Muy Feliz
Posted: November 20, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout, Yoga | Tags: blogging, compassion, cycling, Facebook, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, philosophy, pilates, running, simplicity, Surrender, trail running, twitter, whole foods, writing, yoga 7 CommentsSometimes one has suffered enough to have the right to never say: I am too happy-
The idea of “surrender” is not one we cling to when it comes to engaging in activitie(s) of our choosing. Rather, the words we use are more akin to fighting a valiant battle, winning at all costs. And you know what? There is nothing wrong with thinking this way … Unless thinking this way makes you feel worse that you already do.
May this post serve as an invitation to gently set aside the fear and fight in our lives. In order to truly live.
…
My idea of surrender, is that surrender gives my mind a chance to let the world seep into my very consciousness. Learning “how to surrender” is not about becoming passive, a “chump” or indifferent. Surrender revolves around accepting our current state of mind, body and spirit. With this acceptance serving as my starting point? I am learning to take the best care I can of my body and my mind.
Daily Meditation:
Consider a moment in your life when “surrendering” led to positive consequences that you were not expecting …
Be well today!
Decidir V. Decidido
Posted: October 8, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout, Yoga | Tags: blogging, crossfit, cycling, Facebook, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, Learning, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, mind, Mindfulness, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, philosophy, pilates, running, Thought, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 9 CommentsIf someone comes along and shoots an arrow into your heart, it’s fruitless to stand there and yell at the person. It would be much better to turn your attention to the fact that there’s an arrow in your heart-
If through practicing mindfulness, we practice letting go of thoughts – hopefully? We need another practice for letting thoughts in, getting comfortable with threats from soccer moms, the risks associated with yoga class, discouraging and difficult thoughts during a recent early morning run. We need to exercise our ability to comprehend the tedious, harsh and more discouraging thoughts we encounter during the day more so than blasting reps and sets in a gym. Without ever practicing letting thoughts in? We tend to interpret the world through the lens of easy, wishful thinking …
We need to be brave enough to take our shoes off, expose our knackered and worn toenails to step confidently into dark, discouraging and confusing waters in our quests for uncertain gratification.
It’s not enough to be able to dismiss all the “thoughts” we process and return to the here and now as “mindfulness” practice encourages. Seriously folks – Please read the last sentence again. This is where many people get mindfulness wrong, horribly wrong: Mindfulness practice is most attractive and helpful to people who succumb to the weight of negative thoughts and feelings.
Consider that most often mindfulness is meant to discourage, discouragement.
You may be able to tell I am clearly frustrated with the current view, adopted by so many in regards to mindfulness. The power of neutral-thinking, an ability to, in effect pre-grieve the possibilities of not having the latest yoga fashion(s) so that we aren’t scared of living without them, limbering our minds much the way we learn to breathe into and surrender to the searing burn of a stretched hamstring during chair pose.
Notes:
By letting thoughts in, we have already visited failure, humiliation and injury. We are prepared to contemplate deeply even when it’s not cool or trendy. Here’s the harsh truth that many yogis, blog posts and tired yoga magazine articles fail to provide us: Mindfulness practice is not believing you can ward off undesirable outcomes by not thinking about them.
There is Still Time
Posted: September 30, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: baseball, blogging, Breaking Bad, compassion, cycling, dance, family, freshly pressed, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, nature, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, philosophy, pilates, running, simplicity, sports, trail running, walking, whole foods, WOD, yoga 12 CommentsAs if you were on fire from within. The moon lives in the lining of your skin-
Over the years as a father, husband, coach\trainer, a friend. I often find myself surrounded by people who rarely, if ever, have asked themselves: “What am I passionate about in life?” From the time most of us were little stinkers tearing up the neighborhood, we knew what we wanted to do. Playing until dusk, ignoring the call from mother to come inside, running without a care in the world, and trading baseball cards to put into the spokes of our bikes. We cherished these moments and we still do …
Meanwhile, many of us venture through the day uncertain of what we cared about, back in our youth. We spend an infinite amount of time choosing majors at university and picking a career, still uncertain of “our true passion – calling“.
Rediscovering our passion later in life is tricky to say the least. Many folks simply fall into molds society has conveniently placed around us: Men don’t do yoga. Muscles equal success, dangerously skinny women are placed proudly on a pedestal labeled as: Fitspiration.
Its time we stopped worrying about what physical activity will reignite our passion. What event, what gadget, what athlete, what lame – tired blog post … Just being passionate, each and every morning will allow your true spirit to reveal itself, attracting life to a you that is ready, willing, and able to dance the kind of dance – that you want to dance.
