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| Featured Pose
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Strengthens the abdominal muscles and stretches the hamstrings. Increases flexibility of the spine. Energizes the body.
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| Plan Ahead
Huntington Beach Hot Yoga's 1st 30-DAY CHALLENGE |
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Huntington Beach Hot Yoga is planning its very first 30-DAY CHALLENGE for Monday, January 5th through Tuesday, February 3rd. Talk about a great way to start the year off right, aim high with your New Year's resolutions, and really kick-start your hot yoga practice! Whether you're a newbie, or have been practicing for years, please consider participating. The 30-DAY CHALLENGE will renew your hot yoga practice, and reveal your body's amazing potential for change, inside and out.
Here's how it works: You register at the studio, and then come to a hot yoga class every day, Monday through Sunday, for 30 days straight. And at the end, we have a little surprise for you.
Look for signs and more information on the 30-DAY CHALLENGE in upcoming weeks!
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Food 4 Thought Choosing healthy fats* |
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The total amount of fat you eat, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat you eat.
The "bad" fats -- saturated and trans fats -- increase the risk for certain diseases. The "good" fats -- monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats -- lower disease risk. The key to a healthy diet is to substitute good fats for bad fats -- and to avoid trans fats.
Although it is still important to limit the amount of cholesterol you eat, especially if you have diabetes, dietary cholesterol isn't nearly the villain it's been portrayed to be. Cholesterol in the bloodstream is what's most important. And the biggest influence on blood cholesterol level is the mix of fats in your diet -- not the amount of cholesterol you eat from food. Learn more about fats and cholesterol.
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Use liquid plant oils for cooking and baking. Olive, canola, and other plant-based oils are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats.
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Ditch the trans fat. In the supermarket, read the label to find foods that are trans free. In restaurants, steer clear of fried foods, biscuits, and other baked goods, unless you know that the restaurant has eliminated trans fat.
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Switch from butter to soft tub margarine. Choose a product that has zero grams of trans fat, and scan the ingredient list to make sure it does not contain partially hydrogenated oils.
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Eat at least one good source of omega-3 fats each day. Fatty fish, walnuts, and canola oil all provide omega-3 fatty acids.
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Go lean on meat and milk. Beef, pork, lamb, and dairy products are high in saturated fat. Choose low-fat milk, savor full-fat cheese in small amounts, and choose lean cuts of meat.
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The recent excess of food, drink, and gatherings on the calendar can only mean one thing -- the holiday season is officially here! Thank goodness for our hot yoga practice, to help us balance out all the excess at this fun time of year.
This month's SWEAT contains lots of great information. Please note the schedule changes below, effecting classes between December 23rd through January 1st. There's also new classes being added to the schedule in January, and we're getting excited for Huntington Beach Hot Yoga's very first 30-Day Challenge (soon to become a regular event!).
All of us at Huntington Beach Hot Yoga wish you and your loved ones a joyful, peaceful holiday season!
Namaste,
Jason, Stephanie, Lourdes, Lindsey, Nadia, Laura S., Tracey, Jordan M., Jordan S., Bylle, Erica, Harmony, Sarah, Laura B., Melissa, Lisa and Christelle |
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Student of the Month |
Our December Student of the Month is Holly Wall!
- When did you start practicing hot yoga?
Holly used to take yoga classes and work out at the neighboring Gold's Gym, with Clete and Kaye -- who were always telling her about Huntington Beach Hot Yoga. Holly doesn't like heat, but when Gold's Gym cancelled their yoga classes in September 2005, Holly was willing to give HB Hot Yoga a try... Before going in, she made a personal commitment that she would try at least 3 classes. Well, she ended up going to class every day for the full 20-day Introduction. And then she told herself, "I have to figure out how to afford this, because I need to do this for the rest of my life." She has since completed nearly 700 classes!
- How often do you practice?
Holly practices hot yoga 6 days per week.
- Why do you practice? What are the primary benefits you experience?
Holly jokingly began, "I practice because I'm trying to perfect my standing straight leg!" But in all seriousness, "it helps me connect with myself, and my body. It improves my awareness dramatically, which is something I really struggle with." Holly continued, "hot yoga improves my acceptance of myself. As long as I'm giving my full effort, and being kind to myself, that's what really matters." Holly also noted that hot yoga forces her to have more patience with herself than other forms of exercise she's tried, and she really enjoys practicing with the community of people at HB Hot Yoga.
- How has your hot yoga practice impacted or changed your life?
"It really has had an enormous impact on my life... Aside from God, hot yoga is something that I depend on, and that I need most on a daily basis. It's almost the best thing that's ever happened to me," Holly said. "I benefit daily from the patience the practice teaches me to have with myself, and the calmness under pressure," she continued. Holly appreciates Jason and the other teachers who remind her that hot yoga is neither a test nor performance, but rather a practice -- which really fosters acceptance of self.
- What's your favorite posture?
"It changes all the time! I don't even have a least favorite posture. I try not to dread any of them, because I know that will just make it harder," Holly says happily. She continued to explain that she enjoys having to concentrate hard on every posture. "There are no boring postures!" When pushed for a posture she's really enjoying in recent times, she said, "I'm really enjoying camel more than I used to. I don't even remember which teacher pointed out to me that I needed to push my hips out past my knees... But ever since I learned that, it's completely transformed the posture for me. I so misunderstood that posture when I first started practicing." She concluded, "it's fun how much the postures all change and progress over time." |
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