The Confession Series (Part 2): I'm cheating

Confession - it's good for the soul, right?? I have a confession. I am cheating. I am cheating on the form of exercise that I thought made me the happiest. I am cheating on running with yoga.

And now...we have yoga. Ahhh, yoga. Over a year ago I was sitting around the table nomming on cookies with my lunch ladies and yoga came up. I distinctly remember saying, "I just don't have the patience for it. I find myself thinking about the dishes or what to cook for dinner." What I have now come to realize is I wasn't in the right class. I have now found the style I love at the difficulty in which I don't have time to think about dishes. Heck, between wiping the sweat out of my eyes and attempting to execute poses, I really don't think about a thing for a solid hour.

The really special part is my boys love joining in. Evan knows several poses and their names. He even got a note home from school one day that said, "Don't do yoga when you are supposed to be working." After laughing until tears I asked him what he was doing. He said, "I was just doing eagle," and showed me perfect eagle arms and legs. You gotta laugh at that.

  

I was honored when a fellow colleague who teaches using experiential learning, asked me to help her with a Spanish lesson. She was teaching animal names with kindergarten students using "Brown Bear Brown Bear". I came up with a yoga poses for each animal. The students spent 30 minutes practicing yoga while speaking spanish. It was too much fun and I love how fearless these students are! I got more texts/emails/comments from parents about their children doing yoga with me than with any lesson I've ever done!!

Yoga has actually taught me more than athletics and flexibility. Yoga has taught me to slow down with my expectations. Ask my mom, I have always been the type to want to get things right the first time I do it. Hence, why I never learned the piano. Both my sister and mom played beautifully. I couldn't play as good as them...hello, because I was younger and less experienced...so I quit.

Yoga has a way to humble you one second and make you feel like a strong warrior goddess the next. But like life, there are always going to be people out there who are more flexible, who are stronger, who will always be better. Instead of comparing myself to these yoginis, I now find myself being inspired by them.

Yoga also reminds me to celebrate where I am. I have a blog post that has been sitting in my drafts titled, "Just say no". I haven't finished it, because to be honest, I just haven't put my time into it. The gist is I have to start 'saying no' to some things in our life without the guilt. Yoga reminds me to do that and be happy with where I am. I can't get my leg up to my nose...no biggie. Let go of that expectation and rock where I am instead of feeling like I am not good enough. We can't make it that party because the boys are napping, that's okay. Celebrate they will be in good moods when they wake up rather than feel like I am letting people down.

The only pressure I was getting to be the perfect wife, the perfect mom, the perfect teacher, was from ME and ME only. So guess who is the only one that needs to let go of that expectation?? Yup, me. Matter of fact, I really feel like I am letting go of most expectations in life. I can have goal, eka pada bakasana (flying crow) and getting Christmas cards out before Christmas, for example, BUT if those goals are met I don't have to completely lose my mind. I don't have to beat myself up.

So...I feel like I am cheating. I am cheating on running. Since starting a serious yoga practice in July, I haven't run more than 10 times. I have even made myself a yoga instagram account to keep track of my progress and grow in my practice by participating in challenges. I was in a rut with running. It wasn't making me happy like it once used to. I dreaded facing the treadmill. (Disclaimer - I know 99% of my problem was the 'dread'mill, but running after 8pm outside by myself isn't really an option.) With yoga, I love working out. I love getting on my mat. I can't wait until the next time I can practice.  I do think I will get back to running at some point, but for right now, yoga is my one true love.

I have been taking online classes at yogaglo.com. The first fifteen days are free and the classes can range from level 1-3 and from 10 minutes to 90 minutes. You can even specify what you want to work on like core, arm balances, hip, etc. I am not getting paid by them nor do I even receive a 'referral' incentive. Just one person sharing her love with another.

Confession Series (Part 1): Addiction

I realized something the other day. I might have a slightly addictive personality. Thankfully, it only rears its head when it comes to exercise. Let me provide some evidence to this case.

1. I started pilates when I first started teaching. I can't even remember who introduced me to it. I faithfully attended class for 2+ years. The instructor asked me to sub a couple times for her and it planted the seed in my brain to become an instructor. So I spent 6 months training which included over 60 hours of instruction, 30+ hours of practice teaching, a written anatomy exam and a practical where I had to teach in front of my instructor who trained with the founder of STOTT. After 6 months I was officially certified as a STOTT pilates instructor. I have been teaching since. Pilates is something I always see myself doing. Those 2 hours are just for me. I am able to provide myself this time to improve my body and mind. I am lucky enough I can spread that feeling to people in my life. I teach two days a week at school to whomever can come. My school is amazing and allows me to use the facilities for free because I am offering a wellness opportunity to our teachers. I just the other day had a client who started because she broke her foot and she couldn't run. I encouraged her to come to pilates so she could still feel like she was doing 'something'. She got her cast off and continued to come. She said, "I never thought I would love it as much as I do!"

I was 6 months pregnant in this picture!

2. Then came running. I had dabbled in running before kids. Running had some emotional baggage for me. When dancing on a national ranked squad, part of our conditioning was running 2 miles before every practice in 16 minutes (thanks for the correction Lindsey!). If we didn't make the 16 minutes we had to run the 2 miles again after practice. So there was some fear, pain and just pure hatred associated with running. But I put on my big girl running shorts and started again after I got married. John and I weren't at our healthiest when we married, hence why you'll never see a wedding picture in my house or on any of my social media venues. After we got married we dedicated ourselves to a healthier lifestyle. We both started running and choosing better foods. He lost 100 pounds over 2 years and the running combined with pilates eventually got me down about 40 pounds. After I had Evan, I knew running was the way to go to get myself back in shape. That was also around the time I started at St. George's. There is a huge running community at my school. I met Emmy who lived in Collierville and had 2 kids, a full time job (SG) and ran. She committed to me and I to her and we became running partners. She put up with my slow pace and short distances and I put up with her ability to run in any conditions, under any circumstances flawlessly. (That's a real easy reason to hate someone, ya know.) She was training for a full marathon and I was training to run longer than 30 minutes without passing out. By the time her marathon came around, I did 12 miles on that Saturday while she finished her full. By the way, after her full she went a spent a full day at the farm doing farm stuff....manual labor. After a full marathon...see what I mean? I soon became pregnant with Luke and had to put the running on hold. Again, Emmy spent the entire 9 months walking with me. After Luke was born, we jumped right back into our routine, 5 miles 3 times a week after 8pm. Six months after Luke was born I ran my first half. Nine months later I ran my second (and last) half. Two half marathons in a year.

...to be continued...

Thanksgiving 2013

If you have known me for a minute, you know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Christmas is magical and I do love it, but Thanksgiving wins hands down in my book. It's one day of food, family and fun. Plus we get the next day off for leftovers and recovery!

We spend Thanksgiving with John's mom. She makes food for about 40 people. There are only 10 at the table, but there is enough food for 40! I am so very thankful Mamaws got to come up for dinner. This year has been pretty tough for her, but she keeps her mind and eyes on the positive. She loved seeing my boys and Evan was most estactic to be able to spend some time with her. 

 

 We were very excited Jason and Melissa got to come up from Texas! Jason and Melissa are expecting their first sweet baby, Skylar, in January, so their annual Christmas trip had to get pushed up to Thanksgiving. They brought their entire furry family and my boys couldn't get enough of the pups!
 

The day after Thanksgiving we continue the eating at our house. I host a "Day After Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner" for John's dad's side of the family, my family and anyone else we can convince to come eat with us. I love love love making dinner for all these people. It seriously warms my heart. I started Thanksgiving night and cooked for 6 straight hours on Friday, all with a smile on my face!

I could not love this photobomb of Luke any more!!

 

 Nonna/Pop and their boys

 

And all the Asbell boys already being protective of the newest little Asbell to come!

Halloween

Yes, I am almost two full holidays behind. So it's time for some catch up.

Storm Trooper and Spider-Man

This Halloween was hands down the best Halloween in history. To experience Halloween through two kids eyes is just amazing. There isn't anything like it! I think they could have ran around our neighborhood for a couple more hours.

The weekend before Halloween we went to Zoo Boo with the Lawsons. These three are just too cute. I hope they never remember a time without each other. And this picture speaks 100 words. It is exactly perfect.

Luke most favorite part was the singing pumpkins. He stood perfectly still and watched the pumpkins for 20 minutes and then asked to go back the rest of the hour and a half we were there. 

We even had a Batman sighting. Luke followed him around most of the night. 

Luke had a parade at school where he got to wear his costume. They walked around the school and visited the classrooms. When Luke got to Evan's room, he went right in, sat in the circle with Evan and didn't want to leave. 

Evan had a party as well. No costumes, but a lot of fun activities! Eating a donut without using his hands was his favorite. :)
 

That night the Lawsons came back over and we took the three kids trick or treating!