Fitness gear review: Lorna Jane

I recently got treated to some new gear by Lorna Jane, an Australian based fitness and lifestyle brand. They've been producing women's activewear for 20+ years, but only recently became available in the US. I decided I needed to try their stuff out after I saw a student wearing a pair of super cute leggings from the brand.

Their clothes have these cute little tags on them:



Here's the strappy tank top (with a polka dot sports bra underneath) after teaching a double last week:


(Can't find it on the LJ website!)
The tank top is made of a super light material. I cut out and threw away the tags already otherwise I'd tell you what they're made of. I know you can't tell from the pictures, but it has really beautifully done mesh inserts. It wicks sweat well and felt great on. It was the perfect fit - not too tight, not too loose, and it moved comfortably with me through my full range of motion.

Here are my new super fun neon! printed leggings:


Lorna Jane Dimension 7/8 tight

The leggings are a sturdier, thicker material than the top, but they still wicked sweat really well. The neon is super vibrant and the pattern is great. They were not see through at all, even in deep squats and full forward bends. They didn't sag or stretch out at all.

Here's the whole ensemble:



Don't mind the funny face.

After more than three hours in the hot room in this outfit, they were still mostly dry to the touch. Both the top and the leggings washed really well (with no fabric softener, and air dried, of course) and they seem like they will be durable, but only time will tell. Overall, I love the clothes, and I'll definitely consider more from Lorna Jane in the future.

I was told in the store that the material will stretch up to15%, which is so practical for the full extension and stretching of a good yoga class. It's also good if you're between sizes. I found them true to size and completely comfortable to wear. The brand offers new styles on a monthly basis, which means they also always have stuff on sale. Their mission statement is "to inspire women to live their best life through Active Living" which is something I can definitely get behind.

Happy weekend

Here's some interesting reads I found this week:

Yoga

Everyone's going on and on in the internet yoga community about this article. The assigning editor wrote her response. Another writer from the same site gave her opinion. Personally, I liked this smart response. And now I'm officially over it, which brings me to...

Feminism

...this interesting piece on feminism's toxic Twitter wars. Luckily I mostly read, and not post on twitter about my opinion, but I could see how difficult it could be if you are heavily invested in the medium and receive a lot of backlash. 

Food

Are you a property owner in the LA area with fruit trees overburdened with their production? Sign up here to donate your excess to a good cause. If you don't have that particular blessing of too much fruit, but are still looking to give in another way, you can register here for various events to help collect and harvest fresh food. Food Forward is an amazing organization that rescues fresh, local produce that would otherwise go to waste, connecting this abundance with people in need. I plan on joining in myself.

The benefits of Food Stamps (definitely worth the click through)...

Which will be cut by $8 billion over 10 years by the recently passed farm bill.

Random

The Napoleon complex, explained. As a short person, this might explain a lot. 

This physical art is so beautiful.

Happy Weekend

What are your plans this weekend? I'm wrapping up a bunch of work, cooking and prepping for the upcoming week, and apartment hunting. Here's some interesting reads I found for your weekend:

Environment

This collection of photos is worth seeing - photographers traversed the Marcellus Shale formation documenting what they could of the effects of fracking. My father previously owned a house with a beautiful waterfall and river on the propery in Pennsylvania, and sold it right before the fracking boom there. It's too bad the photographers weren't able to get any shots of the workers, more of the industry and all the promise it does provide, in order to provide more of a counter to the arguments against the environmental devastation and health risks.

Yoga

After the NYTimes has reported so. many. times. on the perils of yoga, it seems other news agencies are trying to get in on the scare tactics. My advice: Listen to your own body, honor your limitations, and be patient with your practice. You can transcend boundaries as long as you're careful.

Feminism

This collection of covers comparing the Hillary Cover to images for other (mostly male) politicians basically speaks for itself. What were they thinking? Not that I'm a huge Hillary fan, but that's no justification for that type of absurdity.

Mike Huckabee (former Republican Arkansas governor) said the government shouldn't provide co-pay free birth control to women who "cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of government." He says this to argue that Democrats feel that women are "helpless and hopeless creatures" who just want government-provided birth control, and that women should be empowered to be "something other than victims of their gender." This isn't surprising considering he supported Akin's "legitimate rape" comments.

Food

This is an interesting article on intermittent fasting, a form of dieting which is touted as a healthy choice for dieting, the best lifestyle to stay healthy over time, but also a worrisome choice to those with possible histories of disordered eating. A scientist is currently doing an NIH-funded study comparing people doing six months of every-other-day dieting, as compared to six months of every-day calorie restriction. I'm curious to see the outcome.

