Milk It

Rice Milk is made from pressed, strained rice mixed with rice syrup and is easier to digest than soya or cow's milk. Fortified versions provide calcium and vitamins B and D, but only a trace of protein. Best for sensitive stomachs.

Almond Milk is made from ground roast almonds and water (and in many brands, sugar) and is low in both cals and fat. This one is comparable to cow's milk for calcium and vitamins B, E and D2 but comes nowhere near it in terms of protein. Best for slimmers.

Oat Milk is high in soluble fibre, which can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. They're also very low in fat. But you won't get much protein from this milk, and you'll need an enriched variety to get the calcium and vitamins too. Best for lowering cholesterol.

Soya Milk rivals cow's milk for protein, and fortified varieties provide similar calcium and vitamin B levels. However, soya is common allergen and there's debate over whether a high intake is linked to cancer risk. Stick to two to three servings a day. Best for protein content.

Coconut Milk has been hyped as a wonder food for being high in fibre, iron, magnesium, zinc, folate and vitamin C, but it has hardly any protein. Though high in sat fat, it's a type that may be good for you.

Reference : zest.co.uk

Yoga Studios, Brisbane

Brisbane, Queensland

Shri Yoga : 26 Burnett Lane, Brisbane City

Atma Yoga : 1st Floor, 99 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City

Ten Toes : 129 Margaret Street, Brisbane City

Australian School of Meditation & Yoga : 236 Montague Road, West End
**  DEAL : $19 for 6-Class Hatha Yoga Pass **

Brisbane South

Bonfire Hot Yoga : Studio 13, 59 Eastern Road, Browns Plains &

                              Studio 13, Homemaker City, 34 Goggs Road, Jindalee

Flex Hot Yoga : 174 Bennetts Road, Norman Park 

Zen Hot Yoga : 641 Sherwood Road, Sherwood
Bikram Yoga Brisbane Southside : 8 Enterprise Street, Salisbury

Brisbane North
Vitalelife : 83 Latrobe Terace, Paddington

Foods for Yoga

When it comes to yoga, avoid foods that will feel uncomfortable in your stomach when you're twisting and doing core work.  "It's best not to have eaten a meal for two to three hours before a class," says yoga teacher Nikola Ellis, director of Adore Yoga in Sydney.

Try to eat healthy, unprocessed foods on days when you've got a class.  "If your body and mind are dull because all your energy is being used up digesting heavy or processed foods, it's hard to achieve the clarity and balance that is the goal of yoga," Ellis says.

"For a meditative class, the kind of food you want is calming and cooling, so that would be a lot of fresh, lightly cooked vegetables.  Avoid things like animal protein.  But if you were doing a strong physical practice, you're likely to require a bit more protein because you're building that muscle mass and you need carbs for energy."

Source: bodyandsoul.com.au

Yoga Mats

§  Lululemon Align Mat - A$35.00 from Lululemon.com.au

§  Gaiam Yoga Essential Mat - A$29.99 from Rebel Sport

§  Nike Yo Girl Yoga Mat - A$49.99 from Rebel Sport

Yoga Towels

§  Yogitoes Skidless Towel - A$69 from Lululemon.com.au

§  Manduka eQua Towel - A$55 from Lululemon.com.au

Yoga Gear

Tara Stiles' Favorite Yoga Gear

Named the “Yoga Rebel” by the New York Times, Tara Stiles is an internationally recognized and influential yoga teacher based in New York City. She is the author of the book Slim Calm Sexy as well as the owner of Strala Yoga, a non-pretentious yet highly successful yoga studio in the big city. As a former model, Stiles uses her celebrity, yoga teaching talents and humble girl-next-door persona as a platform from which to launch yoga cross-training programs for athletes, as well as designating yoga as an accepted and necessary part of preventative health care. Her second book, Yoga Cures, which covers the health benefits of yoga for a wide array of modern-day ailments, will be out on the shelves in April of this year.

Ms. Stiles also inspires many by her choice in yoga products and accessories. For example, she supports the environment by selecting green and sustainable items to use in her practice.Manduka mats top her list as the best yoga mats, as they are non-toxic and eco friendly. Her favorite mat, made with high standards and low environmental impact, is the Manduka eKO Lite. For her hot yoga sessions, Stiles prefers to use Manduka’s eQua HOT yoga towel above other similar products.In lieu of drinking out of potential health and earth damaging plastic water bottles, Stiles uses a Takeya glass water bottle wrapped a silicone sleeve for breakage protection. Surprisingly enough with access to the best spas in New York, she keeps her face looking toned and clear by using an affordable and all natural light moisturizer by Tata Harper called Hydrating Floral Essence.

 You might imagine this former model parading down 5th Avenue carrying shopping bags from Macy’s, Bloomindales or Saks Fifth Avenue, but her reputation as the “coolest yoga instructor ever” as brought to our attention by Vanity Fair, holds true when she is found using reusable grocery bags such as the BAGGU to transport her organic and all natural items. Manduka mats and Takeya water bottles also top our list of our favorite health and yoga inspired items. Among many other fabulous and well-made products, we featured the best of Manduka and Takeya in our holiday shopping guide and generous giveaway last December. In addition to her achievements in writing and business, Tara Stiles is also the personal yoga coach for the famed spiritual guide Deepak Chopra and was named “The new face of fitness” by aerobics guru Jane Fonda. With her non-traditional approach and relaxed style of teaching, Stiles inspires people to develop their own sense of intuition and self-awareness for optimal health, radiance and happiness. 

Reference : dietsinreview.com

Beginner's Yoga

Yoga Journal

Excerpt from Yoga Journal Complete Beginner's Guide DVD by Jason Crandell.

Down Dog Assessment

Yoga Tune Up®

Try this assessment test to see if your body is safe for Downward Dog.

Warm Up with Esther

Yogatic

For days when I do yoga at home, I turn to Esther Ekhart from Yogatic.  Visit Esther on Youtube for more yoga videos.