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By Julia Rymut;

How to Get Out of a Studio and Enjoy Outdoor Yoga

Woman in Dog Pose OutdoorsDo you love being outdoors? Have you ever thought about outdoor yoga for a change of scenery from your usual practice area?

More and more yoga lovers are heading outdoors during the spring and summer months to make the most of the weather. But be warned, there is a very good chance you will not want to go back inside to practice once you have tasted outdoor yoga!

Under the sky

For a long time I put myself off the idea, because I told myself that I needed to be in my own ‘private space’ where I could control my environment. The idea of being on display whist practicing my asana’s was incredibly off putting because I knew I would have trouble concentrating if I felt that I was making a spectacle of myself and people were staring at me.

Eventually I plucked up the courage to give it a try and having experienced the freedom of meditating in various outside locations, there is no looking back for me. I now have a few favorite spots depending on weather and time constraints

I discovered that it is a shame to confine oneself to practicing indoors when you could be enjoying the experience and freedom of taking your yoga outside and connecting in a natural environment.

Here are some tips that will help you to get the most out of your al-fresco yoga!
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: exercise, happiness, stress relief, stress-free living, yoga

By Julia Rymut;

Get an Online Yoga Workout with “My Yoga” on Gaiam TV

If you want an online yoga workout, then My Yoga on Gaiam TV (affiliate link) is your yoga paradise. With hundreds of videos available on demand, with unlimited downloads, it’s the Mecca of online yoga classes.

The beauty of My Yoga is its variety. To reduce stress, you may need a restorative yoga workout one day, and an energizing one the next. Maybe you need instructions on stretching at work. Maybe you need prenatal yoga. One day you want a 60 minute workout, and the next day you only have 10 minutes.

My Yoga has hundreds of workouts, from dozens of teachers. There are many yoga styles, and many different themes in the yoga practices: short practices, long practices, beginner, advanced, pilates, meditation–My Yoga has so many choices that you’re bound to find something that suits you. It is truly a library of online yoga workouts.
My Yoga on Gaiam TV
If you want a truly flexible program, one that can accommodate your every mood, every interest, every physical concern, My Yoga is your online yoga program.

My Yoga on Gaiam TV Features:

  • Many different yoga styles including Hatha, Power, Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Kundalini Yoga, and others.
  • Practices on many themes including prenatal yoga, standing poses, sleep and relaxation, core, weight loss, and more.
  • Extra practices including Pilates, Dance, T’ai Chi, and meditation.
  • Yoga at Work classes so you can stay healthy at work too.
  • Clearly marked levels so you know if its for you.
  • Searchable by category, length, level and teacher.
  • Over 100 different teachers.
  • Videos are 5-90 minutes long.
  • Yoga guides to help get you started.

My Yoga on Gaiam TV

Try My Yoga Now

Filed Under: Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: exercise, yoga

By Julia Rymut;

New Year’s Resolution: Reduce Stress at a Health Club

Women in a spinning class

Women in a spinning classThe New Year is a great time to look at your life and assess what you need to be happier and more content.

And if your quickie answer is “reduce stress”, you need a plan to get that happening.

One of the best ways to combat stress is with exercise.  Now is a great time to sign up with a local gym start a new regime.  Many clubs have specials running with the new year, and many offer a new year’s challenge program to get you started.

If you have never researched health clubs, there are some things you need to know.

First of all, I find the experience very unpleasant (picking a health club does not reduce stress!).  Very few fitness centers post their prices and many will not even talk to you over the phone.  Most insist that you come in and get a tour before they present a plan that’s “right for you”. This means that you have to visit each gym and take their 30 minute tour just to get basic information.  When I called around, I had some deal breakers on my list, but even so, they were reluctant to discuss anything over the phone.

If you do get a club to name a price on the phone, many times they will hide the details until you show up at their door.  When I called, I had lots of gray-area sales techniques:

  • Some centers said their membership is “as low as $45/month”, but that price came with a boatload of hidden restrictions.
  • I have had health clubs reassure me that they have lots of classes, but fail to tell me that the classes are extra.
  • I’ve had clubs tell me that they’re running the biggest sale of the year and that I will save lots of money, but not tell me that the plans I’m asking about are not part of that sale.

Expect surprises when they talk to you in person.  The details of their deals are different from their sales pitch.

Assess What You Need to Reduce Stress

Before you start calling health clubs, I recommend that you make an honest assessment of what you need to reduce your stress.

  • Do you need a pool?  If so, do you need hot water?  Salt water?  Endless Current? Lap time? Classes?
  • Do you need a track?
  • Do you need classes?  What kind?  Aerobics? Weights?  Body weight?  What times are best for you?
  • What kinds of machines do you like?  What kinds of weights?
  • Do you need extra services like tanning?  Personal Trainers?
  • What kind of environment do you prefer?  Family?  Singles?  Buff?  Local?  Quaint?  Modern?
  • If you travel a lot, do you have access to other gyms?

Once you get to the club, you will probably find the tour fun.  Health clubs have great toys, and it’s always fun to see the latest in fitness.  However stay firm with what you’re looking for.  Your fitness center tour will show you lots of cool features.  Some you may like and will open new doors for you.  Others are not right for you.

The final hitch in implementing your New Year’s Resolution to reduce stress will be finding the right price.  Generally, gyms love on-going members and will structure their plans to make them long term.  You get discounts for longer contracts and penalties for breaking contracts.  Often the membership dues are automatically withdrawn from your account.  Be sure to ask what happens if you want out of your contract.

I found the perfect solution for my fitness goals to reduce stress.  I was looking for a bare bones facility with just weights and machines, an affordable price and a short term plan.  The club got bonus points if it had classes.

I assumed that the local health clubs would be too expensive or too long term and so I was researching a franchise.  On a whim I called Supreme Health & Fitness and found they had the best plan and terms.  They were friendly and answered all my questions over the phone.  A local run health club won hands down.

Once you have your health club membership, that is only the first step.  You will only reduce stress if you do the exercises.  Sign up for you club this week, and start exercising the next day.

Filed Under: Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: exercise, stress relief

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