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Archive for the 'Yoga Timer' Category
 better posture from yoga Your mom was right: You’ll look better and feel great if you stop slouching and stand up straight. Yoga can help you do just that—in a way that honors your spine’s natural curves. Here’s a guide to assessing and improving your posture.
Are you a slumper? A swayer? Chances are you’re one or the other to some degree—despite Mom’s best efforts all those years ago to get you to sit up straight and stop slouching. She probably told you that you’d look and feel better if you worked on your posture, and she was absolutely right. But if you’re like most people, you rolled your eyes and ignored her, or straightened up until she wasn’t looking. And you probably didn’t give posture much more thought at all until you walked into your first yoga class and tried to stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
When you’re a beginner, it’s surprisingly complicated to master the art of rooting down through the feet while lengthening up through the spine, keeping your chest open without jutting your lower ribs out, and keeping the legs muscles strong and lifted without tensing the belly or jaw. But ultimately, Tadasana demands just one simple thing: that you stand in a way that supports the natural curves of a healthy spine. So why is it so difficult? And why do we work so hard to master good posture in yoga—leaving class feeling taller and healthier—only to slump down in the car seat on the way home or revert to a swayback when we heft our overstuffed yoga bags onto our backs?
In short, modern life conspires against good posture. We spend our days sitting at desks, staring at computer screens. When we travel, we do it in cars or—worse—airplanes. We lounge around in overstuffed chairs designed more for looks than for lumbar support. And we pay people to mow our lawns, tend our gardens, and remove our trash so we can spend more time working or driving or sitting. Nonsedentary cultures—with a few exceptions—don’t have the same epidemic of back and neck problems that we do. Picture a woman gracefully balancing a large basket of food on her head. To carry such a heavy weight, she must have a perfectly aligned spine and strong posture-support muscles. You don’t get that kind of alignment and strength from sitting around and watching the tube. You can, however, get it from a regular yoga practice.
Take comfort in knowing that yoga trains your mind as well as your body. As you continue to devote yourself to your practice, you will become more present in your body and more aware of your alignment, and you will begin to naturally make choices that will improve your health and your quality of life. Over time, the combination of increased awareness and physical training will allow your improved alignment to spill out into other areas of your life. Before you know it, you’ll feel at ease as you practice good yoga alignment while you’re perched at your desk, standing at the copier, and sitting at dinner. You’ll be doing yoga during all of your waking hours. And who knows? You might just impress your mom!
adapted fromYoga Journal, by Julie Gudmestad
Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga Timer. It features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings your meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. Our Yoga Timer & Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation or yoga session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation in your life. Bring yourself back to balance.
 Zen Timepiece, a yoga timer and clock with Tibetan bowl Now & Zen – The Yoga & Meditation Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in intention, Well-being, yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
 Kids yoga There’s never a dull—or quiet—moment in Kate Roades’s yoga classes for kids. “Oh, it’s never silent,” she says, adding that chatting, laughter, and audible groans are the norm. Just recently a little student quipped midpose, “I am not a cobra, Teacher Kate, I am a seal.” Roades’s enthusiasm and accepting attitude during moments like these make her a great teacher—giggling is OK in her classes, as is saying a pose feels funny. She’s learned plenty of tricks teaching at It’s Yoga Kids, the San Francisco studio she opened with partner Michelle Wing in early 2006.
How can parents who want to practice with their kids follow her lead? First, says Roades, know that your child might not be hooked right away. Like adults, kids want to be good at things, and yoga can seem strange at first. “By the third time it’s usually not so foreign,” Roades says. She also encourages incorporating positions that your child already knows (like sitting cross-legged) into each session to build confidence. Once they are in a pose, tell them how many breaths they will stay in it, to help them feel safe. Finally, limit practices to 30 minutes or less and use language they’ll enjoy and understand.
Most of all, says Roades, make it fun, and your children will begin to feel stronger and calmer in their daily life. “Giving children the tools to feel confident is priceless,” Roades says. “Teaching kids how to relax and deal with their emotions is incredible.”
adapted from Yoga Jounal
Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga Timer. It features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings your meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. Our Yoga Timer & Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation or yoga session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation in your life. Bring yourself back to balance.
 Bamboo Yoga Timer for Kids Now & Zen – The Yoga Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in intention, mindfulness practice, yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen
 meditation under tree A good example of body-mind-body medicine is the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D., founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and author of the bestsellers Full Catastrophe Living and Wherever You Go, There You Are. His Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) approach, which combines gentle hatha yoga with mindfulness meditation, has garnered impressive results in scientific studies and is now taught at hundreds of hospitals and clinics worldwide.
In his work with patients with a wide variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, cancer, arthritis, anxiety, and depression, Kabat-Zinn has observed that particular patients seem to respond better to some elements of the MBSR program. He has found that those with primarily physical complaints, such as joint pain, often do best when they use meditation to go through what he calls the “mind door.” Others, particularly those with mental problems such as anxiety or panic attacks, may do better with “body door” approaches like asana.
adapted from Yoga Journal by Timothy McCall, M.D.
