1. from the editor

Hi, and welcome to the first issue of YogaBasicsNews. We have been working hard to continue developing yogabasics.com and to keep you updated with the latest info on yoga as well as helpful tips and special offers. It is a deeply rewarding experience working on our site and newsletter and we hope you enjoy what we have put together. If you have any comments or suggestions on how to make YogaBasicsNews and yogabasics.com even better, please send us an email at: timothy@yogabasics.com.

Namaste,
Timothy.

2. yoga in the news

Mind, body and spirit fitness program for cancer

Yoga on the Internet: Finding Inner Peace With Your Keyboard

Ganges Festival Draws Millions

Meditation Relaxes Veins, Lowers Blood Pressure

3. new at yogabasics.com

A lot has been going on in the last month! We have added a bunch of new yoga postures and we now have over 70 illustrated yoga postures in asana section. Due to many requests we have added 2 new sections for beginning yoga students. The first is a beginner's guide to yoga, giving general advice and info on how to start a yoga practice. The second is a new section listing yoga posture sequences. We have also added a page on how to find a yoga teacher to work with, listing several on-line yoga teacher directories. All of these new sections can be accessed from our homepage

Coming soon: a new yoga store, more yoga postures, and more yoga sequences.

4. yoga tip o' the month: go to the EDGE

When holding a yoga posture you want to go to your edge. The edge is the place where you feel a deep stretch in your body or you feel the body working hard, but not going past that to where you hurt yourself or over work the body.

The edge is a magical place, but a scary place too. Getting to know your edges is getting to know your body. Its a body thing, not a mind thing, so let go of any thoughts or distractions. Slow down and listen to the body, easing your way closer and closer. Find the place between pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow, creation and destruction, openness and protection. Balance there, feeling both worlds, feeling everything, and breathe.

5. reviews

Yoga, mastering the basics.
This is the best book I've seen on yoga for beginners, and I love the way they have designed the layout of the information. The postures are taught in 2 sequences, so you don't have to figure out what postures to do and when to do them, you just follow along. Then there is a section on how to deepen your practice, listing postures for specific parts of the body (back, hips, etc.). In between there are great sections on the practice of yoga, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and how to create a daily practice. This book has great illustrations and tons of pictures showing all of the stages and variations of the postures. And what's really cool is they have produced 2 videos that go along with the 2 posture sequences in the book. This is a very professional package and is highly recommended for the beginning student.
click here for more info

Dance the Devil Away by Outback.
Using West African and Moroccan percussion with the Djembe, guitar, mandolin and violin, Outback creates mesmerizing upbeat and melodic music. They effortlessly fuse many different rhythms, melodies, instruments and cultures into each song. Good stuff, fun and happy too. The first track "Cuban Connections" is my favorite.
click here to listen

6. this month's winners:

Natalie McMahon: "Yoga, Mastering the Basics: flexibility, strength and balance" yoga video.
M. Goldberg: "Introduction to Pranayama" audio CD.

Every month we will randomly select active subscribers to win free stuff: T-shirts, cds, stickers, yoga mats, yoga props and more!

7. save 20% off at UncommonGoods for Valentines Day

From kamasutra kits to compass cufflinks, heart-shaped hot water bottles to "long life" pendants, UncommonGoods (www.uncommongoods.com) has just the thing for valentines of all varieties. Between now and 02/14/01, YogaBasicsNews subscribers save 20% off an order at UncommonGoods.
Simply enter promo code BEMINE at checkout. Offer good one time only.

Click here to visit UncommonGoods

8. about YogaBasicsNews

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