Operation Sick Body Mini Crisis

...So this morning I went to put on comfy cotton dress that I LOVE <3 and--devastation--it was too BIG! Add to the list of ill-fitting attire:

- favorite wide-leg jeans
- favorite boyfriend jeans

Glass half full: Workouts and eating healthy are having positive effects on both my mind and BODY! FTMFW

Glass half empty: My favorite clothes don't fit :( ...guess I have to go shopping? (Unfortunately shopping is NOT one of things on my "Random List of things I love)

In other news: J.D. in T-minus 3 days!

5 Sun Salutations and it's on!

Woke up this morning in a funk--feeling introspective and upset  disappointed with my inability to manage my expectations on some things.  Anyway, I spent the whole morning in a fog.  Got up later than I wanted to--9 a.m. and basically headed straight for the library...without so much as a short run or an asana.  


...to make a short-story-that-I-was-going-to-make-long short (LOL)...after toiling in the library for about an hour, I decided to find a quiet corner and practice some yoga.  Five sun salutations, a balance series and a warrior series later, THE FUNK IS GONE!   note to self: NEVER SKIP YOGA IN THE A.M. AGAIN.


Count Down to J.D.: T minus 5 days!!!


Slightly Related: God Given Name by Solange ---a little hippie music to soothe my hippie streak.


UPDATE: Just saw this message on greatday.com and wanted to share.  It's definitely helping me to keep things in perspective today.  Enjoy:

Happiness is your choice

Don't let your happiness be held hostage. It is always yours to choose, to live, to experience.

You don't need anyone else's permission to be happy. Your life is magnificent not because someone says it is, but because you choose to see it as such.

If you're unhappy, that's not someone else's fault. Take full responsibility for your own unhappiness, and you instantly gain the ability to create your own happiness.

Every day, you fulfill your most sincere expectations. Expect to be happy, and just like that, you are.

Stop seeking in vain to arrange circumstances that will make you happy. Simply choose to be happy, and your circumstances start to line up around that happiness.

Your happiness is your choice. Choose it any time you wish.

-- Ralph Marston

Read more:http://greatday.com/#ixzz0m8Qnmrt7

Navigation on, tryin' to find my next thrill....

LAST DAY OF LAW SCHOOL CLASSES EVER!! FTMFW!!!

"On to the next one"

That is all.  Carry on.

The Fruits of HIS Labor

So every night before I go to sleep I say my prayers.  This was something I did with my mom as a child, fell off when I was a teenager, but reinstated as an adult.  Except as an adult I do it a little different--when I pray at night I thank God for all that He has done and IS doing for me!  Sometimes it's just a general "Thank you Lord for ALL of my blessings," and others times its a more specific thank you.  And most critically, when I feel that I need something I thank Him that it WILL be done.  

²⁵Therefore I tell you, stop being ^[v]perpetually uneasy (anxious and worried) about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater [in quality] than food, and the body [far above and more excellent] than clothing?

    ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father keeps feeding them. Are you not worth much more than they?  

---Matthews 6:25-26 (Amplified Bible)

And every night after I thank God my spirit is settled, my body is calmed, and I drift off to sleep soon after--That's no coincidence.  During my teenage and college years when I didn't practice prayer every night, I had THE WORST time getting to sleep at night.  So I say all this to say--as a reminder to myself, and anyone who is reading this--that God has a plan, He is in control, and it is the by His grace, and not our own doing, that we are blessed with all that we have.  So no worries!

For nothing is impossible with God."--Luke 1:37 (NIV)

On a slightly related note, I practiced "A Fine Balance"  again this morning and there was definitely progress.  I was able to focus on my intention--"alignment with the Divine"--and with that intention I saw improvements in my abilities.  I was able to get fully into Eagle Pose on both sides

--in the past my right hip has been too tight to allow me to wrap my right toe around my left calf.  


Also, I was able to do Half Moon Pose on both sides! 

(Although I admit I had to come back for a second try on the left side).  I guess these early mornings are paying off :) FTW!


On a final note:  I think I am turning into a true runner.  I was thoroughly upset that it was raining this morning because I wanted to run outside.  Now, a true runner probably would have run in the rain...not there yet (don't know if I will ever be).  But still, I feel a lifestyle change arising in me. :)

Brief Study Break

...not to be confused with an interlude...


I am giving myself only 5 minutes to write this, and then it is back to work.


