This is a HILARIOUS sign that my husband and I saw while we were in Bodega Bay…LOL!! I'll remember this when I'm feeling lazy and get moving instead because I don't know about you, but I don't want my ass clapping for me;)
"Frenchie Friday"!
"Stella" LOVES doing her yoga too...I can't get my mat out without her running over to do one good "up dog" and "down dog"! I think she actually thinks I get it out just for her;) Have a fit, fun, fantastic Friday!!
Yoga DVD I LOVE to build strength
I absolutely LOVE this workout. It's called Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown and it's different from any other yoga workout I've tried. I have many Jillian workouts and I love her DVDs that require weights, but I love having this one as an alternate because I don't want to train the same muscles in the same way every day...it's great to mix it up!
What's different about this yoga approach? It has that "Jillian" twist on it...she makes it harder by repping out the poses! She explains a pose and then has you move within the pose using your own body weight. She then has you hold each pose at the end of each move. What does this do? It gets your heart rate up to burn more fat...and you're creating LEAN muscle by using your own body weight!
This workout has 2 levels, so you can start with level one and work your way up to level two. I've been doing this DVD, along with her other workout DVDs for years and bottom line....they work!
She does do a couple of bonus moves in level two that I'd never fully been able to do...until last week! All of a sudden I was finally able to do a pose called "crow"...I need to work on getting my knees up on my elbows next, but this is a start! It's exciting to see yourself improve by putting in the hard work! I encourage you to give it a try and I hope you love it. It's a great way to add some yoga to your workouts without having to go to a class and feeling like you have no idea what you're doing;) I'll leave you with a pic of me finally getting my feet off the ground in "crow"!
A Belief Is Just a Thought You Keep Thinking...
When's the BEST time to plant a tree? 20 years ago. When's next best time? RIGHT NOW! I just heard this in a seminar this week and it's SO true! It's not too late to DO what you should've DONE!! It's not too late to be the person you always knew you could be. Believe in yourself. One of my favorite quotes from Abraham Hicks is... "A belief is just a thought you keep thinking." Change your story, change your beliefs about yourself right now if they are not the beliefs that make you the best you, the happiest you, the most empowered you that YOU can be. I'm in the process of learning how to do this for myself and it's amazing how much happier I feel throughout my days. If you learn how to love yourself MORE...not from an "ego" place, from a place that makes you BELIEVE that you're worthy, that you're capable, that there's nothing that can stop you from living the life others only dream about. The only person holding you back is you.
Think of something you KNOW you should have started a long time ago. Take a moment to think back when you were younger...what were your dreams? What did you WANT out of life? So many people lost sight of their dreams...so much so that they forget what they were or that they even had them because "life gets in the way". Most people can say what they don't want instead of what they do want. That's okay! That's actually a great place to start. By knowing what you don't want....you can decide what you do want. That's the first step. That's the beauty in the "contrast" we have in life...without it we wouldn't be able to truly LIVE our dreams.
Do something different today....change your story today....make a list of all the things you WANT out of life today...and watch what the universe starts to deliver.
How the "Cuddy Pose" can increase your chances for success!
I first heard of the Cuddy Pose on Ted Talks...Have you seen TED talks? I only started watching them since we've had Netflix...they are a non-profit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Many of the TED talks I've seen are very interesting but I saw one recently that really spoke to me. It was a talk by Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy and she demonstrates this...Don't fake it until you make it, fake it until you BECOME it! She explains how assuming a power pose...imagine Wonder Woman standing confidently with her hands on her hips...for just two minutes can change the levels of testosterone and cortisol in the body SIGNIFICANTLY. It was amazing the scenarios that they put people in that proved this is true! Her own story was really moving...how much she has accomplished in her life when the odds were stacked against her and everyone told her what she COULDN'T do. Well, she faked it until she BECAME it...and now she's teaching others to do it too...at Harvard!
We know that body language can impact the way OTHERS see us....but can it impact the way we see OURSELVES? She proves this by running tests that show a significant change in the brain's chemistry after only TWO minutes of just holding a simple pose! This is such a great tool that I wish I would've known about sooner!
The next time you feel like you need a confidence boost, put your arms up in the air over your head or open your arms in any way for 2 minutes! Here is the full video, take the 20 minutes out of your life to watch it.... it just might change your life!!
http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
I think you will find it extremely interesting and useful...it might just have an impact on your chances for success!
Amy Cuddy demonstrating a power pose. The Cuddy Pose.
Gain confidence in just 30 days - The 30 Day Discipline
Have you ever tried a 30 day discipline? It's a personal growth tool that is very powerful. We all have things in our lives that we know we SHOULD be doing, or should NOT be doing for that matter…but it seems so overwhelming to make a change that we have to stick to for the rest of our life when we are already set in our ways. So we do nothing. We stay put. We do what is more comfortable.
The 30 day discipline is a great way to make small changes, develop new habits...and it's SO simple. When you think about making a change only temporarily it doesn't seem so hard anymore. You will still feel great for having completed it! You will have developed a new habit and may find you want to continue! When you finish the 30-days, you will be surprised at how much confidence you've gained by completing it! You will feel a sense of accomplishment. We all want that feeling to last because it feels good. Doing a 30-day discipline is a great way to get that feeling:) The best part is, if it doesn't suit you, that's OK! You can go back to your old habits AND still feel good about your accomplishment.
All you have to do is try…don't give up, commit to 30 days and then re-evaluate. Maybe when it's over, it has become a new habit and you want to make it a lifestyle change. Maybe you're still not so sure...you've gained confidence but you're still not sold. That's OK too! Try another 30 days, or 60, or 90. Whatever you need to do to move closer to your goal.
So, what will happen after you complete your 30-day discipline? First, you'll have gone far enough to establish a habit. It will now be easier to maintain than it was to begin. Second, you'll break the addiction of that old habit in that amount of time. Third, you'll have that feeling of success (you'll have 30 days under your belt!), this will give you the confidence to want to continue. Fourth, and this is the best one…you will have 30 days of RESULTS which will give you a great outlook on what to expect if you continue! This can help you make more long-term decisions.
Make a list of 30 day disciplines you'd like to try. You can always start with something small and tackle the harder ones once you've gained more confidence. Here are some ideas…what could you do each day for 30 days?
Do my 30 Day 7 Minute Workout Challenge!
- Watch no TV (this included watching shows on the internet!)
- Eat NO refined sugar
- Don't eat after 8:00pm
- Drink Ginger Lemon Tea each morning, first thing
- Take a 30 minute walk
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes
- Spend 30 minutes on organizing your home or office
- Give up soda, cigarettes, or coffee
- Drink at least 64oz of water
- Read for 1 hour
- Write in a journal for 1 hour
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for
- Wake up earlier
- Go to bed earlier
- Think or say NO negative thoughts…THIS is a tough one, not many people can get through this one…but the fun part is…to keep trying!
Ok, GO FOR IT!! I'm really excited to hear from you all, feel free to share your stories with me!