Wednesday 18 May 2016

Top 5 Youtube Yoga Videos

I can't emphasise enough how joyful and important it is to go to yoga classes in person when you can. Being in the company of others, sharing your space, hearing other people breathing, the room warming as you all move together, it uplifts the soul. It's yoga.

But! Accepting that travel, work, health and other commitments make this difficult, having online go-to videos is an excellent backup. It is also a really smart way to augment your practice, so that if you are focusing on achieving handstand or you want a different perspective on how to get into poses, you can find a teacher who speaks to you.

You need a mat, enough space to swing your arms and legs around beyond the mat, and access to water if you need it.

Yoga Flow 
45 Minutes
Advanced
Dynamic vinyasa flow with a fabulous instructor from Yoga Vine.

Down N Dirty Dog Dives
2 Minutes 11 Seconds
Advanced
Niko does a Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svavasana) variation that is super tough on the triceps and will appeal to advanced yogis. 
Follow up with his Plank Variations.

Headstand For Beginners
7 Minutes 7 Seconds
This isn't all fun and games! There's a pan flute. Having warned you, this is an excellent way to explore headstand if you haven't done it before.
This got me into headstand for the first time. Truly. Kudos to you Ananda Yoga!

Sophie from Ananda also talks you through Crow Pose for Beginners. Also an excellent guide.

Super challenging Vinyasa Flow
60 Minutes
Love Leigha's creative sequencing and her calm, well paced movements and teaching voice. Try it.
45 Minutes
Another Leigha video - this one is a little less advanced and allows you to enjoy Leigha's creative class without feeling lost in a pose that is too challenging.


Friday 13 May 2016

Pop Your Block - Kye For Shu

Apart from kimchi and K-Pop, I have to admit I'm not up to speed on all things Korea. 

But this is Krazy Kool.


Kathleen Kye meshes her love of pop culture with illustrative details, oversized silhouettes and unexpected texture combinations (think furry pullovers with plaid cowboy shirts). She also does a look that I love, but haven't had the temerity or excuse to try yet: high heels with knee-high ribbed socks. Miuccia Prada, you have much to answer for!

For fashion and street cred, Kye had Leigh Lezark of The Misshapes to DJ her fashion show. Not for the first time, her aesthetic was likened to the Moschino mastermind, Jeremy Scott. Mad but monstrously good. A little bit like me.

Why the excitement now? 



Kye has just collaborated with makeup and skincare brand Shu Uemura on a limited range of lip, eye, brow and cheek products that are covered with her distinctive sketch signature. As a proud owner of bright red lipstick from the Shu Uemura collection with Yazbukey, I HAD to have something #KyeForShu


I have the drawing pencil on my wish list. It's coming. The lip balms and cheek cushions are to die for though! What's on your Wanted List?

Exclusive to David Jones. Find it right here!

Share your Kye for Shu looks and goodies on Instagram and hashtag #KyeForShu

Saturday 7 May 2016

Body Art by Genuine Tattoo Artists, No Needles


Correct, no needles.
No commitment.

You may have seen the range of metallic temporary tattoos Beyonce was wearing and promoting last year and thought, looks good in a music video but once I've flashed it on Instagram, do I really want to wear this?

As most of you know, I have a few tattoos. As in, real ones, done with a needle and ink. But, as much as I toy with the idea, I have no intention of adding more. I'm going to sate my desire to play with designs and placement by indulging in temporary tattoos.


Before you go, whoa there! Like the ones in the cereal box when you were 10?
No.

These have bona fide tattoo artists behind them.

Canadian store Tattoo You collaborates with tattoo artists and illustrators to create high quality temporary tattoos that you can wear with confidence.

Like me, perhaps you already have body art and you want to test drive a design or see how a certain shape looks on your wrist, your ribcage or your shoulder before you commit to something permanent there.

Perhaps you just want to horrify your mother by casually rolling up your sleeve on Mother's Day and baring a giant skull.


Perhaps you have an event for which body art is your adornment of choice - we all missed out on Coachella, but there's still Splendour In the Grass (if you got tickets).

I'm currently wearing designs by Marie Massolin ("Beetle"). an Alberta based illustrator and designer; Arizona native Jon Garber who is a mind-blowingly awesome tattoo artist; Sasha Unisex from Moscow, Russia, and Sasha Masiuk also from Russia. Her strong black line drawings are gorgeously romantic and feminine without being flouncy.

Check out Tattoo You on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you are a designer, tattoo artist or illustrator, you can contribute a design.
TattooYou.Com

Thursday 5 May 2016

Master Met Gala Makeup

Naturally, you were also hovering at the keyboard, eyes glued to the screen awaiting Met Gala photos on Tuesday morning. 

I have to say, with such an incredible theme, it was astonishing the amount of celebrities who interpreted this as "80s Halloween Party". Or just tossed on whatever designer frock their stylist lazily flung at them (ahem, Alicia Vikander...)
Fortunately though, there were some killer looks that absolutely nailed style, fashion, theme, futurism meets classic glamour. Nicole Kidman, Ciara, Poppy Delevigne, Clare Danes... did anyone really nail it in your view?

Apart from the amazing dresses and amazing bodies (Naomi Campbell, if there is ever a perfect robot woman she will definitely be modelled on Ms Campbell!) there were some trend-setting makeup looks to recreate. Will we see a wave of black lipstick wearing teenagers a la Taylor Swift? I think so. I'd be more inclined to opt for deep, deep purple! Or save it for your nails.
Get Ciara's Look with smoky, violet-hued mascara and sharp, precise liquid black liner. Nails can match the dramatic eyes in violet or go understated with a neutral beige.



