One of the reasons I hated yoga for so long was that it forced me to be still…to let myself get lost in my thoughts. To somehow relax both mind and body.

It turns out that’s one of the hardest things I have ever tried to do — to quiet everything and focus. But I kept at it and now yoga is one of the most important pieces of my fitness puzzle.

• The Surprising Reason I Love Yoga
• Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot
• Upward Facing (Dog)
• Everybody Say Ommm…
• You Never Know What Someone’s Going Through
• Sweat Your Asana Off

Now, a new challenge…and one I find I’m embracing even more passionately than I imagined.

Bear with me, because it’s getting hippie dippie in here. I’m in love with Hypnobabies. I’m using it as part of my pregnancy preparation, and I’ll save all of that part of it for my other blog.

But it brings me to the most relaxed, in-tune state I’ve ever been. It’s basically self-hypnosis, with a series of audio tracks to listen to (and scripts to read). I was super skeptical. I didn’t think it would affect me, or that I’d be able to let go enough to find success.

(If you want to try a free track, this one is designed for everyone, not just for pregnant peeps. It’s meant to help ease stress.)

In the end, the messages resonate, pregnant or not. Things like:

“You deserve to get the outcome you desire.”

“You can’t move forward when negative thoughts are weighing you down.”

“You will get what you commit to. If you want to be relaxed, you will be. If you want to be open to new experiences, you will be. If you want to be free of fear, you will be.”

It’s a challenge, no doubt. I have to give myself the time and space (literally) to complete the tracks. I have to be OK with lying quietly and not multitasking. I have to suspend disbelief and fight back the nagging “seriously, Katy, you’re doing this???” voice.

Mantras rock, and the harder you fight them, the more effective they’ll be when you finally give in. That’s what I’m finding, anyway.

While you're here...

No Nonsense November: How Did it Go?New Tool Tuesday: Back It Up, Back It Up...You Got It, You Got ItHELLO FITBLOGGIN'!30DC: My Playlist Revealed

When I first lost my weight, it was by focusing on my diet (for those who don’t know, I lost 40 pounds over a year and a half on Weight Watchers — and now have a love/hate relationship with the program).

But I distinctly remember coming home from a meeting, feeling smug in my skinny clothes, and deciding to go for a run. A nice, casual 3-mile run.

Had I run 3 miles before? Nope. But hey — I was skinny!

I made it a half-mile before having to stop short, recovering and trying not to throw up my putting my hands on my knees and gasping for air.

That was a turning point for me. I could have decided to give up and wallow in my unfit-ness, but instead, I set my mind to a new goal.  I’d lost the weight; now it was time to get healthy.

So I started running, slowly — both in mileage and in speed. I got myself to one mile, then two miles, then amazingly, three miles! I ran my first 5K and thought that would be my peak. I started training for triathlons and realized I had more in me. I signed up for my first half marathon. Kicked its butt. Completed my second. More triathlons. My first 10K.  Longer distances. Double-digit runs. Then my third half marathon.

That last event was in April of 2011. Here were are in March of 2012. I have logged about 25 total miles between then and now, and they’ve all been junky, painful, uninspired workouts.

I lost my love for running, and I’m not sure I’ll get it back. Or if I want to.

I am so proud of myself for setting goals and reaching them. Nothing compares to crossing the finish line and being able to THANK.YOUR.BODY. Just for doing its job.

I’m not a natural runner, and the only high I ever got from it was in the completion of my goals. Sure, I had some glorious runs along the way — I did some deep thinking, I got in touch with my soulful self and I got to spend time with some of the people that I’ll always call friends. I don’t regret a minute of it.

But for now…running and I are through.

(This is, of course, to be continued. I don’t know that I’ll ever let go of my goal of finishing a Half Ironman.)

While you're here...

My Summit StoryJumping in: Head First or One Toe at a Time?What I Wish You Knew About MeHELLO FITBLOGGIN'!

So, I mentioned that last week and this week have been a big of a juggle — I’m very spoiled in that Lucas and I split the household duties (including cooking, thank goodness) and that because he’s been working a night shift for the last year and a half (and was my house husband for 9 months before that), I haven’t really had to think twice about scheduling trips to the gym or social events.

(I know. I hate myself a little, too. And again…I don’t have kids. Someday, this free-for-all lifestyle I have will change.)

But Lucas is currently training for his awesome new gig, which means more time out of the house and out of town. And it means I am in charge of keeping things running.

