Upside Down Cats

Here I am back to my (somewhat) normal routine following a few days of holiday R&R. I closed my daycare Monday and Tuesday for a long-overdue (and well-deserved) long weekend.

I really needed that!

It was the best Christmas gift I could have received!

Continue reading "To: Gina - From: Gina" »

Wow, we've reached day 28 of the 30 days of NaBloPoMo! I've almost accomplished my goal of posting about things for which I am thankful every day during the month of November. Today I want to write about a pursuit that is decidedly less goal-oriented...

I am thankful for yoga.

Continue reading "Yoga Bear" »

I was in yoga the other day. I was in full lotus position. My chakras were all aligned. My mind is cleared of all clatter and I'm looking out of my third eye and everything that I'm supposed to be doing. It's amazing what comes up, when you sit in that silence. 'Mama keeps whites bright like the sunlight, Mama's got the magic of Clorox 2.' - Ellen DeGeneres

Ah, the challenge of "blocking it all out"...!

Today I spent the day with a 4 1/2-year-old little girl (among several other various aged children at my home daycare) who would - or could - not stop sound from issuing from her mouth. I mean this in the most literal sense...for over seven continuous hours she was talking, screaming, whining, singing, whistling, crying, humming, spitting and any other noise that can be made with a human mouth. She would ask a question, then talk right over the answer, so she would ask again...and again...! I don't know how she managed to eat and drink because the chattering went on all through lunch and snack time. She also has only one volume level, that being inappropriately loud. Continue reading "Gina's Quote Du Jour ... »

Thank you again, Execupundit, for pointing me toward something evocative. This time it's an article from Yoga Journal called,

Forget Six-Pack Abs
Healthy abdominal muscles are strong, not hard.
By Fernando Pagés Ruiz

In part, the article says, "We're a culture afraid of the belly," laments Lasater. In our societal obsession with abdominal minimalism, we often lose sight of the true nature of this crucial part of the body. Abdominal muscles assist breathing, align the pelvis, flex and rotate the trunk, keep the torso erect, support the lumbar spine, and hold in the organs of digestion.

Basically this piece gives us permission to consider ourselves strong, fit and healthy without having a "six pack" or even a completely flat abdomen. In fact, the article reveals, "chronically tight abdominals aren't any healthier than chronically tight hamstrings or back muscles," The key is finding a balance between strong core muscles and flexibility.

This is very reassuring news to me...I have practiced yoga for years, exercised and eaten healthily. Maybe now I can stop striving to attain an 'ideal' that isn't, and enjoy my good health, knowing that everything is as it should be!

I plan to make this a semi-regular feature on UDC.

Once in a while a word enters my life, and I think it's just a great word. I want to share those with the world. Here comes one now...

Namaste

This is a word I learned in the context of yoga. Namaste is a greeting/parting word (like aloha) which conveys respect for the person to whom it is spoken. It means "I bow to you." Most of the time it is accompanied by a slight bow of the head.

Click the word above to find out everything you ever wanted to know about namaste but were afraid to ask from Wikipedia.

Namaste, y'all,
Gina

I was feeling reflective as I approached my birthday a couple months ago…I thought I'd share what I wrote back in May.

I could waste my time feeling old, but honestly most of the time I don’t. Last week I checked in with my physical self and ascertained that I still can do a cartwheel, hula hoop and a yoga headstand, so I still feel strong. Of course I will always feel like a work in progress, never content with my weight, or some other aspects of my appearance…but knowing that about myself is just part of accepting who I am, so I guess it’s a lesson in wisdom that I’ve gained in these years I’ve lived. In the grand scheme of things, I am extremely healthy and still able to do the things I want…and that’s a blessing for which I am thankful!

So instead of lamenting the number of birthdays I’ve had, I’ve been reminiscing about some of my “Birthdays Past”. I thought it would be fun - and therapeutic - to share my memories.

Continue reading "Reflections Of Birthdays Past" »