My Top-10 Items Necessary for Blogfest

Who else is stoked for Blogfest! We're in total countdown mode now! I can't believe how quickly the summer is going, and the fact that July 15th will be here before I know it blows my mind! Due to the fact that I'm a crazy list-maker, especially when it comes to travel, and that I'll be in CO the week before the conference, I've already started my packing list for Blogfest. Here are the top 10 things I'm taking!

1. SWEAT PINK TANKS…obvi!

This one is a bit of a given due to the fact that I'm lucky enough to be a part of the Sweat Pink team. I'm taking a huge array of tanks since I'll be decked out the whole weekend, and plan to be sweating while taking fitness classes. (I'm banking on needing to change my clothes at least once a day…I'm a pretty sweaty person.)

2. Sunglasses

We'll be in sunny LA. Sunglasses are definitely a must, especially my Sweat Guru orange shades!

3. Running shoes

I'm planning on being on my feet all day, between working the booth, attending classes, and going on runs around town. My neon Nikes are a must, including the Sweat Pink laces they're accessorized with!

4. Funky pants

I've been officially obsessed with the patterned pants trend for a while now. I'll definitely need multiple pairs, reference previously mention sweatiness. Liquido makes some of my absolute favorite funky leggings, and are lightweight, soft, comfortable, and stretchy.

5. Shorts

For someone who went years without wearing shorts, I've developed a love of shorts again! (Thank you Costa Rican heat and humidity for turning a necessity into a love.) I have quite a few pairs of awesome lululemon shorts, some for running and some for casual wear, all so cute!

6. Backpacks

I was unprepared at Fitbloggin' as I didn't bring a bag with me at all times for the swag you accumulate at these conferences. So not only will I always have my Sweat Pink drawstring backpack with me constantly, but also my awesome new lululemon Run All Day Backpack.

Image from lululemon website

7. Phone chargers

Yup, you read that correctly. I'll not only have one phone charger with me, but TWO! With all the tweeting, gramming, and booking going on at these conferences, my phone's battery gets depleted pretty quickly. I'll have one charger on hand with me all the time while leaving one in the hotel room. I refuse to not be able to capture and share a moment because my phone has died!

8. Birks

My feet will definitely need a breather. Not only are my Birkenstock sandals super comfortable, but they've made a comeback! They might not be fashionable enough for LA, but they're definitely chic by Portland standards.

9. Towel, ShowerPill, and Sweat STR

I'll be bringing my little Manduka hand towel with me for wipe downs during fitness classes (again, I sweat a lot). Luckily ShowerPill and SweatSTR are providers for our Lightening Round swag bags, so hopefully I'll be able to procure some of these awesome athletic wipes and cute scarf towel.

Images from Manduka, ShowerPill, and SweatSTR sites

10. Hoodie

As hot as it is outside, and as sweaty as I get during sessions, it can get cold during the conference with the AC blasting in the rooms. Not only will I always try to have a change of clothes with me so I don't have to stay in sweaty clothes and freeze, but I like to keep a hoodie with me to layer up when it gets chilly. I love my lululemon On The Daily Hoodie; it's SO cozy. We'll also be rocking awesome Sweat Pink hoodies in the booth!

Image from lululemon website

11. BONUS: Sweat Pink Trucker Hat

We just got these beauties in! Can't wait to rock it! Not only are they awesome looking, it'll be awesome to cover up my greasy roots. We are at a fitness conference, right? Hair might be a little sweaty…

Now you know what I'll be decked out in head-to-toe 24/7, find me and come say hi!

Follow me at @lizwilsonyoga on Twitter and Insta!

Puritan's Pride Mad-Lib

This week Puritan’s Pride is offering a prize to EVERYONE* who completes this blog prompt mad lib! Want to get in on the fun (and the prizes?!) Copy and paste the mad lib below, fill in the blanks with your own answers, and make sure to share your link on the #1MillionMinutes page to get rewarded!*

I’m so STOKED [adj] to fuel my #1MillionMinutes goals with Puritan’s Pride! All summer I plan to hike, run, yoga, explore [verb] my way to a healthier, fitter me, and I’ll need help staying hydrated and fueled during all my awesome outdoor [adj] adventures!

I will make sure I stay on track and will rely on  healthy protein powders [noun] to keep me well fueled before, during and after workouts, and my trusty water bottle [noun] to keep me hydrated!

I’m most excited to try Whey protein powder in chocolate (product) and Organic omega hemp and flax granola (product) from Puritan’s Pride because they look yummy, and like they'll keep me fueled and satisfied! (adj).

 One supplement I’ve never tried but am curious about is Tumeric [noun]. I think it might make me extra healthy and strong as it's an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. [adj].

Bring it, #1MillionMinutes! I’m ready to go!

* Prizes available to U.S. and Canada residents. Please make sure your address is updated so we know where to send your prize! 

This post is sponsored by Puritan’s Pride. All opinions are my own. We so appreciate you supporting the brands who support Fit Approach and the #sweatpink community! 

Gram it up, yogis!

In case you haven't noticed, I LOVE yoga pictures. I've done some pretty insane things to make sure I get the perfect shot, including but not limited to asking a stranger on the beach to be a glorified camera stand, stack rock upon rock against a tree to make a platform for my phone, and reshooting numerous times to get it just right. The perfectionist in me can come out, for sure.

Do you love yoga, but have been resisting the Instagram yoga movement? Here are 5 reasons to succumb!

1. Inspiration

Taking yoga pictures and sharing them on social media is a great way to share your practice with the community. There are also a ton of pose-of-the-day challenges that groups of teachers and yogis put on. Participating in these challenges you to not only practice every day, but can inspire you to try new variations of poses you already know and even discover brand new poses. A lot of teachers post alignment cues for postures, and some include fun tips like ways to funkify it or cool apps to try out. It's a great way to play! To try new things and share them with a supportive and encouraging community!

Funky pinchamayurasana

Not camel pose...

Eagle legs in handstand!

Pretzel-asana (not really, but kinda)

Tip-toes variations

Reverse grasshopper

2. Check Yourself Out, and Record the Process

Yoga pictures create a visual of yourself in the posture, obvi. Unless you always practice in front of a mirror, or even if you do, seeing yourself in a picture can show you what you're feeling when you're in the middle of the pose. It can be difficult to "perfect" your alignment (if such a thing exists) when you're wrapped up in a pretzel or balancing on your hands upside down. You can look at a picture of an inversion and see that your feet still aren't quite straight up over your head. Or a picture of a lunge and see that your knee is caving in a bit. It's a great way to learn about your own practice.

Shoulders rounding forward, dumping into low back

Legs aren't straight up

Legs aren't in line with each other

It's also a cool way to record your journey. It can be fun to look back at yoga pictures, and even compare them to present day shots. To me, #transitiontuesday will always be about comparing this journey in certain postures. Even if it feels like you haven't progressed all that much, the pictures don't lie!

3. Yoga is Art!

In my mind, yoga is very similar to dance in that body movement is art! A spin teacher once quoted to us in a sprint at the end of class, "Dance is finding joy in movement." Ipso facto, yoga is dance. I've started visualizing compositions now. I no longer see just a pretty sunset over the ocean, but I see the silhouette of a handstand with stags legs WITH the sunset. I don't see a graffitied wall in the city, but I see eagle pose IN FRONT OF the convoluted mural. It's fun to play with the juxtaposition of an angular posture with a flowy scene, or the complement of physical angles with an angular background. To play with putting the yogi in the foreground or background, center or offset, in or out of focus… Finally, putting my art history minor to use! And the filters. Oh, all the options with filters… I may or may not have 8 photo-editing apps on my phone.

Many filters to get this dreamy, yet color-pop shot. Didn't coordinate with the birds on purpose!

Filtered to enhance the dreary day

Echoed the lines of the ceiling in O'Hare airport with the pose

Shifted the perspective in handstand

Silhouette with an insane Costa Rican sunset

Pop of color with the pants against the white, and echoed the arch of the tree branch

4. Spice Up a Photo

I look back at old travel pictures from my NOLS course and studying abroad and see all the missed yoga picture opportunities! I have so many pictures of Spanish cathedrals that are missing dancer poses and handstands. So many mountaintops I could have been on top of in tree pose. Without getting into more details, I have many many pictures of pretty scenery and tourist stops that could have been spiced up with a yoga pose. They're just generic and all blend together and are easily overlooked when I'm going back through albums. Rather than just hop in and awkwardly smile, as I do do occasionally, I could have jumped in and added some cool angles and shapes to an otherwise "nice" scenic or touristy photo.

Crystal Lake, CO

McCullough Gulch, CO

Wrightsville Beach, NC

Rowena Crest, OR

Seattle, WA

Vancouver, BC

Trillium Lake, OR

San Diego, CA

You can also take something that is legitimately generic, like a brick wall, and yoga-ify it! All the sudden you have a cool, artsy photo. Très bouge.

Why just take an outfit selfie in the mirror?

Documenting when I moved from CO

5. FUN!

Let it be fun, y'all! Whether you're capturing awesome scenery after a long hike, a pose of the day, a group shot, matching or mismatching funky-patterned pants… Enjoy it!

Falling out of handstand is hilarious

Funky pants! 

Acro in Costa Rica!

Lifting ski boots is so hard! I needed a hand, and a tutu!

Color coordination 

More funky pants lovin'

To see many many many more yoga (and more!) pix, follow me on IG: @lizwilsonyoga!

AND, keep your eyes peeled for the follow up post naming some of my favorite yogis to follow on Instagram!