Yogi Tattoos: Got One?

Photos via the Bikram Women's Retreat on Facebook.

Hey yogis! Happy Thursday. Hope you're having a rockin' end to the week.

Are you practicing your yoga? I'm excited: I'm heading to a class tonight at Grateful Yoga of Evanston, a local studio I love. Nick and Lela, the owners and head teachers there, are amazing people. So full of heart! I'll be posting about them again soon.

Plus, tomorrow I'm going to be teaching a little mini yoga class at Northwestern's huge philanthropy event Dance Marathon. I'll be leading the group's highest fundraising individuals (probably around 20-30 undergrads) in a short flow class. It should be fun to incorporate the most invigorating postures so they don't fall asleep on me! During the event they dance for 30 hours straight, and the class is being held about half way through... so I'll be making it as engaging and fun as possible. No savasanas :)

It should be a fun and yoga-filled end to the week. Where are you practicing?

And are you sporting a sweet tattoo at your yoga studio? Lately I've been a little obsessed with them.

I'm also planning a blog post featuring yogis I know with awesome body art. Want to be included? Send me an email with an image of your tattoo! (You can reach me at aliveinthefire at gmail dot com.) You can also leave a comment below and I'll follow up with you. 


Hope to hear from you (and see your sick tatts) soon, yogis!


PS Check out Teeg's awesome response to this post. Namaste.

Real Men Do Yoga: Stuart Getz

Photo by Emily Voigtlander. 

Next up in the Real Men Do Yoga series is Stuart Getz, the incredible owner at my home studio, Bikram Yoga Evanston. Stu is a man with a heart of gold, a dedicated Bikram yogi, and a talented musician with a wonderful sense of balance. His confidence and humility are inspiring, and his energy radiates throughout the studio.

Stuart has created a beautiful community at BYE. As you enter the lobby of the studio, you will find yogis chatting and getting to know each other or laughing over the moments in class they've just experienced. A teacher behind the front desk will welcome you, give you some pointers for class, get you ready for your 90-minute meditation. 

Photo courtesy of Stuart Getz. Now that's an uncle that loves his niece.

Chances are, you'll find Stu hanging out with students or giving them advice on a posture or two. He could be jamming in his studio -- a cozy room near the Hot Box -- or catching up with some of the teachers. He might be posting a notice about an upcoming challenge or a reminder for how to be strong in and out of your yoga ("We don't sell cheesecake!").

Whatever he's up to, Stuart's got a big smile to share. He cares about his people, and he's created a magnificent family at BYE. An atmosphere of humility, peace, strength. An oasis in a world of pain, vice, and people who often forget that they can choose not to suffer.

Since its opening two years ago, Stu has stuck to the integrity of Bikram yoga. As he says in class sometimes, it's not his job to be your best friend; it's his job to push your buttons and help you do the yoga the right way.

Stuart is a wonderful teacher because he will give you the corrections you need to hear to improve your practice. He will love and accept you for who you are. And kick your ass. As he says, "Welcome to the posture!"

Stuart Getz is a Bikram yogi and studio owner. This is his story.

It's really quite beautiful how I came to practice Bikram yoga. As they say, "One door closes and another door opens."

I had just gone through a pretty horrific break-up with a woman I loved. The poor thing had revealed to me some really sad and troubling information about her childhood. I suggested she start talking to a therapist and offered to go with her to a few sessions to help her get started. After her second session, she thought it might be more helpful to start sleeping with her boss – a man who was 22 years her senior! This behavior with older men was nothing new to her. It was her addiction and had a direct correlation to her dysfunctional childhood.

I was completely distraught, not out of jealousy, but because I truly believed she needed a good ol' fashion intervention! When I approached her family, they ran as far away from me as they possibly could, more concerned with their humiliation from the revealing of family secrets than they with their daughter's wellbeing.

I was so close to all of them but sadly, they turned their backs on the right thing to do and headed right to the comfort zone of denial. Somehow, they perceived that I had become the abuser because I was bringing truth and light. They wanted nothing to do with it.

I never spoke to any of them again and they avoided me at all costs. They knew I knew the truth and they wanted nothing to do with either of us.

It was at this time that I began to understand one of Bikram’s favorite sayings. As
he says, "Would you rather suffer for 90 minutes or 90 years?" There aren’t words for how much it hurt to cut off all communication with a family I had loved, but I knew it was better than prolonging the misery.

