Author: HealthyWay Staff Writer

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Lifestyle

Bizarre Beauty Products That Might Make You Queasy

Despite what we might like to believe, none of us are perfect. We’re human, which means we don’t always look, smell, or act perfectly. Though there’s no quick fix to change that, most of us have reached for a bevy of beauty products to hide the imperfections.

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But if your problems are larger or your proclivities stranger, there are some truly weird products out there that actually help hide the evidence of your imperfections. Here are 16 of the oddest products that really work.

1. Snail Serum

While it’s called a serum, this product actually consists of “snail secretion—basically, slime,” which, as it turns out is not such an odd thing to use for beauty regimens in Asia.

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DPA / FRANK RUMPENHORST

As a matter of fact, it’s pretty popular over there, as far as beauty ingredients are concerned, and it can be found “in serums and face creams as a lightweight hydrator.”

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Korean Beauty Review

If you’re searching for something to help with anti-aging, snail serum might be the answer for you. Want to give it a try? You might want to take a look at the Dr. Jart Premium Time Returning Serum, which contains 77 percent snail mucus.

2. Foreskin Face Cream

We’ll give you a minute to absorb the fact that this even exists before we tell you just which celebrity touts it. Are you ready? Oprah. That’s right, Oprah Winfrey advocates “face cream made from human foreskins.”

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While the label doesn’t boast that the product is made from foreskin, rest assured, the SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex “is indeed formulated with the discarded foreskins of healthy babies,” according to StyleCaster.

3. Skinfood Black Sesame Hot Mask

The first half of BuzzFeed’s description of this product makes us a tad wary: “a thick, sticky, self-heating black sesame mask.”

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The Beauty Bib

The follow-up is a bit better though, as it “exfoliates, softens and smoothes,” which is something we can all use. Thankfully, despite the physical description, it is said to smell really good.

4. The Face Shop Chia Seed Moisture Holding Face Cream

Ch-ch-ch-chia! No? No one remembers that very grating jingle?

Alright, well, apparently you can buy this Chia Seed face cream, which, according to the Urban Outfitters website, contains “freshly germinated chia seeds in water drops that fully hydrate your skin.”

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That sounds great, right? It almost makes you forget you’re putting seeds on your face. Apparently, something magical is supposed to happen once the drops touch your skin, they’re suppose to “bust,” and “fully hydrate deeply.”

Alright, that sounds like something we could get on board with—it’s not snail serum, after all.

5. The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Cleansing Light Oil

According to BuzzFeed, this “cleansing oil formulated with rice water from Korea” is lighter than one might anticipate, describing it as “thin and light.”

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Of My Memories

The rice aspect isn’t forgotten though, which could either be great for you—if you like the “rice-y” smell—or not so much if you’d rather not think about takeout in the middle of your beauty routine.

Then again, when is rice not a good idea? Exactly. So don’t let that turn you off; instead, let it convince you to give it a try.

6. 3 Concept Eyes Real Soft Cleansing Sherbet

This South Korean product is meant for cleansing and it’s oil-free—always a bonus.

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Lisa Tenshi

Rather than the makeup removers you’re probably used to, “you massage the [‘sherbet’] into your skin and then wash it away with lukewarm water.” Thankfully though, it’s said to work really well, so maybe a non-traditional spin on a common product is worth a look!

7. Amopé Pedi Perfect

Alright, so this is one you probably recognize, even if you’re not a beauty product connoisseur. The Amopé Pedi Perfect frequents the late night infomercial scene, after all.

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Amope

Allure describes it as a “literal power sander for your feet,” and they’re not wrong. If you’ve seen the commercials, you might have been slightly scared by this fact, as it looks slightly painful. It’s meant to “sand” off your calluses and to sand them off quickly; apparently it’s not painful in the least.

8. Roman + Fields Redefine Amp MD System

So this one is hard to discern just by looking at it, though Allure describes it as looking like “a straight-up medieval torture device (in a cuter color!).”

