Let’s face facts.  Sometimes, life throws you curve balls.   It’s not ideal, but it’s the truth.  We can’t always control whether or not we get the job, or who will fall in love with us and when.  As Ben Franklin so simply reminds us: “Nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”.

Therefore, each of us…. No matter how enlightened, no matter how hard working, is bound to encounter some of life’s little (or even not-so-little) road-blocks.

Our defining moment comes…. In the way we respond.  Do we turn around with our head hung low and go back the way we came?  Do we rant and rave and blame the roadblock for deliberately ruining our life and crushing our plans? OR…… do we devise a way around the roadblock, and blaze an exciting and unexpected NEW path…. And in the process, maybe even find a new and brighter destination along the way.

As Yogis and Athletes, we train to overcome obstacles.  It is who we are.  It is how we thrive.  We train for strength and agility.  We practice endurance, and stamina.  We strengthen the muscles of our heart, as we focus our minds and build our Spirit.

This type of training does not stop when we leave the gym, or step off our mats.  In fact, THAT moment is exactly when it starts.  All of the lessons we learn so well through our fitness, equip us perfectly for surviving the obstacle course of life.  Yes. There will be blood, sweat, and lots of tears.  We will be tried and tested.  Yes. We will fall along the way…. hard, and often.  But we will ALWAYS practice getting up again.  and coming back even stronger and more determined.  Perfection is not ‘never falling down’.  It is the courage to get back up.

Share on Facebook

My spring equinox yoga retreat just completed a few weeks ago and I am still flying high from all the positive girl energy.  The Sangha, community, created by gathering twenty-seven women was beautiful and empowering.   The feeling of strength, joy, love and laughter was contagious.

The majority of the ladies came solo craving peace, quiet, movement and an intention of restoring their mind and body.   Even from the first moments in meditation, the room was humming with a sweet and strong Goddess vibe.   When the flow began, the Shakti (simply put divine feminine creative power) was rising!

As the practice finished and we transitioned to dinner, the atmosphere had a true feeling of sisterhood.  Strangers sat together and chatting like old friends sharing intimate stories and light filled the room.  The environment was open and clear for anything to happen.

The second day allowed for more yoga, massage, play and rest.  Everyone was invited and encouraged to take the best care of themselves.  Some women chose not to talk for a bit, others gathered or walked around to take in nature.  By the evening, it felt like family without all the dysfunction.

Moving through the evening practice, I observed an incredible warrior like quality of power weaved with a supple free flow. Everyone was in the moment and feeling the mojo. So, when I decided to mix it up, it was no surprise the women embraced moving off the mat and getting funky all over the room.  (imagine, disco dance party for 17 minutes).

The weekend was a reminder for all the women to stay true to their authentic divine self.  Revealing their big hearts, strong muscles and flexible minds.  As I reflect, I smile and know deep down, GIRLS RULE!

Share on Facebook

I’m a new mom of a black lab puppy (and a very handsome one if I do say so myself).  On our first trip to Petco we were approached by a dog food rep that said “our food will decrease the amount your dog goes to the bathroom by 40% and stunt his shedding”.

I shoved the flyer in my pocket as I thought to myself- I’m never buying this food….I bought a lab puppy who’s parents were each 80 lb shedders and I was well aware that the dog would be going to the bathroom quite a bit.

You may be asking how this relates to health and fitness but it made me start to think “you are what you are.”  If your genetics resemble J. Lo, no matter how hard you workout and eat the right stuff, you are not going to look like Kate Moss…it’s just not in your cards. The thing to do is make the best of what you were given and be happy with what you’ve got.

Share on Facebook

I have recently been incorporating ‘power drills’ into my spin workouts.  Power drills are some of my favorite workouts to improve power at lactate threshold (the point at which lactate begins to accumulate in the bloodstream).  They are the building blocks to improve power and speed during a spinning workout.

Spinning is an excellent cardiovascular cycling workout.  Routines range from strength and endurance training to calorie burners.  Many people are not fond of spinning at first because it can be ridiculously challenging on the legs. Since it’s primarily an anaerobic exercise, it pulls energy from your reserves and builds up your muscular endurance over an extended period of time.

So how do you add power drills to your spin routine? After establishing a ‘comfortably hard’ heart rate zone we move into a challenging set of intervals working a high aerobic heart rate for at at least 20 minutes.  We build into some steady time trial efforts at a higher intensity and hold each of these efforts for a 2-3 minute period of time.  Then come the power drills where we surge at a 90%, breathless effort for 30 second to 1 minute repeat intervals with a 15-30 second active recovery in between.

We typically repeat the time trial efforts and power drills to complete a full 60 minutes of high aerobic and lactate threshold intervals.  This is a great way to get those endorphins going and take high performance training to the next level.  It’s also great for all you runners who need cross training but don’t want additional impact on your legs.  Plus it’s one of the best indoor workouts for burning max calories.

Share on Facebook