Violence=yoga

Yoga. It brings to mind a sense of peace and relaxation, calm and inner stillness. Or in my case, I want to punch the smiling yoga teacher in the face. I think I might not be into yoga right now. The first month of my yoga and Pilate practise went really well. I was doing it three times a week and in that time could feel my flexibility and strength returning. I was feeling good and enjoying it. Then I had a setback and for the last month or so – time does fly these days – I have been getting to it once a week if I was lucky. And in that time I have apparently lost strength, flexibility, ability and desire. It didn't help that I really didn't feel like doing it today, but thought I should has it had been a while. It didn't help that when I attempted to do downward dogs, the cat went into attack mode, biting my upper arm with ears flat and fur raised. When I attempted to lock him in the bathroom, where bad cats go for a timeout, he attempted his door-opening trick (my cat opens doors) and then bounced and cried until I let him back out. By that time, I my strength was failing, my mind was on anger and what I once thought was a smiling yoga teacher, began to feel like a smug yoga teacher showing me up with her ability to do the splits and sun salutations without pause. With those thoughts running through my head, the cat making his crying sound and my patience at an all-time low, I called it quits. Another day, perhaps a new exercise tape and a cat in the downstairs bathroom.

I am too tall

Personally, I think I am the perfect height. Five-foot 10-inches, 34 inches of which is leg, to me is the ideal height. I guess the problem is my house is too small or at least too small for a five-foot 10-inch girl trying to do yoga and Pilates in her living room. I can't stretch out. When I do any of the exercises in Pilates that require me to stretch out or to put my hands behind my head, I can't. Instead I put my hands to my sides and hope for the best. When I am doing yoga, I spend a lot of my time switching my mat around so I can still see the TV and have room to do my poses. I watch the instructors on the DVD, they seem to have so much room. When I took a yoga class, I had to have a perimeter around me. I need a perimeter in my living room.

Random Thoughts Monday

• I thought my cat was staring at nothing. As I was typing that, I realized nothing was a millipede that had scurried its away out of the floor boards and into the hallway. I squished it with my slipper and let Cosmo enjoy the remains.
• It's been four weeks and I am still doing both Pilates and yoga. It's amazing how much my strength has improved in that little time.
• When my son and I leave the house at 6:10 a.m., the sky is lighter. It's still dark, but you can see the sky lighting the horizon. By the time 7 a.m. rolls around, it's light outside, as in you can see the sun. Taking my guy to swimming lessons this evening saw daylight at 5:30. Hello spring. I can almost see you.
• Of course saying that, we are expecting a snowstorm Tuesday night. I am thankful the front from Texas decided to come overnight Tuesday rather than what was originally forecasted – Tuesday and Wednesday, deadline days.
• My nasty cough has made a return. Why is it always worse at night?
• My stepdaughter was diagnosed with this weird thing called geographic tongue. It's the most bizarre thing. If you Google it, it will show you a tongue that looks like layers have been peeled away. It doesn't hurt for the most part, but she is supposed to avoid both citrus and hot stuff, which she doesn't. My son has the same weird tongue thing, but his comes out when he is sick. If you want to know if something is amiss with my little guy, you ask him to stick out his tongue. We once went the to the walk-in clinic and the doctor made the intern come look at my guy's tongue because, as he said, you don't see it too often. We like to be different.

Words to live by

I hesitate to say anything, as it's not yet a habit, but I am beginning to exercise again.

Two years ago, I bought a yoga and Pilates DVD set. I used it once and packed it away. I pulled it out two weeks ago with the idea of doing it three times a week.

Despite being tired tonight, I spent a hour doing a full body workout. I am proud of myself.

I am exercising for a few of reasons: one, I am chunkier then I have ever been, even while I was pregnant; two, while I may look skinny (thank you tall genes), I am unhealthy and I want to change that; and three, I love chocolate. I love baked goods. I love chocolate baked goods.

And in the words of my smart coworker: "I exercise so I can eat chocolate."

Now those are words to live by.