The only pants I actually enjoy wearing! Coalatree Trailhead Pants

If you take my classes or follow me on social media, then you probably have seen my signature uniform of mesh shorts (and some combination of loose fitting layers on top to accommodate San Francisco’s unpredictable weather). As a rule, I hate pants, and that is just a sub-rule of the larger principle that I hate clothing that restricts my movement in any way, or that brings my awareness to any gripping, clinging, cinching, or any other discomfort for my body and distraction from my enjoyment of physical activities.

Pants are typically a challenge for me because they can be too tight, with unforgiving metal parts and pieces, or so loose as to be an encumbrance, as they are falling down, or creeping beneath our heels as we walk, or just too flimsy like leggings to hold up to serious activity, OR too expensive to want to ruin them through serious activity (like high end, industrial strength leggings)!

One day I came across the Coalatree ad and their Trailhead pants honestly sounded like exactly what I needed, and also, too good to be true. I ordered one pair, and as soon as I tried them on, ordered three more, one in every color they had at the time. At first I thought they were so awesome I almost wanted to save them for, “special occasions”… but that concept was quickly thrown out the window when I remembered LIFE IS TOO SHORT to save anything as fundamental as pants for special occasions (!!), so now I wear them every day and have done everything from run and hike, walk my dog, practice dance, garden, resistance train, floor based animal flow and corrective exercises, go to casual social gatherings, and teach Essentrics in them.

I love them ever more as I see how well they hold up to the constant use, and am ever more grateful for how well they perform, every time I wear them. Below, is a link to a full detailed review I shared on YouTube in case you’d like to know more.

Coalatree Trailhead Pants Review: Pants for people who HATE Pants!!! - YouTube

Train on the floor, but protect your joints and spine! My favorite mat for floor work

Hello, friends!
As we have been doing more floor work in my classes lately, I wanted to give a quick shout out to the mat I use.

When we are on the floor, we really want to protect our spine, hips, and knees, but we want the surface to be firm enough that we can maintain good form, and not just melt into something too squishy like a mattress. In this case, a standard yoga mat is really too thin, in my opinion, and some of the thicker mats on the market really do not provide the support for things like our wrists if we are working in quadruped or a side plank variation, for example

​I learned about the FitZone Mat at a gym where I taught and I liked it so much I looked up the company to buy my own for home use. I have zero affiliation with this company, I just love the mat. It is very dense, so while it provides plenty of cushion, it is also a stable surface, unlike some of the thicker mats on the market that are very squishy. The texture is nice and grippy. It never smelled like horrid chemicals (I am very sensitive to this kind of off-gassing), and it is commercial quality and takes all kinds of abuse and is holding up beautifully.

This mat would also be great for getting down on the floor with a kids/a baby, and things like that, in case you are looking for a good multipurpose shock absorbing, joint preserving (!) surface for when you aren't just standing on your hard floors.

FITZONE Mat Pro

Mineral Sunscreen

​Winter, Summer, Rain or Shine, I want to get outside, and I need to wear sunscreen on my face.​

I have tried SO many​ sunscreens and am very picky about what I will use. ​As a child, I hated wearing sunscreen because it irritated my skin terribly. As an adult, I finally discovered mineral based sunscreens and it has been such a relief. ​I love to be out in the sun, and I love to get the sun on the skin of my body (never allowing myself to burn of course— trying to be smarter in my adult years than I was in my youth!), but I cannot tolerate much direct sun on the sensitive skin of my face/neck/chest​ before I burn.

I use several brands of sunscreen for different things (I need to make a full YouTube video reviewing and comparing them!), but for my go-to basic for any outdoor activity, I use Raw Elements on my face. It is hands down the most effective and comfortable and aesthetically normal mineral sunscreen I have found, for my skin and preferences. I wear Raw Elements on my neck and check/shoulders as well if I am swimming, because it’s semi-greasy/sticky base it is highly water resistant. But if I am teaching a workout or gardening, or doing some other outdoor activity, and would rather not get the greasier base of that formula on my clothes and do not need the water resistance, then I use All Good mineral sport sunscreen on those areas. The All Good is a much drier formula that rubs in well and dries down quickly, and is not tinted, so it will not stain your clothes with the mineral tint or with an oily base. All Good is supposedly water resistant up to 80mins, but with its matte formula, I feel like it washes off easier than the Raw Elements and so I prefer to swim with the latter to be safe, and also to avoid adding more lotion ingredients to the pool/lake/ocean. Raw Elements is designated reef safe.

