Experts

Well, if you want to learn yoga from an expert then Yoga Toes is the place for you. The expert in question is Amanda Giacomini who has more than a decade’s experience with yoga and is a qualified teacher. Along with her husband, Giacomini has formed Yoga Toes with the aim of conducting workshops and providing training to students interested in yoga.

Having traveled to India more than once, the couple has obtained yoga training from the leading teachers of yoga in India and they believe that gentle as well as intelligent adjustments to the art taught to them will help others to learn the practice of yoga more easily. As yoga is believed to have originated in India, they felt going to the roots for the training was the best course of action.

A Group of Three Accomplished Yoga Teachers

Another notable person associated with Yoga Toes, besides the Giacominis, is Wendy McLaughlin who also has many years of teaching experience of yoga. She can teach the physical, emotional as well as psychological aspects of yoga and is the person providing focus on Restorative Yoga which essentially is gentle poses that help to open the body and release tension as well as permit energy that heals the nervous and immune system.

At Yoga Toes, you will find that it is also possible to get personalized attention. This is especially useful for beginners who need to understand the basics before joining group classes. It is also useful for those that are injured, but who still wish to learn how to practice yoga in a safe manner. The costs to you would be around $75 for an hour and $100 for 90 minutes.

Beyond Asanas

At Yoga Toes, it is also possible to come together on a birthday, or to celebrate a wedding, or enjoy a family reunion for a reasonable fee. You can also bring your children to Yoga Toes for them to learn yoga as both the Giacominis are trained to teach yoga to kids. Besides learning yoga, you can get life coaching, massages; have acupuncture performed as well as avail of facial rejuvenation. It is kind of a spa where you can begin the session with meditation and exercise and then relax with a facial or massage.

And, if you want to learn different forms of yoga, then Yoga Toes will teach you ashtanga yoga, vinyasa yoga, gentle yoga, restorative yoga, and meditation as well as offer lessons in groups, or in private.

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Every day we are barraged with new skin care lines and products with claims of younger and healthier skin, rejuvenation, age reversing, etc… According to the FDA, “Many of these products claims are entirely unjustified and, in some cases, outright lies.”

So how is one to weed through the junk and scams to find what really works in skin care? Ask the experts. Dermatologists, plastic surgeons and estheticians have all received thousands of hours of training, certifications and licenses on skin techniques and skin care products that work. They are the skin care experts and here is what they recommend and use on both themselves and their patients:

Waterproof sunscreens with a high SPF: Most people don’t think about their sweat and the fact that it will quickly remove and reduce the effectiveness of most sunscreens. Everyone knows that sunscreen is a must as skin cancer is on the rise and is very deadly. But it must also be effective through the day. Sweat, swimming, etc… will remove the sunscreens protection throughout the day. Some skin care moisturizers have sunscreen with high SPF’s already included. Some makeup lines also have started to include SPF protection. However, make sure that you have a high SPF, low SPF’s are not very protective and can still allow sun damage and aging of your skin. Most of the dermatologists said to stick with waterproof sunscreens as they have the highest SPF’s and are proven to be most effective in clinical studies.

Cleansers: Soaps can dry out your skin and cause aging which will exacerbate any sun damage. A good cleanser will thoroughly clean the skin and leave you feeling refreshed. Cetaphil is highly recommended by the experts we interviewed.

Eye creams and treatments: The skin under and around your eyes is quite susceptible to wrinkles, crows feet, and is a very delicate and sensitive area. Some effective skin care products and skin treatments that are very effective for the eye area are made by Hydroderm. Their products moisturize and plump up the area around the eyes and noticeable differences can be seen in just a few days or weeks. Eye creams and treatments are a great addition to any skin care or treatment.
Retinoid or retinol creams and lotions: The latest in anti-wrinkle and anti aging skin care products are retinol creams and lotions. Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and it has been in use by dermatologists for years as a natural anti aging skin care treatment. Instructions vary dependent upon the product and its unique concentration of active ingredients. It is best to refer to the manufacturers instructions and your doctors recommendations if prescribed. Retinol creams and lotions are very effective against color and pigmentation problems and also wrinkles and sun damage. They are very effective and would make a good addition to any skin care treatment or program.

Alpha-hydroxy, beta-hydroxy and TCA acids: A cleanser with these ingredients will freshen your skin, alter your skin pH so it is non-favorable to bacteria and acne, and remove dead and damaged skin. Alpha-hydroxy (glycolic acid) and Beta-hydroxy (salicylic acid) are effective on oily prone skin. TCA is a deeper medium strength acid and is by far the most effective for skin care and treatment.

In a survey of over 1,000 dermatologists and other skin care and treatment experts across the country this is what they recommended if you could only choose 5 skin care products or items.

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Matching to a residency program through the NRMP® (National Resident Matching Program) is a competitive endeavor. Even strong candidates – especially IMGs (international medical graduates) – can have difficulty getting PGY-1 (post graduate year one) positions in many specialties. Those that do match may not get their first or second choices, leaving them in suboptimal locations or programs. Consequently, professional residency admissions consulting have become increasingly important in optimizing residency applications and ensuring that candidates get into the programs they desire.

 

Residency admissions consulting companies come in a variety of forms. Some are larger companies that focus on admissions to several types of graduate programs – not just medicine. Others are smaller companies that provide a medical focus, but have a pool of consultants of varying quality. Finally, elite companies offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients. These professionals are ex-admissions officers from respected medical institutions. They have the inside knowledge of how residency admissions work, providing personalized guidance to optimize candidates’ residency personal statement, ERAS® and interview skills.

 

Because applicants can unknowingly undermine their chances of success with poorly compiled materials, underdeveloped residency application personal statement and inadequate interview skills, a qualified, personalized residency admissions consultant provides a great advantage.

 

An expert consultant can offer a variety of services to improve a residency application:

 

  1. ERAS® (or alternative application) editing. The Electronic Residency Application Service is a centralized program that transmits applications and other supporting credentials from the applicant to program directors using the Internet. Most residency programs now use ERAS®; a few have individual applications. ERAS® and other applications include a section for describing all of an applicant’s accomplishments. Ensuring that a candidate’s activity descriptions are optimally-worded is essential for showcasing the applicant’s accomplishments to residency admissions officers.
  2. Personal statement for residency application. The ERAS® essay allows the applicant to demonstrate his or her distinctiveness as a candidate. Excellent organization, format, syntax, grammar and spelling are essential.
  3. Curriculum vitae (C.V.). The C.V. is a standardized medical resume that is offered to faculty to improve candidates’ letters of recommendation (LORs), highly important factors in the residency application process. The C.V. can also be used for the rest of the applicant’s professional career.
  4. Mock interviews. Few people would take the Boards without practicing first. But many applicants mistakenly arrive at their residency interviews unprepared. Being coached by an experienced professional makes an enormous difference in an applicant’s confidence and presentation to program directors and residency admissions committees.

 

When choosing a residency admissions consulting company, an applicant should verify the company’s references and research its consultants. Elite companies that offer both the medical focus and a highly experienced consultant who works one-on-one with clients offer a large advantage for residency applicants, especially during these competitive times.

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