Ironman African Championship

It's admittedly been quiet on the blog for the last few days.  I have been working odd hours for the last week as I have been running the Media Centre for the Ironman offices in Nelson Mandela Bay.  The Ironman African Championship took place on Sunday 29 March, and so today life went back to normal and I can catch up on some much-needed sleep.

The pics below are from the weekend.  They are not very artsy or even very good as I took them with my cellphone camera.  Most of them are blurry, but they commemorate where I was and what I did.

I have the photos on another device, so will post them on the blog when I get hold of them.  Just wanted to post this quick update to explain my sudden disappearance.

https://instagram.com/p/0zCXRxjyMd/
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https://instagram.com/p/02n1J5jyMk/
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https://instagram.com/p/0vRWsLjyET/

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 2

Hamstring flexibility takes consistent practice and work, and so today was part 2 of the hamstring practice that started yesterday.

You definitely need to warm up a bit before you start this session as it's quite intense but rather fun.  It's so easy to become impatient with yourself and your body's limitations, but listening to your body is definitely important to your practice as well as for body-mind connection.  It's important to know when you can push yourself to feel the stretch, to know when you have reached your limit and when to ease up.

Always be patient with your journey.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 3 - Day 1

Today's session focused on hamstring flexibility and stretching.  Hamstring work, like shoulders and ab work, is difficult for me because I don't have the flexibility I dearly desire.  But because I know the hamstrings need work, I never pass up the opportunity for a stretching and lengthening practice.

This was a relaxing practice and perfect for the end of a long day.  This practice reminded me how important it is to bring awareness to the body and to the breath.  I went into meditation and surrendered my day to the universe.  I trust that my actions today were fuelled by good intentions, I believe that I brought love to my work, and I treated people with kindness and compassion.  That's all I ask from myself and I trust that this is the path on which I am meant to be walking.

xoxo

Foxy

Workout Mon 23 Mar 2015

I decided to get back into training this week.  Last week was chaotically busy and ended with a visit to the chiropractor who booked me off exercise for Friday and Saturday.

I really felt stiff in my neck and back after this chiropractor visit and really battled with my yoga practice this weekend.

Today was leg day and the programme was as follows:

Workout time:  6:40 - 7:25 pm

1. Elliptical trainer - 10 mins - 0.85 km

2. Leg press - 3 x 12 - 37.5 kg

3. Seated calf raise - 3 x 12 - 37.5 kg

4. Lying leg curl - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

5. Leg extension - 3 x 12 - 10 kg

6. Deadlifts - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

7. Walking lunges - 3 x 12 - 2 x 5 kg weight plates

I will probably be a bit stiff tomorrow.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 7

Today's session was about working yesterday's work into today's practice.  I thus made sure to include my newly-acquired jumping skills into the flows.

I definitely got a bit hot and sweaty during my practice, but enjoyed it so deeply.  Today's session was my me-time, the time I took for myself to allow myself to recharge.  I felt peaceful and relaxed and was grateful that I spent time on my mat.  I sometimes feel guilty for taking me-time because there is an endless list of important things to do (laundry, washing up, tidying the house, work that needs doing).  What I need to remind myself is that those things are not going anywhere, that 30 mins of my time won't make the tasks any more urgent, and that more sleep will do me more good than the harm that could come from pushing those tasks back by one evening.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 6

Jumping back from a Forward Fold and jumping forward from Downward Facing Dog were the focus of today's practice.  Though this session is a bit shorter than the others, don't let that fool you into thinking that this isn't a challenging one.

During my Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) practices, I always step back or step forward.  That's just where I am in my practice, and it's what I have been used to doing because it was safer for my body.

I'm so thrilled though, because I managed to jump back and jump forward.  I totally did it - not just once either.  I practiced it quite a few times to make sure I had the correct form, wasn't hurting myself and could incorporate this progress into the rest of my Sun Salutation flow.  The jumps didn't look like Erin's, but I'm sure that with practice, my jumps will look more fluid and I'll be able to lift my hips a bit higher when jumping back from Downward Facing Dog.

