It's been many months since I blogged, and life has been busy. Our Mexican honeymoon was wonderful, and I wish we could return right now (though I wouldn't enjoy the heat, I'm sure.) Work has been crazy, but I love it. I love what I do, and that is something new for me. My past job was wearing me down, and the addition of my extra duties has made it far, far better.
My husband and I celebrated our first anniversary last month with a small party for our family and friends, and then a day to ourselves. It's hard to believe it's been (over) a year already. Though I hate cliches, I guess time flies when you're in a secure, happy, loving relationship. While everyone has their ups and downs, fights and fun, the great has definitely outweighed the bad.
I will be returning to blogging with a new focus of The Perfect Housewife Project. I will of course continue with my cooking and baking, but I'm also going to focus on our lives, with all the travel, family and love that I am so lucky to be able to share.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The end of the line
Today was the last day of my 30-day challenge, and it's bittersweet. While I'm ready to get my life back and actually get home from work at a normal hour, I will miss knowing that yoga was always a constant in my day, even if nothing else was. Though I still can't touch my toes and I still sometimes hold my breath during certain poses, yoga has helped me to let things go, which is something I desperately needed to learn.
I will post more on Friday, but I couldn't go to bed without announcing that I did indeed finish my challenge. All 30 days of it. I didn't fail, and right now that feels really, really good.
I will post more on Friday, but I couldn't go to bed without announcing that I did indeed finish my challenge. All 30 days of it. I didn't fail, and right now that feels really, really good.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Day 26: The double shift
After missing last Sunday due to feeling sick when I woke up, I was a day behind my yoga this week. Thus, I did two classes today, a Yin-Yang practice followed by Hatha.
It actually went really, really well. I was worried I'd be exhausted by the end of it, but I was in a great mood afterward and I felt wonderful. However, my poor knee was a casualty of war after I broke up some scar tissue while doing a final stretch. My physiotherapist mother assures me that this is a good thing because it will hopefully allow my leg to stretch a bit more, but it's always a bit tender for a few days after so I'm on a constant cycle of ice and heat.
I felt so good after two classes in a row today that I have decided to do another two classes tomorrow so I don't have to worry about getting up early on Monday. I start my new job that day, and I am a bit worried about having to miss my class on Monday night if something happens at work and I end up getting stuck past 4 p.m. This will also give me the chance to eat dinner with my husband earlier than 7:30, which is always exciting.
It will be kind of fun to be ahead of myself in yoga, though it's still strange to think that after tomorrow I only have two classes left in my 30-day challenge. I am going back to Hatha on Tuesday with my mom, and then finishing my challenge on Wednesday the way I began, with a hot class. I'm looking forward to being able to come home right after work, and I'm looking forward to having my weekends completely free. However, I am a bit sad to be finishing the challenge, as thus far it has brought me some amazing things.
Even if I still can't touch my toes.
It actually went really, really well. I was worried I'd be exhausted by the end of it, but I was in a great mood afterward and I felt wonderful. However, my poor knee was a casualty of war after I broke up some scar tissue while doing a final stretch. My physiotherapist mother assures me that this is a good thing because it will hopefully allow my leg to stretch a bit more, but it's always a bit tender for a few days after so I'm on a constant cycle of ice and heat.
I felt so good after two classes in a row today that I have decided to do another two classes tomorrow so I don't have to worry about getting up early on Monday. I start my new job that day, and I am a bit worried about having to miss my class on Monday night if something happens at work and I end up getting stuck past 4 p.m. This will also give me the chance to eat dinner with my husband earlier than 7:30, which is always exciting.
It will be kind of fun to be ahead of myself in yoga, though it's still strange to think that after tomorrow I only have two classes left in my 30-day challenge. I am going back to Hatha on Tuesday with my mom, and then finishing my challenge on Wednesday the way I began, with a hot class. I'm looking forward to being able to come home right after work, and I'm looking forward to having my weekends completely free. However, I am a bit sad to be finishing the challenge, as thus far it has brought me some amazing things.
Even if I still can't touch my toes.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Karma, giving up and returning to the mat
Obviously I haven't been blogging for the past several days. It's been a week of highs and lows, and I haven't been around too much other than to quickly check email and then sleep.
