This morning, I woke up at 5 to get to a yoga class at 5:30. I was in for an unpleasant surprise when I got into my car and realized that it had been broken into! The middle compartment was open and rifled through and the glove compartment was open and all it's contents were strewn across the passenger side. The hood had been popped and there was a piece underneath the wheel that had been messed with. I knew nothing had been stolen because I hadn't had anything more valuable than a few quarters in my car (luckily I had cleaned it out completely a few weeks ago!), but I still got this really sick feeling in my stomach. I was really freaked out that someone had gotten in my car and gone through my stuff! I'm glad that nothing really bad happened and I'm also glad that this didn't happen when my family was gone because I would have been super scared to be in the house by myself after that!
Luckily, the day got better from there. I went to Hot Yoga Barre and Hot Yoga Bootcamp this morning. Both were great classes and my body felt really strong. I went to my nannying job from 10-5. I took the girls to a park for a few hours and they played which was nice and the day went by pretty fast.
At 5, I headed down to Ignite to work at the front desk and do a class. To my surprise...I ended up teaching! It was spur of the moment, but luckily it was a set sequence class and I ended up having a great time! I also found out that I'm teaching Wednesday at 7pm and Thursday at 9:15am at Ignite. So much teaching! I'm super excited!
This evening, I'm watching the Olympics with my dad. I just had a yummy dinner of steamed veggies, vegetarian dumplings, a bit of tofu and an apple. Now relaxing for the rest of the night! Two yoga classes tomorrow morning!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday Workout at Lululemon!
 |
| post workout me! |
Last night, I hung out with a few of my friends from high school which was fun. It was great to see people who I hadn't seen in a long time. I was pretty tired this morning so I didn't go to 8am yoga like I usually do. But, I did go to 10am bootcamp at lululemon! It was the last day of Kaia FIT classes and it was really fun.
We started off with a warm up running around the building mixed with short bursts of other cardio moves. Then, we came inside to do circuits. We were divided into three groups and there were three stations each with three moves. Each move was performed for 1 minute and then we rotated. After we completed all 9 moves we ran another lap and then came back in and did the whole circuit again! We finished up with some plank work and stretching. I was definitely sweating by the end (actually from like the warm up haha)!
After the workout, I met up with my friend Rochelle for coffee. We ended up staying and talking for like two hours! She is one of my best friends so we always have a ton to talk about.
Now, I'm back home eating lunch and planning on going to yoga at 4! My family gets back tonight so that will be nice. I'm subbing another yoga sculpt class this Thursday so that should be lots of fun!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Remembering
This morning, I went on a hike with some people from Ignite. It was a beautiful day - the weather was perfect and the trails gave some great views. It was fun to talk with the other women. Even though I'm pretty much always the youngest one in the group, I do enjoy talking with everyone. Fitness activities can bring people together in so many ways!
I just finished eating some lunch and am going to do a cardio workout and a little bit of yoga this afternoon. I'm pretty tired so I'm going to try not to do too much (knowing me, I could convince myself to workout all afternoon...).
My family is still out in New Mexico and today is my grandmother's memorial celebration. Sadly, I was not able to go because of my work schedule for my nannying job. My grandma passed away last December of a brain tumor. She was such an amazing woman and did so much for all of her grandchildren (myself, my sister, brother and four cousins). She was also the one who introduced me to a lot of the activities I enjoy now.
Every summer since I was 7, we would all go to the mountains of New Mexico where my grandparents have a large piece of land and a big house (actually "houses"...). We would spend the summer there kayaking, swimming in the two lakes near the house, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful nature. We would also take day trips to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to relax in the natural hot springs or inner tube down the rapids of the San Juan River.
Nannah was so active all through her life, which is an inspiration to me. She loved to hike, run and kayak in the summer and cross country ski and snowshoe in the winter. She also loved to garden and, as kids, we were always treated to fresh veggies from her many gardens.
It was so hard for me and my entire family learn that Nannah had cancer last spring. It was completely unexpected and everything seemed to happen so fast. Last summer, I spent a lot of time in Texas and New Mexico helping take care of and spend time with Nannah. It was difficult to see her, who had always been so active and full of energy, not want to get out of bed. However, her personality was always vibrant and she loved to play cards, especially canasta, throughout everything she was going through.
Nannah passed away in December 2011. It happened just about a week before I was scheduled to return home from London. It was very painful to have to say goodbye over Skype rather than get to be with her and the rest of my family. However, I am so glad that I got to spend time with her last summer. She was able to meet Max and really liked him. I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to have an amazing grandmother who was so inspirational to her children and grandchildren.
I just finished eating some lunch and am going to do a cardio workout and a little bit of yoga this afternoon. I'm pretty tired so I'm going to try not to do too much (knowing me, I could convince myself to workout all afternoon...).
 |
| from left: my mom, grandma, me, grandpa at a wedding in February 2011 |
My family is still out in New Mexico and today is my grandmother's memorial celebration. Sadly, I was not able to go because of my work schedule for my nannying job. My grandma passed away last December of a brain tumor. She was such an amazing woman and did so much for all of her grandchildren (myself, my sister, brother and four cousins). She was also the one who introduced me to a lot of the activities I enjoy now.
Every summer since I was 7, we would all go to the mountains of New Mexico where my grandparents have a large piece of land and a big house (actually "houses"...). We would spend the summer there kayaking, swimming in the two lakes near the house, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful nature. We would also take day trips to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to relax in the natural hot springs or inner tube down the rapids of the San Juan River.
