2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

by iana velez | Dec 1, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, Lifestyle

2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

By iana velez

LIFESTYLE

Welcome to our 2024 Holiday Gift Guide!

We are so excited to share with everyone some of our amazing sponsors, and favorite holiday gift ideas from the Yoga Love Team.

Cobble Mountain Hammock Chairs

This holiday season, give the gift of serenity with Cobble Mountain Hammock Chairs. Designed in New England and handcrafted in the USA, our hammock chairs are more than just a seat—they’re a sanctuary. Perfect for those who seek a mindful escape, each chair offers unparalleled comfort, eco-friendly craftsmanship, and a timeless design that complements any space, indoors or out.

Made from sustainably sourced materials and built with care by skilled artisans, our chairs are a thoughtful gift for loved ones—or a well-deserved treat for yourself. Whether you’re curling up with a good book or simply finding your center, a Cobble Mountain chair is where relaxation begins. Reconnect with nature, your loved ones, and yourself this holiday season.

Exclusive for Yoga Love readers: Enjoy 15% off your holiday purchase with code YOGALOVE15 at checkout.

The Yoga Pillow:

This thoughtfully designed prop combines the support of a yoga block with the softness of a yoga bolster, offering a unique blend of comfort, portability, and versatility. Made from high-quality cotton canvas with a supportive foam core, it’s perfect for restorative yoga, seated meditation, and challenging postures that require additional support.

The Yoga Pillow is a one-of-a-kind prop invented by Lochana Panapitiya, is revolutionizing the way yoga and meditation enthusiasts approach their practice. Lochana’s vision for The Yoga Pillow was to create an accessible and adaptable tool that meets the needs of both beginners and experienced yogis alike. Available in calming colors like Sea Glass Teal, Blue Lagoon and White Coral, it adds an aesthetic touch to any practice space while providing the ideal balance of firmness and comfort.

The Yoga Pillow’s innovative design allows it to attach to standard yoga blocks, transforming them into mini yoga bolsters for heightened support and deeper relaxation. Compact and travel-friendly, it’s easy to bring along to the studio or on the go. With its emphasis on flexibility and functionality, The Yoga Pillow is quickly becoming a must-have for anyone looking to deepen their practice. Discover more about this transformative prop at theyogapillow.com.

From our Beauty and Wellness Editor LouLou:

Better Not Younger
Second Chance Hair, Face, and Body Nourishing Oil.

“I love a multiple use product and this oil is like one stop shopping. With Abyssinian oil and Squalene to help restore the moisture barrier and nourish and protect skin and hair. Better Not Younger makes products specifically for women in their 40’s and above. and they are Vegan, Cruelty-free, Paraben-free,and Sulfate-free.”

From our Feature Editor Stephanie

Short Story Box

“I have been loving Short Story Box because at 5 ft. tall and petite but not skinny, it’s extremely difficult to shop for certain items. Here, you provide your measurements and preferences, and a stylist makes selections for you. You purchase what you’d like, and send back what doesn’t work. You can choose your shipment frequency, which is super convenient.”

Handcrafted Quartz Collection Yoga Bolsters

Introducing Stone Wave’s Quartz Collection: Handcrafted, Antimicrobial Yoga Bolsters for a Cleaner, Healthier Practice.

We’re thrilled to announce the debut of Stone Wave’s Quartz Collection with its very first product: handcrafted, antimicrobial yoga bolsters designed to enhance your yoga practice and wellness space. These bolsters combine therapeutic support with premium style, providing a cleaner, healthier alternative to traditional yoga equipment.

A clean, serene yoga space is vital to physical and mental well-being, yet many traditional yoga bolsters, made from absorbent materials, can trap dust, dirt, and moisture—creating an environment where bacteria and mold can thrive.

Stone Wave’s bolsters are crafted from luxury-grade vegan vinyl, a durable and highly impermeable material that resists germs, ensuring your bolster stays hygienic and easy to clean after each session. Give your practice a fresh start with Stone Wave’s Quartz Collection bolsters, and experience wellness and peace of mind like never before!

Contact
liz@stonewaveyoga.com

From our team member Tashya

Give the Gift of Yoga

This is a weekly hour long virtual gentle flow class on Saturday mornings designed to wake up your body with gentle movement so you feel relaxed and refreshed for the day. This class is created to be accessible to everyone at all ages and levels. Come as you are and build a practice that works for you.

Learn more about Tashya here.

Element Tree Essentials: Rose Beauty Body Oil

The Yoga Love team was at the Love Shine Yoga Festival in Asheville just weeks before Hurricane Helene devastated the area. Thankfully some businesses have since been able to reopen like this beautiful shop selling the most amazing products like the Rose Beauty Body Oil I can’t get enough of! If you can support any small business impacted by the terrible hurricanes that happened in the last few months, please do.

The Sobriety Deck

Filled with practical tools and inspirational prompts, The Sobriety Deck is your ultimate guide to conquering the challenges and embracing the joys of a booze-free life. In this deck you’ll find fifty cards that contain countless tips and tricks for getting through early sobriety, finding your sober community, navigating triggering environments, dating, and making space to celebrate all the exciting milestones you reach along your journey. There are many ways to use this deck—pull a card as a daily practice, consult one before a night out with friends, respond to the prompts in your journal, or keep the deck handy for support on the go.

WHY I’M FINALLY GOING ON A YOGA RETREAT

by Brielle Farmer | Oct 27, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, TRAVEL

WHY I’M FINALLY GOING ON A YOGA RETREAT

By Brielle C Farmer

In partnership with Yoga Mandali and Sangha Retreats

TRAVEL

Wanting to go on a Yoga Retreat is easy, but actually committing is a whole other story. If you find it hard to make time for yourself in everyday life, then maybe you need to dedicate 6 whole days to yourself outside of your normal day-to-day. Without the never ending to-do list, bottomless pit of laundry to fold, and torturous news cycle, you can truly focus on reconnecting with yourself and deepening your yoga practice. Here are my top reasons I am finally finding the time, money, and energy to go on a yoga retreat.

Retreat:
I want to seriously retreat from my everyday life. Getting away and having time dedicated to just myself is the biggest luxury I can have right now, especially in today’s hustle culture. We are so plugged into everything going on around us, when do we take time to see what’s going on within us? I’m ready to put the phone away and unplug for six whole days. There’s a huge difference between putting my phone on DND and taking a 60 minute vinyasa class vs. flying to another country and immersing myself in yoga for six days.

Realign:
I am ready to realign with what it means to be me.

What is my purpose?

What do I enjoy in life?

How do I want to be spending my time?

These are all questions I am ready to explore. We also find alignment in our physical yoga practice. Is my head over my shoulders? Where are my feet? Do I need to tuck my tailbone? Finding physical alignment can subconsciously help us find spiritual, emotional, and mental alignment as well.

Restore:
I am looking forward to feeling restored after this retreat. I know I will come home feeling rejuvenated and with a new outlook on life. Retreats hosted by Sangha Retreats, will be a much needed break from the ice and snow in Upstate New York. The upcoming retreat to Tulum in March comes at the perfect time of year (especially if you like the idea that the new year actually starts at the start of spring and not in the dead of winter). After this week away, I will feel full of life and new energy as we approach a new season, a new beginning.

Deepening Yoga Practice:
This week in Tulum will give me more time than ever to practice yoga and deepen my practice. I know a lot of change can happen in six days, and I can’t wait to see how my practice and my relationship with yoga will evolve over that short amount of time. There’s nothing quite like gathering with others who want to better understand yoga, live by its philosophies, and practice together day in and day out. Now imagine that group of people on a beach or drinking cacao or sitting around a fire chanting. Pure magic. Studying the yogic texts and practicing on my own will never get me as far as learning and practicing in community.

Community:
Practicing yoga with others is the whole point, right? Yoga means “union”. We are all united. Moving together, breathing together, chanting together…there’s so much power in doing it all together and knowing you’re not alone. I’m not going on this retreat to solely focus on myself and what’s best for me. I’m going to connect with the community around me, the locals, nature, and our teachers. Through this connection, I can have a better grasp of reality, learn things about myself by getting to know others, and build a community of people I can rely on. When we know other people on a similar path or wavelength as us, life seems less scary, the hard things seem more manageable. And when we are able to look those people in the eyes and say “I see you” we are able to love others and love ourselves so much deeper.

