Expe Training

Once I had the opportunity to lead an animal mask craft project with a bunch of young children. Before we started, I showed them an example of what the finished product could look like. The children didn’t seem very interested in the example. They briefly glanced at it before they turned their attention to the materials.

Once they were given their materials, the children began working.  Some were avidly gluing as many items as they could onto the masks. Some were so engrossed in adding glue to their mask that they hardly stuck anything onto the glue. Some children attached items in an organized manner while other children went with the flow. Most opted to place the ears above the mask handle. One child decided to place the ears on only one side of the mask handle, so that the mask could be held out to the side. The masks had the children’s names on them, but there was no need for this. The masks where so unique you could tell them apart.

There are many brilliant and creative ways to interpret things. Sometimes we get so caught up in the example or what worked for someone else, that we fail to see what other possibilities are out there for us. 

Are you exercising on a regular basis week-in and week-out following some exercise routine that worked for John Doe or Jane Roe? What works for one person may not work for someone else. Are you getting the results that they got? Is it time for a fresh perspective?

I used to play soccer on a rec league. Most of the girls on my team, like me, were not very competitive. We were there to have fun. However, our assistant coach had years of experience and knew things could get out of control. Before our first tournament, she spoke to us.  

She sagely warned, “Don’t be a hero.”  She went on to explain that if we were injured or needed a break, we needed to ask for a sub ASAP. It wasn’t worth it to break a bone or tear an ACL just to win a game that probably wouldn’t seem very important in the future. She was a semi-professional soccer player and had seen many unnecessary injuries throughout her career. 

We all looked at her dumbfounded because her advice seemed obvious.

It wasn’t until we began progressing in the tournament that her advice was relevant. Things quickly became very competitive. Other teams, desperate to win, resorted to foul play — purposely stomping on our feet with their cleats and jabbing our sides with their elbows. Suddenly, we wanted to win, and we wanted to win badly.

Luckily, thanks to our coach’s advice, we saw the bigger picture. We won that tournament, and we were able to do so without any major injuries.

You don’t have to be playing soccer to be tempted to be a hero. Life is full of trade-offs. While it may be glorious in the moment to be a hero, I encourage you to look at the bigger picture.
-Is it worth it to train while you’re sick and risk exacerbating your illness?
-Is it worth it to move the heavy furniture again on your own when an earlier attempt gave you severe back pain that lasted for weeks?
-Is it worth it to compete with the person next to you in a group exercise class even though your body is telling you that things are about to get out of hand

What may feel good in the moment may not be worth it in the future. It is helpful to have a coach who challenges you but also prioritizes being injury free, so that you can continue improving. May you have many months, years, and decades of healthy, consistent progress. Keep plugging away.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

Are you too busy for a break?

Many years ago, I worked at a family camp.  Management had just changed, and the director they chose was an unpopular choice. Some families stayed at camp to protest the director because they were so upset. Threats and accusations were made. Restraining orders were filed. Some staff were fired, and even more quit. 

However, it was still a family camp.  Many young families were there to relax and enjoy, it was our job to provide a positive experience. In the midst of all the hostility, it was a challenging task. Luckily, we had pool-runs to provide a moment of respite, rejuvenation, and joy.

Pool-runs were led by a veteran staff member.  Every several weeks she would announce over the intercom, “Attention staff, attention staff — this is a pool-run.  I repeat, this is a pool-run.” Staff members on break or staff members that could safely leave their post for several minutes would sprint across camp and fling themselves into the pool — jeans and all.  

I realize that having a pool-run type respite isn’t always possible. Not all workplaces have a culture that allows for it.  Furthermore, not all work allows you to spontaneously take breaks. I actually never got the opportunity to take a pool-run. Every time they were announced, I was in the middle of leading an activity. Still, I did benefit from witnessing the pool-runs. I saw my coworkers emerge refreshed and rejuvenated; it reminded me of the importance of taking my own pool-run type respites.  

If you aren’t regularly taking a respite because it isn’t already embedded into your hectic schedule, I encourage you to schedule one. It can be as simple as taking the time to notice several deep breathes, stretch your back, or balance on one leg. You may find that these seemingly unproductive things help you to live life to the fullest.     

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great week. 

I wanted to practice yoga for months before I actually took a class, because I thought being flexible was a prerequisite. Even though the class welcomed beginners and didn’t list any prerequisites, I was still skeptical of my abilities. At the time, my toe touch stretch ended closer to my knees than my toes. Thankfully, I decided to experiment and see if my hypothesis was true. It turns out, You Don’t Need To Be Flexible To Practice Yoga.

I have found that even implied prerequisites, based on the name, aren’t always as limiting as you think. 

– I know a person with fibromyalgia who was welcomed into a Prenatal Yoga class after realizing a Vinyasa Yoga class was too vigorous for her. The Prenatal Yoga class was gentle enough that she found comfort and relief.  
– I know a young college student who enjoyed the vibe of a Fit-Over-Fifty class so much she became a regular.

