Day Five of my 30 Day Yoga Challenge

I have managed to do a personal practice every day but generally it has been short and at the end of the day.

Last night I did a series of back bends focusing on Camel Pose, this is a challenging pose for me, with my tight shoulders and thighs, I have to really prepare and open my body before doing this pose. It felt good to be in my studio quietly opening my body, releasing tension in those tight areas, once completed I could feel the tingling of energy throughout my body.

I really love Pilate's too so I have decided to alternate between yoga and Pilates, Pilates has its roots in yoga but is very rehabilitative for my SI joint which flares up now and then.

Today I will do a Pilates DVD which I hope will inspire some new postures into my routine. I may still end my day with a little gentle yoga I am working on opening my tight areas, which are my thighs, shoulders, and hips....

I made Beef Stew for my husband this morning and the smell is amazing, it is an recipe that my Mom used to make and is still the best beef stew I have ever eaten. I may or may not eat it, depends on how I feel later. I need good energy for my workout with Misty tonight.


Breakfast

Protein Shake
Apple with Almond Butter
Lunch - Salad with Tuna and grated cheese, yogurt dressing.

There are moments in my life when I feel like the world and I am perfect just as we are and that I am floating in this great vast energtic place in harmony with all. There are moments (probably more) when I feel tense, frustrated with my husband and unsettled with where I am in my life.

Yesterday I felt these two extremes.

Around 10:30 last night I still hadn't done my personal yoga practice, day two of my 30 day yoga challenge and I already was behind. I decided to do some restorative yoga and invited my husband to join me. That fact that he joined me was the first surprise. We turned on our electric fireplace, some candles and did a supine pranayama (breathing exercise), this worked like a dream I felt relaxed an open, I focussed on really following the breath and connecting to the openess it brings to my body. We then did some gentle yoga included some partner yoga and ended with a seated heart chakra meditation where we placed our palms together and exchanged energy.

During the yoga session our dogs joined us in the room and their energy was amazing. After the yoga we laid on the mats and bolster discussing our lives and the journey so far, it was relaxed and very intimate as I easily shared some of my fears with my husband, his response was tender and well thought out. It has been a long time since I felt safe to be open with him.

I wonder why we drift so far apart at times when truly there is deep love and respect in our relationship.

The word yoga is Sanskrit for the word union, literally translated it means " to yoke ". Last night I experienced union on many levels.

Union for me comes and goes much like the sun, it is always there but sometimes hidden by clouds or nightfall, I must wait for it to shine again. I know this .......yet when it is dark I often lack faith that it will shine again.

Energy for Today

Breakfast - rye toast with almond butter and sugar free jam.

Lunch - Salad with tuna or left over chicken

Snack - apple,

Dinner - hmmmm need to plan

yoga for one hour today, no running.

How I Trick Myself

Always my mind is my worst enemy.....it can make me slothful, envious, angry...you get the point. My mind is like a highway of random thoughts most that make no sense.

Over the years I have learned to ignore most of what I think and also to find ways to trick myself.

Yesterday was a full day, a good day, but by the end I was tired. Immediately my mind started saying...."skip spinning"...."relax tomorrow"....but truthfully my body feels great, strong and fit. Plus I am carrying a few extra lbs that I am not wanting to stay on my body that long, seems like the longer you carry the extra the harder it is to get off. Spinning will help with the weight, I like the instructor, I enjoy the experience, and it is time with my friend Misty.

Timidly and really hoping she would say no....I emailed Misty to confirm our spinning date, I then went to bed.

As I crawled out of bed and forced coffee to my lips I, I checked my email for Misty's response. We are on for spinning...whew...sending that email last night was the right thing to do. I woke up this morning feeling amazing all the Pilates has had an impact, plus the naked yoga yesterday really pulled some tension and stress out of my body....I love yoga for the way it affects my mind.

