Journal

Hi there. My name is Joleen Emery, and I’m the founder and CEO of Big Raven Yoga. A lot of people have been asking me how Big Raven Yoga came to be — what our "origin story” is, if you will. So here's our story... The first thing to know about me is that I. Am. A Yogi. And I have been for 18 years, both as a practitioner and as a teacher. My life is built around my yoga mat. It’s the foundation of my life. No matter what else is going on — work, travel, family — I eke out time...

On newsstands now — the current issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine, featuring Big Raven Yoga mats in the article Eight Things for a Better 2019. Treat yo' self! A better yoga mat should obviously be on this list, but so should these other 7 things… A better glow from Worker B A better planner from Russel + Hazel A better man kit from Duke Cannon Supply Company A better jewelry piece from Naptime Aromatherapy Co. A better watch from the Padron Watch Co. A better date-night ’do from the Glitter Gang A better TLC spot from the 612 Sauna Society, the Salt...

Oh. My. Gosh! What an amazing weekend we had at the LA Yoga Expo in Pasadena, California! We met SO many super-awesome people. This was the first time we’ve shown our mats at a big event, and everyone’s reaction to them was absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for all of your love and support (and your orders, of course! SO many orders… It’s going to take a while to process them all — please be patient!) It’s really, really gratifying to discover that we’ve created something that complete strangers love as much as we do. Our only regret is that...

There are several theories on the “motivation for change.” One I think about a lot is “current state” versus “desired state”. It goes something like this: Let’s say I have a goal to lose weight. If I want to lose 10 pounds, my current state and my desired state are not that far apart. So while I need to stay motivated to achieve my goal — I can see the near future when I am living my desired state. Now let’s say I want to lose 100 pounds. My current state and my desired state are really far apart — it will...

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to get your healthy-self back on track! Here are 5 simple tips for bouncing back after a holiday binge. Download Hydrate Drinking enough water is important to help your liver and kidneys filter out toxins. Drinking 2.7 liters (12 cups) of fluids for women and 3.7 liters (16 cups) of fluids for men is a normal amount to take in to stay hydrated. These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages, and food. Get some extra sleep Sleep is your body’s natural repair, regrowth, and recharge agent. One of the main benefits of...