Archives for category: Exercise

I have a ton to write about. I have a ton of updates in my life. Our internet has been screwy. One reason I cannot wait to move. There is not much you can do about that when you are renting. When you own, well my husband can hunt and hunt until he finds the problem. He thinks the issue is at the source of the connection. I have my iPad and iPhone, but I don’t like trying to write out a post on those. I do not type quite as quickly as I do on a good old fashioned keyboard.

So what has been going on?

My obsession with the Wunda Chair grows each day. This morning, I cannot recall the last time I took a day off of working out. I think that means I should skip today. We shall see.

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Jack started preschool last week! TWO days a week. It was a crazy feeling. I was so excited for him to learn. I was a bit excited to have some time to get things done. I was sad that he is growing. I felt so guilty. My guilt increased when he cried both mornings and begged me not to leave him. BUT both days, after I left, he calmed down and had a great time. Both days when I picked him up he said “GREAT DAY!” On the first day, I bawled when I got into the parking lot and on the phone with my husband. I felt so awful seeing him so upset. I have been feeling VERY guilty for sending him in the first place. I feel like a crap mom.

I have been a stay at home mom for going on 2 1/2 years. I dedicate myself entirely to this boy. Now that I am ready to embark on my career (I even have SIX classes on the summer schedule), I needed to find some time during the day to work. As parents, we decided together Jack was ready for socialization with his peers, so we picked an early preschool program instead of an in home nanny. Yet, I still feel like I am doing him a disservice because for a couple hours a week I let him go learn and play with others. I know it makes no sense, but it is how I feel. It does help to hear about his day through him when I pick him up. He even made me a Mother’s Day gift at school! It was the best gift ever! This school gives us daily updates, emails, photos, and progress reports. Even what times his diaper was changed, how he ate, how his mood was. It keeps me involved without actually being there. Jack is super attached to me. Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I still had to change every single diaper because he flips out if I am around and my husband tries to do it. He is a momma’s boy. So this has been a transition for the both of us. I think it will prove to be great, I already see sparkles of that after 2 days. It is just a matter of me getting my irrational guilt in check.

Check out some photos from his first 2 days!

Jacky's very 1st day!

Jacky’s very 1st day!

 

Cooking some food on his 1st day

Cooking some food on his 1st day

 

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After his 1st day was over. Too cool for school ;-)

 

Making some art on his 2nd day

Making some art on his 2nd day

 

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My Mother’s Day gift!

We close on our new home on Thursday. Yes, as in 3 days from this post! That has been a big contributor to the insanity in our lives. We are swamped. Plus our landlord has listed our current place for rent, so we have had showings. While packing I also have to keep the house pristine and in showing conditions! Last week we stopped by the house for some quotes on some repairs on the pool.

We took some time to take a couple photos of the new place. We are so excited for this adventure to come to a close (pun intended) this week.

In our backyard

In our backyard

 

Making himself at home by our pool

Making himself at home by our pool

The only reason I have time to write all of this today is because I am taking a day off of working out. I do have to take Jack to swim lessons this morning. Tonight I am teaching 2 Reformer classes. I have to prep a bit for those, even though I am pretty sure I know what I am doing anyway. I should clean up the living room too because it is a disaster after a Mother’s Day lego session yesterday. This was my 3rd Mother’s Day. It feels crazy to say that! I can’t believe I have 3 under my belt already!

Mother's Day 2013

Mother’s Day 2013

This might be the last post for a while. We plan to move everything Friday if we can. Which means we will probably have our first somewhat settled night in the house on Saturday. AH! Craziness. June is going to be nuts for us. We always have a lot to do. Our wedding anniversary, my husband always has a conference in the beginning of June so he is gone for a few days, plus there are always tons of family parties and/or weddings. My summer session begins June 9th. I will try to update though, especially about the new pad.

I hope everyone is doing well. I hope Mother’s Day was great!

 

Happy Pilates Day!!!!! Yes, if you didn’t know, today is Pilates Day. Yesterday I hit up Lululemon with all my gifts cards and birthday cash. My birthday was April 30th. I was showered with Lulu items and gift cards, plus some cash. I also get a discount because I am an instructor. I made out like a bandit. I had to exchange a run skirt my parents got me for a different size. I got that, 2 pairs of crops, and 2 tanks.

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not my new Lulu gear ;-) I just don’t have a current photo of myself in some Pilates position

Jacky picked out one of the tanks. We were browsing the tank wall. He grabbed this gorgeous blue tank and said “this one” I tried it on and I loved it. I will forever think of my little man when I wear it. I love that little boy.