Today progress has been made.  I am so excited to work this new ability into my next yoga class.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 5

The focus of today's session was ab work.  This felt pretty intense, but was definitely worth doing.  I made sure to do this session properly and not just speed through the exercises to get them done.  Part of the fun of doing core work is that you really feel the muscles in your abs working.  Sometimes it really can burn.

Core work is about consistency.  Keeping a consistent practice will lead to noticeable increases in strength - and core strength is beneficial for so many yoga sequences as well as for general functional strength.

xoxo

Foxy

Thursday Pondering

"Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You've got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it."
~ Ray Bradbury

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 4

Today's focus is on posture improvement.  This is wonderful and so important for people who sit at a desk all day.  During the day, your posture might change and you'll find your upper back slumped over your desk.  This is a reminder to me to keep constantly mindful of my posture and my alignment.

This session obviously included a lot of back and shoulder work, and it felt really good to stretch and lengthen my back as well as roll back my shoulders.  It was quite an intense practice, and I was glad for the opportunity to catch my breath in the meditative session at the end.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 3

Today is Day 3, and the focus is on asanas for the lower body.  This practice included a lot of strengthening and balancing poses which always feel so good.  It was an intense practice, and I definitely felt myself getting a bit sweaty.

I do get the wobbles and the shakes, sometimes lose my balance and have to re-enter a pose.  I enjoy the wobbles and the shakes, because it means my muscles are working.  I realise that sometimes my shoulders creep up towards my ears, and then I remind myself to exhale, drop my shoulders, lengthen my back and settle more strongly into the posture.

It's the little adjustments you take while in a posture that make you feel that you are connected to your body, and that you are doing the best variation of the asana for your levels of flexibility and strength.

Feel your strength telling you that you can do this.

xoxo

Foxy

Monday Inspiration

"Accept - then act.  Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.  Always work with it, not against it."
~ Eckhart Tolle

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 2

Today is Day 2 of the second week of the challenge and the focus is shoulder strength.  This shoulder toner flow required intense concentration on my part so as to keep my alignment and my posture correct during all movements.

Despite my high level of concentration, I was able to find stillness and clarity during this session.  One of the most important lessons yoga has taught me is to cherish and value that silence as well as to cultivate it despite the sometimes extreme level of noise the world puts into our lives.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 2 - Day 1

This is the start of a brand new week in the challenge, and the beginning of a new theme and surroundings.  This week Erin finds herself in a new setting and the focus for the week is building strength.  We start off with ab workouts, which I definitely needed.  This was intense but very pleasing.

I wanted to let my own bit of nature inside my practice area, so I opened the windows and the door to let the fresh air and warm breeze into my practice room.  This felt like bliss.

xoxo

Foxy

Friday Gratitude

"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love"
~ Marcus Aurelius

xoxo

Foxy

Workout Thurs 12 Mar 2015

I have had a chaotic week and so haven't been able to make time for proper gym sessions.  I usually put everything aside for my weights programme, but I have had a hefty amount of work to do lately.  Combine this with uncharacteristically low motivation levels, and you've got a Foxy who hasn't been lifting regularly.

I decided to focus on upper body and my programme was as follows:

Workout time:  2:00 - 3:30 pm

1.  Elliptical - 10 mins - 0.95 km

2.  One arm dumbbell row - 6 x 12 - 8 kg

3.  Zottman curls - 3 x 12 - 2 x 4 kg

4.  Tricep dumbbell kickback - 6 x 12 - 4 kg

5.  Alternate hammer curls - 3 x 24 - 2 x 5 kg

6.  Dumbbell shoulder press - 3 x 12 - 2 x 5 kg

7.  Bench press - 3 x 12 - 15 kg

8.  Wide grip lat pulldown - 3 x 12 - 30 kg

9.  Seated cable row - 3 x 8 - 30 kg

10.  Tricep cable pushdown - 3 x 12 - 25 kg

That bench press nearly killed me.  I'm going to feel that in my chest tomorrow.

xoxo

Foxy

Thursday Inspiration

"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."
~ Joseph Campbell

 

xoxo

 

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 7

Today's challenge was centred around what Erin calls a "Peaceful Warrior Flow".  The practice is based around variations of Warrior I and Warrior II.

