Feb 202017
 

It had been just about a year since I last had anything done to my hair, which was for our AD wedding. πŸ™€

Although I have been trying hard not to spend money on frivolous things too much, a girl still has to take care of herself, right?! 😜 So, my nail appointments are definitely less frequent, massages have gone by the wayside, and well, it was nearly a year since I went to the hair salon.

However, I think my husband got tired of me whining about my hair color, the frizzy splitting ends and overall dissatisfaction with my aging looks lately. So, when I asked if I could splurge for a V-day gift, he replied with “Just make an appointment, baby!” 😍😍

Yesterday was the big day πŸ’‡πŸ½ and I am sooooo pleased with it! I did not need to do any treatment to it once my hair dresser cut off 1 inch and did a nice blending highlight coloring. The perm is still there, but with the layers he also added, everything looks good again. πŸ˜…

While I will never be able to recreate what he did (in the pic above), I am enjoying the softer feel, lighter bounce and general sense of a bit of freshness again. M even said that it may make me look younger – music to my ears!!! 🀣

So, sometimes a girl just has to chuck it in and do what it takes to feel and look good. #noguilt ! πŸ˜†

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 12:34
Feb 192017
 

It was training weekend 2 for the 200hr YTTC and I am physically exhausted.😴😴 So much so that my mind can hardly feel tired because the body is too busy dominating that area. πŸ˜‰

This time I ended up teaching for about 8 hours of the 24hr weekend. 

It was great overall and it reminds me of my love for teaching itself when the students are keen and the subject is interesting. Therefore, it was a good start to a future of conducting teacher trainings. Initially, I will try to continue with my current teacher and begin to plan future trainings with her here in AD as well as possibly other locations. Eventually, I can consider having my own school based on what I am learning now. So, that is exciting!πŸ™πŸ½

For now, though, I am quite tired from the amount of yoga that we did. Normally, Sundays are my recovery days, but today turned out to be not quite as planned. Therefore, tomorrow will be a quiet morning at least….πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ‘πŸ½

At the moment, this is all I got. πŸ˜“

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 15:04
Feb 182017
 

Well…this week was a day of rest. My Resting post earlier in the week explains what has happened, but basically, I had a week off from the early-morning gym visits as well as my MRTTAD walk.

However, I was not physically idle – or at least not that much….

Feb 12 Sunday

  • Sunday Wellness Yoga class 2/6

Feb 13 Monday:  From home

  • 25 floor leg lifts
  • 20 bicycle kicks
  • 8 floor to boat ups

Feb 14 Tuesday

  • Tuesday Wellness Yoga class 2/6

Feb 15 Wednesday

  • Golf with AWN ladies
  • Yoga session (teaching)

Feb 16-18

  • Full days of the yoga teacher training weekend 2
  • Friday AM yoga session (teaching)
Feb 172017
 

On the whole, I dislike people. Hate might even be more accurate even though it is stronger and seemingly horrible to say. 

On an individual basis, I like a person or persons. Very few individuals make it love

Perhaps it is my nature that makes me this way toward people. I mean, it is not exactly as if I started out life well in developing trust, love, dependency and openness towards the people I came across. However, if you look at history and analyse people as a whole, I think you would be hard-pressed to not agree with me. 

People are generally selfish, stupid, weak, lacking creativity, mindless and overall A-holes. Yes, I mean this.

At the same time, there are individuals that are capable of greatness. Now, this greatness can work towards leading people to be greater A-holes – take Hitler, for example. Or, this greatness can work towards leading people to be amazingly loving, open, caring and hope providers for the likes of me. 

If I were to ask you to name great A-holes, I think this would come easily. How about if I ask you to name great positive individuals that contributed to the betterment of humanity? I am guessing this is a lot harder. Why?

Those who lead people to be better people rarely get or take credit. It requires people to not be selfish and recognize that it was not their great idea or benevolence that made them great; but rather it was an individual. Take Ghandi, for example. He is attributed as a great inspirational leader. For the most part, he protested and led people to unite for a common cause through non-violent actions. His actions had great effect. His credit has been given, but compare his fame with that of Hitler.

There is a great imbalance in our world and in society. I blame PEOPLE. 

It is time for people to step up and stop being A-holes. Let the individuals who are capable of greatness lead the people toward a united greatness. This is what will make our world a better place. If you do not have such a person to follow, then don’t wait to follow – be the one who leads! πŸ™πŸ½

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 14:20
Feb 162017
 


When I first started listening to podcasts, I went back and forth between Serial and this one. PaleOMG Uncensored had not yet started, so this was the main podcast that I got information about health, diet, etc. 

