I did it! Thirty classes in thirty days - or actually, thirty one classes in thirty days, because I decided to consider last Tuesday's third class as a bonus. :)
During that time, I also did seven spinning classes - including last night's, which involved a four-minute, an eight-minute, and a twelve-minute climb.
The whole point was to fit yoga into my regular life, without sacrificing too much of anything else. And I did it! The only time I missed a workout without making it up was the time there was a massive subway delay on my way to my spin class, and it took me an hour to go two stops. Other than that, I did everything as scheduled.
Whatever else I am, I am strong, and fit, and a whole lot bendier than I was thirty days ago!
Here's the rundown on the rules:
~30 classes in 30 days - done. Plus a bonus class, and of course all that spinning. :)
~Each program at least twice, and no more than three times - done.
~Long video (45 or 60 minutes) at least once a week - done. And that's not including my lunchtime sessions at work, which are also 45 minutes or so. I'm giving myself a bonus here too, since I did a long session at home the one day that lunchtime yoga was cancelled. So I actually did the long programs twice a week, every week.
~No more than one missed/made up session per week - nope. I did my best, and was fine Monday through Friday, but weekends were a bit of a struggle. I only missed (and then made up) four sessions through the whole program, so I did not too badly, but they did happen more than once a week sometimes.
~Blog at least once a week - done. I was definitely more enthusiastic towards the beginning than the end, but I did get it in at least once every week. Next time, I may up the ante a bit, and aim for twice a week instead.
So basically, I exceeded my own expecatations in every area except the missed/made up part. I'm very pleased with myself, I think I've really accomplished something here.
I'm going to keep it up, too. Tomorrow, I'm going to treat myself to one full day of no yoga. Although we'll see if it ends up being a treat - I might really want to do it! I find myself waking up a few minutes before six o'clock most mornings anyway, ready to get up and stretch. So I may have to treat myself to something like "doing whatever my body wants to do, even if it involves waking up early." :) Then I'll make sure I do one on Friday, and one this weekend, and I'm going to start this challenge on Monday with my good friend PZippy.
I'm looking forward to this one - it's going to be a whole different experience. For one thing, you're not expected to practice every single day. The goal here is to create an intention, and and to practice mindfulness every day, even if you don't practice yoga every day. Also, the physical practice is the same every day throughout the month - this is to give you time to really learn the poses, and to work on them at your own pace as you become more familiar with them. The goal is (eventually) to turn off the DVD and experiment with holding poses longer, more repetitions, whatever makes you feel good. That will be interesting for me - as I said earlier, I'm very externally motivated, and tend to feel that I need to follow the instructions exactly. So it will be good for me to expand my mental horizons as well.
Onward and...well, not upward exactly. Maybe onward and downward, as in downward dog. :) Definitely going onward, in any case!
~namaste~
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 24: Into the Home Stretch (ha!)
Only a week left in my challenge now. And I'm definitely feeling better than I did on Sunday, now that the end is in sight. I'm still enjoying myself, but I'm looking forward to moving on to other things as well - more on that later.
In the meantime, I think now would be a good time to review the DVDs I've been using.
AM Yoga for Your Week, by Rodney Yee.
This one is by far my favourite, and the one I have used the most. It has five different 20-minute segments - I love the twists and the hip openers, like the standing poses and the forward bends, and could live without the back bends.
My only complaint is a minor one. There is no advance notice of the props he's using, so all of a sudden he'll say "pick up your strap", and I'm sitting there thinking "What strap? Where did that come from?" and then I have to either scramble around or modify the pose. Obviously, this problem disappeared as I became more familiar with the series, and as I remembered to plan ahead for my practice each day. :) But even so, a note somewhere indicating which props are used would be helpful.
This is a pretty easy series, and I don't think it will be too long before I outgrow it. But it will be good to keep around, for those days when I just need a quick twenty minute stretch break at some point.
Warrior Yoga, by Trudie Styler and James D'Silva
This DVD includes two vinyasa sequences, which are identical but for length - one is 50 minutes, one is 25.
I find this one a bit more challenging, for a couple of reasons. I do struggle with vinyasa a bit - I tend to like a bit of a slower pace, with more time to settle in to a pose before moving to the next one. There are also a couple of poses that are completely inaccessible to me, such as the Standing Splits, and the Marichyasana (never mind impossible, that one just looks painful!).
But on the whole, I'm really enjoying it. Apart from those two poses, the rest of them are right within my skill level, and I am getting better at the flow part, as much as I grumble about it. Clearly, the challenge aspect is good for me. There are also a couple of meditations on this DVD, which I'm looking forward to trying once the 30-30 challenge is over.
Yoga Burn, by Rodney Yee
I was really nervous about starting this one - the word "burn," and the language in general, seemed very aggressive to me, and a bit more yang-ish than my usually yin-ish self would prefer. But I tried it, and you know, it's not that bad! :) More vinyasa, but again the poses themselves are not too difficult for me.
The DVD itself is a bit of a nuisance, though. The only menu options are English and French, and for some reason the practice itself starts in the middle of a "chapter" after the introduction. So you can't skip straight to the practice, you have to scan through it and watch closely for the point where the sample poses end and the practice itself begins. Again, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but there certainly would have been easier ways to set things up.
Yoga for Urban Living, by Hemalaya Behl
This was the first yoga DVD I ever bought. It has three sessions: Morning Quickie, Evening Bath, and Daily Connection. The morning and evening sessions are about 30 minutes each, and the Daily one is an hour.
The morning session starts with some breathing exercises, then some very gentle "opening" of the joints - roll your wrists, roll your ankles, etc. The sun salutations start about fifteen minutes in. The beginning is a bit too slow even for me, but on the other hand there's no reason I can't skip ahead to the good part if I want to. This is something else I struggle with - I tend to feel that the practice is set up a certain way for a reason, and therefore I have to follow it as written. Next time I'm going to be all rebellious and go straight to the sun salutations - look at me go!
The evening session is designed to be relaxing, and it certainly is that. It's a series of seated postures and twists, followed by a good long Savasana with a blanket. I love it. Again, this will be a good addition to my regular practice, once the challenge is finished and I have a bit more flexibility with my routine.
I did the Daily Connection session on Day 4, and I have to confess I don't remember much of it - there has been a lot of yoga in the meantime! I'm deliberately saving my second run-through of this one for the end, as a bit of a benchmark to see how far I've come in the past thirty days. I do remember that she wasn't always consistent with her lefts and rights, so there were places where the soundtrack didn't match what she was doing on the screen. I'm easily confused, but I'm sure I can figure it out. :)
What's up next? Well, I'm pretty sure I'll need some more videos, before I get too familiar with the ones I have. More vinyasas might be a good idea, to keep pushing out of my comfort zone a bit. And I'd like to find a good yin yoga DVD as well, and push myself in the other direction, towards holding poses longer than I normally would. The great thing is, once the challenge is over, I'll have the whole world of yoga open to me again, and be able to try all sorts of new things!
In the meantime, I think now would be a good time to review the DVDs I've been using.
AM Yoga for Your Week, by Rodney Yee.
This one is by far my favourite, and the one I have used the most. It has five different 20-minute segments - I love the twists and the hip openers, like the standing poses and the forward bends, and could live without the back bends.
