Source: http://www.theminimalists.com/sex/

By Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus · Follow: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

A few years back, during our first tour of the Mapleleaf North, we stood amid alphabetical rows of endless bookshelves, basking in a Calgary bookstore’s fluorescent glow, answering questions at the end of our talk in front of a few hundred smiling Canadians.

Then—a heckler.

It happens in almost every city. Someone projects their fears, expectations, and insecurities onto us: You guys aren’t real minimalists because…

You drive a car.
You own a smartphone.
You sell books.
You … whatever.

It happens so frequently that we’re now inoculated to the criticism. Whenever you do something meaningful, people will judge you. So what? Let them. Judgment is but a mirror reflecting the insecurities of the person who’s doing the judging.

But this time—in this Albertan bookshop—was different.

Toward the back of the crowd, a man in his mid-forties raised his hand and, in an aggressive tone, said, “I don’t have a question—I have comment.”

The crowd hushed, waited.

“I had to get rid of my bed because of you two,” the heckler said.

“Excuse me?” Ryan said.

…

Source: http://www.sonima.com/yoga/arm-balances/

Watch video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZjh_KhUXtE

There is a common misconception that arm balancing and inversions rely solely on upper body strength, when in reality, these postures mostly rely upon linking breath, gaze, and the bandhas, or locks, which give the body lift and direction. In this short sequence with Jai Sugrim, a New York City-based yoga instructor, you’ll experience some basic principles of finding lift in the postures through eka hasta bhujasana, a one legged arm balance, and build slowly up to crow pose. If it doesn’t feel easy right away, don’t worry! These postures are about consistent practice and dedication.

Related: A Yoga Sequence to Develop Inner Strength

Photo by Hailey Wist; Outfitted by Kira Grace and YOGASMOGA

The post A Yoga Sequence to Build Strength for Arm Balances appeared first on Sonima.

…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/2pOOvMMHs0E/

“To help yourself, you must be yourself.” ~Dave Pelzer

I spent a lot of my life being someone else. Playing the part of someone I didn’t fully recognize.

Looking back, there were lots of reasons why I avoided being me, my mum’s suicide being one of them.

Her death shaped me, like a rock in a tumbler, and my life, as I knew it, bore no resemblance to the one I once knew.

I was ashamed of being the girl whose mum left her in such a violent way. What would people think? Maybe that she didn’t love me enough to stay? That I didn’t do enough to help her? That I wasn’t enough of a daughter to her?

I started to believe that maybe I just wasn’t enough, period. That I was a bad person somehow. Because if you’re a bad person, people don’t want to be near you. They just up and leave. And that’s what she did.

When you don’t feel enough, there’s anywhere and everywhere you’d rather be than right there, with yourself.

I became a master at escaping myself and putting on an act in order to feel accepted. Accepted by people I believed would think things about me that I didn’t want them to think. I was too scared to let people see the real me because I believed the real me was so obviously fundamentally flawed.

My escape a…

Source: http://www.foodpolitics.com/2016/03/from-research-to-policy-making-school-food-healthier-and-more-effective/

Why anyone would be opposed to giving healthy food to kids in schools is beyond me, but school food is a flash point for political fights.

Sometimes research helps.  Two recent studies produce results that can be used to counter criticisms of government school meal programs.

Kids are eating more healthfully than they used to, according to a research study funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The study concludes:

Food policy in the form of improved nutrition standards was associated with the selection of foods that are higher in nutrients that are of importance in adolescence and lower in energy density. Implementation of the new meal standards was not associated with a negative effect on student meal participation. In this district, meal standards effectively changed the quality of foods selected by children.

This is excellent news for proponents of better school food.  USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement:

This study is the latest in a long list of evidence which shows that stronger school meal standards are leading to healthier habits in schools. Children are eating more fruits and vegetables and consuming more nutrients, making them better prepared to learn and succeed in the classroom. After decades of a growing obesity epidemic that harmed the health and future of our children and cost our country billions, we are starting to see progress in preventing this diseas…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/khloe-kardashian-gives-a-tour-of-her-insane-fitness-closet?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

If you follow Khloé Kardashian on Instagram, you’ve probably seen her rocking some sweet workout clothes. Where does she keep them all? In her fitness closet, of course. We know it sounds ridiculous—and it is—but that didn’t stop us from pressing play to get the full tour. And we totally get it when she says that walking by a closet filled with dozens of kicks and color-coordinated clothes gives her serious workout motivation. Lucky for you, there are also plenty of free ways to convince yourself to break a sweat. These noncheesy mantras are a good start.

…

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2016/03/28/weekend-adventures-part-1-cherry-blossoms-plume/

Hello my friends! I had my favorite kind of weekend: packed with lots of outdoorsy adventures and quality time with Matt, friends, and family! I’m splitting it into two posts because I have a lot of photos to share.

Matt and I kicked the weekend off on Friday with some burgers on the grill. Yay for warmer nights – makes everything better! This is Matt’s very serious “this burger will be awesome” pose:

The end result! My job was the sweet potato fries – delicious as always.

<img title="burger sweet potato fries" style="border-top: 0px;border-right: 0px;border-bottom: 0px;float: none;padding-top: 0px;padding-left: 0px;b…

Source: http://summertomato.com/a-simple-pasta-rule-helps-ligaya-lose-25-lbs/

In this episode Ligaya makes small tweaks to her eating and exercise habits to reach and discover her ideal weight. As a life-long carb lover, she finds a simple rule to keep eating bread and pasta that works for her and rediscovers her love of real food and exercise.

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Stitcher

Listen on Soundcloud

…

Source: http://greatist.com/live/moving-obituary-reveals-the-truth-about-depression?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Most obituaries are purposely vague, relying on phrases like “she lived a long life” or “he died suddenly.” Eleni Pinnow didn’t mince words when writing her sister’s obit: “Aletha Meyer Pinnow, 31, of Duluth, formerly of Oswego and Chicago, IL, died from depression and suicide on February 20, 2016.”

As Pinnow explained in a follow-up essay in The Washington Post, she chose to be radically honest about her sister’s struggle in hopes of helping others dealing with depression. Here’s a taste of Pinnow’s eloquent essay (though it’s really worth checking out the whole thing):

My sister’s depression fed on her desire to keep it secret and hidden from everyone. I could not save my sister. I could not reach my sister through her depression. Aletha slipped from my grasp, and I cannot bring her back. I can only urge others to distrust the voice of depression. I can plead for people to seek help and treatment. I can talk about depression and invite others to the conversation. I can tell everyone that will listen that depression lies. I can tell the truth.

Read the Full Story

…

Source: http://zenrockfitness.com/2015/04/meet-our-guest-photographer-terry-dehart/

We’re excited to display the work of one of our amazingly talented clients, Terry DeHart.

As a retired engineer with some artistic ability, photography provides the right mix of art and technology to suit me. Every time I look at a mountain, a building, a person, etc., I see a possible photograph. Composition, lighting, and subject, are there, if you just look for them. Combine that with a myriad of technical requirements and you might get a good photograph. Finally, whether with the camera, in the darkroom or on the computer, an artistic eye helps.

I do like manipulating photographs to suit my vision. Frequently is look at a scene and see it as a painting, not as an exact rendition of the actual scene. Sometimes I get a photo that while compositionally okay, just doesn’t jump out at me. So between Raw processing software, Photoshop and a few other software programs on my computer I go to work until the photo looks right to me.

Presently I am also exhibiting my work at the Gallery of Ocean Shores.

Terry’s photos are available for purchase. For more information, talk to your trainer or email us.

The post Meet our Guest Photographer: Terry DeHart appeared first on ZenRock Fitness.

…

Source: http://greatist.com/move/workout-plan-how-to-create-your-own-full-body-routine?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=feed_http–greatistcom-

Walk into the gym, head to the dumbbells or gym machines, do the same few moves you’ve been doing for a while, and then call it a day. Sound familiar? Us too.

And honestly, we’re not even sure if those exercises are all that effective. The good thing is it’s easy to figure out the best moves for your body and switch up your routine—without a personal training certification or advanced degree in kinesiology.

Building your own workout is not only straightforward, but it’s also important. “Programming gives you a purpose,” says Noam Tamir, owner of TS Fitness in New York City. “Otherwise it’s like going on a road trip without a map.”

The easiest way to get started is to learn your basic movement patterns. The ones we’ll include here are:

Lower-body push Hip hinge Single-leg movement Vertical push Vertical pull Horizontal push Horizontal pull

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize there’s a near endless number of exercises that fall into these patterns—and that’s the beauty of designing your own workout. Sayonara, boredom.

How to use this list: Below we’ve provided a brief explanation of each movement followed by beginner and advanced exercise examples. Do at least 1 exercise from each section for a well-rounded workout.

How it works: Pick a medium-heavy weight that will fatigue you by about 8 to 10 reps. If you’re new to working out, do 2 to 3 sets. More advanced fitness fans can do 4 sets. Don’t forget to wa…