Tag Archives: yoga

Today: Be healthy, Boston. {Day 2}

29 January 2012

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While I’m usually an early riser, this morning’s 5:40 alarm came all too quickly.  I fought my eyelids to get my contacts in, bashed my elbow on the shower door, and managed to get toothpaste on not one, but two shirts.  Craving a do-over for the day, I contemplated getting back into bed, but Clark was patiently waiting at the door, so out we went.  After watching a beautiful sunrise of Broadway with my dog, I couldn’t help but smile.  I was decidedly not going back to bed.

I grabbed my yoga mat and I made it to the Westin on time for the second day of Be Healthy Boston, which kicked off with a morning stretch and flow led by lululemon ambassador Leslie Salmon Jones.  One of the women I sat next to in one of yesterday’s workshops raved about Leslie and her infectious attitude, and it’s no mystery why.  I left the session feeling energized, warmed up and quite like someone who had not woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

I met up with my new pal Elizabeth for the morning keynote, Organize Your Mind to Organize Your Life, delivered by Margaret Moore, founder of Wellcoaches Corporation and a 17 year veteran of the biotech industry.  Ms. Moore offered several rules of order for the brain, and techniques for improving brain health and function.  She talked about the disadvantages of multitasking, remarks that resonated loudly with me, a person who seems to be perpetually multitasking and often running on empty at the end of a busy workweek.  Ms. Moore shared important connections between negative emotions (including feeling stressed or frenzied) and impaired working memory and overall brain function.

Now I know why I often forget where my car is parked.  Yikes.  Fortunately, Ms. Moore offered several proven steps we can take to improve cognitive health and flexibility… and they’re sort of… no brainers.  Bahahaha.

  • Exercise
  • Meditate
  • Engage in mindfulness practices
  • Breathe and take breaks from tasks that require sustained focus
To improve working memory, in particular, Ms. Moore encouraged the group to
  • Get enough sleep and rest
  • Exercise (a two minute walk is enough to recharge the brain)
  • Repeat important info to ourselves
  • Handwrite important tasks, and focus on the words

Ms. Moore shared that, generally, people who do not suffer from ADD or ADHD can focus deeply on a task for an hour before needing a break.  Multitasking may seem like a necessary evil in our day-to-day lives (I certainly feel pressure to get six things done at once), we divide our attention when we multitask.  I’ve had a printout on the Pomodoro Technique at my desk for ages.  Perhaps I should give that thing a look on Monday morning.  Though I was never much of a scholar when it came to science, I am a nerd through and through and was fascinated with the research and practical application Ms. Moore offered.  Verrrrrry interesting.

Next up was Live Practically Green: Make healthy green choices for your family, home and workplace with Susan Hunt Stevens, Founder and CEO of Practically Green.  Attendance was a bit down from the day before, and there were only four other people in this session.  Susan had such great information to share, so I wish the room had been full, but it was really nice to be able to ask a lot of questions of such an expert.  I am looking forward to digging into Susan’s site, which features 400 actions you can take to live more greenly.

Susan shared some great advice for making better choices about what we put in, on, and around our bodies. A few of the many, many tips I noted in my little (recycled paper) notebook:

  • In addition to food, drink, water and personal care items, we need to be mindful of packaging and food storage.  Food should not be stored in plastic, and plastic should never go in the microwave.  I shall henceforth be digging into our extensive Pyrex stash.
  • When purchasing cosmetics, lotions, and beauty products, avoid anything containing parabens or fragrance.
  • Most new mattresses are made from petroleum-based foam, which is highly flammable.  As such, mattresses are treated with flame retardant, which is highly toxic.  Like the Britney Spears song, except awful.  Because infants spend 80% of their time in their cribs, it is especially important that they have safe mattresses made from natural materials.  Our Tempurpedic mattress literally changed my life, so this one broke my heart… hard.
  • Wash all new clothing before wearing to limit the risk of dyes and other chemicals.  Susan recommended organic cotton lines from Eileen Fisher and Nike, as well as buying clothing at vintage and secondhand stores.
  • Indoor air is between 5 and 5o times more polluted than outdoor air (this shocked me, to be honest).  Wiping your shoes on a mat and leaving them at the door can reduce up to 80% of toxins you might otherwise track through your house.
  • We can save on energy costs by reducing the amount of meat we ate (I am so ahead of the curve, unintentionally), investing in high efficiency and Energy Star appliances, and getting an energy audit to identify sources of waste in our homes.
  • Only 50% of Americans have access to curb-side recycling.  I am feeling especially fortunate to live directly across the hall from our condo building’s recycling room.  Even though one of our new neighbors apparently missed the “no cardboard boxes in the trash/recycling room” memo and unloaded a full condo’s worth of boxes this morning.

Susan concluded with a great quote, reminding us that everything adds up.

“It’s not that you can make a difference…it’s that everything you do makes a difference.”

–Phillipe Cousteau, CEO of EarthEcho International, and grandson of Jacques Cousteau

I started taking the quiz and building a sustainability plan at Practically Green and continue to soak up even more information from Susan Hunt Stevens.  I highly recommend visiting her site.

Before heading home to tackle a few Sunday errands and chores (hello, Mount Saint Laundry) and get myself on track for the week, I met up with Elizabeth for a Yoga Beats mini-class hosted by Healthworks.  Hitting the mat twice in one morning with a new friend felt like the ultimate luxury, one that I thoroughly enjoyed.  This was a day well worth getting up for, toothpaste on the shirt and all.

Also On Tap for Today:

Have you been to any interesting events or conferences lately?

Today: The good, the bad, and the sparkly.

27 January 2012

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Let’s start with the bad.  And end with the sparkly.

After days spent looped out on cold medicine (due to illness, not recreational use… obvi), I am finally feeling back to (mostly) normal.  The fact that my monster cold came to town during two of the busiest weeks of my professional life was unhelpful, to say the least.  I find that getting all dolled up, giving speeches, kicking ass and taking names, and fundraising are most effectively done without a man voice (unless you’re a man), without a fever, and without an endlessly running rose.  With all that behind me, I free to spend an entire Friday evening doing nothing except talking to my dog in made up accents, listening to Duffy and reading magazines.  Oh, and eating.

Despite being under the weather and working 12 hour days, I’ve managed to fit in a few good things this week.  My Monday night soccer team is blazing a path to glory (or whatever), heading into next week’s championship round.  During this week’s game, I didn’t score a single goal (which is better than scoring one goal on your own net… which has happened before… twice), but I was a veritable fortress on defense.  At the risk of being a sexist piglet, I can’t help but squeal with delight when I shut down burly, athletic men as they dribble towards the net with the ball.  Especially when they look surprised.  Even more so when they look angry.

After getting a bit too caught up in the competitive spirit last season, my goal for this season (besides getting goals) was to not swear on the field.  Or succumb to some sort of rage blackout like I did that time someone slide-tackled Nick and nearly ripped off his leg.  So far, so good.  With two games to go, I have been all manners and grace this season.  (While I apologize for sounding like a complete egomaniac at the moment, rest assured that my ego was placed firmly in check earlier this week, as I bounded out of the yoga studio all high on my back bending abilities and promptly fell down a flight of stairs.  Truly, it has been that kind of a week.)

My Thursday night soccer team has also been a source of goodness.  I arrived late to last night’s game, having come directly from my work event, changed from a cocktail dress into my sweet uniform in the car and flew onto the field with a full face of makeup.  Nothing says, “I’m here to play” quite like a winged eye, Nars’ pinkest shade of blush, and some subtly simmering lids.  While I probably should have gone to bed instead, burning off a bit of stress and laughing with my teammates was the perfect way to wind down a crazy day.  I am really thankful for the opportunity to play with such a fun, supportive, goofy group.

When I finally made it home, my brain would not turn off.  I have it on good authority that turning the TV on does not help you wind down.  I can’t help but ignore the research when my DVR has one of my favorite shows of all time ready and waiting, though.

