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.

8 Mindful Eating Tips

It is our annual Mindful Eating Challenge. We do this in February for two reasons. Honestly, the shortest month of the year is appealing if you are going to do a food challenge. But also, many of us tend to set healthy goals in January. Many of us have lost track of those goals by February. This is a second reset—a reminder.

I know one of my goals for January was to stop distracted eating—not scrolling through social media, watching TV, or working through meals. It lasted one and a half weeks.

No Pressure

This month is not about pressure. You may or may not do your goal perfectly. The point is to pick something you’d like to change/think about/learn about the food you consume and how it fuels you and makes you feel.

In the past, I always gave up sugar for the month of February. Almost no one wanted to do that with me. So a couple years ago at the advise of Stephanie Tishler from Tishler Coaching Services we changed this to the Mindful Eating Challenge. It’s now much more popular.

Some Suggestions

You can pick anything you want to focus on. Here […]

8 Mindful Eating TipsMaggie Downie2019-01-30T10:38:55-05:00

Setting Intentions

A few months ago I started taking a yoga class for the first time in about 17 years. I’ve always struggled with holding poses in yoga. I’m not so good at the stillness, so I’ve often stayed away from yoga. For the most part, this power yoga class moves pretty fast and the moves are fun and challenging but manageable. I’m really enjoying the class even though it requires me to get up early on a Sunday. One of the aspects that I’ve come to really appreciate is setting an intention at the start of each class.

Focus

It gives me a focal point that I can return to when my mind wanders or I’m frustrated on my progress or discomfort in a pose. I think, “Well, Maggie, your intention was to breathe, so focus there and see if it helps or what you notice” or “your intention was to find comfort, so ease off today and let it be comfortable” This is a simple idea and no shocking surprise that it’s a way to refocus, but I definitely never appreciated that concept years ago. And in a world that moves at a […]

Setting IntentionsMaggie Downie2019-01-16T15:00:48-05:00

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther King

Guess I can enjoy an 8 hour hike in the woods alone because I’m an introvert.

My best friend from childhood came for a sleep over (is that still the term once you are an adult?) and suggested I take a quick, online Myers Briggs test. The Myers Briggs test is a personality test that is supposed to tell you how you perceive the world and what motivates your decision making. Offices sometimes use them to help people work together and understand coworkers’ motivations. I presumed it would be somewhat relevant, but in the way a daily horoscope could work for almost anyone on any given day. While fun I would not put a lot of stock in horoscopes.

But who cares if it is accurate or not? It’s fun to answer questionnaires like we used to do in magazines as teenagers in her basement bedroom that was decorated with Absolute Vodka advertisements. Now sitting in my living room, snuggled in warm blankets I took the 15-minute quiz. Some questions were easy to answers, others were more challenging. Do you think organization or flexibility is more important? What are they looking for? […]

Myers Briggs I’m No Martin Luther KingMaggie Downie2019-01-16T15:18:22-05:00

Moves for a Desk Jobs

Sitting isn’t always bad!

A study estimates that people spend in average 18 years of their life sitting. We definitely need to get up and move more, but if we have a desk job that isn’t always an easy option. But there are ways we can fit movement in at our desk. Recently, at a speaking engagement geared toward individuals who primarily work at a desk, I was asked two questions:

1) What is a great way to stretch your chest while at your desk?

Spinal Rotation is a fan favorite. It is rare to find a person who doesn’t like this rotational exercise. While normally done on the floor, you can alter it to be done from your chair. That means you can fit it in during a quick break. You can also stand up and try it too! Explore movement that feels good to you.

2) What can you […]

Moves for a Desk JobsMaggie Downie2018-11-07T11:06:12-05:00

Chakra Dance

Our team at Personal Euphoria gets together quarterly to do an activity. Most recently we tried Chakra Dancing with Anne Stamatakis from Circle of Life Holistic Health. I’m familiar with Chakras in that I would have told you they are different colored balls of energy relating to different parts of the body. So, I guess, on second thought, I would say I’m not at all familiar with Chakras, which is part of what intrigued me.

I’ve known Anne for years. She has taken our group classes and private lessons and for years I’ve been meaning to try one of her classes. Lack of time made me hesitate. But, if I’m being honest, I presumed Chakra Dance was a little out of my comfort zone.

Clearly, I know myself well. This turned out to be way out of my comfort zone. Anne is a fantastic guide on the journey, but how uncomfortable I felt made me additionally uncomfortable. I could not believe how hard it was for me to let go. Letting go required work, which seems like a contradiction. I often found myself […]

Chakra DanceMaggie Downie2018-12-14T09:45:11-05:00

Previous 222324 Next