Enjoy The Journey!

The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj meaning to bind, join, attach and yoke, to direct and concentrate one’s attention on, to use and apply. It also means union or communion. (From B.K.S. Iyengar Light on Yoga book). Many people view Yoga as finding time and space to relax, meditate, connect closer to their spirit and source, or to simply have a better connection with their own bodies through movement. Many people also view yoga as “just stretching”.  Yoga can be all of these things and more, but from the physical side of things, Yoga is a great way to create balance within the body as a whole, by lengthening muscles that are too short, increasing range of motion, strength, and flexibility. Most humans have sedentary jobs or lifestyles, poor postural habits, compensation patterns created by injury or surgery, among many other things that can cause and create physical imbalances. Strength training is the form of exercise most people utilize for fitness....

Do you eat dates? Have you ever tried a date? If you haven’t you should give them a try!  If you know and love dates, then you’ll surely be stoked on this recipe. Who knew they could be such a yummy little treat and used in a variety of ways! I had not known much about dates until a few years back when my good friend Jenna shared a recipe with me of her version of a Larabar that included dates. I was unsure at first but gave them a shot and now they are a staple in our kitchen. I thought it would be a fun recipe to continue to pass along, especially because it is already mid-January and if you are like me, you are likely beginning to look for a new recipe to meet the needs of your taste buds and also meet the parameters of your New Year’s nutrition goals. 4 tasty ingredients and about 15 minutes of prep time is all it takes to make this yummy, whole-food snack. Enjoy! Larabars Ingredients: 2 tbsp. cocoa powder ½ cup unsweet coconut flakes 1 cup mixed nuts...

New Year, New Trainer As the New Year comes in, so does the possibility of hiring a new trainer. However, with so many potential trainers, how can you make sure that you are taking the best option possible? Here are 7 areas that all clients should be looking at. 1. Credentials and Education: I’m going to begin with what I see as the most obvious area to look into, and yet sometimes the most commonly overlooked. A trainer’s continuing education is pivotal to their career. It’s how certification is maintained and what helps represent credibility. All certifications require a certain number of CEU’s (continuing education units) to be completed every 1-2 years. However, a trainer should always be striving to improve their fitness and wellness Education. If during CEU’s is the only time a trainer expands their knowledge, it will be obvious.    A client wants a trainer that spends time actively and regularly improving their knowledge of fitness and wellness. It ...

Happy New Year! I love this time of year, people are excited to be in the gym! And since that is where I spend most of my days I am really glad you are there too. It’s nice to have company!  Every year at PURENERGY we put up a white board for the month of January at the front desk so people can write down their goals for the year. I love seeing everyone’s plans and I enjoy the experience of writing my own goals down. The board hangs on the wall with the previous years and it’s a great reminder to yourself each day of your promise and goal in the coming year. I think of creating your goal as like putting a pin on a map and the journey to get there is like your path to your destination. Imagine your current state of health is a location on a map. You are in town, maybe it’s Outofshapetown, or Neverruna5ktown, or Flabbytown. And your “goal” is to get to Athletitown, or Healthytown, or Ripton. (Seriously make up your own, its hilarious.) Please note, a little sense ...

December is a great time of year to start making plans for how to make your 2018 EPIC! As this year comes to an end, I wanted to tell a story about one of my more memorable adventures of 2017. As I look back on the year this was one of my favorite memories.Though this trip had its ups and downs it was totally worth it, and I hope it inspires you to find some adventures of your own for the next year.    Early this spring some of my friends came up with a plan to ride our bikes on the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota. 106 miles of beautiful trail that was sure to be an adventure. Our plan was to drive down the day before and ride it on a Saturday. The date was set for early spring when there was a chance of beautiful weather or potentially blizzard conditions. We crossed our fingers and watched the weather as the date drew near.  Saturday morning we woke up to blue skies and a high of 50 in the forecast. Though it was 28 when we started, we were stoked f...

Fall has not officially transitioned into winter yet, but it’s starting to feel like it with the new year just around the corner . As we think back over this fall and all that we hoped to accomplish, getting a large deer or elk was on many to - do lists ( especially here in Wyoming ). Now that the major hunting seasons are winding down, it’s time to take advantage of all the wild game meat you stocked up on . Props to you for finding the most all - natural, organic, free - range meat available ! Let’s take a closer look at game meat, specifically venison, and the nutritional benefits we can find with it . This is a limited list, but provides us with a fair comparison to beef. Calories, protein, and fat in 100 grams of uncooked meat ( about 3.5 oz ) Item Pronghorn Antelope Mule Deer Elk Moose Grass fed ...