Hello Friends!
Today I am breaking two simple but challenging transitions that fit well together or work all on their own. If you haven’t seen the video on my IG already, head over to @leenslens to see the spilt hop & handstand hop switch transitions. These can be used to come into and out of most of your standing postures, and are fantastic ways to build in extra shoulder & core work (road to handstand anyone?!?!?!).
First is the split hop from down dog into crescent lunge (or any other standing pose). It’s important to make sure you’ve warmed the hamstrings up a bit – any split or handstand requires open hammies! Step 1: extend left leg up – keep left pinky toe angled to the floor so hips remain square. Step 2: look between your hands, shift your body weight forward, and wrap the outer arms in towards center. Step 3: draw the belly button in & up, spread the inner thighs apart, and hop the right foot up between your hands (or close to it bc as you can see I didn’t quite make it there). Step 4: set the foundation for your standing posture and inhale to rise.
Next, we look at the handstand hop/switch back to chaturanga. This second transition does require a little more time to get right but it’s fun to play around with. Step 1: plant your hands shoulder width apart and extend your left leg up. Step 2: tuck the right outer hip back, wrap the outer arms in (sound familiar?!?!), and bring your body weight into your hands. Step 3: lift your hips, rise onto your right toes and kick up to handstand. Step 4: leave your right leg extended up, slowly bring left leg towards mat, bend elbows into the sides of your ribs and draw the chest forward. Step 5: keep the core and shoulder girdle tight to land with control in chaturanga. FULL DISCLOSURE – step 4 & 5 will not happen right away…most of us will take step 3 & then head back to vinyasa and that’s okay because this is just yoga!
The goal is to do this every week…we’ll see how it goes! Have fun with sprinkling this into practice!
’til next time, keep smiling! 😉
I have always been on the fence about napping – I felt time was more importantly spent doing other things – foolish me! I did a bunch of research, tested some theories, and now I’m sharing my results with all of you to round out this month’s Wellness Wednesday. Here are 5 things I’ve learned about napping, why it works, and what to avoid.
It is very difficult to get up at 5am when you finish work at 9pm and still need to eat & unwind; which is why falling asleep quickly to get as much sleep as possible is paramount. I haven’t exactly established a perfect routine yet, but below are 5 easy tips to help you unwind and prepare for a more restful night sleep.
The poses shown above are as follows: Big Toe Hold A & C (Top Row), Happy Baby, Plow, & Legs up the Wall (Bottom Row). Each pose is to be held for around 7-10 breathes or about 2 minutes. Use a towel, strap, or t-shirt to help with the first two, feel free to bend your knees in plow (the middle one on the bottom row), and make sure your but is touching the wall in the last one.
I’m gearing up for Phil to leave for another business trip and making sure to spend as much time together as possible! One of the worst things about Phil going away is getting to sleep. Some people may think it’s a blessing to have the bed all to themselves but for me, it’s hard to get settled. Thanks to yoga I have a few proven techniques to calm my anxious energy & for Wellness Wednesday, I’m going to share them with all of you.
Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. As you deepen your breath start to imagine yourself sinking into the mattress, one body part at a time (starting with your toes and working to the crown of the head). Once you are settled, the real magic begins… Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds, and repeat until you are asleep. It might sound simple but is incredibly powerful. For me, as soon as I think “Man, this is taking forever, maybe it isn’t going to work” I fall asleep. A good night sleep is a foundation to a healthy life, so what do you have to lose?
I’m excited to share this weekly dose of motivation because we’re both starting to see differences. As I have been sharing we’re still enjoying our lives, indulging in moderation, and we’re both down 5+ pounds. More than that, we’re both noticing a bit more muscle definition and feeling great! 
We had a wonderful weekend in Tahoe skiing and enjoying the amazing views! This week, in addition to my studio classes at 
But lets not get too far ahead of ourselves. Here’s what we have lined up for this week to keep us motivated and making positive changes. It’s week 6 of 16 and we’re feeling like we could do this forever!
Can you believe the first month of 2016 has already come and gone?!?!? I think I must have blinked and missed it because I sure can’t! January was full of so many exciting visits, adventures, and exciting career opportunities I can’t imagine how February is even going to compare.
One thing is staying the same though, and that’s our commitment to healthier choices. We made it through one month of more conscious living: eating well, exercising, making healthier decisions, etc… and even though there was indulging, like these amazing desserts from dinner at 
In the coming weeks there are lots of exciting things happening! Everything to come has to do with growing in my career, so I couldn’t be more excited that I have time with some of my family beforehand; which brings me to today’s Wellness Wednesday topic, balance. 
When I mean balance, I don’t mean the kind I do on my head or in the picture above 😉 I mean happily and effectively managing all the different aspects of life. I used to get this tunnel vision when it came to the different aspects of my life: I would focus on whatever I wasn’t happy about and figure out a way to fix it or make it bend my way. Sometimes I would succeed but most of the time I wouldn’t and I would end up mor
e unhappy than when things started. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I was really able to make a sift…things just were not working. Now, my focus is on finding time for the little things, working smarter, and allowing myself downtime. I know as life continues and children are added to the picture, things will get even more exciting and the challenge of balancing things out might become more tricky but in the end, its ALL doable. Whatever your priorities in life, you’ve got time for all of them and the stuff you want to do too, it just takes a bit of balance. If you’re not sure where to start, begin by taking 5-10 minutes to be silent, alone, and just see what pops up.
Livingleen 