#SweatPink

GIVEAWAY!! // Elevate Akron // Fall 2015

November 15, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

Again, I have to say it… Northeast Ohio is simply amazing. There is so much to do, so much to see, and so much to be involved in! While this can be found within so many groups and hobbies here in Ohio, it’s especially true of the yoga community.

First there was Believe in CLE. And then, earlier this year, the first ever Elevate Akron event. Thankfully, we’re ending 2015 with yet another FREE yoga event before closing out 2015!

Next Sunday, November 22nd, yogis from all over our region, will gather at the University of Akron field house for a sweaty vinyasa practice, speakers, and an after party complete with food trucks, games and DJ Nino!

The excitement that is set to vibrate throughout the city of Akron — and Northeast Ohio — is building! I’m SO excited to attend, pregnant belly and all!

Lucky for one of my readers, I was asked by the great ladies of Lululemon Akron to giveaway one commemorative Elevate Akron 2015 tank or tee! Use the rafflecopter widget below to enter — and please only enter if you are local and will be able to pick up the tee!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck! Be sure to register for the FREE EVENT HERE. Oh, and here are the nitty gritty details for the event:

Parking. Parking is available in lot 10 directly behind the building.
Arrive Early. Music, day-of check-in and yoga mat parking starts at 4:30PM. The festivities promptly at 5:00PM with a special speaker followed by our vinyasa class.
Bring Cash. Hello? Food trucks galore!
Limited Mat Rentals. So be sure to bring one!
Packet Pick-Up. Event organizers urge you to attend packet pick-up at the lululemon Akron showroom on Friday, November 20th from 11:00AM-6:00PM or Saturday, November 21st from 10:00AM to 2:00PM. Pre-ordered tees and tank tops will also be distributed during these designated times.

See you there! xo

the power of awesome customer service //

August 15, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

It’s a well-known fact that pregnant women are hormonal hot messes and will either snap at you or cry if things do not go their way. OK, well if you have never encountered a pregnant woman, you might not know this… yet! But you’ve been warned!

So it should come as little surprise that my over-sensitized reaction to our car break-in was hyped up that much more by hormones. Well, a couple of days after the incident — just as I was coming to terms with lost possesions and the like — I realized that in addition to my wallet and purse, I had put my Jawbone UP24 in my purse just that morning.

See, I had been emailing back and forth with their customer service regarding my band not taking/holding a charge. We’d been through a week of troubleshooting and the next (and final) step was to call in and make arrangements to have a warranty replacement done. So I shoved it in my purse and figured I’d give them a call while Ari was playing at the café.

I was SO bummed when I realize that it, too, had been stolen. I have religiously worn that band (both it and the original band), for 2+ years. I have always felt like it helped me to hold myself accountable for being active throughout the day. A couple of days passed and I ended up getting a follow up email from customer service, requesting that I let them know if the issue had been resolved or to call in if I still needed further assistance. I emailed back a friendly, but sad, “Thanks, but it turns out our car was broken into and my purse, wallet, and UP band were all taken. So I suppose there’s not much that can be done now! :)” and figured that was that. Chalk it up to “YOU WIN, THEIF!”

But no. Just a few minutes later, I received a call from Jawbone customer service. The agent told me that he was so sorry that it was stolen along with my other belongings, and that he still wanted to help me. I just sent him my proof of purchase to show that the band was still under factory warranty, and that since we had been working to resolve the issue already, he could have a replacement band sent to me! Whaaaat?? Oh! But they didn’t have my size band… so instead they were going to send me a newer model.

WHAAAAT??!!

I really felt like they went above and beyond. Seriously. They didn’t have to do that. They didn’t have to do any of it! They blew me away with their customer service! Seriously. Even though for the last 2.5 years I’ve been fairly happy with my Jawbone UP bands, there have been moments where I considered getting a FibtBit instead. But nope. Never will I ever leave Jawbone! Not after this experience! 🙂

My faith in humanity is restored. Sure, I may not have my Tory Burch wallet back or my purse… but I have my faith in people doing nice things for other people. ♥ ♥

So if you can afford to pay it forward, whether it be for free coffee for the person behind you in the drive thru, or just with a simple smile, DO IT! ♥ I’m certainly going to! You never know how it can impact a persons day!

I wanna go running. //

May 27, 2015 by Rachel 1 Comment

It was only a matter of time before Moosh proclaimed that he wanted to go running. I merely suggested going running on Memorial Day, and next thing I knew he was all “Mommy! I wanna go running! I wanna go running!”

Of course I didn’t anticipate him actually running. On days when I don’t take him in the jogging stroller he’ll ask Chad, “Mommy runs? Mommy runs?” as if that’s the only place I would be without him. So after pushing him in the stroller while I ran for a few miles, I let him “run.”

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwH81UT2HrM&feature=em-upload_owner]Of course it’s more fun to countdown every few yards… “THREE! TWO! ONE! GO!” all in one giant breath. And then he’s off.

I’m crossing my fingers that this isn’t a phase and that one day I’ll have a little mini-me running beside me for miles. 🙂

Elevate YOGAkron // outdoor yoga festival!

May 20, 2015 by Rachel 5 Comments

There are many things that I’m passionate about. When two of those things come together (like drinking wine and painting, for instance – LOL!), I am in heaven!

