Class act

Wednesday is Pilates day.  It's in my work calendar.  Not negotiable.  I freaking love it.

In the two months I've been a member of the gym, I've only missed one Wednesday.  Yet in that time we've had four different instructors.

The first week was a gorgeous hippy blonde free-spirit type who made me want to come back.  I haven't seen her since.

Week 2 was a fill in for week 2 who was on holidays.  She was more technical, less alternative, and showed me a different take on Pilates.  She made me want to come back.

New week, new instructor.  This one had a questionable command of English, and no one in the class could understand a word she was saying.  She made me want her to not come back.

4th - I had to miss due to a work conference.

5th, 6th & 7th, Miss week 2 was back.  Aaaahhhhh the control, the awareness, the DOMS.

This week - the 8th - I was hoping to see Miss Technical again.  Instead a big (and by big I mean overweight), loud, spiky blonde haired, tattooed kick boxer.  And this class moved me to tears.

Instead of the usual Pilates format, she taught the class as a Les Mills "Body Balance", which is more yoga-based.  It was bloody magnificent.  Graceful.  Difficult.  Flowing. Challenging. I stretched in ways I thought long-gone.  I relaxed into it, closed my eyes and felt my body surrendering all tension.    And when the 45 minutes ended with a brief meditation, there were tears of release.

The loud kick chick knew she'd reached me.  We hugged it out at the end of the class.  As you do.

Was it timing?  The instructor?  Yoga?  I don't have answers but I REALLY want to give yoga another try to find out.

Peace.  Out.

46+1/52

It's a well documented fact that a 'diet' must start on a Monday.  (although I dislike the word diet, it does serve a purpose)

But when your birthday happens to fall on a Monday, and you're in reflection, soul-seeking, searching, unsettled mode, that's got to be a good thing, right?  A supercharged Monday.

Birthday's, in my opinion, are the best time to take a pulse check.  So many people do it at New Years.  Write resolutions, set goals, vow that this will be the year that they....... insert whatever you suck at here.  But you share it with everyone.  Within each circle, it's rare to come across someone who shares your date, so mostly its unique to you.

Last year, as I transitioned from 40+GST to 45, I decided to take a photo each most days to reflect what I was predicting would be an awesome year.  And it was.  Adventures were had. New things were tried. Comfort zones were completely left behind. Awesome year.  Forty six is, so far at least, looking like a contender in the best year ever stakes and we're only a week in.

My six habits; chocolate portion, caffeine cut back, muffin stop, sleep time, water & park run will get another outing this week.  Why?  Well I'm out of creativity to come up with another 6, but I won't tell anyone that.  "I'm bedding down my good habits by focusing on them for another week".  Sounds feasible, yeah?

Here's an idea; 'something old, something new'.  Not a daily challenge, but spread over the week, I'll try something I've never done / tasted / experienced before and will rekindle an old like as well.  This week is already a tick.  Today I made myself a pot of detox tea (that I'm quietly sipping on as I write) which I used to drink religiously before coffee took hold.  And I shared an awesome experience with my bestie - a turkish steam room - at Peninsula Hot Springs, which I have definitely never done before but REALLY enjoyed.

Next week I'd like to try a new recipe.  We've become very set with our weekly food plan, which is great, in that it's easy to shop, prepare and cook.  But we've become very set with our weekly food plan, which is bad because it's easy to shop, prepare and cook.  Routine is good.  Comfort is good.  Ease is good.  Boredom is not so good.

Turning it around

A week ago I was a mix of sad and disgusted at how I felt, what I saw on the scales and how I'd allowed crappy habits to sneak back in.  The challenge I set for myself this week was 6 small things, but they've had a HUGE effect on my outlook.

Every day except Friday, I ticked off my habit changer.  Chocolate and coffee scaled back. Muffins deleted. Sleep happened earlier, and park run went down in the rain AND hail this morning.  I fell half a bottle of water short on Friday.

Really, none of it was hard.  None of it required a great degree of willpower or thought.  I'd already set my rules for the week.  It was just a matter of keeping my own promises to myself.  Of being true to my word.  Of respecting my body enough to deliver.

Not surprisingly, today's run was sensational.  Although it was incredibly cold and wet, there was no second guessing.  No thoughts of staying in bed.  And the path rose to meet me.  My lungs and legs felt at ease.  I was calm, centred and fully in the moment.  Especially as the rain pelted down.

Being in control and turning crappy habits around feels good.  Really good.