BUT WHAT IF I DON'T GET ANY "LIKES"??????

I want to blog. But I don't. I want to post on Facebook... but I don't. I have the weirdest feelings toward social media and the internet right now. So many people have extreme opinions (sometimes I think its only to feel 'above' the lowly social media users), and I've honestly wanted to avoid many things that I see on social media... especially Facebook. It's not what it used to be. Now all I see are narcissistic attempts to prove self-worth for one reason or another, or it's use as a platform to feel powerful/important or involved. It used to be a fun place, like a blog, to share tidbits of life that close friends and family might like to keep up with. Now it's a crutch... and a drug.

Blah blah... so dark, Ashley! That's not 100% true!! No, it's not. And I chose to write something tonight, not because I want to just show a side of my life that projects a false sunshine-y "everything is A-okay!" disposition, but because I thought of something that I wanted to say that feels and is real. Tonight, with the knowledge that I could sleep in for the first time in ages, I stayed up doing the useless "stay-up" things. Eventually I found myself on the "relationship page" between Nick and myself, trying to see how far back I could trace things (we met as Freshmen in 2007). As I scrolled through photos from the past 3 years together as adults, I found myself frozen, staring at our photos from our first year back together and in New York. We both looked fresh, young, vibrant, and full of life. This acknowledgement is not to depress my current self (and the differences I see), but as someone who has always battled with low self-confidence, I remember feeling anxiety and sometimes a little fear at actually sharing the photos I shared back then... now, I think they are sweet and fun! I was always thinking, "oh my hair is this," or "I'm wearing stupid clothes," "Sal will think I'm ____." or "I look ____." WHATEVER. Now these bits are precious memories, and damn it if Facebook hasn't made a beautiful little memory lane for me! Okay so here is a little moral of the story: Don't shy away from living life, documenting, making memories, etc. because of insecurities. You are beautiful and vibrant and exactly where you're supposed to be. One day you'll look back at this memory and smile, and if you're afraid of the internet creepers, don't post, do a limited profile, or defriend. Great! End of blog post! I said something positive with a punch line and closure!

YAY! BEACH PIC!! XOXOXO ...I remember this. This was my first time back out & feeling like a 20-something after being hospitalized with Salmonella. I was afraid to do much... I'd been pumped with so many antibiotics and was anemic.

Nope. This is significant to me because I am stuck in this terrible funkitude of funks. This whole thing stuck out to me because it reminded me of the beauty within struggle. Between those brilliant memories are E.R. visits, deaths, crappy jobs, conflicts of all sorts, lost friendships, shaken dreams, utter confusion, and a whole heap of metrocards and bank statements. I saw a status post where I was like "la la la it's Valentines Day and I have a LONG day teaching 2 classes because it's my JOB and Nick's across town serving, but can't wait for dinner!" -Total paraphrase, I worded it better 2.5 years ago. Tonight, I couldn't believe that used to be my reality. Now I look at us (as NEW YORKERS), and Nick's working 9-5, and we're juggling gathering puppy poops while my day tends to look something like today: 5 AM wake up, 5:30 walk to train, 7 AM Spin class - Shower - 9:30-4 Williams-Sonoma, 5:30 PM Spin class, 7:30-10:30 PM Yoga work-study cleaning the studio, and lots of metrocard swipes in between. I've finally arrived! At what? The New Yorker / American status of filling my week to the max-capacity? I just finished my 11th day in a row working like that, and let me tell ya, I miss the days when I was more concerned about getting more spin classes. But then again, I don't. It's all about growth and moving forward, people! I don't know exactly where forward is from here, but I have some pretty good ideas. I'm ready to get rollin'...

So I'm going to end this somewhere weird. Because life isn't perfect... and neither is this silly blog.

How Yoga is Saving My Life (Part 1)

This past fall, I injured myself pretty badly. It was really lame the way I did it, too. I was demonstrating a dance move I've done plenty of times before, and my hamstring pulled. I was off the bike and out of commission for about a month. I knew exactly why it happened; I'd felt the tightness coming on from spin overload, but I hadn't thought enough of it to take preventative action. I was too caught up in my spin schedule (I had more classes than I knew what to do with).

