Sick Days: 30 Days of Yoga

Well, my 30 Days of Yoga turned into sick days. I guess it was to be expected. In addition to doing yoga, I was drinking 2 liters of lemon water a day. With my meditation practice, along with swimming almost every day, me thinks all that detoxing put my body into overload.

It was pretty bad. I called in sick for the first time this year and slept for a day and a half. All I’ve been sleeping and drinking tea. I went to swim class on Saturday. Yesterday I went to water aerobics so I think today I’m going to get back to my yoga challenge today. I really want to get my flexibility and core strength in gear so I can get back to running, probably next month.

Day Eight -- 30 Days of Yoga

“ Yoga accepts. Yoga gives. ” ~April Vallei

Day Six -- 30 Days of Yoga

“ If I'm losing balance in a pose, I stretch higher and God reaches down to steady me. It works every time, and not just in yoga. ” ~ T. Guillemets

Day Five -- 30 Days of Yoga

“ For me, yoga is not just a workout - it's about working on yourself. ” ~Mary Glover

Day Four -- 30 Days of Yoga

“Remember, it doesn’t matter how deep into a posture you go – what does matter is who you are when you get there.” ~ Max Strom

Day Three -- 30 Days of Yoga

“ Do your practice and all is coming. ” ~Sri K Patthabi Jois

Day Two - 30 Days of Yoga

“ Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame. ” ~B.K.S. Iyengar

Day One - 30 Days of Yoga

“ Yoga is possible for anybody who really wants it. Yoga is universal.... But don't approach yoga with a business mind looking for worldly gain. ” ~Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois

Challenges

It's been a while....

Lately I have been consumed with challenges. Yesterday I finally completed the 30-Day Squat Challenge. I am so proud of myself because this was my second attempt at this challenge. My intention from this challenge, besides learning how to do squats with proper form, was to develop consistency in my fitness routine. I am very grateful for the willingness to complete this challenge.

Another challenge I've had is with the scale. I have gained 10 pounds! At first I wasn't that worried when the scale was moving up because my clothes size has moved down. I'm still getting comments about looking great. I had lunch with a friend a few days ago and she said my face looks slimmer. I don't know. My eating and portion control has been okay yet I had to admit I have been indulging in way too many yogurt pretzels. The bottom line is that I am motivated by numbers. I still want to see a certain number on the scale. Sigh....

I have also had a challenging time listening to my body. Last week I was supposed to do a 5K. The truth is I was in no position to run. Beside not training, I needed to give my knee a break. I want to run but my body is saying not now. The challenge has been keeping my ego in check.

Tomorrow I am started a 30-day yoga challenge. I have seen a number of yoga challenges. I have decided to take what I like and create my own challenge. My intention is three-fold: integrating mind, body, and spirit into my fitness journey. I believe for the most part I do this. However, completing this challenge is also about focus and consistency.

In addition to yoga, I will be drinking a gallon of lemon water, meditating for at least 30 minutes, and reading 10 pages from The Art of Happiness each day. I am also thinking about blogging/journaling each day but I'm not sure.

January Check In

Things are going well.  I'm down five pound so far this month.  I can hardly believe it. I am very grateful for the courage to make some changes to my food plan.  I am having fun trying different quinoa recipes.
I had to slow down on my physical activity.  My poor knees are acting up again.  So, I've been doing a lot of stretching and yoga.  This coming week I am trying something I never thought I'd try -- Zumba. 

I've put hiking on hold until it gets warmer.  I have to be honest.  I do not get much pleasure out of hiking in the cold or the rain. 

I'm so glad to start this year on a positive note.  I've had some emotional challenges this month but my OA program and meditation group are helping with that.  Life, being healthy and whole, is all about balance. 



October Plans

October promises to be a great month.  I am enjoying this beautiful fall weather.  I'm walking in a 5K in a few weeks.  I also have a hike planned.  I'm kind of nervous about my knee.  I'm sure I'll be fine as long as I am consistent with stretching and the exercises suggested by the chiropactor. 

***

Yay! I finally found a swimming cap to fit over my locs.  I haven't purchasing a bathing suit because I have no idea which size I wear. (I purchased a pair of jeans, which fit, about a month ago.  I wore them on Saturday and they're alreading feeling too big. Still, the scale is not moving! ) Anyhow, after the big rush, I discover I cannot sign up for upcoming classes.  Adult lessons are on Sunday afternoons and I have plans or will be out of town most weekends this month.  So, it looks like I will be signing up for the classes starting mid-November. Ha! I hope my nerve to do this lasts until November.

***

The person who expressed an interest in taking yoga classes with me is dragging her heels.  She wants proper yoga gear.  Buy it already! I hate shopping.  I was out with her for hours a few weekends ago and she purchased everything...lipstick, shoes, make-up brushes, skincare products ... she looked at yoga pants and a mat.  Lol!  I told her we're going to sweat, not parade down a runway.  I'm beginning to think this is going to be a solo adventure.  So be it! 

Well, that's it for now.

Awesome August Update – Week Three

Week Three was a rough week. I wasn’t feeling well. I think I had the flu. As a result, I stayed out of the gym and I focused on lighter exercise, light weights, and yoga at home. I wasn’t feeling too well on Thursday so I did not attend my meditation group, but I did keep up my home practice. I do feel the lighter exercise routine was beneficial. Even though I did not burn the amount of calories I’d like, I wasn’t eating as much either. It will all balance out.

I had a great time with a friend on Saturday. While my spirit really wanted to spend hours walking around enjoying the festival, my body just wasn’t having it. We ended up going to this little Vietnamese/Thai restaurant because she wanted me to try this soup. She claimed the spices would knock out the bug that was plaguing me. She was right! It was just what the doctor order! Unfortunately, I can’t remember the name. It was a spicy broth with bits of white-meat chicken, lots of garlic, and lemongrass. I broke out in a sweat right at the table. Sunday I saw the movie ‘The Help’ with my good friend Jennifer. It was a wonderful end to a rough week.

My sleep/bedtime has been okay. I am getting in the bed but I have been reading for at least an hour. I really think I have some type of mental block about going to bed before 11.

I’m feeling much better and ready for another awesome week!

P.S. Lastly, my tweeting has been off. I need to get back in the groove.

Awesome August Update - Week Two

Another awesome week in August for me! Last week I focused on meditation, stretching, and yoga. I know I did a really good job in this area because I was sick all weekend. I must have released some serious toxic energy! It started Friday afternoon when I started feeling really tired. That evening I had a nice therapeutic pedicure and Saturday I attended a meditation workshop. I received many confirmations and revelations during the workshop.


By the middle of the afternoon session, I started sweating and feeling dizzy. I wasn’t sure if I was going to pass out or vomit. I sat in the restroom for a good 15 minutes. I then sat in the reception area to cool off. Once I felt I was present and back in my body, I returned and manage to make it through the last two hours. Yesterday, I canceled my plans and stayed home to rest. I’m still feeling a bit off. I’m going to do some grounding meditation today. I also plan to do a light workout session in the gym today.

Daily Exercise for Jan. 2 and Jan. 3

Let's see:

Jan. 2 - 30 mins. Yoga, plank

Jan. 3 - 2 -mile walk, lunges, and squats.

I'm down four more pounds!

Forward March

I love my new doctor. I love the way she has created a spa-like atmosphere for her patients. There’s light, meditative music playing throughout the place. The receptionist offers you a beverage. Instead of hospital gowns, they have bath robes you can wear. The whole experience was like night and day from the previous Oncologist. Anyhow, she seems to think we’re most likely dealing with endometriosis. She also thinks the mass is more the size of a football. This probably explains why I was losing inches everywhere except my waist.

Due to the strong family medical history, she’s recommending a colonoscopy before surgery. Tomorrow I have a consultation with a Gastroenterologist.

Speaking of family, I made it through my mother’s birthday okay. I didn’t do anything special this year. I spent some time talking to her about what’s going on with my health. I wish she was here. I could really use a hug and smile from her these days.

***

I’m moving forward slowly but surely on the fitness front. Even though I’m not able to work out like I would like to right now, I continue to make a conscious effort to do something. Last Sunday, I went to Crystal gym with her and did two 10 minutes workouts on the elliptical. This week I did some walking and dumb bell workouts.

Yesterday, I wasn’t feeling so well but I made myself go for a walk anyhow. I really wanted to walk a mile so I pushed myself. It was a mistake. I was so miserable on the way back. My body was already sore from working out with weights on Tuesday and Thursday. I’ve been having cramps here and there, and haven’t been sleeping so well. It’s probably one of the reasons why I wasn’t feeling so well yesterday. I should have been satisfied doing a half mile. But oh no….I had to push. The doctor said she was fine with me exercising but nothing too strenuous.

I really need to practice what I preach and put my ego in check. Truth is I do not think I’m exercising sufficiently unless I breaking a sweat or feel sore afterwards…this from a person who not too long ago hated to sweat. Even though I knew I had overdone it, I had this wicked little smile on my face as I wiped away the sweat on my face.

Today I’m pulling out my mat and yoga DVDs. I think I should stick with yoga until my surgery is scheduled.