My only complaint is a minor one. There is no advance notice of the props he's using, so all of a sudden he'll say "pick up your strap", and I'm sitting there thinking "What strap? Where did that come from?" and then I have to either scramble around or modify the pose. Obviously, this problem disappeared as I became more familiar with the series, and as I remembered to plan ahead for my practice each day. :) But even so, a note somewhere indicating which props are used would be helpful.
This is a pretty easy series, and I don't think it will be too long before I outgrow it. But it will be good to keep around, for those days when I just need a quick twenty minute stretch break at some point.
Warrior Yoga, by Trudie Styler and James D'Silva
This DVD includes two vinyasa sequences, which are identical but for length - one is 50 minutes, one is 25.
I find this one a bit more challenging, for a couple of reasons. I do struggle with vinyasa a bit - I tend to like a bit of a slower pace, with more time to settle in to a pose before moving to the next one. There are also a couple of poses that are completely inaccessible to me, such as the Standing Splits, and the Marichyasana (never mind impossible, that one just looks painful!).
But on the whole, I'm really enjoying it. Apart from those two poses, the rest of them are right within my skill level, and I am getting better at the flow part, as much as I grumble about it. Clearly, the challenge aspect is good for me. There are also a couple of meditations on this DVD, which I'm looking forward to trying once the 30-30 challenge is over.
Yoga Burn, by Rodney Yee
I was really nervous about starting this one - the word "burn," and the language in general, seemed very aggressive to me, and a bit more yang-ish than my usually yin-ish self would prefer. But I tried it, and you know, it's not that bad! :) More vinyasa, but again the poses themselves are not too difficult for me.
The DVD itself is a bit of a nuisance, though. The only menu options are English and French, and for some reason the practice itself starts in the middle of a "chapter" after the introduction. So you can't skip straight to the practice, you have to scan through it and watch closely for the point where the sample poses end and the practice itself begins. Again, it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but there certainly would have been easier ways to set things up.
Yoga for Urban Living, by Hemalaya Behl
This was the first yoga DVD I ever bought. It has three sessions: Morning Quickie, Evening Bath, and Daily Connection. The morning and evening sessions are about 30 minutes each, and the Daily one is an hour.
The morning session starts with some breathing exercises, then some very gentle "opening" of the joints - roll your wrists, roll your ankles, etc. The sun salutations start about fifteen minutes in. The beginning is a bit too slow even for me, but on the other hand there's no reason I can't skip ahead to the good part if I want to. This is something else I struggle with - I tend to feel that the practice is set up a certain way for a reason, and therefore I have to follow it as written. Next time I'm going to be all rebellious and go straight to the sun salutations - look at me go!
The evening session is designed to be relaxing, and it certainly is that. It's a series of seated postures and twists, followed by a good long Savasana with a blanket. I love it. Again, this will be a good addition to my regular practice, once the challenge is finished and I have a bit more flexibility with my routine.
I did the Daily Connection session on Day 4, and I have to confess I don't remember much of it - there has been a lot of yoga in the meantime! I'm deliberately saving my second run-through of this one for the end, as a bit of a benchmark to see how far I've come in the past thirty days. I do remember that she wasn't always consistent with her lefts and rights, so there were places where the soundtrack didn't match what she was doing on the screen. I'm easily confused, but I'm sure I can figure it out. :)
What's up next? Well, I'm pretty sure I'll need some more videos, before I get too familiar with the ones I have. More vinyasas might be a good idea, to keep pushing out of my comfort zone a bit. And I'd like to find a good yin yoga DVD as well, and push myself in the other direction, towards holding poses longer than I normally would. The great thing is, once the challenge is over, I'll have the whole world of yoga open to me again, and be able to try all sorts of new things!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 22 (Part 2): Yoga with a Three-Year-Old
These are some of the questions my daughter has about yoga:
- What's his name? (meaning, the person on the video)
- Why isn't he talking?
- What's the music for?
- What's a strap? Why do you have a strap and he doesn't?
- Why does he keep saying "good" all the time?
- Is this my left leg, or my right leg?
Doing yoga with her has been a whole new experience for me. First, I have had to re-evaluate my definition of my own yoga practice, and assume that it will be a shared practice at least some of the time. And also, in this case, that the exercise is not necessarily the point - the quality time with my daughter is at least as important as my own practice.
I spend so much time actively parenting her - getting her to and from day care, making sure she brushes her teeth, talking her down from tantrums, and so on. So it's really lovely to be able to just hang out with her, and to do something we both enjoy. I know she won't always want to do yoga with me, and I also know that there will be a time that she will be actively embarrassed by the fact that I do yoga in the livingroom. So I am making the most of this time that we do have, every single minute of it.
And besides. She has invented a new pose. When I lie on my back in Savasana at the end of the practice, she lies on top of me and we put our arms around each other. She calls it the "hug pose."
Why would I not want to do yoga, when this is what happens at the end of it?
Yoga Challenge, Day 22 (Part 1): Three Classes Today!
Yes, three. I am going to be Gumby by the end of the day.
This time yesterday, I had only one class planned - my regular Tuesday lunch class. Then Monday kind of got away from me, as it often does, and I decided to skip my 30-30 class and make it up this morning.
Then, when I went to sign up for my usual Tuesday evening spinning class, it was already full. And I decided that because I had the time scheduled already, it would be easier to substitute something else, rather than showing up at home, messing with DH's Tuesday routine, and re-negotiating the time for another day. And my studio conveniently has a yoga class scheduled for the same time as my spin class, so that's what I decided to do. One, two, three, yoga!
And do I ever need it. This morning, I was not feeling very yoga-y. I had planned on doing a more challenging vinyasa flow, but decided I wasn't up for it, so I did a gentler back bend series instead. And I wasn't really up for that either - there were a lot of modifications and child's poses in my practice this morning. I was definitely feeling better (and stronger) by lunchtime today, so we'll see what happens this evening - either way, I expect to be sleeping very well tonight!
This time yesterday, I had only one class planned - my regular Tuesday lunch class. Then Monday kind of got away from me, as it often does, and I decided to skip my 30-30 class and make it up this morning.
Then, when I went to sign up for my usual Tuesday evening spinning class, it was already full. And I decided that because I had the time scheduled already, it would be easier to substitute something else, rather than showing up at home, messing with DH's Tuesday routine, and re-negotiating the time for another day. And my studio conveniently has a yoga class scheduled for the same time as my spin class, so that's what I decided to do. One, two, three, yoga!
And do I ever need it. This morning, I was not feeling very yoga-y. I had planned on doing a more challenging vinyasa flow, but decided I wasn't up for it, so I did a gentler back bend series instead. And I wasn't really up for that either - there were a lot of modifications and child's poses in my practice this morning. I was definitely feeling better (and stronger) by lunchtime today, so we'll see what happens this evening - either way, I expect to be sleeping very well tonight!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 20: Now it's a challenge
You can tell it's more of a challenge at the moment, because I've stopped chirping on about how great it is! :) It's been five days since my last post, which is the longest I've gone since I started.
I'm in the middle part now - far enough in that it's no longer a novelty, but not so close to the end that I feel like I'm in the home stretch. Also, I feel like I've had all my great revelations already, and I don't have nearly as much to say any more.
