Align Pilates® Minneapolis

After the excesses of the holiday season, many of us want nothing more than a healthy start to the new year. However, we all know that motivation can be an issue during the dark, cold days of January. But here at Align, we get it! And we’ve designed a two-week winter cleanse that will snap you out of your malaise and get you focused on balancing your body, mind and spirit. Starting on January 20, join a group of like-minded people who are committed to a healthy shift in priorities. Align’s second annual winter cleanse will kick off on Friday evening with a two-hour nutrition workshop, where you’ll learn about healthy and safe ways to detoxify the body through food. Superfoods and meal planning will be discussed, and you’ll leave with a variety of recipes to help fuel you through the program. The Align cleanse has been designed to help you reset your metabolism, build your immune system, create flexibility and increase your circulatory system and heart rate. Through yoga, barre class and Align’s exclusive Prana Stretch technique, you’ll emerge from the program feeling centered, strong and healthy. Sign up now–only a few spots left!

Congratulations to all who completed the Virgin Yoga Series with Stacy Seebart! We hoped it rocked your world, in a very peaceful and centering sort of way, of course. And speaking of soft rock, Stacy has graciously decided to share her very special Virgin Yoga Playlist for your listening pleasure. As you venture out into the world to experience new yoga pleasures, you can take these songs with you as a pleasant reminder of your not too distant virginity. Rock on, my yogi friends, rock on.

Stacy Seebart’s Virgin Yoga Playlist:

Ha Ma Durga- Donna DeLory
Brand New Day- Joshua Radin
Wash Away – Joe Purdy
Om Nama Shivaya- Donna DeLory
Jaya Vitthale- Dave Stringer
Breathe- Alexi Murdoch
May You Walk in Sunshine- Sacred Spirit
Om Namah Shivya- Wade Morrisette
Om- Soulfood
Kiss of Bliss- Jamie Lawrence & Steve Gorn
Shamanic Journey (Om Shanti)- Anugama

NEW Virgin Yoga Series starts soon!
Tuesdays October 5th – November 9th, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm.
Sign up now!

This week’s forecast calls for 85 degrees and sun. Yes folks, it’s gettin’ hot in here. But instead of taking off all your clothes, how about jumping in some cool, refreshing water? And while you are there, do some yoga. That’s right. Yoga is effective both on land and at sea, so chill out and give some water yoga moves a whirl. You’ll not only find that aqua yoga relaxes your weary muscles, but the water will support your weight, allowing you to mover deeper into your poses and hold them for longer periods of time. Kind of like those handstand contests you used to do with your gal pals back in the day.

Where to dip? If you are fortunate enough to own your own personal swimmin’ hole during Minnesota’s hot and sticky months, more power to you. And if you are one of the pool-less, lucky for you, we live in the land-o-lakes. So hop on in one. Or adopt the tradition that city-dwelling Minnesotans have been practicing for many, many moons—befriend someone with pool access. Either way, you dip, I dip we dip.

This May, Bicycling magazine named Minneapolis America’s best bike city. How did our fine city nab such a title? Well, for starters, we have 127 miles of street and off-street bikeways throughout the city. That probably had something to do with it. Plus, our large, supportive biking community, extensive cycling infrastructure, beautiful greenways and NEW bike-share program could not have gone unnoticed. Yeah, we rock. Or roll, as the case may be.

All that Minneapolis biking means hard working Minneapolis bikers. And hard working bikers means hard working muscles. And hard working muscles means occasional aches and pains. So what do occasional aches and pains mean? Yoga for Cyclists. Calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips, shoulders, and the neck are often tight muscle groups for the regular recreational biker. If that’s you, this short series of yoga poses is specially designed to stretch your tight spots. It’s best to perform these poses before your muscles have had a chance to cool down or, in other words, before you peel off that spandex. So what does all that stretching mean?  Babelicious biking.

While no one can deny the exceptional powers and strength of instructor-led fitness classes, sometimes you need a little home practice to really get the full effect. DVDs, books and internet how-to’s are great when you want to brush up on your fitness skills from the comfort of your own living room. But after a while, they tend to lose their zing. When you start reciting the video host’s repetitive script and the pages start falling out of your favorite book, you know it’s time for a change. So why not enhance your practice from the very thing you are practicing on—your mat?

Dig this Self-Guided Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat. Here you have 28 popular, physician-certified yoga poses right at the tips of your fingers and toes. No need to pause and peer up at the TV screen or flip a page. With the self-instructional mat, you can “tune in, chill out and shape up all at the same time.” So why stop at Yoga? Self-Guided Eco-Friendly Mats are also available for your Pilates and Ab workouts. No wonder we haven’t seen hide nor hair of Mr. Billy Blanks in a long while.

