Product Love: Method Laundry Detergent
Let me start out by saying “No, this is not a paid endorsement!” I just really, really love method products. They are environmentally friendly, safe to use, and have great scents! I first bought Method Laundry Detergent when we were gearing up for our big cross-country move. The bottle is compact (only 3 inches diameter across the bottom) will wash 50 loads with only a 20-ounce bottle, has a locking pump-style lid, and seemed like it would be easier to pack than the typical giant box of laundry detergent I was using at the time. Like all the other products in the Method line, the Laundry Detergent delivers big-time. It smells great, uses only 4 pumps of detergent for an average size load of laundry, works wonderfully in both regular and HE machines, and takes up very little space! Add to that the fact that the bottle is made of 50% recycled material and is 100% recyclable and I’m sold! Even better: a feature that allows the pump to dispense every last drop of detergent from the bottle. The only downside is that it can be a bit pricey — about $15.00 for a 50-load bottle, but it really does last all 50 loads. They also make a fabric softener that I have yet to try, but I think I will give it a whirl when I need to buy detergent again.
Music Love: “Dead Disco” by Metric
I love this song and just added it to the “happy happy run run” mix I’m compiling on iTunes for when the weather is a bit nicer. It’s a bit reminiscent of 80′s synth-pop/rock. Maybe I love it because the bass line seems like a mash-up of the Cure’s “A Forest” and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” or maybe it’s because the vocals somehow bring Blondie to mind. Either way, it will get you up on your feet.
Yoga Love: Virabhadrasana II (Warrior 2)
Warrior II continues working the legs just like Warrior I, but also opens up the hips and strongly tones the arms (particularly that area under the upper arms that tends to sag as we age), and with the proper modifications, can also work wonders on your inner thighs. This is a strong, stabilizing pose that challenges and tones the entire body. This is also a fantastic pose for improving body image and self-confidence.
photo courtesy of www.yogajournal.com
From Warrior One with your right foot forward, exhale and rotate your torso to the left, simultaneously opening the hips and lowering your arms to shoulder height with palms facing the floor. If you need to adjust the placement of your feet, please do so, in order to prevent knee injury! Hips and knees should be open towards the left. Keep your gaze forward, over the right hand. Take a moment to make sure your back foot is at a 45-degree angle with the outer edge of the foot staying grounded, and that your weight is equally distributed between both feet.
Glance down at your right knee, to be sure it is stacked directly above your ankle rather than rolling inward. Reach strongly in both directions with your fingertips, as though you are being pulled opposite ways. Strongly engage the muscles of your arms –particularly the triceps — taking care to keep the neck long and the shoulder blades drawing down the back.
Finally, root your heels down into the mat, and draw your feet toward one another, thus engaging the inner thighs. Focus on your breathing, keeping it long and steady. Hold for 5-10 breaths.
To come out of the pose, bring your hands to your hips, gently rotate the hips forward (the same leg position you used in Warrior One) and then step the left foot up to meet the right. As you exhale, step the right foot back, coming into Warrior One and then follow the steps for Warrior Two on the opposite side. End your micro session, by closing your eyes, and breathing deeply for 5-10 breaths. Enjoy the strength, focus, and determination that Warrior Two brings.
CHeck out Graffiti 6 for some good running tunes