Yoga for you and your mates! [Pic: National Geographic]

I’ve known about this amazing free opportunity for a while now, and sometimes I don’t even think about letting you all know because I imagine that everyone HAS TO ALREADY KNOW about it, because it is just so awesome!

So, were you aware you can take part in yoga, pilates, capoeira & running club classes in Perth, for the low low fee of… well, nothing? Quite literally the best deal in town.

With classes both morning and night, you can indulge in a little free ‘me time’ whether you’re a chirpy morning bird or more of an evening style bird… perhaps a kookaburra?

Lululemon Athletica is a fun shop that sells all the yoga and running gear you could ever want, and they mega-generously offer these aforementioned free classes at both their Perth city store and Cottesloe store!

I would like to share with you the upcoming free fitness timetable for the Perth / Enex100 store. All you need to bring down is your fine self and a bottle of water. They provide the yoga mats, props and instruction. LOVE IT!

Tuesday, April 12
Ashtanga Yoga with Ambasaddor Rob Schutze at 6pm.

Wednesday, April 13
Pilates with Patrick Renner at 7am

Run Club with Sean O’Neill at 5.30pm

Thursday, April 14
Vinyasa Yoga with Laila Mahmud at 6pm

Tuesday, April 19

Capoeria with Bantus Capoeira at 6pm

Wednesday, April 20

Pilates with Patrick Renner at 7am

Run Club with Sean O’Neill at 5.30pm

Thursday, April 21

Vinyasa Yoga with Sam Briatico at 6pm

Tuesday, April 26

Capoeria with Bantus Capoeira at 6pm

Wednesday, April 27

Pilates with Patrick Renner at 7am
Run Club with Sean O’Neill at 5.30pm

Thursday, April 28
Power E with Makita Gabriel at 6pm

And now for the explanations of what the above are, in case you’re wondering! 🙂

Ashtanga yoga is a system of yoga transmitted to the modern world by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois (1915-2009). This method of yoga involves synchronizing the breath with a progressive series of postures—a process producing intense internal heat and a profuse, purifying sweat that detoxifies muscles and organs. The result is improved circulation, a light and strong body, and a calm mind. Our Ambassador Rob Schütze, who is leading those two weeks of Ashtanga Yoga, is one of the co-owners of The Yoga Space in West Perth. He is one of eleven Australians Authorised by Sri K. Pattabhi Jois to teach Ashtanga Yoga. 

Vinyasa yoga is one of the most commonly practised styles in the West. Sometimes referred to as “flow” yoga, the classes usually focus on breathing and movement which is almost dance-like.

Capoeira classes guarantee to have you doing this in your first lesson, ok I lie! But you could one day, and how cool does it look?!

Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with some very limited Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century. It is known by quick and complex moves, using mainly power kicks and quick leg sweeps, with some ground and aerial acrobatics, knee, take-downs, elbows, punches and headbutts.

Power E founder Makita Gabriel will lead a class at lululemon on Thursday, April 21

Power E is a series of low impact energy workouts that energise the body, calms the mind and balances the emotions. Each workout has a specific exercise sequence to help build inner confidence, energy balance, strength, vitality and inner peace.

Enex100 is located @ 683-703 Hay Street Perth WA 6000.

Thinking of heading down? I would LOVE to hear of your experiences! I hope this information has been useful in keeping your wallet heavy!

Be well,

xoxo

♥

1. Australian Grown Sunflower Seeds

I recently became interested in how I could get more Vitamin E in my diet as it’s said to be fantastique for the skin, brain and overall wellbeing. Sounds good to me, I thought, and went on my merry way to buy some sunflower seeds, which are little treasure chests of vit-e (along with lots of other nutrients)!

Unfortunately I was disappointed at how hard it was to find Australian grown and produced sunflower seeds – they were all imported from overseas. I decided to check with Organic ‘n Green, the place I buy my organic veggies from and lo and behold they stock certified organic Australian grown sunflower seeds as well – this company never ceases to impress me!!

I’m now the proud owner of some sunflower seeds that were grown within our shores, and I’m loving adding them to my salads and trail mixes 🙂

♥

2. The tastiest drink!

Today I had this smoothie, and it was totally delicious, I call it the Double Whammy Banana & Blueberry Smoothie:

♥ 1 x cup of Vitasoy vanilla soy milk
♥ 2 medium sized ripe / just overripe bananas (decadent in these times!)
♥ 1 x cup of frozen blueberries (or more if you prefer)
♥ 1 x cup of baby spinach
♥ 1-2 tsp wheatgerm

Whiz it all up and you are left with a tasty dream treat. Vanilla soy milk is SO much more palatable than regular soy milk, in my opinion. The vanilla Vitasoy can be hard to come by but if you see it, pick some up, I bet you’ll like it!

