Try this great little workout as an alternative for crunches! It is fun, you get a burn and the best thing about it is that it targets so many muscles at the same time. Your core is engaged, your abs are engaged, your obliques are working and your legs are feeling the burn too! And if you do it every day or every other day for about 5 minutes at a time you will end up with killer abs and a sexy pair or legs!

Doctors say that often the root of extra weight issues lies deep down in our mind. The solution here starts with fixing you attitude towards life and finding the right motivation to lose weight.  That’s right, motivation is key! It’s like you need to have a final destination in mind before you go and buy a plane ticket. You need to see the end result in order to get there! ‘I want to live in a big house with a pool boy, butler and a Japanese private chef, so I am going to work and make money to buy this house!”. Yes maybe that’s a bit on the outrageous side, but if having a dream helps you get up in the morning than all the power to it! Same with weight loss: “I want to look like Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider, so I am going to train in the gym and tone my behind for starters.”

So where to get the motivation? Here is a couple of ideas:

1. Buy a gorgeous to die for and ridiculously expensive dress that is two sizes smaller. The dress has to be very tight and be that magnificent color that you know always looks good on you. Throw away the receipt so you just cannot change your mind and return it. Hang it in your closet and look at it every day. You know you want to wear it! You know you want everyone to see how stunning you will look in it! It will be such a waste if it just hangs in the closet forever!
2. Find a celebrity who you really admire. It has to be somebody that you have something in common with and maybe you’ve been told you look like her. You adore her in movies, or love her voice, or her sense of impeccable style on the red carpet. Print out photos of her looking her best and look at them every day. Yes they may be a bit photo shopped, but never the less you know she is a beautiful woman and worthy of a role model status. Having somebody to look up to can be a great motivator! This advice works even better if this celebrity was once overweight and now she is fit and fabulous. If she could do it so can you!
3. Find an old picture of yourself where you looked your absolute best. Ideally you are in a bikini or at least in a tight dress. You are happy, tanned and glowing on this photo and you love how you look. So what if this was back in the dinosaur times and before you had your three kids. It is you, isn’t it?? Print this picture and stick it on your fridge. Every time you approach a fridge and think about eating that ice cream, look at the beautiful you smiling down at you and saying: ‘That’s right, eat some more and you will never look like me!”

Motivation works best if you practice it together with visualization. Visualize yourself looking the way you want to look and meditate on it. One of the greatest benefits of meditation is that it helps you develop a sense of focus. When you are focused your dreams come true, because the universe hears you and helps you along the way. Every single person that was ever successful in anything will tell you the same thing: focus and believe and you’ll get there!

Here is Irene and I at the studio, and below is a spread from a magazine. You can also see Irene on TV talk in Spanish about Kama here.

Get in touch with your senses, relax, unwind and really enjoy the sensation of the stretch with this Cooldown clip. To get the most of these exercises create a sensual environment! Yes you heard me, light some scented candles, dim the lights and listen to some Buddha Bar and you will feel that you are that much more connected to yourself, even if only for a brief 5 minutes. Ambiance is important, especially if you want to really connect that mind and body. The more senses you involve the easier it is for you to fully fly away into the magical world of relaxation and inner peace.

Pelvic tilts and circles. Lie down on your back on the mat. Feet should be shoulder width apart, arms relaxed. Gently arch your back and tilt your pelvis forward, contracting the glues and lower abdominals. Hold for 2 seconds and release. Repeat 12 times. You can also try pelvic circles in the same position. Again contract your glutes, lower abdominals and rotate your pelvic in a circle as if you are doing a hip roll. Make sure to really engage those lower abs. Exhale as your make the effort and develop a breathing pattern through the exercise session. Play some nice music to help you relax and tune into the present moment.

Hug stretch. For the next exercise you can stay lying down on the mat on your back. Bend your knees and make sure you are comfortable and your tail bone is not under pressure. Move your knees slowly to your chest and hug yourself for 5-10 seconds. Don’t force the stretch and don’t put too much pressure, just enough to feel a mild pulling sensation. Move the knees back to the starting position. Repeat 8 times

Tail bone pressure. This last exercise will require a yoga block. Lie down on the mat, feet should be flat on the floor.  Place the yoga brick just underneath your tail bone. Arms should be at the sides with palms facing down. Allow your body to relax and rest on the brick for about 2-3 minutes. Breathe slowly and deeply and try to tune in to your breathe allowing for a complete relaxation. To get out of the pose, slide the yoga block from underneath you and roll back up to a seated position.

Having ambitious wishes, aspirations and resolutions for the New Year is always good. But it’s also good to be humble and wish for very little and instead thank for all the good that is already there. Pause, stop and say thank you for what you have, for the loved ones that are near, for the food on your table, for the fact that you are healthy and nothing hurts, for the safe place to live because it could be much worse.

Here is my wish for us all for 2013:

I hope that this year will bring enlightenment, wisdom, peace, clarity of purpose and unity for the world. I hope we become better human beings and care a little bit more about each other, hate less and love more. I hope we become less selfish and greedy and I hope that the new era of enlightenment stops all the conflicts and purifies our hearts. I hope we become one organism and realize that the world works well only when we are all in balance together.

Much love to all! <3

Halyna

]]> http://www.kamalifetv.com/thoughts/new-year-new-world/feed 0 http://www.kamalifetv.com/exercise-videos/kama-cardio-routine?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kama-cardio-routine http://www.kamalifetv.com/exercise-videos/kama-cardio-routine#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:58:18 +0000 Halyna http://www.kamalifetv.com/?p=1595

Work up a sweat with this easy to learn cardio routine from the Kama workout. Learn a few steps and fun moves, play an upbeat song and do this routine a few times in a row! Do it as a warm up to your workout, it a great total body routine and will get your blood pumping and your body ready for an exercise session.