New places, new experiences and new food:
When I go on vacation, the number one thing that excites me is all the new food I get to eat! Good thing this retreat is hosted at a beach front resort with farm-to-table food made from locally sourced ingredients. Imagine eating your Huevos Rancheros with a beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea. Or drinking fresh squeezed pineapple juice poolside in the sun. Food is the best part of traveling, for me.

We are also scheduled to explore historical sites around Tulum, participate in a cacao and sound healing journey, float the canals, and sweat it out in a temazcal. These new experiences are all included in the retreat, so there will be plenty of time for adventure in addition to eating nourishing meals and practicing yoga.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to go on an international yoga retreat with Sangha Retreats. Winter is the season for resting and taking it easy, so I know this retreat will help me warm up and get ready for spring! If you are also in need of some rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation, a yoga retreat might be the answer you’re searching for.

LATINX SPOTLIGHT: JAZMIN TEJADA

by Frances Hunt | Sep 24, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, LATINX IN WELLNESS

LATINX SPOTLIGHT: JAZMIN TEJADA

By Frances Hunt

Photo By @oscar_rosardia

PROFILES

Welcome to our series celebrating the Latinx healers, creators and wellness advocates making an impact in our communities. Wellness is multi-dimensional, as it consists beyond the physical, but also mental, spiritual, financial, environmental, and social aspects of our lives.

It is important to share the stories of Latinx individuals beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, as it inspires others to create their own narratives. This series consists of real stories of inspirational Latinx individuals creating safe spaces for connection, community, and self-care through the power of wellness. This week we celebrate Jazmin Tejada.

Jazmin Tejada

where you/your family are originally from: I was born and raised in East Harlem, my parents immigrated here from the Dominican Republic
currently live: East Harlem all day, I still live here. Don’t know that I see myself leaving anytime soon.
@jazmintejada_yoga @ofrendayogastudio
www.ofrendayoga.com

What is unique about being Latina in the wellness space?

What’s unique about being Latina in the wellness space is that it’s often presented as if we’re not in the wellness space but we’re out here doing the work and building community.

What inspired you to start your own studio?
I wanted to continue to expand on the community that I’ve been working so hard to build in Harlem for the last 10 years so it was naturally the next step to take. I’ll be completely honest with you, I’m not someone that has always wanted their own studio so when it spoke to me, I ran with it.

What is the best advice someone gave you when you started your business?
The best piece of advice someone gave me was to focus on the next step. Starting a business can be extremely overwhelming and confusing so focusing on the next thing made it easier to complete tasks

What is the best advice you would give another person who wanted to start their own small business?
Focus on the next step, don’t worry about the next 10 steps because it gets overwhelming very quickly. Surround yourself with people that can see the vision without you having to sell them on it. Also surround yourself with people that can help you do things that you’re not necessarily good at or knowledgeable in, this will save you a lot of headaches. Lastly, keep showing up for yourself.

How do you maintain personal yoga/meditation practice while opening your studio?
Over the years my personal practice has shifted from being very physical to a more presence-based practice. So I’m pretty much practicing all the time in reminding myself to be fully present in everything I do. This has helped a lot throughout this journey because I’m not jumping into the future wondering what will happen next, instead I’m in the present which allows me to flow with whatever shows up.

Share your favorite yoga/wellness social media/web accounts that inspire you?
@reimagine.our.wellness I love this non-profit because they are helping to create more diversity in the wellness community by giving people that are underrepresented a platform where they could not only teach/guide different wellness modalities and rituals but they also help people get funding for training in the wellness space.

@susannabarkataki is a fav because she debunks all these marketing myths that are used to represent yoga that are actually forms of whitewashing the practice and decentralizing black and brown people that have been practicing yoga for hundreds of years.

@jah_holla is the owner of @harlemkettlebellclub in East Harlem and he focuses on making people but mostly women of color strong and more confident in their abilities. He laughs at me all the time because I tell him that he’s not in fitness, that’s just the instrument he uses to help people become more confident.

