Goodbye Ordinary

Let me first say: I hate being sick.

I am a complainer. and I am miserable.

This sickness just seems to be dragging. It started (slowly) last Monday, was worst Monday & Tuesday, and is a tiny bit better today, but I’m not quite there yet.

It really annoys me because I have the mindset of being back on track with exercise, but I just am not physically ready to do it in this shape. I fear my head may explode if it’s inverted. lol Seriously though, it hurts.

Today, my package from Young Living arrived. I’ve been a Melaleuca user since I was a Freshman in highschool and my mom joined, so I’m not completely new to essential oils or their uses, but I haven’t used anything except Melaleuca and Peppermint so far.

I was pretty excited to get my starter kit, since I’m sick I figured it’d be the perfect opportunity. I set up the diffuser & put some lavender oil in the water and within minutes I could breathe through my nose for the first time since Sunday. (Except for at night when I took Nyquil to not keep the mister up all night).

I also tried lemon oil in my water today, which I was a bit hesitant to try because I don’t really like lemon, but it’s actually rather tasty. I’m hoping it helps to boost my immune system so I can kick this crap to the curb and get back to my practice!

I’m looking forward to finding many other uses for the oils and sharing the love!

🙂 Hopefully I’ll be back on the mat tomorrow! In the mean time, I’ll continue binge watching Downton Abbey.

Namaste

So, over the past year, I’ve been trying other exercise programs (both yoga and not) to try to figure out what “works” for me. My problem with ANY workout program is I’m fantastic at committing to it for the first 2 weeks. Then Boom. I suck.

The only time that wasn’t the case was with MSY’s “April Challenge” years ago, where we could go all 30 days to the studio. Somehow THAT kept me on track. (I think it was partly the socializing of it).

Anyway, over the course of the past year, I tried a few of the beach body workouts: T25, Piyo, and 21 Day Fix. In doing so, I got a “coach”, Jessica, who is a wonderful woman and a super mom! Her “challenge groups” on facebook were always so fun and kept me accountable (whether many other people participated or not) and it seemed to help me stay on track.

Today we started a 21 Day Fix challenge group. It’ll be my first time actually doing the program as it was made to do. Last time, I did it as a mix of piyo and 21 day fix, and I had good results but I didn’t get to try all of the 21 day fix workouts because of the mashed schedule with piyo.

Tonight the kids and I put the first disc in and did Total Body Cardio Fix. It was a first for me, because on the modified schedule, Monday’s were a Piyo day. It kicked my butt. I hate Cardio. At least in yoga you’re focused on your breath and not the exercise so you don’t realize how hard it actually is (at least for me). All I have to say is I’m SO glad that the workouts are in 60 second increments, because if they were any longer, I’d probably have a heart attack.

My favorite part of the 21 Day Fix is definitely the food side. It really opens your eyes to portion sizes and what we SHOULD be eating. I thought I ate “so many fruits and veggies” until I ate according to the meal plan. Then I was like wow… What DO I eat?!

Those little containers are deceiving bc I was worried I’d starve to death and most days I could barely finish all of my containers!

I’m also planning to actually start “coaching”, so if anyone is interested, get in touch with me!

Namaste

Today I finally made it to MSY to practice. It was one of my fellow yogi’s who is now a yoga teacher that was teaching class. I was amped. There’s nothing like watching someone you love do something they love and are great at!

The class was “Slow Flow: Balance” and it was dreamy.

My muscles are tight and sore from not used to being worked and the work I put them through the past two days. I needed a nice long stretch and that’s exactly what this class gave me. And boy, did an hour FLY by!

I have a block at home, but my practice space is the middle of the living room and I don’t ever use the wall, though occasionally I grab on to the couch or entertainment center if I need some extra help and the block doesn’t suffice.

Today though, we made a point to use props (the wall & 2 blocks) to help access some poses that may be out of reach… or atleast pretty darn uncomfortable and fulllll of turbulence.

One of those poses was half moon. While I usually love most balance poses, I typically hate half moon. I shake like a tree in a hurricane and I just cannot find the openness in my chest to put my arm actually toward the sky without falling… even with a block.

Tonight though, Sandy opened up a new world to me using the wall. By placing my foot against the wall, I could actually extended my arm to the sky and feel that amazing stretch. It was great! THEN we did a vinyasa using half moon and wouldn’t you know… I did it unassisted (well, with the block!) Who knew?

I know sometimes props feel like “crutches” and they don’t typically showcase them in Yoga Journal or any of those “pro” photos, but let me tell you something… Props are rad!

I sweat like crazy in tonights class and my new Manduka Pro mat is soo slippery (3rd time use today) so that was a challenge, but I walked out of class feeling so refreshed and those sore muscles? They’re completely relaxed and happy right now. (Shh don’t tell my fiancé, he had promised me a massage bc I was so sore yesterday).

Yoga really is amazing. Everyone should try it. lol

Namaste

Today I rolled out my mat to actually practice YOGA instead of one of the BeachBody programs that I’ve been doing off an on for almost a year now…

I did make it to ONE yoga class at the wonderful Main Street Yoga a while back, but still. Really? Who is this person I’ve become?!

I got lazy. I got chubby. I lost stamina, muscle tone, balance (both physically and mentally), and man do I miss my peeps.

I almost didn’t roll out my mat today (for yoga, that is). I decided I was in fact going to exercise, but my daughter laid down for a nap, I resisted the urge to curl up next to her, but I almost picked a beachbody workout that was more in the 30 minute range… So that I COULD be lazy after while she was still asleep.

Instead I was moving around DVDs on the corner shelf that hasn’t been touched in ages, and found my The Ultimate Yogi set wedged behind some other DVDs and thought hmm… “I miss Travis” So, I popped in CrossTrain and got to it.

I haven’t done a UY asana in probably a year. It makes me sad to say that. UY was such a part of my life for a while… and then it started collecting dust as life got busy and though the intention was never to let it go so long, one day turned into a week, into a month, into months, into a year… and bam. Here we are.

I was intimidated to press play. I couldn’t remember the practice, I knew it used to be a favorite, but I am NOT in the shape I used to be in. I knew it lasted 50ish minutes, and that those minutes seem long when you’re out of shape… But somehow, I managed to press play. I am SO glad that I did.

The entire practice, I felt my muscles stretching, lengthening, and groaning a bit. It felt GOOD. It felt like home.

I paused a few different times as I realized that I had a smirk on my face- like one you get when you are reminiscing with an old friend.

My body remembered.

I wasn’t distracted at all. I listed to Travis’s cues and focused on my ujjayi breath and just fell into the flow.

I’m not going to lie during that last flow I almost just took child’s pose and waited it out. I was tired. My arms felt like they were going to give out during every chatturanga of that flow, my legs were shaking, but I felt beautiful. I felt free. I felt like ME.

How did I let myself lose such a big piece of me for so long? The truly crazy part is, I didn’t even realize that it was missing until I found it today.

Now if only I could get a daily practice back into my routine, it’d all be peachy.

Namaste