BLOG | martinazand

Feb 3

Plant-Based Valentine's Day Recipes That Love You Back!

Love Bombs Valentine's Day is around the corner and whether you love it or hate it, I think it's always a great reminder to start with self-love first. If you love yourself and take care of yourself, the world can love you, too! I even made a video about this topic this week. Check it out here. So when it comes to food for Valentine's Day, naturally I want to encourage you to make it delicious AND nourishing for your body. Taking care of your body with foods that make you fee

Mar 13, 2020

Come and release some of that panic, anxiety, and tension

Welcome to today's Tension Tamer exercise video. I think in this time of panic and anxiety we all need some time to calm down and take care of ourselves... because nothing lowers the immune system quicker than stress! So today's Tension Tamer is like a warm hug that you need but are apparently not allowed to get or give :-). This is a great relaxing sequence to do anytime you feel stressed, super exhausted and not in the mood to move your body, or when you would rather curl u

Feb 14, 2020

A strengthening flow

It is Valentine's Day and time to focus on appreciating your body and everything it does for you: walking you through life, holding your upright, carrying your kids around, and keeping you alive. Today's flow is focused on strength to show you how amazing you are! All you need is a mat and 20 minutes. And when you are done with appreciating your amazing body, hop on over to the blog to whip up the most decadent Valentine's Day chocolate mug cake - super easy and super yummy!

Jan 28, 2020

This week's #selflovejanuary rituals

This is the last week of #selflovejanuary rituals and this week we are covering mindfulness. I know it may sound a little out there, but being mindful just means doing something with intention and paying attention to it in the moment. All week long I will share rituals to be more mindful in every area of your life over on Instagram and Facebook stories. So make sure to hop on over and check them out. Enjoy! #selflove #healthtips #lifestyletips #selfcare

Jan 25, 2020

New #selflovejanuary exercise video

And a new exercise video is here for #selflovejanuary! This week over on Instagram and Facebook stories I've been giving you daily tips on how to boost your immune system for #selflovejanuary. Today I explained how exercising is a important part of boosting your immune system, however, we want to make sure it's quick bursts that don't make you spend hours at the gym - otherwise we achieve the exact opposite. So come and join me for this Quick Immune Booster. All you need for

Jan 18, 2020

An evening routine for #selflovejanuary

All week long I am sharing rituals on how to restore and sleep better for #selflovejanuary over on Instagram and Facebook. Today I shared that our hormones are wired to run best when we exercise with high intensity in the mornings and flow more calmly in the evening to help us get to sleep. So for today I've got a delicious Evening Calm Flow for you to get you to sleep. All you need is a mat. Also make sure to check out the Morning High Intensity Interval Training session to

Jan 18, 2020

A morning routine for #selflovejanuary

#selflovejanuary continues with tips to restore and sleep better this week. Did you know that your hormones love high intensity exercise first thing in the morning to get you going? Come and join me for a quick high intensity interval session today. All you need is a mat. I hope you enjoy it! And make sure to also check out the Evening Calm Flow to get you ready for a good night's sleep. Love, P.S. Every day I give you a new ritual over on Instagram and Facebook, come and che

Jan 17, 2020

Yoga Nidra for deep restoration for #selflovejanuary

Welcome to today's Yoga Nidra session. Every day over on Instagram and Facebook I am giving you a #selflovejanuary ritual, and today I am talking about how to deeply restore throughout the day even if you didn't get a lot of sleep the night before. Yoga Nidra helps us to turn inwards and relax our entire body deeply to put healing processes into place, to restore our energy, and to "catch up" on sleep. We almost float out of our body and just become very aware of how our body

Jan 7, 2020

A new ebook is here!

This year #selflovejanuary is getting its own ebook because it really deserves one! The endless posts of diets and grueling workouts hitting you from every side in January are annoying and not the way to making long-lasting health and weight changes. We can continue to use them as a band aid or we can get to the source of our mistrust for our body once and for all. In order to help you get off the punishment train I have put together this ebook - a workbook with 10 steps to l

Jan 6, 2020

#selflovejanuary is here!