Get Poppy's Look with deep plum lips and an illuminated (but not shimmery) complexion. Keep your hair glossy, glamorous and no wild shapes and textures.

Bobbi Brown Nude Finishing Powder (Bobbi Brown)
Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Crushed Plum Lipstick (Bobbi Brown)
Bobbi Brown Lip Liner in Pale Mauve (Bobbi Brown)

Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation (David Jones)





Sunday 1 May 2016

How To Use Sports Psychology To Master Mind Over Muscle


How Bad Do You Want It?

Endurance sports journalist, Matt Fitzgerald, argues it all comes down to posing this question to yourself and if you do want it, then you can take actions to make it happen.

This is not just elite athletes, of course. It's anyone who needs the motivation to perform - whether it's fitness or your sales job, your desire to get through a triathlon, write a novel, cycle to work daily, complete a second degree. These things take mental courage and commitment.

Matt has worked with elite athletes from all over the world and what he reveals is that ".001 percent have the same psychological vulnerabilities that the rest of us have, and must overcome them to achieve things...Talent alone doesn't cut it."

Talent alone doesn't cut it.
This might be enough for some of you to throw in the towel. For the rest of us, it's inspiring. Regardless of skill, it comes down to attitude towards our goals and working for it.

Here's what to keep in mind, whether you're just beginning or you're already established as an athlete, a performer, an executive or contemplating a half-marathon.

If you want to read Matt's book, it's How Bad Do You Want It? by Matt Fitzgerald (Murdoch Books, $29.99)


Embrace principles of Psychobiological Performance

Samuele Marcora, an Italian exercise physiologist, introduced the theory of mind and body as interconnected. Essentially, biology matters but psychology rules

Finnish runner, Paavo Nurmi, said (almost 100 years' ago!) "Mind is everything. Muscle - pieces of rubber. All that I am, I am because of my mind."

It is not the actual, objective "hardness" of a task that matters, it is how hard you think it is. It isn't possible to outrun and out-think a physical endurance challenge entirely, but an athlete's relationship to putting in the effort and to focus is key.

Alter your focus: the competitor ahead of you, the memory of losing a similar race, the feeling of winning, the next check-point.

Be Your Own Sports Psychologist

Research methods that athletes and performers use to inspire and motivate their training, their performance and their endurance. 

Don't be afraid of stress, fear and discomfort. Use them as challenges. 

When you're struggling, ask yourself How Much Do I Want It? and if you can honestly respond, More, then despite it being harder than the questions of how often to train, how much to eat, which shoes to wear and time to beat, you will prove it.

Find An Accomplice or Many

While many endurance athletes train alone in the early hours or late at night, depending on their work and family commitments, many also engage in team training or participate in forums.
The beauty of social media is that even if you can't find an accomplice to run with, cycle besides, go to classes with... you can share your goals, your weaknesses, your questions and your insights in online forums.

Go to classes. Join running groups. Start an online group that meets once a week to train. 

Imagine An Audience

In 2003, a university in Arizona ran an experiment to see if students would benchpress greater weights for longer under three scenarios:
1. Alone
2. In competition with other students
3. Alone in front of an audience

To the surprise of the study authors, the students performed significantly better in front of an audience than in competition with others. The act of questioning their perceived exertion or wanting to perform for themselves an others may have driven this. 

You don't need an audience. You can imagine one. What does your victory look like? Does your training regime inspire and motivate them? 

Listen To Your Body: Don't Over-Train

We live in a culture that embraces the Harder. Faster. Stronger. mentality.

Knowing when you're pushing too hard or being excessive is vital to maintaining a training regime that will keep you mentally and physically on your game.

Triathlete, Paula Newby-Fraser, took a year off triathlon training after a particularly exhausting and physically debilitating defeat. She reflected during this time on the fact she had allowed her insecurity and desperation to achieve to force her to train too fiercely, and to exhaust her body. She had beaten herself up wanting to win.

She decided to return to triathlon and to do the might Kona but this time, with "no expectations". In yoga, this choice to pursue any goal or lifestyle purely for the lessons and the experience rather than attaching to the results is called abhyasa

Paula later embraced trail running and mountain biking in addition to Ironman (which she mastered aged 40) and in advice to the great Australian Ironwoman, Mirinda Carfrae, said: "The greatest lesson as an athlete and in training is just don't get greedy. The media is going to push you and hype you. So is everyone else. You have to just have faith in yourself, and faith in your coach, and just believe. When it's working, it's working. Don't mess with success, right?"

Embrace And Enjoy The Challenge

Whatever your challenge, or challenges, embrace the uncertainty and the discomfort that are inevitable.

As Matt says, "The path between you and the best you can be is unexplored territory."
None of us can know what we're capable of. None of us have the answers as to how to be the greatest we can be laid out and easily defined in front of us.

You're embarking on a journey that is mental more than physical and the more obstacles you face, the more you must channel the athlete and the person you want to become. All you need to do is be genuinely curious and determined to see how far you can go.

Nobody Else Knows What You're Capable Of. 
You don't. They don't. 
You must listen and learn from people who inspire you, who know things you want to know, but don't put all your faith in someone else - or even many others - to tell you what you can and can't do or how you should do it.

The challenge is to ask yourself what works, what doesn't, what feels right, what your weaknesses are and how you can change that, or avoid that bringing you down when it matters.



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