Monday Morning Meditation: "Mama called the Dr. and the Dr. said..." :

"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"
Or for a more literal translation:

No more running or biking when you feel pain.

That's right kids. I finally dragged my feet to the sports doctor's office this week and received the dreaded news.
The one all of us endurance athletes deeply despise.
The one that knocks us into a deep depression with days full of gloom and doom as our endorphins ever so slowly seep from our systems.

Though I'm pretty sure I lost all of my endorphins last May, hence the burn out I've been experiencing. But I digress...

Monday Morning Meditation: Thankfulness

I could spend my morning in anxiousness or I could seek peace.
And this morning, I choose peace.
I would like to thank my 30-day [home practice] yoga challenge.

Saturday marked the last day of the challenge, and I am here to tell you it was a success.
I never missed one day of my yoga practice this past month; however, I never really made it into a deep, hour long practice either. Most of my mornings were spent in 10 to 20 minute increments of yoga often focusing on trouble spots, mainly because I didn't want to wake up any earlier than I already do. BUT, the winning part of this challenge is that even if I never spent a long time doing sequences, or even if my hamstrings are still tight as ever, or even if I still have muscles that need healing, my mind has settled down.

And that has been worth the challenge.

Monday Morning Meditation: Monday Doldrums

If you had the chance to look back on your weekend from someone else's eyes, what would you see?
Time spent or time wasted? Spontaneous moments, or anxiety-driven plans? The choice to spend hours with a hobby you love, or hours spent shining your kitchen floor?

I often go into a weekend with plans. Plans to get a menu made for the next week and groceries bought. Plans to clean my house top to bottom, and to diminish the loads of laundry sorted around my room. Plans to never sit and breathe from my week, but instead to keep running around at top speeds.

I make to-do lists for my weekend.

Yes. I am that kind of person.

Monday Morning Meditation: Literally

Yes, that's right.

Today's MMM is brought to you by actual meditation. 

Through this yoga challenge, my mind is starting to settle down, and sometimes it feels like I can literally feel the stress leaving my body. (Most of the time that is at work, when we get caught up in a super-crazy-mad-rush of people and I stop to breathe before trudging forward.)

So today: think about nothing.

Now, that might now work for you all day, but take a moment-whether at home or work or school or wherever you are-and simply breathe.

Clear your mind.

Find beauty.

Feel joy.

Embrace peace.

Monday Morning Meditation: Thank you

On this Monday morning, I just want to say thank you.

Thank you to all the military who serve so I can live freely.

Thank you to all military wives who stay at home, wondering and enduring, while their loves fight.

Thank you to all military families who make a year's worth of memories without a father, mother, brother, sister, son, or daughter.

Thank you to all the veterans who have served and made so many things possible.

And thank you to all of those who have given life, so that America can be the beautiful land it is.

Monday Morning Meditation: Strength

I have a long term goal with reintegrating yoga into my life.

Someday, I want to do this:

Right now, it looks impossible. My physical strength is gone because 1: I haven't practiced yoga in over six months, and 2: I also haven't been pumping iron for about the same amount of time.

But I'm a goal setter. Sometimes a procrastinator, but definitely a goal setter.

And I believe in strength.

Monday Morning Meditation: The Art of Relaxing.

My husband forced me to relax twice this weekend.
It was hard.

But it was good.

See, I'm not a relaxer. I'm a do-er. Meaning, I work full-time all week and then I manage to turn my weekend into full-time work at home. (Although, I believe most women often do that.) Music Man, however,  sees how it stresses me out and wears me down before I even attempt to let my heavy lashes pull me under.

Monday Morning Meditation: What the old people teach us

Leave it to the Army to ruin my weekend, and yet, give me the best weekend I've had in a long time. I cannot tell you how much I was longing for the weekend during work this week because I knew Music Man would be home, albeit it Saturday night. I was looking forward to a movie night and then a lazy Sunday--I knew he'd be exhausted and just want to relax. Which is something I know not how to do, and so he teaches me.

I arrived home Friday night after a long week of work, made some dinner, and perused the free movie channels we had this weekend. (You can bet I dvr'd just about every single one we haven't seen yet!) My husband texted me to see how my day was, and within ten minutes I found out I hadn't received a text from him the day before.
Their coming home date had been changed.
They weren't leaving until Sunday morning.