Evening Yoga...at Home

As is evident from the title of this post, I chose yoga over snowshoeing last night. It just felt right, even though it's very warm outside and I should be taking advantage of it. I set up my zen space in the electronics-free living room (well almost electronics-free; there is a stereo), unrolled my mat and got ready for some Vinyasa flow. I've been using an audio CD narrated by Baron Baptiste, and I find that as long as you have some familiarity of the poses it works quite a lot better than craning your neck to watch a screen. The CD also came with some picture cue cards I case you get lost, but after the second time I was able to follow his verbal cues just fine. Last night I was feeling weaker and more fatigued than usual, so I only got through about 40 minutes of his 75 minute flow. Nevertheless it felt very good and just the right amount of challenging. I worked my muscles until they felt shaky, and got my sweat on! After taking that restorative yoga class a couple weeks ago I have been able to focus on my body more and listen to its needs. I modify when I need to, rather than powering through, but I still push the limits a little and sometimes surprise myself with new abilities. I am in love with the body's adaptive qualities, and it's ability to be continually growing, changing and assimilating new skills. Evolution is a wonderful thing!

 Here is a snapshot of my "zen space". There's no place like home!

Weekends make me weak

I'm glad I work a 9-5 office job. It imposes a strict schedule on me, and makes it easier for me to eat properly (as long as I've planned ahead.) There is no junk food here unless I get in my car and drive to get some. Weekdays I am usually very, very good. It's the weekends that I come undone! I tried to be extra good this time around, but it didn't happen. Aside from poor food choices, I also imbibed more alcohol and got less exercise than I should have. When I first started this blog I had pledged to do at least 20 minutes of yoga per day, and that is the one thing I have not done. I seem to go through cycles where I focus either on a good diet OR proper exercise. I need to get both in line! I must fit in some daily exercise no matter what, as well as be more conscious of what triggers my poor food choices when I'm not at work. Next weekend I will be focusing on that.

Okay, pep talk done...I'm newly notivated! Tonight I will try to get out for a snowshoe hike, but failing that I will definitely be doing some yoga.

Happy Monday!

Day 14: Restorative Yoga

I met with my best bud at her local yoga studio yesterday evening for some soothing restorative yoga. The last time we went together we had signed up for beginner hatha yoga and it ended up being quite a lot more challenging than either of us expected. Though it felt good at the time for me, it did exacerbate my back pain rather than treat it. This time it was a completely different experience. The instructor was very matter-of-fact and easy to understand, and she didn't push anyone beyond their capabilities. The session was full of soothing postures that treated stiff hips, shoulders and the lower back. Unlike hatha, it involved the use of props such as bolsters, blankets, bricks and straps.

Much as my inner kick-ass chick hates to admit it, this was definitely what my body was asking for. It was not athletic or sweat-inducing, but it WAS restorative. I woke up this morning feeling great, and slightly less stiff than I normally would. This blog is all about listening to my body and giving it what it needs, so I need to shift my perspective on what constitutes success in physical fitness. I need to sloooow down and stop jumping into things, immidiately expecting to do it all, and at an expert level no less. So in the end it was a lovely evening with my friend and a good lesson learned.

I tried a new face cleansing method last night as well. I've always been skeptical about the high-priced anti-aging products on the market, knowing that high cost does NOT equal a more effective product. Women in particular are targeted with these ads....if you don't drain your bank account, you're not doing enough! Pshaw I say! So I tried a simple mixture of 2 parts castor oil to 1 part olive oil (you adjust according to how oily or dry your face is: more castor oil for oily skin and more olive oil for dry skin. Since I have combination skin this proportion seems suitable.) The method calls for massaging a quarter-sized amount into your face and neck, then draping a hot facecloth onto your face for about a minute. Wipe the oil off, rinse the cloth, and wipe again to remove the residue. That's it. It does NOT leave the skin oily and it does not cause acne. This was only my first time trying it, but I have to say my skin is very hydrated and glowy today. I am prone to break-outs so I am interested to see what happens after a week. Fingers crossed!

Day 2: Green Smoothie Goodness

Isn't it pretty? I've been drinking green smoothies for about a year now, and am trying to incorporate it into my diet every day. Some weeks are better than others, and it depends on the availability of organic greens. (Leafy greens are considered a "dirty" vegetable pesticide-wise, so it's best to go organic in this department.) Since I invested in a Vitamix blender it's super easy to whip one up. I've even got my picky-eating daughter drinking them now. Our fave recipe is 1 banana, several cups of baby spinach leaves (I stuff the blender) and a cup of red grapes. Add a bit of water for consistency and zap it. Voila: quick and delicious (for real! And I HATE veggies normally.)

So this morning after my honey-cinnamon concoction I blended one of these beauties and got an awesome kickstart to the day. Speaking of which- I found that boiling the cinnamon in water on the stovetop, then adding it to the honey in a mug worked much better for dissolving everything. No gelatinous lumps this morning, and the house smells great too.

Unfortunately my cold kicked into high gear when I got home last night so I was unable to face a session of yoga. Downward dog with a throbbing headache and achey joints? No thanks! I spent the evening comatose on the couch watching old episodes of Alfred Hitchcock instead. (Not to mention hot chocolate with a healthy shot of frangelico. Yum.)

Thankfully the cinnamon honey drink and green smoothie went a long way towards soothing my sore throat and restoring some energy. Also, my lower back definitely isn't as sore as it normally would be when I get a virus. Coincidence? Maybe....but maybe the cinnamon is doing its job already. Cheers to that!

Monday...a.k.a. Day 1

I read an article this morning touting the extensive and near-magical qualities of drinking honey and cinnamon "tea" on a daily basis to prevent everything from heart disease to weight gain. Arthritis relief and cold prevention were also in the list, and considering I'm having issues with both today, it spurred me into action. I popped into a nearby health-food store on my lunch hour and obtained some locally sourced honey and high quality cinnamon. $30 later (ouch!), I had a kg of delicious honey and two packages of cinnamon. I mixed the recommended teaspoon of cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of honey and 1 cup boiling water. Now cinnamon doesn't dissolve readily, so even after a few minutes of stirring it remained suspended in a gelatinous glob of honey towards the bottom of the mug. That's all right- at least the taste isn't utterly wretched. I downed my potion with no problem. It tasted slightly spicy and overtly sweet, but drinkable. From this point forward I will be drinking the mixture every morning before my coffee.

This evening I am making it my goal to get a 20 minute yoga session in before bed. This will be a challenge with the extra work I'm doing from home, but I'm sure I can squeeze it in there.

More tomorrow...