We’re officially halfway through January. How are you doing in your goal to live a healthier lifestyle? We all know how motivational it is to wear clothes that look great, so if you’re looking for that extra push you can stop here. Use these looks inspired by your favorite fitness classes to revive your workout wardrobe and get you excited to run out the door. Plus a refreshing playlist to get your heart beating and your blood flowing! (more…)
The Single Diaries brunches with yoga teacher Megan D’Amico.
Megan D’Amico graduated magna cum laude from Loyola Marymount University with a degree in Communication Studies. We met by chance when she was assigned to be the fourth roommate in our dorm suite, proof that everything happens for a reason. She later became my big sis in our sorority, influenced my decision to stay in L.A. after college, and continues to inspire me in so many ways. This past summer, I had the privilege of witnessing the start of a new chapter in her life: Megan’s graduation day to become a certified Kundalini yoga instructor—an unexpectedly emotional day for me.
In an experience as spiritual as yoga, your teacher’s energy guides the class more than anything else. Her classes are always a perfect start to the week: stimulating, motivating, and thoughtful. Megan shares her journey, her philosophy, and the lessons she learned to get to where she is.
Last month my friend and I saw Sara Bareilles at the Greek. I have been a huge fan since I saw Sara play at a college music festival in 2009. We all know her #1 hit “Love Song,” but this woman is so much more than that catchy albeit empowering pop song. She is at home on stage in more ways than one. Firstly, her voice is completely powerful, and live it’s a religious experience… until she drops her first F-bomb then a dozen subsequent ones. That leads me to my second point: she connects to her audience. Someone yells out “I love you, Sara,” and she’ll call it out right back. The stage is her couch, and the venue is her living room; everyone feels at home as she tells you about the experiences that informed the song she is about to play.
Before she played “Manhattan” on that September night, she discussed her decision to leave Los Angeles—her home of fourteen years—to make the cross-country move to New York City: a need for change, a bittersweet good-bye, and the knowledge that this chapter of her life was coming to an end. She hints at a break-up, perhaps because she was back at the scene of the crime. The lyrics were chillingly beautiful. Written from the perspective of her ex, the one who’s left behind, you get a sense of the pain felt from both parties.
At the show at the Greek, she dropped the veil of detachment that she sometimes puts up while discussing her journey in making the new album. Perhaps it had to do with coming back to L.A. after moving. Perhaps it had to do with playing the iconic stage. Regardless, she showed raw emotion that struck a chord with me.
It was during this song that my eyes started to well up with tears. It was during this song when I had a moment of clarity accepting that all the tension I had felt in the months prior was for naught. After a stressful day, I’ll drive home from work to my quiet apartment trying to breathe deeply and think about anything else. It finally occurred to me that what was missing from my day was the ease of surrounding family and a feeling of home. (more…)
Catherine uses classic FRIENDS moments to help you find your mojo.
Even the superbly single girl may need a little extra encouragement from time to time… after a fight with a friend, after a tough day at work, on a quiet Tuesday night, or when your love life’s D.O.A. Ritual is a way for us to feel control over some small part of the universe’s ways. We use it to celebrate tradition, but we also use it in our daily lives when we get ready for work or wind down for bed. I’ve found small things I can do with purpose that have the same effect of calm and contentment that longer rituals can have. Take it from our favorite friends; you can do any one of these acts or a combination to quickly feel superbly sexy again.
