Zumba + Fusion

I did a Zumba class last night and thought I would share my thoughts. As anyone who has read my blog knows...I LOVE to dance. I have heard about Zumba from many friends and when this new class started up at my gym I just had to go try it out. While it is a little commercial and a lot cheesy...it is a lot of fun. It almost lives up to it's motto "Ditch the Workout and Join the Party" I wouldn't say it was a party, but I got real sweaty and my abs are KILLING me today. I also want to say that my hips are starting to loosen up and swing. All of that dance/yoga FUSION is really starting to work. My only complaint was that the transitions from one move to the next were a little rough, mostly because of the instructor being new (had a notebook in front of her) and the fact that I had a hard time hearing her over the music. I felt a little bad for the non-dancer types as they got lost pretty easily. But, all were sweaty and smiley...so it's all good.

Fusion is what we have decided to call our new dance/yoga class. It is running about an hour and 15 minutes and we are having a blast. We are about to start choreographing to some new songs and add in more movements. The key is to keep them simple but fun and challenging all at the same time. My favorite thing to do is more of a trance dance style, while Erin is more into the choreography. So by the end of the class you have moved every inch of your body. It is so much more fun than boring old treadmill/elliptical style workouts! We have been doing this now for about 3 weeks and I can already see a difference in my strength and stamina. My goal is to do Fusion 3 times a week, we'll see how it goes...

If you are ever in the Charleston area and want to try it out come join us Tues and Thurs nights at 6 (you can email me for more info mandywoz@gmail.com)

I am also teaching a mega crazy Yoga Play workshop next weekend Nov. 15 at the Yoga Loft in Summerville at 1:30 (2 hours of insanity...jk) followed by the All levels class at 4...busy,busy.

Enjoy the Silence

Do you enjoy the Silence? I LOVE quiet time. I LOVE to be alone. I also get made fun of quite a bit for my love of sleeping...but, I think it is just my brain and body shutting down by to much stimulation. I can only handle to much for so long before my inner voice tells me to go lay down and shut the door.

I am a very outgoing person who loves to have people over and to play with friends. But, I really need time to decompress after a lot of excitement. You know when you have that feeling you need a vacation after your vacation? Mondays are usually my slooooow days. I catch up on my pajama wearing and book reading. Maybe, just maybe do a little laundry and some cleaning...but normally that has to wait until Tuesday.

This is crazy to my friends, who unlike me are busy bodies. They are constantly on the go with no downtime at all. They know better than to call me between the hours of 1-3, and laugh at me when, if they do, I answer groggily.

I take this personality trait to the mat as well. I like to slowly get down into Sukhasana (easy seat) to start my centering. I take my time stretching and waking my muscles and even when doing a more vigorous practice I like to wiggle a little and stretch luxuriously. Once I hit Savasana (final relaxation) I settle down easily and enjoy my private quiet oasis. I love to roll over to one side and stay there for a while. I don't like to just run through the movements...I'm in NO hurry. Staying on my side is one of my favorite parts! So many teachers just use this as a way to get up, no not me...stay...breathe....let go.... ahhhh. Once back up to seated, this is where I find out if my asana worked or not. Is my brain quieting down? Can I sit still with no wiggles for a couple of minutes? If so, yippie it worked! Now I can sit and let the real work begin.

Are you comfortable with silence? Many people are not. They have to fill all space because underneath it all they are scared to be alone with themselves. I myself have no problem with this (I always thought it came from having two children attached to me 24/7) but I get so many moms that can't slow down, that fidget and wiggle as constantly as their 2 yr olds. Why are we as a population so scared to slow down? It is like we are emotionally addicted to action, and anything less is not satisfying. We are grasping at the outer world to fill the inner void. When all we need is to find the Divine that lives within us to be happy. How easy is that? It is so easy, but we lose sight of this when upset, depressed, nervous, scared. It is so easy to slip out of the habit of calling to the inner self for reassurance and guidance. All we have to do is meditate, be quiet, be alone, and breathe. Then we make open space, and open space is where the Divine lives, so when we fill all of our space with outside pollution we shut out our own light.