Two Things:

1. Tonight I decided to reintroduce caffeine into my system so I would be able to stay up until a decent hour to study.  So of course I headed straight to Starbs for a treat.  And treat it was.  Cherry Mocha Frapp ftmfw! And it worked; I'm wide awake and making progress on this sales outline.  Hopefully I can get to sleep tonight.
2. In the interest of multi-tasking, I figured out a way to practice some Yin Yoga while studying.  Definitely practicing half-lotus while sitting in my chair at the library--alternating legs of course.  Sitting like that actually helps me relax my shoulders and upper back while typing.  EXCELLENT.  Not to mention I can center while I study. Definitely Yin and Yang!  Zen while I study...whodda thunk?

Ok, I think I've exceeded my 5 minutes.  But I promise I'm really' studying...

See?

Did you ever notice....

...that just smiling can make you feel happy?  SERIOUSLY!  Try it right now, no one's watching you :)  And if your own super-scientific "try a smile" test doesn't convince you, these obviously authoritative articles on what is known as the "Facial Feedback Hypothesis" definitely will!

• Facial Feedback Hypothesis on Wiki
• Why Smiling Can Make You Happy on SelfGrowth.com

So today I hope you smile, especially if you are feeling like NOT smiling. That's the best time to do it.

NOW Playing: Greatness by Raheem Devaughn f/ Wale "You've got a smile that shines like the sun, so baby don't let no one ever steal your GREATNESS." #pow

Happy Monday!

"You have a hippie streak"

The title of this post is, without a doubt, my favorite statement from this (supposed) study weekend.  And get this. I heard it not once, but TWICE.  From two different people.  Which triggered one of my nugget-sized epiphanies I mentioned yesterday: People get me... well at least the smart ones ;)  More than getting me, it really opened my eyes to the fact that I have some great people in my life these days who pay as much attention and care about me as much as I do to them.  That thought: Overwhelmingly Gratifying.  Ahhhhh.


I'm sure anyone who actually reads this is probably so over me talking about how GREAT I am feeling these days.  But sorry, I can't contain it.  My mood is sky high.  The only thing that could make my outlook any better these days is if I had time to devote to ALL of the things I want do:


All the Things I'm Going to Do When Exams End

• Finish reading "The Secret Life of Bees"
• Cook This and This and This
• Try Bikram Yoga
• Buy more candles
• Watch the new DVD I bought for $4.99 (FTW!)
• Catch up on the news
• Get hardcore with my running routine
• Train for a 10k
• Run another 5k, or 2 or 3
• Finally write the informative blog post I promised last week

I'm sure there are plenty of other things I will do!  Some of which I may have intentionally neglected to leave off post on the internet O_o.  But yes, there it is.  And there you have it.

Back to school work in T-minus 24 minutes.  Maybe I can squeeze in a chapter of Bees? 

Totally UNRELATED: I can't stop listening to this song by my BOO Drake. "... you'd be the baddest girl around town... and they'd notice."  Yes! Drake, sing it to me. :)

Rise and Shine

Waking up to the sound of birds chirping as the sun rises? YES PLEASE!  Waking up at 5 a.m. to the sound of the new neighbor's dog howling?  Not so much.  And if that didn't make me cranky enough...I just typed a whole post then accidentally erased it.  Epic Blogger Fail #2  But I won't be discouraged :)  


This weekend is (supposedly) all about studying and grinding out this LAST 2 WEEKS OF SCHOOL EVER!  Hence the lack of posting yesterday.  But I am really proud of myself for not neglecting my workouts--I had a great long(ish) run yesterday morning and will be practicing "A Fine Balance" before I do any school work today.  I think I am getting the hang of this balanced life thing.  Love it!


On another note, this week has been filled with small, nugget-sized epiphanies.  I won't spell them all out, but the culmination of them is that I now feel super secure with the idea of living in N.C. after graduation.  My ability to be truly happy here has been a source of intermittent worry over the last 10 months.  But now, no more worries. YAY!


I need to go get the day started, but I will leave you with this inspirational message from Ralph Marston at greatday.com: 

Lift up all that is

Anger hurts just as much whether it is going out from you or coming toward you. Love is just as beautiful when you are giving it as when you receive it.

Much of what seems to happen to you is happening through you. Much of what feels like outer experience is really inner expression viewed from a wider perspective.

Your influence extends as far as your awareness will allow. Your intentions begin to fill your whole world the moment they arise.

You are not separate from the rest of life. You are life.

You cannot gain advantage by seeking to take that advantage from anyone or anything else. Give your best, lift up all that is, and you are lifted.

Your positive influence touches all you know. Keep it ever strong and continually refreshed.

-- Ralph Marston

Bootylicious: An Ode to "Sick Bods"

Today--like all other days this week--was GREAT!!  Everything is coming up Tiff these days and I love it.  I hadn't check the mail in over a week and when I checked it today my first free FITNESS magazine was in there.  FTMFW!

Anyway, this post is an homage to my four fave celeb crushes, and their Ridiculous, Amazing, BOOTYLICIOUS, "Sick Bods." 

First up, Kim Kardashian--I call her Kim K. for short.  LOVE HER!  She is beautiful and her body is definitely sick.  I love her curves--especially that booty.  Visit her website or follower her on twitter. 

Next up, we have Bey Carter aka Beyonce bka "Sasha Fierce."  Bey inspires me because 1) her abs are slammin' and 2) her body didn't always look like this--she works to keep it tight.  Vist her website or twitter her.

Not to be forgotten, MY BOO Nicki Minja aka Nicki Lewinski aka Nicki da Boss (lol)--"She's such a Barbie."  Her booty is inspiring--what can I say?  "I like big butts and I cannot lie."  And I know what all you haters out there are going to say: "Didn't you hear Nicki has butt implants?"  And to that I say: Who the hell cares? I can't lie--Nicki's booty-to-waist ratio was a major inspiration for Operation "Sick Bod."  Don't judge me :) www.twitter.com/nickiminaj

And last but not least, my other BOO Miss Amber Rose.  I had a hard time finding a pic of Miss Amber that I could put up here because...well...she's mostly naked in all of them.  And yes, I am aware that she is semi nude in one of these--but it's artistic.  It's actually a reshoot of one done earlier of Grace Jones.  But anyway, I love Amber Rose because she dresses OUTRAGEOUSLY (when she wears clothes)--and I mean that in a good way.  And of course because her body looks great.  Google her if you don't believe me :) 

So there you have it: my Operation Sick Bod inspirations.

WHO WOULD YOU PUT ON YOUR LIST?

Short and Sweet...

Some people might say the title of this post describes me...*crickets* Right. I'd tend to disagree too--I'm not SHORT!

Anyway, to get to the point, today has been AWESOME.  LOA ftmfw!  (F.Y.I. LOA stands for Law of Attraction.  I'll let you google "ftmfw" if you don't already know what that means :) )  I don't have a lot of time so I will spare you the play by play.  What I will say is that I was able to--or will be able to be before going to bed--check off every single solitary item on my to-do list for today.  That feels great, amazing, spectacular, etc, etc, etc.

I had a little trouble getting out of bed this morning--but that's nothing new.  But the morning run and work out definitely set the day off right.  Anusara yoga was amazing.  While practicing I really tried being attentive to my intentions--Muscular Energy (hugging the muscles to the bones) and Organic Energy (extending energy out).  My favorite pose in the sequence was this one:

"Vasisthasana (variation) " or "Wild Thing"

Practing this pose seemed to lengthen my entire spine as well as my sides.  It also reminded me of modern dance--which I LOVE! 

I had the most trouble with this pose:

"Vasisthasana" or  "Side Plank Pose"

I wasn't able to do the fully extended version like the chick in the picture.  Instead I practiced this variation:

I know, not quite as impressive.  But I am definitely going to work up to the the full extension of the pose.  I planned to practice this sequence again this evening because I thought I might be able to balance better when I am not coming straight off of a run.  Unforunately I don't think that's in the master's plan for this evening.  Although I will be practicing Sweet Surrender...again...for the third night in a row.  (Can you tell I love that sequence?)  I sleep so good after doing it, and I think it is helping with some chronic discomfort that I have in my upper back.

....Hmmmm guess this wasn't so "short and sweet" after all huh?

Ciao!  Off to check that last item off my to-do list.

Totally Unrelated:  Downloaded a new (to me) Drake Mix Tape this morning and found this gem.  This remake takes me back to sophmore year of college when this came out.

Yin and Anusara...Yoga that is

Seriously, Yoga Home Practice Guide on YogaJournal.com is making my life this week.  I love learning about the different styles of yoga, and the home practice guide is just what I need to keep my life in balance this week. 

"Practice Balance So that Your Life Will be in Balance"--A Yogi

So last night, after studying in the library until about 11:30 pm--maybe later--, I went home and tried "Sweet Surrender."  I thought the name of the sequence was fitting because I wanted a relaxing practice to help calm my thoughts and put me to bed for the evening.  This sequence was PERFECT for that.  Normally when I practice yoga, I'm all about the POWER and the FLOW classes--but at what ended up being 12:30 a.m. I was definitely too tired for that.  But Sweet Surrender is a Yin Yoga sequence.  I'd never heard of or tried Yin before, but after practicing it last night, I am definitely going to incorporate it into my iYogi repertoire.

This practice was all about stillness, calm and meditation.  The guide suggests holding each asana (pose) for 3-5 minutes.  Aside from the physical benefits of remaining in these poses for an extended time, the mental benefits of this practice is what made it super worthwhile:

"Holding poses for three to five minutes often brings up discomfort. Yin conditions you to stay with the intense sensations that arise, rather than quickly moving into the next pose. “It trains you to become more comfortable with discomfort instead of becoming alarmed."

--Andrea Ferretti, Sarah Powers, yogajournal.com

YES!  Learning how to be comfortable with discomfort has been a goal of mine over the last year.  "Feel the feelings"--that's what I say these days.  Who knew yoga could help with that too!  Needless to say I am practicing Sweet Surrender again tonight--regardless of what time I make it to bed.

Also, tomorrow morning I'm going to try "A Fine Balance."  This sequence is from the Anusara Yoga methodology.  "Anusara" means "flowing with Grace" "flowing with nature" "following your heart."  So tomorrow morning--after a short run--I will attempt to "Align with the Divine" through this sequence...and of course I will post about it :)


TOTALLY unrelated: Now Playing: Rude Boy by Rhianna

"You Look Extra Ripped"

Ok, don't really have time to be doing this right now... but I am anyway.  So it's going to be short.  Just two things really:

1.  One of my friends told me I look "extra ripped these days."  I take that as a compliment--my workouts are paying off FTMFW!!!  But in all honesty, I don't know if I'd consider myself "extra" ripped.  Most people probably would because, I must admit, I do have some guns on me.  But there was a time when I was super strong--back in college when I cheered competively.  In the interest of time, and because pictures often tell the story better:

Now: 2010

Moderately Ripped

Then: 2007

"Extra Ripped"

(That's me on the far left, BTW)

2. Today I learned about yogadownloads.com from Jill at irunieat.com.  Perfect because my busy schedule this week has me worried about sticking to my workout schedule this week--which btw is essentially the same as last week.  I also came acrossed this gem on my fave yoga website--->Yoga Home Practice Guide on YogaJournal.com.  Operation Sick Bod saved for the week! Nailed it!

Ok, I have what I hope will be an interesting, or at least informational blog planned for some time this week.  Hopefully I can squeeze it in.... And now that I've mentioned, I guess I have to make it GREAT!

A Taste of the "Foodie" Life

I love being inspired! And this week I was inspired by this -->afoodiestaysfit.com and this--->First Camera, Then Fork (also courtesy of Teri at afoodiestaysfit.com).  So today I am giving this foodie-blog-girl thing a try.

This a.m. I vacillated back and forth about trying a yoga class at this hippie yoga center downtown.  But spontaneity is the spice of life, and so I went... And LOVED IT!  More on that later.  But the point is after I was finished with what amounted to a private lesson in vinyasa yoga, I was craving a homemade smoothie.  Problem: I don't have a blender.  Well, I didn't but I immediately ran to Target and found the perfect single-serving blender for a pretty price point! $15.99 FTW!  See pic on right ---------->

Fast forward to me mixing up ingredients in my kitchen and the Blog pops into my head.  And my first "foodie" post was conceived.  So here it is:

"Ingredients"

Frozen fruit: strawberries, mangos, pineapples, Fresh fruit: bananas, Simply Raspberry Lemonade, Vanilla yogurt.

"Finished Product"

This smoothie was DELISH!  Seriously, I will never buy another smoothie out again.  Ok that might be an exaggeration.  But I loved making this at home.  It was simple and simply delicious.  Can't wait to make another one.

So after my yoga class I was also craving a scrumptious lunch.  That reminded me of Teri's blog post about the open-faced roasted-veggie sandwich (in case you missed it above).  Decided to make my own, here's how it goes:

• 
  
  roasted veggies: squash, green beans, carrots, red pepper, onion, zucchini tossed in a little olive oil, oven-roasted at 400 for about 30 minutes
• 
  
  cream cheese
• 
  
  tangy barbecue sauce
• 
  
  toasted bagel, halfed, with the center slightly scooped out.
• 
  
  shredded parmesan cheese
• 
  
  ASSEMBLY: spread cream cheese on inside of scooped out bagle, spoon a little tangy barbecue sauce over the cream cheese, pile high with roasted veggies, sprinkle with shredded parmesan.
• 
  
  FEAST

Ok, so does this post make me a foodie?  Doubtful!  Actually, I'm pretty sure it doesn't.  But blogging about food was super fun.

So my day so far has been Delightful.  Went to yoga at The Yoga Gallery where I got instruction on how to improve my practice.  We did a flow-based class on the warrior series of poses and concluded with pigeon pose.  All these poses were about alignment and opening of the hips.  After an hour and a half, lets just say my hips are feeling SUPER open. O_o.    Unfortunately now I have to turn my attention away from all this AWESOME stuff and back to studying. WOMP WOMP WOMP. 

But I see the light at the end of the table-- Graduation is May 16-17, 2010!

Maybe I'm Being a Pansy but...

...I skipped my scheduled run this morning because I did something to my ankle when I was running on Wednesay.  What you ask?  Who knows! I don't.  But what I do know is that I was walking around with a limp yesterday after running on it on Friday--and by limp I mean dragging my leg kind of like this cat.  Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration...but it might not be.

But anyway, my natural instinct was to SUCK IT UP.  "Pain is weakness leaving the body."  And that's what I did on Friday morning...and thats why I was walking around like lame duck on Friday evening.  Even still, I feel kind of like a pansy for wimping out.  But at least real pansies are pretty :)

So in lieu of the work out, what did I do?  I went to breakfast with a friend.  Yup! Sweet potato pancakes FTMFW!! They were great.  Good thing operation sick bod doesn't include any particular diet--yet.  Will determine if that is necessary at a later stage.  As of now, I just try to eat out less and eat at home more, pay attention to calories and practice portion control...

Despite the epic workout fail this morning, the day shaped up ok--at least in context.  Context = Exam Season at Worrel High aka Law School.  So I spent the entire day studying Criminal Procedure.  Well, the entire day minus a brief-interlude-that-turned-into-two-hour break. O_o *side-eye deluxe*  But anyway, I guess the BITTITHB (haha) was "just what the doctor ordered" because after that I studied for almost 8 hours straight.  WOOOSH.... Too bad I still have a million more pages of notes to consolidate into an outline for that class, not to mention another class to study for and a paper to research and write.  Did I mention the semester ends in two weeks and I have exams in three weeks?   Right.

Blog Situation = Accountability

So there are pros and cons to staying up all night creating another fitness blog:

Pros:

• Blogs are awesome!
• Fitness blog = fitness accountability

Cons

• Sleepy, tired, and sleepy
• Can't concentrate because I just want to be in the blogosphere
• BLOG HATERS--yes I said it.  And to those blog haters reading this, please click here.

But yeah.  So even though I stayed up until 1:30 working on this blog situation, blog-accountability made me get up this morning at 7am for my Friday workout-in-brief.  FTW!  Still, the treadmill run was a struggle this morning.  It was super boring.  No male eyecandy in the gym on Friday morning--unfortunate.  Right.  I need to come up with google some fun running routes in town. 

Ok.  Back to struggling to understand Criminal Procedure.  But at least I have Pandora.  Here's a link to my study-session Station---> Dwele Radio #pandora.

...another fitness blog

So I'm doing this work-out thing. You know, trying to get in sick shape for... well just for life. Decided to blog about it because that's what all the cool kids are doing. We'll see how this goes.

So here was my proposed workout schedule for this week:

• Monday: Skipped the workout (YIKES)
• Wednesday: 8am -10am 40 Minute Run + 1 Hour BodyFLOW class
• Friday: 8am-10am 40 minute Run + 1 Hour Yoga class
• Saturday: Morning run--outside if doable
• Sunday: 1-2pm BodyFLOW

I feel you judging me because I clearly skipped my workout on Monday--I feel like there was a good reason but I can't remember it now. 

Also, unfortunately my Friday workout will be less than proposed because I have to meet with a professor at 10am for a class that I TA.  So no Yoga.  DANG!  That blows my life because I was sooo looking forward to that class.  I have been taking lots of power yoga and BodyFLOW classes which I love because they get my heart rate up and are great for toning the bod in all the right places.  But I need to reincoporate some other forms of yoga because I want to improve my flexibility and poses.

Oh, so maybe you're wondering WTH is BodyFLOW?  BAM! Follow that link to enlightenment.  It's a great workout! A great addition to my iYogi repertoire.  See if they have it at your gym and try it immediately!

Ok, well that's all for now.  Hopefully I'll be back soon with more stuff to write about...oh and a better layout, some pics, more links, etc, etc, etc.

Ciao!