Finding a Ritual

What is Ritual yoga? And what sets it apart from all the other yoga studios in the sea?

Ritual offers a new spin on yoga, the class is set to the beat of the music vs the traditional flow. The class starts off with a meditation, leading into some warm up moves and then into abs (these hurt- but also I’m like, heyyy abs nice to see you), after some brutal abs you move into a short flow followed by a peak pose and a long flow. The class is truly candle lit, your only light is the little candle glowing in front of you. There’s something about being hidden in the darkness that makes yoga better- personally I’m not the best yogi and I like the illusion that people can’t see me. Real talk, they can 100% see me, I just assume that everyone is too focused on their own yoga.

Ok, so what makes the studio different from Corepower? Both are hot, and involve similar moves (I’m not a yoga expert could not tell you the differences I’m just on my own journey to being flexible). Ritual is a vibe, each week there is an intention that sets the mood for class. The teacher talks about the intention at the beginning of classes and brings it back to the intention throughout class- each teacher putting their own personal spin on it. As someone who hasn’t been practicing yoga for a long time, I didn’t feel completely like an imposter going to class. The studio is warm and welcoming and you feel right at home when you walk in.

I did a 10 day unlimited trial with Ritual, for $50 they offer a 10 day unlimited yoga trial and a free personal lesson. I did 9/10 days and felt very zen afterwards. I went to their hip-hop throwback jams with a new friend from work- it was a fun shakeup to traditional yoga class.

As this is my first workout review, bear with me this ranking system could change as I get better.

Workout Rating (everything is out of 5 stars):

Level of sweat: 4.5- you will definitely get sweaty in this class, and feel like you’ve detoxed. You hold some positions for longer than others so you’ll feel your muscles shake. Each pose has a different level so you’ll be able to find an adjustment that works for you.  The challenge comes from being in the dark, it’s harder to balance and some of the moves are difficult.

Teacher: 4- Generally the teachers are great and are easy to follow. They don’t demo every move which can make it hard to follow along. There is an assistant in every class that demos and offers hands on assists which is super helpful

Studio Vibe: 5- Ritual started in San Fransisco so it gives off a chill west coast vibe.  It’s an all amenity studio so everything is included (towels, mats, water, etc). The staff is friendly and make you feel at home when you walk in. They also have a beauty bar with hair dryers, which makes hustling to work right after 6am class super easy.

To learn more about Ritual click here: https://ritualhotyoga.com/

Have you tried Ritual? Let me know!

What is “All-Chi”?

What is “All-Chi”? Is it “chi” like the yoga meaning of peace or “chi” like Chicago? If you thought either, you are correct. I am a Chicago native so the “chi” means Chicago as well as I’ll be reviewing workouts/ workout gear it also means “chi” as in the yoga chi. The “all” is “all-inclusive” meaning I’m going to try to showcase as many different body types as possible- everyone deserves to feel good in when they’re getting their sweat on, so I’m going to try to curate a list for you.

So where did this weird nugget of an idea come from?

Last year I ran the Chicago marathon and I was looking for a sports bra that would get the girls across the finish line. I wanted something that was cute yet supportive and that my size 32DDD boobs (sorry mom, now the internet knows my bra size). Sounds simple? Nope. I tried on countless sports bras none that really gave the support or aesthetic I was looking for. I could go full support and feel like a matron or go low support and know that my tatas would never make it across that finish line without feeling like they went through an MMA match.  For some reason they don’t just make sports bras that are like your normal bra size, you can’t go into the workout aisle, find your bra size and be done. Every company has a different way of sizing that even when you think you’ve lined it up right it still doesn’t quite fit right.

I figured that I can’t be the only girl who struggles with this, so I created this blog. I’m going to try to give you a cheat sheet of which brands are great for each body type, so you can feel like a million bucks whether you’re getting ready to run a marathon or to Starbucks for a PSL…