My Top 5 Ways to Relax

1. Tea

I really like Yogi tea. Well, I like a lot of teas, but Yogi tea has a really good variety, is easily accessible, affordable, & often made with organic ingredients. For relaxing, I like the Kava & Bedtime varieties. (Vanilla Spice Perfect Energy is one of my morning favs.)



2. Music

Classic trance from '96-00 is some of the best music ever made IMO. Find a Pandora station you like or create a playlist on iTunes. Mine is called "Downbeat Lyrics."


3. Yoga / Meditation

I finally crossed over into the Yoga realm this year. I used to not like it (all my friends gasp.) I think it was because when I did do yoga before, it was because I had to take it in conjunction with the dance program(s) I was in. This meant it was pretty advanced (read: uncomfortable wondering where my pelvis is upside down) and mandatory (read: not very fun when you have to do something & try to do it well.) I decided to try it again at a gym I work at, and LOVED it. I found the simple movements at the end of a long Monday the perfect way to end hours of hard work.

4. Pilates / Other Exercise

I'm a huge fan of Pilates. When I first started taking it in college for my Dance degree I fell in love with it and the way it made me feel after every class. Pilates is great for almost everyone: It's low impact, you don't have to be flexible or awkward like yoga, it's easy on your back... You just plain feel better after.

5. Supplements & Eating Healthy

 Ha! Time to cheat. Or do it the hard way?
Supplements: Valerian is great for anxiety & relaxation. Melatonin is good for sleep. B2, B6 & other B Vitamins are great too, and for energy (figure that one out.) Magnesium has been featured in some studies. Kava is another supplement (like the tea as well.)

Eating healthy: I'm serious. I have changed my eating habits twice in my life:

The first time I went from eating Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburgers with Bacon Cheddar Potato Wedges & a milkshake at least 3 times a week to not drinking cow's milk at all while hugely cutting down on processed carbs and meat (and many other animal products. I couldn't give up cheese though.) This first time started out for purely vanity reasons: It was the first year I both wasn't teaching dance and didn't have my full-time on-your-feet-for-9-hours-a-day-in-heels job, so I was gaining weight. Two things happened: 1) I dropped 15-20 pounds within 2-3 months by just those two changes, and 2) I stopped getting sick. Like, catch every cold that comes along, strep throat & bronchitis twice a year every year in my life sick. The latter is what made me stick to eating healthier. Within a couple months, it was so night & day. It still is.

And the second time: I wanted to get my butt off all those crappy prescriptions I was on (for things like anxiety & my heart etc) and start being able to live life. Studying nutrition & eating healthy for my body is what made it happen. It took me from being practically bed-ridden for a solid two years to having the freaking amazing energetic happy pinch-me-I-don't-want-to-wake-up-ever life that I have now.
Yeah. Food can and will do that to you.

Bonus way to relax: Vino.
Yes, a glass of red wine at the end of the day can not just help relax, but red wine is also good for the heart. :)

Study for yourself, be healthy & happy. And relax!

Music Monday!

Let me introduce you to an artist & a genre that you may or may not know, but you should know.

http://omnieraentertainment.com/cloudskipper

Even if you're not into electronic music, this is a great genre to work out to. I hear similar beats coming from a Body Combat or Turbo Kickboxing class!

His bio, taken from the OmniEra site, written by me:

From his start as a DJ over a decade ago, Cloudskipper has been the leader in the American hardcore music scene. His rise to become one of the most popular and anticipated hardcore DJs and producers is especially prevalent in his live sets, taking you on a journey through the various sub-genres he manipulates.

Having toured all over the world in every major city in the US, Canada, and England, with several releases on labels such as Raw Elements, KFA, Supernova, and Bedlam, it's no wonder Cloudskipper continues to take hardcore, its sub-genres, and its audience by storm! His sets and production are NOT to be missed!

 Quite possibly my favorite Happy Hardcore mix, regardless if I'm biased or not, is called "Get Vocal" which contain some of the best & my most favorite anthems: http://omnieraentertainment.com/files/Cloudskipper_-_Get_Vocal.mp3

Check out his Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cloudskipper