At the same time some difficult revelations surfaced about my own family. My father – one of the finest men I have ever, or will ever, know – had made an absolute mess of his finances. As a talented and successful songwriter in the 1950s, my dad had enjoyed the excitement of the music business but struggled to secure the financial rewards it seemed to promise. Instead, he decided that the Massachusetts State Lottery was a perfect outlet for his frustrations, but like many others, he was very wrong. This was another opportunity to be humbled, greatly disillusioned, and most assuredly disappointed.

The sadness and surrender that life bestowed upon me was the perfect breeding ground for my entry into the yoga world. I found it amusingly ironic: here I was, caught in a world where if I surrendered any more of myself, I would have stopped breathing. And here in the experience of yoga, my life had arrived at its lowest common denominator: the breath. 

Bikram Yoga was so challenging and so overwhelming that there was no room for ego or performance. I had none of that left in my life so I felt right at home. The core of this beautiful practice became my newly discovered foundation.

With my experience stripped down to just survival, there was no room for bullshit. In fact, integrity was the only thing that would propel me further in the practice. Ego would tell me to skip steps three and four of a posture and simply head right to five, but I didn't really "own" five. Without the foundation offered by three and four, five was nothing more than an impostor! A cheat. A lie. And a painful one at that, especially when my muscles weren’t ready to cut ahead. Something about this practice was able to teach me to take small steps toward great things, learning the patience and the precision involved in excellence. 

Integrity allowed me to feel human again.

Integrity is rewarded in the practice of Yoga.

In Bikram, bullshit will kick your ass. It will not help you. I had found a new home.

Booty Time!

All photos by Kara Schultz, a talented Chicago photographer.

You love your body. You love your hubby (or boyfriend).

So why not surprise him with the results of a super sexy photo shoot?

It doesn't have to be Valentine's Day. It doesn't have to be his birthday. It can be just for fun, and all about you, because you're worth it. :)

Kara's work can reveal how fiery hot, or romantic, you are. Book a shoot with her today! 

I recently discovered the talented and sassy work of Chicago wedding and boudoir photographer Kara Schultz. Kara's work is stunning, sexy, and all around empowering to the women who she documents in creative and gorgeous ways.

Consider signing up for a session with Kara on Saturday, January 22nd in downtown Chicago. You'll get 60 minutes to flirt it up with the camera, plus a resulting disc of 30 beautiful images. This is a wonderful deal at just $300 that you don't want to miss! 

And who knows, there may just be a little surprise from me and Alive in the Fire waiting for you if you decide to sign up. Just sayin! :)

Contact Kara here, and check out her blog for more info and more sweet shots. Be sure to mention that I sent you along, and enjoy your glam time!

January 22nd, 2011 at a sweet hotel downtown. Be there!

Kara also does incredible wedding and engagement photos. I swoon, I swoon!

The kiss.

The bliss. 

I love quiet moments like this caught on camera. 

So whimsical and fun!

Healthy Lifestyles Workshop from Heaven Meets Earth Yoga Studio in Evanston

Ashley, a friend of mine and an amazing yoga teacher at Heaven Meets Earth, is teaching a workshop on healthy lifestyles, weight loss, and mindful exercise and eating.


If you're in Evanston or the Chicago area, consider attending!

Healthy Yoga Body

with Ashley Moran

6 Week Monday night series 

Mondays 7:30-9pm, January 3-February 7.

Starts tonight!

Photo via Heaven Meets Earth.

 Please feel free to share with friends you know who are always dieting or who could use a boost in their body image and self-confidence.


A few details:

Whether you want to lose weight, detoxify your body, or learn more about the ancient art and science of Ayurveda, this class is for you!


Healthy Yoga Body is a mindful approach to weight loss through yoga and the Ayurvedic lifestyle.

Photo via Heaven Meets Earth.

We will explore the basics of Ayurveda, the doshas (body types), and identify appropriate foods and exercises for your type. You will learn how to create a personalized home yoga practice and a community of support. Discover how mindfulness can transform your relationship with food.

Each class will include a lecture, yoga practice, and meditation. Students will leave class every week with amazing resources --delicious, healthy recipes and short mindfulness exercises to support your efforts during the week.

Cost: $120 for six-week series. Beginners welcome! No yoga experience necessary.

