Just us and our days!

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you.  Winnie the Pooh 

and you, and you, and you, and you, and so on and so on.........

Yoga, naturally for children

I love seeing my kids moving. Especially of their own initiative. Getting our bodies moving is so good for our minds, bodies, and spirits. I must admit though that it is yoga I prefer for my girls. No intense pounding, jumping, stress, or beating up of our bodies as other workouts can bring or even some sports. It's not competitive at all and that's nice. They can feel good about where they are at the moment and know that yoga is a practice and each day brings new beginnings. In this, patience and acceptance is also being learned. My older girls love practicing yoga as well as my younger ones and I am of course the very encouraging mom! I love it myself. In fact, as of late I have been slowly giving up my more intense workouts and trading them in for yoga. (except for Jillian's new kickboxing workout. love it) I have been looking into yoga and the benefits of it more seriously lately than I have ever done and I am impressed with what I'm learning. Especially when it comes to yoga for children.

It helps relieve stress, increases energy, enhances concentration, (we really need that!) it builds strength and focuses on the overall body. We have found some really need yoga dvds at the library for kids and they are a hit. Children are naturally very flexible but in some things they might not be using correct positions which could in time result in structural imbalance. One of the dvds uses songs, stories, games and even animal poses to teach yoga to children. As children regularly practice yoga it gradually brings a respect and awareness of their bodies and encourage them to have the desire to take care of themselves which of course leads to healthier little bodies as they grow. I have seen it my own children since they began practicing. One thing I am hearing often when served a beverage or food is, "Is it all natural and good for me?" As a mom I love the awareness that they are getting and the desires to take care of their bodies and truly seeing them as the temple of God and actually wanting to take care of themselves.

For some folks, yoga is also a form of worship. For us, when it comes to yoga our girls are taught of the benefits that the practice of yoga can bring to their minds and bodies. Such as, endurance, relaxation, strength, flexibility, and focus. We are careful to choose dvds that do not go into the spiritual aspect that some practices of yoga bring. Because in the end, all things are brought back into one in the Lord and for that reason is why we do all that we do. To bring honor and glory to Him.

We found this really fun book at our library and the littler girls can be seen during the day lying on the floor, book open, mats out, and trying to imitate the poses. Yoga with stories.

Resolved to workout

I love to workout. Always have! Ever since I was a young person moving my body has been a huge part of my life. While in school I was on the gymnastics team, a competitive ice skater, played softball every summer, and I could always be found jumping in on a game of volley ball, basketball, and even tackle football with my 5 siblings!

Suddenly, and before I knew it, REAL life hit at the age of 20. I got married and began my family. I was still in the military until shortly after my daughter was born and blessedly I was relieved of my 6 contract and was able to be honorably discharged so I could begin my life as a wife and mother. (I had an amazing CO who was a family man and was happy to relieve me of my duties after my first 3 years were fullfilled) That part of my life ended and another began! One that has been full of physical ups and downs for many years. I was born to be active and so I continued to do my best in between babies, nursing, homeschooling, and all that comes with having 12 kids. Fast forward to now and I have been consistently working out for a few years. No baby breaks for a time has meant I could stay on the ball for much longer than I had been able to do in the past And since it seems the babies are no longer being sent from the Lord he gave me a new baby: the ability to catch up where I left off. And I love it. It's not easy either this time around. I'm older, weigh more, still quite busy with homeschooling; but RESOLVED to stay in the game. Another reason it is harder is I am doing way harder workouts than I used to do. In the past I only knew cardio, (except while in the military) but now I do circuit training using a mixture of weights and cardio together to get a really good burn! I throw in yoga at least once a week, and love to take brisk walks whenever I can. For me, walking is the icing on the cake, even after a good workout! I love to walk!

But it's what motivates me to exercise is why I'm writing this post. (Obviously, my MAIN motivators are my awesome husband and children). In doing so, I hope I can motivate others to begin making needed changes in their own lives. It is a process, but one well worth the effort. The word I've chosen to push me is RESOLVE. We have many choices in life but there are some I don't give myself. One is where my working out is concerned. I don't give myself the choice. Each day when I wake up the question is not: "Do I feel like working out today? It is: Hmm, what am going to do for pain today?" Pain, that's what it is. A full hour of pain 6 days a week. (Five if I feel like being kind to myself!) The choice has been made. As long as I am in good health and feeling well, I WILL get my workout in!

I have found though that there are two things to be considered. They go hand in hand and compliment each other perfectly. Diet and exercise. I am NOT strong in the diet area. (Not diet as in diet for a week, but my lifelong diet) I eat really well. Whole foods and as close to completely natural as I can. But let's be honest, I do love my junk food! Within reason of course. One scoop on Breyer's vanilla ice cream? No thanks, how about 3 or 4 scoops!! That's my motto. And it's my motto that drives me to the pain I go through everyday! But I have to say that each day is getting easier and easier for me. As I'm working out I hear my mind saying, that slice of cheese cake was SO NOT WORTH IT! That candy bar, SO NOT WORTH IT! What I am finding - very, very slowly is that it isn't worth it. And because of my intense workouts I realize that it is easier to say NO than it is to bust it out in a workout.

My goal now, is to maintain weight and intensity of workouts as best I can. Both are going well. I am slowly finding the middle ground of moderation in both areas. I still have a l o n g way to go in my journey, but taking it one day at a time will s l o w l y get me there! My resolve is there: get that workout in everyday and give thanks to Heavenly Father for my new baby, and for the strenght, determination, and resolve to get er' done! Because if it weren't for Him, whom I give the glory to, I fear what my life would be like. Most likely, I would be spinning out of control and only facing a dream of feeling halfway healthy!

Disclaimer: LOL I have a really HARD time talking about myself in this way!!!!!! I only hope that by doing so I am being an inspiration to whoever may read this :)