Nannah was so active all through her life, which is an inspiration to me. She loved to hike, run and kayak in the summer and cross country ski and snowshoe in the winter. She also loved to garden and, as kids, we were always treated to fresh veggies from her many gardens.
It was so hard for me and my entire family learn that Nannah had cancer last spring. It was completely unexpected and everything seemed to happen so fast. Last summer, I spent a lot of time in Texas and New Mexico helping take care of and spend time with Nannah. It was difficult to see her, who had always been so active and full of energy, not want to get out of bed. However, her personality was always vibrant and she loved to play cards, especially canasta, throughout everything she was going through.
 |
| Max and I kayaking in New Mexico |
 |
| gorgeous view of Lake Heron, NM |
 |
| My brother, Paul, and I helping Nannah water her gardens last summer |
Friday, July 27, 2012
Official! :)
I am officially a yoga teacher at Ignite Yoga Fusion! I'm getting permanent classes this starting this fall and I went in to sign the paperwork yesterday. I can hardly believe it! I have dreamed about this for so long and it is amazing that it is finally coming true! I can't wait to start teaching!
Sunday, July 22, 2012
A Great Weekend With My Boyfriend
This weekend has been great. I got a day off work on Friday which felt really good. I also have the house all to myself since my family went on a trip to visit relatives in New Mexico (I was pretty thrilled that I didn't have to go on the 17 hour each way car trip even though I do have to work while they're on vacation). Max decided to come visit for the weekend and we have been having a wonderful time!
Yesterday, I got up and did two yoga classes even though my arms were killing me from Friday night's adventures in aerial yoga (see the post about that here). Then, I went home and showered quickly, made a yummy salad for lunch and waited for Max to arrive. It was so great to see him!
We drove down to my new apartment that I'll be living in come September and he helped me move in a few boxes. Then, I went to Bird Rock to teach a donation based class. I ended up raising $10 for Yoga for Hope. Max was going to do the class but he hurt his knee while we were moving stuff so we decided it was best for him to just relax. 5 people came to class but they didn't show up until like 5:28 and the class was at 5:30! I was getting nervous! Luckily though, the showed up and I was able to teach! I had to modify my class plan because they were very beginner level but it turned out to be fine.
After class, Max and I headed home. I cooked some dinner (chicken, bean and cheese tacos for him and steamed veggie medley for me!) and we chatted and ate. Then, we decided to watch a movie. We chose (unanimously) Finding Nemo! I mean, really, who doesn't love Finding Nemo? We were totally cracking up the entire time :D
This morning, we woke up and I made some breakfast (waffles with peanut butter and fresh fruit for him and oatmeal and a fruit/kale smoothie for me). Then, I went to lululelmon for the Sweaty Sunday class. For the month of July, the Sweaty Sunday classes are taught by Kaia Fit. I had been to one of their classes before today and I love them. They are basically circuit training bootcamp classes. The intensity is high but the instructors are very friendly and motivating.
I went to the grocery store after that and picked up some essentials (milk for Max, more berries, tofu, and unsweetened acai). When I got home we took my dad's dog Skittles for a long walk around the neighborhood. (Disclaimer: I am very much a cat person and Skittles is really big and kind of scary to me so having to take care of her is my least favorite part of being home by myself!)
During our walk, we decided to try and go to the beach. We drove to Solana Beach and went to our favorite coffee shop for lunch. I got a garden salad with no dressing and an acai bowl with granola and blueberries. Max got a Bacon, Avocado and Tomato sandwich on a bagel. It was actually pretty chilly and cloudy down at the beach so we decided just to go back to my community pool where it was nice and sunny. I swam 32 laps in about 40 minutes. My swim workout is 4 laps (a lap being two lengths of the 25m pool) breaststroke + 4 laps freestyle is one set. 4 sets is 32 laps. I'm really a slow swimmer but I have pretty good endurance which counts for something I guess. In any event, I enjoy it.
After I swam, Max and I just chilled at the pool for a bit then went home and I made him some chocolate chip cookies and me some popcorn for a snack. Now we're just relaxing and enjoying being together. I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow!
Yesterday, I got up and did two yoga classes even though my arms were killing me from Friday night's adventures in aerial yoga (see the post about that here). Then, I went home and showered quickly, made a yummy salad for lunch and waited for Max to arrive. It was so great to see him!
We drove down to my new apartment that I'll be living in come September and he helped me move in a few boxes. Then, I went to Bird Rock to teach a donation based class. I ended up raising $10 for Yoga for Hope. Max was going to do the class but he hurt his knee while we were moving stuff so we decided it was best for him to just relax. 5 people came to class but they didn't show up until like 5:28 and the class was at 5:30! I was getting nervous! Luckily though, the showed up and I was able to teach! I had to modify my class plan because they were very beginner level but it turned out to be fine.
After class, Max and I headed home. I cooked some dinner (chicken, bean and cheese tacos for him and steamed veggie medley for me!) and we chatted and ate. Then, we decided to watch a movie. We chose (unanimously) Finding Nemo! I mean, really, who doesn't love Finding Nemo? We were totally cracking up the entire time :D
This morning, we woke up and I made some breakfast (waffles with peanut butter and fresh fruit for him and oatmeal and a fruit/kale smoothie for me). Then, I went to lululelmon for the Sweaty Sunday class. For the month of July, the Sweaty Sunday classes are taught by Kaia Fit. I had been to one of their classes before today and I love them. They are basically circuit training bootcamp classes. The intensity is high but the instructors are very friendly and motivating.