This humbling & painful experience has been possibly my biggest guru of the year. I cut down my spin schedule, learning to say "no" to the things that weren't serving my soul well. Hearing of my injury, the wonderful fitness colleagues in my life provided lots of pointers & advice--many things I knew and have known-- Primarily: VARIETY. Sometimes you have to learn the same lesson over and over the hard way. So during my month of zero exercise and extreme pain, I plotted, dreamed and planned for my recovery AND prevention. My biggest key for success: yoga.

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A part of me feared I would fail and make excuses to skip class (as I'd been doing for a while), but I got to know some yoga teachers at my studio, and have made a wonderful friend who happens to have a class schedule that matches mine. I now have a standing date to take her class when I'm at LIM, and I LOVE it! I've been steadily going for 6 weeks now, and my body is feeling absolutely yummy! After class, my whole self, in and out, feels warm, fuzzy, and like I just gave myself a long hug. The first few weeks, I would feel pains & tightness in different areas, not always my hamstring, but I vowed to make peace with my body and let it work through the neglect on its way to health. The biggest lesson here for me so far is that the journey never ends: there's always more to learn, discover, & uncover in all things, especially when it comes to health and my body.

I feel so many things to be improved upon (always), and am far from the flexibility I had post-college, but it's exciting to me now, instead of daunting or frustrating. I'm thrilled to experience myself transforming into a new me: it isn't post-college me, or mid-injury me, or any other version but a brand new one for today. We are living, breathing beings, and we're always changing. What works is always changing. I'm learning to listen and observe more, instead of trying to push my own ideas of what is right or good onto myself. I'm learning to be patient and kind with myself and my body. It's an ongoing process, but the intent is very present in my heart, which I believe is most important for perseverance. I titled this post "Part 1" because, you guessed it, this journey is ever-changing and ongoing. Stay tuned for future installments, and...

Namaste.


♥AshPiece 
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2014: Awaken & Explore

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Over the past few years, I've abandoned and revisited this blog many times, but it has always been there, a little hum of something I really wanted to do, in the back of my head. In 2014, it is a part of my plan and focus for the new year. For me, 2014 is about awakening. My goal is to re-awaken my true self and be present. I want to be 100% present in as many moments as possible, small or otherwise, starting NOW. I don't want to miss anything while dreaming of the future or getting lost in the past. I'm living today for today!

Another piece to this exciting year of awakening is adventure. I want to explore. Everything. This city, art, faith, books, health, fit classes, certifications, gear, nutrition, music, maybe some TRAVEL, absolutely everything. Nothing is off-limits!

So this is the start: of something.. and everything. I plan to explore my journey here, and insecurity is a thing of the past, baby! Here's to saying YES when I want to, and NO when I want to! Peace out 2013, it's been real.... 2014, let's do this!


♥AshPiece 
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Vemma Bod•ē Experiment / Exploration

There's nothing like exploring a new nutrition plan to get me to blog again! A couple of my dear friends are really into this Vemma thing. When they first told me about it, I didn't understand exactly what it was, and was in my "everything you need you can get from the earth and all else is unnecessary" phase. While I still know that's true, I also know that in reality, I don't have enough variation in my diet to get all of the nutrients I need, especially living my mostly-vegan lifestyle and cooking/grocery shopping for one! So I'm beginning the Vemma Bod•ē program, and so far, this is perhaps the best plan I've encountered for my lifestyle... And here's why:

1. There's structure, even though its not a super-strict plan. The guidelines give you freedom to choose your favorite foods and meals.. I always do best with a structured plan.
2. Convenient! The app texts you to remember to eat and what types of foods to go for, and the shakes are easy to mix! Everything is laid out for you simply.
3. Eating so often: great for my energy levels teaching spin classes and this is a convenient way to train myself to eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. The app alerts you every 3 hours after waking for that meal or snack time.
4. It goes in line with my nutrition philosophies... I can edit my plan as no meat/dairy, and I do the plan my own way to be true to what I believe is best for my body.
5. You get 2 High Carb days per week and one GUILT FREE DAY!
6. It's a good product! This company is about simplicity, quality, and nutrition. The nutrients are all derived from plants, and not man-made. That's it, and I can still maintain my mostly-vegan lifestyle with the program. And no, I don't work for them... ;)

Those are my thoughts so far with week one... I'm excited! I'm thankful that my friend, Scott introduced me to this stuff, and that I finally listened. :) So far, it's great!