Keeping your balance is important while moving through these flowing movements.  Find stillness in your mind and find a point on which to focus the eyes.

While your outer warrior finds strength and stability in your asanas, let your inner warrior do battle against negative self-talk behaviours that no longer serve you.

xoxo

Foxy

Wednesday Mantra

"Find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain."
~ Joseph Campbell

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 6

Today's session was a relaxation flow.  Things have been a bit chaotic at the moment, and so I very much needed this session.  I have been struggling to keep a regular gym session lately, and so I look for any opportunity to get on my mat.

Through the current busy period of my life, I remind myself to be grateful for the situation I find myself in, to be grateful for the opportunity to use my talents, and to practice kindness and compassion for those with whom I come into contact.

Shine your light into the world.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 5

Today's session focused on hip opening asanas.  This was an extremely welcome practice because I'm always working on opening my hips.

Some of the poses may be difficult for you, especially if you struggle with hip flexibility or are tight in your legs (I have both these difficulties to work through).  The trick is not to tense up in your back or shoulders.  This will make your practice more difficult, more uncomfortable and you may injure yourself.

Remember to breathe, don't hold onto your breath while you are working deeper into a stretch.  Relax your neck and shoulders and create stillness in your mind.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 4

Deconstructing hard poses is the focus for today.  This was exactly what I needed and it will help me improve my form while doing Cobra, Upward Facing Dog and most importantly, Chaturanga.

I still struggle with Chaturanga after more than a year of yoga practice.  This is probably because I lack core and shoulder strength.

There is always something to work on and something to improve in your yoga practice.  This is most humbling to me.

xoxo

Foxy

Meditation

"Meditation can help us embrace our worries, our fear, our anger, and that is very healing.  We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh

xoxo

Foxy

Image source:  Facebook (unsure of exact page)

Find Your Bliss

"If you open your heart and become like a child, you will always be blissful, always content."
~ Sri Dharma Mittra

xoxo

Foxy

Image source:  Earthseed Yoga http://earthseedyoga.com/2014/08/19/yoga-101-is-back-2-basics-this-fall/

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 3

Today was Day 3, and we are letting loose.  The flow is loose and free, and is a great stress-relieving sequence.

For today's practice, the way to fully enjoy it is to bring awareness to your body and to the sensations you experience during the session.

Don't hold onto any one sensation, but feel it, let it pass through you, and exhale to let it go.  Feelings are transient, fleeting and impermanent.  You may feel impatient or upset with yourself because you are unable to get into a pose, or you may even get angry at yourself because you can't relax and find peace in your mind.  Thinking about it only makes the situation worse.  Acknowledge your feeling, let it flow through you and exhale to let it go.

xoxo

Foxy

Workout Thurs 5 Mar 2015

I have been focusing on yoga much more than I have on my weight training these past 2 months, which is the reason that posts about my training programme have been irregular.

I did yoga this morning and then decided to head to the gym for a weight training session.  Leg day was on the schedule and this is what I did:

Workout time:  12:45 - 1:45 pm

1.  Elliptical - 10 mins - 1.03 km - average heart rate 135 bpm

2.  Leg press - 3 x 8 - 45 kg (new PB)

3.  Leg extension - 3 x 8 - 10 kg

4.  Lying leg curl - 3 x 8 - 20 kg

5.  Seated calf raise - 3 x 8 - 45 kg (new PB)

6.  Back extension - 3 x 8 - 8 kg

7.  Standing oblique crunches - 6 x 8 - 8 kg

8.  Crunches - 3 x 12 - 8 kg

Feeling pretty chuffed that I hit two new PBs.  Probably going to feel this all tomorrow.

xoxo

Foxy

Inspiration

"When you feel bliss, happiness and compassion and you feel the light inside you, you open yourself up to the incredible possibilities and profound experiences that await you."
~ Sharni Quinn in "Follow the Sun"

xoxo

Foxy

Image source:  Facebook

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 2

Today I did Day 2 of the challenge.  Today was the second part of yesterday's moving meditation.  Today's weather tells me that summer is cooling down into autumn, and there is a light wind outside, so I left my living room doors closed and watched the leaves rustling in the wind.

I'll see you tomorrow for Day 3.

xoxo

Foxy

Erin Motz Bad Yogi 4-Week Challenge - Week 1 - Day 1

So let's go!  Day 1 - Moving Meditation.  This was a fantastic way to kick off the new challenge and sets the tone for the week's videos.

Beach yoga always looks like the most fun one can have in a yoga practice.  The beach in my city isn't the most practical for me to go to, unfortunately.  This is for a number of reasons:  distance and safety being chief among them.

So, I'll be enjoying the view of the trees and the blue sky from my living room window.  Today there is a light breeze so I left my living room door open and enjoyed the warmth of nature.

xoxo

Foxy

New Project

I have found my new Yoga Challenge Project.  This is another one of Erin Motz's challenges, and I'm so glad to be doing another one with her.

The first week is on the beach, so I'll be doing my home practice in the living room and visualising myself on the beach.

Join me there.

xoxo

Foxy

Open Letter to Erin Motz

Dear Erin,

I have done your 30 Day Challenge (set up by you last year in collaboration with DoYouYoga.com) over the last few weeks.  I sincerely enjoyed every single session and repeated a few of the sessions in my free time.

I loved following your classes each day.  It's such a joy to have you greet me from my laptop and gently welcome me into the day's session.

You take into account that my first Downward Facing Dog of the class is most likely my first one of the day and let me stretch there for a little bit longer.  You balanced your selection of lessons with more intense sessions as well as including more restorative practices - for this, I'm grateful.

Erin, your light shines so brightly through your classes.  I'm already planning which group of classes I'm next working into my daily schedule.

See you on my mat.

Much love,

xoxo

Foxy

Tuesday Pondering

"Nothing in the world can purify as powerfully as wisdom;  practiced in yoga, you will find this wisdom within yourself."
~ Bhagavad Gita 4.38

xoxo

Foxy

Source: YogaInspiration (Yoga Inspiration) Instagram account
Image source:  http://www.innerspace.org/oxford/what-we-do/course.jsp?eventId=22759

Monday Musing

"In meditation and in our daily lives there are three qualities that we can nurture, cultivate and bring out.  We already possess these, but they can be ripened:  precision, gentleness, and the ability to let go."
~ Pema Chodron

xoxo

Foxy

Source: Yoga.Guide (Yoga for Yogi's) Instagram account
Image source: http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/September-National-Yoga-Month-Free-Classes-4237345

30 Days of Yoga with Erin Motz - Day 30

Today I did Day 30 of Erin Motz's yoga challenge.  This was a lovely compilation of sun salutations, hip work and ab work.  I enjoyed this last session and will miss doing these videos almost every day.

I can't believe this challenge is over.  I have enjoyed every single session.

Erin, you are a superb teacher.  Blessings with your future projects, and I'm sure I will be taking your online classes again soon.

xoxo

Foxy

30 Days of Yoga with Erin Motz - Day 29

Today I did Day 29 of Erin Motz's yoga challenge.  Today's practice was a relaxing one, as is evidenced by the title "Yoga for Great Sleep".  This is a sequence of slow movements, and it is enhanced if you focus on breathing slowly and slow your mind so that you only focus on your breath and your movements.

Even if you don't go to sleep afterwards, enjoy the stillness in your body and mind that you have cultivated.

Be good, feel good

xoxo

Foxy