To keep our light shining and bright, we have to stop resisting the silence. We have to embrace the empty spaces that we all have, we just have to find them. We have to be the musicians of our own souls creating a beautiful song of silence, and play it often. Like Miles Davis said "Don't play what's there, Play what's not there".

The picture above taken on St.John, USVI where silence is plentiful

I'm Not Complaining....

Last night before class my friend and co/teacher Erin read a passage from the devotion book "New Day, New You" by Joyce Meyer. The title for October 27 was "Complain and Remain, Praise and Be Raised". I was absolutely floored with the amazingness (a word??) of this page.

"Complaining is a sin! It is a corrupt form of conversation that causes many people a great deal of problems in their lives. It also opens many doors for the enemy. Words are containers of power. They destroy the joy of the one doing the complaining and can also affect other people who have to listen to them."

What a great way to put it! Shut up and just live, be free and enjoy everything that the Divine has gifted you. Don't like your butt, well, get over it...appreciate it and thank it for holding up your body everyday. Don't like your nose, hush, close your eyes and enjoy that wonderful rose.

"Did you ever think that you and I can poison our future by complaining about what is going on right now?"

Complaints are toxic, it really sets a bad basis to build on. It is like building a beautiful temple on top of a landfill. Once we work on shutting the complaining down, we can start to grow from the muck into the beautiful lotus flowers that we are!

"When we complain about our current situation, we remain in it; when we praise God in the midst of difficulty, He raises us out of it."

No matter what higher power you pray to, this is truth. When we are stuck in a rut, the only way to get out is to look up and rise with the power you hold within.

"Truly thankful people do not complain. They are so busy being grateful for the good things they do have that they have no time to notice the things they could complain about."

My goal is to really work hard to not complain, no more complaining about push ups...they will make me stronger, no more complaints about no one else doing the dishes...it's my time alone to reflect...no more bitching about being broke, I am grateful for my family and the amazing job my hubby does each day. I will no longer complain when I don't get my way...someone else will get theirs, I will not wallow in self pity...it is the highest form of complaint to myself and I am better than that. I deserve to treat myself like I treat others, with love, respect and kindness.

Some Quotes...

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."~ Eleanor Roosevelt

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein

" I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." ~ Helen Keller

"Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned" ~ Buddha

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

"Mirth is like a flash of lightning that breaks through a gloom of clouds and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity." ~ Bertrand Russell

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." ~ Anais Nin

"Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down" ~ Ray Bradbury

"Nothing great is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen." ~ Epictetus

"People who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music" ~ George Carlin

"Everything in the universe has rhythm. Everything Dances." ~ Maya Angelou

A Marriage Made in Heaven

"Being Self-luminous you cause everything to shine; delighting in your form you fill the universe with delight; rocking with your own bliss you make the whole world dance with joy."

~Utpaladeva in a hymn to Lord Shiva







My friend Erin and I have started to teach little classes in her home studio. When I say small I mean like 4 people or so. She does about 30 minutes of NIA (dance) and then I finish with about 30 minutes of yoga. Dance and Yoga, go together like chocolate and bananas... Last night was our 3rd class, and man is is FUN! I just never get this sweaty on the treadmill! It is a blast to get such a great workout with fun, friendly people and to experience such great energy all at the same time. We are shooting for 2 nights a week, so fingers crossed that will happen. We really just want to show people how much fun working out can be, especially when you get the mind body connection. The dance starts you sweating, and then when you follow with a challenging yoga sequence that includes anything from lots of Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) to balancing vinyasas. By the time you make it to Savasana or final relaxation, you are fidget free and ready to RELAX. Awesome!



