Deals on Yoga Classes

In one of my earlier posts, I discussed the benefits of a yoga practice for runners. The one drawback to yoga is its cost. Many of you may be interested in giving yoga a try but don't want to throw down a lot of money before you know if you like it. Alternatively, some of you may know you want to practice yoga but haven't settled on a particular studio. I've compiled a list of yoga studios in the Berkeley area that offer specials for first-time students. This provides the opportunity to try out yoga or to sample different studios and yoga styles. Check them out and report back!

• Adeline Yoga: 2 classes for the price of 1. 3320 Adeline St., Berkeley
• El Cerrito Yoga: $29 for 30 days of unlimited yoga. 10078 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito
• Funky Door Yoga: $29 for month of unlimited yoga. 2567 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
• Monkey Yoga Shala: $20 for two weeks of yoga with certain instructors. 3215 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland
• Yoga Kula: $20 for 3 classes. 1700 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
• Yoga Mandala: $30 for 3 classes. 2807 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley

Benefits of Massage Therapy for Long-Distance Runners

Need an excuse to get yourself to the nearest massage therapist? I'm going to try to give you one.

I've started to hear more about elite runners using massage therapy during their training and before and after races for preparation and recovery, so I was interested in learning more about the effects of massage therapy on long-distance runners.

Trail Racing

Nothing beats a good trail race. Trail races are the perfect opportunities to push ourselves, connect with fellow trail runners, and take in some beautiful scenery along the way.

If you're used to running road races, there are a few things you can expect from a trail race.

Running Shoes: Trail vs. Road

I've been running exclusively on trails for nearly a year and a half, yet I just switched from road to trail running shoes a few weeks ago. Why so slow to catch on? 

I think like many people, I wasn't sure there would be much of an advantage to running with trail shoes over regular running shoes. Also, I wasn't sure if the surfaces I run on - some single track but mostly fire trail - really warranted trail shoes. More importantly, I tried on several pairs of trail shoes but couldn't find a pair that felt good.

Yoga for Runners

My running has been set back several times over the years by various injuries. About 6 weeks ago, I was suffering from shin splints and a months-long ache in my left hip. On a whim, I decided to restart my on-again, mostly off-again yoga practice. Six weeks later, I'm injury free and back to running regularly.

I wanted to learn more about the effect of yoga on running to know if my experience was merely coincidence or if there is some underlying relationship between the two activities. I did some research and came across a great article in the Yoga Journal called Yoga for Runners by Baron Baptiste and Kathleen Finn Mendola.

Rethinking Tea

I recently decided to stop drinking coffee to see what, if any, benefits there are to having less caffeine in my diet. Instead, I did what I thought was the healthy thing to do and switched to tea. However, I came across this video from Competitor Magazine, and it seems as though I'm not realizing the full health benefits of drinking tea. Why? I use tea bags instead of loose leaf tea. 

In the video, nutrition expert Dr. John Berardi explains that the tea in tea bags is referred to as "dust," or "the waste product" that is left over after the higher quality loose leaf tea has been sorted out during the tea production process. Further, tea bags may not steep as well as loose leaf tea due to the restrictive size of the tea bag.

Trail Running Clubs: Berkeley Running Club

I love trail running, but sometimes it’s hard to motivate myself to put my shoes on. Even when I am self-motivated, it’s nice to have a way to meet new people or converse with others that share my interest in trail running. Luckily, there are several trail running clubs in the East Bay.

One of these clubs is the Berkeley Running Club, organized through Meetup.com. This is a very active running club that currently has regular Tuesday morning and evening runs, Thursday evening track practices, and frequent Saturday and Sunday morning runs.

Affordable Yoga Classes in the Berkeley Area

Yoga has several known benefits: stress reduction, increased flexibility, strengthening, and relaxation. However, yoga classes can be pricey. Check out these studios in the Berkeley area for affordable yoga classes.

• Niroga Center for Healing: Donations-based. Suggested $10/class. Free day of yoga classes first Wednesday of every month. A spacious and eco-friendly studio, offering healing yoga and meditation classes. 1808 University Avenue, Berkeley.

• Rudramandir: Donations-based. Suggested $10-12/1-hour class. Provides a nourishing environment for the journey towards profound physical and spiritual well-being. Mission is to serve the community by offering a breadth of programs to aid in the exploration of each individual’s full potential. 830 Bancroft Way (at 6th Street), Berkeley.

• Square One Yoga Collective: Sliding scale starting at $10/class; $6 cash-only classes Monday-Thursday evenings. A mission-driven business, committed to making yoga completely accessible to the entire community by keeping prices low, offering work-trade scholarships and maintaining a healthy, unpretentious community. 1540A 62nd St., Emeryville.

• Yoga Room: Suggested $10 donation for Community Classes. Offers a wide range of yoga classes and workshops for students of all levels. 2530 San Pablo Avenue, Suite D,
Berkeley.

• Yoga to the People: Donations-based. Suggested $10/class. A yoga studio with the goal of making yoga available to everyone. Classes are in the Power Vinyasa Flow style. 64 Shattuck Sq., Berkeley.