Prosa before Plantear
Posted: May 3, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Apple Pie, blogging, exercise, fitness, free range, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, life, love, marathon, meditation, natural, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, Pie it forward, Poetry, Pose Running, Prose, running, Spirituality, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, yoga 9 CommentsThe young student sits with his head bent over his books, and his mind straying in youth’s dreamland; where prose is prowling on the desk and poetry hiding in the heart-
Never in a million years would I have envisioned that poetry and prose would be at the forefront of helping me heal: Knee surgery, back surgery, fractured neck, shattered orbital bone and too many other injuries to bore you with before the weekend begins. Although, injuries and rehabilitation are places where the human spirit is most vulnerable. It’s within these planes of vulnerability that literature and the arts have the greatest resonance.
Everyone reading today, is at some point touched ever so gently by an injury, either personally or through the experiences of a close friend or family member. None of us, NONE of us, are immune to the frailties and limitations of the human body. The burgeoning of the Inter-Webz, FaceTube and YouBook has shoved down our throat a wealth of information. However, the excessive amounts of “facts” at our disposal do not necessarily make it easier to cope with the fears and unknowns of illness, injury and loss. This, I believe, is where the Arts and Humanities fit in. *Long time readers have noticed the changes around here.*
When I started this blog over two years ago, I had no idea that my life would veer toward literature and the healing arts. Poetry, prose, the arts have reminded me that healing is a multi-dimensional process, being spiritually healthy is far more important to me now.
Notes:
The arts and the humanities are critical elements in our life, and I am truly grateful that they have a home here at CultFit, with you, and our friends. One last thing before you download another running-app … Click on over to the Poetry Foundation and consider downloading their Poetry App. Immerse yourself in new poetry after a cool down run or workout, maybe?
Pie in Omaha?!? Did someone say “Pie in Omaha?!?” Take care and have a beautiful weekend!
Take You Higher
Posted: April 30, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, compassion, Fresly Pressed, gluten free, happiness, Healing arts, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, Literature, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, music, musings, natural, NHL, NHL playoffs, paleo, passion, perspective, running, trail running, walking, wellness, whole foods, WOD, yoga 2 CommentsMany people don’t realize the connection between music and literature and I’m here to tell them that it does exist-
While some of us are still recovering from a recent yoga class, marathon or triathlon. Many more of us are wounded from life, a lost loved one and the Red Wings making the playoffs. These difficult experiences develop our unique preferences and deeply connect us to other beautiful people (all of you reading today) exuding a common struggle, a sense of hope amongst us. One profound and really cool aspect is that we do not need any particular musical or artistic ability to benefit from the healing arts.
Let’s get a little personal for a bit, we’re all adults here …
Our spiritual healing requires harmonizing a few of the aspects of being “human”: Each one of us has been gifted with the ability to experience and create whatever we like. The arts help us to channel our personal exploration through self-expression or delving into one’s spiritual agony with listening and seeing. Many of you may not truly understand how powerful your written word is! Self-expression scratches beneath the surface, revealing the sources of our personal struggles and hardship. It’s through this process of examining who or what situations spark spiritual discomfort. We discover the hindrances of wellness (think about this thought …). The arts provide a vital resource to avoid or manage such triggers in the very near future.
Creating a new masterpiece transforms your inner pain, awkwardness, into something tangible. Something you can physically separate from your mind and sink your teeth into. Everyday hopes and fears can be transcribed to the world … Feelings we shouldn’t be ashamed of and suffocated as we awaken today.
Celebrate you, through your creativity today. What better way to start the healing process?!?
Know your Enemy
Posted: April 29, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, crossfit, exercise, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, Healing arts, health, hipster, hope, intensity, jogging, kettlebell, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, paleo, passion, pilates, running, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, yoga 8 CommentsOur wounds are often the openings into the best and most beautiful part of us-
Today, I ask you to consider a rather different, more personal formula for recreating a healthy and happy life: Embracing the Arts (painting, drawing, prose, poetry, writing etc.).
Embracing the Arts does not entail you picking out a new foam roller to soothe your aching body after a recent run, cancelling another doctors appointment to have your knee locked at, bending and twisting in yoga class beyond your limits in order to express your inner beauty. Embracing the Arts does require you to reclaim your innate curiosity about your own body and its limitations.
Embrace the Arts to reduce the violence we are hopelessly addicted to. Yes, I believe writing or even taking the time to commit to memory a poem you enjoy, is infinitely better than a “recovery run, shake, workout – whatever“. A slight change in perspective, attitude and focus will make a drastic change in your life …
Notes:
We as a culture need to focus on and discover true beauty in nature, to help us heal, smile and generally: Be somewhat tolerable to hang out with.
Be well today and please take care.
Pies fríos, amigo?
Posted: April 26, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, crossfit, desire, exercise, family, fitness, friends, gluten free, health, hipster, hope, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, Musing, nature, NFL draft, paleo, passion, pilates, running, thoughts, walking, weekend, whole foods, WOD, yoga 9 CommentsWe are addicted to our thoughts. We cannot change anything if we cannot change our thinking-
“Damn! The marathon I signed up for last October is this *bleepin* Sunday!!!”
You remember the evening well, like it was yesterday. The focus on the positives of running a marathon were many: free sweat wicking tee, beer tent passes, the chance to buy a new running outfit. However, as the marathon date started to loom ominously on the horizon, the positive thoughts you once shared with others, quickly turned into negative thoughts that you shard with no one.
Even when doubts become overwhelming, when the call to starting line is announced,it feels painfully hard to back out:
“What will my friends think? I quit, I’m a chump, a loser? I bought new shoes and a sweet running skirt, I picked up the race packet last night. We have reservations for pizza and beer after.”
What does it mean to have cold feet, anyways? Is it a small, nagging feeling that a huge mistake is being made or is about to be made, or an internal scream that yells, “Hey stop already! It’s not too late!” How serious does the event need to be on order to be “serious enough” to listen to the doubts, weigh them as more important than the embarrassment of not showing up, the risk of potential injury due to the lack of training and preparation, and back out of the marathon at the last-minute?
It’s one thing to have last-minute doubts about running a marathon you thoughtfully planned, trained dutifully for, back in October; it’s something else altogether to have doubts because you failed to train, you are injury prone and your sense of pride out weighs any other mitigating factors. Cute running outfit not matching included as well!
Notes:
Purpose of the post today? That the doubts we all experience before a big event should be taken seriously and not buried with “pride” and “status“. Now is the time for reflection and honesty. Because on Monday … Feel free to expose the painful, underlying reality about your torturous marathon experience in a blog post.
Take care and be well this weekend.
Dare to Be
Posted: April 25, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, Dare, exercise, fitness, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, paleo, passion, running, WOD, yoga 7 Comments… When a new day begins, dare to smile gratefully.
When there is darkness, dare to be the first to shine a light.
When there is injustice, dare to be the first to condemn it.
When something seems difficult, dare to do it anyway.
When life seems to beat you down, dare to fight back.
When there seems to be no hope, dare to find some.
When you’re feeling tired, dare to keep going.
When times are tough, dare to be tougher.
When love hurts you, dare to love again.
When someone is hurting, dare to help them heal.
When another is lost, dare to help them find the way.
When a friend falls, dare to be the first to extend a hand.
When you cross paths with another, dare to make them smile.
When you feel great, dare to help someone else feel great too.
When the day has ended, dare to feel as you’ve done your best.
Dare to be the best you can –
At all times, Dare to be!
Notes:
Take care today and be well!
CultFit 