I’m very open to what I will accept as mediation and always have been, but I also recognize that I am not very good at sitting still and being quite. (Note the photography above of Maggie not being still with her sister.) My boyfriend nicknamed me Chatty Cathy long ago.
The way peace and calm are described in the book seems to strike a cord with me. He talks about thinking of yourself like a pebble sinking through the silky waters of a pond until you gently hit the soft sediment below where nothing is pushing or pulling you. I […]
I have to admit, I’ve never been very good at meditating. I seem to fall asleep, get bored, or get antsy. I don’t have the willpower of my older sister who attended a Sit for 10 days, where she literally sat still all day, everyday.
Yet, there is an aspect of mediation that is appealing to me. I like imagining the calm, the stillness of mind. I’ve started reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh. It was recommended to me by someone at the gym.
I’m really enjoying it and I find that it relates to Pilates, and in that aspect, I can relate. One of the chapters is on mindfulness. When you are breathing, you are supposed to notice you are breathing. When you are brushing your teeth, you are supposed to focus on brushing your teeth; when you are washing dishes, you are supposed to be washing dishes. Your mind shouldn’t be elsewhere (a virtual impossibility if you ask me, but a grand idea).
But the truth is, that is what Pilates is all about. Pilates is supposed to make you […]
When Matt and I were in Tennessee last month we tried indoor sky diving. It’s right up my alley since I’d love to sky dive, but am terrified about leaping out of a plane. I don’t like most rides, but indoor skydiving wasn’t scary at all. It was just fun and a lot warmer than I expected. They pump warm air onto you. For some reason I expected cool air.
Best of all, I think Pilates helped me “fly” better. When they put the air on, you have to hold your body in a very specific way so that you don’t tip forward or backward because the air will push you in different directions. It was a fun challenge.
I searched for places in Connecticut you can indoor sky dive and the closest place I found was Nashua, NH, which claims to be the only place you can do it in New England. I’ve never been there, but it was fun in TN and if you’re up for a good adventure your might want to try it out.
My only complaint was that for all the prep, you […]
Oh my gosh, it’s August. Summer is half over (but let’s not think about that). In Connecticut it only just started to feel like summer–the muggy New England August is finally here.
I’ll admit, I’ve felt a little sluggish since the humidity kicked in last week. I imagine everyone feels it on some level. Here are some tips to help stay cool and refreshed in order to stay motivated to workout and have energy for your life: