TIUNJ Yoga Meetup & Brunch

I swear, I could rave on and on about the Tone It Up fitness community, and how over the years, I've been able to connect with and meet so many beautiful, inspiring women. So when Kristyn, at Creative with Kristyn, wanted to put together a NJ meet up, I was all ears. She was planning for a yoga meet up, followed by brunch nearby. She picked an awesome spot that had a beginner's yoga class that she figured would be great for everyone, even if a few of the girls had never done yoga before. She was recommended to try a spot for brunch afterwards, and made reservations for guess what - 15 women! I couldn't believe how many we had coming.

I invited my friend who just got into Tone It Up, and so we woke up bright and early and headed to the yoga studio. We parked, signed in, and waited. I was able to snap some pictures of the art in the studio. It was such a warm and inviting place, except for the lady at the front desk. When she realized how big our group was, I think the nerves got the best of her, and she started shouting to make sure we had all filled out our paperwork. Not so namaste. Once we were all settled on to our mats, things got weird. Okay, probably not weird for most people who have done different types of yoga before, but I'm a vinyasa girl - I like the flow of the moves and positions, and I like feeling like I'm actually working out. This yoga did not flow. We did several different moves, but I felt like I never got the chance to really lie there and focus on my breath, or end each move and give it closure. It was different though, and I'm glad I gave it a try.

We got the group all together, and took a great big picture at the end. It was exciting to see so many awesome women coming together. Kristyn passed out little bags of Perfect Fit Cinnamon protein tied together with an awesome friendship bracelet (how sweet, right?!). Most of us were going to brunch afterwards, and it was walking distance, so we began our trek outside while snow was falling down, which made for a very cold walk. It went fast though, and before you knew it we were waiting to be seated inside the toasty restaurant. Unfortunately, there were so many of us that they had to split us up and four of our girls had to sit at another table. We all ended up having a great time getting to know one another though, and we enjoyed such delicious food. I ordered eggs with sausage and tons of veggies with a side of potatoes, which was unlike anything I'd ever had, and it was hard to stop myself from scraping the empty plate and licking it clean. It paired nicely with my green tea.

It soon felt like I was having brunch with girls that I knew for year. Each and every girl was so open with their lives and experiences, and it was a breath of fresh air. It's a funny thing, friendships... sometimes, they just form so easily, and you can't even remember how it started in the first place. I'm glad I was able to attend, and I cannot wait for more meet ups to be planned.

Fitness Yoga in the Park

I am always looking to try new workouts, and when I find them, I try and invite other girls I know that will love them, specifically my Tone It Up Sisters ((other girls who do the Tone It Up workouts - if you haven't, you MUST at least try them!)). I am lucky that some live close to me, so that I am able to send out a quick email and gather up as many girls as I can to join me. My friend Alisa and I had gone to a couple of yoga sessions at a nearby yoga studio, and that's when we met an instructor who also had her own yoga business, specifically holding yoga classes in the park, and yoga hikes over the summer. As soon as we heard that we'd be doing yoga outside, in a park that we both love, we knew that we needed to go. We sent out an email, and got a few people interested.

It just so happened that I had the weekend day off from from, so I asked Alisa to meet me at my house bright and early, so that we could be the first people there in case any other girls showed up. We met the instructor and a couple of other people that were joining in on the Yoga Fitness Class. We started the class doing laps around the park's lake, and alternated between sprints, lunges, and jogs. It was intense, being that it was so early in the morning, but I didn't complain - I loved the views, the deep breaths on fresh air, and the chill of the summer morning as the sun peeked out. Even though it was just Alisa and I, as well as another friend who had showed up, I was happy. I was even happier when I realized two other people that had been participating in the class were Tone It Up girls as well! We hadn't said anything to each other because we weren't sure, but right before we went into yoga mode, we asked each other and started laughing when we realized who everyone was!

We went on top of the band stand for yoga, and even though there was a fair going on in the park, once you're in that meditation state, you don't hear the people talking, selling their products, or see them staring at you from down below. It was a truly, incredible experience, and if you haven't tried a yoga class outside, I would really recommend it. You feel powerful, as if you can achieve anything, except maybe a headstand on cement. Those, thankfully, were not attempted.

Afterwards, when we were all calm, relaxed, and centered, some of us headed across the street to a local place for fresh, healthy smoothies, which were delicious to say the least. I had been to the place once before, and had gotten a smoothie that I wasn't a huge fan of, but I changed it up this time and was quite pleased. We strolled back to the park, taking our time... talking about our morning, and our daily lives. It felt so great to just live in the moment, not rushing around getting our errands done or working hard. Sometimes it's nice to just be.