testing 1, 2, 3

i was tested yesterday.  and it was unlike any pop quiz or final exam i've ever taken.  it was harder.  it was one i couldn't prep for.  and it was one i had to face.  and it made me very anxious.

my dinner friday night didn't sit too well with me and i woke up with horrible stomach pains and felt terrible.  enter: panic thoughts.  anytime my stomach shows the slightest bit of queasiness, i head for the hills (i.e. my bed).  i hate stomach aches more than anything else because it always puts me right back into panic mode remembering how i used to suffer with them daily and cause myself to get so upset i'd have a panic attack.

and when that's what we're used to, it's easy to fall victim to that train of thought. 

so even now, two years later (completely panic attack free!), i still remember that feeling.  i remember the fear of having to drive to work and sit at my desk all day feeling ill.  i remember pushing myself through my days and hoping to just make it through hour by hour.  and i remember being scared to death about having a panic attack in front of co-workers or my boss or while driving home... i still shudder just thinking about it.

so yesterday i was definitely tested.  i was legitimately sick, but it still made me wonder if it was just anxiety.  it was hard to de-tach the idea of being sick without the anxiety making me sick.  i took a stomach soother and drank some water and began to feel a little better.  what made me extra nervous though was that my day was jam packed.  literally, from beginning to end.  and i was already up at 5:30am feeling gross. 

how was i going to get through this day?  thoughts of cancelling everything crossed my mind.  but i didn't want to bail on my classes.  i had a lunch date with a girlfriend i had been looking forward to for days and i had some mini-errands that absolutely had to get done before heading out to another friend's apartment much later that night.  eek!  i was positively pale at the thought of it all. because when you feel sick or anxious, the last thing you wanna do is go out all day, right?  but i knew i had to do it.  and i wanted to.  i was sick.  and that was it.  and i was determined to take it one thing at a time and see how i felt.  i immediately realized my mind was racing 100 miles an hour, all with bad thoughts about getting sick in front of my class, or bailing last minute on my friend, or being miserable at my friend's place....

so i put up a big 'ol STOP SIGN on those thoughts.  and i powered through my day. 

and i had no problems. 

yes, i was a little icky feeling, but was it the monumental crisis i made it out to be? no.
did i realize immediately that my mind was going crazy with "what ifs?" yes.
and did i take every measure to stop it and refuse to give in to an anxious feeling? hell yes!

so i'm glad to say i passed my test.  i did every single thing i wanted to yesterday and put the "scary thoughts" way behind me.  i'm feeling sooo much better today and i knew i would, because it's a new day and i can choose how to face it.  and if i still felt kind of sick, then i'd cross that bridge when i got to it.  i wasn't going to do what i used to do way back when and pre-cancel everything because there was a mere chance i wouldn't be feeling well. 

i can face blood, guts and gore... but a stomach ache is my kryptonite - and i beat it!

we'll always be tested and we'll always face things we don't want to, but we have to know we can do it!  even if it is a little scary.  we are stronger than we think!!

Relax with... Reclined Bound Angle

Benefits:

Physical: Opens hips, inner thighs, chest

Emotional: Relieves tension

Rx for: Menstrual cramps

1. Lie on your back, legs and arms straight, palms up.

2. Bend left knee and place foot on floor, then do the same with right knee and foot.

3. Lower knees away from each other toward floor, bring soles of feet together, sweep arms along floor until they’re overhead.

4. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

5. Bring knees upright, sweep arms back down toward sides of the body.

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almost the (long) weekend!

happy friday!  do you have a long weekend coming up?  my gym and studio are closed monday so i'm off, baby, yeah!  super excited!  i love my job, but days off are pretty fun too!

yesterday was my birthday and i celebrated by teaching all day.  literally, i was teaching since 7am! my students in my last class suprised me with wonderful gifts (one being a big bottle of kombucha!) and it really made my day.  like i said, i love my job!  and my classes and students are the best!

afterwards i went out to dinner with the hubby and enjoyed a martini. 

this weekend is also jam packed, but i'm hoping to fit in some reading because one of the books i ordered arrived!  it looks pretty cool, and i'm kinda a book geek, so it'll be nice to just curl up in bed and read until i lose track of time. 

how is your memorial day weekend looking?  anyone have time off or do you have work?  any bbq's going on?  i have one on monday with my parents to celebrate my birthday.  we're bringing our puggle so he can play in the backyard while we hopefully enjoy some nice weather.

