Tips for Styling your Pendant

Hi everyone!

This post is just to give you an idea on how you could be wearing the Enso pendant that we are giving away with Anne Marie.

I personally wear my Aikido pendant from Aikitrend on a leather band, but you can combine it with other items.

Here is some inspiration for you!

 For more Aikitrend items browse their websop on

Aikitrend.com



Lauren Walsh, Australia, 1st dan,
currently uchideshi at New York Aikikai



Also don’t forget to join the GIVEAWAY if you haven’t done it yet!

Summer Seaside Holiday Routine

When you are reading this post I am most probably here (follow the red arrow ^_^):

When I was having shower today, I remembered that I had some tips for things you can do for your skin while you shower. So here is what I use during my holiday:

It is not just shower gels and shampoo, but also scrubs and exfoliators. I have two exfoliators:

• Yves Rocher for the face
• Alverde exfoliator for the feet

Routine for the Face

It is really important to remove sunscreen at the end of the day or whenever you return home from the beach. It can clog your pores just as much as any foundation, powder, bronzer or any product you apply on your face. So the best thing to to is to remove it with a makeup remover when you get home. During the shower, in order to make sure that you remove any residual sunscreen remains, do use an exfoliator. I am using the Yves Rocher one I have been talking about in this video also.

Routine for the Feet

From walking on the sandy beach, your feet might lose their softness and elasticity and accumulate this layer of tough dead cells that is really unaesthetic. In order to prevent this form happening, during the shower, grab an exfoliator for the feet and make sure you get rid of all the dead cells. What also helps is moisturizing deeply after the shower. I use Neutrogina moisturizers mostly and then pull some socks over my feet to facilitate the absorption. If you try this, make sure to use 100% cotton socks. It is a bit warm for the summer but a couple of hours are worth it and the results will not fail to come.

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So these were the tips I could think of for you. Hope you found them useful! Let me know if you have other ones in a comment below.

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Weapon Techniques

Beauty and Aikido ©

In the picture you can see lame me, hit on the head with a jo...well not really hit. Senpai was trying to remind me that I was not moving aside. We were doing the 4th jo kata I think, and I could not decide quick enough how and in which direction to move on. I bet you also found yourself in similar situations when you blacked out and were not really sure how to move on in a technique. In my case, I think it is because I cannot really get myself to concentrate. I should be working on that. If you have any tips, do let me know. I am that type of aikidoka who trains, in the hope that some time soon something (besides a jo) will remain in my head. I can see so many other people in the dojo who concentrate and learn everything so fast, that I am ashamed of my attitude. Sometimes it is so hard for me to focus on the fact that this is a school of teaching and that I should be more persevering in actually learning what is being taught...

Not all aikido dojos practice weapon techniques. Ours is a traditional dojo, so we tend to do quite some techniques with weapons also. Our Friday trainings are centered around the training with the jo, bokken and tanto. As I did not always have the chance to join the Friday training I am still legging behind on this chapter.

Let me sum up the benefits of the weapon techniques:

1. Trains  your muscles

Well...after a set of  50+ shomenuchis with the bokken or swirling around your jo, you will sure have worked on the muscles of your arms. I have also read that weapon techniques are supposed to help you perfect your bare hand techniques. For me, weapon techniques also help me get the stress out there with the kyai and clear my mind.

2. Helps develop good coordination of movements and concentration

You need to concentrate on what you are doing with the weapon, how you hold it, swirl it, what steps you make.You need to connect the given movement or set of movements with its name and be able to perform it whenever Sensei requests you to do so. Most of the time you have to do it together with the others and on top of that at the same time with them, so that you are synchronized. 

3. Advantage in case of street fight

Most probably, nobody is really likely to attack you with a sword or wooden sword (bokken) let alone with the end of a broomstick (jo like thing). What about the tanto? The tanto is the imitation of a small knife. I find that the techniques we learn for disarming a tanto attack can be really useful if you master them well enough. It can help you disarm an attacker coming at you witha knife or with any sharp object.

Can you think of other benefits? Do you have weapon trainings at your dojo?

Last but not least, stay tuned for the Aiki giveaway on my blog. Sneak peak into what I will be giving away in the Aikido Package. Hope you join!

Shaolin patch against muscle pain

My blog is soon turning one years old, so please join the celebration with me next week.

