We can likely all agree that this has been one of the craziest years we’ve experienced. We’ve all learned a lot about ourselves, our priorities, and our stresses. When we find ourselves in times of increased challenge, we tend to learn the most about what we actually need in order to maintain our wellbeing and preserve the best possible versions of ourselves.

With only a number of weeks remaining this year, we are determined to make the best of what we’ve got left. Here are the top ten ways we’re making the best of the rest of 2020.

Life is inevitable, but stress is not. The way that we react to difficult situations becomes the moment where we can choose whether or not to allow stress to surface. To help you strengthen your resistance to stressful thoughts and feelings, we’ve developed a defense plan that works like a charm.

Move it Whether you’re sweating it out or stretching it out, physical movement is a great way to channel whatever energy you’d normally put towards stress, into something productive and healthy. Release your tension and try some Power Yoga for a dynamic and positive sweat session or Chill Yoga to wind down and mentally disconnect. Stressed for time? HIIT 30 is a half hour of non-stop movement that will leave you feeling exhilarated.

As we mark the one-year anniversary of Exhale’s integration into the World of Hyatt Program, we are giving you a set-by-step breakdown of what being a part of this program means for our guests, and how becoming part of it effortlessly maximizes the value of your day-to-day wellbeing. The simplicity and seamlessness of the earning/redeeming process makes it not only easy to earn, but seriously

By exhale co-founder, Fred DeVito 1.  Maximize calorie burn and weight control Look for workouts like exhale Barre that raise your metabolic rate and stoke up your calorie burn around the clock. A one-hour run will burn a lot of calories during that hour, but you need to consider what you are burning the other 23 hours of the day. 2. Balance Your Workouts The muscular system, unlike all of the other systems of the body, does not automatically find balance – but you can balance your body with a mix of strength, cardio, and flexibility. In exhale classes, we balance your muscles with equal amounts of strength, cardio, and flexibility so you can get your best results

In honor of National Women’s History Month, we are passing the mic over to Exhale’s powerhouse CEO/founder. Annbeth Eschbach is an industry pioneer, a bona fide leader and an inspiring example of where hard work and passion can take you.How do you feel Exhale inspires women? I hope Exhale inspires guests to make wellbeing a central part of everyday life.   Who inspires you? I am inspired every day by the leaders, teachers, technicians, and associates at Exhale. We get to hear an “enlightened friend” anecdote every month on our monthly leadership call. The stories of associates that have gone above and beyond to inspire our guests and one another — are one of the most rewarding moments in my work life. 

  You’re working hard towards your fitness goals. You have a vision in sight, and the motivation to get there. You’ve tuned up your diet, built time into your day for exercise, and you’ve made the switch from soda to water. Great! But did you build rest into your routine?   A rest day is the one day of the week when you deliberately don’t work out or push yourself hard. Both awake and asleep, rest is important to your fitness goals because it allows your muscles and cardiovascular system to recover and rebuild. Working hard every day to reach your goals without rest may feel like the most productive path, however, it can actually lead to overtraining and injury. So, what should you do on your day off?   Active Rest Days If you’re the type of person that can’t sit still on a day off, you might want to consider planning a bit of active rest into your day. This will allow you to “clean” your muscles of any built-up lactic acid and get in tune with your body at a slower pace. Over time, as your fitness improves, you may even be able to incorporate more intense exercise on a rest day, because it will take more work to raise your heart rate. Keep the following in mind on your active rest days:   • Keep the pace low: You should be able to hold a conversation during active rest activities. A very light jog, hike, or bike ride are all great ideas.   • Watch your heart rate: Below 130 BPM is a normal target. Anything above that can trigger hormones to release which are associated with physical stress, canceling out your goal of recovery.  