So today I will wear my new Lulu gear and do a chair workout. Since my husband is home I plan to get in a longer workout. I have to truly celebrate the day, right?

I am not teaching today. Oh well. I thought I would get in there today, but it didn’t workout. Thankfully I was able to get in to teach earlier in the week. I only have 8 hours of Reformer left! WOOO HOOOOO!!!!!! I am also celebrating because I will be getting my very own clients soon. The studio is doing a Living Social for private sessions. I am going to be one of those instructors. Which means, hopefully, I will begin building my very own client base.

Happy Pilates Day!!! Will you be celebrating?

I passed the halfway point of my Reformer student teaching hours. I have been in the studio every Saturday morning teaching at least one class. I am really excited to have reached this point. I have 9 hours left! That really is not that much. I could do it very quickly if I wanted to get it all done in one week. It is no secret that my full time job is still a stay at home mom. Until we have him in his preschool program, Saturdays are my time to teach. I have to make a decision by today regarding preschool. I will know by the end of the day about how much longer this will take.

As each class ends I feel more confident in my teaching, authority of the subject matter, and myself. I have had a few bumps. Clients who are not happy that the newbie has been teaching. It is what it is. It hurts me, because I am about as hard as a cloud. I keep on keeping on though. I mostly vent to my mom, husband, and bff about it. They listen unconditionally and encourage me to brush it off. They know I am a sensitive soul.

All I do is make sure that I am giving my best when I am in front of those clients. If I leave and I know I did that, then their responses really can’t bother me too much. If I just was standing around doing nothing, not trying, and not giving my all, then well that really would be on me.

I have received a lot of positive feedback though too. I have started to learn about the different clients we have in the building. Their needs, wants, physical abilities, personalities, and restrictions. This past Saturday was my 3rd time teaching a specific class. I was asked to come up with a whole new class since this was week 3. Weeks 1 and 2 were different but I decided to really change my focus. I came up with some challenging moves. I walked in the building and the Reformers were filled with new students! You can switch around if you have to, and this class happened to have that happen. There were a few of the regulars that I have had, but there were about 3  new ladies. I spoke to another instructor and quickly adapted my plans. I used some of the things I had planned. I winged others. I did it. I think it went well. The lady who loves hard work and extra spring load had to get up to take off her hoodie at one point. I took that as a good sign. If she was hot and sweaty, then I was doing my job.

I am excited to continue. I am excited because I have been offered a lot of opportunities. As soon as I know my schedule my boss/master teacher will be giving me regular classes and privates! I will have my own clients to work with weekly. I won’t be subbing jumping into an already established class that is used to someone else. I am looking forward to that. It is making this preschool guilt a little easier. Just a smidgen though.

I flew over a huge hurdle yesterday! I had been asked to sub for another Pilates instructor. Three Reformer classes needed to be covered. 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30 in the morning. A Saturday morning. Saturdays are busy at my studio. I said yes. I decided to just go ahead and do it. I knew my master teacher would be in the building. I just wouldn’t have another instructor sitting by free to help or answer my questions. I have always had that crutch to lean on. Also, I have never taught three classes in a row. I considered all of this after I had been asked. My parents happened to be over. I discussed it with them and my husband. The consensus was that I needed to do this. I was capable of doing this. I am meant to do this. “Rip the band aid off” is my husband’s favorite phrase. He told me to do just that.

I am SO glad I did. It went really well. There were no major issues or hiccups. I got a lot of positive feedback. From my master teacher/boss and from the clients. I love the Mermaid. I love it on the Mat, Reformer, and Chair. There is rarely a day that goes by where I don’t do some version of the Mermaid. I included it in my classes yesterday. I had a few clients rave about it. Saying they had never done it before. They LOVED it. I explained my passion for the position. They replied that they think it needs to be in every class they take. Well, I think it is safe to say I have found my signature move at this studio. “If you take a class with Nicole, you will more than likely do the Mermaid in some way!”

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Me!

I feel so empowered. I know that practicing Pilates can empower you. I have been empowered by it. I am empowered by it. Teaching Pilates can also empower you. Being able to help people. Seeing them find the work. Listening to them tell you how great that move felt on their body. Lately, every time I leave the studio after teaching a class I am riding on this high. I feel so great, happy, energetic. I am not even working out. I am just working. I am doing what I was born to do. I left after my last class and drove home. I thought along the way, this is clearly what I was born to do. This is my career. I have never been so sure of that in my life. Besides being a mom. I always knew I wanted to get married and have a family. Other than that I  have never quite made up my mind. Nothing made me feel this way. Nothing until I started teaching Pilates. I am about halfway through my Reformer teaching hours for certification. Chair will likely be conquered in the fall when my boss adds more chairs and then adds some chair classes. I love Chair. I own one and I practice on it pretty much daily. I know a lot of people loathe it but I feel that is because it is intimidating. It doesn’t have to be. It can be so tailored to a client that gradual increase in strength can be achieved  I also have a potential offer from my boss to teach at Lulu on Saturday mornings. If it does happen it is supposed to start in early May. It is not 100% yet but I am excited that she even thought of me to do that. I will bring the same passion I just wrote about along with me to the store. I will turn people on to the love of Pilates. I will hopefully be able to convince new people to walk into the studio that is my home.

