Mountain Booty #BOSUStrong

Share this fun mad-lib on your blog to announce the start of the BOSU and Sweat Pink #BOSUStrong challenge and encourage your readers, family, friends to join in on the fun! If you don’t like our mad-lib, that’s totally fine, we’d love to have you announce the start of the challenge in another way that suits you! ;) Week 3: My 5 Fave Stretches and 3 Tips for Toning your BOOTY! I can’t believe its already week 3 of the #BosuStrong challenge, time flies when  you’re having fun! Last week we focused on balance and I was proud of myself for crowing it up on the BOSU. This week its all about stretching and toning – so make sure you join in on the fun!  Since we’re talking about stretching, here are 5 of my all time favorite stretches: I love to stretch my legs by doing pigeon pose. My favorite total body stretch is dancer's and chopasana variation of half moon. You get the quad, hip flexor, hamstring, shoulder, pec, heart opener/backbend all in one pose!. I swear when I do splits, it feels like my hamstrings are solid rocks, but in a #hurtsogood kind of way. I stretch my mind by attempting to meditate. I try to stretch out of my comfort zone by deepening my heart opening- working my forearms down in wheel. And if you’re looking for a great way to tone your booty, here are my fave 3 tips (tricks, advice, words of wisdom, etc): For years I resented my booty and thighs. I wanted slender, the stereotypical runner's body. But when I run (and hike and ski and play field hockey), I get muscular. Biggest tip, keep it in perspective! I'll never look like Gisele OR Kim. I'd rather have a booty (which I love now!) and be able to go run 3 miles than fit into a smaller size pants. OWN IT! Lunges and squats. Lunges and squats. Lunges and squats. In Colorado, we called it "Mountain Booty." Go out hiking and skiing. Your legs get SO muscular! So I want to know - are you #BOSUStrong? Copy and paste the above, fill it in and make it your own and then tag me in it and share with your friends! Let’s all be #BOSUSTRONG. The daily prompts are below. You can also follow along HERE.

DAILY PROMPTS! Monday, 9/28: We’re starting the week with some side lunges! Show us how you work those inner and outer thighs @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad Bonus: Y’all know we love to #jumpjoymonday! Show us your BEST jump shot and tag @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad Tuesday, 9/29: It’s #tempotuesday! Show us your fave body toning move @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad Bonus: It’s #triceptuesday and we want to see you dip! Now drop down and give us 20 tricep dips. #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Wednesday, 9/30: Grab a partner and show us how you tone it up together! @BOSU_Fitness @FitApproach #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #SweatPink #ad Bonus: #workitwednesday, show us how you’re workin’ in a good stretch this Wednesday and tag #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Thursday, 10/1: It’s #totalbodythursday. Show us your favorite total body stretch. #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Bonus: Give us a #tbt of a time when you really stretched outside of your comfort zone (feel free to get creative!) #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Friday, 10/2: #FreeFriday. Show us your favorite way to get your cardio on! #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Bonus: Happy #forearmfriday. Show us a move that helps you stretch and tone #BOSUstrong #FitFamily #SweatPink @Bosu_Fitness @FitApproach #ad Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by BOSU. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Sweat Pink community!

All the Cardio #BOSUStrong

The theme for BOSU and Fit Approach's first week of #BOSUStrong was cardio. We ran and walked and biked and mountain climbed and…

Tuesday was about getting the heart rate going, Wednesday we worked it with some burpees, and Thursday was targeting the whole body with cardio. Today, #FreeFriday, is all about showing our favorite way to get our cardio on, with some forearm action thrown in. Well, I'm doing one big fat giant post for the week because, spoiler, I LOVE cardio! In fact I probably do a little too much of it, and not enough yin and restorative activities. But there's nothing quite like that "runner's high," which I've discovered I can also get doing many other endorphin-rush-inducing activities. Read more about my fitness lifestyle here

RUNNING
Still my favorite cardio, and for many reasons. You can take it everywhere with you! You don't need any equipment or specific place or class or anything. Just some spandex (if that, since I may or may not have had to run in jeans last week… Whatever the bride wants, the bride gets!) and running shoes. It's the best, full body exercise that I have taken with me all over the world on travels, moves, various terrain, with groups, by myself, in races, etc.