According to Voltaire “women are afraid of demons, pregnancy and ruined reputation”.  But only the fear of pregnancy is the one fear that modern day women have in common with the women of the 17^th century.

Fear of unplanned pregnancy. British scientists have discovered that number one fear of today’s woman is fear of unplanned pregnancy.  It is surprising because there are so many different methods of contraception out there.

To get rid of this fear you should always openly discuss this topic with your partner and talk about the “what if scenario”. If he avoids this conversation in any way he can, you probably shouldn’t go to bed with him in the first place. Open communication is always key!

Fear of getting fat. Now that’s a phobia many can understand! Interesting enough, this fear is often more present among women who don’t have any extra pounds and have nothing to worry about. The root of this fear goes back to the myth that our success with men depends on our looks. However any psychologist will tell you that the reason we can’t keep a relationship is a result of poor communication skills.

Of course this doesn’t mean that it’s okay to just eat whatever and turn into a whale. However if you feel really comfortable with your curves then who cares about what the scales say? There are many charming and sexy plus size women who have men lining up at their door, same as there are tones of skinny models who are lonely and unhappy.

Love your body, lead a healthy lifestyle, be confident – and a few extra pounds will not get in the way of being a happy gal!

Fear of aging. Yes, unfortunately we can’t stay forever young and beautiful, but it isn’t a reason enough to worry about what will happen in ten, twenty or thirty years.

How to get over this fear? You can get plastic surgery, fill your face with botox and buy all the most expensive anti aging creams. Well that’s one thing you can do, probably not the best idea though, because no matter what you do eventually your age will catch up with you.

Just think about how everything in this life is relative and nothing is absolute. When you were 16 you thought that 30 is “soooo ooooold” and when you are 80 you think that 50 is a youngster!

Don’t think about the numbers. Think about those wonderful old ladies that are full of energy, happy, loved and have ten smiling grandchildren. Stay active and think positive! Optimists always look younger and are overall happier and more attractive.

Fear of never getting married. From back in the day a myth that a woman is only truly happy if she is married keeps on living in our subconscious. The more you are afraid of loneliness the more you act out of desperation and not out of your true desires. You start to forget your true self, allow others to put doubts in your mind and end up doing things for the wrong reasons.

Ladies, if you’re single and genuinely happy to be so, more power to you! There’s absolutely no reason why you need to make a list or explain to anyone why you’re not in a relationship. But if you’re a woman who isn’t enjoying the single life and dreams of finding someone to share your life with, it’s time to get out there, and meet people. There’s nothing wrong in focused dating with a goal in mind.  Make some room for that special someone in your life, free some time for dating, be open minded and learn to compromise and he will come your way!

Fear of being dumped. Again this is a fear that has its roots in the old times. There were the days when a woman couldn’t survive without a man. Times have changed, but we continue to obsess first thinking that we will never meet the one and then that he will leave us. If you are always worrying about such things it must be a nightmare of a life!

Don’t forget that thoughts materialize. If you think about something often it tends to come true. If you constantly think that he will leave you, you are sending him a signal that you aren’t good enough, that you aren’t worthy of him. You are asking for a sad ending!

Believing that you are not worthy of someone can be dangerous. Don’t treat him like he is the center of the universe. Love him, respect him and appreciate him but only if he deserves it. If not, don’t hold on to him like he is the last man on earth.

Love yourself, love life, love people and love will conquer all!

Love yourself, your surroundings and find happiness in little things!

If you stop and look around you can find beauty and magic everywhere. If nothing extraordinary is happening in your life than be happy for somebody else. Somebody you know just gave birth, be happy for them. Somebody has met the love of their life, share their joy. Notice little things that put a smile on your face in your life and your heart’s capacity for love will grow!

Keep a healthy relationship with food!

When you are filled with insecurities, because maybe somebody once has hurt you or you constantly compare yourself to others, you have an unhealthy relationship with your body and with yourself. Instead of being angry with your body when you have again eaten too much, try and enjoy the sensations you experienced.  Say to yourself “Good for me, that means my body really needed it”. When mind isn’t angry at the body, there is no guilt and they speak the same language. They are in harmony with each other. Next time you will not want the amount of calories and it will happen without you even knowing.

Believe in love and it will find you!

Don’t give up on love because you have been hurt. It is a much easier road to let the bad experiences harm you and shrink your heart than to let go. Don’t let your heart get small, when it is small it cannot love the same way! Keep telling yourself that your happiness will find you and your one and only is around the corner. And he will! Family is the one thing that is more important than friends, money and career, because only with them you can be the real vulnerable you. “Family is like a missing piece of a puzzle, once you found it the picture is perfect.” Family is a good goal to have and to reach it you must really believe in love!

Don’t be quick to throw away friendships!

Don’t let one wrong move ruin a friendship that has lasted a long time.  Don’t dwell, don’t stay mad, forgive and forget. Times change and people change. Those who surround us also change. The only wise decision is to be thankful to friends for who they once have been for you, then to hate them and be mad for who they’ve become. And if they don’t act like a friend anymore, perhaps some unfortunate events have made them this way. “If a loyal horse has hurt his foot and tripped, don’t blame the horse, blame the road”. Forgive them and give them another chance!