Perspective 4
Nov 27, 13
...
read moreAfter Day 28 of Yoga
Nov 25, 13
I have been doing yoga now for 28 days straight. I started with a 21 day challenge and then signed up for a 30 day challenge that was starting near the end of my 21 days. I just completed day 28 and thought I would give you an update about what is happening with me now. First and foremost, I have lost 7 pounds. While the first part of the challenge was about tolerating the heat, now I can focus on diet, and I can make it through most of the physical parts of the yoga practice. I have added in the Fast Metabolism Diet and it is a great fit with the 30 day challenge. I am starting to feel muscles all over my body. It is exciting to see muscles growing. I am feeling peaceful toward my family and more in control of my life in spite of the huge time commitment of the challenge. I am feeling more gentle with my family–more connected with Mel. I have noticed that I am craving more time with the boys. Getting up early to do yoga and my rush into the kitchen just in time to do lunches keeps me from morning snuggles in bed and getting them up and dressed. Doing some afternoon classes might be a good idea but those times continually get sucked up by something else. The early morning class is the one reason this is successful. Nothing gets in the way of a 6:30 class. I love that! I am now able to do most of the poses. I feel strong and vibrant as I move from pose to pose and I am better and better able to participate in each one. I hear the voices of the teachers from the previous days of classes in my head as I stretch into each pose trying to get each angle right, to stretch my body to make the best possible pose. I feel like it is happening. I...
read moreSelf-Care Week
Nov 25, 13
This week I accidentally scheduled a bunch of services for myself all in the same week. I thought I would write about them.
read moreBreaking Through my Barrier: I Went Skiing!
Nov 25, 13
It had only been 4 years since I last skied, but it seemed like a lifetime ago. I last went skiing with my family in New Mexico in 2009. It was beautiful snow and weather and we had a fun day. Since then I have had so many issues walking that I was sure I would never ski again. I had a couple of bad falls and then I had something happen that made walking difficult. It seems to be a corn allergy that gives me MS like symptoms if I eat it. Last year we started taking our children to Ellicottville, NY to see our friends. Our friends bought a cottage there and their daughter is close to our boys’ age. They all run around the hills in the snow, watch movies, and play hard. They have a great time together. We were there a couple of times last year–the boys and my husband snowboarded and skied two days over the winter. Each time I would stay behind and carry the boots back to the car and wish I could ski, too. I vowed to ski again. I set a goal to ski one time this winter. We made plans for 2 weekends with our friends in 2013. I found a program at Holiday Valley that is an adaptive ski program. It is called the Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program. A way for people with “challenges” to ski. It is a 2 hour lesson and it includes lift ticket and rentals for $40. A person like me would be paired with an instructor and helped to ski. I contacted them and was so excited that I could book with them. I told them about my challenges with walking and they said, “we have sliders if you need them.” There seemed to be no excuse for me. But I was tired in January and didn’t get the session booked. I felt too busy and tired and decided to wait. I think my trepidation got...
read more21 Day Yoga Challenge: Day 21 – I Finished My Challenge!
Nov 18, 13
How did it end? I thought I would go to class today and I would stay in Shavasana but the instructor was so good, I ended up doing most of the class. Strangely, today, at the studio, I didn’t know any of the staff. All along the way, they have cheered me on and told me I am doing a great job. Today, there wasn’t anyone to say they were excited that I finished the challenge. I notice my attachment to this and realize this is a personal journey. It is my journey and it is up to me to attach any celebration to it. I realize I am feeling very happy that I did this challenge. What’s different since the 21 day challenge? I feel stronger and more peaceful than I did before I started. I am now able to be still for long periods of time and I am learning to still my mind. I love the physicality of yoga along with the slow movements. It feels so peaceful and powerful. I love the stretches. I am starting to feel like my body is stronger. I am finding muscles in new places–back, shoulders, forearms, thighs. I feel like my core is stronger than it has been in a long time. I no longer think about my back being weak as I lie on my mat. I feel strong and completely comfortable lying on the floor for an hour. I hardly feel the heat now. I feel the physical exertion as my heart rate goes up and I feel the sweat on my body but the heat feels so good now, at least most of the time. I find myself looking forward to it. In February, I started working with a personal trainer–Suzanne Conroy at Workfit. She was fantastic. When I started working with her, I could barely walk a kilometer. I could have never done this yoga challenge. With her help, I have improved to the point that I can do...
read more