If you, like me, have ever kept yourself from doing something because of self-imposed prerequisites, I encourage you to question them — Ask the leader of the fitness activity if the class is appropriate for you.

These limiting prerequisites prevent you from living life to the fullest. When you begin to question them, you may just discover yourself doing things that you didn’t think you could do, should do, or deserved to do. Once you understand that each activity is an experiment, doors will be opened to you. Be safe and healthy as you go through these doors and adjust your hypothesis as needed, but go through the doors with joy and confidence.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

After completing my yoga RYT 200 teacher training, I began searching for yoga teaching positions. It didn’t go well. I got rejection after rejection after rejection stating that they were looking for someone who had experience. I agree that experience can help you become a better teacher. However, I had experience. I had been teaching in other capacities for years. Granted, I probably was not be as polished as the yoga teachers who had been teaching yoga for many years, but it wasn’t my first rodeo either.

It took a while before someone thought that teaching science is similar enough to teaching yoga, and I was given the opportunity to audition.

One of the takeaway messages in science is that everything is interconnected, which is why I realize that even though it may not seem so at first — experience and knowledge in one area of your life often help with other areas of your life.

I see this in fitness all the time.

-It isn’t obvious that being able to hold your body in a plank for 30 seconds can give you the courage to have a difficult conversation you’ve been avoiding, but it can.
-It isn’t obvious that learning how to strength train can give you a better memory, but it can.
-It isn’t obvious that breathing slowly in a yoga class can give you a more centered approached when a challenging situation presents itself later in the day, but it can.

It can be tempting to ignore your fitness because being physically fit isn’t your top priority right now, but everything is interconnected. If you are currently ignoring your physical fitness, I encourage you to reconsider. You may discover that regular physical fitness training not only improves your body, but it also improves your mind so that you can accomplish all of your top priorities.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

Texas is currently experiencing a heat wave, which reminds me of the last time I endured such sweltering temperatures. I had just started teaching outdoor environmental education at a new camp. Yeah, you read that correctly — OUTDOOR environmental education. I was teaching students, primarily outdoors, in 100+ degree heat.

The first day, as I stood in a pile of sunscreen and sweat waiting for their buses to come, I knew I had to keep my students hydrated. We took regular breaks during the lessons to walk to the nearest water fountain. I lined the students up and and moderated them by counting, “One, two, three, that’s enough for me,” to ensure they took turns. Once they were done with their turn, I encouraged them to get back in line as many times as they wanted for seconds, thirds, or fourths. When I wasn’t teaching near a water fountain, I brought a huge jug of water, which I carefully poured into each student’s open mouth. I made sure that everyone was adequately hydrated — everyone except me.

I was so wrapped up in keeping the students hydrated, that I failed to keep myself properly hydrated. By Friday morning, I was so dehydrated that I had to go home and leave my students under my supervisor’s care. Of course they were in good hands, but I wasn’t there to teach the final lessons, have a closing discussion, or wave them goodbye as the buses drove away. My students had to end the session with someone else. Even though I really wanted to care for my students and be a positive role model, that week I wasn’t a good role model.

Every time you board a plane, they always advise to put your oxygen mask on before helping someone else. However, us caretakers sometimes forget that we need to take care of ourselves first so that we can take care of others.

Do you have a similar experience? Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

At my first environmental education position, my friend and fellow teacher advised me that she literally told some of her more challenging students to “drop their cool cards,” and usually it worked. She explained that the students weren’t necessarily disinterested in outdoor environmental education. After all, how fun it is to touch a huge purple sea star for the first time in your life!? Make a rap about the tadpole you just caught in the pond!? Play a game of tag to illustrate the life cycle!? Or build a geodesic dome so strong that you can climb on it!? These students were challenging because they were uncomfortable in a new environment. They worried about how they would be perceived if they let their guard down and embraced hands-on learning.

While I don’t recall actually saying “drop your cool card” to any of my students, I always kept this in mind while I taught. Therefore, when a girl in my cabin group at another teaching position flipped the bird to a boy within 30 minutes of arrival, I knew that this was a cool card situation. We talked, and I reminded her of the behaviors that were and weren’t acceptable, but I knew I also needed to work on creating a safe space so she could drop her cool card. It wasn’t easy. Our cabin was nestled next to the forest (she was sleeping beside dark trees full of wild animals making weird sounds) and contained girls from several other schools that she hadn’t met before (she was living with complete strangers).

The cool card wasn’t dropped immediately, but she kept it holstered more often. We didn’t have any more discussions, and eventually she dropped it. By the middle of the week she was just as eager as the other students in my cabin to participate in games and activities. Her ear-to-ear smile lit up the cafeteria.