It feels good to find your place in the world. I have found mine. I am Nicole. I am a mom, a wife, and a Pilates instructor.

What/who are you?

I did a really great thing for myself yesterday. I got back into the swing of things with Pilates. Not practicing Pilates on my own. I haven’t missed a beat with that. No, I am talking about student teaching to get all of my hours for my certification. I had been on a break of sorts. I was just dealing with so much in my personal life that something had to give. With the home buying nonsense, my grandpa passing away, having a toddler, my IBS flaring up from all the stress, and injuring my neck, I was constantly spent.

The last thing I wanted to do was stand up in front of a room of people, not feeling confident at all, and try to safely guide them through physically demanding moves. No. I was not up for that. I spent all day giving my best to my son. I couldn’t put him on the back burner. No matter how depressed I was over my grandpa, I couldn’t mope around all day not caring for my child. So, by the time my husband got home at night I was just exhausted. There was nothing left to give.

I started to feel better last week, slowly but surely. Then, the weather started to warm up. We went to the park about 3 times in a week’s time! Ah, glorious sunshine and fresh air will do anyone some good. I went back in yesterday to student teach a private session with my amazing teacher. It felt ah-maze-ing to get in there and do this. I felt so great afterward. I am ready to get back into this. I am ready to finish what I started. I am ready for life to continue on.

I needed my mourning period. I am by no means over it. I never will be. Grandpa randomly crosses my mind regularly. I will be doing the most simple thing and suddenly some memory will flood back. I also got very attached to being around Jack. I have barely let him out of my sight since this time last month, actually. Other than one sleepover at my mom’s home. I think she needed that as much as I needed to take a break from student teaching. Clinging to this life that I created just felt right and safe. Looking at his cute little toddler feet, watching the way he plays with his toys, listening to his HUGE vocabulary, and just taking in his face, were the places I wanted and needed to be. The thought of being away from him several nights a week was just not something I wanted to actually go through with. Even if some days I felt like he was driving me crazy. I just didn’t want to miss a thing.

Death is a funny thing. Dealing with it and trying to put your own life back together can be tricky. I have been to a good share of wakes and funerals. This was by no means my first. But they were always more distant relatives. Not what I consider an immediate relative. It was different this time. It has been hard. Bottom line. How long should one mourn? There is no definitive answer to that. I cringe at the thought that if I ever have another child my grandpa will not have met that baby or even know about his/her existence. I hate that. A baby is not a big priority on my list, but I have thought about that scenario. Does that mean if I actually decide to have a 2nd that I shouldn’t? No. Because life does go on. The living have to keep living. Keep loving the loved ones we have with us while remembering the ones we have lost. I just squeeze my little man a little tighter and rub his hair a little more and kiss his toes just one more time.

It was time to get back to my life that I worked really hard to achieve. I put so much time and effort into training to teach and to be derailed much longer would just be a waste. My grandpa would not have wanted me to waste my talents. That much I know.

Two days ago my new baby arrived! I am head over heels in love. I was from the moment it arrived. My new Balanced Body Combo Chair!!!!! I have used it twice since then and I will use it again this morning. I have been trained to teach it, so I know how to use it. I knew how to set it up. I knew how amazing it would be. But I didn’t realize how amazing it would be to know that this Pilates machine is mine all mine.

We have a very large master bed room. It could really be two rooms. They should have made it a 3rd bedroom in this townhouse. But we don’t own this place and with all luck we will be moving into MUCH more space in a little over a month. The appraisal is today, keep your fingers crossed. Anyway, the 2nd half of our bedroom is used for our exercise equipment. I arranged my Pilates area rather nicely. I am looking forward though to having an entire room for my Pilates stuff.

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I do have to move the chair away from the window a bit when using it. So I have full range of motion, but it works. It is my space. I love it. It felt amazing to get back on the chair. I missed it. Things have  been so bananas since my grandpa went into ICU and then passed away. I haven’t been into the studio in a while. I guess I have been a little depressed and overwhelmed with everything I have to handle right now. Three days ago I started to feel a bit better overall. I am hoping this keeps up. I think I am coming to terms with his passing. I am still sad but Saturday I had a little release. I cried a bit . Also, exercise helps. And what is better than a brand new toy to workout with? Nothing I tell you, nothing!

