High temperatures + lots of humidity – cooling breezes = HEAT DISASTER

Our bodies can only take so much heat before damage occurs. Our bodies need to cool down to restore balance and equilibrium. If we do not allow our bodies that opportunity, we can create some everlasting damage. So, what can you do to stay cool during the hot weather? You can take these precautionary steps:

1. Drink more fluids, preferably water or other sugar-free beverages. Do not wait until you are thirsty to take a gulp; stay hydrated by drinking often.

2. Stay indoors in an air-conditioned space. Ceiling fans work too, but air conditioning is what’s recommended.

3. If you must be in the heat, try to be outdoors in the morning or evening hours, not during peak hours. Wear a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses to protect your peepers, and sunscreen (and re-apply often).

4. Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, and lightweight clothes. The hot weather is not the time to wear the warm clothes. You want your body to be able to cool down naturally and that means it needs the opportunity to breathe.

5. Take a break. Find a bench, a spot under a shady tree, or an air-conditioned store, and rest. Allow your body the chance to slow down, cool down, and breathe. Do not push yourself to do as much as you would on a cool day.

By practicing these heat safety tips, you are more likely to have an enjoyable summer free from heat concerns. If, however, you find yourself in the hot weather and feeling sick from the heat, take a break, hydrate, and get to a cool place. If that doesn’t work, get to a doctor right away.

Yin Yoga is a slow-paced style of yoga with postures or asanas that are held for comparatively long periods of time–five minutes or longer per pose is typical. While this class targets fascia and complete muscle release, it is not gentle. Approximately 8 poses done in the hour long WARM class. Balance out your Yang (active) by adding some Yin(passive) to your body’s energy center. This class will be done in candlelight.

When: Sundays at 8am-9am, starts June 2, 2013

Cost: $20 for a drop-in, or you can use a class from your package

New to Yoga and want to build a solid foundation?

This 8 week series is a perfect way to launch your yoga practice. This series breaks down the asanas from beginning to end and provides more explanation on correct alignment, modifications, and breath as well and the principles of Vinyasa flow.

Leave the series with a solid foundation of yoga and a greater connection to your body and mind. Perfect for all levels, especially beginners or those who want greater insight into yoga and how to do the asanas properly.

When: 8 weeks Starts May 7, 2013. Tuesdays 10:30-11:30am

Cost: $150

Teacher: Stefani Harris

1. Your core will be a primary factor of everything Pilates. Pilates intends to strengthen and tone your core by directly working the ab and oblique muscles in movements such as the Pilates One Hundred. Additionally, nearly all Pilates moves requires an engaged core to successfully execute the movement. Directly and indirectly, your core will become stronger.
2. To balance the focus on the core muscles, Pilates also helps you to maintain a strong back. Together, the core and back muscles improve your posture. Our bodies require that our core and back muscles be balanced to ensure our skeleton is adequately and evenly supported. No more hunched shoulders and a curved spine.
3. A basic Pilates principle is the ability to control your body both while moving and when doing nothing. Having control of your body allows you to successfully fire up and engage the necessary muscles for particular poses and prevents you from slouching. This will improve balance and coordination of your body.
4. If you have a desk job and seldom find yourself moving about, you’ll find that your back, hips, and hamstrings are often tight, sore, and painful. Pilates is a great method for relieving that tension and releasing the muscles of your back, hips, and hamstrings. Coincidentally, these same tight muscles often limit mobility in sports. However, the release that Pilates offers can help athletes.
5. Possibly the best part about Pilates is that it is a gentle workout. It is easy on the body and easy on the muscles, but in a way that is challenging and improves the body as a whole. It is not like a gentle stretch, but more like a workout that works deep into the muscles without causing you to break out in a sweat.

Is stress something that is all too common in your life these days? Do something for yourself and experience what acupuncture combined with a yoga class can do for you.

 This acu- yoge class is 1 and half hours in length.The first hour is a restorative vinyasa flow focused on long holds and breathing. Afterwards each yogi will then go into savasana where two needles will be placed in each ear for 30 minutes. The two needles used have an amazing effect to bring the receiver into a deeply relaxed state.

 If you have never tried acupuncture, this is a good way to begin!

Date: Every 4th Sunday of the month, beginning  June 29th

Time: 2:00- 3:30pm

Cost: $25 for members and $30 non-members

The acu-yoga class is led by Mary McCaughey, a licensed acupuncturist and certified yoga instructor.

New to Yoga and want to build a solid foundation? This 8 week series is a perfect way to launch your yoga practice. This series breaks down the asanas from beginning to end and provides more explanation on correct alignment, modifications, and breath as well and the principles of Vinyasa flow. Leave the series with a solid foundation of yoga and a greater connection to your body and mind. Perfect for all levels, especially beginners or those who want greater insight into yoga and how to do the asanas properly.

When:Tuesdays 10:30-11:30am,8 weeks Starts May 7, 2013

Cost: $150

Taught By: Stefani Harris

What researchers know is that people should move all day long, as much as possible. Having a sedentary life is not what evolution has in mind for us. You can get in some movement every day and, preferably, every hour of the workday. To help you kick that sedentary lifestyle in the workplace, consider these options that are easy to do every day.

-       Every hour, get up from your chair and walk around your desk, your office, or your floor. Do a couple laps to get the blood moving and the muscles working.

-       Send your documents to the farthest printer possible. To a different floor? Even better, and don’t forget to take the stairs. If you are unsure how to access a different printer, ask your IT folks.

-       Park your car a good distance from the entrance door to your office building. You can get in a brisk walk at the very beginning of the day and the very end. If possible, bike or walk to work or take public transportation.

-       Walk over to a colleague’s workstation instead of sending an email or an instant message. You’ll have an opportunity to stand up, move, and chat with a colleague, but don’t dilly-dally; you still need to be productive at work.

-       Take your lunch break so your mind has a chance to decompress, but don’t take it at your desk. Get up from your chair, walk somewhere (far) to have your lunch, and enjoy your food. If you have time leftover during your lunch break, take a walk.

Once you build a habit of these, you will notice that your body feels great, your energy level is up, your health has improved, and you might just enjoy going to work. I challenge you to try this for one week, 5 workdays. Report back to let me know how it has changed your work life.

Back when I was in college, I found my 4 best friends. We met on the first day of move-in weekend as freshmen and melded into each others’ lives seamlessly. We’ve attended weddings, military commissions, births, deaths, and the large and small moments in between for each other. They are the people who make me who I am. But I digress.

In college, these girls and I began a New Year’s tradition of memorializing the year just passed and wishing big dreams for the year to come. For days leading up to our rendezvous, we each reflected on the year we were saying good-bye to. What did we enjoy? What did we want to remember? What were the one or two things we did not want to forget about that year? The task to complete before the rendezvous was to find an item or two to store in our “time capsule,” which was really just an old tin box from childhood. The items we selected could not be discussed with anyone; no one knew what we were storing away for memorialization.

At the appointed hour, the 5 of us met for dinner and celebrated us. We celebrated being another year older, another year wiser, another year more beautiful, and another year closer to graduating from college. After dessert, each of us placed our wrapped, chosen items into the tin box and smirked as we hypothesized what the others were placing into the box. Before sealing the tin for 365 days, we took a few minutes to write a love note to our future selves offering advice, reminders, and wishes for what would transpire in the coming year.

Every year we meet again around the time of Christmas and New Year’s. We bring the item or items we’ve chosen to represent the previous 12 months. We write a love note to self. And we enjoy each others’ company. One day in the future, we will open the tin to take out those items we’ve stored for the past decades. I am sure we will laugh, we will cry, and we will ask ourselves why we chose such inane objects. But more than anything else, we will remember the years of our lives. We will remember what makes us who we are.

So I share this with you because it is never too late to start your time capsule. It is never too late to capture today’s moments and make lofty plan for the future. And, it will be a great celebration the day you decide to walk down memory lane with your tin box and the frozen-in-time items.

Come join us for 4 Friday evenings free of discomfort, worries, and anguish yet full of peace, calm, and love. During this workshop you will learn the techniques and purpose of meditation over 4 weeks and you will end this workshop feeling refreshed and worry free. After completing this workshop you will have the tools you need to practice meditation at your home, job, and anywhere else you choose.

Benefits of Meditations

Physiological benefits: It lowers oxygen consumption. It decreases respiratory rate. It increases blood flow and slows the heart rate. Increases exercise tolerance. Leads to a deeper level of physical relaxation.

Spiritual benefits: Provides peace of mind, happiness. Helps you discover your purpose. Increased self-actualization. Increased compassion. Deeper understanding of yourself and others. Brings body, mind, spirit in harmony. Increased acceptance of oneself.

Psychological benefits: Builds self-confidence. Resolve phobias & fears. Helps control own thoughts. Helps with focus & concentration. Increase creativity. Increased brain wave coherence. Improved learning ability and memory.

The 4 week meditation workshop will be held on Friday evenings, 7- 8pm (with 30 minutes of meditation nightly) in Studio A. (After the power vinyasa yoga class).

The total cost is $40 (members) $50 Non-members for all 4 Fridays.

June 7 – June 28, 2013

For more information, please email info@happybellystudios.com or call us at (713) 862-7972.

For the first time ever, Happy Belly Studios is bringing yoga to your kiddos! The fun and exciting workshop will consist of 4 consecutive Saturdays of yoga fun and yoga play designed for kids.

The inaugural 4 week workshop will begin Saturday, April 27^th consisting of 4 Saturdays. There will be a break on the 5^th Saturday and the program will begin again for 4 Saturdays. (Kids who repeat the program get a $5 discount at $50 per kid).

Your kiddo will practice kid yoga each Saturday from 2pm to 3pm (45-50 min class) ages 3-7.Saturday from 3pm-4pm (50-55 min class) for ages 7-14.

The cost of this 4 week workshop is only $55 per kid.

For more information or to sign up, please call (713) 862.7972 or email HappyBellyStudios.com