C:Patience

I came across this passage the other day and thought I would share:

Vitarka vicara ananda asmitarupta anugamat samprajnata -- In order to reach a state of complete understanding, we must go through a process that progresses from a superficial understanding to increasingly greater refinement and subtlety of comprehension, until our understanding becomes fully integrated and total.

Namaste

C: EAT MORE!

I love this youtube channel. Not that I am selling her books or ideas but she is onto something. I've been eating clean for the past month and I have never felt so good.

http://youtu.be/2yP_g-koLO0

C: My Forgotten Snack

I used to LOVE popcorn! I used to love popcorn so much that when we would go to my dad's for the weekend, I remember my step mother slapping my hand out of the bowl. I used to wish I had my own bowl. I am a product of the 80's, remember when you could eat bags and bags of the stuff and seemingly feel full and not gain any weight. Well, the microwave crap is for the birds. My tongue would feel itchy and I used to feel this dried, disgusting feeling in my throat after throwing back a bag (or 2). So when I was at a recent wine event and gourmet popcorn was being passed around, I couldn't resist. The host for the evening is from London and partial to finger foods paired with fabulous wines. She wants you to enjoy the wine but not feel too full off of the food being served with the wine. So then how do you keep folks from getting drunk?! She picked the perfect solution...popcorn. She makes a huge homemade batch and then sprinkles them with her favorite toppings. There were little cups dusted with feta, some sprinkled with stevia (for that kettle corn affect), and some even dusted with chocolate and chilli powder for the red wines. It was absolutely de-lish!! And with the individual cups, you could down the entire thing or eat daintily while sipping your wine. I decided on the stevia blend and paired it with an iced cold riesling which, by the way, went along excellent with the cheese puffs she was serving (recipe to follow in another blog).

Here's how to make homemade popcorn (perfect every time!)
Put a deep pot on to medium-high heat
Pour about 3 tbsp of oil (I prefer vegetable)
Pour 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels into pot
Put lid on
You'll hear popping in about 5 mins, give the pot with lid on, 1 hard shake after the popping slows.
Remove from heat, distribute into equal bowls (sprinkle with your toppings as you desire)

C: Anxiety

Over the past couple of weeks I have felt an overwhelming anxiety that is so crippling, I can't even leave the house. This weekend 'IT' finally came to a head and I figured out why I was feeling this way. Let me go back in space a bit to help you understand. Q and I started this blog as a way to encourage each other and share information that we have found. We received so many individual messages describing how our notes helped people that we knew we were onto something big. We are still onto something big because we get it. We get that this is a journey and a huge change and within that journey, you are forced to deal with issues you don't or haven't wanted to deal with. fAat yoGa has really taken on a life of itself with meeting people, spreading the word about our journey, and even profitable. For me though, what has happened is that something so precious and infantile in my life, has become so overwhelming. I now have deadlines and am responsible to people. The problem...I'm still in the middle of my journey...it is almost like a conflict of interest. I workout and stay healthy because I want to, but the minute someone says I have to get something done, I shy away from that piece of it. I want this in my own time and my own space. It has actually caused me to stop seeing my personal trainer as well...it became all too much, too fast.

You see, what I realized is that if everything I do relates to a business of FY, then where does that leave my personal life? Where does that leave me time to work on or grow the things I love? I am looking at a pile of loose beads right at this very moment. What started out as a very clean and fun idea to help people focus on their yoga practice, has become a deadline and a project that 'hopefully people will buy'. When I get an idea in my head, I am all for it. Then it passes, I put the stuff away and move onto another project. I may or may not come back to it but knowing that folks are depending on me for the 'hobby' makes me not want to do that hobby, does this make sense?

As with anything in life. Achieving life goals has to be on your own terms and your own timeline. Pushing to do an event or be at a certain weight by a certain time just does not motivate people, why? Because everyone needs their own time to process and go through their own journey.

I am so incredibly proud of what we have accomplished as individuals and as a team. I know that this is not the end of FY because this blog has gotten me to where I am now, however, this is the space in which I will remain. I will continue to blog about my experience and share what I am learning along the way, but that is where it will end and Cara, the person who is exploring this vast world, will begin. I need to separate the 2 in order to stay on this path of fitness. Here's to finding my fit!

C: Reasons to Get Moving

What are your reasons to get moving these days? Have you thought about them? Before you start listing 'I need to get in shape for my reunion' or 'I would really like to wear a bikini', let's start with the first reason; you need to get moving for YOU. So many times we put our loved ones, work, kids, magazine articles, and even guilt first before we put ourselves first. How can you achieve all that you would like to achieve if you don't put yourself first?

Believe me, I've heard the excuses...'well, she cries in the 2 hour childcare while I workout'...'well, my husband feels like we aren't spending time together'...'I'll miss my favorite show'. I HAVE HEARD THEM ALL and the answer to me is, 'then you really do not want to get fit'. In order to get fit you HAVE to put YOU first. Simple, plain, the end. Realize that you will feel better, you will look better, and most importantly, you WILL actually have the energy to get to all of those who depend on you, and guess what, you'll do it with a better attitude. So...start small (walk 15mins at a brisk pace every morning), create doable goals (Include veggies in every meal), and commit to the process (Instead of running away from stress, work through it with exercise)...YOU WILL SEE RESULTS!

“Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.” - Buddha

C: Where Does The Time Go?!

Well...it constantly changes, of course!! It is amazing how life changes and how bodies and minds change along with it. When I first started this journey, I really depended on this blog as my escape but now that 7 months have gone by, it feels like a long lost friend. So what has been happening with me? Well...I'm still working out, eating right and living life. Once I dealt with the WHYs of food obsession, I cleared the way for new adventures and hobbies to occupy that space. I am now obsessed with jewelry and jewelry making, knitting (yes, even in Florida), travel, I've really gotten back into reading, and just taking time to redefine who I am. The food has become such a small factor in my life, the food is now for life energy. What have you discovered about yourself now that you have put down the fork? Isn't life full of amazing things?!