 See photo. It's my feet. Look closely.
Now, was this..... a) A sign of defiance? b) Rights and lefts mixed up? c) A simple oopsie-daisy? It was C, but if you have time--and you probably do--read on.... Upon realizing the error of my ways and snapping this quick photo, I immediately righted the situation. All better! But was it? My brain fired several thoughts at once. If I had never switched back, would the sock police have written me up for failure to comply? Could my feet have eventually formed into the wrong shape? Would this unintentional switcharoo have slowed my running pace? No, no, and...maybe. All this jibber-jabber really does relate to Melt & Mold. Here it is: IT'S OKAY, in ANY pose at ANY time, to experience A, B, or C from above. Real life example: I cue right side pigeon pose. Your right knee does not *love* pigeon, so you defiantly declare "Nope. Not gonna do it! I will now recline in Figure-4 pose! Thank ya very much!" You then lay back, bust out a super-awesome Figure-4....with your LEFT leg, then start questioning..."Wait, did she say right or left? Did she even say pigeon? Was it some other bird pose that I don't even know?" See that? A, B and C all happened. Kind of all at once. And it's ok. As long as you are breathing, doing both sides, and honoring your body's signals, you're GOOD! You are doing the best you can with what you have, safely, and that is what matters. Many of you have shared with me that the Melt & Mold live stream classes have reduced your self-consciousness about modifying poses. This is GOOD practice! I am happy to hear that you're learning how to honor what your body needs. (And please, as always, reach out if you're not sure how to modify. I'm here for you!) So, my friends, let go of the yoga-police-gonna-chase-me-down fear. Just breathe and move safely and trust that all shall be well. THANK YOU for joining me in this first week of live streaming! It's been an adventure including 7-year old photo bombs, hubby making popcorn just behind the veil, relocating due to sudden rain, and some meeting ID email glitches. Never boring around here! Let's keep taking one step forward at a time. Right...left...right...left... Peace!
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8/25/2019 0 Comments Build a sound vessel!Have you ever been doing the dishes and had what I call "the water thing" happen? You know, where something in the sink shifts and the next thing you know, water ends up ricocheting sideways or even right in your face?  Usually the catalyst for directional change of water is something small and harmless--a measuring spoon or small ramekin perhaps. It's just sitting there innocently in the sink, waiting to be rinsed off but boy howdy, does it cause trouble. Same story with this curb at HyVee. It didn't mean any harm. It's a curb, after all. It's supposed to drop, but this poor woman wasn't fully focused and look what happened to her (please click! I'm not able to insert video...but you've gotta take the 8 seconds to watch this): https://youtu.be/ajknQd44y6Y One second she's innocently strolling toward her car with groceries, and the next thing you know, she's doing a (rather slow) front roll in the parking lot. I will say, she handled the directional change quite well under the circumstances. I bet she does yoga, and she therefore bounced right back in body and mind from this (unfortunately YouTubed) event. The unexpected WILL happen. The FLOW will not always GO in our preferred direction. The waves will toss, roll, and occasionally be still, but most of their movement is beyond our control. Hey, this is not anything new or profound, and I'm certainly not here to nag anyone about proper nutrition, sleep, exercise or mindfulness. We all have our struggles and we don't always get it right. [Um....ask me how many total hours of sleep I got last week. Oopsie!] I'm just here to be part of your boat-building team, to help keep you afloat in the ever-changing waves of real life! It's hard to re-evaluate and re-prioritize. It's humbling to determine where the leaks may be and even harder to throw "unnecessary cargo" overboard. That is why messages like this are all over Pinterest and every other form of media.  GOOD NEWS, my friends. Melt & Mold has the elements that are time-tested, proven "solid boat-builders." Come enjoy a session, a half-session or drop in any time. Click below for more info. I would love to welcome you, or welcome you BACK, to a routine that will shape you into your best self in body, mind, and spirit!! New session begins August 26 but you can join any time!
4/28/2019 0 Comments Balance your -ish! When my son Matthew was teeny tiny, he went through the one-word-means-everything phase with "ish."It meant blanket, or dog, or no-thanks-on-the-mushy-peas-I'll-have-that-candy-over-there! Versatile, this -ish. I've noticed the use of -ish seems to have picked up in recent years as a way to, I would say, "widen an acceptable range." I'm quite a fan of the flexibility this add-on can bring. When teaching a Melt & Mold class, for example, I cue hips to be square-ish which permits those with tightness to work within their individual range of motion. In training for a race, it's rather refreshing to see 3-ish on my training schedule for a crack-o'-dawn Wednesday morning. Thank you so very much, -ish, for making anything between 2 and 4 miles perfectly acceptable! At times, -ish just causes confusion. Take for example the time in 9th grade when I got in trouble for only mowing half the lawn. Did my teenage ears hear "mow the lawn for 20-ish minutes?" Um....I'm pretty sure my mom wanted me to get the job done---like, all the way done, no -ish's, and's or but's. See the tiny speck on that cable going across the Grand Canyon? That's Nik Wallenda. I doubt there are many -ish's in his vocabulary. He is most likely all in, all the time, with no fear and no excuses. I bet he never mowed half the yard. *Just seeing this image make me want to curl into a ball and hide. His poor mother.... The good news is that, like chocolate and peanut butter, the two choices (to -ish or not to -ish) can co-exist make the most delightful combo if balanced appropriately. Let’s say you’ve decided to tackle a road race of any longer distance. Congratulations! If so, you must know that there's really no gettin' around doing your long runs (if you don't want to get injured and DO want to enjoy the race, that is.... ). You do have some room to modify the details of your training, however. Joining a running group like Coach Eladio’s Runner’s Edge could be a perfect -ish balancer. You'll find accountability and good coaching to get your long run done **AND** find the ever-so-important flexibility within that structure, as Runner's Edge provides ranges of mileage and pace. You will successfully finish your LONG run each Saturday, which could be be 8-ish miles at 10:00-ish min/mi pace with a new-ish friend. See that balance?  Whether you consider yourself an "athlete" or simply a person striving for better health, surrounding yourself with other health-minded friends could be just the right motivation you need to form good balanced habits. Just like Runner's Edge, Melt & Mold offers solid commitment paired with plenty of wiggle room for individual schedule, budget, or level of ability. I'd love to have you for the Summer session that runs May 20-Aug 8!
Class Schedule: Monday nights 8:00 pm alternates between Flow & Roll (1st & 3rd Mondays of each month) and Stretch & Roll (2nd, 4th and 5th Mondays) Tuesday mornings 8:45 am Strengthen & Roll Thursday mornings 8:45 am Stretch, Relax & Roll *Don't see a time/day that works? Put a group together for a one-time or ongoing private session! Fees for summer: 1 class per week or attend any 12x = $80 Attend any class/any day = $120 Drop in any time for $10/class--Teen athletes $5 4/7/2019 0 Comments Untangle! Meet Louie. You might not be able to see his eyes, but you CAN see his dog lead all wrapped around the pillar. His ability to tangle himself up quickly and often under our direct supervision is quite remarkable. In just the past 7 days, his entanglements include but are not limited to:
For obvious reasons, I've had lots of time in reflection lately about knots. I can't help but apply this to our human lives. Aren't we all Louie in some ways? Running around in circles, eventually trapping ourselves into a very small space, then whimpering and whining in desperation? Guilty as charged, I am. I'm smart enough to know that as long as we keep this dog-lead protocol for Mr. Louie, (which we must, so as to avoid him dashing into the woods to coyotes all 'round these parts) he is probably not going to stop winding himself around, um...pretty much everything. We, however, as humans with a mind, will, and emotions can choose a path that untangles our knots, slowly but surely. This is where I come in to help you! Melt & Mold is a way to manage physical knots (muscle tension, limited mobility, etc) as well as the entanglements deeper within our minds and hearts. Let me help you free up and be your BEST self in body, mind and spirit! Come try a class anytime! Button below. |
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