Most importantly: mitigating the damage done by or to my dogs if they are left alone too long.

They are crate-trained (and love it, I promise) so it’s just a matter of putting them “to bed” before work and rushing home to let them out. But since they have a window of pre-bladder-explosion time, I have to leave as late as I can and get home as early as I can. Not easy with a full-time job, and not easy when I would normally go to the gym first.

So, this has been a week of walking the walk. (I certainly talk the talk, what with my posts on having no excuses and fitting in fitness.) And it’s a humbling reminder that life really can get in the way of an ideal healthy lifestyle.

I also posted about this on the Growing Bolder TV blog (“Redefining Lunch ‘Break‘”) as I try and figure out what will work best for me. I’m fighting several things:

1. A severe lack of motivation or ambition to work out once I cross the threshold of my house.
2. Two rambunctious dogs who are stir crazy when I get home and make it tough to do anything except play with them.
3. My missing 30 Day Shred DVD (seriously, this is a disaster).
4. Limited access to weights and equipment (I have 5-, 10- and 15-pound weights as well as an exercise ball and a pull-up bar, as well as a stationary bike trainer).

If you read the GBTV post above, you’ll see that I am trying to fit in workouts during my lunch break (I normally take walks with my colleague) but I’d still like to have some better plans for working out at home.

So, help me help…me. What do you do when you are limited to working out at home?

While you're here...

Baby Widrick FAQsRead the Riot ActMy European AdventureHow to Get it All Done

Like many of you, I sat on the edge of my seat watching the Olympic marathon trials in Houston a few weeks ago. I was all dressed up to go out but couldn’t tear myself away until I saw the photo finish.

And in came the runners, shoulder to shoulder:

1) Meb Keflezighi

2) Ryan Hall

3) Abdi Abdirahman

source: http://houston2012.com/

I still sort of consider myself a runner, even though my sneakers aren’t getting a lot of action these days. But I’m by no means an addict. So when Nissan contacted me and asked me if I was interested in meeting Ryan Hall as part of their ING Miami Marathon sponsorship, I thought…

I’m not worthy.

But I couldn’t turn down the chance to talk to one of the men that will represent our country at the London Olympics, so I said “yes” and then drove my butt down to Miami for whirlwind weekend.

It was better than I expected, too, because I ended up getting to ride from the expo to the hotel with Ryan, grilling him the whole way…30 minutes with the man? Not a bad day, huh?

So, I asked him all of the questions that you submitted and a few of my own.

It turns out, Ryan is incredibly warm, open and funny! I asked him personal questions and he never blinked. I asked him the same professional questions that he probably gets asked every day and he never once seemed bored. I walked away from the event as a big Ryan Hall fan, and I can’t wait to see him compete in a few months!

My interview with Ryan Hall:

1) What is training like?

When I talked to Ryan, he was on a break — recovering from Houston and getting ready for intense London preparation. And like so many of us, that break brought him mixed feelings. He told me he loved getting to rest but is itching to lace up again!

When he is training, he typically runs twice a day, except on long days. He’s a morning person, and prefers to get up early and knock out the first set of miles.

2) Does he struggle with balancing his elite athletic career with a “normal” life?

Like many of us, Ryan admits to making sacrifices — some are harder than others. He doesn’t stay up late or go out much, and when it comes to training, it’s his sole focus. He did share with me that he makes some exceptions — he stayed up to watch the New Year’s countdowns and does indulge in treats when he’s taking a recovery break.

But even those treats are few and far between, as Ryan says junk food and sugar make him feel sick.

Ryan told me in a really great moment that he loves his life and doesn’t even feel like he works. The most difficult part is working through injury, and trying to rest and give his body what it needs.

3) Why did he decide to write a book and did he enjoy the process?

Ryan told me that as a freshman at Stanford, he had a writing assignment hat got returned with a boatload of red marks and edits — ouch! So it’s funny that he ended up adding author to his resume. But he loves the process — he finds it relaxing.

He’s also inspired to help kids. He told me that his goal is to help them get better than he is or ever will be — he sees so much potential in kids and they motivate him to draw his own potential out.

4) How have faith and religion affected his career?

Ryan says he knows he wouldn’t be running if it weren’t for his faith in God. As a child, he loved baseball and basketball, but wasn’t drawn to running. One day, at 14, he had a vision that God wanted him to run around his local lake — so he did! And he never stopped.

