Uggg! I want someone to explain to me why youtube insists on choosing the most ridiculous still shot for the “cover.” How about the first frame when I don’t look like I’m surprised a fly just flew in my mouth?
Here are the other two options youtube game me. Equally frightening. If someone know the answer, please be so kind as to email me.
Now, as for the video, it is about Synchrodestiny: the idea that nothing in life is a coincidence. Getting my video-legs back on, so I promise they won’t all be 5 minutes long! I just got on a roll…
Did you know that we have approximately 60,000 thoughts a day?
Excluding sleep, that is a little less than a thought a second.
Guess how many of those are original thoughts?
In most of us, only 5%!
Which means the other 95% are recurring, repetitive thoughts…those thoughts you think of over and over again. Unfortunately, most of those recurring thoughts are negative.
Have you ever noticed a beautiful tree when you were driving? How many of you ever think of that tree again during the day? Probably never again. What about when someone cuts you off on the highway? I bet angry thoughts of that driver loop around in your noggin for a while before you let it go.
Really, what we do to ourselves should be considered torture!
Why do you think people are so addicted to TV? Because it stops the mental chatter. You can’t pay attention to the show and think about the crazy driver at the same time. This is the same for video games and really any computer time: our focus helps quiet the mind.
There are plenty of healthier ways that quiet the mind that I bet you are already doing. You may not have even realized why you enjoyed them so much. In their own way, they are all very meditative:
Reading
Exercising
Listening to Music
Working on a complicated project
Intense cleaning
Playing a sport
Taking a cat nap
So, pat yourself on your back. You are trying to stop that crazy head of yours and you didn’t even know it.
When you are ready (if you don’t already) meditation is a great way to practice quieting the mind so that you can more easily find those quiet moments anytime during the day. When you get used to how it feels, you can better identify when your brain is out of control. If you want to give it a try, take five minutes focusing on your breath. Just count to six on the inhale and six on the exhale. You will be amazed how 5 minutes of breathing can shift your mood! It is hard to think about someone who made you mad and count at the same time.
So, here’s to breathing today. And reducing our thought imprint by…say 10%? That would be 6,000 thoughts!
a) get over their fear
b) to follow their passion
c) which helps and inspires others
I venture to guess that most of the people reading this post are not pursuing the heart’s desire. Usually the excuses are centered around time, security, failure, and risk. But all are about FEAR. The fear of failure. The fear of the unknown.
When you let go of the fear, magic happens
I sat down to interview Darby Brender, founder of Fusion Fitness, and was struck by her passion and energy. Just like us, she had a dream. Her passion was to open her own boutique fitness studio in a time when big box fitness centers dominated the scene. For years, Darby had designed and followed her own workouts, blending high energy moves with poses from yoga and pilates. She would even hold her own “classes” for people on vacation to help scratch her passion itch. She knew the kinds of classes she wanted to take, and there was nothing out there like them.
(Yes, this is her actual body. Come on, stop looking at it and keep reading.)
Finally, in 2008, with a one-year-old daughter and still being relatively new to Kansas City, 28-year-old Darby took the plunge with friend and partner, Shandy Rooney. The two of them worked tirelessly on innovative workout routines, performing them over and over for each other until they were flawless. After finding the perfect spot in Overland Park, Kansas, the two invested their own money and opened the doors on May 5th.
Just four years later, and Fusion Fitness is THE fitness studio in Kansas City. If you see a good body walking around town, Darby probably had something to do with it. Her classes are intense, results-oriented, and FUN. As she says,
If you want to see a transformation, you have to work hard. I want my clients to see results and strive to give them the best work-outs I can. I am constantly changing the routines so the body doesn’t plateau from getting used to it. I always want to keep Fusion Fitness cutting-edge.”
Something special is going on over there, that’s for sure, because classes are packed and they studio has already had to expand twice. Business is booming and it has been virtually all by word of mouth.
That is what happens when you follow your dreams.
The Universe conspires to assist you along the way. And your passion is contagious…better than any magazine add money could by.
After taking over the business when her partner moved, she went right back into innovating. Her next dream was an exercise video. Not just another exercise video…something that has not been done before. Where you feel like you are actually in the classroom. Clients across the country wanted to be able to take her classes anywhere they went.
