For those looking for a marriage retreat in PA near Philadelphia there are so many beautiful locations within a short drive or train ride such as the Poconos.
Here are the factors you want to consider.
Distance – Do you want something that is convenient and just an hour or two drive away? Are you looking for something more remote that might end up being more affordable? Are you able to leave for your retreat at a time that you won’t get stuck in rush hour? Nothing kills googly eyes and coo-ing sounds like a bad traffic jam
Activities – Do you want to be really active with hiking, biking, yoga or swimming or are you content to just lounge around a fireplace and sleep until noon? Do you want the retreat to be structured with speakers and group workshops or do you want to be more independent and spontaneous. If it is a marriage retreat you will want to find plenty of activities that you will want to do together and not just go off and he is fishing the whole time while you are taking pilates classes.
Cost – Are you looking for something that is luxurious and not as conscious about saving money or do you need something that is more wallet-friendly? If you are more budget conscious then you can start subscribing to lists like Groupon or Living Social and see what kind of travel deals they have.
If you are more particular about a certain area or property then you can monitor terms like “Marriage Retreat PA” or “Poconos Getaway” on twitter alerts so that anytime this term gets mentioned on social media (often that happens because there is some kind of discount or offer involved) you will get these delivered to your inbox as one message instead of having to search for them every day.) I used this tactic when we were traveling to Las Vegas and was looking to see if there were any discounts that were being offered.
Adult Only – Are you looking to get away from the kids and want peace and quiet or are you going to bring the kids along and need lots of kid-friendly activities like swimming and arts and crafts? Is there child-care services on premises so that you can leave the noisy ones with them as the two of you have your couple time?
Amenities– Are you looking for something luxurious with all touches likes mints on your pillows or is something rustic and cozy (which will also mean lower-cost) more up your alley? Do you have to be at a place that has WIFI so you can stay connected or do you want to be unplugged and unbothered?
Couples Retreats in PA near Philadelphia
Weather – If the retreat is at a remote location, then you’ll have to factor bad weather ( especially in winter) could hinder your plans. Find out about how good or bad the roads are as well as the refund policy in case of inclement weather. If you are going in the middle of summer are there activities like swimming or classes indoors in case it gets too intense to hike around in 95 heat with humidity that feels like a wet blanket? If it is in the middle of winter, then make sure there are plenty of fun indoors activities so you don’t just feel like you have cabin fever.
With so many kinds of yoga, how can you know which one is for you? For those looking for weight loss with yoga you will want to check out the more flowy, vigorous styles.
I remember my first yoga class. I don’t think any yoga teacher can forget their first class. I was 22 and I was in LA with my friend and her boyfriend had started to take yoga and she had come to a few classes. I didn’t know anything about yoga besides the woman in the leotard and a long braid that would be on tv doing some stretches. I went to my first class and I remember feeling overwhelmed and challenged … it was very hard to keep up and the poses seemed very confusing. I guess it was a typical hatha yoga class with a lot of sun sulutations. I remember doing warrior pose… I felt so powerful being a warrior.
After the class, I remember not feeling any back pain. For almost a year, my low back had been hurting and the only thing that helped was to sleep a lot and heat. I remember feeling so freed up and feeling so comfortable in my own skin. Yoga had finally found me and this was the start of a joyous journey for me into my the depths of my body and spirituality.
Over fifteen years later, I would take all kinds of classes. I didn’t know much about yoga still so I decided to buy a power yoga dvd since all these celebrities were doing power yoga I figured I could have a body like Jennifer Aniston if I did power yoga as well. I was pretty broke at the time and couldn’t afford to go to 3 power yoga classes a week for $15 a pop but I could afford a $20 vinyasa dvd. I used to do that yoga DVD 1-3 times a week. I was starting to get that cut, sculpted look and feeling stronger and more balanced.
Yoga Exercise for Weight Loss – What are the Best Ones for Beginners?
Yoga for reducing weight to help lose your butt and gut
If you really want to get Taylor Lautner Abs and want a workout that kicks your butt then something like Ashtanga or Bikram would be better suited to you. This is not recommended unless you are already pretty athletic and prepared to be very challenged but leave feeling radiant and detoxed. These are probably the best choice if you are looking for weight loss with yoga.
If you are feeling limited physically, serious illness or just exhausted and not up for a fast moving class then something like restorative or gentle would be a good fit.
