Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Posts Tagged ‘Nia’

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Like Seinfeld, It’s About Nothing

Posted by terrepruitt on November 7, 2015

Oh wow!  Oh man!  You might know from reading past blog posts that I am not a fan of Daylight Saving Time.  I actually wish we did NOT have Daylight Saving Time.  I also believe that the time change itself is bad for us.  I think it is bad for us in the sense that it messes with our body’s clock.  “Losing” and “gaining” an hour is just hard on the BMES.  So this time change we “GAINED” an hour, but everyone I have talked to is exhausted.  I remember this from the past couple of years, too.  I remember thinking how odd it is that we “GAIN” an hour, but everyone is so tired.  Could be because our animals/pets don’t understand that we have changed the clock so they still want to be on the schedule they have been trained to be on for the last eight months.  So they are waking us up, they are expecting to be fed, played with and walked at the same time they have been for the last eight months!  I feel that even though it is only an hour it really messes with things.  So, I have been really tired this week, how about you?

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniquePlus, there is this change going on where I teach that is something to have to think about because it requires a decision.  One of those kinds of decisions that make you really think and feel.  It is also getting colder, and to me that just lends to hibernation.  Also, we had a new Nia class start this week.  So more work, both prep and DOING.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueFriday, I had a moment where your stomach gets a sharp nauseating pain and you think your heart is going to stop and you can’t breathe.  I arrived a few minutes earlier for class than I had been for the past few weeks, but I didn’t really realize that.  As I pulled into the really crowded parking lot, I thought, “Where are all the yoga students?  They are usually leaving by now.”  But I quickly forgot about that thought because I was trying to find a parking place.  Then as I was walking to the building it occurred to me again there were no yoga students.  So I pulled out my phone to see what time it is, and I realized I was maybe three minutes early, but really the yoga student should’ve been walking out by then.  I looked up and the board announcing the day and the classes said, “Happy THURSDAY”.  I stopped.  My heart sank into my stomach.  For a second I thought, “It IS Thursday, and I totally missed my class.”  I pulled open the door as I make eye contact with one of my students, I ask, “Is today Friday????”  And she said, “Yes,” with a confused look on her face. And I said, “The board-” And her face changed as she realized, and she says, “Yeah, I saw that, too, and thought the same thing.”  I think she saw the panic in my face.  She had to have heard it in my voice.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueEarlier in the week I told a supervisor I would sub a yoga class today because I was thinking I had nothing to do so I could spare the time in the morning.  When I got home from teaching I putzed around because I though I had all night.  At 5:00 pm we got a call asking if we picked up our tickets to the Shark’s game.  We had forgotten we had a game.  Thank God, we got a call reminding us.  But that didn’t do anything to help me as I was sitting at my computer trying to decide on what to write for a blog post.  I had to stop and get ready for the game.  We had plenty of time, but that still meant I had to stop so that I could give attention to the cats, one of which was demanding it, get something ready for dinner, eat dinner, and then take a shower and get ready.

It has just been a busy kind of week.  Busy isn’t really the right word, but I tend to use that word, it is more like tiring and well, I don’t know.  It has me sitting here at 11:17 on a Saturday night writing about how my week flew by, and I forgot about the game tonight so I didn’t write my post during the day when I should have.  They lost, by the way.

You?  What did you do on Saturday night?  How are you adjusting to the time change?  Ever have weeks that aren’t really “busy”, but are full?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

The Best Pet Ever

Posted by terrepruitt on November 3, 2015

The other day on my way home from teaching Nia I heard something mind-boggling on the radio.  I had to keep repeating it in my head as I drove so that I could remember it when I got home.  Of course, once I was home, I had to look it up.  Now either I heard it wrong or they said it wrong, but either way, it is mind-boggling.  Do you remember pet rocks?  Those of you that did not live through the pet rock fad might not know what that is and when I tell you, if you have never heard it before, you are not going to believe it.  What I heard was that the man who thought of it made a million dollars in two months.  Well that is not really incorrect, just differently stated than the information on Wiki.  He sold 1.5 million pet rocks in six months at $4.00 a piece.  He sold rocks and made millions.

