Focus Forward Friday: Got Ink?

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All photos via Tattoologist.
 
 Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: inky artfulness. Who's got a tattoo? Any readers out there sporting ink during your yoga classes?

Do you guys have any? Like em? Hate em?

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Bikram dislikes them, along with the color green. Sounds weird but seriously: he won't let people wear the color when they come to Teacher Training. And apparently he has voiced his dislike for body ink (saying it defaces the natural human body). 

But chances are you've seen a lot of people showing off their tats in the Hot Room.  I know I have. I enjoy seeing the artfulness of tattoos on yogis. A lot of beautiful and simple designs out there.

Have you got a tattoo? (PS If you don't yet, but are thinking about it: keep in mind you'll have to take a few days off of your Bikram practice if you get inked. Can't be stretching your skin and sweating a bunch while the tattoo heals!)



Smart Shopping: Grocery Time

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 Photos via Orangette.

Hey all! As part of the Beyond Childhood series, I'd like to offer a few posts on healthy eating and simplifying your work in the kitchen. First up is a guest post from the lovely blogger Marci Gilbert on how to plan ahead for your grocery shopping to make sure you get the most for your money and your time.


Enjoy! And enjoy the calm, peaceful feeling of having your meals ready to go all week. It will give you more time for your yoga or other projects you have going on.


Photo via Trevor Dye of Yogi Uprising.

Marci is totally right about the awesomeness of cooking on the weekend, and then refrigerating or freezing meals ahead of time. I've been doing this lately and it makes life so much easier! You just come home from work and heat up whatever you're having. Easy peasy!


From Marci:


One of my favorite parts of the week is going to the grocery store on Sundays. I try to get all my shopping done for the week in one day, and here are some tips of how I do it. It does involve planning, but not to the extent that I write down five days of dinner menus.
A little background–I only have to feed two people, and my husband eats lunch out, and some dinners out too. When planning and buying, I pay attention to expiration dates or overbuying so things won’t spoil.


How to get your grocery shopping done in one day for one week:
1. Have an old-fashioned list. I keep a list going all the time in the kitchen. Make sure you add things that you run out of right when you run out of it! Jot down new foods to try from things you read. Then at the grocery, stick to your list. It will keep you from overbuying. However, there are some days when I like to browse the aisles and look for new things to try, or produce that is in season.


2. Think about your week. Do you already have plans to eat out? Are you packing your breakfast every morning or will you have time to eat at home? Same with lunch. For me, I always pack breakfast and a snack, and my lunches are similar within a week. Keeping lunches similar keeps your grocery bill down. Buy a bag of cherries one week and then mixed berries the next. Use pantry items to change it up, like buy turkey, and alternate in tuna or beans for salad protein.


3. Get to know your grocery store. The annoying part of wanting certain brands or fresher produce is going to multiple grocery stores. However, I can be in and out of a grocery quickly because I know where things are and what each store may or may not carry.


4. If you go to multiple grocery stores, go to the one that will be cheaper first. By this I mean that I will look for produce at an everyday type store before Whole Foods because I know it will be cheaper. If the quality is poor at Store #1, I’ll get it at Whole Foods.


 Photo via Orangette.

5. Use Costco! (or any big box store). My weekly trips to the grocery are for what we need for the week. We leave our cleaning supplies, some freezer items, dry snacks, and waters to buy in bulk every 6 weeks or so.


6. Plan to make use of your Sunday afternoon. Every Sunday, I hard-boil 6 eggs–to use for breakfast or chopped into tuna salad or on a salad. Sometimes I bake chicken to have for a few days. Sometimes I bake muffins to freeze for breakfast. And then I make dinner for Sunday night with plans to have leftovers for Monday lunch or Monday night. Or if I make chicken, I will use it in a different way during the week.


7. Planning a basic dinner: It doesn’t always have to be about creating a recipe! You just need things on hand to satisfy the carb-protein-vegetable ratio, in my opinion. For instance, sweet potatoes, vegetables to roast (brussels sprouts, broccoli, squash, zucchini, mixed peppers) can always be paired with canned baked beans, 90-second rice, grilled chicken or your protein of choice for a well-rounded meal. I eat more exciting than that a lot of the time, but sometimes that is good enough.


Photo via Emily at JoJoNoodle. She and Jordan are always making beautiful, simple meals.

8. The freezer is for more than ice cream and ice. Use your freezer to store baked goods, then defrost in the refrigerator overnight for breakfast. You can cook soups ahead and defrost before work for dinner that night, and let meats thaw all day. Planning is the hard part. If you make the decisions ahead of time, all that’s left is to execute when you get home at night.


