Although Yogilates IS about stronger abs and a well-shaped bottom, it means also much more than that. It surely help us to make our body stronger and more flexible, especially by working on our powerhouse, the part of our body composed of the abdominal muscles, the lower back and the buttocks muscles, and so, the whole structure of our body becomes more powerful and stable. But Yogilates can also help us to feel better with ourselves, to connect more harmoniously with our body, to feel younger in heart, body and mind.

Every human being wishes to look young and beautiful. However, the true understanding that beauty needs time to be created and to emerge with all of its subtle and varies shades has been almost entirely forgotten by the modern man/woman. It is now assumed that beauty lies only in "looking good" which can be achieved with the correct makeup, wardrobe, haircut, gym and, if everything else fails, with the correct plastic surgeon.

The aim of these following notes is not to diminish the role of these great auxiliary measures; they surely have their place. But this notes may help to remind us that beauty does not begins and ends in the skin, in what can be seen with the naked eye . It is important not to lose the true sense of what it really means to be beautiful, and what is needed to achieve it.

Physical exercise, for example, is of course of primordial importance, especially in our western society where most people spend the majority of their time sited in front of a screen. But there are several other factors that can also improve our lives if we are aware of them.

In a very simple way, these factors could be divided in physical/chemical factors and psychological factors.

All of these ideas are not new, and in fact, in one way or another, we all know about them; but we forget them, we don't pay attention to this knowledge that we have. And the reason for that is simple because we are too busy with our lives; we put so much attention into the outside world, that we get disconnected from ourselves. Attention, connectedness, being in touch with ourselves is what is needed. And this is part of what we do in our Yogilates classes. And this is also what these notes are about: to remind us of what we already know, but so often forget.

One note of precaution. Do not reduce these ideas to a matter of morality, of good or bad, of being a good boy or a bad girl, but see them instead as a matter of understanding. When we water a plant, we do not do it because we are good people, but because we know that if we don't do it, the plant will die. There is no morality involve. There is only knowingness.

Beside light and heat, the sun offers a sensation of well-being, positive attitude and is able to relieve stress. It is important for the organism because it stimulates the synthesis of Vitamin D, indispensable for the normal functioning of bones and teeth.
But besides the many things the sun can offer us, it has also been proven that solar radiation is responsible for the 80 to 90% of all of the visible signs of ageing. So, our enjoyment of the sun must be accompanied by certain precautions; if we decide to expose ourselves to the sun, we must be careful.
Dermatologists strongly recommend a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVB, UVA, IR) with SPF of 15 or higher for all skin types. Persons who always burn rather than tan - typically a person with pale white skin, red or blond hair, and blue or green eyes - are at highest risk for photo aging and skin cancer and should always use at lest a SPF 30 or higher.
All sunscreens should be applied 20 minutes before being exposed to the sun and should be reapplied about every two hours while exposed.
It is also advisable to avoid the sun when it is especially strong, between 11 AM and 3 PM, as the skin can incur further damage.

Of course, we should enjoy the sun, but with care.

We must first understand that poor nutrition, smoking, lack of protection from the sun, not enough exercise, and/or sporadic sleeping habits will cause our skin to look badly. Even the most expensive creams and products will not be a solution without these good habits.

But beyond these basic requirements, the key to beautiful skin is regular care. The beauty routine does not have to be complicated; we are not obliged to purchase expensive products, indeed there are many good products on the market that are quite affordable. But above all we must be consistent. We must create the habit of cleaning and moisturizing daily as well as toning and exfoliating regularly. Without attending to our skin care every day, all other external treatments will be a waste of time and money.

We need to remember that all the food entering our body will directly affect our appearance. This is a fundamental principle to keep in mind in order to maintain a luxuriant skin and a healthy body.
At the same time, an important aspect to any diet - besides the nutritional benefit that one can receive - is to enjoy what one eats; dining should be a positive experience and not an unpleasant task.

