rejuvenation motivation

i love reading about what others do to relax and renew. it always leaves me inspired and gives me great ideas for things i can do for myself. so in honor of all of those bloggies out there dedicated to self-nurturing, i thought i'd share some of the things i did to recharge and bliss out during my 'time out'

* put cell in bedroom at 8pm every night and refused to check it until after i'd enjoyed breakfast the next morning

* took time to notice the changing leaves, colors and weather during walks with the pup -this was an overall theme... i slowed down. and i'm always amazed how much more i appreciate everything in my life when i actually take the time to notice and pay attention to it

* treated myself to daily mugs of green tea and Emergen-C

* spent hours browsing fun recipes and trying my hand at new dinners and treats for the hubby and i

* cleaned the casa and de-cluttered

* enjoyed numerous hours catching up on inspirational, self-caring and beautiful blogs (i even found more i love!)

* looked up fun things to do while in st.lucia - kayaking, yoga, pilates, salsa dancing...  so excited!!

* grabbed some books i had abandoned and started them again

* steaming hot baths

* glasses of vino

* morning ashtanga

* running -half marathon training

*planned more fun hubby birthday things

* found some small races and yoga workshops to sign up for so i have something to continuously look forward to

this practice in self care has left me rejuvenated. i've practically inhaled my weights worth of green smoothies, i've taken time to make some fun plans, indulge in yoga at home (something that i don't do much because i'm usually practicing at the gym or studios) and catch up on some movies (thanks, netflix!) i am still incorporating a lot of these daily because we all deserve a simple luxury or two everyday. and luxury doesn't have to come in the form of a new car or $10k price tag... just reading the paper with coffee and doing nothing for a few hours on a random weekend morning can be deliriously luxurious.

ahhhhhhhhhhhh

do you have a self care routine or something you go to when you need a recharge? 

image

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:

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.

[insert bliss here!]

how can we insert bliss into our lives?

*unroll the yoga mat and rock out some sun salutations

*play jazz music

*journal

*get in a walk or run... any exerise that clears your head

*bake cookies (or experiment with a raw recipe!)

*grab a good book

*take a bubble bath

*start a blog

*read a blog

*call a friend

*enjoy a movie

*sip wine

*sip tea

*spend time with loved ones

how do you bliss out?

where did the week go?

since i'm officially back to real, solid food (woo-hoo!) i am really looking forward to the weekend. i was getting nervous that i'd still be sick for it and hubby and i have fun plans. sunday we're heading into the city to the museum of modern art to check out a tim burton exhibit. totally looking forward to the creativity and eye candy. plus, i love the city. there's just something really invigorating about it. i think i'm an urban girl at heart.

so my stomach virus is finally gone and my energy level is slowly returning back to normal. stomach ailments are particularly hard for me to deal with as it makes me launch right back into those moments when i experienced nothing but pure panic attacks for hours at a time.

my biggest symptom of anxiety was stomach trouble. i would feel ill, nauseous and have an overwhelming fear of panic if i wasn't within a 30 second distance to a bathroom so that if i did get sick at least i could try to hide it.

needless to say, pushing through my week of classes, clients and events (getting by with the help of copious amounts of stomach soothing OTCs) was pretty challenging. it made me anxious. it made me remember what it felt like to live in the grips of anxiety once again.

once i began to feel better, the anxiety of getting sick again launched me into a mini-panic. but i went on with my days, my classes, my work and my life as i wanted to. i refused to let the fear of a stomach virus or stomach problem hold me back. and i'm glad i didn't. i could've stayed curled up in bed for days "just to make sure" that i was perfectly healthy before venturing out, but i didn't. i couldn't. and i wouldn't let my mind get the best of me. if i felt anxious when heading out for a class i turned to my deep, three part breath. i did quick forward folds to get a stress-relieving asana in. and i made sure to monitor my food and diet to guarantee i was eating the best food for my body i possibly could.

it just shows that anxiety never really goes away. but what does go away are the heart pounding anxiety attacks or panic moments. what do you have in your "anti-anxiety" tool belt? what do you turn to in times of stress or anxiety? what are your triggers (my stomach is my sore spot!)? do you have a relaxation ritual?

as you relieve your stress and anxiety, learn what works for you and what doesn't. know what kinds of situations heighten your stress levels. anxiety is an emotion we're bound to feel, but panic attacks don't have to be!

renew your restorative practice

so we all know i'm a big fan of rolling out the yoga mat when anxiety rears its ugly head, but what to do once you step on it... that's the million dollar question. depending on my mood, situation and stressor i sometimes turn to restorative. if restorative is your choice du jour, you might be looking to fuse some new moves into your practice.

here's some poses to help you bliss out:

Supported Puppy Pose

Supported Bridge Pose

Supported Childs Pose

So grab some blankets, a block and an eye pillow (ok, so the last isn't a necessity, but it sure amps up the bliss factor!) and enjoy!

images: do restorative yoga

baby shower bliss

i had the best time helping host my sister-in-law's baby shower this weekend. my precious nephew is making his debut in january and it was so much fun celebrating his upcoming arrival (and his mama!) on saturday. as you can imagine there were gifts galore, family fun and tons of food to enjoy including homemade carrot cake! everyone had a great time taking a baby quiz i made for the occasion and baby shower bingo. and by the time it came to a close i was absolutely beat! i didn't realize how much energy i had been dedicating to the party. hubby and i were hosting another party that night (a UFC fight night extravaganza) at our little abode so we ordered in some pizza and settled in while awaiting our next dose of company. needless to say, today has been quite the lazy day, with the exception of meeting a much loved friend at our local coffee house tonight. i managed to stay awake and alert until almost 3am!

since i haven't gotten a lot of yoga or running in i have a lot of pent up energy and have been feeling restless even though i'm exhausted. i'm so looking forward to getting a big mug of herbal tea and their vegan chocolate cake and indulging in much needed catching up - haven't seen this friend in many months! busy schedules put a kink in a lot of plans.

i'm super excited about thanksgiving this week and hubby having a long weekend. my weekend will be filled with teaching classes, taking classes, running, getting together with family and friends, birthday celebrations, endless glasses of vino, raw pecan pie, eggplant parm and time spent lounging in bed with books i'm desperate to catch up on.

i'm breathing easier just thinking about it! if i get my training in shape then i'll also be adding another 5k into the mix the weekend after this one. i've been loving my booked weekends! its so awesome to have something to look forward to all the time. and of course, countdown till new orleans take off is still going strong! almost exactly 2 months away!

listen up

i had one of those perfect saturdays that leaves you in a state of pure bliss. it started out with my favorite spin class where we rock out to metallica, the stones, the who, meatloaf and guns and roses. i've never found a true rock and roll spin class until this one and i've made it my new mission to never miss it. after spin, i was all smiles as i made my way home to freshen up for my three hour anusara yoga workshop. i got to see some familiar faces there and worked.. hard! it was three hours of tailbone tucking and inner spiraling and deep breathing and handstands (my least graceful pose of the day!). after getting my yoga on, i headed over to crumbs - possibly the most amazing cupcake bakery on the planet - and picked up four amazing cupcakes for the hubby and i. when i got home, i headed out for a run and was able to squeeze in 1.5 miles before settling in for the night.

i awoke sunday still feeling blissed out. i taught a class and then went out for a 3 miler. my state of bliss must've affected my better judgement because my body was tired. i pushed through a tough two miles before finding my stride in my third. just as i was about to finish strong, i came down awkwardly on my right foot and hurt my knee (read: bliss starting to fade).

once home i had to cancel bridesmaid dress shopping because i developed a rather embarrassing hobble and i curled up on the couch to ease the soreness. luckily it was football sunday, and anyone who knows me knows i love my football. so i was able to relax and kind of tune out for a bit.

i definitely should have listened to my body a little more. i pushed when i should've relaxed. and towards the middle of the night i woke up terribly ill which really forced me to slow down and cancel all pre-planned workouts for today.