Update: This post became a really hot topic on reddit where I also posted it. Check the conversation thread here!

How Diet can Influence your Skin

We all want truly fabulous, glowing and vibrant skin. My cosmetician told me that most of my skin problems had an internal and not an external cause. The functioning of internal organs is key and one of the ways you can influence that is having a ballanced diet. In conclusion I started researching on the web what one should and should not eat in order to have a beautiful skin.
However one should keep in mind that there are several factors that might influence the appearance and health of your skin. All of the following factors should be taken into consideration:

1. genetic
2. diet
3. skin care
4. enviornment
5. exercise

So let us focus this time on the diet. What are those foods you should avoid and what are those of which you should introduce more into your diet in order to have a gorgeous skin.

What to add to your list

1. Fish:  contains oils that will help nourish your skin, adds luster and softness to your complexion. 
2. Antioxidants protect your skin against the harmful effects of earth's environment.   

• Vitamin A: you can get it from dark orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash) and dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale
• Vitamin E: hazelnuts and almonds 
• Vitamin C:  strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, cauliflower, snow peas, asparagus and celery
• Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and plums all have high antioxidant content
•  Beans, peas and lentils

     3. Cereals
     4. Natural Sugars like unrefined sugar or honey


What to avoid

1. Alcohol should be avoided as it is dehydrating and can can also lead to erupted capillaries when consumed in excess. 
2. Dairy products are also bad for one's skin. On the one hand hormones milk cows produce can lead to acne, on the other, drinking milk might also lead to "atopic dermatitis" (eczema) and "urticaria" (hives). Bad news for a big milk and dairy products fan like me (T_T). However if you cannot live without them, you can chose low fat diary products.
3. Caffeine- because it destroys all your vitamin intake.
4. Simple carbohydrates, such as are found in pasta, white bread, rice, potatoes and sweets, can increase insulin levels, which also contribute to inflammation.

Also don´t forget to drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin. You can also add some green tea to the fluids intake which is even better than plain water, as it contains a lot of anti oxidants.

The Chocolate Myth Busted 

Chocolate is not bad for your skin. You can check out the results of this research.

Five normal subjects ingested two enriched chocolate bars daily for one month; this represented a daily addition of the diet of 1,200 calories, of which about half was vegetable fat. This excessive intake of chocolate and fat did not alter the composition or output of sebum.

 You can now lay down relieved on the chocolate couch. By the way, it is edible. Check out the article here.

Source: odditycentral.com

In conclusion a ballanced diet can do wonders to your skin. On of the diet types I have newly discovered is the alkaline diet. Check out more about it here.

Sources:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/269131-a-skin-friendly-diet/#ixzz1X4vt52PE
http://www.ivillage.com/eat-wellness-better-skin-diet/4-a-108230#ixzz1X4EcabU6 
http://www.naturalnews.com/030937_beauty_diet.html
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-beauty/features/skin-food
http://www.edelbioskincare.com/lifebeautiful_foodtips.php

How to Decide if Mineral Foundation Makeup is a Useful Product for your Skin

 -a guest post by M. Rochell

Finding the suitable mineral foundation makeup for beautiful skin coverage can enhance and even your natural skin discoloration. Mineral foundations are usually a powder formula that is produced from a mix of cornstarch and different minerals. There is a number of different formulas you can choose from. You should do some research in order to determine which suits you best. This post can help you in doing that.

The ideal of a mineral foundation got going in the 70s. It was to give the skin a clearer, fragrance free, dye free and binding-free product. The item was intended to be gentle on the skin and not cause any irritation. Some brands have managed to make a foundation that closely resembles many of these goals.

Some of the products provide a coverage that does not meet the normal coverage level, so it is better to go to a store where different mineral foundations can be purchased and try them on. Mineral foundations are not known for giving good wrinkle coverage and may not be the best choice for acne or rosacea. Since there are differing opinions, trying it out is the best way to understand how it will work for you.

Reading the labels is very important with regards to mineral makeup. When it says pure or only minerals you should still read the fine print. Sometimes these claims are not entirely true. Even though they are true, there might be very irritating elements in the makeup.

The sun block that is found in a lot of foundations is not included in a mineral foundation. This is something that each wearer needs to be aware of and take precautions for. Wearing a sun block under the foundation can provide it a very different look and feel.

