Showing posts tagged yoga
Yoga and juice all in one place…Of course this happens in Houston after I leave! Rock on @roots_houston
Awesome Big & Juicy Yoga class this morning! Thanks Jenny @bigyogahouston!
Check out Suzy! She just gave birth to a precious little girl about 8 months ago. She looks good! Yoga, y’all, I’m telling you, it’s good stuff.
I used to be able to do this AND enjoy it. Now I’m a little out of practice.
Yoga, once a week, it’s not that hard, so why is it SO HARD to get there….
Parivrtta Hasta Padangusthasana Yoga Pose of the Week!
Also Known As Standing Twist
Pronounced (par-ee-vrit-tah as-tha pod-ang-goosh-TAHS-anna)
How do you do it?
1. Come into Tadasana (Mountain Pose).
2. Lift the right foot up and grab hold of the outer edge with the left hand. Bring the right hand to the hip.
3. Exhale and stretch the leg out and up in front of you.
4. Inhale and draw the navel in and up, opening the chest.
5. Exhale and turn the trunk to the right.
6. Extend the arm and turn the head to look at the hand.
7. Hold the position for 3-5 breaths.
8. Exhale, return to Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and repeat on the other side.Benefits
- Strengthens and stretches the legs
- Stretches the hips and spine
- Opens the chest to improve breathing
- Relieves mild back pain
- Stimulates the abdominal organs
- Improves sense of balance
Find new group fitness classes around you in one click.
I am a HUGE fan of group fitness classes these days because I just can’t motivate myself to go to the gym. I never thought I would feel that way, but here I am, looking for excuses every day. So, to combat this and get in a solid 1 hour workout, I carve out the time in my schedule for my trainer or a class.
GoRecess.com is a new site that instantly locateds the kind of workout you’re looking for near you. You put in the type of exercise - yoga, cardio, bootcamp, spinning, etc - your location, and the radius you are willing to drive (or even better jog or bike!). GoRecess then creates a detailed list like you see above. Such a great concept because I’m always looking for a way to change up my workout.
Also, most studios will offer their first class for free, so if you’re on a tight budget, you can jump around for a while while you save up some cash and settle on your favorite.
If you’re in one of the cities I frequent, I reccommend these studios and gyms:
New York:
- SoulCycle - where I used to teach spinning
- Equinox - take the 30/60/90 class
- Physique 57 - Total body toning. Will get your booty tight!
Los Angeles:
- Soul Cycle - just opened in WeHo!
- Equinox - group classes are totally worth the membership
- UpDog Fitness - for spinning and yoga. Take classes from Colin and Reilly. Meredith for yoga.
- Fitness Factory - “garage” style hideout where celebs train. Sam Upton is the best!
Houston:
- Fit Gym - where I teach spin
- Next Level Fitness - smaller and more affordable gym. I train with Cederick and box with Jason
- Joy Yoga - my favorite yoga in Houston!
- Yoga One
- Cura Yoga
- Define - like Physique 57/barre method. Great for toning.
Atlanta:
- Blast900 - most intense full body workout you’ll ever have
- Eclipse 1 on 1 - training only. I love Jeff and Julius.
- Stellar Bodies - SPX training
- Urban Active Gym
Austin:
I know I’m missing some; I can’t hit them all! Please share your favorites in the comments below. If you use GoRecess.com, let us know if you were pleased with the class you attend.
(P.S. Sorry for the blurry picture. PC’s just don’t have the same quality of screen grab as a Mac. I’ll replace it tomorrow!)
I get SOOO tired of doing the same vinyasa flow sequences, so I really appreciate an instructor who changes it up and gets creative. (The same holds true for most things in life, right?!)
Each of Stacey’s classes are distinctly different and unique. The other day she walked us through this flow that strengthens and lengthens your muscles. Use your breath to keep the pace, engage your core, and build heat.
If you’re in Houston, absolutely see if you can come to one of Stacey’s classes. Click here for the schedule. Other instructors who get creative: Joy, Natalie, and Kaitlin.
My strategy to toned triceps!
A reader emailed me last week about toning up her arms, specifically her triceps. My strategy to keeping my arms slim and muscular are fairly simple.
- Yoga – between the long downward dogs and countless chaturangas, my arm muscles are firing on all cylinders for an hour straight.
- Spin - Added bonus to this particular cardio exercise. Your tricep muscles are engaged while your hands are on the bars. I add tricep dips for added definition.
- Weights – I lift weights at least twice a week. On cardio days I’ll pick up light weights and do lots of reps of many different exercises.
Pretty straight ahead. In the last year, yoga has actually changed the shape of my arms and legs, bringing more definition than ever. Chaturanga, aka “yogi push up,” is a large part of that. The catch is that you really need to do it properly so you don’t stress out your shoulders. In the video above, Stacey (my favorite instructor at Joy Yoga in Houston), demonstrates how to do it properly and get the full benefits.
The keys to Chaturanga:
- Exhale on the way down
- Inhale into upward dog or cobra keeping your shoulders back (not down)
- Exhale, pulling your belly in, as you lift your hips to downward dog
Advanced yogis can throw in an extra push up (lower down once, push up, lower down again, move into upward dog) to increase your strength and definition.
First order of business.
As promised I secured your 30 days for $30 at Bikram Yoga NYC! And it’s a MTM exclusive discount :)
The publicist assures me the New York locations have been made aware you will be asking for this promotion in conjunction with my blog so you shouldn’t have any problems. If you do, I know someone who can take care of it, if you know what I mean.
Kidding. Just shoot me an email and I’ll get it squared away.
Now go get your sweat on. After 30 days of unlimited yoga you’ll make this chick in the picture look like an amateur. And you’ll have a tight tuchis.
YOGA RETREATS & RENEWALS
Weekly Wanderlust - Nancy Sun
While many women do not travel alone, I have been doing so since 2006. Sometimes it’s because you’re single; sometimes it’s because schedules and budgets don’t align. Or maybe, in fact, you specifically want a vacation away from everyone - from friends, family, and significant others alike. If the concept seems at first intimidating, I recommend going somewhere that allows you to plug and play into a community, even if you are just passing through.
For those who want peace and quiet, for instance - particularly of the inner sort - I recommend going to a Yoga Retreat. At specific centers, you have a combination of visitors passing through, workshop attendees, and longer term workers and volunteers. This way, you have outlets to be social but if all you want to do is bliss out while staring at the landscape, no one’s there to block or judge your view.
My first vacation by myself, in fact, was a weekend trip to the Kripalu Yoga Center in the Berkshires. I told my friends I was taking myself to Summer Camp. In addition to offering Yoga several times daily, the center also offer hikes, kayaks, and swims in the local, expansive freshwater lake. There’s also a calendar of workshops you can participate in (reserve first!). It’s a great way to escape the city for brief or long stints of time.
Some Other Domestic Yoga Centers:
- Kalani Oceanside Retreat - Hawaii
- Omega Institute - Rhineback, New York
- White Lotus Yoga - Santa Barbara, CA (live in a yurt!)
… And What If You Want to Go International?
- The Island Experience - Ilha Grande, Brazil
- The Nosara Yoga Institute - Nosara, Costa Rica
- Yoga Retreats with Shiva Rea - Santorini, Greece
With international vacations, one way you can think about where to go can be centered on what other activities you want to do: I would love to snorkel, for instance, around Ilha Grande. Alternatively, you can think about following yoginis you respect. I highlighted Shiva Rea as a well regarded instructor I’d love to ‘treat’ myself to: her very creative vinyasa yoga sequences are small adventures in themselves.
Whether local or global, short or long, Yoga Retreats are a great way to travel independently yet parachute into a group.
Consistent with the Yoga theme, the Yoga Journal New York City Conference is being held in New York this weekend!