anyways, i heard a quote the other day that i thought was totally interesting and wanted to share.  it comes from psychiatrist carl jung and he says something to the effect of "all mental illness is the result of our unwillingness to experience pain."  i'm pretty sure that's the quote, but i didn't write it down. but i think you can get the idea from that.

it immediately got me thinking: could this be true?  could my anxiety have been a result of me refusing to feel emotional sadness or pain for something?  i had anxiety for a long time, but the problem was that i never labeled it as that.  so i would really need to dig deep down and try to pull out memories of where and when it all started exactly to see what i was going through. 

i definitely dealt with my share of stresses when i was younger, so maybe there is something to this idea. 

but when you're going though it, it's hard to believe that all that stress and anxiety is just the result of you not wanting to deal with pain... because going through the anxiety causes pain. 

i'm still wondering about this ... but it's definitely an interesting conclusion.

what do you guys think?

a world without fear and anxiety

could you imagine?

i was recently asked "what would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"

and this got me thinking - what would anyone do if they couldn't fail?  or if they had no fear?  or if anxiety didn't exist?

about 2 years ago, as my journey was starting, i made a list in a journal of mine of things i'd do if i had no anxiety.  number one on my list was travel.  i think run a race was on there and chase some dreams.  every now and then i refer back to that list.  i'm happy to say that a lot of those things are now happily crossed off. 

and while it may not always be anxiety that holds us back, sometimes something does (whether fear or concern of not being perfect or getting it right). 

so, if you had no fear, no worry about failure and no anxiety - What Would You Do?

me?
1) go surfing
2) a triatholon
3) move to a whole new place with no safety net of a job or friends or family

for each one the concern is different.  surfing makes me anxious because you're just out in the ocean and can get knocked underwater at any moment and huge waves come at you.

a triatholon is on the list because i think i'm concerned about not being able to finish.  not commiting to training hard enough, bailing half way through or just lagging behind everyone and barely making it to the finish. 

and moving, well, that causes some fear of the unknown. 

this list isn't just what i'd do if life were perfect and stress-free.  this list is now one of goals.  and they are powerful goals because each one isn't just something to cross off, it means i overcame something.  all those things have a double meaning and impact for me. 

on new years i made some intentions for myself and i'm going to add these things! 

so?  what does your list look like?

do we create our own paths?

i ordered some books over the weekend and one in particular that caught my eye was a 30- day plan to create the life of your dreams.  it got me so curious that i had to toss it in my amazon cart.  30 days to re-program your path?  or create a whole new journey?  interesting, no?

it begs me to wonder... do we have a journey already laid out for us and there really are no coincidences or are we destined to take the reigns and create our very own unique life path?

my life path has recently taken a slight detour and i find myself thinking about this a lot.  am i in control of what i want and how to get it or am i supposed to sit back and let life unfold and trust that whatever happens is meant to happen and i'll eventually get to where i need to be?

this, as you can imagine, causes me some stress and anxiety.  i enjoy having plans and goals.  i like being able to "see my future" so to speak.  but, best laid plans fell to the wayside and i'm left wondering if i'm supposed to change my entire future or if my plans were supposed to fall apart because i'm meant for something else. 

what do you think?  are we in control of our destiny or do we have a pre-determined path? 

and if you think we already have a journey laid out for us, do you think we can change it if we don't like it?  or do you subscribe to the belief that everything will always work out just as it's supposed to? 

too quick to quit?

for as far back as i can remember i was never really one to "tough it out" or "stick it through to the end." 

i only made it through 2 days of soccer try outs in junior high and was on my high school lacrosse team for a whopping two weeks before ditching it in favor of more 'productive' things like hanging out with friends and watching TV.  i played an instrument for years before buying my own and then parting ways with the band a month later.  i bailed on honors classes i took half-way through the year and threw myself into activities i thought i'd love just to quit a few weeks later. 

i definitely didn't have that stick with it drive.

so last summer when i became devoted to running my husband laughed and friends took bets as to how long the running love affair would last.

i banged out a couple 5ks and loved it.  and while i was far from quick, i definitely enjoyed the journey.  and that's what it's always been about for me.  its not just about the end result because if you hate the journey you'll be miserable. 

fast forward through a brutally cold winter (when the temp drops below 50 degrees i hibernate) and monsoon season, i finally laced up my kicks for a quick mile lap around my neighborhood.  i have some big plans to run some races this summer (would LOVE to hit a 10k) and a Warrior Dash event in September to prep for so i was pysched.  however, my legs weren't as thrilled.  they felt heavy and sluggish.  and i had to stop and walk for a minute or so.  my hubby came with and tried to push me through it but i was annoyed at how much i back tracked, even though i do cardio pretty much every day. 

when the run was over -almost 11 minutes later, eek!- i was ready to throw in the sweaty running towel. 

i was feeling pretty lousy about my first "real" run since the winter hit, and then i had an ah-ha moment.  it would be so easy for me to quit.  it would be the simple solution.  i'm not naturally good at running and originally started to do it for stress relief and adventure (and a way out of the gym sometimes!).  but i was letting the time of the run, the soreness, every little thing get to me.  i hadn't been out for a serious run in forever, so what did i expect.  a sub 7minute mile?  and just because i wasn't fabulous at this run, did it mean i had to stop it altogether? 

see, here's the secret.  most people strive for a PR (personal record) when they run, but i strive for a PM (present moment).  when i'm running i'm NOWHERE else.  i'm completely in the zone and totally present.  i hear every beat of music, i feel every step.  i'm aware of my legs and arms, even my fingertips.  and that's powerful.  i have no anxiety, no stress, no worries.  it's my time.  and i adore it.

so i'm gonna quit that because of one bad day? 
well... yeah, almost!

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but i refused to give in.  ok, so i had a sucky experience on that run.  didn't mean it'd always happen.  and it's time for me to change this "i can always quit" attitude.  when things get tough, i need to get tougher.  and that's what i did.  this morning i laced my sneaks back up and headed out.  i promised myself just one mile.  just have fun like i used to and enjoy being present.  and present i was!  i didn't stop once. i felt my breath throughout my whole body. i felt the warmth on my shoulders and felt blood rush through my legs. i moved effortlessly to the music and by the time that mile was done i felt great.  my hubby asked if i wanted my time and i said yes.  because i was going to know my time and not judge it. 

and guess what? i knocked a whole minute off that mile! 

and for me, that's worth every minute out there. 

so i'm holding fast to my goals of running more races and completing a 10k by the end of the year.  i had a "bummer" moment and i made a choice.  be miserable and sorry for myself or put on my big girl pants, get over it and get back out there.  we can choose how we feel and how we live, and i made this choice because it makes me happy and i deserve it! 

have you ever had a moment when you just wanted to quit or stop because things got tough?  maybe when trying to get through an anxious moment you felt like it'd never stop or you'd never get a handle on it?  maybe you quit a job or bailed on a class because it got difficult?  do you run from challenges or to challenges? 

i wanna meet 'em head on!

channeling martha stewart

today is a gorgeous day in new york and i'm very excited to spend it with the hubby.  my weekends vary so much because i'm often subbing classes or taking classes, but this weekend i have absolutely nothing concrete to do.  the world is mine! at least for this weekend it is  =)

on the agenda today is an INSANITY workout followed by a trip to the park with the pup and possibly checking out Iron Man 2. 

i channeled my inner domestic diva and whipped up a batch of protein choco-chip banana muffins which are currently baking away (and smelling delish!) because i'm always looking for new ways to get easy, protein packed snacks into our diets.  last week i made homemade protein coconut bars so i figured i'd switch it up a bit and when i found that recipe for the muffins i couldn't resist!

how are you spending your weekend?  any fun plans?  hopefully you are somewhere enjoying the spring weather.  enjoy your weekend bloggie friends!

office asana

it wasn't so long ago that i spent my days either in my car commuting to and from work or at my desk.  i sat... a lot!  if i was stressed or anxious i tried to breathe deeply and focus myself, but i never really thought about whipping out some yoga right there in front of my computer.  i never used to consider yoga something you could do in a chair.  and man, i was missing out!  so since i know lots of us still spend the majority of our days desk-bound i wanted to share a little chair yoga sequence that's sure to rejuvenate and de-stress. 

and i promise, the boss won't even notice!

lessons learned

i've been thinking lately of lessons learned.  and i've also been thinking about the idea of constructive criticism.  a couple of weeks ago i had a really negative experience in a class i subbed and the situation has been mulling around in my mind since.  and as much as i try to let it go, i find thoughts of it still haunting me. 

