Category Archives: Other

An Overdue Yoga Update

First off, I’d like to apologize for my inconsistency with these yoga posts. Surprisingly enough, I’ve actually been doing the exercises consistently but my progress in the book seems to have stagnated. Truthfully, there’s a bit much going on right now and I haven’t quite gotten around to reading the third chapter. This might take me longer than the intended 6 weeks. Nothing wrong with tweaking something to suit your lifestyle, right?

And by ‘doing the exercises consistently’, I mean about 75% of the time. I understand most people may have a different idea of consistency. Sometimes I choose the extra 20 minutes of sleep (often involuntarily by sleeping through my alarm).

Ready to hear what I learned in lesson 2?

Exercises:

In addition to those laid out in lesson one, there were 6 more exercises introduced in lesson two. This became a little much for me to keep track of and I found myself spending a good portion of time flipping through pages, re-reading directions, missing steps. I decided the sensible thing to do was to make a cheat sheet. Everything on one page, in a Word document I can add to as I make my way through later chapters. I’m big on efficiency.

As Indra promised, the poses did become easier as I continued to do them… AND…wait for it…I managed to maneuver myself into an actual lotus pose!! In case you’re not sufficiently impressed, this is what it looks like. Right. And it was painful as hell! Don’t let the serene expressions of the individuals in the Google image results fool you. They’re obviously all double jointed or something.

Neck Stretching

Diet:

According to the book, the yogi way of life consists of more than contorting yourself into pretzel form. In the previous lesson, Indra promised us a ‘lengthy discussion’ on food regimens. And a lengthy discussion it was! Most of what was discussed shouldn’t come as a surprise to most of us that have not lived under a rock for the last couple of decades. Eat more fruits/vegetables in their natural state, avoid saturated fats and foods that are processed or contain added chemicals.

While most of us know this to be true, this is easier said than done. Realistically, I’m not going to be able to maintain a diet free of all saturated fats, processed foods, and bleached flour. I can, however, agree to a compromise. Small steps, you know.

So, this past weekend, I was in the frozen food aisle picking out a couple of Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones (don’t judge, they are convenient to take in for lunch and save me from having to spend extra cash buying lunch). I was poking around for a flavor I didn’t dislike AS much…and in a wildly bold move, decided not to buy any. Suddenly, it didn’t make sense to buy something I didn’t particularly care for that I could easily recreate with probably 10% of the sodium. So I left the frozen foods aisle, with not so much as a package of Lean Pockets. Instead, I decided go get a little adventurous with produce (as in, bought Brussel sprouts).

A couple of diet tidbits I found interesting and noteworthy –

Drinking room temperature water and never during meals. I guess iced water inhibits proper digestion. If you can see yourself drinking room temperature water in mid August at least half an hour before or after eating, more power to you!
Warming up or reheating meals with fat or oils in them renders them more indigestible with each reheat. Good to know.
‘Milk is a food, not a drink’. I would have to agree. I guess this makes coffee a perfectly acceptable breakfast.

There were also sections devoted to rhythmic breathing and meditation. I continue to fail at meditation. For some reason, my mind doesn’t stay still. I’ll let you know how that works out.

I’ll stop with the babbling now. Let’s be honest, most of you are here for photos of a dog on a yoga mat…and I would hate to disappoint.

Meditation

In case you are sick of seeing photos of a dog on a yoga mat, I thought I would take this opportunity to share some photos taken on a recent walk! I’m learning to use the manual modes on my camera a bit more in preparation of our upcoming trip.

How pretty are these clouds?

Think my photography skills have improved at all? My first post featuring nature photography can be seen here!

Iceland – Around The Corner!

Remember a few months back when I told you about a little adventure? Well, that adventure is right around the corner! That’s right, ladies and gentlemen! We depart for Iceland in three weeks! Eek!!

We are just beyond ourselves with excitement! And in full planning mode…well, I am at least.

In case you didn’t already suspect this given the stack of guidebooks, I’m somewhat of a compulsive planner (Virgo, enough said). So, in recent weeks, I’ve been spending some time researching some of the stops on our itinerary to decide how to best spend our time.

Our first stop is going to be Reykjavik! The world’s northernmost capital city! Since our flight lands late in the day, and we didn’t want to leave for the self drive tour first thing in the morning, we added an extra day to the trip and have a full day in Reykjavík at our disposal!

This is just a little taste of what we are expecting to see! A link to the photo source as well as a quick description included below.

Clockwise from top left:

Solfar Sun Voyager: A sculpture along the harbor originally created as part of a contest to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the city or Reykjavik!
Tjornin Pond: A small lake in the center of Reykjavik with an impressive water bird population…including swans, mallards, and geese! Apparently this is a major bird watching destination, for those of you into that sort of thing.
Hallgrímskirkja Church: I do not have the slightest idea of how to pronounce this, but this is undoubtedly the city’s most well known landmark. And promises some amazing views of the city!
Reykjavik Harbor: I love me a good nautical scene.
Perlan: A rotating restaurant that offers panoramic views of the city. I’m picturing the Hyatt Spinnaker, Iceland edition.
Laugardalur: Hot spring valley featuring the largest outdoor thermal pool in Reykjavik…and entry to the botanical garden!

