What Are You Grateful For?

Sometimes within reality’s chaos, We lose sight of how fortunate we are.  There was a time in my life when being thin enough, pretty enough, or liked enough was the to me. Those desires to be below 100 pounds on a scale obscured my true priorities and derailed my happiness.

Once I realized how fortunate I was to be able to walk, talk and breathe in this body regardless of its shape and size, only then could I embark on a journey of peace and ease. There may be points of stress and discomfort in my life at the moment, but there is always something I can be grateful for.

Finding appreciation for one thing as simple as the sun rising and setting today will help you find light in the midst of darkness.

What are you grateful for?
  

Kripalu 200-Hour Yoga Certification: I Did It!

Bliss, serenity, fulfillment and love are the first words that come to mind when I think of my 200-hour Kripalu yoga graduation ceremony. I am overwhelmed by emotion and ecstasy. 

I contemplated being a yoga instructor for six years but never thought I was capable enough, thin enough, skilled enough etc. My fears of inadequacy and the unknown held me back from pursuing my passion. 

After exploring dozens of graduate school programs with little gravitation toward any of them, my mind painted an image of what my own yoga class would look like. I vividly imagined the methodically threaded posture sequence, the fun music, and the deliberate language I used to guide my students. My mind played this scene on repeat for months. That’s when one day I decided to pursue my passion.

After four weeks of a life changing immersion program containing crying, laughing, connecting with others and learning more about myself, I am finally a certified yoga instructor. I have absolutely no regrets and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for me.

Namaste.

   

        

Wishful Thinkers of 2014

Resolutions are just wishes unless you have a plan. Create a resolution, or a goal, and don’t just focus on the final product but ask yourself HOW are you going to get there? What are you going to do differently this year? How are you going to measure your progress? Don’t just make a wish (Trevi fountain reference) and wait for it to happen, be proactive!

Look at your resolutions for 2014 and genuinely ask if you accomplished them. One way to transition from wishful thinking to realization is to create SMART goals:

Specific. Think of what you want to achieve and ask yourself the five W’s: who will be involved, what will I do, when will I accomplish this, where will my progress and final product be and why this goal?

Measurable. Quantifying your progress and goals helps with troubleshooting and motivating you to keep going!

Attainable. Although you can accomplish anything, seeing your objective in an approachable light will be vital. Plan your steps wisely and establish a time frame that allows you to carry out those steps. Goals that may have seemed far away and out of reach eventually move closer and become attainable, not because your goals shrink, but because you grow and expand to match them.

Realistic. Your goal should be something you are willing to work for and able to attain. Setting unrealistic, extreme goals are discouraging and unattainable.

Time. A goal completion time frame creates urgency. For instance, saying “I want to lose 2 inches in my waist someday,” diminishes your intrinsic motivation and increases the likelihood of procrastination. Instead, once you’ve outlined a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic plan then switch that goal to “I want to lose 2 inches in my waist by March 1st.”

Happy New Year!

Stay Fit xx

5 Day Detox

I don’t know about you, but after today’s Christmas festivities I could use a quick cleanse before I enter 2015. This little detox that I created seems like a feasible way to begin the new year with a healthy, clean mind and body.

Here are some links about food combining that were super helpful. When I properly combine whole foods, then my body feels light and energetic:

My New Roots: All You Ever Wanted to Know About Food Combining

Body Ecology: Food Combining

The Detoxinista: Food Combining Chart

Here’s a printable version of my 5 Day Detox:

5DAYDETOX

If you’re interested in a PDF or design for your website like the one in this post please email: bodyculture.us@gmail.com

Stay Fit & Happy Holidays! xx

The Balance Between Healthy and Obsessive

Any extreme is bad. How can you tell if you’re creating a healthy or unhealthy habit? Here are a few questions to honestly ask yourself.

1. Genuinely ask why. Why am I doing this?
2. Are the intentions setting me up for success or failure?
3. Are the means to obtaining my goal in service to me or not?
4. Is the time, monetary and energy investment worth the cost?
5. Do I beat myself up when I do not follow the regimen needed to attain my goals?
6. Do i deprive myself of things that make me happy? (i.e. seeing friends, getting enough sleep, “me” time)
7. Is this something that I genuinely enjoy, or is it something that I feel obliged to do?
8. Am I being true to who I am?
9. Is my mind completely consumed with this?
10. Am I happy?

When writing this list I had a few contexts in mind. Sex every night versus celibacy, overeating versus under-eating, excessive exercise versus no exercise, giving too much versus never giving anything.

I cannot stress the honesty enough. It’s one thing to censor your speech in conversations with others, but its another to avoid the truth in your own consciousness. Sit in the mirror and answer these questions candidly if necessary.

Crafting Therapy

Yoga and art are my escapes. When I allow my body to freely move on the mat, or my hands to busily create a new piece then I am happy.

During these times my mind isn’t necessarily quiet (let’s face it, that’s nearly impossible), but I am able to acknowledge and observe my thoughts passing through. It really is a freeing experience that I need to remember to utilize more often.

The other night I created this graphic t-shirt and it was the best thing that I’ve done in a while. Not aesthetically, but for myself. Seeing a project to completion gives me a sense of accomplishment and joy. And I think the shirt’s kinda cute too.

Strong is the New Skinny

“Strong is the New Skinny.” Love this saying! Instead of focusing on attaining a specific body shape, focus on building strength. Let’s change “I wish I was thin” to “I will be strong.” Shifting that perspective will allow you to accept your body while feeling empowered during your fitness journey.

Stay fit, and keep persevering!

Victoria’s Secret “Perfect Body Campaign”

My friend brought this article to my attention and I think everyone should give it a read. Essentially, Victoria’s Secret created a new ad campaign branded with the tagline “The Perfect Body.” This slogan appears under beautifully photoshopped Victoria’s Secret models. Although these models have gorgeous physiques that they work hard for, that does not give VS the right to deem it the perfect body. By giving these thin, beautiful, genetically gifted women the title of “perfect” it makes women with other body shapes feel inadequate. Perfection alludes to the idea that this is the quintessential look for every person; we must strive to be this ideal in order to be accepted.

This is not the case.

This emphasis on aesthetic perfection from the media is damaging to young women. Everyone has a different body shape, genetic makeup, and fitness level. Their goals should be tailored to their lifestyle and culture. Shame on VS for making any woman feel less than beautiful or worthy.

Sign the petition here because “we would like Victoria’s Secret to apologise and take responsibility for the unhealthy and damaging message that their ‘Perfect Body’ campaign is sending out about women’s bodies and how they should be judged.”

If you’re on instagram hashtag #iamperfect to retaliate against this campaign.

From Skinny to Fit

As I’ve received more and more positive feedback from my instagram and blog (thank you guys!) I’ve felt more comfortable talking about my journey: where I came from, why I started and how proud I am of my progress (read my background story here).

My instagram caption read:

“Transformation Tuesday’s a thing right? Left is me in high school; definitely wasn’t fueling my body properly and I was fatigued and weak on the daily. Right was taken about a month ago; I’ve learned how to eat for my workouts and feel so much happier and energized in my new body!”

Although I’ve had this photo compilation for weeks I didn’t know if I was going to share it. To me, it represents my inner and outer strength. My friends and family either didn’t know I had an eating disorder at the time, or merely suggested I eat more (which was too obvious to be good advice).

This before and after photo represents the culmination of the positive people I’ve surrounded myself with, the knowledge I’ve attained from health and wellness classes and the strength I’ve gained from overcoming these seemingly impossible obstacles.

I can honestly say that I feel happier now at a healthy size 10, than when I was a hungry size 00.

Image from my instagram: srollz

Outdoor Yoga

If you’ve read my last post “My Goals – Six Month Plan“ then you’d know that I’m practicing yoga every single day. Regardless of the session length, yoga gives me clarity and helps me practice mindfulness. Being mindful while eating, exercising and making decisions throughout the day is super important.

Another reason why I love yoga is that it’s the epitome of “me time”. Learning about how flexible, strong and energized my body is that day is an intimate, important experience.

But what brings this to the next level? Being outside. Try walking, running or reading outside and I promise you’ll feel renewed.

So today, I did 20 minutes of strength training, 45 minutes of spin and 30 minutes of ashtanga yoga (think aerobic-style yoga with lots of sun salutations). So far so good!

The ashtanga primary series – repeat the first two sun salutations five times each: