Where to Sweat: Ritual Hot Yoga

So I have many rituals...When I wake up in the morning:

• I give thanks for a new day (even when I'm cranky)
• I open my "Daily Teachings" app by the Secret and I read my teaching for the day
• I kiss my boyfriend and wish him a good morning (and I thank my lucky stars for him)
• I send loving thoughts to my family in NY
• I make coffee and oatmeal with sliced strawberries
• I check instagram
• I then check the real news
• I let the day settle in

On very good days, I also try to find some time to meditate so I am in communion with my inner self before facing the outside world. I could go on and on about many other rituals that I have because I like a good ritual. They provide a sense of grounding. I sometimes like to take mundane situations and apply a ceremonious spin on them. Consider your beauty routine, I love to work through every step with a sense of love and purpose. I think that when you apply a ceremonious attitude to anything you are harnessing divinity and the present moment.

A yoga practice or your sweat sesh of choice can be seen as a ritual in many cases. You usually go around the same time, frequent the same studios and follow the same teachers. In an actual yoga class it is sequenced in order to take special steps into consideration, think setting intentions, breath work, the physical practice, svasana... they all serve a very clear purpose. I had the pleasure of experiencing Ritual Hot Yoga as I partook in an event on behalf of SYYogaMag. They invited local bloggers into their "home" and treated us to fresh beats, a warming practice and delish local foods. Check out the full article on this experience over at SFYogaMag. If you are based in San Francisco I encourage you to check out this studio. Not only do they offer an amazing class but they are disrupting the ecosystem by truly taking care of their teachers. Okay, I'm giving away too much, just read this. If you are not in San Francisco, start setting and applying rituals to your daily routine and notice how present you just might become.

namaste.

The Best Yoga Move For Your Abs

I'm back on the big screen to share some fitness moves you can do with me or save and learn for later! Today's video features a navasana "boat pose" series. This is a favorite, I always get asked to put it in the mix even though I get tons of eye rolls during it. Warning: if you have a foot phobia, you may not want to watch this because mine will literally be in your face. Please, please, please share with me any feedback on what you like, how I can make this better and what you want to see next. It helps me create better content that will help YOU meet your goals. Get to it!

Diaries of an Exercise Virgin: Y-7 Part 2

Photo y7studio.tumblr.com/

This post was written by Contributor Gabriela Del Valle

As part of this series, I’ve been trying a different fitness class every week. First it was SoulCycle, then Y-7. Logic would dictate that the third post would be about a third fitness class, but since I chose to sign up for Y-7’s two-week unlimited membership, I’m going to dedicate this week’s post to my second week of Y-7.

Like I mentioned before, I love Y-7. I love that I can listen to Drake and Fetty Wap while doing yoga. I love that the instructors don’t hesitate to correct your form if it looks like you need help, but also understand that everyone in the room is at a different level. Most importantly, I love the feeling of accomplishment that I’ve gotten from slowly but surely improving my practice, from becoming incrementally stronger and more flexible.

I notice a drastic change in my mood on the days I’m able to attend a Y-7 class; I feel more relaxed, more energized, and far less tense. Lately, I’ve also become aware of any tension I’m carrying in my body, especially on the days I can’t go to class. In order to combat this, I’ve started to do sun salutations in my living room on days where my work or school schedule prevents me from attending classes.

This week’s tips for other exercise virgins:

·       Take the lessons you learn in your fitness classes (be it SoulCycle, Y-7, or any other class you enjoy) and try to apply them to a daily routine.

·       If your schedule prevents you from doing a full workout on a particular day, work out at home instead. Even a little bit of activity makes a huge difference.

·       The changes you notice in your flexibility, strength, or resistance levels will be incremental—be proud of them! 

Diaries of an Exercise Virgin: Y7

Signing up: Y7’s website is fairly straightforward. From the homepage, you can access a master class schedule that lists all the classes available for the week. They also have an iPhone app where you can check schedules and book classes, which further streamlines the process. In order to sign up for a class, you have to create an account, which takes pretty much no time. Unlike SoulCycle’s website, there isn’t a page for each studio, so you have to make sure to filter by location so you don’t accidentally book a class in West Hollywood when you live in Williamsburg. Not that it happened to me, but it almost happened to me.

When signing up for a class, you have the option to either make a single reservation or make a recurring reservation, which will automatically book a class for you on a regular schedule. While the recurring reservation option is great for people who know they’re into the classes, I suggest starting out with one class and seeing if you enjoy it.

A single class costs $25; a two week unlimited pass for new students is $45. Take the plunge and buy the two week pass. If you live in New York, you’ll be able to try out different instructors and studios around the city and find the one that works best for you. It’s worth the extra $20, and it’s an endless amount of classes for less than the cost of two.

Preparing for class: After signing up for a class, you’ll receive an email confirmation with the location, time, and instructor name. Make sure to get to class at least 15 minutes early; depending on your location and what time you go to class, it can take a while to get changed into your yoga attire. And definitely wear clothing you don’t mind sweating in. Upon checking in, you can choose to rent a mat ($2) and/or a skidless towel ($3). Since I don’t own a yoga mat (yet) I rented one, but chose to opt for a regular towel (free) instead of the skidless option.

Each studio comes equipped with deodorant, hand sanitizer, makeup wipes, q-tips, whatever you need to get prepped for class. There are large cubbies where you can store your belongings, but space is limited so again, make sure to show up early. After showing up to a SoulCycle class after the lights had already dimmed and the class had begun, I cannot stress how important it is to show up on time. Also bring a water bottle. Bring. A. Water. Bottle. I can’t stress that enough, either.
 

The class: I noticed two very distinct things upon walking into the yoga studio: it was super hot in there, and one of my favorite Drake songs was playing ("Right Hand," in case you were wondering). The pre-class email mentioned it would be hot inside (80 – 90°F, to be exact), but the whole winter-in-New-York thing made me forget what warmth even felt like. The lights were off and the only light came from various candles scattered across the room. Don’t worry, it’s totally fire-proof.

I laid out my mat in the middle row – despite having arrived early, I didn’t get there early enough to get a spot in the back corner where no one could see me fall over. The class started out with breathing exercises and affirmations led by Kate, the instructor – “You are not here to compete with others. You are here to engage in your own practice, to strengthen yourself, to push yourself. If you find yourself losing breath, repeat this mantra: I belong. I belong here.”

Yoga instructors often tell you to let go of all your anxieties, tensions, and stressors during your practice. Or, more specifically, to use your practice to let go of all your anxieties, tensions, and stressors. As a chronically stressed-out and anxious person, this is something I wish I could do, but I’m not great at it. As Kate told us to clear our minds and release our tensions, I tried harder than ever before to do it. And it worked. 

We did a variety of stretches that tested my ability to control my muscles. I found myself being able to go a bit further than I thought I could, but also kept my physical limits in mind. That is, I pushed my limits but also knew when to stop. At one point during free flow – while a Lil Kim song was playing – I found myself retreating back into Child’s Pose for a minute in order to catch my breath while the people around me did complex headstands, but I learned to be okay with that.

I’m not great at yoga. I’m not flexible enough to touch my toes and I fell over four different times while in Warior III. But I left the class feeling energized and completely, if temporarily, relieved of stress. The tension I had been carrying in my back earlier that day was gone.
 

The aftermath: I liked the class so much I immediately booked one for the next day, and will continue to attend classes for the next two weeks. I was a little sore afterwards, but completely relieved of all mental and bodily tension.
 

Would I return? See above. Yes yes yes yes yes.

Tips for other Y7 virgins:

·       Show up early! This is proving to be a tip for all classes, but with reason. Plus, you won’t be let in after class starts.

·       Bring water. Drink water.

·       Wear breathable clothing because you will sweat a lot.

·       If you feel overwhelmed, take a minute to gather yourself, then get back to work.

·       Don’t focus on anyone else’s practice. Focus on your own body and your own breath, even if the people around you are contorting their bodies in ways you didn’t know were possible and you fall over a thousand times in an hour.

