Hiya! Things have been quiet here on my blog since things have been busy irl. I visited my family, survived the holidays, and though I got a bit of a late start, have begun my journey into superhero training, as I call it to keep myself better-motivated. It took a little while because I wasn’t a motivated last month as I wish I had been, but that changed on December 31st. So cliche, I know, but when motivation strikes you, it strikes you hard.
On New Year’s Eve, I met up with my friend and super talented artist/all-around awesome human being, Theora. We got manicures (which is awkward fun and you should do it at least once, man or lady!) and then headed to my first ever hot-yoga experience. I’ve taken about two yoga classes previously, and they were not comfortable experiences for me, so I was a bit hesitant and nervous for what might happen. I trust Theora implicitly, though, and as it turned out, the class was oddly life-altering in some respects. Not only was it just a great work out, but it was a rite of passage into the New Year.
Before we went into the class, we were asked to write a fear or something we just wanted to get rid of, down on a piece of paper. I wrote mine down (not sharing, sorry..it’s like a birthday wish, but worse) and set off to get changed. When I entered the room, I placed my fear under my mat and noticed some candles and a pretty ceramic bucketish bowl in the front of the room. This was surrounded by number of tea-lights. The instructor (yogi) spoke in a very calm and soothing tone as she let us know that we were going to burn the pieces of paper to release whatever we wrote on them, setting them into the burn bowl as they turned to ash. This struck me oddly hard, emotionally. There was something incredibly satisfying about burning my fear, even though I know that part of that fear will stay with me for a while. It was kind of a big one. But it felt great burning it. We meditated for a bit afterwards, and then the practice began. I believe I held my own pretty well for a while, considering I really didn’t know what I was doing. It was a lot tougher than I expected, and I didn’t fall even though there is certainly no shame in falling.
Afterwards, I felt taller. I felt like I had an epiphany. I wanted to run up to someone and tell them how much I loved them, even if I had never met them before. I wanted to write stories and kiss puppies and share everything I loved in the world with everyone in the entire world. It was all just incredible. I wanted to sleep. More than that, though, I wanted to eat something, so we went out for dinner.
I woke up the next morning and thought about 2014 and how sure, you don’t need a specific day of the year just to make a change, but that my own awakening just so happened to have finally occurred and coincided with the date everyone decided to make huge changes that they possibly will not stick to. Possibly. I spent the day relaxing and stretching, sore (in a good way) from the previous evening’s yoga-related activities. I thought about my game plan for training this year, and what things I could do to keep myself for possibly failing or losing momentum. Then I downloaded Zombies, Run to my phone because it looked like a good way to keep up running momentum (you’re basically playing a video game, but the only way to keep playing is to keep moving). I made plans with my friend Melanie to meet her at the gym bright and early the next morning. I put all of these little safe guards in motion because I need them in order to begin building good habits.
It’s only been a few days, but I have gone to the gym for the past two mornings in a row and have an appointment with a trainer today. I feel really good about the track I’ve been laying for myself and know that, as long as I remain positive and focus on simply getting to the gym, I’m going to make it. My first goal is to run a 7k in March. I’ve got time, and I write that not in the “I’m going to sit back and worry about it later” kind of way but in the “I’ve got time to train and build up stamina and muscle mass to combat the fatigue of it all” way. I’m not going to turn into the Flash overnight, but that’s not a goal at the moment either. My goal is to wake up almost every morning, get on the train and get to the gym where it’s nice and warm (I don’t know if you’re aware but Chicago is balls cold and only getting ballsers colder this week…and my room is freezing b/c my radiator is in my bathroom. More reason to get the hell out of bed and get moving).
Once you get to the gym, the rest is easy.
...I Just Want Your Half. 