Happy Winter Solstice.

Well my lovelies, this is it. I am boarding a train this evening and won't be around for a 'lil bit so wanted to leave you with a special message. 

I wanted to somehow convey my gratitude, to tell you all how much I love you and tell you how beautiful and brilliant I think you all are. I wanted to remind you that you're already perfect just as you are and that you never cease to amaze me every single day with the things you say and how you respond to my little blog. 

But when I tried to say all of that in a video message, I sort of sounded a little bit like a crazy person. Omigod.

Honestly some of us (me) are just really so much better behind the scenes. 

When I finally screwed up my courage enough to go ahead and post it anyway, I couldn't get the damned thing to load. So there you go. Technical genius me!

Happy Winter Solstice, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza and all the best for a very Happy New Year.

Lots of love,
Shan 

Continuiity 2.2.9 Maria

Hello Ladies.

Sick 'a me yet? Been posting like a rabbid squirrel this week. It's feast or famine around around here as of late. And after tomorrow, I'll be a ghost for a little while again as I board a train for a three-day trip through the Rockie Mountains bound for home. (There will no doubt be countless photo opportunities so if you want to see what I see and keep in touch, just click my pic to the right and that'll take you to my Instagram page. No need to join or follow. Easy.)

Been a long time doing the Method and I often feel like I've said all there is to say and wonder how much longer I can keep it up. We'll see what happens in the New Year I suppose. I always think I am going to run out of gas and Tracy goes and surprises me yet again.

This last three months on the 2.2 series of Continuity have about been my favorite since the original Metamorphosis series. I used to say nothing could touch the Mat DVD and in some cases I still feel that way, but I think these three disks and the nine workouts they contain come pretty damned close. Stacey and Maria are great. So fun.

Out of the nine workouts, I really only disliked a couple, the rest I would continue to add into my rotations over and over. Generally it's been Stacey who's come out with the harder routines, the more impossible moves, and she elicits far more profanity from me than Maria. Ah Maria. The warm embrace of Maria who while working our bodies, seems to be able to sooth our spirits. 

Well all that comes to a grinding halt on level 9! Yowzers. 

This is one of the most challenging and engaging whole body workouts that I have seen presented in the entire Method and Metamorphosis series thus far. The workout is aerobic while working your muscular structure. It challenges balance and pushes your limits where coordination is concerned and it feels like it's using every single muscle you have, big and small, to pull off the moves. The odd thing, is that I haven't felt it afterward. I haven't experienced that ache of a new ten day series that I've done on nearly every level of this sequence. Hmm. What's that about?

Once again the standing arms include the abs so there isn't a separate standing ab sequence. Pretty standard fare for this three months. The floor abs are fast, as they always are with Maria, but you feel them. It's a good sequence. In otherwords I don't dread the first ten minutes of the workout. But the legs? Lordissa! The routine challenges both the working and non-working leg. In fact I feel safe saying there isn't a non-working leg in this level. 

The use of space presented the biggest challenge for me. I just do not have the room in my tiny apartment to perform the legs properly. I have kicked and bashed into every piece of furniture I own and knocked over everything that wasn't nailed down. I have sent a hailstorm of Christmas cards flying so many times that I have now finally had to simply change one entire leg move. I just couldn't pull it off. The working leg starts out straight in front, then arches in a high flying sweep - think a round house kick to the side while on your knee -- then it does an arabesque to the back, you then pivot 90 degrees the other way and kick behind and across the opposite hip. That explanation doesn't do it justice. It's not that it is impossible to do or too hard, it just takes up way too much room.

If you want to talk complicated the opening leg move is the trickiest, lifting one hand off the floor while kicking to the side, then bringing that leg up off the floor and swinging it behind the knee of the stabilizing leg while raising the opposite hand. It's a juggling of body parts. But it really does nail your entire body. The abs are working, the arms get killed. Omigod, don't even get me started on the bruises on my arms from this workout and that's not from the furniture bashing either.

