The Power of Yoga

Arthur Boorman's story is truly inspirational. He was a disabled veteran told by his doctors that he would never walk on his own again. He had given up on life, and gained a lot of weight. It's pretty much gone viral, but if you haven't seen his transformation, watch below:

So what's holding you back? Disease? Disability? Overweight? All these things can be overcome. If Arthur can do it, so can you! As long as you have the will, determination, and desire to achieve, you will. Even slow progress is progress. Results will not be overnight, they take time, and discipline. Remember, "Just because [you] can't do it TOday, doesn't mean [you're] not going to be able to do it SOMEday." 

Stop making excuses! Start today on the path to the self you want to be!

5 Natural Remedies for Stretch Marks

Summer seems to be coming and going here in LA, but for you beach bums out there, here are some tips on looking great and eliminating stretch marks and cellulite!

Sorry to burst your proverbial bubble, but magic creams don't work. Aw, don't frown. A lot of what's in those things are natural moisturizers, like cocoa and shea butter and oatmeal. Don't waste a ton of money on a product that promises to "eliminate stretch marks in 30 days" or some such claim; because that's all it is: a claim. While moisturizing helps a little, it's only a surface treatment, and it won't get to the root of the problem, which are your subcutaneous fasciae, under your skin. There is no quick fix. If you really want to treat the problem and not just cover it up, try these simple methods:


#5. Exfoliate & Moisturize
Lowest on the list are the surface treatments because, while they don't treat the root of the problem, they do help the surface of your skin maintain its elasticity, which is going to allow it to stretch naturally and avoid the creation of stretch marks. Use a bodywash or soap with a natural exfoliant, or an exfoliating body sponge. Exfoliating helps you shed flaking skin cells and rebuild surface skin from the bottom up. This will help repair embedded lines over time.

Use a shea or cocoa butter or oatmeal moisturizer. Something natural, but you don't have to spend top dollar for a moisturizer that will do the job either way. I use a shea butter and oatmeal moisturizing body wash, since because I do aerial acrobatics, I rarely use rub-on moisturizers. Keeping the skin moist will help it not to dry out; when the skin gets too dry, it cracks, and then when it stretches, the surface will tear, leaving stretch marks. Maintaining elasticity will help to prevent that. Taking care of your skin is the best thing you can do for it.


#4. Avoid Harmful Sun Exposure
Ultraviolet rays not only cause sunburns, cancer, and premature aging of the skin, but also - you guessed it! - stretch marks. The phrase "a healthy tan" is such a contradiction! Tans are essentially minor sunburns, and you know what? They have the same effects on the skin: they contract it and dry it out, so that the new skin grows in less elastic than before. Each time you tan, you're decreasing your skin's elasticity and are more prone to wrinkles and stretch marks. Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, and wear sunscreen when out for long periods in the sun.



#3. Exercise
I know, I know, we all hate to be told to do it - "I don't have the time." "I can't afford a gym membership." "I hate to exercise."

First of all, people who hate to exercise are just being lazy - no offense. Exercise makes you feel good, releasing endorphins and adrenaline into your bloodstream, causing a chemical reaction that forces you to feel energized and good all around! So if you're doing it properly, there's no way you could hate it! If you do, then you're not doing the right exercise for you. Find an activity you love to do, and do it. For myself, I do acrobatics and yoga. Yours can be swimming, hiking, jogging on the beach, surfing, spin or dance classes, or anything else active that you enjoy. Find something and put yourself on a regular schedule.

While exercise will help you get in shape, it also releases oxygen into your bloodstream and endorphins into your system and burns calories, which speeds up cell reproduction, including in your skin and fasciae. Cell reproduction is the key to elasticity. And being physically fit doesn't hurt for hiding and reducing stretch marks and fat or cellulite, either.


#2. Healthy Diet
Eating right with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar and salt has so many benefits I can't stress it enough. Fruits and vegetables are high in water content, as well as vitamins and minerals, all of which will help maintain weight and regulate body fat. Fluctuations of body size will pull the skin and contribute to stretch marks. Fatty deposits underneath the skin is what causes cellulite. Some cellulite is unavoidable, but it is possible to keep the visible stuff under control with healthy eating habits.


