#Yoga Bolster

[beesmakesthings]

So I’ve been doing yoga for about a year. And I’m not very bendy. It was suggested that a bolster might help. My friend has been lending me one to see, and it did. So for my Mothering Sunday gift I asked if I could please have some polystyrene beans. I got a bolster case on Vinted a while back and I knew I had calico and stuff to make an inner with.

So yesterday that’s what I did. Here you can see measuring and cutting (thanks to FR for the maths help!! My brain blanked on the maths) - through to the complicated pie making that is sewing a flat thing to a curved thing…..(pin, tack/baste and THEN sew, btw) and then some innovative ways to get beans into the bag…..(we used the polystyrene block that stores my machine foot away as a funnel!! And a wooden spoon for poking!!)

And it’s done. It doesn’t have the weight/flop value of a commercial one (I’m presuming they use something closer to actual beans? I’ve seen them filled with buckwheat too.) but I’m super happy and excited for class.

Case was preloved. I already had the calico and all the threads and stuff. Took me about 3 hours? I’m good with that.

(Also the round ends made me think of tortillas when I was cutting them out! Hehehehe!!)

[the-chronically-in-pain-yogi]

If you are experiencing joint pain or low body pain while sitting in a standard seated meditation pose (aka criss-cross applesauce), you are totally allowed to place a bolster under the knees to support your joints so that you are not sitting in pain. I have found this pose to be more opening and available when I work in tandem with my pain rather than against it.

Even when I had a more abled body, sitting in a legs crossed position on the floor hurt my low back, my ankles, my knees, and my hips. Sometimes during longer meditations, my feet would go numb -- a sensation I did not want to keep continuing to experience while I was trying to get deep within myself. Yes, all sensations of the body are sensations that should be listened to and respected and nurtured, especially during moments of mindfulness/meditation; however, that doesn't mean we should sit in a painful position if there's something that can possibly be done to alleviate said pain.

One of my biggest personal struggles in life and my yoga practice is sitting in pain and staying in the muck of that pain interally because it's all I see and feel around me. Small changes like this in a yoga practice can go a long way to creating more space for quiet moments, for joy, for stretching and strengthening the body, for your internal and external practice, and for your breathwork.

[chiwellness]

Elevate Your Yoga Practice: The Benefits of Using a Bolster Pillow

In recent years, yoga has become a popular way to improve physical health, mental clarity, and emotional well-being. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced practitioner, incorporating props like a yoga bolster pillow can take your practice to the next level. Often overlooked, a bolster pillow is a versatile and supportive tool that can enhance comfort, improve alignment, and deepen relaxation. This article explores the key benefits of using a bolster pillow and how it can elevate your yoga experience.

1. Enhanced Support for Restorative Poses

Restorative yoga is a gentle practice designed to relax the body and mind through prolonged poses. A yoga bolster pillow provides much-needed support, allowing the body to rest in these positions without straining muscles or joints. When placed under the back, knees, or hips, a bolster helps maintain alignment and reduces pressure, enabling the body to fully release tension. This is especially helpful in poses like Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose) and Supported Child's Pose, where comfort and relaxation are key.

2. Improved Alignment and Posture

Proper alignment is crucial for maximizing the benefits of yoga and preventing injury. A bolster pillow can help guide the body into correct alignment in various poses, particularly for beginners or individuals with limited flexibility. For example, in seated forward bends like Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold), placing a bolster under the knees can reduce strain on the lower back and hamstrings, encouraging a safer stretch. By providing the right support, bolsters assist in maintaining proper posture while allowing for gradual progress.

3. Deeper Stretches with Minimal Effort

Using a yoga bolster can help deepen stretches without forcing the body into uncomfortable positions. In poses like Supported Bridge Pose or Supported Backbends, placing the bolster under the lower back can open up the chest and shoulders, promoting a deeper stretch in the spine. This gentle support allows practitioners to relax into the pose, making it easier to access deeper stretches and release tight muscles over time.

4. Enhanced Relaxation and Meditation

One of the greatest benefits of yoga is its ability to calm the mind and reduce stress. Incorporating a bolster pillow during relaxation or meditation practices can make it easier to settle into stillness. In Savasana (Corpse Pose), for instance, placing a bolster under the knees can relieve pressure on the lower back, allowing the body to relax more fully. Bolsters can also provide comfortable support during seated meditation, promoting better posture and reducing distractions caused by discomfort.

5. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

Yoga bolster pillows are excellent tools for injury prevention and recovery. For individuals healing from injuries or dealing with chronic pain, bolsters can modify poses to reduce strain on sensitive areas while still allowing the body to move and stretch. By cushioning and supporting the body, a bolster helps practitioners maintain mobility without aggravating existing conditions. Whether you’re recovering from a back injury or managing joint pain, incorporating a bolster can make yoga more accessible and therapeutic.

6. Prenatal Yoga Support

For pregnant women, yoga can be an effective way to stay active and alleviate discomfort during pregnancy. A bolster pillow is particularly beneficial in prenatal yoga, as it helps accommodate a growing belly while providing much-needed support. In poses like Supported Reclined Hero Pose and Modified Child’s Pose, bolsters can make it easier for pregnant women to relax and stretch safely, enhancing comfort during their practice.

7. Versatility for All Levels of Practice

One of the best features of a yoga bolster pillow is its versatility. It can be used by practitioners of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced yogis. Bolsters help beginners build confidence by providing extra support in challenging poses, while seasoned practitioners can use them to deepen stretches, explore new variations, or enhance relaxation in restorative sequences.

Conclusion

Incorporating a yoga bolster pillow into your practice can enhance comfort, support proper alignment, and promote deeper relaxation. Whether you’re looking to ease into challenging poses, deepen your stretches, or find comfort in meditation, a bolster can be a valuable tool. By providing both physical support and mental relaxation, the bolster pillow allows you to elevate your yoga practice, making it more accessible, comfortable, and beneficial for body and mind.

Consider adding a bolster pillow to your yoga toolkit and experience the transformative benefits it brings to your practice!

[bellashouseau]

Buy Yoga Bolsters Online to Enhance Your Practice

Looking to deepen your yoga practice or simply enhance your comfort during meditation? Yoga bolster are the ideal solution to provide support and stability. When you buy yoga bolsters online, you get access to a wide variety of options that suit your specific needs, whether it’s for prenatal yoga, restorative poses, or simply lounging in comfort. 

When you buy yoga bolsters online, consider the size, shape, and filling the best matches your practice. Rectangular bolsters are ideal for providing support under your back during restorative poses, while cylindrical ones are great for spinal alignment and deeper stretches. Opt for bolsters filled with eco-friendly materials like organic cotton or buckwheat hulls for added sustainability and comfort. 

Why Invest in a Yoga Bolster? 

Support & Alignment: Yoga bolsters offer excellent support for your back, neck, and legs, helping you achieve proper alignment in various poses. 

Durability: High-quality yoga bolsters are made from durable materials that endure frequent use and maintain their shape over time. 

Versatility: From deep stretching to restorative yoga, a bolster can be used in numerous ways to enhance your practice. 

Enhanced Comfort: Ideal for relaxation and meditation, these bolsters ensure you remain comfortable for extended periods. 

Upgrade Your Yoga Practice Today! 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to enhance your yoga sessions. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned yogi, a high-quality bolster can take your practice to the next level. Buy yoga bolsters online and experience the difference in comfort and support.

[yogadesignlabusa]

Experience the fusion of luxury and functionality with the Yoga Design Lab Combo Mat, the perfect blend of a yoga mat and towel in one product. Visit our official website for more information. Shop online today!

[yogadesignlab01]

Top 10 Great Yoga Mats for Every Yogi: Find Your Perfect Match

Discover the top 10 great yoga mats that offer comfort, stability, and durability. Find your perfect match with our guide, tailored for every type of yogi. Enhance your yoga practice today!

[anshul5yt]

How to make Yoga Bolster at home? 

