Here is a round-up of all the latest Yoga news this October
Accessories
Looking for an exercise bag specifically designed for yoga, one that fits everything, including your yoga mat inside? Take a look at the Marrakesh Tote by Gaiam.
The tote is well made and durable with magnetic snaps to close and a strong carrying handle. The main compartment is big enough for a standard yoga mat, small towel and other yoga essentials. There is also an outer zip pocket and an inner zip pocket, which are handy for storing keys, wallets and phones.
The design is stylish, with a rich purple color and attractive embroidered detail picked out in white. The bag is also available in brown.
Visit www.gaiam.com for a full range of yoga accessories.
Food
Win a luxury yoga retreat in India with Tea India
Tea India’s Masala chai is a blend of Assam tea leaves and ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, black pepper and anise, that makes a delicious alternative to coffee or other tea drinks.
Chai tea is much lower in caffeine than coffee and also has beneficial properties. The Assam leaves are rich in antioxidants and the spices are considered in Ayurveda to be ‘sattvic’ or calming, vitalizing and mentally clarifying.
The tea is deliciously warm and spicy and makes the perfect pick-me-up in the cooler weather. You can make the tea with water or milk depending on which you prefer. I made a delicious chai latte, using cow’s milk, but you could use a nut milk or soy. The latte was rich, warm and spicy. I could particularly taste the ginger and cinnamon and there was a hint of the anise coming through giving the drink a slight aniseed flavor. Overall, it was a deliciously warming drink for a cooler day and one I will be coming back to.
All Tea India products are 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified.
Tea India is offering a chance to win a luxury yoga retreat in India with its Masala Chai. Visit www.teaindia.co.uk for details
Cosmetics
Urban Veda cosmetics offer a range of products tailored to your personal skin care needs and individual Ayurveda dosha.
I particularly liked that the ranges have been designed to suit both your dosha and skin type, making this range of products more unique than many standard ranges. The products are made with natural products and include essential oils which, as well as being healing for individual skin care issues, make them luxurious to use. The scents from the aromatherapy oils really come through and the ones I tried from the soothing collection were soothing to my mind as well as skin.
The Soothing Body Ritual collection uses a blend of Ayurvedic sandalwood, organic aloe vera and harmonizing ylang-ylang to calm and tone distressed skin. The collection contains a soothing body scrub, soothing body wash and soothing body lotion at a special price of £34.99.
A whole range of individually tailored products is available at http://www.urbanveda.co.uk
Yoga Shop
For yoga essentials, plus unique and beautiful gifts, Yoga Matters has everything the beginner or dedicated yogi could want.
If you are beginning to think about Christmas gifts and have a yoga loving friend or family member, you might like to check out the shop Yoga Matters. Yoga Matters offers a comprehensive range of yoga accessories such as mats, bags, pillows and towels. The shop also has a lovely gift range with some more unusual items including journals, yoga oils, crystals and jewelry. I particularly liked the Shanti Boutique Rainbow Purity Chakra Ring.
Made from solid silver, the rainbow seven chakra ring contains seven semi-precious gemstones. The gemstones included are garnet, carnelian, citrine, peridot, apatite, iolite and amethyst and the colors correspond to the seven chakras. The ring is solid and well made. The silver outer band is hallmarked and the stones are square cut and set within the silver band giving the ring a contemporary design. It is available in a range of sizes.
Yoga matters also have a complete basics range available in a kaleidoscope of colors so you can match or mix and match items such as mats, blocks and belts. These are well-made basics, ideal for the beginner yogi but of a quality that will ensure they withstand the most regular use. Delivery is free on orders over £75
The Yoga Matters website is beautifully designed and easy to navigate. The site provides lots of useful information on its blog, covering different styles of yoga and other related topics such as mindfulness. The site also has a comprehensive events section, which covers activities in the whole of the UK.
Visit www.yogamatters.com for the full range of products.
