  WelcOMe to my monthly coaching feature! I'm excited to announce a new feature on my blog each month that highlights one amazing coach/instructor that you MUST check out. Personally, I am always on the hunt wherever I travel and even locally for fantastic coaches, new tips, and how to improve as an athlete. I am delighted to share with you the best of the best instructors to hear and learn more from them out of the CrossFit Box or yoga studio!!! Meet Dave Torpy! Dave is one of my favorite coaches and manager at my home CrossFit affiliate, CrossFit Adaptation. Check out more about Dave below! How did you start coaching ?- I had always enjoyed training and teaching in my former career and the transition to full-time coaching seemed right. I had great coaches take an interest in my goals and worked with me for many hours, which I greatly appreciated. It is both challenging and rewarding to work with adult, motivated, and informed people, even more so in this setting. What are your favorite fitness books, websites, trainings, or resources for coaching? There is so much on-line with many people weighing in on CrossFit. What’s new, what works, what’s the next best approach. So filtering what is decent is an important and difficult task. I currently enjoy the websites Barbell Shrugged, T-Nation, G-Wod, and the Journal. I also like to use Supple Leopard as a kind of a textbook at times. What tips would you give to new and/or experienced CrossFitters? New or veteran to CrossFit, it’s vital to have goals. Whether large or small, they should be reasonable to you as well as challenging. There is so much to accomplish in CrossFit, which makes it both appealing and frustrating. If it’s not strength, it’s mobility. If it’s not gymnastics, it’s double-unders. Looking at this as a longer journey in fitness and for good health - with dedication in its time and adapting with those goals. Scaling can be the smartest thing you do at the gym in a day. Not scaling can be a huge momentary set back, both athletically and emotionally. How do you balance your role as a coach and parent?Having two young girls (5 & 7), we are no more challenged as parents than any other parents who work full-time. Being involved in an affiliate’s day-to-day can be time-consuming. Limits have to be set, and time spent with kids is paramount. But CrossFit is important to us. Being healthy, exercising, eating well, and relaying that info to kids – both verbally and by example - is our life-long goal with them. Plus, having girls who inherently may be exposed to the body image issues so many girls battle with, an active environment like a CrossFit gym sends a rather clear message: no matter height, weight, age, background, hair & eye color, or ability – women can be beautiful by being athletic, by being strong, by being fast, by being whatever you’re good at or dedicated to. How do you find strength outside of CrossFit (mentally or physically)? I think being in the CrossFit world can be completely consuming. For some, that’s their Zen, their outlet and where they feel most comfortable. Others, it’s a way of release, a kind of personal commitment to fitness that’s challenging and intense. But I’ve always needed strength outside of the gym. As much as I enjoy the atmosphere, the coaching, and the people, I need that small family unit. I let that be my Zen, and our small family provides that. Finisher: Words to inspire or live by? Take an active role in your health & fitness. It’s not a regrettable effort. 
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One of the biggest reasons, I started to use essential oils was because I deal with pain or hearing about "pain or being sore" every time I step on the yoga mat to teach. I was looking for a product that I could trust to use with clients that I knew would work successfully and naturally. I'm asked a lot why I chose Young Living over many other essential oils, products, supplements, you name and I'll tell you why; "Seed to Seal." From the time the seed is sourced until the oil is sealed in the bottle, Young Living applies the most rigorous quality controls possible to ensure that you are receiving essential oils exactly the way nature intended. Read more below on the process the oils undergo in order to pass the quality guarantee!   Knowing that the product that I was using on clients, myself, and my own family had this guarantee was a huge selling point for me. Unlike oils that I had previously purchased in natural food markets, I could tell as soon as I opened these oils that they were high quality.
Never tried or used essential oils before? Let's put it like this. Have you ever eaten pancakes with a low quality syrup and then tasted pancakes with a high quality syrup? Can you tell which one actually comes from a tree? The content is broken down, it still may taste like syrup, but there is a huge difference in taste, texture, feel, as well as additives that are hard to digest and break down in your stomach. Essential oils through Young Living are tested, sealed, and therapeutic grade, so the quality is the best and will work much more effectively than brands that may be found cheaper in a natural food store at a lower price that have been broken down or claim to be "pure" when they are not. Here's a recipe using two of the oils that come in the Premium Starter Kit to help aid in pain reduction Pain Cream My favorite use for clients that complain about "pain" is to give them a natural and homemade "Pain Cream" using three of the best essential oils (PanAway, Peppermint, and Valor) for relief. Pain Cream1/2 cup coconut oil 10 drops of each: Valor Panaway (included in Premium Starter Kit) Peppermint (included in Premium Starter Kit) Do you still have added inflammation? Try Copaiba alone with a carrier oil or add 10 drops of lemon grass essential oil. Questions? Email me at [email protected]. Ready to order oils? Click here. 
NEW YEAR, NEW YOU DEAL!
One of my favorite ways to design my yoga classes, CrossFit articles in BoxLife Magazine, or share tips is to enjoy a home yoga practice. I use all of my essential oils from Young Living in my home and am thrilled to share some of my favorite yoga sequences and ways to use oils in a yoga practice at home, while traveling, or in the office that I can now share with YOU. Jump start your fitness routine by signing up for the Premium Starter Kit (learn more here) and get a special BONUS gift from me with 6 Online Yoga classes that combine essential oils and suggestions for how to diffuse for the practice. Here's how to get the deal: Sign-up for a Premium Starter Kit by clicking here BONUS: Once you sign-up for your kit, I'll send you an email with more information on using your oils and how to access the online videos. You'll get unlimited video access to the content, which include how to use oils in each practice. All of the videos can be done individually or put two of your favorite series together for a longer sequence or to target specific areas. Here's what you'll get in the 6 Online Yoga Videos: Short Meditation for Focus: start or end your day with this meditation combining essential oils for focus and clarity. Restore, Relax, + Unwind Bedtime Yoga Flow: designed to help you sleep better, and longer combines essential oils that help aid in relaxation and sleep. If you have trouble winding down after a long day or are stressed and need a slow flow practice this is guaranteed to create relaxation. Tension Releasing Shoulder Series: tight from a long day sitting in the front of the computer, a hard work out, or taking care of someone else all day? Combining essential oils to aid in opening up the shoulders this practice will take the pain away from your shoulders. Foundations of Flexibility: Loosen the Hamstrings: Hello hamstrings! Designed to find flexibility in one of the most overused and under stretched parts of our bodies this practice will create balance in one of the hardest to reach body parts. Uses essential oils for energy and focus. Standing and Seated Poses for Hips and Lower Back: Sit, stand, and move with more ease with this series of strong standing hip openers and seated hip and low back poses to relieve tension. Combines essential oils for opening and releasing tight muscles while adding Joy to help let go of tension in our bodies. Detox Flow: Twist and Arm Balance Athletic Sequence: A fast, standing sequence great for early in the morning to get you moving or on a day when your energy is low. Twist, arm balance, and flow with this athletic sequence designed to leave you sweaty and energized combining essential oils for energy and focus. Questions? Drop me a note at [email protected]. See you on the mat in 2015! Kat Buechel, E-200RYT/RYT500  I've been asked a lot lately three questions when talking to friends, family, and clients about essential oils: 1) What are essential oils? 2) How do you use essential oils? and 3) What's the best way to get started? This post is to help answer many of your questions and give you more information on the Premium Starter Kit and essential oils 101!
