Minneapolis Giveaway: Soulful Soap

 

More intriguing photos by Minneapolis photographer Alec Soth.

Our other Minneapolis giveaway features Sacred Suds soaps. You can find them on Etsy as well as their main website products page.

The shop owner Andrea is offering one reader an Om orange, mandarin and cedar soap.

Tune in. Transcend worldly worries and attune with universal bliss with this soap inspired by Om (or Aum), sacred Hindu syllable representing the Absolute. When intoned, Om connects our deepest self to the All, the world-soul. This soap is crafted using the hot process method of soap making, and as with all of our yoga soaps, the glycerin and skin-conditioning oils contained in the Om bar create a luxurious lather that will leave your skin soft, supple, and deliciously moisturized. This soap is a favorite for meditation and yoga practice, and is a suitable unisex soap for both men and women.

Andrea's description of the shop:

Sacred Suds is inspired by my belief that by giving something our attention, either through prayer, meditation, or the simple ritual of mindful bathing, we give it power to grow and manifest in our lives. My mission with Sacred Suds is to provide soulful soaps that help channel positive energies into our customers' lives. I craft the soaps with intention using cues, like scent and colored labels, to help tune in to certain feelings, like joy, passion, and confidence. In harmony with the sacred intent of the soaps, I am committed to non-violence in the crafting of our products. Sacred Suds soaps are earth-friendly, cruelty-free, detergent-free, and dye-free, and I am proud that our soaps now contain organic, orangutan-safe palm oil.

More on yoga and what inspires Andrea to create:

When I lived in Florida, I had an incredible yoga instructor, and her class was the highlight of my week.  She taught a Power Yoga class that pulled from Ashtanga, and I am now hooked on the powerful progression of that Vinyasa style.  During Savasana, she would rub her hands with peppermint oil and come around to each of us to smooth our brows and give a quick temple massage.  That peppermint oil compelled me to breathe deeply, and it inspired the Prana soap.  More soaps soon followed, including Om, Ganesha, Laughing Buddha, and Kuan Yin.  I have created all of these soaps with the hope that they will help you carry the benefits of Yoga from your mat into your life. 

I have not yet found another instructor now that I've moved to the Twin Cities, so if anyone has any ideas, I'm open to them!  I currently practice at home using some of my favorite DVD's (Yoga Shakti with Shiva Rea, Total Yoga with Ganga White and Tracey Rich, and Power Yoga with Beryl Bender Birch), but I hope to find another class.  Being in class with an instructor and other students is so much more exciting and energizing than doing the same DVDs over and over again.  

Andrea's tips for keeping clean and smelling great after a sweaty yoga class:  

• I like to use a wonderful deodorant that my husband makes at home by mixing 1 part baking soda with 6 parts cornstarch.  I apply it using a cosmetic brush, but you could also use a cotton ball or other applicator.  You only need a light dusting, it goes on invisible, it is all natural, and it doesn't stain clothing.  

• For both your mat and your body, you can make a super easy spray by filling a spray bottle with water and adding 10 to 15 drops of your favorite essential oil.  Lavender, peppermint, pine, and orange essential oils are all very pleasant, cleansing, and energizing.  You can spritz your body if you can't get into the shower right away, and you can also use the spray to spritz your mat and wipe it down after practice.

• Yoga practice is very purifying to me, and after sweating out all of those impurities, I think it's important to rinse them away in order to retain the cleansing aspect of yoga.  To me, the synthetic detergents and fragrances found in most commercial soaps feel and smell unnatural, and they feel like contaminants.  To maintain the pure feeling that yoga imparts, I recommend using natural handmade soaps, which retain the glycerin of the soap-making process, and that are scented primarily with natural essential oils.  Because essential oils carry aroma therapeutic properties, using soaps scented with essential oils can reinforce the lessons from yoga practice and help smooth the transition from yoga to life.  

To win the Om soap, please:

• Leave a comment below listing your favorite soap from Sacred Suds.
• Add Andrea on Twitter and send her a little message.
• Add Sacred Suds on Facebook.
• Leave a comment on Andrea's lovely blog.
• If you go above and beyond by offering Andrea a suggestion for where to practice yoga in Minneapolis, you'll triple your chance to win!

Domestic shipping only. Good luck!

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Minneapolis Giveaway: iPhone / iPod Touch Case

 Top photos by Alec Soth.

His "From Here to There" show is being featured at the Minneapolis Walker Art Center 'til January. If you go, write me a guest post!

Happy December, Minneapolis! I'm sad to hear about the Metrodome cave-in, but here's a little something to cheer you up. As a tribute to the Twin Cities, my wonderful cousins and our lovely Thanksgiving trip to MN, I'm featuring TWO giveaways from the land of 10,000 lakes.


What do you love about Minneapolis? 


Our first MN giveaway comes from the hip Etsy seller LandmarksAndLions. Canyon Crosby of Landmarks and Lions is giving away this iPhone/ iPod Touch case of of a wonderfully soft wool blend felt. See below for contest details!

More about the iPhone / iPod Touch case from Canyon:

The idea for this case was to create something that was not simply functional, but vibrant and fun as well. Not only does the iPhone and iPod Touch fit perfectly snug in the case, but there is another space designed for business cards, credit cards, or whatever else can be slipped in. The wool felt makes it comfortable and easy to handle, while also providing protection against the environment. 


About Canyon:

Landmarks and Lions came to life as a result of lots of planning for my upcoming wedding next year. We are having a destination wedding in Italy and so the original thought was to design a few things that my fiancée and I could use during our travels. I started out with totes, which led me to iPhone cases, and so on. Then at some point my fiancée suggested I design collections of these items, create an Etsy account, and see what happens. Well, here we are and I am having a great time. 

My sole inspiration is the Mediterranean and the dreams we have had when planning for this experience, and so I like to use a more lively color theme in the design process because I feel it suits the place and lifestyle perfectly. Each accessory is handmade from our home / studio here in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where I design, cut, sew, and photograph everything you see.

On her goals for next year:

My primary focus is on the wedding. We have been looking forward to this for a long time now, and it is going to be one of those amazing experiences that we will be able to share with our family and friends. I am also really looking forward to creating more collections for Landmarks and Lions and seeing it grow into something that I could transition into full-time. I would be thrilled to see it become successful and to have the opportunity to work for myself.

To enter the contest, please:

• Follow Alive in the Fire.
• Leave a comment below describing your favorite item from LandmarksAndLions on Etsy. 
• Check out Landmarks and Lions' main site. 

Shipping for the contest is international, so anyone can apply!


If you choose to do any of these, your chances double... you can contact Canyon here. See more shopping options. Add Landmarks and Lions on Facebook. Be sure to let me know to enter your name twice in the drawing. 

Finally, we have a winner for the 105 Yoga giveaway! Congrats to Dre. Please contact me with your email address so I can put you in touch with Nancy. Thanks!