where Downward Facing Dog is man's best friend...

Those of you who know me a little bit better, know it's pretty hard to stop me once I start jabbling about my N°1 passion. Yes, I am a citizen of the land of crows, downward and upward facing dogs, warriors, swans and other strange creatures...

But aside from poses with complicated names that make you look like a pretzel, even the simplest Yoga pose can have astonishing effects on your physical and mental condition. You can do it to gain strength, loose weight, relief pain, get really sweaty, encrease your respiratory volume, health, contentment or whatever other physical or psychological goal you may have. But the beauty of Yoga is, that here - for once - there's nothing to achieve in reality. You don't do it to be able to bite your toe-nails (unless you enjoy the taste). You do it for the sake of what it is - the joy of being alive.

So, if you want to give it a try: here's two podcasts I discovered a few months ago and which I find wonderful:

• YogAmazing: Rather short classes (approx. 20 min.) with a very passionate and sympathic teacher. I'd recommend it to beginners who have never tried Yoga before. Technical basics are well-taught, as well as psychological and philosophical approach.

• YogaToday: A long class (1h) every day. 3 different teachers, a lot of different styles, but the focus is always on the meditation in movement. Classes can get very vigorous - at least I sweat all the time - so to focus on security and your own limits is very important. In my eyes, the technical aspects are taught in a fantastic way; which gives you a bigger inview on how your body works, and enables you to move deeply into each pose. And you'll learn how to integrate what you learn on the mat into your everyday life (movements, actions, thoughts).