Archive for the ‘Move Your Body’ Category

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7 Slightly Silly Spring Workouts

May 3, 2013

7 Slightly Silly Spring WorkoutsIf you are a workout junkie like myself, it’s easy to get into routines over time that stop challenging your body. A great way to break out of a workout rut and have a little fun to boot is to try adding a workout that is slightly silly to your routine. Spring is here, and this opens up greater possibilities for fun outdoor and indoor workouts. Below is a list of a few silly ways to exercise that will also challenge your body. -XoXo Raw Girl 

 Jump That Rope. Remember back in the day double dutch? I do. Jumping rope was one of my favorite recess activities and me and my friends used to have informal double dutch competitions on the playground that sometimes got really serious. Even you didn’t go full out and double dutch but you probably have jumped rope a couple times in your life. Jumping rope is a great way to get a workout and can be fun too. It is an awesome full body workout that works the legs, abs, arms, heart, and mind. Although this exercise can also be silly it helps to build your strength, agility, speed, timing, and rhythm. The best part about jumping rope is that you can do it anywhere, and your rope is easily transported, even if you are traveling. You won’t get bored either because once you become a jumping expert you can start showing off and doing variations like the one-hop, arms-cross, running in place and whatever else suits your fancy. You can increase your fitness challenge and get greater results by incorporating intervals into your routine. For example: thirty seconds of more intense jumping followed by one minute of light jumping, and repeat.

Be a Latin Dance Diva…In The Pool. If you already a fan of Zumba, try making your workout a little sillier and with more resistance by trying Aqua Zumba. Aqua Zumba dancing happens in the shallow end of a pool and you follow along to dance routines in impact-absorbing, resistance-promoting water. If attempting to do salsa inspired moves and splashing around in the water seems silly to you,  you may be singing a different tune after you try it. In addition to being generally fun and slightly silly, this workout is also challenging.

cosmopolian.co.uk

cosmopolian.co.uk

Jump Around! Rebounding is a fancy name for jumping up an down on a mini trampoline. Remember as a kid how jumping up and down on things was enough to give you pleasure? Well rebounding can take you back to that silly space while at the same time delivering an effective workout. It’s a no impact exercise that can be a great cardio workout and in some cases also help you tone, strengthen, and slim your body, depending on the workout. In addition to all of this, rebounding helps to boost your circulation, stimulate your lymphatic system which boosts your metabolism, and improve cell function.

Do The Hula Hoop Dance. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) conducted a research study that found that hooping is a cardiovascular (aerobic) workout. Their small study looked at “intermediate to advanced” female hoopers and showed that when the subjects followed a 30-minute hooping video that included seven different hooping “dances,” their heart rates elevated significantly–near 85% MHR, which is high-intensity aerobic exercise for sure. In thirty minutes the hoopers burned about 210 calories which is around 420 calories per hour, around the amount you would burn in a traditional fitness class. Hopping is also a great way to challenge your core and focus your mind while being slightly silly of course.

7 Slightly Silly Spring WorkoutsPretend You are a Stripper for a Day. Pole Fitness  is a new fitness trend that you’ll find in high-end fitness clubs, dance studios, and home gyms alike.  Taking a pole fitness class will give you a great combination of cardio, strength-building exercises and flexibility as well as build skills and coordination that’ll be useful in your daily life as well as (**clears throat and winks**) your bedroom. To get started you can take a pole fitness classes or buy a DVD that teaches the basic skills.

Blade it Out. Inline skating or rollerblading is an excellent aerobic activity that improves endurance and strength, and produces aerobic benefits similar to running and biking. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, a 160 pound person can burn 913 calories in a single hour of rollerblading, compared to 584 calories jogging, or 277 calories walking. The side to side movement exercises your inner and outer thighs, and compared to running rollerblading is lower impact and will not shock the joints as much.