I went to the grocery store after that and picked up some essentials (milk for Max, more berries, tofu, and unsweetened acai). When I got home we took my dad's dog Skittles for a long walk around the neighborhood. (Disclaimer: I am very much a cat person and Skittles is really big and kind of scary to me so having to take care of her is my least favorite part of being home by myself!)
During our walk, we decided to try and go to the beach. We drove to Solana Beach and went to our favorite coffee shop for lunch. I got a garden salad with no dressing and an acai bowl with granola and blueberries. Max got a Bacon, Avocado and Tomato sandwich on a bagel. It was actually pretty chilly and cloudy down at the beach so we decided just to go back to my community pool where it was nice and sunny. I swam 32 laps in about 40 minutes. My swim workout is 4 laps (a lap being two lengths of the 25m pool) breaststroke + 4 laps freestyle is one set. 4 sets is 32 laps. I'm really a slow swimmer but I have pretty good endurance which counts for something I guess. In any event, I enjoy it.
After I swam, Max and I just chilled at the pool for a bit then went home and I made him some chocolate chip cookies and me some popcorn for a snack. Now we're just relaxing and enjoying being together. I wish I didn't have to work tomorrow!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
I can't move my arms!
Last night, I went to an aerial yoga class with some of the other teachers at Ignite. It was such a fun experience! But after my arms literally felt like jelly :O It's soooo much more challenging than it looks.
We went to Satva Fitness in Escondido and I had quite a bit of trouble finding it. It was on Grand Avenue but I didn't realize that I had to type in W. Grand as opposed to E. Grand so I was pretty confused. Luckily, I didn't miss any part of the workshop due to my lack of driving/directional skills (I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get lost every time I go somewhere new).
We started off with a warmup - lots of stretching and some strengthening poses. Then, we were taught how to climb the silks! The instructor made it look so easy but it requires SO much strength. I tend to have more strength in my legs than in my arms so it was pretty tough but I ended up being able to climb pretty well.
After we had practiced climbing for a while, we moved on to doing tricks! We started with doing splits. To do splits you wrap both your feet in the silks and let gravity pull your legs apart. But, you have to keep your hips square to the front which makes it trickier and, as for all the tricks, you have to use your core a TON. Then, we did some tuck jumps and tried to lift up our legs. I was pretty bad at those :p but it was still tons of fun. Our final trick was one where we wrap both our feet then wrap the silks behind our back while in the air. Then, we lift our legs in a straddle split over our head. Kind of hard to explain but it looks really cool! We finished with a cool down and a lot of stretching. Even before we left I could feel my arms beginning to get sore. By the time I got home, I could barely move them!
It was such a great night trying something totally new and getting to know the other teachers better. I am so lucky to be able to work with some amazing people at Ignite!
We went to Satva Fitness in Escondido and I had quite a bit of trouble finding it. It was on Grand Avenue but I didn't realize that I had to type in W. Grand as opposed to E. Grand so I was pretty confused. Luckily, I didn't miss any part of the workshop due to my lack of driving/directional skills (I can pretty much guarantee that I'll get lost every time I go somewhere new).
We started off with a warmup - lots of stretching and some strengthening poses. Then, we were taught how to climb the silks! The instructor made it look so easy but it requires SO much strength. I tend to have more strength in my legs than in my arms so it was pretty tough but I ended up being able to climb pretty well.
After we had practiced climbing for a while, we moved on to doing tricks! We started with doing splits. To do splits you wrap both your feet in the silks and let gravity pull your legs apart. But, you have to keep your hips square to the front which makes it trickier and, as for all the tricks, you have to use your core a TON. Then, we did some tuck jumps and tried to lift up our legs. I was pretty bad at those :p but it was still tons of fun. Our final trick was one where we wrap both our feet then wrap the silks behind our back while in the air. Then, we lift our legs in a straddle split over our head. Kind of hard to explain but it looks really cool! We finished with a cool down and a lot of stretching. Even before we left I could feel my arms beginning to get sore. By the time I got home, I could barely move them!
It was such a great night trying something totally new and getting to know the other teachers better. I am so lucky to be able to work with some amazing people at Ignite!
Friday, July 20, 2012
Yoga Sculpt Workout!
Sometimes it's not possible to make it to a yoga class at a studio. However, this doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your practice for the day altogether. Practicing at home can be very rewarding and explorative! Get a fun, upbeat playlist and get your yoga on!
Here is what I did in my Yoga Sculpt class last weekend. You can do it with or without light weights (I would suggest 3-5lbs). It's a really fun, sweaty class that gets you energized and ready to face the day!
WARM UP
begin standing: deep breaths, inhale arms overhead/exhale heart center (repeat 4 times)
standing side stretch
5 sun A salutations
CHAIR POSE SERIES (repeat twice!)
chair pose hold with tricep kickbacks x 16
chair pose squats with shoulder press x 16
chair pose hold with row x16
chair pose squats with shoulder press x 16
chair pose hold with chest fly x 16
vinyasa
WARRIOR SERIES
(from downdog)
crescent pose lunge with bicep curl x 16
pulse in lunge with bicep curl x16
crescent pose launch into warrior 3 x 8
warrior 3 hold x 16
pulse lifted leg x 8
(vinyasa and repeat opposite side)
warrior 2 with forward chest press x 16
triangle with tricep dip (upper arm dips behind head) x 16
triangle raise to standing x 8
horse pose squats/shoulder press x 16
hold horse pose with hammercurl x 16
pulse x 16
horse pose squats x 8
(vinyasa and repeat opposite side)
BALANCING SERIES
eagle x 16
warrior 3 x 16
standing split squat kickback (bring lifted arch to standing heel and kick back/up) x 16
tree pose x 16
CORE SERIES
plank hold x 8
side plank right hold x 8
plank hold x 8
side plank left hold x 8
elbow plank hold x 8
hip dips x 16
eagle crunches x 8 per side
Russian twist with weights at heart center x 32
bicycles x 32
bridge with pulse x 16
bridge hold x 16
RELAXATION SERIES
reclined pigeon each side
reclined cowface each side
happy baby
side twists
savasana
Hope you enjoy this workout! It made me sweat! >^.^<
Here is what I did in my Yoga Sculpt class last weekend. You can do it with or without light weights (I would suggest 3-5lbs). It's a really fun, sweaty class that gets you energized and ready to face the day!