Recently, I have not been listening to it as much for no real reason other than I am addicted to true crime podcasts or more specifically, My Favorite Murder

What I really enjoyed about this podcast is the medical or researched information provided to support their claims for eating healthy. Even though the focus is on a Paleo diet, the real belief of the hosts and their guests is having a realistic and healthy diet for our bodies. They teach the importance of reading labels, not buying into ‘organic’ or ‘gluten free’ stickers and truly getting to know what our bodies want/need to have the most energy and feel healthiest. Also, their own product line at Paleovalley.com sounds amazing – just wished I lived somewhere where I could take advantage of it better.

It may not be a podcast for everyone as it can be rather ‘dry’ in content or the enthusiasm of Autumn might be too much for some, but it made my long drives to yoga weekends go by much faster. Once I get my fill of true crime, I will definitely come back to more regular following of this podcast. πŸ˜€

~T πŸ˜€

Feb 152017
 

In coming to terms with who I am as an introvert, semi-anti-social, “fragile creature” (as my husband calls me) and general recluse with ups and downs, I should have known that from my extreme up-state last week there would be a down this week. 

Although maintaining a regular work out schedule definitely helps with the moods, the extra yoga sessions that involve interacting with people have taken an energetic toll on me. Actually, when I look back at how I managed to work full-time teaching with meetings, etc. I do wonder if I am being a bit of a wimp these days. 

My answer to this is that we have a bit more stress on our shoulders these days, which makes my energy get used up faster and less efficiently as it used to. Also, I think that I would have more rest days when I had a regular schedule, whereas now I really do not have a “day off” during the week. While I try to take half days throughout the week, it really is not the same.

Therefore, I have been listening to my body (has this phrase become cliche?) and not gone to the gym this week. Part of it is Aunt Flo, when we women should basically not do too much anyway since our cycles make us out of whack anyway and so taking it easy helps to keep the body and mind stable. Part of it is also that I am borderline on the down cycle of my ups and downs, so taking some time to keep to myself definitely helps to keep me from continuing downward unnecessarily.

While a part of me could beat myself up for not going to the gym or being lazy, another part of me sticks up for myself by saying – these goals that I made are just for me anyway. Who is affected by me not going to the gym? Me. Who is affected by me taking time off? Me. Thus, despite possibly being a cliche, I am listening to what I need and am comfortable with knowing that my choices affect only me in the end. If my six-pack comes a bit later, that is okay, especially if it means I am happier in the long run.

So, I have been resting, sleeping, chilling out at home and keeping to myself whenever not in a lesson. It has been good and I feel now that it is just past mid-week I will be ready for the upcoming full weekend of yoga training and socializing. 😜

~T πŸ˜€

Feb 142017
 


Three years ago a friend told me to just go out and not sit at home alone on Valentine’s Day. I did. Little did I know that I would meet a man who would make me laugh throughout the evening that would turn into a friendship, love and marriage!!!πŸ‘±πŸ½β€β™€οΈπŸ€πŸ‘¨πŸΎβ€πŸ’Όβž‘οΈ πŸ’‘βž‘οΈπŸ‘°πŸ½πŸ’žβ€οΈπŸ’—πŸ’œ

While we are going through an initial rough period, our love has not waivered, but grown stronger. It is a joy to celebrate this day of love with a man who continues to bring smiles 😍to my heart πŸ’œ every day. 🌹🌷

I hope wherever you are reading this post that you have love surrounding you as well! πŸ’

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 11:02
Feb 132017
 

Getting different perspectives and opinions can be a challenging thing as everyone means well in their advice, they may even be correct in what they say and yet, they are not in my/our shoes.

Yesterday, I posted about being more optimistic and coming to a compromise about our decisions. This has not really changed, yet just one conversation can make me rethink how I was feeling just 24 hours before.

There does come a time when over thinking can cause problems. Even though others’ opinions are so valued and loved, I have to be careful about letting them sway me or causing disruptions in the agreements made at home between the two people who are directly affected by these thoughts.

Probably, the biggest problem is although we have choices, we do not have definite options. In other words, while we can argue/discuss going to the Philippines, France, Japan or elsewhere we only speculate with this choices. Neither of us actually have jobs, neither of us have the funds to make the move happen, only one of us has the freedom to even go anywhere at the moment, and so it is a little bit like being in quicksand. If we move one way, it may sink us deeper; if we do not move at all, it will not improve our situation; we are holding on barely to a thin stick that may or may not have enough solidity for us to pull ourselves out….

