I expect it to be challenging on several levels:

• Other workshop attendees are yoga teachers (both stronger and more experienced than I);
• 3 hours of ab– and butt-strengthening poses — Yikes! my perennial weakness;
• It’s a particularly confusing period for me, as I’m relearning basic body mechanics, such as how to stand, walk, stretch, etc., through lessons with a Feldenkrais guru in Bellevue.

Back to the Beginner’s Mind

Yoga is nourishing when done mindfully, with careful attention to what the inner body is saying or feeling as you move from one pose to another, or refine your alignment during an asana. Mindfulness is a state that all yoga enthusiasts aspire to in their daily practice. It demands concentration and mental clarity.

Yoga practice has become more complicated, now that I’m working through the Feldenkrais lessons — relearning how to stand or extend my arm above my head. These days there are lots of messages competing for attention inside my brain when practicing yoga. Feldenkrais therapists and yoga teachers don’t use the same vocabulary (or even necessarily the same principles) when instructing students on how to move, balance or stretch — so it’s up to me to reconcile the differences in my head and body.

Having to process and harmonize competing instructions means getting to mental clarity is a future goal, not one I can easily achieve in the present moment. But once I’ve synthesized the Feldenkrais principles, I’ll enjoy a more powerful and stable practice, with less risk of injury to joints or muscles.

In a Beautiful Yoga Studio

Today’s workshop will take place in a beautifully designed and welcoming place, Yoga Circle Studio. The owner, Karen Guzak, has decorated her studio with Indian silk saris, creating a welcoming tent-like environment that surrounds the yoga practitioners with riotous colors and silken textures on walls and ceiling. The beauty around us helps to distract from the discomfort of burning abs or challenging yin poses…

I love the studio, but it’s an hour drive each way. Given the high cost of gas (or in my case, diesel fuel), I don’t get there as often as I’d like.

Wish me luck; it will be a long afternoon…

My Swedish grandmother served limpa for ceremonial family dinners and special occasions. Limpa is a dense rye bread, enlivened by pungent seeds, and sweetened with molasses and brown sugar to offset the bitterness of the orange peel.

It’s been years since I last tasted limpa. Somehow the fragrance of the crushed seeds and the orange peel put me in a virtual time capsule, transporting me back to my grandmother’s kitchen, and the teasing and storytelling that enlivened our family gatherings there.

Now the bread is rising, aromas wafting throughout our home. I wonder what else will come to mind when my husband and I enjoy our first taste of limpa later today. What stories will we tell each other over lunch? It’s a nice thought to look forward to.

Given the traditional guru-student relationship, how open is the yoga community to using online services for guided student practice, teacher training, inspiration?

I found myself pleasantly surprised at the number of choices available today. That said, when it comes to home-based study, many options appear limited to online ordering of traditional media (such as printed manuals and DVDs) that will be mailed to the student’s home. These are early days but we haven’t yet seen the full potential of online services and mobile devices as an aid to a guided practice, or even a yoga immersion.

Is “Distance Learning” the Right Term?

What surprised me was to find how often people use the phrase “distance learning” in conjunction with yoga. Although this phrase is used quite comfortably within academic or commercial settings, it’s disconcerting in the context of a yoga-centric learning environment.

Perhaps it’s time for the yoga community to come up with a label that doesn’t emphasize the notion of physical distance between people. Instead let’s choose a phrase that is more positive, one that embraces the convenience of online services, especially as a practical alternative for days when things get in the way of showing up for a real-world class.

I dream about the day when I can “take a class” from a favorite teacher, via a future online service. This would be an attractive and practical alternative to having to miss her studio-based class due to work or family conflicts. For those of us who travel regularly, being able to take online classes from our teachers would be a wonderful option while on the road.

If I knew I could take “make-up classes” via an online service, I’d be more comfortable about signing up for 12-week class passes. Instead I juggle classes at several local studios, based on which classes are the best fit for my schedule. I’d much prefer the option of choosing the teacher first, and then the schedule, rather than the reverse.

New Teaching Opportunities?

And wouldn’t it be nice if deserving yoga teachers could earn a decent income, assuming the future “online classroom” could create more teaching opportunities, or allow them to serve a larger number of students.

Despite my feelings about the article’s editorial stance, over time it has had a positive impact on my yoga practice.

It caused me to reassess what classes to take, what teachers to follow, and what practices or styles of yoga to avoid.

I’m now more clear about what’s right for me (and why). This helps me be more authentic — especially when I choose not to do a pose or to perform the easier variation instead.

Sadly I now take fewer classes as a consequence of being more selective. The good news: the teachers are better, and I’m learning more — lessons that I can apply both in class and at home.

How to Avoid Injury in Yoga

Here’s what I’ve concluded from this reassessment process:

• Avoid over-crowded classes where it’s impossible for the teacher to pay enough attention to each student
• Avoid teachers who lack hundreds of hours of teacher training
• Avoid yoga class environments that promote yoga as exercise (the latest faddish workout)
• Be aware of your body’s vulnerabilities and where to pay extra attention during practice
• Take responsibility for communicating with the teacher before class, to ensure she understands what you’re dealing with today

Those are basic requirements to avoid risky conditions. But the choice of teacher is even more important.

Choose Your Teacher(s) Carefully

It’s taken awhile for me to recognize this, but it’s incredibly important to choose yoga teachers based on their instructional techniques — how well the teacher:

• delivers instruction about the yoga asanas
• demonstrates what she’s asking students to do
• interacts with students who don’t know how to apply those instructions to their own bodies
• recognizes and clarifies confusion
• corrects or guides someone into proper alignment

Having had the benefit of several exceptionally skillful teachers in small class settings, I’m now very aware of the difference between really good instruction and run-of-the-mill classes.

Teaching Methods Need to Improve

Steeped in the ancient spiritual and cultural traditions of India, yoga has been slow to adopt more effective teaching and communication styles. The teaching tradition has tended to be one of disciples emulating their gurus.

Immersed in these traditions, the typical yoga teacher errs by using terminology or phrasing that is poorly understood by students. The language is lyrical, evocative, full of beautiful imagery — but sadly, too ambiguous and easy to misinterpret.

This beautiful stone tracery, seen during a recent visit to La Alhambra, reminded me of my experience of a typical yoga class: poetry and grace in motion, strength, balance — but with language that means little to the uninitiated.

Here the calligraphy is integral to the design but conveys nothing to an English speaker. Let’s be honest: the same is true of Sanskrit pose names when used with beginning students.

Even when teachers stick to English, problems emerge when the language is ambiguous, as with these instructions:

• “Open your heart”
• “Set your foundation”
• “Snug your shoulder blades against your back”

I’ve been practicing yoga for 3 years, but it has taken me that long to recognize the risks of not understanding the optimal bio-mechanics of key poses. It took a few thankfully minor injuries to reveal how much I still need to learn.

So I’ve returned to classes for beginners, those led by exceptionally clear teachers with superior communication skills. I want to master yoga’s foundational asana principles before resuming classes with teachers whose guidance is better at conveying the spiritual aspects of yoga rather than the physical asanas.

Where Are the Best Teachers?

Today the teachers I find most helpful have hundreds of hours of teacher training, and at least as many hours of actual instructional experience. They are highly attuned to how well their students are actually learning and putting their lessons into practice.

Some earn their living via “bodywork,” so they have a deep hands-on understanding of anatomy and the principles of body mechanics.

Some are exceptionally gifted at knowing how to demonstrate a pose or key aspects of a concept. They link their poetic instructional language to unambiguous demonstrations, slowing down the motion or pose dynamics to make it crystal clear what they mean. They keep the class focused on practicing this approach until we have a taste of what it feels like to do it properly.

The teachers I seek out today know how to help students move toward the optimal muscular-skeletal alignment, combined with the breath. They see when I’m out of alignment, or failing to balance “effort with ease”; they know how to help me understand what I need to adjust.

Combined with my own improving mindfulness, it’s teachers like these who will help me minimize my risk of injury — and ensure the blessings of a lifelong practice.

More Yoga Teachers

There’s been an explosion in the number of certified yoga teachers  — 70,000 at last count  (NAMASTA, 2005), plus the many newly minted teachers since then. The pressures of a sustained economic downturn are causing many to seek alternative careers.

Some of the newcomers want a more rewarding second career, a means to give back to their community. Some are recent college grads who’ve struggled to land a job that they find meaningful, people who see value in the yoga lifestyle. Others are people who have faced a major life passage or health crisis, been transformed thanks to yoga, and now want to share the joy of their practice.

Whatever their motivation, yoga’s increasing popularity has led to an explosion in teacher certifications, but this is not without risk for both newcomers and existing studios.

More Challenges for Yoga Teachers

If there are too many teachers within easy driving distance, it’s hard for new teachers to make an adequate living until you succeed in attracting a loyal set of students who attend your classes on a regular basis… Studio owners manage a limited inventory of available class times and space, so they prefer popular teachers who can fill the classes.

This is the classic “Catch 22″ situation for the the teacher.  It takes time to earn a good reputation as a valued teacher, time to build recognition for your contributions, time for word-of-mouth to generate referrals from your students to their friends.

The question is, how can new teachers speed that up? The answer is, by standing out, being different in ways that matter to students and the studio owner. (In the business world, this is referred to as “personal branding.”)

The challenge boils down to figuring out the authentic path that will enable you to attract the right students — people who will benefit from your particular teaching and interaction skills; people who will enthusiastically recommend you and your studio to their friends and family.

In a crowded urban market you need to stand out, be recognized for what is distinctive and meaningful about your services, your studio and its location, the caliber of your teachers and the vibrancy of your studio’s community.

Be Different — But in Ways That Are Meaningful

Start by spending some time looking around to understand what the other studios are offering in your area. Talk to other studio owners to see what’s working for them. Talk to yoga students about what’s missing from their current class experiences. Ask them how they would describe their “dream classes.” When and where would those classes take place. What would be different about the student-teacher interaction from what they’ve experienced today.

Then invest some quality time thinking about how you can make your offering more distinctive — more directly relevant to prospective students within driving distance of your studio. What’s special about the people who live in your area?

If you’re in a highly competitive area (like Los Angeles, New York or the Bay Area), think about ways to position your studio or some of your classes to appeal more narrowly to a specific set of students who share common needs or interests. For example,

• Classes for boomer women, or mother-daughter classes
• Classes for people struggling with specific health or mobility challenges: such as chronic arthritis, back/spine issues, or cancer
• Classes for people who need help restoring their self-esteem (or even their youthful appearance), as a result of being laid off or other painful life passages
• Classes for bikers, skiers and runners who need help relaxing those overly tight leg muscles, or to build upper body strength
• Classes for tennis players, or skiers, or golfers — you get the idea

What about classes that target specific pain zones — the kinds of anatomical or bio-mechanical problems that many people in your area are likely to experience? How about team-teaching with a like-minded physical therapist?

• Classes for people with tight shoulders, disk issues or neck problems — the kinds of issues faced by people who spend too many hours at the computer
• Classes for people with lower back weakness, or balance challenges
• Combined nutrition and yoga classes for people who want to manage (and maintain) weight loss in a non-faddish way

Increase Your Reach

Have you explored whether people who work for the larger employers in your area might be interested in classes offered at their workplace (after hours, before the workday begins, or during lunch hours)?

Classes at over-55 communities, senior centers, churches, etc.?

In addition to your private tutorials, have you developed classes or other services to help your students get more benefit out of their home-based asanas?

Do you offer asana guidance via podcasts that your students can download and listen to at home or when they’re traveling? If you get good at this, you might be able to offer a subscription service for a series of weekly or monthly podcasts that you market over the Internet.

If you have a friend with a digital camcorder, why not post some videos of your teaching style and philosophy on YouTube?

Have you thought about ways you might provide some online instruction (yoga sequences, guided meditation, etc.) that students could use to guide their practice, at the student’s convenience, on days when she can’t get to a studio for a scheduled class?

Some Examples from a Seattle Studio

The studio where I practice is quite sophisticated; their classes are overflowing. Here are some of the things my teachers do to keep themselves in front of their students when we’re not in their class:

• Create and sell an annual yoga calendar that features real students in a series of poses (including women over 80!)
• Send monthly newsletters by email to students who choose to receive them. The emails contain poems or stories written by the teachers, often with photos that inspire meditation — and reminders about upcoming classes, retreats, and special events.
• Host several special events each quarter (like weekend retreats in lovely settings within a few hours’ drive of their studio) or classes on special topics.
• And of course, they have a web site with information about the teachers, the classes, the events calendar, etc.

If you’re struggling to keep your yoga studio vibrant and full of students, I hope one or more of these ideas will lead to increased business success for you.

Society as a whole benefits when yoga values infuse people’s daily lives and activities. But for the struggling yoga studio or newly certified teacher, explosive growth in teacher certifications leads to increased competition in the local market. To thrive and grow in a crowded market requires a thoughtful strategy, one that’s put into practice via a focused and disciplined set of tactics.

Namaste.

The question is, in an amped-up, caffeine-fueled, texting/tweeting world of constant distractions, is there a place for silence in business? That is, can a more beautifully silent space lead to better writing?

Or is this a question whose answer varies by age, with time for silence or contemplation a concept that appeals more powerfully to people over 40?

Do people write better, think more clearly, if they have the luxury of doing so in an environment that screens out noise and distractions? Does focus lead to better writing, content that’s more likely to resonate with others? Can a blank canvas invoke more creativity?

It’s an interesting question, one that I think is best answered on an individual basis. It’s also possible that individual preferences are more situational, linked to time and place, or what you’re thinking or writing about. Or: who’s paying for your time and why…

A writer’s haven

If you’d like to experience the impact of distraction-free silence while writing, there’s a minimalist tool for Mac, PC and iPad users called “OmmWriter Dana.” It’s kind of a zen-like, Steve Jobs-inspired approach to the act of writing. Its Barcelona-based creators call it “a writer’s haven.”

OmmWriter Dana

The minimalist version can be downloaded for free to your Mac; a paid-version offers a broader selection of color schemes and audio themes designed to cultivate focus, contemplation and enhance creativity.

I’m using the basic version of OmmWriter to draft this blog post. OmmWriter enables me write the basic post, hiding the rest of my Macintosh environment (including turning off my secondary display where I normally scan incoming emails, tweets, etc.)

To turn this draft into a blog, I copy my draft, and then paste it into WordPress where I’ll add the appropriate HTML tags, category tags and so on. This separates the writing process from the markup process.

Whether this two-step approach enhances creativity is too soon to say definitively. What I do know is that the actual experience of writing with OmmWriter is more delightful than when writing a blog inside WordPress, LiveWriter, NotePad or any of the usual word processing tools.

Try it yourself, and see how it helps your writing.

A mindful yoga practice can also help to shed light on the people, situations and opportunities that have made a real difference over the past year.

On the longest day of the year, heart-warming activities like these dispel the darkness, and counteract the chill of winter.

While reflecting on the highlights of 2011, I’m grateful for the wonderful yoga teachers who serve in Seattle and nearby yoga studios.

Yesterday was an example of one teacher’s generosity, and her commitment to yoga’s teachings…

Her husband was in the hospital recovering from surgery, so she had cancelled the morning class to spend the day with him. But she had no way to notify the students who had preregistered for her class online…

She showed up at the studio to do a few sun salutations before rejoining her husband at the hospital — only to discover two students waiting outside the studio for class to begin. (I had driven half an hour in rush hour traffic to get to class on time…)

Sharing the Blessings of Yoga

So she invited us to join her in a set of sun salutations, a practice she needed to ground herself before heading to the hospital. For us it was not a class, but a yoga-centered opportunity to open our hearts, breathe deeply, and express the joy of being alive, surrounded by people we cherish.

It was a beautiful practice, a wonderful gift from a yogini very pressed for time, but willing to share her yoga practice with the two of us. A true yoga experience…

Her generosity yesterday was a reminder of the enduring gifts that yoga teachers are eager to share, with those who are ready and willing to receive them.

Namaste.

On the Kindle Touch characters are black and crisp, contrast is better. There’s also an option that gives you some control over line spacing and character spacing. If you care about the “rivers of white space,” this allows you to minimize that effect — which makes for better readability.

It does not render subtle typographic effects very well; grey-scale graphics are also somewhat compromised. That said, it’s very useful for displaying text-dense novels and similar reading material.

Thanks to its improved display, I can comfortably read the Kindle for at least an hour without eye strain. (I had to return a Kindle DX last year because it gave me eye strain headaches after 20 minutes of use.)

It’s delightful to know that I can safely tuck the Kindle Touch into a purse or knapsack, for use while on-the-go, or when waiting for someone to show up for a meeting.

I do hope that publishers will soon take advantage of the new EPUB® 3 standards, for more variation in the typography and page layout of e-books. Otherwise there’s a boredom factor that you have to overlook when reading books on a Kindle.

In the meantime for straightforward books, the Kindle Touch is the best e-book reader for immersive reading, when you’re willing to dive into a book for an hour or more.

As my practice improves, I’m getting better at bringing energy up from my hands and feet to my core — but I tire more quickly. Legs start to shake, my poses lose their integrity.

Using the right mat can help, but I haven’t yet found the perfect solution. These days I’m experimenting with two different combinations, for different class styles.

For more in-depth discussions of yoga mats, based on personal trials, see: the quest for the perfect yoga mat, the quest (take 2), and still waiting for the perfect yoga mat.

The Yoga Mats Teachers Recommend

Observant teachers who see me slipping will recommend switching to a different yoga mat. Although teachers have different preferences, they tend to recommend either Jade or Manduka brand yoga mats.

As a result, I now own and use two different mats for class. Before heading off for class, I’ll choose the one best suited to today’s teacher — her yoga discipline and what she tends to emphasize in the way of asanas:

• Jade Harmony Professional Mat — for use in moderately sweaty classes (vinyasa flow, when poses will be held only briefly)
• Manduka Black Mat Pro — for use in Anusara classes that focus on core building and strong poses held for long periods (where stability counts)

Neither mat fully solves the problem, but for different reasons.

The Jade Harmony mat has a longer “mean time before slippage”; however, it deforms as it warms. So the Jade mat tends to be less suited for Anusara-style asanas with its focus on solid foundations and opposing actions. The Manduka never deforms, is always rock solid, but my hands and feet slip much earlier in class unless I’ve taken precautions.

Mat Covers Can Help

Because neither mat is sticky enough on its own, I’ve tested different mat covers, with varying degrees of success. Here’s my current “class formula”:

• Vinyasa flow: Jade Harmony mat plus Manduka eQua hand towel
• Anusara: Manduka Black Mat Pro plus Yogitoes Premium Skidless Mat-size Yoga Towel

For Vinyasa Flow

During classes with lots of sun salutations or other flowing sequences, I’ve found that Manduka’s micro-fiber hand towel does a good job keeping hands or feet stable. I’ve used a single towel, but am about to try placing two towels on the mat, one for hands and one for feet.

Manduka’s longer mat cover is less effective during vinyasa flow sequences — it wrinkles too easily. (This may not be an issue for skilled yoginis who jump and float easily from one pose to another, without graceless foot dragging.)

When possible, I prefer to bring the Jade Harmony mat to class because it weighs a pound or two less than the Manduka mat, rolls up nicely, and is easy to secure with a velcro strap. (That said, it took a couple of months before the rubber smell dissipated enough for me to ignore the Jade mat during class.)

For Anusara

My preferred solution for Anusara classes is the Manduka Black Mat Pro with Yogitoes skidless mat towel, which almost fully covers my yoga mat.

Even after two years of use and multiple washings, the Yogitoes towel remains reasonably absorbent, and the rubber feet keep it firmly in place — most of the time. It can wrinkle during fast-paced sun or moon salutations, so it sometimes needs adjusting during class.

What I don’t like is the somewhat bumpy feel of the rubber protrusions on the reverse side of the Yogitoes mat towel. This sort of spoils the zen-like beauty of the Manduka mat.

The wrinkly mat towel is the reason my vinyasa teacher tells me to bring the Jade Harmony mat to her classes.

I keep hoping that someday I’ll find a yoga mat that doesn’t compromise on stability while retaining its stickiness for the duration of the class. Perhaps this is just a fantasy…

I chose the $99 entry-level touch screen model, with WiFi but no 3G. It displays advertising constantly, except when you’re actively reading or interacting with the device. Fortunately, the ads don’t intrude when you’re reading.

The device seems a bit slow, especially when responding to touch for menu selection, page turns, etc. Perhaps the hardware is a wee bit underpowered?

WiFi is a bit feeble, even when sitting in an office just a few strides away from the WiFi router with a strong signal.

Text display is crisp, but can be uneven. (My opinion about the Touch’s readability has improved somewhat after a week of usage.)

The ads themselves are not intrusive; however, navigating away from a full-page ad to whatever you want to read is a bit clunky.

One of the most pleasurable aspects of the Kindle Touch is how it feels in your hand: lightweight, nicely balanced, with a suede-like finish on the back. Friendly and approachable in its feel.

No Romance

Out-of-the-Box Experience

Compared to the experience of unveiling a new Apple product, there’s no magic (except for my cat, who adores all Amazon boxes, no matter what their contents).

Kindle’s packaging is plain and monochromatic: no-nonsense cardboard encases the device, a plastic film protects the screen.

Inside there’s no friendly marketing collateral to welcome the new Kindle owner. Amazon’s Thank You Letter will download when you sync your Kindle. (Four hours later my welcome letter has not yet downloaded.)

When I powered up the Kindle, I was surprised to note there’s no “welcome screen,” just a user tip on how to turn pages. (A missed branding opportunity on Amazon’s part…)

Unlike Apple Amazon makes no attempt to “romance the brand.” It appears that Amazon wants to position Kindle as a utilitarian product, focusing on its concrete functional benefits and practical uses. It’s a curious positioning strategy, especially if they’re aiming Kindle at book lovers, people who like me love the experience of reading, and are willing to invest in building a Kindle compatible library.

Somewhat Confusing Usability Model

Touch or Tap to Use

If you’ve used an iPhone or an iPad, you may find the UI a bit confusing. On the Kindle Touch, you touch an item to select it (you point to it and hold your finger there long enough until it highlights). The response time is a tad sluggish.

You touch anywhere in the left-hand area of the screen to go back a page; you touch the middle of the screen or to the right to advance a page. This is intended as a convenience for one-handed readers. (Over time I’ve discovered the swiping horizontally, to left or right, can flip pages, but on my device it doesn’t always work reliably.)

Swiping on the Kindle Touch is not as universally useful as on an iPad. I don’t think there’s a rich “gesture language” for the Touch. It seems that the swipe gesture is only partially functional; when displaying lists, you can swipe vertically to scroll the book list up or down. When reading you can swipe to change pages.

Displaying Collections: Text-Centric Approach

On an iPad, the Kindle app displays images of the book covers as shown here:

The Kindle Touch takes a less visual approach when displaying collections; it simply lists books by their title or author’s name — a missed opportunity for finesse.

I had expected this latest Kindle generation to be more visual in its UI. Sadly, most of the visuals are reserved for the sponsors’ ads, or illustrations within books or magazines.

Kindle Touch: Better for Reading

Although the iPad displays collections in a more visually pleasing manner, the Kindle Touch is better suited — that is, easier on the eyes — for long-term reading. This new Kindle is also smaller, lighter, and takes less effort to hold. All-in-all better for immersive, multi-hour reading.

I just wish the Amazon device had a better UI. Based on a couple of hours’ use, the design language seems inconsistent, hard to predict (especially the home button). As a result it’s going to take longer to learn than expected.

Confusing Home Button

On a Kindle Touch the home button is a set of 4 parallel lines at the bottom of the device. If you’ve learned “home button behaviors” on an IOS device (iPad, iPhone, etc.), expect to be confused. The Kindle’s home button is under utilized.

When the device is in screensaver mode — displaying full-screen ads — you might expect that pressing the home button will take you to your home screen, or resume reading where you’d left off. But in this case pressing home has no effect. Instead you must press the on/off switch to switch from the full-screen ad to resume reading. I find this confusing.

E-Ink — Text Display

Better, But Not Perfect

Given specs of 167 ppi and 16 shades of grey, I had expected reading legibility to approach that of black-and-white newsprint — or a classic newspaper. Yes, there’s higher contrast and improved legibility compared to the Kindle DX I tried a year ago, but the display still disappoints.

On text-dense pages, lines display unevenly, even when it’s obvious that the characters should be rendered identically. This is distracting, because it draws attention away from the delightfully immersive experience of flow when reading.

The uneven display appears to be caused by the way E-Ink renders text on screen: sometimes using different shades of grey or different thicknesses when rendering character shapes. (An inconsistent use of pixels for rendering character glyphs.)

I’m not sure if this is an issue with this particular device, or a limitation with this generation of E-Ink on Kindles.

This bugs me, because I was ready to ignore the lack of typographic diversity, in exchange for highly legible text that does a few things superbly well.

Fixed Orientation

Unlike the Kindle app on iPad, you cannot change the display’s orientation from portrait to landscape mode and have text reflow. Kindle Touch offers portrait mode only.