Use our unique “Zen Clock” which functions as a Yoga Timer. It features a long-resonating acoustic chime that brings your meditation or yoga session to a gradual close, preserving the environment of stillness while also acting as an effective time signal. Our Yoga Timer & Clock can be programmed to chime at the end of the meditation or yoga session or periodically throughout the session as a kind of sonic yantra. The beauty and functionality of the Zen Clock/Timer makes it a meditation tool that can actually help you “make time” for meditation in your life. Bring yourself back to balance.
 Gentle wake up alarm clock by Now & Zen Now & Zen – The Zen Alarm Clock & Timer Store
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, intention, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice, Natural Awakening, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, wake up alarm clock, yoga, Yoga Timer
 Savasana Pose - mindfulness practice Savasana, (corpse pose) is a relaxing posture that is intended to rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. It is recommended that you set aside 20 minutes every day for Savasana , the most restful of the yoga positions. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Set your meditation timer for 20 minutes so you don’t have to watch the clock. Use the Bamboo Zen Timer by Now & Zen with a calming chime. 2. Lie down on your back on a soft yet firm surface, such as a rug (but not a bed). Place a rolled pillow or blanket under your knees if that feels good, and cover your eyes with a soft cloth. Cover yourself with a light blanket.
3. Let your arms and legs roll slightly out from the body as you relax and begin to take a series of long, slow breaths, setting an intention to disengage from the external world. If your mind starts spinning away, simply return your attention to the breath.
4. When the meditation timer chimes, bend your knees, roll to the side, and sit up. After a moment or two of stillness, reengage with your day.
5. Repeat this every day. Savasana is a good way to reduce stress in your life and give you extra energy for the rest of your day.
 meditation timers with chime
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, mindfulness practice, Well-being, yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
 Yoga Corpse Pose Corpse Pose Meditation
This restful pose, called savasana in Sanskrit, provides a calming and centering ending to your yoga practice. This is when you allow all that you’ve just done to “soak in.” Set your Zen Meditation Timer to 15 minutes. Spend at least 10 to 15 minutes in corpse pose, lying on your back with your palms facing up. Use this meditation on the four elements to focus the mind and body.
Earth: Sense the earth supporting you and absorbing all unnecessary tension. Feel yourself being cradled by the ground beneath you, relaxed and breathing deeply.
Wind: Feel yourself being bathed by the wind, carrying your prayers and intentions on its wings while blowing away any nagging thoughts that come to mind.
Fire: Visualize a ring of fire surrounding you from a safe distance, protecting you from any threatening external forces and sealing in the energy from your practice. Picture yourself casting all unwanted tension and worry into the flames of that fire.
Water: Imagine a gentle rain cooling and purifying you, washing away all fears and anxiety, relaxing and refreshing you. Feel yourself floating in warm water, totally protected and balanced.
Four Elements: Visualize each of these four elements moving through you from the tips of your toes to your crown and back again. See this as a beautiful, spiritual, energizing flow of energy. Feel it balancing all of your internal systems and boosting your immune system in positive, healthy ways.
adapted from Wholeliving Magzine, July/August 2005 by Terri Trespicio
 Digital Zen Alarm Clock, a meditation timer and progressive alarm clock
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen
 yoga pose - water exercise Life-Giving, Calming
Water is vital, soothing and rejuvenating to our bodies and senses, and it’s the flow of water that inspires the easy, smooth flow of yoga practice. While doing yoga near a body of water can be very nourishing for the soul — its relaxing sounds, the cooling, calming energy it exudes — you don’t need to be near water to experience its effects. You can focus on the qualities of water and think of your own breath as flowing in and out of you like the tides, refreshing and nurturing every cell.
Water Exercise
This exercise is inspired by tai chi and includes both fluid movement and balance while standing in place.
1. Stand with heels together, toes apart.
2. Keeping your knees soft, rock back and forth to find perfect center balance.
3. With hands together in prayer position, reach up over your head through the air. Open your arms as if you’re doing a breaststroke, and push the air away as if it were water. Sweep your arms out and down, returning them to your sides. Inhale as you swim “out,” rise up on your toes, and exhale as you gently bring your hands back and lower onto your feet.
4. Repeat the motions at least 10 times, gradually working up to 20.
To Experience Water
Practice near a body of water — the ocean, a lake, or a swimming pool. Find a waterfall or fountain. Try practicing in the morning or evening to feel and see the dew on the grass and leaves. Practice meditation.
adapted from Wholeliving Nagazine, July/August 2005 by Terri Trespicio
 Digital Yoga and Meditation Chime Timer in Solid Walnut Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen
 yoga downward facing dog pose Strength, Power
Fire is protective, purifying, and energizing. You can feel the power of fire from the sun, stars, and moon — whether you can see them or not. This kind of cosmic energy radiates through us on a sunny or overcast day, at dawn or dusk. Throughout your practice, as you draw energy from the earth and power from the wind, feel that influx of solar energy nurturing and purifying your mind, body, and soul. One way to nurture this energy is to feed your inner fire with a challenging, energy-building pose.