its so easy to overexert and tune out what we know we should be listening to. because i refused to leave that high after all of saturday's events, i used that feeling to determine how hard i should run the next day and clearly what i really needed to sustain the bliss was a day of relaxation. so today, besides teaching a few classes, i've stayed couch-bound and curled under blankets. i left the errand running for tomorrow and the workouts for when i'm feeling stronger. and i'm ok with that. i'm not feeling lazy or sluggish. i deserve this rest just as much as i deserve running, yoga and working out. even good things can be way overdone!

chalk this up to another lesson learned.

relaxation on rainy days

a chilly, rainy sunday practically begs for heaps of time spent relaxing.

on my agenda today:

*morning spent preparing a breakfast of raw "oatmeal" and hot coffee

*a rainy run with my pup

*a seriously warm bath with ginger (to help draw out toxins)

*quality time on my couch catching the giants game

*loads of burning candles

*book reading

*wine sipping

*blog reading

how are you going to exercise your relaxivist rights today?

image: delany blog

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Yoga on the Go!

Tomorrow we leave for the sunshine state. And as I'm mentally prepping for sand, sun and fun I'm still physically prepping (read: packing) as well. The b-man (my pup) is ready for camp and his stuff is all packed in my car. After dropping him off I'm treating myself to a much needed mani/pedi and then finishing up some last minute running around before my yoga class tonight.

This, coupled with the normal stress that comes from traveling, is making it hard for me to stay grounded. So here's a little sequence I indulge in to help keep me centered:

Start in your mountain pose. Spread your toes and root down through all four corners of your feet. Hug the thighs in creating a secure connection to the ground. Inhale and lift through the torso, creating space within your upper body. Roll the shoulders back and open up the heart center. Relax hands at sides.

Sweep your left hand up to the sky and reach it over your head to the right side creating a fabulous stretch along the left side of your body. Repeat on the other side.

Inhale and sweep both arms overhead, connecting the palms together and looking up at the sky. Exhale and fold over into a gentle forward bend. Allow the neck to relax and release all tension. If you can reach the floor, then go ahead and relax your hands down on the ground. If they don't reach, go ahead and cross the arms bringing each hand to the opposite elbow and continue to relax into your forward bend.

Once you're seated (whether on a plane, train, or in a car) take a moment to ground and connect to your surroundings. Then, sitting up straight, take both hands to the right armrest of your chair. Gently inhale lengthening your torso. As you exhale, turn the torso to the right using your hands on the armrest to gently guide you into a spinal stretch. Repeat on the opposite side.

Next, gently lift one leg and hug the knee into the chest, but keep the torso lengthened and allow the spine to remain straight. Again, repeat on other side - we always want to stay balanced!

Finish with some gentle neck and shoulder rolls before relaxing comfortably and enjoy your trip!

A Day In The Life

I was happy to sneak in a spin class this morning. It's amazing how I get the best ideas when I'm running or spinning or losing track of time on the elliptical. I think it's because I'm able to fully immerse myself in the moment during a heart-pounding workout. After the class, I raced home to get my ideas on paper and felt it was time very well spent. I was also able to unload tons of pent up energy... I really dislike the cold. All I ever want to do is curl up under the blankets and remain immobile but that's when I get antsy. After some breakfast I ran some errands and then grabbed the pup and took him to the park to enjoy this fleeting 50 degree weather... it's been a somewhat brutal NY winter this year. Unfortunately the dog park caused my blood pressure to rise when my dog found himself in the middle of, not one, but two fights... the stress of that totally knocked me out of my relaxed post-workout haze. For a little dog, he sure has no fear!

When I got home I decided to dedicate an hour to myself and indulge in some restorative yoga... felt so much better! The stress from the dog park dilemma was successfully put behind me and right in time for hubby P to get home.

I really like the fact that instead of zoning out when stressed I get active and listen to what my mind and body need. Feels so much better. And to follow on my theme of relaxation tonight, I'm couch-bound, under a blanket with a movie ready to go!

I know sometimes it seems like a lot to make time for you to just indulge in something... with errands to run, dinner to make, pets & children to take care of, emails to check, phone calls to make... but when you take a time out it really helps set you up for success (whether your success is to de-stress, clear your mind or just have some fun). You dedicate time to taking care of everything else in your life - don't forget to dedicate time to taking care of you too!