Shopping for: Yoga mats

A studio I taught in once had a sign hanging that read, "When you commit to your practice, commit to having your own mat." 

Lots of mats

I totally agree. It's more sanitary to have your own mat than to rent or borrow one from a yoga studio, and it also means you're investing yourself mentally (and financially, of course) into the practice of yoga. It becomes easier to dedicate your time and energy to a practice when you care enough about it to commit to it on a regular basis.

It would be easy to commit to a practice with this view every day.

A lot of students who are new to yoga ask me what type of yoga mat they should buy - a good question, because there's a lot of variety, and it can be a bit overwhelming to the unprepared.

Here's important considerations before you buy:

Your style of practice
I personally have two yoga mats - a cheaper one I replace regularly (it gets smelly after a while) for hot, sweaty yoga, and a more sturdy, higher quality one for room temp classes. I would never use my regular mat for hot yoga, and I would never use my hot yoga mat for an Iyengar or a regular Vinyasa class either. If you're practicing outdoors on a regular basis, you'll want to consider that your mat will get dirt on it. If you're practicing at a studio, you'll want to consider the weight of the mat you're carrying around, which won't be as important as if you're developing a home practice. 

Yoga on the beach

Price
Yoga mats can range in price from a cheap-o mat under $20 you might find at Target to something that might cost well over $100. It's worth it to do your research to decide on one before making your investment.

Material 
Many if not all of the cheaper yoga mats are made from vinyl or PVC. PVC is a very inexpensive but hard plastic. To make yoga mats phthalates and other additives are commonly added to the PVC, making the material soft and pliable, but also creates carcinogens as manufacturing byproducts. Phthalates are suspected endocrine disruptors and these yoga mats can off-gas and leach during use. Not pretty when you're face down on top of one. These materials are also not biodegradable and are very difficult to recycle. This EPA page is a hazard summary for vinyl chloride, and is worth glancing at. If you can stomach it. 

Brands I'd recommend
There are two brands used by almost all students of yoga that I know: the Jade, and the Manduka. Both brands have various styles of mats ranging in price from around $50 to over $100. They're both environmentally friendly in different ways. 

Manduka offers a lifetime guarantee - and they're manufactured in Germany without emitting any toxic gases. The Mandukas are FAMOUSLY heavy, but they offer a lot of variety, so you could probably find one you'd be comfortable toting around if you wanted to. The traditional Manduka mats have PVC in them - but they do offer a rubber Eco style as well.

Manduka mats

All the Jade mats are 100% natural rubber, and are sustainably made in the US. Natural rubber is a renewable resource and their mats are made in the United States in compliance with all environmental laws. They contain absolutely no PVCs. Jade also will plant a tree for every mat purchased.

Jade mats

I personally have a Jade, and it's lasted years, wearing well without losing any stickiness or grip over time with steady, regular use. I liked the rubber smell, which has faded almost completely away. In future, if I needed a new mat, I'd most likely buy another Jade.

The Manduka Pro Squared mat

Unless I have a spare room in my new place to make into a private yoga studio. Then I might have to buy myself this giant square mat from Manduka. And then never leave the room. 

Sweat happy - with F21?!

I'm surprised to find these really cute racerback tanks at Forever 21.  They're made of Nylon/Spandex just like most high end workout clothes, and they're perforated which would be perfect for hot yoga. 

This one's only $12.80

And this one's $11.80

I've definitely gotten to the point where I feel ::too old:: to go into Forever 21 - but these workout tops have me reconsidering.  I'll just be sure to go to Williams-Sonoma afterwards and fondle some Le Creuset pieces to bring me back to feeling my age again. 

Have a happy weekend.

Here's some interesting reads for your weekend!

In yoga:

Yogadork.com shares how John Friend (formerly of Anusara, Inc.) is staging his comeback. I truly loved the practice of Anusara, and was disheartened to hear about JF's behavior (sleeping with married students, hiding questionable financial practices, sending goafers for his pot and abusing his power to intimidate anyone who tried to step outside the circle).  I was lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of the practice while I was stationed far, far outside of the JF circle - much like my relationship to Bikram.  

I laughed out loud at this slideshow from mindbodygreen.com but then couldn't figure out if it is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek or if it's serious!! Um, yes, I will always warm up before attempting to take pictures of myself in forearm-stand-scorpion. Thanks.