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I can barely make it through the first minute of an episode of An Idiot Abroad without dissolving into a fit of laughter.  I used to listen to The Ricky Gervais Show podcast in the car but got to the point these same laughing fits became an impairment to my driving.  While watching television in the wee hours of the morning is decidedly bad for you, laughter is most certainly good.

Now all that’s left to do is sparkle.

The lovely people at Sparkly Soul recently sent me two of their truly sparkly headbands, and they’ve got a pair tucked away for you, too.  I recently got a shorter and sweeter hairdo (so short and sweet that it barely fits into a ponystub, let alone a ponytail), complete with un-requested side swept bangs.  The haircut is a story for another day, but needless to say, these headbands could not have arrived at a better time.

[Image source]

Not only do Sparkly Soul headbands look adorable, they don’t budge.  Not during yoga inversions, not during flying leaps across the soccer field, not during runs, not turn the most rough and tumble boxing workout and (as I learned last weekend) not during naps or entire days spent in bed.  The soft velvet lining means no headaches, no snarls, and no hair dents.  If you’ve never experienced a hair dent, don’t ask questions.  Just consider yourself one of the few and fortunate.  Given my choice of colors, I opted for silver (to match my engagement ring… just kidding… kind of) and red for an upcoming Valentine’s Day race.  I am tempted to order the rest of the rainbow.  They’re that good.  Let the record reflect that I have no cold medicine to blame for my enthusiasm, just a really great product.

Would you like a Sparkly Soul headband or two for yourself?  The generous people at Sparkly Soul is offering one of their wide headbands and one of their thin headbands (in colors of your choosing) to one lucky reader. Headband Head on over to sparklysoul.com to check out their offerings and leave a comment below with your favorite color(s).  I will announce a winner at the end of the day on Wednesday, February 1st.  Yes, it’s February next week. 

  • For an extra entry, feel free to tweet:  “I want to win a @SPARKLYSOULINC non-slip headband from @ElizabethEv! Enter to win here: http://wp.me/pySBS-1oE”

If you’d like to learn more about Sparkly Soul, I recommend connecting with them on Twitter or Facebook.  They also have some pretty great Pinterest boards.  Disclaimer: I received two Sparkly Soul headbands free of charge, but was not compensated for my glowing review, nor for hosting this giveaway.  My opinions are all my own.  Preach it.

Also On Tap for Today:

  • Getting excited for Be Healthy Boston :)
  • Drinking lots of tea
  • Visting with my parents!  Woooo!

Pick a color.  Any color.  Where do you plan to sparkle this weekend?

Today: Let it flow.

16 January 2012

17 Comments

I had every intention of waking up early this morning and seizing the day, but ten o’clock rolled around and I was still snug in bed.  The shock of single digit temperatures certainly woke me (and my furry sidekick) up in a hurry.

After a very brisk walk with Clark, I headed to Dedham to for my first platelet appointment in over a year.  I used to give every month, but sort of fell out of the habit.  I always get a bit nervous before donating, but once I am all bundled up in my cozy, heated chair all I can think is let it flow.  And by it, I mean my blood.  I’ve got O- blood, which makes me a universal donor, and have never minded needles, so giving blood or platelets seems like an obvious way to help out.  Plus, I am easily persuaded by charts.

[Image source]

The process is a bit different from donating whole blood.  I usually give platelets using both arms, and today the process took over three hours.  Essentially, blood is drawn from one arm and the cells are separated.  Platelets are removed and collected (in my case, from my left arm), and the remaining blood cells are returned, along with some saline (through an IV my right arm).  The sensation of having the blood returned is a bit strange (I sometimes get a metallic taste in my mouth, and a feeling of fluttering at the vein), but it’s not at all painful.

Check out my sweet bandages... and man-ish thumbs.

