i've been a little MIA since i've lost access to my laptop. i accidentally snapped the charger wire (don't ask) and when my laptop ran out of battery i fell into emotional dispair. ok, not really. i did get bummed though. hubby came to the rescue by ordering another charger and since he's out for the day i've decided to jump on his PC and fit in a quick blog.
i've been super busy working on new sequencing for my yoga classes, kickbox choreography and compiling new class soundtracks... you know me. i love my music! in between all of that i'm teaching, teaching, teaching like a little crazy person.
anyway, i wanted to get in a quick word about the Yamas and Niyamas i chatted about awhile ago. they are kind of like the moral codes of yoga and i talk about them in my Present Moment Workshop. i wanted to share some of them with you because i really do believe that its not just a matter of changing our energy or actions when healing from anxiety, but its also a matter of changing our thoughts. and those thoughts tend to be negative! we create horrible anticipations with "what ifs" and we tend to make catastrophies out of mole hills. so, let's touch on the first one... AHIMSA. ahimsa is the practice of non violence. now this can be anything from vegetarianism to not saying hurtful things to someone when engaged in an argument... but for those of us with anxiety, we should take extra caution to practice non violence towards ourselves.
stop beating yourself up! healing is a journey, not just a destination. and we all know anxiety is an emotion, so it will never just go away. we need to learn from it, understand it and put effort into helping ourselves. be aware of negative thoughts! my yoga practice really helped me create an awareness of my thoughts and meditation time helped me change old patterns and work on clearing the mind to keep it at peace. i recognize if my thoughts are crazy out of control or completely not logical. i didn't always used to be able to do this. i used to hang out with negative people, i used to feed into my negative energy and i never missed an opportunity to put myself down. i'd never treat another person as badly as i treated myself. when i realized this... i began to keep track of my negativity and my scary thoughts. if something anxious came up and my thoughts began to spin out of control, i took a time out and put all my thoughts on paper to clear my mind and worked on changing those negative, bad and scary thoughts to logical, calm and rational thoughts. it helps! and i used to underestimate the power of positivity and self kindness.
do you tend to hang out on the negative side? have you ever tried to see the good in scary situations or do you just jump to anticipating the worst? do you ever take the time to think about your thoughts??
try it today! keep track with little tally marks or numbers. see at the end of the day how many negative, bad thoughts you have and how strongly they impact your anxiety. they feed into it. after becoming aware of your thoughts you can have better control over switching the patterns. break the negative habit for a positive one. talk yourself logically through anxious situations and make an effort to create happy and positive "what ifs." create affirmations for yourself that remind you how incredible you are and how dedicated to this journey you are. and of course include the fact that you are strong and you can do this! you may find thinking about your thoughts eye opening.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Present Moment Workshop Recap
i had a great time at my workshop this weekend! the weekend went by in such a blur though. i taught, gave a workshop, worked more on my new *project*, had a birthday lunch with family, met a girlfriend for dinner, had a night out with the hubby, hit up the gym... wow! i'm totally enjoying the fact that i only have two classes today and have some time to get some things done that i wanted to get to over the weekend, but never got a chance. one of which is get busy in the kitchen whipping up some homemade protein bars for hubby and i to snack on during the week.
so onto the workshop! it was a great turnout and i had a lot of fun. like always, i started out by sharing my story, then giving boatloads of info on anxiety and chronic stress. we talked about the stress response and panic attacks, triggers, anxious episodes... you name it! i love when people at the workshops can open up about what they are going through because as they speak so many others are nodding and smiling and i can practically hear their thoughts... which sound something like "wow, i go through that EXACT same thing" its amazing how we can connect by sharing our experiences.
i followed it up with an hour of stress and anxiety relieving asana and pranayama (poses and breathing) and talked about the benefits and impact of each. and we finished with some yogic philosophies and how they can help us better understand our anxiety and help us to heal by reminding us of things like being kind to ourselves and to create awareness as to our triggers, stressors and anxious feelings.
i want to share some of those philosophies with you, so look for them in future posts!
off to finish some work and get moving in the kitch! hope you're having a terrific, and relaxing, monday!
by the way, i'm taking a zumba class tonight. that's my treat to me! what's your treat to yourself today?
so onto the workshop! it was a great turnout and i had a lot of fun. like always, i started out by sharing my story, then giving boatloads of info on anxiety and chronic stress. we talked about the stress response and panic attacks, triggers, anxious episodes... you name it! i love when people at the workshops can open up about what they are going through because as they speak so many others are nodding and smiling and i can practically hear their thoughts... which sound something like "wow, i go through that EXACT same thing" its amazing how we can connect by sharing our experiences.
i followed it up with an hour of stress and anxiety relieving asana and pranayama (poses and breathing) and talked about the benefits and impact of each. and we finished with some yogic philosophies and how they can help us better understand our anxiety and help us to heal by reminding us of things like being kind to ourselves and to create awareness as to our triggers, stressors and anxious feelings.
i want to share some of those philosophies with you, so look for them in future posts!
off to finish some work and get moving in the kitch! hope you're having a terrific, and relaxing, monday!
by the way, i'm taking a zumba class tonight. that's my treat to me! what's your treat to yourself today?
