Wellness

Published Tuesday Feb 04, 2020 by Christa Quattrocchi

When the Stars Align: Which Zodiac is Your Soulmate?

Personal Growth

Motivation

Have you ever met someone and immediately felt like your connection was written in the stars? When that special someone is cosmically compatible, your world can really light up.

Your sun sign represents your core personality and can bring out traits that may or may not mesh well with others. Though all partnerships require hard work, clear communication, and trust, astrology can help us figure out which personality types we naturally connect with and where we might need to put in a little extra work. Whether you’re looking for love or going steady, we’ve looked to the sky to tell you which sign could hold the key to your heart.

Pro Tip: If you happen to have access to your love interest’s chart, compare your Moon/Venus to get even more nitty-gritty on how your odds stack up in the realm of emotions and the planet of love.

Aries + Gemini

Fire, meet smoke. You’ll be that couple everyone’s whispering, “goals” about. This fabulously brainy pairing guarantees good conversation, never-ending adventure, and countless inside jokes that would leave even Kristen & Dax envious.

Your Love Anthem: If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
Your Perfect Date: Rent an airstream in a nearby city for a spontaneous weekend getaway.

Taurus + Sagittarius

If you haven’t heard, opposites attract. Find yourself a free-spirited Sag and be ready to commit to open communication with a blissful balance of hometown roots and various vacation condos. They’ll coax you out of your cave, and you’ll guide them home at a decent hour—the perfect harmony between introvert and extrovert.

Your Love Anthem: Stay With Me – Sam Smith
Your Perfect Date: Find the nearest firepit and head there at dusk (and don’t forget the red wine and cheese plate)!

Gemini + Aquarius

We don’t mean to be dramatic, but this pairing is soulmate status. You’re both up for anything and drag quick-witted banter and change-the-world plans along for the ride. Aquarius is the partner who will help you see all those million-dollar ideas you’ve got in life (just be sure to make time to get in your feels).

Your Love Anthem: Paradise – Coldplay
Your Perfect Date: Trivia night accompanied by the most exotic pizza on the menu.

Cancer + Taurus

Bust out your Sunday sweats and favorite snacks—it’s gonna be a real cozy ride. You both are the Netflix > nightclub type, so you can count on a Taurus to be the first to leave the party with you. Cancers are typically family-oriented and on the hunt for someone to settle into domestic bliss with. Just remember to get out of the house once in a while—or don’t. Stay happy, lovebirds.

Your Love Anthem: Can’t Help Falling in Love (cover) – Haley Reinhart
Your Perfect Date: Dig into your collection of old movies, grab take-out from your go-to restaurant, and park yourselves on the couch for the perfect evening sheltered from the world.

Leo + Aries

An Aries companion is a sure-fire match for your bold, confident energy. Your natural zest for life is met with their energizing spirit and sets the stage for a harmonious blend of socializing and couple adventures. There’s a lot of heat between the two of you, so make sure to let each other shine or else your snap, crackle could pop quickly.

Your Love Anthem: Africa – TOTO
Your Perfect Date: A Saturday morning run followed up with a hearty, refuel brunch, leading up to a night of dancing with friends.

Virgo + Capricorn

Virgo don’t want no scrubs—Capricorn is the type that’s ready to go steady right away. You’re looking for that practical, got-their-check-book-balanced type, and they’re dreaming of a C-Suite seat. They, too, have a five-year plan in place, and if you meet the right one, you can probably bet on securing a wedding date.

Your Love Anthem: You’re Still the One – Shania Twain
Your Perfect Date: Go to an escape room and impress the group with your stellar exit strategy plans. Celebrate with cocktails at a romantic, dimly lit bar.

Libra + Leo

You’re ruled by Venus, the planet of love, and there’s nothing that brings out your rose-colored glasses quite like sexy confidence. Leos will enchant you with their stellar, self-love style and social status. Together, you’ll serve up an entrée of glamour with a side of strong family values—like a modern-day Partridge family.

Your Love Anthem: Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran
Your Perfect Date: Head to a flea market or thrift shop and try on some funky outfits. Then, take it to the streets to strut your stuff straight to the hottest brunch spot in town.

Scorpio + Cancer

We’re far from the shallow now. Get ready to dive straight into the deep end with Cancer, who understands the emotional well you often find yourself in. Spending time with them will make you feel right at home, so don't be surprised if you end up browsing the web for an actual home after the first date.

Your Love Anthem: I Will Follow You Into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie
Your Perfect Date: Watch a true-crime documentary and cuddling up on the couch when the suspenseful scaries set in.

Sagittarius + Libra

BFF turned friends with benefits, turned ultimate romance. A Libra counterpart will indulge in your grand plan for an offbeat life and keep you laughing through it all. Try to hold off on the “what are we” talk, Libra’s usually need a little more time to sink into commitment. But when you two manage to find common ground, your relationship is sure to withstand the test of time.

Your Love Anthem: Lover – Taylor Swift
Your Perfect Date: Get out of town. Road-trip to a fresh destination where you can explore hand-in-hand and laugh amongst the locals like you already belong.

Capricorn + Scorpio

As someone with a stacked set of goals, it’s important that you find someone who doesn’t always fly by the seat of their pants. Scorpio shoots for the moon while also challenging you to step beyond practicality into their emotionally driven ways. They make it easy to slip into a comfortable groove, inviting some more fluidity to your structure.

Your Love Anthem: Someone Like You – Adele
Your Perfect Date: For a classically romantic vibe, get together at a wine bar with some ambiance to set the mood.

Aquarius + Pisces

Careful! Do not let this fish slip away; Pisces is your perfectly quirky companion. You’ll find yourself comparing theories on the Seven Wonders of the World and reading self-help books with your spiritual soulmate. They’ll help you embrace that sensitive side you’ve been neglecting all these years.

Your Love Anthem: All My Loving – The Beatles
Your Perfect Date: Pack a picnic, grab your telescope, and head outdoors together to revel over the planetary magic in the sky.

Pisces + Virgo

Do you hear the word ‘relationship’ and immediately want to dig a hole to China? A Virgo just might have what it takes to hold you down. You can put down the world you’ve been carrying on your shoulders and let them take the weight for a bit. ‘The Virgin’s’ care-taking nature level-sets your need to nurture everyone around you, allowing you both to spend some time on the receiving end.

Your Love Anthem: September – Earth, Wind, & Fire
Your Perfect Date: Plan a spa day where you can Zen out with a couple’s massage and pamper in harmony.

Written by

Christa Quattrocchi

Acquisition Program Manager

About the author

Christa is a 300hr certified yoga instructor on a soulful journey to integrate spiritual practices, such as astrology, tarot, and pranayama, in her guidance both on and off the mat. She is Mindbody’s resident witch and advertising aficionado. Beyond her credentials, you can find Christa channeling creativity through writing, cooking plant-based goodness, & surfing her home waters in sunny San Diego.

Fitness

Published Wednesday Jul 28, 2021 by Bree Lewis

Sweat Redemption: 5 Tips for Getting Back Into Your Hot Yoga Practice

Yoga

Fitness

Expert Advice

If you’ve ever taken a hot yoga class, you know it’s always going to be one thing—outrageously hot. Not the “let’s hang by the pool and get that sun-kissed glow” kind of hot either. I’m talking that “I can't believe I have this much sweat in my body” and “I may or may not pass out” kind of hot. It’s nothing to mess around with, and after a year or so of not being able to go, it’s easy to forget just how serious that heat can be.

To get the maximum enjoyment and benefits out of your heated yoga classes, you need to prepare yourself before and take care of yourself afterward. Luckily, I’ve been taking some classes (sweating enough for the both of us) and I’ve listed my five favorite must-dos to help you readjust to your heated classes and get back to the hot yoga summer that we all want.

1. Go at your own pace

Heated classes are difficult in nature. The normal difficulty of regular poses is mixed in with the added challenges of sweating and dealing with the humidity and the heat (at times, I’ve seen the thermostat climb to 108 degrees—yikes!). Depending on what type of yoga class you’re taking (sculpt, Bikram, power vinyasa), the difficulty level and temperature are going to vary. It’s also important to remember that each person in the room is going to practice in a way that’s unique to them. Hours slept, hydration levels, food intake, and different lifestyles are all contributing factors that make our practices different. What you practice on your mat is your own––trust your body and only do what feels right to you. And remember, it’s okay to take breaks!

2. Hydrate like your life depends on it (honestly, it might)

The rise in temperature mixed in with the humidity that we all know and love creates the perfect recipe for sweating—like A LOT. You go into a heated class dry and come out feeling like you just took a dip in the pool. Before heated classes, I had no idea it was physically possible to sweat that much. If you’re going to a heated class, especially after a long break, it’s easy to forget just how much you might sweat. Is it possible to lose that much water if you haven’t consumed it first? Trust me, going into your heated class super hydrated is going to make a world of difference and help you feel good throughout your practice. And don’t forget to take some sips of H2O while you’re practicing!

3. Nourish your body

Heated classes are challenging, but I can’t stop going. Nothing quite compares to overcoming the challenge— and experiencing the cleanse my body feels after I’m done. It’s the perfect blend of hard and rewarding, but I couldn’t do it if my body wasn’t properly nourished. On the days I know I have a heated class booked; I like to make sure I am eating right. I make sure to take my vitamins and fuel my body with fruits, vegetables, and my favorite superfood shake. I hold off on food about an hour before my practice, so I feel comfortable. After the class, I like to replenish with a big protein shake (boosted with collagen to aid with muscle recovery and skin elasticity). There is no one-way path for properly nourishing your body but making sure you’re fueled for the challenge of a heated class is essential for getting the most out of your practice and feeling good on and off your mat.

4. Replenish those electrolytes

Increasing and maintaining your water intake on the days you take a heated class is important, but sometimes you need something a little extra. If you’re sweating that much, you’re basically an athlete (at least in my book) and if you’re performing like a rockstar yogi, you need to hydrate like one as well. That means replenishing those lost electrolytes. Reward yourself and your body for the hard work and treat yourself to your favorite drink. I switch off between electrolyte-boosting drinks and coconut water depending on what I’m in the mood for that day. Adding these to my post-practice self-care routine has helped me feel more hydrated after and ready to take on the world again after especially sweaty classes.

5. Bring the right equipment

Usually, a yoga mat is all you need for your practice––but heated classes are a different ballgame. I’ve gone with just a mat, and I’ve slipped all over the place. Let me tell you, there’s nothing worse than having sweat drip all over the place while you’re trying to hold a pose that makes you grip your mat for dear life (never again). Make sure you bring a towel to place over your mat, this will help with support and grip. Bringing a smaller towel is also a good idea. You can use the smaller towel to dry yourself off during water breaks or whenever you’re feeling just a bit too sweaty. This is a small step that makes a world of difference during those super-hot classes.

So, there you have it. Five of my favorite tips (more like lifesavers) that have helped me readjust to those heated classes I love so much. Getting back into it is a challenge for us all, so know you’re not alone. No matter where you’re at in your practice, remember to be kind and gentle to yourself––celebrating your health and your body’s ability to do what you love. We’re all just getting back out there, together.

Ready to jump back into your hot yoga routine? Browse Mindbody to find the perfect class for you.

While you’re at it, check out some Intro Offers near you that can help you get back to your cadence of hot yoga classes.

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