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Beauty 101

Truth be told, their description of its functions don’t seem too far off really: “this micro exfoliating roller press tiny holes in your skin.” Don’t worry just yet, it’s only so that your skin can take in the benefits of the serum…If you want to poke holes in your skin though, you do you.

9. Tweezerman Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover

Now, in case you didn’t think the Amp MD System looked like a torture device, we definitely think this one does. Alternatively, maybe some sort of weird gym equipment?

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The Happy Sloths

In any case, this coil is meant to be rolled “over facial hair and [then you] pull it out by the roots.” While that sounds entirely dreadful, Allure claims it actually “works really well, with minimal pain.” If they’re saying it, we might be brave enough to try it.

10. Nuface Trinity Facial Toning Device + Wrinkle Reducer Attachment Bundle

Just let the idea of facial toning device sink in for a minute.

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Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog

Despite our skepticism about its effectiveness in the realm of toning the skin around your face, its LED lights are said to “penetrate the skin to fight fine lines and discoloration.” That doesn’t sound too far-fetched, and the $429 price tag actually makes us feel slightly more comfortable with the idea of putting this against our face. How about you?

11. Avon Bust Sculpt Contouring Cream

Claiming to “‘firm, sculpt and improve curves’ on your chest,” this cream is meant to firm your bust.

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Total Beauty

A couple of customers claimed that they could see differences after just a week of usage, with one saying it helped to make her chest “higher and firmer.” It almost sounds too good to be true, but for under $20, who wouldn’t want to at least give it a try?

The manufacturer says that it consists of a “blend of ingredients that forms an invisible network for additional support to the bust area.”

12. Dr Jart+ Pore Medic Pore Minish Cleansing Bubble

If you consider yourself a fan of bubble baths, you might want to give this cleanser a try.

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Makeup Moment

Allure compares it to “[cleaning] your face with something as bubbly and tingly as champagne (but a lot less sticky, obviously).” Meant for those who have oily skin or are particularly prone to acne, this becomes “a decadent, sparkling foam.” We can get on board with that.

13. Anti Wrinkle Half Face Slimming Cheek Mask

Well, maybe there really is something to this whole facial toning and face slimming thing after all. This mask is significantly more affordable than the last product though, coming in at only $8.

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Ali Express

The mask “supposedly contours your face while you go along with your day,” which at least cuts the time of your beauty routine in half, likely. Even if it is as effective, and easy, as it sounds, might we suggest only using it in the privacy of your own home?

14. Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation

Have you ever wanted to try vibrating makeup or a vibrating makeup brush? Did you even know vibrating makeup was a thing that existed? Well we didn’t either.

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Canadian Beauty

The Lancome Oscillation Powerfoundation happens to be “the first micro-vibrating mineral foundation” and it “[boasts] ‘7000 micro-vibrations per minute,’” according to Lancome.

Some customers have cited it as their go-to foundation, saying that “the vibrating brush/sponge seems to ‘buff/polish’ away any imperfection on [the] face.”

15. Julep Konjac Facial Sponge

Remember back when we were talking about putting food-related products on your face? Well this is another one.

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Primadonna Style

This root vegetable, called a konjac, “gently [exfoliates] and [takes] off dirt and makeup better than if you used just your hands alone,” according to Allure.

The downside? You should swap yours out for a new one monthly, not least because they “have a tendency to shrivel up on your bathroom counter.” Other than that, it sounds great.

e.l.f. Studio Mascara & Shadow Shield

One of the great things about e.l.f. is that it’s known for its cheap yet effective products.

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Beauty Geek UK

Despite what it looks like at first glance, this product actually supposed to help cover the area underneath your eyes so that your eye makeup won’t “flake or fall on to your underage concealer” when you’re applying it. This way, you can spend more time on the application, and less time on the removal and reapplication.