Annnnd the most effective way to combat unwanted stretch marks and cottage cheese thighs is.......


#1. Drink Plenty of Water
That's it! Staying hydrated is the absolute best way to avoid dry skin and tightening fasciae. Water oxygenates your cells and keeps them healthy and elastic. You should be drinking a gallon a day, if not more. What's more, avoid dehydrating sugary drinks like soda and alcohol, they have the reverse effect and are counter-productive. And that's it!

Keep in mind that these are lifestyle choices and will not produce overnight results, but if it's the results you're after and you stick with it, although they won't completely disappear, it is possible to dramatically reduce the appearance of stretch marks and cellulite using these methods.

*Sources: Nutrition education and personal experience.

A Yoga Hiatus

While I haven't been very diligent about my yoga practice, nor about finding a teaching spot, what I have been doing is training very hard for over a year to become an aerial acrobat!

I started in early March, 2011. I saw some aerialists performing on set and it looked like so much fun that I wanted to learn to do it, or at least give it a try. After doing some research on the web, I decided upon The Aerial Classroom, and after one class I was hooked! I caught on pretty quickly; it's as though I was meant to do it all along, and haven't stopped since. Although my ultimate goal was to eventually become a performer, I was content just learning and practicing because it's the most fun I've ever had! I love it more than anything! More than yoga, more than sleep, more than food or air! Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating just a little, but I do love it and wish I could do it every day.

After tireless silks training, my teacher invited me to begin performing almost exactly a year after beginning. My first live performance was a showcase for The Aerial Classroom at the Calabasas Community Center on St. Patrick's Day, 2012. And I love performing! There's nothing like hearing the crowd's appreciation for your hard work. Plus, I love dressing up in costume!

 Now, I'm also training in hoop/lyra, static trapeze, and hammock. I love it all, and I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't do this.

I've also stopped running. I happen to think that aerial and hot yoga are better cardio than running; running is terrible for your inner organs, your joints, and most of all, your flexibility. Flexibility is a key factor in being an acrobat, and I've stretched my muscles out so well, that I don't want to lose it. When you run, every time you take a step, your muscles contract. This is due to the firing of your myotatic stretch reflex, the one that causes your knee to straighten when the doctor taps your kneecap with a rubber hammer. Without elongation, the constant contraction becomes permanent. This is why seasoned runners are so inflexible. And, because of the constant impacts on the joints (knees and ankles especially) and inner organs, why they often have health problems later in life, or have to quit running or even exercise in general after many years.

To demonstrate the negative impact of running on flexibility, see my photos from the Atma Yoga intensive in Germany, 2010. Look at the difference between my Downward Dog on the first day of training, versus the last. Head to the floor aside (that's shoulders, not legs), after all that running, I could not straighten my legs. The backs of my legs have always been annoyingly tight, but never so much as when I was running 2-3 miles/day, 3-4 days/week. Now, I can actually do the splits, because I've quit running and loosened them up so much. It is possible, you can do it, too! When I first began practicing yoga 5 years ago, I could not even bend over and touch my toes!

I still love yoga, and plan on going for my 500-hours RYT, but for now, aerial is my hobby, my release, and my exercise. I'm so glad I found it, and so grateful I've had the privilege to study it, and I will continue to train hard and become an expert on all the apparatuses.

Love, Light and Namaste!

Another New Year...

...And I intend to make it a great one! 2012 is going to be awesome, I can feel it.

The reason I stopped posting was because I fell out of practice a year ago (for many reasons), and was ashamed.
My resolution: resume regular practice, and start teaching, finally!

Let's do this!

Certified!

That's right, I'm finally a 200-hr YRT certified yoga instructor!

I know it's been a long time since I've updated you guys, but truth be told, last year was really rough for me, and it's taken me awhile to get back on my feet. But over the course of four months I finally completed my class audits and am now fully certified.

