes?
– Your writing doesn’t have to be award winning, but you should be able to write well. We don’t have enough editors to correct basic grammar and spelling so your writing should be polished.
– Are able to contribute regularly, such as 1 article per week?

The above is a summary of what we’re looking for in new contributors. Writers here are not paid. Your reward, we hope, is that you’ll get to write about your love of yoga, health and wellness, share your experiences doing yoga in Vancouver, and to be apart of and connect with the Vancouver Yoga community. If you have your own blog, feel free to post links to it in your posts. We’d love to help promote you as well! Our authors have been featured in such print publications as the Georgia Straight and have been quoted multiple times in Groupon for millions to see.

If you think you have what it takes, please contact us at info@vancouveryogareview.com. Tell us about yourself, why you think you’re suited for our site. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Alternative to Big Box Yoga Studios Opens in Mount Pleasant

Alternative to Big Box Yoga Studios Opens in Mount Pleasant

Vancouver, BC –Good karma is headed to Mount Pleasant with the opening of Yogācāra’s third boutique yoga studio, and first franchise, on September 15. Unlike big-box yoga centers, this community-centered studio focuses on small class sizes and personal attention from yoga teachers in order to help practitioners achieve true mind, body, and soul balance. Yogācāra offers a variety of classical yoga styles including Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Yoga Nidra and Pilates.

“We are so excited to open our newest location here in Mount Pleasant,” says Camellia Rumball, studio owner of Yogācāra Mount Pleasant. “We provide a wellness-based approach to practicing yoga that encourages all people to incorporate yoga into their lives. At Yogācāra, we have something for everyone and we are looking forward to connecting with both lifelong practitioners and new yogis in the community.”

Yogācāra’s classes are deliberately small (limit of 14 students per class) and intimate, enabling teachers to provide more care and attention to each student. The warm setting, combined with after class tea and snacks creates an attractive and much needed sense of community.

As part of its Grow Yoga, Build Community vision, Yogācāra is deeply committed to making yoga accessible to everyone while also supporting social causes. The company offers a Karma Yoga Program, which allows students to attend yoga classes simply by making a donation of a canned good. Yogācāra donates $3 for every student who attends the class to a local charity.

Yogācāra already has two popular studios located in Kitsilano (read our review here) and Riley Park, and plans to continue expanding to grow yoga and build community throughout the Metro Vancouver.

For more information on Yogācāra, visit www.yogacarastudios.com, connect with them on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.

Thanks to www.jivecommunications.ca

Starbucks App of the Week: Pocket Yoga – Practice Builder

Starbucks App of the Week: Pocket Yoga – Practice Builder

Starbucks’ free app of the week is currently Pocket Yoga – Practice Builder, by the developer Rainfrog LLC. This app is a yoga instructor in your pocket, everywhere you go!

Pocket Yoga is the premier yoga app available for iPhone/iPod/iPad.

The practice of yoga becomes beneficial when done on a regular basis. With Pocket Yoga you can keep up with your practice at your own pace and schedule in the comforts of your own home. Simply set your iPhone/iPod/iPad in front of your mat, start a practice, and Pocket Yoga will guide you through your entire session.

Choose between 3 different practices, 3 different difficulty levels and 3 different durations. A total of 27 different sessions!

Practices in Pocket Yoga are the unique and original creative design of the world-renowned school of Gaia Flow Yoga.

Features:

– Detailed voice and visual instruction guides you through every pose, including each inhalation and exhalation.
– Over 145 beautifully illustrated pose images with correct posture and positioning.
– Dictionary of poses containing descriptions and benefits of each pose.
– Maintains an ongoing log of all your yoga practices to track your progress and promote consistency.
– Practices designed by experienced yoga instructors.
– Ability to play music from your iPod library in place of the default music.
– All images are compatible with the new Retina display.
– TV out support! See your practice in your television.

Pick it up today at your nearest Starbucks location!

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