Notes:
There is safety in life when we embrace the mold we live in, and then there is beautiful, passionate, unencumbered life. A life worth living …
Franken-Dingle
Posted: September 23, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Bianchi, Bicycle, Bike Shop, biking, building, Campagnolo, creating, cycling, Engineering, freshly pressed, happiness, hipster, Jamis, jogging, life, Lifestyle, Local Bike Shop, love, lululemon, Mechanic, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, perspective, philosophy, pilates, principles, Repair, running, Saturday, simple, simplicity, Single speed, tinkering, weight, whole foods, WordPress, writing, yoga 15 CommentsI have learned to seek my happiness by limiting my desires, rather than in attempting to satisfy them-
WARNING – What you are about to read will cause a chain reaction (literally) during your Saturday morning club ride. Lycra clad purist will recoil in horror if you whisper in hushed tones “Franken-Dingle” chasing the head of the line. For you see, some believe that Franken-Dingle does exist, that there is carbon clad, sub 20 pound make that 18 pound Dual Speed (<–What?!?) road bikes tearing up gravel roads and local crit circuits from hither and yon. It should also be noted that the trendy – hip – ironic folks at the corner bodega recoil in horror upon seeing this bike.
For some of us shade tree bike mechanics, building and riding bikes is just for fun, a way to enjoy a hobby that’s in line with our thoughts and beliefs about living simply. Understanding the significance of embracing humility is profound– we rebuild Bianchi Reparto Corse wheel-sets to wither time away during the evening after work, we adjust and tune Campagnolo Centaur Century Grey crank-sets with our kids on the weekend to teach them the virtues of proper chain length – line and tension. Although for others (like the dude writing you this morning), living simply and riding simply is a method to connect to a larger set of philosophies and principles.
My decision to embrace living simply, is simply my way of staying grounded in the face of a high-tech, sped-up, warp-drive world. Turning a wrench, teaching my son hands on, building and riding bikes offers a passionate connection to the long-lost tradition of “doing” rather than “let me Google it real quick … “. We truly are adrift in a sea of mass culture and gadgets.
My challenge to you? Put a claim in on your true self, click in and ride, set a path to a more reflective, more fulfilling life. Pretty cool huh?!?
The Build:
*All the pieces and parts on this wonderful ride were sourced from the following: Local Bike Shop(s), Craigslist, Friends and finally the garage my wife said was getting “cramped” with spare bike parts everywhere!*
Frame – Crank-Set – Seat Post – Saddle – Headset – Handlebars – Stem – Brakes … From a good friend.
Wheelset – Campag Cogs/Spacers … Bartered and traded gear at my Local bike shop.
Fork – Cables – Housing … Met an awesome family on Craigslist, selling a “crashed” Felt Z Series road bike. Top tip: Strap down your bike on your vehicle before heading out on the highway!
Bar Tape – Brake Levers … Bought at the bet bike shop in Omaha – Omaha Bicycle Co.
Chain Stop – Bottom Bracket – Chain – Chain Tensioner – Pedals – Tubes/Tires … The messy garage!
Notes:
Our modern world moves way too fast, and our lives would be more fulfilling, dense with meaning and purpose if we slowed “things” down just a touch …
He was the kind
Posted: September 5, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Adventure, art, blogging, compassion, Creative Writing, culture, kindness, life, love, lululemon, lust, Media, meditation, mental health, musings, natural, Observation, Omaha, passion, philosophy, pop culture, Prose, running, simplicity, Stefan Zweig, trail running, whole foods, WOD, writting, yoga 7 Comments… of young man whose handsome face has brought him plenty of success in the past and is now ever-ready for a new encounter, a fresh-experience, always eager to set off into the unknown territory of a little adventure, never taken by surprise because he has worked out everything in advance and is waiting to see what happens, a man who will never overlook any erotic opportunity, whose first glance probes every woman’s sensuality, and explores it, without discriminating between his friend’s wife and the parlour-maid who opens the door to him. Such men are described with a certain facile contempt as lady-killers, but the term has a nugget of truthful observation in it, for in fact all the passionate instincts of the chase are present in their ceaseless vigilance: the stalking of the prey, the excitement and mental cruelty of the kill. They are constantly on the alert, always ready and willing to follow the trail of an adventure to the very edge of the abyss. They are full of passion all the time, but it is the passion of a gambler rather than a lover, cold, calculating and dangerous. Some are so persistent that their whole lives, long after their youth is spent, are made an eternal adventure by this expectation. Each of their days is resolved into hundreds of small sensual experiences – a look exchanged in passing, a fleeting smile, knees brushing together as a couple sit opposite each other – and the year, in its own turn, dissolves into hundreds of such days in which sensuous experience is the constantly flowing, nourishing, inspiring source of life.
– Stefan Zweig, The Burning Secret and other stories
CultFit 