Yoga Class Etiquette: Mind Over Manners

Anyone who's ever taken a yoga class knows that even the slightest distraction can ruin your experience. So we spoke with New York yoga teachers Rachel Krupa and Stephanie Pieczenik Marango for their advice on yoga etiquette. By keeping the following tips in mind, you can be sure to create the best possible environment for yourself and others in yoga class.

Do
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Come to class in a relaxed and open state of mind. "Check your ego at the door," Stephanie advises, and be ready to focus. Also, be prepared: Bring a water bottle if you'll need it, hair tie, proper attire, and your own mat if you don't want to use one of the studio's. If your yoga teacher prefers that you remove your shoes before entering class, be respectful of her wishes.

Don't
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Though each teacher has her own style of teaching and attitude toward yoga, both Rachel and Stephanie agree that it is a major no-no to leave class during corpse pose. It's a crucial part of the mindfulness that should not be disturbed. If you do have to leave class for any reason, try to do it quietly and respectfully, and at a time when you won't be quite as disruptive. (Child's pose would be a good chance.) Electronics are also a distraction, and should be turned off or silenced before class. Lastly, we've just got to say it: Don't forget your hygiene. "Your instructor will be telling the students to breathe deeply," Rachel says. "And there's nothing worse than sitting next to someone who is wearing too much perfume." (Or, for that matter, someone with bad B.O.!)

Sticky Situations
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But sometimes there isn't a way to prevent all distractions. Keep Stephanie's advice in mind: "Expect the unexpected, and then let it go." If someone in your class is distracting you in any way, try not to let it ruin your class and consider speaking to your teacher privately once class is over.

Now, what about those embarrassing moments which are simply inevitable in yoga? Rachel says the most common occurrences are farting and falling over during a position and, if this happens to you, try not to be too embarrassed. It happens to everyone at some point, and it's not a big deal.

End on a Good Note
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As far as ending class, Stephanie says, "Put your props away neatly, perhaps even helping the student behind you. Yoga class is a great space in which to practice kula, which means 'community.'"

Just remember that you're taking a yoga class because you want to feel good and have a positive experience but it doesn't have to be perfect for it to be rewarding. Just be courteous of others, brush off the stuff that bugs you, and enjoy getting your ohm on!

10 Tone-Up Tweaks to Get a Better Burn

Supercharge your gym routine by ditching the moves that have stopped delivering results and replacing them with ones that will challenge and build more muscle. Start with these total-body toning tips from some of our favorite trainers.

Arms: Change the Weight

Dumbbell curls are great for your arms, but unless you're changing up the sets and reps, your biceps will get accustomed to the level of stress you're placing on them, meaning you'll stop seeing the sculpting results. "Few people use the proper weight and even fewer graduate the amount of weight being used during arm exercises," says Richard Miller, owner and CEO of GymSource in New York City.

When you curl the same weight for a long period of time, your body send nutrients to the muscle you're working to help recover. If you pick up an 8-pound dumbbell every time, your muscles aren't experiencing varied stress and won't add new nutrient masses to that area, making your arms fall flat. Use this cheat sheet to know when it's time to step it up a notch:

You should feel fatigue at 15 reps or fewer. If you don't, add more weight.
Aim to increase weight by less than 10 percent. If you normally lift 8-pound weights, up it to 10 pounds and so on.

4 Step Skin Care

Perhaps you regularly experience late nights studying or entertaining, or you’re occasionally up with a sick child. Daily shower aside, if you find yourself with limited time to get beautified in the morning the following is a must-do regimen before starting your day. In order to apply the proper product you must know your skin type – oily, normal/combination, dry, sensitive or sun damaged.

Cleanse:
The key here is simplicity.  Find a good cleanser that works well with your skin, avoiding bar soaps as they tend to be drying.  Take care not to over-cleanse (nightly should be sufficient). In the morning, a lukewarm water rinse is enough to remove excess oils from last night’s moisturizing.

Exfoliate:
Use a gentle scrub with tiny grains to remove the top layer of dead skin cells that dull the complexion.  This will keep skin glowing year-round.

Moisturize:
Your skin will tell you how much to moisturize; when it’s tight, it needs hydration.  Be careful not to over moisturize or you may clog your pores.

Protect:
Sunscreen is the most crucial part of every skincare regimen.  And because sun damage is the number one cause of wrinkles, it’s important to apply protection daily.

These tips will keep you on track in the mornings, but if you end up with a moment to spare, brush on bronzer and a quick coat of mascara for a fabulous finishing touch.

When you’re short on time, what’s your must-do beauty routine?

Weight Loss Tips: Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes

 In addition to your food and eating-related choices, you can also support your weight loss and dieting efforts by making healthy lifestyle choices.

• Get plenty of sleep. Lack of sleep has been shown to have a direct link to hunger, overeating, and weight gain. Exhaustion also impairs your judgment, which can lead to poor food choices. Aim for around 8 hours of quality sleep a night.
• Turn off the TV. You actually burn less calories watching television than you do sleeping! If you simply can’t miss your favorite shows, get a little workout in while watching. Do easy exercises like squats, sit-ups, jogging in place, or using resistance bands or hand weights.
• Get plenty of exercise. Exercise is a dieter’s best friend. It not only burns calories, but can actually improve your resting metabolism. No time for a long workout? Research shows that three 10-minute spurts of exercise per day are just as good as one 30-minute workout. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or park in the back of the parking lot. Every bit helps.
• Drink more water. You can easily reduce your daily calorie intake by replacing soda, alcohol, or coffee with water. Thirst can also be confused with hunger, so by drinking water, you may avoid consuming extra calories, plus it will help you break down food more easily.

Weight Loss Tips: Take Charge of Your Food Environment

Your weight loss efforts will succeed or fail based largely on your food environment. Set yourself up for success by taking charge of your food environment: when you eat, how much you eat, and what foods are available.

• Start the day with breakfast. People who eat breakfast tend to be thinner than those who don’t. Starting your day with a healthy breakfast will jumpstart your metabolism, plus, it will help keep you from binge eating later in the day.
• Serve yourself smaller portions. One easy way to control portion size is by using small plates, bowls, and cups. This will make your portions appear larger. Don’t eat out of large bowls or directly from the food container or package, which makes it difficult to assess how much you’ve eaten.
• Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time. You will be more inclined to eat in moderation if you have thought out healthy meals and snacks in advance. You can buy or create your own small portion snacks in plastic bags or containers. Eating on a schedule will also help you avoid eating when you aren’t truly hungry.
• Cook your own meals. Cooking meals at home allows you to control both portion size and what goes in to the food. Restaurant and packaged foods generally contain a lot more sodium, fat, and calories than food cooked at home—plus the portions sizes tend to be larger.
• Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry. Create a shopping list and stick to it. Be especially careful to avoid foods at the ends of the aisles and along the perimeter, where grocers tend to sell high-calorie snack and convenience foods.
• Out of sight, out of mind. Limit the amount of tempting foods you have at home. If you share a kitchen with non-dieters, store snack foods and other high-calorie indulgences in cabinets or drawers out of your sight.