Darby says deciding to make the video was
One of the scariest things I have done. Much scarier than opening the studio. I really had to work through that fear and ask my supporters to help me keep on track
The project had a huge time committment and much greater financial risk. But, she followed her dream, got over the fear, and went for it.
As with any intention you put out there, if you focus on it, things start falling into place. Darby serendipitously realized a client had a film production company and would be able to produce the video, a friend hooked her up with the perfect music producer, and actual Fusion Fitness customers agreed to star in it. The results are magical.
The first 500 videos have already flown off the shelves, and you can see why…
Not only is this exercise video amazing enough to go crazy viral, I venture to guess it won’t be the last one you’ll see from Darby. She has “trainer to the stars” quality, and that, coupled with her passion, is contagious. She is truly a special spirit who wants nothing more than to help women’s health.
When you follow your heart’s desire, success is inevitable
Check out her website and blog, and if you want a reall a$$-kicking, treat yourself to her video! (disclaimer: every time I have taken her class, I can barely move for 2 days. You won’t be disappointed!)
Start following your dreams, readers! And while you are, let Fusion Fitness get you into shape!
I got some hilarious emails & comments from readers and friends about my Friday’s post that prompted me to take some snap shots from a different perspective.
It is easy to zoom in, filter out the noise, and see beauty in everyday objects around you. Zoom out, however, and I live in the heart of the Chaos Theory.
Let’s start with my desk, which looks like this every day. I have an organizational rhythm beneath the exterior mayhem which Dalai Dan cannot appreciate. This desk is possibly our biggest threat to our marriage, second only to his milk expiration date phobia.
My bathroom is not much better. If I know I’m going to use all of this stuff the next day, why bother?
Let move onto the animals, who try their very best to add a unique imprint on our home. Remember my favorite chair? It is right next to this mess created the same day by our bladder-challenged dog.
Moving onto our cat, who poops no less than 12 times a day. And every time she does, she digs a whole big enough to conceal a dead body, enthusiastically flinging her litter all over the floor.
Notice the towel under her litter box? It is there because she constantly underestimated the size of her butt. I can’t tell you how many times I have watched Mia squat her bum over the edge and pee all over the floor.
There is the dirty girl…
Our children are no better than the animals. Their destructive force is immeasurable. I have commiserated about it with you here.
Dalai Daniel’s lego obsession has not been thwarted. His lego men, heads, arms, and pieces are still all over the house. And in the vacuum cleaner bag. I bet there are 3 dozen severed lego hands in there.
This is a light day for the air hockey table. Only home to 3 coats, 2 pairs of socks, 1 plate with cemented quesadilla cheese, 2 granola bar wrappers, 1 backpack, 1 guitar, 1 tennis racquet, and 27 school worksheets.
I have my limits. I refuse to show you what I found INSIDE the toilet, which could be anywhere from 8 hours to 3 days old. We are still working on flushing in the Dalai household.
All-in-all, an accurate reflection of a typical Sunday mess.
I hope this makes you feel better about your stained carpet, overstuffed drawers, and out-of-control clutter. You are in good company
It has been a while since my camera has been out of its case. Since I am now obsessed with Pinterest, I decided to spend some time today taking photos of some of my favorite things around my house. You can see them here, and on my Pinterest boards if you want to follow me there!
My Favorite Chair
My Favorite Table Art: WoodLucker’s mechanical picture Joy Diver. When you push a small lever, the word “Joy” appears in the coral.
My Favorite Rug
My Favorite Retreat: My Shower! I love seeing the tree’s shadow change through the seasons.
My Favorite Bench
My Favorite Jonathan Adler Lamp
What are some of your favorite things?
Are you on Pinterest? Or should I ask…are you obsessed with Pinterest like me???
I know a lot of you are curious about juicing or finally got yourself a new juicer. Congratulations! Juicing is an awesome way to get nutrients in your body. Look at fresh vegetable juice as a liquid vitamin – better than any pill you could pop in your mouth. There are people out there that have cured their cancer with juicing. Check out Jess from Wellness Warrior if you want to get inspired!
Why juice over eating a carrot or making a green smoothie?
By stripping away the indigestible fiber and drinking it alone, your body can assimilate the vitamins and minerals immediately. When the body has other “stuff” to deal with, many of the nutrients get passed through the digestive system without being used.
What kind of juicer should you get?
My first juicer was a Jack LaLanne juicer from Costco for about $89. I didn’t know how I was going to like it so I didn’t want to spend a lot of money. This juicer is a centrifugal juicer, where the produce is shredded then spun through a fine mesh basket, extracting the juice along the way.
The problem with this type of juicer is you get less juice, particularly out of the greens. The nutrients also deteriorate faster do to the heat caused by the friction and the amount of oxygen the juice is exposed to. But, centrifugal juicers are the most reasonably priced juicers out there and still great to start with.
I just graduated to a Green Power twin gear juicer, which uses a different technology to extract the juice. Two large “screws” are fitted so close together that when the produce is pushed through, it presses the juice out. It minimizes the exposure to oxygen, the slow moving gears do not produce heat, and pressing the juice yields way more juice. I guess I’m getting about 25% more juice. I have actually had to alter some of my recipes because I am getting so much more juice out of my greens, it has changed the taste!
Whatever juicer you start out with, good for you. Don’t get too hung up on spending a lot of money to get the “best” juicer out there. It needs to fit into your lifestyle, countertop and budget!
How often should you juice?
I try to juice 4-5 times a week. I drink about 8 ounces on those days that I juice. Kris Carr juices a couple times a day, everyday. Jess juices on the hour, 13 times a day! If you are trying to cure something, your juicing will be much different than if you are healthy and are using juice as a way to augment your nutrient intake.
Bottom line, DO WHAT YOU CAN. Work it into your life. Get used to it. It feels big at first, but it gets easier.
Ready to start?
Here is an easy recipe for you!
Ginger Beet Juice
4 beets
6-8 carrots (about 12-14 ounces)
1 apple
1 peeled lemon
1/2 inch piece of ginger
Wash your beets, carrots and apple thoroughly, but don’t peel. You’ll be giving away minerals! Juice and enjoy! (Makes 2 servings)
Is it possible that there may be a purpose for our winter blues?
Some interesting research in science may say so.
It is this time of year – those two bleak, cold months after the excitement of Christmas – when some of us feel the winter blues. If we look to nature for answers, winter is a time of hibernation and regeneration. It is a time of darkness, quiet, and solitude. Plants are focusing inward and preparing for spring’s new growth.
The same things are happening to us. While our responsibilities keep us going in full swing, we are still susceptible to the same rhythms of nature.
Thus, it is a natural time for introspection: of focusing in and solving problems.
Interestingly, studies show that light depression or a “melancholy” mood actually improves problem solving skills. Ruminating (fixating on a problem) is a common element of depression. A study by Andy Thompson and Paul Andrews revealed that depressed patients have increased brain activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), which is associated with extremely analytical thinking. This part of the brain brings together all available information in our consciousness and helps us think more deliberately and methodically. But, the VLPFC can also be slow and exhausting.
In another study by Joe Forgas, patients were given a simple memory test. Forgas found that people with “low moods” remembered 4 times the number of items! Again, pointing to an increased awareness and attention when we have the blues.
So what comes first, the blues or the problems?
Usually the problems trigger our analytical thinking, which can lead to the blues. For example, Andrews performed another study in which he gave students an abstract reasoning test. Non-depressed students showed an increase in “depressed affect” after the test. So, any challenging problem can make us feel sad!
Your blues may also be a sign of creative brilliance!
Look to history at all of the great thinkers and creatives that had melancholy dispositions. Socrates, Plato, Keats, Darwin and Milton all had depressive personalities. In a study at John Hopkins, successful artists and writers were 8 times more likely to suffer from depression than the general population! So, you are in good company
Some of the best solutions to the winter blues are obvious but worth mentioning:
1. Exercising – it allows the stress chemicals to work through our bodies and gives us mood lifting hormones.
2. Meditating – gives our ruminating brains a break from the mental chatter associated with problem solving.
3. Writing – helps us clearly identify the problem we are trying to solve so that we can more quickly work to a solution.
So, never fear, you are not alone. It is a natural time for us to turn inward and work on problems. Take a yoga class and start journaling…see what bubbles up. You may find the solution is right there! Happy hunkering!
