Terre Pruitt's Blog

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

  • I teach yoga, Nia, and stretch online!

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Posts Tagged ‘teaching Nia’

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Marriage Ruminations

Posted by terrepruitt on March 15, 2011

Since I’ve been teaching Nia classes our roles or our “duties” have changed a bit.  Since I don’t get up at the crack of dawn any longer and I have more time at home, I try to do more.  Because of this change I have been thinking a lot of one of my favorite stories.  When I was working at a 8 to 5 job I was talking to a friend and the subject of marriage came up. She said she didn’t want to get married.  When I asked her why, she said she didn’t want to do all the cooking and cleaning, she didn’t want to be stuck at home and not be able to go out, she didn’t want to share the finances.  She looked at me so confused when I said, “Granack-ack!”  Ok, I really didn’t say, “Granack-ak!” But the look she gave me would have made you think I was speaking Martian.

I had actually said, “Don’t.  Don’t do all of that.”  I asked her why she thought she had to do all of that and she said that is what marriage is.  That is how it is.  I laughed, kindly, of course, and explained that I didn’t cook every night, do his laundry, and stay home all the time.  She kept looking confused.  I kept talking.  I explained that marriage is really whatever the two people getting married agree upon.  Apparently that had never occured to her.  Maybe she just really hadn’t given it much thought.  I don’t know.

When I first met my hubby I told him I wasn’t going to cook every night, do his laundry, or be responsible for everything.  Since I was working too, it needed to be even.  We did a lot of things that might be thought unconventional in a partnership, but it worked for us.  Every marriage is as unique as the two people who are married so there really is no set “norm”.

I believe the two need to be in agreement with how the marriage is going to be.  It would not work if one partner thought going out every night was ok and the other one didn’t.  If one thinks that dinner is going to be made and put on the table every night then the other one must be in agreement.  If there is not agreement on the expectations and duties then there is going to be a lot of problems. And since marriage is not easy, since no matter what there are challenges, it is important that there is agreement on how it is going to work.

When situations change and different things come up hopefully there can be a new agreement reached, if necessary.  The point is that people can make their own marriage however if works for the two in the marriage. There is no cookie cutter recipe.

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

Looking Back to Look Forward into 2011

Posted by terrepruitt on December 30, 2010

Tomorrow morning is my last Nia class of 2010, it will be in Los Gatos at 9:30 am.  I mention this because I am ending 2010 with three classes a week.  I mention that because someone was reminding me that the end of the year Holidays (Christmas, Bodhi Day, Winter Solstice, Advent, Yule, Pancha Ganapati, Hanukkah, Yalda, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, Hogmanay, and the New Year – just to name a few) are difficult for some because it is a time of reflection and sometimes dwelling on all that was not accomplished in the passing year and maybe even dwelling on some of one’s failures.  Once when I was sharing with one of my Nia students all that I still had to learn just in regards to Nia, she reminded me of how far I had come.  Instead of listing my goals and resolutions for the new year, I am going to share some of the things I did accomplish.

–completed my second year teaching Nia

–consistently taught Nia at least twice a week all year

–taught up to four classes in one week

–subbed several Nia classes

–taught classes at a Park and Recreation Center

–consistently posted to my blog

–penned at least 200 blog posts (I post on other blogs)

–witnessed an increase of number of participants in my Willow Glen Nia class

–paid studio rent with funds solely collected from teaching Nia

–taught at a few Nia Jams

–held a Nia workshop

–raised over $300 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society

–been married for 12 years

–went from two Nia classes a week to three classes a week

–started up a new Nia class in Los Gatos

While some of these may seem small or as if they didn’t require a lot of effort, that is not the point.  The point of this post / exercise is to celebrate things no matter how big, how small, how easy, or how difficult.  It is just a moment to do a Snoopy Dance because they are.  It is a way to not dwell on all that has not been done or all that has yet to be done.  It is just to say, “Aahhh.” and with that ahh turn my face towards the future and the excitement of what 2011 will hold.

So?  What about you?  What is on your list of things you did? 

Happy New Year.

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

White Powder Free

Posted by terrepruitt on October 26, 2010

On the way home from teaching a Nia class a week or so ago, I went shopping and I remembered — finally — to take a picture of the non-dairy powdered creamer.  Since I never got back to putting the picture in my original post about my powdered creamer I decided to add the picture here to a new post giving you an update.  Its been about a month and a half and I am still NOT using that white powder.  Seriously, that is what it is.  It is not food.  Just because the ingredients have been deemed edible by the FDA, does NOT mean it is FOOD.  It is DEFINITELY NOT NUTRIENTS.

I think I need to have this label adhered to my arm as a reminder.

Corn syrup solids . . . . doesn’t even sound good.  While the label might tout 0 grams of trans fat (I don’t know if the label does say that because I didn’t look) it has partially hydrogenated soybean oil in it . . . . so it has trans fat.  Then it has sodium casinate . . . something they know no one will know what that is so they kindly describe it for us as a “milk derivative”. . . . then more “stuff”.  Yeah, I really needed to be drinking that EVERYDAY!

Again  . . . . . I am not a perfect eater.  I wish I was, but I am trying to eat healthier than this stuff.

As I said in my other post . . . this (the first picture) was my powder of choice . . . the store brand, whichever store I was at.  I preferred that over the “national” brand, but I took a picture of that too.

White powder free 2.5 months and counting.  🙂

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

Sweating Is Good Right?

Posted by terrepruitt on September 9, 2010

Whether I am teaching a Nia class or participating in a Nia class I sweat . . . . a lot.  I used to think I sweat too much, then I heard that when you sweat your body is sweating out toxins.  So then I went on thinking that it was good and ok that I sweat a lot because I was ridding my body of toxins.  My plan for the post today was to jump on the computer and find all kinds of information regarding the toxins that are sweated out and to provide information about why we sweat.  The first thing I read said there is no scientific evidence that proves bodies sweat out toxins.  What?  Did you know that?

Sweat is not just water, it does contain other things (minerals, lactate, and urea) but it has not been found to contain toxins or maybe more accurately, it has not been found to contain enough toxins to conclude that we actual sweat toxins out. Sweating is the bodies way of cooling us down.  The mechanisms that produces sweat is not constructed to filter out toxins like, say, the liver or the kidneys.

When our bodies get hot the 2.6 million sweat glands (average person) produce perspiration or sweat.  There are two different types of sweat glands and they produce two different types of sweat.  There is the armpit and genital area type and then the rest-of-your-body type.  Sweat itself does not have an odor, it is mainly made up of water.  It is the bacteria in the areas of the body that mixes with the sweat that sometimes causes odor.  Our bodies constantly sweat, but for some, most of it is absorbed back into the body before it even reaches the outer layer of the skin.  When too much is produced to be reabsorbed that is when it comes out of the body.  When it does come out of the skin some of it is evaporated to help produce a cooling effect.  When there is more perspiration then can be evaporated it rolls or drips off the skin (or soaks into clothing).

Like many, many things there is just not scientific evidence showing that toxins are sweat out.  Many people swear by saunas and bikram or hot yoga to sweat out the toxins.  When you are sick some of us have been taught to sweat it out.  I am just surprised that I have heard it for so long, but when I go to find supporting evidence I can’t.  Maybe I just can’t.  Maybe it is out there, but I am unable to find it.

The only information I found that supported the idea was webpages that had to do with the sale of saunas or one that has to do with a Detoxification Program created by the late L. Ron Hubbard.  What do you think?  Do you believe that we sweat out toxins?

Posted in Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments »

Sleep Is Important

Posted by terrepruitt on September 7, 2010

Ever since I started teaching Nia I think that I have gotten more sleep than when I had a job with a large company.  Do you get enough sleep?  But what is “enough” sleep?  I think some people think it is like a badge of honor if they can “get by” with a few hours sleep at night.  I think we might forget that sleep is when our bodies do their repair work.

While we sleep our bodies rebuild and repair.  Our brains, while they are busy performing these tasks actually gets its rests and gets ready for the next day.  It is believed that healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night.  Some sources say that getting even just one less hour a night can possibly affect our ability to think properly.  Also it could affect your cardiovascular health and ability to fight infections in an adverse way.  Your energy level and ability to concentrate might be less than desirable due to an inefficient amount of rest.

More and more studies are starting to point to sleep and the lack of it affecting our appetite.  There are hormones involved that are produced while we sleep and their production is reduced when we don’t get enough sleep. These hormones control the feelings of hunger and of being full.  So when we don’t get enough sleep it could result in being constantly hungry and not feeling satisfied.

Our mood is also connected to the sleep we get.  Many people feel irritable and short tempered when they do not get enough sleep.

As previously stated research has concluded that a healthy adult needs between 7 and 9 hours sleep in order to function at their optimum, but everyone is different and the exact amount varies.  Researchers at a California university found that a there is a rare gene in less than 3% of the population that allows for those people to get by on less than 6 hours sleep.  The kind of says that probably 97% of the population is not getting the sleep that their bodies require to function properly.  It is believed that most of the population survive on less than 6 hours sleep a night.

So, if you think sleeping less is something to boast about or if you think that sleep is a waste of time maybe you can try getting more sleep and see how you feel.  Then maybe all these studies that are out there will be viewed in a different brighter light, through less sleepy eyes.

How much sleep, on average do you get a night?

Posted in Just stuff | Tagged: , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

Happy Bread Dance

Posted by terrepruitt on March 18, 2010

My husband does the grocery shopping. I know, cool, huh? Sometimes, when he is busy, I will do it. On my way home from teaching a Nia class on Wednesday, I decided to stop by the store.

Now, the store that is most convenient to us in San Jose we can’t always go to because they have bad milk and, I believe that my husband told me they also don’t have the bread I like. So we drive a little bit out of our way to go to the store where we can buy milk that will is not sour and bread that is what I like.

While standing in the bread isle I almost had to call my Hubby because I forgot what kind of bread we get. As I am scanning the packages I see this.

Oh yeah! THAT IS the bread that we get. But, I did a little dance because of that bright yellow label. See that is one of the reasons why that is the bread we get. The label made me happy.

Then while I was standing in line I was even made more happy because I was able to share with a woman in line why I looked like I just worked out (because I did) AND tell her about Nia. Awesome!

But, Honey, if you are reading this, I still don’t like grocery shopping. 🙂   It can still be “your job”.  (Thanks, btw.)

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

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