How To Strengthen Your Yoga Game

It's a popular misconception to think that yoga is all about stretching. It's not. There is actual muscular work taking place, if and only if you are doing your poses correctly. One of the ways you can begin to strengthen your yoga game is by understanding what muscles need to work when so you can activate them. Essentially hollar at your hamstring in Warrior II and say, "hey buddy, can you help me out here"? Activating your muscles in a variety of poses, especially standing poses will help you strengthen your entire body while doing yoga. I am sharing with you a few exercise that you can do in order to build strength that you will need to call upon during your yoga postures.

STRENGTHEN YOUR UPPER BODY AND CORE:

What you'll need: a yoga block, a yoga mat and your fine self

Step 1: Grab a comfortable seat where you can have a straight spine and stack your shoulders over your hips. Take a block and hold it in-between your forearms. Your fingers should be spread out and finger tips pointing towards the ceiling. Your elbows should be parallel with your shoulders. Once you are in this position, begin squeezing the block. It won't move but you will begin to activate your upper arm, back and chest muscles. Perform 20-30 of these. This will improve your chaturangas and arm balances.

Step 2: Get your chaturanga and plank form on fleek. Take the block horizontally and make an "L" shape with your hands and place it at the corners of the block as a place holder. Come into a straight arm plank stacking shoulders, elbows and wrists. Push back through your heels and fortify your quadriceps. Feel the hips gathering and firming and bring the naval to the spine.  Initial activation of the muscles begins here! Look in front of you about 6 inches and HOLD.

Step 3: Come down slowly, hugging the upper arms by the rib cage. Elbows should be pointing back. Come down 90 degrees and HOLD.

Step 4: Once you hit 90 degrees, press firmly into your hands, push back through the heels, fortify the legs and come back up to a straight arm plank. Do this movement in a very slow and controlled fashion. 

STRENGTHEN YOUR HAMSTRINGS & GLUTES:

What you'll need: a yoga block, a yoga mat and your fine booty

Step 1: Place a block horizontally in-between your ankles and squeeze the block. It will be harder than you think to keep the block in place. Press the pubic bone into the mat. The upper body is in a sphinx like position, forearms in the ground, elbows stacked under shoulders and finger tips pointing forward. With control and activating the hamstrings and glutes, bring the block slowly towards the glutes.

Step 2: Once you reach the glutes, drive the block towards the ground with control slowly releasing the contracted hamstrings.

Step 3: Repeat this movement about 5-10 times. Hamstrings are needed in a variety of standing poses. This will help you strengthen your legs in standing poses versus relying on sheer flexibility which sometimes causes hyper extension in the bones, ligaments, etc. You get it...what I am telling you to do is WORK IT!

Diaries Of A Fitness Virgin: SoulCycle

Last week, I explained how one of the most important things I need to remember is that there’s no reason to be intimidated by fitness classes, since everyone was a beginner once. I decided to tackle my intimidation problem head-on by attending what I personally think is the most intimidating of all NYC fitness classes: SoulCycle. Why am I so intimidated by it? Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it’s all the locations. Maybe it’s the branded gear. Maybe it’s the massive following. I went to an evening class taught by Lori A. at the West 77th Street location. Here’s how it went down.

Signing up: Signing up for SoulCycle is incredibly easy. You go to their website, select your location, choose your bike, and check out. If it’s your first class, you have to call the studio directly and make your reservation by phone instead of online, and the class is $20 as opposed to the usual $34, and your cycling shoes are free. When you sign up, the person reminds you to eat a light snack about 30 minutes before class and show up early so the employees can help you get settled. I did neither.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I entirely forgot about the snack, but I did show up ten minutes before the class was supposed to start. Unfortunately, ten minutes wasn’t early enough. I had enough time to sign up for the class, strap in to my very confusing cycling shoes, put my clothes in a locker, and get in line for the bathroom. I looked around at all the fit, beautiful people in the room, all decked out in SoulCycle attire. I was intimidated, but it was too late to back out; class was starting soon. The bathroom line was so long that by the time I was finished, the class had already started. I walked into a dim, loud room and prepared myself for what would be the most strenuous workout experience of my young life.

The class: As I mentioned earlier, you have to rent cycling shoes (unless you already have your own), because you have to clip your feet on to the pedals. I assume that part of the reason they tell newcomers to arrive early is so someone can show them how to clip their feet in. Too bad I showed up after the class had already started, because it took me a full five minutes to figure out how to clip both my feet in. Another important thing I missed: instruction on how to adjust your seat height. I was frantically pedaling away while also trying to adjust my seat height to no avail for about ten minutes. Luckily, the instructor (a wonderful woman named Lori) noticed something was wrong, came over to me, and helped me get fully adjusted.

I’d like to say it was smooth sailing after that, but that would be a blatant lie. It was hard. Like, really hard. We alternated between cycling while sitting on the bike seats and cycling while standing on the pedals, often leaning forward. There were times when we had to do push-up-esque exercises while continuing to cycle. At one point, we had to do arm exercises with small, five pound weights. It seemed easy at first, but by the end of it I felt like my arms were going to fall off. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said I don't know how to work out.

During the first half of the class, all I wanted was for it to be over so I could go home and collapse onto my bed. My legs were sore, I was tired and sweaty, and I felt like I was the only person in the room who had no idea what they were doing. After a certain point – aka when a song I really like, “Justify My Thug” by Jay Z came on – I started to get more into it. It was hard, but I was sure I wasn’t the only person who was struggling to keep up. I began to notice Lori walking around the room, going up to people when it seemed like they were struggling or needed some help or extra motivation.

The last five minutes of the class consisted of a yoga-like cooldown period that can only be described as very zen. Lori turned the music down and talked us through a series of stretches, peppering her instruction with affirmations and encouragement. “It’s not about numbers,” she said. “Not about speed or resistance numbers, not about number of calories burned, not about fitbit or weight numbers.”

When the fluorescent lights came on and everyone got off their bikes, I felt great. Exhausted and sweaty, but also relaxed and proud of myself for having gone to a class I was so intimidated by. While everyone else gracefully unclipped themselves from their bikes, I realized I had no idea how to release my shoes from the pedals. So I did what anyone in my position would’ve done: I took my shoes off, then removed them from the bike with my hands. I felt pretty dumb for not knowing what to do, but the job was done.

The aftermath: After class, Lori congratulated me for attending my first class and doing well despite my initial struggles. I left the class sore, sweaty, and starving – all signs of a good workout. My inner thighs were sore from the bike seat, but that was to be expected.

Would I return? In a heartbeat. Lori was an awesome instructor and provided a great experience.

Tips for other SoulCycle virgins:

• Browse through the instructor profiles to get a feel for what kind of music they’re into. It’s a good idea to choose an instructor with similar music tastes to yours; the soundtrack is a huge part of the experience.
• Show up early! They tell you fifteen minutes, but I would suggest twenty just in case the bathroom lines are long.
• Eat a snack beforehand so you aren’t starving in the middle of class.

Diaries of a Fitness Virgin: The Beginning

I have a confession: I don’t know how to exercise. Seriously. Due to a fateful combination of my being incredibly uncoordinated and incredibly out of shape, I don’t know how to work out. And due to yet another fateful combination of ignorance (as in, “What the hell am I doing? How do you even lift a weight?”) and intimidation (as in, “Everyone at this gym is so fit and strong and I can’t even run a mile!”), I’ve never really tried that hard to learn how to work out. My roommate once tried to get me to do push-ups and I collapsed on the floor after the fourth one.

It’s not that I haven’t tried before. I’ve taken a couple yoga classes here and there. While I was studying abroad in Argentina, I signed up for one of the most expensive gyms in Buenos Aires with a few of my friends, hoping that the exorbitant price would guilt me into exercising. And it did. At first, it was a chore. My friends would have to drag me in, reminding me of all the money I had already dropped on a fancy gym membership. After a while, it actually became an enjoyable experience. I never went more than three times a week because of my class schedule, and all I ever did was run on the treadmill and do crunches, but it started to feel good.

