The difference between knowing, and really *knowing* and My Garden!

(In continuation from last post...)  I did get up that morning at 7, but I was so tired and just wanted to take a nap on my yoga mat.  I pushed through, but didn't get much out of it.  Needless to say, I didn't get up at 7 the next day.  I learned that forcing myself to do it because "I know it's good for me" doesn't really work.  Sure there will be days I don't want to work out or eat a salad or do yoga, but it usually just because I am feeling lazy.  There is a difference between "knowing it is good for me" and really actually knowing it is good for me.  There are plenty of tips, tricks and claims out there about feeling great and being happy.  Do all of them work?  Well, I haven't tried them all so I'm not sure.  But have all of them worked for someone, probably.  The trick is finding the right reasons to make changes, and making changes for the right reason.  On days when I don't feel like working out or eating right, I can remember times when I felt good when I did and felt bad when I didn't.  That is usually enough to get my lazy behind in gear.  "I know it is good for me" because science and research tells me, but I also know because I have experienced it.  When it comes to yoga and meditation, the science and research is there.  There have been numerous studies that have shown the positive effects of yoga and mediation on stress and life happiness and I have come across them many times.  Every time I do, I think "I want to have that feeling, I will someday."  When I force myself to the mat because "I know it is good for me" the session turns out as a waste of time because my mind is elsewhere, counting down the minutes until I can sit back down and take a nap.  Instead of feeling refreshed afterward, I feel as though I could have better used my time.  This feeling then gets added to the list of reasons why I don't want to get up early to spend time on my mat.  Have I felt the positive effects of yoga yet?  To some degree I have.  I have felt the connection to breath and movement that calms my breath and mind....usually only for a few seconds at a time though.  I know that it helps calm me down in the morning when I wake up with the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I also know that it has helped my flexibility and helps to reduce tension in my back.  Though these are all positive attributes, and enough to keep me coming back again and again, I haven't had that epiphany that has led me to my calm, quite and confident self.  I know that practice make better, and I will keep practicing.  I just want to make sure that when I practice, I am in the right mind set.  I don't want my yoga practice to be an item to check off my "To-Do" list for the day.  I want it to be my retreat, my sanctuary my calm in times of stress and anxiety.  I want to really feel the benefits of yoga so that when the times come that I don't want to practice, I can look back and really know that taking some time for myself on the mat will be a good thing :)

(I did get up this morning to do yoga after a relaxing weekend, and I felt good.  I am doing better about focusing my mind on my breathing and movements while I practice rather than coming up with my plan for the day.  Meditation on the other hand is a different story....I'm still working on that one.)

Now on to my garden!  It has been about two months now since my mom and I planted my wonderful produce plot, and it is looking fabulous!  Many people walking by or working in the garden have told me how great it looks!  Not that I am keeping count, but mine looks the best by far!  I also know that the reason it looks so good is because I make sure to get out at lest twice a week to water, and every couple weeks to weed.

This last week I got my first real harvest and made some yummy meals with my produce :)  This week I know that I will have more to harvest and I am excited to try out new recipes with my very own fresh, organic produce!

This was my real "first harvest", but this was all I picked. Ground Cherries!

Harvest one: rainbow chard, basil, ground cherries, and marigolds

My Garden, two months from original planting

Almost ready to pick!  I love broccoli!

My pumpkin is trying to take over my garden!  And starting to put out little pumpkins :)

Amish Gold, I ate this one straight off the plant on Friday and it was tasty!

Pretty purple bean flowers.  A humming bird visited these while I was working!

Beautiful yellow pumpkin flower.

What I made with my rainbow chard: greens and beans

Pesto with the basil

and a fresh tomato and basil pasta salad!

Have a wonderful summer day in the sunshine and enjoy all the fresh produce!

CSD - Day 5

Don't have much time, but today had been good!

I got up a little earlier so that I would have more time to focus on positive thoughts this morning.  It felt good to focus on being positive and I visualized my day going well and me doing everything "right".

I got to be in my garden for 3 hours today and be in the sun, which was very relaxing and nice!

Then I got a big salad at the co op which was delicious!  I also found some good local fruits and veggies for the weekend and this next week. Yum!

