Tag Archives: Yoga

Finding Balance through Yoga in Goa, India

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Life is Balance yin-yang design yoga t-shirt in yoga class in Goa, India

A yoga participant wear the Life is Balance "Set Your Intention" t-shirt during her practice in Goa, India

According to Lonely Planet, “Swaying palms, white sands and sparkling waters: the three essential elements that attract 2 million visitors annually to Goa’s balmy shores are plentiful in this tiny, glorious slice of India hugging the country’s western coastline and bounded by the Arabian Sea.” Goa is located in south India, and used to be a Portuguese colony, it became a part of India in the 60’s. It is mainly catholic, but there is also a Jewish community stemming from those who came here in the 15th century to escape the inquisition.

Life is Balance inspirational t-shirt in Goa, India

Helen Noakes (front) with two students, one wearing a Life is Balance tee.

Life is Balance has found it’s way to this beautiful slice of India by way of my friend Monique Nerman a fellow scuba diver and fabulous artist, who brought one of my Yoga t-shirt designs as a gift for her friend Helen Noakes, a Chavutti Thirumal (Indian Rope Massage) and  Scaravelli Inspired  Yoga instructor who is currently teaching in Goa, India. According to Monique, “I wanted to bring Life is Balance to Goa, because a lot of people who come to Goa, are looking for alternative ways to find balance and new ways to look at life… she teaches yoga in a fun and interesting way. She wants you to discover yourself through her yoga classes, her motto being: be juicy.”

Now back to the t-shirt! I was very excited to learn that a Life is Balance “Set Your Intention” tee was worn during a photo shoot for the next update Helen Noakes website. The shoot took place at Chikoo house, which is near one of the “hippie locations” from the 70’s, when both European and American hippies hit the road via Istanbul to Pakistan, Kathmandu (Nepal) and then down to Goa, to start the “Hippie Goa Tribe.” The “Full Moon Parties” in Goa became famous on the traveler route in Asia and soon there was a whole community of alternative people living in Goa. Nowadays Goa is a much more health oriented place. People come here to teach and learn Yoga and there is a vibrant alternative expat scene, and lots of parties on the beach. What a perfect setting for Life is Balance to make it’s introductory appearance!

silhouette of a Goan cow overlooking the water at sunset

Even the cows seem to find peace and balance here!

Life is Balance® T-shirts Debut!

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Life is Balance T-Shirts – Hot Off the Press!

Celebrate the balance we add to our lives through activities that make us smile!

The first Life is Balance t-shirts have been printed and I am excited to be selling them this Sunday, November 21 in Fort Lee, NJ at Congregation Gesher Shalom (the JCC): 1449 Anderson Avenue, Fort Lee, NJ from 10:00am-2:00pm.

If you can’t make it out to New Jersey, I will also be at PS 183 in NYC : 419 East 66th Street on Tuesday, December 7 from 5:00pm-9:00pm.

The designs, all based on a yin yang symbol, are specific to a particular sport, activity or lifestyle choice. I have over 30 different sport and activity designs that will be produced. The first 4 designs that are available are: Yoga, Ski/Snowboard, Peace and The Environment. To see the other designs, please visit my website, checkmandesign.com

We’ve got shirts for men, women and girls so come join us at one of our upcoming events and get your holiday shopping started early!

Taking a Risk

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Life is Balance Set Your Intention

This is the Yoga design. My intention is to make a big success out of this brand!

If you’ve checked out this blog before, you’ll know that I started it when I designed my Life is Balance® line of t-shirts. I went through the process of registering the trademark and then found myself an agent and waited for the licensing deals to walk through the door. At first it seemed like this was the way to go. There was interest in the brand and a manufacturer agreed to take the license and promised us great sales. Then the economy hit a low and retail stores just weren’t looking to add a new line to their already unsold stock. I sat back, a bit depressed, I’ll admit, and did nothing other than wait, hoping that my agent would call me with news of another licensee. So far that hasn’t happened.

Rather than let that keep me down, I have decided to try to get my designs out there on my own. A risk, but one I hope will pay off big. I think that Life is Balance® will speak to people like me – people who work hard and play hard too. We all have our sports and activities that balance out the hard work that we put into our careers and family. These inspirational t-shirt designs pay homage to the yin and yang  of work and play. I’m hoping that I’ll find a niche where these designs will fit in. I’m about to produce 5 of my designs (out of 30+ sport/activity/lifestyle designs) to start and will be selling them at some craft shows and flea markets within the next couple of months. With the holidays coming up, these shirts will make a nice gift!

I’ll be producing both men’s and women’s styles, on nice quality, light-weight cotton jersey (3.7 oz for women and 4.3 oz for men). The styles are soft and fitted for a more fashionable look and feel. You can view all my Life is Balance® designs here.

I am anxious to get a feeling for the sports or activity designs that most appeal to you. So, if you feel so inclined to help out a designer, please post your favorites in a comment.