But like I said the other day, if it were easy, it wouldn't be a challenge, would it? That's why it's a 30-day challenge, rather than a 15-day. So, I'm still moving along. I've planned out which sessions I'm going to do on which days, to make sure I meet my goal of doing each session at least twice and no more than three times. And I've even taken a couple of options that I enjoy less, rather than the ones I really love, on the principle that the ones that are harder for me will probably do me more good in the long run.
And I do have another couple of blog posts percolating, but it's much harder to write when I'm not feeling passionate about it. Everything is coming along as planned, it's just all in a bit of a lull right now. Stay tuned for more shiny happy optimism later...
I'm in the middle part now - far enough in that it's no longer a novelty, but not so close to the end that I feel like I'm in the home stretch. Also, I feel like I've had all my great revelations already, and I don't have nearly as much to say any more.
But like I said the other day, if it were easy, it wouldn't be a challenge, would it? That's why it's a 30-day challenge, rather than a 15-day. So, I'm still moving along. I've planned out which sessions I'm going to do on which days, to make sure I meet my goal of doing each session at least twice and no more than three times. And I've even taken a couple of options that I enjoy less, rather than the ones I really love, on the principle that the ones that are harder for me will probably do me more good in the long run.
And I do have another couple of blog posts percolating, but it's much harder to write when I'm not feeling passionate about it. Everything is coming along as planned, it's just all in a bit of a lull right now. Stay tuned for more shiny happy optimism later...
What Would I Focus on, if Not my Weight?
Someone posted this question to the Weight Watchers boards today, and it prompted an interesting discussion. Some of the answers were:
If your weight is your biggest concern, maybe that's not so bad - you could be worrying about where you're going to sleep tonight, or how to get clean drinking water for your family.
The human brain has so much capacity for worry, if you weren't worried about your weight you would find something else to worry about.
I'd be lost. :)
These responses, while all generally true, also seemed to me to be on the pessimistic side. And because I have a favourite soap box on the topic, I hauled it out and posted this:
I don't focus on my weight.
I don't worry about portion sizes, calories, fat content, or what it says on the scale. I'm not trying to lose anything - my only weight-related goal is to maintain, and I use my clothes as my measuring tool. As long as my pants still fit, I'm good.
I wouldn't *mind* losing weight, and I do still get excited when my pants are looser. :) But honestly, if I can stay at the size I am, I'll be okay with that.
Instead, I focus on my health. I eat good food, and I make sure I get enough exercise, sleep, alone time, and quality time with my family. There are still problems in my life, and I do still worry about them, but those problems wouldn't go away even if I were to lose weight.
I know I'm lucky that not-focusing on my weight generally means maintaining for me, and I know that there are lots of people who have to focus all the time in order to avoid gaining. But since I *am* that lucky, I figure I should take advantage of it, and free up some space in my brain for other things. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm well aware of the irony of posting things like this to the Weight Watchers message boards, of all places. And I don't expect anyone to change their minds based on what I've written. But I do keep posting them, hoping to at least plant the seed that it's really okay to not worry about your weight. It goes counter to almost all the messages we receive about ourselves and our bodies, and it's not an easy concept for some people.
But I think it's an important concept, and I'm going to keep chipping away at it.
Related reading:
Health at Every Size
Spynga and Body Love
If your weight is your biggest concern, maybe that's not so bad - you could be worrying about where you're going to sleep tonight, or how to get clean drinking water for your family.
The human brain has so much capacity for worry, if you weren't worried about your weight you would find something else to worry about.
I'd be lost. :)
These responses, while all generally true, also seemed to me to be on the pessimistic side. And because I have a favourite soap box on the topic, I hauled it out and posted this:
I don't focus on my weight.
I don't worry about portion sizes, calories, fat content, or what it says on the scale. I'm not trying to lose anything - my only weight-related goal is to maintain, and I use my clothes as my measuring tool. As long as my pants still fit, I'm good.
I wouldn't *mind* losing weight, and I do still get excited when my pants are looser. :) But honestly, if I can stay at the size I am, I'll be okay with that.
Instead, I focus on my health. I eat good food, and I make sure I get enough exercise, sleep, alone time, and quality time with my family. There are still problems in my life, and I do still worry about them, but those problems wouldn't go away even if I were to lose weight.
I know I'm lucky that not-focusing on my weight generally means maintaining for me, and I know that there are lots of people who have to focus all the time in order to avoid gaining. But since I *am* that lucky, I figure I should take advantage of it, and free up some space in my brain for other things. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm well aware of the irony of posting things like this to the Weight Watchers message boards, of all places. And I don't expect anyone to change their minds based on what I've written. But I do keep posting them, hoping to at least plant the seed that it's really okay to not worry about your weight. It goes counter to almost all the messages we receive about ourselves and our bodies, and it's not an easy concept for some people.
But I think it's an important concept, and I'm going to keep chipping away at it.
Related reading:
Health at Every Size
Spynga and Body Love
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 15: Halfway there!
At the time of this writing, I have fourteen sessions down, sixteen to go. Lunchtime yoga today will make it an even half.
And I think I've found my reward - more yoga! :) I've been thinking about this a lot, how to thank myself and reward myself for sticking with it. And I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing I really want right now. I know my husband is getting me jewellery of some sort for Christmas, and it's not like I need more bling in any case. I still love my orange yoga mat, and haven't found another one that I like as much, even if mine did need replacing at the moment (which it doesn't.) I'm not ready for another tattoo yet. And as much as I love massages, pedicures, and the whole spa experience, it doesn't really feel like a reward to me - maybe because they're over too fast, I don't know.
So I was just beginning to think that maybe I would defer the reward to another time. And then all of a sudden this popped up in my Twitter feed. It looks perfect - because one thing I know for sure I'll need, is more options for my home practice. The ones I have are great, but I have a feeling I'll be a bit bored of them by the end of the month. Also, I'm going to need a new challenge physically. I don't expect to have mastered these ones (for example, I don't think I'll ever be able to bend my body into this position...), but they're definitely getting easier. Which is great, but I need to keep challenging myself as well!
There's also a "curvy" option for this practice, which contains modified poses for people who are less bendy for whatever reason. I think I'll probably stick with the standard version, but I do like the fact that the option is available. And my good friend P. says she'll do it with me, so I think I'm sold!
Yoga, yoga, and more yoga. Love it.
And I think I've found my reward - more yoga! :) I've been thinking about this a lot, how to thank myself and reward myself for sticking with it. And I've come to the conclusion that there's nothing I really want right now. I know my husband is getting me jewellery of some sort for Christmas, and it's not like I need more bling in any case. I still love my orange yoga mat, and haven't found another one that I like as much, even if mine did need replacing at the moment (which it doesn't.) I'm not ready for another tattoo yet. And as much as I love massages, pedicures, and the whole spa experience, it doesn't really feel like a reward to me - maybe because they're over too fast, I don't know.
So I was just beginning to think that maybe I would defer the reward to another time. And then all of a sudden this popped up in my Twitter feed. It looks perfect - because one thing I know for sure I'll need, is more options for my home practice. The ones I have are great, but I have a feeling I'll be a bit bored of them by the end of the month. Also, I'm going to need a new challenge physically. I don't expect to have mastered these ones (for example, I don't think I'll ever be able to bend my body into this position...), but they're definitely getting easier. Which is great, but I need to keep challenging myself as well!
There's also a "curvy" option for this practice, which contains modified poses for people who are less bendy for whatever reason. I think I'll probably stick with the standard version, but I do like the fact that the option is available. And my good friend P. says she'll do it with me, so I think I'm sold!
Yoga, yoga, and more yoga. Love it.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 13
I'm really starting to notice the physical changes in my body now. Besides the "I want to do yoga ALL THE TIME" feeling, I notice that the whole practice is getting easier. I can focus less on the poses, and more on the breath. I still don't always *remember* to focus on the breath, but it's definitely easier when I do. Baby steps.
My flexibility is really coming along as well. For the first time ever, I can touch the ground in a standing forward bend. And with a little more effort and a little more time in the pose, I can hold on to the soles of my feet in a seated forward bend. And I can also touch the ground with my bottom hand in triangle pose - another new reach for me.
Of course, this is the first time I've ever practiced so consistently, and so often - it's not surprising that I'm seeing results. I'm just pleased to be able to answer the question of how long it takes to see the changes - I've never actually known that before.
The biggest thing that I'm still working on, is getting my hips up enough to go directly from downward dog to a lunge without standing up and readjusting. I've never been able to do that either, and I would be thrilled if I could get a measurable amount closer by the time I finish this challenge.
I've also discovered that some poses are easier at different times of the day. I can't do a downward dog first thing in the morning. It's uncomfortable, I'm not strong enough, it makes me angry - it just doesn't work. But the few times I've done an evening practice, I notice that I have a wicked down dog - the stretch, the strength, the stability, are all just there. Twists are also a lot easier in the evening, but they feel so good in the morning - they're my new favourite way to start the day.
I don't know why this happens, either on the purely physical level, or on the mind-body-connection level. But I find it fascinating to observe. More observations to come, no doubt...one thing I know for sure, is that I'm really enjoying this!
My flexibility is really coming along as well. For the first time ever, I can touch the ground in a standing forward bend. And with a little more effort and a little more time in the pose, I can hold on to the soles of my feet in a seated forward bend. And I can also touch the ground with my bottom hand in triangle pose - another new reach for me.
Of course, this is the first time I've ever practiced so consistently, and so often - it's not surprising that I'm seeing results. I'm just pleased to be able to answer the question of how long it takes to see the changes - I've never actually known that before.
The biggest thing that I'm still working on, is getting my hips up enough to go directly from downward dog to a lunge without standing up and readjusting. I've never been able to do that either, and I would be thrilled if I could get a measurable amount closer by the time I finish this challenge.
I've also discovered that some poses are easier at different times of the day. I can't do a downward dog first thing in the morning. It's uncomfortable, I'm not strong enough, it makes me angry - it just doesn't work. But the few times I've done an evening practice, I notice that I have a wicked down dog - the stretch, the strength, the stability, are all just there. Twists are also a lot easier in the evening, but they feel so good in the morning - they're my new favourite way to start the day.
I don't know why this happens, either on the purely physical level, or on the mind-body-connection level. But I find it fascinating to observe. More observations to come, no doubt...one thing I know for sure, is that I'm really enjoying this!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 10: Back on Track
The DVD remote is fixed. Or to be more precise, it started working again, just as mysteriously as it had stopped. I still have no idea what happened, all I did was push the same buttons over and over again until it worked. Doesn't matter - the important thing is that it's back!
And here's something else I didn't expect - how much I would love this, once I got into it. I've said that before, only half-joking: ha ha, who knew I would actually learn to like exercising! But this time it's different - it's like I really have become addicted to yoga. I think about it ALL the time. When I'm bored or stressed or I have five minutes to spare, I wonder if I could do some yoga. Between sessions, I'm always thinking ahead to the next one. And there have been several occasions where I've wondered if it would be unreasonable to do a second session in a day.
I have enjoyed doing yoga for as long as I've known about it, and I did expect to get more "into" it as the challenge progressed. But I really didn't anticipate the depth of my feelings for my practice, or to have it take up so much mental energy even when I wasn't doing it.
I wonder what will happen after the challenge. I assume I won't make such an effort to continue with a daily practice - but at the same time, this really hasn't been much of an effort so far anyway. Will I continue with a regular practice, if not a daily one? Will I miss it, if I don't?
And now, if you'll excuse me, it's been half an hour since I finished my last session. About time I got started on my next one!
And here's something else I didn't expect - how much I would love this, once I got into it. I've said that before, only half-joking: ha ha, who knew I would actually learn to like exercising! But this time it's different - it's like I really have become addicted to yoga. I think about it ALL the time. When I'm bored or stressed or I have five minutes to spare, I wonder if I could do some yoga. Between sessions, I'm always thinking ahead to the next one. And there have been several occasions where I've wondered if it would be unreasonable to do a second session in a day.
I have enjoyed doing yoga for as long as I've known about it, and I did expect to get more "into" it as the challenge progressed. But I really didn't anticipate the depth of my feelings for my practice, or to have it take up so much mental energy even when I wasn't doing it.
I wonder what will happen after the challenge. I assume I won't make such an effort to continue with a daily practice - but at the same time, this really hasn't been much of an effort so far anyway. Will I continue with a regular practice, if not a daily one? Will I miss it, if I don't?
And now, if you'll excuse me, it's been half an hour since I finished my last session. About time I got started on my next one!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 9: We Are Experiencings Some Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By
Now this was something I didn't anticipate - my DVD player crapped out on me this morning. Or rather, the remote control did - I can't scroll through menu options any more. The Play button works, as do Stop and Eject. But the arrow buttons don't work at all, which means I can only do the first option from any given menu.
I tried turning the power off and on, ejecting and re-inserting the DVD, changing the batteries in the remote, and every other thing I can think of. And nothing.
It worked just fine on Monday, so I have no idea what happened in the meantime. All I know is that I hope it sorts itself out very soon, as it effectively reduces my practice options from 11 to 4 if I can't use the menus. I'll still do the challenge, but I may have to revisit the rules for how many times I do each session. Boo. BOO, I say!
~~~~~~~~~~
Related Reading: Just by chance, I have come across a couple of interesting posts about gender and body norms when it comes to yoga.
In What's the Deal with Guys and Yoga?, Fit and Feminist wonders why so few men do yoga, and so few women are willing to lift weights. She comments:
There is nothing inherently masculine or feminine about yoga, or weight lifting, or running, or pink or blue or cooking or household tools or really much of anything, for that matter.
And over at The Lipstick Chronicles, we find An Open Letter to the Fat Girl I Saw at Hot Yoga in New York City, which is so beautifully written it makes me cry, and so true that I want to repost it every day.
I tried turning the power off and on, ejecting and re-inserting the DVD, changing the batteries in the remote, and every other thing I can think of. And nothing.
It worked just fine on Monday, so I have no idea what happened in the meantime. All I know is that I hope it sorts itself out very soon, as it effectively reduces my practice options from 11 to 4 if I can't use the menus. I'll still do the challenge, but I may have to revisit the rules for how many times I do each session. Boo. BOO, I say!
~~~~~~~~~~
Related Reading: Just by chance, I have come across a couple of interesting posts about gender and body norms when it comes to yoga.
In What's the Deal with Guys and Yoga?, Fit and Feminist wonders why so few men do yoga, and so few women are willing to lift weights. She comments:
There is nothing inherently masculine or feminine about yoga, or weight lifting, or running, or pink or blue or cooking or household tools or really much of anything, for that matter.
And over at The Lipstick Chronicles, we find An Open Letter to the Fat Girl I Saw at Hot Yoga in New York City, which is so beautifully written it makes me cry, and so true that I want to repost it every day.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 6
Just finished the "Hip Openers" sequence from Rodney Yee's AM Yoga for Your Week. This is my absolute favourite of all the sessions I have, so I'm very glad that I made the rule about doing each one at least twice, and no more than three times. Otherwise, I might find myself doing it every day! :)
I did NOT want to do yoga last night. It was the end of a very long day - I had spinning class, then DD had ballet and a play date with some kids from the neighbourhood. The toilet was blocked, and DH and I got into a big argument about ten minutes before I had planned to start my yoga. All I wanted to do was go to bed and hide.
Then I realized that it was then that I needed the yoga the most. After all that busy-ness, and stress of one kind and another, I really needed the discipline and routine. And I didn't want to bail on the challenge so early, especially for a stupid reason like being in a bad mood. So, I got out of bed, put on the video, and did it.
Obviously, that's where the challenge comes in. Doing it every day when I want to do it, is easy. I can't give myself a whole lot of credit for that one. But pushing myself a little bit, and talking myself back into it after I have already talked myself out of it - that is the important part. And the whole point of the challenge, really - after all, 25 minutes of gentle stretching is not much of a physical challenge for me. It's the mental challenge that I need, so I'm very glad I gave myself the push and stuck with it.
I did NOT want to do yoga last night. It was the end of a very long day - I had spinning class, then DD had ballet and a play date with some kids from the neighbourhood. The toilet was blocked, and DH and I got into a big argument about ten minutes before I had planned to start my yoga. All I wanted to do was go to bed and hide.
Then I realized that it was then that I needed the yoga the most. After all that busy-ness, and stress of one kind and another, I really needed the discipline and routine. And I didn't want to bail on the challenge so early, especially for a stupid reason like being in a bad mood. So, I got out of bed, put on the video, and did it.
Obviously, that's where the challenge comes in. Doing it every day when I want to do it, is easy. I can't give myself a whole lot of credit for that one. But pushing myself a little bit, and talking myself back into it after I have already talked myself out of it - that is the important part. And the whole point of the challenge, really - after all, 25 minutes of gentle stretching is not much of a physical challenge for me. It's the mental challenge that I need, so I'm very glad I gave myself the push and stuck with it.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Yoga Challenge, Day 4
Today I did the "Daily Connection" (60 mins) session from Hemalaya Behl's Yoga for Urban Living. Loved it. It's very slow - much slower than my brain was going, and I was kind of racing through it. Kept going "Oh, I know what's coming next!", and then going there, and having to wait for her to catch up. :) It's not quite yin yoga, but it's very meditative. Which is clearly going to be part of the challenge for me, slowing my brain down enough to enjoy the meditation!
I really did like this session, though. It was just the right level for me - I could do most of the poses fairly easily, and a couple of them were just a bit too challenging. Especially the pigeon-downward dog series - this is one of my favourites, but I always have trouble lifting my hips up enough to get my leg forward. I think I'm going to save my second try at this session to near the end of the challenge, as a bit of a benchmark to see how much I have improved physically.
And I was thinking, as my mind was racing through my yoga practice. I love the Warrior II pose. I love doing it, and I love how beautiful and strong it always looks. And I think it would make a gorgeous tattoo. I don't know if it's necessarily the right reward for this challenge, but something to think about for the future, at any rate.
Namaste.
I really did like this session, though. It was just the right level for me - I could do most of the poses fairly easily, and a couple of them were just a bit too challenging. Especially the pigeon-downward dog series - this is one of my favourites, but I always have trouble lifting my hips up enough to get my leg forward. I think I'm going to save my second try at this session to near the end of the challenge, as a bit of a benchmark to see how much I have improved physically.
And I was thinking, as my mind was racing through my yoga practice. I love the Warrior II pose. I love doing it, and I love how beautiful and strong it always looks. And I think it would make a gorgeous tattoo. I don't know if it's necessarily the right reward for this challenge, but something to think about for the future, at any rate.
Namaste.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
30/30 Yoga Challenge
I'm always looking around for a new challenge, something to occupy me outside of work. And parenting. (You'd think those two things would be enough, no? Apparently not.)
Traditionally, my challenges have been mental. I'm a big education-addict, and there was a period where I was registered in one continuing education course after another, pretty much year round. That ended when I decided to go back to school "for real" and get another Masters degree - not because I needed it, but because I thought it would be fun. (It was. I didn't end up getting the degree, but I did enjoy the work I put in!)
Lately, my challenges have been more physical. I did a couple of Learn to Run courses, where the only thing I learned is that I really hate running. Spinning, spinning, more spinning. Getting up early in the morning to do yoga before work. And as I've written before, I'm really enjoying it. I'm feeling a lot of benefits - my posture has improved, my lungs feel bigger, and my emotional state is a lot more balanced. It's working.
Then yesterday, I got talking with some friends about a 30/30 yoga challenge - 30 classes in 30 days. And you know, I think I can do it. I don't know of any local studios that are offering it right now, but I think the time and money commitment would be hard to manage at this point anyway. But I do have a bunch of yoga DVDs at home, and I have been doing reasonably well about getting out of bed early in the mornings, so why not push it a bit from there?
So, I'm in. Here are the rules:
~I'm cheating a bit, and back-dating it to Tuesday 8th, because that was the last consecutive day I did yoga. So the challenge will go from November 8th to December 7th, 2011.
~I have 8 short programs (20-25 minutes each), and 3 long programs (45-60 minutes) at home. I will do each program at least twice, and no more than three times. I will do one of the long ones at least once a week.
~If I miss a day, I can make it up either the day before or the day after. No more than one missed/made up class per week.
~And because this is a mental challenge as much as a physical one (especially when that alarm goes off at 5:45 am!), I will blog about it at least once a week as well.
Also, I'm going to need a reward of some sort. Something tangible, I think, because I can never find the time to go for massages or pedicures. Maybe a brand new yoga mat, or some other treat for the yoga retreat I plan to go on in January. Maybe a nice piece of jewellery. Maybe...???
Traditionally, my challenges have been mental. I'm a big education-addict, and there was a period where I was registered in one continuing education course after another, pretty much year round. That ended when I decided to go back to school "for real" and get another Masters degree - not because I needed it, but because I thought it would be fun. (It was. I didn't end up getting the degree, but I did enjoy the work I put in!)
Lately, my challenges have been more physical. I did a couple of Learn to Run courses, where the only thing I learned is that I really hate running. Spinning, spinning, more spinning. Getting up early in the morning to do yoga before work. And as I've written before, I'm really enjoying it. I'm feeling a lot of benefits - my posture has improved, my lungs feel bigger, and my emotional state is a lot more balanced. It's working.