As I go to bed, I feel good and happy.  I did yoga, meditated, had a relaxing day with no agenda and no expectations, I worked on being more positive, ate well, didn't eat very much tonight and am ready for bed!

We are at the coast this weekend visiting the in-laws with a beach, pirate, 6-year old birthday party on the agenda for tomorrow afternoon.  Before that though, I plan on being up early (even though it is the weekend) and then heading to yoga with my mother-in-law!  A real treat!  I love yoga classes and really enjoy being in a room of people doing the same thing as me with a real teacher.  Plus the room is very relaxing and "yoga-like"  I am also planning on having my morning green drink, but we will see how it goes because I am with out my Vita Mix.  Just a standard blender.  We'll see how it handles my romaine leaves and cucumber!

Good night, good health, and positive and happy thoughts!!

Alright, lets do this!

Okay, so maybe updating my blog every day is not possible...I'm a little too busy to get that in with everything else.  That said there is some things I wanted to finish up about last week.....

Last Saturday I started off playing some sand VB with a guy that played a city league game with my team in the winter.  Because of the less than ideal weather (it wasn't raining, but cloudy and threatening to), we were the only two at the courts.  We peppered for a while, then took turns hitting.  We just chatted about life and got to know each other a bit and it was nice to make another connection and to get some sand practice in before taking on a game!  I think I may have even had a breakthrough on my hitting!  I figured out how to push off the sand and actually jump up, rather than out.  His wife and two kids were there for a while and they were really nice.  I think I would like to get to know them :)  Then I headed to the farmers market to get some starts from my garden!!!!  Latter that day, we headed over to my mom's so she could help me plan out where to plant everything.  Then we finished getting the other plants and seeds I needed and headed out to plant.  We were out until dark but it was really fun and I am so excited to grow my own produce!  It is going to taste sooooo good!

Sunday, we went to see "Forks Over Knives" with my mom which was interesting.  I already knew most of the information, but it was still fun to watch.  I think every person should watch that movie!  It is also nice to have reminders about why I choose to live the way I do when sometimes I feel like it would just be easier to go along with the norm.  Then my mom and I headed back to my garden to put up some shade bags for my plants so they didn't get sunburned.  Below are some pics before the bags were put up. (My garden looks the best by the way!)

Corn, cantaloupe, watermelon, lettuce, carrots, beans, basil, peppers, tomatoes, kale, rainbow chard, eggplant, pumpkin, cucumber, butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, ground cherry (a new thing I have never tried) and some pretty flowers!

 

Me and my mama!

Then, this week my biggest accomplishment is that I worked out hard and ate really well and I am feeling great!  I went to two cycling classes that kicked my but and went on a long ride today that felt easy even though my legs felt tired!  I have also gotten two good run workouts in and plan on doing a long, slow run this weekend.  Again, though my legs felt tired, I felt like I was running strong! I am really starting to enjoy my workouts becasue they don't feel like they take as much work to work hard....if that even makes any sense.  I also got in four days of strength training after my cardio and they are kicking my butt too!  I can't wait until all this starts feeling easier so I can remember where I came from :)  I also got in a few morning yoga sessions which really helped with my sore, stiff muscles.  My eating has been good.  Lots of veggies, less snacks and not a lot of late night munching!  I have even dropped a few pounds this week and I want to keep it going :)

I have continued with the Netti Pot and am starting to get the hang of it.  Not only that, but it is really helping!  I can breath fully through my nose which is really helping me at night, but when I really notice it is when I am working out and I can breath fully through my nose.  I don't feel like I breath as hard and I can push myself harder.

Speaking of the Netti Pot, that brings me to my books!  They were supposed to be here on Tuesday, and they were, I just couldn't get them.  They were supposed to be dropped off a the office, but the office was closed, so then they got lost for a couple days, and now I think they are really in the office, but I can't them until Monday when someone is in the office...BUT I'm still excited.  I just wish I had them to read over this weekend.  I am really excited to start my Crazy, Sexy Diet and read about running and cycling and for summer and my garden and volleyball, and, and, and :)  I am having a good summer so far and it's only been two weeks!  Yay!

Good night and good health!