What an ADVENTURE! China & Taiwan 2013

So, now that I'm officially over jet lag, altitude change, and that initial slump after a vacation going into real life....phew! I'M BACK

I just spent almost my entire summer having adventures in Asia. I learned some new stretches, dance steps, and other great lessons. Something that helped me get over my jet lag, surprisingly was going to yoga! The key is going in the morning, because you are so excited to go that you have to wake up and get going. Then you are so energized and motivated following class that it gives you an extra boost to get through the day. Or, at least that is how my logic worked.

Hopefully this massive picture post will redeem my lack of posts over the last few months!
Happy Training! à bientôt!


Just for kicks and giggles I'd like to include some fun pictures from my adventures:

 Epic fail at dress rehearsal=gash to the shin and massive bruising

 One of my favorite meals, and I found it at a restaurant: Spaghetti and Marinara

 Red Panda's are soft

 And don't forget the instant noodles at 1:00 AM!!

 Garden at the hot springs in Xi'an, China

 Afternoon bike ride around the old Xi'an city wall, China. Great workout!

 Large Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'an, China

 Gotta love those antique shops and their giant cauldrons!

 Got to fill some of my archaeology cravings...

 Torrential rain in Xi'an at the Terra-cotta warriors site, China

 No, the sun didn't explode, we were just so high up on the Great Wall that we were in the clouds. :)

 Inside an alcove in the Badaling section of the Great Wall, Beijing, China

 Jumping around, literally...Great Wall Turret

 They have some delicious yogurt drinks in both China and Taiwan

 I was able to see quite a few ancient pagodas in China. This one was in Beijing on the campus of a university.

 The Forbidden City, Beijing, China

 I was able to eat some incredible things. Ignore the look on my face, the deep-fried scorpion was actually quite tasty! What does it taste like? Potato chips. :)

 I was able to attend an incredible ballet performance at...you guessed it, the incredible egg theatre in Beijing! (a.k.a. National Centre for the Performing Arts)

 Lots and lots of beautiful rain...on the only day set aside to finding monkeys. Luckily we got to see a few before the storm drove them into the trees. But we also got to enjoy an incredible storm! Kaohsiung, Taiwan

 Lots of night markets, lots of yummy food. above: Sushi in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

 Here's the trick to getting fruit in China and Taiwan....fruit stands. We bought this watermelon and peanut butter roll then ate our dumplings and drank soymilk. Made for a great meal! Hualien, Taiwan

 Lots of crazy ice desserts that I had never had before. One of these flavors tasted like a candle scent... Ice dessert shop in Hualien, Taiwan

 Be one with the gorilla. Taipei Zoo, Taipei, Taiwan

 Hmmm...my inner child?

 Yes. I tried it. Stinky Tofu (fried version). Not bad in texture, but the smell was difficult. Kaohsiung, Taiwan night market on the island.

 Yes! made it almost to the top of the mountain... Dali-Datung trail, Taroko Gorge, Taiwan

 Triumph! 

 Still the Dali-Datung trail, we needed to get a permit to hike this trail. Not five minutes into the trail I could see why a permit was necessary. Great day full of 7 hours of hiking (mostly Dali trail). We climbed up the steep side of the trail from the visitor's center trail head and later came back down the same way. Definitely a workout. 

 Tianxiang stop in Taroko Gorge. Close to the start of the trail to the waterfall cave. Easier hike, totally worth doing! Bring a rain-jacket.

 Good morning sunshine! After a sticky night camping in Kenting, Taiwan.

 I was determined to make it to at least one yoga class while we were in Taiwan. Space Yoga, Taipei, Taiwan. Great yoga studio with great facilities and the instructor that we had for hot yoga was awesome!

 On the southern tip of Taiwan, in Kenting near the lighthouse. There is an awesome boardwalk that takes you along the southern tip with a great view of the protected coral beach on the one hand and mosquito infested jungle on the right. Bring mosquito repellent.

 Feel the itch, love the itch! In the jungle in Kenting after a morning run...being eaten alive by giant striped mosquitos and lovin' it!

Yes, I did show up to church with all my stuff on my back. And riding on the metro in dresses and packs was definitely epic. On the LDS (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) temple ground in Taipei, Taiwan, where there is also a chapel in a building used for LDS church meetings.

More incredible Taiwan dessert....jelly, beans, corn, ice, syrup, muaji/mochi, etc.It tastes incredible! At a restaurant in a Taipei night market.

 I was able to meet some incredible dancers in China and add more dancers to the list of "dancers I look up to."

Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China. If you go make sure you get up close, it is worth the stair-climb to see all the detailed painting and architectural details.

Yay!! You made it to the bottom. I bet you can guess what my favorite hairstyle is at this point. o:)

Top 10 Workout DVDs 2012

This is a list of my top 10 workout DVDs that I tried during 2012. I'm obviously a fan of yoga, so you will see a lot of yoga and and dance instructional workout DVDs in this list. These DVDs are the ones that I am currently incorporating into my workout regime most frequently. Each item on the list will have a link back to my original post on the DVD. The closer to the top of the list the DVD is, the more I use it in my own conditioning. 

1. Aim True Yoga with Kathryn Budig Blog Post  Level: Intermediate/Advanced
2. Shiva Rea: Fluid Power, Vinyasa Flow Yoga Blog Post Level: Intermediate/Advanced
3. Ballet Beautiful Blast Series Blog Post Level: Anybody, it burns regardless
4. Bryan Kest's Power Yoga Blog Post Level: Beg-Advanced
5. Radiant Flow with Janet Stone Blog Post Level: Advanced
6. Yoga Transformation: Weight Loss and Balance with Tara Stiles Blog Post Level: Intermediate
7. Fat Free Yoga Blog Post Level: Anybody
8. Flow Yoga: Strength & Flexibility Blog Post Level: Beg-Advanced
9. New York City Ballet Workout: I Blog Post   Level: Anybody, it burns regardless (might be helpful to have some ballet experience for some exercises)
10. Ballet Boot Camp 2 with Jessica Sherwood Blog Post Level: Anybody, it burns regardless (might be helpful to have some ballet experience for some exercises)

Happy Training! à bientôt!

Staying off my feet: A Tough Routine

School starts Monday, I'm super excited! But I'm also trying to stay off my feet so that I can dance in my classes. I've been fighting an infection in my toe and my hope is that it will be well enough to dance for my next performance and for classes this semester! Just because I'm off my feet doesn't mean I can't workout, though. In my frustration I created an intense, 20 minute routine done almost completely on the floor. Check it out if you are looking to sweat!

Happy Training! à bientôt!

Last dance performance of 2012

Last night I had the opportunity to perform Scottish dance at the Grand America. It was a great performance, with live music (my favorite bagpipe band) and some of my closest friends! It was a great way to continue feeling the Christmas spirit! If you are interested in Highland Peaks Dance Studio click here.

I hope you are enjoying the Holidays and the 12 Days of Christmas Workouts

Happy  Training! à bientôt!

Christmas Around the World Performance Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2012

For Christmas Around the World I have to sell a minimum of 30 tickets! I know I have more than 30 friends out there that want to see CAW, but in order for this to work there are a few steps to purchasing your ticket.

First go to the link below and enter the "$2 off for up to two tickets" promo code:

CHRISTMAS2012

http://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/EVExecMacro?linkID=byu&evm=prmo&RSRC&RDAT&caller=PR

Then proceed to purchase your CAW tickets, and enter this code below which will say that I get the credit for selling the tickets.

Dance119

This year is going to be amazing, we have changed the format to be in the "round", meaning better seats for EVERYONE and different choreography! The theme is also different this year, and there are some pretty cool "special effects" that will be used. :D I'll be performing Serbian and Russian dances with my team, and I hope most of you can come and see it! The other exciting thing is that they are allowing anyone over the age of 2 yrs old with a ticket! This eliminates the need for a babysitter for a lot of my friends!

If you are interested in learning more about this performance see the link below:

Christmas Around the World Performance at BYU Provo

Love, Kathryn

Happy Training! à bientôt!

Hot (Bikram) Yoga Continues

I went back to the yoga studio and I got the 21 days for $21 deal. It just feels way too good, even if I don't make it every day I'm saving big time (drop in price is $25 per)! If you are local and interested in this deal just go to the class you want and ask for the deal. I think it is a limited offer because of their "grand opening" or something. But, it is definitely worth it!

 

Second time, I didn't get as nauseated or dizzy. It still felt wonderful on my sore muscles. I love going in the morning since it is getting cold outside, and the yoga studio is so warm and cozy! I did have some issues with balance today that can probably be attributed to my staying up all night Sunday working on homework and late last night registering for classes.

If you are interested in more details reference my first post on this studio: Bikram Yoga First Time

If you are interested in registering for a class see below:
Bikram Yoga at Brick Canvas
 

Midterms are almost over, and I'm anxious to get back to my normal routines and blogging more consistently again. I also had an idea the other day, now that I have tried quite a bit to create my top ten list for intermediate/advanced workouts/routines and top ten for true beginners looking to start moving. These would be picked from what I have already blogged about and not from my future posts. You never know, maybe you missed some of the older posts.

 

Happy Training! à bientôt!

BIKRAM YOGA: Hot Yoga 26 Postures

This post is about my first experience with hot yoga, or Bikram Yoga. First, this is my experience, and it may not be what everyone else experiences. Second, I am no doctor and my personal opinions are expressed below.

For those of you not familiar with hot yoga, it is a different method of yoga that is done in both heat and humidity. You can see this link to wikipedia for more information on Bikram Yoga. The breathing techniques are different than for example ashtanga yoga or vinyasa yoga. The temperature is approx. 105* F and about 40% humidity. Because of the heat I would recommend wearing something light on top (or no shirts for men) and shorts. I wore my yoga/running tank with some yoga shorts. We also put a towel over our mat and had a water liter water bottle by our side during the entire thing. This is also a form of yoga that you do not want to wear sweats during! The throaty breathing done during ashtanga is in order to warm your body. In bikram you are warming the body from the outside and therefore we only used that breathing technique for maybe the first five minutes. The rest is done quietly and for the most part in and out through your nose.

At first I was a little concerned at whether or not I could make it through the class--I'm on the tale end of a nasty cold, and my lower back/upper leg on my right side has been giving me fits. However I didn't need a single cough drop, and it cleared my sinuses enough that I could participate in the correct breathing techniques for most of class. I did not feel any pain in my lower back or leg where it usually is very painful just walking around campus (again this is my experience and may not be the same for everyone). Even now that it has been almost two hours since the end of the class my back still feels better than it did before I went in.

Triangle Pose

I feel energized, ready to take on the day, and my mind is clear. I can focus now, and relax. I feel like it was good for stress relief, and even meditation (if you are familiar with the sequence). I was also talking with my yoga buddy, and we decided this must be a really good form of yoga for runners or dancers recovering from injuries because of the heat which loosens up your muscles.

A note on nutrition and hydration: I did feel nauseous the last 10-15 min. of class, and from what I understand that is normal to feel nauseous (differing degrees for everyone-one guy said he gets nauseous at the beginning of class). If you do feel nauseous the teachers seem to be understanding, and our instructor advised that you not move until the nausea goes away. If you are on a diet that restricts your nutrient intake (which I don't necessarily approve of) then I can imagine hot yoga being dangerous and possibly some passing out or worse. Make sure you eat a healthy balanced diet the day before. We went to the 6 AM class and some people can keep a light breakfast down and others can't, just be aware of what your body can handle and be healthy! Most of all stay hydrated!

We were totally going to take a picture doing a pose after the class just to document the moment and include in this post. However, we forgot. So my husband was kind enough to take a picture or two of the two poses that I felt I learned the most. One that I didn't get a picture of but was one of my favorites was Garudasana or eagle pose, which I have done before with one of the Tara Stiles routines. I like to refer to it as "pretzel pose." :)

Toe Stand Pose

Triangle Pose- Different from the ashtanga warrior series, you do not place the hand on the floor and you want a triangle of negative space between the side of the torso and the thigh. You only go until the elbow is lined up with the knee.

Padangustasana (toe stand pose)- It was definitely challenging! I'm going to have to work at this one since it is pretty new to my movement vocabulary.

If you are interested in how to prepare for a class click here to see what the Brick Canvas studio advises.

If you are interested in the studio that we attended see the link below:

Bikram Yoga at Brick Canvas

Bikram yoga studios are more difficult to find than other yoga studios, but if you look for one in your area hopefully there is one close by.

 Happy Training! à bientôt!

Another first! Archery :)

Wow, I feel like it has been so long since I have last posted. Last week was a busy week, and now that my toe is recovering, my hamstring is feeling happier, and I have another week before the next performance I can start posting like normal again. Also, thank you everyone that supported our performance at the Covey Center on October 1st, it was a blast! (see below, my best friend EVER is now doing Highland dance with me and this was a our first performance together!)

The ballet barres are officially functional in my studio space and I love having them! I feel like the room has finally come together. See my post about my studio by clicking here for an updated image at the bottom of the post!

Today after school and before rehearsal I was able to learn how to use a bow and arrow! I think I found a new hobby. Bow and arrows are officially on my Christmas wish list! Just for the history books we documented my first draw--please ignore my improper form--and when I am pro at it I will post a wicked awesome photo/video. :) I've since learned that I need a wider stance and can pull back farther to get better reach with the arrow. One of the reasons that I really love archery (as of today) is for the breathtaking feeling that I get when I let the arrow loose.

 Happy Training! à bientôt!

Vegas Competition

I just got back from my competition. I was able to place in four of the five dances competed and earned a trophy for "most promising dancer" in my section. Definitely worth the long drive and time it took to prepare! After the competition and workshop I was finally able to remove my shoes and found a gnarly blister. I was able to stay motivated and help calm my nerves by focusing more on sharing my love for this form of dance rather than focusing on winning.

Happy Training! à bientôt! 

My Place of Happiness

We are finishing part of our place into a mini studio. I'm so excited! I'll have my own place to meditate, dance, condition, choreograph and teach. This also means that I will have a better place to try out all the workouts than the current 3'x6' area of carpet in my bedroom! So far we've done the primer...

.....and painted the walls...

 ....One of the walls is a nice blue called foggy mist...

 These two walls are each going to have ballet barres (one 14' long the other 10' long) that will be placed at two different heights (one lower one higher)...

The floor being installed!!

The floor is in! 

I added some curtains since we don't have blinds yet. I also hung up a cute little clock (not shown) on the other side of the room. We were able to get this rug on clearance for $24!! I can easily roll it up and put it in the closet whenever I'm using the whole floor or teaching. (don't mind the extra base molding and flooring under the window there...:) )

The ballet barres have arrived and are waiting to be attached to the wall. I've put up a whiteboard sticker on one of the walls (not pictured here) and a large dandelion vinyl on the blue wall. I love it!

The Ballet Barres are up!! See below :)

 We ended up putting the longer barre on the blue wall after all, even though the original plan was that the shorter barre would be the higher one and the longer would be the lower one. But I'm happy with how it turned out and use them all the time!

Happy Training! à bientôt!