Yoga Daily

Perfect for travelers who love to see the cities they are visiting like a local without feeling the sore feet and bulging disks of a tourist, several national retailers around the country are now carrying a shoe called the “Fit Flop” They seem to be the biggest thing since Crocs except more comfortable than Crocs and in my opinion a heck of a lot better looking–I’m not a big fan of the plastic-looking shoes even if I can wear them in a mud-slide then spray them down with a garden hose. These Fit Flops look good AND they give you a workout just by simply walking in them…huh, who would have thought? I thought walking was just a nice little exercise in itself and now you feel more burn while out on a leisurely stroll with the dog.

Here’s how they work and the benefits. There are too many benefits to post here without turning this article into my dissertation, so head over to the site by clicking on the link above and check out how they work.

Personally, I have problems with bulging disks in my back and something is up with my knees (I’m pretty sure it has something to do with my beloved Converse Allstars that I just can’t give up) and these FitFlops have been amazing. Usually I can’t walk or stand for more than an hour without back pain, but I put on these FitFlops and walked around the Kemah Boardwalk and Galveston for hours at a time last weekend and lo and behold…NO PAIN–well, except the burn in my legs and glutes. I put my Converse back on for work this week and that’s right, the pain is back and I’m stiff.

These new Fit Flops were born in the UK and fairly recently came out in the US to a standing ovation from legs and backs everywhere. Designed by a woman and engineered by a doctor to give you the support, comfort and a little bit of burn your body is craving. Read the customer reviews and hear the stories of miracle pain relief, feelings of “walking on a cloud” and many more.

I also get really frustrated that I can’t wear capris when I walk because I will not wear tennis shoes with capris and plain-jane flip flops from Target just won’t cut it–my knees would hate me for days. I bought the FitFlops and problem solved!

The ONLY negative I can say about these shoes is some of the ads show the model’s legs as if they are running in the FitFlops…I don’t recommend this…those of you who walk your dogs while wearing these shoes, I have one word for you: SQUIRRELS. Think about it. But some of you may have well-behaved dogs who do NOT have attention deficit disorder and selective hearing so walk the dog in FitFlops at your own risk and don’t say I didn’t warn you. All in all though, these shoes are a fabulous concept

The FitFlops retail for $49.99–a fabulous deal if you ask me, I mean, it’s cheaper than a treadmill, right?

Check out www.Macys.com or www.BathandBodyWorks.com or you may be able to find them in select Macy’s or B&BW stores near you.

It’s Wednesday, the middle of the week. You may be already feeling a little stressed from your work week so here’s a quick video from YouTube to help get you through the rest of the week.

Watch Yoga for Your Moods

I have chronically sweaty hands and feet, so much so that a so-called “sticky mat” is no match. I have washed the thing multiple times and tried different mats but still nothing keeps me from falling on my face in downward dog.  Until now.

I found the GaiamThirsty Towel at Target one day and skeptically tried it. Now, I’ll never look back. this towel is ESPECIALLY great for Bikram Yoga.

The Thirsty Towel sucks all the sweat off of me and provides a soft, yet traction-friendly yoga practice for me. Even if you don’t have a problem with sweaty hands or feet, pick one of these up to dry off with after any other regular work out too!

At Target, the Thirsty Towel retails for $24.99. Not bad for comfort and stability in your yoga practice!

Coffee has a lot of great benefits. It gives us a little boost of energy, and big dollop of cancer-fighting antioxidants, goes great with a croissant in the morning and can boost even a bad mood.

However, there is always an on-going debate about whether it is overall a good thing for the body to take in. There are many chemicals to worry about, it can induce stress, and the headaches that ensue when a habitual user misses their morning cup o’ joe. So if you’re considering quitting your coffee routine (or addiction) you can quit looking for a support group and move to aromatherapy.

Recent studies show that by simply smelling coffee it can wake you up, boost your energy and it even sounds like you may also get the benefits of a bit of antioxidants in there too.

I used to consume an inordinate amount of coffee everyday, a year ago I cut down from two pots to just one pot per day plus a Starbucks run here and there. My stress levels tend to be high, my blood pressure started rising about 6 months ago so I have been considering cutting out my habit and becoming a “social drinker”. I have to admit the idea of going “cold-turkey” has me a little jittery (or maybe that pot of coffee is kicking in), but this idea could be my nicotine patch, a little transition as I slowly cut out a cup here and there until I’m a fully-functioning caffeine-free human being.

Click here for the article

Keeping a fitness regime is hard enough by itself sometimes, then you add in the lure of favorite television shows, time with your kids, your boss asking you to work overtime, taking care of the pets, engaging in your favorite hobby, your bowling league, the book group, the list goes on. So where’s your motivation to keep going to the gym or yoga class? Some people reading this may be veterans of the cause, but some may have never heard this type of advice, so for you newbies, here you go.

Here are 5 things you can try to keep you motivated:

1) Wear stylish clothing that makes you look awesome. Find clothes in the colors that suit you best and shapes that flatter your body type. Do you have larger-than-average feet that make you self-conscious when you wear capris? Get capris that flare at the bottom–same goes for pants.