***

I spent a good part of this morning catching up on blogs. I want to give a huge shout out to Greg who was recently featured on his local news. There are so many quiet heroes out there. Greg on the Run was one of the very first blogs I starting following. Reading his story is the main reason I set a goal of getting off my diabetes medication. Until then, it never occurred to me that I didn’t have to take the medication for the rest of my life. It also helps that I now have a doctor who supports this goal. Congratulations Greg!

I also want to send some love into the Universe for the BIG fat truth. She hasn't been posting regularly. I wish her well on her journey.

OM.........

Namaste.

I've decided against going to the gym today. I'm kind of bummed about it. I started limping again this afternoon. My manager advised me not to push it. I'm going to do Yoga today. I've been reading that my knee problem may actually be a problem with my quads....which are tight. My lower back and glutes are often tight on my left side. I guess this is catching up with me.

We'll see how my knee is feeling tomorrow.

Week Four

Wow! Time flies when you're having fun, right?

Before I move on to Week Four, I want to comment on yesterday's walk--not good. I went to Azalea Park to walk. I love the "professional path" because of the quarter-mile markers and the ability to sit by the river. It was a bit chilly. I started out okay. My confidence is a bit better when walking here among all the joggers, rollerbladders, and other walkers. Well, about 1/4 mile into my session I had to go to the bathroom (oh great). I ignored it and moved on. About 1/2 mile, my legs felt weak, my back tight, and I felt a little light-headed so I turned around and headed back. I had to stop about 1/4 mile later. I stretched, sat down on a bench, and focussed on my breathing. A friend called so I chatted with her about 5 minutes. She was encouraging. I felt disappointed for stopping in the middle of my work out. I brushed it off and walked the last 1/4 to the Jeep.

Oh, the crunches. Thursday I did 12 out of 15. Cramps! I'm not sure why I cramped. I did them right after my walk so I would assume my body was warm enough. Oh well....

Week Three is over and Week Four begins tomorrow. Today is an off day. I got up this morning and practiced the Mountain Pose for 30 minutes. I'll spend some time throughout the day stretching.

Week Four Plan is as follow:

Monday - 20 mins.
Tuesday - 15 mins., 20 crunches
Wednesday - 24 mins.
Thursday - 15 mins., 25 crunches
Friday - off
Saturday - 32 mins.
Sunday - off

I consider Week Four a milestone. I started this program with the determine to stick to the schedule no matter what's going on. I plan to celebrate the end Week Four with a special treat for myself. Jeju Sauna! I love this space. I'll spend some time relaxing my body by sweating, steaming, and soaking. I can't wait!

I'll work on my shopping list and playlist later on this afternoon.

My body has Divine Intelligence

I love affirmations. I work with them from time to time. A few years after my hysterectomy I taped the following Louise Hay affirmation to my monitor. Since I started my training, I’ve been repeating it out loud:

In the infinity of life where I am,

all is perfect, whole and complete,

I recognize my body as a good friend,

Each cell in my body has Divine Intelligence,

I listen to what it tells me, and know that its advice is valid,

I am always safe, and Divinely protected and guided,

I choose to be healthy and free,

All is well in my world.

Well, yesterday I listened to my body after it told me to focus on the Mountain Pose. This seemed rather simple. When you think about it, the Mountain Pose is the foundation of most poses. So, my training will improve if I focus on the foundation or core of my body. Well, I discovered that the mountain pose was a bit more challenging than I thought.

First of all, I spend way too much time on my butt in front of a computer. As a matter of fact, I should call my program, Computer to 5k. Lol! Over half of my waking day is spent sitting in front of a computer. So, simply standing still for some time was challenging. I could feel the tension in my shoulders, thighs, and lower back. I had trouble keeping my breath deep and even. I worked on variations of the Mountain Pose for 30 minutes yesterday. I feel a little soreness this morning so obvious I used some muscles that need strengthening. I worked on the Mountain Pose first thing this morning and I plan to do this every day next week. Check out some of the benefits of the Mountain Pose:

Improves posture
Firms thighs, knees, and ankles
Relieves sciatica
Firms abs and buttocks
Improves balance

I am grateful for the advice.

Stretching

Namaste! The stretches I planned to do aren’t working for me, so I decide to what feels right for me—yoga.

So, I did two sequences of the Moon Salutation. I am pretty confident this will give me an effective stretch:

Mountain pose
Prayer pose
Half moon pose
? pose – whatever it is called, I did it. (Sorry Kelly).
Goddess pose
Triangle pose
Lunge pose
Squat Pose

Oh, I also did a few minutes of the Cobra pose.

Okay, I’m good to go.

See ya!