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  “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. ”

Finally, Friday is here which is code for the beginning of the weekend and “mandatory downtime”.   Take some time to relax.  Take some time for a facial.  Take some time for a bubble bath.  Take some time to rearrange your shoe closet.  Take some time to do an hour of yoga.  But most of all, make sure you melt into your down time so you can decompress and energize.  That’s what weekends are for, girl! 

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. 

Did you know that simple old-school hand-stands like these are super-beneficial for you?   Hand-stands are fantastic to strengthen your arms, shoulders, and wrists.  Once you get comfortable with hand-stands, you can go further into the move by bending your elbows and attempting to lower your forehead to the floor.  It also helps stretch the abdomen and improves one’s concentration, coordination and balance.  Through focused effort, it helps calm down the brain thereby helping relieve stress and tension and mild depression through the meditative effort involved.  When you feel like you have midday “fuzzy-brain”, where you’ve been over-stimulated and cannot focus, try doing a hand-stand to alleviate stress and get blood flowing to your brain again.  Don’t worry, you don’t have to be a gymnast to attempt a hand-stand.  Use a wall to put your feet against in the beginning.  As time goes on, you can inch away from the wall.  And as you do, you’ll be building your abdominal muscles (try it now…you’ll feel it instantly.)  When I’m feeling unfocused and overloaded with stress, I simply do a hand-stand for a minute or two to regroup and get my mind flowing again.  The stretch in the shoulders, back and arms feels so good.  And talk about instant results…you feel it immediately.

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.

 I just ordered the new Body By Bethenny yoga DVD on Amazon.  I was all prepared to wait the standard week to receive it by mail, but fortunately, Amazon let me view it for free (after purchase)  immediately…and then stores the video in my Video Library on Amazon’s site.  They also give you the option to send it to TIVO or download it to your computer.  

Kudos to Amazon for not making a girl wait 7-10 business days to start getting a better body.  Cool feature!

Check out the trailer here: 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuAdmYbpUTA

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.) 

If you only have five minutes for exercise today, try this five minute yoga stretch with Tara Stiles.  She’s beyond flexible….and ultra-inspiring!  A great stretch will not only elongate your muscles to give you a long, lean look, but it also relaxes your mind and recharges your batteries. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RR4wvCYNlvk

Two lucky winners will each receive a Five-Piece Yoga Collection from Title Nine, valued at $275.

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This is one of my favorite yoga stretches, albeit, one of the hardest stretches.  It’s an amazing hip opener.  If you are a woman, you should be able to bend down further than the man in this video.  We are just programed to be more flexible than men, so go down as far as you can…and breathe into it.  Just when you feel like you can’t take it another second, take a deep breath and breathe again.  Try to stay in the pose for a full 30 seconds.  The more you breathe, the more you’ll feel your hips relax. 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i0d78nx2DY