Yoga To The People: Quiet Intensity

This morning I was looking forward to an afternoon of intense sweating and relaxation. Unfortunately, I missed the 2 o’clock session of Yoga To The People and had to come back another day. If you haven’t heard of it yet, you are missing out on an intense workout!

As the website points out, this is not “gentle yoga”…it is yoga with awareness. The classes are donation based and offered 7 days a week (schedule posted online). I recommend it to anyone who is looking to meditate, while pushing them-self to the limit. In the end it’s worth gaining strength, balance and practice.
Each class begins with an easy stretch, as the momentum picks up. The instructor wants learners to bend, crawl and reach as far as they can. While some may be more flexible, do not get discourage for this is a class that encourages “expand your heart and free your mind.” Nothing is out of reach.
A nearing close session is accompanied by an acoustic sound, sometimes drums or a whistle. This is the meditation stage. Donations are not mandatory, yet this is what helps yoga to the people continue to succeed and open in different locations. Now there are 5 locations in New York City.
Everyone should experience yoga to the people.

Ways to Become a Celeb, Represent YOU with Fashion

There have been many incidents about “bad girls” who’ve done things to other girls and had the incidents profiled on local and national news stations. The scenarios below are based on real incidents and is a reminder that the internet is not just local, but international.

1. Go to a national McDonald’s job fair event in Cleveland, OH and start a fight with a girl over a guy, who’s not thinking about you anyway.
2. Text pics to your boyfriend he promises to keep private. You broke up and now they’re on Facebook.
3. Videotape you and your friends fighting a former friend, so you can laugh at it later. The police contact you because they have evidence you committed a crime.
4.  Sneak into Hollywood celebrities’ homes and post pics on your twitter page. The police used your updates to find out where you were and the items you stole.
5. Send threatening email messages to another student several times a day. You’ve been suspended from school and you may be moved to another school.

Please keep the examples above in mind when sending info about yourself or showcasing bad behavior with friends. You can become a “celeb” in a negative way, faster than you think.

Now on to fashion. . . 
Vonnah, a DD blogger posted a great post about how you can demonstrate your own style with fashion. Check out Vonnah’s fashion post.

What’s your style?

  •   Fashion
Are you the girly-girl, the tomboy or just the get-up and go type? I think a lot of us, as females, have a little bit of the three in us. I mean who wants to get all dressed up to go to the library? How about going to a sporting event? A t-shirt and some jeans, sounds good to me! Oh and that dance party tonight, of course we have to look FABULOUS!
Just be YOU, in whatever you wear. The only person you have to impress is yourself. As long as you’re happy, forget what anyone else may have to say!
·          
  • Make-up
Do you wear make-up? A little eye shadow and lip gloss? Or do you prefer to go au naturale (no make-up at all)? Whatever you prefer, always remember less is more! What a lot of people seem to forget is that make-up is just supposed to enhance your already natural beauty, not camouflage it.  You should never, when wearing make-up, look like anyone else but yourself. Think your eyes are your best feature and want to enhance them? Try a neutral colored eye shadow and some mascara. Want to emphasize your lips, a nice lip gloss is a great way to go.  Want to play around a little with some color? Use tinted lip gloss in a light shade like pink or orange. Or a colored eye shadow for your eyes, but remember to keep your skin tone in mind, some shades will be more flattering than others. Always remember to keep it light and don’t overdo it. We are all beautiful, a lot of make-up isn’t needed. Remember to be sure to clean your face daily, when you wake up and before you go to bed. Never sleep in your make-up, no matter how lightly it was applied.  Skin health is important girls!
  • Jewelry
Less is always more. Hmmm, I think I’m starting to sense a trend here, lol. Earrings and a necklace can always be the perfect addition to complete an outfit.  You don’t necessarily want to put the earrings, necklace, bracelet and ring together, it may outshine the outfit and not in a good way. If the outfit you’re wearing has a lot of decorations you will want to keep your jewelry choices very simple and very understated. Wearing a sequined tank? Go for some hoop earrings and maybe a few bangle bracelets. The simpler the outfit, the more you get to play around with combinations of jewelry. If you’re wearing some jeans and a tee or tank, go have fun and let your jewelry shine. Also be sure to never mix metals, like silver and gold, unless the style is similar. 
When determining the right looks for you, always keep in mind your age, body type and ultimately, you. Wear what makes you feel good and happy about yourself. If you don’t want to follow trends, don’t. Just be yourself, at all times. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to be you, you’re amazing?
Lavonnah

Recycle for Earth Day

There’s still time to do some spring cleaning and get rid of your old TVs, VCRs and computers. In honor of Earth Day, do yourself (and the earth) a favor and recycle the electronic junk that’s invading your space. There are two more events left for April. Here are the drop-off following locations:


Brooklyn
April 30, 2011 | 10:00am – 4:00pm
PS 29 Schoolyard, Baltic St between Henry St and Clinton St, Brooklyn, NY 11201


Queens
April 30, 2011 | 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunnyside Community Services, 39th Street between Queens Blvd and 43rd
Ave, Queens, NY 11104


For more information, check out this website for more info on e-waste recycling.


Here’s a few other ways to do your part to help out Planet Earth:
*Donate old clothing and other items to a local Goodwill or Salvation Army.
*Organize a clothing swap with friends or at your school. Exchange clothes and get a whole new outfit.
*Recycle cans, glass and plastic on recycle days for your area.


Jen:)

New Music from Jill Scott and Beauty Tips

Hey,

The Double Dutch Blog has been going strong for over a month now. As promised, we’ve welcomed some members to our blog crew.

See what our blogger, Ariam, has to say about Jilly from Philly and her hot, new song release. Get insider skin tips uses for aloe vera and jojoba oil from our Zimbabwe-born (Zim) blogger, Yolanda, with ways to keep your skin glowing and beautiful.

Enjoy!

Jen

Jilly from Philly in ‘Shame’

Her voice is like linen in the spring.

In “Shame” off of her latest album, Light of The Sun, Jill Scott represents her hometown of Philadelphia, directed by Devin Hampton. The video was shot in the Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center, where Scott had attended summer camp and was inspired to begin writing music and poetry.

The track features fellow Philly natives including Eve, Peedi Crack, and Black Thought of the Roots.

Scott and her foundation, Blues Babe Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting college-bound students of color artistically and academically, helped pay for repairs to the Recreation Center because it was expected to close. She paid for a new roof, gym floor and basketball court.

“When I found out it was closing, it just hurt my feelings because kids like me needed a place to go,” Scott told CNN. “We just started to really take care of this facility because we don’t want it to shut down.”

Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=361P_nyxoPw&feature=player_embedded

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera helps healing of wounds and damaged skin and is used primarily to improve the appearance of the skin.

1) Aloe vera WILL help your skin heal from the damage caused by acne.

2)It WILL lesson redness and swelling. And it WILL improve the overall health of your skin however it WON’T cure acne.

It works by moisturizing the skin, but unlike most of the basic moisturizing creams out there, it also heals the skin and will often heal the scars and redness associated with acne.

So in effect it acts as both a moisturizer and an anti-inflammatory agent.

Yolanda-Lin M

JOJOBA OIL

Jojoba-oil is a non-pore-clogging oil that can be used to treat acne effectively and blemishes on the skin. It can also be used to cleanse, treat and moisturize the skin, making it a highly useful and beneficial oil to add to any skincare regime. It is similar to human skin oil (sebum).

Apparently, applying jojoba to the skin can “trick” the skin into thinking it is producing enough oil, thus balancing oil production.

It’s not only a potent solution for fighting wrinkles and extra dry and oily skin but also potent for rejuvenating the skin.

Benefits of jojoba oil

1)Provides all day moisturization – jojoba oil doesn’t evaporate like water based moisturizers can. (absorbs instantly)

2)Reduces oil

3)Gives very soft skin

4)Spreads well and absorbs well

Yolanda-Lin

Invest in You!

Today is the deadline to file for taxes. This deadline is very important for adults, but it’s important for teens to know, too. You may or may not be working yet, but this can be a great time to ask your parents or adults questions about bills or money. It’s important to establish great money habits early, so when you’re on your own, you’ll know how to manage your money.

Here are some ways to start good money habits and invest in you now:

  • Use money gifts wisely. If you receive money gifts, save some in a bank account and treat yourself to something small.
  • Talk to people, who manage their money well and ask how they did it. If you don’t have people like that around you, there may be programs through your school and banks.
  • Work a part-time job. Use your skills for babysitting, braiding hair or a fast-food gig. This will help you learn about taxes and how to negotiate hours and raises with your manager. I worked for two years in high school. I saved some money and used part of the money to pay for going out with my friends, clothes, SAT and ACT test fees, Prom expenses and my high school ring. I didn’t need to go to my parents for everything.
  • Help parents or adults when they pay bills. This will help you learn how much items costs and how adults make decisions on what they purchase is a want or a need. For example, you may want a Wii, but your parents need to get the car fixed, so they can drive you to school or drive to their job.
  • Learn to cook. This is directed to girls and boys. Ask your Nana, Big Mama or Grandma about this and she will agree. You may ask, “What does that have to do with money?” When you know how to cook, it will decrease the amount you need to shop for fast food or other prepared food. If you spend about $10 a day in fast food, that is $70 you can use to buy groceries for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week.
  • Stop and think before you buy. This is a great money lesson for kids and adults. There are some shoes you gotta have right now, but “stop” and take a few days to think about it. At that point, you may not want it anymore or you will have enough patience to save for them.
It’s unrealistic to think a teen or adult would save all of their money. The point I want to convey is to spend your money in a way that is an investment in you. You may receive money from work or family and it’s ok to use the money for fun things. Think about how you can also spend money to pay for college applications, trips to visit schools or for supplies and books for when starting a college or trade school. Money can also be used to publish your first book of poetry or to buy a new computer for a graphic design business. In other words, use money to invest in your future. 
Have a great day,
Jen

Prince will Reign on the West Coast

Musician and singer, Prince recently announced performances in Los Angeles at the Forum. The first performance was last night and if it was anything like what I saw in New York, the “Westside” version will be crazy-hot!

Prince is not only a songwriter, but he’s a musician who plays many instruments and he is a phenomenal performer. He’s not jumping off concert speakers and into splits like he did in the past. He has dancers to add to the already high-energy level of the show. After seeing Prince evolve over the years as a musician,  I still felt the passion he has for music when I saw him in February of this year. It was the second time I saw Prince. I also had a chance to see him perform when I was nine. Ok, don’t judge. My parents wanted to go, so they took me, too. Anyway, even if you weren’t alive when Prince was first making music, this is a must-see concert.  When I saw him a few months ago, there were people of every age and ethnicity dancing and singing all the words to the songs. So, even if you don’t know the words, you can easily download music from itunes. You will not be disappointed and this is a rare opportunity to see a musical genius at work.

Read more about Prince in this Los Angeles Times article