♥AshPiece 
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Auditioning is Hard

I had an interesting audition yesterday. My entire day until 6:15 pm was wrapped up in it. So many people were there that it took forever to get through the 300+ list. 8 am to 6 pm, no callback, and I was almost late to my evening spin class.

Why was I in such a good mood all day? I was thinking about it on the train, and I realized something; I don't really hate audition days as much as I can make it seem sometimes. I really feel like I've adopted the mindset of those around me in the past, and it has hindered my audition life making me absolutely dread auditions. It's the popular belief that all the people are insane and that it completely sucks to wait around all day to get your 30 second chance. The facts are true, but perspective is everything. I learn good details sometimes about certain things from those people that feel they must be heard at all times (or you could choose to get intimidated and stressed out). Also, an audition day is an opportunity I have to read, play with my iPad, explore Pinterest, listen to music, and whatever else I want completely guilt-free because I am actively doing what I came to New York to do. Best part: I get to showcase my talent for some live human beings! Also by adopting this mind-set, I am much more likely and excited to pack my XL bag and trek to the studio... It's like taking your work to Starbucks, but if at the end of every Starbucks work session you got to play the lottery for free. :)

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I've heard people say their day was wasted from being overlooked or typed out. You never know what the people in that room are thinking or seeing in you, and if you ask me, what wasted your day was you and that attitude. If you expect the worst, how will you ever receive the best?? It just doesn't make sense! Ask and you shall receive, people.

So for all those haters: if it's really that bad, move back to Iowa... The theatre will be just fine without your attitude. But if this is what you really want, change your mind and you'll find it's a much kinder world than you give it credit for.

♥AshPiece 
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Spin Courtesy 101

 

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I found this on Pinterest a while back, and I just had to share... I am amazed at some of the things people find acceptable to do during spin class that is not, in fact, spinning. It's hard because we're adults, and I don't want to feel like a middle school teacher telling the gabbing ladies in the corner to be quiet, or the uninterested chick in the front row to get off her cell phone. I would think these things would be common knowledge. If you wish to partake in other activities while you work out, go to the cardio room and hop on a machine, don't sit front and center of a class that someone spent time designing and ignore the teacher who puts effort into making sure you have a good, effective class. 

For me, taking a dance or group fitness class is a favorite activity because for that hour, I am focused on following and learning what that instructor has in store for me that day. All of my worries, responsibilities, and mental noise are suspended for that time while I enjoy doing something good for my body and soul. Why would you wreck that by checking you face-ta-grams?? Zen out from your iPhone, and even your workout buddy's latest breakup, for that time and just feel that sensation of positive work within your body. This is YOU time! Don't miss it!

♥AshPiece 
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Fit-bug Food: Spaghetti Squash

Bed of spaghetti squash, topped with a sautéed combo: including spinach, broccoli, sundried tomatoes, tempeh, garlic, tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, and spices. Don't forget the Sriracha!

Y'all.. Spaghetti squash is my new homeboy!!! Seriously if you haven't tried it you should. It's SO yummy and has many uses. Cooking for one is... well the norm right now, so I baked the squash last night and ate half of it with tomato sauce. I popped the other half in the microwave today while I sautéed my creation. I do this a lot-- just throw things in a pan and see what happens. This one turned out really well and it's mostly VEGGIES!! Happy munching!

♥AshPiece 
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Finally.

