Supernatural Botanicals

If you are serious not only about working out, but about being stylish while doing so, look no furhter…Spirit for Living  has got you covered. 

My friends over at Spirit for Living  was generous enough to send me one of their gorgeous classic boat neck shirts.  Being a huge Green fan, I was ultra-impressed that the shirt was made of natural soy and cotton blend.  The shirt is super-soft.  I love the way that the shirt just barely slips off one shoulder once in a while…a little dose of sexy without trying too hard.   

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 It’s a perfect shirt for working out, as it’s comfortable and not confining whatsoever, but it’s also a great shirt to wear with jeans or even a skirt.  We all love multi-functional pieces in our closet and need more of them. 

One look at Spirit for Living’s website and you’ll want every single item they offer.  My next piece will be the slim fit skirt.  It’s so pretty and flattering to the body….and it’s going to look great with my boat neck shirt.  Kudos to Spirit for Living’s founder, Jennifer Smith, for being a female entrepreneur with a consciousness about being Green and ultra-stylish.  Love that! 

Celebrity renowned makeup  artist, Bobbi Brown, is set to open a gym next door to her makeup store in Montclair, New Jersey with her personal trainer husband, Steven Plofker.

If your workout spark is starting to fizzle, torch it back up and excite your senses by adding some new workout clothes or gadgets to your repertoire.  Nothing makes you want to do yoga or Pilates more than a new pair of great-fitting yoga pants and a shape-hugging yoga top, or taking a step class with a new pair of cool gym shoes, or hitting the treadmill with the shortest girly workout shorts you can find.

By a new piece of equipment such as a jump rope, a new workout DVD, a trampoline, a heart rate monitor, resistance bands, a stability ball, or a Bosu ball to peak your workout erogenous zones.  It changes up your routine, keeps it fresh, and keeps you on your A game.

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Yoga pants by Victoria Secret

Did you know that anxiety causes an upsurge in stress hormones that can worsen acne or other skin conditions?

If you skin is prone to breakouts and rashes, it’s time to check your body/mind/soul meter.

It’s scientifically proven that stress can cause skin eruptions and even make you susceptible to deadly  diseases.

If this is happening to you, put yourself on your to-do list and get serious about about having some downtime doing something that relaxes you (yoga or Pilates is so good for this.)  After all, your beauty is at risk here, girlfriend.

Because your entire body makes contact with your yoga mat, it’s something you’ll want to keep very, very clean.  And because your yoga mat makes contact with the floor, especially the gym floor (eck!), you’ll want to be extra vigilant in keeping your yoga mat clean. 

You can avoid germs and dirt by folding your yoga mat in half before you roll it up after a workout.  That way, you’ll avoid getting “yuck” on the side you pose on.  Remember, your face comes in contact with the mat in Chaturanga pose and in pigeon pose….think about that the next time you lay your mat down on the floor.   A simple Clorox wipe to the entire mat will also keep your yoga mat clean and germ-free.   Let the mat dry completely before rolling it up after cleaning.

  “I noticed dramatic changes in my body after I started doing yoga, but I also think you have to shake things up.  I have a Spin bike, an elliptical, and a treadmill, and I do some cardio for at least 20 minutes a day. ”

Believe it or not, this simple yoga pose has major benefits for your body.  Something that’s easy to do, yet good for you?…..that’s something we can all be on board with. 

To do a leg drain, also known in yoga as viparita karani (inverted action), simply find a wall, lay on your back and rest your legs straight up against the wall.  You can use a folded blanket or towel under your lower back to take strain off of your lower back area.  Stay in the position as long as is comfortable to you. 

Lymph and other fluids flow away from the legs and into the lower belly.  It provides a gentle stretch to the calves, back and neck.  According to the Yoga Journal, the pose also gives blood circulation a gentle boost toward the upper body and head, which creates re-balancing after standing for a long time.

This move is ultra-relaxing to the central nervous system and completely clears your mind, calms the body, and improves your flexibility.  It’s a perfect move to get your day started, or after a long day or work. 

Want Jennifer Aniston’s body?  Because you can have it.  Did you know that?  Okay, you can’t specifically have Jenn’s body, but you can have one that looks just like hers.  Jennifer’s celeb fitness trainer, Mandy Ingber, dishes on how she trains Jennifer.

Tips from Mandy:

• Start with cardio:  Ingber suggests 30-60 minutes, three times a week.  “Try running, cycling or even walking.”
• Work thighs:  “Temple pose is essentially a yoga squat.  You plant your feet wide, then plie squat and hold for 30 seconds.  Then plie deeply 8 times, followed by 8 quick shallow pulses.  Repeat.”
• Tone calves:  “Lovely calves are underrated.  Repeat this series slowly twice.  Get on the balls of your feet, then lift and lower yourself 8 times followed by 8 quicker pulses.”

For more exercises, get Mandy’s DVD (and Jennifer Aniston’s workout), Yogalosophy.

Professional yogis don’t use yoga mats just to keep their feet on a soft surface during yoga postures, they use yoga mats because they are incredibly beneficial to help you stretch further.  Yoga mats, sometimes called sticky mats, are thick rubber-like surfaces, about 4 feet wide, designed to be under foot while you are doing yoga or Pilates workouts. 

When you place your hands and feet on a yoga mat, they almost stick (and sink) into the soft mat, keeping your hands and feet securely firm, with no worry of slipping out of your posture.  They are also fabulous for doing stretches, enabling you to stretch deep into your stretches with your feet and/or hands essentially glued to the mat.  It truly makes a difference in your workouts. 

Also great to stimulate the spine.  How to:  Lay on your back, hold your bent legs to your chest, wrapping your arms around your bent legs, and rock in a boat pose from head to feet.  The thickness of the yoga mat keeps it comfortable for your spine.  It will feel like a back massage!

Kiss the carpet goodbye, and try using a yoga mat during your next yoga/Pilates/stretching session.  It increases your flexibility by 25% to even 50%.  (Those aren’t scientific percentages…it’s just what I can feel in my own workouts.) 

Bethenny Frankel has been looking fabulous…even pregnant.  I can promise you, that’s not easy to achieve.  The 39-year-old, who is having her first child late in life, says she has always been obsessed with her body image.

“Since I was 8, I was obsessed with every single diet ever because I came from a very toxic, dysfunctional household with a complete emphasis and obsession with food and being fat,” says Frankel.

“It was absurd and moronic to be an adult and to be worried about dieting.”

Bethenny says she wrote her best-selling diet book “Naturally Thin” last year and finished her second book, The Skinnygirl Dish, filmed and made her her first exercise DVD this year.

Frankel says she works out up to three times a week doing Pilates, yoga and/or running.  But the compulsive exerciser says she has learned to embrace moderation in exercise, with better results.

“I’m 10 years older [now] but 10 to 15 lbs. lighter [than I was in my 20s],” she says. “I used to work out obsessively five to six times a week. Now, I work out maybe two or three times.”

In order to achieve a killer physique like Bethenny, you definitely have to incorporate healthy eating into your regimen.  Check out her book, Naturally Thin, to take a peek at what she eats to keep looking fab (again, even pregnant!)