Conscious Strategies LLC

Category: Me and the Dood

Koda, my mini labradoodle teaches me something new every day. This category is for you if in need of some inspiration and cuteness

  • How to make a yoga space at home 

    Setting up a yoga space that meets your needs

    I once studied with a teacher from India who said “every room can be a yoga room”. What he meant was that space is a luxury so don’t let not having a separate room for yoga keep you from practicing. Making room for yoga practice can help you cultivate peace and keep your body limber.

    Making a yoga space at home, it’s ideal to be further away from smells, sounds, and people. But that might be a luxury for you so do your best to simply have room for a yoga mat. You can round up a few blankets and cushions or invest in yoga props.

    Using yoga props to create room for your yoga

    Here are a few items that keep your practice safe and your postures purposeful. The links go to my Amazon store and I’m only linking brands I use. If you can only invest in one item, make it as good quality yoga mat as possible.

    Yoga mat 

    A yoga mat is the most important yoga prop to buy. It transforms a floor to a practice space by ensuring you don’t slide around. Go to town with any color or style you like but make sure to buy good quality. It’s called a sticky mat after all and skimping can mean slipping and that can injure you. Look for words such as “durable”, and “non-slip grip” and make sure to check customer reviews. The tread on a yoga mat can wear out also, so consider that when you make a purchase. 

    I have a few Manduka mats that are pricey but trustworthy and durable too. The tall ones are also great for me because I can count on room to stretch out. 

    Manduka EKO Yoga Mat

    Manduka PRO Yoga Mat

    If you take your yoga mat with you to a studio, you can also look for “lite”, “light-weight”, “travel”, or “easy-to-carry” mats which may be thinner (1.5 to 4mm)  than the regular ones. 

    Manduka Pro Lite Yoga Mat

    Manduka X Yoga Mat – Easy to Carry

    Manduka EKO Lite Yoga Mat

    Manduka EKO Superlite Yoga Mat

    Pro tip: Clean your yoga mat frequently. You can DIY a yoga mat cleaner using a spray bottle filled with water, tea tree oil and rubbing alcohol. Or, splurge on a cleaner and be done with it.

    Manduka Yoga Mat Wash and Refresh

    Yoga strap

    When I travel, I always bring a yoga strap (yoga belt). Look for a D-ring or square buckle as opposed to the cinch style which can sometimes feel less adjustable. There are 6, 8, and 10 foot straps. I am tall and like the longer variations which are also more versatile than a too-short strap. Cotton is gentler than cord.

    Hugger Mugger D-Ring Cotton Yoga Strap

    Manduka Unfold Yoga Strap

    Blankets

    While you can use towels and household items, yoga blankets and especially the ones with fringed ends are very commonly used props. You can fold them to sit on, roll them to lie down on, and stack them up to simulate a bolster. At least one but some asanas (postures) use 2, 3, 4 etc. I’m tall for example, and sit on at least 3, while also using one under my ankles. Cotton Mexican ones are pretty common but wool is also pretty sturdy.

    Benevolence LA Authentic Hand Woven Mexican Blankets

    Manduka Yoga Wool Blanket

    Halfmoon Cotton Yoga Blanket

    Yoga blocks

    Many types of yoga blocks exist. Some are thin, some are thick and you’ll also find them made of various products. Foam blocks are lightweight. Cork and wood are heavier and often more sturdy.  I only trust the heavier versions and prefer cork and foam to wood based on years of using them. I recommend you buy 2 of one type – I actually own 6 cork and 2 thick foam. Since the cork ones chip, I may eventually get some blocks made of wood. Look for “non-slip” and at 9”Wide.

    Manduka Yoga Cork Block

    Manduka Recycled Foam 

    Hatha Yoga Walnut Wood Yoga Block 

    Gaiam Yoga Blocks 

    Bolsters and cushions

    Yoga bolsters and meditation cushions are wonderful additions to any yoga prop collection. You can use them for many restorative poses and for sitting quietly. My preference is oblong / rectangular and I own two (now) the same as well as several cushions. If you have a blanket stack, you can get one to start. It’s ideal to get one with washable covers.

    Manduka Yoga Rectangle Bolster Pillow 

    Hugger Mugger Standard Yoga Bolster

    Hugger Mugger Zafu Meditation Cushion

    Gaiam Yoga Bolster Rectangular

    Gaiam Zafu Yoga Cushion

    Yoga chair

    You can do a whole practice using a yoga chair or pull it out to make certain postures more accessible. Metal folding yoga chairs are typically backless and I often fold up a very thin yoga mat on top which adds a layer of softness. You can build up the height with bolsters or blankets for some restorative posture variations. Chairs often make it easier to hold postures with the right alignment for your body so I love using them. Sub a folding chair but it’s not always the same.