Yoga bolsters are a necessary tool for anyone who practices yoga, meditation, or other forms of exercises. They can help you get deeper stretches, support your body while you’re sitting or lying down, and they can also make you stand up straighter. However, yoga bolsters that are sold commercially can be expensive and frequently fall short of consumers’ expectations. Fortunately, it is easy to make yoga bolster at home.

Yoga props such as yoga wheels, yoga straps, bolsters, etc can be used to make poses more accessible and easeful. While yoga bolsters can be easily purchased from stores, making your own can be a fun and fulfilling DIY project that allows you to customize it to your exact needs and preferences.

In this guide, we will walk you through step-by-step instructions on how to make yoga bolster at home, from selecting the right materials to sewing it together. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or a crafty beginner, get ready to create a personalized yoga bolster that will elevate your practice to a whole new level of comfort and support.

Materials Needed to make Yoga Bolster

To make your own yoga bolster, you will need the following materials:

Fabric: Choose a strong, heavy weight fabric such as canvas or duck cloth. You will need enough fabric to make a cylindrical shape that measures approximately 24 inches long and 10 inches in diameter.

Filling: You can use any filling that will compress over time and offer support. Some popular options include buckwheat hulls, cotton batting, or foam. You will need enough filling to fill the cylindrical shape of your fabric.

Thread: Choose a strong, durable thread that matches the color of your fabric.

Sewing machine: You can hand-sew your yoga bolster, but a sewing machine will make the process much faster and easier.

Scissors: You’ll need a pair of sharp scissors to cut your fabric and thread.

Pins: Utilize pins to secure your fabric while sewing.

Instructions to make Yoga Bolster

Cut Your Fabric

Begin by cutting your fabric into two rectangular pieces that measure approximately 27 inches by 12 inches. These will be the top and bottom of your bolster. Then, cut a long strip of fabric that measures approximately 76 inches by 10 inches. This will be the main body of your bolster.

Cut Your Fabric

Sew the Long Strip of Fabric

Fold the long strip of fabric in half lengthwise, with the right sides facing each other. Pin the edges together and sew a seam along the length of the fabric, leaving a seam allowance of about 1/2 inch. This will create a long tube.

Sew the Strip of Fabric

Sew the Top and Bottom Pieces

Fold one of the rectangular pieces of fabric in half lengthwise, with the right sides facing each other. Pin the edges together and sew a seam along the length of the fabric, leaving a seam allowance of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with the other rectangular piece of fabric.

Sew the Tube to the Top and Bottom Pieces

Pin one of the rectangular pieces to one end of the tube, with the right sides facing each other. Sew a seam along the edge, leaving a seam allowance of about 1/2 inch. Repeat with the other rectangular piece, so that both ends of the tube are now attached to a rectangular piece of fabric.

Stuff Your Bolster

Turn your bolster right-side out and begin filling it with your chosen filling. If using buckwheat hulls, you may want to fill a few inches at a time and then tamp them down with your hands or a blunt object to ensure an even distribution. If using cotton batting, you can stuff the bolster more loosely. Fill the bolster to your desired firmness.

Stuff Your Bolster

Close the End of Your Bolster

Once your bolster is fully stuffed, fold the raw edges of the fabric inwards and pin them closed. Use your sewing machine to sew a seam along the edge, leaving a seam allowance of about 1/2 inch.

Finish Your Bolster

Trim any excess thread and fluff your bolster to distribute the filling evenly. You can now utilize your finished DIY yoga bolster.

Tips and Tricks

By offering support and assisting you in going deeper into your stretches, using a yoga bolster can significantly improve your yoga practice. Here are some tips and tricks for using a yoga bolster:

1. Use it for seated poses

A bolster can help elevate your hips and make it more comfortable to sit in a cross-legged or lotus position. Place the bolster underneath your sit bones to lift your hips and create a more stable base for your spine.

2. Support your backbends

When practicing backbends, place the bolster under your shoulder blades to support your upper back and open up your chest. You can also use the bolster to support your lower back in gentle backbends like bridge pose.

