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

A yogi who had another life as a corporate tax manager for 15 years before deciding to pursue her dream of teaching yoga full time and then opening up a yoga studio – Bikram Yoga Victoria Park – to share her passion with more people in one space (with the support of her loving, ever-patient husband)!

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♥ Tell us about your daily beauty routine.

As I have dry sensitive skin, morning routine is just cleansing with lukewarm water and Vanessa Megan Rosewater Spray. After a Bikram yoga session (either practicing or teaching), I would cleanse my skin with the Vanessa Megan Clementine Organic Foaming Cleanser. If the skin is feeling dehydrated, I will use the Vanessa Megan Jasmine Face Cream. I keep it simple as I am a busy person and don’t have much time for a long complicated routine.

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

I cannot do without a 6 weekly “Hydradermie” facial with Monika from Oxford Beauty Clinic, Leederville.

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

A 6 monthly trim with Davina from Head Office, Perth CBD.

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♥ Favourite budget / at home beauty treatment?

Bio Oil when the skin is feeling extremely dehydrated after cleansing and instead of using my Vanessa Megan Face Cream, I use Bio Oil and leave it overnight. It does wonders for my skin tone and hydration.

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

Doterra Peppermint and Wild Orange Lip Balm, blusher (Clinique) and Vanessa Megan Rose Spray.

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

Lots of fluids for hydration and Juice Plus (branded line of dietary supplements containing concentrated fruit and vegetable juice extracts fortified with added vitamins and nutrients.)

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♥ What beauty treatment/ wellbeing activity would you love to try but haven’t yet?

Crossfit! For strength and endurance!

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♥ Describe a typical day of eating for you.

I have a muesli bar (or bircher muesli) for breakfast, Green or protein smoothies in between meals, a long black (coffee) every 2 – 3 days because I love the smell and taste of a good brewed coffee, nourishing lunch with (soupy) noodles + protein (chicken or fish) with vegetables and dinner is usually light – either a salad with loads of avocado, nuts and Danish feta cheese or with rice/ quinoa. If i am extremely hungry (low in energy) –my meal will include more protein (fish or chicken) with steamed vegetables together with my avocado salad. Every month, I do treat myself to a small piece of red meat (steak or lamb) as my body does function better with some red meat every once in a while.

Other treats which I may have throughout a typical day could include savoury muffin or soup. I do also treat myself to the hot chips and sea salt with vinegar if my body craves it or eggs, spinach & bacon for weekend breakfast!

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♥ Describe your fitness routine.

I am usually active every day with yoga as everyday will usually involve a yoga class to practice my yoga unless I am already teaching for the day.

I also try to do a personal home practice for 20 minutes + 20 minutes meditation 1x per week which is especially nurturing and centering for me during a busy week.

My new years resolution this year is to try Cross Fit so that I can balance out my yoga practice with new physical activities for additional strength building!

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

Acupuncture and as mentioned above Juice Plus. I find acupuncture very relaxing and balancing for me as I am a high energy individual and having an acupuncture treatment every fortnight helps me to slow down, relax and take a bit of down time for myself.

♥ How do you like to relax? What are your favourite ways to de-stress?

Movies with my husband or girlfriends (depending on the movie).

I do find the best way to de-stress is to have 1 hour to myself at the beach or get a Thai massage session in at Thai Thai Day Spa in Langford.

What do you think of Karen's routine? If you have any questions or comments please leave them below! 🙂

Be well,

xoxo

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There’s most certainly a right and wrong way to go about Bikram Yoga. I learnt this the hard way. My first session I turned up in my standard gym gear = long yoga pants, a t-shirt and a leotard thing (so I can bend this way and that and not have my belly fall out), and realised my mistake as soon as I entered the studio. The vast majority of the 30-ish attendees were wearing what I first thought were bikinis, but turned out to be Bikram-intended gym gear. These people had the right idea. Before I’d even started, I had condensation dripping from my eyelashes.

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And there’s definitely a learning curve. The three sessions I went to followed a pattern – I would arrive, enter the room and be freshly shocked at HOW warm Bikram yoga is (40 C), lie down on my mat and start to feel like I was adjusting and this might be okay – then the instructor would enter and we’d start moving. I lasted 40 minutes in my first session, overdressed and not hydrated enough, and drove home bewildered and drenched.

