yoga journal

I was thrilled to attend the Yoga Journal Conference held in San Francisco, a four-day event consisting of classes and lectures focused on all things yoga and how to live your best life. The event in SF brought together a truly exceptional group of experts to share their wealth of knowledge with yogis young and old.

Come one, come all: Whether or not you're a seasoned practitioner, the conference caters to students of all levels. There were options for beginners interested in learning about the basics of yoga, while experienced yogis had the option of attending continuing education intensives or advanced physical practices. Overall, I found that there was a great mix of active practice opportunities and also lectures on subjects like meditation, healthy eating, and natural pain relief. Anyone who has an interest in yoga or alternative healing therapies would find themselves at home.

Learn something new: Whether it was a lecture-based workshop or two hours of tough flow, I was surprised about what I was getting out of each class. From the who's who of the yoga world to lesser-known local yogis, I was constantly learning and impressed by the depth of knowledge and creative teaching methods from these experts.

Keep reading to hear what surprised me about the Yoga Journal Conference.

We can't always get to a yoga class because of our busy schedules, plus hitting up a studio every week can get pricey, so Yoga Journal has a new solution. The company known for its amazing magazine, calendar, and yoga conferences just launched the Yoga Journal Download Center. You can choose from hundreds of yoga videos, download them to your computer or MP3 player, and practice anywhere your yogic heart desires. These aren't dinky little five minute videos we're talking about. The site offers 20- to 60-minute videos designed by Yoga Journal, as well as mainstream yoga DVDs led by well-known yoga instructors.

Here's a list of a few I think you'd like:

• Shiva Rea: Creative Core + Upper Body
• Jivamukti Yoga
• Vinyasa Yoga With Seane Corn — Live Class #1
• Baron Baptiste: Foundations of Power Vinyasa Yoga
• Yoga For Restful Sleep

These videos are reasonably priced at about $6 to $20 a download. You can bring your iPod to the gym or on a trip, or follow along on your computer at home. It's a simple way to ensure that yoga is a part of your life without breaking the bank.

To see a video clip of the Shiva Rea video mentioned above, read more

I heart my iPhone because there are so many awesome apps to inspire healthy living, from iTreadmill to Slim Down Shopping List. Here's a new app from Yoga Journal called iPractice. It contains 15 yoga sequences all in the palm of your hand. The mini-classes are designed for different needs — some uplift your spirit, some calm your mind.

Once you pick the sequence, you can look at each individual pose on its own, or play the sequence in a slideshow format. A nice feature is that you can choose to have audio instruction walk you through the sequence, so you feel like you're in a class. There's also music to go along with the sequence, but I thought the dreamy tunes made it hard to hear the person talking. If you just want to hear the relaxing melodies, you can also turn the audio instruction off, and since there's text underneath each pose, you can follow along on your own. The photos of the poses were clear and colorful, and the sequences included a mix of both simple and challenging poses.

If you're interested in checking it out, download the free version here which offers two sequences, or the full version here for $4.99, which offers all 15 sequences.

Get your yoga on by getting iPractice on your iPhone.