Welcome to the world of extreme wifey-hood! (Or motherhood, womanhood, manhood, adulthood: however you'd like to apply this great knowledge.) May your week night dinners never be the same!


And a big thanks again to Marci for sharing the post. :) Check out more of her recipes here.


PS Want to check out more in the Beyond Childhood series? Try this post on bellies, or this one on adorable handmade toys. Or read more about why I started the series.

From Rich: Thoughts on Warrior Training

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Photo via Yoga Dudes on Tumblr.

Thoughts on Warrior Training
by Rich, a sponsored yogi


I am a peaceful warrior.
I journey further down that path every day.

Some days I am frightened.
Some, I am invincible.

I have no particular quarrels with you or anyone else.
My war rages within me.

I prepare not to do battle,
But rather to continue fighting.

Some days it is all I have.
Others, all I want.

My peace comes in moments of control, 
Packaged smaller than the blink of an eye.

I have found myself somewhere I've never been,
Never knew existed.

I put that place in a box for later.
I will  revisit that place when I am better prepared.

For now, I will finish my warrior training
And be on my peaceful way.


Love Never Fails

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Beautiful wedding photography by Clayton Austin.

This wedding took my breath away. I love her tattoo, and that the photographer named the title of his blog post featuring their photos after it.


I'm a sucker for gorgeous weddings and happy couples. Maybe it's a girl thing.... :)

 Regardless, it's such a nice reminder to know:

Love never fails.


And there is no fear in love. 


Photography by Clayton Austin.

Introducing Emily

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emily, a love story. from emily berna on Vimeo.


Next up in the Sponsored Yogis, I'd like to introduce you to Emily Berna. She is one creative lady who totally blew me away with this sweet video in her application for the sponsorship program. 

Isn't it adorable?! Totally demonstrates her passion for cool digital media and for yoga. A wonderful mix if you ask me :)



Photos courtesy of Emily.

Here's a bit more from Emily on her background and yoga:
I teach high school chemistry on the south side of Chicago.  I used to work in environmental consulting, but didn't love it, so I decided to teach.  In addition to yoga I love cooking, photography, gardening, knitting, reading, and avoiding housework.  


I'm excited for the sponsorship because I'm so new to yoga I haven't had much chance to explore all the different styles and meet all the different people who practice yoga.  I'm looking forward to sharing my experiences and learning from others about anything related to yoga.  


Focus Forward Friday: Have Fun Doing Your Yoga

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Focus Forward Friday: A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: have fun!

Sometimes yoga can feel so serious. Or scripted. Or formal. My challenge to you on this beautiful, bright Friday is to lighten up. Have fun with your yoga! Do a headstand just because you feel like it, not because it's required in class.

Play. Be lighthearted. Enjoy!

Introducing Beth

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Photo via Vagabond Bond.

Morning, yogis! Hope you're having a bright start to the day. I was up super early for work, so I'm enjoying a hot cup of coffee and a quiet office.

What are you up to today? Are you on the mat? Already working? I hope whatever you're up to, you're living your yoga!

Over the next few days, I'd like to introduce you to the sponsored yogis team.

You're going to be hearing from them often and I have high hopes for the mix of voices that you'll be able to read on the blog. More than ever, Alive in the Fire will represent a community of yogis of all ages and all styles. I challenge you to get in touch with us -- send your thoughts, opinions and feedback our way! I'm looking forward to the great conversation, and couldn't be more excited to welcome these new writers.

Without further ado, first up: Beth Morey!

Photos courtesy of Beth Morey.

Beth is a writer living in western Montana with her husband and three dogs. Even just from reading a few entries on her blog, I can tell that Beth has a kind heart and loving soul. She is honest, moves through life with integrity and purpose, and takes time to enjoy the small joys in life. Plus, she hula hoops! So she has a great sense for how to make time for herself and have fun doing the things she loves.

Beth also posted about her excitement for the Alive in the Fire sponsorship on her blog today. Do check it out!

More from Beth:
When I’m not crafting novels (or pulling out my hair over said novels), I enjoy hula hoop dance, photography, board games, alpacas, and the great outdoors (in addition to yoga, of course!).  I also write the balanced living blog, To the Fullest.  

I have been practicing yoga off and on since 2003, and love a vigorous vinyasa class.  Thrilled to receive an Alive in the Fire sponsorship, I hope that it will both deepen my practice and help combat recent health issues, weight gain, and an ongoing eating disorder battle.  I believe that yoga helps with everything!  


YogaEarth: Supplement Yourself with Balance & Vitality

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All photo illustrations via YogaEarth.

I'm in love. YogaEarth, you are awesome. You give me an easy, tasty way to replenish electrolytes before and after class. You are delicious (especially mixed with sparkling water!).


You make me feel balanced, strong, ready.


You're the perfect way to give myself an extra boost before class, especially on those days when it's been a while since I was in the hot room... and I'm a little nervous to go back.


Like today.


See, I didn't mean for there to be a whole week since I last did my Bikram. Really, I didn't! And I promise I put in a few at-home practices since then.


I even taught a workshop! But that wasn't in a room at 105 degrees, 40% humidity. And now my body has to readjust. Again. (Sound familiar?)


Thankfully, there's a supplement to save us all. Try some YogaEarth, yogis. You won't regret it.


PS: YogaEarth is good for you, all the time. Even if you're not yoga-ing! The two awesome flavors help with digestion, provide energy, and eliminate cravings. They pack a five-star punch!





PPS: Sponsored yogis, you'll be getting some samples soon :) Get excited!

Hug Your Love

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All images by the lovely and talented Sarah Rhoads.

On Valentine's, give your love a hug.

It might be your spouse or partner that needs a squeeze.

Or someone in your family. A sibling, daughter or son, cousin, grandparent.

Maybe you need to wrap yourself up in a hug today, too? Love yourself. You're beautiful.




Announcing the Sponsored Yogis for 2011!

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The decision was hard. The applications were incredible. A big thanks to all who entered!

And now, Alive in the Fire would like to introduce the blog's sponsored yogis for this year...

Emily Berna,
Nicole Crist,
and
Hans Park!

along with an extraordinarily awesome guest post team: 

Dana Almdale
Richard Krzyzanowski
Beth Morey
Annie Sullivan
 Emily Taggart

This is me, shouting a much deserved: CONGRAAAAAAATS!

In the weeks and months to come, you'll be hearing from these yogis who are located all around the country and who practice a variety of yoga styles ranging from Bikram to Vinyasa to Anusara and Yin, and more.

They are teachers and students.

Men and women with compassion.

Brilliant writers, designers and thinkers who are ready to share their reflections on life as it's lived both on and off the mat.

I couldn't be more excited to have them on board!


I'd also like to send out a personal thank you to every blog reader who entered the sponsorship program. I hope the application process was fulfilling and helped you learn more about yourself and your yoga practice.


I couldn't be more stoked to share some of your stories in the weeks to come, too. I value and appreciate your feedback and your ideas about the blog.


Thanks to you and your honest input, you can expect to see some exciting changes around here at Alive in the Fire, including:
  • new design
  • more continuity 
  • a new series or two
  • some new personal posts
  • advice on specific postures, plus a comprehensive guide to every Bikram asana in the 26-posture series
  • more info for yogis who don't practice Bikram
  • more info for guys who yoga
Thanks to you, the blog is better and it's growing. I hope you'll stay tuned for some lovely input from the sponsored team, starting with their bios next week (plus the cutest bio video ever!).


And once again, a big fat congrats to the sponsored yogis, guest bloggers, and to every applicant who submitted. You are amazing!


A new day, a new dawn (on the blog). Beautiful! Photo via One Love Photography.

Southern California

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All photos by my dad, William Koontz.

Not sure about you guys, but I wouldn't mind a little trip to southern California right about now. I have to say, my heart misses The Golden State, especially this time of year.


My dad's traveling for work in the Los Angeles area and sent these pictures, so I thought I'd share them with you, too. Here's a little extra sunshine for your afternoon!










Where would you like to travel to beat wintertime blues?

PS Thanks for the photos, Papa Bear. Love you!

Sponsored Yogis Coming Soon!

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Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

Happy Friday, yogis! I hope you're celebrating the weekend already.

Anyone have any fun Super Bowl plans? Amazing appetizers you're planning to make for friends and family when they come over to watch the game?

Just wanted to share a little update with you on the Alive in the Fire Yogi Sponsorship 2011 program. I've been receiving all sorts of amazing applications and I can't wait to share the results very soon!

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga on Tumblr.

I hope to have an announcement for you on Monday. It's going to be a tough decision to say the least!

A big thank you to all of the applicants and to upcoming sponsors. You guys are the best! And I hope that regardless of the results, you've been learning more about your practice and what yoga means to you. That's the whole point of the process, and I hope it's been rewarding.

