Feature Blog & Yoga

I'm so honored to announce that I was asked if my blog could be featured today on Write. Blog. Connect. It's a new blog and website set up by blogger and writers, Angela Christina Archer and Regina Walker as a place for writers and readers of all walks to unite. I hope you'll go on over and show them encouragement and support for this new endeavor.

Thank you Write. Blog. Connect. for choosing my blog as today's feature.

Today I'd like to talk about stress...and my newest method for getting rid of it.

For the last 7 years, I've been avid and consistent in making fitness a part of my daily routine. My goal was to avoid the tendency toward obesity in my family, to set a good example for my son, and to avoid things like diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol, if possible. What I hadn't considered was that it would also be good for ridding oneself of stress.

I prefer high intensity workouts that really make me sweat, elevate my heart rate, and turn my face a bright cherry red. The military might have had something to do with this.

I have always turned up my nose at what I considered the 'light' methods of exercise like Yoga and Pilates. I knew next to nothing about these except what I'd see as I passed by classrooms at my local YMCA on my way to whatever exercise I had planned for myself. (Ridiculous, I know.) It just seemed like stretching and breathing. Totally boring and not worth wasting my valuable time.

Last month, I experienced 2 of the most stressful weeks of my entire life. With them came high anxiety, a sick ulcer type feeling in my stomach, shaking hands, ricocheting emotions, and loss of appetite. I lost almost 10 pounds in less that a week and a half.

Being a business owner is tough.

Once I got through those 2 weeks, I knew with every fiber of my being that I needed something to help ease the stress on my mind and body. A friend suggested Yoga. (I might have rolled my eyes a bit.) Unsure how stretching was going to help, I reluctantly gave it a try.

WOW! I needed that!

That stretching is harder than it looks, but it is also the most relaxing,albeit physical, workout I've ever had. And I didn't even have get red in the face, out of breathe, or a stitch in my side. My muscles felt as though I'd done a round of muscle failure reaching weightlifting. My mind couldn't have been more relaxed.

So now my friend and I have made Yoga a weekly event. Which makes me wonder...what else have I been so closed minded about? I don't want to miss out on anything else so great for me!

Have you had something you were closed minded about, only to realize you were totally wrong? Do you like Yoga? Know any other methods of exercise good for relieving stress? I'm all ears, er, eyes. *wink*

I just watched Fast 5 for the first time (a friend told me I needed to see it before seeing Fast & Furious 6, currently in theaters). Vin Diesel makes such amazing eye-candy, don't you think?!