So I figured it’s time I actually figure this whole exercise thing out, and I’m going to stick to it. It’s going to be hard: as of right now, I can’t run a mile without stopping. I can’t even run half a mile without stopping. I still don’t know how to properly lift a weight. But figuring all of that out is part of the journey.

Here’s how it’s going to work: with Kelly at my (figurative, but sometimes also literal) side, I’m going to try out various fitness classes around the city. I’ll write about my experience there: what was the atmosphere like? How was the instructor? Were they helpful? Did I feel intimidated? How did I feel afterwards?

The ultimate goal is that I find out what combination of things works for me, while also giving fellow exercise virgins an inside look at the world of NYC fitness. A few things to remember, for me and for any other exercise virgins who want to join in on the fun:

It's not all about looks
One of the most talked-about benefits of working out is its effect on your physical appearance. While that’s great, it’s not the main focus of this project. On the contrary, my main goal is to improve how I feel on the inside. I want to feel healthier stronger, and more fit; if I also end up looking healthier, stronger and more fit, that’s just an added bonus.

Everyone was a beginner once
Let’s face it: for those of us who don’t know what we’re doing, gyms and fitness classes are intimidating and, quite frankly, pretty scary. Gyms are full of mysterious-looking equipment I have no idea how to use. Exercise classes are populated by devotees who know exactly what they’re doing. But they were beginners once, too. Everyone had to start somewhere, and you shouldn’t let yourself be intimidated or feel judged in a place where people are all striving to improve themselves.

Baby steps are key... 
Like I’ve said a million times already, I can’t run a mile without stopping. Naturally, I don’t expect to be able to run a marathon a week after my first workout. It’s important to pace yourself and to set realistic goals so you don’t get burnt out or give up when you don’t immediately achieve the results you want.

...But don’t underestimate yourself
Even though it’s important to pace yourself, it’s equally important to not underestimate yourself. My biggest problem when it comes to working out is that I’ll find something that’s comfortable and I’ll be scared to push myself beyond that. But pushing yourself to do better is the entire point.

Amplify Your Leg & Butt Workout With This Little Prop

Photo by Elena Eshleman (@elenaeshlemanphotography)

It's human nature to want to "DTR" just about everything in your life including your relationship with you favorite barrista. At first, your face is familiar then, he kind of remembers how you like your coffee and before you know it, you are on a first name basis making small talk every morning.  Fitness is pretty much like any relationship, you want to see growth and progress. I must make one caveat using the cliche saying: "you must learn to walk before you can run" or something like that. It is important that you are honest with yourself and ask "Am I really ready for the next phase?" If your ego takes control then you might find yourself moving onto something that you aren't ready for and all of that effort will be fruitless because your foundation just isn't strong enough. There are tons of things I can physically do and there are so many more I am still working towards. That's the fun part! Otherwise, if I could easily do everything what would the point be? How would I ever measure growth and progress? 

Getting to the point (ugh so hard for me)... Before trying some of these moves, you should ask yourself a simple question, "how's my form?" If you are killing it at squats, getting the thighs super low and parallel to the ground and maintaining that natural curve in your spine then let's move forward. Let's add some weights or in this case, add a block into the mix. Let's keep the challenge alive! I was doing enough squats and lunges where I was getting kind of bored. I knew I needed to up the ante in order to stay committed and to see better results. So, I decided to take my yoga block and use if for something besides yoga. I placed that little sucker under my foot and it unleashed a whole new world. I couldn't walk for two days. It has officially become my best friend, a tool that lets me leverage height to add a new level of intensity and balance to recruit new muscles into the mix. I made this YouTube video showcasing a short sequence with squats and some lunge variations. You can follow it or use it as inspiration next time you are ready to take your relationship to the next level with your squat or lunge game.

My ridiculously awesome pants are Zara Terez. Use promo code: Kelly25 if you'd like to get a pair too, they have lots of other fun prints. You'll save 25% off with the code! I wore these bad boys in a Core Power Yoga class in San Diego a few weeks ago and the fabric was amazing in the heat!

Squat it out. xo Kelly

Move Over Gwyneth and Tracy...