7 Slightly Silly Spring WorkoutsDance Like a Maniac. Last but not least, who says you need a club to par-tay?  If you want to work up a sweat, make your playlist and get down in your bedroom or living room all by yourself or have friends join in on the fun. Some of my best workouts have happened on the dance floor loosing track of time. Not only will you get a great workout, you’ll feel rejuvenated, relieve stress, improve your strength, muscle tone, manage weight, and increase your coordination. Depending on how serious you get down, dancing socially or alone can burn as many calories as walking or riding a bike and contribute to cardiovascular conditioning. There’s also the option to build new skills and take a class in a dance form that interests you. Nowadays there are so many options to choose from jazz, ballet, modern, hip-hop, african dance, belly dancing (my favorite), Bollywood dancing, latin dancing, and more.

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The Supernatural Strength Building Benefits of Pilates

March 11, 2013

PilatesIf you had to imagine what exercises someone with supernatural or superhuman strength would practice on a regular basis what would you guess? Probably a lot of weight training, and maybe some intense cardio. The truth of the matter is that if Superman was alive and flying through our skies, he probably would be doing Pilates on his off days because of its incredible abilities to generate strength, prevent injuries, and encourage movement control.

I broke up with Pilates about a year and a half ago. It got me through hard times, as I had to practice it order to rehabilitate myself from a car accident that wreaked havoc on my lower back. Pilates not only got me back to one, I was left feeling taller, longer, and leaner because of it. Here’s the thing, I hated every minute of it!  It was like taking medicine that’s so foul you have to plug your nose to get through it. Recently I’ve been cultivating my super vegan powers, and I decided to  hook up with Pilates again. After learning the story of its founder, I’m seeing it in a completely different light.

Pilates was created by German born Joseph Pilates, who as a child was incredibly sick and struggled with rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever. Because of his sickly childhood he developed an obsession and determination to strengthen his body and achieve superior health, which lead him to study and master a wide range of exercise disciplines until he finally created his own system. During World War II, he was able to use Pilates to rehabilitate bed ridden soldiers! Even today, at most hospital rehabilitation centers Pilates is used to help patients regain strength and recover. Later he opened up a studio in New York City and began to train some of the most renowned dancers at the New York City Ballet who loved the exercise which allowed them to build incredible strength and recover from injuries more quickly. Sometime after Pilates made its way to Hollywood, and it’s been a staple in our exercise culture ever since. Cool story right? But you might still be like me and loathe getting on the mat for a class. Below are a few awesome reasons, why you should go ahead and bite the bullet. -XoXo Raw Girl

It’s a Complimentary Full Body Workout. No matter what you love to do whether it be run, bike, swim etc. integrating Pilates into your lifestyle will only enhance your performance in your other exercises disciplines. Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth continuous movements but still allows your body to recuperate. These exercises are great for injury recovery and prevention, sports performance, good posture, and optimal health.

Stabilizes and Develops a Strong Core. If you’re in need of a little tummy tuck, you may want to skip going under the knife and get on a mat. Pilates strengthens the core muscles and abdomen like no other exercise and in doing so helps to improve your posture, and leave you feeling longer, leaner, and even taller.

You Can Do it Anywhere. Once great thing about Pilates is how accessible it is and how cheap it is to start. You can take a class at your local gym or studio, or break out a mat in your home and pop in a DVD or watch a routine on YouTube.

Guaranteed Results. The great part about this tried and true system is you don’t have to guess whether or not your body is going to change for the better. It will. All you have to do is commit to regular practice and you will begin to see positive changes in your body and feel shifts in your posture and alignment throughout your day.

Challenging Mind/Body Workout. Just like yoga, Pilates requires the use of the breath during the exercises and thus helps to integrate mind and body, and help you develop control over your movements. Doing the exercises gives support to the spine and creates space between each vertebrae which makes you appear taller and allows you to move with more ease. The other great thing about Pilates is that similar to yoga, you can never get bored. There are always modifications to make exercises easier or more challenging depending on your fitness level.

***3 DAY & 7 DAY DETOX PLANS are now available for purchase on the BLOG!!***

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#MoveThatBody: The Michelle Obama Effect

September 5, 2012

If you missed Michelle Obama’s speech last night at the Democratic National Convention, I highly suggest you google it now and watch it online. Not only was it a historical moment, her speech was riveting and for me spoke to ideals that could shape a better America as we evolve and work to truly offer opportunity for anyone regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. Beyond her elegance and ability to move the crowd, every time I see the first lady I am inspired by her commitment to remaining fit and healthy. She drives home the point without saying anything at all, that it would be great if more government officials spent some time staying fit rather than just focusing on haggling about the healthcare bill that has helped so many already. If our country stopped fueling the pharmaceutical industry and started forcing Americans to be responsible for our individual levels of fitness and what we choose to eat, we would save billions.

All that said, Michelle Obama’s level of fitness is inspiring. Fall is here soon. If you’ve fallen off the workout bandwagon, please get back on. There are a myriad of reasons why working out is great for you, and I’ll list some below, but one of the most important reasons for me is that I believe that exercising assists me in reaching my true potential. Who do you want to become? What are you truly capable of? Every time you push yourself physically, you are expanding your limits and widening the horizons of what is possible for you. You are also gaining the energy, focus, and discipline to set your goals in motion and live your dreams. That’s nothing to scoff at. Lets follow the example set by our first lady and get moving. It’s never about being perfect, or reaching someone else’s ideal. It’s about striving to be the best version of you, possible. I’ll be grinding hard the next couple of weeks, the birthday of my dear brother who passed a year ago, is coming up, and I am reminded by his spirit to work it out. Anyone want to join the challenge? Let’s see what fitness goals we can reach in September. -XoXo Raw Girl 

Great Reasons to #MOVETHATBODY:

*Increase Your Metabolic Rate * Reduce Blood Pressure * Improve Balance & Coordination * Sleep Better * Weight Control * Improve Focus * Boost Confidence & Self Esteem * Boost Enerfy Levels * Improve Your Mood

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A Tribute to Dynamic Meat-less Athletes

October 18, 2011

It’s been almost two weeks since my brother passed away. He was twenty-five years old. Writing about it still seems somewhat surreal. I fell off of social media and all communication including phone and email for the past two weeks. Still in the process of dealing with this emotionally. The only thing that has kept me afloat and made me feel very close to my brother’s spirit is working out like a maniac. He was an athlete who took training seriously, and who was in the process of transitioning to a vegan diet. In the last days prior to his death I spent time with him and we really moved our bodies: Hot yoga, plyometrics workouts (which consisted of him jumping up and down a huge wall higher than above my knees), stairs, sprints, and hills (which he normally ran with a 30 pound weight vest on). After these workouts he would take Glutamine. I promised to find him a vegan version and found that there is one….Vegan L-Glutamine, which provides the body with an amino acid essential for recovery from extreme workouts and helps the muscles to rebuild and regenerate faster. Apparently large amounts of physical stress on the body can  deplete the natural source of glutamine in the body and therefore supplementation is encouraged for those exercising intensely with little to no rest in between workouts. I’m not going that hard yet, but its nice to know there are vegan options.

My brother believed in beating his body into submission through physical fitness because he knew that all battles are of the mind. As they say, “Mind over matter.” He knew that he could achieve his goals and create anything he wanted in his life if he remained fit and focused. The past week I’ve found myself working out almost everyday. I’ve been making sure to drink power smoothies and eat adequately as well. I’m in the Midwest at the moment, and yesterday after power yoga I found a trail near where I am staying that is six miles long. Just bought some new running shoes and plan to break them in by completing the six-mile run in the morning.

