30-day Bikram Yoga pass!

I'm usually not that interested in yoga and prefer running or doing using the elliptical when I exercise (which isn't often o__o). However, I found out that a Bikram Yoga studio near my house has a new-student promotion that offers unlimited classes for 30 days for $35, and me being the typical Asian I am, calculated that if I went five to six times a week then that would be less than two dollars per class! I couldn't let this opportunity go by, so I signed up last Wednesday and went to class the next morning.

Bikram Yoga, for those of you who don't know is a sequence of 26 yoga postures performed in a heated room of about 105°F. I don't know about you, but I would feel pretty nervous about doing anything in 105°F temperature! Of course, I went in there not knowing either of these, haha.

Here's a little infographic I found online regarding the different poses:

Infographic by Cherie_bon 

My Opinion:
To tell the truth, the Bikram Yoga session actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. There was a lot of balancing and flexibility required, but having done ballet from elementary school to the end of high school, these two came pretty naturally to me.

As for the heat, I actually didn't even realize it was 105°F! It was definitely warm, but not suffocating. I sweated A TON, but the heat actually felt pretty nice in my opinion~ I just need to invest in nicer yoga activewear <3

Bikram Yoga Benefits:
There are a lot of benefits to Bikram Yoga. In addition to the overall benefits of Bikram Yoga and yoga, the 12 standing poses and the 14 floor poses have their individual benefits.

Overall benefits of Bikram Yoga:

• Improves posture
• Increases flexibility and balance
• Builds muscle strength
• Improves circulation and immune function
• Removes toxins from the body
• Reduces stress
• Aids in weight loss

Benefits of standing poses:

• Opens pelvic area
• Relieves sciatica and arthritis
• Improves circulation

Benefits of floor poses:

• Improves function of the central nervous system, digestive system, and reproductive system
• Relieves lower back pain
• Eases constipation
• Lessens symptoms of scoliosis

Anyhow, that's all I have for now!

Have you guys tried Bikram Yoga before? What do you think about it?

Delicious Curls - KISS InstaWave Review

Hey guys! Today, instead of a food-related post today, I wanted to share with you all a new hair curler I’ve been using! It’s called the KISS InstaWave, and it’s super fun and easy to use.

At first I was kind of skeptical about the InstaWave because I’ve always been the kind of person who was too lazy to curl her hair, even when I was using the relatively easier straightening-iron-method. However, the KISS InstaWave sported a really good rating on Amazon (13 out of 14 raters gave it a 5 star rating), so I was like okay! Let’s try this out~

About the product: 
According to the website, the KISS InstaWave is a "fully automatic tangle-free curler that instantly creates beautiful, long-lasting curls with ease.” There are:

• Two temperature settings (high and low),
• A right/left directional switch, and
• A 1” ceramic ionic barrel with prongs at the end that catch and hold your hair around the barrel

Another feature that I thought was really cool about the InstaWave is that it automatically shuts off after 90 minutes. That way, if I’m ever in a rush, I’ll never have to worry about whether I forgot to turn out my curler, which being the forgetful person I am, I’m very prone to doing.

What I liked about the product:
In my opinion, the InstaWave is very innovative, especially with the automatic curling action and the left/right directional switch.

After some getting used to, the InstaWave makes curling hardly any work at all! All of the rotating is controlled by the two buttons, which allows me to use either hand when curling. Basically the only work I had to do was hold the curler close to my head and it does all the work!

What I thought could be improved:
The first thing is that the InstaWave does take some time to get used to. The first time I used it, I found it really confusing which direction I was supposed to place my hair in relation to the barrel and when I was used to use the left verses right directional switches.

Another thing is that there is some minor buzzing noise that comes from the iron. The company did say that the noise was normal and nothing to worry about. However, you do have to hold it next to your head for the entirely of the curling process, so if that does irritate you... that's something else to consider when buying the product.

Overall...
Overall, I really liked the KISS InstaWave. I thought it was really convenient and easy to use (after the initial learning-process). Because I didn't have to do any physical labor, the InstaWave makes curling my hair super easy and fast. I don’t have to know what’s going on behind my head, and I can just let the curler do all of the work!

Rating: 4.5/5

How to use:

1. Hold the InstaWave vertically and place a small section of hair on the curling rod between the barrel and the prongs.
2. Press either the left or right directional switch. The InstaWave will automatically catch and wrap the hair around the barrel.
• If you want to curl your hair away form your face, then start your hair in front of the barrel and push the arrow that points away from your face.

• If you want to curl your hair towards your face, then start your hair behind the barrel and push the arrow that points toward your face.

3. Hold the hair against the barrel for 5-10 seconds depending on how tight you want your curls to be.
4. Pull the Instawave down for beautiful curls!

Note: If you’re interested in purchasing the product, you can go to http://KISSInstaWave.com, which will direct you to different locations/websites that you can purchase the product! Enjoy~

sponsored post. personal review.

November is the season for pumpkin! A day's worth of pumpkin recipes to try~

My favorite thing about NOVEMBER is all of the food, family, and warm thoughts associated with the Thanksgiving season. However, one of the first things that comes to mind when I think November is without-a-doubt pumpkin! 

So below is a list of five pumpkin recipes that I can't wait to try! And hey, I just bought five cans of PUMPKIN PUREE. Yay!

1. BREAKFAST: Protein Pumpkin Oatmeal with Egg Whites

EGG WHITES? I know that sounds kind of odd in oatmeal, but doesn't Brittany from Eating Bird Food's recipe look absolutely delicious? Furthermore, the egg whites give you an extra boost of protein in the morning--perfect as a POST-WORKOUT MEAL... that is, if you can wake up that early!

2. MEAL: Black Bean and Pumpkin Veggie Burgers

Although I typically think of desserts when it comes to pumpkin, Anne from Fannetastic Food manages to combine black beans and pumpkin into a totally HEALTHY and DELICIOUS-LOOKING veggie burger! I can't wait to try it out~ 

3. SNACK: Pumpkin Cheesecake Crepes 

PUMPKIN and CHEESECAKE! What could be better than this? When I first saw Ashton from Something Swanky's recipe, the first thought that came to mind was, "I can't wait for my afternoon snack."

4. DESSERT: Healthy Pumpkin Pie

PUMPKIN PIE is a must-have staple during the Thanksgiving season, and I'm sure thankful for Chocolate-Covered Katie's recipe. Not only is it DIET-FRIENDLY, the pie looks absolutely mouth-watering!

5. DRINK: Healthier Pumpkin Spice Latte

The word HEALTHY always catches my eye! After all, who wouldn't want to "INDULGE" in a healthy treat? Megan from the Detoxinista has the perfect recipe for pumpkin spice latte~

Hope you guys enjoyed this post! 

Let me know what your favorite part about November is!