December Comes

An epic finish:  Auburn cornerback Chris Davis returns        
missed field-goal to score game-winning touchdown
as clock expires.

Just in case Chris Davis' 109 yard runback wasn't enough to shake off the tryptophan haze, here's a new music video to kick off the month.  The Ghost of Playlists Past visited me for some inspiration.



Warmup/Workout:
Hotel Song - Regina Spektor
Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO
Stronger - Kayne West
Ghost Town - Shiny Toy Guns
White Wedding - Billy Idol
Calling You - Blue October
Neutron Star Collision - Muse
Little Lion Man - Mumford and Sons
Dog Days Are Over - Florence and the Machine
Rocket - Goldfrapp (Tiesto Club Remix)
Baptized By Fire - Spinerette
No One Like You - Scorpions
My Body - Young The Giant
Give Me Hope - New Politics

Cooldown:
Hey Ho - Lumineers Acoustic
Undisclosed Desires - Muse

Born To Rage

This week brings many emotions.  "I have no home and your father is gone," says my mother after Friday's closing on my childhood home.  "It's still his birthday," Isabelle tells me on Wednesday when I say, "Today would have been Grampi's 80th birthday."

Many of you have shared with me before, during, and after class the trials and tribulations you are facing.  And I'm grateful for all the joys and sorrows that intermingle with our endorphins and adrenaline.  There's no doubt in my mind that the physical act of exercise allows us the space to confront and handle what's weighing heavy, and studies prove that intense cardiovascular exercise is a chemical-high mood-booster.  All the better if it's accompanied by a kick ass soundtrack!

Hot off the editing system... this week's new workout music video:



Workout:
1.  Musical version of JFK Peace Speech
2.  Pompeii - Bastille
3.  Twilight Zone - Golden Earring
4.  City of Angels - 30 Seconds to Mars
5.  This Is What It Feels Like - Armin Van Buuren feat. Trevor Guthrie (W&W Remix)
6.  Lose Yourself - Eminem (this one's for you, Tom)
7.  Stereo - Iamdynamite
8.  Put Your Hands On Me JFK - Lady Gaga
9.  Wake Me Up Inside - Evanescence
10. Teenage Crime - Adrian Lux
11.  Born To Rage - Dada Life (with unique open)

Cooldown:
12.  Say Something - Christina Aguilera (tissues required)
13.  Sirens - Pearl Jam

Blood Sweat and Beards

After 3 weeks on the road, it is FUN to be back!  There was so much new material I wanted to pack into the new video playlist this morning, and I think we managed to prove the indestructibility of music and motivation.

Workout:

1. City of Angels - 30 Seconds to Mars

2. Daft Punk Medley - Pentatonix

3. Get Loose - Showtek Noiscontrollers (Tiesto Remix)

4. Cross the Line - Superchick

5. Bring You To Life (w/Richard Simmons) - Steve Aoki

6. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

7. Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons

8. In Your Eyes - Inna feat. Yadl

9. Hey Brother - Avicii

10. Papaoutai - Stromae

11. Daydreaming - Paramore

12. 2013 Red Sox Blood Sweat and Beards

Cooldown:

13. Stonehenge - Ylvis (because it's hilarious)

14. Do You Remember - Ane Brun

For Instructors:

Because City of Angels is such a long song it serves as both the warm-up and the first seated climb in a profile that is 4 sets of Seated, Standing, Standing.  We track Watts throughout with varying goals for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders.

1. Warm-up and Seated Climb

2. Standing Climb

3. Standing Climb

4. Seated Sprints

5. Standing Flat into hill

6. Standing Run

7.  Seated speed bursts (not full sprints)

8.  Standing Climb (alter intensity)

9.  Standing Climb (alter intensity)

10.  Seated (consistent 120rpm)

11. Standing Climb 

12. Standing Run (10, 20, 30, 20, 10 second bursts)

What Do The Sox Say?! Victory is Sweet!

In honor of THE WORLD CHAMPION RED SOX!  Dropkick Murphy's kick ass!



And a radio station spoofs the ridiculous Ylvis song:

Long Live Rock. Long Live Roll.

One last music video before I head back to Afghanistan for more filming on the documentary What Tomorrow Brings.  Looking forward to playing this in my Kabul courtyard!



Warm Up / Workout:
Late July - Shakey Graves
Hey Brother - Avicii
17 Crimes - AFI
Get Loose (Tiesto Remix) - Showtek, Noise Controllers
Changed the Way You Kiss Me - Example
Oh Love - Green Day
White Walls (feat. Schoolboy Q and Hollis) - Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol
Hell of A Season - The Black Keys
Long Live Rock and Roll - Daughtry

Cooldown:
Thea (Totem Mix by Devious Corporation) - Goldfrapp
Depuis Le Debut - Thirty Seconds to Mars

Happy listening!  I'll be back in a few weeks with new music profiles.  In the meantime, there are a number of ways you can find out what's happening in the field:  The Principle Pictures' website is the repository for my Blog, FB posts, and Twitter and Instagram feeds. In addition to the company FB page, you'll also find updates on my Personal Page.  Now, it's officially time to pack!

Hopeless Wanderer

I'm not scared of climbing mountains. I'm scared I can't make them move. - Lucy Spraggan

Warm Up / Workout:

Wrecking Ball - Mumford and Sons / Miley Cyrus

James Brown Is Dead - L.A. Style (as someone once told me - every playlist can be spiced up with this one)

Kiss With A Fist - Florence and the Machine (live on KEXP)

Thunderstruck - AC/DC

I Miss The Misery - Halestorm

Rods and Cones - Blue Man Group

Count on Me - Chase and Status

Because the Night - Bruce Springfield (Live in London)

That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings (Live)

Hopeless Wanderer - Mumford and Sons (Most amazing video as Jason Sudeikis, Jason Bateman, Ed Helms and Wll Forte play the parts of Mumford and Sons for this spoof video - LOVE)

Cooldown:

Fire In The Water - Feist

Gimme Your Love - Morcheeba

Mountains - Lucy Spraggan

For Instructors:

Sequence of:  Climb (seated and standing), Jumps, Seated Speed Bursts culminating with full sprints for Hopeless Wanderer). First climb on James Brown Is Dead.

Play Hard

Theme of the day: Work Hard. Play Hard.  This video is meant to bolster that spirit!



Warm Up / Workout:
Play Hard - David Guetta
Wake Me Up (w/lyrics) - Avicii
Big Jet Plane - Angus and Julia Stone (Goodwill Hook 'N Sling Version)
Changed the Way You Kiss Me - Example
Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men
Dirty Paws - Of Monsters and Men (Heiko Gerbhardt Mix)
Hypnotized - Oiver Koletzki feat. Fran
Titanium - David Guetta
Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash, John Martin
Sweet Child 'O Mine - Guns and Roses
Don't Matter - Kings of Leon

Cooldown:
The Great Gatsby Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey
This Love - Julia Stone

Thrilling Thursday

Thrilling defines our morning ride!  I am forever impressed by all of you who hear the alarm and refuse the snooze.  (Special thanks to the beautiful and indomitable Janice for inspiring a new video because I didn't want you to see the same thing twice in 12 hours!)  For you:



The ride...

Warm Up / Work Out:
Simply Falling - Iyeoka
Up in the Air - 30 Seconds to Mars (seriously my favorite video OF ALL TIME)
Dog Days Are Over (Live Glastonbury Festival)- Florence and the Machine
Loud Like Love - Placebo
Wrecking Ball - Mumford and Sons / Miley Cyrus
Time To Dance (Live) - The Shoes
Twerking Anthem - Tony Junior
Animals - Martin Garrix
Bonfire Heart - James Blunt
Wake Me Up (Extended) - Avicii

Cooldown:
The Great Gatsby Young and Beautiful - Lana Del Rey
Paris (Acoustic) - Caro Emerald

For Instructors:
After the warm up song of Simply Falling, class follows this structure song-by-song.  Time the sprints and runs with the music:

Sprints (3 during Up in the Air)
Standing hill run (3 during Dog Days)
Standing climb
Sprints (3 during Wrecking Ball)
Standing hill run (4 during Time To Dance)
Seated climb
Sprints (2 during Animals)
Standing hill run (3 during Bonfire Heart)
Standing climb
Cool down

As always, have FUN!

Eats treat for the day  - BBQ Salmon.  EASY.  Just slap your favorite BBQ sauce on top of a piece of fresh, wild salmon.  On the grill, in the stove - it's just damn good and good for you.  And it isn't just for dinner.  RETHINK breakfast!  What better way to start the day than with salmon's Omega-3s, proteins and amino acids.  It's a nutrition powerhouse!  Recent studies show that salmon has bioactive protein molecules that can support joint cartilage and control inflammation.  Maybe most important - the higher your blood level of Omega-3, the longer you're expected to live.

Sweet Hell

Yes... yes, every work out should be a little bit of sweet hell. Here's something to make the descent more enjoyable:



Warm Up Into Workout:
Big Parade - Lumineers
Under Control - Alesso and Calvin Harris
Animals - Martin Garrix
Little Wrecking Ball - Mumford and Sons / Miley Cyrus
Resistance (Tiesto Remix) - Muse
A Light That Never Comes - Linkin Park x Steve Aoki
Knocked Up - Kings of Leon
Survival - Eminem (I cut this from class at the last minute because of the language - but still highly recommend it as a work out song, and have included it in this video - which is the original cut)
Up in the Air (Live Church of Mars) -  30 Seconds to Mars
Sweet Hell - Gin Wigmore

Cooldown:
Mountains - Lucy Spraggan
Lighthouse - Patrick Watson

For Instructors:
Here's the class profile.. Start 1 minute standing, 6 minutes seated.  As standing minutes increase by 1 minute increments, time in the saddle decreases the same.   Gear increases each time for both.  A note:  Lucy Spraggan's "Mountains" was meant to be fully part of the cool down, but timing made it part of the work out - and it was spectacular.  One of the most inspiring pieces out there.

Warm Up
1 minute standing flat w/working resistance
6 minutes seated flat w/working resistance
2 minutes standing climb
5 minutes seated climb
3 minutes standing climb
4 minutes seated climb
4 minutes standing climb
3 minutes seated climb
5 minutes standing climb
2 minutes seated climb
6 minute standing climb
1 minute seated flat

Have fun!! 

Loud Like Love

Lovin' our hard core Sunday Spinners at Let's Cycle Cape Cod!  And the insomnia that makes new music videos possible.  Today's video:

Songs featured on this week's video are:

Workout:

Angels in Everything - Blue October

Harlem - New Politics

Devil In Me - Gin Wigmore

Somebody Told Me - The Killers

Ruler and the Killer - Kid Cudi

Michael Jordan - Carnage and Tony Junior

Young and Beautiful - Lana del Rey (Kaskade Remix)

Too Close - Alex Clare

Time To Dance - The Shoes

Hurricane - 30 Seconds to Mars

Loud Like Love - Placebo

Cooldown:

Build Me Up Buttercup - Highway Sing-a-Long

Paris (Acoustic) - Caro Emerald

Seventeen - Youth Lagoon

And for the taste buds... A favorite new vegetarian recipe comes from office mate and friend Jim Infantino who put The Company Crockpot to great use with his own interpretation of Aloo Chole. He ditched white potatoes for sweet potatoes and got creative with the spices.  It's typically served over rice, but we opted for lower carbs by eating as-is.

Sweet Aloo Chole in Crockpot

1 lemon washed, cut in half

2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

1 garlic, cut in half

2 onions

2 large sweet potatoes skinned and chopped (size to your liking)

4-6 plum tomatoes peeled (drop in boiling water for 3 mins to loosen skin)

3 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup of peas (frozen is fine)

5 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne or 2 chili pepper and or to taste

2 cans chickpeas, drained

salt to taste

1.5 cups water (maybe less)

Put the coconut oil in the crockpot first, then lemon, garlic and cinnamon sticks. Cover with onions and the rest. 6 hours on low is best; 4 on high works, too!

October's Start

As the Panda Cam falls victim to this idiotic government shutdown - and the joy that comes with all things cute and cuddly is sucked out of America - my favorite tweet is from NYT columnist Nick Kristof.  A thought:  When the National Zoo closes in a shutdown, but the House Zoo goes on, can we switch House members for apes and zebras? 

In an attempt to raise your joy quotient during this panda blackout, I present:  October's Start, my latest Spinning/workout video.



Featured music:

Workout:
Crazy  - Au Revoir Simone
Can't Hold Us - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis
Don't Matter - Kings of Leon (Amex Unstaged)
Uprising - Muse (Live Rock in Rio 2013)
Need Your Love - Ellie Goulding (Live Shepherd's Bush Hall 2013)
Jolene - Miley Cyrus (The Backyard Sessions)
Closer To The Edge - 30 Seconds to Mars
Beautiful War - Kings of Leon
Push - Universal Nation (Original 12" Mix)
Wake Me Up - Avicii

Cooldown:
Ich Dich Liebe - Pink Martini
Dead Sea - Lumineers (Live Acoustic)

What The Fox Say Sunday!

Have been waiting all week to play my new music video in class today for our endurance profile!  An edit of these vids:

Workout:

Woman's World - Cher

David Garrett Vivaldi vs Vertigo

Wake Me Up ft. Aloe Blacc DJ Javi Tambo Edit - Avicii

Bonfire Heart - James Blunt

Berzerk - Eminem 
Castle of Glass - Linkin Park (tissues are a good idea)
The Fox - Ylvis (What does the fox say??!!)
Another One Bites the Dust - Daft Punk vs Queen 
Do or Die - Thirty Seconds to Mars
Where the Streets Have No Name (Live at Slane Castle) - U2 

Cooldown:
Boots of Spanish Leather - Lumineers (Bob Dylan Cover)
Simply Falling - Iyeoka


Good Eats Treat of the Day! 

Check out this chocolate pudding made from avocados! My super clean-eating, healthy sister Briana turned me on to this recipe:         Five ingredients in a blender, and you are in choco-heaven.
I've made it to rave reviews from adults and kids!


Here's what you do:

-- 1 ripe avocado (I'd say chop it up, but if you can peel a ripe avocado without it breaking into pieces, good for you!)
-- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
-- 1/4 cup raw agave
-- 1/4 cup almond milk
-- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stick 'em in a blender until they're smooth.  Add mint, fruit, whipped cream - whatever you fancy!  I eat it right from the blender, some people like it better chilled.

Double Play Playlist - #332

It was a Tuesday bookended with spin classes, so I was happy to have a playlist that deserved double play!   A mix of goodies here old and new while we experienced a video journey through the beautiful, barren landscape of Death Valley and Red Rock Canyon, and the garish glitz of the Vegas strip (made ultra glam with Kelly's Elvis wedding memories!).

Workout

Here We Go Again (Edit) - Blink & Goldfish
Wishing Well - The Airborne Toxic Event
Wake Me Up - Avicii
Give Me Hope - New Politics
Berzerk - Eminem
Jai Ho - AR Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi
D# Fat - Armin van Buuren and W&W
This Is War - 30 Seconds to Mars
Stompa - Serena Ryder
Thunder - W&W
We Come Running - Youngblood Hawke
Stop! - Against Me

Cooldown

Devil's Backbone - The Civil Wars
Gimme Your Love - Morcheeba
Salam (Peace) - Malek Jandali (Have been listening to this Syrian artist a lot these days... love his album Emessa)

Here We Go Again

Oh, yeah.  This works for me. New spinning song of the week!

Tea & Toast

Written in America "Tea and Toast" might be named "Ginger Ale and Saltines." For me it conjures the same soothing power needed to define comfort.  In this song there is a whole life story - a whole love story - in just about four minutes.

Lucy Spraggan's "Tea and Toast" is my favorite non-workout song right now.  Simply, I love the lyrics, the melody and Lucy's voice.  And there's a sense of calm it brings me as we come closer and closer to emptying and selling my childhood home in Gales Ferry, CT.

Last weekend, I watched as my beautiful white/yellow/flowered childhood bedroom set (the one we could only afford because of a flood in the most expensive local furniture shop that inspired the owners to offer steep discounts) smashed apart as it was tossed off the back of a pick-up and into a dumpster at the Ledyard Transfer Station.  A sad/sick feeling was followed by a laugh when my desk flipped upside down, revealing some mots d'amour from one of my younger sisters to Jay.  (If you know who Jay is, please tell us because she can't remember!)

So much of my life - and even more of my mother's life now - has become "junk".  Except the old things.  The very old things. The things for which I myself have no memory.  They are attached to events that happened well before I was born, well before I could understand about true love, commitment and sacrifice.  As I look around at Isabelle's things, I envision their whereabouts thirty years from now.  During the survey I think,  It doesn't matter if a bed is eventually thrown away, given away or sold.  The memory of going shopping for the big-girl bed (and the sense of awe and independence that accompanied it ) will always be the same. 

According to Eric Kandel, the neuroscientist who won the Nobel Prize for his brain memory storage research, memory gives our lives context and continuity. Memory is everything. Without it we are nothing.

"Tea and Toast" reminds me of something I wish I didn't need a nudge to remember:  Memories, relationships and the people who make those memories and relationships possible, are what matter most.

Tea and Toast

Tom was born in 1942
With eyes of blue
And the doctors said that his birth was far too fast
His heart stopped twice
But yet he survived
As he took his first breathe
His mother took her last

And his father knew that he wasn't to blame
But he never quite looked at Tom the same after that
And he rarely spoke about her
But when he did
He said your mother used to say this

"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
I'll wake up with the one I love the most
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"

When we met through a friend
Who introduced them
The first thing Tom said was would you like to dance?
They moved with each other and when the music got slower
He said don't let go of my hand
He said It's only polite if I ask you tonight
Would it be alright, if I could walk you home?
That night he told of of his birth
And said when it hurt
He thought about what his mother said about tea and toast

Two quick years went by
They were side by side
And without a plan, they conceived a little child
He said, woman I love you and this you know
But I only have enough for our food and clothes
But I love you and this baby
Until the day that I die
She said we'll take care of this little life
And we'll fall in love with her baby blue eyes
And we'll be alright from some advice that I know

She said I never got to meet her
But if I did, I'm sure your mother would have said this

"When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
We'll show this baby all the love we know
And in the morning, I'll make you up
With some tea and toast"

Well he took those words
And he made them proud
He worked day after day
And hour after hour
So that they could buy a little house on the outside of town
The little girl grew up and so did they
They said that they loved each other everyday
And forty years later, that brings us to now

And as they're walking down the street
Her grip loosens on his hand
He puts his arm around her side as she falls to the ground
He hears her breathing and that's the only sound
Her body on the floor attracts a worried crowd
Tears rolls off his face as he says "don't let go, now"

And he's sitting by her bed in the hospital ward
Their daughter walks in with a family of her own
She says "dad, I don't know if she can hear you now
But there's one thing mum would want you to know"

When the skies are looking bad my dear
And your heart has lost all it's hope
After dawn there will be sunshine
And all the dust will go
Skies will clear my darling
Now it's time for you to let go
I go wake you up in the mornin' with some tea and toast

Six Million Dollar Playlist

Like the Six Million Dollar Man, a playlist that is better, faster, stronger.  And with inflation worth more than $30 million.

Top Of The World Workout:

On Top of The World - Imagine Dragons 
Dance 4 Life Live - Tiesto Featuring Blue Man 
Blurred Lines Live - Robin Thicke 

Miss Jackson Feat. Lolo - Panic! At the Disco
Techno Mix (2:43 - 22:18)
A Beautiful Lie - 30 Seconds to Mars
Stubborn Heart - Lumineers
Give Me Hope - New Politics 

Feelin' The Love Cooldown:
Boots of Spanish Leather (Bob Dylan) - Lumineers
Simply Falling - Iyeoka
Tea and Toast - Lucy Spraggan 

Bitten by ViPR

While I was in the UK recently, I fell in love.  His name?  ViPR.

ViPR may look like a piece of lowly training equipment - just a hard rubber hollow tube - but as his name suggests, he has lots to offer:  Vitality, Performance, Re-conditioning.  ViPR was born in Canada but introduced to the world in England. I was lucky enough to find him on this side of the pond, too - at a small fitness warehouse in Cranston, RI, and I'm getting ready to unleash him on Cape Cod (certification process in progress)!

ViPR training is all about whole-body integration (WBI) that unites movement and strength.  The loaded movement that defines the ViPR workout mimics a lot of life's daily activities - lifting, carrying, throwing, dragging, rolling, flipping... So, from tossing kids in the water during summer fun to shoveling the long driveway after a Nor'Easter - ViPR is the workout that transfers best to the normal physical demands of life.  It was invented by an ice hockey coach who realized that his team was consistently losing to teams whose players did a lot of manual labor off the ice - physically demanding jobs like farming and construction - things that forced them to lift, pull, shift, throw, carry and tilt weight on all three planes of motion.

See for yourself, and get ready to fall in love with fitness all over again!  This video demonstrates 10 great movements - but there are another 8,990 that have been designed for a kick ass ViPR workout!

It's a Beautiful Lie

Six days ago someone watched this video and wrote, "Why have I never seen this video? It's amazing."  Today, I ask myself a similar question.  

Headphones after the Run/Bike/Jog/Walk/Swim/Game/Meet/...

Weekend Tracks

There's no slowing us down this weekend!  We've got a new playlist and if you're getting inside and riding at Let's Cycle Cape Cod  you'll see a new video to go with it up on the big screen!

The Workout:
1. Reload - Sebastian Ingrosso, Tommy Trash Feat. John Martin (Original Vocal Mix)
2.  Up In the Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars
3.  The Ceiling - Wild Feathers
4.  I Came to Play - Downstait
5.  Love Me Again - John Newman
6.  Dead Man's Shoes - Virginmarys
7.  Down by the Water - PJ Harvey
8.  Stars - Giuseppe Ottaviani Feat. Linnea Schossow
9.  Sunrise (Here I Am) - Matt Darey Feat. Kate Dowman
10. Whatever Happens We Are the People - Mark Leanings/Arctic Moon vs. Empire of the Sun (Arctic Moon Mashup)

Cooldown:
11.  When Darkness Comes - Colby Caillat
12.  Wrap Your Arms Around Me - Gareth Dunlop

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

When the Dutch disco rollerskating evildoer Goldmember describes Austin Power's body as "tight as a tiger," it was, well, a little creepy.  Are tigers even tight? I really have no idea.  But what I do know is that if you're in the saddle a lot, you're getting "tight as a rider."  Every rider I know has tight hips, thanks to the forward-leaning, crouched position that causes our hip flexors to tighten and shorten.  It's often the source of back pain since it can make your pelvis to tilt forward and cause your lower back to arch more than it should.  

Whether you're an elite athlete or a sometimes exerciser, your body is the only way for you to achieve your own peak performance.  Here  are some of the best exercises to loosen your hips and give your muscles a chance to function the best they can.  

Warrior II Stance
Place your legs about 4-5 feet apart.  Right foot is turned out 90 degrees, parallel with the wall; left foot turned in at 45 degrees. Bend your right knee as close to 90 degrees as you can, keeping the left leg straight. Raise your arms to shoulder height, parallel to the floor, palms facing down.  Exhale and bend your front knee.  Align your knee directly over the ankle of your front foot.  Sink your hips low, eventually bringing your front thigh parallel to the floor.  Hold for up to a minute.

Triangle Pose

Triangle Pose

Put your feet 3-4 feet apart, turning the right foot out 90 degrees and the left foot slightly in. Feel a firmness in the right buttock and externally rotate the thigh to align the knee with the foot. Maintaining the elongation of the spine, tip the pelvis over the right thigh, reach the right arm as far as you can, and allow the hand to rest on your shin, ankle or foot (wherever your comfort level is). Hold.  (To perform this pose correctly, a contraction of the deep hip rotators is required to align the femur, knee and foot. )



Crescent Pose
Step back with the left foot, bend the right knee to a right angle (keeping the right ankle directly under the right knee) and carefully place the left knee on the floor. Place your hands on your right thigh and open through the right hip flexor. If you can, take your hands to the floor on the inside of the right foot. Hold this deep hip stretch for 1–2 minutes before changing sides.

Bound Angle Pose
In a seated position, bend your knees, bring your feet together and draw your heels in toward your groin. Clasp your feet with your hands and open your feet like a book, simultaneously opening your knees away from each other. Slowly fold forward, hinging from the hips. Stay here for at least one minute, breathing into the abdomen.



Happy Baby Pose
Lie on your back and hold onto the outside of your feet. Pull your feet down, opening the hips, and draw your knees as close to the sides of the ribs as possible. Keep your spine long and the tailbone pressing toward the ground. Breathe and hold the pose for 1–3 minutes. 

Today's Video Experience

Tonight's class features a rockin' Armin Van Buuren concert video. Taking a little break from the Principle Pictures music videos!

See ya, Kashi

It wasn't long ago that GoLean cereals filled half a shelf in my kitchen cabinet.  Now, they're boycotted in the Murphy home and under fire publicly.  The company wants to play up a persona of a small, independent cereal manufacturer looking out for our best health. Instead, they are a Kellogg-owned giant that slaps "natural" labels on its products while using genetically modified and pesticide loaded ingredients.  We can thank the Cornucopia Institute for exposing Kashi.  This institute actually investigates what it calls "Cereal Crimes," and it's really a brilliant thing to do.  Who didn't grow up with horror stories about rat hair, insects and fecal matter wrapped around their Wheaties?

Kashi is already facing a class action lawsuit for misleading the public (as is Naked Juice).

Kashi has joined the Non-GMO Project to enhance its reputation.  This project tests and verifies whether foods are GMO free; it's the only third party verification and labeling available in America for non-GMO products.  I'll stick with my egg whites and fresh fruit, thank you very much.  More on "Rethinking Breakfast" coming up!

Summer Heat Deserves Hot New Music!

These are the tracks proving to be the hottest this summer season!

Rockin' It!:
Up In The Air - Thirty Seconds to Mars (Warning about the warning:  This video comes with an eplipsy warning.)
Big Parade - The Lumineers  (LOVE)
Sweet Hell - Gin Wigmore
Black Sheep - Gin Wigmore
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark - Fall Out Boy
People Like Us - Kelly Clarkson
I Love It - Icona Pop (Tiesto Remix)
Get Lucky -  Daft Punk
The Pit - Silversun Pickups
Die Together - New Politics
Harlem - New Politics (LOVE)
Give Me Hope - New Politics (LOVE)
Giorgio by Moroder - Daft Punk
Sail Into the Sun - Gentlemen Hall
A Night Like This (Art Alec Remix) - Caro Emerald or Original
Boom - MaRLo

Cooldown:
The Weight - Editors (LOVE)
You Are the Treasure - Antony and The Johnsons

Get more GABA! The Power of Exercise to Calm

New York Time's Phys Ed columnist Gretchen Reynolds shares exciting new research about the effect of exercise on the brain.  A question that scientists have been trying to answer for a while now is:  How is it possible for exercise to accomplish two seemingly opposite results?  How can exercise inspire the growth of new, excitable brain cells while also instilling in us a sense of calm?

This new research out of Princeton University provides the answer.  What happens is that the new brain cells created during exercise are able to be shut down more easily when they aren't needed.  Scientists found that the new, excitable cells were accompanied by a number of other new neurons - neurons that release the neurotransmitter GABA.  GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter and has the power to shush and quiet activity in the brain - which means it can keep other neurons from firing easily. What that means for you is - if you're under stress and you've got more GABA, you're better able to keep calm.  How do you get more GABA?  Exercise!

Read the whole story here.  For more on the scientific study, check out the Journal of Neuroscience.

A research team based at Princeton University found that physical activity reorganizes the brain so that its response to stress is reduced and anxiety is less likely to interfere with normal brain function. Running produced a large increase in the number of new neurons in the hippocampus — a brain region shown to regulate anxiety — of a mouse that ran for six weeks (above). The brown cells are new neurons, which are more numerous in active mice than sedentary mice, and the blue cells are mature neurons. (Photo courtesy of the Gould laboratory)

Let's Cycle Cape Cod Grand Opening

Get inside and ride!! - Faith Anderson / Owner, Let's Cycle Cape Cod

I'm so proud of my friend - and fellow instructor - Faith, as we celebrate the grand opening of Cape Cod's BEST indoor cycling studio - Let's Cycle Cape Cod!  The bikes are divine, and I am having a blast keeping the energy level at its highest by creating music videos that we display on the studio's integrated A/V system. It's not only the best studio around, it's a community of passionate cyclists and people from all backgrounds committed to excellence - in a studio and in themselves.   Sign up for class on the website today, and get inside and ride!