LOOKING FOR NEW INSPIRATION

It is time for me to regroup on all of my New Years Resolutions. Downward Dog For Cats was a month ago and I need to focus on some new projects. I am also still volunteering weekly with the cat rescue, but I need to find something else to do along with the cat rescue. I love the cats so I continue on with my obligation to them, they are my second animal family.

I have earned so many classes at City Yoga, and I am going to start taking the early morning classes. What a way to start the day. I have been writing a ton lately, so I am thrilled about that. My book will be done the autumn.

Time for me to watch the Olympics and get new inspiration. It was a hot day today, and I walked for miles in the scorching sun so I am wiped out. Signing off, love and light to all.
Namaste'
Rose

Correspondence and Classes

Good evening to all. It is January 18th and the first month is breezing by. I am doing my best to be  mindful in the moment. I did drop the ball on one thing, I forgot to send out some birthday cards to some very special people. This week I will send out some late cards, and also mail out Happy New Year cards to friends and family. One of my new year's resolutions is to stop neglecting correspondence, and get more organized and be a better friend and family member. Not everyone I am close with is on Facebook and it is nice to receive real mail every now and then. I need to remember those I love, especially since they are so far in distance.

This week I will buy some cards and go to a lovely coffee shop and write to the special people in my life. I also bought a beautiful calendar/day planner at the yoga studio.  I get 20% off since I volunteer and it will really be the key to help me remember important dates. It even has a lot of pockets, which gives me a place to store greeting cards until it is time to mail them. My goal is to mail birthday cards in the beginning of each month,and keep a list of every one's birthday in the calendar.


I am up to three hours each week volunteering at two different studios. That means I get 3 classes for my service each week, this week I earned four classes since I trained today. The classes never expire so I can take three classes a week if I so desire, or I can use them whenever I please. The one studio is an ongoing work exchange for classes program once a week. The other is just a substitution program. I am subbing for one of the volunteers who is out of town. By the time she returns I will have close to ten classes at the second studio. After she returns I will sub when they need me. This is great because each studio has different classes I would love to try. You give therefore you receive.


Of course I walked today, for an hour and I have been following my weight watchers points; drinking my water and taking my supplements. I feel like I am on the right path. It is a marathon and not a sprint so I am enjoying the process of improving myself inside and out. There is a new show on television called the Revolution which is really inspiring. It is about making over your life, kind of similar to what I am doing in this blog. Resolutions take time and perseverance. If you slip up or find yourself losing focus, just remember to pick back up where you left off. Do not give up on your belief in your dreams.

Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I am getting sleepy so it is time for me to sign off. Funny, when I lived in NYC I would stay up til 3 or 4 am and sleep all afternoon. Here in southern California I am up before the sun and ready for bed before 9 pm. I like to do some light inspirational reading before bed, with TCM on the tube.  Much love and light to all and goodnight. 

Feeling Grateful

Good morning to all, it is early Friday morning here on the west coast. The weather is going to be beautiful today, highs in the 70's and sunny. I was watching Goldie Hawn on television yesterday, she was featured on the Dr. Oz. show. I truly love her spirit, at 66 she embodies pure joy. She was speaking about happiness and how we can achieve it through gratitude. I believe gratitude is the key to bliss, to be grateful for every blessing in our lives. That does not mean we should be complacent  and  not strive for more, but that we choose to love our lives in the present and all of the beauty that surrounds them; to be mindful of every moment. The small pleasures as well as the grand; the loves of our lives, the smiles from strangers, the first morning cup of coffee that teases our senses and warms our soul. Happiness can be sought and never found if we do not express the gratitude for the gifts we have been granted. I  for one agree with Goldie Hawn that each and every day we should show gratitude for five things in our lives. If you believe in energy and the law of attraction you will see this works, when you show sincere gratitude and have a optimistic attitude it comes back to you like a ricochet of  positivity.

Every Friday afternoon I volunteer an hour of my time at City Yoga in exchange for classes. I feel it is a wonderful way to take classes and also to be able to lend my services; I give so therefore I receive. I was contacted from Swerve Studios, the home of Yoga Booty Ballet, and they would like me to fill in for a month for their SEVA volunteer program in exchange for classes at their studio. I am so excited to have the opportunity at both studios. I believe Swerve has ballet classes, like my mother said yesterday ballet was my first love, something I did most of my life. I majored in theater/dance in college and I danced up until about ten years ago or so, and how I have missed it. These volunteer opportunities go hand in hand with my resolutions and I am grateful for the opportunity to take yoga and ballet. My walking is on pace and I now have a wonderful walking partner, we begin Monday walking together. It will be refreshing to have someone to walk with.