Donors are given their choice of movies, plenty of warm blankets, and Tums (I am not sure why… but um, I take all of them.  No questions asked.).   I’ve learned my lesson the hard way (trying not to cry while watching The Blind Side, while attached to a blood sucking machine, while in a room full of strangers… not a good look), and usually watch an old standby.  Today it was The Devil Wears Prada, followed by the end of the Ravens and Texans game.  Feet up, limitless supply of juice.  Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

If you’re considering donating and have questions, let me know.  I’m not a phlebotomist (such a fun word), nor do I play one on TV, but I sort of know what I am talking about.

I got home just in time to let it flow at South Boston Yoga.  I loved my first class there last Sunday and decided to advantage of their new student special ($25 for two weeks of unlimited classes).  I’ve taken classes here and there, and always leave feeling more limber, more balanced and more smiley… but I have never really committed to a regular practice.  Perhaps 2012 will be the year I become a yogi.  Who knows.  I’m already seeing improvements, though.  Last week I stayed in bridge pose, afraid to take on the wheel.  This week: proverbial balls to the wall.  It was, um, wheelie exhilarating.  Bahaha.

It’s past my bedtime.

Also On Tap for Today:

What was the highlight of your weekend?  

Today: In a New York minute.

23 October 2011

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One of my favorite things about New York is the undeniable character of its many neighborhoods.  Each is different, and it seems, inhabited by its own sort of people.  I spent the weekend visiting my friend Meg, enjoying a practically perfect two days in the city.  Having spent so many weekends at her Upper East Side apartment when we were younger (and better equipped to drink Orangina cocktails at O’Flanagans until 4 in the morning), I was happy to finally make the trip down to see her not-so-new-anymore place in Brooklyn.

As I stepped out of the taxi at her street corner in Williamsburg, I was instantly charmed.  I loved every minute of it.

Except for the minute during which a fellow yoga class participant peeled off his jeans in the lobby of Go Yoga, primed to down-dog in boxer briefs (holey ones, at that) and a hitched up flannel shirt.  Yes, really.  Meg and I stopped in for what was supposed to be a foundations class, but turned out to be  a class of die-hard regulars, some of whom may have invented yoga.  Or at least pretended to.  Despite being a bit more challenging than expected, it was a great class.  The instructor seemed very kind, and offered gentle corrections and modifications.  She massaged my back a little at one point, which was both welcomed and sort of weird.  I decided to embrace it.  Sort of.  If nothing else, it was a nice distraction from the underoos.

Earlier in the day, Meg and I headed over to the West Side to do something I haven’t done in, oh, fifteen years: ride a bike.  When Meg suggested renting from The Waterfront Bicycle Shop earlier in the week, I was both excited and terrified.  Would riding a bike be just like, well, riding a bike?  After stashing my giant Michael Kors in the basket and climbing onto the seat, I awkwardly fumbled for the pedals and pushed off.  It was a wobbly start, at best.  As we approached a stop sign ahead, I realized I didn’t remember how to break.  Gone are the days of back pedaling.

It didn’t take long to get into the rhythm of things, though, and soon I was smiling like a cheeseball, cruising along the Hudson River.  From high atop my bike seat (serious question– are those thing supposed to hurt?), I watched soccer games unfold, skyscrapers fly by, runners enjoy their Saturday long runs, and caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty on my right and Ground Zero on my left.  I was reminded that in a New York minute, as the song goes, anything can change.

After an hour’s ride (for a bargain: $11, including the awesome basket), Meg and I strolled through the West Village, looking for a place to grab a bite to eat.  We quickly settled on Spasso, located on a corner perfect for people watching.  I snacked on grilled bread with house-made ricotta, drizzled with honey and topped with shaved almonds.  It was divine, as was the weather.  To be eating outside in late October is really a gift from the above, likely sent to make up for underwear yoga man.

Just as our tea and coffee arrived, we heard a man yell “Learn to drive,” and looked up to see that he was yelling at… a student driver.  Brilliant.  I really do love New York.  And New Yorkers even more so.

Also On Tap for Today:

What is your favorite New York ‘hood?