As I thought about my brother and the amazing athlete he was and the awesome vegan would have been (he was a star basketball player and owner/creator of a new cafe with raw and vegan options in Richmond, Virginia, called Higher Ground Wellness Cafe), I started research vegan athletes who have excelled in sport, proving that the human body can in fact handle intense physical training on a vegetable based diet. Check out the cool slide show (link below) via Treehugger which highlights ten exceptional athletes who adopted meat-less diets. There are many more, but I thought this was a nice summary. We only have a short time on this planet. We owe it to ourselves to give our body temple the best fuel and training we can so that we can live the time we have to the fullest. Move your body this week, and if you can, say a prayer for me and my family. -XoXo Raw Girl

http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/05/10-superstar-athletes-who-do-not-eat-meat.php?page=1

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A Raw Vegan Workout Junkie’s Guide to Protein

January 20, 2011

One of my New Year’s resolutions, especially now that my back injury is healed, is to get fit. My ongoing joke is that I want to be like Janet Jackson back in the day when you could bounce a quarter off her abs fit.  In between sessions with a personal trainer to build strength and lower my body fat percentage, I am staying limber and releasing toxins regularly by slowly but surely easing my way back into a regular hot yoga practice and getting a dance class in here and there. If you can’t tell, I love working out! The only thing I don’t love is not being able to move my limbs normally after an intense workout. The question that always arises when people discover that I am vegan and interested in building muscle: where do you get your protein?

I am a big proponent of everyone figuring out what works for their body. My body in particular, cannot handle animal protein sources at all. So I get all my protein from plant sources. People assume that because you are raw or vegan that you cannot build muscle. I have actually seen a lot of evidence to the contrary.  Time and time again, I have noticed that my diet actually makes my body even more receptive to exercise. Within my first week of strength training, only one day in that week, and eating my regular highly raw diet,  my body fat percentage decreased by about 5%.  I have been training for a month now, and my body fat percentage has decreased from 33% (unhealthy for my age) to 26%! I am now aiming for the optimal body fat percentage of 22-25%, and I am sure I will get there very soon with more training sessions.

It is assumed that by default, plant protein is inferior to animal protein, but actually, raw plant protein is the highest quality, most digestible protein for humans. When we eat cooked meat or animal protein the body tries to break it down in to amino acids. If the body gets enough of its required amino acids, our protein requirement is fulfilled. The point that many raw foodists make in this argument is that HEAT damages amino acids making it harder for the body to utilize. In an interview Stephen Arlin, raw body builder and author of “Raw Power!” said that raw food eaters building muscle have “an immeasurable advantage” over cooked food eaters because: “Building a body with cooked-food nutrition is similar to blowing up a balloon; sooner or later the balloon will deflate. Muscles blown up with cooked food and other unnatural substances will eventually atrophy and deflate. Most fitness experts and body-builders atrophy and wear down pre-maturely. Muscles built on raw-food nutrition last much longer, because they are naturally built. I compare building your body with cooked food to building a brick wall without any mortar. There’s no foundation there.”

Now that I am focusing on strength training, I am taking care to add in adequate amounts of protein in my diet and want to share a long list of great non-animal protein sources for anyone worried about getting enough to build muscle. Our culture tends to be a bit protein crazed, probably to an extreme, so make sure you are listening to your body and not overloading. Most times, people who overload on excessive amounts of animal protein, whey, etc. are not actually healthy, and cannot sustain optimal health longterm. We need not just large amounts of protein but high quality nutrients and minerals to achieve optimal wellness.