So look out Misty, the race is on..........I will be wearing a better bra this week that is for sure LOL

Todays Energy

Ezekial toast, with organic peanut butter and sugar free jam.
Snack - Protien shake with water and pineapple. (trying to use up some really ripe pineapple).
Lunch - Salad, with Tuna, grated cheese (just a bit) and just a bit of yogurt dressing.
Dinner - Egg White Omelette, with spinach, mushrooms and just a bit of light feta.

I like to have a small bowl of cereal before bed but I may skip it to help with the weight loss, maybe just a glass of skimmed milk after running....we will see.

Today I am spinning, yoga and running......maybe today will be the restorative class.

How My Day Really Went

Earlier today I blogged about relaxing and some restorative yoga, maybe some gentle dusting. At the time my intentions were just that. Some how shortly after blogging I decided to do some meal preparation, so I chopped and boiled and baked, soon my kitchen was a mess of pots. I started washing the dished and realized I was actually enjoying it, the hot hot water felt great on my hands and the motions of washing the dished seemed soothing, I watched the brook in my back yard for awhile and thought I lucky I was to have such a great view while I washed dishes. My pasta dish was delicious.

Alas the squash didn't do so well, I had decided to bake some squash, maybe for dinner maybe for soup. around 11:00 I placed it in the oven. Around 4:15 when I got up from my nap I smelt burnt stuff in my kitchen, I realised I hadn't turned the oven off and figured something on the bottom must have gotten burnt, so I turned the oven off.

Around 5:40 when I was telling some students why the house smelt a bit still, I suddenly realized that the squash was in the oven still, I had cooked the squash for about 5 hours. It is now outside on the back porch.

After the dishes I decided to do some yoga with an old favorite of mine Rodney Yee, not restorative yoga, but I figured I would try it and just see how I felt. I decided to do yoga in just my underpants because I didn't feel like going upstairs to put yoga clothes on.

I threw off my pj's and did some yoga some I heated up and I figured, naked yoga is the way to go so off came my underpants, I was tucked away in a small room and the door was locked.

I started working through a series of intermediate postures, which included handstand, scorpion (at a wall) and headstand, I practiced naked. In downward dog I looked back at my thighs and thought.....not bad...it wasn't until I went into shoulder stand and all my girly parts came crashing down that I started to laugh, what a sight I must have been, naked shoulder stand when carrying a bit of extra weight is just too funny.

The experience all in all was great, clothes can be a little uncomfortable.

Around 3:00 I went for my much needed nap....then for some reason I totally forgot to eat dinner, and ended up teaching for 3 hours really really hungry. After the late class I had a chicken breast and some toast with butter. Not what I had planned but it was fast and filling.

Truthfully it was a great day, however the memory lapses must go with the fluctuating hormones or maybe overwork. Tomorrow is almost a day off. I plan on doing yoga every day for 30 days just to connect with myself. I feel I need more yoga and quiet time in my life. I may visit with Rodney again or head out to a local studio.

So I am heading into 30 days of asanas....as a way of quieting down and thinking about my life.

Today is a stay in my pj's day, I have taught courses the last 3 weekends in a row, these courses are on top of my regular class teaching schedule.

I am feeling a little low energy and will nap for sure, some laundry and light dusting, should make it an easy day. I will probably do some restorative yoga to help create energy in my body. Maybe I will do something I haven't done in years, watch some day time TV, I start classes at 5:30 tonight so technically am off for awhile.

In total on the weekend I did about 6 Pilate's Classes while teaching the course, plus the runs on Friday and Saturday, so rest is on my schedule today.

I weighed myself a couple of times last week, and was either 5lbs up or down, that shows me that whatever I am going through is water retention probalby caused by the fluctating hormones of a 49 year old.

I stuck to my non-slothful ways by grocery shopping, planning and cooking great meals on the weekend despite being busy and tired. After all most of us are busy.

Food Today

Breakfast - Protien Shake with frozen peaches, 1/2 banana, skim milk and flax seeds.

Snack - 1/2 banana, 8 to 10 nuts

Lunch - Mixed Greens Salad with tuna, a bit of grated cheese, yogurt dressing.

Dinner - Leftover chicken, sauted mushrooms, asian cabbage salad (almost a repeat of last nights dinner, just no potato.)

