Patent Publication Number: US-2013239287-A1

Title: Methods for performing yoga, physical exercise or other athletic activities, and apparel for use in such activities

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     A claim for the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) is hereby made to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/597,837, filed on Feb. 13, 2012 and titled METHODS FOR PERFORMING YOGA, PHYSICAL EXERCISE OR OTHER ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES, AND APPAREL FOR USE IN SUCH ACTIVITIES (“the &#39;837 Provisional Application”). The entire disclosure of the &#39;837 Provisional Application is hereby incorporated herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates generally to methods for performing yoga, physical exercise or other athletic activities. More specifically, this disclosure relates to methods in which an individual views an inspirational or motivational message immediately before, during and/or immediately after performing yoga, physical exercise or an athletic activity. Athletic garments, or athletic apparel, that bear inspirational or motivational messages at locations that are personal to an individual who wears the athletic apparel are also disclosed. 
     SUMMARY 
     Techniques and apparatuses for providing individuals with inspirational messages, motivational messages or other messages of a personal nature are disclosed. For the sake simplicity, these and other types of messages that may be delivered to an individual are collectively referred to as “inspirational messages.” An inspirational message may comprise a visual message. Such a message may be provided in the form of text, a design, an image or any combination of the foregoing. Alternatively, or in addition, an inspirational message may be delivered to another of an individual&#39;s physical senses (i.e., sound, scent, flavor, touch/texture). The inspirational message may correspond to an activity to be performed by the individual; for example, to inspire or motivate the individual to achieve a particular goal during or by way of the activity. In various embodiments, a garment may bear an inspirational message that corresponds to an individual goal that may be associated with an exercise, such as yoga, physical exercise or another athletic activity. 
     Inspirational messages may be delivered on apparel, or a garment, at a location that is typically viewed or otherwise perceived only by the individual wearing the garment. One such location is on an interior portion of the front of a garment that is configured to be worn over the individual&#39;s upper body. When positioned at such a location, an inspirational message may be viewed or otherwise perceived by the individual while the individual is putting the garment on and while the individual is removing the garment. Some garments may also be designed to enable perception (e.g., viewing, etc.) of the inspirational message before the garment is worn, while the garment is worn and/or after the garment has been removed from the individual&#39;s body. In some embodiments, a garment that bears an inspirational message may be configured for use during yoga, physical exercise or another athletic activity. 
     In a technique for delivering an inspirational message to an individual, and in a method in which an individual receives an inspirational message, the individual obtains a garment carrying the inspirational message. The inspirational message may be carried at a location that enables the individual to keep it personal (e.g., on an inside surface of the garment, etc.). The individual may view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message immediately before performing an exercise. In some embodiments, the inspirational message may be seen or otherwise perceived as the garment is laid out on a surface just before the individual places the garment on her upper body. The individual may also view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message while she places the garment on her upper body. With the garment on her upper body, the individual may perform the exercise. In some embodiments, she may also view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message at least once while performing the exercise. Once the exercise is complete, the individual may review or perceive the inspirational message; for example, as she removes the garment from her upper body and/or after the garment has been removed from her upper body. 
     Other aspects of the disclosed subject matter, as well as features and advantages of various aspects of the disclosed subject matter, will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art through consideration of the ensuing description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the drawings: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of an embodiment of a garment that bears an inspirational message; and 
         FIG. 2  is a back view of the garment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate an embodiment of a garment  10  that bears an inspirational message  20 . The garment  10 , including its design and the fabric from which it is made, may be configured, or tailored, for use during a specific type of activity, or exercise. Without limitation, a garment  10  may be configured for an athletic activity, for physical exercise or, as in the depicted embodiment, for yoga. Such a garment  10  may comprise a so-called “moisture wicking” fabric, which pulls perspiration from a wearer&#39;s skin and transmits the perspiration to an exterior of the fabric (e.g., a polyester blend, such as that marketed by E.I. du Pont de Nemours &amp; Co. as COOLMAX, etc., by Nike, Inc., as DRI-FIT, etc.). 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the garment  10  is configured to be worn on an individual&#39;s upper body (i.e., over an upper part of the individual&#39;s torso). Thus, the garment  10  may comprise a top, such as the depicted tank top, a shirt, or any other type of apparel that is configured to be worn over an individual&#39;s upper body. In some embodiments, such as that shown by  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the garment  10  may be configured as a so-called “pullover;” i.e., it may be pulled over the individual&#39;s head to place it over the individual&#39;s upper body and to remove it from the individual&#39;s upper body. Alternatively, a garment that incorporates teachings of this disclosure may be configured to be worn on or over another portion of an individual&#39;s body (which may include the individual&#39;s torso, as well as her head and/or one or more appendages). 
     The garment  10  includes an outer surface  12  and an opposite inner surface  14 . The inner surface  14  of the garment  10  is configured to face the individual&#39;s body, and may be placed against the individual&#39;s body, as the individual wears the garment  10 . The outer surface  12  is configured to face away from the individual as the individual wears the garment  10 , and may be seen or otherwise perceived while the individual wears the garment  10 . 
     In addition, the garment  10  may include a front  16  and a back  18 . The front  16  of the garment  10  may be configured to be placed over the front of the individual when the garment  10  is properly oriented over the individual&#39;s body. In embodiments where the garment  10  comprises a top, such as that depicted by  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the front  16  of the garment may be configured to be positioned over the individual&#39;s chest and/or abdomen (i.e., tummy). The back  18  of the depicted embodiment of garment  10 , which is opposite from its front  16 , may be configured to be placed over the individual&#39;s back. 
     The location of an inspirational message  20  on a garment  10  may depend, at least in part, upon the type of garment  10  with which the inspirational message  20  is used. In the embodiment shown by  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the inspirational message  20  may be located on the inner surface  14  of the front  16  of the garment  10 . Thus, the location of the inspirational message  20  may enable the individual to view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message  20  as she puts the garment  10  on and/or takes the garment off. Locating the inspirational message  20  in this manner may also place the inspirational message  20  over an individual&#39;s chest when the individual wears the garment  10 . 
     The inspirational message  20  may comprise a visually identifiable element, such as text (e.g., in the form of a word, phrase, verse, quote or other statement), a design, a graphic symbol, an image, or the like, or any combination of visually identifiable elements. In other embodiments, in combination with or apart from a visually identifiable element, the inspirational message  20  may be recognized by one or more of the individual&#39;s other physical senses (e.g., sound, smell, taste, touch). In some embodiments, the inspirational message  20  may be personal to, and thus customized for, a particular individual. 
     The inspirational message  20  on a garment  10  may correspond to the same activity for which the garment is tailored. By way of non-limiting example, a garment  10  that is configured for use in yoga may bear an inspirational message  20  associated with the individual&#39;s efforts to achieve a particular goal (e.g., become one with the Supreme Being, etc.). Examples of inspirational messages  20  that may correspond to yoga include, but are certainly not limited to: 
     Our deepest wishes are whispers of our authentic selves. We must learn to respect them. We must learn to listen —Sarah Ban Breathnach 
     There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you. —Maya Angelou 
     It&#39;s not your job to like me, it&#39;s mine. —Byron Katie 
     In other embodiments, the inspirational message  20  may be tailored for another activity, such as long distance running, a certain health or physical goal, a sports goal, or the like. 
     In some embodiments, such as that depicted by  FIG. 2 , the back  18  of a garment  10  may be configured to enable an individual to perceive (see or otherwise sense) a portion of the inner surface  14  of the front  16  of the garment  10  and, thus, any inspirational message  20  on that portion of the inner surface  12  when the garment  10  is placed in a flat position (e.g., hung from a hangar, spread front  16 -down over a surface, etc.). In addition to the illustrated T-back, other configurations of backs  18  may also enable perception of the inspirational message  20  when the garment  10  is in a flat position. 
     In a technique for delivering an inspirational message  20  to an individual, and for an individual&#39;s receipt of an inspirational message  20 , the individual obtains a garment  10  carrying the inspirational message  20 . The inspirational message  20  may be carried at a location that enables the individual to keep it personal (e.g., on an inner surface  14  of the garment  10 , etc.). The individual may view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message  20  immediately before performing an exercise. In some embodiments, the inspirational message  20  may be seen or otherwise perceived as the garment  10  is laid out on a surface just before the individual places the garment  10  on her upper body. The individual may also view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message  20  while she places the garment  10  on her upper body. With the garment  10  on her upper body, the individual may perform the exercise with the inspirational message in her thoughts. In some embodiments, she may also view or otherwise perceive the inspirational message at least once while performing the exercise. For example, she may pull the front  16  of the garment  10  away from her body, revealing the inspirational message  20  on the inner surface  14 . Once the exercise is complete, the individual may review or perceive the inspirational message  20 ; for example, as she removes the garment  10  from her upper body and/or after the garment  10  has been removed from her upper body. 
     In a specific embodiment, the inspirational message  20  may be delivered to the individual and/or received by the individual in connection with the individual&#39;s performance of yoga. Yoga has gained widespread acceptance and popularity as a technique for improving both physical fitness and mental well-being. Yoga originates from a Hindu philosophy that liberation from the material world and an individual&#39;s union with the Supreme Being (or some other ultimate principle) may be attained through a prescribed course of physical disciplines in combination with certain mental disciplines. The physical disciplines of various types of Yoga typically include a series of postures and breathing exercises that are designed to enable an individual to achieve control over her body and mind, enabling the individual to enter into a state of tranquility. It is in this state of tranquility that the individual may become centered, or become one with her ultimate principle. In such an embodiment, the inspirational message  20  may help the individual reach the state of tranquility, to remind the individual of the ultimate principle with which she seeks to become one, or to otherwise remind the individual of her goals. 
     Although the foregoing description contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of any of the appended claims, but merely as providing information pertinent to some specific embodiments that may fall within the scopes of the appended claims. Features from different embodiments may be employed in combination. In addition, other embodiments may also be devised which lie within the scopes of the appended claims. The scope of each claim is, therefore, indicated and limited only by the its plain language and the legal equivalents to the recited elements. All additions, deletions and modifications to the disclosed subject matter that fall within the meanings and scopes of the claims are to be embraced by the claims.