Serene Yoga Retreat in Bali, Indonesia
Serenity Eco Guesthouse is a family-run eco center that focuses on providing quality yoga programs that are accessible to all and to operating in a way that is synergistic with it's surroundings. We were impressed by the level of thought and attention that goes into the details of being environmentally friendly throughout this space. I'll talk more about the facilities and practices at Serenity Eco Guesthouse in a future article, but for now, I want to focus on highlighting their Serene Yoga Retreats.
Yogi Entrepreneur Part 3: Dreams Actualizing in Costa Rica (+ GIVEAWAY!)
Hey everyone! This is such an exciting post because literally all of my dreams ever manifested into reality. Pete, Zuko (our black cat) & I are finally in Costa Rica for good! I've talked A LOT on the blog about what I do in Costa Rica, so I won't recap that here but you can check out Part 1 & Part 2 to get caught up! There, I talk about the real estate deal that I was helping to broker, which actually finalized. Pete & I have been hired to manage the property: Hotel Nautilus. For me, it's a very sentimental property, as you will read if you check out Part 1 & Part 2. I will warn you that these series are a bit "wordier" than other posts on the blog. The reason for that is because so many people ask me HOW I get to live the life I live and I want to describe the process vividly. It's about ACTION & HARD WORK, and this series has chronicled some of what went into making this dream come true.
Psst... GIVEAWAY BELOW!
The Fashion of Yoga #8
Spring & summer looks are in full effect and I'm loving what I'm seeing in the evolution of yoga fashion. Today, I have looks from Jala Clothing, Karma Athletics, Pheel Style & Karma Collective. You'll see the sexiest one-piece that can be worn for yoga, SUP, to surf, swim & more, a classy sweater top that can easily be worn out, a sparkly bra & a lovely mala bracelet stack that's the perfect accessory to wear to the studio & then out.
PLUS, a new tea from Your Tea that I'm in LOVE with! It's divine.
Travel Diary Days 44 - 51: Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) & Vung Tau Beach, Vietnam
After our time in Cambodia, we headed to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam for 3 days & Vung Tau Beach for 4 days. We were very excited to see what Vietnam would be like, as we heard various things from travelers along the way (everyone has an opinion to share). I don't want to spoil the story, but overall, Vietnam was our favorite place that we visited! On the next Travel Diary, I'll talk about Hoi An, a charming ancient town that we adored & Hanoi.
This Travel Diary focuses on Ho Chi Minh City, which is still often referred to as Saigon - especially by the locals that we talked to.
I cover about the southern beach town of Vung Tau, which is interesting in it's own way. It was definitely a rich cultural experience. I am confident we will visit Vietnam again and spend more time there exploring.
The Fashion of Yoga #7: Yogi Surprise Jewelry Subscription Box
Have you heard of a Yogi Surprise box? It's a subscription box full of lovely conscious, health-inspired surprises! I started receiving them and it's so exciting! Each month, you get a new box (either a Lifestyle and/or a Jewelry box) with new goodies from different brands. I've received the March and the April jewelry boxes so far and I'm in love! The jewelry box has two pieces of jewelry and a piece of vegan chocolate (score!). I'm sort of a chocolate-oholic lately so this is a huge bonus for me. I'm sort of a chocolate snob! Anyone else out there particular about their chocolate bars?
Today, I'm featuring Yogi Surprise as we open up the March box and see what's inside. These cute boxes of love and awesomeness are sent out once a month so you can sign up in time for May!
Travel Diary Days 41 - 43: Siem Reap & Angkor Wat, Cambodia (Temple Photo Gallery)
The Temple Complex of Angkor Wat was built from the 6th to the 12th century (I also read 9th - 15th) and is steeped in history. There's far too much history to cover in this post, but there's plenty of information on-line about the rich and tumultuous history of the Khmer people and of Cambodia. It's worth researching and visiting if you've never been (Cambodia, in general, and Angkor Wat, for sure). Angkor Wat is probably the most popular tourist destination in Cambodia, from what I gathered, but there's definitely plenty else to see and enjoy. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Cambodia.
The Fashion of Yoga #6
Hey there! Back with more yoga fashion today. I'm loving the new spring collections that are coming out. As yoga continues to grow in popularity in the West, yoga and fitness apparel brands continue to evolve, with trends focusing on functionality and style appeal. I've owned my fair share of leggings. Today, I had the urge to wash all of my clothes - there's not much to wash... I don't have much aside from yoga clothing! Plus we were traveling for 3 months and someone was living in our house so I need to clear all the energy.
Anyway, as I was folding my leggings, I was able to think about each pair. Each has a different symbolic meaning on this journey of yoga and spiritual growth of mine and I love the different feminine aspects that each piece embodies. As yoga fashion continues to evolve, it's been cool to witness the progression of certain brands from their start to where they are now. Overall, I see brands using thicker, classier fabrics; classic cuts with hints of style and flair; prints from all over and your basic solids (black yoga clothing is always in style, and white pants are now my new fave!); supportive styles that compliment curves; and a commitment to style overall. Some looks come and go, some classics stay the same.
Yoga and fitness fashion is important because we deserve to look and feel good as we go from place to place during our day. From studio, to store, to lunch or coffee shop... I even wear many of my favorite fashion pieces in combination with other pieces to create looks for the evening.
Today, I have 4 new brands to feature today! Below, you'll find looks from Pheel Style, Malabella Jewels, Shakti Activewear & Arenose Swimwear. A gorgeous pair of leggings, a healing, magical, calming mala, a super-cute fruit hot yoga outfit & a sexy bikini await you. Plus, gorgeous photography and scenery, as always & links to shop.
Travel Diary Days 36 - 40: Elephant Nature Park in Cambodia (Video)
Pete and I had the pleasure of experiencing 5 days at Elephant Nature Park in Cambodia. It was one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences of our lives. Elephant Nature Park is an elephant rescue and rehabilitation center (based in Northern Thailand, with projects in Cambodia & Myanmar as well). Volunteers come from all over to help and visit. They have executed dozens of rescues all over Southeast Asia, allowing for these sentient creatures to live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort.
The Fashion of Yoga #5
We are home from our 3-month adventure around Southeast Asia, and I have so many new lovely items to feature from around the world! I am happy to be home and will be working diligently to update the blog frequently. Sign up for the newsletter down below if you haven't yet as I will be sending out many updates on changes happening in my life! More exciting stuff is around the corner.
In this issue of The Fashion of Yoga, I'm showing off some pieces from Karma Athletics, Jala Clothing, Karma Collective (a mala), and MI OLA Swimwear (a mermaid bikini)! You'll find stylish and high-quality leggings, the sexiest dance-inspired leggings around, a powerful and cleansing mala, and a fabulous bikini fit for your mermaid lifestyle. With summer around the corner, it's perfect for SUP Yoga and surfing
Travel Diary Days 26 - 35: Vagabond Temple in Sihanoukville, Cambodia
Pete & I had the pleasure of spending 9 amazing & enriching days at Vagabond Temple in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We feel so blessed for the experiences we had there, and they have followed us on our journey through Southeast Asia. We feel more spiritually connected, we have a deeper understanding of yoga and Buddhism, we were spoiled with delicious homemade vegan food, and we felt (and still feel) part of the close & welcoming community that is Vagabond Temple.
Travel Diary Days 21 - 25: Koh Samui, Thailand & Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Hey there! We spent a fabulous 5 days on the beautiful island of Koh Samui in Thailand. After that, we flew from Koh Samui to Bangkok and then to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to get ready for our next adventure! Before I get too ahead of myself, let's check out some of the Koh Samui highlights!
Gone Natural Part 2: Menstrual Cycle (+ Giveaway!)
If you follow my blog, you know that I strive to live as naturally as possible! Like most people, I'm not PERFECT and I'm still navigating the different areas of my life that could use a touch-up. One area that's bothered me for a long time is my menstrual cycle. I've managed to ditch birth control and follow a natural method, which I'll talk about in another post of the Gone Natural series, so that's all set. However, I wanted to figure out a way to ditch tampons (read on for a giveaway!).
