I Wish You Would

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.
Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them

The Workout-

Introspection and ContemplationBalance through thought.  Oh, it’s a Rest Day in case you were wondering.

CultFit Grand

Notes:

We have been at this blog-o-thing now for a little over two years, over this time we have met quite a few amazing peeps to say the least.  If you are new to CultFit, please read the work above, again, in a more personal way.  Allow the words to find meaning within you.  In essence, the splendid work by Christian D. Larson embodies everything we are here at CultFit.

CultFit This


Got Me Wrong

 Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony-

What did you love to do the most as a child?  Shove crayons up your nose?  Draw pretty pictures with said crayons?  Maybe you enjoyed playing a musical instrument or was it reenacting a great story you just finished reading?  For many of us, it was exploring the wonders of the world by simply being outside, like immersed in nature.  Poison ivy and all.  What if we shared a secret with you?  Only if you promise not to share it with anyone else … You can find greater energy and inspiration today by reconnecting with what you enjoyed the most as a child:  Sign up for an art class at a local college or community center, volunteer to give musical lessons to today’s generation.  Or, our favorite:  Leave your shoes at home and head out the door for an early morning walk before the world awakens around you.

CultFit Tree

The Workout-

Balance Beam Work, Dead Man Rolls, Inversion(s) and a very light and flowing Ashtanga Yoga Series = शांति

Notes:

By reconnecting with our long-lost gifts we can reclaim our “sense” < — Hint from yesterday Our true passion in life.

What are some of your gifts (seriously peeps: let ’em fly and chime in) and how do you plan on utilizing them today?

Picture 002


My Mind’s Eye

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened-

How much of your everyday experience is influenced by the expectations you place on the people and “things” around you?  A rough percentage would do just fine, we’re not that picky.  Also, how often do you notice when you’re projecting yourself in this way? How often are you aware of your thoughts, emotions … Your mental commentary?  The commentary that dictates your experience of being here “now“?

As we carry on through our Monday morning together, feel free take to a moment and notice how you compare what you see, hear, feel, taste and smell to the very “things” you’ve sensed previously.  Oh, this is a good example:  Groggy and clouded you manage to stumble into your local coffee-house.  Do you notice the long queue first or the aroma of freshly ground, fair trade and organic Elephant Dung Coffee?  Pay attention and take notice as to how your current decisions of like and dislike, love and hate, relate to intangible ideas from a similar experience at another time.  Does your coffee taste better today due to there being no line?  A pleasant exchange with a stranger …

Our thoughts and expectations impact the present moment and our everyday experiences in profound ways.  So, are some things inherently better than others, or do we change what we see with our mind?  We know, this “presence” stuff  takes a lot of hard work on your part, so why not try being present with one sense each day this week?  Gently ease into this stuff.

CultFit Road

The Workout-

A mindful, peaceful and  refreshing Warm Up consisting of the following:

Crocodile breathing, Sun Salutation and some tumbling/rolling about.

That’s it for today.

Notes:

Be well today.

CultFit Happy


Let Go

Making people happy makes people happy-

Link of the day:  Budget Bytes

What exactly is the importance of having a open mind?

Personal and spiritual growth begins with a healthy dose of open-mindedness, that’s the importance. At what age did you stop asking “why”?

For the parents reading this morning, when the little ones ask “why” … Like a billion times before lunch?  It gets old really quick!  We beg of them to stop.  However, and curse us if you may:  Asking “why” should never go away, no matter how cantankerous and old we become.

There is always room for more understanding in our lives.  If dudes want to wear skinny jeans and fedoras while shopping at Whole Foods?  Totally cool … If we stay narrow-minded with the belief that what we know is the divine truth? We end up greeting any and all differing views as a falsehood.   Feel like ruining a relationship real quick?  Stop asking “why” and become less understanding.  We triple dog dare you to try this?!?

There is a looming set of clouds full of ” ignorance” forming on the far horizon.   The ingredients for a  perfect storm are all around us:  Total immersion in social media, failure to notice the changing  environment, lack of empathy towards others, relying on facts and not deep-rooted knowledge.  Are we forgetting anything?

There is hope young Padawan(s)  One way we as a whole can rid ourselves of this storm is to allow the light of higher awareness to shine down warmly upon us:  Ask “why” and practice becoming more open-minded.  Is Mark Sanchez (aka Buttfumble) the best QB in the NFL … Maybe – Maybe not?!?  Let’s discuss this further.

Open-mindednessGrowth

*Better come strong with your QB argument!  Just saying.*

The Workout-

A little homework is in order before we carry on with The Workout today.  Hey, save the comments for after class … Look up these two words using your Google Machine:  Techne and Episteme

CultFit Meow

What, you might be asking are these two dreadful little words doing here this morning?

Is your workout based on Techne (craft, experience and know how) … Or, are you trying to impress your friends with Episteme (book knowledge and showing off the title/certifications/badassness of your program).  So on that note:

A nice flowing Warm Up consisting of Crane Pose play and breathing control.  Followed by:

10 KB Perfect Push Ups

10 One Arm KB Bent Over Rows (alternate arms –  load)

10 Step(s) High Knee Walk (each foot – shoes off – walking on clouds)

Play.

Notes:

Techne or Episteme?  Why really?  I’m trying to be open-minded about all of this?  Be well this weekend and please take care!

HERE is the link to follow us via email as well as the  Twitter Machine  Link.  Thank you once again!

CultFit Jamal


Do Whutchya Like

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful-

What is THE WORST training tool we have available to use?  Our eyes …

Our eyes mislead us while our best training tool and the one seldom used  is our Mind.

CultFit This

The images our eyes capture play a large role in how we organize our perceptions.  If you are capable of daydreaming at work?!?  Then you can learn how to visualize and meditate.

Let’s start early this morning for good measure:

· A good way to start is to simply think about your home or apartment.
· Imagine that you are standing outside and looking at your front door.
· Describe your door in detail (aloud).  What color is the door?  What is the shape of the door handle?   How high is the door?  What does it sound like if you knock on it?
· The part of your mind that you are using to describe the door is the part we use for visualization.
· Now, imagine your door in a different color.  First blue, then red, etc.  Use your imagination and pretend if you need to.  The more you can pretend the better your imagination will be.

Like many “things” in our lives, we forget as we age.  Hand a thoughtful little dude a Matchbox car and watch what happens …

The Workout-

There are literally millions of yoga poses, trillions is actually more actuate of a number.  Try this:  Stand on one foot, hand on the hip of the leg firmly planting you to the ground, your other hand picking at your ear vigorously (keep picking until you find something).  Let’s call this pose: CultFita Hasta Padangustasana

True, passionate yoga practice has Nothing to do with the poses.

So on that lovely note, today is a Rest Day.  You are free to obsess over your killer pose … We will be going for a Walk and focusing/visualizing on proper breathing?!? <— Hint – Hint

Notes:

Thank you to the peeps who took a second to “Subscribe to our feed” yesterday.  For your convenience HERE is the link again.  You can also follow us on The Twitter Machine Rest assured we will not pester you with self-absorbed crap via a random “tweet”.

Be well today and ENJOY!!!

For more awesome work by Dain Fagerholm … Head over to DAiN8

CultFit This 1