Wild(Fire)
Posted: October 15, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: advice, blogging, Cake, compassion, cycling, exercise, Experience, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, Human sexual activity, Intimate relationship, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, Sexology, Sexual desire, Sexuality, simplicity, trail running, walking, whole foods, women, writing, yoga 5 CommentsEnlightenment is intimacy with all things-
I still get shocked by the hostility that sometimes comes flying at me when I write or talk about exploring intimacy, and more specifically how intimacy relates to wellness. To me: There is no delineation between the two.
These days, I am very careful about how to engage in conversations relating to intimacy and wellness, as I have come to realize that there is still a tremendous amount of taboo surrounding talking about our desire(s). It amazes me and stuns me every time I trip over another barrier that is keeping many of us in a place of uncomfortable innuendo rather than a place of delicious pleasure.
The only way that we can break these societal taboos is to talk about the things that can make some people uncomfortable. I choose to do so daily, and some folks may squirm. Although in the end, the barriers to our true spirit whither away and fall apart …
Am I actually talking about something radical here? I suppose it all hinges on the premise that pleasing others, is your pleasure? I implore you to think about this today, pretty please?
Notes:
It should also be noted this post ties directly into the post F(low). If you don’t have an intimate relationship with Yoga – Trail Running – Whatever? Hmm something to consider …
F(low)
Posted: October 14, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, Environmentally friendly, exercise, food, freshly pressed, happiness, health, kindness, life, love, lululemon, mind, Mindfulness, natural, nature, Omaha, Recreation, running, wine, writing, yoga 10 CommentsDo not ruin today with mourning tomorrow-
I’ve managed to stay relatively injury free this year by self-imposing a balance between unexciting “things” and exciting “things“. At home and away from my play outdoors I limit my larder to unexciting events – cleaning up, emptying the dish washer and mowing the yard.
Lately I’ve realized I need to apply the same approach to all areas of my life. I tend to gravitate towards highly stimulating play, conversation and work the way I gravitate toward fine wine and delectable treats. I spoil myself with action, and going too hard physically. I often fail at times to seek flow, the high-stimulation thrill of doing at exciting speed whatever I feel like. To keep myself from becoming jaded, I need to compensate for my highly stimulated actions by deliberately cultivating my ability to find stillness, awareness and comfort.
Notes:
My trick? Mindfulness exercise: Sitting in a quiet place as I intently watch my breath. A stimulating thought arises in my mind from a recent conversation with a close friend. I gently say “This is just a thought – A wish” . Mindfulness practice keeps my body and mind focused. How do you find balance between unexciting and exciting – I’m curious?!?
One last note, Love helps as well …
Single(Cross)
Posted: October 11, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, crossfit, cycling, Cyclo-cross, exercise, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, intensity, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, Racing, rest, running, sports, Subaru, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga, Yogi 9 Comments“Single” means you are brave enough to face the glorious unknown of the unaccompanied journey-
Time to pump the brakes on the whole mindfulness – meditation talk of late. Let us focus our attention on cyclocross racing and placing harmful “labels” on people instead!
I have developed over the years a love for lumping “things” into categories. Abstainers and Moderators, Yoga Moms and Yogi(s), Marathoner Runners and 5K Free Spirits, People who shop at Lululemon and Discount Rack Fashionistas, Road Bike Weight Weenies and Cyclocross Folks. I have more to share if you like and I’m positive you do as well!?!
A fleeting conversation (with a close friend) recently during a morning group ride, Inspired me to take notice of a few random thoughts of my own:
One person remarked, “I enjoy a simple life” another friend responded,“I enjoy a life lived to the fullest” Pedaling along I thought to myself that these were the most interesting pair of remarks that I’d ever heard from lycra clad road warriors.
Further down the trail, this seemingly simple conversation got me thinking (which is extremely dangerous): Is there a distinction to be drawn between these two harmless remarks?
Does one group – Let’s “label” them: Simplicity Lovers (Singlespeed – Steel is real – Ride to the event folks)–prefer to have less, care less about costs, bling, latest and fastest, weight, carry no spare supplies – except a bottle opener? Does this go with a love of Calm and Stillness?
And does the other group–I’ll call them: Abundance Lovers (Carbon – Weight Weenies who show up to a grass-roots cyclosross race with a $4500 steed and race cat5 …)–prefer to have more and more, desire fullness, overflow with confidence, have 14 bikes hanging in the garage, ample supplies in the back of their Subaru to outfit a pro team of riders? Does this go with a love of Lust and Desire?
