Align Pilates® Minneapolis

The healthiest picks for your weekend pleasures and indulgences.



Bits and Bites
Halloween Candy Buy Back

• What: Dentists snag extra candy and send it overseas to US troops.
• Why: Trick or treat…give the soldiers something good to eat.
• Where: Online at Halloween Candy Buy Back.

Got To Have It
Organic Yoga Mat Cleanser

• What: Keep your yoga mat free from the icky-stickies with a fresh spray or wipe.
• Why: Unsightly streaks got you down, dog.
• Where: Online at Yoga Direct.

Around Town
Align Pilates Open House

• What: Come check out the new studio!
• Why: See what your body can do.
• When: Saturday, November 7th ~ 6:00 – 9:00 pm.
• Where: Align Pilates ~ The Solhem Building at 3021 Holmes Ave South, Uptown Minneapolis.

I Think I Can
Breathing Tips for Difficult Yoga Poses

• What: How to keep with your breath when the going gets tough.
• Why: In with the good, out with the bad.
• Where: Online at Associated Content – Health & Wellness.

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.

The healthiest picks for your weekend pleasures and indulgences. Happy Halloween!

Bits and Bites
Healthy Candy Corn

• What: Eat the candy. Ditch the guilt.
• Why: Trick or treat…give me something good to eat.
• Where: Online at Nature Mom’s Blog.

Got To Have It
Nike Yoga Basics Capri

• What: Fun and functional pants for fall.
• Why: If you won’t eat the candy, wear the candy.
• Where: Online at 6pm.com.

Around Town
The Uptown Bar’s Last Halloween Hoorah

• What: Say farewell to a Minneapolis staple before it closes its doors to all hipsters and music lovers. Food and drinks (what’s left, that is) is specially priced.
• Why: Cheap beer has less calories.
• Where: Uptown Bar & Cafe ~ 3018 Hennepin Ave South

I Think I Can
9 Tricks to Make Halloween a Treat

• What: How to use Halloween weekend to practice “rational indulgence”.
• Why: Treat yourself to a few tricks.
• Where: Online at Eat Without Guilt.

Yoga can be a bit contradictory. On one hand, a yoga practice is calm, relaxed and serene. In class, you move your body and try to find your center; the peaceful loving part of you that wants to be good and do good.

But as an acquaintance pointed out to me the other day, perhaps a dark underbelly lurks behind our drive to practice yoga. Aside from our pursuit of a peaceful state of mind and life, why else do we go to yoga class? To relent, release and relieve the bottled up stress, tension and emotion we hold in our muscles. In short, we’re pissed off, emotionally burdened and we need to let the damn tension out of our bodies before we freak out and do something VERY irrational.

That’s why we love the warrior pose. Strong, attentive and forceful, the warrior exhibits the contradictory nature of yoga as well as the reasons why we come to the mat. The pose pumps us up, yet it still extends a harmonious message: I am strong, I am ready and I can survive peacefully…as long as I keep going to yoga class.

Shootin’ at the walls of heartache, bang bang, I am the warrior.

We admit that it isn’t always easy being green. It can be hard to purchase your wants and needs and fulfill your lifestyle with a conscience, especially when cost and convenience are weighing factors. But if you’ve been waiting for the right time to begin the green leap, today’s your day. Earth Day, that is. Start small—it’s best way to go. Little choices and behavioral changes can seem subtle at first, but they often lead to big end results. So green it up, baby.

Still stumped about where to start? Lucky for you (and planet earth), we’ve got a few suggestions to help you get started.

Shop Green

From TP to Teddy Bears, the great Gaiam has put together a list of their 25 greenest products. Many of their picks are not only earth friendly, but pocketbook friendly too, so you can shop for mind, body and home without breaking the bank.

Live Green

We’re pretty keen on yoga. Evidently, so is everybody else on the planet. As the popularity and hype of yoga is ever on the rise, start getting back to your yoga roots by checking out this article. Together, we can achieve a greener practice, studio and mindset.

Go Green

What better way to celebrate than to take your workout outside this afternoon. Whether it’s running, walking, biking or rollerblading that yanks your green goddess crank, take it to the Midtown Greenway today.

Quote Green

In the words of our favorite green buddy ol’ pal, Kermit:

“I am green and it’ll do fine, it’s beautiful!
And I think it’s what I want to be.”