Then yesterday, I got talking with some friends about a 30/30 yoga challenge - 30 classes in 30 days. And you know, I think I can do it. I don't know of any local studios that are offering it right now, but I think the time and money commitment would be hard to manage at this point anyway. But I do have a bunch of yoga DVDs at home, and I have been doing reasonably well about getting out of bed early in the mornings, so why not push it a bit from there?
So, I'm in. Here are the rules:
~I'm cheating a bit, and back-dating it to Tuesday 8th, because that was the last consecutive day I did yoga. So the challenge will go from November 8th to December 7th, 2011.
~I have 8 short programs (20-25 minutes each), and 3 long programs (45-60 minutes) at home. I will do each program at least twice, and no more than three times. I will do one of the long ones at least once a week.
~If I miss a day, I can make it up either the day before or the day after. No more than one missed/made up class per week.
~And because this is a mental challenge as much as a physical one (especially when that alarm goes off at 5:45 am!), I will blog about it at least once a week as well.
Also, I'm going to need a reward of some sort. Something tangible, I think, because I can never find the time to go for massages or pedicures. Maybe a brand new yoga mat, or some other treat for the yoga retreat I plan to go on in January. Maybe a nice piece of jewellery. Maybe...???
And there we go. I'm not going to put out a call for anyone to join me, because I'm kind of a hermit that way, and I'd really rather do it alone. But anyone who wants to cheer me on from the sidelines is more than welcome! :) I'll keep you posted...
Monday, November 7, 2011
Why I Couldn't Do Yoga This Morning, and Why That's Totally Okay With Me
Yoga this morning was a bit of a non-starter. First, the program was way too advanced for me. Second, and more importantly, DD came downstairs part way through and wanted to do it too.
Picture a three year old doing downward dog in yellow footie sleepers. "This is easy, Mummy - look!"
She's just way too cute for me to focus on my own practice. Still, I think it's a pretty good tradeoff, and I wouldn't have it any other way. ♥
Picture a three year old doing downward dog in yellow footie sleepers. "This is easy, Mummy - look!"
She's just way too cute for me to focus on my own practice. Still, I think it's a pretty good tradeoff, and I wouldn't have it any other way. ♥
Friday, November 4, 2011
Surprise! It's Our Wedding!
Back in August, there was a quote-unquote so romantic! story in the news about a man who surprised his girlfriend by planning their entire wedding. They had talked about getting married in Las Vegas and announcing it after the fact, but in reality he was doing all the planning himself. He asked her questions about who they should invite to their "dream wedding", what the decor would be, what kind of songs she would like, and so on. Then he did everything, including lining up vendors, a venue, and all the guests, and surprised her as she walked into the room. Surprised her as in, "Will you marry me? Right now?" Then everybody applauded, her friends (who were in on the secret) whisked her backstage to get dressed, and they walked down the aisle.
Public response to this event was generally either "Oh, I love surprises! Isn't it so romantic and thoughtful of him!" or "Wow, she didn't get any say at all into her own wedding? That's kind of creepy and weird." I fall squarely in the "creepy and weird" category: I just wouldn't want to be put in a position like that, where the options are to say yes, or to face massive public humiliation (and to humiliate many of the people I love in the process.) Most of what I read on the "not cool" side happened here.
Today's Globe and Mail has a related story, about a couple who surprised their guests, instead of each other. Invited them to a party, then said "Hey, guess what! We're getting married! Right now!" And as part of the whole theme of "surprise weddings," they interviewed Shawn and Colleen Lippert about his choice to plan the whole wedding as a surprise.
Turns out, planning a wedding wasn't as much fun as he first thought:
With the benefit of hindsight, Mr. Lippert said he wouldn’t recommend any man plan a wedding for his bride, let alone a surprise wedding.
“It’s a lot of work and stress. I took all that pressure away from her. She even slept that night – I didn’t.”
So I guess now we're supposed to think he's a hero, for taking all that pressure away from her? For losing a night of sleep for her? When she hadn't even asked him to, and had no idea what was going on?
Did it ever occur to him that maybe she would have enjoyed planning the wedding? That maybe she wanted that last night of staying awake all night with excitement?
Basically, that whole quote says to me "Wow, I am so fantastic. I took on a woman's job, and it's hard! Guys, don't do this, you might end up losing some sleep!" Not "don't do this, because your girlfriend might not want you to," but "don't do it because it's best left to the ladies, let them have all the pressure and stress."
Terrific. Very romantic. Ugh.
Public response to this event was generally either "Oh, I love surprises! Isn't it so romantic and thoughtful of him!" or "Wow, she didn't get any say at all into her own wedding? That's kind of creepy and weird." I fall squarely in the "creepy and weird" category: I just wouldn't want to be put in a position like that, where the options are to say yes, or to face massive public humiliation (and to humiliate many of the people I love in the process.) Most of what I read on the "not cool" side happened here.
Today's Globe and Mail has a related story, about a couple who surprised their guests, instead of each other. Invited them to a party, then said "Hey, guess what! We're getting married! Right now!" And as part of the whole theme of "surprise weddings," they interviewed Shawn and Colleen Lippert about his choice to plan the whole wedding as a surprise.
Turns out, planning a wedding wasn't as much fun as he first thought:
With the benefit of hindsight, Mr. Lippert said he wouldn’t recommend any man plan a wedding for his bride, let alone a surprise wedding.
“It’s a lot of work and stress. I took all that pressure away from her. She even slept that night – I didn’t.”
So I guess now we're supposed to think he's a hero, for taking all that pressure away from her? For losing a night of sleep for her? When she hadn't even asked him to, and had no idea what was going on?
Did it ever occur to him that maybe she would have enjoyed planning the wedding? That maybe she wanted that last night of staying awake all night with excitement?
Basically, that whole quote says to me "Wow, I am so fantastic. I took on a woman's job, and it's hard! Guys, don't do this, you might end up losing some sleep!" Not "don't do this, because your girlfriend might not want you to," but "don't do it because it's best left to the ladies, let them have all the pressure and stress."
Terrific. Very romantic. Ugh.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
My Heart Grew Three Sizes Today
We have had a heck of a time with DD (now 3 1/2) these past couple of weeks - tantrum after tantrum after tantrum, refusing to get dressed in the morning, refusing to get undressed at night. Last night there was a 45 minute tantrum, and a 30 minute tantrum, and she was still up when we went to bed at 10:00.
Today, she has been lovely. Her usual cheerful, funny, engaging little self. She still tried to delay going to bed, but this time it was the fun stuff - drawing us pictures that she JUST HAD to show us, telling stories, making up silly words to songs, etc. (Which is actually harder in its way, because you don't want her to stop, but you still have to be the adult and get her to bed.)
She's been upstairs and quiet for about an hour now. Then just a minute ago, I heard her get out of bed and start coming down the stairs. I braced myself for the request for more milk, or just one more song, or whatever. She came into the kitchen, and said "Mummy? Thank you for my new pyjamas."
And then went back upstairs.