Beware of an all-levels class (I always hated this description) For seasoned yoga practitioners if the teacher has to slow down and go through each pose and alignment cue then this is frustrating. For brand – new beginners, especially if you you are out-of-shape, you will probably be intimidated and scared by going into a class where the teacher is just yelling out the names of poses without explaining how to do them or get into them properly.
If you are a true beginner, then I would recommend classes or series that are designed for those that are new to yoga since the pace will be slower and there will be more explanation about breathing and what yoga is.
For those that are more advanced, I would recommend finding out the physical pace of a class and the athletic ability of the other students to gage if this class will be appropriate for you.
What romantic couples questions before marriage did you ask your significant other?
What do you think would have happened with Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries if they had asked each other more in depth questions about the kind of lifestyle they wanted to have together? They didn’t even talk about such basic things such as where they were going to live and what was going to happen to Kim’s career once they started to have children. Do you think it would have ended after those fateful 72 days if they had just not been blinded by the $18 million wedding extravaganza and concentrated more on their future marriage instead of just their wedding?
Conversation Questions for Couples
Kim K has taken a lot of heat for having such a casual marriage but she is really a mirror or what many of us find at fault in our own relationships. Most of us won’t think of the hard questions that have to do with things such as money, career, raising children, in-laws, religion, where to live, how to vacation, food and diet, what inspires us and what scares us before marriage.
So what romantic couples questions did you ask your significant other when you were first getting to know each other? Besides all the obvious small talk questions were you able to dive in and ask other questions?
Relationship Questions For Couples
How To Use the Questions for Couples
You need to use a certain amount of wisdom with these 1,000 questions. Someone who has just begun dating shouldn’t accelerate the relationship by starting off with questions on marriage and sex. If you don’t think you and your partner are quite ready to commit to one another, it would be best to start off with the questions on personality, your past experiences, favorites and perhaps pets. The best relationships are built on a solid friendship, so first address the questions that will help build that base.
Some people will want to answer four or five questions in a sitting. Others might like to spend several hours and answer 50 or more. Some people will want to put the questions in letters and mail them to each other on the same day so their answers don’t influence each other’s. Those with computers might find email to be a good way to get to know each other (and even keep the emails for future reference).
Here are samples of questions to ask before marriage.
What sort of reaction do you have when you get very upset?
Is there anything that makes you feel homesick, nostalgic or sentimental?
1,000 Questions for Couples
Do you have an idol? Do you try to model yourself after him or her in some way?
Do you think that you are able to calmly and wisely react in emergencies?
Do you take your pets with you on short trips? Long vacations? Do you put them in a kennel or have a friend watch them?
Do you generally make to-do lists? Would you like it or would you be offended if your mate helped you make a to-do list?
How do you think I could enjoy life more?
What do you like most about my personality?
How do you feel about pets being in the bedroom or sleeping on your bed?
What is your favorite ethnic cuisine?
Do you remember what your favorite childhood books were?
What makes you feel important?
How would you rate your maturity level among your peers?What are some examples of emergencies you have had?
Do you like your first name? Have you ever wished you had a different name? What name would it be?
Do you ever think that your partner gives more time, love and affection to a child or pet and does it makes you jealous?
Which do you think should have the final say in decisions – logic or emotions? Why?
In what circumstances do you feel most at peace?
How do you think I handle myself when I’m in a crisis situation?Do you have a dream that repeats itself again and again? What is it?
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Couples Yoga Moves for Beginners or Seasoned Yogis
Couple Yoga DVDs and Book Reviews for Buoyant Bonding
Couples Yoga is a wholesome way to learn surrender, build trust, and deepen intimacy. If you have never done partner yoga before, it is both meaningful and playful, and students say that they feel more open-hearted and can lead to a better sex life. To find a class suitable for your fitness and body type, make sure to ask the teacher before-hand if previous yoga experience is required and if the poses are physically challenging and suitable if you are unathletic and out of shape.
Some poses challenge your balance and strength. Others require your total trust and surrender. Some exercises and breathing techniques uses the power of the partnership. Partners can often achieve more than if they were practicing alone. These creative and sensual practices will add both tenderness and power to your relationship. This yoga style requires no special equipment and can be done in any open space.