This picture perfectly captures what self-care looks like to me - complete zen, quiet, nature, just me, myself, and I. The reality is that self-care often looks much more like Baby Zand jumping on me while I am trying to meditate between piles of toys. It’s so easy to lose sight of taking care of yourself when you are a mother because other little people need you 24/7. BUT always remember this: only if you are cared for can you truly care for your family, community, and the w

Nov 1, 2019

A couple of weeks to be present

It's that time of the year again when I go quiet for a couple of weeks to enjoy Baby Zand's birthday, family visits, travel, and a whole lot of fun. I always feel like I want to be super present for this special time, so there will be no new posts on the blog and very little action over on Instagram and Facebook. I'll be back soon with more delicious holiday inspired recipes - don't worry! Lots of love, #selflove #selfcare

Sep 20, 2019

Relief for your neck pain and headaches is here!

It's YouTube Friday! Today I have a text neck remedy flow for you. You know when you are staring down at your phone screen all day, and by the afternoon you start to get a headache from your head being so out of alignment? That's a text neck, and with today's flow I will show you not only how to better align your neck for any exercises you do, but you will also feel so much freer in your neck and shoulders after the 30 minutes. All you need is a mat, and maybe a yoga block or

Sep 16, 2019

Down the social media rabbit hole

Today I went down a social media rabbit hole at 5.13am. I know what a weird time to be up and about. But it’s the only time I get to write, and move, and meditate, and do all the things that fill up my cup before the house gets loud and crazy. The mistake I made was to look at my phone when I came down into the kitchen to make myself some warm water with lemon. I usually have a policy to never look at my phone before I haven’t finished my whole morning routine, and get starte

Aug 26, 2019

3 tips for new mothers on how to ease back pain

When Baby Zand was born, there was sleep deprivation, there was a constant fear of something happening to her, and there was an endless flow of oxytocin in my body, breaking my heart so wide open and loving like I had never loved before. What I didn’t realize though was that an incredible amount of back pain would come along for the journey, even though I was a fitness professional and knew everything there was to know about posture and training. I found it incredibly depress

Aug 17, 2019

Book of the month: August

“For many mothers - as well as for fathers who bear the brunt of raising a child - parenting can be emotionally, psychologically, financially, and physically draining, yet few of us ever honestly share how exacting, incredibly tough, and emotionally burdensome we find it. So invested are we in being “good” parents that we would be embarrassed to share our feelings with friends and family. Because of our fear of being judged, we tend to hide the degree to which we feel torn as

Aug 1, 2019

Post-swim spray for your skin and hair

Recently I shared a swimming tip on Instagram stories as the tip of the day. When we swim in chlorinated pools, the chlorine will seep into our body through our largest organ - the skin. In our food chlorine plays a big part as salt - sodium chloride - which means that we need it in small amounts for our body to function properly. But just like with everything else, if we have too much of it, it can also start to cause harm. Chlorine is absolutely necessary in public swimming

Jun 3, 2019

Book of the month: June

“Almost every civilization since the beginning of time has used crystals in a variety of ways - from healings to offerings to protective talismans. Queen Cleopatra and the ancient Egyptians used ground Malachite and Lapis Lazuli to create a rainbow of eye shadows and cosmetics. The Romans embedded crystals into their armor and shields to provide protection and strength while in battle. In India, Ayurvedic medicine has used crystal energy to correct physical, emotional, and me

Apr 1, 2019

Book of the month: April

“Awareness is the key to mastering your Mean Girl, because once you know what you know, you can’t unknow it. So rather than fighting her, slamming the door in her face, and resisting her every step of the way, it’s more constructive to use her as a guide back to your truth… love!” I love Melissa Ambrosini and what she puts out into this world. Her podcast is one of my favorite to listen to, and this book is THE book to get your self-love journey started. I know when I start t

Jan 19, 2019

New exercise video for #selflovejanuary

Welcome to 2019 and to #selflovejanuary. Instead of killing ourselves at bootcamps, lets spend January taking excellent care of ourselves and our health. This way we start the year on a high, not on a self doubting low. Last year we tackled injuries of the feet, knees, and shoulders for #selflovejanuary. This year we are kicking off with a video about the core - because the core is so much more than just a six pack. So come and join me for a little bit of anatomy, some breath