LOS ANGELES, April 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Manduka, purveyor of high performance yoga gear and the #1 choice of yoga teachers worldwide, revealed today the latest addition to its innovative family of yoga mats, props and accessoriesthe Recycled Foam unBLOK. Thoughtfully designed to be the most versatile foam block in the market, the unBLOK's functional, sleek design, user-friendly shape and high quality eco-friendly materials will help provide yoga practitioners versatility in traditional poses, offering a deeper, more natural support throughout their practice.

Inspired by the unblocking that naturally occurs when you have a powerful yoga session, Manduka is supporting the launch with a digital campaign celebrating the community spaces that help practitioners achieve breakthroughs: local yoga studios. Kicking off today, the unBLOK party campaign and contest encourages yogis to nominate their local studio via Facebook, sharing how their favorite practice space helps them "unblock" and return to the world with new clarity.

"Manduka's mission is to soulfully engineer yoga gear to help people inspire the practice of yoga and find personal breakthroughs," said Sky Meltzer, CEO Manduka. "Many of these breakthroughs happen in a yoga studio environment. We are encouraging our community to give thanks to the people and places who have helped them on their path, acknowledging our local studios for their huge role in our practice and our lives."

Through the unBLOK party campaign and contest, Manduka is making it easy for practitioners to show their studio some love. Simply:

NominateHead over to Manduka's Facebook page and answer a few questions on your inspirational studio. Manduka will thank you with a special offer.

SelectManduka will select five studio nominations to feature on a dedicated landing page: http://www.manduka.com/unBLOKParty. The selected studios will be outfitted in Manduka yoga gear. Additionally, five people who nominate will be gifted with an unBLOK kit.

VoteThe community will be encouraged to visit the unBLOK landing page to vote for their studio of choice. The winning studio will receive additional Manduka yoga gear and an 'unBLOK' partyan in-studio experience inclusive of yoga taught by a high-profile teacher followed by a celebration with music, food and product giveaways.

GiveManduka will sponsor a teacher or teachers at the winning studio to do their own seva work bringing yoga to an underserved area in their local community.

Nominations are open starting today and will run through May 21. Voting on http://www.manduka.com/unBLOKparty will begin May 31.

For more information on Manduka, please visit:www.manduka.com join us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/mandukayogaor follow us @MandukaYoga

Read more here:
Manduka® Debuts Innovative, Eco-Friendly, Functional Take On A Classic Yoga Accessory -- the unBLOK

Have you ever tried yoga? It's not just for the thin, fit and athletically-inclined. Just about anyone who can breathe can practice yoga to some extent and reap its many benefits. We'll prove it. In this series, U.S. News talks with people who are changing the face of yoga.

Ryan McGraw is a 30-year-old yoga teacher who grew up in Detroit and now lives in Chicago. He also has cerebral palsy. While the symptoms of the group of disorders can vary significantly from one person to the next, cerebral palsy often impairs movement and coordination--two skills we often think of as crucial for practicing yoga. But, as we learned while researching yoga for people in wheelchairs, the principals of yoga don't discriminate. It's true that McGraw doesn't quite look like the yogis in most fitness magazines, and he doesn't anticipate sweating through a session of power yoga anytime soon. He doesn't fit the mold, which is fine, because he's molding yoga routines to fit his needs. Below, McGraw tells U.S. News about his yoga experience. His responses have been edited.

Ryan, I've read on the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability website that your mother first convinced you to try yoga when you were a teenager. How has it affected your life since then?

I think the main factor of yoga that's affecting me--more now than ever--is in the mental aspect of my life. I'm more tied to myself and have a more positive outlook on life. Physically, having cerebral palsy, I need to keep active and keep the muscles healthy. In yoga, you really have to keep your body aligned, and I feel that has helped my flexibility, balance and coordination. And it's also helped me become more conscious of my breath.

What's been your biggest challenge with yoga?

When I started with yoga, I wanted to go through the whole expression of the poses, and about my sophomore or junior year in college, my yoga teacher taught me that you need to adapt the poses to meet the needs of your body. So once I discovered that, I didn't have many other challenges. I realize that power yoga is never going to be for me, and I'm OK with that. And I haven't had any challenges with discrimination in the yoga community because it's very accepting of all people, including people with disabilities.

Do you have any advice for beginner yogis with disabilities?

I think if you're in a chair, or with any disability, it's key to know that poses can be adapted to meet your body, and you need to find the right thing for you. Do not get discouraged by what we see in magazines; yoga can be inclusive to people with all abilities with the use of props. There are adaptations are out there, and adaptations don't mean that you're doing any less. You're still doing the pose, and you're still getting the benefits of it.

I really want to be clear that yoga is for everybody. And anyone can find their place in yoga, even if it's breathing exercises and meditation, because those are to key elements of yoga.

Speaking of adaptations, what's your favorite pose to do?

See the rest here:
Yoga with Cerebral Palsy: Ryan McGraw's Story

AsiaOne Sunday, Apr 28, 2013

SINGAPORE - Shape Yoga in the Park 2013, Singapore's biggest women-only mass yoga workout, concluded successfully this morning at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Grand Lawn I.

Shape Yoga in the Park 2013 is the fourth instalment of a series of women-only outdoor mass yoga events organised by Shape Singapore, a publication by SPH Magazines Pte Ltd.

In 2011, the inaugural Shape Yoga in the City was held at Scape. In May 2012, the second edition of Shape Yoga in the City was held at Dhoby Ghaut Green. In Oct 2012, Shape Yoga by the Sea was held at Dalbergia Green, East Coast Park.

With more than 700 participants, Shape Yoga in the Park 2013 is the largest women-only outdoor yoga event in Singapore.

The 75-minute workout was led by True Yoga instructors who brought the participants through a series of invigorating stretches and poses.

At the end of the workout, participants were treated to refreshments and a yoga demonstration by True Yoga masters. Each participant also took home a goodie bag worth more than $150 each. Goodies inside included True Yoga passes, Homesoy Original Soya Milk, Yoplait yogurt, Shape sports bag, and more. There were also fringe activities such as product sampling as well as a lucky draw with prizes worth a total of more than $600.

Li Yuling, editor of Shape Magazine, said: "As Singapore's leading wellness magazine, Shape is working hard to encourage more women to get active. Exercise doesn't have to be tough or tedious - we've proven it can be a positive social activity. The graceful, low-impact movements of Yoga suit women of all ages and fitness levels, and our series of outdoor mass yoga workouts offer women the regular opportunity to have fun with their girl friends, family members and colleagues while working up a good sweat."

Diana Lee, General Manager, Fashion and Beauty, SPH Magazines, said: "Shape Yoga events have proven to be highly popular, with participation numbers growing with each edition. We are proud to be at the forefront of the women's fitness movement in Singapore and would like to thank all participants and partners for their enthusiasm and support. We promise there will be more to look forward to in the months to come."

Shape Yoga in the Park 2013 is presented by Yoplait, with True Yoga as official fitness partner.

See the original post:
Shape Yoga in the Park draws over 700 women at dawn