Imagine that you are preparing dinner for a very important and celestial guest. For me, I’m picturing Jesus coming to dinner. Maybe you have Allah, Buddha, or just good ole God gracing your dining table. Whoever your Holy guest is, they will be eating with you tonight!
What would you feed someone Holy and Divine?
I imagine that you would choose your favorite recipes, make a list of ingredients, and take time at the store picking the perfect items. You would select the brightest strawberries, the freshest spinach and the most beautiful wild caught salmon.
You would come home, make sure you were not rushed, and lovingly prepare all the dishes for your Divine guest. You wouldn’t mind the cost, time, or effort it took because this was for someone special!
You couldn’t imagine picking up a drive-through dinner or quickly throwing together Hamburger Helper for your Holy visitor! You would never offer them a frozen dinner or Starbucks coffee. Why? Because a special spirit deserves only the best food.
What, however, would you have fed yourself if you didn’t have a Divine guest to feed?
You are Spirit and you deserve the same life-giving nourishment
Without your body, where would your spirit live? Your spirit and body are meant to work together to help you grow, evolve and succeed. Your body isn’t just along for the ride! Feeding it addictive foods like sweets, sodas, coffee, processed foods, breads, and take-out only dull the senses, keeping us stuck. Its hard to soar and excel when you are stuck in a food coma.
Imagine treating your body like the Divine vessel it is and only offering it the highest quality nourishment. You would have the keen senses, clear intuition, and vibrant health to propel you forward and achieve your wildest dreams!
Food and Spirituality and interconnected
We see this in the bible, we see this in our rituals, and we see this in our every day traditions: food is integral to our spiritual experience.
It is no coincidence that if you are a spiritual person you likely have an interest in healthy food. Likewise, often people who are very interested in whole, clean eating find themselves very drawn toward spiritual exploration.
They are dependent and enhance each other. It was designed that way.
Treat yourself like a God
For those of you that are completing the last day of the cleanse, you just spent five days treating your bodies with Divine respect. How did that make you feel?
It isn’t always easy breaking ourselves from addictive foods. Heck, I can’t wait for my glass of wine on Saturday! But, the closer we get to treating ourselves like the holy spirits we are, the more in-tuned we will become, the greater success we will see, and the faster we will achieve our goals.
Congratulations on finishing 5 days of beautiful eating! Have a great weekend and keep treating yourself like the rock-star holy hot bodies you are!
***Interested in reading more about this topic? Check out this great book: If Buddha Came to Dinner by Hale Sofia Schatz
I commend all of you who are joined me this week in a 5 day Jumpstart Detox! For those of you who didn’t, but would like to try something like this, it is never too late. Whenever you are ready is the right time to start.
I have loved all of the comments and personal emails, thank you! You all are hilarious and make my day.
A couple of things to remember – EAT, rest, drink. Don’t forget to eat enough! This isn’t about starving yourself. A cleanse is about cleaning out your system of the old, built up junk.
Try not to obsess or get PARANOID over making a mistake to the point that you don’t fuel your body. Everything you are doing is better than you did before so there are no mistakes. (I have already dipped into some chocolate pudding, if that makes you feel better!) Look at this as honoring and loving your body so much that you want to do your best for it. You deserve that!
Here are some ways I’ve been helping myself get through the week:
1. Chai tea in the morning
I love something hot in the morning, but regular tea doesn’t do it for me. I brew my own chai tea until it is nice and condensed, add some stevia and a shot of coconut milk. It feels more like coffee. Yum.
2. Add spices to my food
I am LOVING my Conveniently Natural meals, and I hope you are too. I think they taste best when I heat them in a pan with some olive oil and spice them up! I’ll add salt, pepper, hot pepper and other spices to fit my own taste. Eating healthy does’t have to be bland, so spice up your meal to your liking!
3. Eat Earlier
I hit my low point around 4:00. I’m really hungry and getting tired. Oh, and then there are those kids of mine that want some attention. So, I allow myself to eat my dinner then! I fill up on a meal-sized portion so that I am totally satisfied. Around 6:00, I am hardly hungry, so I’ll end on a smoothie or a salad. That timing works better for me, so I’m going with it!
Have you found anything interesting?
What is the hardest part so far?
What have you loved about it?
