Feeling Progress in the Clouds
I have been reflecting a lot over this past week. Following my post from last week, I feel I have been so much more aware of what I have been eating as well as how much sugar is in the foods we consume on a regular basis. Its pretty mind-blowing how much power we give away when we blindly purchase things. My husband and I are really good about keeping foods we can't control outside the house. As I have said many times, the past six months has been truly eye opening for me. I didn't realize, once I completed my first phase of recovery, how challenging it would be getting back on my feet. So today, I am going to talk about some of things I have been doing to make myself feel more successful, while feeling challenged in the smallest tasks.
To start, we have been taking family walks. Some of these walks have been truly exhausting for me, but now that it is getting warm outside, it feels like such a huge accomplishment. Its amazing quality time with my husband, daughter and dog, while also elevating my heart rate, just enough to get the blood flowing through my body. We can explore through our neighborhood, allow our daughter time at the park, and watch the happiness in our dogs eyes when she is with her pack. Walks have a whole new meaning for me and living in an area where we can walk around the neighborhood is so nice for a change.
Being able to get back into the seat of a yoga instructor has been inspiring for me, all over again. Even though it is one class, I feel this gives me a sense of accomplishment I don't usually get to feel. I have become even more present then I was before. There is A LOT of speaking throughout class and there are times I chuckle, because I find myself panting and out of breath. I do have amazing students that help me through the process. Most have no idea what I have been through, but by showing up, smiling at me and thanking me for class does the trick. This gives me a little more drive to move through my days.
Yesterday was such a BEAUTIFUL day outside, after I got done teaching my husband, daughter and I, placed huge beach towels down in our backyard and got some good ol' Vitamin D. I tell ya, we weren't outside for that long, but BOY did it feel amazing. Considering I have pretty much been a hermit for the past six months, feeling the sun on my body was such an amazing feeling. The nice warm breeze and the giggles we were having, was a great experience.
Now on to the biggest challenge, food. So, what I will say to start is, I haven't gained a whole lot of weight over this recovery period. I have mostly lost my muscle tone. Not that I was some body builder before, but when you can't exercise, and you eat & sleep, there isn't a whole lot more you can expect. During this time, there have been moments of comfort, but I am getting back into the moderation portion. I always think I eat more than I actually do, but I know how my body feels. It is nice to start putting some focus back on what I feel is the most important in our lives and that is health and wellness.
I did make the best choices that presented themselves to me, but I also had to realize that certain things I had to let go of in order to allow myself the healing power my body needed. Retraining my mind and heart to get back on point is definitely challenging. So I am starting small. My husband and I have spoken about getting gym memberships, and at a point in the near future I could see that being beneficial, but for now, I think it would be a waste of money.
As I have written about in previous blog posts, food has always been a challenge for me. Being healthy isn't EASY, it takes work. It should take work, cause there isn't a quick fix or an easy out. We are making choices that will live within us forever. When people don't know my back story and judge a book by its cover, it can be a little deceiving. Some have made comments to me saying, "well your skinny, it doesn't really matter, you don't need to watch what you eat." WoW. What a misconception. We all are walking our own journey, and each of us may be at a goal weight of someone else, but don't be dismissive in someones journey, because of the way you think they are living or the struggles you think they don't have.
Who can say, part way through life, you get the opportunity to start fresh. To take all you have learned and retrain your mind to be a better version of who you were before. Self-care is so important, and as a yoga instructor and health coach, this is a BIG part of what I try and teach my students and clients. While teaching others, it is also easy to not always take the best care of yourself. This is one of the lesson I have learned, how truly important it is to not run ourselves into the ground. To take time to catch your breathe. To not always over extend yourself, no matter how much you want to do something.
I will try to breakdown different aspects of this journey as I experience them. This weekend has felt much more like a success to me. Feeling I am making it longer periods of time, without falling asleep in the middle. I definitely still take naps and probably always will. A little reboot never hurts. I am much more aware of my body, and what sensations I am feeling. If anything, I want to help others through my own story/experiences. I want to help educate my surrounding community on what it is to get knocked down and to get up again. Feeling the progress is important in personal growth.
