Back to School, Back to Routine

School is officially back in session! For some of us (particularly my area) school went back in session in July.  For most, traditionally school is back in full swing by the end of August and beginning of September.  The new school year always brings about a sense of a fresh start.  Especially when it comes to getting back into a routine.  As the summer activities comes to an end, it's time to get back to fitness classes- pole classes, aerial classes, yoga classes, or any fitness style class that peaks your interest.  I love the sense of having an organized weekly routine.  It keeps me motivated for working out.  I have to admit, the summer months are a little touch and go when it comes to my fitness class attendance.  It's hard to maintain a structured routine when random outings, friends, vacations, or events come calling due to the beautiful weather.  Working out in the summer doesn't always work for me when it comes to having to stick to a particular class time.  A lot of my workouts consisted of long walks through the city to the various parks, kayaking, riding my bike, yoga at home when convenient, or the occasional pole workout when I felt motivated to get one in. 

I like to think of this time of the year as how the new year's resolutioners think of the month of January: a time to get busy on those fitness goals.  The great thing about school starting season is the gyms aren't jam packed like they are in January so you can get in a workout or attend a class without having to worry about fighting for a parking space at the gym, snatching that only open machine, or not kicking or hitting the classmate next to you because your yoga mats are mere millimeters apart. And let's face it, January resolutions have the stigma for failure.  Make your resolution now in August and you've got a leg up on the competition come January when your routine will be hardwired into your lifestyle leaving you with a better chance of successfully staying on track.   

Fitbit Tracker App Exercise Options: Pole Dancing and Aerial

Back in February of this year, I contacted Fitbit with a request for developing their exercise options on the app so it would include options for pole dancing and aerial.  After a lot of loyal fellow pole and aerialists favoring my proposal, as of July 11, 2016 the Fitbit app development team has reviewed and submitted my idea for evaluation!  To see my app proposal, click here:
https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Feature-Requests/Fitness-Tracker-App-Exercise-Options-Pole-Dancing-and-Aerial-Acrobatics/idc-p/1430918#M72037

I was tired of having to find alternative options to tracking my pole workouts.  To me, pole is different than running through a traditional circuit style calisthenic routine.  I want to see my progress in my weekly fitness overview for what it is.  I also feel that major fitness merchants that produce items such as fitness trackers need to acknowledge pole dancing and aerial fitness as a legitimate fitness activity.  We shouldn't have to label what we're doing by another term.  It's 2016. We live in a time where being fit is an acceptable lifestyle.  How we got here and how we maintain our lifestyle shouldn't be something to be ashamed of.  Ever. 

Lifestyle Blog: A Meditation for a Restful Night of Sleep

Why is it that when we wake up in the morning we're so tired but when its time for bed we're all energized and ready to go?  Every once in awhile, I'll experience an energy rush at bedtime and find myself unable to fall asleep.  Back in May, I wrote about using www.DoYogawithMe.com as a means to supplement my yoga work outs when I couldn't attend a class.

After perusing all the available content on the website, I came across a sleep meditation called Yoga Nidra for Sleep.  The sleep meditation audio can be listened to for free on www.DoYogawithMe.com or you can purchase the audio for your phone/music playing device for $3.00 USD . Yoga Nidra for Sleep is a twenty-two minute meditation that guides you through relaxation to help you fall asleep.  Every time I have used this meditation it has been successful.  I find myself having a restful night of undisturbed sleep.

Some tips for making the most out of your restful experience that I have incorporated include wearing an eye mask (I've conditioned my body for sleep by using my eye mask to close out all light sources), lavender essential oil in a diffuser, and/or an epsom salt bath with relaxing bath salts as a part of your night time relaxation routine.  The epsom salt bath comes in handy when sore achy muscles from a work out are preventing your body from reaching a state of relaxation.  Rest is so important to our overall health.  It can be difficult to wind down at the end of the day, especially if you've experienced a highly stressful day.  I wanted to share this amazing meditation with my readers in hopes that you all may benefit from it as much as I have.  I've included the meditation in this post down below. I hope you enjoy and sweet dreams! ~*

Essentail Oil Diffuser Blends for Pole Dancing

Going along with the theme of holistic healing from my previous blog, I decided to do a little research to find out more about what types of essential oil diffuser blends would be appropriate for a pole dancing work out session.  When I talk about an essential oil diffuser, I'm mainly talking about the electronic diffusers that use water to disperse essential oils into the air.  There are various ways you can achieve the benefits of aromatherapy with essential oils that do not use an electronic diffuser.  For more information on different forms of essential oil diffusing options, check out the following video:

 Electronic oil diffusers require daily cleaning.  I purchased an electronic diffuser from my local Walmart that is similar to the one shown in this next video where YouTube user AshleysGreenLife gives some tips on using and cleaning this particular device. After my own experience with my electronic diffuser and it developing an awful smell after two days use and cleaning by rinsing with just water between uses, I can certainly vouch for the need to clean after EVERY use.  Ashley offers a great technique that can make daily cleaning quick and easy.

 

Essential Oils for Pole Dancing

In the world of meditation and chakras, the sacral chakra is the chakra of vitality. Pole dancing is often depicted as a sexualized exploration of energy.  Like an awakened sacral chakra, pole dancing allows you to let go and feel the moment through your movement in your dancing.  The sacral chakra is also the center for creativity.  Pole dancing requires creativity when dancing to a freestyle or feeling the music and allowing your body to evolve in your practice.

Like our senses, our chakras can be awakened through the use of aromatherapy.  The use of essential oils have become an increasingly popular means to achieving the benefits of aromatherapy.   Certain oils have been known to stimulate awareness and energize.  Scents that induce an energized state are perfect for the setting the mood for your pole dancing workout.  The following are a few recipes I found that are perfect for giving you that energy boost needed for a successful pole workout. You may need to adjust the number of drops for each recipe based on the quality and strength of your particular oils.  I like to use the brand Aura Cacia which can be purchased from Amazon.com, Fresh Thyme Markets, and many other local retailers. (Tip: Fresh Thyme will often provide their customers with coupons for $1.00 off Aura Cacia essential oils). 

Blend 1: 3 drops Wild Orange essential oil

Blend 2: 2 drops Wild Orange essential oil + 2 drops Peppermint essential oil

Blend 3: 2 drops Wild Orange essential oil + 2 drops Frankincense essential oil + 2 drops Cinnamon essential oil

Blend 4: 2 drops Peppermint essential oil + 2 drops Frankincense essential oil + 2 drops Lemon essential oil

Do you have a favorite diffuser blend you like to use for your pole work outs?  I'd love to hear your recipes!