Halloween and the Holidays - Unite Mind, Body, Spirit

Happy Halloween!

I hope you're treating yourself today and tonight to some funfilled Halloween goodies - maybe a scary movie, trick-or-treating, a costume party, some yummy candy, or perhaps a warm latte among all the excitement just because you can....

I'm wrapping up work late this afternoon, taking a spooky step class (costumes, candy and step!), then dressing up with some friends and going to people watch! Since my costume's homemade (and pretty much a tacky combo of what's currently in my closet - I'm going 80s Flashdance style!), I highly doubt I'll turn heads, but it's always fun to see costume creativity and laughs on Halloween. I'm excited!

Now, on to my next thought: I was invited to a Halloween get-together for the early evening, but I bowed out - It's tradition for me to go to my favorite step class. Like I mentioned above, the costumes, jokes, "Thriller", plus a heart-pumping movement class - it'll give me energy for the evening and a refreshing sweat!

How can you give yourself that joy through movement? Whether it's a community of people in a class, or a buddy or solo walk/run, or a yoga sequence - how can you connect within and perhaps with others too?

I was training a client last night, and instead of our usual resistance training, she wanted to delve into more core work on the floor. She'd had a rough, jam-packed week and needed some grounding, deep breathing and core strengthening.

After I took her through an introductory hour of Pilates and Ashtanga yoga, I sensed her calmness and release of stress. She said it was exactly what she needed, and she wants more yoga in her week. We talked more about the meaning of yoga - about how we could incorporate more Pilates/yoga into our sessions to balance out her week along with maintaining the traditional resistance training and aerobic training.

Yoga basically means "union of the mind, body, spirit", or "union of the whole person". I believe that whenever you can be present in your body while being conscious of your mind and spirit, that's called yoga.

One doesn't necessarily have to be in Warrior I or Savasana. You can be running, being mindful of the heel-ball-toe approach along with rhythmic breath patterns. You can be in a step class, conscious of your core and range of motion while adding fancy moves. You can be lifting weights, exhaling on the exhertion and sensing your muscle fibers waking up to work hard! You can be in your car during an 8am traffic jam, inhaling calmness through your body, to your back, hips, knees and toes.

As the spirits of the holiday season arise, celebrate within by staying aware of your body, your breath, your self. Ask yourself what you truly need to feel more connected.

A few examples: If your to-do list is getting longer due to the holidays, make the extra effort to schedule time to care of yourself - a movement class, a massage, a nap, time with a loved one, a warm bath. If you're a bit lonely, ask yourself if you need more of a holy-type spirit within yourself, or perhaps be open to a new friendship. If you feel stressed, breathe mindfully and deeply. If you need focus, take a power walk to let your thoughts settle.

There are many ways to stay connected, and you know what works best for you. Keep moving, keep breathing, keep dancing, keep trying, keep hoping.

Happy Holiday Season!

What Inspires You? Take Action.

I've decided to piggyback another blog by Karen Koenig and expand on her thoughts. Karen is a psychotherapist, educator, writer and speaker in the disordered eating field. The specific blog entry that caught my eye is entitled "Self Empowerment". To read, click http://www.eatingdisordersblogs.com/healthy/

To sum it up: Do something outside dieting and exercising to mend your relationship with your body and food. Karen uses the example to do something politically - if the election has your blood boiling, get involved, use your voice, it counts. I say - whether it's something political, or career-wise, or a creative outlet - dig deeper in those areas to feed your appetite for life!

I wrote Karen, and here's a sample of my feedback to her. I thought I might as well share it with you too:

Since the drama of this presidential (and vice presidential!) election has heightened over the last few months, I've found myself feeling waves of frustration, confusion, anger and excitement! Like you suggested, Karen, mending a complex mind/food/spirit/body relationship takes time, yet taking action outside of food/dieting plays a HUGE part in naturally killing the body wars.

Besides being aware of my intense feelings regarding this '08 election (and remembering to breathe and listening calmly to other perspectives than my own), getting involved with my own interests and taking my heart's yearnings seriously over the past two-three years have proven to keep mending my own relationship to food.

After struggling with overeating, dieting, and overexercising since I was age nine or ten, I finally sought therapy - I was working in the tv news industry - miserable and stressed but didn't know I wanted more - more goodness, more peace, more creativity, more voice, more freedom. Then, I quit the news biz and got a job in pharma sales and screamed everyday inside against the money-harboring pharmaceutical industry. With the help of my therapeutic journey, I was fed up enough to quit that job too and created my own company to help others find peace and connection within their bodies (something I'd already been doing part-time).

