March Madness is happening at MINT! Join now, then visit the club on 6 or more occasions during the first 30 days, and we’ll give you a $100 credit toward any fitness package. Plus, get your first month of classes free, use the promo code CLASSES at checkout
Applies to all new memberships. Not applicable to members who joined since Oct 1, 2016. MINT will auto-calculate your visits after 30 days, and send you a credit. Credit calculations will be performed in mid-April and mid-May. Limited time offer.
Got someone special in your life who deserves a
FREE personal training session at MINT?
THIS WEEK ONLY, FEB. 13 – 17: Buy a special low-priced 10-pack and get a free session to give to anyone. 10-Pack with Trainer-Level Trainer = $790 10-Pack with Master Trainer-Level Trainer = $890 10-Pack with Advanced Master Trainer-Level Trainer = $990 (Including the free session…that’s equivalent to an 11% saving!)
The following terms and conditions apply:
- Available to purchase by members only, but the free session may be gifted to anyone, even a non-member.
- The free session cannot be used by the purchaser.
- The package has a one- year expiration date.
- Purchase Monday thru Friday this week only (FEB. 13 – 17)
Did you know? February is National Love Your Body Month!
We want our members to love their body all day, every day (no matter the month), so we’ve gathered a few quotes to help you celebrate and remind you how awesome you are! Because you’re a rockstar! 🙂
Meet Nariman, the newest personal trainer at MINT Dupont!
Here’s a note from Nariman:
“Hi! My name is Nariman and I’m 26 years old. I’ve done everything from traditional bodybuilding, Crossfit, Olympic Weightlifting and what is now my passion, Calisthenics. I specialize in body movement, strength, mobility, and endurance. So basically everything that involves the most well rounded physique possible. I love meeting new people and sharing experiences along with helping others develops themselves on their own fitness journey. You can find me on my Instagram @Prince0fPersiaaa doing all sorts of things from motivational clips to tricks and stunts!”
He started at MINT Dupont this week, so when you see him around… say “hello!” and welcome him to the MINT community!
Ujjayi pranayama, the “victorious breath,” is an essential component of vinyasa yoga. You may know it by its distinctive ocean-like sound. Here are some tips on how to achieve the ujjayi breath:
- First, to get a sense of the constriction that must occur in the back of your throat to achieve the ocean-sounded breath, hold your hand up in front of your mouth and blow on your palm as if you’re trying to fog a mirror. Now try this concept, but with the mouth closed.
- The ujjayi breath uses the nostrils only; the mouth is not opened during ujjayi pranayama.
- The constriction that creates the ocean sound should be in place during the in-breath, and the out-breath.
- The flow of your breath should be even; the length of your inhale should, ideally, match your exhale.
- On your inhale, think of filling your lungs from the bottom to the top, and then emptying them fully on the exhale.
- Don’t strain! A loud-sounding breath is not necessarily a more successful ujjayi breath. There should still be ease behind your breathing. Particularly labored breathing is counter-productive.
Ashley Binetti received her 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Saraswatis’s Yoga Joint in Norwalk, CT in 2011. Her favorite pose is Triangle. When she’s not doing yoga, Ashley works as a nonprofit attorney. She is also a MINT Ambassador.
“Strawberry Martini,” Photo cred: daspunkt on Flickr
Melanie Rubin is a Physical Therapist in DC and a group fitness instructor at MINT.
Winter time—its with cold temperatures, short days, and holiday expectations—can stir up latent feelings of anxiety and depression. In general, yoga is a great practice to turn to when you want to regulate or work on your mood. As yogi and author of Yoga for Depression Amy Weintraub notes, “It’s impossible to be obsessing about your problems when you are paying attention to the details of your alignment.” I highly recommend Weintraub’s book for anyone interested in the topic of using yoga to alleviate depression or anxiety. 
Here’s the Cliff Notes—different poses have different effects on the mind and parasympathetic nervous system. Some are better for combating anxiety, some depression, and some are beneficial for both. For example, while yoga teachers will often recommend seated forward folds to help ground their anxious students, but they would not suggest this pose for someone suffering from severe depression. “If you’re already feeling empty and lethargic, sitting with the head down so still and quite can make you feel worse,” states senior Iyengar Teacher Patricia Walden.
For depression, backbends, mountain pose (tadasana) and inversions are great options. Going upside-down with inversions (like headstand and handstand) helps shift perspective. Standing tall and strong in mountain pose forces one to exude confidence and purpose (tadasana).
For anxiety, a child’s pose (balasana) is a crowd favorite among yogis. If you suffer from anxiety or insomnia, a few minutes of deep, calming breaths in child’s pose really helps support the parasympathetic nervous system and relax your body and mind.
For students who suffer from depression combined with anxiety, Weintraub suggests a hard, energetic workout to get the heart beating and burn off lingering anxiety, with a long, grounding cool-down.
You can read more about different yoga techniques for dealings with anxiety and depression in Amy Weintraub’s book, Yoga For Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga (New York: 2004). For inspiration, I would also suggest checking out Rachel Brathen’s Yoga Girl (New York: 2014), and Ana T. Forrest’s Fierce Medicine: Breakthrough Practices to Heal the Body and Ignite the Spirit (New York: 2011).
Reading about yoga is a great way to learn more about the practice, but taking a class is a great way to explore the practice “in-action” under the tutelage of a trained yoga instructor; check out MINT’s yoga offerings, here.
Ashley Binetti received her 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Saraswatis’s Yoga Joint in Norwalk, CT in 2011. Her favorite pose is Triangle. When she’s not doing yoga, Ashley works as a nonprofit attorney. She is also a MINT Ambassador.
Try These Healthy Winter Soup Recipes!
Sweet Potato and Bacon Soup, Photo Cred: Jess (Paleo Grubs) on Flickr
Melanie Rubin is a Physical Therapist in DC and a group fitness instructor at MINT.
Corpse Pose/Final Resting Pose, or Shavasana
- This pose is a class favorite. Especially after a long, good yoga workout.
- Start by lying on your back.
- Palms face up, shoulder blades draw together and away from the ears.
- Feet are mat-distance apart and splay out to the sides.
- Gently close the eyes.
- Release any unnecessary tension in your neck and face.
Ashley Binetti received her 200-hour vinyasa yoga teacher training at Saraswatis’s Yoga Joint in Norwalk, CT in 2011. Her favorite pose is Triangle. When she’s not doing yoga, Ashley works as a nonprofit attorney. She is also a MINT Ambassador.
Melanie Rubin is a Physical Therapist in DC and a group fitness instructor at MINT.