As I continue to workout, I am doing more research on what raw body builders and vegan athletes are saying about building muscle and achieving optimal workouts. From several sources I heard that fruit is a great pre-workout meal that gives the body fuel, and that blended smoothies with vegan protein sources are good ways to recover (which I was already doing). The more I sweat, the more I will learn and share. Hopefully you’ll be inspired to get your veggie loving but in the gym as well. Happy sweating! - XoXo Raw Girl

Heres a partial list from one of my favorite books, David Wolfe’s “Eating for Beauty” of what he calls the “Best Protein Foods”:

  • Almonds
  • Bee Pollen
  • Brewer’s Yeast
  • Chlorella
  • E3 Live (algae)
  • Goji Berries
  • Grass Powders
  • Green leafy vegetables
  • Hemp Protein (30 grams of protein per tablespoon!)
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Maca (can buy in powder blends or by itself)
  • Olives
  • Pumpkin Seeds
  • Spirulina
  • Sprouts (of all types)
  • Sprouted grains
  • Sprouted wild rice
  • Vegetable powders (dehydrated and powdered greens)

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The Benefits of Hot Yoga

January 3, 2011

In this technological maelstrom of fast food and even quicker fixes, the growing practice of yoga continues to offer shelter from the constant barrage of hustle and bustle. Even those who don’t practice yoga, have at least heard that it may be good for them; whether or not they have the energy or believe enough to commit to laying on a mat once a week is a whole seperate matter. Our Western medicine, has yet to fully incorporate yoga and other alternative therapies for that matter including pilates, acupuncture, aromatherapy etc. and the beliefs in treating the symptom rather than the human being and popping pills as a cure-all continues to prevail. Despite this there have been studies conducted that have affirmed the viability of yoga as a healing mechanism that can assist with terminal diseases, psychological issues, depression, anxiety, reducing blood pressure, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, fatigue, cholesterol, maintaining blood sugar levels, insomnia, increasing muscle strength and respiratory endurance, and the list goes on.

Some of these studies were chronicled in a Time Magazine article I stumbled upon “The Power of Yoga”:

  • 2009 a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health studied a group of adolescent girls, some with bulimia and others with anorexia; one group had regular treatment, and the other treatment and regular yoga. The findings showed that the girls not in the yoga group were more likely to have symptoms return at the end of the treatment period.
  • 1998 Dr. Ralph Schumacher at UPENN School of Medicine along with yoga instructor Marian Garfield published their findings on the study of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome in the Journal of American Medical Association basically summing up that ” a yoga regimen is more effective than wrist splinting or no treatment in relieving signs and symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.”
  • 1990 patients with heart disease were prescribed a vegetarian low fat diet and yoga regimen. At the completion of the study it was found that their cholesterol levels were about the same as if they had taken cholesterol lowering drugs. A follow up report was published in 1998 in the American Journal of Cardiology showing that 80% of the patients were able to avoid bypass by maintaining their prescribed lifestyle changes.

As much as the Western medical world tends to avoid prescription of yoga, for now the testimonies of regular practitioners continue to point to yoga as a viable option. Tonya Zavasta, one of my Anti-aging Sheroes has two titanium hips and through the regular practice of hot yoga and consumption of raw foods, she not only healed herself, she’s also more flexible than the average person with hip bones in tact.

Hot yoga has a long list of benefits, many of which perfectly compliment a raw or vegan lifestyle, because of course all true “yogis” are vegetarians and observe nonviolence and incorporate all five principles of yoga into their lifestyle including proper diet. Some of these benefits include:

  • Release of built up bodily toxins. Yoga practice stimulates and promotes the drainage of our lymphatic system which carries the waste from cellular activities.
  • Improvement of flexibility and range of motion.
  • Increased weight loss and muscle toning. (One of the only workouts that makes me believe attaining Michelle Obama arms is possible.)
  • Builds up the immune system and reduces the symptoms of chronic illness.
  • Improves blood circulation.
  • Promotes healing through relaxing and centering of the mind or mental chatter. As our heart beat slows, and we breathe at a slower rate, our blood pressure also drops, and the body literally goes into healing mode. Not to mention it’s also easier to be warriors in our daily lives when our minds aren’t going helter-skelter.

So why isn’t the use of yoga as a healing modality studied more or prescribed for that matter? There’s no money in it. At least not for the insurance companies or the pharmaceutical industry that usually profits from studies that confirm viable use of a range of medications. These days, it is up to us, the consumers, to take ownership of our health before we become a part of the machine that continues to feed the greed of capitalists who have no concern for America’s well being.

