Good Start To The Week

This weekend, I had some well - deserved relaxation time with Max. I drove to his apartment Friday night after I was done babysitting. Saturday, I worked from 8-4 at my dad's basketball camp. I work at the snack bar. It's not a difficult job except the food we sell (movie theater style popcorn, candy, soda, etc.) makes me cringe every time someone buys something! :p It takes all my will power not to lecture people about what they're eating.

After I finished work, I taught at Bird Rock. Max came to my class! He is my most favorite student <3 Seriously, though, he is getting so much better! It makes me really happy that he comes out and supports me as much as he can. There were 5 people in the class (a donation based vinyasa flow) and I think it went well, aside from the fact that the docking station wasn't working so we had no music. I did a somewhat more difficult flow than usual and it was very fun.

Once we finished yoga, Max and I headed to grab some food to take back to the apartment. We ended up having a picnic dinner on the living room floor (since he and his roommates haven't officially moved in yet, there is no furniture...or shower curtain...or towels...haha). I had a veggie sushi roll with avocado, cucumber, carrots, sprouts and spinach wrapped in seaweed, some edamame and steamed veggies. He had steamed veggies and a chicken burrito. For dessert we had some Crunchy Nut cereal (cereal is my weakness...). After dinner, we just hung out and read some books then went to bed early...we were both super tired!

Sunday, we woke up around 8 and went to get breakfast (Starbucks for me, Mexican food for him). We sat at Starbucks for a while and chatted and looked hipster with our Apple products (my MacBook and his iPad). Then we went off to Target to buy some tennis balls then hit the courts! We played two sets...I won the first one 6-3, he won the second 6-4. We were both kind of off on our game which was disappointing, but it was still fun.

He left to go back home soon after tennis :( And I headed home too with a quick pit stop at Forever 21 haha. Later, I did Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown levels 1 and 2 followed by a great swim. I swam 40 laps which is 2000m. It took me about 45 minutes and was an awesome workout.

This morning, I woke up and took hot yoga barre at 5:30am. It was really tough today! I think it was hotter than usual and I was a little dehydrated. I came home, had a yummy oatmeal breakfast then went back to the studio...to do two more classes (vinyasa bootcamp and Ignite 1)...and unexpectedly teach Gentle Yoga! I was so tired after taking 3 tough classes but really excited to teach. There were only 3 students in the class but it was fun and they liked what I did a lot.

This afternoon I did some things around the house then went to play some tennis with my mom. We had a good time though she won 6-2. My mom is pretty good at tennis...she played during college and has a good serve. I definitely did better than I did yesterday though.

More yoga in store for tomorrow! It's so nice not to be nannying this week!

How was your weekend? 

What are your favorite activities to do with family and friends?

The Past Two Days

have been INSANE! Insanely busy, that is. And long. At times fun. At times unfun.

quick recap...

Thursday
5:20am - roll out of bed, get dressed and quickly grab water bottle, iPhone and head out the door
6am - teach Ignite 2...it was a great class! my dad went! (then he came home and promptly went back to bed haha)
7:30am - breakfast of oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk and a smoothie
9:15am - back to the studio to get my workout in...hot yoga sculpt!
10:30am - followed by hot yoga barre!
11:45am - get home, shower, get pretty (or presentable at least...)
12:30pm - make lunch, eat lunch
1pm - grab a coffee before picking up the girls from their parents' office
1:30-5:15pm - nannying job
5:15pm - grab another coffee
5:30pm - go to babysit for different kids
10:45pm - finally get home
11:15pm - collapse into bed!

Friday
5am - wake up call!
5:30am - vinyasa bootcamp yoga...great wake up class!
6:45am - breakfast, some relaxing and packing for spending the weekend at Max's new apartment
8:45am - head back to the studio
9:15am - teach Ignite 1
10:30am - teach Ignite 2
11:45am - shower, get ready, pack car
12:15pm - watch girls' dance camp recital...they were so cute!
12:45pm - take girls to get a treat at Albertsons (and coffee for me!) then go to their house
3:45pm - their dad got home early! I get off early!
4pm - go to the bank and sit at Starbucks until 5 when I get to go to yet ANOTHER babysitting job...I'm hoping that will be done before midnight so I can drive down to Max's...