Here's what happened... At the beginning of July, I became extremely ill. Not to get too graphic, but my body was moving blood out where it naturally shouldn't. I had the worst pain of my life... It was absolutely excruciating. After a few days of trying to let it pass, I finally went to the ER, only to end up back in the hospital, and stayed there, a few days later. Nobody could figure out what it was that was attacking my body, but there were many concerns of the possibilities. It was a truly frightening time. After concluding that it was some sort of food-borne something, they killed it with some really intense antibiotics that basically wipe out your entire system. Weeks later, I found out (through a survey company for the city's health department--more on NY doctor fails later) that the little punk was Salmonella that took up camp in my abdomen. The Internet would later inform me that about 400 people die from it per year.

Where am I going with this? I can divide my year, very clearly, into before I got sick and after... It took about a month to recover and feel normal again physically, and after that, I was completely unmotivated. It seemed so unfair that I had to go through that because at the time that I got infected, I was completely vegan and had been for a few months, and it was probably a lazy food-worker handling my veggies (I'm pretty positive of where I got it). All I wanted to do after that was work, be with my friends and fella, and that's about it. No auditioning, no voice lessons, no healthy eating, no yoga... The high I was on the first half of the year was a mere memory, and although I tried over and over to gain that back again, something kept holding me back and my heart wasn't in it as it had been before. Luckily my job required that I be pretty active, but I wasn't doing any of the supplemental exercise to keep my body evened out (spinning is such a repetitive movement on a few specific parts of the body). Life comes at ya... and for some reason this one took me down, HARD.

Finally, I am feeling motivated again. I'm remembering those reasons why I originally adopted a plant-based diet, and am learning to treat myself well again. As my eating and negative thinking spiraled out of control, my self-talk became absolutely abysmal... I was constantly belittling myself and thinking it was all my fault that I lost the drive I had before. There are so many reasons that I believe factored into it, but that negative self-talk and self-punishment was definitely the primary culprit.

So here I am, back in the saddle, ready to enjoy my life as it is today, and get back to that journey of wellness and revive my passion for health and life! Stay tuned... life is good, and I'm going to CELEBRATE it!

♥AshPiece 
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Today's inspiration from Kris Carr's blog about Crazy Sexy Manifesting ... Read it. LOVE it. You're welcome. :o)

Location:New York,United States

Six Vegan, Plant-Based Weeks Completed!

 

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Here's my recap: I think I stopped blogging about my journey because A. I was SLAMMED busy, and B. I hit a major weight plateau. Here's the difference from this plateau and others in my past: I just kept going with my plan. I made myself remember that this was not just to finally reach my goal (and healthy) weight, but MOST importantly, it is for my longevity of health and disease prevention. Y'all, it's not that hard. I know the thoughts you can have against the right choices, and as I pass people with various food choices in their hands on the street, I remember those thoughts:

"I only have time to grab a quick pastry or bagel, so at least I'm not getting the one drizzled in chocolate: I'm saving calories I could have eaten!"

or

"I can only afford pizza right now.. It's so much cheaper and I love it."

or

"Since I worked out today and I feel I need (HA!) caffeine, I'll have a coke just for today. A reward!"

These thoughts are self-sabotage. At the surface, they don't seem so harmful, but these are those quick everyday decisions that add up to a truckload of BLEH. Yes, every day you could have eaten a gallon of lard, but you don't... that doesn't automatically make you healthier. Pick easy-to-grab fruits and veggies. You can't afford the medical bills and years off your life that result from years of pizza/junk and the resulting disease; a couple of extra bucks for the fresh salad (lite dressing on side) isn't much in comparison. And stop lying to yourself about the need for caffeine, and if you must partake, the least damaging would be an unsweet iced tea, or black iced coffee. 

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After a few weeks, it'll be a new habit for you, and your old lifestyle seems unfathomable. Also, I am a firm believer in jumping in head-first (after doing your research). Any time I've tried to "incorporate" new healthy choices, or add on the good stuff gradually, it's been a half-assed attempt that didn't change my habits or addictions. After six weeks strong, I'm on to another six... hopefully more and on for life, but I'll take it six by six! Jump on in y'all, the water's fine!!