3. Use it for restorative poses

Holding positions for prolonged lengths of time while using props like bolsters is common in restorative yoga poses. Try placing the bolster under your knees in legs-up-the-wall pose or under your chest in child’s pose for a deeper stretch.

4. Experiment with different shapes

Bolsters can be used in a variety of shapes to support different parts of the body. Try rolling up the bolster for a cylindrical shape to use under your knees or ankles, or folding it in half for a rectangular shape to support your back.

5. Use it for meditation

If you find it difficult to sit comfortably in meditation, use the bolster to elevate your hips and create a more stable base. You can also place the bolster behind you to support your back and shoulders in seated meditation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What materials do I need to make yoga bolster?

A: You will need fabric, thread, a sewing machine or needle and thread, scissors, stuffing such as cotton batting, buckwheat hulls, or foam, and a zipper if you want a removable cover.

Q: What type of fabric should I use for my yoga bolster?

A: You can use a durable cotton or linen fabric that is strong enough to withstand the weight of the stuffing and the pressure of use.

Q: How much stuffing do I need for my yoga bolster?

A: The amount of stuffing you need will depend on the size of your bolster. As a general rule, you’ll need between 5 and 10 pounds of stuffing.

Q: How do I make a pattern for my yoga bolster?

A: You can either create your own pattern or find a free pattern online. Some popular shapes for yoga bolsters include round, rectangular, and cylindrical.

You May Also Like:

How to use yoga blocks in your practice

Best yoga mat for toddlers

Conclusion

In conclusion, make yoga bolster at home is an excellent way to personalize your practice and save money on expensive yoga props. With a few basic materials and some sewing skills, you can create a comfortable and supportive bolster that will enhance your yoga experience. The process may seem discourage at first, but with patience and persistence, anyone can make their own yoga bolster.

Not only is it a fun and fulfilling project, but it can also deepen your connection to your practice and inspire you to explore new postures and techniques.

So, grab your materials, roll out your mat, and enjoy the benefits of your handmade yoga bolster.

[yogaonthefly]

"Ultimate Comfort: Discover the Best Yoga Bolster for Your Practice"

Introducing the Best Yoga Bolster for Your Practice! This essential yoga prop provides the perfect support for your poses, allowing you to deepen your stretches and improve your alignment. Made from high-quality materials, our yoga bolster is designed to withstand daily use and is easy to clean. Its versatile shape can be used in various positions, making it ideal for restorative yoga, and meditation, and even as a pillow for a peaceful night's sleep. Take your yoga practice to the next level with the Best Yoga Bolster on the market. Click! here to buy the product-

[melodyjai]

Although many yoga asana can be seen as sexual it is not the intention of the practice.

Supported child’s pose is what this is asana is called. During a restorative practice you’ll hold this pose for longer periods of time. The bolster offers support by taking the weight of your torso away. Melting into the pose and observing how your body reacts.

[ankhmeanswombman]

What’s new, lust strikes again. Trans identity is irrelevant but this piece just reinstates the fact that every community is affected by lust all the same. When an action has detrimental consequences, it doesn’t matter what identity, religion, social class, skin colour or genitalia the person has, everybody gets dished the same warped results and it has the potential to accelerate into pure hell for everybody just the same. This is what lust consciousness does plain and simple. As I stated previously, there’s levels to every activity and escalation is inevitable in many participants because lust is of the dualistic high/low nature, meaning it cannot be purely good as many people state. True nonduality can only be accessed through God-connectedness (yoga, meditation). Anything of this world, namely decadent activities, are sure to have a dark side that the masses don’t want to confront because they’re scared of the shadow self. Sure having a Y chromosome/active SRY creates certain biological challenges when it comes to controlling the lizard/monkey brain, namely due to the hormonal makeup of the person, but lust creates an SA saturated world regardless of how the acceleration is expressed. Those without a Y chromosome tend to be enablers and are very internal about their proclivities, generally keeping it in the realm of thought unless provoked. Those with a Y chromosome tend to externalise dark fantasies faster and are bolstered by enablers. This is exactly how patriarchy itself works, as a feedback loop, because patriarchy is of the lust mind too. Life imitates art, and vice versa. What’s created will be animated basically.

[westlinstar]

Breathwork….how hard could it be right? I mean I’ve been happily bumbling along breathing all my life, and never once have I forgotten how to do it….except maybe the first time Henry Cavill took off his shirt in The Witcher! 😉😍

Well….in humbled hindsight, I was today years old when I discovered I can’t actually breathe (properly!)

Armed with a tiny bit of nerves, a velvety blanket (that I realised too late was sporting the ‘clawed to pieces by the cat’ look), a pillow, cosy socks and a silk eye mask, I climbed the stairs to the yoga studio for the class. Everything was perfect: twinkly low lighting, a subtle scent of calming essential oils, mats already positioned like a clock face, each with bolster pillows at the head to give an added feel of security, and the warmest of welcomes from the instructor. This was lovely.

However, as I watched the others arrive, moving with such grace and serenity, confidently unpacking their bags and settling in, I don’t think I have ever felt more self conscious about just lying down!

And so we began…

….slowly at first, finding our own natural rhythm of breath. I began to relax. I’d totally got this! Of course there was every possibility that I would just doze off after my busy day at work, but I was sure no one would notice. Then the tempo of the music changed and we were guided into a pattern of circle breathing….ok…I was still keeping up, just maybe having to concentrate a little harder….then, like a single note played long and low, we were asked to ‘hold’ our inhale. It was interminable, stretching on forever. I panicked and gave in, releasing my breath in tiny, shameful bursts, only to find that we were required to ‘hold’ our exhale too 😧

Oh Lord, I thought, I am literally going to die!

We cycled through this routine 5 times in total.

I didn’t die.

With each repetition I tried a little harder, pulling as much air as I could right down into my belly, bathing the inside of my body with silky, sinuous oxygen, and while I was never able to ‘hold’ for the required length of time, I gave each my best shot. The second time, I felt something ‘pop’ and press down on my stomach. It was so real I thought it was someone’s hand. The third time everything tingled. The fourth time I was distracted by the very vocal breaths of the man beside me and the fifth time I’m pretty sure I distracted everyone else when my nose started making weird clicking noises!

And in between all the panic and the embarrassing nasal cacophony, random thoughts floated through my head. Jigsaw pieces of my life, all tumbling around, bumping into each other, desperately trying to find where they fitted. They were accompanied by my usual sense of shame and self loathing. God, I couldn’t even do breathing right! 🙄

But then something happened. A moment of clarity. An epiphany perhaps about something I have always battled with. Rejection. I wasn’t feeling rejected in this particular moment - quite the opposite in fact - but faced with glimpses of places, faces and memories from my past, another thought suddenly trail blazed its way across my mind. It was written in big black letters and pulled by a shiny red and white Cessna (what can I say - my imagination is incredibly detailed and vivid! lol!) it said:

“You are the Rejector!”

Offt!

As I watched it flap its way from right to left, I suddenly understood the truth of it. Over and over, on a constant loop of carelessness, I reject and abandon myself, and by doing so pave the way for outside influences to reject and abandon me too. What is the Law of Atrraction? What you manifest you attract??? Could my personal vibration be self rejection?

I was glad it was dark and people had their eyes covered. It meant they couldn’t see the tear that trickled down my face. It was a tear of heartfelt apology to myself. How crazy is it that we neglect ourselves so horribly? We have the ability to take care of everything and everyone else, and yet we can effortlessly ignore the lonely, scared and vulnerable child that lives inside us. That’s a heart squeeze and an ‘ouch’.

But did I come to this major understanding by happenchance? Or did the breathwork have an impact?

As we entered the relaxation period of the evening and the music switched again from shamanic tribal to something more soothing, I swear I could feel every note bounce off and echo throughout the seeming cavity of my body. I felt hollow….but clean. Scrubbed and polished and oh so shiny……like a beautiful oxygen washed shell filled with infinite space and reserved for endless possibility….

….who could believe that something as simple as a breath could hold so much power.