Think about what yoga does for you. Wouldn’t it be great if you could pass it on to your kids? It’s certain—yoga is not just for adults. In fact, many schools and teachers incorporate yoga poses and instruction into their every-day curriculum. The positive effects are plentiful. It not only helps with children’s concentration, but it promotes wellness, spurs creativity, instills the importance of de-stressing and self-reflection, and much more. (Check out the Yoga in Schools organization for a whole slew of information.) Of course, the bet instruction starts at home. If you want to encourage your little one’s interest in yoga, here are some creative takes on the traditional yoga moves you know and love (‘crab walk table top’ for plank pose, ‘super hero’ for locust pose, ‘pencil stretch’ for savasana…you get the idea). Play around—it’s a great way to get started.

Do you find yourself on edge and wanting to avoid certain situations like they are dentist appointments, or do you have so much self-confidence that you fantasize about being the leader of the free world? Do you know what you want when you want it and aren’t afraid to say it, or do you prefer to keep your emotions tactfully bottled up inside? Are you an ‘Ernie’ or a ‘Bert’? Besides giving insight into your, eh-hem, ‘special’ personality, your answers to these questions could say a lot about your chakras. Yes, your chakras. Everybody has them, seven of them, to be exact.

Chakras are otherwise known as centers of energy that run along the midline of your body. Each one of them corresponds to an emotional or mental characteristic. Some of them are open and active like a seven-eleven, and some are shut up tight like…well, use your imagination. The key is to find out which ones are working overtime for you so that you can strive toward emotional and mental balance. Now wouldn’t that be nice.

Per usual, we are here to help. Here’s an excellent chakra test that will help you see which of your energy centers are wide open (or active), which ones are closed (under active) and how to kick those under-achieving buggers into high gear. And, as luck would have it, Align has introduced a new Yoga Chakra Series so you can put it all into practice. It starts June 17th so you have plenty of time to figure out what these chakra thing-a-ma-jigs are really all about.

Ah, Costa Rica. What can I say? Your beaches are blissful, your ocean is oh-so inviting and your sunsets produce sentimental moments of pure and utter juicy joy. Yes, Align Pilates just returned from its 3rd annual Wellness Retreat in Nosara, Costa Rica. And, yes, it was THAT good. We’ve arrived back in the Twin Cities feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and ready for two more months of winter. Okay, that last part is a huge lie, but we’re just trying to keep the positive vibes alive here. Even though we are back in reality, we can still reflect on the little bit of heaven we left behind us.

If you were fortunate to be there, you’ll surely remember that each day’s Yoga and Pilates classes were focused on one of the seven chakras—seven chakras for seven days. (How prefect and Zen-like.) For those of you who were not there, first of all, you MUST sign up for next year. Second, here’s a sort of crash chakra course. (After all, we don’t want you to feel totally left out of the bliss.)

You can learn how the chakras travel your body, from the base of the spine to the top of the head, and correspond to certain functions and feelings both in and outside of ourselves. Try putting one to use each day and see how it can transform your Yoga or Pilates practice.

Namaste!

Ah, the yoga mat. It supports you, it accepts you just the way you are and it only gives you dirty looks when you neglect it. Just when you thought your six foot pad of harmony couldn’t get any better, the Yogamatic mat comes along. The gurus behind Yogamatic use artist-inspired designs to create expressive mats with functionality AND character. When you strike a pose on one of these pretty babies, not only will you avoid unsightly slips, bruises and foot marks, but you’ll be thoroughly inspired by their one-of-a-kind designs.

Yogamatic mats are colorfully printed from edge to edge to reflect your style and personality, provide a durable and solvent-free surface for your poses, are made of eco-friendly materials AND come with their own bag for ease of travel.

With outstanding qualities such as these, perhaps they should be called yoga mates.

When it comes to burning calories, it’s often the little things that count. Making small yet smart choices about your diet and exercise can get you closer to the big picture: trimming and toning your whole physique. For example, today’s CNN article points out 7 small choices that can lead to big results. And isn’t it convenient that there are also 7 days in the week? The article even schedules a different choice for you to make Sunday through Saturday. I particularly like Saturday’s choice: yogic breathing. We tend to eat more when we are stressed. So to conquer this, try relaxing. And just breathe:

“Rest your right thumb near your right nostril, ring finger and pinky by your left nostril. Close the left side and inhale through the right for four counts, then close your right nostril and hold for four counts. Open your left nostril and exhale through that side for four counts. Repeat cycle again on other side; continue alternating for at least a minute. You’ll relax in no time—and may even forget about that cookie you longed for.”

Today’s Monday—a great day to start shaking things up. Start off the week by adding a few new, small choices to your routine…maybe even schedule a yoga class and put your yogic breathing into practice. And in a couple of weeks, who knows. Each small step could be one giant leap toward your fitness goals.