Damn, she's cute. I love her so much. ♥
Today, she has been lovely. Her usual cheerful, funny, engaging little self. She still tried to delay going to bed, but this time it was the fun stuff - drawing us pictures that she JUST HAD to show us, telling stories, making up silly words to songs, etc. (Which is actually harder in its way, because you don't want her to stop, but you still have to be the adult and get her to bed.)
She's been upstairs and quiet for about an hour now. Then just a minute ago, I heard her get out of bed and start coming down the stairs. I braced myself for the request for more milk, or just one more song, or whatever. She came into the kitchen, and said "Mummy? Thank you for my new pyjamas."
And then went back upstairs.
Damn, she's cute. I love her so much. ♥
Monday, October 31, 2011
Putting away the scale
I'm not especially motivated by the scale when it comes to fitness and health. My goal is not to lose weight, but to be active and healthy, regardless of what I weigh. Nevertheless, I've been in the habit of getting on the scale once a week, just to keep myself on track.
But lately, it's been making me crazy. I maintained at around 213 through most of my mat leave - sometimes more, sometimes less, but always in that general area. Then last Monday, I was up to 219 for no reason at all that I could think of. I had been making generally the same food choices as always, I wasn't retaining water or getting my period, or anything else. Just, I suddenly weighed six pounds more than I had for the past several months.
I weighed myself again yesterday - 214. All is well. Then today (my quote-unquote "official" weigh in day), I was up to 218. I don't know what you would have to do to gain four pounds in twenty four hours, but I'm quite sure I didn't do it, whatever it was!
Then I went to get dressed, and my pants are too big. Yay! These are pants that I bought to go back to work, so they definitely fit as recently as six weeks ago. And they're definitely too loose today. Which, given all the spinning and yoga I've been doing, makes a whole lot more sense to me than what the scale told me.
So I hid the scale. From now on, no more weighing. I'm going to keep exercising, and keep making healthy food choices, and I'll know I've lost weight when I can fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.
But lately, it's been making me crazy. I maintained at around 213 through most of my mat leave - sometimes more, sometimes less, but always in that general area. Then last Monday, I was up to 219 for no reason at all that I could think of. I had been making generally the same food choices as always, I wasn't retaining water or getting my period, or anything else. Just, I suddenly weighed six pounds more than I had for the past several months.
I weighed myself again yesterday - 214. All is well. Then today (my quote-unquote "official" weigh in day), I was up to 218. I don't know what you would have to do to gain four pounds in twenty four hours, but I'm quite sure I didn't do it, whatever it was!
Then I went to get dressed, and my pants are too big. Yay! These are pants that I bought to go back to work, so they definitely fit as recently as six weeks ago. And they're definitely too loose today. Which, given all the spinning and yoga I've been doing, makes a whole lot more sense to me than what the scale told me.
So I hid the scale. From now on, no more weighing. I'm going to keep exercising, and keep making healthy food choices, and I'll know I've lost weight when I can fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Language Pet Peeves
I see lots of posts on the internet about people's pet language peeves - about how irritating it is when other people say "irregardless" or "I seen" or "their" when they really mean "there." Not to mention typos - gods in heaven, don't let there be any typos in online conversation!
So let me put it out there - my biggest pet peeve is when people correct other people's use of language.
Sometimes it is necessary. For example, if the person is a student of English, and they have a teacher whose job it is to correct their language. Or if the writing is so garbled that it can't be understood, then obviously they need some help - not for the sake of correctness, but for the sake of clarity.
But otherwise, I don't see any need for it. And not only is it unnecessary, it's also incredibly patronizing and insulting, for a number of reasons.
First, not everybody speaks English as their first language, and it's a difficult language to learn - even native speakers often get tripped up by the examples noted above.
Also, I have a university education, and I read a TON. Not everybody does, and I recognize how privileged I am to have the education, the access to printed materials, and the time to read them. It feels snobbish to me to assume that everyone can or should have the same level of fluency as I do. I happen to be good at language in the same way that other people happen to be good at sports, which I am not. I won't judge you for your language ability, if you don't judge me for my athletic ability, okay?
Finally, I have decided that there are way more important things to worry about. I just don't have the brain space to worry about the difference between "their" and "there" when somebody else is using it. As long as I can understand what they're saying, I'm all good.
Related reading:
Equality 101: Standard English Privilege and Teaching
Feminism is Not a Four Letter Word: Privilege, Education, and Language
Shitty First Drafts: Why I'm Not Proud of You For Correcting Other People's Grammar
So let me put it out there - my biggest pet peeve is when people correct other people's use of language.
Sometimes it is necessary. For example, if the person is a student of English, and they have a teacher whose job it is to correct their language. Or if the writing is so garbled that it can't be understood, then obviously they need some help - not for the sake of correctness, but for the sake of clarity.
But otherwise, I don't see any need for it. And not only is it unnecessary, it's also incredibly patronizing and insulting, for a number of reasons.
First, not everybody speaks English as their first language, and it's a difficult language to learn - even native speakers often get tripped up by the examples noted above.
Also, I have a university education, and I read a TON. Not everybody does, and I recognize how privileged I am to have the education, the access to printed materials, and the time to read them. It feels snobbish to me to assume that everyone can or should have the same level of fluency as I do. I happen to be good at language in the same way that other people happen to be good at sports, which I am not. I won't judge you for your language ability, if you don't judge me for my athletic ability, okay?
Finally, I have decided that there are way more important things to worry about. I just don't have the brain space to worry about the difference between "their" and "there" when somebody else is using it. As long as I can understand what they're saying, I'm all good.
Related reading:
Equality 101: Standard English Privilege and Teaching
Feminism is Not a Four Letter Word: Privilege, Education, and Language
Shitty First Drafts: Why I'm Not Proud of You For Correcting Other People's Grammar
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Better today
I did go to spinning last night. And boy, did I ever need it. As soon as I settled onto the bike, my body went "aha! This is what I've been looking for!" Had a great workout, and left feeling like I have my body back again. It's amazing how little time that takes, to get into the routine of exercise, and to start missing it when it doesn't happen.
Did a light yoga session again this morning, and I'm feeling good. One of the things I'm really enjoying this time around is the feeling that I'm doing it right. Most of the time, I'm a little sore after a workout - not so sore that I can't move, and not actually hurting, but just enough that I know I've moved my muscles, and maybe done something I hadn't done before.
My lungs feel bigger, and my posture feels straighter, and I feel very easy in my body these days. Who knew, those exercise people were right - it does feel good!
Did a light yoga session again this morning, and I'm feeling good. One of the things I'm really enjoying this time around is the feeling that I'm doing it right. Most of the time, I'm a little sore after a workout - not so sore that I can't move, and not actually hurting, but just enough that I know I've moved my muscles, and maybe done something I hadn't done before.
My lungs feel bigger, and my posture feels straighter, and I feel very easy in my body these days. Who knew, those exercise people were right - it does feel good!
Yoga - I'm getting it! Or not.
One thing about the internet, is that there are way too many places to post things. And also, most of them are ephemeral - everything seems to scroll to the latest post, which is also assumed to be the greatest. When something is more than a couple of days old, it's as good as gone. You can't search content on Facebook at all, and there's just so much noise on Twitter that it's difficult to find a specific signal sometimes when you want it.