Yoga access and classes has changed a lot since the pandemic. What does the future of yoga in NYC look like?
I think that it’s super dope that we have different forms of access to practice yoga but I think that the future of yoga looks more like community and connection to each other. That’s kind of what we’re doing at Ofrenda Yoga, yes, we have group classes but it’s more than that. We get to know each other and guide each other through our journeys because healing happens in community.

The theme of our current issue is JOY, how do you inspire joy in your life and those around you?
Joy in my life looks like doing things that I did when I was a kid, such as painting, drawing, creating little things, etc. I may not be as good at it now, but I do it because it feels good to create without the pressure if it needing to be good or sellable or anything like that. I don’t know that it inspires joy to anyone around me but I’m definitely more pleasant to be around lol.

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: NY STATE YOGA FEST

by iana velez | Sep 23, 2024 | ARTICLES, Festivals 2024, FRONT PAGE POSTS, Profiles

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: NY STATE YOGA FEST

FESTIVALS

♥ Yoga Love Magazine readers can use the promo code

fallfest

for $10 off your ticket! ♥

GET TICKETS

Looking for something to do this Sept? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Nicole Kazimer the founder of NY State Yoga Fest who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to get complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival!

What makes this year’s festival unique?
This year’s festival is truly special with a lineup that’s designed to captivate and inspire. We are thrilled to host Kevin Paris, who will be performing live all the way from Hawaii, adding a unique vibe to the event. We’re introducing a new class, EDM Yoga, for those who want to experience yoga with an electrifying twist. Our sound immersion session will beautifully close the day, offering a serene and meditative experience. Attendees can enjoy hiking throughout the day and participate in various nature workshops. This festival perfectly embraces nature and community, creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

Share with us what you love about your festival location.
The festival’s location at Letchworth State Park is simply unparalleled. Often referred to as the “Grand Canyon of the East,” it provides a breathtaking backdrop for this special day. Our Hikyoga classes will lead participants right to the gorge, offering stunning views of the water. We have dedicated areas for families, and we’re excited to introduce a portable sauna to enhance the experience. It’s a place where nature’s beauty meets community spirit, making it an ideal setting for our festival.

The theme of our issue this year is JOY. How do yoga festivals inspire joy?
Joy is at the heart of what we do, and yoga festivals are a perfect embodiment of that. The attendees, teachers, staff, and vendors all radiate joy throughout the day. Over the past seven years of leading the NYS Yoga Festival, we’ve consistently heard from participants that it was their “happiest day of the year.” We are so grateful to create a space filled with love, happiness, and connection for the community. This festival is a place where joy is not just experienced but also shared, leaving a lasting impact on everyone involved.

GET TICKETS

NATURE ALWAYS INSPIRES

by Ingrid Baquero | Sep 8, 2024 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2024, FRONT PAGE POSTS

NATURE ALWAYS INSPIRES

By: Ingrid Baquero

FESTIVALS

Nature is a gift connecting us to the divine, and divine it was at Kula Yoga Fest in North Conway, NH the weekend of Sept 6-8. Kula Yoga Fest was a sweet, sensorial experience filled with mindful movement, thought-provoking, soul-enriching moments, and deep connection with nature.

Each yoga festival the Yoga Love Magazine team attends has its own magic. At Kula Yoga Fest, the standout gem is how nature always inspires. Some standout moments from our weekend in the mountains of New Hampshire:

GANESHA 🐘

Ananda Das led a Ganesha-inspired Sattva Yoga journey celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi, the birth of the deity Ganesha, remover of all obstacles. Ananda’s creative flow honored Ganesha through visualization and movement, conveying the powerful messages of Karma and Kriya. We were inspired to practice letting go of what no longer serves us, moving out of the hamster wheel of routine to evolutionary action, creating space for meaningful, positive change.

SUP YOGA 💦

Yoga teaches us that we are all connected. I had the pleasure of floating along with Erika and Domenic, founders of Rooted Rose Recreation , who led us through SUP Yoga, a paddleboard yoga experience in the pond. The practice emphasized gratitude to the land, the trees, the sky, and the sounds of Earth around us. Mindfulness on water provides a sense of tranquility and a strong connection to this element. We are 80% water—let it flow.