Are you letting your cool card prevent you from living life to the fullest? I invite you to drop your cool card, and experiment with some things that you have been avoiding simply because you’re worried they might make you seem uncool. Yes, you might feel a little awkward crawling ten yards in front of other people, but you might feel fantastic and realize that it really isn’t such a big deal. Yes, you might get some looks when you declare that you have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or simply that you don’t want diabetes, so you’ll have to pass on dessert. However, by doing so, you might find people who support you.

Drop your cool card and experiment. You just might find yourself smiling from ear-to-ear.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

If I were a perfectionist (as opposed to a recovering perfectionist) you wouldn’t be reading this now because I would be reviewing it, re-editing it, and PERFECTING it. It would remain in my mind and on this computer to be seen by no one. However, I am a recovering perfectionist, and I can post it and simply say: maybe you like it; maybe you don’t; maybe you think it’s great, good, meh, horrible, the worst or good enough. Yes, I hope that it is good enough!

I recently had a conversation with a fellow yoga teacher who wasn’t teaching because she didn’t feel ready. It resonated with me. I too have hesitated to do things – even things I have extensively trained and prepared for – because I didn’t feel ready.

I’m a recovering perfectionist, and I realized that my “ready” really meant perfect. It took me a long time to accept that IT WILL NEVER BE PERFECT! Better, yes of course! But perfect, no. If you, like me, are a recovering perfectionist, you may never feel ready.

The funny thing is: perfect for one person doesn’t translate to perfect for another person. Feeling “ready” to begin your fitness journey for you might look different than feeling “ready” for someone else.

Feeling “ready” for you might mean:
– Your yoga pants fit just right in the waist AND the hips.
– You got at least 7.29 hours of sleep last night and are full of energy
– You found a class that is crowded and dark enough that you can hide in the back
– You know exactly what to expect (I mean everything) going in so you won’t look like a newbie

No one’s perfect. Sometimes, we just have to go with it despite our imperfections.
Now – we’ll plan and prepare enough to be safe and choose an appropriate course of action, but we won’t allow perfectionism to prevent us from embarking on our fitness journey.

Life is an experiment and the only way we get better is if we accept (and love) good enough. For with that attitude, good enough becomes better, and great things are accomplished.

Are you recovering from perfection too? Have you told perfectionism that I will do it, and it will be good enough!?

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week.

I recently supervised a group of two and three year-olds. As I expected, they were an energetic bunch. Having them sit quietly to listen to a three-minute story proved a difficult task. What I wasn’t expecting was the calmness that washed over the room during snack time.

Throughout snack time, the toddlers sat quietly, each in their own chair, and turned their full attention to their snack. They were clearly enjoying their food. They ate slowly and took time to thoroughly chew their food. When they felt full, they stopped eating their snack and began to play – even if they still had food remaining. I assumed that the toddlers who were still eating would speed up when they saw their peers playing, but they didn’t – they continued savoring their food.

As busy adults we sometimes eat so quickly and so mindlessly that we can barely taste our food. I’ve rushed through many meals in my life. I’ve eaten whole meals faster than some of these toddlers ate their snacks. For the most part, I ate fairly healthy food, but the manner in which I was eating it wasn’t healthy, and that changed the whole equation.

When was the last time you had a calm, enjoyable dining experience? Why not make your next dining experience wonderful? The toddlers show us that to have a calm enjoyable dining experience you don’t need to be at a fancy restaurant with mood lighting, relaxing music, and gourmet food. You simply need to sit down, slow down, and focus on what you’re eating.

¡Que aproveche!

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a healthy week.

When I was in charge of a cabin of fifth grade girls at an overnight science camp we had a bedtime ritual called Rose and Thorn. The rose represented their favorite thing about the day, and the thorn represented something that they didn’t like. We sat in a circle on the cabin floor, and each girl would get her turn to share.

These girls — these fifth grade girls — NEVER had a hard time thinking of a rose. Often, filled with joy and gratitude for the new experiences, they produced small bouquets of roses. Many struggled to produce a thorn.

As we get older and gain more responsibility, it is easier to get caught up in the thorns.

The health and wellness journey has many potential thorns:
-Getting up early because it’s your only quiet time to meditate
-Commuting to a fitness facility
-Finding a spot in a crowded class or workout area
-Packing a gym bag
-Having to redo your hair because you got sweaty
-Looking at a weight stack and wondering if you’ll be able to complete ten reps
-Still smelling like chlorine after taking a shower

The list can go on and on. Some of these thorns, with the proper prospective, can turn into roses. One of the thornless girls in my cabin wisely explained that things that were thorns for others weren’t thorns for her because they helped her in some way — thorns that help are actually roses!

Some thorns are sharper and cut deeper than others. Some thorns are and will forever be thorns. However, even in our darkest moments there are still things we can be grateful for.

What is your rose today? Do you have a thorn that you can transform into a rose?

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a safe and healthy week!