Mule Ties

If you’re a runner, the best part about springtime is that it’s finally time to enjoy the Great Outdoors instead of toiling away in the gym all day. It’s time to hit your favorite trail or jogging route and get back into shape! With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to deal with what can often be a windy, ra

Trail racing has come to stay, no doubt about that. The total freedom and abandon availed you while running in the most deserted of places, and away from the co

One of the pleasures of going out for a daily hike is letting your mind wander while enjoying the scenery all around you. But have you ever considered that hiking might also be a great way to practice mindfulness? In short, going out for a solo hike can be a great way to recalibrate your inner personal life, take your mind off concerns like relationships and finances, and truly live “in the moment.” The first step in practicing mindfulness is making it a conscious decision before you even embark on your hike. Once you’ve reached your hiking area, it’s important to establish beforehand that you are going to dedicate 15 to 20 minutes of the hike to embracing mindfulness. In order to do this, you need to make a few changes to your normal hiking routine. For example, if you usually take along a pair of headphones and music with you as part of your trail running routine, you might want to stash those in your backpack for later. As part of this conscious decision to embrace mindfulness, the first thing that you will want to do is focus on your breathing. Take deep breaths, slowly in and out. With each new breath, let go of whatever you’ve been thinking about recently. It’s time to focus only on you at this point. The real secret here is that you have to focus on the physical act of breathing – think about what is actually happening to your body with each inhalation or exhalation. Train yourself to slow down and reach a deep, reflective and almost meditative state. Once you’ve become in tune with your breathing and have reached a state of calmness, it’s time to focus on your other senses. What are you seeing? What are you hearing? Close your eyes and see if you can visualize what is happening around you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how heightened all of your senses are. And, in so doing, you will feel more alive. Best of all, you will feel more in tune with nature. While modernity has brought so many conveniences, it has also distanced us from the natural world around us. So hiking is a great way to reaffirm the ageless link with nature. You may even find yourself rediscovering some of the lost joys of childhood. Take time to study the flora and fauna around you. Even the act of studying a leaf – the texture, the shape and the sound that it makes when being crinkled underfoot by your winter traction hiking spikes – can help to heighten your senses and bring you closer to nature. That’s especially true in winter, when it’s much easier to embrace the solitude of nature. Everything seems to slow down. If you are traversing snowy trails with your micro spikes and navigating icy patches with your ice grippers, then it’s the perfect time to contemplate the enormous changes that nature undergoes throughout the year – and especially during the winter time. Finally, as you near the end of the 15- to 20-minute period that you have set aside for mindfulness on this hike, focus again on your breathing. With each new inhalation, focus on breathing in the positive energy around you. With each new exhalation, focus on breathing out the negative energy from your own life. Practicing mindfulness is not always easy, but once you’ve felt what it likes to reach a deeply meditative state perfectly at peace with the world around you, it can actually become a learned trait that you can use even when you are not out hiking. And, by practicing on hiking trails that are already familiar to you, you won’t have the nagging feeling that perhaps you are missing out on something. Why Yatta Life? You can get our traction gear and become a member of our large and growing Yatta Life community. Talk to other recreationalists on our Facebook page and see what adventure awaits them and those that they’ve tackled. Share stories of accomplishment and struggles when facing the outdoors. Most importantly, with Yatta Life you’ll – “Wear the gear that will always get you there.” Day or night, trail or road – you can count on Yatta Life traction gear. On your recreational journey, may you always say, Yatta! (I did it!) Shop Yatta Life now or contact us here. And please remember to like us on Facebook and join our community.