On to another area of concern…I have no idea what to pack! Now, I’m not exactly what you would call a practical dresser. When someone says ‘walking shoes’, I think ballet flats. That said, I’ve realized that packing for this trip is going to be a bit different from what I’m used to. There won’t be any sundresses or beach cover ups, but I actually need a waterproof jacket! And hiking boots? Something tells me fleece lined leggings are going to be essential.

I usually try to organize my ideas visually. Thanks to Polyvore, I’ve been compiling some outfit ideas for the trip. This seems practical enough for a leisurely stroll through the city, no? I already have some similar items in my existing wardrobe, so I’m not really planning on buying all of them for my trip but links are included below for those of you interested.

1. Sweater 2.Scoopneck Tank (not the one pictured, but a good option!) 3.Scarf 4.Bag (more affordable option here!) 5. Leggings (not the ones pictured but I am a big fan of American Apparel hoisery!) 6. Boots 7. Bracelet

Anyone have some wisdom to offer on the trip or outfit planning? I would love to hear from you!!

Yoga For You – First Update!

So, remember when I told you I was going to read this yoga book? And do what it says, and then tell you about it? And I bet you think I forgot all about, right? Well, I didn’t! I’ve actually been keeping up with it! Or the first chapter, at least.

With that, here is a summary of the first lesson (plus my commentary/experience!) The chapter focused on instilling the very basic fundamentals of yoga. You know, breathing and stuff.

I find it easiest to absorb information in lists. So, a list of ‘main points’, if you will.

Waking Up: The first thing Indra tries to teach us is how to ‘wake up properly’. This involves doing a series of stretches and a few yawns to allow your body to fully awaken before actually getting out of bed. She mentions that animals can serve as a good example of how to do this. Unless in a state of alarm, they never jump up but yawn and stretch for a few minutes to fully awaken. And here I thought Jack was just being overdramatic about being woken up too early. This is a little different from what I’m used to. I usually lunge out of bed at the first sound of the alarm as though it’s one of those race cannons. The first two days, I did just that and had to remind myself to get back into bed and stretch for a few minutes.
Deep Breathing: Although this may seem like common sense, it’s actually one of the things most people find to be one of the toughest about yoga. Since breathing is something we do so instinctively, it’s difficult to be conscious of it. After all, it’s not like you’re going to stop doing it if you don’t think about it. Deep breathing means being conscious of your breath and drawing the air in through the back of your throat and through as much of your body as possible. I can feel you rolling your eyes as you read this. Try it out, let me know what you think! I find that it kind of calms my mind a bit (and according to Indra, cures thousands of ailments).

Deep Breathing

Neck & Eye Exercises: The book recommends that you do these exercises on an empty stomach and without any tight clothing on. I felt it made most sense to try to do this first thing in the morning after the aforementioned ‘waking up routine’. At this point, I’d like to mention that I wake up at 4:30 AM. Long story short, I don’t like to rush while getting ready. So there I sat, at 4:30 in the morning, in my spare bedroom, doing my neck and eye exercises. As you can imagine, I felt a little ridiculous. I mean, I could be getting an extra 10 minutes of sleep, and here I am moving my neck in circles and looking from side to side, and up and down. Surprisingly enough, I felt super awake after doing these! I mean, not a drop of coffee in me or anything! According to the book, doing this every day will decrease my likelihood of developing a double chin! Can’t go wrong there, I guess.

Eye exercises

Yoga Postures: Last but not least, some actual poses! Nothing too intimidating here…no king pigeon or peacock or anything along those lines (not that I can actually do those anyway). Just a few basic poses to get you into the swing of things, including cobra, head to knee, and lotus pose along with some others. Indra promises to kick it up a notch once ‘your joints and muscles become more nimble and flexible’.

As you can probably imagine, this whole routine takes a bit of time. My first day, I only allotted about 15 minutes of my morning routine to try to get through this, which wasn’t enough considering I don’t have the routine memorized and had to read through the book as I went. So, I gave myself a little more time the next day and got through the whole routine.

In terms of results, nothing earth shattering as of yet. I did notice that I feel more awake than I normally do before a cup of coffee. As cliché as it sounds, after a couple days, I noticed a certain sense of calmness. Things didn’t seem to bother me as much. I didn’t become as irritable in traffic, or as impatient while waiting in lines. I don’t know, maybe it’s some sort of placebo effect.

Next week, you can expect a ‘lengthy discussion on the issues regarding food regimes’ and a half headstand. Yikes.

Meanwhile, someone appears to be in a foul mood. He is seriously pouting in every picture.

Yoga For You

Now, I understand that this post is a bit out of the norm for me. I thought I would change it up a bit. You know, give you a break from reading about spray paint and glitter.

You see, I’ve been kind of a yoga fan for a couple of years now. By yoga fan, I mean I attend yoga classes here and there. Two a week tops. This might not seem like a huge deal to the average person, but I’m probably the most athletically incapable person you’ll ever meet. Sure, I’m great at lots of other things, but sports have never been one if them. So for me to stick to a mildly regular exercise regimen is pretty huge.

Sadly, not everyone is as impressed by my ability to exercise semi-regularly. You see, my dad has repeatedly voiced that what I’m doing is not actually ‘real yoga’. Apparently what I’ve been doing is ‘just physical exercise’ and not representative of the true meaning of yoga. A couple of years ago, he gave me this book for Christmas. You know, to teach me the true meaning of yoga.

The book written by Indra Devi, who is often credited with bringing the practice of yoga to the Western world, is intended to be a 6 week course to teach you to apply the principles of yoga (real yoga) to your life.

I will say, I do tend to notice an improvement in my overall health when I attend yoga classes more regularly. I sleep better, my joints don’t bother me as much, I’m better at dealing with stress..the list goes on and on.

So, I’m thinking it might be a good idea to give this 6 week course a try! I mean, what do I have to lose? Obviously, there’s something to be said for this practice that’s been around for 6,000 years or so! All of these famous yogis live to be like 400 years old! Ok, that was an exaggeration but most do live to close to, if not past 100 (Indra lived to be 102!).

Ready for my plan? Here it is! I’m going to work my way through a chapter, (try to) apply it to my life, and write all about it right here! I’ll give you a brief summary of the lesson, whether or not I found it doable, and if I have actually noticed an impact on my physical or mental well being.

I know what you’re thinking. What qualifies me give out yoga advice? Absolutely nothing! I am not by any means giving yoga advice…I’m just giving this a try and reporting my honest results.

Why do I feel the need to share this? Primarily, to push myself to actually finish it. Having an audience definitely increases my chances of success, no? Secondly, I feel like there’s always value in an honest opinion from an average person. As you’ve probably already realized, I’m not some Birkenstock wearing, wheatgrass juice drinking hippie type. I would much rather a pair of stilettos and a glass of wine. I lead a pretty average life with a full time job. So, if something just isn’t doable for me, I’ll be sure to report just that! And I promise never to utter things like ‘we are all on the same path to enlightenment’ or anything of the sort.

The first chapter mentions observing the behavior of animals, so I did. Here is Jack during his morning practice. I’m kidding, he was bribed into these poses with treats.

Upward Dog

He does love yoga mats though! Whenever I lay it out at home, he runs over and starts stretching on it. Probably because he thinks it must be playtime since I’m sitting on the ground.

Child’s Pose

I would love to hear your thoughts on my little yoga challenge! Namaste!

Adventures Ahead!

With all the home improvements going on around here, I seem to sometimes almost forget that my boyfriend and I are embarking on an adventure of a lifetime in less than three months!

I’m really not exaggerating here. This isn’t some trip to New Hampshire or the cape that I’m just building up to be more than it is. We are going to Iceland! ICELAND!

Land of fire and ice, landscape of extremes, full of volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, and elves! And yes, I’m serious about the elves. The belief in Huldufólk or ‘hidden people’ is part of Icelandic folklore (I’ve recently learned from Wikipedia). I really hope to see one while I’m there. They’re invisible, so that probably won’t happen, but I am really hoping to come back with an elf experience to share.

Anyways! We leave in the first week of September and are doing a self drive tour along the south coast. A self-drive tour is basically hiring a tour company that is familiar with the sights and routes to plan a route for you and book your accommodations along the way. We then get a rental car, a GPS, and a map…and off we go! The idea seemed perfect when we first started looking this late last year. Since most of the sights we wanted to see were outside of Reykjavík, and we don’t know enough about the country to try to plan something like this out ourselves. I also love the idea of exploring at your own pace, which allows you to spend a little more time on things that interest you and a little less on things that don’t.

Based on the itinerary provided by our travel planner, I’ve made a little collage of expected highlights from our trip. Please note that none of these images are my own (as they are clearly captured by professional photographers).Also, I haven’t been there yet to capture my own images (you’ll see those in September!). Links to the sources are included below the photo.

I still can’t get over the fact that I’m going to see these in person! I am pretty sure ‘Blue Lagoon’ is the only one I’m pronouncing correctly, that’s where the planned tour part comes in handy (picture having to ask for directions to Jökulsárlón). We are going to be researching some of these sights a little more as our trip draws closer, so there’s a good chance you’ll see some future posts on the topic!

Clockwise from top left: