Not Philosophy... YOGAlosophy!

Hello Friends!

First, let me say... I must really love my readers.  Okay, I admit it... I do love my readers!  Sam and I have to get up at 4:00am tomorrow to head to the airport (currently, it's 11:57pm).  We are going to Ohio to celebrate Sam's Grandparent's 60th Wedding Anniversary (congrats to them!), and I will not have access to the computer all weekend.  BUT I didn't want to leave for the weekend without giving you a tidbit of healthy & happy info!  I'm a little (or a lot) sleepy right now... so please excuse any grammatical errors, spelling errors, incomplete sentences, etc.

Okay, now on to the good stuff.  I wanted to tell you about a yoga DVD that I recently purchased.  Although I prefer to go to heat yoga class at Indigo Yoga, lately that option just hasn't been available for various reasons.  However, I have really enjoyed doing yoga in the peace and comfort of my own home.  I also like doing it at home because I can do yoga whenever I want.  I don't have to worry about having to fit a class time into my schedule or the class being too full.  If you are too intimidated by a class or if your schedule is just too busy, I definitely recommend trying to do yoga at home.  I know I have said this before, but yoga is good for you both physically and mentally.  It's one of my favorite de-stressers.

I try to do yoga at least twice a week.  Usually, I will do the 1.5 hour P90X Yoga X on Tuesday, and on Thursday I will swim or bike and then finish with Rodney Yee's 30 minute Power Yoga for Strength.

I have been using these two DVDs for a while now, and I have been wanting to change it up.  Specifically, I was looking for something that is about an hour long, but that is also a full total body workout.  I wanted the intense, muscle burning yoga workout that P90X Yoga X gave me, but in a shorter amount of time.  I'm sure there a several yoga DVDs out there that would satisfy this need, but I found one in particular that intrigued me... so I ordered it!  And I like it!

It's called YOGALOSOPHY.  It's by Mandy Ingber who is a celebrity yoga and fitness instructor.  It's called yogalosophy because Mandy has her own philosophy when it comes to yoga.  It's not your typical yoga DVD because she combines strength training and toning movements with yoga, which I really like because you "feel the burn."  This video will kind of give you a taste for her personality.  (Guys, I will admit... her personality caters more to women, but Sam said he enjoys the workout despite that fact.)

Mandy is Jennifer Aniston's personal yoga instructor, and I think we can all say that Jennifer Aniston has definitely benefited from following Mandy's yoga philosophy.  I mean she is 41 and she looks amazing!  I'm sure she probably has personal chef's and all that jazz, but apparently, she swears by Mandy's yoga routines.  In fact, she believes in the workout so much that she has done a little introduction for the yoga DVD.

It's a total body workout, but it seems like she likes to focus on the legs a little more.  The DVD has a 30 minute workout option, which is nice in case you are strapped for time.  However, if I have time, I prefer to do the full 55 minute yoga workout.  The DVD begins with a series of sun salutations, then you move into the workout or toning phase, then balancing poses, then abs, and then you end with 5 minutes of stretching.  And there you go... a full body yoga and toning routine in 55 minutes!

Okay, so Sam just pointed out to me that I talked about the Jennifer Aniston Healthy Cocktail a while ago and NOW I'm talking about her yoga routine.  Sooo... it looks like I go and research what Jennifer Aniston is doing, which I think is really funny, because that isn't the case.  Therefore, I must explain.  I discovered the cocktail in a really old OK! magazine from like 2005 that I found in my room at my parent's house.  So I tried the cocktail creation, and it turned out that it was really yummy, and I liked it, and now it's one of my favs.  Then, I came across this yoga DVD while doing some research and reading some of the reviews.  Bottom line... Jennifer Aniston and I like the same things.  Whatever she is doing seems to work, and hopefully I can look that good at 41!

I also want to leave you a few random things for the weekend that I have read in a couple of my magazines lately that I found interesting.

1.  A nutrition fact for you from Natural Health Magazine:  "Vitamin B6 is an anti-stress vitamin. Take 50 to 100 milligrams a day to get on a more even keel."  Interesting!

2.  A thought provoking quote from Whole Living Magazine:  "Take a day off.  The world (and the office) will be fine - and still there when you get back."  (I know, I will really need to be telling myself this quote in a few months once the real world of auditing and "busy season" begins).

3.  A quick, easy, and healthy treat that is great for satisfying those sweet cravings or as a topping on your granola or oatmeal from Whole Living Magazine:

Oven-Dried Blueberries 

Makes 1/2 Cup

Heat oven to 225 degrees.  Toss 1 cup blueberries with 1 teaspoon of honey in a bowl.  Bake berries on a parchment-lined baking sheet until shriveled but still supple, about 2 hours.  Let cool.  Berries will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month. 

Well, I must get to bed now if I'm going to be of any use tomorrow.  I hope this posts holds you over until we can chat again (hopefully Tuesday).  In the meantime, have a fantastic weekend!

With Love, Health, and Happiness,
Cami


images from:
http://uoteach.blogspot.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Yoga-Strength-Rodney-Yee/dp/B00062DKOA
http://www.amazon.com/Mandy-Ingbers-Yogalosophy-Workout-DVD/dp/B0037MNCEY
http://runforlife3.wordpress.com/2009/06/06/tasty-treat/