Fire Exercise
1. From Mountain pose move into Chair pose by first raising your arms so they are perpendicular to the floor and in line with the back and neck. Bend your knees and lower your tailbone as if you are sitting, lowering until your thighs are almost parallel to the ground. Keep your knees aligned with your ankles, and hold for five breaths.
2. Straighten legs and dive into a forward fold as you exhale, then step back into Downward-Facing Dog, hands and feet on the ground, hips raised, heels pressing toward the ground, arms firm, fingers spread, and palms flat. Hold for a few breaths to build heat in the body.
3. Exhale as you pull your left knee in toward your forehead and hold, engaging your core.
Return left leg to Downward Dog and repeat with the right leg. Jump or step your feet into forward fold; slowly roll up.
To Experience Fire
Feel the sun’s warmth on your body. Bathe in cool moonlight and starlight, which are reflected from the sun. Watch for fireflies after sundown. Practice by candlelight.
adapted from WholeLiving Magazine, July/August 2005 by Terri Trespicio
 Digital Zen Alarm Clocks and Timers for Yoga and Meditation with Chimes
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen
 Yoga Wind Exercise Freedom, Breath
The wind is a nurturing influence — it gives us our breath, and, according to ancient Tibetan lore, carries our prayers around the world on “wind horses” to where they’re needed. Wind is also a great connecting force. It cannot be contained; it’s the definition of freedom. Wind can introduce the element of surprise in your outdoor practice — like a dance partner, you need to respond to it.
This exercise, paired with gentle breathing, releases tension in the muscles while helping you perfect your balance and strengthen your spine. Imagine yourself caressed, lightened, and strengthened by the wind.
Wind Exercise
1. Stand in Mountain pose with a slightly widened stance and feet firmly on the ground.
2. Begin a spinal rotation, starting at the waist and gently turning the upper body, face, shoulders, arms, and hands from side to side. Rotate the spine like a washing machine, allowing the muscles to release and the arms to flop loosely, patting the body with each turn. Let the movement flow back and forth.
3. Breathe in for one complete rotation, then out for a rotation; keep this rhythm going for at least 20 rotations.
4. Return to center. Bring your heels together with toes slightly apart, and let your arms relax at your sides.
To Experience the Wind
Choose a spot on higher ground or in a clearing. Become aware of the air around you, its subtle movement over your skin. Feel the air with all of your senses — smell it, taste it, touch it, and hear it.
Imagine you are the wind and can move effortlessly.
adapted from Wholeliving Magazine, July/August 2005
 bamboo meditation timer and natural alarm clock
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in yoga, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen
 yoga, loosen up pose Saturday: Loosen Up
The sun’s out and the day’s wide open. Savor your Saturday by twisting away any residual tension in your back. It’s a delicious way to wake up — or even wind down after running around town.
Supported Reclined Twist
What It Does
Helps the whole body (hips, spine, digestive system, nervous system, shoulders, chest, etc.) unwind. Promotes digestion and detoxification.
How to Do It
Set your Zen Yoga Timer to gong after 5 minutes. Lie on your back, dropping your left knee across your body to rest on a pillow or blanket. Shift your hips right to avoid over-twisting the lower back.
Rest your arms, elbows soft, on the floor over your head. Turn your head in whichever direction feels most comfortable and breathe into this gentle stretch for 5 minutes on each side, until the gong chimes.
adapted from Body + Soul, 2010
 Zen Yoga Timepiece in Maple Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Well-being, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen, Zen Timepiece by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
 yoga, sooth frazzled nerves pose Friday: Soothe Frazzled Nerves
As another hectic workweek slows to a close, it’s time to downshift — and ramp up your self-care.
Friday’s pose quiets your mind and nervous system, restoring your inner resources so that you can fully enjoy the weekend ahead.
Supported Child’s Pose
What It Does
Releases the muscles in the back, gently opens the hips, boosts your energy.
How to Do It
Set your Zen Timepiece to gong after 5 minutes. Sit back on your heels with your legs folded under you and the tops of your feet on the floor. Open the knees wide and bend forward at the hips.
Rest your forehead (or your chest) on a pillow or blanket and keep your arms slightly bent. If your buttocks don’t reach your heels, place a blanket under your thighs. Relax and breathe deeply for 5 minutes, until your Zen Yoga Timer gongs.
adapted from Body + Soul, 2010
 Zen Timepiece with brass singing bowl, a yoga timer
Now & Zen
1638 Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(800) 779-6383
Posted in Bamboo Chime Clocks, Chime Alarm Clocks, Japanese Inspired Zen Clocks, Meditation Timers, Meditation Tools, Now & Zen Alarm Clocks, Well-being, Yoga Timer, Yoga Timers by Now & Zen, Zen Timepiece by Now & Zen, Zen Timers
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