Thoughts from me and for me

Take time to breathe this week. Take time to ponder all the things you've done this year that you are glad for. Evaluate the things you did that you regret. Don't set a lofty goal for the new year, but set one that means something. Without goals there is no progress. Commit to living the new year with integrity. Integrity being that we hold ourselves to a higher standard. See yourself as a better person. More loving more organized more compassionate. Healthier.

What we eat and how our bodies look does not define us. But how we care for that which has been gifted us does. Will you bury your talent or find ways to develop your body and mind to the benefit and service of those around you?

A new day dawns. Cast off the 2009 you. And awaken unto the you of 2010. Happy, satisfied, patient, smart, and calm. Anger gives way to grief. Grief is dealt with and discarded and gives way for peace and acceptance.

Breathe. Take time to breathe and prepare for the new year.

A new year.

A NEW year!

What will it bring for you?

Yoga guru says...

..I feel fat.

Guess who's back?

Yoga Guru is teaching again! I got two jobs teaching yoga that I am really excited about. I'm teaching one class at Snap Fitness and three classes at A New You. My sister Sheri and I are actually teaching the classes at A New You together. She does 30 minutes cardio, 10 minutes weights, and then I finish the class with 30 minute yoga. It is AWESOME. It is such a well rounded work out and I love it.

But guess when we teach it??????? 5:45 am! Yikes! But it really is the only time we have to exercise and I am usuallly up anyways with one of my babies.

Neither place has anyway to clean the yoga mats, so I bring free Jo-Sha Wipes and everyone can clean their yoga mats with a wipe of their choice. So feel free to join us Mon, Wed, Fri, at 5:45 for cardio and yoga! You'll get a great workout AND you'll even get a free wipe to clean you mat with!

Start reading labels

Yoga Guru, where are you?

Not doing yoga that's for sure!

But I saw an amazing health food show about eating real food from real grocery stores but just making the best choices. The nutritionist that hosts the show is named Zonya and her big thing is that we have to start reading the labels and becoming familiar with ingredients.

Her tips:

-don't eat foods with partially hydrogenated oil

-look for foods made with whole grains

-look for foods with high fiber

-and try to eat more fruits and vegetables

She suggests improving one thing at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. Like get familiar with cold cereals first and their ingredients and start making the best choices for cereals available. Then move on to snacks, then breads, then frozen foods, etc.

I like this because it seems do-able and because she didn't say "Don't eat ice cream". Anyway, check out her blog http://www.zonya.com/

P.S. Oreo cookies are evidently like the worst things ever. Guess I oughta cut back on those cherry Oreo shakes from Iceberg!

My Nephew Stretches??

My multi-talented nephew, Taylor asked me a great yoga question about stretching. He asked how long you should stay in a stretch. Yoga Guru says: About 8-10 breaths.

If you count your pose in seconds you will most likely hold your breath and the stretch will be less effective because those stretching muscles need oxygen. As you breath through each stretch or pose, the length of you breaths will increase, the deeper your stretch will go, and the more flexible you will become. AND the more relaxed and satisfied you will fee!! It will feel a lot different than just mindlessly counting through the pose. The breath connects your mind to what the body is doing and is yoga at its core.

Good question Taylor. Now if I could just get you and the rest of your cousins into an actual studio!

P.S. I just found an offbeat site that lists the Top 100 yoga links. I like it because it lists some grass root companies and not just the big guns with all the money. If you want to gander at it, here's the link

http://yoga.gotop100.com/

A Cow Isn't Skinny if it's Fat

My neighbor introduced me to these awesome low-fat ice cream sandwiches called "Skinny Cow." Get this: they only have 1.5g Fat, 3g Fiber!, 4g protein, and 150 Calories! I mean, these things are practically GOOD for you.

So I bought a pack of mint and a pack of vanilla/chocolate and of course I had to eat one in the car on the way home. I was done with my treat for the day and it was good and satisfying. Fast forward to later that night...I was really stressed and sat down to watch a reality cooking show, so of course I needed to eat something. Remembering my "healthy" snacks in the freezer I decided I could afford to eat one more. 1,2,3,4 Skinny Cows later I literally had to force myself to turn off the TV and stop eating!! I was totally sick to my stomach and when Joe asked me why I didn't feel good, I did what any self respecting woman would do, and rather than reveal the details of my secret indiscretion to my husband, I said, "Must have been something I ate." Of course the next morning I totally had a binge hang-over and was a beast to my kids.

That's the problem with a) foods that are low-fat/calorie because we think we can eat more of them, and b) with self control....it is a lot harder to have it after 8 pm and in front of the TV.

The late night binge: while a way of life in college, not so cool anymore. Too much cow, and not enough skinny.

Being a Mom and Being Fit: Can the two be one?

My last post talked about finding exercise that we enjoy. But my awesome sister-in-law Becky wrote that knowing what she likes isn't the problem. The problem is finding a way to do it. I agree. I think being a stay-at-home mom with small children is the worst season in our lives for working out! Well, work we do! But exercise it really isn't!!

I find that if and when I exercise now, I always have to choose to sacrifice one of the two most important things in my life: 1) My children, OR 2) Sleep.

You know the drill....you either have to put your kids in the daycare or pass them to a babysitter so you can exercise, OR you get up at the crack of crack to exercise. Which do you choose? How can you choose when you are so tired?

What do you do? I would love to hear advice or success stories from those who have been there done that. Because I, like Becky, really haven't found much success since my baby was born 9 months ago. Infact, I started this blog to get me thinking about it and hopefully get me motivated again.

But you know, the voice in my head (or is it my stomach?) says, "Is it really that important right now to have abs of steel and a firm butt? Don't our husbands love us anyways? Don't our kids love us even if our behinds are jiggly? (I KNOW I'm not the only mother whose kid is fascinated by the huge shaking mass that is just at his eye level!!!....Aren't I right Sheri??) But they love us anyway. As long as there are always snacks available and we are there for scraped knees and bottle and binky calls and lots of hugs and kisses all around, does it really matter if we have cellulite?"

Or.....is their unfaltering love the excuse that keeps us fat?