Why I love Yoga, and you can too!

Why work out you ask? Because it’s something to do, it’s good for you, and best of all it’s FUN! At least when you make it fun.

Being active has always been part of my lifestyle. From starting sports at the age of 5 I went from t-ball to soccer to gymnastics to volleyball to tennis to golf to track to more soccer to swim team to softball and to a little more volleyball. I’m sure if I could have done football and baseball, I would have. I tried out dance and decided it was definitely not for me. I didn’t even put basketball on my radar…5’2 shortie can’t make that happen. Now that I am out of high school and done with sports (sad day) I have to find other ways to be active and work out, so I picked up a love for yoga…

I only get to go to yoga every other week because I switch off between that and volunteering at Sunday school, but I went this past Sunday and. I. hurt.

 

Yoga really isn’t what you think. I sat in one class at the YMCA a couple years back because I thought it was going to be the whole “ooohhhhmmmmmm” meditating. I was all, oh yeah, an exercise that I sit around like buddha for an hour. Bring it on! But i’m here to tell you…yoga is hard! It’s balance, focus, and holding positions that you never knew were possible before class.

I love yoga because….

1. It’s a core work out, a leg work out, and an arm work out all in one.
2. It’s different than running, it’s different muscles.
3. Being in running shape and yoga shape are completely different things.
4. You can get a work out without having to run and drip sweat (although some do sweat in yoga).
5. I get to wear CUTE clothes while doing it!
6. It’s something other people can do with you. My mom and sister would never run with me, but they’ve gone to yoga with me.
    
7. I love getting to go to LuluLemon for my classes.
8. Yoga is like an hour long stretch!
9. Yoga is good to mix in with other work outs. My sister goes to stretch her out for soccer.
10. It makes your more flexible…how could that ever be a bad thing?
11. Fun, right?
    

My tips for yoga are….

1. Don’t think it’s just a walk in the park. Yoga can be tough.
2. Go to Lululemon because they offer free classes (that’s what I do!).
3. I get to look at cute clothes while i’m there. And possibly make a wish list for an upcoming holiday 🙂
   
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously at the same time. First timers always look ridiculous (heck i’m not a first timer and sometimes I still look ridiculous!).
5. Breathe when they say to breathe, it really does help during the class.
6. Guys CAN go to yoga! There’s probably about 4 guys in my class every time I go. It’s normal!
7. Make sure you have a good, padded yoga mat that your feet will stick to. Don’t get some cheap thing.
8. Be in the right frame of mind when you’re there, or you won’t get anything out of it.
9. Make fun of yourself and laugh!!!! Yoga is about relaxing and having a good time while still getting some exercise in.

Meditate for me today!

And check out “Why I love running, and you can too!“

Friday Favorites: The Glad Game

It’s FRIIIIIIIIIDAY!!!!! Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci this mornin’…totally the best part of my day.

Last week I started my own version of Pollyanna’s glad game, where each week my Friday Favorites that i’m posting about something that makes me glad from each day. Check out last week’s HERE!

: Pathetically texting my father when he’s gone.

I’m glad that I have the ability to work and make money but some days you’re just like, “Do I haaaaaave to go????” And Friday was one of those days, so I pathetically texted my dad while he was out of town and my reply: Work Harder. Yes, that’s the Gen for ya. And if you can’t tell he gets really behind when you have multiple conversations going on at one time…males.

: Sister’s “birthday party.”

For Morgan’s 18th birthday she wanted to go to Luke Bryan. She made me wait and wait because she didn’t want me spending the money….well, I spent the money and a lot of it. But it was so worth it! She said she had a blast. She took her friend Jessy with her Saturday night. And I got videos of Lukey singing 🙂

: Relaxation/family days.

  

Sunday is my relaxation/family day. Every Sunday morning my dad wakes me up at the buttcrack of dawn. Literally, it’s still dark when i’m getting dressed. We get to the golf course as soon as it opens and go about our routine. But don’t forget the Starbucks that we get before we get there! It’s become our little routine of daddy/daughter time. Which i’m all about.

After I got back from golfing, an hour later I dragged my mom to Yoga class with me. This was a new class I started and I didn’t want to go alone on the first day so she got to come. And if you can’t tell she’s SO EXCITED! So on Sunday I got mommy/daughter time too. It was fun! But she told me “you’re on your own next week” in the middle of class. Sigh. Mission turn mom into a Yogi was unsuccessful.

: Morgan’s 18th birthday.

Monday was Morgan’s 18th birthday, which I posted about Tuesday. She had school all day and our busy schedules gave us 15 minutes to spend together, so she opened presents then. She didn’t get her birthday cake until late that night. I’m so excited she had a good birthday, but also sad she’s going to college next year. I’ll miss her.

: The ability to learn.