Travel Diary Days 12 - 20: Koh Phangan, Thailand
We spent a lovely couple of weeks on the island of Koh Phangan, Thailand. We were able to recover from the rush of island hopping. We went to the Full Moon Party (I covered the party on my blog and talked about the intense trash problem, so if you missed that, make sure to check it out and sign my petition to the Thailand government to deal with this issue!). My parents joined us for a period of time. I celebrated my 29th birthday. We enjoyed a few different vegan restaurants. I did some yoga. Pete and I experienced an amazing Theta healing session. That's how we spent our time on the island in a nutshell! Now let's get into some details.
Koh Phangan's Destructive & Debaucherous Full Moon Party
I figured the full moon would be towards the end of January, and researched exactly when the party would be. I don't like to do too much on-line research about the places I'm going to visit, as I don't like expectations. If I'm guided somewhere, I go there and let myself experience it in the moment - simple as that. I found that the party would be close to when we would be visiting the island of Koh Phangan. I put that down on the calendar and started planning our trip around the Full Moon Party that was to happen January 23rd, 2016. Naturally, I wanted to go to the party, envisioning in to be a spiritual and enlightening experience.
Not to spoil the story, but spiritual and enlightening it definitely was not...
The Fashion of Yoga #4
I wanted to share some essential pieces that I brought along with me (although some were photographed in San Clemente, California). You can see daily pictures of our journey on my Instagram page (follow @rima_danielle). This edition of The Fashion of Yoga includes a mala accessory, yoga leggings from an up and coming brand, and more bikinis! Let's check it out!
Travel Diary Days 7 - 11: Phuket, Lanta, Phi Phi, Tao - Thailand Island Hopping
After close to a week of hard volunteer work at Eco-Logic Yoga Retreat Center, Pete and I were ready for some R&R! Due to the scheduling of our trip (the dates we were at the center and the Full Moon party in Koh Phangan on 1/23 that I wanted to go to), we only had a few days in between to explore the various islands. My parents are coming soon so we will be with them in Koh Phangan and Koh Samui for longer periods of time. Prior to the trip, we deliberated with either choosing 1 - 2 islands for the 5 day stretch or trying to see a few of them and hopping around. We chose the latter because we weren't able to decide what to nix out, and we really wanted to experience all of the popular islands. A few people told us that we were doing it too fast, and in hindsight, I have to agree.
Travel Diary Days 3 - 6: Volunteering at TCDF Eco-Logic Yoga Retreat
Eco-Logic Yoga Retreat and TCDF (Thai Child Development Foundation) are located in Pak Song, near Ranong in Thailand. Their tag line is "Yoga for Charity" because the retreat center is set up to support the projects of the Thai Child Development Foundation. Each stay supports the foundation and their efforts directly.
Travel Diary Days 1 & 2: Bangkok, Thailand
We arrived late to The Yard Hostel at 3 am (or really early, depending on how you look at it). Pete (the hubs) and I hit the sack, both extremely jet lagged yet anxious and wired! We woke around 8:30 and headed down for breakfast and lots of coffee.
6 Instagram Tips for Better Yoga Pictures
I've met many friends in real life that I initially met on Instagram (some of my closest friends actually!). I've traveled with them, laughed with them, created with them, and confided in them. Social media may seem silly to many, but it's ability to connect vast amounts of people from across the world within similar communities is unparalleled. Leveraging social media gives many brands that extra edge over their competition, regardless of the industry. When thinking about the yoga community, what is it that makes some yoga profiles better than others?
The Fashion of Yoga #3
The hubby and I will be taking off for Thailand in 9 short days! WOW! We're going to be backpacking Southeast Asia for 2 and a half months total. I can't believe it! Check back often as I'll be blogging daily!
We're hitting the southern islands of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Northern Thailand, and finishing in and around Bali! To prepare for our amazing adventure, I've been scoping out some super sexy bikini companies and I'm stoked on what I've found! I want to share these finds with you! Whether you're looking for chic, feminine designs or sexy support for surfing (or both), there's a little bit of everything. I'll be rolling the pieces out over the next month or so, and there's two included below! There's also plenty of yoga fashion, of course.