So, I am trying to create other options. I am applying for freelance writing work in hopes that one of those will turn into something long-term with a steady income. I am looking at possible jobs in Nice, or even Japan (despite M’s preference elsewhere). Until we actually have options to choose from, we only through out a lot of possible choices with no backing. It is meaningless to have arguments/discussions on what-ifs.

Therefore, rather than over thinking, it is time to think over what we can do. Also, there is something to be said for a little more patience.

I was writing in my journal today questions of “How long…”. How long do we hope everything will work out? How long do I wait to look for full-time work? How long do I simply have faith that my husband will make the income we need? How long does it take to realize we need to try something else? How long…. The facetious answer is:  As long as it takes. The realistic answer is:  Until it does. The optimistic answer is:  It will soon. Somewhere in these answers lies the combination of truth….

We are truly in the hands of God and the Universe to throw us a solid bone that tells us what to do and where to go.

Until then, breathe in – breathe out, and smile!

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 10:21
Feb 122017
 

If I were to admit that I am stubborn I am sure that no one would try to convince me otherwise. I am indeed stubborn and extremely slow to adapt to change. Spontaneity is not something I value nor ever really want to take on.

This does not mean that I am inflexible nor does it mean that I cannot eventually change my mind. I just require time to adjust, adapt and accept. πŸ˜£πŸ˜«πŸ˜©πŸ˜žπŸ˜”πŸ˜πŸ™ƒπŸ˜ŠπŸ˜„

This aspect of my personality has caused many a fight or moments of stressed distress on my side as well as others involved. While others must come to terms with the fact that this is who I am, I have to come to terms with the fact that not everyone will appreciate the way I am. 😼

Relationships of any kind, whether friendships, dating or marriage, require a compromise of understanding and action.🀝

Last week I was extremely frustrated with decisions or lack of decisions being made about our future. I think I did admit that I was not able to see my way out πŸ™ˆ; however, some thinking time and a chat with a friend have opened up possibilities to consider. πŸ€”

Sometimes I just need to step away and get a different perspective to see that things do not have to be my way or no way….I know 😳 – yes it is already here in writing!!! 😜

So, I am feeling more optimistic and as if our progression forward toward a new life is really happening. Phew – my anger management issues are dissipating and I did not even have to meditate much. πŸ˜€

~T πŸ˜€

 Posted by at 13:23
Feb 112017
 

This week started off well with the gym workouts but doing more yoga teaching made me a bit tired toward the end of the week. Need to perhaps focus on the cardio aspect or just remind myself it is only for 30 minutes – which is not difficult to find the time…. Anyway, it is ok. I am moving each day. πŸ’ͺ🏽😜

Feb 5 Sunday

  • 30′ 3.42km treadmill (walk 1km/run 1km/walk 1.42km)
  • 30 35kg total abdominal 
  • 40 5kg ab crunch 
  • 20 floor leg lifts
  • 60′ Sunday Wellness Yoga session 1/6 (teaching) 

Feb 6 Monday

  • 3′ elliptical warmup 
  • 50 15kg wide bar pull down (20 behind neck)
  • 30 35kg total abdominal x2 
  • 6″ arm hang x2
  • 30 5kg ab crunch x2
  • 30 4kg tricep halfbend to straight (each side)
  • 20 4kg back crunch 
  • 12 4kg side crunch each side 
  • 20 25kg low row
  • 15 15kg shoulder press
  • 20 15kg chest press
  • 1’12” full plank 
  • 6-7″ headstand on wall
  • 4″ handstand off wall
  • 75′ yoga practice session 

Feb 7 Tuesday

  • 55’14” 4.74km walk with Corniche MRTTAD
  • 75′ Tuesday Wellness Yoga session 1/6 (teaching) 

Feb 8 Wednesday

  • 5′ elliptical warmup 
  • 35 35kg total abdominal x2
  • 20 20kg wide bar pull down front
  • 10 20kg wide bar pull down back
  • 100 jumping jacks 
  • 15 15kg shoulder press
  • 40 5kg ab crunch x2 
  • 15 10kg pectoral machine 
  • 30 25kg low row
  • 1’03” elbow plank
  • 24 4kg tricep bend to straight back
  • 25 floor leg lifts 

Feb 8 Thursday 

  • Needed a rest day
  • 60′ yoga session (teaching) 

Feb 9 Friday 

  • 65′ Friday Wellness Yoga session (teaching) 

Feb 10 Saturday 

  • 60′ yoga session (teaching) 
  • Had a very quick swim in the cold cold sea….