It's been such a busy week for me and tomorrow I am working for my dad all day and then teaching in the evening. But after that it is time to relax with Max and enjoy some tennis and beach time! It's crazy but I think my life is going to be less hectic when school starts...hard to imagine haha I'm still loving being able to teach so much yoga though! I had a great moment this morning when, even though I was exhausted, I thought "Wow. I'm actually teaching yoga. I actually DO this. I actually made this happen." It was such a cool realization and made me really proud!

How I stay awake all day...lotssss of caffeine :p

Fitness Survey and Exciting News!

Here's a fun fitness survey I got from Tina at carrotsncake! I thought it would be fun to do because I've never done one...so here goes!

Five Fitness Things You Can't Live Without

1. my yoga mat...it's always always with me! plus towels and cute yoga outfits!
2. water bottle...same as above I literally sleep with it 0_o
3. access to yoga classes I go crazy if I miss a day!
4. tennis racket/shoes/clothes
5. swimsuit and goggles for swimming

Most Embarassing Song I Work Out To

hmm...idk for this one...I just know that I sometimes sing along with the songs which is embarassing since singing is NOT one of my talents

Favorite Pre-Workout Snack/Meal

I usually work out mid morning so I'll eat a bowl of oatmeal with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and some fresh fruit. 

On My Fitness Bucket List

do a sprint triathlon
become a certified personal trainer
do more yoga trainings
start my own fitness apparel/accessories line

Must Have Tech Tools

iPhone for music
Spotify for when I teach yoga classes

Top Exercise Gear

any cute yet affordable workout clothes (I'm a college student...I have a budget!)
5 - 10 pound free weights
Nike running shoes...I really want a new pair in teal!


Motivational Mantras

"sweat like a pig to look like a fox"
"it's not a competition, it's freakin' yoga!"
"it's yoga PRACTICE, not yoga perfect"
"the only workout you'll regret is the one you didn't do"

Favorite Cardio Exercise

HIIT for sure! Moving from one exercise to another keeps it interesting and torches calories at the same time. Plus, I just find it so much fun, especially in a group class setting.
I also enjoy swimming and playing tennis for cardio though. Both are great workouts where I am able to have fun while exercising. 

Favorite Strength Training Moves

Yoga Sculpt! I love the combination of weights with traditional yoga poses. Yoga is already a great way to strength train but it gets even more effective with the addition of weights.

The End :)

Soooo... for my exciting news...I will be officially teaching Hot Yoga Sculpt at Ignite Yoga Fusion on Wednesdays at 5:30am! So ready to start the day off with a great workout with all my early morning yogis!

A Very Busy Week!

This week has been crazy busy for me! I've been up at 5am everyday and pretty much going from then until 8 or 9pm! I've been nannying every day this week and I've been teaching a lot of classes too! I taught Ignite 1 Monday evening, which I had never taught before. It was unexpected but it was fun and a good experience for me - luckily I have taken the class so many times I know the sequence! Wednesday, I taught a 7pm Ignite 2 class. Both my parents came to that one which was cool. My music was having some issues though so that was a bit of a bummer. Thursday, I taught a 6am Ignite 2 which went really well, followed by a 9:15am yoga sculpt. Sculpt is my favorite class to teach because there's so much room to add energy and fun moves plus it's an awesome workout. It's tough because I have to do the moves and talk at the same time but I love it. This morning, I taught another unexpected class. I woke up to take the 5:30am bootcamp, but, no teacher showed up, so I taught! I had to think fast and come up with a routine as I went, but it was fun and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I love teaching so much!

Nannying has gone better than I thought it would this week too. Sometimes the 7-8 hour days really drag on, but this week it wasn't bad. I took the girls to the park a couple times and on Wednesday, we went to the farmer's market which was really fun. The girls got some fake roses and little butterfly things for their mom's birthday and I got some delicious tomatoes, pluots, squash, and a jar of homemade salsa for Max. 

my lovely, yummy farmer's market purchases! Got all this for under $10

the meanings of roses, I thought this was cute

I'm glad it's Friday though! I'm about to go do another workout since I don't count teaching as a workout even though I do most of the moves. I'm thinking of going to a BodyRok class at 8:40. Then it's off to work until 5 and finally I'll be driving out to see Max! We're going to a waterpark tomorrow which should be fun. Sunday we will probably swim and play tennis and then I'll drive back and spend the afternoon with friends at the beach! Fun weekend ahead!