Since it is not always easy to find a couples yoga class or maybe you or your partner is embarrassed to practice in front of strangers, you can also explore doing these couples yoga dvds and books.
Make sure to set the scene before. Send the kids to grandma and grandpa’s for the night. Turn off your cell phones. Set up soothing music, frangrant candles or incense etc. Avoid eating a heavy meal before… no lasagne or cheesecake for dinner. Opt for something light and easy to digest like a grilled chicken salad.
Together–The Art of Partnered Yoga
This couples yoga DVD is not suitable for yoga beginners as some of the poses are more advanced and there is not much for explanation for the poses. They do the poses quite quickly without much explanation. I do like how there are two options to do the practice – with their explanations and one without, so you can just follow along without hearing their voice. Ideal for a seasoned yoga practitioner but not for yoga newbies. However this is a beautiful workout and very much worth it especially for those who are in a relationship and already practicing traditional yoga together on a regular basis.
Sexy Yoga: 40 Poses for Mindblowing Sex and Greater Intimacy
First revealed over 2,000 years ago in the Kama Sutra, the link between yoga and sex has been generally recognized but widely ignored – until now. In Sexy Yoga, Ellen Barrett, popular author and instructor for New York’s Crunch studios, offers the modern yoga student a specific program designed to transform and heighten pleasure in sex and lovemaking.
Barrett’s program includes a series of asanas (postures) that use yoga’s combination of movement, breathing, and focus to release sexual power. Sensual, erotic, and guaranteed to improve sexual performance, the poses are also designed to improve one’s ability to navigate both the physical and emotional demands of intimacy. Rooted in the rich tradition of yoga but far from an esoteric Indian practice, the program in this book is suitable for everyone from new students to experienced yoga practitioners. Not for prudes though.
Yoga Two-gether
This wasn’t filmed in a big fancy Hollywood set but don’t let the production diminish how much joy you will get from this yoga for couples DVD. Sometimes it is hard to hear the teacher with the background noise. Not for beginners because he does not describe in enough detail for the newbie. It is probably great for experienced yogis though. The asanas create a bond between partners that facilitates strength, flexibility, intimacy, and trust. Two people flow together from one yoga pose to another, in a sequence of more than 60 poses. The teacher incorporates a full range of postures, including forward folds, back bends, twists, side bends, standing poses, sitting poses, and even inversions ( going upside down).
Partner Yoga – Making Contact for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Growth
With their 30 years of combined experience in yoga, medicine, fitness, dance, the martial arts, and music, Cain Carroll and Lori Kimata, N.D., have developed a practice that blends mutually beneficial postures, conscious breathing, trust, communication and playfulness.
The 60 dynamic postures and 3 yoga flows introduced in this book offer a threshold into a provocative and exciting yoga experience. Developed with reverence for the ancient tradition of yoga, these beautiful postures are designed to help improve balance, strength, and flexibility as well as increase the level of trust and communication between you and your partner.
Tantric Yoga for Lovers by Steve & Lokita Carter
This titilating DVD offers easy-to-learn yoga routines for lovers to increase the flow of sexual energy, develop a regular practice for toning your bodies, and balance body mind and spirit – in and out of the bedroom. Sensually filmed, they are fully clothes but this is also not for prudes. The music is quite erotically charged with pulsing drum beats.
The DVD contains three segments:
What is the Breath of Tantric Love?
Demonstration and explanation
Intimacy Spa – Sensual Yoga for Couples
The video is good, but not until the end do you actually get to the practicing. If you have done a lot of yoga already, only the last part of this video will be good for you. Though, the beginning was a good review for the avid Yoga enthusiast. This is a worthwhile program for sharing yoga with a loved one whether you are a novice or a long-time devotee. Some of the scenes are with them doing no clothing so this tape is not for prudes. Beautifully shot, especially the postures filmed on a gorgeous stretch of waterfront. Several of the chapters give you the option of learning or practicing positions with either verbal instructions over video or written instructions over still photos… a great touch and nice tool for going at your own pace.
Lovers’ Yoga: Soothing Stretches for Two
Darrin Zeer knows it takes two to tango and two to yoga. His latest book, Lovers’ Yoga, shows how easy it is for couples to indulge in nurturing, soothing partner exercises to relax, rejuvenate, and create deep, lasting bonds. Delightfully illustrated, this little handbook outlines 60 surprisingly simple stretches organized into five chapters Playful, Powerful, Peaceful, Patient, and Passionate. The exercises build on one another, so couples can indulge in one stretch, a chapter sequence, or the entire book from beginning to end. Whether time allows for a few minutes or a few hours, Previous yoga experience is helpful but not required to do this poses.
Intimate Yoga for Couples
Learn about the benefits of deep breathing and explore the chakras, solo positions and romantic partner positions with this couples yoga DVD. Over 270 color photographs, artful sequencing and easy to follow instructions will appeal to both novice and seasoned practitioner. With 20 years of experience as a yoga instructor and massage therapist, author Mishabae believes that if you take the practices in this book off the mat and into your lovemaking, the experience of great sex can be yours to share, nurture and expand upon. There are plenty of tantra yoga pics with naked people which makes this look like a kama sutra kind of book. Not for prudes.
Yoga for Partners: Over 75 Postures to Do Together
Yoga for Partners features dozens of inspiring photos of the paired asanas. It teaches each partner how to synchronize their movements and breathing, bringing new lightness and enjoyment to any yoga practice. Following a brief introduction, 75 two-page spreads offer a full-page photo accompanied by positioning tips, a short commentary on the benefits of the posture, and advice on breathing techniques and proper focus. Sensually photographed, many of the poses are not ideal for beginners but recommended for seasoned yoga practitioners of if you are athletic.
The Pleasures and Principles of Partner Yoga
Presents simple to advanced partner and group practices that are ideal for those with or without prior yoga experience. Over three hundred beautiful, unique photographs and illustrations demonstrating over sixty practices. Elysabeth Williamson has studied and practiced Yoga for more than thirty years. She has taught a unique synthesis of various traditions of Yoga for eighteen years. She frequently does workshops at places like Kripalu and had quite a few youtube videos on how to do many of the sequences. Suitable for friends as well as couples.
Dana Rae Pare’s Partner Yoga
Dana Rae Paré’s soothing voice guides you through a series of yoga poses and innovative stretches for you and your partner. With Partner Yoga you’ll receive all the physical benefits of yoga (increased strength, stamina & flexibility) as well as learning how to give, receive, trust and support your partner. What happens on the yoga mat can transcend into your personal life bringing vitality, joy and peace.
Couple Yoga DVDs and Book Reviews
Couples Yoga is a wholesome way to learn surrender, build trust, and deepen intimacy.
Written by: Mishabae, Ellen Barrett, Cain Carroll and Lori Kimata, Cain Carroll
Sadie Nardini is a popular yoga instructor, youtube queen and co-owner of The Fierce Club, a yoga studio in Soho. Nardini is an expert in yoga fitness and balanced living and is a columnist at GaiamLife and has written for YogaJournal and The Huffington Post. She teaches at all the big events like Yoga Journal and Omega.
Sadie Nardini will kick your flabby butt with inspiration with her Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga Series. Her style is more of a philosophy on yoga than an actual branch of yoga. I actually have taken classes in NYC with Sadie. Her classes were always completed packed with mats just a few inches apart. She even had students that wanted to take her class even if that meant they had to do the practice in the hallway. I also took her teacher training. So I know this practice well and know her gutsy style as well also. She demos the poses with confidences and integrates meditation into each practice.
This DVD includes six full workout sessions that last for an hour or more each, as well as twelve smaller, quicker sessions, each under fifteen minutes. It’s better to do 15 minutes of yoga every day then just one 90 minute session once a week.
Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga: Total Body Transformation
A highlight to this DVD is the ‘Learning How to Fly’ workout which focuses on building yourself to the readiness to do headstand, as well as other gravity-defying postures. I don’t recommend headstand though since that pose can lead to neck pain if you do it improperly without professional supervision.
The focus on weight loss is integral to each workout. In her Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga Series, Sadie does not treat body fitness as an obsession, but simply as a result of a balanced way of living. I love how she infuses living your life more authentically and how your practice is a metaphor for how you live your life.
