{Body} Yoga

 

i got a tripod for my camera so

i had to try it out. This is my

favorite yoga pose, Tree Pose



Awhile back I decided to jump on the whole yoga bandwagon, thinking it was just some cool fad to become more flexible...WRONG! Yoga is one of the hardest workouts I have done. I have tried several different kinds, including HOT yoga and everytime I am done I leave feeling like a million bucks. I usually do the P90X yoga, which is 90 minutes long and extremely difficult. By the end I am sweating almost as much as during a cardio workout. But I do not always have 90 minutes to workout in the morning so today i busted out my Yoga Meltdown by Jillian Michaels dvd because it was only 30 mins-what a workout! My body was shaking by the end. Besides the great workout that yoga provides, i also feel relaxed and more flexible. When I am done with my P90X in 3 weeks I am going to do a month at Corepower yoga, which I am really excited about. My goal is to not only become more flexible and stronger so that I can do the more advanced poses but to improve my breathing.  I feel like I spend so much time working on the poses and being more flexible that I tend to forget to breathe and do the breathe work that is so important in yoga. My goal is to try and focus on the breath as well, so that I get the maximum benefits.Oh, and one of the best parts of yoga-the super cute and flattering yoga gear from Lululemon (which I am wearing in the pics!)

                                              This is my other favorite pose, Royal Dancer.

{Body} Motivation

I just started my last month of my 3 month program P90X. I have been very happy with my results so far and this is the farthest I have made it in the program. I have attempted this program in the past and got burnt out and ended up not even finishing out the 2nd month. This week I have not been very good about finding the motivation to get up in the AM and workout. Today was no different. My alarm went off at 4:30 and all I wanted to do was stay in bed. I laid in bed for awhile and thought that if I do not get up and workout I would really regret it later. Whenever I workout I feel so much better throughout the day and have more energy. Finally at about 5:30 I pulled myself out of bed and did a short but intense workout-HIIT (High Intenstiy Interval Training) and core. I am so glad that I did. It is now the afternoon, the usual time that I start to crash, and I feel great. No fatigue! My muscles are a little sore, which reminds me of the hard work I did this morning. I try and let how I feel after a workout be my motivation for "pushing play". I have been trying to live my the idea of "sweat once a day", which I encourage everyone to do. Even if it is just 15 mins, like my HIIT workout this AM was, a little sweat is better than none!  Now I just have to remember this come tomorrow morning when I am sure it will be another struggle to get up and work out....What motivates you to workout?


ps...i love P90X and am so excited for P90X2 that comes out this winter! I encourage everyone to try it, even those that do not think they can. I am one of the least athletic people and I manage to keep up!

{Mind} Compliment Jar

Mental health is just as important as physical health for wellbeing. I was recently given a great idea that I wanted to share with everyone. All of us have bad days and times when we feel less than special. Sometimes we need a reminder of how awesome are! A great idea for this is to make a "compliment jar". Take any jar or container, decorate as you please, and start filling it up! Everytime someone pays you a compliment, whether its about your work life, fashion, personality or something nice you did for someone, write it down on a scrap of paper and put it in the jar. Collect your compliments for a week, month, year-how ever long you like. At the end of that time, dump out your compliments and read them, to see just how great you are. You can also use this anytime you are feeling down or having a bad day to help boost your mood.
Below is an example of my compliment jar that I made and will start to use. I have recently gotten into DIY and crafting so I thought this was a good way to try out a new idea.  I decorated the jar using homeade modge podge and a vintage label I found online.

I made homemade Modge Podge by mixing one bottle of Elmers glue with equal parts water...easy!



Here is the finished product! I just found a glass jar and modge podged the label to it. I used the modge podge all over the jar to create the frosted look. Now I just need to fill it up!

{Body} Supplements

On my journey throught the health and wellness world, I have stumbled upon and tried several supplements/herbs/vitamins that have all sorts of claims. As a healthcare practitioner, I know that some of these claims are bogus and there is no regulation of these OTC supplements by the FDA, so who knows what you are really getting with some of them. But I do feel that they have a place in health and many of them wont hurt you. Who knows, they may even be the key to longevity?!

Here is my current "supplement/vitamin" routine. It's not much, but I do feel a lot better in many ways when I take them:

1. Multivitamin (GNC womens ultra mega active blend)-it has extra Calcium + D, which all of us northern girls could use, plus an energy blend (mostly herbals and green tea extract). I do feel slightly more energetic when I take it.

2. CLA(conjugated linoleic acid)-I started taking this sinply because it has antioxidant and potential weight loss properties. Who knows if it does anything, but it derived from Omega 3,6,9, which are good for you overall.

3. Probiotics- these supplements are essentially millions of good bacteria that are found in yogurt in a concentrated form. They help regulate the digestive system by competing with gas/bloating causing and "bad" bacteria in the GI tract. I would be lost without them.

4. OxyElitePro- I probably should not admit to taking them, as I am in the medical field and should know better, but this is thermogenic. Basically, it increases your metabolism so you have more energy and burn more calories/fat during your workouts. It has about 100 mg of caffeine and some herbals in it. So far it seems to help and doesnt leave me feeling too shaky, but I only take the very minimal dose.

Are there any supplements /vitamins that you swear by?                                                                              

{Spirit} I heart fall!

I mentioned in my last post that fall was my favorite season and here are a few reasons why:

* Leaves and the sound of them crunching beneath my feet
* Fall colors- Leaves and clothes-I love mustard yellows, burnt oranges, tans, browns and creams. I love warm colors
* Scents-pumpkin, spice, cinnamon! Yum!
* Pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks
*Smell and feel of the cool crisp fall air
*Apples (esp MN Honeycrisps) and apple orchards
*Cozy sweaters and boots
*Halloween, one of (if not my favortie) holidays!
*Fall TV premieres and new shows

Pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks...hmmmm!

{Body} Fall run

Fall is my favorite season and when I woke up the weather was so beautiful I decided to do a cardio workout outside along my favorite trail to run,  the Mississippi River Parkway in St.Paul near my apartment.  I'll admit that I am not the world's best runner....I get tired and sore easily.  I usually do kickboxing or something for cardio but it was such a nice sunny fall morning, I had to force myself to do a run. Being outdoors always makes me feel better no matter how bad I of a day I'm having.  I've always believed nature and exercise is the best cure for a bad day!  Here are a few pics from my morning jog.  Did I mention that I love fall?