Friday, February 19, 2010
PRESENT MOMENT WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT
hey guys!
have you signed up for this sunday's PRESENT MOMENT WORKSHOP?
there's still room! its at Bonda Yoga in Great Neck, NY from 2:30-5:30pm
sign up here: Present Moment Workshop
come spend some time with me and empower yourself!
have you signed up for this sunday's PRESENT MOMENT WORKSHOP?
there's still room! its at Bonda Yoga in Great Neck, NY from 2:30-5:30pm
sign up here: Present Moment Workshop
come spend some time with me and empower yourself!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
don't take it personally
i have to laugh about my morning. i just literally blogged about not trying to please everyone and being authentically you no matter what and today i found myself faced with this exact situation!
without getting too much into it, i found out that something i did made a person i know unhappy. it wasn't something i did intentionally and i didn't even know that anyone would get upset. i actually did exactly what i was supposed to do, but someone still wound up bummed about it. after finding out, it was all i could focus on. i even jumped on the elliptical before my second class for a quick sweat session and still couldn't shake the icky feeling that comes with letting someone down. after spending some time worrying about it, i took a time out and stopped beating myself up. i'm human. things come up that are out of my control and i do my best to deal. i can't always solve problems and make everyone happy. so yeah, i gave it thought.... because it deserved some thought. if there is something i can do to resolve a situation that upsets someone (no matter what it is) then i'll do it. but if someone is just upset because of personal preferences or desires, then i can only do so much. i can't control everything that happens, i can only do my best. and if my best isn't always good enough, then i can't hang onto guilt or frustration about it. i have to be me. i have to do what's right for me. and i can't focus on one person's opinion.
it definitely takes some time and thought to change the immediate reaction of guilt that i had. but looking at it without judgement, i realized that neither one of us was in the wrong. it had nothing to do with wrong or right. it was just something that happened and this person might've been upset, but it wasn't anything to lose sleep over or get angered about. and for me, it wasn't anything to beat myself up about. it was a blip in both our lives and if this happened a couple of years ago i would've fretted and stressed about this until i got sick over it. but its just a lesson learned and it's nothing personal.
do you ever find that you take some things personally when you don't really need to? sometimes its hard not to! but if you find yourself in that situation, give it some thought because everyone's feelings deserve thought. but then... let it go. don't take it personally.
without getting too much into it, i found out that something i did made a person i know unhappy. it wasn't something i did intentionally and i didn't even know that anyone would get upset. i actually did exactly what i was supposed to do, but someone still wound up bummed about it. after finding out, it was all i could focus on. i even jumped on the elliptical before my second class for a quick sweat session and still couldn't shake the icky feeling that comes with letting someone down. after spending some time worrying about it, i took a time out and stopped beating myself up. i'm human. things come up that are out of my control and i do my best to deal. i can't always solve problems and make everyone happy. so yeah, i gave it thought.... because it deserved some thought. if there is something i can do to resolve a situation that upsets someone (no matter what it is) then i'll do it. but if someone is just upset because of personal preferences or desires, then i can only do so much. i can't control everything that happens, i can only do my best. and if my best isn't always good enough, then i can't hang onto guilt or frustration about it. i have to be me. i have to do what's right for me. and i can't focus on one person's opinion.
it definitely takes some time and thought to change the immediate reaction of guilt that i had. but looking at it without judgement, i realized that neither one of us was in the wrong. it had nothing to do with wrong or right. it was just something that happened and this person might've been upset, but it wasn't anything to lose sleep over or get angered about. and for me, it wasn't anything to beat myself up about. it was a blip in both our lives and if this happened a couple of years ago i would've fretted and stressed about this until i got sick over it. but its just a lesson learned and it's nothing personal.
do you ever find that you take some things personally when you don't really need to? sometimes its hard not to! but if you find yourself in that situation, give it some thought because everyone's feelings deserve thought. but then... let it go. don't take it personally.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
be YOU x 2
i heard this from chalene johnson. i always love me some inspirational and fun quotes and felt this one was so perfect. it just hits so close to home for me.
throughout my years with anxiety i spent a lot of time hiding my true self - you know, the one that shows i make mistakes and am human - and constantly tried to live in a place of perfection. i said yes to everyone, took on projects others didn't want so i could make my boss happy, i struggled with figuring things out sometimes because i refused to ask questions and seem incompetent... talk about hard work! its tough trying to be perfect. its frustrating living this way because you become like this actor/actress in your own life. its as though you're living out a role and only when the cameras go off (or you're totally alone!) can you be yourself.
it still takes a lot of confidence to be myself. i've had people comment on my style of teaching classes... i tend to like them loud, fun and sweaty... and i practice yoga to zepplin and the doors and deep purple and i don't think there's anything wrong with that. i've heard many people say "yoga is for everyone" but yet as soon as you venture off the path a little, all of a sudden its not for everyone anymore because you're doing it wrong. and even though i can teach a packed out spin class or kickboxing class and have tons of people say nice things to me about the moves, the music or the energy.... there will always be someone that leaves seeming unhappy and that's who you focus on (again, that was mentioned by chalene johnson) and i just had to laugh because as a fitness instructor its SO true. and as someone so familiar with anxiety its even more true because its a hard habit to break to not focus on the negative.
and i'll admit it - when i transitioned to a full time yoga teacher i gave up my beloved coffee for green tea, i left behind the fun clothes and make up for traditional yoga togs and switched out candles for incense. i believed that to be taken seriously i was going to have to give up some of who i was in order to be accepted. but you know what? after a few months, i shrugged that all off. i can listen to tori amos when i do my sun salutations and i can guzzle coffee with the best of 'em, there's nothing wrong with me enjoying a glass of wine with dinner and its fun to get decked out to teach a class! it doesn't make me any less of a person or teacher just because i like to get my sweat on just as much as i enjoy to get my yoga on and when i practice with a class i like to joke around and have fun... i'm not a serious person and i'm not going to force my practice or classes to be either. the thing is, not everyone is going to like me. not everyone is going to be digging my classes or music or sequences or interpretations and that's ok. i'm confident enough to believe in myself to the point where i can still rock it out my way and know that some people will love it and some won't. its not that there's anything wrong with me or them... it's just that there wasn't a connection and i wasn't what they are seeking out right now. but that one person isn't going to make me morph into an entirely different teacher or person anymore.
there's a big difference between trying your best and constantly having to be the best and it's ok to not have everyone love you. don't waste time trying to be everything to everyone because thats a never-ending quest. and the only person to lose out is you. know what you love, know what makes you smile and keep at it!
throughout my years with anxiety i spent a lot of time hiding my true self - you know, the one that shows i make mistakes and am human - and constantly tried to live in a place of perfection. i said yes to everyone, took on projects others didn't want so i could make my boss happy, i struggled with figuring things out sometimes because i refused to ask questions and seem incompetent... talk about hard work! its tough trying to be perfect. its frustrating living this way because you become like this actor/actress in your own life. its as though you're living out a role and only when the cameras go off (or you're totally alone!) can you be yourself.
it still takes a lot of confidence to be myself. i've had people comment on my style of teaching classes... i tend to like them loud, fun and sweaty... and i practice yoga to zepplin and the doors and deep purple and i don't think there's anything wrong with that. i've heard many people say "yoga is for everyone" but yet as soon as you venture off the path a little, all of a sudden its not for everyone anymore because you're doing it wrong. and even though i can teach a packed out spin class or kickboxing class and have tons of people say nice things to me about the moves, the music or the energy.... there will always be someone that leaves seeming unhappy and that's who you focus on (again, that was mentioned by chalene johnson) and i just had to laugh because as a fitness instructor its SO true. and as someone so familiar with anxiety its even more true because its a hard habit to break to not focus on the negative.
and i'll admit it - when i transitioned to a full time yoga teacher i gave up my beloved coffee for green tea, i left behind the fun clothes and make up for traditional yoga togs and switched out candles for incense. i believed that to be taken seriously i was going to have to give up some of who i was in order to be accepted. but you know what? after a few months, i shrugged that all off. i can listen to tori amos when i do my sun salutations and i can guzzle coffee with the best of 'em, there's nothing wrong with me enjoying a glass of wine with dinner and its fun to get decked out to teach a class! it doesn't make me any less of a person or teacher just because i like to get my sweat on just as much as i enjoy to get my yoga on and when i practice with a class i like to joke around and have fun... i'm not a serious person and i'm not going to force my practice or classes to be either. the thing is, not everyone is going to like me. not everyone is going to be digging my classes or music or sequences or interpretations and that's ok. i'm confident enough to believe in myself to the point where i can still rock it out my way and know that some people will love it and some won't. its not that there's anything wrong with me or them... it's just that there wasn't a connection and i wasn't what they are seeking out right now. but that one person isn't going to make me morph into an entirely different teacher or person anymore.
there's a big difference between trying your best and constantly having to be the best and it's ok to not have everyone love you. don't waste time trying to be everything to everyone because thats a never-ending quest. and the only person to lose out is you. know what you love, know what makes you smile and keep at it!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
open your heart!
hey loves!
happy V-Day! or U-Day! i heard it called U-day and loved it because its so important to show yourself a little love. and if we can't love ourselves, its hard to love others. so happy V (or U) day to all!
my weekend has been wonderful. saturday i taught a spin class and loved every single minute of it. i actually got so into it at one point that i almost rocked myself right off my bike! yeah... i fully commit to the idea that if it's not fun you won't do it, so make it worth it! i'm that chick at the gym or in the yoga studio totally in my own world, eyes closed, huge smile and lost in whatever i'm doing. i love the present moment and try to exist in it as much as possible.
afterwards i ran to a power pilates class that kicked my booty and left me feeling refreshed and energized. since hubby and i usually work on sundays, we kept saturday 'our' day and once i got home and showered my sweaty self we headed out to see avatar. i made it all the way through with no anxious feelings or anything. YAY! for me, the movie wasn't as wonderful as everyone has been saying, but hubby thoroughly enjoyed it... for the 3rd time!... so well worth it. we then got adventurous and grabbed some indian food to take home and enjoy with a big bottle of red.
this morning, still in my wine haze, i hit the gym and did an elliptical workout that helped me sweat out my toxins and hit up the weights. felt good. it feels good for me to move and i realize how much i've missed it since being under the weather. my schedule is packed this week so i'm looking forward to enjoying some quality couch time in my PJs. with another glass of vino. woot woot!
make sure your body is open and ready, take your time in your practice today and try out one (or all!) of these fabulous heart openers. and they are great stress relievers to boot!
other ways to celebrate love today:
*enjoy a glass of red wine
*cook a beautiful meal
*bake red velvet cupcakes
*light candles
*read an empowering and uplifting book
*write a poem
*call a friend...just because
*treat yourself to a mani/pedi after your yoga class
*take time to think of 5 things you love about yourself and your life
*say I Love You to someone special
i hope you all have an awesome rest of your weekend!
images: iyogalife
happy V-Day! or U-Day! i heard it called U-day and loved it because its so important to show yourself a little love. and if we can't love ourselves, its hard to love others. so happy V (or U) day to all!
