Monday, January 4, 2010

2010

I'm going to get writing more here as it becomes apparent there are people other than my one follower, (who is my husband) who actually read this and take something from it.

I will be posting on a bike gadget soon.

In the mean time. Please remember that on New Year's Day everyone's power bill increased by about 20%. Take a moment to look around and see what gadgets you have in the house unnecessarily on or even wasting chronic power by being on standby. Turn 'em off. You ain't using it.

I've done a marginally tiny bit for you while you were reading this short blog. I chose to have my background in plain black. The screen uses less energy to do this. If you don't care for your computers wallpaper, turn it to black (save minute amounts of power, but better the computer will load faster each time too). All these tiny things add up. Don't underestimate the small things. There are lots of small things!

Happy 2010!

x Bron

Monday, June 29, 2009

A little more about my yoga practice....

At this point in time I am enjoying having a strong breath through my yoga practice. In yoga words, it about using your fire element. In terms of the movements I am enjoying, I love the postures with hip openings, especially back bends, as you have to open the face of the hips to achieve this, not just bend your back! I always feel I can work strongly in hip opening postures. I need lots of work on forward bend, as these openings are very tight, the hamstrings and groin(!). I am working on jumping my feet forwards and backwards in postures which are best shown in the following youtube video.

jump back/jump forward

And then the following video shows some amazing yogis displaying the Asthanga Vinyasa method. A very powerful, dynamic and elegant practice.

Ashtanga Yoga

And finally a word from Pattabhi Jois, a wonderful teacher who brought this Yoga to the West from India, practiced and taught it for over 60 years.

Pattabhi Jois

x Bron
It's all Yoga, Yoga and Yogis!

Lately I've been commiting to alot of yoga classes. I've done 2 solid blocks of beginner courses and in the third currently. I'm also sampling the introduction to Ashtanga Vinyasa classes, and very powerful and dynamic practice. As is everything in life, only when you practice it lots (not just think and talk about it) you get alot out of it, hence the saying you only get out what you put in. Nothing can be more true in yoga.

One of the things I like about yoga is it's essential simplicity. All you need to practice it is a floor space and time. Not much else really. A few things make it more comfotable, and able to achieve certain postures in the beginner phase, but there really arn't too many gadgets associated with it. There is one thing however that we can all take from it and get immediate advantage, no matter the time or commitment we are able to give to it. An eye pillow. It's one thing that if all you have is a few moments to take time out, will help make you more relaxed, quicker. Eye movement and thinking immediatly slow down. The weight of it on your eyes makes for no effort to close your eyes. It makes you remove the heaviness and scrunching of the eye lids and sourounding muscles. Usually they are filled with delicately smelling lavender flowers too.

Eye pillowss are cheap and easy to buy (if you look in the right shops!). And they are even easier to make. Get yourself a mix of lavender (25g)and flaxseeds/linseeds(125g), totalling about 150g. Buy a lovely feeling piece of fabric (charmeuse silk would be divine) about 45cm x 25cm, so as to encase the filling leaving you with a bag that's approximately 10cm x 20cm. You don't even need a sewing machine, just a lazy evening sitting in front of the television, hand sewing your little masterpiece.

And enjoy. Remember to relax reguarly. And Breathe!

Some eye pillows you can purchase;

Lululemon have them for about $20.
Garden of Eden Nursery in Albert Park have lovely silk Australian made eye pillows for $20.
Here's one on ebay;

Saturday, May 9, 2009

This late afternoon's ride to St Kilda for Hot Chocolate, Polish Plum Jam Donuts and Fresh Air!




Introducing my new love...



Here she is! A Skeppshult Nova Automat and she's now mine to enjoy riding to work, to the market, cafes and generally anywhere to replace driving to. What do I love about her? She's;

a handmade steel frame made in Sweden

27" wheels

huge front basket

big sturdy rear rack

comfy saddle for cycling with any attire

low instep

fenders

skirt guard! That's right, I ride in a dress!

kick stand

front mega bright dynamo led light that works off your leg power, no batteries needed!

bright rear light

8 Speed automatic changing gears, which is powered from the dynamo hub

coaster brake, and front hub brake

Integrated rear wheel lock that disallows unwanted hands to ride off with your bike.


So whatever you're wearing, where ever you want to go, just put your helmet on and you go! You just have to pedal, cruise and enjoy watching the world go by. Life's better with a bike, and it's even better when it fit's your life style and replaces your car so well.

I've ridden her to the city practice this week and it only added 5 minutes to where my road bike takes 30 minutes. Commuting to the Brighton practice takes a pleasant 15 minute's ride along the beach foreshore bike trail, driving takes 8 minutes. So if you think she looks slow, she quite deceptively isn't.

The front basket quite adequately holds the 4-5 things you might ride to the local shops for to make dinner, or a 6 pack, and the rear rack easily holds a big box of produce from the market when doing the weekly shop.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

I'm very close to getting a new gorgeous bike for my short commutes/shopping trips/running errands. It's a chic bike that is just as stylish as is is fabulous quality. But lets not get carried away. It's not mine until it's mine.

In the mean time, I've been thinking about helmets. Such a stylish bike demands a stylish helmet. Not the sporty dashing types that I wear to mountain bike or road cycle. Something that if you left on your head while you wore a dress, it would look great, but also work as it's original intended purpose, as a brain bucket should the worst ever occur. I've just come across Yakkay helmets. The following pictures are of hats especially designed to go with these fabulous helmets. Now....to go about finding how to buy one....


Sunday, March 15, 2009

Five Fingers Cont...

These vibram five fingers have been on my mind. With the weather cooling, and having the female characteristic of cold hands and toes, I've been considering these for yoga as the only alternative is bare feet in the cold studio. Well it's not that cold, but barefoot below 20 degrees and my toes are little icicles.
I've also grown to consider if they are going to help me re-establish muscles and use of my little toes. All they do these days is curl into the neighboring toe and are thus useless, completely. These little toes are designed to work, but modern day man in flat platform shoes makes these little pinkies lazy. And as it goes, if you don't use it, you loose it.
Alot of runners are loving these and saying that it has helped change their running technique for the better. I'm intrigued and have been searching for more info.
I came across Dr Silberman and am interested to try his running technique. See it for yourself;
What's interesting is Dr Silberman critiquing Radcliffe, Gebrselassie, an immediate novice to his technique, and one who had a little time to practice. I've been running for about 2 1/2 years now, but still consider myself a novice. I'm going to give this approach a try, as I'm guilty of heel pounding.
REI has 20% off for members at the moment so I'm almost totally convinced to buy a pair and give five fingers a go. Might give them a whirl jogging around Albert Park. Just as soon as the Grand Priz leaves town.