Tuesday was no eventful day whatsoever. However, while i’m sitting in class for FOUR consecutive hours dreading waking up those mornings, i’m still glad I have to ability to learn and pay for a college education.

: Christmas present #1.

I told you not to hate me on Monday when I posted about Christmas pictures, and i’m going to say it again. Don’t hate me!!!! I know fall just started but Molly likey to be prepared. So, on Wednesday night when I got home I wrapped the first Christmas present of the season. Honestly, it was super weird. Maybe i’ll just get them and not wrap them until I can play Christmas music and drink hot chocolate.

: Lazy days.

Now, if you asked my family they would say I have “lazy days” every day. But no. Yesterday was a particularly lazy day. I had to close at the restaurant last night and be up early for class yesterday so I dressed in my Nikes and Large polo shirt for class. Once I came home I organized, worked on homework/projects, worked on the blog, and relaxed for a couple hours.

And these are a fewwww of my FAVORITE things!!!!! When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when i’m feeling sad i’ll simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel sooooooooo bad. (Please tell me you got The Sound of Music reference) (or else i’ll be super embarrassed). BE GLAD, FRIENDS! It’s the weekend!!

Smoothies and Slippers: My morning routine

Hi y’all. You’re waking up as me today!

Sometimes my day’s routine changes depending upon what’s planned, but my general routine typically stays the same. For instance, all last week I had to take my brother to football practice at 6:30 while my mom was gone. So I was getting up with the moon to finish packing his lunch, getting him breakfast, waking him up, and getting him there on time. Last week was so off that I had a smoothie before 7. It just felt so strange.

This year I decided to quit staying awake until 2/3am and sleep in super late. I’m going to have to be a working adult some day and that will never fly. So I told myself that I need to get into a better routine, to make that transition soon. But, my “normal” routine goes a little something like this…

6:30 wake up every morning. My most faaaaavorite thing to do is check blogs and post mine, but I usually have my Quiet Time first thing. If I don’t i’ll spend too much time looking at blogs and being rushed during my Quiet Time. And that’s just not what it’s about.

6:40 after my candle is lit, and my slippers are on i’m having my Quiet Time. Now, my family is NOT fond of mornings. Well, my father is, but we’ve already clarified that he’s the weird one. Anyways, we don’t talk in the mornings. It’s like our secret code or something so I don’t go downstairs until i’m ready to leave the house.

I’ll go into detail about my Quiet Time during another post, but most mornings it’s just me, my bed, and my Bible. It’s my transition from sleeping to waking up. Quiet Times first thing in the morning just get your day going on a positive note. See, here’s my Jesus Callingagain, like I mentioned in my Friday Favorites post.

7:10 After about 30 minutes talking with Jesus, i’ll usually get out of bed and hop on over to my “desk” to post my blog and then read some others. I like getting out of bed because it forces me to officially wake up. I make my bed after I get up so I just feel so ready for the day and my room feels clean.

About 7:30, i’ll have to stop blog stalking…so sad. Then I get ready. Even more sad. I just wanna stay in my slippers. My crazy self decided to sign up for an 8am and 8:30am every morning. So, i’m usually the second one out the door every morning after my youngest brother.

7:40 on 3/5 days out of the week I only have one class, so i’m back at the house at 9. I thought it would be a brilliant time to take naps, but I did that once and couldn’t sleep the following night so I quickly vetoed that idea. When I come back at 9 on these days i’ll make my coffee and grab some breakfast. I’ll work on upcoming assignments, run errands, write blogs, do some laundry, etc.

10:00 though…coffee, mom, Hoda & KLG…now that’s a perfect morning. Usually at 11:00 when their show is over we leave to do what we need to.

However, the 2/5 days I get to stay longer in the mornings until 8:10 so I usually spend more time blogging, but because I don’t get to come home at 9:00, I usually make my coffee beforehand and take it with me to wake me up in my first class along with a snack. And I usually don’t get home until about 1:00 on those days. I’ll do as I need to after some lunch.

I’ve never been much of a morning worker-outer because i’m usually half asleep until about 9:00am anyways…but I might try and do my Yoga and Pilates in the wee hours of the morning instead of at night before I go to bed. We will see how that goes 🙂 I’m trying to make myself more of a morning person, because I have found that I get A TON more accomplished during the day with that extra time.

As long as you have something to look forward to in the mornings, you can become a morning person. I look forward to my little routine. I look forward to that extra hour or so of just me time before a day gets going. I look forward to having my blog and Quiet Time checked off my to-do list before classes start. And on days that I can squeeze in a quick Yoga or Pilates session, I look forward to that calmness also. I like that I am really tired at night because it’s easy for me to fall asleep. There are some pro’s to being a morning person.

There ya go! A happy (early) morning! Are you a morning person? What does your morning routine look like? What do you look forward to? Let me know, i’d love to hear!