Friday, October 1, 2010

Eyes Wide Open - "drop and give me 20"

This is Day One of many of my 21 days  journey's to Health and Wellness

The Focus this time is "body strength" rather than "body weight" when it comes to BALANCE.


I am targeting the four large muscle groups:   Chest, Shoulders, Back and Legs


One of the triggers for my seeking "a answer" 9 months ago was my inability to squat down and pick up one of my grandchildren and then stand back up.  NO strength to do this.  Pathetic!


Now, after 9 months of this Journey I found out I  still can not perform even 4 push ups!  What is that about. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20  

19Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,
 who is in you, whom you have received from God? 
You are not your own; 
20you were bought at a price. 
Therefore honor God with your body



I CHOOSE TO BE HEALTHY and STRONG!

I was presented  with the exercises I needed to work all Four Large Muscle Groups during my Canyon Ranch Health Resort Stay.   I learned the benefit of working out these muscles is:
                         "increasing my metabolism to burn more calories at rest"  YA WHOOEEE

I'm ready!  Sign me up.

Next,  I went to a class  and was taught yoga stretches that would take 15 minutes a day. These exercises were to help "free and strengthen" my joints.
Helping me with another issue that I've found has increases with each Birthday....
   Yes, I'm not as limber or flexible as I need to be.


When I watched the Movie Mamma Mia and saw Meryl Streep jumping around and dancing like a 20 year old.... 


            "freak... I'm ridiculously out of shape and I can't use my age as a valid reason why".


I then said  TO MY SELF (as I often do... talk to my self- self monologue) 


                                                            "Come on - Pull it together"  


STOP making excuses!


So,  I will start with doing as many push ups (women's style) as I can (at least 4 and max 6 to start)  then  doing squats  at least 4 and max 6 .


                                  Then doing another set:   push ups   and    squats.  


My Objective is 2 sets of 6 squats and 2 sets of 6 push ups every other day for 21 days.  The other day's I'll do my "Wii"  ahhhh way way fun to do and motivational with the little voice cheering me along.
   


This works the large muscle group: Legs
This works all three large muscle groups at one time: Shoulders, Back and Chest



THEN
   15 minutes of stretches each day (yoga style) for the next 21 days.






These Yoga "joint freeing" exercises had a testimonial from a seasoned   Certified Yoga Therapist.  She stated that in order for her to teach this class she had to use this exercise for 30 days.  

She herself was surprised and amazed how these exercises strengthened her and helped her  Regular yoga poses.




SPEAK the WORD (self monologue) of self healing.... start saying positive affirmations about exercise.  When words come out of your mouth that defeat yourself and start a war inside your mind and soul.    


Make an appointment with yourself and STICK TO IT!  


Then before and during the exercise - NO MATTER HOW your BODY FEELS.... 

SAY...things like "ahhh this feels good,  
Oh, I enjoy exercise,  
I'm going to feel so Good because I'm taking care of me... 
I love what this is doing for me..."

Say what you want to BE!  

Speak it, so you will Believe it 
Then you can live it!





Now, let's go.... you don't have your ol PE Teacher  to Make you DO it or flunk you in PE
(my PE teacher was Ms. Siler, who amazed all us girls with her Pointy Chest... what kind of bra did that women wear? circa 1970 )  Good Grief   I hated Gym Class!




Salute!  To your continued Health and Wellness 







A Beautiful me in 21 days

Tomorrow I will start  a 21 days journey to find the fountain of Youth.

Right!  who am I kidding....

Ol Mr. Clock tic's away regardless of what I choose to do or not do.


The question is this:   Do I recognize the "tic" of the clock is the "ticking" of my heart?

at 60 BPM (beats per minute) x 60 minutes ( 1 hr)  x 24 hrs  x 325 days x  75 years = 2,106,000,000,000 beats in a life time  - sounds like our  National debt!

Freak... that's a lot of work for my little heart to do.  And to think, I DON'T have to think about it.  It just does it!  But, I am responsible to take care of my heart.  Exercise, healthy diet.... 