So there's this move where you are lying on your bent arm, the top arm comes in front to balance. You then roll onto your back and do a half split with your working leg (not unlike the strippers in many movies) you then roll back onto that arm on your side, almost on your front, lift your hips off the ground balancing on the non working knee and with your butt sort of in the air, you kick your working leg up at a high angle. It really did feel like it was taken from a strip class. I had to laugh out loud. I just needed some 80's porn music to make it complete. How Maria does the whole thing with a straight face is beyond me, but my abs got a workout from laughing.

I am happy to say that this is now officially just part of my life. It's my normal everyday routine and with very little effort I can maintain a shape that while not perfect... I can live with and no longer obsess about.

Again, I'll never have a curvy hour-glass waist, but my love handles are minimal, Tracy and the girls really have kept them in check and for the most part, my tummy is flat-ish. It's a torso that a girl who's been abcentric her whole life can cope with. And I literally never do cardio ladies. Honest. I just can't take it. On a good week, I'll run about 5km with my boys. That's it. And lately even that's been back-burnered because of mom's accident.

She is doing very well btw! She's walking on her own, she has full memory and can carry on a conversation. While she still cannot hear very well, she's now able to talk on the phone for short periods. So I simply cannot thank you all enough for all your good thoughts, healing vibes and prayers. That was just awesome.

Lastly, somehow or other the timing never seems to work out with these workouts and even though I am diligent and workout 5 to 6 days a week consistently, I am somehow six months behind. I've got 6 disks collecting dust in their plastic wrap. So I have officially put my order on hold. And to be honest, six months from now, I may not carry on. I may simply continue to revisit my old faves and keep the workouts going and changing daily. What will we talk about then? Eeep!

We'll see.

As for the final post this week, I was thinking of doing something I've never ever done before.... a video post. I've wanted to meet so many of you for so long, I thought that might be a half-way point. But I am such a nerd on camera. My friends all kid that I'm better on paper, so whether I have the nerve or not, I guess we'll know tomorrow, that is if the world doesn't end, right?

Take care, big hugs.
Shan

 

Christmas Bake-a-thon. And a Truffle Recipe!! Eeeeee!!!!

Hey hey, noble readers. What's happening in your worlds this last week... before Christmas... before the world ends... before the regular old everyday weekend... or whatever it is that's floating in the forefront of your minds. You doing okay? 

As of tomorrow, Thursday December 20th, I rack up another 60 days of being sugar free and I am thrilled (shocked, amazed, stunned) to report that I can tick off month five of living without sweets and I managed to do this amid performing all of my mom's holiday baking for her. I am gonna be so pissed that I didn't have at least one cookie if the friggin' world ends on Friday tho!

I did things that I have never done before. I'd never baked a tart - butter, mincemeat, or otherwise -- I'd never made short bread and really had no idea that they were basically composed of fat and sugar -- who knew? and that you had to whip the batter to within an inch of its life, and I'd certainly never baked my grandmother's chocolate chipped cookies without licking the spoon, eating the raw batter, picking the leftover chocolate chips off the baking sheet or eating I dunno 20 of them in one go! But I did it.

It absolutely killed me to let those suckers cool; to have to touch them to get them into the tray. The second they were sufficiently room temperature, I wrapped those puppies up and shoved 'em into the freezer where I couldn't see them. Whew, torture. I had no idea how much of what I do in everyday activities I do on auto-pilot. Five months ago it would have been nothing to pick a cookie crumb or broken edge of a tart off the counter and pop it into my mouth. I didn't even have my dog around to feed those bits to. I had to put them in the bin. It was heart wrenching. Okay maybe not heart wrenching, but it was tough.

Two things got me through it. First, I had gum in my mouth at all times, and second, I kept repeating to myself that I don't eat these kinds of things anymore.  Actually three things got me through it. Prior to starting said bake-a-thon, I whipped up a pan of Survivor Bars to have on hand in case my cravings became overwhelming. At least then I'd have something to fall back on. Happy to say I didn't need them and they were packed into the freezer along with everything else.