What are your weekend plans?

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!

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!

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! 

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! >^.^<

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

Early Morning Yoga

I love when I make myself get up and go to a 5:30 am yoga class. It always makes my day feel so much better. Today I did Vinyasa Bootcamp, which uses traditional yoga postures mixed with repetitions to tone and strengthen the body. This means a lot of chair pose, a lot of crescent pose to warrior 3, horse pose squats, plank holds and vasistasana variations. I love it because the class isn't heated, just warm, so when I'm drenched in sweat after I know that it's because I worked hard.

I've been happy to be back in San Diego and back doing lots of yoga. Luckily, I recovered pretty quickly from the flu I had while in Dallas. I've been working at the studio a lot this week and doing classes. Yesterday, I did three classes - yoga sculpt, yoga barre and Ignite 1. Yoga makes me feel so healthy and strong. Plus I just love being in a studio. It's such a positive atmosphere and it is always fun to talk to people about yoga. From working at the front desk I've met so many great students and teachers. I always look forward to it.

Next week is 4th of July, which happens to be Max's favorite holiday, so I will definitely be making some yummy holiday treats for him! I'm planning on trying some new recipes both vegan and non vegan so I'll post those later on.

For today, I'm going to see the apartment I'll be living in come September. I'm excited to not live in the dorms anymore. It'll be so much easier to eat healthily and much more comfortable.

I'm also going to a yoga meet up class with some friends from Bird Rock. Looking forward to that I miss my teacher training friends!

Not Quite the Vacation I Envisioned...

I was hoping that this week in Dallas would be a great one for Max and I. However, due to a nasty flu virus, it was a lot less enjoyable than I had hoped. We both have been very sick which limited our participation in the wedding festivities and the intense yoga practice schedule I had planned for myself. I also feel bad because Max has been less than impressed, since we've spent most of our time in the house. Understandably, he's a bit anxious to be home.

However, there have been a few high points of the trip. We visited SMU and both absolutely loved it. He's hoping to be accepted there for law school and I would be very excited if he gets in! The campus and the surrounding area is gorgeous. I was also able to see one of my best friends from my elementary school days in Mobile, Alabama who I hadn't seen in about 2 years. She's doing a summer internship here in Dallas and the timing worked out perfectly. We met for lunch yesterday and it was great to catch up! Today, Max and I, both feeling a bit better, went to the 6th Floor Museum (the memorial and museum of the JFK assassination). Max is very into history so this was so his thing. It was great to see him excited and having a good time!

I had to take a whole day off of yoga (I know, shocking!) when I was sick and barely practiced for two days after that because I felt surprisingly weak. I hate feeling like this...it's so frustrating! Today, though, I was back at it full force! I went to Lifetime and did 35 minutes of elliptical followed by 30 minutes of strength training on a BOSU. Then I took a 75 minute core yoga class which was super challenging. I got a little frustrated though because the towel I had wasn't big enough for the mat and I kept slipping :( But, overall, it was a good day. I also will probably do a YogaGlo video tonight. I'm doing the 15 day free trial and I love it! Of all the video sites I've tried, this is the best since the videos are actually challenging!

Tomorrow is our last day here. We leave in the evening. I'm not really sure what we will be doing before we leave. I'll probably try to get in one last workout at Lifetime. Hopefully Max will be feeling much better!

Clean Eating Plan!

I'm a pretty healthy eater in general...I avoid fat and calorie laden treats like cake and cookies in favor for healthier options; dairy since I'm lactose intolerant; meat since I'm a vegetarian; and refined carbs like white bread and pasta. My diet consists of mainly fruits, veggies and whole grains. However, I do eat some processed foods (protein bars, Arctic Zero "ice cream", veggie burgers and sugar free soy mocha frapps are my weaknesses).