3. Omnilux

I’m still going with my Omnilux sessions! For best results you need to have at least 2 sessions a week over a 4 week period. I just had my third treatment today. I can definitely tell the difference in my skin the day after! The other interesting thing to note is that the red light is about 40x brighter than the blue light! For me, the red takes me about 5-10 minutes after the session is completed to re-adjust to normal vision (with goggles and cotton wool) but with the blue or white light it’s no problem at all! I’m currently having my sessions at Skin Deep in the city and I always look forward to my next sesh :)!

♥ Eyeliner – & Brush

4. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner & Brush

For the ‘makeup skills challenged’ among us, and I firmly plant myself within that group, this little duo from Bobbi Brown is a lifesaver. It is SO EASY to create a great eyeliner look with these two products, that it’s almost ridiculous. It lasts a long time too and comes in 10+ classic & quirky shades. There’s a reason why this pair have earned cult status worldwide and consistently make it into the top tens of industry experts… but if you’re like me, and still traversing the lower slopes of the makeup mountain (where do I come up with this!) then these are solid beginners companions. Highly recommend. Available online at the official Bobbi Brown online store.

Hans Bruechle..!

5. Date my Mate

Here’s something fun that’s a little bit different! Local fella and man of various infamy, Hans Bruechle, and a friend have teamed up to do ‘Date my Mate’ which is a web series dedicated to reviewing ‘everything in Perth’ as well as getting in a few sneaky dates here and there. The catch? They choose each others dates! Makes for some good giggles.

In the latest episode, Hans heads to the day spa and his mate takes on a brutal personal training session. All while trying to woo a ‘lady’ of the other ones choosing!

That’s all for now my darlings! Please feel free to share your current beauty & wellbeing crushes with me!

Be well,

xoxo

FitFlop Footwear.

When I was asked to try the thong sensation, FitFlop Footwear, for a Wellness WA review I was wary. Subjecting myself to hours of training for triathlon, could a pair of thongs really make a difference to my leg tone? I was the wrong person for the job until FitFlops PR whizz Dani found out the extent of my training and my current thong of choice.

I’m not one to name names, but let’s just say my current thongs are sexy, black and speak with a Portuguese accent. And I think they look super cute. However these flat-based beauties weren’t the best support act for my training shoes and work heels. Unfortunately, I’m prone to foot injuries and the strain of pounding the footpath frequently leads to the dastardly plantar fasciitis (a common running injury that occurs when the plantar fascia band, running along the arch of the foot, gets inflamed and can lead to severe heel pain).

Aside from the scientifically proven ability to increase leg muscle activation by 10-12% and bottom muscle by up to 30%, the “Microwobbleboard” technology has also indicated in recent study to reduce shock upon impact.

FitFlops Pietra in Pewter – $129

When the shoes arrived in the office late on a Monday afternoon, I eyed them critically. I was given the patent leather Pietra model in pewter that features three resin jewels on the toe strap and before I slipped them on I noted how big they looked. The soles are very chunky and nothing like the streamlined thongs I was used to – could I really pull off such a look?

The answer was known as soon as I slipped my tired feet into them. It was like collapsing on to a freshly laundered, fluffy pillow at the end of a long day and the girls in the office cheered as I used the reception area as a catwalk. Once on, the resin jewels take over and the chunky style diminishes underfoot, simply providing a well-needed height boost for my 5 foot 4 frame. I’ve since had far more comments on how good they look than I did for their Brazilian cousins.

Like this, for your feet!

I’ve been wearing my new shoes for the past four weeks for up to two kilometres each day. My husband cracks up every time I wear them because apparently the spring in my step is notable. Funnily enough, any time I see a fellow FitFlop wearer I notice a certain bounce to their step too and smile in recognition. My feet feel just the same – joyful.

The plantar fasciitis is still knocking on the door and I ice my feet regularly after long runs, but my new shoes are definitely part of my injury-prevention routine and so far, so good – I’ve kept the injury at bay (knock on wood).

As for the claims of leg and butt toning, university studies in London have backed them 100% and similar shoes by Reebok and New Balance have been forced to pull their ads in the UK for making similar claims. So they seem to be the real deal in that respect too.

He’s got happy feet too 😉

But for me, I’m just happy with gloriously comfortable walks to work and when the boss isn’t looking, I slip my feet right out of those calf-screaming high heels and into my little foot pillows under the desk.

They can be found online at B Store or in-store at David Jones and Foot Locker.

Have you tried Fit Flops?

Do you like dancing penguins?

Feel free to chat about any of these topics in the comments!

Review by Lisa O’Neill, a freelance journalist and part-time triathlete who loves to squeeze in as much pampering as possible in her free time.

Be well,

xoxo

Kate Bevilaqua!

♥ First up, briefly tell us a little bit about yourself!