Total Body Yoga Sculpt: Calorie Burn + Deeper Core Strength
Not another power yoga DVD that is just filled with a bunch of standard sun sulutations….. this 90-minute practice with a matrix menu with unusual poses and flowing sequences keeps you engaged while you activate deep core muscles for more sweaty weight loss. This yoga weight loss DVD is filmed in Sedona (no voice-overs)
I’ll start this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Sadie Nardini’s dvds. However, this is probably my least favorite for a few reasons. First, this dvd seems considerably less “athletic” than the others. If you are not a traditional yogi and you prefer athletic power yoga you might prefer some of her other dvds This video is considerably slower paced than Sadie’s others, and much more “chatty”. I will say that there are still some powerful, excellent strength-building sequences in here, but I found myself really missing the faster flow of her other DVDs.
I’ve done many of her classes before so I had an idea of what to expect. The matrix menu is great because on busy days it allows me to choose what I want to focus on (it’s divided into core, standing, floor, etc). This is so useful because I can build the practice I want on any given day.
This DVD is set up with a “matrix” menu, i.e. there are 8 individual segments that you can play from start to finish or pick and choose based on time and mood. The segments are:
However, I am giving the video 4 stars because it does contain very helpful, very detailed instructions, and awesome cueing. I can see how people looking for a more spiritual yoga video would love this one, but if you want a faster paced workout then stick with her other dvds.
Sadie narrates the whole workout while still doing the routine – no voice-overs. Her alignment tips are spot-on and her background in truly understanding anatomy shows through. She’s also very good at knowing when you’re likely to slip out of proper alignment and will remind you to straighten this or support that at just the right moment. More than just a yoga workout, this DVD truly encompasses the inner workings of yoga as well, helping you to focus and let go of things you no longer need to hold onto in your mind and heart.
The backdrop of Sedona makes for one heck of a beautiful and inspiring session. There is also no cool down segment and I really missed that. If you want to end your practice with Savasana (corpse pose) you’ll either need to do the Inversion segment (includes headstand and wheel) or you’ll need to add it on your own. I wouldn’t recommend this for pure beginners, however if you have some yoga experience there will be something for you in this.
Total Belly Transformation: Whole Body Tone + Deeper Core Strength
Yay! A core workout that’s creative, flowing and tones your whole body along with your center in 30- 45 minutes. . Her very detailed instructions and visualizations come into both my left and right brain through her use of physiological detail and metaphorical imagery (belly bonfire anyone?) . After just 3 meetings on my mat with this DVD, I am learning how to send different kinds of instruction to my core, using deeper muscles than have become my habit.
This series of abdominal/core flows are deep and tough. Because this DVD is easily done as either one continuous series of flows or 3 individual sections, it is very easy to insert into the middle of a longer practice when you want to focus more on core work.
If you have Shiva Rea’s Core series DVDs and wondered if this was worth having too, it is, absolutely worth having ( I have a few Shiva Rea DVDs…. her tummy toning one and her yoga trance dance one) It’s mucho different from Shiva’s work and would make a fine addition to a serious, yoga loving, core focused person’s collection that wants a gutsy workout.
If you have been practicing Bikram yoga for awhile and wanted a dvd you can do at home when you can’t make it to the hot studio. (or maybe paying $20 a Bikram class just isn’t in your budget right now) First thing I noticed is that the entire DVD is actually 45 minutes long as opposed to the 30 it says. There is a 15 minute warm up, a 15 minute standing series and a 15 minute floor series (you can pick and choose or do them all).
I wouldn’t call myself a beginner Yogi but some of these poses were too advanced for me to come close to completing on the first attempt. That being said: I am, again, more than ok with that. I will follow along as best I can and now I have an additional goal of learning to complete all the poses. It’s a nice change of pace from Bikram and if you follow her instructions about the way to hold your stomach and your lower spine, you can really feel your “belly bonfire” ( she does have a way with words).
My only other suggestion would be to watch this dvd through one time and watch how each pose is done if you are unfamiliar with this type of yoga. I think it would be much easier to follow along the first time you try if you have seen each pose done first.
This video is very different from her other Sedona video, as well – no repeats here. In fact, between the two Sedona videos, this one is definitely my favorite. I found this to be a very unusual yoga workout with several moves I have not seen elsewhere – it is almost like pilates in the sense that it is very targeted towards the core. My only complaint is that I feel as if the floor segment in particular could move a bit faster with less talking.
Overall I would say that this is a very solid intermediate level video with one or two advanced moves (crow and side crow), which make it different from other power yoga DVDs with a bunch of sun salutations. This is not a great fit for someone brand new to yoga…. you’ll probably feel overwhelmed unless you are very athletic.