Read more about what I have to say on NIA here

Food +

Green Juice

Spring Rolls in Rice paper wraps (not raw)

Since I haven't talked about food lately I thought I would post what I have been up to food wise. I started a 100 whole fu challenge over on Raw fu and was very excited about eating %100 raw for 100 days (even though the challenge is more focused on whole foods not just raw). I made it 45 days completely raw and then slipped big time for about 2 weeks. I spent a little time being very disappointed with myself and then decided it was time to find a little balance (hence my last post). I have always been so all or nothing, and this was no different. I just am so tired of being so one way or the other. I am going for more accepting of myself and if that means that every once in a while I eat something that is not what I want for my bigger picture, it's OK and it will be OK. I get so caught up in detoxing and being very strict, and then when I do slip I go a little crazy (hello krispy Kreme) and get so frustrated. BUT, instead of beating myself up, I have been doing this new thing. I eat as healthy as I can %75 (who really knows) and when I feel the need to share a Halloween cookie or cold beer, then I do it. This has been working for me for a week or two, and I am so much happier. I just don't want to be to dogmatic, and I don't want to be miserable either. I want to enjoy life, and if that means greens all day...then I do it...and if it means a cooked dinner with my family...I do that too. The biggest thing that I have noticed is the less harsh I am on myself, the easier it is to make better choices. Since I have relaxed a bit, I just naturally lean towards what's best for me. I have a very annoying habit of wanting what I can't have (anyone else?), so if I just rearrange my thinking to all of the wonders I can have, I do so much better.

So here are some yummies I have been working on in the kitchen.

mini raw carrot cakes (holy moly!)

Raw Quesadillas on homemade spinach tortillas

Sorry the pics are so terrible, my camera is built to resist shock up to 5 feet and water up to 10 feet, but as far as pics go....

Just found this awesome article about Willpower...check it out!

Practicing Balance

I was going to call this post Finding Balance, but thinking more about it I realized balance isn't something you find. Like yoga, balance is more of a verb...it's something that we have within us all of the time..we just have to dig deep to utilize. It lies at our center, our source and we have to pull from that to receive the benefits.

When leading a class through balancing poses, I always start by grounding into the roots of ourselves. Spreading the toes wide, shooting energy into the earth. Working the way up the body and into the core center. Hugging all of our muscles and intention into the heart center, awakening our balance and then once it is engaged, shining out the bright light from inside. The bright light can't shine without the balance being engaged first. If you just automatically flail everything out with no muscular contact, you will stumble and flail.

This is the essence of balance. Emotionally as well as physically. Emotionally, you can't just give it all out. You have to give inward first before giving outward or you are not sincerely offering anything. You also find yourself giving and leaving nothing behind. That is why it is important to give inward, hug the body first...then to give outward...to shine out. Then you are properly full, and after you give,give,give..there is something left inside when you come back to yourself.

Balance is something we need to practice, just like practicing yoga or practicing a healthy eating regime. It is all about the journey and we have to realize that we will sometimes be all black or all white, and that is ok. While it is the grey area we are striving for, the center and neutral area we want to attain..it is not all about being perfect. It is the bumps in the road that we will learn our greatest lessons from. We have to be at ease and peaceful with ourselves. Practicing Ahimsa, or non-harming includes the self.

I can always tell when I am not balanced in the head, I can't hold a pose for anything. I sway back and forth and stumble and it is all because I can't find my center. It is my crazy brain moving back and forth and all around, and it is my crazy body that can't find the courage or energy to hug in. It is when I am not taking care of myself...when I am going all right or all left and not listening to my source. It can be very frustrating, and the best way to turn this around is to stop. Stop everything, sit and be still. Let the head raise hell, and be ok with that. Then get up, move and dance, do the most difficult pose you know, sweat a little, work out your wiggles. Then get back down, do some Nadi Sudi (alternate nostril breathing) and breathe. Meditate. The slowly work into some balancing poses. My favorite is a vinyasa through 4 to 5 standing balance poses starting in Vrkshasana (tree) and ending there as well. Smile at yourself and have fun, take it easy.

Off the mat, if you are all over the place, it will show in your practice. You might not have even known you were off until you find yourself falling out of tree pose (which was so freaking easy yesterday!) Clean any messy space that is bothering you, organize your purse or briefcase, throw the trash out of your car, mow the grass. Do something you have been putting off. Once you get all of that crap off your mind, get on your mat.

Balance

Vrkshasana (Tree)

Virabhadrasana III (Warrior 3)

Ardha Chandrasana II (Half Moon B)

Gurudhasana (eagle)

Hasta Padungustasana (hand to toe, front and side)

Nadi Sodhana (or Nadi Sudi, alternate nostril breathing)

Any other favorite ways to find balance?