In feminism:

The Guttmacher Institute put out this summary of their review of laws affecting reproductive health and rights. More state abortion restrictions were enacted in 2011-2013 than in the entire previous decade. Worth the read and very frightening to think how few people notice and care about these shifts - how quietly a lot of this legislation was passed. This reminds me of Margaret Atwood's A Handmaid's Tale, a dystopian future where women's bodies are controlled by the state - except this is really happening. Shudder.

I definitely agree with this Flavorwire article from Michelle Dean about Lena Dunham's nudity in the HBO show Girls. Despite all my own reservations about the show, it is nice to have an in-your-face reminder of the beauty standards that we hold so near and dear, no matter how advanced our understanding of those standards may be.

In food:
Found this great site this week, where you can track what farm your food comes from in real time in your area. Not really a read, but a great tool.

NPR.org points us to Nathanael Johnson's summary of his question-everything series on GMOs, compiled over 6 months in 2013. Disclosure: I read the NPR article, but haven't been through Johnson's series yet. It's clear that the studies are conflicting about whether GMOs are harmful as food - but it is hard to ignore the other elements that are important in decision making about GMOs beyond food safety. Whether they actually make any difference in feeding the hungry. The problem of patents and big-ag corporations and the affects on farmers. Although the safety issues are where the priority may lie in studies, it's important for us to remember that the issue of GMOs goes well beyond our bodies - it goes into our soil quality, our world, and the sustainability of the farming methods that they require. Can you even grow GMOs organically? I'm not too sure about that and I'll probably be spending some time this weekend reading through this entire series to learn more.

Here's a fascinating article from Salon.com about when farming meets big data. The article targets Monsanto specifically, probably for name recognition of big-ag alone, but discusses an interesting trend where companies are developing and banking on analysis and data-driven mechanization of farming. The manipulation of farmers is no new news, and this article paints yet another frightening picture of the possibilities for large-scale control of the food industry.

Sweat happy.

Have you tried Athleta's activewear? I'm a huge fan of their Chaturanga Capri style, and they're offering a ton of fun new prints for spring. I have a few pairs and can definitely vouch for their durability and quality. They're never see through, they wash well*, and they have a great fit. I'm a huge fan of stripes, and I'd love to add these to my wardrobe.

I also absolutely love a good, slouchy, comfy sweatshirt to wear to and from, and this one looks flattering with the strategic seams, long sleeves with thumbholes, and soft fabric.

And nothing makes me happier to workout than a beautifully vibrant, flowing top. I am not a fan of the built-in bra, and it's hard to find cute tops that allow for layering with a real sports bra. This one fits the bill, and comes in spectacular hues. 

I can definitely see myself wearing these! I've had great experiences with all the Athleta store personnel I've worked with; they're welcoming to fitness professionals and everyone else, and offer tons of in-store events and community building opportunities. I recommend giving them a try. 

*Remember, when you're washing workout clothes that have wicking material: DO NOT use fabric softener! It keeps regular clothing soft by leaving residue on the clothes, which will hinder the wicking effect. Also, separate your workout clothes from towels. I've learned the hard way that it does make a difference! You'll prolong the life of your gear and keep it from pilling. It's worth keeping the loads separate. 

The New Year

The new year might be seen as an arbitrary holiday - a day like any other, chosen for its significance only because our calendar turns over. I think the new year is special to us because it is a reminder that we, and everything that is, are always in a state of change. New years give us an opportunity to reflect on who we are, what we have experienced, and what we want to accomplish. Through this type of self-reflection comes self-awareness, and awareness is the foundation from which mindful action and mindful choices can arise.

An envirinomental sculpture by Martin Hill & Philippa Jones

Committing to ourselves can ground us in the day-to-day, and can open us to the possibilities that lay outside ourself: for change and transformation. To practice self-awareness is to practice the clarity of thought that can help shape the transitions of our ever-changing lives, because even when we do not have power over our circumstances, we choose to cultivate our outlook, our attitude, and our responses. I have found yoga and meditation to work best for me, but any form of self-commitment can change so much about life: mindful eating, a daily visit to the gym, a weekly mani-pedi. The tool you choose is not as important as it is that you practice self-love, and commit to it.

Expansion, by sculptor Paige Bradley

My commitment to myself for 2014: to cultivate happiness. Such a simple idea on its face, I know that this will require many, smaller commitments: a regular yoga practice, a gentler self-conception, a daily reflection on gratitude.  All things worth striving for!