Watch out for the amontillado...

Sometimes we hit a wall.  (I hope it is a metaphorical wall; otherwise:  ouch!)  We are going along, doing our workouts, eating our healthy food, and then our progress suddenly stops.  The first thing to do, naturally, is swear about it a little.  Then, when we have calmed down, we get to take advantage of the stop.

Unlike the swearing, the taking advantage does not come intuitively to most of us.  We were in a groove!  We knew what to do!  It was all going so well!  Here’s the thing:  life doesn’t go smoothly along a level path with no turns in it.  No one would ride that roller-coaster.  It would be boring.

In our non-boring existence, we get to make choices about how to deal with obstacles like walls.  We can go around, over, or under (or use the preposition we like best!).  We can even decide that maybe this wasn’t the right direction anyway and turn around.  The point is that this obstacle gives us a chance to rest, reflect, and plan our next steps.

Fitness is not just about work.  It’s also about growth, which comes in between the workouts, while we’re resting.  It’s about connecting with our friends and our tribe, figuring out solutions together.

So:  wall climbing anyone?

Monday Workout: Balance

This week we’re doing some work on our balance.  When we use the Bosu for step-ups, we have to work a bit harder since it’s not a stable surface and single leg catch is a simple challenge to balance and coordination!  Three rounds.

(jump) squats	30
deadlifts	20
Arnold press	10
Bosu step ups	30
flies	20
1 leg catch	10
mountain climbers	30
rows	20
pretty princesses	10

Friday Book Report: Light on Yoga

Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar was the book that introduced many people in the west to yoga.  My little free library brought me a copy, so I read it.

It is a readable and helpful book, full of photos and clear descriptions of asanas.  It assumes a base level of flexibility that is uncommon in my experience and does not use props, so it might not be a best first source for most people.

It’s clearly a useful reference and became classic for good reasons.  You can borrow it from the shelf in my studio if you want the details!