Materials: This class will reference texts “Yoga Body Diet” by Kristen Schultz Dollard and John Douillard and “Eating Mindfully” by Susan Albers, psy.d. These books are fantastic resources for your body/mind transformation!

Ashley Moran, CYT, was inspired to create Healthy Yoga Body community after taking a Yoga and Ayurveda workshop with John Douillard. 


Register at Heaven Meets Earth or call 847-475-1500.

Photo via Yoga Journal of a Not Very Calm Character.

Back to the Windy City

It's blizzardy here in Chicago, but we're glad to be back.

We made it home! It is wonderful to be back to Evanston even will all the crazy weather. Hubs and I actually marveled at the way we felt excited to see the snowflakes this morning :)

From the sunny beaches to freezing weather, I've been having a blast documenting my Standing Bow since Thanksgiving. It's getting there... :)

On the beach, baby. See that little island out there? We swam to it.

Sunset in Minnesota.

Nothing beats yoga on the beach but I can't wait to hit the Hot Room soon. Coming up, I'll be posting about several outstanding studios, including the one in Minneapolis I visited over Thanksgiving and the one in Granite Bay, CA where I first practiced Bikram with my mom.

Ooooh, backbend!

Even in the frosty weather, we'll be dreaming of Puerto Rico and remembering all the fun times we had drinking pina coladas, kayaking the bay, exploring the private island, and even building a sandcastle!

Our favorite drink in Puerto Rico: the pina colada of course!

Keep your eyes out for more Christmas-y and New Year's posts here on Alive in the Fire as the month goes along. Tomorrow I'll be featuring a sexy party top and a beautiful painting you won't want to miss!

Our Christmas tree!

Snuggle up out there, yogis. Namaste!

Longing for Home

Photo via CoolHunting.

As beautiful as this Puerto Rico trip has been, there's a big part of me that can't wait to get home. I want to be able to hug and cuddle in our PJs as much as we want, and snooze on our comfy bed.

Photo via Andrea Dicenzo.

I can't wait to be in the kitchen, cooking up some tasty, healthy homemade meals.

Photo via Andrew + Carissa.

With lots of vegetables.

Photo via Pacing the Panic Room.

And I could really use a long, hot bath...

Photo via Sarah Rhoads.

The best will be hanging out with Sir Nick and getting to cuddle with our lil bunbun, Nora.

And of course, big smooches with my Hubs.

Photo by our cousin, Joelle. Miss you, Jake and Tiff!

I will miss the warm temperatures, pina coladas and spa time, but it will be lovely to get home to Evanston. What do you miss when you travel?

The Winning Starts Wednesday

Ready to win?

Tune in to Alive in the Fire & our Twitter account on Wednesday 11/24 and Black Friday 11/26 to win some awesome items as we kick off the Winter Extravaganza!

Featuring Yoga With Style, and some of the best Etsy sellers and local Evanston shops out there. 

Note: if you follow the blog, the Twitter account, or link to us in a Facebook post, you double your chances of winning!

The Yin to Your Bikram Fire

All photos are from Kelly Loves Whales' Flickr Photostream. She has a beautiful practice!

So my bold, beautiful yogi friend Lindsay and I expanded our yoga views today with a great Yin Yoga class at Heaven Meets Earth Studio in Evanston. Our teacher Ashley led with a lovely, calm, encouraging style and we were lucky to have a small and intimate 3-student class.

Heaven Meets Earth is home to a wide variety of classes, eye-opening workshops, and some really sweet retail offerings (clothing, props, mats & amazing candles that I managed to resist!). And Katie, the receptionist up front, was very friendly and welcoming. It made for an A+ experience at the studio.

Yin class is the perfect way to balance out the heat, madness, and high-energy dialogue of Bikram Yoga. To me, it felt like a refreshing yogic nap with gradually-intensifying hip openers. You spend a lot of time in postures (generally three to five minutes!) and there are a lot of calm, peaceful asanas.

Now my pigeon can fly, instead of just waddle around.

Pigeon was my favorite and I'm pretty sure I got deeper into the posture than usual, even though it was a bit chilly in the room (but then again, what isn't in comparison to Bikram's Torture Chamber?!).

Afterward, I enjoyed a lovely release of tension in my lower back, a general feeling of ease and well-being... and a delicious gluten-free cupcake at Rose's Bakery! Linds and I splurged. Their menu is delightful (I especially enjoyed fresh half-and-half from the farm!). Such a fun start to the weekend!

Mmmm, Bridge Pose. Thanks for making my lower back feel lose, easy, flexible, comfortable! And for strengthening those quads.

Legs up the wall is the most relaxing of them all.

I'm hoping the next Yin class will feature a few more advanced postures. Headstands, for example -- I could really use some work on my headstands (and conquering my fear of them!)

Leg warmers would be great in class! Toasty toes!

Nothing like some inversions to give you a new perspective on the weekend ahead.

Thanks again to Lindsay and the lovely staff at Heaven Meets Earth for such a wonderful afternoon. I'll definitely be back!

Bag Free @ Healthy Green Goods

Hey green Evanstonians: today's Chicago Tribune local features a story about Healthy Green Goods on Main Street and how Dr. Marny Turvill, the store's owner, has been bag-free for a year now.


"Most people don't even react," she says. "They just pick up their stuff and go."


Do you shop with your own reusable bags? Know of stores that do? Please share below.


Thanks to your smart shopping choices, Healthy Green Goods, and other earth-conscious stores, Evanston will save money and the environment.

This Just In: Lululemon Offering Free Yoga Passes

Lululemon's teaming up with Facebook Places and Foursquare for a yoga giveaway.

Did you hear about Gap's recent marketing stunt with Facebook Places and Foursquare?

The idea was simple: go to your local retail store, sign in on either site using your mobile device, and get a free pair of jeans. Awesome, right?

Some say it was a success. Some complained about how quickly the product was given out.

Looks like Lululemon wants to try the idea, too! They're giving away the gift of yoga. All you've got to do is go to your local store, sign in on Facebook Places or Foursquare, and then choose your class.

Go quickly! These offers end soon. Good luck and yay for free yoga! Comment below about the studios where you are taking class!

The Weepies Live in Evanston!

The Weepies are one of my favorite bands ever. I belted out every song :)

The show last night was incredible. I am more in love with The Weepies than ever! Hubs and I smiled, laughed, tapped our toes, and sang along with every tune. Deb and Steve were adorable, as usual, and the band rocked out. I was very impressed by their stage presence, spot-on vocals and silly stories.

They all came on stage dressed in crazy Halloween costumes and wigs, Deb with black lipstick on and long, black hair. Steve was hiding behind a wild side-swept wig and sunglasses, and the rest of the band was sporting awesome hats and makeup. After a couple songs Deb laughed as she introduced them as "The Creepies." It was great.

My two favorite songs were "Can't Go Back Now" from their Hideaway album, and a fantastic ballad sung by just Deb and Steve called "Sing Me to Sleep," from his first album Big Senorita. I really loved all of their charming stories about the inspiration behind songs (anything from spam porn emails to their son playing peek-a-boo to fighting with each other). It was a beautiful night and they sounded even better live than on the recorded tracks. Lovely! Beautiful! Wondrous. I am still grinning and humming their songs.

I've checked another dream off the list :)

In case you don't know The Weepies and their playful lyrics, here are a few tidbits...

Yesterday when you were young
Everything you needed done was done for you
Now you do it on your own
But you find you're all alone, what can you do?

You and me walk on, walk on, walk on
'Cause you can't go back now

-from "Can't Go Back Now," which was my personal theme song earlier this year during a hard time. It inspired me to carry on despite challenge, pain, and worry. I truly believe in the idea behind the song: sometimes, in order to grow we truly have to take steps on our own!

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And at closing time we're a nickel and a dime
In the deep back pocket of America
Trying to find wings or something to carry you home
Right now you better make the best of your situation
Escape through a hole in the conversation
The sun comes up like a revelation and I'm so lonely without you

Baby sing me to sleep turn down the covers ‘cause talk is cheap
Baby sing me to sleep ah turn out the lights
Remember the nights when the rain fell eighteen inches deep
Baby sing me to sleep

-from "Sing Me to Sleep," a tune that's beautiful and heart-wrenching at the same time. "A hole in the conversation?!" Brilliant.

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If you've never been to SPACE in Evanston, you should check it out. They've got one of the prettiest, classiest venues around. Delicious pizza and a warm, inviting yet modern atmosphere with gorgeous over-the-bar lights and ceiling art fans that look like jellyfish!

My view looking up at the ceiling. Jellyfish fans! They were so calming and stylish.