WARM UP
begin standing: deep breaths, inhale arms overhead/exhale heart center (repeat 4 times)
standing side stretch
5 sun A salutations
CHAIR POSE SERIES (repeat twice!)
chair pose hold with tricep kickbacks x 16
chair pose squats with shoulder press x 16
chair pose hold with row x16
chair pose squats with shoulder press x 16
chair pose hold with chest fly x 16
vinyasa
WARRIOR SERIES
(from downdog)
crescent pose lunge with bicep curl x 16
pulse in lunge with bicep curl x16
crescent pose launch into warrior 3 x 8
warrior 3 hold x 16
pulse lifted leg x 8
(vinyasa and repeat opposite side)
warrior 2 with forward chest press x 16
triangle with tricep dip (upper arm dips behind head) x 16
triangle raise to standing x 8
horse pose squats/shoulder press x 16
hold horse pose with hammercurl x 16
pulse x 16
horse pose squats x 8
(vinyasa and repeat opposite side)
BALANCING SERIES
eagle x 16
warrior 3 x 16
standing split squat kickback (bring lifted arch to standing heel and kick back/up) x 16
tree pose x 16
CORE SERIES
plank hold x 8
side plank right hold x 8
plank hold x 8
side plank left hold x 8
elbow plank hold x 8
hip dips x 16
eagle crunches x 8 per side
Russian twist with weights at heart center x 32
bicycles x 32
bridge with pulse x 16
bridge hold x 16
RELAXATION SERIES
reclined pigeon each side
reclined cowface each side
happy baby
side twists
savasana
Hope you enjoy this workout! It made me sweat! >^.^<
Finally Friday!
This week I started nannying full time, so I am pretty exhausted and glad that the kids are going out of town for the weekend (including today!). I work 7-8 hours a day and then go straight to Ignite to either work, teach or do classes. This week, I taught Yoga Sculpt on Saturday and Gentle Yoga on Tuesday and I'm teaching a vinyasa flow class tomorrow night. Yoga sculpt has been my favorite class to teach so far because it allows me to be creative with the music and what poses/exercises I incorporate. I also love the energy I get from it and can pass on to the students.
Gentle Yoga was a departure for me, who always wants to be active and moving. It was hard for me to tone it down a bit, but I was able to. It was a really good experience for me to learn how to teach a different style of yoga. Really, I just love teaching yoga in general and I want as much practice as I can get!
This morning I got up early for my favorite class - vinyasa bootcamp - even though it is at 5:30am. I knew I didn't have to be up early today but I also knew that I'd feel better after going to class than from sleeping in a couple hours. I love this class because it helps build strength to get into harder poses. Today we focused on some warriors, Eka Pada Koundinyasana (hurdler), full splits, vasistasana variations (side plank) and urdhva danurasana (full wheel). These are some of my favorite poses to do. They make me feel strong and confident in my practice. I love trying new variations of these poses and just playing. I love the fun atmosphere of vinyasa bootcamp...so worth getting up at 5:30am!
After class, I came home and showered (I was sweaty!) and made my breakfast. Oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk and a dash of vanilla. I also tried my hand at a green smoothie. Like any good fitness blogger, I have heard of the benefits of green smoothies but always felt a bit apprehensive to actually making one. Today, though, I decided to try it. My smoothie consisted of a bunch of kale, 1/2 a banana, some blueberries, a few strawberries, water and ice. Surprisingly, it tasted just like a regular banana berry smoothie. Though, in the future, I will make sure to blend it a bit better because there were big chunks of kale that were kind of icky (not that I don't like kale, but it's really not appetizing to have chunks of it floating in the smoothie). It wasn't a total green smoothie, but baby steps! I'll try to get more creative with my recipes and smoothies this week!
This evening, I'm going with the other teachers at Ignite to an ariel yoga class. It should be super fun. I've never done ariel but always wanted to try it. I'm also looking forward to getting to know the other teachers better!
My wonderful boyfriend is coming to visit for the weekend tomorrow! I am hoping the weekend will be fun and we'll get some tennis, hiking and yoga in as well as some relaxing and eating yummy food that I cook!
Gentle Yoga was a departure for me, who always wants to be active and moving. It was hard for me to tone it down a bit, but I was able to. It was a really good experience for me to learn how to teach a different style of yoga. Really, I just love teaching yoga in general and I want as much practice as I can get!
This morning I got up early for my favorite class - vinyasa bootcamp - even though it is at 5:30am. I knew I didn't have to be up early today but I also knew that I'd feel better after going to class than from sleeping in a couple hours. I love this class because it helps build strength to get into harder poses. Today we focused on some warriors, Eka Pada Koundinyasana (hurdler), full splits, vasistasana variations (side plank) and urdhva danurasana (full wheel). These are some of my favorite poses to do. They make me feel strong and confident in my practice. I love trying new variations of these poses and just playing. I love the fun atmosphere of vinyasa bootcamp...so worth getting up at 5:30am!
After class, I came home and showered (I was sweaty!) and made my breakfast. Oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk and a dash of vanilla. I also tried my hand at a green smoothie. Like any good fitness blogger, I have heard of the benefits of green smoothies but always felt a bit apprehensive to actually making one. Today, though, I decided to try it. My smoothie consisted of a bunch of kale, 1/2 a banana, some blueberries, a few strawberries, water and ice. Surprisingly, it tasted just like a regular banana berry smoothie. Though, in the future, I will make sure to blend it a bit better because there were big chunks of kale that were kind of icky (not that I don't like kale, but it's really not appetizing to have chunks of it floating in the smoothie). It wasn't a total green smoothie, but baby steps! I'll try to get more creative with my recipes and smoothies this week!
This evening, I'm going with the other teachers at Ignite to an ariel yoga class. It should be super fun. I've never done ariel but always wanted to try it. I'm also looking forward to getting to know the other teachers better!
My wonderful boyfriend is coming to visit for the weekend tomorrow! I am hoping the weekend will be fun and we'll get some tennis, hiking and yoga in as well as some relaxing and eating yummy food that I cook!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Please vote!
I entered a photo contest to be featured in Yoga Flow magazine this fall! The photo with the most votes at the end will win! This would be an AMAZING opportunity for me so I would very much appreciate the votes! Thanks :)
https://apps.facebook.com/easypromos/voteme/43251/616036196
https://apps.facebook.com/easypromos/voteme/43251/616036196
Saturday, July 14, 2012
A Great Day
This morning, I taught yoga sculpt annnnd.... It went really well! There were about 15 people who came to class. It was a good number, not too small, not too big. My best friend Carina was there and a few Ignite students who I've gotten to know came too. I had made a really intense routine and, with the heat, everyone was sweating like crazy - me included! We did a lot of lunges, squats, Warrior 3, Warrior 2 combined with different arm exercises. We finished off with some core work then stretching and savasana. I had such a great time teaching. It was challenging - counting reps while talking/encouraging everyone and actually doing the exercises isn't easy! - but it was so fun. I couldn't help but be energetic and happy the entire time. I had some fun music which made it even better. I'll post my workout on here soon! The moves are all really easy to do at home, you can even do it without weights if you want to!
After the class, Carina and I went to grab some acai bowls at the yogurt shop next door to Ignite. An acai bowl was just what I needed after teaching and before heading back to Ignite for a yoga sculpt workshop! The workshop was amazing! I was already pretty tired but I was able to do everything. We started off with about 25 minutes of vinyasa yoga to warm up our bodies. Then, we did over an hour of sculpting combined with yoga barre. The last 25 minutes was dedicated to stretching and savasana, which included adjustments and live music. My body feels great right now! I love how I feel so strong and toned after these classes.
I am so tired though! I did a quick 30 minute swim this afternoon which felt good but now I'm exhausted! Ready for a relaxing evening!
After the class, Carina and I went to grab some acai bowls at the yogurt shop next door to Ignite. An acai bowl was just what I needed after teaching and before heading back to Ignite for a yoga sculpt workshop! The workshop was amazing! I was already pretty tired but I was able to do everything. We started off with about 25 minutes of vinyasa yoga to warm up our bodies. Then, we did over an hour of sculpting combined with yoga barre. The last 25 minutes was dedicated to stretching and savasana, which included adjustments and live music. My body feels great right now! I love how I feel so strong and toned after these classes.
I am so tired though! I did a quick 30 minute swim this afternoon which felt good but now I'm exhausted! Ready for a relaxing evening!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Just Keep Swimming...
OMG I"m sore! Yesterday, Max and I went swimming when I was at his house in Palm Desert. We had a great time, as we always do when we're together (he's going to visit his sister in Seattle so I won't be seeing him for about a week :( ). I swam 30 laps which is 1500 meters. For someone who hasn't swam in a while (I am a total wimp when it comes to cold so basically I swim when its over 90 degrees outside...) that is quite a lot! And I'm definitely feeling it today...though that may also be because I took a yoga sculpt class last night. I've been trying to take as many sculpt classes as possible to prepare for my class tomorrow. It's been fun to see what different teachers do. I like that it gives you room for a little creativity in the postures and the music.
I started today off with a Vinyasa Bootcamp class at 5:30am. Now I'm preparing for tomorrow's sculpt. I have put together a pretty awesome playlist on Spotify and I'm so pumped for tomorrow.
After I teach tomorrow, I'm doing a sculpt workshop so basically I'm going to be super tired tomorrow night and just going to want to relax and relax!
On Wednesday when I was at jury duty (ugh...), I was super bored and restless so I decided that I might want to do a mini triathlon. I Googled some in the San Diego area and found a few that are like 400m swim, 15k bike and 5k run. Totally doable! There's one on September 30 that I think I'm going to do. I know I can do the 5k run without much training (which is good because I hate running more than like 1-2 days per week). The only part I'd really need to practice a lot would be the swimming, but even that wouldn't be too bad. I think it would be a good way to crosstrain but also still give me plenty of time to do yoga. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it!
I started today off with a Vinyasa Bootcamp class at 5:30am. Now I'm preparing for tomorrow's sculpt. I have put together a pretty awesome playlist on Spotify and I'm so pumped for tomorrow.
After I teach tomorrow, I'm doing a sculpt workshop so basically I'm going to be super tired tomorrow night and just going to want to relax and relax!