at first i beat myself up.  i always try to make everyone happy in my classes - and you know what? it ain't always gonna happen!  but then i really broke the situation down and realized that what really bothered me wasn't exactly the experience, but the fact that i felt a person really took the time to be cruel and hurtful towards me for no other reason than they thought they could.  maybe this person felt bigger or better than me, or perhaps this person just treats everyone this way, but i became really hung up on the fact that this person spoke to me the way that they had. 

i'm very big into respect.  and i saw just how much i shut down when i feel attacked.  and it got me thinking... how often do we hurt people when we think we're giving constructive criticism?  (for the record, i don't think this person was trying to be constructive with their "advice", but it got me thinking anyway) 

offering constructive criticism can be very helpful for someone and when i'm off on a new venture i'm always seeking it out.  but if the delivery of the info is hurtful, the message may as well not even matter.  people won't hear it.  have you ever had this kind of situation happen to you?  has anyone tried to be helpeful but wound up hurting you or making things worse?

there's an instructor (chalene johnson) who always says "if its something i can change or helpful than tell me, but if i can't change it or its hurtful, save it!"  now those are words to live by! 

i have since (mostly!) been able to let go of what happened during that negative experience and i've grown.  i think it toughened my skin a bit!  and i can always use a little of that :) 

so if you're dealing with something similar, let's let go of it a little more each day.  holding onto these things only causes us more pain and keeps us living IN THE PAST. 

stay present.  stay strong.  and always remember that how you say something has just as much impact as what you say.

Restorative Yoga Treat

happy sunday bloggie friends!  i wanted to share this restorative yoga clip from tara stiles.  when i'm super stressed, need to clear my mind or just feeling pretty chill, i love to indulge in some restorative yoga.  i'm very drawn to power yoga and vinyasa, but variety is the spice of life and sometimes restorative just hits the spot! 

i'm feeling pretty amazing tonight because i literally taught yoga all weekend and got to do everything from active vinyasa to gentle yoga to deep stretching and relaxation yoga. total bliss.  tonight is the survivor finale and while i may very well be the only person left that watches this show, i just love it!  i have popcorn all ready to go!

excited much?

before bed tonight, grab some pillows and a fluffy blanket and enjoy this totally indulgent treat!

don't worry...

be happy!

hi loves!  i've been quite the busy girl today.  up since 4:30am, out the door for a 7am yoga sesh, cleaned the casa, threw together homemade vanilla protein oats for tomorrow's breakfast, put together a playlist and sequencing for tonight's spin class... whew! 

so i wanted to check in as i've not had a chance to in the past couple of days. 

i got this email from sara avant stover (remember her? she's on my Ask The Experts page!) about happiness.  something we're all trying to achieve and hold onto, right?  it always seems to come and go based on our days, our interactions and our feelings.  so i found this email particularly interesting because it came from an actual year-long intensive study on happiness done by a woman named gretchen rubin.  she studied ways to achieve happiness and here are her take-aways:

1) don't start with profundities

get back to basics

2) do let the sun go down on anger

sit with your anger rather than react to it

3) fake it till you feel it

when you're feeling low, act happy. it's hard, but it works

4) realize that anything worth doing is worth doing badly

learn new things without taking yourself too seriously

                                                                                                                                                       
5) don't treat the blues with a 'treat'

pleasure can last a minute or two, but the guilt from indulging will last much longer

6) buy some happiness

spend your money on things that offer a lot of happiness bang for the buck

7) don't insist on the best

sometimes good enough is just that... good enough!

8) exercise to boost energy

even a 10 minute walk can change your day and your mood

9) stop nagging

don't insist things have to be done on your schedule, find effective ways to communicate that don't make you sound like you're a nag

10) take action

about 40% of our happiness is within our control, choose wisely and consciously how you live

i LOVE these tips!  they all resonate with me and i still find that i have some that i need to work on.  i think #10 is powerful because we often mistake how much power and control we really do have within our lives.  we can actively choose how to spend our time each and every day.  do you choose to watch TV or go for a 30 minute jog?  do you choose to let your anger over your work fester inside or do you light some candles, put on some relaxing music and journal out your stress?  do you sleep in or wake an hour earlier to fit in yoga?  we have the power to live the lives we want!  which of these steps connect most with you?  do you already do some of them?  are any new to you? 

something i've been thinking about lately: theta healing.  a student in my yoga class recently got certified in this mode of healing and was talking with me about how powerful it is.  it seems like it changed her life and i admit, i'm intrigued!  anyone know about this thing called Theta Healing?

