Tag Archives: #zenyogagarage

Free Workouts in the New Year: Part 2

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In the new year, would you prefer barefoot or lacing up your kicks for a jog?  Either way we got you covered (and for cheap too!) with Part 2 of our Free Workouts in the New Year blog.

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Running

Fleet Feet Run Clubs

With 9 different Chicago area locations, you could run with friendly folks every day of the week.  Fleet Feet fun runs include themed runs like Chick’s Night, Pint Night as well as new running gear demo events.

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Shake Shack monthly runs

Looking for Pavlovian fitness techniques?  Trendy burger chain, Shake Shack, hosts monthly fun runs on the second Tuesday of every month with a twist.  Your reward for running: A free shake, beer or discounted burger!  Details here.

City Fit Girls

Starting in Philly and imported to Chicago, City Fit Girls strives to give women and comfortable and supportive environment for stretching their running legs.  Chicago fun runs are Wednesdays at 6:30 pm in Lincoln Park.  More information available here.

Yoga

Community Yoga

Chicago has an infinite amount of yoga studios and many of them aim to give back to community with donation based or free yoga classes.  Our top choices are Zen Yoga Garage (Logan Square), Tejas Yoga (South Loop) and Pilsen Yoga Tribe (Pilsen) at Thalia Hall.

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Yoga at your fave clothing store

Whether you rock Lululemon, Athleta or Lole, each of these clothing stores encourage community yoga with weekly or monthly free yoga and strength training events.

Yoga With Adriene

This talented Texan yogi is friendly, silly and cares enough to share the gift of yoga classes with us!  She is currently running a YouTube 30 day Yoga Camp to your daily yoga flow fluidly flowing.

 

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AMped and Gilt City Present Sound Off Yoga!

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Did you ever wish you could block out the noise of the world around you? Accessorize your yoga with sound proof headphones and merge the beauty of the city with the quiet of nature. Join Gilt City, AMped and Sound Off on Saturday September 19th for bending, balancing, brunching and rooftoping it up on the gorgeous Vertigo Sky Lounge.  Bring your mat (the event is BYOM) and your hunger while you leave your stress at home!

Your ticket gets you ALL these goodies!

  • Admission for one to AMped x Sound Off Summer Series Open Air Rooftop Yoga Experience led by Zen Yoga Garage on Vertigo’s Rooftop on September 19, 2015 (9:30 or 12:30 time slots)
  • Coconut water by Vita Coco (mmm we are hoping for the coffee kind)
  • Healthy bars from KIND (yum coconut almond!)
  • Australian yoghurt from Noosa Yoghurt
  • Bottled water by Essentia (Alkaline water to promote a healthy PH)
  • Dried super fruit by Sant
  • Organic juices from Organic Girl
  • Coffee from Passion House Coffee
  • Organic, chia-based drinks by MammaChia
  • Chair massages by Body Works
  • Complimentary mimosa courtesy of Vertigo Sky Lounge
  • Noise-isolating headphones bring the DJ and teacher directly to you sans cab honks and construction clamor.

Ticket sales end in 3 days so don’t wait. Get rid of your case of the Mondays by dreaming about this relaxing Saturday!

Gilt City’s AMped x Sound Off Experience

A Holly Jolly Holiday Gift Guide

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A Chi Organic Girls Holiday Gift Guide

Is it just us or did the holiday season creep up on us like those giant spiders in the new Hobbit movie?  We’ve been feeling the adrenaline of the season, hitting the streets in our snow boots and clicking away with our mouses in a fury of gift giving.  OMGS Christmas is only 4 days a way!  The biggest dilemma we’ve been facing: How to find that one of a kind perfect gift for the foodie, fit fanatic or Chicago adventurer.  Holiday gift guide to the rescue!!

Do you have an artist in your life?  How about Grizzclay by Chuck Borchers, a Deaf artist who has been experimenting with clay for several years now at Lillstreet Art Center.  These one-of-a-kind bowls can make a great centerpiece for a new home or a fancy fruit bowl to liven up a blah kitchen.

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Grizzclay by Chuck Borchers

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Grizzclay by Chuck Borchers

Something for your highly caffeinated friends?  We recommend Bowtruss Coffee Roasters, located in River North and Lakeview.  One of Chicago’s bustling micro-roasters, their bean blends offer complex flavor profiles like cherry or apple undertones.  Read more about our experience at Bowtruss here.

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For foodies, check out recommendations of Chicago food experts (including ours) in the Chicago Food Bloggers Holiday Gift Guide.  For example, We love Vosges Haut-Chocolat, with boutiques located in downtown, Lincoln Park and of all places, O’Hare Airport.  Pick up a custom box of regional truffles (think Mexican coco dusted in chili) or an exotic chocolate bar, like the newly released Coconut Ash and Banana Dark chocolate bar.  For your veggie and vegan peeps, try Chicago Diner with a gift card for a tasty “I can’t believe it’s vegan” shake or have your friends rep their veg style with a Chicago Diner t-shirt.  Click here for more food gift ideas.