So here's to a continued journey, hope you have a great week and look forward to SuperFood Thursday. To light, love and happiness!!! <3 Ash
To start, we have been taking family walks. Some of these walks have been truly exhausting for me, but now that it is getting warm outside, it feels like such a huge accomplishment. Its amazing quality time with my husband, daughter and dog, while also elevating my heart rate, just enough to get the blood flowing through my body. We can explore through our neighborhood, allow our daughter time at the park, and watch the happiness in our dogs eyes when she is with her pack. Walks have a whole new meaning for me and living in an area where we can walk around the neighborhood is so nice for a change.
Being able to get back into the seat of a yoga instructor has been inspiring for me, all over again. Even though it is one class, I feel this gives me a sense of accomplishment I don't usually get to feel. I have become even more present then I was before. There is A LOT of speaking throughout class and there are times I chuckle, because I find myself panting and out of breath. I do have amazing students that help me through the process. Most have no idea what I have been through, but by showing up, smiling at me and thanking me for class does the trick. This gives me a little more drive to move through my days.
Yesterday was such a BEAUTIFUL day outside, after I got done teaching my husband, daughter and I, placed huge beach towels down in our backyard and got some good ol' Vitamin D. I tell ya, we weren't outside for that long, but BOY did it feel amazing. Considering I have pretty much been a hermit for the past six months, feeling the sun on my body was such an amazing feeling. The nice warm breeze and the giggles we were having, was a great experience.
Now on to the biggest challenge, food. So, what I will say to start is, I haven't gained a whole lot of weight over this recovery period. I have mostly lost my muscle tone. Not that I was some body builder before, but when you can't exercise, and you eat & sleep, there isn't a whole lot more you can expect. During this time, there have been moments of comfort, but I am getting back into the moderation portion. I always think I eat more than I actually do, but I know how my body feels. It is nice to start putting some focus back on what I feel is the most important in our lives and that is health and wellness.
I did make the best choices that presented themselves to me, but I also had to realize that certain things I had to let go of in order to allow myself the healing power my body needed. Retraining my mind and heart to get back on point is definitely challenging. So I am starting small. My husband and I have spoken about getting gym memberships, and at a point in the near future I could see that being beneficial, but for now, I think it would be a waste of money.
As I have written about in previous blog posts, food has always been a challenge for me. Being healthy isn't EASY, it takes work. It should take work, cause there isn't a quick fix or an easy out. We are making choices that will live within us forever. When people don't know my back story and judge a book by its cover, it can be a little deceiving. Some have made comments to me saying, "well your skinny, it doesn't really matter, you don't need to watch what you eat." WoW. What a misconception. We all are walking our own journey, and each of us may be at a goal weight of someone else, but don't be dismissive in someones journey, because of the way you think they are living or the struggles you think they don't have.
Who can say, part way through life, you get the opportunity to start fresh. To take all you have learned and retrain your mind to be a better version of who you were before. Self-care is so important, and as a yoga instructor and health coach, this is a BIG part of what I try and teach my students and clients. While teaching others, it is also easy to not always take the best care of yourself. This is one of the lesson I have learned, how truly important it is to not run ourselves into the ground. To take time to catch your breathe. To not always over extend yourself, no matter how much you want to do something.
I will try to breakdown different aspects of this journey as I experience them. This weekend has felt much more like a success to me. Feeling I am making it longer periods of time, without falling asleep in the middle. I definitely still take naps and probably always will. A little reboot never hurts. I am much more aware of my body, and what sensations I am feeling. If anything, I want to help others through my own story/experiences. I want to help educate my surrounding community on what it is to get knocked down and to get up again. Feeling the progress is important in personal growth.
So here's to a continued journey, hope you have a great week and look forward to SuperFood Thursday. To light, love and happiness!!! <3 Ash
good read!
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