So one of the things I'm going to do on my blog, is repost some of my thoughts from various other places on the web. There is no method to my madness, other than it's a more permanent - and searchable - place to keep things I want to remember.
So, without further ado...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 11, 2011
Lunchtime yoga, done.
And I had a bit of an epiphany when I was hanging out there in downward dog. I've been doing yoga on and off for years - sometimes more off than on, but I've been pretty regular the last couple of months. And it's like, all of a sudden, I GET it - the connection between the mind and the body, using your breath to modify the poses, the meditative aspect of it all - it all just clicked for me.
Now, I know enough about both yoga and meditation to know that the feeling doesn't usually last, and that I could well be spending the next six months chasing it again. But for right now, today, it's all coming together for me, and it's working.
October 18, 2011
Remember how last week I was all excited that my yoga had "clicked?" And remember how I said I didn't think the feeling would last? I was right. I did NOT have it today. I did the whole class, but it didn't work. The breath didn't work, the poses didn't work, and I couldn't find a stretch, ever. Mostly I just couldn't get out of my head enough to enjoy myself.
But. I DID it. And I'm going to spinning tonight, and I'll do a light yoga session tomorrow morning. I'll get it back, sooner or later.
So one of the things I'm going to do on my blog, is repost some of my thoughts from various other places on the web. There is no method to my madness, other than it's a more permanent - and searchable - place to keep things I want to remember.
So, without further ado...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
October 11, 2011
Lunchtime yoga, done.
And I had a bit of an epiphany when I was hanging out there in downward dog. I've been doing yoga on and off for years - sometimes more off than on, but I've been pretty regular the last couple of months. And it's like, all of a sudden, I GET it - the connection between the mind and the body, using your breath to modify the poses, the meditative aspect of it all - it all just clicked for me.
Now, I know enough about both yoga and meditation to know that the feeling doesn't usually last, and that I could well be spending the next six months chasing it again. But for right now, today, it's all coming together for me, and it's working.
October 18, 2011
Remember how last week I was all excited that my yoga had "clicked?" And remember how I said I didn't think the feeling would last? I was right. I did NOT have it today. I did the whole class, but it didn't work. The breath didn't work, the poses didn't work, and I couldn't find a stretch, ever. Mostly I just couldn't get out of my head enough to enjoy myself.
But. I DID it. And I'm going to spinning tonight, and I'll do a light yoga session tomorrow morning. I'll get it back, sooner or later.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Mindful eating
As I noted below, I'm not actually trying to lose weight. I'm trying to eat well, and get lots of exercise, and improve my overall health. (But I'm not going to lie, I wouldn't be sad if I dropped a couple of pounds along the way!)
Eating "well", of course, is a very subjective thing. It depends on your lifestyle, how much time you have, how much money you have, your level of interest, and a dozen other things. It varies from person to person, and from day to day within the same person.
That said, here's what "eating well" means to me, most of the time. If I can keep this up say 85% of the time, I should be able to manage the other 15% without worrying about it too much. These guidelines are a combination of WW's Good Health Guidelines and Canada's Food Guide, plus a bit of my own intuition.
One of the cool tips I've learned is that your body will let out a little involuntary sigh when you've had enough to eat. (I actually sigh three times - it's pretty unmistakeable, if I'm paying attention!) So the key there is to a) listen for the sigh, and b) stop eating when you hear it. It takes practice, but it's a really interesting little cue to know what your body is up to.
Eating "well", of course, is a very subjective thing. It depends on your lifestyle, how much time you have, how much money you have, your level of interest, and a dozen other things. It varies from person to person, and from day to day within the same person.
That said, here's what "eating well" means to me, most of the time. If I can keep this up say 85% of the time, I should be able to manage the other 15% without worrying about it too much. These guidelines are a combination of WW's Good Health Guidelines and Canada's Food Guide, plus a bit of my own intuition.
- 5-7 servings fruit and vegetables (this seems to be the hardest one for me - the others come pretty easily most days. I am a work in progress.)
- 6 servings grain products, whole grains as much as possible
- 2 servings dairy
- 2 servings lean protein
- 2 tsp healthy oils (olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, flaxseed)
- 1.5 litres water
- Multivitamin
- Limit sugar and alcohol
- 30-60 minutes of physical activity
While following the above guidelines, I also try to practice mindful eating. This is what it means to me:
- Eat only when actually hungry; stop when satisfied.
- Avoid eating when bored, sad, or just wandering into the kitchen.
- Limit snacking - eat only at planned mealtimes or when actually hungry.
- Try drinking water or a ten-minute distraction if feeling "hungry" at non-meal times.
- Stay off the internet when eating!
One of the cool tips I've learned is that your body will let out a little involuntary sigh when you've had enough to eat. (I actually sigh three times - it's pretty unmistakeable, if I'm paying attention!) So the key there is to a) listen for the sigh, and b) stop eating when you hear it. It takes practice, but it's a really interesting little cue to know what your body is up to.
Getting up and moving
One of the things about making friends on the Weight Watchers message boards is that by default, most of your friends are trying to lose weight at any given time. (Of course, this could also be said of the general population of women, but that's a topic for another post.) And most of the time, I'm happy to just hang out, cheer on their successes, offer support when necessary, all without trying to lose any weight myself.
You see, I also spend a lot of time in the lefty feminist blogosphere, and one of the themes that really speaks to me there is Health At Every Size - the idea that weight does not necessarily correlate to health, and that diet and exercise do not necessarily correlate to weight. That just makes more sense to me than the constant theme of Weight Loss! Weight Loss! Weight Loss! that we hear so many other places. After all, I can control what I eat, and I can control how much exercise I get, but I can't control what my body does in response - especially after having two children, weight loss for me is just not the same as it was seven years ago when I first started WW.
Now, a bunch of my friends are suddenly having all kinds of success, both at WW and in the exercise department. A lot of them are running, and while you couldn't pay me to join them on the trails, there's no reason that I can't be inspired to start up my own exercise routine again. I can't explain it, but I feel like I've suddenly found my mojo - all of a sudden I'm going to spinning class a couple of times a week, and doing yoga, and lifting weights. The scale hasn't moved an ounce in response to all that, and I can't say that my clothes are any looser either, but I'm doing it, and I feel fit and happy and awesome about it.
You see, I also spend a lot of time in the lefty feminist blogosphere, and one of the themes that really speaks to me there is Health At Every Size - the idea that weight does not necessarily correlate to health, and that diet and exercise do not necessarily correlate to weight. That just makes more sense to me than the constant theme of Weight Loss! Weight Loss! Weight Loss! that we hear so many other places. After all, I can control what I eat, and I can control how much exercise I get, but I can't control what my body does in response - especially after having two children, weight loss for me is just not the same as it was seven years ago when I first started WW.
Now, a bunch of my friends are suddenly having all kinds of success, both at WW and in the exercise department. A lot of them are running, and while you couldn't pay me to join them on the trails, there's no reason that I can't be inspired to start up my own exercise routine again. I can't explain it, but I feel like I've suddenly found my mojo - all of a sudden I'm going to spinning class a couple of times a week, and doing yoga, and lifting weights. The scale hasn't moved an ounce in response to all that, and I can't say that my clothes are any looser either, but I'm doing it, and I feel fit and happy and awesome about it.
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