What's your walkability number

I found this great website where you type in your exact address and it gives you a walkability score for you house.  Mine is 42, which is "car dependent" it thens provides you with restuarants, schools, and parks nearby.  Atlanta's average is 56....I can't believe I am below average!

What is your walkability number? Check it out http://www.walkscore.com/. I think the next house I rent or buy will need a 75 or higher! I would love to be able to walk to more places.

[Pic from my garden] - that being said - I really love my home. I have this pretty little angel in my garden - it makes me happy!

Thank you cornea burning laser!

Top 10 reasons I am loving my new 20/20 vision thanks to Lasik

 

1. More bathroom counter and drawer space. Sigh-a-nar-a crap (see pic below)
2. Waking up in the morning, reaching for my glasses and realizing I don’t need them
3. Seeing the clock in the morning
4. Getting to wear different sunglasses on a whim
5. Being able to play tennis, jog, etc without the dang glasses shaking around
6. No more expensive contact solution
7. In the shower being confident I am using shampoo in my hair, instead of body wash
8. No more smudges on the eyeglasses – woot woot!
9. Seeing the individual leaves on a tree super far away…loving all these fall colors
10. Having the best vision I have had since 5^th grade

Here is a boat load of crap....mostly contacts, including an entire unopened box....adios!

If you are considering Lasik, start with this website: http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/SurgeryandLifeSupport/LASIK/ucm061358.htm

Why do people do yoga?

Well according to a random website I found (http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/info/why-practice-yoga.asp), here are a few reasons:

1. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind.
2. Yoga can help normalize body weight.
3. Yoga improves your resistance to disease.
4. Yoga increases your energy level and productivity.
5. Yoga leads to genuine inner contentment and self-actualization.

I don’t disagree with any of those, but I wanted to add a few other ideas. Here are some hypotheses, that me and a friend came up with on why yoga is increasing in popularity:

1. To be trendy. Yoga has been “in” for several years. This includes expensive memberships and fancy pants yoga clothes, and fancy pants yoga gear/equipment. I am amazed by how expensive some exercise clothes are. I am also amazed by how put together people often look at these yoga classes. They get all cleaned up, like I would if I was going on a big date! Although yoga does not want you to be competitive, my friend and I hypothesized that many folks enjoy competing against others and themselves.
2. To improve their performance or experience (wink wink, in other ways, not just improving their half marathon personal bests!).
3. Because you can see improvement fairly quickly in regards to these poses. Literally each time they are a bit easier.
4. To be touched – I personally love hands on adjustments or enhancements, when the instructor comes around and helps align you or gives you a mini massage….heaven. The power of human contact and touch!!!

My yoga history: So in previous posts I have mentioned that I am trying to get in to yoga. I have done yoga about 1-2x a year since I was 16, and never really got in to it, most of the time I would get discouraged that I can’t touch my toes, then I would hold my breathe for the full hour grimacing in pain and boredom….but not anymore my friends, times are a changing. Here are my favorite new moves all of which make me feel strong and calm (although, I don’t remember some of these being called these names?):

{Pics by

http://www.bing.com/browse?g=yoga_poses&qpvt=yoga+positions&FORM=SGEWEB }

1. Corpse Pose

  2.   Legs Up The Wall Pose

   3.   Lord of the Dance Pose – I am shockingly good at this one – woot woot!

   4.  Child’s Pose, I love being in a tiny ball. I want to see if I can fit in to a small box

    5. Wide Leg forward bend

   6.  Handstand (against a wall obvi)

You might notice several of them are pretty passive – hence why I love it, I am workin out while resting at the same time – WINNING!!

One day, I might just do some of these:

Source: liliezencoach.tumblr.com via Gaya on Pinterest

Source: pics-site.com via Gaya on Pinterest

Source: healthful.tumblr.com via Gaya on Pinterest

Source: marasu3.tumblr.com via Gaya on Pinterest

Source: yogajournal.com via Gaya on Pinterest

 

Source: kimberlysnyder.net via Gaya on Pinterest

So basically if I keep this up, I might be able to do some of these crazy poses. AAANDDD If public health does not work out, I could join cirque de soleil!

A couple questions for you?

Do you love or hate yoga (or somewhere in the middle) and why?

If you love yoga, what is your favorite pose?

Any great yoga DVD's out there?

Exhale

So a few months ago I joined this super posh gym in midtown, called Exhale. Unfortunately for me, I had a horrible softball injury (a sprained hand…right hand....mind you!) and was not able to use the membership for like a month while I healed and recovered (both emotionally and physically).  I know people who know me must be thinking “Gaya playing softball, that is weird” – they would be right, it was not a good fit at all.  The good news is that I am good now and back to the gym and off the field.

Top 10 reasons I love my gym:

1)      Cucumber water

2)      Trail mix  - the good kind

3)      Nice towels for you to use

4)      Very clean equipment

5)      Free easy parking

6)      The locker rooms have a sauna, hamman, fancy robes to use, and awesome rain showers with free razors, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, mouthwash etc. (You know I love “free” stuff)

{Pic of the hammam = turkish bath}

7)      The classes are pretty awesome – although on the hard side. They have spinning, yoga (several types, including crazy crazy cirque de soleil type freak stuff), and these core classes, according to the website are “based on Lotte Berk Method fundamentals, Pilates, and 50 years of combined fitness expertise, to achieve a strong, athletic, flexible, and youthful body”

{Here is a pic of studio}



 {Here is their signature logo - a butt ---- uhhhh, hysterical, minus the fact my key chain scan card has this pic on it also - like I really want to look at this perfect butt, and then go work out....maybe it inspires some people - I just find it ridiculous right next to my Kroger discount card}

8)     The instructors learn your name

9)     People are fairly friendly. There is a funny mix of folks here though!

10)   They have a little boutique, where I bought hot diggity dog- a toy dog that you heat up in the microwave that smells like lavender and you wrap him around your neck.  I guess it is second best thing since Elliot is still anti-dog.

{Here is a pic of hot-diggity dog}

Ohhh and I love how there are these cool hammocks outside – nice place to recover and get some fresh air. 

In a future blog post I will tell you all about me becoming a yogi.