♥AshPiece 

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Spin Playlist: ANIMAL!

aNiMaL!! (Lots of 4's)

Warm-up: Animal -Neon Trees
Leavin' -Jesse McCartney
Calabria 2007 -Enur
Hey Mama (Remix) -Black Eyed Peas
A Public Affair -Jessica Simpson
Beep -The Pussycat Dolls (ft. Will I Am)
Battlefield -Jordin Sparks
Trouble -Pink
Canned Heat -Jamiroquai
Sinorita -Justin Timberlake
Firework -Katy Perry
Cool-down: Many the Miles -Sara Bareilles

Enjoy!

♥AshPiece 

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SW: Week 2 Report!

Six Weeks: Plant-based diet: no dairy, no meat, no processed foods, no beer.

Two weeks in, I feel FANTASTIC. At this point, the food choices feel so natural, and processed foods sound disgusting. I had simply Heinz ketchup last week and found it gross, sugary, and fake tasting. I'm craving whole, real foods, and my body is completely thanking me for the change! So far, I've lost about 7 lbs, and 1 inch around my belly (under belly button at widest place).. that inch is the biggest deal to me. In the past, no matter how much poundage I've dropped, I've always had that pesky inner-tube of belly fat. The more I study, the more I've learned that the tube is proof of unhealthy eating and non-ideal personal body fat.

Another big change for me is how I feel in my clothes. I'm not avoiding my more form-fitting shirts, and I feel comfortable to be wearing a tight-fitting tank top for the first time in a very long time. I have energy, I'm wanting more and more exercise and classes naturally. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me health-wise, and coupled with my love for teaching spin, I'm quite the happy fit-bug! I am actually excited for summer and bikini weather this year, and I don't ever want to stop eating this way because I feel so great. Everything just works when you properly nourish your body and DETOXIFY. If you think I'm crazy, try it. Commit to 6 weeks and then talk to me. Tell me you don't love yourself and your life after only a couple weeks, and I will be absolutely shocked. As for me, bring on the fruits and veggies!!!

♥AshPiece 

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Spin Playlist: Jump-Insanity Ride

There has been some interest from students for a blog in which I post my spin class playlists... I've felt this blog transform into a health-related space, so I've decided further the transformation and add some spin pieces!!

Here's my first playlist posting: It's a class that kicks butt in the opening with 3 intense out-of-the-saddle songs in a row before working on any climbs. Here are the tracks:

Jump-Insanity Ride!

Warm-up: Parachute -Ingrid Michaelson
SexyBack -Justin Timberlake (ft. Timbaland)
Ain't Nothing Wrong With That -Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Domino -Jessie J
Pass At Me -Timbaland (ft. Wisin & Yandel)
Take On Me -A-ha
5 O'clock -T Pain (ft. Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen)
Halo / Walking on Sunshine -Glee Cast
Imma Be -Black Eyed Peas
Under Pressure -Boyz II Men
Yeah/Toxic mash-up -Britney Spears & Usher
Cool-down: Rhythm of Love -Plain White T's

Enjoy!!

♥AshPiece 

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SW: Day 1 Musings

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Six Weeks: Day 1.....

Piece of cake (without the cake). It's not far off from what I've been doing, just a little added structure. I love the image above because it's exactly what I've discovered by actually living it. I exercise SO MUCH, and yet my body has not been at it's optimal place. What I really needed was KNOWLEDGE and motivation. I made a booklet for daily motivation and to keep track of my progress:

I was going to do weekly weigh-ins, which I still am, but today I'm already 2.5 lbs down from yesterday...! Probably water weight as I'm consuming WAY less salt (I've had a tortilla chip addiction as of late). I feel fantastic! I didn't eat nearly enough yesterday, so I'm going to buy more fruits and veggies today.  The biggest difference here from when I went "vegan" for a month in college is that I am avoiding processed foods all together. The salad (veggies) is always the main course, and fruits are my sweets! So far, so good!

p.s. I taught 2 spin classes yesterday and had more/as much energy as ever!