According to Wiki, an advertising executive Gary Dahl, was in a bar in Bonny Doon, CA where he had the idea of a pet that wouldn’t need any taking care of after he heard his friends all complaining about their pets.  From about September 1975 to February 1976, the rocks were sold for $4.00.  They were in a cardboard box with “air holes” even though the pet didn’t need to breathe.  They came with an instruction manual that per Wiki was “A 32-page official training manual titled The Care and Training of Your Pet Rock was included, with instructions on how to properly raise and care for one’s new Pet Rock (notably lacking instructions for feeding, bathing, etc.).  The instruction manual was the real product: it was full of gags, puns and jokes.”

That just struck me as funny that he made millions of dollars from selling rocks AS PETS.  I mean, a lot of people sell rocks, there are rocks needed for buildings, fireplaces, walkways, decorations, and a lot of things, but a rock as a pet?  That is hilarious.  I don’t actually remember owning one, but I was at that age where I would have wanted the best pet there is to have, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I had one.  I just don’t remember.  I’ll have to check with my dad.  He might remember selling them.  At some period when I was a child, my parents owned a toy store, but I don’t know if it was at the same time as the pet rock fad.  If it was, then I am sure we carried them in the store, but that doesn’t mean I got one.

Funny things.  If that isn’t funny enough on September 03, 2012, The Pet Rock was again available for purchase.  I don’t know what they were selling for in 2012, but now they are $19.95.  Yes you can BUY your own pet rock.  It comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Do you remember Pet Rocks?  Did you have one?  Do you remember any other silly fads?  Did you participate in any silly fads?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

It Is Ok To Do What You Need

Posted by terrepruitt on October 17, 2015

Remember when you attend a class (Nia, yoga, Zumba, Spin, Boot Camp, whatever), it is for you.  Remember that it is important to do what you need at the time you are in class.  So you don’t have to do the pose, say you are in a yoga class, to your fullest if you need to save your energy for other things you have to do in the day or the rest of your week.  You don’t have to prove to your instructor or other classmates that you can do it.  It is more important to do what your body needs.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

I might have posted about this before.  If not an entire post, I know I have mentioned it, but sometimes we need reminding.  I recently took a class in which I was doing more than I should have.  It was what I was capable of doing, so I was doing it.  I had told myself before the class that I needed to hold back a little because I was feeling a bit fatigued and I had three more classes left to teach in the week, and I had a long weekend ahead.  My allergies had been bothering me, and if you have allergies (hay fever) then you know how exhausting they are.  I was tired.  My plan had been to do modified poses, but then I got caught up in just DOING the poses and not in doing what I needed.

I found myself thinking to myself, “Listen to what you always tell your students.  Do what you need to do at the time.  You know you need to conserve a bit of energy for the rest of the week.”  So I backed off.  I was actually more proud of myself for doing less because I needed to, than if I would have done more just to prove that I could.

In saving a bit of my energy I was able to teach my Nia class the next morning with renewed and full energy.  It was a great class.  So again, I was so glad I listened to what I always encourage my Nia and yoga students to do.

Now, I am not saying not to push yourself, I am just saying that there might be times when it is necessary to do less than you are capable of and that is ok.  I think you do more for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit if you respect your needs.  I have a feeling this is not new information to you, that is why I started out this post with “remember”.  However, it is one thing to know something and to actually do it.  As I said, before class I told myself to be mellow and then once in class I didn’t listen to myself at first.  I understand how easy it is to get caught up in the moment of doing, but with some modalities, like Nia and yoga, they are mindful practices.  A great exercise in a mindful practice is to do it mindfully, which could mean doing less.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

Have you ever needed to do less in an exercise class?  Did you?  Did you have to keep reminding yourself?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

More About The Dancing Cat In San Jose

Posted by terrepruitt on October 8, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueLast Friday after teaching my Nia Class I volunteered at The Dancing Cat in San Jose.  I hadn’t been back since we got our cats.  I tend to want to be home with my own kitties.  The plan for The Dancing Cat is to be open only until November 15, 2015.  They are open Thursdays through Sundays.  Presently they have ten cats that are ready for adoption.  The Dancing Cats has had 30 cats adopted from the lounge.  Two of them were ours.  It is really fun to go sit and be able to play with the cats.  I really love the idea of meeting a cat in a relaxed atmosphere before deciding to adopt.  I think it is really helpful if you have a cat or cats already and are thinking of getting another one.  Being able to see how a cat acts around other cats is a good thing.  Of course, all cats act different around different cats, but I think having all the cats together gives you a better idea of how they might get along with cats you already own.

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

 

If you want to lounge with some cats in San Jose get it done before November 15th.  Keep in mind it is not a high-pressure-adopt-a-cat kind of environment.  I’ve had people I tell about the place say they don’t want a cat.  Well, that is fine.  No one is on commission there.  Ha, ha.  It is very relaxed.  The owner(s) are there to answer your questions, but they don’t hover.  They don’t even normally bring up “adoption,” they know you know the cats are available.  They let you play with the cats.  When I am there I like to talk to the guests about their cats.  Because, as I mentioned before when posting about this place, a lot of the people who come to visit have cats of their own.  I like to hear about people’s pets.  And often I am lucky enough to get to see a picture.  The last time I was there I even got to see a video of a guest’s cat.Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

 

 

 

 

 

I am just putting the word out again.  They are open and have cats up for adoption.  This group of cats is very social, none of them hiding in the back.  They were all out in the main area lounging or playing.  Be sure to visit www.TheDancingCat.Org for more information and to make reservations.  They do allow for walk-ins if they have the space so if you decide you want to go at the last minute don’t think you can’t because you didn’t make reservations give them a call.  Go check out the cats.  If you don’t want to adopt perhaps you know someone who does.  Spread the word.  The lounge will only be open for a bit more.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

The Tuxedo Cat, is Clyde.  He is so sweet and playful.  I just loved looking at him.  He has a light pink nose.  He looks as if his coloring was put on just right.  He is so handsome.

I picked up the marmalade, Jasper, because someone was coming in while he was standing by the door.  He is just a big ol’ softy.  So sweet.  His tail has a ring patterns around it.  He seems really mellow.  Shame on me for not getting a picture of his magnificent tail.

Sarge is so regal.  One might be surprised at how sweet and playful he is because he is just a royal presence.

Florance is such a sweetie.  She is just lounging on the couch.

I didn’t take pictures of all the cats, so do go to the website to check them out.  I hope this type of lounge is something we will see more of.  Perhaps we will be lucky – after November – to see a new incarnation of The Dancing Cat.

 

 

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Sarge

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Sarge

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Sarge

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Florance

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

 

 

 

 

Posted in Cats | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Sound And Common Business Ideas

Posted by terrepruitt on October 1, 2015

Recently I attended a Business Training type of workshop.  It was specifically for women.  The trainer feels that women – for many reasons – could use business training specifically for woman.  She didn’t get into explanations regarding her reasons, but some that have been tossed about before are things like, some woman are challenged in business because they are mothers/wives . . . just like any working woman, time used for work is time taken away from the family so they may feel guilty.  Plus . . . business is a “man’s world”.  Often times women are not taken as seriously as a man.  Some women have a difficult time stating their worth.  Some women are inclined to help so they feel “bad” charging for their services.  Those are just some reasons I’ve heard before.  Perhaps one or some of them are why this workshop was strictly for women.  It was a nice workshop.  The woman who presented it was very fun and had a lot of good information.  But, if you have taken the Nia White Belt Intensive, most of the same information was in that.  If you have taken any type of certification and it was a good one, then they would have covered the same type of business information that was in this workshop.  But if you have never taken anything before then it was a great one.

The first thing all the business trainings I’ve taken say is to diversify.  So in the context of Nia, the idea is to not just teach Nia classes.  But to do Nia Workshops, Nia retreats, Nia personal training, Nia sessions, Nia talks/webinars, in other words the idea is you have this great gift to share – don’t hold back.  And for something like Nia there really is so much to it, it can’t be all shared in just the dance exercise classes.  This training had to do with yoga, so she was using examples pretty much the same.  You could do all the same things; classes, workshops, retreats, sessions, webinars . . . etc.

The one thing that was different about this workshop was that the steps she recommended that needed to be taken she aligned with Goddesses.  So with the first step she said to “claim your power and passion with the Goddess Durga”.  Which according to the first thing on the internet Durga “is the root cause of creation, preservation and annihilation”.  Since, I am not going to be using Goddess in my business or my life, I didn’t take many notes that had to do with the Goddess part.  But this step was also the part that was connected to finding your niche.  Again, in context, there are a lot of different types of yoga so find one that is your passion.  Or find something that can complement yoga and concentrate on that.  With your passion you will be able to connect to people.  So let’s say you love to crochet, you could have a yoga crochet class (and workshop, retreat, sessions, webinar, etc.).