​For reference, I have relatively fair, dry, highly sensitive skin. Neither one of these products has any added fragrance. Raw Elements uses Rosemary oil as a preservative and it can smell a little strong when you first open the tin, but I have never had it bother my skin, nor have I ever smelled it on me, just where it is concentrated in the container, and the scent dissipates from the tin once it has been opened. Raw elements is on the greasy side (definitely not the worst I have tried!!!), but on my dry skin, it feels great and adds to a light moisturizer. It absorbs into my skin well, and after a short time disappears (and I apply it generously!!). I mix the tinted and non-tinted for my skin tone.

Raw Elements

Raw Elements Tinted

All Good Sport

UPDATE! I have a new favorite mineral sunscreen for occasions when I need a more aesthetically pleasing, less messy option (because admittedly Raw Elements is quite greasy/sticky, even after hours of use).

For days when I need to look a bit nicer and not worry about the greasy factor, I now use

MyChelle Sun Shield Unscented SPF 28 Broad Spectrum

It goes on a little tacky and then immediately dries down to a matte (but not terribly drying) finish. Within minutes, it is invisible on my skin. I find it will slightly irritate my eyes a little if I use it right up around my lids/lashes (which I do not experience with Raw Elements), and there is a tiny bit of tingling/irritation on my neck/chest when I apply it but it fades quickly and does NOT make my skin red or break out (I have VERY sensitive skin). And the tradeoff is that it really does look like there is nothing in my skin and I love that. It’s a treat to have a non-sticky face!

I have danced outdoors with no shade, all afternoon with this stuff and not burned. On that occasion I reapplied it at least 2x and the added coats went on easily without any changing the look of my skin. I was shocked at how natural/bare my skin looked when I got into my car and went to check my face to signs that I had burned (because my skin felt a little tight, but that was mostly from wind exposure I concluded) in the reflection in perfect natural light. I couldn’t tell I was wearing anything on my face, and I had no burning at all, not even on my nose or cheeks.

Hope this helps you protect your skin!

The Orb and other physical therapy tools

I use a variety of physical therapy tools to keep my body feeling its best, from rollers to lax balls, to massage/trigger point releasing devices of all kinds. When a trainer friend recommended the Orb, I could not believe I’d find a use for it: I have a foam roller; I have balls of all sizes and densities, why would I need this hybrid of the two? But no joke, if I could have only one of the above, I’d take the Orb. It has been a shockingly useful game changer in my stretching routine and general end-of-the-day check in with my body. I use it primarily on my glutes, but also hamstrings/groin (on a yoga block), low back (and then wrap abound to my obliques and psoas if I’m really putting in some time), mid back (against a wall), and behind and around my knees (propped on a yoga block) and it is just brilliant. It is the perfect size and density so that you can essentially precision foam roll. I love mine. The one I use is of the pink/blue 5” one, not the smaller, harder version.

The Orb

Another favorite PT tool is a type of stick roller. I have tried several models, and The Stick is by far the best. You can use it comfortably over clothes or on bare skin and it rolls smoothly; the tension in the wand itself and size options are great. I use both the standard and firm flexibility options and really like them both. I use this mostly on my quads and calves. In positions where the muscle is completely relaxed, it is excellent for getting a little stretch into the belly of the muscle without pulling to much on the connective tissue (in particular at the ankle.

The Stick

Going barefoot...

I’m not particularly sketched out by going barefoot in public places. I love any chance I get to kick off my shoes and I have never had a bad experience with a foot infection or fungus or anything of that nature. BUT, I do have class participants who are not so happy about removing their shoes in my classes, and when I think about it, especially since I now am barefoot in a LOT more gyms and spaces than I used to be… maybe it’s worth taking some additional reasonable precautions. I do not want to cover my feet because the barefoot experience is CRITICAL to stimulating the nervous system through the feet (where it is LOOKING for stimulation—hence the concentration of nerves and how sensitive our feet are…), and to developing greater proprioception and balance, a major benefit of Essentrics classes, and also key for dance, of course. SO, I started using this soap to help kill any problematic germs I may pick up on my feet, and without having to use a problematic, overly-strong, anti-bacterial soap. I have very sensitive skin and don’t use soap with fragrances or harsh chemicals, and I have had no problem with this soap. I mostly just use it on my feet, because it’s so minty and tingly even if it did not irritate my skin, it would be a bit too stimulating for me for an evening shower, but I do like the product a lot. I originally heard about it on the Joe Rogan podcast, and it seems to have been developed and be very popular for participants in grappling sports and the like where people are getting a LOT of skin-to-mat and floor surface exposure. I’m glad to be using it!

Here is the link to the Defense Soap website. I have been using and enjoy the Original Bar. It is also available on Amazon.

My go-to mat... a convenient alternative to a full size yoga style mat

There are probably several options for brands, but the one I have and love is the SukhaMat.  I find it to be perfect for any form of floor work where I am lying on my back or side. I also use it under my hips when I stretch on the ground in a seated position, and under my knees whenever I am doing push-ups, planks, or quadruped exercises.  Whether it's my knees, or my spine that would otherwise be feeling the hard floor, this little mat provides plenty of padding, and I find it to be a lot easier to carry around than a full size yoga mat, and it weighs almost nothing. 

SukhaMat

My favorite nutrition-oriented YouTube channels

FoundMyFitness

Dr. Rhonda Patrick is amazing.  This channel makes cutting-edge nutrition science available, and relatively accessible, without overly watering it down.  Some of her interviews have had a profound impact on the way I eat. 

High Intensity Health

Mike Mutzel does incredible interviews on all manner of nutrition and exercise related topics.  Deanna Mutzel also takes part in some of the interviews and fitness oriented videos, but more recently has focused on food and recipes, specifically raw and keto creations, none of which I have tried, though all of which make my mouth water.

Lifestyle faves of all kinds

Gadgets

If you work out or have an athletic hobby that has you bringing home sweaty clothes every day, this thing -- what I consider a laundry salad spinner -- is awesome for cutting down on laundry, and for giving a realistic option for hand washing our often pricey, workout wear.  I can quickly wash my workout clothes in a bucket now and this thing spins them so well they dry in a day in the Inner Richmond fog (!!), if not a matter of hours if it's nice and sunny.  It has cut my machine laundry needs by half or more!  And if you have to haul your stuff to a laundromat, this thing will pay for itself in no time!  Awesome for apartments. 

The Laundry Alternative Soft Spin Dryer

Minimalist footwear

I have a long history of mistreating my feet.  I have high arches and wore orthotics from about 14yrs old, inspired by a life of what I'm confident now was excessive distance running for my age.  Many years and many injuries and signs of uncondition later (Achilles injury, superficial blood clot in my calf along with other signs of bad circulation, extremely weak intrinsic foot muscles), and I finally got serious about strengthening my feet, and as a result, so many other aspects of my health. Make no mistake, it was a long process of foot and lower extremity conditioning and effort to transition out of orthotics and super-rigid, super-padded, "stabilizing" shoes and the like I had worn for decades, but today I spend as much of my time barefoot or otherwise with as little limitation on my foot movement as the circumstances allow. 

About a year ago I discovered Xero Shoes  and completely fell in love with the Prio model.  If we've met in person, I probably showed up wearing these.  Now that it's summer, and I've needed a sandal that also didn't have a rigid sole, or wouldn't distort my gait the way a flip-flop does, for example, I have become a huge fan of the Cloud model.  The strap system is so simple, and elegant in its function, if not in fashion, and those are the priorities I roll with these days.  The strap across the top of the foot slides to create a secure ankle strap so that you are not forced to use your foot to keep the sandal on.  It's genius and feels *almost* as good as barefoot, but safer for public spaces :)
 

A Xero shoes sandwich!  My well worn Prios in the middle and the Clouds on my feet :)