2) Get a friend or your significant other to go with you. There are times when I’m feeling extra introverted and need a bit of a hand to hold when I go to workout in front of tons of people. Having someone go with me helps tremendously and it’s always more fun.

3) Don’t focus on weight goals-focus on activity-related or timeframe goals. Focusing on your weight goal can discourage you from heading to the gym when you feel you’re not meeting your target weights each week or month when you are instead gaining strength, endurance, and muscle tone. Additionally, exercise induces increased serotonin during exercise which is one of your “happy” chemicals that your body produces, so any negative thoughts will just counteract that serotonin and you don’t want to do that, right?

So focus on meeting a goal of working out 3 times a week or make a goal that is geared toward a certain activity, like making your goal: “to be able to do 50 crunches/day” or last one hour on the treadmill. When you meet this goal it will work with your serotonin rather than against it and you can move on to bigger and better goals.

4) Schedule your work outs. If you have a hectic life but still want to work out, schedule the time with yourself, don’t just work out “when you have time” because that time may never come. Schedule certain parts of your life AROUND your workout and make it a priority. I know, I know, it’s all a “priority,” but until you get into a routine you should put fitness near the top.

5) Exercise in a way that is enjoyable for you. No one says you have to get on that elliptical, or run 3 miles everyday, nor do they say you have to do yoga. Most people have a propensity toward certain types of exercise, so figure out what yours is, and if it’s yoga ignore all the gym people telling you how much better for you an elliptical is. Likewise with yoga people telling you how much better yoga can be for you. Because no matter which exercise is better, you won’t do it at all if you don’t enjoy it. I am personally convinced the elliptical was created by the devil himself and those people who use them are severe masochists, but that’s because I just can’t hack it. Props to those of you who can, I just prefer the gentle flow of yoga.

Here’s to your fitness success!

Aaron Hunsaker is a yoga instructor at Centered City Yoga in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hunsaker and Centered City Yoga are opening a new studio and are welcoming a different type of yoga practitioner: those trying to get off of drugs.

Hunsaker has a first hand experience of how difficult it is to get off of, and stay off of, drugs. A number of years ago he was struggling with staying clean when he accidentally attended a yoga class. He recalls the demons that were chasing him before he learned how to calm his “bad desires” by meditating and practicing yoga.

Those who deal with recovering addicts on daily basis, like Terry Campbell, the director of the recovery center known as First Step House, believe that yoga can be useful. Campbell stated, “When someone quits using drugs and alcohol, they are discarding a tool they have used to manage their life.” Campbell suggested that yoga might be one more tool in helping someone to stay clean.

Hopefully Centered City Yoga will put a new face on yoga by helping those who need to learn how to help themselves.

Facial Yoga is a fairly new type of yoga. It has all of the elements of regular yoga: the practitioner is asked to relax and tries to tone the muscles through specific poses, but it focuses wholly on the face!

Annelise Hagen, a facial yoga instructor, believes that facial yoga is the answer to eliminating facial plastic surgery. “There’s no need for Botox,” she says. “Here you’ll see better results.”

 Facial yoga is becoming so popular that a game called Face Training, which instructs users to make specific facial expressions, will soon be released in the UK on the Nintendo DS console.

Some people don’t have the ability to carve out the time to attend a yoga class, and others are uncomfortable going to a class full of strangers. The new Livingroom Yoga DVD is the perfect thing for those people.

This fifty minute workout focuses on the basic, tried and true moves. Creator Eva Barash said “I teach Yoga as a way to untangle and strengthen bodies and minds. My classes are vigorous to warm my students and move them to their core. And focused so they stay in that spot and breath and concentrate.”

Concentrating is exactly what you’ll do as you stare at your television for the full fifty minutes. It was even filmed on a set that looks just like a living room! The DVD makes use of living room furniture to get wonderful stretches, and it gives those that don’t want to, or can’t, leave their house the ability to experience some excellent yoga.

Yoga experts will tell you that you don’t have to have special yoga attire in order to practice yoga. They will say that all you need is comfortable clothing and a comfortable space.

Many, however, do wear “yoga clothes”, which generally consists of tight tank tops and pants that flow but stop before the ankle, so that the instructors can see exactly what the student is doing. While it was once difficult to find great clothes for a session, these days you can get them almost anywhere. From online sales to gyms that order wholesale, nearly everywhere you look, you’ll find the perfect gear for your next session.

Many don’t even save their yoga attire for the studio. Some people are purchasing yoga clothes to work in, while others are merely enjoying how comfortable they can be in their day-to-day lives in yoga apparel.

These days it seems as if everyone is doing their part to help soldiers. One yoga chain in Arizona is doing its part to honor those in the military services. Dahn Yoga will be providing free workshops at six different locations all day on November 3, as a way to honor the military personnel and to give them a taste of Yoga.

Dahn Yoga founders believe their mission “is to empower individuals to manage their own bodies well in order to become more healthy, happy and peaceful. Dahn Yoga Centers accomplish this mission through the creation of tools to foster the health and well-being of the individual, family and society as a whole.”

The classes will run from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will focus on breathing, relaxation, and brain-healing techniques. All are welcome, including those who are completely healthy, those who have mobility problems, men, and women!

Just another example of how yoga and those who teach it are trying to change the world.