There are many other mineral-based products on the market other than foundation. You can find eye shadows, lipsticks, blushes, finishing powders and even mascaras. The options are numerous if you are fond of the mineral-based skin care products. Some companies sell mineral products included in their manufacturer product line, while others concentrate only on the mineral-based products.

A lot of people think that mineral-based foundations are cruelty-free products. This is usually not the case. Some of the products are not tested on animals; however the brushes may be made of rabbit’s fur. So, if this is a concern to you, you need to do some research before buying any mineral-based products.

The most essential things to remember about the mineral foundation makeup is that it is very individualized. There are many different beliefs concerning the makeup: for example that it isn't good for darker skin tones or it isn't good for wrinkles. The simplest way to try it is to go to a store where they let you try the product on. It is more affordable than buying several brands and looking them. This will enable you to talk to an educated sales person about your skin and coloring. You might want to put it on all day before you buy a specific brand so you are aware how it lasts and how it looks in various lights.

Mae Ukemi and Break Fall

I could have posted this picture without comments also, it would probably be expressive enough. What I am trying to share is in fact the struggle of the beginner with the fall in aikido. At the beginning with the inconvenient body posture and movements one has to perform it, further on with executing it correctly without hurting yourself.

***

What you need to do (tips from my favorite senpai who offered to practice it with me after the trainings but I am too lazy and not persevering enough to do so):


1. Keep the tegatana


What you need to do in case of rolls and any other technique is to keep the tegatana in your arms. Otherwise the movement will be broken and not smooth enough (see the dude in the picture above doing the ukemi right vs doing the ukemi wrong). If you have this key element right, you are almost there.

2. Keep your hips straight, follow a straight line


Always make sure your starting position is deep and straight enough. I know that during actual techniques it is hard to pay attention to this, but it is again one of the success factors. Especially with break fall, at the beginning one has the tendency to fall somewhat laterally because it feels more safe. But it is wrong, because what you need to do is fall straight ahead. It might help if you give the fall some power by pushing with your behind leg if the tori does not execute the technique smoothly enough to throw you properly.

3. Slap the mat


I am rather unsure about this one, but apparently this is the best way for a beginner to attenuate a break fall. Advanced practitioners fall almost without sound as their body absorbs the shock in different points, harmoniously.

***

These are 3 simple rules I could think of, what Sensei and several senpai have been telling me in our dojo. As each and every practitioner is doing it differently, might be you have other points where you need to do better. Don't forget the best way to do it right is practicing. Do not hesitate to ask a senpai in your dojo. They will be more then happy to help you.

I hope you enjoyed this newest post about Ukemi Waza and that you are practicing more diligently than me. Trying to persevere both in aikido and blogging. Will be posting some more soon!

Tracking your Orders

A post for my Hungarian readers basically, but it can be applied to other countries also that cannot be tracked directly through StrawberryNet. It is really important for you to track your orders, on the first hand because you will not stand and wait for it to arrive without even knowing that it was never dispatched. On the other hand I like tracking the order because of the thrill of it, to see what stages are still left until the cute little package of goodies reaches me.

As you already know I have ordered some more stuff from StrawberryNet and now I will describe how I usually track an order. It is pretty easy, but I just thought it might help if you are not used to doing this.

First you get a mail with  number that looks like this and a link where you can track it:

Order #:1130736047

This is a sort of order confirmation number.

Then you also get a tracking number

Track this parcel: RB297705187HK

In some of the countries you just need to click on the tracking number, select your country and you are directly connected to the tracking of the parcel. For Hungary, the Magyar Posta will help you in this next step.

 

 

For Hungary and a number of other countries, you have to go to the homepage of the postal services in your country. In Hungary you can track it the parcel here. This is what the tracking information will look like. My parcel landed already in Hungary and I am really close to getting it.

 

 

Oh boy, oh boy! Hope it arrives on Monday. However with this rainy weather it is not very likely that I would need a high SPF protection.

 

Update: On 23.03 I was able to pick up my stuff from the post office. Under the motto: Trust is good but double checking is better, I immediately checked the validity with the cosmetic calculator. I found out that the Estée Lauder BB Cream will expire in June 2013 (produced in June 2010) and the Shiseido Sun Protection Stick was manufactured in 2009 and will expire in 2012. I also used them each day since they arrived. Will review them soon!