Last year I took on the regular practice of hot yoga in a big way, and then unfortunately I was in a car accident that led me to go through physical therapy pretty much the last half of the year. To my dismay, part of my prescription was absolutely no yoga, because it could aggravate the healing of my neck and back. With the help of ongoing pilates classes and physical therapy sessions, raindrop therapy sessions, and advice from holistic practitioners for natural alternatives to taking my prescribed blood thinning medications (ew), I am ecstatic to say that my back is finally healed! During that time I did visit my doctor, but when I mentioned some of the alternative therapies to him, I remember him actually chuckling to himself and saying some version of “Yea, whatever…” and then handing me a prescription for a high dose of pain killers. Thank heavens, I stuck to my guns and followed my instincts.

To celebrate, on New Years Day, I got down and got sweaty with two hours of Hot Yoga, and seriously felt like new money afterwards. For all of you that cringe at the thought of stretching in a sauna-like room, I feel you. I tried Bikram at one point and I used to want to run out of the room screaming. Bikram is however, an entirely different practice. It was founded in 1974 by Bikram Choudhury and classes incorporate specialized breath exercises. Hot yoga is practiced in a heated room, with the temperature set anywhere from 80-105 degrees. Some versions of hot yoga are practiced in the hatha style of yoga, my studio teaches the vinyasa flow style of yoga (my favorite) in a heated room. When I started to practice Hot Yoga, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the room was a little cooler and more manageable for me than Bikram. The temperature was hot enough to get a deeper stretch, but not so hot that you might hurl. Whether you choose to get down with the down dog in a hot room, in your bedroom, or in a quiet studio, the time is now. Everyone can benefit from a little asana in their lives and I hope you will find what works with you and get moving. Namaste. -XoXo Raw Girl

For more on the 5 Principles of Yoga, check out this previous post:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/5-principles-of-yoga-living-the-life-of-a-yoga-warrior/

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5 Principles of Yoga: Living the Life of a Yoga Warrior

May 19, 2010

Beginning in February, to show myself some love, I started my 30 day Yoga Challenge, and practiced 1.5 hours of hot yoga three times a week for the month. Check out the post via the link below.

It was definitely a challenge, I was VERY sore for most of the month, but of course inspired, and to make a long story short by the time the challenge was over I was already hooked. I still go at least two times a week and LOVE how it makes me feel. My mind is clearer, moods are even more even kilter, and also I am more productive in general! So, no more challenges, now I am just living la vida yoga. I always thought of yoga as a way of life, and was committed to being a “yogi” in my own way, following a spiritual path. I started doing yoga almost everyday but fell of the wagon, got into raw foods to further purify my diet, and began regularly meditating. Not until recently has it all come together again that my diet, exercise, and meditation have  aligned in regular practice. I’ve been falling off the meditation wagon lately, because things are getting busy, but it shows… it’s usually when we are the busiest that contacting stillness does a whole lot of good for us in our daily lives. So, I’m working on carving out time!

Below are the Five Principles of Yoga. They are so simply summed up, but at the end of the day it takes a long-term commitment and consistent effort in all of these areas to attain the goal of true self-realization. Good news is, living La Vida Raw definitely puts you in the game. – XoXo Raw Girl

Proper Breathing

Most of us go through life not really breathing. In fact a lot of people look like they are holding their breath. Breathing in yoga is deep abdominal breathing which supplies the body with a flood of oxygen, and brings air to the deepest part of the lungs. Yogic breathing or pranyama is a lesson to us on how to recharge our life force using just our breath, and also helps us to calm and control our minds.