 

 

I am writing this post at a time when I do not normally write. The evening. I usually reserve my blogging for early morning. My son sleeps late, so it gives me uninterrupted quiet time. Today is special. I injured myself this morning doing Mat work. I did something to my neck. It hasn’t gotten any better all day. I am afraid I actually did something bad to it. We will see how I am feeling tomorrow. I can barely move. Picking up Jack is tough. Today, at the store, it took me THREE tries to pick him up to put him in his car seat. I physically couldn’t move my arms and body to do it. That is very foreign to me. I have been trying to take it as easy as possible. That is tough to do with a 2 year old, but luckily I have a great kid who likes to cuddle.

I recently mentioned in another post that I have started to get into aromatherapy. Going along with this, I have gotten into making my own products with essential oils. I have made several beauty products. Today I scrambled to look up some sort of muscle relief. Aura Cacia is my favorite brand. Luckily Whole Foods carries their products. Also, luckily, they have a few different muscle rub recipes to choose from. I started with this one. Soothing Muscle Rub. I am happy I did.

Here is the rub recipe. They note it can be used in steam rooms and saunas as well, without the almond oil.

Ingredients
 
30 drops pine essential oil 
30 drops juniper berry essential oil 
30 drops peppermint essential oil 
10 drops lemon essential oil 
Directions
Combine oils.

To make a penetrating massage oil for overworked muscles, dilute 12 drops of this concentrated blend in 3 ounces of vegetable oil (such as sweet almond).

I  had all but the pine oil essential oil and the sweet almond oil. Luckily, Whole Foods had both and the Aura Cacia brand! I was over the moon that they carry it. Our Whole Foods just opened two weeks ago and I had yet to get to their personal care aisle except for probiotics. They also have a fantastic selection of probiotics!

It doesn’t take away my pain entirely. I think I did too much damage for it to cure it instantly, but it does provide some relief. I have been applying it as needed. Some of the tension goes away and a little bit of the pain does too. I have been able to load and unload the dishwasher. Change poopy diapers. Prepare some dinner. I had leftovers and the boys had a frozen Whole Foods pizza, but still, I had to get it all together at the same time, cooked, etc. No easy feat when you are walking around like Frankenstein, as my husband lovingly pointed out.

I am devastated that I am injured. You see, my husband finally agreed to purchasing a Balanced Body Combo Chair! It shipped yesterday. It should be arriving soon. I am itching to practice on it. Looks like I may just be training my husband on it initially! I hope not. Maybe I can do some things by the time it arrives. I am basically hoping that I just strained a muscle and didn’t herniate a disc. I guess we will see how I feel over the next few days and if there is no improvement I will be heading to the Dr.

A lot has been going on in my little bubble of the world. I have been trying to manage it all. What do you do when you are stressed? Or have a lot on your plate? I tend to take the holistic route.

  1. Detox bath. I have written about that before. I have been taking them several times a week lately. I read during them. I have the newest Kindle. Sometimes I take care of things on my phone as well, shopping, or reading articles etc. I just take that time for whatever I want to do while taking a hot detox bath. I also tie in my next method as well. 
  2. Aromatherapy. I have really been getting into that slowly over time. It started a couple years ago when my husband bought me an oil warmer and essential oil set for a gift. As of late, I have been researching it on my own. I mix my own scents to fit my needs. I use those daily as well. They are so beneficial and I find they really work. Right now I have really been into this brand, Aura Cacia. They have a great selection and resources. Their recipe list is extensive!  I am currently using the Lavender Balancing Blend. Simply lovely. You can search through their site for your own needs. photo (2)
  3. Pilates, of course. That is a give in. I think it could almost go without being said. But I have to mention it. I also use aromatherapy during my mat work. Peppermint and Eucalyptus are a favorite mixture of mine. Peppermint can really perk things up. Sometimes I even feel the cool feeling despite sweating.
  4. Spa treatments. I am fortunate enough that I can go for spa treatments. I am also fortunate enough that my husband encourages me to do so.  I recently went for an Ayurvedic Massage. It was heavenly and exactly what I needed. I got a Garshan massage last Saturday. I think this weekend I am going to get a facial. I also get pedicures often. My husband will actually demand I go get some sort of spa treatment if I am particularly stressed. I cannot count how many times I have heard “go get a pedicure or something.” or “schedule a massage.”
  5. Cleaning and organizing. This is new for me. I have always been a tad unorganized. I am no Martha Stewart still, but I have found as I get older that having things in some sort of order helps me relax. Seeing toys scattered everywhere makes me even more anxious. A clear floor makes me breathe easier. So I have been taking out stress on my home. We filled up 6 GIANT garbage bags with clothing and items to donate. I purge, clean, and organize.

Those are the things I use to manage the craziness that has become our season. What do you do? How to you deal with stress? How do you unwind and relax? Have you tried any or some of these methods?

Yesterday marked a big milestone in my Pilates teacher journey. I officially finished the training courses! We are all done with classroom time. I have to complete my million hours of practice teaching now. Yikes! I cannot believe we have reached this point. It feels like September was only yesterday. pilates

I have a myriad of emotions about this all. They range from excited, to terrified, to frustrated. I am not sure I can explain entirely why I am all over the place. This is an off week for me in general. That has to be a contributing factor. I am excited for obvious reasons. I did it! I finished a huge part of this. The next is to apply my knowledge. Terrified because I have to apply that knowledge. And frustration is likely over the same thing. Working out how to articulate what I know. Getting to know the clients and their needs. Many of these clients have been there for years. When I enter a class to teach I feel blind, since I don’t know them like their regular instructors do.

I am excited to get my own clients. I would like to start to build a relationship with people and train them. I want to share the love of Pilates with everyone. I want to help make someone’s life better. I want to help them move and feel better every single day. I am frustrated because sometimes I feel like I am not seeing what my Master Teacher sees. I know that is why SHE is a master teacher and I am still a novice. But I have said this before and I will say this again, I am incredibly hard on myself. I get so mad at myself when I can’t see or do what I am trying to see or do. I know that it will come with time and experience. But my inner voice sometimes won’t listen to that rationalization. There are many times where I DO see what she is speaking of.  You see, the thing is, Pilates is in millimeters. The correctness of the moves are often incredibly tiny movements. Your eye really has to develop to see that. There are many times I do see it. But I hate it when I look and I am just baffled. I have to tell myself to ease up and just keep looking and practicing. I know how these feel in my own body. I know what I am looking for in general. I am always self correcting my positions. I know where a client is supposed to be most of the time. Especially in the moves I am very familiar with.

A portion of my journey is over. I am entering the next phase of my journey. This journey will never really end. I believe I will always be learning and improving myself as a Pilates teacher. Who knows what the future holds down the road. The possibilities are unlimited!

I was going to write about my Reformer class from last night.  That was my plan for today. I just don’t feel like breaking it down right now. I have over analyzed it in my head enough. It wasn’t the best class ever. So maybe another time I will. Or maybe I will just keep this one to myself.

What I do want to write about, is the happiness my little boy brings me. As his 2nd birthday rapidly approaches, there are 10 more days, I can’t get over how much we do each day. He is so active. I am usually beat 30 minutes after he wakes up. We are constantly moving. It is great though. He is fantastic. Last night he discovered the joy of piggy back rides. He started to climb on my back and I decided to tell him to hold on tight and I started with a squat. He went bananas for it. It turned into a full on run around our living room. It was a welcomed end to my day yesterday.

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You can see for yourself the pure joy on his little face. He really thought this was the bees knees. I am sure I will have to do this often. He kept saying “mom again!” As 2 rapidly approaches, I cannot help but love it already. Sure, there are tantrums. He is strong willed. Very strong willed. We are his parents, so that is no surprise. Both Jason and myself are strong willed or stubborn people. I am not shocked that our son has his moments too. I love him to pieces though. I love his wonderment. I love his memory capabilities. He blows me out of the water with the things he remembers from months ago and tells me about! I look at these photos and I am instantly filled with joy. I couldn’t see his face as we were doing this. I could feel and hear his laughs. But to see that face makes me melt. I could do this all day for him knowing how much fun he was having.

For a brief moment last night, I entirely forgot that I totally sucked at teaching my class. (There were visible eye rolls) I won’t go there though. I love how life can sometimes really give you the important moments when things seem like they’ve gone to shit. Jack has the trust and faith in my expertise to keep him safe during a piggy back ride around the house. I needed that feeling last night.

Today I will be gone when he wakes up. I am going to take a Reformer class and then observe. I need to watch someone teach and absorb today. Then I am treating my stressed out self to a pedicure. Whoa, getting fancy up in here. I haven’t gotten one in a month or two? But Uncle Matt, my younger brother and Jack’s buddy, will be here. When I get home we will have lots of playtime, since I don’t have training class tonight. I am sure lots of piggy back rides are in my future.

 

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