In addition to that, my sister picked up a free magazine at the health food store and in it I found an interesting recipe for sugar-free Chocolate Date Truffles. How could I resist? I haven't had any chocolate at all and I'd been reluctant to try anything remotely chocolate, but this is Christmas! I gave it a whirl and Omigod, Lordissa and Amen brothers and sisters! These truffles are truly the BEST thing I have tasted in five months I kid you not. And And And!!!! The best bit? I only had one! Well shit fire and save the matches was I proud of myself. So I absolutely have to share these babies with you. Try them, you so won't regret it, I swear swear swear (and Lord knows I cuss a lot. oh, different kinda swear, nevermind)

Enjoy!

Chocolate Date Truffle

2 cups pecans toasted

1 cup dates pitted (12-14)

1 tbsp coconut oil

1/3 cup cocoa powder

½ cup coconut lightly toasted

In food processor, blend all ingredients but coconut, until mixture is smooth.

Add more coconut oil if mixture appears too dry to roll into balls.

Take generous teaspoonfuls and roll into balls, then roll in coconut.

Store in tightly covered container in fridge. To serve bring to room temp.

Makes about 16 (I put mine in little cupcake paper thingies for safe storage)

Each one 121 calories, 2 g protein, 10 g fat, 8 g carbs, 5 g sugar (naturally occurring not added) and 2 g fibre.

And there you have it! Easy peasy. 

If you're having a sugar craving or are dying to dive into one of those decadent boxes of chocolates, these little morsels are deeply, deeply satisfying, like a little orgasm in your mouth. Yum. Wow. I dare you not to try one!

xo
Shan

 

14 Days.

I feel as though I haven't been here with you in ages and the year's nearly out of time. My apologies if you've been feeling neglected. I promise I have a couple of great things in store for you this week!

This season, while joyous, has always presented a challenge for me. Both emotionally -- being with family can trigger all sorts of crazy stuff -- and in terms of my personal health and fitness goals -- I always bloody over-eat, over-indulge, and seem to forget about my workouts. But this year I wanted to go beyond all of that and stretch further than I've done before. So on December 10th I threw out a challenge to all of you to take a good hard look at your life before the clock runs out on 2012 and ask yourself if you're really living your best life. How very Oprah of me, I know. Gawd!

Seriously though, I think it's a worthwhile challenge, one of the most rewarding of our lives thus far if we can get in there and do the work. For me, this meant jumping into a 21-day meditation challenge, for others like my girls Jess and Jah, it meant getting back to the mat and getting their sweat on. Nothing like a little fairy dust to make you feel like a princess again, right ladies?

So thought I'd check in, see how you're all doing. Have you had any moments of insight? Found something you want to work on or improve upon or finally give yourself a break about? Are you feeling like you might be brave enough to do things a little differently this year? I hope that at least a few of you are feeling inspired to step outside your square, turn the picture of your life to a different angle and have another look at what makes your soul soar.

While the Chopra Center's meditation challenge isn't quite what I expected, there is a lot of taking and not a whole lot of time for quiet contemplation, I am really enjoying the thoughts it's provoking in me, the questions it's goading me to ask and it's giving me a fresh perspective. Once I get through their session, I generally tack on another half hour to do my own meditation and am really enjoying the personal time in an otherwise chaotic holiday season. I can feel something shifting in me. It might sound corny, but I am actually feeling more open, happier in spite of circumstances (my mom being hurt, money, etc). I can feel a resonance within me that is very grounding. It's as if my heart has been cracked wide open and I want to share so much more with the world, you guys included. More on that toward the end of the week.

In the mean time, since we're a third of the way into this 21-day challenge of sorts, I'd like to throw out a new challenge this week. It's something I would encourage even those of you not committing to 21 days of generating a new habit or breaking an old one to do.

I know this time of year is manic, I know you have a million things to do, a trillion people to see, you're all practically running your asses off, (which is great because you won't have so much ass to lose come the new year), I'd like you to carve out some time this week, a half hour, an hour, whatever you can spare and do something really terrific for yourself. Do something you really enjoy. I don't mean squeezing in your workout either, although you shouldn't neglect it this time of year, I mean something super-fun or super-relaxing, or super-pampering. Don't tell me you don't have time or that you can't think of a single thing. I mean come on, has it really been that long?

Book a manicure. Curl up with that book that's been collecting dust. Light a fire in the fire place and pour a glass of wine. Go for a massage. Journal. Lie in the middle of the floor in Savasana (corpse pose). Take a bubble bath. Go out to your fave fave fave restaurant. Something, anything. I don't care what it is. All I am wanting you to do is to find something that makes you feel good and go and do it and feel good! You have all worked so damned hard this year. The year's almost over. It'll be like getting a giant hug. Do it!

And do lemme know how you're doing on this 21-day challenge. I want to hear from you. I always glean so much from your experiences and insights.

I am back in Vancouver for a couple of days before heading back to the prairies via train (with my huge dog who is too damned big to fly so he can visit his grandma and help her get well), so I have some great posts for you before I go, including a review of Continuity level 2.2.9. Another three months nearly done, I can hardly believe it. And I just have to dish on all of the baking I did for my mama. That was an experience I tell you. Plus I made a very cool recipe discovery while in the midst of that which I am dying to share. And am contemplating trying something new, so if I can screw up my courage, I may share that with you before the week's out too.

Have missed you. 
Shan

For Those Mourning...

The shooting... there aren't words, so I won't even attempt them.

 
But yesterday my incredibly beautiful, compassionate and loving real-world friend Stephanie sent this to me as I help my mom with her recovery.

It's a cool cloth on the burning foreheads of the shocked, broken-hearted and grieving hearts who have stood witness to such atrocity today.

"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found a way out of the depths.

These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.

Beautiful people do not just happen."

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross  

Please know I am deeply sorry for you loss. My heart goes out to you.

Shan

21 Days.

Get comfy Beetches, she's gonna be a long one!

When anything happens to shake up the status quo of everyday life it makes you think and lately I've had nothing but time to think. Life can be so surprising, just when you think you know the direction you're headed, you can suddenly be stopped in your tracks and be forced to ask yourself if you're really living your best life. 

I know that these days "living your best life" can sound like a cliche or a catch phrase to sell Oprah's magazine, but really, when's the last time you asked yourself if you were truly, deeply, and honestly happy? Or even just satisfied with your life?

Almost every one of us has something about ourselves that we want to change. On the most basic level we'd all love to change some part of our appearance. It couldn't hurt to lose a few pounds. Perhaps we're in desperate need of a color, or as we peck away at the key board we may look down and realize that our nails have been sorely neglected. As we scratch the surface and start to dig a little deeper, we may examine our habits and want to change one or two of those as well. We may find that we're snacking too much or eating all of the wrong things, or that we're a bit short fused in traffic or in the long line-ups during our holiday shopping. Who couldn't use a little more patience?

As I've been contemplating the choices I've made in my life and trying to trace the steps back along the journey that led me to where I am standing in this moment, I'm struck by how unconscious I've been through some of those steps. I have been so single minded in my focus to make a film, so driven, as I look around me I see some of the things I once loved so much laying by the way-side miles back. My guitar... cannot remember when the last time was that we played music together, hell I can't even remember the words to the songs I used to sing daily. My Spanish? Forget it. I can say si, and that's about it. I used to be able to travel freely through Cuba, Mexico and South America with never a worry that I'd be able to understand or make myself understood. And please, don't even get me started on my yoga practice okay? I might start to cry.

I don't think that I'm the only one feeling this either. Take a wander over to the always inspiring and beautiful Amy's blog and check out her poetic Nutcracker Post.

The week before I left Vancouver to travel back to Saskatchewan, I had the most fortuitous encounter with an old friend who's always inspired me to reach further and dig deeper and to really do the work that I need to do on myself to have that life that my soul longs for. She reminded me of what a stabilizing and grounding effect meditation has and that it's within that space we are able to discover what's honestly holding us back. So I made a promise to her that I'd "look into it". Cough cough, yeah right. Who has time for that right now with everything else going on, right?

