"We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."
- Dr. Seuss
- Dr. Seuss
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
GPOY Lazy Sunday Morning
We were watching to see if the squirrel would run away with his mouth on fire and smoke coming out of his ears after eating birdseed with cayenne pepper on it. To our dismay, he's still there. Not for long!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
feeling all earthy and stuff.
1. Green Smoothies: This is very strange and new to me, and I think it's wonderful. And I'm probably not "doing it the right way" because I use frozen produce rather than fresh produce because I think it makes a better smoothie, but hey! Who cares!? Not me. Much. I've been learning that it's very much part of the raw food movement, and I think that's great, but I'm not doing it for being a raw-foodist. I like cooked food. I'm doing it because it just adds that many more healthy things to a smoothie, and it still tastes great! I've also started adding carrot juice to my smoothies. The idea of putting fruits and vegetables together into a smoothie is a bit strange to me still, but I've tried it and it's super tasty! Also a great additive for smoothies - peanut butter. On to try new things!
2. Yoga: I'm utterly and completely sold on yoga. It's amazing. It makes me feel so good! I have yet to find a class here in MA to go to, so I've just been doing yoga by myself in my room. And let me tell you, it's amazing. I do miss being in a yoga class, but it's also wonderfully relaxing to do it alone because it gives you so much freedom to do whatever pose you feel like, and to hold said pose as long as your little heart desires! Yay yoga!
3. Bare Feet: First off, this is something that I miss about warm weather - being able to step outside barefoot and not freeze to the ice that covers the ground. One day. In the mean time, I'll stay inside with my bare feet. Working at a gear store I've been learning about the new fads in outdoor gear and activities. I suppose this one is not all that new, but parts of it are - barefoot running. I could go on and on, but I'll try to be somewhat concise. Our bodies are meant to be barefoot - the way our bodies are aligned, the way we walk, the way we move, the way our foot muscles are supposed to support our bodies alone and without the support of shoes. Super supportive shoes have allowed our foot muscles to atrophy, becoming very weak and unable to support our bodies they way they're designed to. Therefore, we must continue to add more support in our shoes to compensate for those weak muscles. Insert new idea here: BAREFOOT SHOES. This is not an instant fix! It takes diligence, training, strengthening, concentration, and devotion. And some other intense-sounding things too. When standing barefoot, the muscles in our feet should support us. The feet, when bare, are able to feel the world and make adjustments based on those feelings to support our body properly - proprioception. Yaddah, yaddah, blah, blah, blah. If you're curious, Google "barefoot running" and you can learn more. My point is - barefoot shoes! You've seen those Vibram Five Fingers - those are barefoot running shoes. They give your foot a bit of protection from things you step on, while still allowing the benefits of being barefoot. Think they look a little silly? Me too. But they're awesome! And now Merrell makes a barefoot shoe that looks more like a "conventional running shoe" but still allows for the benefits of barefootness. Sold.
4. Positive Psychology: My friends in Maine told me I sound very "crunchy granola" when I ramble on about these things. Hippie? Maybe. I prefer crunchy granola if you're going to categorize me that way, mostly because I actually do like crunchy granola for eating. Anyway - more to the point here. I believe that believing in these things adds a degree of effectiveness that is unparalleled when just participating in the activity at hand. For example, if you walk into a yoga class feeling like it's just another silly fad that people are into right now, chances are it's not going to help you nearly as much as if you go into that same yoga class with the mindset that says, "This yoga class is going to be amazing and I'm going to feel so good after we're done!" Okay, so maybe you don't actually say that to yourself, but the idea is that you are instantly more open to the possibility of that yoga making you feel awesome. And it applies to making smoothies with veggies AND fruit, even when it sounds kinda yucky at first. And it applies to being barefoot and strengthening the muscles in your feet to make your body feel better. You, my friends, have the power to help yourself just by thinking positively. (My Positive Psych professor would be so proud.)
Think about it.
2. Yoga: I'm utterly and completely sold on yoga. It's amazing. It makes me feel so good! I have yet to find a class here in MA to go to, so I've just been doing yoga by myself in my room. And let me tell you, it's amazing. I do miss being in a yoga class, but it's also wonderfully relaxing to do it alone because it gives you so much freedom to do whatever pose you feel like, and to hold said pose as long as your little heart desires! Yay yoga!
3. Bare Feet: First off, this is something that I miss about warm weather - being able to step outside barefoot and not freeze to the ice that covers the ground. One day. In the mean time, I'll stay inside with my bare feet. Working at a gear store I've been learning about the new fads in outdoor gear and activities. I suppose this one is not all that new, but parts of it are - barefoot running. I could go on and on, but I'll try to be somewhat concise. Our bodies are meant to be barefoot - the way our bodies are aligned, the way we walk, the way we move, the way our foot muscles are supposed to support our bodies alone and without the support of shoes. Super supportive shoes have allowed our foot muscles to atrophy, becoming very weak and unable to support our bodies they way they're designed to. Therefore, we must continue to add more support in our shoes to compensate for those weak muscles. Insert new idea here: BAREFOOT SHOES. This is not an instant fix! It takes diligence, training, strengthening, concentration, and devotion. And some other intense-sounding things too. When standing barefoot, the muscles in our feet should support us. The feet, when bare, are able to feel the world and make adjustments based on those feelings to support our body properly - proprioception. Yaddah, yaddah, blah, blah, blah. If you're curious, Google "barefoot running" and you can learn more. My point is - barefoot shoes! You've seen those Vibram Five Fingers - those are barefoot running shoes. They give your foot a bit of protection from things you step on, while still allowing the benefits of being barefoot. Think they look a little silly? Me too. But they're awesome! And now Merrell makes a barefoot shoe that looks more like a "conventional running shoe" but still allows for the benefits of barefootness. Sold.
4. Positive Psychology: My friends in Maine told me I sound very "crunchy granola" when I ramble on about these things. Hippie? Maybe. I prefer crunchy granola if you're going to categorize me that way, mostly because I actually do like crunchy granola for eating. Anyway - more to the point here. I believe that believing in these things adds a degree of effectiveness that is unparalleled when just participating in the activity at hand. For example, if you walk into a yoga class feeling like it's just another silly fad that people are into right now, chances are it's not going to help you nearly as much as if you go into that same yoga class with the mindset that says, "This yoga class is going to be amazing and I'm going to feel so good after we're done!" Okay, so maybe you don't actually say that to yourself, but the idea is that you are instantly more open to the possibility of that yoga making you feel awesome. And it applies to making smoothies with veggies AND fruit, even when it sounds kinda yucky at first. And it applies to being barefoot and strengthening the muscles in your feet to make your body feel better. You, my friends, have the power to help yourself just by thinking positively. (My Positive Psych professor would be so proud.)
Think about it.
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