Weekend Recap

Hope your weekend was wonderful! I can't complain about mine - I spent the days exploring the trails nearby with my dog, experimenting in the kitchen (broccoli guacamole was nothing to write home about) and taught my first yoga class since being back in Germany! This week I'm looking forward to finalizing travel plans with a good friend, finishing up an Osho book I'm reading, and getting back into the swing of things at the gym. Ok, Monday, let's do this. 

Adjusting

My body is hurting - that road trip was no joke. I woke up with a fever, inflamed joints and a headache, so today's NYC trip has been replaced with plans to sleep, hydrate and recuperate. 

This picture was taken yesterday - an extended side crow variation with crossed legs. It was the first time I practiced in about two weeks due to that ab injury I blogged about. (Try your best to never get an ab injury - you use them for everything!) I am so looking forward to my life calming down and getting back to a regular yoga practice within the next few weeks.

Pain in the Abs: A Lesson

I have a pulled ab muscle. I felt it a few weeks ago doing russian split squats, and I paid attention to it and backed off a bit. But the other day I was doing russian twists (what is it with the "russian" exercises?!) with a 25 pound weight (the most weight I've done..oh, ever), and I knew immediately after the first set that I was hurt.  

So what do you do for a pulled ab muscle? Mostly rest, (I didn't leave the house for a full 48 hours- that was a nice little dose of cabin fever), ice it, and try not to use the abdominal muscles, which is so difficult to do it's almost funny. I mean we use our abs just to keep ourselves upright, so...a lot of laying down is in order with an ab injury. Anyway, once the initial pain went away, I applied heat, and a few days later started doing very gentle stretching- nothing that would aggravate it. That's where I'm at now. It is feeling much better, but still not 100%, so I'm taking it really easy, doing some reading (Gone Girl, so good!), meticulously folding the posters that will accompany my Sweat dvds when they ship, and overall just trying to relax.

Ohhh injuries. A pain in the ass (or in this case, the abs), but our greatest teachers. I've finally learned to accept injuries if they come, crawl into the discomfort and understand that they're the body's way of letting me know I need to slow down and be more present. 

Happy 4th!

Happy fourth! What are your plans? We've got family in town and friends coming over and we'll be grilling and hanging outside and people watching (our neighborhood gets a little crazy on the fourth). Later, we'll head to the beach and watch the fireworks. Hope you have a wonderful day! 

Our Greatest Wealth

I wrote an email to a friend yesterday reflecting on how much can change in a few months. Just three months ago I was struggling with arthritic issues from Lyme disease, and these days my health is 99% better and I feel so far from the days of struggling to get around. This experience with Lyme disease has taught me that health is our greatest wealth, and that it's crucial to be present in every day you live - to always be moving forward with your life's goals and dreams. 

Today is the big day and I am feeling happy and excited and grateful. Follow along on twitter for updates from the day. I can't wait to share all the details with you once the project is completed.