Friends of myescape

Today I wanted to tell you a little about a great wellness website I discovered earlier this year. Oh Natural (ohnatural.co.nz) is a fantastic Natural Beauty website where you can find out about all the great natural beauty products currently on the market.

Jenna started Oh Natural after a long love affair with all things natural and organic.  She has a particular passion for skincare and beauty products and an awareness of the importance of looking after yourself inside and out.

Oh Natural is a great source of information about natural health and beauty products. The beauty product reviews are honest and easy to read and the DIY beauty recipes mean looking after your skin at home is super easy. Here at myescape we love reading through Oh Natural's Wellness and Lifestyle section which contains interviews, articles and other tidbits about health.

If you're in need of some retail therapy they also have an online store stocking a range of irresistible natural products. And, if you're feeling lucky, check out their giveaways page for your chance to win loads of fantastic prizes. You may even find the odd thing from Myescape on there :-)

We encourage you to take a look as you might just find that Oh Natural becomes your go-to place for natural beauty and wellness. (http://www.ohnatural.co.nz/)

Check out Cassey from blogilates wearing an outfit from myescape!

We think Cassey looks great in the Oscar Mimosa Luxury top and the Running Bare Fearless Dance Pants in this toned triceps workout.

If you want to check out this outfit on myescape you can find the top here: Oscar Mimosa Luxury Singlet and the Running Bare Fearless Dance Pants.

I love swimming to me it is the ultimate escape you are just alone with your thoughts as you glide through the water in the pool. I especially love swimming in outdoor pools so was excited to find this review of the worlds best swimming pools. Take a look:

The World's Most Beautiful Public Swimming Pools

I would add another outdoor pool to this list. It is one that I love swimming in whenever I am in Sydney. The Charlton Pool, which is located in the Sydney Botanical Gardens right on the waters edge over looking the Sydney Harbour. It is a 50m treated seawater pool and the views are just magical. Plus it has a yoga studio and a fantastic cafe so you can reward yourself with a coffee and healthy breakfast after your swim. Here is a picture I took last time I was there:

Let me know if there are any great outdoor pools you have discovered in your travels!

A few weeks ago I introduced you all to an amazing fitness guru Amanda Russell who I had discovered online. Amanda posts workout videos every week onto you tube and her own website that you can do for free in the comfort of your own home.

I love these workout videos as they are so quick, you can do them anywhere, at any time of day and you don't need any fancy equipment. I also love how every week there is a different workout so you will never get bored of doing the same workout over and over. Each workout has a theme targeting a different part of your body so you can target whichever area you think you need to work on.

I have been working my way through Amanda's workout videos and thought I would share another one of my favorites with you. This is the skinny jean workout which focuses on your bum and thighs so you look great in your skinny jeans. Here it is posted below:

Today I wanted to share a fantastic 20 minute workout video I discovered online with you and talk a little about the amazing fitness guru behind it.

I have been really busy lately and to be honest despite my best intentions my regular fitness regime has suffered. I have found it really hard to fit in my usual 90-minute bikram yoga class and haven't even made it to the gym as much as I'd like to.

I have to admit I have never been the best with time management but usually manage to find time for exercise as it is really important to me. It helps me feel good, stay focused and achieve more in my day. But what has been happening lately is I have been rushing to the gym not factoring in the travel time to get there and back only to be left with just 15-20 minutes to workout before I need to leave. So even if I spend the whole time on the cardio machines I am barely just breaking out in a sweat before it is time to go.

And while 15-20 minutes of exercise is better than nothing, sometimes I really want to work up a serious sweat (and burn off the chocolate dessert I ate the night before).

So I turned to the internet to find something that I could do from home when I had limited time that would give me some really good results. And I was delighted to discover Amanda Russell's videos.

Amanda has come up with incredible 10, 15 and 20-minute total body cardio workouts that you can do at home, at the gym, while traveling, or wherever you are.

The 20 minute cardio workout I did was so great I just couldn't resist posting it for all of you to try. It's a super intense, but super effective, interval-style workout and all you need is your own body for it.

I warn you though - it is TOUGH and it will definitely leave you dripping with sweat. But I think it's worth it. And all you need is 20 minutes. Perfect if you haven't left yourself time to get to and from the gym for a workout before going out, or if you sleep late but still want to fit in some exercise before work, it is so quick you could even do it in your lunch break.

Amanda Russell's workouts are perfect for all those busy women out there who just haven't got the time to spend doing long workouts but still want to get results. Great for working professionals and for busy mums too as you can do this workout at home while the baby is asleep or kids are playing in the other room.

Here is the 20 minute workout I started with - check it out I promise you will love it!!

Blogilates Workout

Checkout Cassey from blogilates wearing one of our Oscar Mimosa tops in her latest total body toning workout - we think she looks great!

If you want to check out these tops on myescape you can find them here: Oscar Mimosa Luxury Singlet

With the cold season well under way it is about this time of year when you start dreaming of escaping to somewhere tropical for a mid winter break.  And we may have discovered just the perfect break for you.  A fantastic yoga holiday in a beautiful tropical setting.

Tropical Yoga Holidays are offering a yoga holiday package in beautiful Rarotonga which just sounds so wonderful we had to share it with you. Here is what they have to say:

'Immerse yourself in a tropical yoga experience with carefully selected yoga teachers in the warm and luxurious setting of Crown Beach Resort and Spa Rarotonga. Whether you are new to Yoga, or have an established practice we aim to provide you with the complete yoga experience away from the distractions of everyday life. Take the time to improve your practice in our small intimate classes in a setting that will allow you to deepen your understanding of the Asana’s, breathing and meditation techniques. This is the perfect time to start your yoga practice or move it to another level. Daily morning Bikram classes and more relaxed afternoon yoga sessions are scheduled to allow you the time to explore the island, indulge in a spa treatment or just simply relax on the beautiful white sand beach or by the pool. For partners we offer the option of added fishing charters, kite surfing, and stand up paddle boarding, spas and tours in place of the yoga.'

The first holiday is from the 10th -17th of September, then the next will be in November. Here at myescape we have certainly been daydreaming about heading off on a sunny holiday escape so we will definitely be checking this out.

If you want any more information check out their website: http://www.tropicalyoga.co.nz/ or facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/TropicalYogaHolidays

I have just been informed that there will be a Yoga Flash Mob happening in Auckland on the 19th of April at 1pm.

Some of you may be wondering what a flash mob is?

A flash mob (or flashmob) is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place perform an unusual act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment, satire or artistic expression. Flash mobs are organized via telecommunications, blogs, social media, or viral emails. Yoga flash mobs are a spin off from this popular trend promoting yoga and healthy living and giving people something beautiful to watch too.

If you are interested in joining in, then come along to the Aotea Square at 12.58pm form a large circle facing inward leaving plenty of space for others to join in too.

The yoga will begin with 2 rounds of Sun Salutations followed by a 3rd round of Sun Salutations with 3 warrior poses added in at the end. It will be easy to follow as there will be an instructor there leading the way and she promises to go slowly :-)

So if you have some time free around 1pm on the 19th April please come on down to Aotea Square.  This is a great way to raise awareness about yoga in the community plus a fun thing to be involved in.

Here is a video of a Flash mob in Trafalgar Square London to give you an idea of what to expect:

The yoga lunchbox is a fantastic online yoga magazine, a place to find information about yoga and connect with the yoga community in New Zealand. I thought I would write a post about the yoga lunchbox as I have found it to be a really great site to use myself and think it is a site everyone in the yoga community should know about.

The yoga lunch box or YLB is not just for yoga guru’s or teachers. It is for anyone wherever they are on their yoga path, new to yoga or a dedicated practitioner, the yoga lunchbox will help you find a yoga community near you so you can get the support you need as you go through your yoga journey. I like YLB because its a place that yoga teachers and students come together to share their experiences with each other and learn from each others stories.

Founded by Kara-Leah Grant in 2009 as a personal blog the site has grown over the years into its present state - a vibrant website with a writing team bringing the community a wide array of articles about yoga. As well as being the founder and editor in chief at the yoga lunchbox Kara Leah Grant is a yoga teacher and mother to a toddler. The musings from the mat section of the yoga lunchbox is where Kara-Leah gets up close & personal about life on and off the yoga mat – you can tell she has passion for writing and yoga from the articles she writes which I find are always a great read.

The writings you’ll find at the yoga lunchbox are reflections of what the YLB team have learnt and are learning through their own journey as students and teachers. They write about how yoga has the power to profoundly transform lives -physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually and through their articles they show how yoga can take people from a place of utter despair to a place of complete joy.

Yoga is not always easy and the yoga lunchbox exists to reassure people that whatever they encounter along the path of becoming a yogi is just part of the process. It is also there to encourage us to try more than just asana, more than just going to class, and to celebrate making yoga a part of your daily life.

Personally I find the yoga lunch box a great place to go to regularly to hear about what has been going on in the yoga community in New Zealand. To find out about upcoming events, new yoga teachers, studios and to learn more about yoga and the impact it can have in my life. You can find the yoga lunch box here: YLB