While I practice what I preach, I am human and still have feelings and cravings and yearnings. I'm not immune to society's pressure-for-perfection - I am a sensitive person who feels a lot! But, everyday offers the opportunity and blessing to honor my needs and wants and dreams. I can choose to take care of myself versus resorting to unhealthy coping mechanisms. What a beautiful journey to continue learning about myself while helping others connect - to continue helping them dig deeper to realize the vastness of their appetites beyond diet/exercise Bandaids.

What is it you want? What makes your blood boil? What do you enjoy so much that you barely notice time passing? What do you yearn for? Give yourself the chance to brainstorm, dream, write. Then, go for it.

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dareto dream of meeting your heart’s longing.” ~ Oriah, The Invitation

Yoga Journal Flirts with Hydroxycut

Yoga Journal goofed. Big time. Big. Huge! (thanks, Pretty Woman!) Here's the letter I wrote last night after finding a Hydroxycut ad in their latest issue.

I'm disheartened and insulted by your Hydroxycut ads in the November 2008 issue. I'm a fitness & movement trainer specializing in those who are at risk for disordered eating. Weight loss supplements like Hydroxycut are a disgrace to anyone trying to unite the mind and body. I realize you've got a bottom line - we all do, especially with today's economic low. (I just saw http://www.americathebeautifuldoc.com/ America the Beautiful, a documentary about how the "perfect" image eats away at self esteem - Several magazine editors were interviewed and questioned unabashedly about how their advertisement choices contribute to disordered eating. Please watch this film.) Please don't stoop so low again. If the next issue has more "diet pill" ads, I'll stop recommending YJ as a resource, and I'll stop subscribing.
~ Caroline Correll
Atlanta, Georgia

I've written several supportive letters-to-the-editor of various magazines over the years. I believe this is my first not-so-supportive one. I never thought Yoga Journal would make me cringe - I literally do a little jump-hop-ball-change-skip when I open my mailbox and see a new YJ magazine! I take this magazine with me everywhere - when I'm drying my hair, in the car when I arrive early to see clients, on trips, to bed, etc.

Anyway, I'm insulted and disappointed for YJ to say "yes" to Hydroxycut. What a shame. It's like when you learn a new friend is a compulsive liar or cheater - fool me once, shame one me, fool me twice...you know the rest.

Okay, that's enough. I've said my peace - I'm patting myself on the back for writing YJ (every voice counts! I hope someone listens...), and now I'm on a mission to research the cosmetic industry more (see previous post). While I don't dream of shopping sprees in Sephora (I prefer dreaming of Crate and Barrel and lululemon), I certainly have an array of phthalate-filled products. YIKES!

Have a great weekend. :)

Beauty: Powders, Polishes, Primping and Phthalates!

I saw America the Beautiful last night, and while media and fashion industry influences never cease to sicken me, my jaw continued to drop over and over. Regarding the film:

*Why would anyone with at least half a brain allow a 12-year old to become a "supermodel"? A baby!

*Why would anyone with at least half a brain a) choose to have her face peeled off for plastic surgery purposes, and b) neglect to confirm the surgeon is board certified in plastic surgery? Ludicrous!

*Why do cosmetic companies mark up their products 500%, then also include phthalates in their products that have proven to be allergens and linked to cancer? Yes, Revlon, thanks to this film, our eyes are on YOU to clean up your by cleaning up your products and your integrity. You support Breast Cancer Walks. Talking the talk, not walking the walk.

More info on phthalates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate

To find out if your products contain phthalates: http://www.ewg.org/

And, besides phthalates, the beauty industry lobbies to keep lead in lipstick (yes, Revlon, you again!): http://www.safecosmetics.org/newsroom/press.cfm?pressReleaseID=36

Readers, this makes you feel happy and beautiful, right? I bet not! As you can tell, I am disgusted with the "beauty" industry as a whole. And, while I'm on this soapbox, I'll share a letter with you that I wrote to Yoga Journal magazine last night. See the next blog entitled:

Yoga Journal Flirts with Hydroxycut

America the Beautiful - the movie

America's obsessed with beauty. That's what Darryl Roberts, the film's producer, projects in his film America the Beautiful. Great trailer: http://www.americathebeautifuldoc.com/ Watch it through the end to hear Eve Ensler say: "Stop fixing your body, it was never broken."

When?

Wednesday, October 22 at 7pm
Thursday, October 23 at 7pm

Where?

Midtown Art Cinema, Atlanta (corner of Monroe Dr. and Virginia Ave.)
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Atlanta/Atlanta_Frameset.htm

******************************

I remembered that EDIN http://www.myedin.org/ sent me this movie heads-up via email a few days ago, but I was in a hurry and didn't watch the trailer until this afternoon. From what the trailer shows, we're once again reminded that it's much easier to focus/obsess/fix/control/manipulate the surface issues instead of digging deeper. And, in my business of personal training, I have to not only practice what I preach but also help my clients dig deeper to be in their bodies more.

It is a journey. Thinking with your gut, moving with your wisdom deep inside. It is a challenge to jump beyond the "I feel fat" thoughts into to "what's really going on?, what am I feeling?, what do I really need?" paths of thinking and being.

I hope we can all aim to dig deeper. Next time you have a "fat thought" or any other thought (ex: "my hips are too broad", "my calves are too skinny", "I'm just not good enough ever"), take a deep breath to sense the feelings underneath - boredom, anger, terror, frustration, jealousy, rage, confusion, excitement, sadness, etc. How can you go there, feel what you need to feel, then make the appropriate changes to accept some things and move forward with other things?

Yes, it's all so complex, and it can take some time (and many times with the great help of a professional), but it gets sooooo much easier. The real journey of digging deeper is so full of wonder. Much richer than "America's standard of physical of beauty". Try it.

One Bite at a Time

Isn't it funny how sometimes life seems to fly by? I had my regular six-months dental cleaning yesterday, and I felt like my hygienist had just warned me yesterday to only buy regular toothpaste - no whiteners, no tartar control, no fancy polishing effects, etc. (I have sensitive teeth, so she's on me about sticking to the basics and steering clear of unnecessary chemicals! P.S. Even my dentist said that regular toothpaste is the best - if you're going for inexpensive products like me, you can even go for the store brand - it's the same stuff as Crest, etc.!)

Anyway, where have the last six months gone?

Isn't it also funny how changing can be so hard? And, isn't it [quite] annoying that change can take so long? I had another conversation with a mentor yesterday - a conversation we've been chewing on for a while now - and, while in the past, I would have kicked myself for not getting it yet, not mastering it, not perfecting it, not doing it just right yet, I know that while good change is slow and subtle, it happens. It's all a matter of believing in something you can't see.

Many of us - heck, most of us - want to see results right away. We make promises to ourselves to change: to complete a project, to get a new job, to lose weight, to exercise more, to sleep more regularly, to prove our worth, to please our family or clients or colleagues, etc. But, as I learn over and over, and as you might need the reminder - change takes time.

I'm about to teach a 430pm Step class. And, there have been afternoons that I've created four new combinations for class, practiced them, taught them to imaginary participants in my apartment (I close the blinds), then when I show up for class, I have three new beginners who've never taken a step class. Sorry, regular advanced steppers, we're going back to the basics!

So, today, to honor my philosophy that change and growth takes time (and to not beat up myself for not having four new shimmery combos to dazzle my regulars), I've got ONE combo in my head. I'll show up a few minutes before class, make sure I can squeeze it between some combos we did last week, and that's it! I'm not saving the world here. It's step class. We stick to what we know and add change a little at a time. That seems to work in all areas of life, and it feels good.

So, be easy on yourself - whatever you're tackling, take it a day at a time. One bite at a time.

:)

Fat Talk Free Week (and what do you really feel?)

I just received a Facebook message that reads:

October 13, 2008
Fat Talk Free Week
NEDA has partnered with the National Organization for Women (NOW), the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), Seventeen magazine, and the Oxford University Press to promote the five day Fat Talk Free Week Promise. There are many ways to get involved. Find out how by clicking here: http://bodyimageprogram.org/action/fattalkfreeweek/.

In a nutshell, steer clear of "fat talk" this week - in it's place do something aiming for a positive body image. I'm all for it!

But, I'll add something you can do for yourself:

Steer clear of "fat talk", and in its place, practice "feeling talk". If you have the urge to "feel fat" but realize it's a no-no this week, practice tuning into what that "feeling fat" is really telling you. Some examples:

"I feel fat" could really mean:
"I feel too big, too much, too sensitive, too emotional, too smart, too dumb, too average, too bossy, too quiet, too stressed, too anxious, too tired, too MAD, too sad," and the list goes on...

Grab your journal, and when an "I feel fat" thought pops up, dig deeper. Write about what's happening in your life, write what stresses you, write what floats around in your head, write about the guilt you carry, write the burdens you're bearing, write about the decision you're trying to make, write about your roommate/partner/friend/colleague who drives you bonkers, write your deepest desires and fears.

If you get stuck, write about anything that comes to mind. Let it flow. And, if it becomes too much to handle on your own, open yourself up to a professional who is very familiar with the "fat talk", someone who can help you sift through to the richer stuff.

Give yourself the gift of freedom from fat talk. Get to the root of it, see what's behind "fat".

Candy Corn!