– Completed a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education at UWA followed by a Diploma of Education
– Began teaching PE and Health to year 8 – 12s at Christ Church my first year out and remained there for 8 years
– During that time I played netball and was determined to take that as far as I could despite the constant reminders that I was too short!
– During my netball off season my cousin Wesley convinced me to try a triathlon as a means to keep fit!
– Eventually enjoyed triathlon so much more and quit netball! The culmination of 3 different sports, swimming, cycling and running keeps it interesting and it also has a great social/community feel about it!
– After a few years of short course racing, my coach eventually convinced me to give an Ironman a go and after qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman, my first 2 attempts and finishing 3rd as an amateur at the World Champs I obtained my Pro license and have not looked back since!
– 4 years later I have quit my job and am a full time professional triathlete who spends 6 months of the year in Perth, and the other 6 months in Boise, Idaho in the USA
– Most recently I finally won my first Ironman in Busselton, Western Australia and it will be a moment I will never ever forget!!

Invisible Zinc 4 Hour Waterproof Sunscreen SPF30+

♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

– First thing in the morning I am usually swimming biking or running, I will never leave the house without moisturiser, followed by Zinc on my face and lip balm on my lips.

– Zinc I either use Invisible Zinc or the skin coloured Sun Zapper Zinc stick you can get in Coles. It is perfect for those long, long days out in the sun.

– Moisturiser I use L’oreal day cream with suncream and an age perfect night cream.
– Lip Balm, every type of Blistex you will find in my drawer.
– Cause of all the swimming I have a leave in oil treatment for my hair because I don’t like to wash it every day!! I love to use Moroccan Oil.

♥ What’s the one beauty treatment you can’t live without? And your favourite place to have it done?

Massage (if you can call this a beauty treatment!) Once a week! My masseuse, Mark Eden, definitely knows how to keep me going strong! But otherwise i recently had a facial with my mother which I hadn’t done in years and was amazed how great my skin felt afterwards. Would like to make this a regular part of my beauty routine!

♥ Who do you trust with your hair in Perth, and why?

I have a local hairdresser, Avant Garde in South Perth that I have been going to for years and it is so easy when they know you and your hair and I don’t have to always explain why my hair is in such bad condition after all the swimming and sweaty training! I can just sit there and relax and she knows exactly what I want!

♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

A good facial mask or scrub! Once every week or 10 days! Gets rid of that dead skin and makes my face feel fresh again at least for a little while! I use Anew Clinical Micro – exfoliant.

So many to love!

♥ Your three, absolutely cannot live without, favourite products?

– Blistex Lip Balm
– Sun Zapper Zinc Stick
– Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse

♥ Do you have any secret tips you use to keep looking / feeling great?

Sleep!! I think sleep is highly underrated! Let’s be honest! How great do we feel and look (no bags under the eyes!) when we have a good night’s sleep! Lucky for me sneaking in an afternoon nap is something I try and do as much as can!

♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet? (Due to time, money, scared etc!)

Bikram yoga, I have heard so much about it but haven’t found the time yet to do it! Definitely on the “to do” list!

♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I will usually eat a couple of pieces of toast with peanut butter before swimming training in the morning. This lasts a few hours and by the time I get home I am ready for my real breakfast of oatmeal with cinnamon, blueberries, banana, and maybe some more peanut butter and almond milk. This fills me up for the rest of the morning and I don’t need to snack. Lunch is usually a roll/sandwich of chicken or egg and salad. Otherwise sushi is also a popular choice. After snack varies between an apple, yoghurt, muesli/protein bar depending what is on the training schedule. Dinner is a protein (chicken, steak and salmon are my favourites) and salad or vegetables.

♥ Describe your fitness routine.

Well fitness is my life so there is not a day that goes by (well very few anyway!) when I am not swimming, cycling or running! I usually have a day off every 10 days and a sleep in is absolute bliss!! Generally I will swim 6 times a week, run 5 times a week and cycle 4 or 5 times a week. If I am feeling up to it and try and get some core and strength work in but if I am tired they are the sessions that I will skip for a nap instead!

Fish oil!

♥ Do you take part in any alternative therapies or take supplements? If so, discuss.

Besides massage I am strong believer in Acupuncture/dry needling. I will have a session every couple of weeks if time permits to get rid of that tension in certain areas. With all the exercise and training I do I have been taking iron supplements to help prevent feeling too fatigued but also religiously take garlic and fish oil tablets so I don’t get sick!!

Thanks so much to Kate for taking time out of her very busy schedule to share her routine with us! Please leave any questions and comments below.

Be well,

xoxo

If the idea of doing yoga in a natural setting, be it in a park or by the ocean, takes you to your happy place then you’ll want to get involved with this.

Holistic personal trainer / nutritionist / meditation & yoga practitioner Stuart Watkins will be running classes in Kings Park, Cott and City Beach throughout the 2010-2011 Summer!

I’ve recently had a personal meditation / yoga sesh with Stuart (more on that to come later) and can vouch for his knowledge, calming voice & positive / healing vibes that seem to emanate from him in droves.

Make sure you get in touch with him by the listed methods to ensure a spot. The classes are by donation, so you pay what you feel, which is a really harmonious way of doing things.

Namaste!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo