Ground(ED)
Posted: October 2, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Alternative, Anahata, blogging, Chakra, compassion, cycling, Earth, energy, family, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, kindness, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, Muladhara, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, paleo, perspective, pilates, Religion and Spirituality, running, Sahasrara, Sanskrit, simplicity, trail running, Walk, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 8 CommentsThe body, she says, is subject to the force of gravity. But the soul is ruled by levity, pure-
I often get asked how I retain a calm center when all that I know, all that I have been taught, all that I have so diligently built over the years, centered on “performance” and “perfection” appears to be slowly falling away as I get older – not wiser mind you, older?
You may feel personally challenged on multiple fronts today: A recent spat of dealing with injury – again, stressing too much about an upcoming race, yoga pants riding up on you during class, family matters, school and the old standby: Work. You may feel un-grounded.
Grounding yourself is a way to build a relationship with the Earth, that “thing” beneath your sparkly toes. Grounding ourselves means actively choosing to make a conscious connection between your self and the source of your life force energy. Breaking News: Your job, online relationship status and how many sun salutations you can do in a row are not your true source of life force energy. Grounding provides our spirit with precise GPS coordinates on our physical body.
Spirit —> Body
Notes-
Discovering our root center connects us directly to the pure essence of the Earth—not to the physical surface of the Earth where our daily lives are played out, but rather the living, breathing entity of Earth.
*The inspiration for this tedious post came as challenge from a friend: Explain Chakra, without using the word Chakra and make it digestible for “common folks” … How did I do?*
(Auto) Porción
Posted: October 1, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: Abstinence, blogging, compassion, Crafts, cycling, exercise, fitness, food, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, kettlebell, kindness, life, Lifestyle (sociology), love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, motivation, musings, natural, nature, nutrition, Omaha, paleo, passion, perspective, pilates, running, Style, Support Groups, trail running, weight loss, whole foods, WOD, writing, yoga 4 CommentsLive to the point of tears-
Part of my philosophy here at CultFit is that I believe that people who engage in a healthy and active lifestyle and folks who don’t, can benefit from sharing stories with each other.
Quick example: If you’re struggling with injury, doubting yourself, stuck in a deep – treacherous training rut and wonder if it’s even possible to live a happy life without fretting over a tedious marathon training plan? It can be refreshing and helpful to hear from people who don’t train like a bunch of “freaks“. What do people do who merely run for fun? How do they relax the temptation to compete? On the other hand, if you don’t fancy running more than a meter, it can be affirming or simply a vicarious pleasure to hear the ups and downs of other people’s lives.
Exploring and surrendering to your own style can help you craft your own plan …
Notes:
When all is said and done, the most helpful thing we can do is ask ourselves: What makes me comfortable, given who I really am?
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 …
The (I)ntro
Posted: September 27, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, crossfit, cycling, Darth Vader, Emotion, exercise, family, fitness, free range, freshly pressed, friends, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, hope, intensity, Jedi, kettlebell, kindness, life, love, Luke Skywalker, lululemon, marathon, medicine, meditation, motivation, Motrin, musings, natural, nature, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Omaha, pain, Pain management, paleo, passion, running, star wars, WOD, writing, yoga 28 CommentsPain will come with time, but time will heal the pain-
Let the above quote settle in your heart for a moment …
Life can be full of emotional “roles” we take on. I am tired of trying to act out what others have created – written for me, and I want to define myself for who I really am, not what’s expected.
Of the 500+ blog posts I have written, this one has been by far the most challenging. Why? Because it is more Uncle Ben Kenobi then Luke Skywalker and while I like to think I can save the day, every day, for everyone, like an intergalactic heroine; I realize I must now save myself. I am not a fictional character but a simple dude figuring things out and sharing observations along the way. A simple dude who is learning that being healthy and pain-free is not a luxury to take lightly, it is part of my journey.
I’ve arrived to the conclusion that I need more than awareness, I need acceptance in my life. I am fully aware that I live with unwavering pain everyday, simply waking up in the morning (hell, I never fall sleep) is enough of a reminder.
I fully realize now (in this uncomfortable writing position) that awareness is the crisp sheet of Star Wars wrapping paper my lovely wife and I firmly wrap around our son’s birthday presents, with the gift(s) neatly stowed inside, and acceptance is the shredded aftermath of his fury: ribbons, bows, poorly taped boxes, and batteries I forgot to pick up the night before (because focusing on suppressing pain is all-consuming) … it is effort, function, and truth beyond projected images. They are both beautiful and play important roles in our life.
Awareness: I have always wanted to get better after each injury, heal faster, be healthier, listen to everyone’s problems, and take away everyone’s pain away without ever taking time to acknowledge my own. I’m terrified of pain … I want to be the poetic ideal that everyone believes I am. A friend, a father and husband with time and heart for all who come in need of a hug or a willing ear, to process a conversation or opinion without judgement. I want to meditate peacefully, perform yoga pain-free, be a better lover, and be honest and open to all I meet. Is that too much to be all of the time?
The answer of course is a resounding YES! Because after years of simply being aware of the pain, I am now laid barre writing to you, fully accepting where I am at in life.
Acceptance: I have always thought that simply not being in the grasp of the worst of my pain was in fact happiness. Everything these past few years has been a matter of comparison for me, I am a walking barometer of pain. I want to know what happiness truly feels like. Happiness is not skipping mega doses of pain medication(s) one morning in order to know I am alive today in comparison to yesterday when I was under the influence of too much Motrin. My days are filled sharing with others in hopes that they will come to know happiness. That they can work towards being better, that you are allowed to eat red velvet birthday cake, drink too much wine and be merry. You don’t have to suppress the joys of life to achieve some self-serving, vanity filled fitness goal! What others expect you to be …
Notes:
What follows is a note to myself:
I must take care of myself, not just so I can fulfill my obligations in life but to take care of those who love me.
The Solitude of Night
Posted: September 26, 2013 Filed under: Random Workout | Tags: blogging, Countryside, cycling, Drink, exercise, fitness, food, free range, freshly pressed, gluten free, happiness, health, hipster, Home and Garden, hope, Li Bai, Li Po, life, love, lululemon, marathon, meditation, memoir, motivation, musings, natural, nature, Omaha, passion, perspective, Poems, Poetry, Recreation, running, Shopping, Society, Travel, wine, WOD, writing, yoga 6 Comments…
– Li Po
CultFit 