Swimspot: Sexy Yoga Wear for Your Yoga Practice

Hey all! So I've been meaning to post for a while about this awesome hot yoga outfit I scored from Swimspot. Swimspot features fantastic swim wear which you can totally wear for a Bikram class. 

It's the best! Comfy, sexy, lightweight, and totally durable enough to hold up in the hot yoga room. I highly recommend the "Next" line by Athena.

I did a little at-home yoga tonight. Couldn't stop smiling because I felt great in the new outfit. It made for a great balance between Bikram poses and some sun salutations. Nothing like a little DownDog after a long day at work to get your body relaxed and happy! It was a nice mix of standing postures and backbends in the spine strengthening series.

And not that I would usually bring attention to them, but I have to say: my tatas looked pretty great in the underwire bra! (Note: I was inspired to mention this solely because I've been reading this blog. Normally I wouldn't feel so comfortable mentioning "the girls" haha! But Gina is seriously one of the most honest and heartfelt fitness bloggers I've found. And I have to agree with her: I don't generally work out with my chest hanging out, like on Body Rock. But after wearing this sexy outfit at home, I'd totally rock it in the Hot Room!)

Are you ready to feel like a supermodel, even if you're not a size small?

Want to rock your Bikram practice with an outfit that sexy and flattering? 

Check out SwimSpot. You'll feel awesome!

 

PS Totally unrelated, but I just won a case of VitaCoco coconut water! I'm super excited to try the Passion Fruit flavor. Keep up to date on VitaCoco's Facebook page and you can win, too. Stay hydrated, yogis!

Run, Yoga, Run: The Bikram Athlete

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. Just this morning the Hubs and I helped push a neighbor's car over a pile of snow, and it got me thinking about those muscles we don't usually use in the Bikram room. 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.

Swimspot: For Sexy Hot Yoga Wear

All photos via Swimspot.

Ready to spice up your Bikram wardrobe? Check out Next by Athena, a designer line of hot yoga wear brought to you by Swimspot. You can find tons of sexy outfits for yoga, plus awesome and flattering women's bathing suits on this site. I'm seriously hooked!

I'll be reviewing Swimspot soon, and posting a guest blog post to their blog space, The Spot. Stay tuned!

What are you guys wearing to the Hot Room lately?

How Happy is Your Yoga Bum?

Photo of K.Deer Model via her site. These are the beautiful bumbums I've been loving lately!

A couple days ago another Bikram blogger, The Dancing J over at Keep it Locking, posted about the crazy costumes we wear to yoga class.

I loved her reflections on how appearance can make us feel more ready for our practice, whether we are a student or a teacher.

And she notes that the dialogue even refers to "costumes." She says: 

It happens a couple of times. ("Heel touching the costume, sole of the foot facing the ceiling.") It’s an apt description. We do put on costumes to do yoga.  Everyone has at least one article of clothing - a favorite tank top or pair of shorts - that is For Yoga. And when you put that clothing on, you are in your yoga costume, looking like a yogi, ready to try to do some yoga.

Isn't it interesting how a fun pair of shorts or a low-cut bra, or a big t-shirt, or no t-shirt at all can affect the way you think of yourself at yoga?

I definitely have my favorite outfits. Most recently, I've added a pair of "bum bum" shorts from K. Deer's haute yoga wear line. I love them!

Photo of K.Deer Model via her site.

Photo of the entire K.Deer line via her site. Look at that awesome selection!

Kristine's line is fantastic -- lots of wild colors and prints, and most everything can be ordered in matching sets of headbands and shorts. The fabric she uses is super flexible and doesn't slip (so you can rest assured that your bum won't be hanging out during the postures... and that's nice, because you've got enough to worry about in yoga anyway!).


Check out her main website, which links to her Etsy shop. So many fun pairs of shorts to choose from!


And all of these look and feel (and perform) like true Bikram outfits, the ones you see being worn by advanced and stylish students. 


Me, I just got lucky, because my friend Jenn at Yoga With Style told me about them! You can shop there for K.Deer's stuff, too.

  

Heads up to TruHarmony (Chicago) and Bikram Yoga Evanston readers: I'll be posting some awesome flyers in the locker rooms in the next week or so. They feature coupons so you can place an order for a discount! Woohoo!


I encourage all readers to check out K. Deer's awesome stuff, and let me know if you have questions or feedback.


Here's to happy yoga bums!

Photo of K.Deer Model via her site.

Get To Yoga Giveaway, Round Two

Photo via Dudes Doing Yoga. 

2011 is a great year for yoga. Are you practicing regularly?


Whether you've been on the mat every day in January or you are in need of a push in that direction, I've got a special giveaway today for you.


Calling all sexy, motivated yogis and yoginis!

Enter below to win one piece of clothing from PhatBuddha. Photos via the PhatBuddha site. 

Comment below to win the Get to Yoga Giveaway (round two!), featuring:

• One piece (top or bottom, guy or girl) from Phat Buddha Wear.
• Some HuggerMugger mat cleaner via Yoga With Style.
• A couple of fancy soaps, including one from Sharilynn Studios on Etsy.
• Handmade/ handrawn note cards from DrawnbyNatski and ElisaAnn.
• Personalized inspiration for your new year from me! That's right, I'll be writing you a little note and mailing it myself. You'll also have the chance to ask me questions about poses you need help with, advice on how to take your practice to the next level, and anything else you can think of. I'll include a general guideline for trying Bikram (if you're a beginner) or stepping up your advanced class (if you've been in the heat for a while).

Win these notecards from ElisaAnn on Etsy by entering below. 

Win this lovely any-occasion greeting card from DrawnbyNatski on Etsy.

Win the yoga mat cleaner at right from Yoga With Style (made by Hugger Mugger).

Win a handmade soap from Sharilynn1999 on Etsy.

With this giveaway, you'll be all set to practice your yoga, keep clean after class, write to friends and family via snail mail (a fun way to keep in touch), and ask your favorite yoga blogger for new ideas on deepening your practice!


It's a pretty big win-win situation: a whole new year, a whole new you.


Plus, an incentive for all readers: get FREE SHIPPING on your order with Iluka Activewear if you enter the coupon code "ALIVE" when you check out. Comfortable and sexy outfits with free shipping... it doesn't get much better than that :) 


To win, please visit each shop and comment below with your favorite item you found. Also please note your yoga goals for 2011!

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!

Amazing Emo Girls