MINDFUL WALKS 🌲

Have you ever walked quietly into a forest and just listened, observed, and activated your senses? This was the experience with Nature & Mindfulness Wellness Walk led by Kaitlin from Taking Root Education. It was a moment to practice being present, savoring every droplet on the leaves, the colors of mushrooms on the moist ground, and the soft earth that cushioned each step. From the light shower sounds to the peeking sun rays and the curious thoughts about our surroundings, nature has a way of embracing and replenishing us. This was a reset for my nervous system.

UNIVERSAL SOUNDS 🎶

Travel to the sweet space between conscious and subconscious—that’s the beauty of vibrational sound. Ashera took us on a healing journey. At the beginning of the session, I had a vision of falling off a cliff but quickly returned to my body. What is my subconscious trying to tell me? Sound baths offer an opportunity to surrender and allow the mind to drift to a deeper space, connecting us to our inner truth.

MORE INFO

LATINX SPOTLIGHT: JASMINE R. CASTILLO

by iana velez | Sep 3, 2024 | ARTICLES, FRONT PAGE POSTS, LATINX IN WELLNESS

LATINX SPOTLIGHT: JASMINE R. CASTILLO

By iana velez and ingrid baquero

PROFILES

Welcome to our series celebrating the Latinx healers, creators and wellness advocates making an impact in our communities. Wellness is multi-dimensional, as it consists beyond the physical, but also mental, spiritual, financial, environmental, and social aspects of our lives.

It is important to share the stories of Latinx individuals beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, as it inspires others to create their own narratives. This series consists of real stories of inspirational Latinx individuals creating safe spaces for connection, community, and self-care through the power of wellness. This week we celebrate Jasmin Castillo founder.

Jasmine R. Castillo

where you/your family are originally from: Puerto Rico
currently live: I’m born and raised in the Bronx, lived in all 5 boroughs and now currently in Astoria, Queens.
@ProducerJazz @sanasanamarket
www.sanasanamarket.com

What is unique about being Latina
A fusion of cultural richness, resilience, and a deep sense of community. Being part of a vibrant heritage shaped by diverse influences: Indigenous, African, European, and many paths around the world, each contributing to traditions, language, customs. Family plays a central role, often prioritizing close-knit bonds, respect for elders through a bendicion, and strong values around unity and support.

There’s also a unique strength in navigating multi-cultural identities, balancing pride in one’s roots while adapting to other cultural environments. Latina women, in particular, often carry a strong sense of empowerment, balancing tradition with a modern drive for independence and leadership, all while honoring the healing, creativity, and stories passed down through the matriarchs. From applying vapor rub (vaparoo) to saying sana sana to our youth, it fosters deep connections. I have generations of warriors who utilized our culture to inspire, feed, connect and heal, from many paths around the world.

What is the best advice someone gave you when you started your business?
To serve with purpose, but not to forget the “why am I doing this?” Running a business can be exhausting, lonely, and financially sucking, so I continue to remind myself of the “why” to guide me as I give myself some sana sana of course. If I’m burnt out, then how will I be of service? So, I pace, I make peace, and I give myself breaks. The point of a business isn’t to soul suck, but to give life.

What is the best advice you would give another person who wanted to start their own small business?
Build a team who knows more than you, but who will also respect what you offer. You shouldn’t be the smartest in the room, as you want to hold space for self-growth. Having a team has not only been supportive in the marketing, event set ups, brainstorm sessions, but also provides a team to learn and build together.

What does the future of wellness look like?
It looks diversified! I love seeing POC reclaim elements of our culture that have long been used as financial gains through appropriation and price gouging, moving away from the very essence of the purpose: to provide healing to all! Seeing people create healing spaces that are accessible, relatable, a reconnection to our roots, allows for deep healing.

The theme of our current issue is JOY, how do you inspire joy in your life and those around you?
By embracing the little moments every day—celebrating life, sharing meals, being fully present. Whether it’s catching a sunset or a group trip to the tropics, every experience, big or small, enriches this beautiful journey we call life. Especially the small.