Let's get something straight first. I've always dabbled in essential oils and aromatherapy. What I've never found is a product that promises 100% "seed to seal" guarantee like Young Living. As a yoga teacher who aids in stress reduction and relaxation it makes sense to use aromatherapy in classes and personal sessions. Think about the last time you went into a nice hotel or went to a spa. When you walk in you automatically feel at ease and more relaxed. Imagine if you could create a similar environment in your own home or office just by diffusing essential oils. Plus, there are health benefits for using them to stay healthier without using over the counter medicine. With more friends and family going paleo to get rid of processed foods, drink more water, and returning to a natural way of fitness through functional movement it only makes sense to look at introducing natural products into our daily lives. Read more below on what some common uses for essential oils are and how they might help you! What are essential oils? Essential Oils are the aromatic, volatile liquids found in shrubs, flowers, trees, roots, bushes, and seeds and are extracted through steam distillation, hydrodistillation, or coldpressed extraction. They are highly concentrated and far more potent than dried herbs. They’ve been around for thousands of years, used for healing during Biblical times, and have regained popularity in the past few decades. One of my clients during a yoga class recently remarked, "it makes total sense to use oils for cleaning and aid in health it's talked about in the Bible." Yes, just like we "forgot" what it was like to eat a clean diet such as the paleo lifestyle (fruits, seeds, nuts, meat, and veggies) because modern society processes food it's the same with many of the products we have in our homes today. We forget that sometimes the new way is not the better way and forget to return to the basics of healthy living. There are many natural ways to use oils that will not introduce toxins into your home to provide a safer and cleaner living. Here’s the short version of what is an essential oil: The chemistry of an essential oil is very complex! They consist of hundreds of different chemical compounds, including terpenes, esters,oxides, alcohols, phenols, ketones, and aldehydes…….each uniquely responsible for various roles. Terpenes – inhibit toxin accumulation and discharge them from liver and kidneys Esters – anti-fungal, calming, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral Oxides – expectorant, antiseptic, anesthetic Alcohols – antiseptic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, stimulate immune system Phenols – fragrance, antiseptic, anti-bacterial, Ketones – stimulate cell regeneration, loosen mucous Aldehydes – anti-infectious, sedative, topical irritants, calming when inhaled For example: Lavender essential oil has 40% linalyl acetate which is an ester. Studies have shown linalyl acetate to be anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-viral and a sedative. So it makes sense to take advantage of these properties by using lavender essential oil for sleep and first aid! How do you use essential oils? The biggest question I get all of the time is how do you have time to figure out how to use oils? If you know me, you know there's always a lot on plate and if I can do it and LOVE it. So can you. It's not that hard. TRUST ME!! You can use them topically, aromatically, and by ingesting. Here are some common uses for essential oils that come in the Premium Starter Kit: • Frankincense: anxiety, swelling, scrapes, stretch marks, scars, wrinkles, sun spots, breathing issues, warts, stress• Joy: stress, sadness, sleep issues, stinky laundry, emotional imbalance, heightened emotion, grief, emotional pain, hyperactivity • Lavender: stress, scrapes, pains, sleep issues, cuts sunburn, burns, headaches, dry skin, bacteria, cramps, fevers • Lemon: bloating, lethargy, energy loss, anxiety, brittle hair and nails, household dirt and grime, infections, mouth sores, cough, insect bites, removing stickers/stickiness from non-plastic surfaces • PanAway: sore muscles, swelling, sciatic pain, stiffness, damaged tissue, bruising, joint pain, headache, pressure • Peppermint: colds, fever, headache, lethargy, sunburn, constipation, congestion, indigestion, stress, soreness, odors, gas, hot flashes • Purification: bloating, insect bites, cuts, sore throat, household odors, smelly laundry, infections, scrapes, acne, dirty air • Thieves: viruses, household dirt & grime, colds, cold sores, sore throat, cuts, bacteria, poison ivy, flu, tooth aches, infection • Melaleuca: ear infections, lice, rashes, bug bites, sunburn, burns, inflammation, ringworm, acne, asthma, warts, skin tags, moles. • Citrus fresh: purify air, uplift mood, used in detox/weight loss trio What's the best way to get started? If you’ve never used Young Living’s essential oils before, this kit really is the perfect introduction. Not only is it the most cost-effective way (priced at about 50% off retail) to try a wide variety of multipurpose oils, but there are so many uses for this kit! The kit includes 11 of the most popular and versatile oils, a Home Diffuser, 2 NingXia sample packets, and 10 Sample Packets (2 each of 5 of the Everyday Oils) for you to share with friends, or use yourself! Interested? Drop me a note at [email protected] or Sign up here! I know you'll love these oils as much as I do. |
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