My journey does not end here. I still have so much to learn, and I intend to obtain 500-hour certification at some point. But for now the goal is to find somewhere to teach. I'll probably have to start working at a gym, and as soon as I find one, I'll let everyone know which one. I also intend to hold some classes at my house, so if anyone is interested please let me know and I'll work out a date and time.

Hooray! =)

Apples Were On Sale..

So I bought a bushel and made some apple muesli for a yummy, healthy breakfast! I got the idea from the wonderful cook at the temple in Abentheuer, and I've been wanting some ever since. I tried to replicate her recipe, so measurements are approximate (about 3-4 servings):

-2 apples, chopped, then diced julienne style
-1 cup vanilla nonfat (or soy) yogurt
-1/2 cup oats
-1/3 cup rice, almond, soy, or nonfat milk
-1/4 cup raisins
-1/4 cup chopped almonds
-1 tbsp brown sugar
-1/2 tsp cinnamon

Just dump it all in a bowl and mix it up till the liquids & spices are neatly blended. Serve. Easy! And delicious. This being my first stab at it, I think next time I make it I'll add some honey (which goes in the German recipe). I thought the brown sugar would be sweet enough, which it was, so I think I'll reduce that and add honey. And less cinnamon - since I was playing it by ear I put far too much cinnamon in this batch. Feel free to play with it how you like, mixing ingredients, different dried fruits and even fresh ones. Sliced bananas are really good in muesli.

It can spoil quickly, what with the acidity of the yogurt and the sliced apples, so refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight seal-able container, glass or Tupperware.

FREE YOGA!!

So in order to complete my teacher training, I need to give practice classes. Email me if you want to have a FREE personal or small group session! I'm still going to be doing my large-group classes in the park, probably starting next week if not this Saturday. But until then, email me, let me know how many people your group is, or if you'd like an individual session, and I'll come to you! I can either come to your house, or we can find a park or recreational area to meet, it's up to you.

All I ask is that you sign a roster that I have to turn in to my school, and sign up for my mailing list. Other than that, it's completely FREE!!

Teacher Training Complete!

Well, close. I have a couple more steps, but I'm about 90% of the way there!

Part of what I have to do to finish certification is practice teaching. So I'm going to be holding FREE CLASSES in North Hollywood starting next week! Please come, I'd love to see you there! (More info to come)

I know you've been waiting for a blog about Abentheuer, and I'm sorry I didn't get it up sooner, but things have been kinda crazy since getting back to the U.S. Between starting my yoga business, researching other yoga studios, working on launching my acting career, trying to fit in seeing all my friends and family for the start of the holiday season, and making sure to practice yoga every day, I feel like I barely have time to relax at all! So please forgive me if blogging is not my first priority...

The trip was really a wonderful experience. I learned a lot about myself, what I'm capable of, and what work I still need to do to become fully realized. I had originally planned on blogging during the intensive, but for 10 whole days I was without Internet or phone. It was actually very liberating to be without technology for a time, to fully focus all my energy on why I was there without any distractions. We were staying/studying at a temple in the middle of the woods, nestled in the outskirts of a the country town of Abentheuer. The cell reception was spotty at best (but I wasn't about to subject myself to roaming charges, anyway), and the only computer was about 10 years old, with a dial-up connection to match. It was so quiet and peaceful, and exactly what I needed.

As was Atma Yoga. It's everything I was looking for in a yoga style, and I'm eternally glad it found me! I connected to something greater than myself, and the more I learn, the more I'm able to open up. This year-and-a-half-long journey through spirituality has really led me to some interesting revelations; I'm very grateful to all the persons who have helped me along. I opened up my mind and body, and found myself capable of poses I never would have imagined when I started doing yoga 3 years ago. By doing the Atma Power Yoga set every day, five days in a row, I became a million times stronger and more flexible than ever before! After only 1 week! Imagine what can happen if I keep up this regimen!