my weekend has been wonderful. saturday i taught a spin class and loved every single minute of it. i actually got so into it at one point that i almost rocked myself right off my bike! yeah... i fully commit to the idea that if it's not fun you won't do it, so make it worth it! i'm that chick at the gym or in the yoga studio totally in my own world, eyes closed, huge smile and lost in whatever i'm doing. i love the present moment and try to exist in it as much as possible.
afterwards i ran to a power pilates class that kicked my booty and left me feeling refreshed and energized. since hubby and i usually work on sundays, we kept saturday 'our' day and once i got home and showered my sweaty self we headed out to see avatar. i made it all the way through with no anxious feelings or anything. YAY! for me, the movie wasn't as wonderful as everyone has been saying, but hubby thoroughly enjoyed it... for the 3rd time!... so well worth it. we then got adventurous and grabbed some indian food to take home and enjoy with a big bottle of red.
this morning, still in my wine haze, i hit the gym and did an elliptical workout that helped me sweat out my toxins and hit up the weights. felt good. it feels good for me to move and i realize how much i've missed it since being under the weather. my schedule is packed this week so i'm looking forward to enjoying some quality couch time in my PJs. with another glass of vino. woot woot!
in honor of this holiday of love, i wanted to share a heart opening practice with you today. ENJOY!
UP DOG
STANDING BACK BEND
CAMEL
BRIDGE
FISH
make sure your body is open and ready, take your time in your practice today and try out one (or all!) of these fabulous heart openers. and they are great stress relievers to boot!
other ways to celebrate love today:
*enjoy a glass of red wine
*cook a beautiful meal
*bake red velvet cupcakes
*light candles
*read an empowering and uplifting book
*write a poem
*call a friend...just because
*treat yourself to a mani/pedi after your yoga class
*take time to think of 5 things you love about yourself and your life
*say I Love You to someone special
i hope you all have an awesome rest of your weekend!
images: iyogalife
Friday, February 12, 2010
happy, happy friday
good morning to everyone out there in the blogosphere!
i woke up this morning with so much delicious energy that i feel like i could run a marathon. the past couple of nights have been rough for me... still don't really know why... and i've been getting only like 3-4 hrs of sleep a night. not good. doesn't make for a happy girl come the morning. so after dinner last night, hubby suggested i take a quick nap so i could recharge for survivor. while, in theory, that sounded wonderful, it didn't quite work out that way. i totally slept right through survivor and could barely open my eyes when hubby tried to wake me. he just left me to rest and i wound up sleeping straight through until this morning! a total of 11 blissful hours of sleep. ahhhh. i can't even begin to describe how good that felt.
so today i only have one yoga class to teach because my other one has been cancelled for the next two weeks. and while i always love to have classes to teach, its a nice break. so i'm spending my day with my sis-in-law and beautiful baby nephew and fitting in some work in between. so far i managed to clean the house, make breakfast for the hubby and i, walk the puggle, watch an epi of Sex and The City and sort through all of my class CDs. I also am super excited because i'm teaching a SPIN class tomorrow AM. i'm pumped for that! can't wait to make a rockin' playlist and get my sweat on! i'm gonna rock 'em! i also am sending out my kickboxing exam and certification so i'll be able to add that to my class schedule soon as well. yoga, spin and kickboxing? color me the happiest girl in the world! i'm also actively creating an outdoor group workout class that i'm recruiting friends to join. i'm going to be running this on Sunday mornings and can't think of a bettter way to spend a weekend morning.... working out and kicking butt with friends. love it.
tonight after class the hubby and i are getting take out and watching the DVR'd survivor epi from last night. perfect night. and tomorrow we're doing the whole v-day celebration. we're going to see Avatar and getting indian food for dinner. the movies are a really cool thing for me because back in the day, with my anxiety, i refused to see a movie. i hated the idea of being trapped in a movie theatre and not being able to just get up and go. i notice that "trapped" feeling is very common for those of us with anxiety. i'll never forget that after a year of not seeing movies, the first one i felt confident enough to see was wall-e and hubby bought me a little plastic wall-e in honor of the event! i still have it! and i still continue to acknowledge the movies as a stepping stone in my recovery from anxiety... so it's a real special treat for me to do this with him. talk about appreciating the little things, huh? haha!
hope your friday is wonderful and you have some fun plans for this weekend - v-day related or not!
i woke up this morning with so much delicious energy that i feel like i could run a marathon. the past couple of nights have been rough for me... still don't really know why... and i've been getting only like 3-4 hrs of sleep a night. not good. doesn't make for a happy girl come the morning. so after dinner last night, hubby suggested i take a quick nap so i could recharge for survivor. while, in theory, that sounded wonderful, it didn't quite work out that way. i totally slept right through survivor and could barely open my eyes when hubby tried to wake me. he just left me to rest and i wound up sleeping straight through until this morning! a total of 11 blissful hours of sleep. ahhhh. i can't even begin to describe how good that felt.
so today i only have one yoga class to teach because my other one has been cancelled for the next two weeks. and while i always love to have classes to teach, its a nice break. so i'm spending my day with my sis-in-law and beautiful baby nephew and fitting in some work in between. so far i managed to clean the house, make breakfast for the hubby and i, walk the puggle, watch an epi of Sex and The City and sort through all of my class CDs. I also am super excited because i'm teaching a SPIN class tomorrow AM. i'm pumped for that! can't wait to make a rockin' playlist and get my sweat on! i'm gonna rock 'em! i also am sending out my kickboxing exam and certification so i'll be able to add that to my class schedule soon as well. yoga, spin and kickboxing? color me the happiest girl in the world! i'm also actively creating an outdoor group workout class that i'm recruiting friends to join. i'm going to be running this on Sunday mornings and can't think of a bettter way to spend a weekend morning.... working out and kicking butt with friends. love it.
tonight after class the hubby and i are getting take out and watching the DVR'd survivor epi from last night. perfect night. and tomorrow we're doing the whole v-day celebration. we're going to see Avatar and getting indian food for dinner. the movies are a really cool thing for me because back in the day, with my anxiety, i refused to see a movie. i hated the idea of being trapped in a movie theatre and not being able to just get up and go. i notice that "trapped" feeling is very common for those of us with anxiety. i'll never forget that after a year of not seeing movies, the first one i felt confident enough to see was wall-e and hubby bought me a little plastic wall-e in honor of the event! i still have it! and i still continue to acknowledge the movies as a stepping stone in my recovery from anxiety... so it's a real special treat for me to do this with him. talk about appreciating the little things, huh? haha!
hope your friday is wonderful and you have some fun plans for this weekend - v-day related or not!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
snow day and playing catch up
wow did we get hit hard yesterday! tons o' snow! it snowed from morning until night. hubby was home and while i had some work/classes/clients to tend to, i did get the night off. my gym closed early. now i hate to be scroogy or cranky about the snow, but it always causes me stress. while its beautiful to look at and invokes peacefulness, there is always the aftermath. the clean up... shoveling out cars.... attempting to walk my dog down sidewalks that are little more than sheets of ice, no outdoor workouts and, for people like me that hate driving in snow, no indoor workouts either because i'm not about to battle the slush for a little treadmill or elliptical action.
hubby and i did manage to have some fun though. while the snow was still fresh and falling we took the puggle out to play and he's always good for a laugh in the snow... especially when its so much it towers over him. we watched a movie, enjoyed a cocktail and we both shimmied into the kitchen to whip up a fun dinner of cheese and avocado quesadillas and veggie chili.
i always love it when the whole world (or at least, my world!) manages to slow down for a bit. i also managed to squeeze in some time to officially finish my kickboxing certification, put together some sequencing for classes and start a new playlist for my rock 'n roll vinyasa class.
today we're left with the aftermath of a snow storm. we dug out the cars at 7am and all that action left me hacking and choking and coughing because apparently i'm still not 100%... i took a hot shower to get rid of the chills and whipped up some eggwhites and toast for breakfast. hubby and i headed out to start our days and as much fun as we had yesterday, i'm back to not digging the snow. icy, slushing, icky.
on a really exciting note - Survivor is on tonight! am i the only one that is still totally into this show? its 2 hrs and its bringing back some oldie but goodie people - can't. freaking. wait. i'm refueling with a banana sandwich (a banana cut in half w/ pb smeared on it) and a cup of coffee. dinner is already made and just waiting for me to pop in the oven. a fun dinner, survivor and a night in? TOTAL BLISS. oh, and as a surprise for hubby i baked some brownies. dessert to boot! gotta love it!
even though days can get stressful, you gotta find the time to make them enjoyable. did any of you get a piece of this snow storm that rocked the east coast? hopefully, if you did, it didn't cause you too much stress!
hubby and i did manage to have some fun though. while the snow was still fresh and falling we took the puggle out to play and he's always good for a laugh in the snow... especially when its so much it towers over him. we watched a movie, enjoyed a cocktail and we both shimmied into the kitchen to whip up a fun dinner of cheese and avocado quesadillas and veggie chili.
i always love it when the whole world (or at least, my world!) manages to slow down for a bit. i also managed to squeeze in some time to officially finish my kickboxing certification, put together some sequencing for classes and start a new playlist for my rock 'n roll vinyasa class.
today we're left with the aftermath of a snow storm. we dug out the cars at 7am and all that action left me hacking and choking and coughing because apparently i'm still not 100%... i took a hot shower to get rid of the chills and whipped up some eggwhites and toast for breakfast. hubby and i headed out to start our days and as much fun as we had yesterday, i'm back to not digging the snow. icy, slushing, icky.
on a really exciting note - Survivor is on tonight! am i the only one that is still totally into this show? its 2 hrs and its bringing back some oldie but goodie people - can't. freaking. wait. i'm refueling with a banana sandwich (a banana cut in half w/ pb smeared on it) and a cup of coffee. dinner is already made and just waiting for me to pop in the oven. a fun dinner, survivor and a night in? TOTAL BLISS. oh, and as a surprise for hubby i baked some brownies. dessert to boot! gotta love it!
even though days can get stressful, you gotta find the time to make them enjoyable. did any of you get a piece of this snow storm that rocked the east coast? hopefully, if you did, it didn't cause you too much stress!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
greetings from the Tweet-erverse
are you a tweeter?
i know i've mentioned i dig the twitter, but i don't know if i mentioned that i updated my twitter name.
come follow me at @AnxietyToZen
would love to connect with you
i know i've mentioned i dig the twitter, but i don't know if i mentioned that i updated my twitter name.
come follow me at @AnxietyToZen
would love to connect with you
early bird gets... the job done!
i'm sitting here catching up on last night's epi of the bachelor and sipping on my coffee. i just finished my high raw vegan breakfast cookie (chock full 'o protein powder and my newest obsession sunflower butter) and i'm feeling pretty relaxed. my tuesdays have slowed quite a bit and even though it's only a little past 8am, i'm halfway done with my day. i know i've shared with you that mornings can be anxious times for me, but taking on these early classes has been a challenge and a blessing. i've really come into my own and although sometimes i'm met with some stress, all in all the classes have been wonderful. and, on a super awesome note, this morning was the first time i walked out the door to head to class at 6:30am amd there was some light to greet me! woot woot! usually its freezing and pitch black... and while the 'freezing' looks like its gonna stick around, the light has come back to play!
after class, i made a trip to pick up our wash and drop off some movies at blockbuster that the hubby and i watched while we were flu victims. yuck. i'm still dealing with a high ick factor and not feeling quite myself, but i'm truckin' along. the hubby and i both get exhausted after working/teaching, but i'm optimistic that any day now we'll be back to normal! ha!
anyway, we're due for some snow -insert bummed out face here- so i'm hitting up a pilates class at 11am, then i finish my day at 6 and am heading home to whip up a kick booty dinner! last night i made a HUGE salad and baked some sweet potato chips. even though i'm a big fan of raw, sometimes i crave a little cooked food and far be it for me to deny myself what i'm craving.... so long as it's not a big piece of chocolate cake. well... at least not until after the salad! all i do know is that i'm ready to get my diet back on track because i didn't cook a lot when sick and hubby and i depended on take out and quick grab bites... which neither one of us does well with. and pilates is the first class i'm taking in over a week and i'm excited to move
hope you're enjoying your tuesday! are you up and at 'em early or taking it easy today? have you picked something to do today that's just for you? obvi mine is pilates. that's my treat. what's yours?
and if you're prepping for snow... stay warm!
after class, i made a trip to pick up our wash and drop off some movies at blockbuster that the hubby and i watched while we were flu victims. yuck. i'm still dealing with a high ick factor and not feeling quite myself, but i'm truckin' along. the hubby and i both get exhausted after working/teaching, but i'm optimistic that any day now we'll be back to normal! ha!
anyway, we're due for some snow -insert bummed out face here- so i'm hitting up a pilates class at 11am, then i finish my day at 6 and am heading home to whip up a kick booty dinner! last night i made a HUGE salad and baked some sweet potato chips. even though i'm a big fan of raw, sometimes i crave a little cooked food and far be it for me to deny myself what i'm craving.... so long as it's not a big piece of chocolate cake. well... at least not until after the salad! all i do know is that i'm ready to get my diet back on track because i didn't cook a lot when sick and hubby and i depended on take out and quick grab bites... which neither one of us does well with. and pilates is the first class i'm taking in over a week and i'm excited to move
hope you're enjoying your tuesday! are you up and at 'em early or taking it easy today? have you picked something to do today that's just for you? obvi mine is pilates. that's my treat. what's yours?
and if you're prepping for snow... stay warm!
Monday, February 8, 2010
set up for success?
do you set yourself up for success or failure?
i used to spend a lot of time setting myself up for failure... and i didn't even realize it. i had a pretty decent commute to work everyday and even though i knew it caused me stress, i still ate whatever i wanted and stayed up late trying to avoid the inevitable workday morning. this left me with an upset stomach almost every morning and quite the case of the crankies. i knew time before work was stressful and yet i'd sleep in, i wouldn't prep anything the night before and i'd drag myself around until i became totally rushed and absolutely miserable. then, even though i knew working out and yoga kept me sane, i'd succumb to my anxiety and call it a day by spending my time eating junk food (comfort food) and lounging lazily on the couch. never eliminating my anxious energy or feelings. i never talked about what was going on and i never did anything to change it. i spent a lot of time saying "oh well, it is what it is."
definitely setting myself up for failure.
i knew i was miserable anxious and i did NOTHING to change it. i thought it might go away if i just accepted it and i stopped fighting. i stopped trying to find happiness. i stopped living. and ironically, all of the quitting actually caused me even more stress.
so take stock. look around yourself. are there things you can change that are currently making you unhappy? does journaling make you feel better but you just shrug it off due to being 'too tired' or 'not in the mood?' is there a yoga class that you know you could make, but you just choose not to add it to your day so you get more time on the couch? do you make excuses a lot about things you know would make you feel better, but you just don't do them? do you know what makes you happy or do you just focus energy and awareness on what makes you anxious and stressed?
here's your great big STOP SIGN.
pause. take a time out.
start making the effort. you are worth it. you deserve it. don't let your stress and anxiety get the best of you. try putting this into effect: do one thing, EVERYDAY, just for you. take a bath, write, get your yoga on, go to the gym, out for a run, walk the dog, read a book, watch your favorite movie with popcorn, sip tea, go out to dinner with a friend, make dinner for someone special, go to a movie after work.... just do it. stop making excuses.
set yourself up for success! know what makes you feel good, feel happy, feel relaxed... and DO IT. don't let anxiety make you put your life on hold.
and while this may seem like a waste of time or frivilous... know that these things are some of the most important and powerful things you can do to heal from anxiety.