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Wellbeing

Life After IVF: Octomom 7 Years Later

Nadya Suleman shocked the world when she gave birth to eight babies at once.

Suleman had been married, but she and her husband were separated. Later, her ex-husband admitted their relationship failed because of the couple’s inability to have children—he didn’t want to try in vitro fertilization (IVF).
After their separation, Suleman proceeded with IVF treatments, which resulted in six children before 2008. That’s when she became pregnant with eight more children.
Such an incredible pregnancy and birth made headlines around the world. People were absolutely fascinated by the fact that one woman could carry so many children at once.

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Jess Smith

IVF, or in vitro fertilization, is a form of “assisted reproductive technology,” which is a medical procedure that helps a couple who can’t get pregnant via natural means of conception. As with artificial insemination, the sperm and egg are brought together with the assistance of a physician, but IVF takes place outside of the woman’s body to begin with.
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When a woman undergoes IVF, her eggs are removed, and the healthiest or most viable ones are inseminated in a laboratory dish. Once an egg is fertilized and the cells are dividing properly, the embryo is transferred to the woman’s uterus and the pregnancy proceeds naturally from there.

It is common for IVF to result in multiple babies.

IVF doesn’t always take the first time, and it’s an extremely expensive, time-consuming, and exhausting procedure involving a lot of medical tests, hormone injections, and other challenges.
To help avoid jumping through all those hoops more than once, multiple fertilized eggs are often placed in the uterus with the hope that at least one will survive. Sometimes several of them survive, though.

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Jess Smith

Because of this, one of the common side effects of IVF is the development of twins or triplets. Or, in Suleman’s case, octuplets.
The fact that Suleman’s octuplets were all born healthy was an even bigger miracle. These octuplets actually broke a record when they all lived one week. Tragically, no previous octuplets had all survived longer than a week because it’s a very risky pregnancy.
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Jess Smith

But Suleman’s babies were all born healthy and remained so in the weeks after they were born. Doctors were actually shocked that she had such a healthy group of children. This further reinforced the idea that the Octomom’s amazing birth was a miracle of epic proportions.

The state of California, however, was not impressed.

The octuplets were conceived via IVF, and the doctor who performed the treatment, Michael Kamrava, implanted Suleman with a dozen embryos. While he did so at her request, the state of California revoked his medical license, charging him with “gross negligence” and “repeated negligent acts, for an excessive number of embryo transfers.”
The state called this an “extreme” departure from the standard of care. Of course, the case highlights the role of physicians and medical care providers, and spurs questions about whether their allegiance should be to their individual patients or the greater good—whatever that may be.

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NBC Los Angeles

Right after her children were born, Suleman hired the Killeen Furtney Group to handle her public relations. The firm quit representing her when they began receiving death threats almost immediately.
Suleman herself received death threats, and there was a protest outside her home where she lived with her mother. The day she brought the seventh baby home from the hospital, someone threw a baby seat through her car window.
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The Washington Times

Much of the outrage stemmed from the fact that Suleman had six children already.

Many people who undergo risky IVF treatments have no children and are desperate for at least one child, but not Suleman. She already had a large family and suddenly had eight more as the result of a single pregnancy. People were up in arms about this decision. But it was a decision both she and her physician decided was hers to make.
“I don’t get much sleep, about two or three hours a night,” she told People magazine. “But I’m continuing to move forward with my life and trying to be the best mother I can be.”

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Jesse Smith

But many people saw it as a publicity stunt on Suleman’s part. The fact that she immediately hired a PR firm and started giving interviews to magazines like People right after the children were born contributed to the perception that she had the children only to become famous.
Suleman adamantly denied those accusations, saying she just loved children. She also stated that the embryos used in the pregnancy were left over from previous treatments and she didn’t want them to be destroyed. However, statements from her doctor have contradicted that.
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People were also upset because she was a single mother with 14 children.