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My second attempt was far better. I wore as little as I was able and attended an evening class, meaning I had a whole afternoon to get hydrated enough in preparation, which made a big difference. I left the room twice to pace around in the air conditioning before heading back in, but I still stayed until the end of the 90 minute session. I considered this progress, and decided to give it a third shot to see if I could top that effort.

Third session was exhilarating. I didn’t leave the room, though I did sit sweating on my mat to recover every once and a while. But I still stayed for 90 minutes and emerged sweaty and victorious at the end, feeling like I’d proved to myself that I could adjust to what felt like an insurmountably difficult physical challenge.

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And the end result is fantastic. Once you’ve rehydrated (and I deeply recommend the Chi Coconut Water available at the front desk) you feel godlike. You’re energised, ultra limber and have all those good aches that tell you you’ve done well.

My particular Bikram was at the newly opened Bikram Yoga Victoria Park – and I had three different instructors over that session. The circuit of poses was identical each day, which was a small mercy since there was a collective boneless relief when we moved to the second half of the session (the stuff on the floor). Our instructors all wore headsets and talked continuously through the 90 minute class. Granted, they weren’t doing the full exercise that we were, but they were still demonstrating, wandering between people and fixing postures. It struck me as incredibly exhausting. There must have been some serious tolerance build up in that.

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Ultimately I had a really positive experience – I feel like I was worked hard and got results, and the staff were professional and friendly. I’m even considering some of those Bikram bikini things. I’m a sucker for nice new gym gear.

♥ There are even showers you can use before/after class!

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park has a rather awesome beginner’s deal that I’d recommend: Ten days of unlimited Bikram for $20!

I spread my three sessions over five days, and the amount of improvement I felt just in those three sessions drives home for me that it really is something that needs to be done in bursts, multiple sessions in close proximity. Karen, the vibrant and ultra-fit Studio Director confirmed as much by very gently suggesting I come back for the third class, and I’m glad I did. (She also clarified for me that I was not, in fact, drowning in my own sweat, but in an ungodly amount of condensation. This is very reassuring). Can I also suggest that you remove all makeup before heading in there? I finished a session looking like I’d emerged from a screening of The Notebook.

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park

Unit 1, 345 Shepperton Road
East Victoria Park, Perth

Ph: (08) 9470 5700

E: info@bikramvicparkperth.com.au

Have you tried Bikram Yoga before, or want to? Does the idea of heat-based exercise excite or scare you? Lets chat in the comments!

Review by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

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I first heard about green smoothies when I attended a raw food seminar in 2009. Eating greens had always been a challenge for me, because although I loved my salads, fruits and vegetables, it was hard for me to sit down & find time to eat loads of leafy greens such as spinach or kale. At the seminar, I learnt that greens possess more valuable nutrients than any other food group and all these nutrients are stored inside the cells of plants. These cells are made of tough material and to release these valuable nutrients, the cell walls needed to be ruptured. In simple words, we need to chew our greens to a creamy consistency in order to get the benefits and chewing them thoroughly with our teeth does not always satisfy our nutritional needs as much as blending our greens!

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This is how I learnt that blending my greens and drinking them in a smoothie form was actually more beneficial for my body in order to absorb the nutrients. And smoothies on the go were easier to digest than salads on the go!

This recipe below is one of my favourite recipes, as I can always get the ingredients at the grocery store, and it is quick, easy, satisfying, cleansing, nutritious and tasty for my hectic lifestyle.

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Karen’s Quick & Easy Green Smoothie

♥ 1 handful of hydroponic lettuce
♥ 1/2 cucumber
♥ 1 ripe banana
♥ 1 cup of chemical free water
♥ 1/2 a Green apple
♥ 1/2 a Red apple
♥ 1/2 cup frozen berries

Blend for 2 minutes and add 1/2 avocado (optional) if you want a more creamy consistency or are a bit more hungry.

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Enjoy!

Article by Karen Then, yoga instructor & owner of Bikram Yoga Victoria Park!

Be well,

xoxo