Ryan also talks with God during his workouts, asking for strength and support and searching for ways to improve himself.

5) Is he friends with his competitors, or is it too hard?

Ryan says that for the most part, all of his main competitors are friends — they’ve trained together, gone to school together and see each other at events all across the world. He was on the same team as Meb and even lived with Abdi!

He told me that since they’re all in it together, especially when it comes to the Olympics, they push each other to do better.

6) Does he realize how fast and accomplished he is? Does he feel the difference when he’s competing?

Ryan laughed when I asked him this — because essentially, it’s like asking someone “do you feel that your hand is bigger than your friend’s?” or “can you tell that your eyes are blue and your mom’s are brown?”

But he does feel fast when he’s really letting it all out. He checks his splits regularly, so he also knows in each race how he’s doing, even from the outset.

7) Does he have a mantra that he uses when running?

Ryan told me he doesn’t have a mantra, per se, but he does have game plans. At the start of a race, he reminds himself to relax and conserve energy. Later, his goal is to stay connected with God.

How does he handle all of the attention from fans and journalists?

Ryan is a really open guy, and can spend hours with his fans — meeting and greeting, taking pictures and offering advice. For the most part, he says he’s comfortable with the attention.

However, he doesn’t like when fans ask him to do silly or crazy stuff in pictures, or when groups of women try and lean in and kiss him. He is, after all, a married man (Sara Hall is hoping to qualify for London, too!) and says he does sometimes get uncomfortable when people cross boundaries.

But social media helps a lot — he’s able to connect with people over Twitter and his blog and says he really loves that interaction.

So stoked to finally return to Boston! Fitting that I will run my first training run towards the London Olympic Marathon here. Good memories

February 1, 2012 1:44 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@ryanhall3

Ryan Hall

Thankful to get to spend the last 4 days in Miami. Such a beautiful place!

January 29, 2012 5:29 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@ryanhall3

Ryan Hall

I love my life... http://t.co/Y5AlPmhu

January 27, 2012 4:29 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@ryanhall3

Ryan Hall

9) What is his nutrition plan like?

Ryan tries to eat foods as close to the way God make them as possible — basically, clean, whole foods that fuel his body.

10) Is there something about him that might surprise his fans?

Ryan loves cooking — and not just any food…PANCAKES! He told me he has a million different ways to prepare pancakes, using different flours and toppings.

Ryan also says he hopes he’s running for a long, long time, but he is open to change. So even if he’s not competing in running, he’ll be training for something.

Ryan is part of Nissan Leaf’s “Innovation for Endurance” team (have you seen the videos of him training Ryan Reynolds? DROOOOOOL…), and they are reaching out to people who are into healthy living because their electric car is designed to be all about health and the environment.

I got to test drive it — and after pushing the button to start the Leaf, I couldn’t get “Sex drive, push to start, push push push to start” out of my head; thank you DEV — I navigated through the crowded Miami streets for about 15 minutes. It’s a cool little car…very quiet and smooth. In fact, it’s so quiet that they actually manufacture a noise at below 30mph so people walking or driving nearby can hear it!

I’m not totally sold on the electric car concept yet — it’s an expensive investment both for the car and for the optional home charging station. It only goes about 100-miles on one charge, and that wouldn’t have gotten me from Orlando to Miami, for example. But the technology is just getting started, and I’m definitely interested to see what Nissan and other companies do to advance it.

Will you be watching Ryan and the other marathoners in the Olympics this year? Who would you LOVE to meet in any sport?

While you're here...

Five for FridayHomesickDear College KatySelf-Hosting: Why, How and Resources Galore

Those who know me, know my love for the dance.

Cases in point:

• Dance Like Everyone’s Watching
• 5 Ways Pole Dancing is Like Social Media

I’m not the most talented dancer — my favorite move is the shimmy shake, in which I move my shoulders up and down and side to side while bobbing my head.

But man do I love it.

And I found myself waiting for a Dance Trance Orlando class to start…and decided to capture my love for dance in a vlog. No, I don’t actually bust out any moves here (but I do have some video that I’ll link to below).

But I do share some of the goofy reasons that dancing is so important to me. Embedded below or watch here.

If you’re just dying to see me in action, you can check out:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyZU6KFL0lw (I’m in the boots and purple shirt)
• http://youtu.be/R2LogXhGGe0 (I’m in the black fishnets and off-shoulder purple shirt)

What is your favorite non-exercise exercise? What makes you deliriously happy?