Here are some recommendations:

• Take time to enjoy the meal; eat slowly.
• Reduce the overall quantity one eats (do not leave the table with a heavy stomach).
• Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrates, for example white flower and sugar; saturates, fat and hydrogenate fat.
• Eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Drink a sufficient amount of water. (Drink liquids one half hour before a main meal and/or 2 hours after the meal) This quantity varies from person to person, but in general it is recommended that you drink six to eight glasses a day.
• Minimize the use of microwaves.
• Avoid drinking more than two glasses of wine or its equivalent on a daily basis.
• Avoid sudden weight fluctuations.
• Avoid processed foods and those that contain preservatives.
• If necessary, take vitamins and mineral supplements.
• We need to learn to hear our own body, our own 'common sense'. For example, if a part of us is telling us, "That is enough; you have eaten enough" we simply must learn to pay attention to it.

Much is said about what one should eat to stay healthy. However, there is something we need even more than the food we eat every day and this is water. Water is the most profuse substance in the human organism. It composes a part of the blood, saliva, perspiration, tears, hormones, enzymes, gastric juices, bile, intestines and all the muscles. The percentage of water in the human body varies according to age. In a new-born baby, water makes up 85% of the corporal weight. In an adult, water composes up 70% of his weight and in an older person 60%. Water is indispensable for all the vital functions of the organism: digestion, respiration, absorption, the transport of nutrients as well as elimination. It participates in the formation of tissue and helps to maintain a consistent body temperature. Each day we eliminate larger quantities of water by sweating, urinating, breathing, and lesser quantities through tears and mucus. Because of this it is necessary to replace it. A certain percentage of the water we have is produced by the body, but the greater part is acquired through food and liquids, but especially through the water we consume daily.
The quantity of water one should drink daily will vary according to age, state of health, physical activity, diet and climate; however, it can be said that between 6-8 glasses of water daily helps to replace all the water we use each day.

To breathe means much more than giving oxygen to the body and eliminating residues. If we do it well, we will increase our physical and psychic vitality.
In the West, breathing is considered to be a simple mechanical function to sustain life. In Eastern medicine, breathing is a means by which one can control one's energy and an important tool used to cure ailments. Western medicine does not insist upon a proper method of breathing. If one has a headache, for example, one will simply open the medicine cabinet and take out an aspirin rather than to open the window and breathe deeply.

Because one is not aware of one's breathing unless, of course, there is a problem, we take breathing for granted. And because of this, we do not use our maximum lung capacity. Children, for example, breathe deeply and naturally, but as a child starts to grow, he begins to limit the duration and intensity of each breath and by the time he becomes an adult he will tend to breathe in a very shallow way. To put it simply: We do not fill our lungs with air. How does one breathe correctly?

Correct breathing, otherwise referred to as complete breathing, is based on two basic principals:

1. one inhales and exhales through the nose
2. one breathes from the abdomen and not just the lungs; by contracting and expanding the abdomen the resultant movement of the diaphragm will massage the inner organs

It is a common assumption that complete breathing means to begin with a deep inhalation, however, it is best to start with a complete and slow exhalation as this 'emptying out' will permit you to inhale deeply on the next breath. Clearly a space cannot be filled unless it has been previously emptied.

There are many exercises that can help to improve breathing. We simply need to find the one we most enjoy and practice it.
It seems odd, but the simple act of deep breathing is able to efficiently relieve stress; if one breathes calmly one will be calm. A slow and deep breathing can control, very quickly, even the most confusing agitation.

Basically, having a correct posture means keeping each part of the body in alignment with the neighboring parts.
Correct posture is a simple, but very important way to keep the many intricate structures in the back and spine healthy. It is cosmetic, and it is also much more than that - good posture is critical to reducing the incidence and levels of back pain and neck pain. And a good posture is especially important for people who spend many hours sitting in an office chair or standing throughout the day.

A proper posture requires:

1. Good muscle flexibility;
2. Normal motion in the joints;
3. Strong postural muscles;
4. A balance of muscles on both sides of the spine;
5. Awareness of our posture, plus awareness of proper posture which leads to conscious correction.

With practice, and awareness, the correct posture for standing, sitting, and lying down can gradually improve, or even replace the old posture and one will see and feel the difference.

Each of us requires a certain amount of sleep at night (six, seven, eight hours) and this will differ from person to person; however it is important to receive one's normal amount of sleep in order to feel fresh and revitalized in the morning.
Our body needs time to regenerate, and a deep sleep during the night is one of the best restorative processes we have at hand. When we need to sacrifice something in our lifestyle, we will usually give up our sleep at night. At times this is required, however more often in this modern, technological society, we spend much time into the late hours sitting in front of the television or computer. Our time for sleep shortens and we get accustomed to only five or six hours of rest, or even less.
Improper rest is a bad habit that not only causes 'bags under the eyes' but also damages the quality of life and eventually results in health problems.
A correct amount of quality rest will conserve the physical and mental health of the individual.

It is a proven fact that physical exercise practiced on a regular basis will carry enormous benefits to one's overall health: It improves levels of cholesterol in the blood and reduces the risk of hypertension and cancer. It is a powerful weapon against stress, help to stabilize personality and increase self-confidence and optimism. It can even improve sexual life. And recent studies show that exercise is a powerful antidote for common depression even more so than medicine.
But if we exercise incorrectly we may not come to one's hoped-for results.
What do we mean by incorrect exercise?
Due to a lack of self-knowledge (we often imagine ourselves to be physically stronger or more flexible than we actually are), and a lack of information about the kind of exercise that is suitable (this can be dependent on age, physical condition, the real needs of the body, how to do the exercise: for how long, how frequently and with what degree of intensity), we often push ourselves beyond our limits and demand from ourselves in an incorrect manner. The phrase "No pain no gain", that has been made famous as a slogan, can be of great utility to professional sportsman, but it is probably erroneous for the majority of the people.
What is, then, a correct way to exercise?
Firstly, is to do what one get pleasure from, enjoying its execution and transforming any kind of demand into a positive stimulus.
Secondly, one should receive the direct guidance of a competent professional or else be very clear about one's particular capacities and needs. Otherwise one may begin an exercise program such as cycling, dance, YOGA, pilates, etc. only to acquire an injury in the joints or muscles, and to end up with even more limitations than before one had begun.

Smoking quickly induces the aging of the skin by turning it dry, gray and wrinkled. Smoking robs the body of vitamin C. It compresses the size of the capillaries and thereby reduces the amount of oxygen sent to all organs of the body. This has a very deleterious effect on the skin especially on the facial skin. It is an obvious fact that smoking seriously damages health by promoting heart, lung and blood disease; but it will also accelerate the aging process.

If we consume alcoholic beverages in moderate quantities: a maximum of two glasses of wine per day or it's equivalent, we will most probably be fine with regard to our skin as well as overall health. However, over-consumption of alcohol on a regular basis will not only cause muscles to become flaccid and sag, but in most cases, will permanently damage one's health.

A child lives in a very different world than that of an adult; a child has its own needs which are quite different than those of an adult. However, during this growing-up process, we lose a fundamental quality in our experience. This loss is not natural or inevitable and yet quite common in our modern world. Due to this loss, a person will appear older than he or she really is. What is this loss?
We lose the pleasure of playing; of having fun with the things that we like to do.
We forget how to enjoy activities that at one time seemed very natural. We ought to find time to do what we truly enjoy: to paint, sing, play an instrument, listen to music, be in the country-side, work in a garden, be with animals, spend time with kids, swim, run, and so on. We are not all attracted to the same activity, but each of us will find one or more things that we truly enjoy in a very pure way. We need to return to these simple moments and activities not out of duty but out of pleasure. We need to feed the "child" within before he or she dies. And yes! This "child" can die and when this happens one will die alongside even though one continues to breathe. Without this "child", one is left only with one's cultural programming; a sense of obligation, a duty, "what one should do" because that is what other people expect. But that which truly belongs to one has disappeared. On the other hand, if the "child" within is alive, and is nurtured, then we will remain young and vital despite the years we have lived on the planet.