I also learned that all that jogging I had been doing before was locking up the muscles in my legs and back. I read in my anatomy book that it can do that, but after experiencing the results of 8-10 miles/week with practically NO yoga thereto, I won't repeat that practice again! Cardio is still important, and I plan to continue doing some, but not nearly so much.

As far as teaching goes, I'd love to teach at the Atma Yoga studio in Venice Beach, maybe only once a week, though, because it's far from me. Then I'll give private sessions and classes, and hopefully teach a few days during the week at other spots around town. I'll keep you posted.

For now, look for updates on my FREE classes and stay tuned!

T-Minus 10 Days!

So I'm flying out exactly 10 days from today to Abentheuer, Germany, for the Atma Yoga teacher training intensive. I've been working really hard this month on completing the online portion of training, and it has been intense. A lot of work, but a lot of fun, too. I'm both excited and nervous about the intensive at the same time.. Of these things, I'm sure: It will be fun, it will be an awesome experience, and it will be extremely intense (the nature of an 'intensive'). It will be deeply enriching, and I know I'll be very grateful for having had the opportunity.

For one reason or another, the Universe has not wanted me to go to the studio this month, but I'm going to make it to Goddess Yoga next Monday if it kills me! I'm very excited to be going back to the country I fell so in love with, not to mention getting my 200-hour Yoga Alliance certification!

When I come back in mid-October, I will be certified to teach, and I will be marketing heavily to find a job, as well as giving private lessons! So stay tuned!

Thanks for following my journey to becoming a yoga instructor, it has been amazing! I can't wait to teach you!

Next Step: Certification!

Always stretch first!

 So a week ago today, I ran 12 km in a personal fundraising event to raise money for my trip to Abentheuer, Germany in October (about 7.5 miles).

It was great! I started just outside of Dodger Stadium, ran through Echo Park, Silverlake, Los Feliz and Griffith Park, ending at the front gates of the L.A. Zoo!

I started out at a great pace, making record time (for me!), getting from the stadium to Crystal Springs Dr. at the south end of Griffith in just a little over an hour.

 It was clear to me, though, once I made it in to Griffith Park, just how unused to jogging uphill I am, and I finished with a total time of about 2.5 hours. Not bad for jogging a snail's pace the last 3 miles!

I had a blast, and now jogging 2-3 miles per day seems like pie! Next step: train for a marathon, perhaps? ;) It's amazing to me, because a year ago, I never would have thought I could do it - but I did and it was a great experience.

A lot of people thought that I did this through an outside organization. I guess I have my design skills to blame for that - my flier and paperwork looked so official - but really it was just an idea I had, myself, to raise money for this trip. I participated in a jog-a-thon fundraiser to raise money for camp as a kid, and having done the AIDS Walk in middle school, it just came to me. The charity angle was an incentive for people to donate who may have been leery of just supporting me by myself... 

Leaving the Stadium

But when all is said and done, I raised a good amount towards my cause, and of that I'll be donating 10% to the My Stuff Bags Foundation as a result - thats about $50!

And as promised, those who helped out will be able to claim their free yoga class when I get back in mid October. =) 

I'm very grateful to everyone who helped out, and literally, every tiny bit helped! I feel so blessed and I love you all, I can't thank you enough!

I've started the online training course for my 200-hour yoga certification, and plan to hopefully finish it in 2 weeks, to give me some breathing room. Next stop: Germany!

This was my route!

Not crazy about this pic, but you can clearly see the sign for Silver Lake Blvd in the bg

Los Feliz, just before Griffith

Don't ask me what the funny faces are about... My mom was kind enough to be my pacecar and take photos for me - I guess with all the jogging I 'forgot my face' as it were...

At the base of Griffith Park

12k Fundraiser Complete!

Just an update, a more extensive post including pictures & everything on the way...

I did it. I ran 12km (about 7.5 mi) this morning from Dodger Stadium to the L.A. Zoo! I raised some money for my trip, as well as for this great charity I'm going to be supporting. I feel great! It's amazing, because a year ago, I wouldn't have even imagined I could pull it off, and here I am. I took a couple breaks for water, but I hardly walked at all, and I finished a lot faster than I thought I would.

