Practicing Wellness in Chicago (Virtually)
If you are finding yourself more motivated by the TV and fridge than anything else right now, we have a few ideas from our friends at Choose Chicago to help you keep your physical and mental health in check:
Working Out with Chicago’s Revered Joffrey Ballet
Ballet is incredible for developing strength and flexibility in muscles you didn’t even know existed.
Every Sunday at 11:00am CT, The Joffrey Ballet posts home-workouts created by their world-renowned dancers on Instagram and then shares the videos on their YouTube page.
Past workouts have included a boot camp-inspired session with Derrick Agnoletti, a warmup and stretching routine with Julia Rust and tips for executing ballet jumps with Stefan Goncalvez, in partnership with Athletico.
Who knows, maybe with enough practice, you can (eventually) move like them!
Coloring for Mental Health
Beautiful adult coloring books have surged in popularity in recent years, with psychiatrists praising the meditative powers and mental health benefits of coloring between the lines. With the added stress of stay-at-home orders, coloring books – whether they be for adults or children – may be just what’s needed to help kick-start other at-home creative projects.
Some of Chicago’s most popular attractions offer coloring books in their gift shops that are sure to suit every type of traveler, from the wildlife images of the Field Museum’s artist in residence Peggy McNamara to the classic art collections of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Yoga with a View
There’s nothing like switching up the view to reignite a yoga routine.
Chicago 360, the observation deck of the iconic John Hancock building streams free yoga classes as the sun sets over the city at 6:00pm CT on Tuesdays. Mountain pose (tadasana) while towering over the Magnificent Mile and Lake Michigan is much more inspiring than staring at the generic loft background of most apps. If you miss the Tuesday class, be sure to visit their Facebook page for their previously recorded classes.
Then, on the second and fourth Saturday of the month, the Garfield Park Conservatory is taking its normal morning yoga class digital. The next class will be held on Saturday, May 23. Yogis of all skill levels are invited to join, but pre-registration is required.
Hopefully, moving your body and mind make not being able to travel more tolerable. But, on days where you’re not feeling the drive, there’s always the comforts of the couch and TV. For that, we have rounded up some of our favorite movies and TV shows that are inspiring our future travels when stay at home restrictions are lifted.
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