I was thinking about starting a daily regimen of meditation in the mornings. I am not ready for a yoga class per se but I definitely can see the benefits of relaxing ones mind, getting a focus and setting the stage for a peaceful and minimal stress day. I am definitely on all protein today...I thought about the journey and that this really does not have to be as hard as I make it....you know simply meditating on that gave me a resolve to get through today. I might need to go to the bathroom for a tune-up before this day is over lol but I am determined to stay on track today...no slips.

Are any of you practicing yoga or meditation on a regular basis. Do you have any tips or stories to share. Thanks Fam.

www.clutchmagonline.com/2010/08/namaste-yoga-in-the-black-community/

Namaste: Yoga in the Black Community

Monday Aug 23, 2010 – by Audra E. Lord

Oprah does it. So does Beyoncé and Halle Berry. Even Shaq and LeBron James. Russell Simmons reportedly does 1.5 hours of it every day. So why hasn’t the yoga bug bitten the rest of the Black community?

In America, yoga as a form of fitness remains a predominately White and elitist practice for individuals with disposable incomes and trim bodies. YogaCity NYC, an online resource for the New York City yoga community, recently published a “Minority Report" that reveals the sometimes blatant discrimination and inadvertent ostracization experienced by many minority yoga instructors and potential yoga attendees.

Yoga instructors of color were either mistaken for someone else (like the receptionist), or students were surprised to learn that they were teaching the classes. One teacher, who was certified over 10 years ago, had a student enter the class, see her, then leave. “Race, class, gender and age are very much embedded in our society, whether we agree with those views or not, even on the mat," Leah Matthews, founder of Lila Yoga, told YogaCity NYC.

Others may not even make it onto a yoga mat, or set foot into a yoga studio, because of the stigma that still exists in our communities—a stigma that is primarily grounded in misinformation and misconceptions. One YWCA parent refused to allow his son to practice yoga because he thought it was a religion.

While the term “yoga" also refers to the spiritual discipline that originated in India, yoga, itself, is not a religion. Yoga as a form of exercise solely promotes physical and mental wellness. It improves flexibility, strength, and posture, and reduces stress. There is no deity worshiped or rituals performed.

Often times, the interest in joining a yoga class is there, but the means are not. Many people are simply unaware that there are donation-based and inexpensive classes. And even when the means and opportunities are available, some still feel like they don’t belong there. Latham Thomas, founder of Tender Shoots, noted that some of the pregnant teens she works with are intimidated about taking yoga classes at a large studio because their mats aren’t trendy. “I think it’s our responsibility to make yoga accessible to all backgrounds," Latham added.

With instructors of all shades volunteering at recreational centers, organizations bringing yoga to public schools, and studios opening up in underserved communities, the often unspoken barriers within yoga will hopefully be broken

i enjoyed bikram yoga, it was great after i got used to the insane heat!!!(a sister does not like getting her weave sweaty!) i felt free after i got over the urge to run out of the room! there is controversy regarding this type of yoga i took 5 classes but i enjoyed it and hope to do some more classes (after i shorten my weave) i would also like to try regular yoga.

Thats not the type of Yoga that killed all of those people is it? What type of heat is used?

Please disregard my silly question....I looked it up. sounds interesting. I don!t mind heat.

Awesome workout but I struggle with meditation.  I read a great book, The Relaxation Response.  More psychology but same principle.  I go there once.  It was so well worth learning and I'm still trying to replicate this. 

I luv the fitv program namaste yoga.  It is available on dvd but I need the price to drop since I last checked.  I find the instructor and music relaxing. 

Bikram is not for all.  Any heat sensitivities and this can take you out.  Never done it.  Never will.  Heat does me before I can do it, lol. 

Hope it works for you.