by Lucinda Staniland If you try to sell me something, I will always approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism. And for good reason. In our consumerist world, I am constantly bombarded with “life-changing” devices and programs, many of which fall more than a little short of their magnificent marketing claims. In my experience, it ALWAYS pays to ask: What is the history of use behind this product? Who is making and marketing it and what motivates them? Are their claims … [Read more...]
A selection of useful resources to kick-start (or supplement) your yoga practice. You will find videos, articles, how-to guides, and more. Enjoy!
A Review of the Valka Yoga Cork Yoga Mat: Non-Toxic & Eco-Friendly
The Elephant Cork Yoga Mat from Valka Yoga. by Lucinda Staniland, As the editor of a popular yoga website, I receive a lot of requests to review various yoga-related products. Over the years, this has resulted in me getting a lot of practice at the all-important skill of saying ‘No’. I’ve learned the hard way to only say yes to doing a review when it’s a ‘"hell yes!" Thoroughly testing a product and writing a review takes a significant amount of time and energy and there’s nothing … [Read more...]
A Review of Sex, Drugs and (mostly) Yoga: Field Notes from a Kundalini Awakening
Image: Pete Longworth by Susan Pryor, Kara-Leah Grant's third book, Sex, Drugs and (mostly) Yoga: Field Notes from a Kundalini Awakening, is an epic auto-biographical journey spanning fourteen years of Kara-Leah's life. The journey begins in an acute psyche ward in Vancouver where Kara-Leah found herself after her first psychotic episode involving hallucinogenic drugs. Kara-Leah, a practicing yogini, went from being a freedom-loving 29-year-old engaged to-be-married party girl … [Read more...]
Top 10 Best Yoga Articles of 2018
LoveLake Festival – rocking the best hugs ever. Demonstrated here by Jase Te Patu and Luke Tomlinson. Photo by Cameron Sims of Plant Culture. by Lucinda Staniland, In the last days of my 2018 work year, I couldn't shake a nagging feeling that I'd forgotten to do something important... After much racking of my brain and searching of my to-do lists, I decided that I'd just have to leave it and moved on to packing my bags and preparing for a family holiday. And finally, just when I … [Read more...]
A Review of the Hauora Yoga Conference 2018
by Lucinda Staniland, On a rainy Saturday morning in Auckland, I found myself in a packed auditorium, with around 85 yoga teachers and students, and several hundred fitness professionals, listening to renowned international yoga teacher Donna Farhi give a keynote presentation on interoception and kinesthesia. As Donna lead us through ten slow diaphragmatic breaths, the whole audience dropped into deep, yet focused, stillness. There were so many magical moments like this at the Hauora Yoga … [Read more...]
Lessons from the Overwhelming Success of LoveLake Festival
by Kara-Leah Grant Five weeks and three core staff - that's all it took to produce a full programme at LoveLake Festival including yoga, meditation, workshops and DJs in three different rooms over four days. Oh, and another four people who joined in the final week for delivery. That, and incredible support from Wairakei Resort Taupō, who hosted the event, and massive buy-in from the conscious community, including the presenters. Because it was a bold move by DJs Chris Scott and Sandon Ihaia … [Read more...]
Health & Healing Through Yoga Therapy: An Interview with Mark Stephens
by Lucinda Staniland I love getting things for free. And I have a voracious and life-long love of books. So the first time I was offered a free review copy of a Yoga book (as part of my Yoga Lunchbox role) I was fairly swept off my feet. You mean, you really want to send me a free book? About Yoga? Now that's an offer I can't refuse. However, I'm now at a point where I do in fact refuse some of these offers. I've learnt that just because a book is free and about yoga, doesn't mean that it … [Read more...]
Top Ten Best Yoga Articles of 2017
by Lucinda Staniland It's always fascinating to see which of the many articles we publish at The Yoga Lunchbox truly strike a chord with the online Yoga community. This year, personal, authentic stories about yoga and meditation in daily life proved to be as popular as ever. When guest author Sandi White opened up about her 40 Days of Yoga practice her article took off on social media, as did Neal Ghoshal's perceptive insights about iRest Yoga Nidra, and my musings on what I wish I knew … [Read more...]
A Review of Pathways To A Centered Body by Donna Farhi and Leila Stuart
by Neal Ghoshal, Sacred Moves In a nutshell: an exceptionally clear and extremely practical guide to core integration, stability and support I first came across Donna Farhi’s books back in 2004 and was immediately hooked by her accessible, relevant and inspiring writing and teachings. Since then Donna has become my primary Yoga teacher and I have regularly attended her workshops and teacher trainings, eventually moving on to assisting her on events and intensives. I met and studied with … [Read more...]