by Edward Vilga There’s an ancient parable about blind men encountering an elephant for the first time. Each feels a different part of the animal––tusk, side, legs, tail, etc.––and each has a completely different take on what he’s experienced. Depending on one’s version of the story, they either come to blows or remain baffled, each person convinced they’ve tasted the absolute truth, yet each confined to his limited experience. The same can be said about experiencing yoga for the first time — you may have heard a lot about its benefits — ranging from increased flexibility to sweaty calorie burning and strength building, to deepened serenity — but you aren’t quite sure where to begin. In fact, yoga classes at Exhale range from offering something deeply sweaty (like POWER), to emphasizing graceful and expansive movement (like FLOW), to exploring stillness and ease (CHILL). How is it that so much can fall under this very broad “Yoga Umbrella?” Indeed, it’s fascinating that something as rigorously demanding as Power (where students could be holding forearm plank for a minute or attempt a challenging push-up variation) to Chill (where 90% of the class is spent lying down and using props), can share the label of YOGA. And yet, oddly the distinctions seem to be relatively minor, given the stronger commonalities the classes share. First and foremost, in any yoga class, there’s a strong and continuous emphasis on BREATH. While in other Exhale classes such as Barre or HIIT, the breath might be mentioned, it’s not usually a continuous part of the instruction. In yoga, however, it’s absolutely central. In Flow and Power, I’m calling out “Inhale” and “Exhale” pretty much every moment, particularly in the sun salutation flow. In Chill, I’m continually bringing the breath into the class’ awareness while holding a deeply still pose or while offering a guided meditation. Blog_0415 Another hallmark of what “makes yoga, yoga” is obviously an emphasis on stretching and increased FLEXIBILITY, even though that can look quite different in each type of class. (One aside: by far, the most common objection I hear about someone NOT taking yoga is that they aren’t flexible enough; ironically, that’s EXACTLY the reason they should begin practicing. No matter what your starting point is — even if when bending over, your fingertips are in a different zip code than your toes — yoga will meet you where you are and allow you to expand and lengthen over time.)

Young woman doing Uttanasana exercise

Interestingly, increased flexibility can be obtained no matter the style of yoga practice. In POWER or FLOW, one warms the body up through movement, allowing for deeper stretching, particularly towards the end of a class. In CHILL,

Everything you want to know about Exhale’s Floating Meditation, straight from the creator, Elisabeth Halfpapp. Plus, a special Meditation Month offer at the bottom of this post!   A weightless surrendering to yourself as you tune out and float effortlessly in a 30-minute guided meditation with your body being held and supported in a silk hammock.   The first time I experienced this relaxing, calming effect was at Miraval Arizona (an Exhale’s sister resort) as just the meditative component without the restorative poses. When I developed a similar class for Exhale, I thought the addition of restorative stretches after a breathing meditation in stillness would help the physical body surrender deeper with more relaxed muscles and mind. When the mind is relaxed the body tends to follow, resulting in a deeper stretch.  Also with some guided restorative stretches/poses, the transition back to the “real world” was a little easier.   Some of the restorative poses inside and out of the silk, while incorporating the silks are:   • Savasana • Hip/hamstring stretches • Child’s pose and extended child’s pose variations • Forward folds • Down dog, up dog, and plank variations   During the meditation section, gentle rocking is an option, which is enables you to “float” better.   Throughout the entire session, breathing is an active focus which helps to detangle the mind.   You may start to fall asleep, which is fine, however, we do encourage you stay awake and aware in order to experience the full benefits.  You can always sit upright if you tend to fall asleep or feel uncomfortable being cocooned.   There is soothing healing music played through your own personal head phones that enables you to also hear the teacher guide you through the meditation while zoning out external noises — a true calming of the senses.   Inhale inspiration…Exhale transformation…..equals WELLBEING as we “float’ together!   SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: What should I wear? Comfortable workout attire is recommended. Socks are required. Jewelry that will snag the silks should be left at home. What if I’m sensitive to motion? Rocking is optional, but if you’re sensitive to motion we encourage you to opt out. What happens if I fall asleep? Due to the swaddling-like nature of this experience you may fall asleep. However, we encourage you to stay awake in order to experience the full benefits. Sitting in an upright position is an option. Who is this class for? Floating meditation is open to all level; no experience is necessary. Weight limit is 350lbs.     So there you have it! No, you don’t need to be an aerial expert. No, you don’t have to be a meditation expect – you just need to give 30 minutes of your time to feel calm, recharged, and a better sense of overall wellbeing.   And as a special for National Meditation Month, we’re offering our Chicago Guests FREE Floating Meditation Classes, May 13-19, 2019.   Call 312.753.6500 to book your free class  

Did you know that the skin is the human body’s largest organ? It works hard day in and day out to protect your body from harmful elements in your surroundings, like germs and toxic substances, the cold and sun rays, and more. You may not care too much about it, but take a quick look at your face or body, and you’ll realize how much you pay attention to your skin. It’s high time that you give your skin the proper attention and love it needs. Help your skin do its job more effectively and efficiently for longer by developing a skincare routine. Here are a few reasons why you should make “skincare” at the top of your must-prioritize list this year. Our skin sheds itself Sure, your skin may look its best today, but since it loses roughly 30,000 dead skin cells every minute, your healthy skin today may turn dull by tomorrow. Getting a regular facial , or a body scrub around twice or once a month (depends on how often your skin needs it), can help rid face of dead skin. If you opt to exfoliate at home, you can use a mild facial scrub or chemical exfoliant at least twice (for oily/combination skin; once for sensitive skin) a week. This is a relaxing way to get your skin to its tip-top shape. Look your best Having clear and healthy skin can help boost your self-confidence. This is true especially for people who have acne-prone skin. The face is the part of your body that people see first when they meet you, and who doesn’t want to put your best face forward when seeing others? A well-established skincare routine can help you achieve a flawless and radiant skin of your dreams. After all, when you look good, you feel good. Beautiful skin is a lifelong commitment Getting gorgeous skin doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a lot of effort, resources, discipline, and time. Also, you shouldn’t stop when you start seeing results from your skincare routine, you need to continue doing it. If you want to have healthy skin by age 50, you need to start now, and the choices you make today will turn that into reality. Prevention is cure A good skincare routine and habits can help keep breakouts at bay and protect your skin from the harsh sun and pollution. It can also help prevent potential skin issues in the future, like closed comedones, dry patches, and liver spots. Having an effective skincare routine can cut your visits to a dermatologist. It can also save you money by avoiding skin problems that can be costly. Take appropriate measures now before your skin gets skin discoloration or acne scars. A skincare routine is the start of other healthy routines A good and positive skincare practice is a step into the door of carrying out bigger self-care routines, like doing hair and scalp treatments, exfoliating and moisturizing your body, observing a healthy diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, developing a reading routine, and trying out things that you love to do. Either of these can start small, and some you might even begin doing unconsciously. Skincare is self-care Whether it’s a stressful day at work or a long road trip, something as simple as doing a skincare routine can help you de-stress. It’s just you and the mirror, alone in your bathroom or some space quiet. There’s something meditative about taking that 10 minutes just to sit and massage your face with products. In a way, it makes things more manageable. Are you finally convinced that you have to make time for skincare? Start a healthier skincare routine on your road to a younger-looking skin journey now and feel wonderful (inside and out) for years to come! You may consult with your dermatologist to help you create a suitable skincare routine for your skin type and to address your skin problems. AUTHOR BIO Julia is a beauty and lifestyle writer. She’s a contributor for VMV Hypoallergenics blog. She likes reading skin care tips, travelling with her friends and exploring new places.

Pick a suit that makes YOU feel comfortable. There are no rules or restrictions that should limit you to a certain kind of swimsuit. Pick a cut and color that speaks to you and makes you feel amazing.
Exfoliate and polish up your skin with a detoxifying Glow Body scrub. Glow get em’!
The suit is the main event, but the cover up is the opening act. Make it a cute one!
Get your sweat on in the studio. Being active releases endorphins and leaves you feeling positive and strong.
Block out negative noise. Don’t allow yourself to become affected by unnecessary and unwelcome pressures from society, the media, or yourself. You create your own standards, so stick to them!
Fit in an Exhale on Demand session before hitting the beach to center your mind and body while granting you a glistening (sweaty) glow.
Set the tone with a tinted moisturizer that will give you that natural beachy glow before even hitting the sand!