Having 14 children is a monumental task for even the wealthiest parents, but Suleman was a single mother who was still in school. This only added fuel to the fire and contributed to suspicions that she had selfish reasons for conceiving the children.
Many people suspected that she would eventually come to rely on public assistance, although she vehemently denied the possibility. She went through several publicity handlers in the midst of these rumors, but that didn’t stop her from basking in the media attention.

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She had an interview with Ann Curry in February 2009, approximately one month after her children were born. She later sat down for an interview with Dr. Phil. There, attorney Gloria Allred read a list of complaints regarding Suleman’s ability to care for that many children.
Suleman even reportedly struck a deal for a TV show in the UK, but it was also reported that U.S. stations were hesitant to pick up the show due to the public’s reaction to the pregnancy.
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In 2012, she made headlines again when it was reported that she was on welfare


As many had predicted, Suleman had difficulty supporting all her children on her own. She was receiving public assistance from the state of California to help with her 14 kids. She declared personal bankruptcy and reported a debt of more than $1 million.
There were reports of her neglecting the children while spending money on herself, but when child protective services investigated, they found the children happy and healthy, although the environment they lived in was not as clean as one would hope.

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Jess Smith

While accusations of neglect were unfounded, the children were found using training toilets outside because of the house’s faulty plumbing.
In 2013, Suleman was accused of breaking the terms of her lease and was forced to vacate her rental home. After she moved out, the landlord claimed that the home smelled of urine and that there was a lot of trash left behind.

These tough times led to her next career.

That year, she starred in an adult film titled Octomom Home Alone. It was a movie starring just her and no other actors—male or female. She also released some music that year and appeared in another musician’s music video, but the adult video generated much more income.

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Jesse Smith

She began dancing at gentlemen’s clubs, bartended, and eventually had to check herself into a treatment center in Los Angeles for anxiety and stress. But the problems didn’t end there…
These jobs actually led to criminal charges regarding welfare fraud. The state of California alleged that Suleman had failed to disclose $30,000 in income generated from her movies and dancing. She pleaded no contest to the charges and received 200 hours of community service, two years of probation, and a fine.
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Her lawyer announced that with support from friends, she’d already paid back the welfare system. And how she makes her living now is anyone’s guess. Perhaps she’ll surprise everyone and publish The Octomom’s Guide to Budgeting someday.

Today, she raises her children largely out of the public spotlight.

Suleman hasn’t really been heard from since the allegations of welfare fraud. There were reports that she would star in an edition of Celebrity Big Brother, but it never happened. Instead, she’s retreated from the spotlight to live a quiet life. But who knows what the future might hold for her? We wouldn’t be surprised if we saw her on TV in the future. But, for now, it looks like she’s settled down to raise her children.

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Suleman addmitted to possibly having been a “baby addict” at the time she demanded IVF during an interview with Oprah Winfrey, and some have gone so far as to label her a baby hoarder. Both of these seem like reasonable explanations for her compulsive desire to surround herself with so many children. As an editorial piece in the Los Angeles Times points out, hoarders have trouble making decisions and experience anxiety when presented with the possibility of discarding things they perceive as valuable.
In Suleman’s case, it would make sense that she considered the embryos she and her husband had created during their first IVF experience to be too valuable to get rid of—thus insisting they must be “used.”
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As her offspring grow up and become more aware of the circumstances that surrounded their birth, we imagine they’ll struggle with questions surrounding their fame as well. Ultimately, none of it matters, as long as they remain healthy and happy and grow up into well-adjusted, responsible adults. Only time will tell on that score.

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Wellbeing

The 5 Most Abused Prescription Drugs In The U.S.

The average American who is prescribed medication has more enemies than allies. Pharmaceutical companies are cashing in on addiction and few politicians and officials are trying to stop greed and preventable death from overdose. Prescription drugs are killing 44 people every day and show no signs of declining. Prescription drug overdose is the top cause of accidental death in the United States; because 60 percent of Americans are prescribed at least one drug, changing this is nearly impossible.
Opioids like OxyContin are a driving force in this epidemic leading to 19,000 of the 47,000 annual deaths related to prescription drug overdose in 2014, according to the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s most recent data. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is one of the drug-takers’ few allies. She recently sent a letter to the head of the Center for Disease Control calling for the government to consider legal marijuana as an alternative painkiller.

Ten years ago, this proposal would have been deemed ridiculous. But there’s proof that marijuana usage is a legitimate alternative, which could potentially reverse sky-high overdose death rates in the U.S. In 2014, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article saying that “states with medical marijuana laws had a 24.8 percent lower average annual opioid overdose death rate compared to states without such laws.” But those debates will take place in the future; let’s take a second to focus on the past and how it impacts today’s alarming rates of prescription abuse.
 

What are the most abused prescription drugs?

  1. 1. OxyContin

    The Sackler family, which owns Purdue Pharma, turned the most lethal and heavily prescribed painkiller into a controversial drug. This has earned them a net worth of $14 billion and a spot on the Forbes 2015 list of richest families in the U.S.

  2. 2. Suboxone

    Thanks to the free market system, a highly successful and profitable pill like OxyContin is so addictive, the second most abused prescription drug in the U.S. is the one prescribed to treat addiction to opioids like OxyContin. The company Reckitt Benckiser spent their early years lobbying the U.S. government to enact the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2002 and worked closely with the National Institute on Drug Abuse and FDA to lay the groundwork for their product which established a company now worth around $12.5 trillion. Coincidence? You tell me.

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  3. 3. Concerta

    When Concerta was being studied for FDA approval, there were accusations that one of the doctors was lobbied to inaccurately report that there were no side effects to using the drug in 2004. In 2009, Concerta ran this high-profile ad claiming the drug will help kids get on a path to success. Six years later, the New York Times raised alarming questions and suggested that the national spikes in diagnoses were caused by effective marketing and advertisements. ADHD medication prescriptions have increased more than 600 percent since 1990.

  4. 4. Ambien

    Millions of people have been sleeping like a baby since this drug emerged in 1993. Fun fact: The two biggest high-profile cases around the drug’s ability to impair drivers were thanks to two Kennedys crashing their cars. Robert F. Kennedy’s daughter Kerry said the drug turned her into a “zombie,” but she was eventually found not guilty of driving under the influence in 2014. In 2006, the son of John F. Kennedy’s brother, Rep. Patrick Kennedy, also crashed his car after popping Ambien.
    In 2013, the FDA demanded that doctors lower their dosage to women because there were too many reports of women feeling drowsy the next morning and an increase in car accidents. Despite these demands and the incidents involving the Kennedys, the drug’s parent company, Sanofi, has been raking in around $36 billion in annual revenue with minimal distractions.

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  5. 5. Ritalin/Focalin (methylphenidate)

    The U.S. accounts for more the 80 percent of global consumption of methylphenidate which is sold as Ritalin. In 2013, the New York Times reported that the “sales of stimulants to treat ADHD have more than doubled to $9 billion in 2012 from $4 billion in 2007, according to the health care information company IMS Health.” When pharmaceutical companies, doctors, psychiatrists, and the FDA all believe that one in five high school boys have ADHD, it should be no surprise that profits are in the billions.

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    In one of the most underrated marketing accomplishments of all time, advertisements literally convinced millions of American families to look into ADHD and prescription drugs. Remember the Seckler family that owns Purdue Pharma and has a net worth of $14 billion? That same family-owned business settled complaints that they encouraged physicians to overprescribe OxyContin. Paying $19.5 million in settlements can’t stop greed. It’s unclear how many preventable deaths are to blame for the absurd levels at which American doctors have prescribed these five drugs. There are dozens of others being abused that have not been mentioned here, but American prescription drug consumers need more allies than enemies. For now, that’s just a pipe dream.
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Sweat

I Used To Think Yoga Was An Excuse For Naps

When I turned eight, I was the youngest girl on my AAU traveling basketball team. I played rec softball, too. I tried my hand at high school volleyball (it wasn’t really my thing). I’ve been riding horses since I could walk, which takes a whole lot more muscle than you’d think (hanging on, lifting saddles, not letting a one-ton horse drag your little four-foot self around the yard…). In high school, I was on the equestrian team barrel racing in competitions.
Needless to say, I was into sports and I was competitive. And, the general expectation for these sports was to run, lift weights, and get faster, stronger and tougher than your competitor. Have you ever done a rebounding drill in basketball when the loser has to run baseline to baseline 30 times in 60 seconds? Yeah, it gets intense (especially with a group of high school girls–talk about some drama). Cue eye roll.
We would lift weights three times a week, run until we couldn’t feel our legs, and scrape ourselves up diving for softballs. My mind was always at high-speed. You have to be at a high-intensity to keep pushing yourself through the pain, the burn, the fatigue. It was exhausting, exhilarating and rewarding all at the same time.
But, that was when I was a spry high schooler that could bounce back after a 20-minute power nap, and my life was just sports.
Now, I’m not ‘old’ by any means, but in the real world, unless you’re a professional athlete, trying to do that kind of intense workout all the time just isn’t possible. Aside from work, volunteering, juggling bills and household responsibilities, friends, family and everything in-between, there’s no room left in my brain at the end of the day to push through a multiple hour workout EVERY DAY. And, I know we can ALL relate to that feeling.
When I realized my workout life could never be the same as high school, I was a bit lost. I didn’t want to become part of the 80% of adults who don’t get the recommended amount of exercise. And, I wanted to be healthy and feel good about my body. But, I only knew one way to ‘get in shape’, and that was to run myself to exhaustion, gauging progress by the level of drenched my shirt was and the soreness I felt.
My competitive spirit took a hit since I couldn’t figure out how to find a new alternative way to exercise in my adult life. Nothing seemed to be quite right to fill the adrenaline-pumped life of sports I used to know.
That was until I signed up for a beginner’s yoga class…
Now, I had my doubts about yoga. “This isn’t a workout. I’ll probably just end up falling asleep while I lay my face on the squishy mat…” (Full disclosure: this kind of happened one time…) But, I was in my twenties and my friends were doing it, so I figured what the heck, I’ll give it a try. What’s there to lose? (I could at least gain a naptime in my day…)
Ha! Was I wrong. Pleasantly wrong. Some forms of yoga may not have made me sweat through my shirt, but I sure as heck felt those sore muscles the next day. I began to realize each week I went that this was doing something great to my mind and body (yes, I know how cheesy that sounds). And, come to find out, yoga is one of the top ten health practices used by adults today.
But, don’t get me wrong, I felt awkward sometimes. I didn’t know what all these new words were (like, what the heck is a ‘downward dog’?), and I wasn’t all that well-balanced and stumbled a bit, but thankfully it was a beginner’s class, so I wasn’t alone in that.
I’m an outwardly optimistic person, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have those typical negative thoughts about how I look or my weight (“I’m so far away from having a thigh gap! Ugh.“) But, as I would stand in some new pose with my foot here and my hands there (maybe a little wobbly), I would shut my eyes, quiet my thoughts, and feel a sort of empowerment (as in, “why would I even want a thigh gap? That’s not something I want to work toward. I like my thighs, they’re strong. I used to work hard to get these thighs, and it made me a better athlete! Yeah, I love my thighs. Boom.“)
I’d leave that room not only feeling accomplished in an exercise, but feeling better about my day and myself. And, since I grew up an athlete, and yoga isn’t really a ‘competitive team sport’, I started competing against myself. How much more flexible could I get? How much more balanced could I be? How many poses could I achieve without falling over?
Don’t let me fool you, I’m no expert yoga master. I just finally got Triangle Pose and Cobra down (and, those are still beginner moves). I still love sports and play them plenty (I need some of that actual competition against other people!) But, yoga showed me a new way to be healthy without draining my mind and body and instead recharging them. Studies have shown that yoga is a proven stress-reliever, brain power-booster, and will increase your happiness, and I now see that all to be true. It was just what I needed to throw into my exercise routine. Bonus: it gives me another reason to wear yoga pants, too.
So, for all you hardcore sports people out there, who are maybe becoming just weekend warriors and maybe having a hard time figuring out how to live a healthy life with less sports, give yoga a try. Or, heck, even if you’re a superstar and still dominate at sports, try tossing yoga into your life. I bet you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

