pure hydration without the price

in hopes of staying hydrated (& within budget) these warm-to-hot days, i was excited to find my new water bottle from one of my fave discount, good-for-you sites: www.luckyvitamin.com.

the 20 oz bottle is made from the safe kind of plastic & has a built in filter that only costs about $3 to replace every 2-3 months.

you don't even have to do the math - they do it for you:
"The Fit & Fresh LivPURE™ Filtered Water Bottle can save the average bottled water drinker more than $500 per year (using an average price of $1 per bottle). LivPURE™ filters have been certified to be effective to 75 gallons, an amount equal to 500 bottles of water."

so instead of worrying about the taste of different tap waters or filling your bottle with water cooler water - you can purify on-the-go with this bottle that will only cost you about 10 days worth of bottled water. and in case that doesn't sell you on LivPURE - think of all those empty bottles that you won't send off to the landfill.

flippity floppity feelgoodz

it's official, spring really is here - flip flops have officially been incorporated into the wardrobe (without the risk of chilly toes)!

while on the big island (yes, hawaii!!) in march, i stumbled upon yoganics hawaii, an eco-conscious, very chill, boutique and yoga studio run by a hubby/wifey team that transplanted their seeds from appleton, wi to the warm and sunny kona.

after perusing the bamboo and organic clothing, i came upon a rainbow of flip flops. so i immediately had to try on this earth-friendly foot candy.

squishy, rubbery bliss was immediately added to my carry-on.

feelgoodz are made from 100% bio-degardeable grade a rubber that is form poured, rather than stamped [read: NO waste]. consider them the 'green' version of the beloved havaianas or reefs.

finally, today i put these puppies to the test as i checked out this season's first brooklyn flea and then hustled to my yoga class. no blisters or discomfort [read: a++]

feelgoodz have their own website, or if you'd like to make a cyber trip to hawaii, simply visit yoganics hawaii.

taxes? yoga to the rescue

did that one little word just cause you some anxiety?
sorry about that...

now, practice your deep pranayama breathing and read how yoga can help:

think ahead, donate to these non-profs where the funds that you can deduct for 2009 will be much appreciated.

excited about your tax refund? support a yogi & make a statement with the 'yoga is my bailout' tee (did i mention that it is now on sale for $18? well, it is.)

bummed you're not getting that refund this year? budget your asana. (a guest blog by yours trully.)

yoga is serious business

yes, i dedicate great focus to my practice & my yoga studies, but i also have a background in marketing - i like to consider myself the business yogi. so i was just so thrilled to stumble upon this ingenious business yoga card - LOVE.

(it's no secret that i adore mini b-cards)

any crafty yogis out there? please share your thoughts on how to diy this card!

black is the new clean & other manduka magic

despite the basic yoga principle, sauchat, for cleanliness, over time, loving your asana practice can lead to a soiled mat regardless of how clean your tootsies are or how often you clean (or don't clean) your mat.

so what's a yogi to do? [sigh]
simple, manduka your mat.

with more than 16 million americans stepping onto the mat these days, manduka is doing more than just scratching an itch, it is providing practical, affordable options while remaining eco-conscious & doing some worldly good while their at it, by staying true to its mat mantra: a better yoga mat could make a world of difference.

after taking the maduka eKO lite mat for a test-drive, the results are in:

• lavalicious - when the soles tend to get a little dingy - now it can be a secret only your mat will know about thanks to the ingenious 'lava' color option.
  
• no slip 'n' slide here - there are two different textures to the mat, both which prove to minimize slippage during a sweaty practice.
  
• cushion for pushin: the 1/8" is perfect for toting around town, while still providing just enough squishiness (yes, squishiness is a very technical term) to comfort knobby knees.
  
• lite is diet for mat - weighing in at just 3.5lbs, there's no reason to rent a stinky community mat again!
  
• the yoga runway - at 68" the eKO lite was certainly long enough for me at 5'2", but like with most other mats, taller yogis might need a little more room to walk their dog.
  

bottom line: manduka eKO lite is a quality mat made from non-amazon harvested, natural tree rubber that can lighten your load without lightening your wallet.

deal: fork over 42 big ones for an earth toned eKO lite mat.

spend $8.50 more and get:
option 1 - upgraded to an eKO lite for off the mat, into the world & a portion of the proceeds will be donated to off the mat, into the world, the organization inspiring yogis to gather their yoga badges earned on the mat and to put them to use in the real, less squishy, world.
OR
option 2 - a mat recycling kit, so you don't feel as guilty kicking your ex-mat to the curb.

poll of the month results - how often do you wash your yoga mat?

i seriously hope these stats are not reflective of personal bathing routines.

results:

• everyday 0%
• weekly 11%
• monthly 17%
• quarterly 28%
• annually 17%
• never (uh, wash? i didn't think i had to...) 28%

now, just go wash your mat.