♥AshPiece 

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80% Diet: 20% Exercise

Nobody's lying when they give you a stat somewhere around there. I'm living proof. Since I've completely turned my life around and been an exercise fanatic AND spinning instructor, I've discovered some interesting things. I still have super-pudgy sections after over 10 MONTHS of regularly, and vigorously, exercising 4-7 times per week. At first, I lost about 15 lb, then gained back a few (probably muscle), and I've now plateaued around about 10lbs lower from starting weight. The old me would say, "Great, my body doesn't want to lose any more and I'm stuck here because of genetics and such..." W. R. O. N. G.

"As a good rule of thumb: for optimal health and longevity, a man should not have more than one-half inch of skin that he can pinch near his umbilicus (belly button) and a woman should not have more than one inch. Almost any fat on the body over this minimum is a health risk." 

-Eat to Live

I have beyond that^, and that is what scares me. I think there is a lot that goes into it for me, so I'm going on a structured 6-week plan/experiment to see what I can do to that inner-tube around my mid-section. I don't think this will be too difficult for me, because throughout Lent, I did do a lot of this (fruits and veggies), but I still included whatever I wanted on many occasions... however, when I was on a total Eat to Live day, I felt AMAZING. I just think I need some structure and a goal to really commit to developing the good habits. I'm in this for longevity and quality of life, and to adopt healthy habits NOW, as opposed to my 40's and on when I'll truly be paying for all that pizza and sugar.

6 Clean Weeks Start TODAY:
-As many fruit & vegetables as I can possibly consume
-No animal products (meat or dairy)
-NO BEER.

I think my new-found taste for beer has something to do with this too, so if I do want a drink, I'm gonna stick to my old-fave, red wine, but I'm still not drinking very much AT ALL on this. I have a lot to say about all of this, but I clearly have time to share (42 days!). For now, if you'd like to understand what it is I'm so adamant about, you can begin by watching this:

It's easier than asking you to read a whole book because... it's 90 minutes on Netflix instant. Just watch it to understand some things about food, I promise I'm not trying to make anyone into a crazy health-nut (unless you want to be), but I do think everyone deserves to know the truth about how these daily decisions affect your life and your health. It will give you the gist, so if you do become super-interested in this stuff like me, you can head on over to Eat to Live (and/or numerous other books) and read your little heart out!

More to come on my food journey...

♥AshPiece 

Back to the Blog with a Book!

I wrote an entire new blog post with all of my New Years resolutions, but didn't post it. I don't think it's that interesting... but I will say that goal-setting has served me well! I have a whole new set and just keep working at it here in NYC!

Something I am starting is eating HEALTHIER throughout lent. I have been reading this book:

...and it is seriously rocking my WORLD. I've grown up so confused and frustrated with nutrition because as a young ballerina, I became aware of my body at a young age, and never truly understood it all... there are so many LIES out there that we are taught by the media and even in SCHOOL. No wonder we are one of the least-healthy countries in the world. I have tried the stupidest things to get my body to where I know it should be. Dr. Fuhrman explains why diets fail, and why there's only one way out that makes your body lean, healthy, and defensive against illnesses and cancer. This is the real deal. No really... don't be fooled by the flashy phrases on the cover; this is a knowledgeable, scientific book all about nutrition (in depth). My scientist sister-in-law suggested it to me so there ya go. :) My biggest goal with this is not to focus on superficial gains, but that I am fueling my body in a way that it can function the way that God designed it to. I'm eating as much as I possibly can, and just making sure that most of it is all natural fruits and vegetables.. my biggest hurdle here is cutting back on cheese and grains. I love them.. AH! Here we go....!

♥AshPiece  

How to Love Moe?

My journey has continued a great deal, and I've been learning a lot... so why haven't I been blogging?? I have no idea...

