The path to the future isn't straight.

Although my housekeeping doesn't really testify to this, I like things tidy. Well, I like tidy ideas of the world, like that things could be simply black or white. It's just so satisfying. But I know it's not real life, at least not mine.

Which is why, today, when I went to a friend's house to give one of my first ever practice Pilates lessons, the first stop I made was at the community college where I've been teaching English for.ev.er. Yet another semester. Ugh. Yet another round of paperwork to get on the sub list. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. It was as though part of me was moving towards the future and part of me retracing the same old steps.

I'd had fantasies of being completely done with that job. I was a fitness instructor now, no looking back!

I think any journey is like this, whether it's starting a new career or becoming a healthier person. Maybe you've decided you're going to start eating better. And you do, for a while. Then it's back to doughnuts and Dum Dums and, then suddenly it hits you that Spelt is freakin' awesome and you find a truly delicious recipe for kale and, and, and, then you and your best friend spend a sugar-hazed evening dipping pretzels in Nutella.

The head of my Pilates program sums it up as, "It's a process, man."

Anyway, I'm telling you and I'm telling me: let's stop beating ourselves up because the road isn't straight. Remember the Zen saying, "The obstacle is the path." Yep, we're on the scenic route, not the interstate. It's gonna take longer, but if we do it right, it'll be way more satisfying.

Comments

Why Yara Greyjoy is rocking fatigue posture

"Fatigue Posture" involves pushing your pelvis forward; you use less muscular energy by essentially hanging on your ligaments. Pretty awful for your bones and organs, and yet, if you look around, you'll see it everywhere. That's because most folks know more about body language than posture. They have no clue that fatigue posture might cause constipation and osteoporosis, but they can read loud and clear the "I'm cool and I'm powerful" message. "I'm cool." "I'm powerful" And there is it, in 6th season, episode 9 of Game of Thrones, Yara and Theon Grayjoy stand in front of Daenerys, beseeching her for support. Through most of the scene, Yara has her hands folded in front of her crotch, very low-power in terms of body language. But she's also in a pronounced fatigue posture! Seemingly contradictory but it speaks volumes about what's going on. And as long as I'm this deep in geeky posture land, let's...

Winter Recess (A Diet Change Rebrand)

The beginning of the year, my husband and I do a "fast." For six weeks we take things out of our diet. Sugar and alcohol are always included and sometimes other things. The first year we did this, we were insanely ambitious: sugar, alcohol, dairy, most meat, all wheat, in fact anything that rhymed with "eat", particularly if it was brown, looked like the moon, or had been blanched. That's my memory at any rate, and no, it did not go well. (Lotsa cheats.) Subsequently, we've been more modest. And generally it has gone better. (I won't lie. There are still cheats.) At the end of this detox, sure, you go back to a retox. But each year (Is it ten years we've done it now?), you go back less. Your tastebuds actually change. You get more sensitive to sugar and stop wanting it so much. You start truly liking and desiring the things that are good for you. It's incredibly valuable. But it is a negation. We take things away. It's hard not to feel ...

A peek in my shoe closet

Strong, healthy feet are important. As Katy Bowman says: Improving intrinsic muscle use in the foot can drastically impact a human’s physiology. Nerve health. Bone density. Osteoarthritis. Pelvic floor disorders. A child’s physical and mental development. A decrease in the 12 BILLION dollars spend annually on lower leg amputations. Diabetes. Metabolism. Balance. Fall risk. Slowly switching over to (i.e. building up the strength for!)minimalist shoes will help. But what are they? And how are they different from "zero drop" shoes? Zero Drop - no difference in height between the sole and the heel. Most shoes, even "flats" have a slight difference. And just because a shoe is zero drop doesn't mean it's minimalist. Minimalist - as close as possible to barefoot. (Zero drop, very flexible sole, and a wide toe box. Some examples: Some shoes I bought in Poland years ago. I hardly ever wear them now. Obviously not minimalist and far from zero drop. They ha...

Jill McGowan Pilates

Search This Blog