 Is it me or does everyone you know seem to lead crazy, overscheduled lives? In our fast-paced world it’s no wonder we have lost our sense of balance.
If you’re looking to restore a little sanity to your life try “practicing” yoga.
If nothing else, it will help to create more space in your life. Stress and having too much to do stifle our innate creativity. Instead of reaching for a double latte to refuel, try a little relaxation and meditation instead.
The ancient practice of yoga creates a sense of union in body, mind, and spirit. In short, it brings us balance. After awhile you no longer just practice yoga—you live it. Your body grows stronger and more flexible. Best of all, because yoga helps maintain a balanced metabolism, it can regulate weight. It stretches muscles lengthwise, causing fat to be eliminated around the cells, thus reducing cellulite. How could you not love that?
Yoga employs a holistic approach, providing a new way of “being” in the world. As an added bonus, it has a myriad of healing effects. Most important, yoga teaches you how to quiet your mind and focus your energy. You concentrate on breathing and this attention to breath calms. It dissolves stress and anxiety and can be used anywhere—in the dentist’s chair, or when you’re stuck in traffic on the Parkway. Now and then it’s good to pause our pursuit of happiness and just “be happy.”
Want to give yoga a try without the
pressure of a full class? These products can help outfit your home studio:
 HOME-STATE YOGA STYLE
Based in Bloomfield, Anjali Clothing is made by wife-and-husband team Julissa Carranza and Kristinn Sigridarson, who worked for years in fashion design before giving yoga a try. Now, they’ve fused their passions to create Anjali, a clothing line geared toward yoga practice (but the comfy clothes are cute enough to be worn anywhere). The shakti top, a scoopneck with a built-in shelf bra for support, comes in three colors and designs, including sky, which features an invocation chant imprinted on top of a blossoming lotus ($54, anjaliclothing.com). The city yoga pant is made of Microstretch, which wicks moisture away from your skin, and includes flat-front pockets, a ribbon drawstring, and a boot-cut leg ($65). Complete the look with a Mandarin collar anahata jacket, which has slightly longer sleeves contoured to follow your arm’s natural curves ($89). Anjali products can also be purchased at Yoga Montclair in Montclair and South Mountain Yoga in South Orange.
 RESTIN’ PEACE
Block out the day’s distractions with a silk eye pillow from Barefoot Yoga. The soft washable fabric is filled with organic flaxseeds (scented or not), and the pillow comfortably shapes to your face to keep out light as you enter savasana, the final resting pose in a yoga practice ($15.50–$17, barefootyoga.com). Barefoot Yoga products can also be found at The Yoga Connection in North Caldwell, NJ Yoga for Life in Westfield, and Firefly Yoga LLC in Mountain Lakes.
 HOW-TO TIME
Pop Yoga Radiance into the DVD player and get a
75-minute class all to yourself. The instruction starts with a spring warm-up and continues through the seasons to end with a winter closing sequence. The high-definition widescreen DVD also includes a gentle evening series to help prepare you for sleep ($14.95, yogaradiancedvd.com).
 FEET FIRST
Get yourself situated on one of (4) Barefoot Yoga’s Eco Yoga Mats, which will keep you in place while you spread into the downward-facing dog pose. Made of all-natural rubber and jute fiber, this mat combines a soft surface and a sticky mat. It’s available in earthy tones and two different thicknesses ($38–$45, barefootyoga.com). Barefoot Yoga products can also be found at Summit Yoga Studio in Summit, Starseed in Montclair, and Yoga Room in Millburn. —Jessica Kitchin
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