I'm going to illustrate my thoughts today by telling a fictitious example story, because when imagining how to describe with he/she/them's I got really overwhelmed... :)

I have been friends, acquaintances, and even in deeply-close relationships with people like "Moe." Moe continuously goes through life expecting the worst to happen to him. Every day, saying that something awful will happen, and surprisingly (though not so much), it does! With these low expectations in life, one would expect Moe to be prepared and handle the hardships he asks the universe for well, however this is not the case. Moe is extremely shocked whenever life throws him a curve-ball, and *get this* blames everyone around him for his misfortune. It is a truly tragic story. Moe is unhappy. Moe chooses to stay unhappy. Moe makes everyone around him, strangers and loved ones alike, unhappy, and Moe cannot figure out why he returns, time and time again, to this miserable state of being.

Those who care about Moe can see this, but are completely helpless, because conditions like these can ONLY be truly resolved from within. Moe may find a good day, week, or few months in a new distraction, but the lack of true self-awareness, realization, and understanding will make any sense of happiness fleeting and unstable. The worst part about this is that in the process of hurting himself, Moe also hurts and pushes away all of the people near and dear to him. He lives a life of constant destruction, like the Tasmanian Devil, tearing through people (even innocent strangers) haphazardly, and ending up standing alone, in the middle of the bloody rubble, angry at his victims, and still completely clueless to his true problems.

We all have a little Moe in us from time to time, and I know we all know or have known and loved a Moe before in our journey. I haven't quite figured out how to handle the Moe's in my life yet. I truly believe that this is a lot of what I am meant to be exploring right now. The only conclusion I have right now is to continue to express love to them as best I can, without subjecting myself to their abuse. Unfortunately, I have a complete set of issues that directly clash with true Moe's, so I have a really hard time knowing how to handle them. One thing I do know is that everybody needs, deserves and desires love, and although Moe's don't express love well at all, they still need it. Love is about giving, and not expecting anything in return. When it is returned, that is true beauty, but even when it is not... it is good and right to love.

This is something I have to train and re-train myself over and over. It is so easy to get self-righteous and give up on people because they have wronged you and what-not, but true character is shown in the difficult times, not the easy.

love. love. LOVE.

♥AshPiece 

MY AFAA Group Fitness Certification Experience

It's official today! I am a Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and I'm so thrilled! I've been waiting until I received a yay or nay to draft this post. I'd like to share my AFAA experience to help others considering a certification!

So first of all, I read the ENTIRE text book... and that, I recommend. Whether or not you need it all in the exam, surely you want to be a good teacher, and it's all important information to know to embark on a fitness career. A couple months before the date, I made a commitment, signed up, and ordered the study materials. I wanted plenty of time to study thoroughly. You MUST push yourself though... it is a lot of material. Just ask my friends and family that watched me tote around a giant text book and study guide and read it at the pool and wherever we went all summer. :D

In the weeks leading up to the exam, I also did research on the practical portion and how the big day was going to go. I found some beautiful blogs that traced the entire experience from studying to receiving the certification in the mail, which helped put my mind and heart at ease, and really know what I was getting into. Here are a few of the blogs I found:

The Chic Life
Groupfit Power -most in-depth... but old so some of the links are broken, but this takes you to the main pg for all of the posts. There are quite a few going through everything.
Jackie's Health and Fitness

I found a few more too, and was picking them all apart to figure out exactly how to prepare and what was going to happen. The practical exam was the biggest area of anxiety for me... I knew I could do it, but I wanted to be prepared, and AFAA gives only basic info on what that portion entails. If I had to say one thing as advice for the entire day it would be: KNOW your muscle groups! I'd read this in the blogs, and glanced at the labeled guy in the study guide more often than the rest of it, but a LOT rides on that knowledge. I'd say a good 30-40% of the written exam questions stem around the muscles/science of the body, and there's that entire section of the practical, where they call a muscle group (10 total) and you are to demonstrate 2 strength moves and 1 stretch for that muscle group. Sounds easy but I got a little confused in the lower half and had to resort to squats - they work quads, hamstrings, and calves!