Fit Fanatics: For a yoga lover or to help someone get off their asana (haha) and get fit, gift them one week of unlimited classes at  Zen Yoga Garage (plus first-timers automatically get one week free pass with a coupon).  Learn more about this 2013 new hotspot here.

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Zen Yoga Garage

And for a more one-on-one fitness focus, how about some serious calorie crushing sessions with our fave certified personal trainer, Sabri Xhaferi, NASM CPT.  Sabri offers nutritional counseling, myofascial (muscular relaxation) techniques, and one-on-one highly individualized personal training with flexible payment arrangements.  Email sabriCPT@gmail.com and find more background info here.  You can also grab some healthy tips on his Facebook page.

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Sabri Xhaferi, CPT
Photo courtesy Ela Miszczyszyn

Oh and for fun fun fun person in your life: The Chicago donut scene has been rolling (like a rolling pin, get it?) this year.  For the fun chasing type, how about tickets to the first ever batter-y, deep-fried Donut Fest in Chicago on Jan 26th!  Tickets are on sale Monday, Dec 23rd at noon.  For more info  http://donutfest.com

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Glazed & Infused Donuts and Firecakes Donuts

Whew!  It’s time to break our the tape, scissors, and wrapping paper and get these gifts in the sleigh!

What are your recs for Chicago’s best gifts?  Where do you eat, sweat and play?

FREE YOGA and National Yoga Month: Get it to get Hawt!

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September is not only the start of fabulous fall in Chicago but also National Yoga Month.  As the hustle and bustle of school and work picks back up, yoga can bring the chill feel of summer back into your life.  Read about the 10 benefits of Yoga at alignyo.com.

The Yoga Health Foundation is a major player in this push to inspire people to practice yoga and create a more balanced lifestyle.  They also offer one free week at  a variety of participating yoga studios – click here to find one near you.

We signed up to try Bend Yoga Studio, which just moved to a new West Town location, and will be offering a full relaxed report soon!  Many other Chi Town Yoga studios get into the action of celebrating National Yoga Month as well.

For the past two years, we’ve clamored to attend Exhale Spa‘s NamasDay event.  Exhale is a high end combo spa/studio that offers traditional yoga as well as barre and fusion classes.  For NamasDay, Exhale goes all out for guests with mini spa treatments, healthy treats, and cutting edge classes.

NamasDay @ Exhale Spa

Exhale

So where can you get your Yoga hook up?

Which category do you fit in?

A) Are you wearing fitness clothes and ready to socialize?

B) Are you wearing PJs and can barely drag yourself towards the TV?

If you’re an A, Try:

1) Corepower Yoga offers a free week to all new students.   You must like it hot as they are heated classes.

2) Zen Yoga Garage, one of our favsies, gives a free week to newbies as well.  Check out our previous blog for more info.

3) Lululemon and Athleta stores are a go to for the once in awhile yogi.  Search for your local store for exact classes and hours.  They give your weekend a boost with Saturday/Sunday classes.

If you’re a B, Try:

…Not drooling on yourself!  Get up and exercise that booty!

Free online yoga in those cute cow pajamas:

1) doyogawithme.com-There is a huge library of classes for beginners to advanced students.  You also have the option to buy a class for repeat views if you like it.

2) Alignyo turns a homebody into an “ohmbody” with featured classes from celebrity teachers.  They surround you with other yogic interests such as interviews, yoga digs, and health tips.

3) Youtube, baby!  Just search for yoga.  Jillian Michael’s butt kicking yoga classes are on there as well as anything from Kudalini to Vinyasa style yoga.  Tickle your fancy for whatever works in those monkey slippers you’re wearing.

Of course, we will keep the yoga party going long after September is over.  Where is your secret place to score some free yoga?  We are a community, after all!

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New to the Mat: Zen Yoga Garage

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With a multitude if yoga studios in Chicago, how does a brand new yoga business set itself apart?

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Zen Yoga Garage is unassumingly tucked on Milwaukee avenue in between Western and Leavitt. The stand out feature? It is literally housed in a garage space.

The studio features 2 pristine studios; one which maintained the garage door format that can be cracked open during classes to allow the summer sun and breezes in, and the other which has windows that peek into the alley way.

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The most attractive feature of the studio were teaching staff. Each class that we took during our free week was delivered with care and attention. The teachers were were quick to correct form and helped challenge yet also relax members. Class offerings range from the traditional vinyasa classes to the heated weight bearing Yoga Buddha Burn class to a barre yoga class. Owner, Piper Parker, also teaches and provides a welcoming and warm vibe, making it accessible for those new to yoga.

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