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are you open for change?

we can think we're really commited to something, but our heart may not be open to it.  we may like the idea of something, but deep down we can't connect to it.  so how can we work on that?  well, we can open up, of course!  sounds simple, right? 

how many times have we let stress and anxiety make decisions for us? how often did we put something off or turn something down just so we wouldn't be anxious?  or, maybe you're someone who says "well i would go into the career i love but now just isn't a good time" and "i'd like to travel but i have too much other stuff going on right now."  so you're into the idea, you want it, you're ready.... but you're not truly open to it.

when i decided to go for yoga teacher training i knew it was going to be incredibly stressful on both myself and my husband.  we both worked long hours at the time and i was adding another 15 or so into my weeks.  i still wanted to maintain my workout schedule, time with my family and fun... all while not burdening my already stressed hubby.  yikes!  i knew i wanted to do it and i knew why i needed to do it (mainly i started to help enhance my own practice so i could work on my anxiety disorder) but i couldn't fully open to it.  I was hesitant to say yes.  what if i was too tired to go to yoga school?  what if i had meetings or extra work that had to get done?  what if hubby couldn't get to it all?  and most of all, i was really resistant to just give up any extra free time i had because it was few and far between! 

in the end, i did go.  i did committ and i did open up to it.  i invested in the time i was there and gave it everything i had.. and yes i was exhausted many, many times (you can go back and read some of my '08 blogs for proof, i was downright delirious in some of 'em!) but it was so worth it.  it lead me to a path i never actually anticipated - which also required many days spent agonizing and analyzing my decisions.  but really, until i was open to the idea, i couldn't say YES to it. 

remembering this time, i put together a sequence based on opening up and saying YES.  saying yes to living the life we want, to doing the things we want to do, to being who we need to be.  we say no way too often!  it can even be as simple as skipping out on a workout or yoga class because you just don't want to get up early.  so for 30 more minutes of sleep you skip giving yourself that energy and health boost?  that's a time to say YES! 

start by standing up super tall and lengthen your spine.  stretch your hands to the sky and swan dive into your standing forward bend.  reach all the way down and feel the head, neck and shoulders release.  let go of the tension.  shake your head and let all negativity and worries and mental road blocks come pouring out.  inhale and sweep the arms up so you're back to standing tall.  create the intention in your heart to say yes and not be afraid to accept life and challenges and change.  bring your palms together at your heart and lift your right leg into tree.  focus.  find something to concentrate on while you breathe into your balance.  we need focus for balance and we need focus to commit to our intentions.  then extend the left arm out in front of you, draw your right knee straight ahead and lift the foot back, reach for the right toes with the right hand and lift into dancer.  reach and extend through that left hand and realize that the next step in our YES process is going forward and doing.  so reach out and go forward in your pose as you will once you step off the mat.  then, staying in your balance, return to tree and then back to your forward bend.  repeat the intention, focus and going forward practice on your lift side. 

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bedtime bliss

one of the best things we can do for ourselves is replenish through sleep.  stress and anxiety often disrupts our sleep and leaves us feeling sluggish and fatigued.  and if you're stressing about something before your head hits the pillow.... than forget a blissful night's sleep.  your stresses will be on your mind all night.  so, bliss out your bedtime routine and get ready for a great night's sleep!

some things to do:
*have your room as dark as possible
*turn off all distractions like TV or music
*mist lavender spray on your pillows ( i heart this!)
*invest in an eye mask
*make sure your room is cool and comfortable
*and finally, get yourself a relaxing yoga routine to get both your mind and body ready for rest

check out this one from yogini sadie nardini:

how badly do you want it?

i was watching hoarders: buried alive  last night and my heart ached for the people going through the anxiety of letting go of their things.  i know when we watch this show it sometimes seems silly to us that someone needs to keep old cereal boxes and a broken rocking chair from their childhood, but these things have become a part of the people holding onto them and they fear that by letting their stuff go.. they are letting pieces of themselves go.

this one woman in particular was struggling more than usual and everytime the organizer tried to sort through her stuff, her anxiety would sky rocket and she'd yell at the camera crew to turn off the cameras and she told the organizer that she couldn't deal with her touching her things and going through all her stuff.  it was overwhelming and painful.  she wasn't able to mentally handle everything coming at her.  it turns out that it wasn't this woman's choice to have an organizer come in and help.  her family was forcing her. 

i knew the intervention for this woman wouldn't work.  she wasn't ready.  she wasn't committed.  she wasn't invested.  she didn't actually want to change.... at that exact time.  maybe in the future, but definitely not at that moment.  she felt backed into a corner and that's not enough for someone to change.  it takes a lot of courage and strength to face, head on, things that scare and impact your life.  but that courage doesn't come from being forced to have it.  i remember my husband telling me to "get over my anxiety" and just "stop worrying about things so much."  he was so confused as to why i couldn't just 'turn off' the worry switch and stop the painful and exhausting panic attacks and anxious feelings.  well... if it was that easy, we'd all turn off the switch, wouldn't we! 

not everyone understands what others are going through.  my husband will never know what it feels like to have a panic attack.  i'll never know what it feels like to hoard until my house is buried beneath things.  but what we do know is how to support the people we love.  we can't force change.  i was never going to heal from anxiety until i was ready.  no one could tell me to just "stop" or "knock it off."  i had to be ready to take the long journey and commit to changes i would inevitably need to make.  i'm not gonna lie, some of these changes were horrifying.  i had to face lots of fears!  but how else would i know i could do it?  how else would i help myself?  and that's why people can't be pushed.  you need to be invested in your journey and committed to your own change and growth. 

so how committed are you?

how badly do you want to change your life?  to live your life?   first, know exactly why you want to change.  then take small steps of committment to bring these positive changes to your life.  COMMIT TO YOU!

i use my strength... and i commit!

so intensati pretty much rocked my little yoga world.   i was sweating, yelling out empowering affirmations, groovin' to sexyback and black eyed peas and then finished with a beautiful yogic cool down and sitting 'savasana.'  the instructor kicked off the class by sharing something she was going through this week and how she was working to overcome it... and ultimately her message was my best is good enough.  i am good enough. 

LOVE

how often do we all fall victim to the pursuit of perfection?

::raises hand sky high::

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she reminded the class that this was our hour to feel good.  it was our time to let go and surrender.  it wasn't a total yoga-ish class, lots of aerobic type jumping and kickbox punching, but it was a blast and the hour FLEW by.  i couldn't believe when she turned off the heart pumping tunes for a more chill playlist and we started a deep breathing cool down.  all in all, my intensati experience was.. amazing!  and i'm totally going back every sunday.  it was such an empowering way to start my day and left me with a smile the whole day.

so if you have one of these classes by you... try it!  the inspiration, personal empowerment and strength is palpable.  oh yeah, and its FUN to boot.

you know me, if it ain't fun, i don't do it!

 the light feeling followed me through the rest of my day and i thoroughly enjoyed my coffee date with my girlfriend.  we sat and relaxed in starbucks for nearly 2hrs and had lots of laughs.  always the best!

so back to normal tomorrow, teaching yoga in the AM and PM and getting back to work on a project i've been tending to.  bliss.  hope your sunday brought you lots of happiness!

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happy may days!

ok, so i know i'm a day late with this post, but since coming home from my trip out east i've been a little scattered!  in the days that have passed, i took my parents out to dinner for their 30th anniversary, unpacked, caught up on massive amounts of laundry, redecorated most of my apartment and did a huge spring cleaning. 

i fully intended to blog yesterday but the first day of my favorite month brought an unusual heat wave that begged to be enjoyed outdoors.  i am so blissful now that spring is here!

in an hour i'm leaving to take my very first intensati class.  i'm kinda psyched about it.  the creator, patricia moreno, gave a special class at a gym i teach at but i was away for it and bummed to have missed it.  so i've been looking forward to taking this class since learning about it.  if you've never heard of it, and pardon my meager description as i've never taken a class myself until today, its a cardio workout with affirmations.  i've heard you jump, kick, punch and yell out things like "i am strong" and "everything i need is already inside me." 

should be a lot of fun and a great way to kick off a sunday.  after the intensati class, i'm going to visit my baby nephew - 4 months old! - and then coffee with a girlfriend.  all in all, a great day is ahead of me. 

i hope your sunday funday brings you lots of bliss! 

leaving you with this question: do you get excited to try new workouts or do you stay true blue to your standbys?  i LOVE mixin' it up and trying new classes, new routines and new workouts.  i can almost always walk away having learned something new to get my sweat on and have fun doing.  i love meeting other instructors and it always keeps my body guessing so i'm less likely to plateau.  what's your fave way to move??