I just had to leave my blog to throw in a load of clothes into the washer.  
Then it dawned on me why I digressed into talking about the  "heart".

I heard a story today about a women.  Her husband recently passed away and she was having great difficulty coping with the loss.  Her comment was to her Doctor, " how can you fix my broken heart,  my husband "was my heart" and now he's gone". 

The heart of my blog is all about OUR HEARTS being balanced

Yes our heart is a muscle... pumping life giving blood to our bodies (PHYSICAL)
Yes our heart is the center of our emotions  (SPIRITUAL)
Yes our heart is the foundation for our thoughts (MIND)

Our bodies can not function without a beating heart.  Our Heart can not function with out the oxygen contained in our blood. Our hearts are damage by lack of activity, diseases, poor diets...... AND our HEARTS can be broken by an events in our life.  

It is real that someone can die of a broken heart.  It's called
  Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, or Broken-Heart Syndrome .  No kidding!
   (go ahead and google it). 






Psalm 51:10  


 10Create in me a clean heart
O God; and renew a right spirit within me

That scripture states we must exam and have our heart cleansed so God can dwell within his Temple -  WE are HIS temple here on Earth.

So, you want to live life with JOY and STRENGTH...
You want to experience true LOVE...

talk to your creator.... go to the instruction manual for your BODY, MIND and SPIRIT and read  





the Word of GOD


Happiness and satisfaction can't be found in the size of your Jeans (truly, true)

Happiness and satisfaction can't be found in a double hot fudge sunday made with  





Häagen-Dazs 





 Vanilla Bean Ice Cream  (think I hit your sweet tooth- it took me a while to find just the right picture that captured what "I use to like")














It's not found in your children, your career, your home, your marriage, your money, your family, your your your... whatever.....  























When you find your heart, you'll find your balance












Matthew 6:21  










For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


























When I've been asked "how did you lose your weight?"  "Balance" is my answer.


































BALANCE































Spending an equal time Physically, Mentally AND Spiritually















When you do this (as I am choosing to do moment by moment) you'll find your Real Treasure.   A treasure that is ETERNAL!  Love is eternal....  That's what I want ETERNAL Happiness and Satisfaction































oh to love the Lord and His TEMPLE  - Oh, Yes YOU ARE HIS TEMPLE















Love what he created .... Yes, that is YOU!  Love YOU!















How can anyone love someone who doesn't love and honor themselves?































Do you want Peace in your Home?  Then you must  first find Peace in yourself.  Your peace will infect those around you.  Your Peace will fill the space all around you.  Just as a smile is contagious, so is peace.
















When you're feeling frustrated, confused, burdened, unhappy....  
here is my suggestion (it's powerful)
  • Close your eye's no matter where you are (unless your driving your car... not a good idea then)
    • Feel what's happening in your body... (Tension in your shoulders, neck... what are your feelings... anger, frustration, worry...)
    • Take a deep breath in through your nose and then slowly release a longer breath than you took in.
    • While you're doing this say to your self with each inhalation and exhalation:
    •     "__________________"   You fill in this Blank with
    • words of Praise, thanksgiving... positive affirmations to yourself.













































































    • Take at least 5 breaths... If you can sit for 5 minutes... If you can sit for 15 minutes
















        • There are studies that show an improvement in your immune system when you practice this breathing exercise

When you empty your mind it becomes a vulnerable vessel 
Fill it with positive, lovely, true thoughts.

Ok... not sure how I got to this tonight... 
I was only blogging that I'm starting another 21 days tomorrow.  
GHEEZE LOUSIE, I get going crazy! Time to stop  "tick, Tock... got to stop"  (dear lord I didn't even have coffee tonight.... and I'm wound up like a clock"  YIKES

Salute!  to your Health and Wellness

PS:  when you hit with a stressful situation - Stop and do the above each time before you react.   Kind of like counting to 10 before you speak or react.