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

In the days and weeks to come, you can expect to see a lot of awesome stuff going on around here at Alive in the Fire. I will be incorporating a ton of new ideas from applicants, including guest posts, some re-design, and the start of a new series or two. (And don't worry, Real Men Do Yoga and Beyond Childhood certainly aren't over! Neither is the Everyday photographer series either.)

The best part? You're going to be getting a lot of quality info about yoga and hearing from some new voices. These sponsored yogis are passionate about their practice. They've got inspiration to share.

They are fiery, fun, and super creative and insightful. I can't wait for you to meet them!

Keep an eye out and get excited. More to come very soon.

PS. In other news, I've written over 300 posts! Eeps, how exciting :) Oh, and keep those followers coming... we're almost to our 100 party!

Photo via FYeahYoga on Tumblr.

Focus Forward Friday: Do Nothing

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Photo by Jonas Peterson, one of my favorite wedding photographers.

Focus Forward Friday: 
A weekly ritual for deepening your practice.

Today's focus: sit still. Can you slow down for a full two minutes and just breathe? I just stumbled upon this amazing site and I am entranced by it. Try taking a break in the middle of your day -- whether you're at the office working, about to start your car and drive somewhere, shopping at the grocery store, or just relaxing at home.

Two minutes of silence, stillness and meditation can do wonders!

Run, Yoga, Run: The Bikram Athlete

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Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios and their ad campaign for Pure Yoga. 

Hey yogis. How is your week going? Are you busy shoveling snow?


Perhaps you've had to mix up your workout this week because of inclement weather. By engaging in other core-building or stamina-enhancing exercise, we can improve our yoga practice. 


Sometimes we need to mix it up in order to improve not only our physical health, but our mental health, too. The repetitive nature of Bikram yoga (as a result of the dialogue and our familiarity with the 26-posture sequence) makes it tempting to zone out during class -- to disengage, stop listening, and go with what we know.


At those moments, we risk injury.


Often it can be great to mix up your work out routine by adding different styles of yoga or different cardio activities to your schedule.


Do any of you readers do Bikram on the side? Maybe you are into cross training, running, swimming, or biking -- but you find yoga to be a great complement to your other athletic endeavors.


No matter what your first fitness love is, Bikram can help you build the strength and flexibility you need to perform at your best, and live your healthiest life.


Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

One reader of the blog recently contacted me about her work as a personal trainer. Jeozette of MVP Personal Fitness Consulting recommends that athletes balance their cardio with Bikram, as the two can inform each other and provide awesome balance. The rest of this post is adapted from Joezette's article here.


You Gotta Have: Total-Body Conditioning 
(not simply strong quads) 
Consistent running can lead to a lot of tightness and strain in the spine, shoulders, hamstrings, and hips. This is why it is so important to condition and stretch those areas to develop more strength and movement to your body.


Try the following cross-training exercise to build arm strength and flexibility.


EXERCISE: Push-up; one of the best exercise for muscles of the chest (pectorals), arms (bicep and triceps) and core development.


Start face down on the floor with your feet together curled slightly so you rise on the ball of your feet. Place you hands close together so your thumbs and index fingers form a triangle on the floor. Keep your stomach contracted.
Inhale as you raise your body up till your arms are straight. Keep your head and neck level with your body and back straight. Exhale out as you lower your body back to the ground.


Photo via mewall82 on Flickr.

You Gotta Be: Pain Free!


Bikram Yoga will put an end to the tightness that leads to pain by opening up your joints and stretching all your ligaments, tendons, and muscles. Remember that running doesn't use ALL your muscles. You need a pose that will utilize your whole body.


Try the following Bikram Yoga pose to help straighten rounded spines and relieve backaches. This pose will also increase circulation to the spine and strengthen the abs, arms, thighs, and hips.It will improve the flexibility of the scapula, deltoids, and traps.


POSE: Bow Pose; Start lying on your stomach, bend your knees and bring your feet down towards your glutes. Reach back with your arms, take hold of each foot from the outside, grasping about two inches below the toes. Keep your feet and knees six inches apart throughout the pose. Take a deep breathe, look up towards the ceiling and lift thighs and upper body off the floor. Kick back lifting legs higher off the floor. The main goal is to balance on your abdomen. Hold pose for 20 seconds while breathing in and out through the nose.


Photo via creativENERGYoga on Flickr.


You Gotta Have: Agility, Coordination, and Balance


Agility, coordination, and balance are also important factors in day-to-day activities, such as standing and walking or (running). Try the following Cross-training exercise to improve these basic functions.