Well I am off for now, as I look down at my precious two cats I am overwhelmed with abundance and joy, and I am so grateful for every minute I am breathing. Time to make a pot of coffee and get going with my day. Onward 2012. Like Dean Martin once sang in a song. ~GOOD MORNING LIFE~
Love and Light to all,
Rose

New Walking Partner

                                               GREETINGS FROM LA

Hello to all on this lovely evening. I am happy to report I did find a walking partner, and she is walking with me beginning next Monday. I look forward to adding this different dynamic to my walking routine. She is such a positive and vibrant person, so it will be a joy to walk with her. Monday is my first weigh in, a day of new beginnings. I am keeping up with my January resolutions so far and it feels amazing. I know I have a long way to go but starting is half the challenge.


I hope you are finding success and enjoying the process on your journey to fulfill your new year's resolutions. Getting started is half the battle, it is like a marathon, so do not expect to get there overnight. Whatever your striving for is worth the hard work. Just visualize your dreams and make them happen. 

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. John Quincy Adams

Found a Walking Partner.

Update on my walking, I am sticking to my resolution and it is going great .I am really picking up speed in my second week. Today as I  headed out I ran into a friend who wants to join me on my walks. I think having a walking partner could really challenge me to go faster and also have fun doing so. Maybe we can find a 5K walk and enter for inspiration.

The diet is coming along too. I never eat past 7:00 pm and it really helps with my sleep pattern. Trader Joe's has a high fiber, no sugar/sodium cereal that is awesome. I am yet to weigh in, I am doing that in the third week. I wanted to get back into a routine before I conquer the scale. Once I do I will weigh in every Monday. Today Jennifer Hudson was on the Dr. Oz show talking about Weight Watchers and her journey, it was quite motivating. How are your resolutions coming along?

I am so sleepy tonight so that is all I can muster up at this time. Goodnight to all and sweet dreams.

Friday Morning Update

Good morning to all. It is nearly 8:00 am here on the west coast. Another beautiful sunny day as I am about to enjoy my healthy breakfast and get ready to tackle the morn. My week of exercise and following my Weight Watchers points has been going smooth, to say I am inspired would be an understatement.

I picked up Weight Watchers Magazine for further motivation yesterday, and stopped at a french cafe for tea and reflection. Reading  helps keep me on track with my goals. We can learn from others who have walked in similar shoes on their path to be healthier. The letter from the CEO of Weight Watchers  David Kirchhoff was surprisingly inspiring. He also has a blog I stumbled across when looking for Weight Watchers online. www.manmeetsscale.blogspot.com
I blog I will definitely follow, I can use all the support I can get and he seems extremely authentic. I appreciate the sincerity coming from someone at the corporate level of Weight Watchers. Makes me admire their company even more, if that is even possible.

Today I am volunteering at City Yoga, which gives me a complimentary class for every hour I volunteer. A great way to give back and get healthy at the same time.I will also do my hour long walk.  I read online that walking outdoors is more beneficial than walking on a treadmill, so I will continue my walking  outside with the sunshine guiding my path.
I have snapped some photos of my walking path, and I will post soon.
Namaste' and Happy Friday to all.
Rose

Update Midweek

It is midweek of the new year, and it is going to be 81 degrees today. My walking is going great, it has been so lovely one can have no excuses.I will take some pictures of my walking path, and post soon. To recap I will be walking five to six days a week, one hour a day. Mon-Fri and sometimes Saturday.

As soon as I get into this routine for a week I will add the weight lifting schedule.I will also get on the scale soon so I an chart my weight loss, and I will document the changes.

I am have been following my weight watchers points, which really help me stay on track with my healthy eating and have balance at the same time. I make sure I get over five servings of produce daily, I think vegetables and fruits should be the basis of healthy eating.I realize even with points certain foods have to be off limits for me on a regular basis, and pasta is one of those foods that makes me feel sluggish and ill so I will choose not to eat it.
I will only indulge on occasion.

I am back to decaffeinated coffee and drinking tons of fresh water. I am also eating an early morning breakfast which is a great way to stay on track for the whole day. It gets your metabolism going and sets your mind frame up for a day of healthy eating. I do not eat past 7:00 pm and it really helps with my sleep patterns. It is funny how we fall out of these routines during the holidays but they really do make a difference in how you feel.

I purchased a supplement to keep my hair strong as I make my transitions. It was on sale so it was a bonus. I also have been doing my dry skin brushing daily. I choose to do it in the morning before my shower, and my skin has never felt softer. Ayurvedic dry skin brushing is believed to help the body detox and it feels amazing as well.

Love to all as you embark on your first week of changes of 2012. What are you doing this week to make a difference in your resolutions??

Til next time, have a wonderful day.
Rose

January 2nd, Day One

I made a delicious vegetarian lasagna for New Year's Day dinner. I used ground soy and it turned out amazing. Now it is time for me to get back on track, tomorrow I will be following weight watchers points with emphasis on less sugar/fats/sodiums and more whole grains, produce and tons of fresh water. If I eat bread it will only be ezekial bread, or grains with at least four grams a fiber.

I normally eat very healthy, and I was down twelve pounds before the holidays. Then Thanksgiving came along, and our  San Francisco trip and I went a little overboard. When we returned I was terribly ill with either stomach flu or food poisoning, and I am still not 100% yet. My body is craving clean eating since I have not felt well in weeks, it is telling me it is about time. I look forward to the challenge and the bonus of feeling better again, in body and in mind.


Tomorrow will also be the first day of my fitness plan, I will start with an hour long walk which I plan to do Monday through Friday, five days a week. My fitness plan also includes mind/body/beauty transformations. This week I am going to begin with dry skin brushing to my grooming routine.It is believed by Ayurvedic practictioners that dry skin brushing helps the body naturally cleanse itself of toxins and stimulate blood flow and the lymphatic system.
Brushing should be done once a day, on rising before you dress or before retiring at night. If you are taking a shower, skin brush before the shower so that the dead skin and other debris will be washed away. Use upward strokes avoiding the heart area. Not only a terrific way to detox but also exfoliate winter dry skin.


I look forward to beginning my brand new year tomorrow with my first changes for the month of January. Now these resolutions will be ongoing, a routine from month to month I plan to keep up with. They say it takes twenty one days to develop a new habit. I have a month to make this resolution my habit.

One of my best friends has a terrific blog, http://www.fitnessbender.com/ She helps keep me motivated; as well as my wonderful friend Tracy Gittens who teaches aerial yoga in San Diego CA, and her amazing sister Nadiah Gittens who is a terrific personal trainer. You can check them out at http://www.galaxylifestyle.com/. These woman all live health and fitness every day, they are an inspiration to me and role models to be the best you can be for you.
We are all unique creatures, shining our light and living our best life,  authentic and true.

Next month I will roll out new resolutions for February, as well as keeping up  with my new found health habits. Happy New Year's resolutions to all, may 2012 be the best year ever for everyone. Love, light, and good health to all.

Brand New Key

It is almost the last day of the year here on the west coast. January 2012 is almost among us. I do not get sad for the passing of one year, I reflect on my blessings and prepare for the beauty of a brand new year.

For me January is going to be a month of renewal, cleansing, and preparing for all of the possibilities that come with a fresh start. I feel like George Bailey in some ways when he realizes he gets a second chance at living, or Ebeneezer Scrooge when he wakes up to a brand new Christmas morn.

Every new year is another chance to be better than we were the year last. I find it extremely motivating even if I have failed at resolutions in the past. This year is going to be different, especially since I am making my resolutions public, I am now held accountable to my muse.

I will be breaking down my resolutions from month to month, with fitness and diet beginning in January and becoming an ongoing resolution and habit.

In January  I will follow a  new workout routine. I will walk 5-6 days a week, weights 2-3 days a week.Yoga once a week. I am going to start tracking my weight watchers points and watch my sugar/sodium/fat intake. My diet is pretty good since I am a vegetarian but this helps me stay within my calories and have some balance instead of obsessing. I will allow sweets only  now and then, in small quantities and as a treat and not as a staple. My body will be treated like a temple not a rest stop.

It may be January but for me it will be spring cleaning and organizing time. One cannot make changes if surrounded by clutter and chaos. January will be the month that will prepare me for each new month to follow, setting up my year of success. I will make changes in my  health, home and personal life; reconnect with family from afar by remembering special dates and sending cards to those I love. I have dropped the ball on this one in the past and  I feel it is time to stop making excuses and just do it.

More to follow, but that pretty much sums up my first 2012 resolutions for the month of January.

What New Year's resolutions are you making? Does a new beginning inspire you?

Happy New Year to all, wishing you blessings and abundance in 2012.


The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
       - Lao Tse

Getting Ready For New Years Weekend.

It is December 28th, 2011 and I am reflecting on the blessings of the year. My husband and I found our footing in Los Angeles, CA with our two beloved cats.We fell in love with Malibu and walking on the beach every weekend. We visited San Francisco for the very first time and had a trip of a lifetime together. Now we get ready to celebrate the weekend together, praising the past and bringing in the brand new year and all of  its possibilities.

I am going to make a wonderful Lasagna for New Years Day, with faux meat since I am vegetarian. We both were sick through Christmas so a New Years Feast will be a welcomed treat as we start to feel better. I have many resolutions, some large and some small that I will be conquering and documenting in this blog. My husband  quoted the line in the  movie The Shawshank Redemption recently before our San Fran trip. "Get busy living or get busy dying." That resonated with me and inspired me to make 2012 the best year ever.

What are you doing to bring in the New Year? Does the beginning of a brand new year inspire you?