Or, as Jorge Luis Borges wrote (attributed to)

We live in a very efficient, practical manner. Most of what we do is simply based on survival, on what "needs to be done". However, we forget to add those activities that bring us a more personal and intimate sense of well-being. We do not see the importance of these activities as they are not born from what we call 'necessity'. A very good example of this is beauty. As a poet once said, one must be taught that beauty is a necessity; something to be brought more often into our daily life: the beauty of nature, like that of a flower or the beauty of art as we find in music or painting.
We can take for example an everyday activity such as eating. We can eat standing up or running after our next appointment, or else we can place a flower on the table where we dine (something completely unnecessary from the point of feeding the body).
We must learn to keep that part alive that knows how to value beauty; that knows, for example, how to appreciate a flower on the table while dining. In this way, we give vibrancy to the energy of life, the energy of youth.

We lose a tremendous amount of energy (our life-energy) in the habitual expression of negative emotions. What are these negative emotions? They are emotions we call: rage, hatred, frustration, jealousy, irritation as well as judgment (towards other people, ourselves and circumstances), and so on.
These are habitual emotions that, in most cases, cause us only to lose energy. Negative emotions are based on the attitude that unpleasant events should not happen; but when they do occur we become negative, we become tense, we blame ourselves, we blame others, we lose all possibility to think and act with grace and intelligence. The continual repetition of these occurrences with all of the stress involved creates resentment (the attitude that circumstances should adapt themselves to one's needs), and one becomes psychologically rigid; one hardens, one becomes tense and one becomes old.
Youth, however, is based on fluid attitudes, having a flexible mind. A child may become angry in a moment, but he will not go on and on with blame and resentment. As we mature, we can learn to confront difficult moments with a more intelligent part of us; a part that will not get lost and begin doing and saying things that we will surely regret later; a part that can see the circumstance for what it is and act accordingly; a part that can understand; a part that can even forgive. We need to consistently nurture this part in us because by doing so we give vibrancy to our vital energy; we give it life.

From a very general point of view we could say that there are two approaches to youth and beauty: outer youth or beauty and inner youth or beauty.

The first one is related to the idea that each one of us has about how one should look, or would like to look, to oneself and to other people, and it depends on the efforts that a person is able to make in caring for oneself.
Inner beauty, however, is based on a sensation of inner well-being, and it depends on the well-grounded attitude, belief and understanding that there is so much more to our lives than appearance (albeit to maintain a youthful outer appearance can add to this inner state of well-being.)
The essential thing is the communion, the integration, the balance between these two kinds of beauty.

We are constantly been told how to maintain our outer beauty but, the question arises: how does one acquire inner beauty? How does one acquire inner well-being? If we really embark on asking ourselves these questions; if we begin to see the necessity of them, then this is by itself the beginning of its answer, the first step.

Which one is the second step?
'Things as they are, myself as I am'.

One of the most interesting aspects of our lives is that we are hardly ever in the same place as our feet. John Lennon said, "my life is what happens while I am busy doing other things". Whatever it is that we do, we are most likely imagining some other activity in the future or in the past; real or fictitious. Our life, that vital experience in the moment, slips through our fingers and we do not even realize it. It is the opposite of what happens with a child. When we watch small children, we see that they truly participate in what they do enjoying the miracle of life. As we enter into adolescence, we forget this miracle; we take most things for granted, and our life escapes like smoke. To be young means to be alive; to recognize that we are living each moment; to value this present moment, because in the end our true existence is a collection of these present moments.

It is said that Buddha told this story to his disciples: A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him. Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!

When we are alone we almost invariably behave differently than the way we behave in the company of others, and to a certain extent this is fine. However, the degree to which we behave differently should be much lower. The problem is that we are so worried about what we believe to be other people's opinions about us that we spend a lot of our energy in these preoccupations; as a result we lose the true sense of ourselves. How does a child behave? He enjoys what he does for the sake of what he does, and we marvel at his joy. Of course as adults we learn to modify our behavior according to circumstances, but that enormous social force that is exerted upon our actions (what we think we can or cannot do) robs us of our vital energy; and like this we become hard, we become old.

When one confronts a stressful situation such as preparing to deliver a speech, taking an exam, or avoiding a car at high velocity, one's organism will undergo a complex series of adjustments. Physiological processes essential in mobilizing a response are recruited into action. Nonessential functions like reproduction and digestion are put off until later.
Adrenaline, and later cortisol, both stress hormones secreted by the adrenal glands, flood the body. Heart rate and blood pressure rise, respiration quickens, oxygen flows to the muscles, and immune cells prepare to rush to the site of a possible injury.
When the speech is delivered, the test taken or the car avoided, another complex set of adjustments calms things down, returning the body to normal.
Despite the nature of one's circumstances, some stress in life is inevitable. But illness generated by stress is not. One of stress's primary functions is to help mobilize energy in the necessary situations by releasing glucose into the blood. But when the hormones generated by stress remain chronically elevated, they act debilitating the immune system, increasing pressure in the heart, damaging cells in the brain, causing inflammation in the body and skin (and an inflamed skin means more eruptions, wrinkles, and sagging). It contributes to aging, depression, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes as well as other ailments.
Stress is found at the root of almost all chronic illness.

What can we do about it?

There are two ways of looking at stress, and there are two ways of working with it. Both of them should go hand in hand.

1) Stress coming to us from outside

It is impossible not to feel stressed, one way or another, if we are living in any large city of the 21st century.
There exist different strategies that can help reduce the risk of stress-induced illness. Among the best are: to eat and sleep well, exercise regularly (perspiring while enjoying), avoid drinking more than one or two glass of wine per day and avoid cigarettes.

Some examples of other activities that can help reduce the levels of stress are:

• Getting into the water;
• Meditation (regularly cleaning the mind);
• YOGA, Tai-Chi, Pilates, or any kind of exercise that integrate body and mind in their work;
• Personal treats like facials or massages;
• Spending time in nature;
• Breathing: One can take a few deep breaths several times a day and completely fill the lungs; this is a very relaxing and simple activity;
• Stretch the body, three or more times per day, from the tip of the toes to the tip of fingers and crown;
• Utilizing fragrances: Many essential oils have relaxing properties such as lavender, chamomile, citric, etc. These can be found in incense, candles or bath products;
• Developing a hobby; to practice something new and enjoyable, like painting, drawing, playing an instrument, singing, ceramics, cooking, bird-watching, etc. The aim of course is to enjoy oneself in a relaxed way, and not necessarily to become a professional;
• If one has a spiritual inclination, to dedicate a few minutes each day to a favorite prayer, mantra or poem.

2) Stress that is created by our own mind

Stress has its positive sides, and in fact some stress is necessary in order to function effectively in our daily life. The fact that stress could have a positive or a negative impact on us depends both, in the way we perceive it and in the way we react to the stressful situations: it will depend on the way we think. One of the best tools we have at hand to fight against stress is correct thinking.

Stress is actually produced inside each individual, and it is determined principally by the opinions or attitudes that we have been created throughout our lives. There is not a law by which certain events will produce a certain amount of stress each time they take place. The amount of stress that any given person will be able to tolerate given a certain event is absolutely personal; and the wonderful thing is that these can be modified: one can learn to control or even increase his or her capacity to confront a stressful situation by a change of opinion or attitude. And this is precisely the key to stress: our opinions about life.
We, human beings, have the capability of reasoning; a capability that allows us not only to create but also to modify our opinions. (An animal does not have this capacity; for a dog, for example, things are as they are and they cannot be different.)

Stress is the result of our faulty thinking and not of the external phenomeno. I'm not stressed because of a traffic jam, I'm stress because I BELIEVE that the traffic jam should not be there.
That 'the problem' is in the way I see a situation and not in the situation itself is perhaps one of the most difficult things to recognize, but it is also one of the most liberting understandings one may ever receive.
Our thoughts hold the power of our happiness.
This is not knew knowledge, but have been said many times before:

All our feelings of pain and pleasure depend upon the attitude of our mind.
Upanishads

We see the world, not the way it is, but the way we think.
The Talmud

Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them. It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
Epictetus

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.
Shakespeare

All that we are is the result of what we have thought. What we think we become. With our thoughts, we make the world.
Buddha

Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Marcus Aurelius

Old age is synonymous with frozen opinions; but the possibility of creating, and changing our opinions is something that exists under the power of a mature human being.
Life is a state of mind. MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE WE ARE WHAT WE THINK.