Category Archives: Yoga Poses

Do it with The Ellen Show

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Are you one of those individuals who never has time to workout? Or to put it bluntly – since I’m definitely not one for beating around the bush – are you one of those non-fitness types who thinks they have a legitimate “I have no time” reason for never working out?

If you are (with no judgment whatsoever folks), then here’s a little something for you:

My 5-minute, full-body, Yoga-based workout from Rich Tola’s Yoga Survival Guide that you can do while watching The Ellen Show. That’s right, a 5-minute workout you can easily muster during commercial breaks with Ellen DeGeneres. With a little dance warm-up to boot!

From beginners to seasoned yoginis who want to enhance their practice by learning the proper fundamentals of Yoga, my 2 1/2 hour video encyclopedia of 100 Yoga poses will do just that. Learn Yoga anywhere…with my 5-minute fun & effective lessons that were filmed throughout the streets of Hollywood in 2010 to benefit my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation, teaching Yoga to women and children living in domestic violence shelters.

Because who doesn’t have 5 minutes a day to respect themselves?  Enjoy – R

I believe in you Ladies!

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This goes out to all the Ladies living at the domestic violence shelter in San Diego where I taught a 2-hour yoga & lifestyle class last night.  Because after teaching a 75 minute yoga class followed by a 45 discussion about embracing a positive mindset, a healthy diet, and most importantly, a daily fitness routine, I truly believe in each and every one of them.  I know you’re reading this Ladies, so don’t forget to do your Peaceful Warriors, Temple Poses, Side Body Abs and Stretching, Chair Poses up against the Wall, and of course our favorite, Viparita Karani or Legs Up the Wall.  Today and every day this week until I come back again next Thursday to “kick it up a notch”.   Always remember to stay present with your thinking and live positively and happily, moment to moment.  Because whether or not your past experiences have been negative or abusive, you never have to carry that energy with you.  Let it go.  And if it begins to creep into your mind and body, go outside and do some yoga and my fat burning workouts, or better yet, work on some balancing with that meditative breath I taught you – and remember to pick that point of focus and use all distractions to help you focus more.  So respect yourself each and every day, especially during this long holiday weekend, and enjoy sculpting your thighs and butt today with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #96 – Killer Squats II.  Namaste – R

Benefits of balancing

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Balancing poses are great for the mind and body because they help you develop lightness, strength, agility, muscle tone, coordination, concentration, self-confidence and overall control of your body.  And when you add a backbend to your standing balancing pose, like we do with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #95 – Dancer’s Pose, you’ll also rejuvenate the body, giving you more alertness, openness, flexibility, energy and courage. So add some balancing & backbends to your long holiday weekend.  And enjoy!  - R

 

Make it a Religion

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I met a thirty-something year old gal in the gym this morning who’s there religiously, Monday-Friday, but never on the weekends.  When I asked why, she said “because she likes to sleep a lot to get ready for Monday”.  Interesting, I thought, then she asked me why I workout everyday, even on the weekends.  Because working out everyday is a religion to me, I responded, and I believe that rest is more pertinent to strength training than it is to a comprehensive daily fitness program.  One that includes weight training, yoga, cardio, abdominals, and stretching, all combined with a moving meditative mindset. As described by Dictionary.com, the noun religion is also defined as “a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects”.  Thus, my fervent belief in a daily fitness program makes it a religion for me, albeit, in an unconventional way.  No worries if you believe otherwise.  Just consider the results you’re getting from whatever fitness program you believe in, and if they’re not too satisfying, then perhaps consider embracing my religion.  And enjoy another 5 Minutes of Fat Burning with today’s 92nd consecutive workout – Killer Thighs.  My best – R

Be as unique as a fingerprint

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Oprah Winfrey said, “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.”  I love Oprah’s belief because it lets you be you, and incorporates the collective energy of everything and everyone around you as part of your destiny.  So be as unique as a fingerprint today and everyday, and don’t forget your 5 minutes of fat burning with Workout #87 – Dancing Warrior.  Enjoy  - R

Fitness + Family = Fun

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Yesterday I taught a one-hour fat burning class at a domestic violence shelter in San Diego on behalf of my charity, The Boulevard Zen Foundation.  I was excited to teach about ten children (ages 3 – 12), with a few ever-so shy moms and grandmothers too.  It was certainly a family affair, with the kids leading the charge!  Since I don’t have any children of my own – at least not yet – I’m always fascinated by the pure joy kids find in the simplest of activities.  And with their moms and grand-moms joining in, they had FUN, regardless of how challenging it was.  Simply put, Fitness + Family = Fun.  So gather your entire family today and enjoy strengthening your legs, and your family bond, with my 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #85 – Chair Twists (the exact same exercises we practiced at the shelter).  And have fun!  - R

No excuses with Lounge Chair Abs

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So you’re going on vacation and you won’t have time to workout, right?  Wrong.  Because with today’s 84th consecutive 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout - Lounge Chair Abs, all you need to do to is chill out poolside on a lounge chair.  That’s right.  Because no matter where you go, there’s always time for a 5 minute workout.  And for those of you who aren’t familiar with my 5 minute yoga lessons (in my Yoga Survival Guide), there isn’t a place on earth where you can’t workout or strengthen your yoga practice.  So if you’re not a sun worshiper and rarely find yourself on a lounge chair, check out Shower Yoga, Bus Stop Yoga, Baking Yoga, Office Yoga, Weight Room Yoga, Prison Yoga (for Lindsay Lohan), Park Yoga, Traffic Yoga (yes, while sitting in traffic), Beach Yoga, Rooftop Yoga, Zoo Yoga, and of course, Watching “The Ellen Show” Yoga. Because no matter where you are or what you’re doing, you can ALWAYS add some fitness into your day.  Enjoy – R

Don’t let time waste you

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William Shakespeare once said, “I wasted time, and now doth time waste me.”  For anyone who’s ever read the world’s pre-eminent dramatist, this is some pretty straightforward prose.  Or is it?  Because like anything by Shakespeare, it helps to read it a few times and let the true meaning of the words really sink in.  In this case, the concept of wasting time has a double meaning – time being wasted and time doing the wasting.  If you really think about it, whenever you waste time it has a tendency come back and bite you in the butt.  That is to say, wasting time can negatively impact you as well as prevent you from reaching your goals.  Whatever it is you’re doing.  Especially with fitness.  So don’t waste time planning and talking about your new exercise program.  Keep it simple and workout everyday.  And enjoy strengthening your core and toning your abdominal muscles with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #81 – Plank Crunches.  - R

Do it with consistency…like the self-flushing toilet

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Exactly 219 years ago today, the toilet that flushes itself at regular intervals was patented. Wouldn’t it be cool if you could automatically set yourself to exercise at regular intervals?  That would certainly make it easier to stick with a daily fitness program, right. Believe it or not, you can set your internal clock to go off daily, reminding you to workout.  That’s right.  Because like any activity that’s become routine in your life, e.g., brewing your morning coffee as soon as you wake up, taking that afternoon cigarette break at work, or going to the laundromat every Wednesday night, you can program yourself to workout on a daily basis.  The easiest way to do this is to do it with consistency.  Because once you’ve established the habit of working out, your mind and body will crave it.  Plus, your internal clock will subliminally remind you that it’s time to exercise.  It’s true.  At this point in life, I couldn’t go two days without exercising and not feel my “alarm clock” reminding me to workout.  So enjoy flushing that fat away with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #78 – Sculpt Those Shoulders II.  - R

Friends and honesty, do they match?

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I was speaking with a friend this morning about telling your best friend something that’s true, but may hurt their feelings.  Or worse yet, may drive your best friend away, especially if they’re in a difficult place in their life.  Like my friend’s best friend, who’s responding to adversity with an eating disorder.  The thing is, with friends it’s oftentimes difficult to be brutally honest, especially if the truth is difficult to swallow.   And since the truth can be as painful to give as it is to receive, it’s always best to proceed with sensitivity and compassion.  For those of you who have seen my film, Boulevard Zen, you know that my character, Bobby D’Angelo, inspires others to overcome adversity while communicating the truth through example.  He uses the healing powers of yoga to help students deal with their depression, infertility, hypertension and anorexia.  So be sensitive with your truth telling, especially if it involves something serious and beyond your expertise.  And always encourage your friends to make that mind-body connection with some form of fitness, especially yoga.  So enjoy restoring your body with today’s 5 Minute Fat Burning Workout #77 – Restorative Legs, Core & Abs II  - R