My cousin is getting married next weekend and I know that the food and drink choices will not be as healthy as I usually try to be, so I decided to do a week of "clean" eating before the wedding and a week after the wedding (I'm going to eat as healthy as possible when I'm at the wedding but I will definitely be having a few drinks). This means two weeks of nothing processed at all. I'm allowed to eat as many fruits and veggies as I want along with some non dairy milk (I like unsweetened almond), oats, quinoa, nuts and a bit of olive oil. So far, it hasn't been that difficult, but, then again, it is only Day 1. I think the most difficult part will be not being able to grab a convenient Luna bar when I'm hungry mid afternoon, especially when I'm busy with my nannying job and my internship at Ignite mixed in with daily yoga classes. But, it will be worth it to feel healthier.

This is what I've had today:

Breakfast:
-smoothie with sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, ice and water blended together
-1 cup oatmeal with almond milk
-chai tea

Lunch:
-salad with: edamame, red bell pepper, cucumber, a bit of avocado and carrots
-apple
-small handful of almonds

Snack: 
-cantaloupe slices

Dinner:
-steamed veggies: broccoli, parsnips, sweet potato, carrots
-air popped popcorn drizzled with olive oil

I've been sitting at work (basketball camp snack bar) allllll day and it's been torturous! I haven't even been able to do yoga or workout. I'm planning on doing at least an hour of yoga/workout no matter how late I get home tonight. I know it's important to take rest days but I've been very sedentary today so I would prefer to take a rest day when I'm actually doing something active during the day instead of just sitting.

Tomorrow I'm planning on doing two yoga classes and maybe some strength training or cardio. Also it's Father's Day. My dad has been trying to get in better shape lately so I'll probably teach him yoga and make him a healthy dinner!

Protein for Vegetarians/Vegans

As a vegetarian (and mostly vegan since I'm lactose intolerant) I can't tell you how many times family members have asked me "how do you get protein?" The truth is that a vegetarian or vegan diet doesn't have to be lacking in protein!

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html

5:30 am Yoga Bootcamp? Yes, please!

I'm working the snack bar at a basketball camp all day today and knew I would go crazy sitting down all day if I didn't sneak in an early morning workout (I hate being still all day especially since I'm used to doing at least 2 hours of exercise a day). So, I rolled myself out of bed at 5am to get to a 5:30 vinyasa bootcamp class at Ignite. I'm interning at the studio, so I get free yoga classes (this is even better than getting paid in money for me...). I've definitely been utilizing my free classes this week; I've gone to 8 yoga classes since Monday at Ignite. The class this morning was a great way to start off the day. I was drenched in sweat by the end and it wasn't even heated! The class focused on strengthening, so we did a lot of chair poses, crescent lunges and chaturangas. I love how I feel after a really challenging class, especially when its early in the day.

It's amazing to me how strengthening yoga is. Most people don't believe that yoga is so challenging before they try it. My dad always used to tell me that I needed to do more than just yoga to get in shape - then he actually tried yoga and now he realizes just how great it is for getting in shape. I also recently convinced my boyfriend to do yoga with me after months of attempting to get him to go to a class. He came to the first donation based class I held as a teacher (though at that point he only agreed to it because he loves me). The next day, though, I got back from teacher training and he told me that he had googled yoga poses and practiced them while I was gone. I was so proud! We ended up going to a class at Bird Rock later that week and he enjoyed it and was pretty exhausted afterwards.

I love yoga because it not only provides a great workout for the body (it varies between styles but, if done properly, even the simplest looking poses can be strengthening), but it also is a great way to de-stress and focus the mind. Sometimes for me, the hardest part of a class is the relaxation portion. I'm the kind of person who is constantly busy (with work, class, yoga, time with friends and family, etc) so it is often difficult for me to "turn off" my plans and to do lists. Yoga is a great way for me to incorporate this much needed relaxation of the mind in a way that I can still feel like I am being productive and using my time well. My boyfriend and my mom have both referred to yoga as my "addiction" and I would be inclined to agree. I feel most confident, most content, and most energetic after practicing yoga. It's even worth waking up at 5am to get to a class for. I know I'll feel much more awake and energetic now that I practiced!