SKIING/SKINNING

Ok, I may have lied before because since I've discovered skinning, that truly has become my favorite cardio. But it's definitely not as versatile as running. You have to have snow and the ability to get to a mountain. But if it's there, oh man, I'm so excited! 

WATER SPORTS: SUP-ING, SURFING, KAYAKING

I actually grew up with water sports, with canoeing with my parents. I love being out on the water. It doesn't even feel like you're working out most of the time! Until that night and the next morning and you feel muscles you didn't even know you had! 

DANCING

I love dancing! Another one where you don't really realize you're working out, even though you're dripping in sweat. But after a night of dancing, whew I'm sore the next day!

HIKING AND BACKPACKING

This is one of the most satisfying activities for me. I love hiking to a peak or a vista! It's so validating! And backpacking is so much fun! Yes, it's hard hiking with a 50-pound pack on. But the knowledge that you're essentially carrying all of your necessities for the duration of the trip on your back is so empowering!

FIELD HOCKEY AND BOOTCAMP

I don't play field hockey too much anymore (anybody know if there's a club for old people (aka non students) in Portland?!), so bootcamp with Jamie and the Sweat Pink crew is as close to training for a sport that I've gotten in years. So much fun (and helpful!) to have a supportive group around you as you push yourself to the limit!

SPINNING

Burn Cycle in Portland is my newfound love! 45 minutes of sweating more than you've ever thought physically possible while being encouraged (and entertained!) by the ripped, bleach-blonde Jessi and jamming out to DJ beats is definitely one of my favorite ways to break a sweat as of late.

AAAAAND (duh!) YOGA! 

No explanation needed. Well… Whether it's in a kick-ass power class, busting poses around town or while out on hikes/runs, stretching while waiting in the airport before boarding my flight or watching a movie… I'm constantly doing yoga. Love! And if you don't think yoga is a cardio workout, check out a power class or try busting a bunch of handstands! 

BONUS: Some hallowback forearmstand action while out on a trail run!

What are your favorite ways to break a sweat and get your cardio in? Join the fun! #sweatpink #BOSUStrong #FitFamily #ad @bosufitness (Twitter) @bosu_fitness (Instagram) @FitApproach

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by BOSU, but all opinions are my own. We appreciate the brands that support the Sweat Pink (Fit Approach) community!

Practice what you preach

Part 1 of this duo was all about how the ego can get caught up in your asana practice. It's time for part 2, and we're talking about practicing what you preach.

The idea we ended the previous post on, that what's important is that you know what YOU need TODAY on your mat (versus what the teacher is offering, what your neighbor is doing, what you did in a previous practice), is something that I talk about a lot in my classes. It's important to recognize when to push yourself and when to honor your limitations in anything, but especially a power vinyasa yoga class where some crazy stuff might be happening around you. I also speak from personal experience.

During college, when I was really starting to get into my asana practice (remember, asana means the physical side of yoga), I pushed through months of wrist pain. The only concession I made was wearing a brace on my wrist, but I persisted in taking every vinyasa and arm balance offering. Later I found out that I had been rounding my shoulders in my chaturangas, which strained a tendon in my shoulder but it manifested in my wrist!

Rocking the ACE bandage at a Kathryn Budig arm balance clinic.

I've always been a strong yogi, rather than a flexible one. I get, "Oh, you're so strong!" a lot. So somewhat unconsciously I associated my ego, part of my identity with my practice. When an arm balance, inversion, vinyasa is offered, I always felt/feel like I need to take it. That's my thing, so I should always do it, right? Well… As we talked about in part 1, maybe that's not the best thing for me to do that day. Just because I know I'm physically capable of doing crow or a handstand, doesn't mean I should ignore a twinge in my shoulder to do it when I took a handstand clinic the day before, for example.

Don't worry, I'm back to handstanding and running!

The last few weeks has been a huge "practice what you preach" practice. A feeling of soreness in my shoulder developed into a crick feeling in my neck developed into a spasm. So not only was I not swimming, lifting weights, or handstanding, but I was full-on propped up in bed with pillows behind me for a few days. In this instance, it was easy to take time off because I literally couldn't do anything without pain. Once I started not actively spasming, it took a lot of mental effort to not jump right back into trail running, spinning, playing on my hands, etc. I kept reminding myself that I needed time to heal. I was teaching, but not demoing. I allowed people to carry heavy things for me. On my first day feeling the closest back to normal, I was stretching in standing forward fold when I started to put my weight on my hands to feel it out, and didn't go further because it didn't feel right in my neck. This past week as I started practicing vigorous yoga again, I didn't take every vinyasa or inversion offered once my neck and shoulders started to feel tight. 

Cupping and acupuncture to ease the spasm!

During this time of treatment and recover, no less than 3 alternative medical professionals counseled me on balancing my intensity with more yin activities. My acupuncturist phrased it that "this body is our vessel for our entire life, and it's our responsibility to take care of it for the long term." Yes I love all the yong (running, spinning, power vinyasa yoga, handstanding everywhere), but I know I need to calm my intensity a bit. This will be a great time to find my softer side, and maybe focus on my flexibility and yin a bit more! 

Check the ego with the "om"

I've made it explicitly clear that I'm not a flexible yogi. I've always been the strong yogi. So what does a strong yogi do when she's dealing with an injury that prevents her from doing all the fun, strong-yogi-poses? Part 1: How the ego can get tangled up in our asana practice.

Asana is a physical practice. And just like any physical practice, you can't attach your ego to it. Yes, many perks come with physical pursuits (have y'all seen those Superbowl Championship rings?!). Those activities that gain fame and wealth are competitions, but yoga isn't a competition. The thing about anything physical is that there are so many factors that affect it: hydration, diet, sleep, stress, your emotional and energetic state, physical exertion of the previous day(s) (i.e., sore from a new barre class or hiking a peak), injuries, pregnancies, etc. The slightest shift in one of these factors can affect your ability to "perform," whether you're going for the big gold trophy in front of thousands of viewers or showing up to your yoga mat for your personal practice.

When you progress, it's easy to feel proud. On the flip side, it's easy to envy someone their practice, their ability to get into certain poses.  Some pride is natural. Yoga is a practice; it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to show up day after day and progress with your practice. Envy should be let go. When you see someone on the yoga mat next to you, you have no idea what is or isn't natural for him/her, how hard and often he/she's practiced, how some of the factors listed above have affected him/her. See if you can replace your envy with inspiration!

For me, yoga is about balance. I love yoga, am a certified instructor, and am a dedicated practitioner, but it's not the only thing I do. I'll be affected by the other things in my life: a long trail run, a mountainous hike, a new fitness class, a late night out dancing… I don't expect a steady progression forward within my practice. I'll have days where I feel tired, stiff, sore, and tight. Days where I am stressed and emotional. Setbacks due to injury, childbirth, and aging. Dealing with injury and illness is the hardest for me, especially when I'm starting to feel better. I have a habit of diving right back in to where I left off instead of easing in gradually. I could stop, drop, and handstand, constantly before tweaking my shoulder, so why shouldn't I just jump right back in to handstanding throughout the day… Um, maybe because my body isn't ready for that yet!

When you're running/yoga-ing/cycling/etc, why are you doing what you're doing? There are edges to be pushed in order to progress just as there are limitations to be honored. It's all about balancing the two, which takes some serious introspection, self awareness, and checking of the ego. Just because the teacher offers (I phrase it that way very intentionally) 40 vinyasas, doesn't mean that you have to take 40 vinyasas with 40 chaturangas. Just because your neighbor is doing 40 handstands with their 40 vinyasas and chaturangas, doesn't mean that you have to, too. Just because you took 50 vinyasas with double chaturangas (which means 100 yogi push ups!) yesterday, doesn't mean that you have to today. It's about knowing what YOU need and are capable of TODAY on your mat!

Keep an eye out for part 2: Practice what you preach!