I was very fortunate to have an instructor that gave lots of information. She let us know that basically they are looking to see that you won't injure anyone, and know how to do everything correctly with safe alignment and progressions. She also went through the entire practical with us, so that I'd done my planned cardio routine a few times before the testing, and also the muscle groups and teaching portion once before. That helped me relax a bit! She also went through the study guide, and highlighted the important things to remember, which I think helped me ace the test, but I think that was only possible because of how thoroughly I'd studied the material. People who just walked in with blank study guides were the last to leave the exam room, scratching their heads and rocking back and forth.

Walking out of the exam, I couldn't imagine that I didn't pass. I felt extremely confident in my written, and besides a personal hiccup in my plan for the muscle part of the practical, I felt pretty confident that I'd met all of the requirements and performed everything well. 4 long weeks later, I opened the letter to find a brand new card for my wallet!!! YAY! My manager at the yoga studio/gym has expressed that as soon as I get the cert, he wants to start training me to substitute for his kickboxing class. So now begins the true adventure, the actual teaching part...


♥AshPiece

Being a "Yes-Man"

Street Team. That is my new title at Club H as a second job for free membership. It works out wonderfully! My days are full and I basically just stay an extra hour at the gym 4 days a week to hand out promo flyers. Little did I know that I would learn some valuable life lessons standing on the sidewalk in a screen wife-beater and shorts...

This job really heightens my people-watching skills. I notice trends: Most people have a knee-jerk reaction to say "no!" when, often times, they haven't even listened to what is being offered. These people seem angry generally, and inconvenienced that I'm offering them a free workout in 5 words or less.

This makes me think about my own life. When I've gone through patterns of constant knee-jerk "no," I tend to be living in a state of drowning and not asking for help/acknowledging that I want any help in my life. The thing is, we always need help! We can't do it alone! And who knows where something as silly as a flyer can take us??

I've now revised my methods and am trying to retrain my knee-jerk. I'm choosing to take the flyer/advice/assistance/whatever with a smile, then to decide what it's worth to me. If I really don't need it, I throw it away at the next bin and helped that person have a good flyer day (they are truly bi-polar). I mean seriously, people who say "oh I've already got a gym," why not try out another one for FREE? At worst, you take a fit class for free, then head back to your home gym with another style of teaching/learning under your belt and, oh yeah... A WORKOUT! Yeah... I hate it when I do good things for my body; please don't give me a coupon for a free workout. Really?

It's all perspective.. And I'm so thankful to be gaining a new one! Since then, I accepted a handout and had no clue what it was because the guy just kinda grumbled at me, although I understood the "thank you!" when I took it. It was a take-home menu and $2 giftcard for Blockheads! SCORE. All it takes is opening myself to the world and what it has to offer... And I've had a beautiful day all-around today. Giggled at a crazy-hilarious dog walking it's owner, took an awesome Zumba class, smiled at songs on my iPod, gave up my seat on the subway to a woman... I feel so FULL! Do yourself the favor: open up, and be a "yes!-man" You'll be glad you did!


♥AshPiece

Retail Therapy

I LOVE to shop. Right now, with my intense fitness kick, I'm in the market for quality fitness-wear and a good gym bag. All of the women in my family love to shop... and the September issue of Women's Health took away that tiny bit of guilt, and explains a little as to why we're so drawn to the activity. The little blurb on the health page of the issue says:

"Frequent trips to any kind of store could actually extend your life. In a new study, women who went shopping daily for 10 years--even if they didn't end up buying anything--were 23% less likely to die during that time period than those who browsed less often."

Women's Health Source: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health

So grab your purse and hit the pavement! Just still be mindful of your personal finances (I know I am!!)... the best way to do that is to create quests. Shop around and do research for your important purchases. It will eliminate buyer's remorse, lessen your likelihood to make impulse purchases, help be sure that you get exactly what you want, and helps log those shopping hours for your HEALTH! Right now I'm doing that with the fitness gear and I've also had a few-month-long quest for the perfect pair of flat boots. I know that I can get along without these things for a while, so it makes the quest a fun shopping game! 

Shoppers: take your mark, get set.... GO!