Try it! 🥰

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

That fact rose its ugly head yet again today when Judge Juan Merchan delayed sentencing Donald Trump in the New York hush money fraud case in which a jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records, several of which were related to his attempt to conceal the payment he made to Stormy Daniels before the presidential election in 2016. 

Reading Judge Merchan’s order is like being in a room with a middle-aged man on his first day in a yoga class, pain leaching from every corpuscle of his body as he contorts himself into making a decision he clearly believes not in the interest of either justice or the wellbeing of the country.  The order begins this way:

“By letter dated August 14, 2024, Defendant requests an adjournment of his sentencing, currently scheduled for September 18, 2024, until after the 2024 presidential election. He argues the adjournment is necessary to provide adequate time to ‘assess and pursue’ appellate options in the event this Court denies his pending Criminal Procedure Law ("CPL') S 330.30 motion and to avoid the potential ‘politically prejudicial’ impact that a public sentencing could have on him and his prospects in the upcoming election.  He attempts to bolster his application by repeating a litany of perceived and unsubstantiated grievances from previous filings that do not merit this Court’s attention and will not be addressed in this Decision.”

The judge’s quotes from Trump’s letter are proper given the nature of the order, but let me tell you, along with his dismissal of Trump’s “unsubstantiated grievances,” they are included to reflect the contempt Merchan has for Trump, his lawyers, and his request to delay sentencing. 

Take a step back for a moment.  This is the judge that Trump trashed every single day of the trial that concluded by finding him guilty on all counts.  He is the judge who found Trump in contempt of court ten times for various violations of gag orders imposed to prevent the defendant from harassing his clerk and employees and relatives of the prosecutors and other persons associated with the New York court system, including the judge’s own daughter.  The 10th time Merchan found Trump in contempt, after fining him $1,000, he threatened him with jail time.  Merchan had already fined Trump $9.000 for his previous violations.  Trump had attacked the judge’s daughter as “a rabid Trump hater,” among other slurs, and Merchan sanctioned him for that, as well as forbidding him from discussing any relatives of anyone associated with the case.  Trump had also attacked the make-up of the jury.  He made thinly veiled threats against witnesses in the case that Merchan warned Trump against but did not find contemptuous.

Defendants in criminal trials don’t do this stuff unless the defendant’s name is Donald Trump. 

In his order, Merchan cited the unprecedented nature of criminally sentencing a candidate for president: “This matter is one that stands alone, in a unique place in this Nation's history,” Merchan wrote.  He also included a statement of impartiality and purpose that you would not ordinarily find in such a judicial order:  “This adjournment request has now been decided in the same way this Court has decided every other issue that has arisen since the origination of this case, applying the facts and the law after carefully considering the issues and respective arguments of the parties to ensure that the integrity of the proceeding is protected, justice is served, and the independence of this judiciary kept firmly intact.”  The statement is, without citing instances of Trump’s continual disruption of his trial with lies, slander, and bluster, a defense of the integrity of the judicial process, which Merchan was caused to do almost daily during the trial.

All of this is unprecedented.  The nature of the crime is unprecedented:  a presidential candidate paying off a porn star to conceal a sexual affair from the voters; the defendant being a candidate for president during his trial; the contemptuous behavior of the defendant during the trial; the contempt of the defendant for the jury and the verdict; and of course, before the defendant was sentenced, the intervention of the Supreme Court that found Trump immune from prosecution for official acts taken while president, at least several of which – the signing of checks to Michael Cohen by Trump in the Oval Office – the defense will contend somehow fit the definition of “official acts.”

Trump wants the sentencing hearing postponed so that voters will not know whether he has been sentenced to jail for his crimes in New York.  That is unprecedented, too, just as was Trump not wanting voters in 2016 to know that he had paid hush-money to a porn star. 

Whether voters would take into consideration the judge’s sentence is almost irrelevant.  At this point, voters are faced daily with face-slaps of Trump’s misbehavior and madness, his jumble of unintelligible remarks and lies about childcare before the Economic Club of New York the other day being one of the most recent.  The Economic Club of New York includes among its membership people Trump wanted so badly to respect him when he was a real estate developer and citizen of Manhattan.  They are the uppermost crust of the upper crust of New York society and business – members of the clubs Trump wanted to belong to such as the Union League and Metropolitan Club and other mahogany-and-brass-fittings temples of the Manhattan elite.