Two other things that I am passionate about: Northeast Ohio and Yoga. A few years ago when the first Believe In CLE event took place, I was beyond excited to practice yoga with hundreds and hundreds of other yogis at the Rock Hall.

Recently some of my fellow Akron-area yogis put together an outdoor community practice at Hardesty Park, located in the heart of Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood!

In partnership with the City of Akron & local yoga studios, the lululemon athletica Akron Showroom and YOGAkron have teamed up to present the inaugural Elevate YOGAkron event, which is being held on Friday, May 29th from 6:00 – 9:30PM, rain or shine!

This free-, outdoor-yoga festival will celebrate the heart and soul of the beautiful city of Akron! Live music, courtesy of Akron-native DJ Nino, will last through the all-levels Vinyasa practice, led by lululemon Ambassador and YOGAkron Founder Tracy Rhinehart (ERYT-500HR). During the all-levels practice, yoga teachers from various studios throughout Akron will be offering hands-on assists to the practicing yogis!

The Cleveland-based, Akron-loving, company, NOOMA, will support the event with free samples of their delicious electrolyte hydration drink throughout the practice! After the practice, DJ Naeno will continue to spin until 9:30PM and local food vendors, such as Ms. Julie’s Kitchen, will be at the event to provide nourishment and just plain ol’ tasty eats for the yogis!

Registration to the event is completely free, but you will need to fill out an online registration here. You do have an option at the point of registration to purchase a commemorative tee or tank for just $10. (I did! Look how cute it is!?!)

Registered participants can check-in, complete their waiver, and pick up their Elevate YOGAkron shirts at lululemon athletica Akron Showroom (21 Furnace Street in Downtown Akron) or at Yoga Bliss in Fairlawn (3045 Smith Rd, Fairlawn, OH 44333) during normal business hours on both Thursday, May 28th and Friday, May 29th. Check-in is also available at the event beginning at 6pm for those unable to do so ahead of time.

Will I see you there?? Let’s lift Akron up with love and light! 🙂 If you have never been to an event like this and want someone to go with, hit me up and let me know! 🙂 I’d be happy to go with ya!

Just before this post was set to go live, the folks over at lululemon let me know that they’d like to give an Elevate YOGAkron t-shirt to one of my readers! Enter using the rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST! 🙂 Ha! I just really love Ohio, I really love Akron, and I really and truly love the yoga community here. 🙂 And the giveaway? That just seemed to fall into place the way that the community of Akron likes to do! I just hope to see some of you there! And hey? why not try and score a tee while you’re at it! (Thanks, Lemons!)

Cleveland Marathon // Real Talk

May 14, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

OK, friends. It’s time to get real. I’m currently signed up for the Cleveland Half Marathon, which is this Sunday morning…

… and I have NOT properly trained. At least not as of recent.

As of recent my training runs have been short. Like at most, 4 miles. Even though I was regularly running 10+ just a few short months ago in preparation for the Pittsburgh Marathon (before I decided not to run it at all), I’m now on the lower mileage side of things.

And I’m torn on what I should do this weekend. Realistically, a 10-k is totally doable. In my dreams, I’ll be able to power through 13.1 miles without the pressure of finishing within a certain time.

So I’m seriously considering dropping to the 10k at packet pickup this weekend. But I’m also looking for advice. Should I TRY for the half marathon? With little-to-no expectations in regards to time and outcome? I can run, walk, and practically crawl my way to the finish, right?

Please weigh in. Looking for your advice and input, runner friends!!

back on the mat // #youphoriayoga

April 25, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Since marathon training began (and since it has ceased to exist) I haven’t been on my yoga mat nearly as much as I’d prefer. Like, hardly at all. [insert frown face]

But I have had one chance to ground myself on my mat with Marni Task at Cleveland Yoga.

Since I haven’t been on my mat much as of recent, I decided to take a Vinyasa Class, sans heat. Well, sans HOT heat; because it was definitely still warm.

I’ve taken for granted that time spent on my mat — that time where the sun is shining through the windows and heating the room; that time when I am surrounded by strangers, breathing in unison; that time when the only thing I have to worry about is being in that very moment, in that very pose.

But there is always a LOT of sweat — even in the non-heated classes. And I learned years ago that a yoga practice isn’t complete without a yoga towel — something to catch the sweat so you aren’t sliding around your mat. My first yoga towel was a yogitoes mat; then I started to use a Manduka towel; and most recently a Youphoria Yoga towel.

I was honestly impressed by the towel. It didn’t need sticky things on the bottom side, like other towels. It just sticks to the mat. Also, it’s common practice to sprinkle water on your towel before the practice even begins to prevent slippage on the towel before you begin to sweat — but I didn’t even need to do that! I was really impressed at how well it works.

It really made for a perfect practice. That and the sunshine and the community. <3 LOVED it. It serves as a reminder that I really need to get back on my mat at least once a week, even if it’s a home-practice.

How do you fit in your yoga practices? And what are your favorite yoga accessories?

Disclosure: I was selected to receive a YouphoriaYoga towel for my honest opinion and review of this product. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you to BDS Outlets/YouphoriaYoga and Tomoson for sponsoring this post. #youphoriayoga