i used to spend a lot of time setting myself up for failure... and i didn't even realize it. i had a pretty decent commute to work everyday and even though i knew it caused me stress, i still ate whatever i wanted and stayed up late trying to avoid the inevitable workday morning. this left me with an upset stomach almost every morning and quite the case of the crankies. i knew time before work was stressful and yet i'd sleep in, i wouldn't prep anything the night before and i'd drag myself around until i became totally rushed and absolutely miserable. then, even though i knew working out and yoga kept me sane, i'd succumb to my anxiety and call it a day by spending my time eating junk food (comfort food) and lounging lazily on the couch. never eliminating my anxious energy or feelings. i never talked about what was going on and i never did anything to change it. i spent a lot of time saying "oh well, it is what it is."
definitely setting myself up for failure.
i knew i was miserable anxious and i did NOTHING to change it. i thought it might go away if i just accepted it and i stopped fighting. i stopped trying to find happiness. i stopped living. and ironically, all of the quitting actually caused me even more stress.
so take stock. look around yourself. are there things you can change that are currently making you unhappy? does journaling make you feel better but you just shrug it off due to being 'too tired' or 'not in the mood?' is there a yoga class that you know you could make, but you just choose not to add it to your day so you get more time on the couch? do you make excuses a lot about things you know would make you feel better, but you just don't do them? do you know what makes you happy or do you just focus energy and awareness on what makes you anxious and stressed?
here's your great big STOP SIGN.
pause. take a time out.
start making the effort. you are worth it. you deserve it. don't let your stress and anxiety get the best of you. try putting this into effect: do one thing, EVERYDAY, just for you. take a bath, write, get your yoga on, go to the gym, out for a run, walk the dog, read a book, watch your favorite movie with popcorn, sip tea, go out to dinner with a friend, make dinner for someone special, go to a movie after work.... just do it. stop making excuses.
set yourself up for success! know what makes you feel good, feel happy, feel relaxed... and DO IT. don't let anxiety make you put your life on hold.
and while this may seem like a waste of time or frivilous... know that these things are some of the most important and powerful things you can do to heal from anxiety.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
managing expectations
as promised... a blog dedicated to expectations. expectations are a funny thing. i've found that sometimes either way they can cause anxiety. since my recent jaunt to new orleans wasn't anything like i thought it would be, i'd like to share how my expectations shaped my experiences there.
around this time last week, the hubby and i were boarding our flight. we were happy and excited... although it took us awhile to get there! that morning, as i was packing my last minute things, hubby noticed it was snowing. i immediately launched into panic mode. my panic mode is filled with "what ifs."
what if the road is icy and we get into an accident on the way to the airport?
what if there are accidents already on the road and we are stuck in horrific traffic and miss our flight?
what if our flight is delayed or cancelled?
what if we board but they keep us on the tarmac for 10 hours before take off?
and the list went on and on. already my expectations were low and bordering on doom and gloom scenarios. so i did what i do with my clients when they have severe concerns causing anxiety... i talked it out logically. we'll check the flight status before we leave. we'll check traffic reports and bring the GPS in case we need to switch directions. we'll leave 30 minutes earlier for the airport. and guess what? snow stopped after an hour and we cruised to the airport. we weren't met with a single bump or delay in plans. after that, i laughed it off and told hubby i'm going to keep my expectations in check for the rest of the trip. and its a good thing i did. in a nutshell: the weather was freezing (much colder than it was supposed to be), hubby had the flu the whole time, our ghost tour was rained out, the cemetery we took a trolley to see was closed and we couldn't get in and due to said flu lots of other plans had to be cancelled. if i hadn't managed my expectations about these situations it would've left me cranky, agitated and anxious. you always plan for your vacations to be amazing, so it can be disappointing when they become less than stellar. but it really wasn't the end of the world. we had fun watching movies in the room and laughed at the timing of everything. so in regards to this trip i had low expectations in the beginning which caused stress and made me really aware of how i was viewing things. therefore i didn't let my expectations get so high that the trip was ruined when things didn't work out exactly as i wanted.
we don't always realize how much of an impact our expectations have. i remember back over the summer training and training with puggle for our 5k. i really thought we'd nail it and run with ease. turns out the day of the race i was struck with a side cramp 7 minutes into the run and it totally took a toll on my time. i had high expectations and because of that, i wasn't able to appreciate the fact that i ran my first 5k with my pup. i spend a lot of time hung up on the fact that i didn't do as well as expected. of course, it didn't last too long and by the time i got home i realized what an accomplishment it was for me either way. but it still gets the best of us every now and then.
do you find yourself having very high (or low) expectations about things and it causes you stress? ever plan a romantic meal for your significant other only to find out you burned the chicken and it completely ruins the whole night for you? or maybe you had expectations on a gift you'd receive or a trip you'd take or a promotion you were sure you'd get.... only to find yourself let down and anxious and upset?
we can totally manage our expectations. it's great to have high ones for ourselves and things around us, but its important to acknowledge that they are just that... expectations. they aren't guarantees. so if you find yourself over analyzing and expecting certain things make sure to include this sentence at the end of those thoughts: it would be great if it worked out that way, but it's ok if it doesn't also. and have back up plans on the back burner. or be ok with laughing at things and how they work out. don't take it so seriously.
whatever you find works for you, just make sure to keep awareness at those expectations and how they creep in when we least EXPECT them to.
around this time last week, the hubby and i were boarding our flight. we were happy and excited... although it took us awhile to get there! that morning, as i was packing my last minute things, hubby noticed it was snowing. i immediately launched into panic mode. my panic mode is filled with "what ifs."
what if the road is icy and we get into an accident on the way to the airport?
what if there are accidents already on the road and we are stuck in horrific traffic and miss our flight?
