February Specials/Events at MINT

February 3, 2017 by mint-sk

February is jam-packed with specials for MINT members (and their friends!) and community events. Get the full rundown here!

Challenges/Promotions

February Cycle Challenge

Can you go the extra mile? Our challenge kicked off last week! Learn more about how to participate and what you can win HERE.

Fabulous February Challenge

Workout with a buddy (member or not) this month and you could both get FREE personal training session to use in March! Get details here!

Sweetheart Personal Training Special

Start any FLEX12 pack in the month of February and we’ll give you one personal training session to gift to anyone… even a non-member! *Note: all current FLEX12 holders will also be given a session to giveaway.

Community Events

Happy Hour at Marvin

Date: Tuesday, February 7, 6-8pm

Join the MINT Ambassadors for happy hour specials at Marvin, February 7. Event details here!

Whiskey Ginger Shopping Event

Date: Sunday, February 12, 2-4pm

Stop by our shopping event at Whiskey Ginger (on U Street NW) on Sunday, February 12. MINT members get specials discounts on merchandise!

BierYoga Session at Sauf Haus

Date: Sunday, February 12, 10am

MINT is partnering with Sauf Haus to host a yoga session on their rooftop biergarten on Feb. 12. Attendees get a free mimosa and drink specials! RSVP ASAP!

Little Shop of Flowers Community Event

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2-4pm

Support local businesses and prep for Valentine’s Day at our shopping events at Little Shop of Flowers on Saturday, February 11.

Sauf Haus Happy Hour

Date: Tuesday, February 21, 7pm

Hang out with our MINT Ambassadors and get happy hour specials at Sauf Haus on February 21st.

Glen’s Recipe Series: Sausage & Butternut Squash Breakfast Casserole

February 2, 2017 by mint-sk

At Glen’s Garden Market, there is plenty of amazing, unusual produce and unique, local products – and they want to teach you how to cook with them! Use the ‘Glen’s Recipe Series’ cards (or stop by their Dupont or Shaw locations to pick one up) to learn more about how to prepare their food and why it’s so special.

Today’s featured recipe is: Sausage & Butternut Squash Breakfast Casserole!

Enjoy!

Prep for Valentine’s Day at Little Shop of Flowers

February 2, 2017 by mint-sk

Get ahead of your Valentine’s Day shopping needs

and support local business!

Little Shop of Flowers (located on 18th Street in Adams Morgan) is offering 10% off pickup purchases to MINT members for Valentine’s Day floral arrangements. MINT Ambassadors will be at the shop on Saturday, February 11th from 2-4pm to raffle off a pair of personal training sessions at MINT.

Register for the Fabulous February Challenge!

February 1, 2017 by mint-sk

REGISTER HERE

Here’s how it works:

As a member, register yourself with a buddy (your bestie, main squeeze, roommate, office buddy, landlord, guy you met at Pleasant Pops, you get the picture, anyone!) for the Fabulous February Challenge.

Workout with that person 6+ times in February and you’ll each get a personal training session to use in March. Register ASAP so you have as much time as possible!

The fine print:

“Working out together” is defined as checking into the club within 10 minutes of each other. You may workout together a maximum of once per day.
You must pre-register with your buddy via this form.
The registered member’s buddy will have class access for February, regardless of membership type
Promotion period runs Feb 1 to Feb 28
Non-members:
- Non-member has access to workout with the member during February, including classes
- Non-member does not have club or class access without being with the member
- Non-member must create a profile in MBO prior to entry
- Non-member gets the personal training session only if they join MINT by March 10

Got the winter blues? Come to spin class!

February 1, 2017 by mint-sk

February can be a tough month. The weather is cold, dark, and dreary. The holidays are over (except for Feb. 14, otherwise known as Single Awareness/Unrealistic Romantic Expectations Day). Work can be stressful. Situations with family and friends can get you down. So if you can’t spend your February working remotely from a sunny beach report, try to get to spin class. Here are three great reasons why:

You can find some peace of mind.

Unlike yoga or bootcamp class, spinning can give you a great workout and boost your mood without requiring too much mental effort. You have your own space, your own bike, and you control the speed and resistance. You can be alone, but still together with a group of people all investing their time and energy. Sure it’s fun during a ride with some coordinated moves and routines. But if you need to clear your head, just get lost in the music, and absorb some positive energy from class, by all means – you do you.

A chance to channel that frustration.

I recently had a student tell me, “You write great playlists when you’re angry!” It’s true. Negative emotions like anxiety, frustration, anger, and fear can start to build up and drag us down. Channeling all of that energy into a really tough work out can be a great way to work through those emotions in a safe, contained way. Sing along to the music, frown, clench your jaw, and ride through those emotions. A great work out can have you dripping with sweat but feeling refreshed and clean on the inside.

Win MINT’s “Can You Go the Extra Mile?” challenge.

If beating the winter blues and burning major calories wasn’t enough reason to get to MINT for a spin class, consider the fame and fortune that could be yours if you win our February challenge. Track your miles in each spin class, and compete with fellow MINTers to go the extra mile and win fabulous prizes. It’s one way to beat the blues and win big!

Come ride with us! You’re always just one spin class away from a better day.

Nikki Mueller is a cycling instructor at MINT.

The Elusive Ocean-Sounding Breath

January 31, 2017 by mint-sk

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.

Breathing in this way facilitates expansion of energy and deeper meditation. It also helps activate the diaphragm, which is crucial for deep-breathing. You can learn more about ujjayi pranayama and other yogic breathing strategies in Refining the Breath, Pranayama: The Art of the Awakened Breath, by Doug Keller (2009).

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.