What do you think of these two categories I have created? If the post so far strikes a chord with you, what group do you identify with?
*After much thought, I placed myself in the simplicity lovers category.*
Quick intermission – Stand up, stretch, wiggle your sparkly toes, grab a drink, smile! I don’t often share bloated and tedious posts, so consider yourself lucky this fine fall morning …
Why do we need to categorize and label people? Have you ever stopped to consider the harm caused by assigning names to certain people, groups, or dare I say – Religions? The label we place, puts the person in a box. No matter what they do or say, they can’t get out of that box. The labels we place, defines them.
How many of us actually like to be “labeled”? I certainly tire of being called a simple-minded, blonde haired dude, free spirit – it gets old really quick
The problem I want to address. once again, arises when we are unaware of the labels we often apply, like during a bike ride, start of a local 5k, chatting with a friend over lunch. We fail to stop and realize the damage we are doing by placing “labels” on others. Once a person is labeled, it’s very hard for them to move away …
I – You – We, passionately know there are vast differences between each and every one of us – just the way in which I write is but one example. I implore you this morning to reflect on the boxes you have ready to place on people today: Whether their choice of yoga pants, the bike they ride, you see two dudes holding hands and sharing an embrace – you get my point, I hope!
Instead of putting people into their respective boxes, I challenge you to deliberately refrain from placing your go to label. Open that damn “thing” between your ears, you – scruffy looking nerf herder!!!
Notes:
This weekend in Omaha is what is affectionately known as “Omaha CX Weekend“. Omaha CX Weekend is a wonderful time to wade into the waters of cyclocross racing, and I use racing loosely – If ringing cow bells, wading through mud, eating brats seconds before a race and drinking beer to refuel sounds like a race to you? Come on out and I will personally pay your registration fee!
For a more in-depth description of the lunatics who ride SINGLE CROSS <—Click here
Les Éventails, Portraits of Passion
Posted: October 10, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout, Yoga | Tags: Arts, Bird, blogging, compassion, exercise, family, friends, health, kindness, life, love, lululemon, meditation, motivation, music, musings, Nathalie Handal, natural, Omaha, passion, perspective, Poetry, Recreation, simplicity, Winds, Woodwinds, writing 3 Comments…
The shadows of birds fading on a fighter’s back
The undressing of words on an unstamped postcard
The wet swings in the distant park
The jealousy of raindrops on the umbrella of lovers
The laughter of a boy before a bird
The song of two flutes, two swords, two bracelets, two fingers
The stare of a wave before a pearl
The yearning between the legs of a farmer’s wife
The opening of doors closing midday
The sudden howling of our muse—and
les éventails—disturbing the guest inside of us
– Nathalie Handal
Thought(S)
Posted: October 9, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, compassion, Critical thinking, culture, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, health, Intelligence, intuition, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, mind, Mindfulness, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, recovery, Religion and Spirituality, rest, running, Social psychology, Thought, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 5 CommentsIf you do not tell the truth about yourself you cannot tell it about other people-
We tend to naturally treat some of our thoughts as superior to others. Moment of honesty folks – All of us at one time or another believed we were smarter and superior to those around us … At times these intuitions guide us fairly well and during other times, rather poorly. Gather around if you like, as I lament, once again about honing our intuition and judgment …
As much as we tend to think our perfect little lives are well – perfect. Our intuitions and actions have evolved, we have learned subtle adaptations honed slowly to fit the “imperfect” world we live in.
Touching on mindfulness once again … I firmly believe mindfulness is best cultivated through critical thinking, through taking inventory of our weaknesses, the places where we’re naturally prone to misinterpret reality. Thinking Slowly and Diligently rather than Fast and Easy. I – We automatically favor thinking fast, it’s what we have been programmed to do after all! We favor the path of least resistance, although with practice we can make the harder path easier … That’s why we do what we do right? We meditate because its easy, we perform yoga because we are super flexible, we max out the leg abductor machine because its easy, we write touching blog posts about painful situations we are too scared to confront in real life, it’s why we argue with loved ones via text than face to face, held close – The easier path …
Mindfulness practice is easy. Breathing is just being. It takes courage to let go of a pesky thought, the ability to say, “I’m thinking way too much about this” and to ultimately – let go, surrender.
Notes:
I wish more people would allow mindfulness to expose the “sad but true” moments in their lives. I passionately do … Be well today and please take care.
CultFit 