The first couple days this week were great. I enjoyed my classes, life was going well, and I was enjoying the challenge. And then Wednesday smacked me in the face.
I came home from hot yoga, and I announced to my husband that I was quitting yoga, I couldn't do it anymore, it wasn't doing me any good and I needed to stop, effective immediately. He told me he would support me in whatever I chose to do, but reminded me that completing this challenge was important to me. I had already promised to take my mother to yoga again on Thursday, so I said I would do that and then end my challenge there, a week from the finish.
Well, that didn't happen. I returned to hot yoga today, and I enjoyed it once more. The teacher this morning was wonderful, and she really helped me better my asanas. At night the class attendance is higher, so the teacher isn't able to give anyone individual attention. I can't help but think that if I had taken a class with today's teacher the entire time, I would have made a difference in my flexibility. I'm kicking myself now.
Unfortunately she doesn't teach at night, so I won't be able to take a class with her again during my challenge unless I go at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. I haven't decided what I want to do yet. In theory I really want to do it, but I just don't know that I can get up at 5:30 in the morning.
But this week hasn't just been full of yoga-related ups and downs. My work life this week has been both fantastic and heart-wrenching.
I have received a promotion at work, but at the cost of a very good friend. And it's weighing on me, because one of the things I had hoped to gain during the course of the challenge was a better acceptance of the highs and lows of my career. Instead, I got a new addition to my career, which was much greater karma than I ever though would happen. In one regard, this challenge has brought me so much, but it has taken away things from others, and that's making me feel tremendously guilty.
6 more classes to go ... kind of hard to believe.
The first couple days this week were great. I enjoyed my classes, life was going well, and I was enjoying the challenge. And then Wednesday smacked me in the face.
I came home from hot yoga, and I announced to my husband that I was quitting yoga, I couldn't do it anymore, it wasn't doing me any good and I needed to stop, effective immediately. He told me he would support me in whatever I chose to do, but reminded me that completing this challenge was important to me. I had already promised to take my mother to yoga again on Thursday, so I said I would do that and then end my challenge there, a week from the finish.
Well, that didn't happen. I returned to hot yoga today, and I enjoyed it once more. The teacher this morning was wonderful, and she really helped me better my asanas. At night the class attendance is higher, so the teacher isn't able to give anyone individual attention. I can't help but think that if I had taken a class with today's teacher the entire time, I would have made a difference in my flexibility. I'm kicking myself now.
Unfortunately she doesn't teach at night, so I won't be able to take a class with her again during my challenge unless I go at 6:30 a.m. on Monday. I haven't decided what I want to do yet. In theory I really want to do it, but I just don't know that I can get up at 5:30 in the morning.
But this week hasn't just been full of yoga-related ups and downs. My work life this week has been both fantastic and heart-wrenching.
I have received a promotion at work, but at the cost of a very good friend. And it's weighing on me, because one of the things I had hoped to gain during the course of the challenge was a better acceptance of the highs and lows of my career. Instead, I got a new addition to my career, which was much greater karma than I ever though would happen. In one regard, this challenge has brought me so much, but it has taken away things from others, and that's making me feel tremendously guilty.
6 more classes to go ... kind of hard to believe.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
A pause
This morning, I rolled over and went back to sleep instead of going to yoga. After overdoing it on Friday with yoga and then meeting with my personal trainer, plus not feeling well last night after eating something that didn't agree with my stomach, I didn't have the energy to get up. Instead, I will be doing two classes in a row next Saturday morning, which I'm actually kind of looking forward to.
The past two days (day 18 and 19) have been ... interesting. Friday was my usual hot class, but with a different teacher this time. Though she was very nice and her intention of vulnerability was beneficial (since I hate to show weakness in front of people and have always considered myself to be a very strong person and therefore never vulnerable), the class was full of teachers-in-training, and therefore the instructor seemed to be catering more to them than to the other members of the class. Through the past three weeks I've been working towards using the Sanskrit words for the yoga asanas, but I'm still unfamiliar with many of them. This instructor used them quite frequently in order to make sure the prospective teachers knew them, but for those of us who did not, it was kind of isolating. However, I came out of the class calm, which right now is the best thing I could ask for.
Yesterday I decided to take a hatha class, mainly due to my soreness from my gym workout the day before. I do enjoy the occasional hatha practice (though I wouldn't be able to do it every day, since I think I would get a bit bored), but this teacher was very airy-fairy and seemed to lose track of what she was doing sometimes. Now, I don't mind the bohemian type (I loved the surfer instructor last week), but when you're in the middle of a balancing pose, it's disconcerting when your instructor loses track of where you are and floats away into the clouds. I also didn't feel as challenged as I was hoping to, but I guess one day out of the 19 so far isn't too bad. I'm sure the remaining 11 classes will be challenging enough for me, as most of them are going to be hot.
It's kind of hard to believe that I only have a week and a half left on my challenge. Time has flown by, and soon I will be in Mexico on my honeymoon (26 sleeps!)
I truly cannot wait.
The past two days (day 18 and 19) have been ... interesting. Friday was my usual hot class, but with a different teacher this time. Though she was very nice and her intention of vulnerability was beneficial (since I hate to show weakness in front of people and have always considered myself to be a very strong person and therefore never vulnerable), the class was full of teachers-in-training, and therefore the instructor seemed to be catering more to them than to the other members of the class. Through the past three weeks I've been working towards using the Sanskrit words for the yoga asanas, but I'm still unfamiliar with many of them. This instructor used them quite frequently in order to make sure the prospective teachers knew them, but for those of us who did not, it was kind of isolating. However, I came out of the class calm, which right now is the best thing I could ask for.
Yesterday I decided to take a hatha class, mainly due to my soreness from my gym workout the day before. I do enjoy the occasional hatha practice (though I wouldn't be able to do it every day, since I think I would get a bit bored), but this teacher was very airy-fairy and seemed to lose track of what she was doing sometimes. Now, I don't mind the bohemian type (I loved the surfer instructor last week), but when you're in the middle of a balancing pose, it's disconcerting when your instructor loses track of where you are and floats away into the clouds. I also didn't feel as challenged as I was hoping to, but I guess one day out of the 19 so far isn't too bad. I'm sure the remaining 11 classes will be challenging enough for me, as most of them are going to be hot.
It's kind of hard to believe that I only have a week and a half left on my challenge. Time has flown by, and soon I will be in Mexico on my honeymoon (26 sleeps!)
I truly cannot wait.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Day 17: Hatha and my mother
My mother has an osteo-arthritic hip, which has caused her many problems over the past several years. Partially because of this, she rarely gets any exercise, and thus is always on a weight-loss mission.
Today, my day 17 of my 30-day challenge, I took her to hatha class with me. My first love is hot, but I knew she would never survive, so hatha it had to be.
And for once, she really enjoyed it. She had never taken yoga before, so I was a bit worried coming in she would dislike something, but I was very happily surprised. She wasn't able to do all the postures, but she made it through the entire 1.25 hour class, and I am very proud of her. She says she will be returning at some point, so we'll see what happens after I get back from my Mexican honeymoon (29 sleeps!)
As I noted, today was day 17. 13 days left, and today I was actually kind of sad. Though I have certainly had my bad days, most of them have been good, and today was one of them. The time flew by, and my body feels great. I'm tired, but after working for five days, who isn't?
But I will miss my daily yoga practice, and I know I probably won't be able to repeat it anytime soon. So far it has helped my hip flexibility (I'm still waiting on the hamstrings), lightened my mood, taught me to breath and given me new energy, and something constant to concentrate on.
Though I am only just over halfway through, yoga has helped me centre myself, and brought good things to me. Starting on March 28, I will begin working Monday to Friday. For the past three years, I have worked Sunday to Thursday and that has occasionally caused problems because I am unable to do things on Sundays, such as brunches, bridal/baby showers and family get-togethers. Now, I will be able to attend those things if I so choose. I will have a normal weekend like everyone else, and I can spend more time with my husband.
It's weird to think about, but I think my 30-day practice has brought me some good karma, and now that karma is paying off.
Today, my day 17 of my 30-day challenge, I took her to hatha class with me. My first love is hot, but I knew she would never survive, so hatha it had to be.
And for once, she really enjoyed it. She had never taken yoga before, so I was a bit worried coming in she would dislike something, but I was very happily surprised. She wasn't able to do all the postures, but she made it through the entire 1.25 hour class, and I am very proud of her. She says she will be returning at some point, so we'll see what happens after I get back from my Mexican honeymoon (29 sleeps!)
As I noted, today was day 17. 13 days left, and today I was actually kind of sad. Though I have certainly had my bad days, most of them have been good, and today was one of them. The time flew by, and my body feels great. I'm tired, but after working for five days, who isn't?
But I will miss my daily yoga practice, and I know I probably won't be able to repeat it anytime soon. So far it has helped my hip flexibility (I'm still waiting on the hamstrings), lightened my mood, taught me to breath and given me new energy, and something constant to concentrate on.
Though I am only just over halfway through, yoga has helped me centre myself, and brought good things to me. Starting on March 28, I will begin working Monday to Friday. For the past three years, I have worked Sunday to Thursday and that has occasionally caused problems because I am unable to do things on Sundays, such as brunches, bridal/baby showers and family get-togethers. Now, I will be able to attend those things if I so choose. I will have a normal weekend like everyone else, and I can spend more time with my husband.
It's weird to think about, but I think my 30-day practice has brought me some good karma, and now that karma is paying off.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Day 15 and 16: Heading downhill
Kind of hard to believe that I'm halfway through my 30-day challenge, though two more weeks still seems like a long time.
With some upheaval at work and trying to be there for my best friend and her family after the death of her father, it's been a rough few days around the Perfect Housewife household. I'm overtired and snappish, and small things are irritating me.
One of those things is the packed yoga class. Because it's teacher training until Sunday, there are extra people in my usual hot yoga class, and it feels a bit squished. It's hard to get the full effect of opening your lungs and chest when you're afraid of smacking someone with your arms as you breathe in. It's also a bit disheartening to watch all these flexible people who are training to be teachers, especially because I don't feel I'm any closer to achieving my goal of touching my toes while standing. My muscles aren't hurting anymore, which I suppose is a good sign, but they're still just as rigid as they were before I started. Hopefully the next two weeks will make a slight bit of difference, but I'm kind of down on that possibility right now.
The other irritant is the extremely full parking lot. There are an extra 20 people doing teacher training, so that translates to several extra cars in the tiny studio parking lot. I've managed to get a spot for the past two days, but tomorrow I'll be arriving later and I'm not so sure I won't be parking far away and having to run to class. Not the best start to what is supposed to be a relaxing, enlightening practice.
Tomorrow I am taking my mother with me to hatha class, which I'm a bit worried about. She has a bad hip, but I'm hoping the slow pace of the class will at least allow her to keep up. She may end up in child's pose the entire time, but maybe at least a bit will sink in.
14 days left ...
With some upheaval at work and trying to be there for my best friend and her family after the death of her father, it's been a rough few days around the Perfect Housewife household. I'm overtired and snappish, and small things are irritating me.
One of those things is the packed yoga class. Because it's teacher training until Sunday, there are extra people in my usual hot yoga class, and it feels a bit squished. It's hard to get the full effect of opening your lungs and chest when you're afraid of smacking someone with your arms as you breathe in. It's also a bit disheartening to watch all these flexible people who are training to be teachers, especially because I don't feel I'm any closer to achieving my goal of touching my toes while standing. My muscles aren't hurting anymore, which I suppose is a good sign, but they're still just as rigid as they were before I started. Hopefully the next two weeks will make a slight bit of difference, but I'm kind of down on that possibility right now.
The other irritant is the extremely full parking lot. There are an extra 20 people doing teacher training, so that translates to several extra cars in the tiny studio parking lot. I've managed to get a spot for the past two days, but tomorrow I'll be arriving later and I'm not so sure I won't be parking far away and having to run to class. Not the best start to what is supposed to be a relaxing, enlightening practice.
Tomorrow I am taking my mother with me to hatha class, which I'm a bit worried about. She has a bad hip, but I'm hoping the slow pace of the class will at least allow her to keep up. She may end up in child's pose the entire time, but maybe at least a bit will sink in.
14 days left ...
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