dry milk - not just for your mama's pantry anymore

if you enjoy milk in your chai [read: you are not vegan] then you may enjoy this economical & organic, all-natural cleanser that is even tsa compatible - dry milk powder.

what to do:
simply take 1 tablespoon of the dried milk in your palm, mix in a few drops of water for a liquidy paste et voila - natural cleanser. with light fingertips massage your face & decollete with the paste, then rinse clean with luke warm water.

what is does:
the milk's lactic acid acts as a gentle exfoliant to help gently remove dead skin cells, leave your skin fresh & glowing.

get it on the cheap:
i found a 12 oz bag online of organic valley organic nonfat dry milk for only $6.12 - with an estimated 40 tablespoons per bag this is definitely a thrifty alternative to the spendy skincare options out there that can still have some shady ingredients & preservatives.

tsa tidbit for thought:
if you are traveling via air it might be best to bring the whole bag to avoid the interrogation of a powdery white substance in your luggage...

$500 yoga mats in swanky soho

it's not what you think, especially if you know yogadeals - i am ALL about the bargain, but i am also about giving back & getting lil ones [read: children] into yoga. last week, i was thrilled to hear from @boomerangyoga (via twitter) about their upcoming event!

boomerangyoga is a non-profit org or rather a fundraising community that seeks the yoga [read: union] of on-the-mat asana & the social awareness of children's education, creativity & health. on september 20th - put it in your blackberry or other electronic calendar right now - stephanie culen, the founder & executive director, will be hosting a sun salute-a-thon to benefit bent on learning. (to read more about the amazing bent on learning program, peruse my list of 'happy places' on the right.)

ideally boomerangyoga is looking to raise at least $500 per mat for the participating volunteers for 3 hours of yoga sun salutations. personally, this is a waaaay more enticing fundraising method than one of those 5k runs (ok, maybe i'm slightly biased...).

if you're thinking 3 hours? 3 hours is a lot of yoga! don't worry, you can share your mat with 2 more people for up to 3 yogis a mat (so that's only 1 hour, now you can breathe again).

the simple steps to get started are listed www.boomerangyoga.com or if you rather have a surrogate yogini on the mat for you, please donate your latte or chai allowance today to the yogadeals mat!!! yes, you can bet i'll be there.

boomerang yoga sun salute-a-thon
when: sunday, september 2009; 3pm-6pm
where: equinox fitness soho
what: 108 sun salutation (& variations) taught by equinox yoga teachers (i am a personal fan!) while derek beres djs his global beats
what else: music, prizes, yummy nibbles, gift bags, & yoga (duh)

donate to the yogadeals mat here!

freebie find - homemade chai recipe

after a great hatha class with michelle barge at golden bridge yoga (nyc) i decided to peruse their website & stumbed upon their 'yoga tools' page where they share a recipe for making chai in bulk!

yogi tea recipe
3 1/2 gallon water
1/2 cup cardamom pods
1/3 cup whole cloves
1/2 lb. gingerroot, thinly sliced
15 cinnamon sticks
4 black tea bags
1 gallon milk

1. bring water to boil in a 5 gallon pot.
   
2. add cloves & let dance for 1-2 minutes. (love that they say let dance!)
   
3. add cardamom, cloves, ginger & cinnamon.
   
4. cover & simmer for at least 45 minutes.
   
5. add black tea & milk.
   
6. bring to boiling point & immediately remove from heat.
   
7. allow to stand, unstrained, until almost time to serve (this will increase potency of tea & most spices will settle to the bottom).
   
8. sweeten with honey or maple syrup if desired.

since we are experiencing the steamiest days iced yogi tea might be a good option this week.

prAna cleans out their garage [read: 40% off sale]

fresh from my inbox, prAna, one of the first mainstream yoga apparel companies that was actually born is a garage, is now having a virtual garage sale, offering 40% off EVERYTHING - that includes clothing, mats, towels, dvds... you get the idea. now go clean out your garage (or closet, if you are a nyer like me) to make room for some these bargains.

to the pracrastinators - this sale ends sunday (8/9).

wheelin'-n-dealin' in the blogosphere - summer highlights

in addition to yoga deals, i have been not-so-secretly moonlighting & guest-blogging about other yoga-related topics that might not necessarily fall into the 'deal' category, but are still yoga newsworthy!

read all about it:

• tdo (or for the layperson thedailyobsession.net) - prancing leopard
• elephantbeans - yoga agents? yoga goes hollywood
• yogadork - 'eat, pray, love' movie casting call (i was the source!!!)
  

what other topics are you look for?

healthy upgrade for your ingestible happiness

after attending a rather swank event called blueprint cleanse camp, i pick up some tips on how to grocery shop for my greater good (although not necessarily my wallet). here are some top picks from the lovelies at blueprint cleanse:

1. broccoli - try the sprouts for 50 times the suforaphane (known to kill precancerous cells & fight off stomach bacteria) of the regular 'trees,' with triple the antioxidant power.
   (avoid: cooked mature broccoli)
   
2. vinegar - try not to be bitter, but do try raw apple cider vinegar which is alkaline, helping to balance your pH level.
   (avoid: heinz apple cider vinegar)
   
3. sugar - use the sweet, sweet nectar of agave as a natural sweetener for your food/drinks it has a low glycemic index, so your taste buds will spike, but not your blood sugar.
   (avoid: white or brown sugar)
   
4. oil - first cold pressed extra virgin organic olive oil. true, this is a long one to remember but is also has a lengthy list of benes to go along with it - like soothing your digestive tract, the power to repair connective tissues, and the role of a super heart helper, in addition to being loaded with magnesium, omega 3 & 6, and vitamin a & e.
   (avoid: vegetable oil)
   
5. salt - don't shy away from celtic sea salt because it is grayish in color & damp to the touch, it is 100% unprocessed & packs a powerful punch of electrolytes & energy, helping to strengthen immunity & increase the absorption of nutrition from other food.
   (avoid: table salt)

here's to some happy healthy eating! cheers :)

seeking my mala mate

maybe it's the heat, maybe it's the humidity or maybe it's just the busy-ness of life that is making me gravitate towards learning how to meditate - you know, the real deal with the mala beads. no i'm not trying to win a part as an extra in eat, pray, love with julia, i'm just searching for a way to find center even when reality gets really messy.

so i have begun my research...

ehow.com offers some great tips on the basics of meditating with mala beads, with the first step being to find your mala mate (read: choose your set of 108 mala beads), there really seems to be a limitless amount of options that you really have the chance to customize your meditation practice. i am now on the hunt for the right set in hopes that the simple beauty of the beads will inspire me to be diligent.

• custommalashop.com offers some less spendy options of really making your mala your own with a wide variety of options to choose from - i already spent an hour exploring the site & still have yet to decide...
  
• everythingyoga.com has a sandalwood necklace for only $19.99 with free shipping (when you spend $50+).
• yogabasics.com offers perhaps the most stock items at very affordable prices & are having a sale with many ranging from about $7.95 & up.
• ecrater.com offers a unique buddhist set for $14.99 with free shipping.
  

or should i just try meditating with a set of rosary beads i was given as a child? it might be a way to ease into it using what i already have even if it is not exactly for the original religious type of prayer....

thoughts? does anyone have any suggestions for getting started?