In today’s “always on” digital culture, it seems as though society has lost touch with nature and the physical world around us. We spend so much of our lives tethered to our devices and staring at our screens that we may spend little, if any, time outdoors experiencing the beauty of nature. We are turning into a society where sitting is the new norm, whether it is sitting in front of our computers or sitting in front of our TVs. And thus was born the modern recreationalist. A recreationalist is a doer, someone who makes time to get outdoors, regardless of the weather or the season. The modern recreationalist is someone who enjoys spending time with nature. Sometimes, it means contemplating and enjoying their surroundings alone. At other times, it means spending time with friends and family in the great outdoors. The best part is that anybody, regardless of age or physical ability, can be a recreationalist. Young or old, strong or weak, it doesn’t matter. A modern recreationalist can be a young millennial training for a triathlon or a Baby Boomer retiree, simply content to go for the occasional hike in the woods. That’s because being a recreationalist is a state of mind, not a series of accomplishments. You don’t win a medal or collect a badge to become a recreationalist. There are no awards to be won, no rivals to be vanquished, and no glory to be attained by outlasting one’s peers. Think of going for a hike on a mountain trail simply because you want to get away from it all, or taking your bike out for a ride in the great outdoors simply to feel the wind rushing against your body. Think of going camping in the woods, or going for a long run in the country. There is something uniquely inspiring about being outside and contemplating the marvels of this world. Whether it is staring up at the sky from the middle of a trail, or staring down at the world from the top of a mountain peak, being outdoors gives you a sense of perspective that just isn’t possible anywhere else. Being a modern recreationalist means wanting to get outdoors, even when the weather is not great. It means looking out at the snow falling from the sky and wondering if maybe, just maybe, there might be a way to go for a hike. Being a recreationalist can be empowering. Where others see hazards – like icy roads or slippery trails – a recreationalist sees opportunity. There is something vital that connects all recreationalists together – a shared love of the great outdoors. Being a recreationalist means being part of a community of doers who enjoy getting outdoors. Some of these doers are hikers, some are runners, some are bikers, and still others are campers. What they all have in common is a common desire to push themselves to experience all there is outdoors. Rain or shine, they are willing to hit the trail. While others are indoors sitting, recreationalists are outdoors, doing.

WE DESIGNED SEVERAL DIFFERENT HATS TO GET THE PERFECT SHAPE. THIS WOOL/POLYESTER MIX HAT IS CREATED WITH AN ELASTIC BACK TO GET THE PERFECT FITTING HAT FOR YOUR

Procrastination happens to the best of us. As we move into summer, some of us may still be in winter mode and wondered where spring went, not to mention Mother’s Day is just around the corner as you get an invite to a Mother’s day event. Feel the stress bar go up? May 14th is the day for those of you who are just catching up. Note to self, you are cool, calm and perfect! Here is a quick, easy and stylish look to pull off, effortlessly sexy, sophisticated and fun for the event or any event for this summer, and additionally these items will make wonderful gifts. BACK TO BASICS This summer, simple is sexy. Shirt dresses, jumpsuits / playsuits, tank dresses or your go to maxi dress are extremely comfortable options and a breeze to layer up. If you are feeling self conscience about your arms, shirt dresses are enticing. Got winter legs? Comfy jumpsuits would be your hero. Want to turn some heads because you still “got it”? Say yes to the playsuit or romper. OUR PICKS (below): Silence + Noise Jackson Button-Front Gauzy Halter Jumpsuit, UrbanOutfitters ($79);Lancaster Dress, Community ($110); Jersey Tank Dress, Madewell ($88) BE FASHIONABLY LATE? It’s not cool to keep your friends waiting. Remember to slip on a sleek and legible time piece. Gone are the days when watches were too fancy and superseded practicality. You can still look stylish and tell the time. Wood watches should be a staple accessory. Uniquely designed is the ladies wood watch from LEAFWOOD. Designed for the woman of effortless sophistication. THE VIRAGO woman is feminine, playful and infinitely ambitious. Our pick: TheVirago, LeafWood ($125) SUMMER ACCENTS When Mr. Golden Sun comes out to play protect yourself from its harmful rays with this years stylish shades, and hats inspired by the free spirited 70's and our feline friends. For a splash of colour and adding that