Posts Tagged wellness videos

Yoga from the Privacy and Comfort of Your Living Room

When Hoboken offered free yoga classes on the pier, I couldn’t turn down the chance to introduce myself to the practice. If you’ve read my blog, you are aware that I have come to enjoy yoga over the past few years. But, the free classes only last so long. Fall arrives, and classes move back inside. I have a very busy schedule, and I find it very difficult to make it to yoga classes. On top of this, traveling for work always throws off my workout schedule. And then there’s the cost of all those classes. I already pay for a gym and sometimes pay to swim. All these costs add up.

I needed to find an inexpensive and time-efficient way to continue practicing yoga on my own time. My Yoga Online offered just that. They bring the benefits of yoga, Pilates, meditation, dance, nutrition and holistic living to my fingertips.

When I went to My Yoga Online I was thrilled to find their endless library of yoga, and a variety beyond compare. With over hundreds of high-definition videos, you’ll get lost for hours in premium yoga content.

On top of that, I’m certainly no yoga expert. I’d hardly even consider myself intermediate, but they have videos for every level or proficiency. You can browse and sort by style, studio, teacher, level and length. M.Y.O. even has a word cloud to search videos. Not just looking for yoga videos? They’ve got many other holistic health videos to boot, such as meditation.

While I went to M.Y.O. for the videos, the community they’ve also built pleasantly surprised me. There are many ways to interact with other members, meet teachers, check out studios and read the latest blog posts. M.Y.O. even has a Twitter-like feed for its members to share with and learn from other members, even extending to Facebook.

Hate getting overwhelmed when you visit a service like this? The site is very customizable. After building your profile, you can set up a cache of your favorite videos and even share your great find with friends. You pick and choose what to focus on. If you’re like me, and you’re not fully versed in all the poses, you can concentrate on getting up to steam so your poses will stand out the next time you join a class.

M.Y.O. allows you to share your insights, ask questions and get answers, and learn and grow while keeping your Wellness Diary. You can keep track of your fitness and wellness goals, upload images and share with others, comment on blogs, track others’ progress, join forum discussions, ask experts and so much more. This site truly offers it all.

Trying to give your body a full overhaul? M.Y.O. has an entire health program you can gain unlimited access to with a premium membership. When you choose the perfect 8-stage program tailored to your needs, you’ll receive essential tips, expert insights, Q&As and yoga, wellness, and fitness videos. Or, perhaps you’ll want to check out the healthy living section to gain insight into a more wholesome lifestyle.

I was afraid I would miss the rest of the class, but that wasn’t the case at all. I never felt like I was practicing alone. Periodically, CK and I pull out our yoga mats together and take a class after a long day of work. It’s actually brought us closer together. Not only is the site customizable, but so too is your own personal yoga studio. Now, we rush home to unroll our mats, light a soothing candle, dim the lights and begin class. If we’re feeling like hot yoga, we turn up the thermostat. If we’re not feeling entirely motivated, we pull up a short class. Sometimes we just want some relaxing music to listen to while making a healthy meal. Everything is customizable to our mood and motivation level.

And, if you were hoping this works on your iPad, I’ve got good news. The next time you go on a business trip, take your yoga instructor with you. All you need is an Internet connection.

I love being able to fire up M.Y.O. whenever I want in the comfort of my own home. As they say on Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” As I’m writing this, I’m watching the snow fall outside my window so thankful I don’t have to trudge to a yoga studio all winter to keep up with my workouts. And, the best part is, you can try it out here, FREE TRIAL, for two weeks before paying a single cent. I encourage you to check it out and see all My Yoga Online has to offer.

My Yoga Online was not only nice enough to hook me up, but they are also allowing me to offer ONE FREE YEAR OF PREMIUM SERVICE at My Yoga Online to the lucky reader of my choice. Submit a comment or send me an email telling me why you think you deserve to win the one-year free membership. Good luck!

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Get Hot for Summer with Jillian Michaels and Gaiam TV

If you read my blog, you know how unhappy being single makes me. Dating is incredibly difficult and time consuming. I’m constantly scheduling dates after work, including drinks and high calorie meals, and because of this, my waistline suffers. Between work and dating, it’s hard to fit in a workout at the gym on top of trying to find motivation to go in the first place.

Last summer, Hoboken hosted free yoga on the pier once a week. I made my best effort to make it every week and convinced some friends to join me. It was the first time I’d tried yoga, and I kinda fell in love with it. It really helped me find my center. I wanted to do it more often, but I was already paying a gym membership and dues for the masters swim program I belong to at Steven’s Institute. I wasn’t about to throw down more cash. I yearned for a convenient way to do yoga at home. I already had the yoga mat. Now all I needed was an instructor.

That’s where Gaiam TV — The first streaming video subscription service designed to reach those like me who are interested in health, wellness, yoga, fitness and personal development, came in. It’s kinda like Netflix. It offers innovative service and world-class programming, including over 2,000 titles revolving around the topics of health, wellness, yoga and fitness. Gaiam TV delivers hundreds of hours of online yoga, Pilates and cardio classes where viewers can practice with top instructors like Rodney Yee, Seane Corn, Jillian Michaels, Mari Winsor and Kathryn Budig.

The entire library of user-friendly and customizable programming is also available anytime, anywhere — personal computers, iPads and smartphones. The yoga and fitness studios are flexible and simple to use. I can customize my workouts for weight loss, total body sculpting or increased energy and narrow down my options based on level, style, instructor and amount of available time. I can also easily search for videos, make playlists and preview selections and am offered the chance to rate and review titles.

I first tried Gaiam TV the other night while my roommate and his girlfriend drank wine and made dinner. Not the most conducive environment, but this is my life. I changed into workout clothes, threw down my yoga mat on my living room floor and chose a yoga title. I quickly learned how much flexibility I lost, but I have to say, I really enjoyed it. I got to choose when my “class” was scheduled, and it only took a half hour, easily lending itself to part of my routine.

Finally, I found an exercise program for me. I could stream unlimited content for $9.95/month instead of paying yoga studio fees and probably never attending classes. On top of that, subscription to Gaiam TV is no strings attached; there is no commitment, and I can cancel at anytime.

The best part; Gaiam TV offers a Free 10-day Trial, No Strings Attached!

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