My conversation with Monique on Sunday made me reflect on my own fitness journey. Over these past couple of days, this quote from her has been on repeat in my head:
“I always felt I needed to move intensely…”
In retrospect, thinking of a former version of myself, I can relate to that perspective well.
Picture it: Iowa City, 2003.
It’s my lunch hour, a little after noon, as I rush into the apartment I share with my fiancée. I rip off my blouse and slacks, throw on the sports bra and biking shorts I left out on our couch, and reach for the VHS remote. The Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo Basic tape inside is cued right at the start of the action. I only have an hour to work out, shower, and get dressed before heading back to the gig. That means I don’t have time for Billy’s motivational drivel in the beginning – or time to properly stretch afterwards.
All I cared about was dropping the el bees, and I did. Twenty pounds were stubbornly melted from my frame by my wedding the following year. My body was just fine – before and after the loss – but my body image was in shambles back in the day. And I don’t have to tell you the obvious, but the weight came piling back on literally after I said “I do”. This led to a fluctuating battle with the scale that I carried well into my thirties.
Thank Goddess for growth, because y’all! I looked hot but I was a hot mess! My outlook on my body image is ever evolving, but one thing I know to be true now is that my body is built to be strong, not to be less.
Less in weight.
Less in function.
Less in love.
Despite my sticker above, I don’t say ‘no’ to cardio all the time. I just finished a half-hour bootcamp this morning, a combination of weight training and kickboxing. I guess my Tae Bo Twenties still live in me a little, but it’s cool. This time around, I don’t skip the stretch. In fact, I take it a step further by pulling out my mat and grounding myself back into my older and wiser reality: my Fulfilled Forties.
Now, on to today’s practice:
The Instructor: Juanita Borges of The Caramel Yogi
The Practice: Gentle AM Flow (20 mins)
Another new-to-me yogi! I happened to come across Juanita in this article. This gentle practice was a great introduction to The Caramel Yogi. Another beginner-friendly practice, it was a welcome respite from my bootcamp workout. Juanita’s delivery made it easy for me to settle back down into myself. You’ll definitely see her again on the blog. Hope you enjoy this asana as much as I did!
See you on the mat tomorrow!
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