Gov. Robert F. McDonnell signed a bill last night that would protect yoga schools in Virginia from being regulated by the State Council for Higher Education, which oversees other vocational trainings. Some people view this as a legal victory; others think state regulation would benefit students in teacher training programs. What do you think?

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A few weeks ago, the YJ staff got a special treat when MC Yogi and Amanda Giacomini stopped by our offices to teach our daily staff yoga class. We don’t usually practice with music here in the offices–mostly because our yoga room is also our conference room and isn’t really set up with a sound system–so I’m always grateful when we have a teacher come in with her own iPod docking station. Of course, we would expect no less from the infamous, self procraimed yoga “unrapper” . . . who came with a big, shiny boom box in tow. Sure, I was skeptical of the whole yoga hip-hop thing at first, but now, I’ll admit it. I’m a fan. So I was thrilled to see his newest video posted to Huffington Post today.

“It’s about being generous with ourselves with our hearts, with our time and with our energy,” he writes. “It affirms the universal principle of attraction. What we give is what we get.”

Where do I sign up?

MC Yogi – Give Love (Giving4Living Mix) from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

So, that’s my yoga video pick of the day. I’d love to see some of your favorites in the comments section below!

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This year’s yoga line-up includes Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Baron Baptiste, Doug Swenson, Duncan Wong, Elena Brower, and Schuyler Grant, according to a press release. Musicians will be Moby, Bassnectar, Brazilian Girls, and Pretty Lights.

Tickets go on sale today at wanderlustfestival.com.

This mini-documentary about last year’s Wanderlust Festival explores the interaction between yoga and music. Sometimes it’s a magical combination!

Does it make you want to go to this year’s festival?

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Tucson yogi Gloria Hester uses her expertise in yoga, horses, and Hanna Somatics to help heal injured horses, reports the Tucson Citizen. While the yoga Hester teaches to horses is not the same kind of asana-focused yoga you’d see in a yoga studio, it has helped at least a few horses deal with pain. “If yoga is a practice of
consciousness, (and I believe it is), then in that sense, the horse is
definitely practicing ‘yoga’ in the truest sense of the word,” Hester told The Citizen.

The article doesn’t really explain the method and how it works, but it does sound like a neat idea.

Do you think horses are really capable of practicing consciousness? Have you ever tried yoga or alternative healing methods with any of your pets?

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LiveMag will be your destination for multimedia versions of your favorite magazine columns and features. In the first edition (which corresponds to the March 2010 issue of the magazine), you can practice along with the video versions of the popular Home Practice and Master Class columns and watch a demo of a few of the Sun Salutation variations highlighted in the feature story “Shine on Me.”

Give it a try, and make sure to comment below and let us know what you think!

By the way, the new issue of Yoga Journal will be out on newsstands February 16.

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1. Take advantage of new student specials. If you live in an urban area with a lot of health clubs and gyms, you can get your yoga on for free for a LONG time by simply trying out something new and taking advantage of the introductory offers. Many studios and teachers offer their first class for free or reduced rates, and gyms sometimes offer free weeklong passes for anyone who wants to give them a try. Does this compromiseyour comittment to asteya, non-stealing? I think not! Teachers, studios, and health clubs offer free trials to get you through the door and they know you might not come back.

For years his blog, My Itchy Third Eye, and website, YogaDawg.com, have provided us with hilarious yoga satire that

I think anything like this that gives yoga teachers exposure and lets
them explain their story is great. But when I scrolled down to look at the
questions that were asked I was a little surprised to see questions
seeking answers to serious medical questions (how to lower high blood pressure?), spiritual guidance, and how much
meditation practice is required to be “be a good yoga practitioner.” (Check the City Room blog again on Wednesday to see her answers to some of these questions.)

I’m sure Ms. Chrisman is very knowledgeable–but surely she doesn’t have the answers to all of those questions! Who does!?

It just makes me wonder, why is there such a big misconception out there out there that all yoga teachers are experts in all things medical and spiritual? Do you trust your teacher enough to ask him for medical advice? Where do you draw the line?

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If you’ve ever had a sleepless night, you know how frustrating it can be to lay in bed wide awake, mind spinning or body aching, when all you want to do is sleep. Insomnia affects 54 percent of adults in the United States at one time or another. Luckily, studies have shown that yoga can help—and you don’t even have to get up out of bed to do it, says a recent article on TheGlobeandMail.com. Try reclining poses like Balasana (Child’s Pose), Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose), or Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose) if your bed is beside a wall.

“It’s not a magic button,” Graydon Moffat, a yoga teacher who suffers from insomnia, told The Globe and Mail. “But I know that I’m not just
lying down there and tossing and turning – I’m restoring my body.”

Have you ever tried doing yoga when you couldn’t sleep? What poses helped you most?

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Possibly the biggest debate in the yoga community is around food, ahimsa (non-harming), and health. Today’s New York Times includes an in-depth article on the wide range of ideas and philosophies surrounding yoga and food. Can you be a yogi who also appreciates a burger every now and then? What about wine? Chocolate? Some say yes, some say no… The debate continues.

No matter where you stand on the issue, it’s hard to argue with this quote by Dave Romanelli: