To truly – Have
Posted: February 5, 2014 Filed under: Meditation, Yoga | Tags: Bliss, blogging, Breathing, Buddha, compassion, cycling, exercise, family, fitness, Freinds, freshly pressed, happiness, health, kindness, life, love, lululemon, meditation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, peace, perspective, pilates, Power Yoga, Rants, running, Work, writing, yoga, Zen 7 CommentsWork is not always required. There is such a thing as sacred idleness-
Every moment in our lives is a fresh start. Every breath, every movement we make. We are always at the beginning; Wherever we are along our path in life. Sounds like a song from Sting does it not?!?
…
I would like to plant a thought in your fertile mind this morning, maybe getting you to think deeper, about “something” we take for granted:
All we truly have is the present moment.
Each day we are living with the consequences of our past choices and actions. A cool dude back in the day – Buddha, taught us that when we hopelessly cling onto our stories about ourselves, or about what we think is destined to happen next, we only create suffering for ourselves.
We can begin anew right now, seriously! Instead of floating along in our habitual, and dare I say: Mindless … Ways of being. Press pause and find the beauty in this moment, right now.
Daily Meditation:
Welcome home, to yourself.
*CultFit 2014 Events*
Posted: January 13, 2014 Filed under: Random Workout, Yoga | Tags: biking, blogging, cycling, family, fitness, freshly pressed, friends, Gravel Grinding, health, Iowa, kindness, life, love, lululemon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, pilates, yoga 2 CommentsWhat does it mean to be the best? It means you have to be better than the number two guy. But what gratification is there in that? He’s a loser—that’s why he’s number two-
Oddly, many of you have been asking where I will be riding this year. The list below is by no means complete, who knows? I may not be “feeling” particularity motivated one weekend to go out and grind some gravel, choosing to lie on my yoga mat instead. Either way, listed below is a tentative list of events I plan on riding in (minus club rides, charity rides and late season cyclocross).
I’m always open to ideas and rides in your neck of the woods as well!
February 2nd 2014 – Frosty Bike Ride
February 16th 2014 – Ice Bike Fourteen
March 16th 2014 – Iowa Spring Classic
March 23rd 2014 – Iowa Spring Classic
April 5th 2014 – Renegade Gents Race
April 19th 2014 – Red Hills Roller
May 31st 2014 – Dirty Kanza 200
June 28th 2014 – Odin’s Revenge
July 12th 2014 – GONG Ride
August 16th 2014 – Gravel Worlds
September 13th 2014 – The Wicked Wilson 100
October 18th 2014 – Omaha Jackrabbit
November 1st 2014 – Gravelicious Gravel Grinder
(I)mage
Posted: October 16, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: American Idol, Biggest Loser, blogging, Bob Harper, compassion, crossfit, cycling, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, happiness, health, Holley Mangold, hope, kettlebell, kindness, life, Lincoln, Lincoln Nebraska, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, NBC, nebraska, Olympic weightlifting, Omaha, Omaha Nebraska, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 8 CommentsI am not an angel,” I asserted; “and I will not be one till I die: I will be myself-
Before we get started with the usual jibber-jabber a few important notes:
Two women I sincerely look up to and love are back in the news. Holley Mangold is on this seasons run of The Biggest Loser (whatever this is). Her passion, authenticity and spirit are simply beautiful and empowering! Long time readers keenly know I have been on the Team Mangold bandwagon for quite some time and I hope you hop on as well! Also in the news is my dearest friend Anne. Anne and her relay team consisting of some rather dashing and lovely young ladies took first place in the annual Market to Market relay between Omaha, Nebraska and Lincoln, Nebraska. I learn more from Anne than she will ever learn from me, brilliant performance!
… What follows is a draft I started yet never got around polishing up to post. What you read below is unedited, pouring out of my heart and thoughts concerning weight, sensuality and image. Taboo topics to so many …
A woman or man who is worried about their appearance will never be able to relax enough to let their true sensuality and spirit shine upon us.
If we are insistently worried about our tummy overhang and flabby arms, we become tense to the world. Far too many of us spend countless hours staring in a mirror and in our lovers arms on alert for reassurances from them, that they are indeed attractive enough to “us“.
If we look deeply enough in their eyes, in our own hearts we will indeed see that we really are: Beautiful and Sensual.
If we are ashamed of our shape, the damn number on a scale – We will be stilled. We will not feel entitled to being seen in public and between the sheets, we fade quietly into the background of not wanting to seek attention, never allowing our brilliance to shine.
Notes:
I loathe sharing self-serving advice, prefacing statements … Learn to feel and love your body, express your passion openly onto this beautiful world. Be the Lilly of the Night that opens its petals, openly defy the description(s) the world has placed on you – Shine.
Subir la Temperatura
Posted: September 24, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Chamomile, cycling, exercise, family, FitBit, fitness, free range, Freinds, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Omaha, passion, perspective, pilates, Poetry, relationships, running, sex, Stevia, Temptation, trail running, WOD, writing, writting, yoga 7 CommentsWhat the hell. The heart wants what the heart wants, right?-
The posts for the remainder of the year (for the most part) will be personal in nature, so please forgive the self-involvement in advance. I have worked extremely hard to omit painful personal stories from this blog-o-thing.
Every Fall, I like to engage in two very different sorts of bike rides (I’m into the cycling thing now although I do this with yoga almost every week during the year)—one with a group of good friends, and one alone, myself. These rides don’t have to be real long or strenuous, just long enough to get a clean break from the rigors of my day-to-day life. These moments of serenity each provide me with two very different experiences, and I intimately love both of them.
Although it’s the long free-flowing ride that I take by myself that gives me the time to reflect on where I am at (not lost in a cornfield …) and where I will be going.
This alone time affords me the luxury of taking as much time as I need to relax into a smooth rhythm, to delve deeper into the love that we are often too busy to enjoy and savor. Sleeping in late, enjoying a cup of chamomile tea – “A touch of soy milk and Stevia please.” Hanging out with no agenda, no races, no race prep, no FitBit trackers, no cell phones … Zero responsibilities, it’s as close to heaven as I can get in Nebraska.
We – You included – Have forgotten that there isn’t anything more important than taking time to restore our health, our spirit and mind(s). To reawaken and indulge our enjoyment of deep pleasure (re-read this post again later and preface it with the imagery of love, sex and passion … ), and to retreat into the sweet environment that supports the growth of our true selves.
When we stop being curious about who we really are and start thinking that we already “know” whatever, our intrinsic motivation to be curious, attentive, and engaged – weakens and slowly withers away into nothingness. Slaves to what is to be expected of us.
Notes:
What am I writing about this morning? Love, relationships, riding a bike, sex, yoga … Cool Fall evenings are tailored for our “delight“. Be well today and enjoy!
If Only (for) a Moment
Posted: August 26, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: biking, blogging, Blue Jay, compassion, cycling, exercise, Faithless, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, Gravel Worlds, happiness, health, hipster, Horticulture, kindness, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nebraska, Oak, Omaha, passion, trail running, Tree, Walk, walking, whole foods, Willow, WOD, writing, yoga 12 CommentsFaithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens-
Often in my writing, I’ve mentioned my thoughts about nature and exploring the world outdoors. For me, there are few things as inspiring as gazing at a white tail fawn taking a drink from a stream or witnessing someone riding along on a trail with the wind dancing in the leaves, the branches of the willow trees playing a velvety note …
Do you have a space that sings to your heart as much if not more now than in the past? What created the change for you?
When I finish a long ride, I often sit and gaze out at the view I had come to love one last time. Then, suddenly I take notice … the bluest of Blue Jays confidently perched in a nearby oak tree. In all my years of being outside, looking, I had never seen his equal, in both color and presence. I watched him for what seemed like a long time, seconds in all actuality … and then he dropped from his perch, hurtling at top speed toward the earth before catching a gentle breeze and ascending to the tree tops.
I sat in this spot for a long while, appreciating the gift nature generously brought it to me. In this moment I traveled back through the years, the many miles I have ridden, run, walked … To the many opportunities that nature had presented kindly to me. Often I answered, more times than naught I didn’t.
Notes:
Driving to work this morning, gazing at a different face of natures beautiful presence. I’m reminded of the Blue Jay I recently met and the message he shared with me. We are here only for a moment, surrender to it.
Be well and have an A1 day!
CultFit 