Next stop: marathon??

Fundraiser!

Help Beckett (that's me!) get to Abentheuer, Germany October 8-17 to complete her Yoga teacher certification in Atma Yoga through Yogamandir by sponsoring her in a 12k Jog-A-Thon!

The Jog-a-Thon will be on Sunday, August 29 at 8:00 in the morning, starting at Dodger Stadium, and ending at the L.A. Zoo (exactly 12 km). Any level of sponsorship is apreciated!

A percentage of proceeds will be donated to the My Stuff Bags foundation, whose mission it is to provide every neglected, abused, and abandoned child in America rescued from dangerous and abusive homes with a bag of comforting personal belongings. These children often arrive at crisis centers and foster homes with few, if any, personal belongings. For more info, check out MyStuffBags.org.

Donation will also entitle you to a FREE Yoga class (personal or group, your choice) upon Beckett’s certification and return to the States.

Your help is greatly appreciated! 

Also, If you want to jog along, your company is also welcomed!

Finally Picked A Yoga School!

I totally lucked out! All of the programs I was interested in going through for my yoga certification are basically finished for the rest of the year, and won't have anything local until around February. Since I am in need of a job, and would preferably like to start teaching before then, I'm not willing to wait that long. So I was browsing my options and happened upon an Atma Yoga school that not only has a session sooner than that in LA, but one even sooner in none other than Germany!


I have always had an affinity for all things German, and have wanted to go back there ever since my short residency there. It was always in my plans, but for one reason or another, kept getting pushed back. So needless to say, I was ECSTATIC at the thought of getting certification in Germany!

Atma Yoga is one of the most reasonable places I've seen. Because a portion of the study is done online, they are able to charge less for their 10-day intensive than other programs. The fact that I get to go back to Germany (in my old stomping-grounds, no less!) is just a plus. When I return, I will be certified in Atma Yoga!

I couldn't be more excited!

Having A Chef in the House Pays Off

My roommate is an amazing cook. Seriously, she could (and should) have her own restaurant. She loves experimenting with ingredients she isn't used to, so she loves cooking al Veg for myself and my other veg roommate. And we love when she does!

For the past month almost, she was out of town for a family emergency of sorts, so I had to fend for myself. You must understand my plight: I have never been a cook by any means. My specialty is boxed Mac-n-Cheese. On occasion, I used to go for a fancier alternative in the form of Rice- or Pasta-Roni. I'm the type of person who forgets to put flower in her cookie dough and ends up with a gooey, buttery mess.

In an attempt to eat healthier, I've been buying more vegetables, less pre-prepared microwaveable and just-add-water-and-butter sodium overload meals, and picked up on a few of the Chef's simple techniques in the process. I was so proud of how delicious & pretty these dishes turned out that I had to share them with you!

Wheat Lo-mein with grilled lemon-pepper tofu & stir-fry veggies

Fried brown rice with fried lemon-pepper tofu & spinach

There is egg in both of them, so they are not Vegan, but you can easily substitute that with a tofu scramble. There is also a tiny bit of lo-cal, lo-sodium soy sauce, but used very sparingly. All-in-all, a complete success!

Eastern Prayers for Meditation

Here are some prayers/affirmations for your meditations that I stumbled upon:

Let me be loved, let me be happy, let me be peaceful.
Let my friends be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let my perceived enemies be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let all beings be happy, loved, and peaceful.
Let the whole world experience these things.
  - Deepak Chopra, Indian philosopher

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness;
May all be free from sorrow and the causes of sorrow;
May all never be separated from the sacred happiness which is sorrowless;
And may all live in equanimity, without too much attachment and too much aversion,
And live believing in the equality of all that lives.
  - Traditional Buddhist Prayer

Dance, when you're broken open.
Dance, if you've torn the bandage off.
Dance in the middle of the fighting.
Dance in your blood.
Dance, when you're perfectly free.
  - Jelaluddin Rumi, Sufi mystic

The last one I just like.