Then  few days ago, a dear friend reached out with a cry of pain, the walls of her own life had gotten a little too close and she lost it. I wanted so much to assuage those feelings of claustrophobia and exhaustion and frustration, but from thousands of miles away there was little that I could do. I suggested meditation. Um... hypocrite much? That very night I decided it was time I got back to it. Before I was married and in the depth and height of my yoga practice I'd get up daily 5:45 am and set my incense on the altar and close my eyes and get quiet. It's one of the beautiful things in my life that fell by the wayside. So when I sat down to pick it up just days ago, I was at a loss. Simply repeating my mantra didn't seem enough. It no longer felt authentic.

So I did what all self-respecting twenty-twelvers do, I reached for my trusty iPhone for guidance and I found the Chopra Center's 21-Day Meditation Challenge App. I have decided to take the challenge.

Here's where my post may start to drift a little so please bear with me. 

They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit. I am reminded of this because the meditation challenge is 21 days and because it is the tenth of December. Do you know what that means? It means that there are only 21 days left in the year! How do you want your year to end? What do you want for yourself in the new year and... why are you waiting?

I have to go ahead and debunk the myth of 21 days here though. You cannot automatically  change yourself in 21 days. If it were that simple, I would not still be craving sweets nearly five months clean. Yes it's really been that long. It will be five months on or around Christmas Eve I think. So if you've tried in the past and failed, do not beat yourself up. Please I am begging you. No being a hateful meanie to yourself. It's a shamandment already, so just give that nasty business up.

I found an incredible post from the Health Behavior Research Centre and they've conducted a study that proves in fact that it takes "on average" closer to 66 days to form that new habit. As they so eloquently put it, "that's March 6th for anyone attempting a New Years Resolution".

In their post they talk about context-dependent-repetition being the thing that forms the actual habit. Their example is this: "Imagine that, each time you get home each evening, you eat a snack. When you first eat the snack upon getting home, a mental link is formed between the context (getting home) and your response to that context (eating a snack). Each time you subsequently snack in response to getting home, this link strengthens, to the point that getting home comes to prompt you to eat a snack automatically, without giving it much prior thought; a habit has formed." Read the whole article here. Pavlov's dogs anyone??

For me, I had the nasty habit of finishing off each and every meal of the day with a sugary treat. The context for me was the meal and the response was dessert (In my defense, dessert in the dictionary and is defined as the sweet course eaten at the end of a meal.) In order to form a new habit, I had to do something else in that context or create a new context. Not really the point of this post, so I am going to leave that there for now.

If there is something that you want to develop within yourself or change about yourself, you've got to create an environment that will allow a new habit to be born and to flourish.

Getting back to the meditation. Here's a solid known, you will get exactly what you need from your meditation. No one ever said you'd get what you want, but you will get what you need. Hear me out. You may never be able to concentrate, you may not be able to sit still, you might not reach enlightenment in this lifetime... but you are guaranteed to get what you need. If your body needs sleep, you will fall asleep during that meditation. If you repeatedly ask a question, the answer will eventually come.

During that fateful breakfast with my friend, she was thrilled to learn that I'd finally gotten a film made. She knew me way back when I'd only had a single script under my belt all those years ago. But she looked at me and straight away knew I wasn't happy. She nailed it. "It's money, isn't it?" She asked.

And it is. It's her belief that the only reason that I am not rolling in abundance is because I don't believe that what I do has value. Gulp. That's a huge naked confession to admit to. It's hard to write it here, but even harder to own, but it's true. I am a writer. I write. But when it comes down to it... I seem to always be doing it for free. I know the lovely and brilliant Jah is going to chime in here and tell me that "money comes easily and frequently", I just have to tell myself that. Jah, I have been telling myself but I think my girl Andrea is right. I don't believe I'm worth it.

Funny because as I look upon this year gone by and I list the goals I have set out to achieve, I think I've hit them all. I had a target weight I wanted to hit, I have finally managed to get there and am coming into my third month holding steady. I wanted to find something to take up the space left by my yoga practice and I found the Method which I've stuck to now for more than two years. I put in ten years of hard determined work (to the sacrifice of many other things in my life apparently) and I've finally got a production credit!!! I needed a more balanced approach to food and I am nearly five months sugar free. Holy crap, never saw that one coming. Girlfriend should be feeling pretty good about herself, no? Yeah, you'd think, but maybe my insides don't actually match my outsides. Eeeep!

I really didn't believe my girl when she said I didn't value myself. Of course I value myself. I practice not being a hateful meanie! I've accepted that I'll never naturally be 112 pounds and can love myself at 117. Yet when my dad was going through their email there were a bunch of emails from Mastering The Method. My dad wanted to know what that was and if he should save them. Without a thought I said, no it's just my blog, mom doesn't need to read all that, you can delete them. Wow, really? Is that how I really feel? My eyes stung with tears, maybe Andrea had be right.

So how does one go about starting to feel that the work they do has value and would therefor be worth something? Here's another little inside detail. On more than one production I have done the work for the promised fee and when it came time to get paid, somehow or other the money wasn't there. Tens of thousands of dollars and that is not an exaggeration, I've been at this for a long time. So you mean all this time, I have felt worthless and not even known it? That sucks! I have got to get to the bottom of this and find out why.

Only one way to do that. I must go within, into the silence and ask the question. Even though I'd clearly rather not since it's been buried so long and so deep and it's obviously painful. I'm going to dare to ask you... is there something deep within you that you've been afraid to look at? Some deep feeling of unworthiness? Some habit you're harboring that's causing you to habitually do something that's keeping you from living your best life? Don't be afraid to go down the rabbit hole, I'm right down in there with you.

Whether the 21-day habit is true or not, we have 21 days left in this new year so I am taking the meditation challenge to heart. I want to believe that what I do has value and I want the resources that I have clearly earned to flow into my life. I deserve abundance. We all do. We all deserve to earn a living, to feel like we are contributing, and to feel deep within ourselves that we are significant.

So if you're still reading... today, on this tenth day of December, I invite you to take your own 21-Day Challenge and create a new habit. Whatever that looks like for you, big or small, you can do it. We both can. The sun will rise tomorrow, but what that day looks like is up to us.

With loads of love,
Shan

Tracy's Reach.

Hey guys,
How's the first week of December been treating you? Have you started panicking about the holidays yet? There's always so much going on this time of year that it's tough to stick to the old routine; not to mention all the parties and get-togethers. 

It's going to be a little trickier than usual for me this year as I've just left Vancouver on Tuesday to come east to help out with my mom after her accident. My sister spent every night at the hospital with my mom since she fractured her skull and was relieved to have me take over when I arrived. If you think being in the hospital when you're unwell is sucky, try being there when you're not. At least when you have to be there you get the good stuff, for us, not so much as a lousy Tylenol. Lol. 

My sister kept saying before I arrived that "if there was a God, I'd have to spend at least one night in the hospital with mom." Well guess what, there is a God and that's all I had to spend! We were able to spring her from her convalescent confines the very next day! I told my sister that she should use her powers for good instead of evil and start wishing for me to win the lottery! I really am convinced that her sudden turn around was due in part to your many prayers and well wishes and good thoughts. You guys have been simply incredible and I am ever so grateful. I can't tell you enough!

The road to recovery is going to be a long one, but at least we've got her. But before we're able to take her home home, we're staying at my sister's for a few days until we're sure she can make the four hour journey, which brings me to the nature of this post... Tracy's reach.

I wasn't sure how long I'd be staying in the hospital or where I'd end up through all of this so I'd sort of made peace with the fact that I'd have to put my practice of the Method on hold or do what I did for production... standing abs in the bathroom while brushing my teeth and not much more. I hated to do that since I feel like I am finally starting to see some lasting changes and benefits from doing this work long term. Tracy has said we'll really start to notice a difference in year two and by year three we'll really own our transformation. I believe it. I can see the subtle changes already in my arms, shoulders, butt and thighs. It's great.

In any case when we turned up at my sister's, my 19-year-old niece Danaka was gracious enough to lend me her room. What a great kid, I was totally expecting to be a couch surfer and therefore be without privacy. I lucked out and at the end of a very long day yesterday, I was finally able to close the door to everything, table my thoughts on all I'd experienced since my mom's accident, and hopefully get a decent night's rest.

You won't believe what I found behind the door. Check it out.

Dani had a cork board filled with exercises by none other than the Master herself, Tracy Anderson. She doesn't read the blog so I wasn't sure if she knew what a die-hard student I am of Tracy's, but it was like this tiny cosmic kiss. Even in that dreariest of hours, Tracy was there. I had to laugh. She really is everywhere.

Don't know how much time there will be for working out but there's always time to pull off a few moves and there are some good ones posted on that board.

In the mean time, the challenges just keep coming. I was able to have a brief word with my mom in a private moment and I asked her about Christmas. I was prepared to cancel it when she rattled off a list of tasks she'd like me to take care of, the top of which is to do her annual holiday baking! Gulp. What?! Baking, like with sugar you mean? Like my favorite chocolate chipped cookies, my grandmother's butter tarts, and short-bread kind of baking? Are you kidding me? How long do you think it's going to be before I am shoveling back fist-fulls of raw cookie dough? Omigod.

No idea how I am going to pull that one off, but I am willing to give it a go. If it brings a little holiday cheer to my mama, then so be it. Maybe I can get her to lick the spoon so I don't!

Wish me luck. 

Shan

December! 2.2.8 Review.

First day of December ladies and I am in a whole new frame of mind! Maybe because I'm getting closer to flying home, or maybe it's the spring-like temperatures here in Van, dunno, but I'll take it! I have been Gloomy Gwen for far too long now and it's time to make my spirits bright! Ring those sleigh bells, I dare you!

Some really fantastic new (and old) friends have come into my life recently and I am feeling so moved by their positive spirits and energies. I was starting to think that maybe it's too late to make friends all the way in my 40's, but I almost feel like a kid again. You remember when you were a teenager and you spend every waking moment on the telephone to all your besties? It's like that with texties now. I'm like one of the kids! Damn.

Also reconnected with an old friend today. We've known each other for years and have had the opportunity to work together on several occasions but have never lived in the same place. Turns out she moved here a month earlier than me a year ago. We're blocks away from each other and have never run into one another. A mutual friend got us together. It was wild. Just being around her, her positive grounded energy has lifted me up and I feel better than I have in ages.

Plus, I weighed in today and those pesky two pounds have vanished! Love my iPhone and that Lose it! app. So awesome.

It's got me thinking that I want to shift my focus from my physical body to my heart, mind and spirit in the new year and try to generate some resolutions that will propel me into becoming more balanced and well rounded. Perhaps then I will fully be able to appreciate all that this workout has done for me. But until then...

Been working out with Stacey again on level 8 and she's put together a great workout for this level. The arms are very specific and she's also added the wrist weights on the free arms so we're moving a little slower and with more intention. It's one of the reasons I love this workout. The abs are terrific, lots of oblique action and she isn't moving at a ridiculous pace that even the squirrel from Hoodwinked would have trouble keeping up with.

The abs are smooth and focused, just the way I like them. Although I am starting to find that I have to add a little extra ab work to each session to feel as though I am getting a proper workout. Could be that I'm gaining in strength?? Has anyone else noticed that?  

The leg sequence is good, although the continuity gets a little wonky. The first exercise on the left leg is not performed the same as on the right and another of the moves works the wrong leg during the second half. It is quite involved with moves that have you shifting from down dog to one knee behind the other then dropping and kicking the other leg back and behind, to rolling on your back with your legs crossed in addition to a back kick and side kick, and some pretty tough side planks, but it is definitely back to being an abcentric or even an omnicentric workout. I could feel those abs being targeted while my arms were being worked as well.

I felt this workout in a variety of new places that hadn't been targeted in a while so I was achy for a couple of days. Much less painful for me than level 7 though so that was a plus.

It's been really exciting moving through these levels of Continuity, I am always curious to know what's in store for us next. Pretty sure she's going to have us jumping through hoops next. Lol, not literally jumping through them, but there is a plastic hoop in our future! Can't wait to spill on that.

Hope you're having a great weekend.
Love,
Shan