what if our flight is delayed or cancelled?
what if we board but they keep us on the tarmac for 10 hours before take off?
and the list went on and on. already my expectations were low and bordering on doom and gloom scenarios. so i did what i do with my clients when they have severe concerns causing anxiety... i talked it out logically. we'll check the flight status before we leave. we'll check traffic reports and bring the GPS in case we need to switch directions. we'll leave 30 minutes earlier for the airport. and guess what? snow stopped after an hour and we cruised to the airport. we weren't met with a single bump or delay in plans. after that, i laughed it off and told hubby i'm going to keep my expectations in check for the rest of the trip. and its a good thing i did. in a nutshell: the weather was freezing (much colder than it was supposed to be), hubby had the flu the whole time, our ghost tour was rained out, the cemetery we took a trolley to see was closed and we couldn't get in and due to said flu lots of other plans had to be cancelled. if i hadn't managed my expectations about these situations it would've left me cranky, agitated and anxious. you always plan for your vacations to be amazing, so it can be disappointing when they become less than stellar. but it really wasn't the end of the world. we had fun watching movies in the room and laughed at the timing of everything. so in regards to this trip i had low expectations in the beginning which caused stress and made me really aware of how i was viewing things. therefore i didn't let my expectations get so high that the trip was ruined when things didn't work out exactly as i wanted.
we don't always realize how much of an impact our expectations have. i remember back over the summer training and training with puggle for our 5k. i really thought we'd nail it and run with ease. turns out the day of the race i was struck with a side cramp 7 minutes into the run and it totally took a toll on my time. i had high expectations and because of that, i wasn't able to appreciate the fact that i ran my first 5k with my pup. i spend a lot of time hung up on the fact that i didn't do as well as expected. of course, it didn't last too long and by the time i got home i realized what an accomplishment it was for me either way. but it still gets the best of us every now and then.
do you find yourself having very high (or low) expectations about things and it causes you stress? ever plan a romantic meal for your significant other only to find out you burned the chicken and it completely ruins the whole night for you? or maybe you had expectations on a gift you'd receive or a trip you'd take or a promotion you were sure you'd get.... only to find yourself let down and anxious and upset?
we can totally manage our expectations. it's great to have high ones for ourselves and things around us, but its important to acknowledge that they are just that... expectations. they aren't guarantees. so if you find yourself over analyzing and expecting certain things make sure to include this sentence at the end of those thoughts: it would be great if it worked out that way, but it's ok if it doesn't also. and have back up plans on the back burner. or be ok with laughing at things and how they work out. don't take it so seriously.
whatever you find works for you, just make sure to keep awareness at those expectations and how they creep in when we least EXPECT them to.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
expectations, vacations and bed days
I've taken a few days off from...well, everything! Last Thursday hubby and I left for new orleans. It was a much anticipated trip and well earned long weekend away...until we awoke friday morning to hubby coughing and sneezing and burning up with a fever. He managed to push through a few activities we had planned on, but a lot of our trip was spent watching movies in the hotel room and ordering room service. The trip was nothinh like we expected which had the potential to be a nightmare, but we managed our expectations (something I'll touch on more in my next post)and between the chills and sniffles we got in some laughs. On sunday I was hit (read: knocked on my boo-tay!) With his flu and traveled home miserably with horrid body aches and chest pounding coughs. Yikes! I was terrified to upset people on the flight but I did my best. I drank my ginger ale, wrapped myself in a blanket and threw the rest up to fate. We both managed to make the two and a half hour (or in our sick time, 10 hour) flight and high tailed it home to curl up in bed. When you're that sick nothing is as wonderful as your own bed.
Needless to say, we've been sick since. This has been a rough one for us. I cancelled and subbed out a lot of my classes as I can barely find the energy or motivation to move -could be because I've barely consumed 500 calories worth of food in the past 4 days- and its helped a lot. I'm semi-notorious for over exerting and pushing myself...remember my blog on working through almost my entire week before succumbing to my stomach virus? Well I didn't do that this time. I've stayed offline and away from my cell. Its been such a nice treat. I've really spent the time committed to healing and resting and nursing my body back to normal.
I can't wait to be operating at 100% efficiency soon! And once I am I'll share more about our "adventure" in new orleans and some pics. Just goes to show that life never turns out the exact way we plan for it to.
Hope you're all doing better than I am my loves! Anyone psyched for the super bowl? I am! And new orleans really brought life to it! Saints stuff everywhere! Love it!
How do you guys rest up and take care when sick? Are you a pusher or a rester? Maybe a lil of both??
Needless to say, we've been sick since. This has been a rough one for us. I cancelled and subbed out a lot of my classes as I can barely find the energy or motivation to move -could be because I've barely consumed 500 calories worth of food in the past 4 days- and its helped a lot. I'm semi-notorious for over exerting and pushing myself...remember my blog on working through almost my entire week before succumbing to my stomach virus? Well I didn't do that this time. I've stayed offline and away from my cell. Its been such a nice treat. I've really spent the time committed to healing and resting and nursing my body back to normal.
I can't wait to be operating at 100% efficiency soon! And once I am I'll share more about our "adventure" in new orleans and some pics. Just goes to show that life never turns out the exact way we plan for it to.
Hope you're all doing better than I am my loves! Anyone psyched for the super bowl? I am! And new orleans really brought life to it! Saints stuff everywhere! Love it!
How do you guys rest up and take care when sick? Are you a pusher or a rester? Maybe a lil of both??
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)