Showing posts with label Slate Magazine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Slate Magazine. Show all posts

Monday, June 29, 2015

On The Walk Home

Delivered my last June birthday gift. There are a lot of you June babies.

My aunt Al's birthday was on Friday and I spent a nice evening with her and Chiquita.


Had planned to walk to work but I had one more gift to deliver so I mixed things up. Used a shoulder bag and put the contents of the gift in there and rode my bike to work then left my bike at home during lunch and walked back.

Got in about 20 minutes on the bike and 40 minutes of walking. I feel very lucky to have gotten in an hour of exercise during the course of my work day.

Abandoned Cup and Saucer
Listened to How Does A Pastor Work? on the walk on home and found it very interesting. Also finished listening to a podcaster who interviewed Dianne Bondy who "will not be defined by the size of her yoga pants." I was surprised when Bondy said that the people on the Biggest Loser are bullied. I don't agree but I also know that I would not have liked Jillian Michaels in my face...

Practiced yoga at home on Wednesday but hadn't been to class since last Monday. Tonight's class felt good from the minute Joy asked us to sit on a block. I almost went to sleep during savasana. Like what Joy said about being careful what you feed your mind.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

Turning Down Awesome

The Day Without Rain, Forest Park
Did something that I have not done in a long time -- the 6.29 mile trail around Forest Park. I walked it without much whimpering but later in the day I had challenges walking because my left calf muscle was very tight...

Today is International Day of Yoga and I wanted to mark the occasion. Joy posted on Facebook that she was having a free 11:00 a.m. class to celebrate the first IDY.

11:00 was perfect because it was raining and I could have slept forever. I was delighted and dismayed by the rain since there's been so much of it lately.

Had mixed emotions about yoga too. I've been sad and yoga usually makes me feel better but...

Cried my way through class. My intention was Rodney King-ish -- Can we all just get along?

At one point during class, Joy came over and wanted to adjust my strap -- one end was on the ball of my foot and the other was around my head. I can make that feel awesome for you she said but I turned Joy down because I knew that if she touched me I would lose it -- more than I'd already lost it.

A friend of Joy's who is a swami came for IDY and took over the final pose. Her guided relaxation/meditation was awesome. The oms, shantis and mantra heightened the experience and soon as I walked out of the studio, I started bawling...

I am so sad about the Charleston massacre and Charleston makes me think of my half-brother that got, for all intents and purposes, executed. Thinking of my half-brother makes me think of my father and on and on.

And I probably should not have listened to How Does A Hospice Nurse Work?, A Slate at Work podcast. Think I would like nurse Kathy Kuencer though. One of her answers: I am not in the business of judging.

Forest Park

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Gospel According to Hazira, The 'Fugee (Special Birthday Edition)

Do not become friends with a refugee if you know what's good for you. Besides the fact that they will make Borat-like pronouncements, the wants and needs of a 'fugee are endless. Despite my admonishment, Hazira is my friend and what follows below is her gospel:



  • You were so furious then you got in touch with your better self...



  • None of my relationships are so easily destroyed.



  • I think when we are spontaneous, we are at our most human.



  • Obama is such an example of positive psychology.



  • I felt safe the moment that I met you but I also sensed that you could be a tough character.



  • You know what energizes me? Nice people energize me...



  • Keepittogetherkeepittogetherkeepittogether.



  • In my country, we don't have to call before stopping over at someone's house.



  • Me: I just have one more thing to do -- get my battery checked out.

    Hazira: If you go and get it checked out then you're going to need a new battery.



  • After demonstrating my new self-massage skills...

    Hazira: Tapping. Okay, drumming...



  • I feel so relaxed just watching this show (In Treatment).



  • Nobody gives me credit...



  • Do I get recognition for that?



  • I'm going to reflect on that later.



  • Once you are a refugee, you're always a refugee.




  • Happy Birthday Bosanski Scalawag!

    Monday, October 11, 2010

    One Minute Solution

    I'm still in love with the whole 10 Minute Solution concept because if I, say, go rock climbing but I only get in five or six routes, I can come home and do additional exercise and be satisfied that I got in, at least, 30 minutes of exercise.

    I tried out 10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results fat burner.

    Power Sports Drills They should have called this segment one minute solution because I was huffing and puffing about one minute in.

    There are gate swings and fast squats

    Dug the jumping jacks where you cross your arms and cross your legs; I had never done jumping jacks that way before. Don't judge. I only go to one cardio class and I'm on my own for the rest of the week.

    Likewise, I've never played soccer. I wish that I had because it looks like fun -- kicking, head butting, hitting the ball with your head and running with abandon down a field.

    This is sad but I still remember The Explainer article in Slate magazine about the 2006 Zinedine Zidane headbutt seen across the world.

    How was Zidane's head-butting technique? Impeccable. Experts in self-defense and mixed martial arts say Zidane's head butt was a flawless demonstration of the form. He positioned his feet close to his opponent and stepped into the blow, contracting his abdominal muscles to curve into the attack...
    Do you say in Slate if the mag is only online? Also, have you ever wanted to headbutt someone? I digressed...

    I enjoyed the soccer drills – especially the one when you kick the ball across the field. Charging the net, spiking the volleyball, stopping the puck (ice skating), bumping the ball with your elbows flexed while lunging all moved me -- literally.

    In all honesty, I don't really care for lunges but I've read that they are supposed to be the ultimate in lower body exercises.

    This is all about having fun,” Cat Chiarelli says and it is fun even though you're getting your behind kicked.

    The speed and agility drills wore me out. I was breathing heavily but enjoyed the challenge and, as always , because the segments are 10 minutes long, you know that *it* won’t last forever.

    Extreme Intervals -- let's just call this one the leggy segment. You know you’re in trouble when jumping rope is the least intense activity with the exception of the recovery activity. If the sweat is not rolling by this point, to paraphrase Jackie Warner, your “weights” must not be heavy enough. During speed skater recovery phase (the slow down version) – emphasis was placed on control and flexibility.

    Here I am doing snow board jumps followed by alternating diagonal lunges on the traverse plane (CC's words not mine)… Excuse my junky basement (my words).




    Low Impact Fat Blaster -- don't let the name fool ya... You'll encounter hamstring curls, ye ol' grapevine which are moves that you'll do in most cardio classes. Yet, Chiarelli keeps the routine fresh enough that you don't feel like you've been there and done that. The music is peppy. So, expect to move at a fast pace.


    Rapid Results Kickboxing is possibly my second favorite segment on this DVD. Love the speed bag, upper cut, squat kicks, stepping, jabbing, boxer shuffleness of it all.


    Cardio Max For someone choreography-challenged, Cardio Max was the most challenging segment to keep up with but, if you hang in there, you catch on to the steps. I always remember what one DVD instructor said, it's about intention -- so, I hung in there and did my best.


    I really enjoyed this DVD and look forward (can't believe that I write things like this) to incorporating it into my regimen.


    Have you tried out any new DVDs or activities lately?