EXERCISE: Jump Rope; Holding the jump rope handles, one in each hand, the rope should be resting on the ground directly behind your feet. Your head should be up, eyes looking forward, not down at your feet. Your elbows should be positioned in close to your body. During the jump, your body should be erect. A basic jump is straight up and down and about 1 inch high. The rope gets its momentum with a basic swing of the wrist and forearms. The knees should flex and extend slightly with each jump. As you jump, try to develop a rhythm (the speed at which the rope turns).


Photo via kait.rich on Flickr.

Bottom line? Mix up your work out and balance it out with some hot yoga! You'll be happy you did when the winter storm hits and you don't have to pull any muscles while shoveling snow. 

Have any other advice on how to adapt to Bikram as an athlete? I'd love to hear from you, runners, swimmers, bikers, and tri-athletes! Leave a comment below.

Photo illustration via Blow Up Studios.

Real Men Do Yoga: Jacob Stickney

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Jacob Stickney is a Bikram yogi who practices regularly at Bikram Yoga Seattle (Fremont). This is his story.


Fruits of Intensity


"1...2...3...4...5...6..." The teacher speaks loudly so everyone in class can hear, counting out the breaths. 


Beginners to experienced, yogis stand near each other on their mats and towels, facing the mirrored wall.


I collapse my shoulders to my sides; legs, feet, and ankles locked together as instructed. It is only the start of the second set of the Pranayama series, the standing deep breathing exercise that sets the tonality for the 26 postures to follow. 


My entire body is already drenched with sweat...not even five minutes into the class. I engage fully in the second set with my inhale and exhale, the closure and expansion of the shoulders executed as fully as possible. 


When the warm-up postures are complete, I take a few sips of water from my Nalgene bottle and maintain a calmness, letting short bursts of air release through my nostrils. As I look around, I notice I'm one of the youngest students in the room. 


Photo courtesy of Jacob Stickney via Darrah Parker Photography.

The room is 105º (40º C) at roughly 40% humidity, men wearing only shorts, women often in clothing that often does not leave much for the imagination. There's an overwhelming amount of sweat in the room. 26 postures, 2 breathing exercises to open and close the class. A 90 minute meditation.


Bikram never gets easy, even for the more experienced practitioners. I am by no means steeped with experience, I have just been fortunate to have excellent instructors thus far and have enthusiastically thrown myself into the fire so to speak. 


Even the instructors who have been practicing and teaching for years get slaughtered by the simple yet vigorously intense curriculum that is the Bikram trademark. And yet we all love it, and the yoga feels wonderful.


Bikram yoga has sparked some controversy as it is a yogic practice rooted in the cultural purity of India but brought to American culture. Some say that Bikram yoga is a cult. I don't know about that, but I do know that the 26-posture series incorporates only a tiny fraction of the number of yoga postures that have been developed over thousands of years.


Bikram Choudhury devised a specific and fairly punctual method for exhaustively working the entire body of muscles, systems, and organs. The order of the postures in the sequence is quite intentional: each posture serves a purpose, and is a reaction to its neighboring postures, so that the intensity of each posture is maximized. The entire series is a specific method used to get specific results.


Bikram yoga is an opportunity to become immersed in the marriage of thriving intensity and cultural expansiveness. It's a practice in which the teachers are always students. Including it into my life and surrendering to its intensity is nothing short of life-changing on various levels. I hope to sustain the practice until my heart tells me otherwise.


Thanks for reading. 
In joy,
Jacob 


You can read more from Jacob on his blog here. Also consider contributing to the Real Men Do Yoga series by submitting a few paragraphs about your practice and why you love yoga. Email aliveinthefire at gmail dot com today!

Gratefulness for Yoga, Massage & Good Friendship

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I had to share this note from ThxThxThx today. Leah honestly has the best notes and such an awesome sense of humor, don't you think? I love the combo of comedy and gratitude :)

I also want to send a big thank you out to my friend Lindsay Paige of Omai Bodyworks for the best massage ever yesterday. I was only in there for 30 minutes, but Lindsay managed to work out all of my knots and kinks in my neck and shoulders. No more pain! I am so, so grateful. :)

For those of you in Evanston who need a good massage, Lindsay is your girl. She's got a ton of experience, a wonderfully chill style and comfortable studio, and some of the strongest biceps you'll find. If you'd like to contact her about her massage services, let me know and I'll put you in touch. She's located in the basement of Bikram Yoga Evanston and has super flexible hours.


Finally, I hope all of you Chicago readers are all ready for this big blizzard! Stay warm and be safe. I know I'll be drinking some extra hot chocolate and apple cider in the next few days...

SNOWPOCALYPSE, a photo via Northwestern University's Twitter account.