The Stack of Books at my Bedside Table

I try to read at night instead of watch TV so that I can fill my brain with good thoughts before sleep.   I am a chronic over-thinker so I can’t put my head on the pillow and pass out.  So I have a stack of books near my bed that I reach for to help me fall asleep.  I avoid heavy books, nothing scary or so compelling that I need to finish it before I sleep.  Moreover, I read inspirational books, yes they come from the "self-help" section of the bookstore.  Let's just call them "wellness" books.  :)

I've gone through phases with the stack over the years.  It used to include fashion and interior design magazines and books.  Then, over the last 10+ years the stack evolved to include “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying," books about the neuroscience of the brain and it's connection to consciousness and books by Pema Chondron.   I guess my aging brain craves to understand and make sense of the changing and uncertain world around us.  In those same years, I lost my father to stroke, I had 3 children and we saw significant change in politics from Bush to Obama and now Trump. 

Every book in my stack has given me the perfect bit of wisdom that I was looking for. 

My most recent edition to the stack is “When Breath Becomes Air”. I have to say I was a bit nervous about reading the book because I already knew the sad ending. Yet, when I read it, I was so deeply

impressed by the writing and the thoughts and the feelings it evoked in me.  Without giving it all away, one of the poignant messages I gained from this book was, to enjoy the simple pleasures in front of you: the smile or laugh from the ones you love, time with family, watching a sun set.  If you haven’t already read this book, you need to add it to your list.  

May you enjoy the simplicity of your day and have the gift of time to read through your own stack of books. 

Hope to see you for a workout soon.  

Best, 

Barb

In 2018 I will....

It's the start of 2018 and it's the time to talk about our resolutions for the new year. So, how can we set ourselves up to really stick to all of these positive habits that we set for ourselves.

One strategy is to write out concrete goals for yourself.  Avoid wishy washy language that gives you an out.  Start each resolution with the words "I will..." Example: "I will drink 12 glasses of water everyday for the next 30 days". Don't use language that gets you out of the commitment. Example, "I will try to drink 12 glasses of water everyday for the rest of the year."   Lots of "outs" on this goal.

Moreover, the more concrete we are in our Resolution(s), the more we encourage self-accountability in meeting our goals.   When our goals are too general and written down with any words of uncertainty, then we can make excuses for why we didn't hit our goal.  This doesn't mean that you have to change everything in your life in one year.  Instead choose your top 5, prioritize them, give them a specific timeline, and then decide of those 5 what you can actually do with success.  Change doesn't happen overnight, it comes after making thoughtful small changes and choices about how you want to live.

When I worked in corporate marketing, at the beginning of each year, we would spend multiple days and many hours developing strategies to acquire new customers and retain our existing ones. Then we would review those strategies, refine them over more hours and days and then present them to management for approval.  Once approved, my plan was shared with everyone and I was accountable to hit my annual plan.  I was 100% accountable to the goals I developed.   When I look back and think about how much time and energy I put into developing annual marketing goals, in comparison, I should easily be able to spend even a quarter of the time on my own personal health, fitness and life goals starting with a New Years resolution.

So with that, I will share one of my resolutions with you:

 I will not eat processed foods or sugars for 30 days.

May you find 2018 filled with love, joy, wonder and good health.  Hope to see you for a workout soon.

Best,
Barb

Own it.

At the end of last year I turned 47.  Ok, wow…I just wrote that down and posted it for all of you to see. 

For whatever reason, we like to hide our age.  We try to avoid talking about it, we cover everything up with make-up, lasers, botox, clothes, attitude, etc.    But what if instead of hiding our age, we just owned our age.  

My 8 year old owns her age.  She skips, jumps, laughs hard and argues openly and honestly with her brothers.  She doesn’t always brush her hair and doesn’t worry about it and she puts together her own multicolored mis-matched outfits every morning with a confidence that I love.  She owns swinging as high as she can on the swings.  She tells me honestly that she doesn’t understand her homework and asks for help.  She eats with intent and when eating a nutella banana sandwich she allows the nutella to stay on her face until she’s completely done with her treat.   

So, as I watch my daughter and her conviction for owning age 8.  I’m going to own age 47.  I’m going to own that I feel pretty amazing and that I have excelled physically in Yoga that I never thought possible.  I own that I’ve found new thoughtful connections with friends and family that couldn’t have happened any sooner than now. I own that my body is constantly changing to keep up with me and that it’s OK.   I’m going to own that my life is different than it was 20 years ago.  I’m going to own that this life isn’t always easy and sometimes can be really hard.  I’m going to own my role as a girlfriend, a mom, a sister, a daughter and a wife and support others in addition to asking for help when I need it.  I’m going to own the grey that appears on my hairline, and the dark circles under my eyes and the bloated belly I get every 4 weeks.  Bottom line, I’m going to OWN IT ALL and then embrace it!   My life and this age and any age that you are at should be embraced with tremendous gratitude.   I know it’s cliche to say, but we do only get ONE LIFE, so embrace every part of you, own every part of who and what you are on this little earth that we live on and enjoy the simple beautiful moments of this aging process.   When you truly own all that you are, I assure you that your timeless inner light from your graceful beautiful soul, will shine brightly out towards everyone you pass.    

Meditation for More Brain Space

Centuries ago those who practiced meditation did so because they were trying to focus more clearly on their life's purpose.   

Today we seek meditation to help cope with life's stresses: loss of loved ones, work problems, home issues, technology failures.  It's one of many tools used for stress relief for our modern day problems. 

While exercise has always been and will continue to be one of my stress relief tools, I've found consistent calm through yoga and meditation.  In Yoga I was re-introduced to the benefits of stillness during Svasana (final resting pose).  I found myself hanging out in this pose for longer periods of time and feeling a more profound sense of calm not just in this pose but for long periods after getting out of it. 

I wanted more of this feeling, so I started asking my meditating friends what they did. One of them shared videos on YouTube.  And another recommended the book, "Start Here Now".  So I gave it a shot.   It was hard at first to just sit and stay focused to meditate but I committed to 10 minutes a day initially and then, over time, it became a welcome daily practice that lasted anywhere between 10-20mins. 

As I learned more about the practice of meditation, I found books, articles, videos, Ted talks and more that talked about the science of the brain during meditation and all of its benefits for sports, psychotherapy, creativity, physical ailments and many more wellness benefits. 

Having spent over a year meditating daily, I've found a new sense of contentment and appreciation for the simple pleasures in life because through meditation I'd given myself a little more brain space to notice them. 

So my challenge to you all is to find a way to give yourself just 5 minutes of stillness per day through meditation. Try it for the next 7 days.  If you need guidance, check out the app Yoga Wake Up . They have several meditations (including a few that I've recorded ) that you can download to take with you anywhere.   

I know that it's not easy to sit still, but give it a try, you may soon reap all the health & wellness benefits that meditation can offer. 

Have a great week. Hope to see you soon. 

Barb

Community Yoga with Barb every Thursday at Noon

Have you ever gone to a Yoga class and found yourself completely lost?  You don't know which leg should go up or down?  Is the instructor calling out Yoga terminology that you don't understand as you watch the rest of the class moving with ease and harmony and then feel totally out of place???  Well, in this community class I will teach you all of the basics that will help you get the most out of the next class that you take at your gym, at a studio or anywhere where they offer yoga.

I have been practicing Yoga since I was pregnant with my first child over 12 years ago.  I started with Iyengar.   I've tried Bikram, Kundalini and Hot Yoga, but my favorite style is Vinyasa Flow, which is all about movement with breath.

The benefits of yoga are both for the mind and the body which is why I love it so much and why I completed my 200 hour teacher training at the end of last year.  So, come try it out with me.  Take your lunch break to learn the basic moves of Yoga.  If you already know the poses then come to refine your practice so that you know you are in the poses correctly.  I promise to make it both challenging and educational so that you can get the most out of the next Yoga class you do.

Email me directly if you'd like to join, this will be a small group class, I need a min of 5 to run it and I have a max of 8.

Have a great week and hope to see you soon.

Barb

Thank You letter to my Mom Tribe

To My Mom Tribe,


You know who you are.  For over a decade you've counseled me on every aspect of this Mom job. Your advice has always been free of charge and your words have always been uplifting.  

It feels like just yesterday that I ran into you at the Drs office with a baby in my tummy or in a Bjorn, we also caught up in the "Moms" room at the office and I remember when you expertly held my 8 week old so I could brush my hair & de-puff my eyes. 

Today we're flocked together in our mom zone on the sidelines of kids games, chatting mid Pilates to get the number for that math tutor and nodding off alongside the kiddos watching the latest release of a Pixar movie. 

Tomorrow, I'll see how your child has surpassed you in height and your oldest is driving the younger ones to school and that you are now caring for your own mom who needs you. 

So thank you, my Mom Tribe, for being part of my tribe yesterday, today & tomorrow. I really couldn't do all of this with out you. 

Happy Moms Day ❤️🙏

-Barb

Community Yoga with Barb

As some of you may know I completed a 200 hour yoga teacher certification with the Mukti Yoga school. It was a great learning experience for me so Id like to share my learnings with you. 

So this week I'm offer a 1 hour beginner yoga community class tomorrow Tuesday at noon (or Wednesday at noon if that's better for everyone). Suggested donation for the class is $10 or whatever you would like to contribute. 

I'm excited to share what I've learned in this training with you. Email me directly if you'd like to join in one of these community sessions this week. 

Have a great day!

Barb

As usual see my previous posts on health and fitness here on this blog. 

Note, the community class this week will be on land but Yoga Sup is an option for the future. 😊