I've been lacking in motivation lately and kinda hoping I'd get in the mood to be better. My cycle tends to be totally motivated with lots of plans and goals....to burning out, wanting to lay in bed all day.....and back again to wanting to improve. I read the article linked above and I really liked it. It really applies to any form of working out that you choose, not just yoga. I'm a big believer in balance in all things and so I try to go easy on myself when I'm not in the mood to workout. But when it comes to working out....I've never regretted doing it. Its just that initial getting off my butt and putting my tennis shoes on thats the hardest part. Its time to tap into my will power and be like Nike.
I don't know what got into me, but this morning I woke up and the first thing I did was my yoga for the day. That's pretty amazing since I usually just turn the tv on while I ease into waking myself up, not wanting to get out of bed. But the most amazing part about it was.........
Bind pose! See that photo there? Yep I nailed that pose today.
A few years ago when I first started trying yoga I was about 35 lbs heavier and as beginner as you can get. Most of the moves I couldn't do but just saw them as a goal to work up to. But this pose, something about it bugged me. I couldn't even get close to it. I was in a class and I'd look at the girls in front of me doing it with ease it seemed. I could bend over onto one knee (slightly) and reaching an arm under my leg and up to grasp hands......seriously? Not happening. I felt like my hands were so far away from being able to touch that for the life of me I could not figure out how anyone did it. I must have miniature t-rex arms.
I tried it again today for the first time in quite awhile and was pretty shocked when I felt my fingers touch. Wait? I'm actually doing it? My fingertips weren't just touching. I grabbed hands!
I'm saying this partly to brag because I am so excited!! But mostly as a reminder that it's hard to see how far you've come sometimes when you're in it. One thing that I love about yoga and certain other workouts is that it can be measured and it is undeniable when you've grown and improved. I can feel my strength as I'm able to do more week after week. If you're disappointed with where you're at now, look back at where you've been. If you don't feel like you're farther along than where you've been, start now. Tomorrow look back and see that you're stronger than yesterday.
This video is INCREDIBLE. I've got that t-rex arms mentality right now even after that speech I just gave. But maybe....someday.....I could do something like that? Its pretty inspiring to say the least.
I know most of my friends are brand new to yoga or new to the idea of even considering trying it. I'm putting together some of my favorite videos and hopefully tomorrow I'll have some links for you to try out if your'e feeling adventurous.
I'm pretty in love with fuit or veggie drinks right now. I have them as my actual meal or as a snack. Just fill a water bottle up with juice and I'm set. I love them at work to keep myself from snacking on other things. I love them in my car. I love them everywhere. Snacking on vegetables has never been my thing. I try sometimes because I feel like I have to. But something magical happens when you blend your food up into a liquid mess. Then I WANT to have it.
I made myself a green smoothie this morning. Anything that I could find in my fridge that was green passed the test.
red kale
celery
pear
sprouts
broccoli
banana
cucumber
ice cubes
water
Warning: It took me a long time to acquire a taste for a drink like that.
I started making smoothies originally with yogurt and fruit only, then slowly started adding vegetables that weren't strong tasting. I started figuring out which combinations I could stomach (bananas go a long way in covering up other tastes).
Now I'm at a point where I actually crave those healthy shots to my body. Especially if I didn't eat so good the day before. It's like my body is screaming for some veggies again. Kale! Spinach! It's a good place to be at.
I heard about a challenge of doing yoga for 30 days and recommitting to self and outward love. Yes please! There was a period of time that i was consistent with yoga and it did amazing things for me. When I first started the practice I felt awkward, weak, and felt like I belonged at the back row of the class. After about 2 weeks I started noticing changes and being able to do certain poses that I couldn't do before. After a month or two I felt strong, beautiful, and so proud of the person I was being. I connected with yoga and let it do amazing things for my mind and body. Lately I've been focused on weight loss and doing other forms of exercise. While any kind of exercise is great, I'm feeling a lack of motivation. I'm totally in a rut. This 30 day challenge came at the perfect time for to regroup and focus on self love while I'm gaining strength. So excited to recommit to yoga.
A group of beautiful ladies are motivating each other through this challenge and anyone is invited to join. Check out this blog for the source of the goal and to find other's who are committed and writing about their experiences. You can also follow along on facebook if you want to join in the goal.
I'm going to have a hard time doing it every single day, especially on the days when I don't feel like doing anything. I'm committed though. 30 days. This is happening!
I'm cozy in bed trying to think up good reasons to not do my work out today....and I was feeling pretty good about skipping out until I saw a photo that I have on my wall for motivation. A photo of a very chizzled lookin chica. So that got the guilt going but I still needed more motivation.
I joined the masses with the addiction to Pinterest but today it wasn't such a time waster. After a few minutes of scrolling through the endless motivating pictures I was set to go. Work out done today. Check. Feeling better. Check. All those photos I have pinned on my Motivation Board. My best trick for getting my butt going lately is jumping on Pinterest and scrolling through the Fitness Category. Something about seeing all the strong women makes me feel a bit stronger too. All in my head? Yeah but that's the point.
I bought the 30 Day Shred from Jillian Michaels and it better be shredding something cause its making me work! I'm on week 3 and loving it. Well hating it during...but loving it after. I'm not very sore afterwards, but you keep moving, no breaks for 20 minutes and it makes me sweat sweat sweat. Sexy I know.
I haven't lost any weight since I started but I blame that on the ice cream I've been chowing down on. And the pizza I ate definitely wasn't on her suggested meal plans. So turns out that eating well in conjunction with the videos is pretty important. Good to know.
But I'd recommend this for sure. I have a hard time with videos because I lose interest quick but this is super fast and she's super motivating. I'm feeling strong. Verdict: I'm sticking with it for now.
I also saw on a weight loss show that a girl had a goal to run a 10 minute mile. Now, she's heavier than me so I was pretty curious to see if I could do it. I did it in 10 mintes and 14 seconds tonight and I was breathing pretty heavy. So new goal...working on running a faster mile!
Home sick this weekend with a cold. No fun, but it does give me a guilt free excuse to stay in bed, throw back glass after glass of my favorite Simply OJ, inhale Halls Defense Vitamin C (has to be the citrus flavors!) cough drops like they're candy, and look around online. Here's the results of my findings.
So I was remembering the days when fishtails were all the rage. I still think they're so gorgeous, just not as common, which I love! I've always been in favor of parts of the 80s...so world, I'm bringing them back into my life.
They're so easy to do. Here is a really great tutorial if you want to try and I suggest that you do!
