__Should I Be Drinking Coffee if I'm a Serious Yogi?

Coffee dehydrates and thus makes you more stiff. Greens and juices make you more flexible. Therefore give up coffee and drink juices, correct? On the other hand, research has shown that drinking at least 3 cups of coffee per day may be linked to the prevention of alzheimers. Additional very large scale and significant studies have shown that drinking up to 4 cups a day significantly lowers your risk of developing diabetes and is not linked in any way to increased rates of heart disease or cancer. So which do you prefer - an elevated risk of alzheimers or slightly reduced flexibility? As coffee is certainly a dehydrating diuretic, the recommendation is that you drink water with your coffee as is practiced in many serious coffee drinking countries. In the middle east for example, where thick ultra strong Turkish coffee is the norm, a glass of water is always offered to accompany your caffeine of choice.     

Follow these links if you want more detail:
Coffee & Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Disease
Coffee & Alzheimers  

Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Yoga allegedly always had a cup first thing in the morning before his legendary practice, as did one of my own teacher's gurus, Swami Nada Brahmananda. Although a coffee addiction is of course to be avoided, my own personal opinion is to not be fanatical about it. If you enjoy a cup then go ahead and don't feel guilty up to about four cups a day because current research shows that this is good for you. It may reduce your flexbility very marginally but unless you are entering the Yoga Olympics, this is a very balanced trade off. If you aren't going for gold, then you would be advised to go ahead and have that brain stimulating cup of coffee first thing in the morning with a glass of rehydrating water. Then later in the day have your flexiblity enhancing juice and you will be balancing the best of both worlds!  

PS This is not medical advice so if you have any doubts please DO consult your GP!

As both a Yoga Teacher and a Pilates Teacher I often get asked the question which is better for a client to do, Yoga or Pilates? Sometimes the question is phrased as 'which is better?' and at times one could get the impression that there is mutual disdain between Pilates and Yoga Teachers.

From my perspective there is zero conflict and in fact the two work very well together. However, which one is better for you?

Pilates is certainly more focused on strenghtening your core than Yoga and I have seen yoga students progress rapidly in poses such as Tolasana or Pendulum pose when they have started to do real core strengthening work in Pilates class.

Likewise, clients who have been doing Pilates for a while and have reaped the benefits of increased joint mobility, strengthened and toned mid-section and core but still remain relatively tight in hamstrings and hips, will gain flexibility much more rapidly in a Yoga class.

The question isn't which is better, but which is better for you.

If you are unsure as to which class is better for you just send a quick email to info@therapyandyoga.com or contact me at www.facebook.com/therapy.yoga and I will be happy to help you choose the class or combination of classes that is right for you.

Hi All,
 
For those of you with an interest in the deeper aspects of Yoga and Eastern medicine, please check out my friends at the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Centre in Kilmainham D8. The centre is beautiful and they are running courses in Mindfulness and Tibetan Medicine clinics in addition to their usual schedule of events.

I attended meditation classes there for about a year when I lived nearby and still miss them.

Yoga is mindfulness in motion, acupuncture can bring you to a state of mindfulness through energy balance. Meditation and chant are direct ways to this same end.

If you have any questions for the folks at the centre, you can reach them at info@buddhism.ie or join their mailing list at www.buddhism.ie

Hi all, just a reminder that the great Chuck Miller will be teaching this September (23rd through 25th) at the Open Mind Yoga Centre on Pearse Street. Prices are reasonable and the your choice of days quite flexible so call them as soon as you can if you are interested as places will be taken up quickly. Hope to see you all there!

Liam B.

www.yogabodynaturals.com

Acupuncture has been shown time and again to benefit couples who are experiencing difficulty conceiving. So how does this relate to the issue of weight? For some excellent info on this topic check out this excellent article by Zita West, the renowned acupuncture and fertility specialist, written for the lovely people at rollercoaster.ie, Irelands best online resource for pregnancy and childcare. Zita West has a practice in Harley St and specializes in fertility. She is an acupuncturist, nutritionist and midwife and the author of many excellent books relating to these issues. To learn more about acupuncture and fertility in general check here for more details

To learn more about the Zita West approach to fertility you can check out her book Plan to get Pregnant on Amazon.

www.yogabodynaturals4u.com

Yes that's right, a free Yoga Workshop and Pilates Workshop rolled into one! No need to book, just show up on the day. We had planned it for 11am but has been extended! At no cost to you, you are welcome to come along for over 3 hours of Yoga and Pilates with time for discussion and demonstration at the end. I'll be teaching approx 45 mins to an hour of Hatha Yoga, 45 mins to an hour of Ashtanga based Vinyasa yoga and 45 mins of Pilates. Each will be discussed briefly before we begin. You are free to attend all three back to back (with breaks in-between!) or to just pick and choose. So for example if all you are interested in is Hatha Yoga just come along at 10am.

This is perfect if you would like to try out any of these for the first time, if you already practice yoga and would just like to try out the venue or if you haven't taken yoga or classes with me before and would like to sample a class or two before you commit.

You are also more than welcome to just come along, no strings attached and just enjoy a good, long 3 and a half hour Saturday morning holistic workout!

The schedule will be:

10am to 11am - Hatha Yoga
11am to 12pm - Vinyasa / Ashtanga
12pm to 1pm - Pilates
1pm to 1.30ish - questions and demos

All are welcome. Bring a mat if you have one, but don't worry if you don't we will have penty of mats there.

More details about the location can be found at http://www.bodytransform.ie/classes.html