The next step was to release fears and doubts (with another Goddess).  And during this one we did a really great exercise.  She had us speaking from a place of fears and doubts, then she had us speaking form a place of confidence.  We all could really tell the difference.  This was a great (and very important) reminder for me.

The next step was to create your offering (with another Goddess) and she shared ideas on that.  She shared actual testimonies or information from some of her clients.  Step four was marketing (with another Goddess).  As you probably know there are many places to market.  With social media the ways to do it are encouraging.  So much of it can be free.

She shared some mistakes that people make, like no marketing or not doing enough, or boring marketing.  Not diversifying, not having a plan, trying to reinvent the wheel, and trying to do it on your own and not ask for help.

Like I said, it was good.  It was great if you have never heard any of it before.  As you may have read before on my blog, Nia has awesome training and business is one of the 13 principles in the Nia White Belt so they cover these things.  These are typical business ideas, attaching Goddesses to them, was new to me.

This workshop was just a taste of a longer more in-depth workshop.  The weekend one sounded amazing and fun, but my abundance doesn’t come from Goddesses, so I wasn’t interested.

I do have other things I want to share, but this post is long enough.  In another post I’ll share some things that this workshop didn’t cover but I think are good things to think about if you want to teach classes (like yoga or Nia).

If you have a certification in something did the training cover any business training?  Are you familiar with any of these business ideas?

 

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Talking Body, On The Mat

Posted by terrepruitt on September 17, 2015

Do you practice yoga?  Do you have a yoga mat?  Do you have to reposition (either facing the front of the class or the side) yourself on your yoga mat in order to do certain poses?  Do you ever have a portion of your body not on the mat while doing some poses?  I have been thinking about a round yoga mat.  Have you seen them?  An average rectangular yoga mat is 6 feet long and 2 feet wide.  You can find longer ones and a little bit wider ones, but I don’t think the wider ones would accommodate some poses as well as a ROUND one.  The first ones I had seen were Mandala’s and they are six feet in diameter.  Six feet of circular mat.  Not having to turn your body in order for the majority of your body to be on the mat.  Not having to turn your mat so you are facing the correct direction in order to see the instructor.  Not having to have some part of you off the mat.  For me – I’m not tall – all poses could be done without me having to touch the ground on a round mat.  I am intrigued by this circular yoga mat.

If you only do yoga in a yoga studio then the cleanliness of the floor might never be an issue.  There is always going to be feet and sweat, but usually yoga studios have rules about shoes on the floor so that helps keep it a little more clean than some venues that use the floor for everything from daily meals to cycling.

I am not certain that the round mats would fit in a small room with a lot of yoga students.  But if everyone was using round mats it could work, since the mats are six feet in diameter and that alone would be enough room for most people.  So instead of having the normal space between the mats they could all just barely touch and that would be enough room for people to move freely through poses.  So, in other words the space that is normally between mats would just be covered with a mat, but people would have somewhat, the same space.  In theory.  Right?  Am I thinking correctly?  Wouldn’t work in really crowded classes.

Well, I just Googled it again (I started this post a while ago) and I found some that are 4 feet in diameter.  I don’t think that would be big enough.  It is actually labeled as an “Aerobics Mat” but the website says they can be used for yoga.  But I am taller than 4 feet so to me a 4 foot circular mat would be worse than a regular rectangular mat that is 6 feet long.  Oooo!  Perhaps they are getting more popular because when I originally typed up this post all I could find were 6 feet in diameter mats that were about $65.00, now I am finding smaller ones, 5 feet in diameter, on Amazon, that are $40.00.  (Or there are a few on Amazon, there is one for $25.00, but you can see how it is not long enough.)  But again is a round mat that is less than 6 feet better than a 6 foot rectangular mat?

Oh, I found a six foot one on sale for $49.95, but you have to buy at least two.

In looking at the reviews on Amazon in regards to the 5 foot one, it will not really work in a crowded yoga class, just as I thought (and you probably did, too!).  With everyone else having a rectangular mat it doesn’t work for there to be one round one.  But in some classes that are not crowded it would work.  It would be nice to have one for outside because that is another place you might not want to be off the mat.

A round mat would be great for Nia, too, since we often move more than the space of a regular yoga or exercise mat!

I am intrigued.  Any one have one?  What do you think?  Where did you get it?

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Equal Breath

Posted by terrepruitt on September 3, 2015

You may be familiar with yoga.  You know those stretching exercises people do?  That is what many people think of as yoga, stretching and bending and making your body a pretzel.  Well, the poses, the postures, the asana are a part of yoga.  That is really only one part of eight.  There are eight limbs of yoga.  Another part is pranayama.  I mentioned one in my post Breath: Quiet and Safe.  In that post I also mentioned why I often compare Nia and yoga.  First of all I believe that Nia has incorporated many things from yoga into Nia, so that is one reason why I talk about yoga and Nia.  But I also talk about them being similar because Nia is a dance exercise and for many people that is all it is.  And since cardio exercise is beneficial I think that is fine, if that is as far as people want to go with it.  The same with yoga.  Yoga is an exercise.  You can just do the moves and, I believe through movement, gain many benefits.  However, if you want to get more out of it, there are these other things that you can practice, and one of them is pranayama.

Now, Iyengar says “attempt pranayama only when the yoga asanas have been mastered.”  Because that is what Patanjali says in the Yoga Sturas.  But for many of us that means we would never do pranayama or if we did it would be years and years AFTER we have been practicing.  Now, I am just starting to learn more about pranayama, so if you want to heed the master, by all means, please do.  I think, however, that pranayama is beneficial so I don’t want to wait until I have mastered the asana, because, quite honestly I might not “MASTER” them at all.

Now some people might hear pranayama and think that is just to woo-woo.  What is that anyway, just a bunch of crossed-legged people breathing?  Well, there are specific pranayamas.  And there are specific ways to do them.  And even specific times.  But let me ask you this:  have you EVER, EVER, just stopped and held your breath?  Perhaps someone said something that made you angry so you stopped and held your breath.  Perhaps someone in a store cut in front of you in line so you stopped and held your breath.  Or have you ever stopped to took a breath?  Perhaps you were just going, going, going and you realized you wanted to slow down so you took a breath?  Perhaps you looked outside your window and realized what a beautiful day it was so you took a breath.  Now, as I said, pranayama is specific so I am not saying THAT or THOSE breaths were pranayama, but I am saying that if you have ever stopped breathing or stopped and taken a breath for any reason you might be able to see how pranayama could be beneficial.

I mentioned the other post I wrote about pranayama, Ujjayi specifically.  Well there is another one that I think of as “easy”.  It is Samavrtti.  Sama means equal so it is a practice of equality in breathing.  But in this type of breath there are FOUR parts.  Typically I think of breathing as TWO parts, inhale and exhale.  Well, with this the other two are retention.  As in holding.  Pausing after the inhale then pausing after the exhale.  The reason I say this is “easy” with quotation marks is sometimes the retention is stress inducing.  Some people don’t like to hold their breath on the inhale and some people don’t like to hold their breath on the exhale.  So while the idea is that anyone can do this at anytime, you want to make sure that this is not something that will cause you anxiety.

With this, the idea is to inhale then hold, exhale then hold.  Keeping the SAMA in mind, the goal is to inhale, hold, exhale, hold equally.  So there are many ways to do it if you are counting as a way of keep track you can inhale 1,2, hold 1,2, exhale 1,2, hold 1,2.  If the holding causes anxiety, it is ok to build up to it.  Perhaps just holding after the inhale.  Or maybe just hold on whichever retention causes less anxiety.  Then perhaps graduating to inhale 1,2, hold 1, exhale 1,2, hold 1.  There are many combinations to do while you work up to EQUAL parts.

Remember that the breaths should be relaxed and even.  So the idea is not to inhale then hold so long that your exhale is a rush of air.  It should all be even and relaxed.

Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar states in his Light On Pranayama to practice in ratios retain only on the inhalation.  Once you achieve his stated ratios THEN move onto the retention after the exhalation.  But he begins that instruction stating you will not be able to retain on the exhale.  So it could be he means to follow the ratios is you really are unable to hold your exhale.  While in general I love to follow the instructions and guidelines of the masters and experts, sometimes if I restrict myself to their instructions I end up not doing it at all.  So . . . my recommendation is to try it and do what is comfortable for you.  Being mindful and cautious.