Just a Food Post

Breakfast

Banana Wrap,

Lunch - Chicken Souvlaki on Pita

Snack Protien Shake with frozen Peaches

Dinner - Maui Maui, homemade fries Vegtable Stirfry.

Thanks to a great nap yesterday and many hours of sleep last night I feel great.

Wednesday I suffered from an exercise hangover, it was the result of spinning and running in the same day for the first time in a month....whew Wednesday felt like it would never be bedtime.

As always though when I push myself physically I may suffer the day after but the day after that, look out I feel great, strong, tall and ready to go.

Last night I taught a great Pilates class with resistance bands, I practiced beforehand and today my ABS feel like million bucks. My momentary worry over the Buddha belly seems like nonsense now. After just a few days of good eating and personal exercise and I don't seem to care.

Today while I was cooking lunch I realized that I am a little slothful....it may surprise some people because I work hard and always have, I work out and all that...but I can be real lazy at times, that is what leads to poor eating habits for me, lack of planning, lack of keeping healthy food in the house and just plain lack of wanting to prepare something good.

Today I had this great egg while omelet with organic spinach and red peppers, some light feta and a toasted Ezekiel wrap, it was great, satisfying, really tasty and will give me good energy for the day. All in all it took about 15 mins to prepare, at first I thought nah, I will just grab something quick, but the new non-slothful Sheree convinced the old slothful Sheree to prepare this meal and was I ever glad I took the time.

I think it has been lack of discipline that I picked up over Christmas holidays, staying up late, being tired, grabbing quick foods and having just a little more. The Buddha belly was the kick I needed to get back on track.

Every time I look at the picture of the sloth, I laugh that is exactly how I feel like crossing the finish line in almost every race I have entered. It takes all my energy and pride to stay upright and smiling at the end of a race.

food today

Ezekiel wrap with peanut butter and a banana
Toasted Ezekiel wrap with an egg white omelet, spinach, red peppers, light feta.
Snack - protein shake, water and peaches
Dinner - not sure will plan it on my run

Just a Food Post

So today I am just posting my food, I am on my way upstairs for my first nap in awhile and I really need this nap....my electiric blanket is heating up and I am feeling happy but tired.

The blue menu meatballs were tasteless....low fat and low flavor, not that I really love meatballs anyways I thought it would be a great lunch for Frank.

Breakfast - Ezkeial wrap, banana, peanut butter

Snack - protien shake with frozen peaches

Lunch - Teriaki meatballs on sushi rice.....the meatballs were low fat and very low taste.....

Dinner -cottage cheese, with granola and blueberries.
Cereal with blackberries, skim milk

My Buddha Belly

I woke up this morning and felt this Buddha belly on me, grabbing it with both hands I thought to myself where did this come from ? I have been running and working out and still this belly started to grow. I sucked in my gut but soon stopped breathing, hmmm I thought....maybe I have put on weight....I resisted the urge to weigh myself right away and then I finally jumped on the scale..yikes I was up, I kicked off my sandals....still up....off came my pajama bottoms....still up, finally my top went flying across the room...now I am standing naked in my change room on my scale, it is not warm and still I am up. Not much, nothing drastic but still up.

Scrambling to get dressed and to get warm, the truth floated up from deep within. My portions have crept up and so have my snacks the box of protein bars I bought to sell, well, I ate most of them....sigh....thoughts of the Pringles Potato Chips I shared with Frank while watching TV floated into my head. What about those almonds ? While a handful is a great snack I ate HANDFULS...butter has slowly crept back into my diet. All in all it has been little habits slipping back and the scale is showing it.

Not that I look bad or even really feel bad but weight gain is one of my problems, so I need to carefully watch it. When I am not paying attention to my food and weight I easily put on weight.

So now I need to lose a few more lbs, 13 to 14 now in total, I have added my 3 to 4 lb gain to my goal.

I will do this the yogic way, I will make small sustainable changes to my diet, I will go to bed earlier, and drink more water, I will track my food again because that seems to keep me honest. I will not set a goal date or really even focus on the end goal I will just try to enjoy the healthier changes I am making in my life. I could really use more water and getting to bed earlier.

In the old days this would have made me panic, and cut way back on calories or vow to run farther and harder, but as I practice Ahimsa (non-violence) on myself I realize that this is but a blip in the journey, weight goes up and down and so be it, the last thing in the world I need is more exercise. A gentle nudge to get myself back into a more disciplined life is all I need.

My container of water sits beside me as I write this, I am not exercising today as it was a planned rest day, and my menu is planned.

What is more important is how happy I feel...

So today's food

BreakfastToast with peanut butter and sugar free jam

Snack: Kasha Bar

Lunch: Spinach Salad, with bean sprouts, 1/2 a can of salmon, a slice of avocado and yogurt dressing.

Snack : latte with skim milk, banana

Dinner: Sushi, salad

The Year in Review

While it may seem like all I talk about is how hard 2009 was, it wasn't without its rewards.

I worked hard last year and acheived some personal/business goals that I am proud of.

• I lost 20lbs of stress fat and reshaped my body in the process.
• I wrote 10 yoga manuals and am now a registered yoga school.
• I became a Can Fit Pro Trainer.
• I wrote 3 Pilates Manuals
• The Studio doubled in students and my classes filled up.
• With Misty I started the Brooklin Run Club
• I ran more and focussed on doing yoga somewhere else at least twice a month.
• I made some great friends.

For 2010 I have set some new goals for my personal and business life.

• I will run a 1/2 and full marathon this year, it will probably be my only full marathon it is to honour my 50th Birthday, I will be 50 in the fall.
• I have signed up for several continuing education courses related to yoga therapy and running.
• I am planning to study in Thailand this summer.
• I have 15 more lbs to lose...sigh....
• I also plan on having more fun time, more movies or nights out with my husband and friends...life can get fairly serious.
• Next Fall after my marathon and the courses I am taking I will begin the creation of the RYT 500 course....whew....I could use 2 Sheree's

I will continue to Blog my food for a while to get back on track.

Breakfast - brown rice wrap, banana, peanut butter
Snack - Kasha Bar
Lunch......tuna on rye, raw veggies
Dinner - not sure
Snack - cereal.

My soul mate

As I reflect on the past year and plan for the next, I can't help thinking about my husband, I have never found marriage easy...I have been married twice...I find marriage a roller coaster ride of incredible highs, flat places and sometimes lows that seem to be deeper then you thought would occur. I have been with my husband 13 years now....married almost 6. He is for sure my soul mate Popular culture would have you think a soul mate is the guy you run along the beach with holding hands in a constant state of bliss, however a true soul mate is the person who makes you grow the most. A soul mate can push your buttons, bring up your unhealed stuff and take you to heights of joy and make you wonder if life could be any better.

Frank is my soul mate....I am not sure if I have wanted all the growth but he has forced me into it. Sometimes when I see myself through his eyes I want to cringe, and I admire the patience he shows me. At times I am the best possible mate he could ever have, I lie with him in my arms and tell him that all will be okay and that I am there for him and I feel his energy calm and peace float into his mind. At times I am his rock at times he is mine.

Yesterday was one of those days where I really thought about the support he has given me. He joined me at Kirtan (yoga call and response) last night, he sat crossed legged and chanted in Sanskrit, while he played a drum. He smiled and sang and joked and was so much fun to be with, at times I would look sideways at him and I was amazed. I know very few female instructors whose husbands have even attended one of their classes let alone chant with them.

He is almost 14 years older than me but since we have met he has tried so many new things with me, his sense of adventure is amazing, he has run with me, done yoga with me, gone on yoga retreats, and now he has chanted with me. I hope that at his age I will still have that youthful enthusiasm for life.

Frank loves to make people laugh it is one of his gifts.

I have not always been the best partner but like most of us I have tried, in 2010 I hope to spend more time with Frank doing fun things putting behind us the stress of the last few years and starting over, enjoying the things we both like to do, such as hiking with our dogs, going to movies and getting away to our favorite hiding spot.