Proper Relaxation

Our crazy, toxic, and hurried world, definitely lends itself to being stressed out. The sad thing is the majorities of people are stressed out ALL THE TIME, and have to be taught how to relax. When we try, sometimes we find our minds are racing and we cannot truly be at peace.  All of the tension created from bad moods, worry, anger etc. can lead to lethargy, headaches, and even terminal illnesses. In yoga, when your body becomes completely relaxed, no energy is being dissipated. This state of relaxation revitalizes the nervous system and brings an overall feeling of “inner peace” which carries over into your daily activities and helps you easily relinquish worries and fears.

Proper Exercise


If you’ve ever practiced yoga, you should be able to attest to the fact that it differs from other physical exercises which focus on developing the body through mechanical movements. During yoga, because the body is completely relaxed, there is practically no energy consumed or expended. This means that the body has a chance to recharge on the spiritual, mental and physical level, which in turn leads to more vitality in our daily lives.

Proper Diet

The proper diet according to yogic principles is a vegetarian diet consisting of pure, simple, and natural foods which can be digested easily. This diet aligns one with the true purpose of eating, which is to supply the body with the cosmic energy “Prana” or life-force. Eating this highly alkaline diet and avoiding over stimulating and acidic foods like: meat, eggs, fish, coffee, refined sugar and carbohydrates, and free of alcohol and drugs, also assists the yogi in maintaining stellar health. An acidic environment in the body is the root of all disease, so adopting this alkaline diet, minimizes or virtually eliminates toxicity in the body and keeps one dis-ease and ailment-free.

Meditation


The gift of meditation allows us to easily see through the fog of problems and mental chatter that creates agitation and reactivity. The act of stilling the mind, which in this state has no thoughts or desires, we contact the true Source which is us, and where all answers lie. When the surface of a lake (the mind) is agitated by waves (thoughts) we can’t see the bottom clearly. But when the surface of a lake is still, we can see the bottom easily and all things become clear. Meditation shows us that we all have the inherent ability to contact this stillness,  shut out thoughts, and control our minds.

Check out the previous post on my 30 Day Challenge:http://rawgirltoxicworld.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/raw-girls-30-day-warrior-challenge/

Need inspiration to get started? I was inspired by Tonya Zavasta, one of my anti-aging she-roes (who has fake titatium hips!) and healed herself with raw foods and hot yoga:

http://rawgirltoxicworld.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/anti-aging-she-ro-5/

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Update: Raw Girl’s 30 Day Challenge

March 8, 2010

7 Days left of my warrior challenge! The goal was to practice hot yoga for an hour and a half three times a week for a month.   It really hasn’t been easy people. This past Friday the class was so hard, towards the middle, I wanted to get up like a drama queen and politely explain to the yoga teacher that I didn’t sign up for this level of intensity and slip out the door before she could protest. But I stayed in the room, and emerged sore as heck but triumphant. Last week was the first week that I felt my body was starting to adjust to the challenge of four and a half hours of hot yoga in a week, so I was able to stay active in other ways I am used to and go to my belly dance class and run.

As far as the benefits I have noticed thus far: my productivity has pretty much doubled, my moods are on an even more even kilter, and I can definitely say that practicing has helped in a huge way with detox. Then of course, there’s the added benefit of building strength. I may have Michelle Obama arms by the end of next week! This challenge has me feeling like a warrior in  my daily activities, perhaps because anything seems possible after you twisted and stretched your body to the point of exhaustion. I may have to extend the challenge for another month. That is…if I can make it through this next week, one glorious asana at a time. Keeping hope alive. Will keep you posted when it’s all said and done.

- XoXo Raw Girl

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Raw Girl’s 30 Day Warrior Challenge

February 14, 2010

So today was day one of my 30 Day Warrior Challenge. I have committed to practicing hot yoga, vinyasa flow style three times a week for the next month.  About two years ago I practiced bikram yoga while living in Brooklyn and completed a thirty day challenge where I practiced every single day no breaks, no excuses. It was life transforming. Following that, I started to practice vinyasa at home in the mornings almost every day. Somewhere along the line a year later, I fell off the yoga wagon. This challenge is a way to get back on in a serious way. As I walked to class today the lazy voice in my head almost convinced me to take back my commitment but I left the class  feeling energized, sweating bullets, and determined to keep going. I had forgotten how amazing yoga is for your mind and spirit, and how incredible it is that no matter how challenging the class, the practice never leaves you feeling tired or lethargic afterwards like regular workouts—you actually feel like a warrior. Really like you could take on the world. Your mind is clearer, your limbs are freer, and your mood is on an even kilter. How could you snap at someone over something insignificant if you just spent two hours aligning your body, mind, and spirit?

This challenge was inspired by Tonya Zavasta, who I highlighted in a recent post as one of my anti-aging she-roes. Tonya has two fake hips made of titanium and could have been disabled for life, but the combination of a raw food diet and hot yoga revitalized her. My sentiments were, if someone with two fake hips can practice like a warrior, can’t I? There are countless others who stress that these two practices are a perfect combination to facilitate overall well-being, while increasing youthfulness and of course toning the body. When you adopt a raw food diet, you begin eating very fresh pure foods, but your body still has a backlog of toxin accumulations. The inversions, stretching, and twisting in yoga help to purify the blood and flush toxins out. Thus, the two incorporated in your lifestyle together greatly enhance one another for long-term detoxification. I really enjoyed  hot yoga a lot more than bikram. It was hot enough to allow the body to stretch deeper and to get a great sweat, but not so hot that you wanted to vomit, faint, or run out of the room—which sometimes happens with bikram.

I feel like somebody great somewhere said that on the other end of a challenge is a miracle waiting to happen. If no one said it, I’m taking credit for it! Over and over again, I have experienced that embracing challenges, and cultivating discipline always leads to some unforeseen success. One of my favorite artists, actress/playwright Anna Deveare Smith said in her book , Letters to a Young Artist, (an adapation of the Rilke version: Letters to a Young Poet) that discipline is a form of love. I loved the way she put it. You can think of having to show up everyday as a hassle or a blessing, but by committing to improve your health in any capacity whether through diet or exercise is making the choice to show yourself a little love. Well it’s Valentine’s Day, so I am loving the heck out of my fly self. Starting today.

Anybody out there up for the challenge? If so find a studio, make the commitment, and  email berawnow@gmail.com, lets track our classes, and see what happens on the other end of these thirty days! I’m taking a Raw Girl vacay tomorrow Sunday and Monday, but will reemerge Tuesday with more fuel for your raw fire. - XoXo Raw Girl

Posted in Move Your Body | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

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New Article: Belly Dance Your Way to Emotional & Physical Health

February 1, 2010

As someone who for years thrived on intense and challenging workouts, it has been refreshing in the past few years to explore more low impact exercises that are fun, still challenging, but less strenuous on the joints. Now in between weekly yoga, cardio, and training sessions, belly dancing has become a delightful hour of my life once and sometimes twice a week. 

My new interest in belly dance made me very curious about what health and/or physical benefits belly dancing offers the dancer.  Was interesting to find that in addition to toning abs of course, the dance can prepare women for pregnancy because the muscles of the pelvis are strengthened. Also, as well as offering some other great physical benefits,  many women have healed themselves emotionally through belly dancing. Prior to taking up belly dancing myself, I knew many women that were extremely creative who made belly dancing a regular part of their lives, so I also have this theory, not necessarily supported by scientific evidence that it can stimulate creativity and awaken the inner goddess as well. Even if that isn’t true for all, I can tell you after my first class, walking down the street I don’t think I’ve been cat-called that many times in succession in such a short time frame. My hips were moving freer, and it felt well, good.

Below is a link to my article on Suite 101 that summarizes some of the amazing benefits of moving your belly:

http://mindbodyfitness.suite101.com/article.cfm/belly_dancing_for_health

Posted in Move Your Body | 2 Comments »

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