And yet there he was, mumbling and lying and stumbling through a discussion any parent in America could speak about coherently: 

“But I think when you talk about the kind of numbers that I’m talking about — that, because look, childcare is child care, couldn’t — you know, there’s something — you have to have it in this country. You have to have it. But when you talk about those numbers, compared to the kind of numbers that I’m talking about by taxing foreign nations at levels that they’re not used to. But they’ll get used to it very quickly. And it’s not going to stop them from doing business with us. But they’ll have a very substantial tax when they send products into our country. Those numbers are so much bigger than any numbers that we’re talking about, including childcare, that it’s going to take care. We’re going to have — I look forward to having no deficits within a fairly short period of time, coupled with the reductions that I told you about on waste and fraud and all of the other things that are going on in our country.”

The phrase, word-salad, is inadequate to describe what he said to that roomful of business executives and economic experts.  What could he have been thinking?

Well, he wasn’t thinking.  He was just flapping his jaws incomprehensibly, because that is what works for him out there among his MAGA faithful.  They don’t have childcare they can afford, and they don’t care that Trump has no plans to get it for them, because that is not what they want from him.  What they want is hate, of which he supplies copious quantities, which is not unprecedented in this country, and that in itself is a problem and has been since our founding as a nation.

Just as Judge Merchan had to take into consideration who the jury found guilty in his courtroom and upon whom he has to deliver sentence, I am afraid that the rest of us are saddled with a similar burden.  We have a monster in our midst.  We are trying to bar the monster from the White House as we did in 2020, but even if we succeed, he will not be gone, not in person, nor in the excretory politics he has encouraged among the citizenry. 

We are not a monstrous country, not yet anyway, but we have always had the tendency to become one.  We avoided such a fate only by Civil War once in our history.  We will find out in November if defeating Trump at the ballot box will enable us to go forward as a nation without resorting to violence. 

We can only vote, and hope.

Lucian Truscott Newsletter

[glow-luminance]

yoga tips!

anything I thought may help a beginner 💗

✨benefits of regular practice of yoga:

improved strength, endurance, flexibility

lower anxiety+increases in serotonin levels

decrease risk of heart attack and stroke

weight loss (both directly and bc reducing other stressors makes it easier to lose weight)

reduce chronic pain and improve funtional mobility (when combined with meditation)

improved sleep (alternative treatment for insomnia)

source: literature review of many studies

✨for your first class:

don’t buy ANYTHING. i get it, there are a million cute leggings, tops, mats, blocks, bolsters, gym bags, water bottles…but you don’t need any of it to practice yoga. at least wait until you’ve attended a month so you know you enjoy it

wear: any comfy clothes you can stretch and move easily in or your favorite workout clothes (leggings, sweats, joggers, t shirt, tank top, sports bra it all works), socks 🧦

(if you’re doing hot yoga, you may prefer looser clothes)

try to go in person if possible. youtube is great once you understand the poses but those first few times your posture improves so much with instruction!

bring: a water bottle and hand towel (put this on the mat as a barrier if instructed to put your face on the mat)

come five min early to lay out a borrowed mat, straps, blocks (or bolsters, blankets if doing restorative), water bottle, towel

remove your shoes 👟

participate to the best of your ability, its not a competition

try the meditation, even if it seems awkward at first

✨now that you practice regularly

try out a new style if you want a greater challenge (or gentler approach)

keep an eye out for pop-up events (often ‘yoga in the park/square/beach’ when there’s good weather) to mix it up

if you’re ready to buy some gear the good trade wrote about a range of environmentally sustainable ♻️, ethically produced activewear (x), mats and other tools (don’t buy through their links if you don’t want them to get commission, just google it yourself)

good luck on your yoga journey!

source: Tatiana Danelli and KoolShooters via pexels