I've been eyeing bags of Halloween candy. Candy Corn. Those little yellow, orange and white corn-shaped things that remind me of scary wax teeth. And, of course, they taste best in October, close to Halloween, to memories of my brother in his black cape with vampire-ish wax teeth, to fairy and witch costumes smelling of fresh plastic from Walmart, to plastic tubes of face paint, to orange construction paper, to cooler weather and hayrides (the pine needles stuffed in the back of the trucks never cushioned my butt enough from the fields of potholes).

Back to the Candy Corn. The yearning for a few handfuls of the hardened sugar, corn syrup, honey (and who knows what else) challenges me when I make a quick run to CVS or Target for conditioner or other girly goodies. I know I could eat the whole bag! While there's NOTHING wrong with treating myself to Halloween candy, I recognize a different craving. Not just for the sugar. Deeper than that.

Like you, I am human. I have a slew of cravings. Though sometimes I wish I could be, I am not Wonder Woman!

Initially, when I have a craving, I might think something like, "shoot, have I been too strict lately? Is that why I want a whole darn bag of candy corn?" But, then, I'll remember a recent event like Saturday night when my boyfriend and I went to Baskin Robbins after the hockey game. No, I am not restricting. This candy corn deal is not about the food.

What do I truly want? Part of me knows the answers. Part of me knows when to sit down and write about what I crave in life.

Here's an example of what could be on my list:
Crave comfort? Nap or curl up with my cat - cut out the extra granola bar!
Crave something spicy or intense? Read a thriller, run or take an interval class - avoid pulling a Samantha in SATC-The Movie with her chips and guac!
Crave ewwey-goowey-mushy? Take a snooze, give myself a break, write in my journal - don't make brownies solely for the batter!
Craving equisite flourless chocolate cake? Write down my goals, my vision, my once far-fetched dreams - remind myself of rich business and personal possibilities.

Continue with your own list. If you're craving food or drugs or alcohol or a shopping binge or even a relationship in an unhealthy way, tune into how that crash-and-burn might feed you (before you do it!). See how those cravings nourish you. Think about it. Better yet, write about it, or draw what comes up when you think about that excitement or comfort.

Then, once you have your list of all your dreams and life cravings, keep them in mind everyday. It's very exciting and motivating! You can see how food cravings are deeper cravings! But, you know the saying, Rome wasn't built in a day. And, life is not a race. Sure, we can have dreams and big exciting goals! We can push, we can market our businesses, we can network, we can sign up for dating services to increase our odds of meeting that perfect specimen of a mate (j/k!).

But, part of life is to be peaceful in the everyday (the simple meals on Tuesday nights and Atlanta traffic jams). Just because the abundance we desire (the career, the flourless cake) is not at our doorsteps 24/7, it comes (and, sorry, but sometimes it goes). And, even when piles of security are at our feet, will we still want more? What about the unknowns and not-yet-happenings about other things? What if sometimes there are no fillers? What if we don't always have the answers to the cravings? What if we must learn to be peaceful with what is?

I wish for us all to honor all of our cravings. Practice tuning into your dreams, your daily comforts, your flexibility and courage to reach out. Give yourself the gift of truly listening and giving yourself what you need - or asking for it.

And, finally - Halloween's on Friday this year - Go to a crazy party, dress up, and have a few pieces of fun candy this month!

Wiggle More, Write More!

Okay, I've been reading about writing (Julia Cameron, NYTimes "writers on writing" articles), thinking about writing (I could have written that chick lit book), flirting with writing exercises from a two-month old Oprah magazine (three drafts of the same three paragraphs in past simple, present and present perfect tenses). Whoa! Enough already. Enough reading, thinking, flirting. Enough "will it be good enough?"!

Just because I'm a movement/fitness trainer doesn't mean I'm sticking to exercise/get-in-your-body tips - even though I still think both are uber importante! Nearly everyday, I tap into Jane Green's blog. She's a famous chick lit writer who I adore, yet her blog subjects range from venison stew, to jewelry, to her overstuffed fridge, to Sarah Palin's "rumored" lipliner tattoo (okay, check it out for yourself: www.janegreen.com - scroll down to the Oct 2 entry). I can't remember the last time I found a Jane Green blog entry about writing tips. Thank you, Jane Green, for inspiring me to write what I want!

We all need a little wiggle room to vary from the same subject, the same exercise routine, the same dinner date restaurant (although it's sure nice when we can walk up the hill to R. Thomas and El Azteca!). Cheers to giving ourselves room to grow, room to stretch, room to dare, room to try something different.

While I can't promise a post everyday (I'm steering clear of perfection and absolutes!), I am committing to writing more. Thank you for reading!

Cheers to October!