Some say the samavritt calms the mind and can help to create steadiness and focus even in the most challenging asanas.  And others say it calms the body and focuses the mind.

Do you practice any pranayama?  Do you ever take a deep breath?

 

Posted in Yoga/PiYo/Pilates | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Double The Goodness

Posted by terrepruitt on September 1, 2015

What better way to start a month than with a Goodie Jar check in?  Any of you still doing a goodie jar or any version of one?  A Goodie Jar or a Good Things Jar is where you make a note of a good thing and put it in the jar to read later.  That is the basics so how you go about it is up to you.  The possibilities are endless.  You could decide upon guidelines on what is allowed in the jar or just put whatever you want.  My idea is whatever is a “good thing” that makes you smile.  You can assign yourself a schedule as in “you have to do it once a day/week/month”.  Or you can do it whenever you experience something that makes you smile.  When you read them is also something unique to you.  Our Goodie Jar is read on December 31st.  It is kind of nice since we are past the age of going out and getting crazy.  We usually are home all night and so this is a little tradition, a way of celebrating.  Now, many of you, perhaps people who frequently read my blog, already know about this because I think I am on my third year of doing it, but there are many people out there that don’t know about it.  And for a lot of people it is a good way to keep focused on the good things in life.  There is always something good so it is nice to have a way to keep that at the forefront.  So, I am happy to report that I have had to go back to using my first goodie jar.  But that is in addition to the new container I had moved, too.  We now have two “Goodie” locations!

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueHow awesome is that?  Our Good Things filled up one container so we had to move it to another one!  That is good stuff.  Granted some of our things are full sized pieces of paper.  John used that as documentation for one or two good things.  Plus we use all types of paper and all types of sizes.  There are also a few tickets in there.  So they take up a lot of space, but still!  A lot of good things.

There are always good things to say about the Nia classes because of the fabulous students that come to class.  In fact, as I type this I was reminded that the attendance I had at this past Nia class on Sunday at the NW YMCA was the largest I have ever had.  So that is going in the good things jar.  That was a good thing!

My yoga classes are a consistent good thing, too.  There seems to be a lot of good revolving around those, too.  Currently, yoga in the park.  So nice to be out in the gorgeous day . . . even when the lawn maintenance people are there.

Our cats are doing well.  We decided to stop the medicine for the little cat.  We had three days left and we decided that she was just getting, too upset and it was just causing too much stress in the household.  So we stopped that.  She has yet to realize that evening time is not “torture” time.  But she will get there.  I even got an exposed belly and purrs today.  The whole situation around us getting the cats and all that mess was really a great time to utilize the goodie jar because that is when I need it.  When a happy situation turns to muck, it helps to have a process in place to help concentrate and focus on the good things.  So we are rolling along.

So, what about you?  Are you doing a Goodie Jar?  Do you have a way to help you stay focused on the Good Things?  How is it going?

 

Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

A Nip About Cats

Posted by terrepruitt on August 8, 2015

Well, as you know, we not-too-long-ago adopted two new cats.  And with that came ringworm.  So we have not been able to start our lives together . . . in a sense . . . because we have been having to keep them locked in one room to reduce the chances of the spread and continuation of this fungus.  It is not worms, but a fungus.  In addition to the lock-down, we are having to give them both medication in the form of a pill.  Anyone that has “pilled” a cat knows that no matter the method it is not pleasant for neither recipient nor giver.  It is not something new “parents” want to have to do to their new cats.  So, really, all I have thought about is cats, lately.  Yes, I realize that I tend toward the obsessive side, but when all my spare time is spent cleaning and a lot of my energy is spent working towards getting my “new” cats healthy, can you blame me?  With all the thoughts; “cats”, it made me think of a one thing about cats that I recently learned.  Some of you might find it interesting, I know I did.  In talking to a friend after Nia class the other day, she asked me if I was going to write a blog post about it and I said no because I feel I have been posting too much about cats.  She made me think that it might be ok to do so.  So here ya go.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueNot all cats like catnip.  Well, it is not so much as “like” as it is respond to it.  It is a genetic thing.  I thought all cats liked catnip.  I thought catnip was like cat marijuana and every cat would get “high” off of it, but I recently learned that is not true.  Some cats will have a reaction to it and others won’t.  Between 70 to 80 percent of cats will react.  The reaction cats have is in a general “range”.  Most of them will “exhibit several behaviors common to queens in season (females in heat): They may rub their heads and body on the herb or jump, roll around, vocalize and salivate.”  (According to ScientificAmerican.com) And even more interesting:  “This response lasts for about 10 minutes, after which the cat becomes temporarily immune to catnip’s effects for roughly 30 minutes”.  So you can only dose your cats in 30 minute intervals.  But some cats also become immune to its effects.

Some cats get more aggressive than just rubbing their heads and rolling around, but it is not dangerous aggressive or violent aggressive.  Just maybe a little more aggressive and active than you are used to seeing your cat actually be.  But  I don’t know exactly first hand because I once read that catnip is a drug for the cat.  Some articles say that it is like LSD or marijuana.  So my hubby and I decided to keep our cat “drug-free”.  And we did.  We didn’t give our cat, Spot, catnip.  Once I bought a toy that either didn’t disclose on the website that it had catnip or I didn’t read it.  So we gave it to her, but then we put it away and it never came out again.  But with two cats, who knows what we will do.  This is new territory for us.  And by now, I had dreamed of being well into our “getting-to-know-you” phase.  Anyway . . . we will see.  In addition to the “frenzied”, “high”, “tripping” behavior a cat might exhibit there is a calm.  It acts like a sedative.  I could see that being a good thing.  But who knows.  When they have reign over the whole house we might never need a sedative.  Although from the sound of things it might be entertaining to see them on the stuff . . . .

What about you?  Did you think (like I did) that all cats reacted to catnip?  Do you allow your cat to indulge?

Posted in Cats | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Now, Not The Future

Posted by terrepruitt on August 1, 2015

I admit, I am challenged with living in the NOW.  I have posted about it before in my Still Practicing Living in the Moment post.  It is a constant practice.  The idea of multi-tasking does not help.  It takes the focus off of what you are doing because your attention is split, and I talked about that in my post “Multitasking”.  There are so many things that remind me to live in the present.  There are always memes showing up on my Facebook Newsfeed.  There are even Bible verses.  Nia used to stand for Now I Am, which I was taught meant to focus on the present, to move and dance in the moment.  But still, I often don’t pay attention to the moment.  When I am not living in the moment sometimes it causes me to worry or feel anxious.  When I have a lot to do, a lot to get done, that is when I am most thinking about doing the next thing.  I am especially anxious for the future right now.  It is like when you have a vacation planned and you can’t wait for it to get here.  I can’t wait for our cats isolation period to be over with.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia at the San Jose Community Centers, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex City of San Jose, San Jose Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueWe brought them home on Saturday, July 4, 2015.  For a day or two Smokey was fine but then we noticed her starting to rub her ears a lot.  She was rubbing and scratching them bloody.  Then I noticed Esmeralda had scabby ears.  As I mentioned in my other post it didn’t really hit us that we needed to go to the vet until a Saturday.  We couldn’t get in to a vet (I called five) until Monday (July 13th).  The culture wasn’t back until Tuesday, the 21st.  John was wonderful and picked up the meds that evening on his way home from work.  So we could start administering right away.

It was on the 13th that we locked them in one room.  Now we have to give them meds until the August 19th.  We have an appointment with the vet on August 10th.  The vet will take samples at that time.  While we are waiting for the culture to come back (10 to 14 days) we will be finishing up the 30 days of medication.

We are excitedly waiting for the 19ths when we will be done with 30 days of medication.  But what if the culture doesn’t come back negative? OH MAN!  What if we have to go more isolation time and more culture time and expense? AHHHH!  What if ONE culture is negative and the other one positive?  What if we go bat guano crazy before the 19th?

So I am having a difficult time living in the now.  I have a ton of stuff to do and I feel as if I can’t really concentrate or enjoy (whatever should apply) because I am so wanting this whole thing to be over.  I want the cats to be able to free, plus I really just want to get back to living our regular lives.  This whole process is a pain in the ass.

I know I need to just focus on the moment.  It really does make things better.  It allows me to get more out of what I am doing.  I allows me to enjoy the present.  It helps me to not worry and be anxious.  But damn it is a challenge!

Can you share a story of a situation when you were looking forward to the end and anxious about it at the same time?  Have you ever had this happen where you are not living in the moment? 

Posted in Cats, Misc, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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