This is way better than kale, printed leggings, the 7 minute work out or kombucha. Move over Gwyneth and Tracy, there is a new POWER COUPLE in wellness, you are looking at Katie and Kelly! Nutrition meets Fitness! WOOHOO. Do I really need to explain any further how cool and important this is? A few months back I featured Katie and some work that we collaborated on over at Refinery 29 (read that post if you haven't already, it is super informative). We collaborate on awesome corporate consciousness initiatives with amazing clients who know how important it is to offer their employees wellness solutions.  We have decided to up the ante on this relationship and move to video. I know, I know, some of you may think this relationship is moving way too quickly. Don't worry, I know what I am getting myself into. I can't obsess over this enough but our initials are exactly the same so this is KF SQUARED. I really wanted to put a little "2" next to our name but it has taken me an obscene amount of time to try and figure out how to do that on SquareSpace so....I have moved on. If anyone knows how, leave me a comment on this post ;)

So we both strongly believe and I must also say it is not a personal belief but a scientifically proven one that BOTH exercise and nutrition are the key to optimal health. One CAN NOT exist without the other. And I am taking this crazy class at NYU that has opened my eyes to so many things that simply reinforce that. Healthy Body = balanced diet, cardiovascular health and strength conditioning. It is as easy as any 3 step process, I am sure you have 10 more steps in the shower alone. There will be a future post diving into all of the details BUT simply put just because you exercise does't mean you can eat crap and because you eat "clean" or "healthy" doesn't mean you don't have to exercise. Got it? Life is all about balance and when you achieve balance, it will be harmonious. Can you hear the classical music playing?

Enough words, let's have these moving images speak for themselves. I am super duper proud to present our first video collaboration living on my YouTube Channel: Pre-Workout Snack: 3 Quick and Easy Chia Puddings! . You can get to the recipe details here on Katie's blog she has a lot of good stuff on her website so check it out ONLY when you are done watching the video :) 

I truly hope you enjoy. This was created with a lot of love and sincere passion for your wellness.

xoxo

Fitness Friday: Let's Move IT!

Morning Beauties!

Let's be honest, It is the day you have been longing for since Sunday and you are about to imbibe and consume lots of naughty things to celebrate the fact that you don't have to be at work tomorrow. As a result, I am sharing a new fitness video with you today. I have a new Triple Threat: Push-Up series video live. Spend less than 5 minutes getting some cardio, push-ups and yoga stretches in. Watch, I mean DO the Plank Series first and then follow it up with this one for a more intense quickie :) If you don't have a jump rope, do jacks! No excuses.

I'm starting to warm up to this video thing, hope you are liking these. Let me know and SUBSCRIBE to my channel. I am filming some amazing nutrition & fitness ones today with Katie from ComplEAT nutrition today. They are going to be sick. xoxo

Go get'em!

My First Fitness Video is LIVE!

WOW, it is chilly on this beautiful Sunday but don't you worry,  I have the perfect means to warm you UP! My very first fitness video is LIVE on YouTube today!!! This is a massive labor of love <3 I want everyone to have the ability to enjoy KbK fitness regardless of where you are in the world. The first set of fitness videos that I am producing and releasing are based on my Triple Threat class that I developed and taught in USQ, NY this past summer. 

I call it a Triple Threat because it is 1 part Cardio, 1 part Strength and 1 part yoga in every body part segment. It is kind of like Beyonce who can sing, act and dance...ya' know?  I am producing and releasing the videos in segments so you can tailor your own playlist and tackle the body parts that you feel like tackling. The video library will be built over time so be patient, more videos will come. This first video is a plank series. In the video, I use a jump rope to pump up my heart rate however; you can switch in jumping jack, burpees, or high knees if you don't have a rope at home. 

The more love I get from you, the more videos I will make so PLEASE share these with your friends and don't forget to subscribe to my channel and give the video a thumbs up if it gives you a good burn. If you live in NYC and want to sweat it out up close and personal together, email me for personal or group training @ Kelly@KorebyKelly.com

I am so happy and feeling blessed to be on this journey together xoxo