While you're here...

Five for FridayLike Everyone's Watching5 Ways Pole Dancing is Like Social MediaRANT: I Hate High School Car Washes

Y’all know I’m an ambassador for Fitfluential, right? It’s an amazing group of bloggers and influencers who share one mission: paying the healthy forward.

So this week, I decided to share the mantra that I’ve used to get me through half marathons, triathlons, sweaty sessions at the gym, projects at work and other stressful events.

And, if this is the spark that I mention in the video, you might be wondering how to get started. How to follow that mantra. How to start pursuing that healthy, happy life.

Small actions; big gains, right? So, a few tips:

1. Share your goal out loud. Tell a friend. Post it on your blog or Twitter. Commit publicly to a change in behavior. Heck, email ME and make me your accountability partner!

2. Find non-scale victories and non-food rewards. Instead of relying on a scale, which can disappoint and depress you, find a few items of clothes that you want to fit into, and use them to track your progress. As you meet your goals, get a pedicure or buy a new necklace rather than going out for ice cream. I know that one sounds straight out of Cosmopolitan, but for me, realizing that having “treats” as rewards only started me back down a slippery slope.

3. Water, water, water. It’s a running joke at the office…I drink so much water at work that I end up in the bathroom at least once an hour. I drink water in the car; I carry a Camelback on runs. I practically float around every day, but it pays off. Water makes me feel full, it helps me with workouts and it keeps my mouth busy. I chew gum for the same reason.

4. Set reachable goals. This one was HUGE in my journey, and continues to be important today. While I always looked ahead to 5Ks, triathlons, half marathons and more, the idea of even running a single mile was overwhelming. So I would just commit to getting some kind of exercise each day. If I set out to run and felt like running 1 mile or 10, I still met my goal. Now, don’t take this to mean that I want you to keep the bar low. We only grow when we face our fears and push past our limits, but I know that having daily success stories helped me keep going!

5. Take it slow. Before you roll your eyes — I know. I get it. When you decide to get healthy, you want to get healthy NOW NOW RIGHT NOW NOW. I have to remind myself that back in my weight loss days, a .5-pound loss was a great week. 1 pound was amazing. And slowly but surely, those half-pounds added up. And it was the first and only time a healthy living plan worked for me. Crash diets make you crash. Healthy lifestyles are for life.

6. Find exercise you love. I love to dance. I would dance every day, all day, if someone paid me…it never feels like a chore, but I burn hundreds of calories every session. Sure, I mix in lots of more traditional fitness routines, like strength training, spinning and swimming, but I always go back to my first love.

7. Take the pressure off. Remember what I said about the difference between a diet and a lifestyle? The beauty of making healthy living part of your everyday routine is that you can never fail at it. You can make bad choices and you can miss your goals, but you can always start again. There’s no end to the journey. So when you decide to change your habits, give yourself room to make some mistakes, and to have some fun. I love ice cream, and eat it regularly. I sleep in when my body is tired. I’m 10 pounds heavier than I was when I was skinny-fat, but I’m 10 times as happy.

While you're here...

Technology in the Bedroom31 for 32Why I Sometimes Post Sponsored ContentBalance During the Holidays

(If you don’t care about this recap, or just want to see me in the most AMAZING double scrunchie-sweater combo…head here. Here’s a shot that didn’t make the final cut. DIDN’T make, so you know the ones that did are pretty spectacular.)

But, if you’re wondering how my great “get back in control” campaign went, you’re in the right place! Here were the parameters, with notes on how I did.

Goals

• I would like to get back to feeling good about my body — not so much the way that it fits in clothes or measures on the scale. I feel lumpy frumpy ugh right now, and I know that if I stick to some tried and true “rules,” I can get back to feeling good.
• I will weigh in once a week to track progress, but I won’t let the number define me. I will also use a pair of jeans to try and measure inches lost. I may use a measuring tape to see the real numbers, but I’m going for no hassle, stress free success here.

I’d say this was a success, for the most part. I’m still not loving my frumpy, lumpy, bumpy self, but I feel better than I did. I think by announcing that enough was enough, I regained some of the power that I’d lost. In terms of weighing in, I actually got on the scale FEWER times than planned — maybe twice in the last month. My jeans are still too tight, which is depressing. So not exactly stress free, but still…

Food and Nutrition

• I will generally follow a 3-4-5-2 plan: 300 calories for breakfast, 400 for lunch, 500 for dinner and 200 for…other stuff. That could be dessert, a glass of wine, a second serving of dinner, etc. 3-4-5-2 will let me eat around 1,400 calories a day, on non-exercise days. However, on days that I do intense exercise, I’ll allow myself an extra 100-200 calories for fuel.
• I won’t be counting calories, so the 3-4-5-2 plan is just a general guide. I will try and serve reasonable portions (portion control is my biggest struggle), remembering that I can always go back for more. I will also try and load up on veggies at dinner, rather than joining the no carb left behind tour.
• Real, whole, complex foods whenever possible. No artificial sweeteners if possible.
• Focus on fruits, vegetables, beans, lean protein. Minimal carbs, dairy, sugar.
• Coffee only on weekends.
• Alcohol 2-3 times a week (i’ve been having wine almost every night…)

Thanksgiving threw me a bit…I didn’t overindulge, but I did eat more carbs and fewer veggies than I’d like to have. I also spent about a week fighting a nasty head cold, which made exercise (see below) tough. I definitely came close to my daily 1,400-1,600 calorie allotment, and cut out desserts almost entirely. I only gave myself a treat when I really wanted one, and by doing that, I realized how much I’d started to eat out of habit. Real foods=great. And the only bummer for me with the coffee is that after three great weeks, I caved during the holidays, and for the last week, have been drinking it every day.

Exercise

• I love working out, so I’d like to commit to my exercise schedule — I tend to let things go when I have meetings or other events. My workouts are priority, and I won’t skip them unless I’m sick, injured or just need a day off.
• Cardio 3-4 times a week (running, spinning, Dance Trance, yoga).
• Strength 2-3 times a week (Body Pump, weights, P90X).
• note: some sessions will involve both cardio and strength
• Daily walks (before work; during lunch) because they let me step away from the world for a while.

I still love working out. And after kicking some not-so-fun tasks off my to-do list forever (ahhhhhh), I definitely got back to my regular fitness. I even worked it around other commitments, sneaking to the gym before a blogger get-together and going to yoga while waiting for Lucas to wake up on Thanksgiving. I met all of my goals, including my daily walks. Being sick over Thanksgiving meant that I took two days off, but they helped me recover, so it was worth it.

Miscellaneous

• I’m not setting any time goals here — I am more focused on feeling good again, and less worried about visible results. Having said that, I’d like to hold myself accountable with weekly journaling, even if that does not get published on the blog.
• I’ll be following some mantras to get through what may be a challenging few holiday weeks:
• Special Sweets Only (homemade goodies, etc. — not junk I can buy anytime)
• Water Water Water (skip soda and coffee)
• Celebrate Success (give myself credit for small victories)

Nope. Fail. Totally did not journal, and I wish I had. When I completed 4HB, that really kept me accountable. I was a bit more successful with the mantras — I’ve been drinking so much water I could float, only ate the homemade goodies around the holidays (and small portions, at that) AND I did congratulate myself on fitting fitness in, even when it was tough.

So, what’s next? I’ll be carrying most of this plan into December, knowing the holiday pitfalls that await. I’m not currently training for any events (weird), so I would like to really devote myself to as much yoga as possible…and I’d like to make a better effort to see friends and family when possible.

What are your healthy holiday plans?

While you're here...

Baby Widrick FAQsNo Nonsense November PlanMy Half Marathon Training PlanWhen Two Become One...Income

I am so excited for my friends.

Meghann (@mealsandmiles), Kelly (@BNeathItAll) and Ben (@shirtlessben) — the Anderson trio — are competing in the Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman today.

At one point, I’d hoped to race with them. I even joined the crew for a few training swims.

image source: mealsandmiles.com

I made noises about committing to training; researched the gear I’d need to finish the three legs of a very challenging course. Thought about how amazing I’d feel if I were able to cross this particular triathlon distance off my fitness bucket list.

But I think I always knew. It wasn’t the right race for me. Not the right time, and not the right way to jump in.

Blogging and making friends with your blends (blog friends) is a positive form of peer pressure, but it’s a double-edged sword. (Remember “Sorry I’m Not Sorry?”) I feel like I came up short, and I have to remind myself today that had I chosen to take part in the race, there’s a lot I would have given up.

I would have sacrificed energy for some major projects that I’m proud to be leading at work. I would have given up the scarce amount of time I have with my husband. I would have abandoned Body Pump, Dance Trance and yoga, and all of those things fulfill me.

I would have pushed my body to its limits at a time when I need to nurture and indulge it. And I think that’s the one that finally got to me. I have some major non-fitness goals that I’m working on, and I’m focused on that right now.

There are plenty of years ahead for training for the elusive half Ironman distance, and I will do it someday. Just not now.

So today, I’m hoping that Meghann, Kelly and Ben race their hearts out, not only for themselves, but for all of us at home who wish that we could be pounding it out in Augusta. (You can track all of them here: http://ironmanlive.com/tracking.php?race=augusta70.3&year=2011.)

Also, good luck to @catmelnyk and @AMLemus, who are also racing, and to @DaniDillard who is cheering everyone on! And more fond wishes to @healthyashley, who had planned on competing today, until her horrific bike crash.

While you're here...

Why I'm Not Running...For NowWhen You Hear {{{Crickets}}}, Clear Your CacheIron Girl Half Marathon: Hellish HillsFive for...Errr...Thursday

I’ve been spending a lot of time in the last few weeks sitting at a desk, hunched over a computer…

This is the week that I both dread and look forward to every year — the week we tape 13 episodes of Growing Bolder TV and then start the stressful process of actually taking the raw material and crafting it into a show that highlights ordinary people doing extraordinary things, and proves that it’s not about age; it’s about attitude.

I love it. I love writing, being in charge of the details, making sure that everything goes according to plan. But it’s easy for me to lose sight of why we do what we do at Growing Bolder.

That changed on Friday, when I joined our crew for an out-of-town shoot and met a man that gave me just the boost I needed. A reminder that our bodies are powerful, amazing things. And that stepping away from the desk every once in a while can be the start of something great.

That’s a guy named Joe Johnston — he’s a pole-vaulting, track crushing, speed demon freak of nature. And one of the most inspiring people I’ve met in a long time.

(I won’t give you all the details — my boss Marc Middleton will have a video story that will do justice to Joe’s amazing attitude, and I’ll pass that on soon.)

Joe’s shirt says it all, huh? I know 30-year-olds that act like they’re 60 and vice versa. Joe is 67 and has the energy of a high schooler.

And if you think your ice baths are badass? Take a look at his setup.

Brrr…

Joe reminded me that whether you think you can or you think you can’t — you’re right. So why not wake up each and every day and think, how can I push myself to greatness today?

So tell me. What are YOU doing to achieve incredible things? How are you making today a great one?

While you're here...

Baby Widrick FAQsBeautiful Bodies"If I Die Young..."Keeping it Real: 4-Hour Body (Photos!) and 1/2 Marathon Updates

(I would be remiss if I didn’t use this opportunity to send the very best recovery wishes to my friend Healthy Ashley. She had a horrific bike crash on Friday and is facing a very, very difficult future. She has a shattered pelvis, road rash, a concussion and more. She has one of the strongest wills of anyone I know — the girl does ultra-distance races and Ironman triathlons — so I know she will pull through. But she could use your kind thoughts!)

I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy. When you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, We Are One.

It’s one of my favorite phrases in yoga. I get chills when I hear it. I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but I quite literally feel an energy in my soul when I hear that mantra in practice, or reflect on it during my own quiet time.

Today, we were one, at Rasa-Lila Yoga Festival, an all-day event.

(picture from mealsandmiles.com)

Well, for a while we were four. I spent the morning with Meghann (Meals and Miles), Carolina (Peas in a Blog) and Victoria (Running Peanut) and we had a blast!

The classes were fantastic — I think all in all, I did about four and a half hours of yoga, from some basic flow to more intense inversions. Hey, I got in tripod and a full headstand for the first time in a while, and (as you can see), so did Meghann!

The event was really great…hot as heck (I’m so sunburned, despite multiple layers of SPF) but we had some great live music, paddleboarding and some cool vendors.

I’m really looking forward to the next event — so much so that I just may have to head to Tampa when it comes to that city in a couple of months. And once again I’m struck by how much my practice has improved since I committed to going to weekly classes…hey, what do you know — practice makes perfect!

Do you have a mantra? Something you say or chant that speaks to you?

While you're here...

Finding Your A-Ha MomentSo...What CAN I Eat?IMPORTANT! Blogger Money SurveyDear College Katy