    Iyengar Yoga Chair – Backless 

    Metal Yoga Chair

    Backless Yoga Chair Prop

    Yoga Auxiliary Chair With Lumbar Back Support

    After you’ve set up your yoga space

    You can keep your yoga props visible or in a closet. This part is up to you. I like the ritual of taking my mat out and putting it away.

    Even a short breathing practice can turn a frown upside down. Learn natural breathing easily on track 5 of the Yoga Mind CD. Or, contact me to schedule a class on Zoom.

    Thank you for shopping. I do receive a small commission on each sale.

  • Juicers: A study in finding the best, top, or cheapest.

    Follow my story about researching juicers. See how I used the research to cut down the noise of “finding the best”, top, or cheapest juicer. Learn how I made my decision to choose the right juicer for my life.

    Researching based on the query: “what are the best juicers”

    Surprised to find so many surveys about the best juicers of 2024. Here are several of the higher ranking publications as of June 2, 2024. Read what juicers they gave highest marks to and why.

    Food and Wine

    The 8 Best Cold Press Juicers of 2024, Tested & Reviewed. Ok, Food and Wine chose a top juicer in unique categories and called it their “top picks.” What I liked about their review was the run through of juicer categories:

    • Citrus
    • Centrifugal
    • Coldpress

    Knowledge is power: Identify what type of juicer you’re looking for. Then, understand what testing criteria they used to pick. Which brands made the cut? Omega, Hurom, Ninja, Nama J1…

    Food Network

    5 Best Juicers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed. Food Network didn’t review as many juicers as Food and Wine. What I liked was their article has a longer section on how they tested. The lens felt practical vs. kitchen space focused. Which brands made the cut? Nutribullet, Hamilton Beach, Omega and 3 Brevilles.

    Epicurious

    The 3 Best Juicers, Tested and Reviewed (2024). Third on the list is Epicurious who found 3 best juicers after testing 18. What I liked is they did a full review of each juicer which included what type it is, specs, ease of cleaning, etc. The downside was it read a bit scattered (albeit conscientious) for me. Which brands made the cut? Nama J2, Ninja, and Breville.

    CNET

    The 3 Best Juicers of 2024, Tested by CNET Editors. Who made the cut? Hamilton Beach, Breville, and Oster. I like that the article cuts to the chase at the top of the page – their top 3 juicers are linked there. The downside is I’m too afraid to scroll and hit one of their advertisements by mistake. That is, unfortunately, a great way to pick up malicious code.

    Good Housekeeping

    7 Best Juicers, Tested & Reviewed by Experts. I fast forwarded over Amazon’s listing to this one from Good Housekeeping. Who made the cut? Breville, Hamilton Beach, Breville, Nutribullet. What I like is that the number 7 draws me more than 3, 5, 8, or 10. They get to their evaluation criteria later. Similar to Food and Wine, the article provides some information about what type of juicers they tested. Centrifugal and masticating. Masticating is another term for ‘coldpress’.

    Buyer’s Guide

    Best Juicers 2024. This site was unfamiliar to me so I checked it out. Who made the cut? Amumu, Breville, and Ninja. I want to say something positive up front but I could not find the brand, Amumu. That discredits them for me. Maybe the side articles are better.

    6 review sites and which one is the best juicer for 2024?

    Interesting exercise! After reading the articles, I narrowed it down to a short list of some of the leading juicer performers from the common pool. Defined my budget. Thought about how easy to clean the model is. And which ones took whole, unpeeled fruit.

    My number one choice which was a masticating juicer was out of my budget. The runner up is a cold press juicer that made most of these lists for best in something. So I am feeling eager to try it. As the articles point out, making your own juice is cost effective and fresh. Plus, you know if the fruits and vegetables were first washed. That is really important to me. I wash produce in vinegar water before storing and eating.

    The best juicer for me (today)

    I’m not trying to sell anything here so I am not revealing which juicer I bought. And to that point, it really shouldn’t matter what I chose. The lesson is to read reviews and learn

    • What type of product you need.
    • The amount of money you are willing to spend.
    • About any flaws products have (like noisy motors, or a part that breaks).
    • Whether the brand has a reputation of good customer care.
    • What testing criteria matter to you.
    • How much space (in this case a juicer) will take on the counter.

    Which juicer would you choose? Are you a purist celery juicer? An orange juicer? Or a pink lady apple-ginger-lemon kind of juicer?

    Read another article I wrote called Small Kitchens: The New Kitchen on the Block. And let me know if you need help writing well researched articles. Get in touch.

  • Reflections on Disengaging

    Me and the Dood: Learning to leave it

    My main mini squeeze Koda teaches me a lot about disengaging. In yoga speak, we call it Pratyahara. That’s another way of describing an ability to turn inwards and away from distractions perceived by all our senses. Not by sleeping though, so don’t get excited that you’ve nailed the skill…

    (“withdrawal”)…the ability to “switch off” and produce a state of extreme inward-mindedness at will

    The Shambala Encyclopedia of Yoga – Georg Feuerstein, PH.D.

