Maggie Downie, Author at Personal Euphoria: Pilates & Fitness Classes in CT

About Maggie Downie

Thank you for giving your time to stop and read my blog. I hope it encourages you to keep moving. Move and the body will be happier. And when you're moving you can hike, run, swim in Jell-O, race over non-Newtonian fluids, travel the world or build igloos--if that's your thing. If not, you can watch me do it. This is just a spot to try and feel good about life.

Conquering Fear in Mongolia

Golden Eagle in Mongolia

A documentary called the Eagle Huntress inspired me to go to Mongolia. It’s a film about a young girl who wants to be the first eagle hunter in Mongolia in a world where that role is passed from father to son. It’s a beautiful movie. I highly recommend it.

Opportunity in Mongolia

Along our travels, unexpectedly, at a tourist destination there was an opportunity to hold a golden eagle. Matt jumped at the chance. I wanted to hold the massive bird, but was desperately afraid. The wingspan of these giant birds is wider than I am tall. As we walked around the site, I kept thinking, “if I leave this country without holding an eagle when I have the chance, I will be so mad at myself. I have to do it.” I told Matt. He’d help me get the job done. Accountability and support from those we care about can help us do many things we are unsure we can manage.

Overcoming Fear in Mongolia

My fear was that the bird would peck out my eyes or tear off my ear, so I wanted those areas protected. I put […]

Conquering Fear in MongoliaMaggie Downie2019-10-11T16:08:31-04:00

Hiking Mt Adams

Five years ago I was hiking Mt. Adams in the White Mountains, but I turned back about 60 feet from the summit because high winds made me struggle to stay upright. Those 60 feet mattered so I never checked it off the list in my attempt to climb all the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire.

Second Attempt Hiking Mt Adams

Recently I decided to try again. To make things interesting I opted to take King’s Ravine trail, known for being one of the more challenging trails in the White Mountains. It is on the Terrifying 25 list. That means it has slides, rock scrambles, and boulder caves. It sounded fun. Plus it had an option to detour onto a trail called the Subway which provided the opportunity to climb over rocks, squeeze through some tight tunnels, throw your pack up on a rock and spin around underneath it and pull yourself though and then grab your pack and continue on. We were all scrapped up after the Subway but smiling and pleased with ourselves.

Unusual Circumstances

That morning before we knew the fun of the rock tunnels, we were greeted at the trailhead by a legitimate-looking […]

Hiking Mt AdamsMaggie Downie2019-11-08T10:17:12-05:00

Hartford Marathon Inspiration

Finishing the Hartford Marathon

Thirteen years ago I ran the Hartford Marathon without training. It was a terrible idea and I wasn’t in the shape required to run 26.2 miles. The strangers on the sidelines inspired me to keep going. They had come to see a friend or family member running, but they’d cheer me on by mentioning something specific about me as I ran by them.

You Are An Inspiration

I often remember the crowds that day who came out in the pouring rain and made such a difference in my ability to reach a goal. Do you realize how often you motivate people? Sometimes we take for granted or don’t always recognize the ways in which we inspire others. But we inspire people all the time in ways they remember that aren’t a blip on our radar.

From mile 14 on, I pretty much considered quitting every five minutes. Then a stranger would say something that boosted my spirits. None of them remember me. They saw thousands of runners sprint passed. They stood in the rain for hours to support a bunch of crazy runners and it was their words of encouragement […]

Hartford Marathon InspirationMaggie Downie2019-10-01T16:20:24-04:00

Excuse Not to Meditate

Though I deem them somewhat vain, I’ve been fascinated by personality tests since taking an online Myer’s Briggs test earlier this year. Then over the weekend I explored the Enneagram personality test. I spent hours of my weekend reading about and listening to podcasts trying to describe who I am and what motivates me. Was I actually learning something or just navel gazing? I do think I came up with an excuse not to meditate. Turns out meditation doesn’t suit my personality.

Nothing I learned came as a surprise. In the Enneagram world I’m a One: the Perfectionist (or more endearingly the Reformer). What does that mean? Apparently, I have pretty strong ethics and want to make the world a better place. In my attempt to achieve these goals I keep myself busy, am OCD (or maybe we can call this organized), can be very critical, set high ideals for myself and others, and I may never learn to meditate—the very gift that might most help me improve the world.

The Perfectionist

As a “Perfectionist” I create lists like they are going out of style. Each night I sit down and write a to-do list that is impossible to achieve in a day. […]

Excuse Not to MeditateMaggie Downie2019-08-14T15:04:00-04:00

Meditation: Nothing Required

I got myself geared up to meditate. To prepare, or maybe it would be fair to say to postpone even the prospect of meditation, I considered what I truly required in order to meditate to my full potential. Though all that is essential for mindful introspection is a living body and mind, I decided I needed an entire room devoted to mindful contemplation.

A Meditation Room

Instead of sitting in the chaos of my life and contemplating, breathing, or trying to quiet my mind, I added another item to my to-do list: create a meditation room.

For Christmas I asked for all the items one would need to meditate properly: mandala wall hangings, purple hanging lights made in China, a diffuser with essential oils, and small knick-knacks like a figure of someone sitting cross-legged. With all my items gathered, I took to transforming a small room in the attic into the ideal meditation haven.

Proper Preparation

I entered with vacuum, lemon oil, rags, and paint brushes to wipe the walls of cobwebs and vacuum years of dust and debris. With minimal curses, I dragged out the abandoned futon frame hiding in the room for years. Once […]

Meditation: Nothing RequiredMaggie Downie2019-08-12T12:28:13-04:00

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