On Wednesday when I was at jury duty (ugh...), I was super bored and restless so I decided that I might want to do a mini triathlon. I Googled some in the San Diego area and found a few that are like 400m swim, 15k bike and 5k run. Totally doable! There's one on September 30 that I think I'm going to do. I know I can do the 5k run without much training (which is good because I hate running more than like 1-2 days per week). The only part I'd really need to practice a lot would be the swimming, but even that wouldn't be too bad. I think it would be a good way to crosstrain but also still give me plenty of time to do yoga. I'm pretty sure I'm going to do it!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Early Morning Sculpt and Jury Duty
Being the insane person that I am and knowing that I had to be downtown at 7:45 this morning, I found it to be reasonable to get up at 5 for a yoga class. Of course. It was Hot Yoga Sculpt one of my favorite classes and also the class I'm teaching on Saturday.
I love sculpt because it is such a full body workout but also incorporates the calming sense of more relaxed types of yoga. My body always feels tired after but in the best way possible. Plus it makes sitting here at jury duty slightly more bearable knowing that I have already gotten a workout in.
Which brings me to...jury duty *sticks out tongue* I'm hoping I won't be needed because I was planning on going to visit Max for a day since I had to get off work anyhow. So fingers crossed I'll be able to! Max is going to Seattle with his family this weekend so I wouldn't be able to see him until next weekend.
I'm super excited to teach sculpt on Saturday! I practiced my sequence yesterday and let me tell you I was sweating in my living room which is for some reason always cold. So we will definitely be sweating in the heated room! My best friend Carina is coming to my class! She's been doing a lot of yoga lately since taking one of my classes which makes me feel pretty darn proud! Also my dad is going to start coming to Ignite soon he wants to try hot yoga!
I love sculpt because it is such a full body workout but also incorporates the calming sense of more relaxed types of yoga. My body always feels tired after but in the best way possible. Plus it makes sitting here at jury duty slightly more bearable knowing that I have already gotten a workout in.
Which brings me to...jury duty *sticks out tongue* I'm hoping I won't be needed because I was planning on going to visit Max for a day since I had to get off work anyhow. So fingers crossed I'll be able to! Max is going to Seattle with his family this weekend so I wouldn't be able to see him until next weekend.
I'm super excited to teach sculpt on Saturday! I practiced my sequence yesterday and let me tell you I was sweating in my living room which is for some reason always cold. So we will definitely be sweating in the heated room! My best friend Carina is coming to my class! She's been doing a lot of yoga lately since taking one of my classes which makes me feel pretty darn proud! Also my dad is going to start coming to Ignite soon he wants to try hot yoga!
Monday, July 9, 2012
Busy Busy Busy!
This week has seemed crazy! I've been getting up early every morning to get some yoga in and then have kept busy the rest of the day. Friday I taught a 5:30am class and then spent the rest of the day working at the snack bar. Saturday, I went to an early class at Corepower, then to work and then to teach a donation class at Bird Rock. The class went very well! Seven people showed up and I was able to raise a good amount of money for Yoga For Hope which was pretty cool. I taught vinyasa style and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I felt totally relaxed and had a great time teaching. I had some good music and had prepared a pretty challenging but still accessible sequence and it went over well. Teaching is exhausting though! I love it because when I'm teaching I get what I consider my "yoga teacher super powers" where I can, for example, hold chaturanga for like 20834798174 breaths while I explain what to do. So basically I do all these demos while I'm explaining and I don't realize that I'm holding it for so long and then after class I'm super sore :p I also get this extreme amount of energy after I teach because I'm so happy (Max says that yoga/teaching yoga is like drugs to me...)
Yesterday, I did some more yoga, took my car in for a long awaited car wash and met up with a friend for coffee. Then I did some more yoga. I think if I didn't have commitments I would just do yoga all day 0_o Today, I went to Corepower for a 6:15 Hot Power Fusion class and then to Ignite for a Vinyasa Bootcamp. I raced home and got ready for nannying at 10. I got off of work at 2 and came home and relaxed for a few hours before heading back to Ignite to work the front desk and take another class (you know, since I'm already there...). It was crazy busy at the studio today because we are partnering with Truestar, a health and wellness company that has meal plans and weight loss programs. I think it's pretty great that the studio is trying to promote a healthy lifestyle outside of yoga class as well. From experience I know that it healthy living helps improve your yoga practice and yoga helps encourage a healthier lifestyle. I'm going to a Truestar meeting next week which I'm excited for.
This Saturday, I'm subbing a Hot Yoga Sculpt class at Ignite. I'm really excited for this class. I'm making a fun playlist and it's going to be a great workout! I love sculpt because it's upbeat and I feel so good after so it's going to be good to finally be teaching it!
Yesterday, I did some more yoga, took my car in for a long awaited car wash and met up with a friend for coffee. Then I did some more yoga. I think if I didn't have commitments I would just do yoga all day 0_o Today, I went to Corepower for a 6:15 Hot Power Fusion class and then to Ignite for a Vinyasa Bootcamp. I raced home and got ready for nannying at 10. I got off of work at 2 and came home and relaxed for a few hours before heading back to Ignite to work the front desk and take another class (you know, since I'm already there...). It was crazy busy at the studio today because we are partnering with Truestar, a health and wellness company that has meal plans and weight loss programs. I think it's pretty great that the studio is trying to promote a healthy lifestyle outside of yoga class as well. From experience I know that it healthy living helps improve your yoga practice and yoga helps encourage a healthier lifestyle. I'm going to a Truestar meeting next week which I'm excited for.
This Saturday, I'm subbing a Hot Yoga Sculpt class at Ignite. I'm really excited for this class. I'm making a fun playlist and it's going to be a great workout! I love sculpt because it's upbeat and I feel so good after so it's going to be good to finally be teaching it!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Unexpected Teaching...Great Start to My Friday!
Typically, on Fridays, I get up and do a 5:30 am Vinyasa Bootcamp class. My boyfriend says that I have to get my yoga "drug" fix in. I just love the class and the feeling of being productive so early in the morning. Plus I find that yoga energizes me more than sleep at times.
So, this morning, I rolled out of bed preparing myself to take yoga class...and completely unprepared to teach a yoga class. When I reached the studio, though, a crowd of people was waiting outside. I assumed the teacher was just running a bit late so I opened the studio and let everyone get situated (I know the code since I intern at the studio). After about 10 minutes though, people were getting restless and I still was not able to get a hold of the teacher who was supposed to be there. Finally, I decided to just go for it and teach the class since that is what all these people showed up for and, when you get up at 5:30 to do yoga, you really want to do yoga.
I didn't know how to work the heater, I didn't know how to work the music, but I did know how to teach yoga. So, I taught the class! I was nervous at first but excited for the opportunity. I had to make up the sequence as I went but it turned out fine. I started off with some vinyasas so I could get somewhat of a plan together in my mind. Then, I did a flow and added some lunges and strength moves into it (since it was supposed to be a bootcamp class). Then, I did some more strength moves (chair pose squats, horse pose squats, side plank, etc.) followed by balancing and a few cool down poses. Overall, it was a successful class. I think I was able to give the 20 or so people who were there a good early morning workout! I was so energized afterward and felt pretty proud that I had been able to lead a class at the last minute.
I'm teaching again tomorrow night and next Saturday morning. I'm so excited for both. Being able to teach yoga and even just work at the studio gets me through long days nannying or working at the snack bar (which I'm doing today and tomorrow).
In other news, Max left this morning *sad face* I don't like how little we get to see each other during summer! But, I suppose, I am grateful that I get to see him at all! We had a great time the past few days celebrating 4th of July and my mom's birthday yesterday. We had a family tennis tournament yesterday - me and Max, my mom and brother and dad and sister all competed. It was really fun. I love how well Max and my family get along and that we can all do fun activities like tennis together. I had also done a yoga sculpt and a yoga barre class yesterday morning so I was exhausted after two hours of yoga and an hour and a half of tennis! It's okay though because I have to sit at work all day today so I had to get a lot of movement in yesterday and this morning. I'm planning on going to two Corepower classes tomorrow morning (sadly none of the class times at Ignite will work for in my schedule for tomorrow). I'm going to try the hot class which is like Bikram and then a C2 which is heated power yoga.
If anyone wants to join me for a class at Bird Rock Yoga tomorrow at 5:30pm that would be great! the address is 910 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach, CA 92109 and the class is donation based! Suggested donation is $5 and it goes to Yoga For Hope!
So, this morning, I rolled out of bed preparing myself to take yoga class...and completely unprepared to teach a yoga class. When I reached the studio, though, a crowd of people was waiting outside. I assumed the teacher was just running a bit late so I opened the studio and let everyone get situated (I know the code since I intern at the studio). After about 10 minutes though, people were getting restless and I still was not able to get a hold of the teacher who was supposed to be there. Finally, I decided to just go for it and teach the class since that is what all these people showed up for and, when you get up at 5:30 to do yoga, you really want to do yoga.
I didn't know how to work the heater, I didn't know how to work the music, but I did know how to teach yoga. So, I taught the class! I was nervous at first but excited for the opportunity. I had to make up the sequence as I went but it turned out fine. I started off with some vinyasas so I could get somewhat of a plan together in my mind. Then, I did a flow and added some lunges and strength moves into it (since it was supposed to be a bootcamp class). Then, I did some more strength moves (chair pose squats, horse pose squats, side plank, etc.) followed by balancing and a few cool down poses. Overall, it was a successful class. I think I was able to give the 20 or so people who were there a good early morning workout! I was so energized afterward and felt pretty proud that I had been able to lead a class at the last minute.
I'm teaching again tomorrow night and next Saturday morning. I'm so excited for both. Being able to teach yoga and even just work at the studio gets me through long days nannying or working at the snack bar (which I'm doing today and tomorrow).
In other news, Max left this morning *sad face* I don't like how little we get to see each other during summer! But, I suppose, I am grateful that I get to see him at all! We had a great time the past few days celebrating 4th of July and my mom's birthday yesterday. We had a family tennis tournament yesterday - me and Max, my mom and brother and dad and sister all competed. It was really fun. I love how well Max and my family get along and that we can all do fun activities like tennis together. I had also done a yoga sculpt and a yoga barre class yesterday morning so I was exhausted after two hours of yoga and an hour and a half of tennis! It's okay though because I have to sit at work all day today so I had to get a lot of movement in yesterday and this morning. I'm planning on going to two Corepower classes tomorrow morning (sadly none of the class times at Ignite will work for in my schedule for tomorrow). I'm going to try the hot class which is like Bikram and then a C2 which is heated power yoga.
If anyone wants to join me for a class at Bird Rock Yoga tomorrow at 5:30pm that would be great! the address is 910 Grand Avenue, Pacific Beach, CA 92109 and the class is donation based! Suggested donation is $5 and it goes to Yoga For Hope!
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Happy 4th of July!
My wonderful boyfriend came to visit for a few days! He came over yesterday afternoon and we had a great day just hanging out and going to look at his new house for this semester. We were planning on going to see Matisyahu at the San Diego County Fair, but, after waiting in traffic for an hour and a half, we were not even close to getting off the freeway and decided to just not go :( I was pretty disappointed but glad that we hadn't bought tickets yet.
Today has been a strange 4th of July. It's really cold here! I went to yoga this morning (a wonderful vinyasa bootcamp class that really tired me out!) while Max enjoyed some homemade waffles for breakfast. We were thinking about going on a hike but then decided against it since it was a long drive to get there so we played some tennis instead. We played two sets- I won the first one 6-2 and he won the second 6-5 but we had to leave because people were waiting for the courts. We are very compatible tennis players - we always get to deuce and we usually play 3 sets and sometimes tie breakers. I really enjoy playing tennis with him.
After tennis, we went back to my house and had some lunch. I started making a cake for 4th of July for my family (sadly, they do not appreciate my adventures in healthy cooking so I just made a normal cake). I decorated it American style though!
Then, we relaxed for a bit. After a while, I decided it was the perfect time to take yoga photos. So, Max became my photographer and snapped shots of me doing yoga poses! Some of them actually turned out really well!
Me doing dancer pose!
Now we're cooking some dinner and planning to go watch fireworks later!
Hope everyone is having a happy 4th of July!!
Today has been a strange 4th of July. It's really cold here! I went to yoga this morning (a wonderful vinyasa bootcamp class that really tired me out!) while Max enjoyed some homemade waffles for breakfast. We were thinking about going on a hike but then decided against it since it was a long drive to get there so we played some tennis instead. We played two sets- I won the first one 6-2 and he won the second 6-5 but we had to leave because people were waiting for the courts. We are very compatible tennis players - we always get to deuce and we usually play 3 sets and sometimes tie breakers. I really enjoy playing tennis with him.
Then, we relaxed for a bit. After a while, I decided it was the perfect time to take yoga photos. So, Max became my photographer and snapped shots of me doing yoga poses! Some of them actually turned out really well!
Now we're cooking some dinner and planning to go watch fireworks later!
Hope everyone is having a happy 4th of July!!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Sweaty Sunday!
This morning I went to the free Lululemon Sweaty Sunday class. If you don't know, Lululemon offers free community classes (usually yoga on Saturdays and bootcamp on Sundays) featuring instructors from different studios/gyms in the area. Today (and for the rest of July), instructors from Kaia FIT in Solana Beach were there. And they made "Sweaty Sunday" live up to it's name...it was a pretty intense workout!
Our warmup was 10 burpees, 10 squat jumps, 10 jumping jacks repeated as many times as possible in the given time. I was able to complete 4 rounds. Then, we divided up into three groups of about 10 people and went to different stations. The instructor, Tara, demonstrated the move and, as another part of the warmup, everyone had to do 10 reps of each move.
Then, the real workout began! Each station had three moves and each move had to be completed 10 times to count as one round. We had four minutes to complete as many rounds as possible. At the end, each group added up all the members' scores to create a total. The first station my group was at was: burpees, tricep dips and tuck jumps. The second station was: jumping lunges, crab tricep dips, and Russian twists. The third was: squat jumps, tricep pushups and ski abs.
Once we rotated through all the stations, we were told that we had to do the whole thing again! This time we were competing with ourselves and trying to beat our first score. I ended up beating all of my scores which made me pretty happy. My team overall also beat our scores.
The workout was intense but it was so much fun because it inspired competition but also teamwork. It was fun to cheer people on and know that other people were cheering for you.
By the ending cool down (some yoga-inspired stretching), I was exhausted and sweating but feeling great! I had such a fun time and felt proud of what I had been able to do. I definitely hope I can come back next week!
The only problem with having the classes at Lululemon is that I want Allllllll the clothes there! They are so cute and I have an addiction for shopping for fitness clothes. I had to pry myself away though because, sadly, Lululemon is not affordable on a college student's budget :( Though I was able to find some cute, cheaper leggings and a sports bra elsewhere!
Our warmup was 10 burpees, 10 squat jumps, 10 jumping jacks repeated as many times as possible in the given time. I was able to complete 4 rounds. Then, we divided up into three groups of about 10 people and went to different stations. The instructor, Tara, demonstrated the move and, as another part of the warmup, everyone had to do 10 reps of each move.
Then, the real workout began! Each station had three moves and each move had to be completed 10 times to count as one round. We had four minutes to complete as many rounds as possible. At the end, each group added up all the members' scores to create a total. The first station my group was at was: burpees, tricep dips and tuck jumps. The second station was: jumping lunges, crab tricep dips, and Russian twists. The third was: squat jumps, tricep pushups and ski abs.
Once we rotated through all the stations, we were told that we had to do the whole thing again! This time we were competing with ourselves and trying to beat our first score. I ended up beating all of my scores which made me pretty happy. My team overall also beat our scores.
The workout was intense but it was so much fun because it inspired competition but also teamwork. It was fun to cheer people on and know that other people were cheering for you.
By the ending cool down (some yoga-inspired stretching), I was exhausted and sweating but feeling great! I had such a fun time and felt proud of what I had been able to do. I definitely hope I can come back next week!
The only problem with having the classes at Lululemon is that I want Allllllll the clothes there! They are so cute and I have an addiction for shopping for fitness clothes. I had to pry myself away though because, sadly, Lululemon is not affordable on a college student's budget :( Though I was able to find some cute, cheaper leggings and a sports bra elsewhere!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)