    If you’re having a hard time visualizing such Zen, you can think of it another way. A turtle pulling head and limbs in. A puppy napping under a tight space. It’s the type of concentration that takes some discipline because you’re inviting focus and quiet despite incoming stimulus. You may notice the various tugs at your awareness, but you remain steady.

    Yeah, I know. Sign me up.

    Anyway, today’s lesson unfolded as I watched Koda learn from her trainer, Dylan. We’re in puppy 3 classes and he was teaching the command “leave it”. She’s a rockstar pupil…

    Learning to Leave It

    When you tell your (city vs suburb) dog to leave it, he said, you’re speaking to a blanket emotion. The dog might want to chew on garbage in the street, a dead mouse, a discarded heroin needle, or just pull to meet another dog.

    Disengaging with distractions to live from a deeper place

    The leaving it analogy strikes me as an important lesson. I can only speak for myself, but I feel way less reactive and drawn into the soap opera of life when I can disengage. Leave it so speak. It makes me live from a deeper place. That said, it isn’t about checking out, rather touching base with a quiet and uncluttered (head) space. If you meditate, that’s the idea…

    Live from a deeper place

    Does Koda leave it? She does but not without unyielding practice. Me? I can leave it too, but not without unyielding practice. Need a little reward? Follow @KodaHazWax for some smiles and let us know how it goes.

  • The Art of the Thank You: Grati-dood

    Koda is teaching me a lot about gratitude and the art of the thank you. Even though she can’t speak human, her idea of saying thank you is usually to lick an eye, ear, hand or calf.

    There’s a sweetness to doing something that makes your puppy happy. It truly makes me feel good to receive her grateful affection. I know also when she growls at me that she’s pissed off, so trust me, the dood can communicate.

    Expressing gratitude

    Thank you For…

    I recently did two nice deeds for different humans who I barely know and did not receive a TY, thank you, thanks or #muchappreciated. This got me thinking about the words and why they matter to me.

    In my own upbringing, my mother always insisted on a thank you call and or thank you note. “I’m calling to say thank you for” or, “thanks so much for your thoughtful…”. The idea of thanking for a gift, gesture or good wish was intrinsic. Yet even the simplest words could express this. The lack of a thank you was bad manners and let’s just say, Mom did not go for this attitude at all.

    I don’t do kind deeds to get a thank you in return, don’t get me wrong. My operating system runs on friendliness and the hope of attracting positive, supportive energy and then, to pay it forward. Manners are also behaviors I’ve learned, and I know not everyone has this type of input.

    On paying forward, today I asked someone in Center City if she could pull up so I could park behind her. She did, and I thanked her so much.

    After my brief errand, I got the chance to say thanks again. We exchanged stories about men, big cars, small parking spaces and both smiled. I took this encounter as a reward. In my mind, this young lady did me a HUGE service and I wanted her to know. I also wanted the Universe to know that none of this went unnoticed.

    On exchanging smiles. A smile conveys lots of things, including gratitude. The effect of smiling on the body is a release of endorphins which counter act stress. The smile/thankyou combo is like a big yummy sandwich that is filling and has ingredients that drip down your cheek.

    A smile conveys gratitude and happiness

    How Gratitude Helps

    Moments like the ones I’m referring to don’t change anything per se. But they do add meaning to nurture my heart and soul. It’s the same kind of healing I get by giving the pup a belly rub and having her lick my face for five minutes afterword.

    These experiences help me manage stress as well. The gratitude behind a thank you in any form also nurtures my health and wellbeing. As a result, I’d go as far as saying that learning the art of the thank you invites joy. Try it for yourself and let us know.

    Need a dose of happy? Follow @KodaHazWax

     

     

  • Generation Covid-19 Puppy: Me and the Dood

    Generation Covid-19 Puppy: Me and the Dood

    Koda is from the COVID-19 puppy generation. Like baby boomers and GEN X,Y,Z, there are definitely COVID-19 puppies. Whether it was the actual lockdown experience in Philadelphia or a chain of events during the pandemic that nurtured her purchase, I’m not entirely sure.

    Koda at 10 weeks

    During the pandemic, my sister-in-law got a beautiful dog named Maisy. Once we were able to travel (that was scary, even with a mask), we visited them to meet our furry niece. She licked Josepf’s ear (that’s the hubs) and melted our hearts.

    Maisy and Uncle Popsicle

    When we got home, J started to reminisce about his Labrador Retrievers and how he trained them. The thought of a big dog, their shedding, my allergies, and full-time career didn’t make me feel that warm and fuzz

    However, I started to send him cute puppy pics on Instagram thinking it would be a pathetic substitute. Well, no. He told me he felt hurt because he really, really, really, wants a dog. Hmm, would I have to compromise?

    At that point, with offices closed, J didn’t have the 1.5-hour times 2 commute. He was home more although we both worked longer hours. So, I thought, well ok, let me see.

    The Decision: Do I Get a Generation Covid-19 Puppy?

    It seemed like everyone on my row had a Generation Covid-29 puppy. But I am my own person, not a follower of trends. That said, my marriage was calling and I had to answer.

    I suggested a very small breed that wouldn’t set off my allergies. That had a gentle and loving DNA. And was smart slash trainable.

    J did not believe me, so he insisted I go on the ‘net and make him a list of 10 dogs I would want.  I said, ok, and we researched to narrow down potential breeds first.  In the end, I found a lot more than 10 possible puppies.

    Whittling the list down, we found an Amish breeder in Lancaster, PA.

    Sold

    It was important, J said, to meet the puppy first. So, we did. We drove down and met Koda, then what, 3 pounds? She was tied to the hip with their eldest daughter, which I thought a reflection on loyalty and a loving temperament.

    When she trounced over her litter mates, I knew she had a playful and independent side too.

    We brought Koda home mid-December 2020. I’ve heard a lot of people say they couldn’t socialize their dog during COVID, but that is not my case.

    I bought a sling that I could carry her around in and exposed her to the sounds of sirens, the L, construction. She sniffed other dogs, the air and snow, made friends of all sizes, ages and cultures. Oh, and she went to school.

    Happy graduation day!

    Life with pup: Us and the Dood

    We both find it very grounding and special to have dog kisses during the day. I’ll sometimes ask J if he needs a puppy break to alleviate some stress. He loves it, getting to laugh at various points in his corporate da

    Now 16.2 pounds, this rambunctious, adorable, and delicious little doggie sleeps under my desk at my feet. She reminds me there is softness in the midst of trying times and if you find that, you are very lucky.

    Hats off to the dog parents of Covid-19 puppies!

    Are you the dog mom or dad of a Generation Covid-19 Puppy? Follow us @KodaHazWax to keep in touch. We love to #livelocal and are happy to share dog tips or learn new tricks.

    Living local with the pup

  • Me and the Dood: In the Moment

    Me and the Dood: In the Moment

    In the moment is where it all happens. The past was and the future has yet to present itself. So when I sat on this bench with the Dood, I chose it for the message, “Your past does not define you”. It got me to think, and I invite you to do the same.

    Hanging in the Hood with the Dood

    The past often feels real, especially when we think back on events that felt powerful (in a good or negative way) when they happened. Sometimes, we are able to use these moments as stories that inspire us. But they could also bring back pain.

    I think the message here is to be in the moment and act fresh, not tied to what happened or did not happen. However, I also think if you let your past define you, that might be ok too. It depends on how that is working out in your mind/body/spirit ecosystem.

    Philly is a very artful city. Regardless of where you weigh in on the issue, this particular parklette has several colorful benches, poles for bicycles and that bright blue mural which I recommend you see up close.

    Many a day, the dood and other dog friends use the park to do their thing. But don’t let that discourage you. We often go there with a coffee from La Colombe HQ and may have something buttery from Cake Life which is further down Frankford Ave.

    #Livelocal, and follow us on Instagram @KodaHazWax (especially if you have a puppy or really like dogs)

  • I want to see what you see: Lessons from a mini labradoodle

    I’ve been hiding behind my mini labradoodle Koda since she came into my/our life in December 2020. I’m not sure if it’s writers block or the fact she’s both frickin cute and inspirational at the same time.

    By hiding I mean I basically stopped keeping up my blog in favor of insta pics and quips using the puppy as my muse. What’s the saying, a picture is worth a 1000 words? Ha sometimes I’m all done in 3.

    If you know me, I’m not a huge fluff person so writing a blog about a puppy seems out of my genre. At the same time, I taught yoga for many years and have a daily practice for even longer. This makes me curious, reflective, and admittedly, always a fan of purpose and creativity.

    How does all this come together? She teaches me something new every day. That inspires me and I’m going to share. It may be a bit light and differ from some of the professional stuff I write, but hey, it’s way cuter.

    Lesson 1- I want to see what you see

     

    I want to see what you see (or just nap on a comfy pillow)

    Of all the places to be – and your crate is the one I’m thinking about- sure, come hop on the pillow next to my head. Face out to see what I’m seeing?

    Even if not, makes me reflect on how seeing something from another person’s perspective is the basis of empathy, compassion, understanding and possibly, forgiveness.

    I’m also thinking that I feel lucky.. Looking inward is less scary if you cultivate a peaceful center. I’m happy that living from the inside out today doesn’t throw me. You can probably tell as I have bed head and am a frizzy mess. Oh well, don’t judge, I’m hanging with the Dood.

    Follow us on Instagram @kodahazwax