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Wellbeing

How To Survive Your First Yoga Class

I always dread trying a new fitness class. Personally, I tend to avoid the unknown and trying new things – especially things I don’t expect to be good at.
I’ll never forget the first time I tried yoga. It was a bit of a mystery to me because it has always been something I avoided like the plague. I like doing things I’m strong in, and flexibility is not one of those things.
I’m also very energetic and don’t sit still well either, so the thought of being still and quiet was a terrifying. Ironically, the things we need most are typically the things we avoid. I knew I needed yoga, but I had put it off for so many years.  Finally, it was time to take the plunge and try yoga for the very first time.
If this sounds familiar, here are a few little things I learned that might help you get through your first class gracefully.

1. I came prepared.

If you are a nervous Nelly like me, do yourself a favor and call the place ahead of time to find out what you will need. I knew I needed a yoga mat. Even though most places have extras, I wanted to put my own feet on my own personal mat, plus it made me feel like a real yogi. I picked up a cute pink mat at a local discount department store for really cheap, and I fit right in.
My yoga instructor suggested I bring water and a gym towel to wipe up sweat. I had no idea I would even sweat in class, but low and behold, I sweat like a pig and was sure grateful I had that towel – and water bottle!
Then, there is wearing the right clothes. I wanted to blend in and look the part, but I didn’t realize just how important wearing the right clothes was. There is a reason people wear fitted clothing that moves with your body without restricting movement. Luckily, I chose wisely, but I did see some other people around me fighting their clothes the entire time.
Lastly, most instructors will suggest you eat prior to class. However, you should allow approximately two and a half hours for food to fully digest. Reaching for your toes can be challenging enough without having a belly full of food in the way.

2. I left my pride at the door.

As I said, I HATE doing things I am not good at, and I put unnecessary pressure on myself to perform well. But, everyone has to start at the beginning – and everyone in class had their first day too. As soon I embraced this thought, I could relax and be okay with being the newbie in the room.
I didn’t expect to be able to do every pose. I modified poses when necessary and, believe it or not, no one thought any less of me. While my pride wanted to rock the class, I had to accept that I wasn’t going to be a professional yogi overnight.

3. I avoided every unnecessary embarrassing moment possible.

I HATE being called out in a group. I want to be under the radar, so I did everything possible to stay on the down-low.  I showed up early and I was committed to staying to the end of class. Most studios recommend you come fifteen minutes early to complete any necessary paperwork. But, more importantly, I wanted to be early enough to find a comfortable spot in class – like finding a dark corner in the back of the class to hide in!
Luckily, I remembered to turn my phone off. I can imagine the embarrassment if my phone had gone off in class. That is definitely not a way to make yogi friends.

4. I did a quick body check.

I knew my little piggies would also be making a guest appearance, so I did a quick pedi. I doubt anyone really cared or noticed, but it sure made me feel more comfortable.
I showered and shaved before class too. The last thing I wanted to worry about is body odor or hairy legs. However, one thing I didn’t think about was lotion. I slathered my lotion on like normal, but that ended up being a very bad idea. My yoga mat turned into a slip and slide within the first ten minutes of class!
Although you don’t have to be prepared to have a good first yoga class, I hope you can learn from my experience (and my mistakes) to make your first class a total success.