What's Your Intention?

What's your intention? That was the question my Core Power Yoga instructor Heather started class with yesterday.  My initial intention was to just to try to keep up with the flowing moves (I'm still a yoga newbie), sweat, focus on my breathing, and stretch.

It is funny to me how my mind wanders in a yoga class as I think about a sentence or a few words an instructor says in the beginning.  Maybe I do it so I don't focus on the heat or the fact that so many others in the class are so much better at yoga than me.

This class was packed.  There were literally a couple of inches between each mat.  Deep in thought over the word intention, flowing from one posture to the next in the heated, crowded room, somewhere out of no where the old-fashioned stereotypical small town idea of the father standing at the door with a shotgun with his daughter's suitor trembling on the door steps as the father ask, "What are your intentions with my daughter?" popped into to my head like it was a scene in a movie.....then SMACK!

The girl next to me had just kicked the guy behind her in the head as she was going up in a handstand. Rule #1 I thought, don't try a handstand in a crowded yoga class, especially when you are in the middle row.  His head snapped back.  He sat back without saying a word but just put his arm out for her to stay away as she turn around and moved toward him to make sure he was ok.  From his reaction I'm going to guess it really hurt and he might of had some sort of neck issue.  She sat shaken on her mat for a few minutes and slowly rejoined the posture series.

Just like the smack to the head, I suddenly realized that the intention of this class just turned in to me analyzing and pondering my dating life. Well that hit me like a ton of bricks.  Really? Yoga correlates to dating?  Ah heck, I really just have to go with this right?  Just go with the flow I thought, since I'm in a hot yoga class....although I did wonder for a sec if the heat was getting to me.

Okay here's the deal, I apparently stink at dating.  I'm blessed to have a ton of friends, but Mr. Right? Well he's certainly hasn't made his presence known....yet (at least I hope there's a yet in there).  As far as intention, working in television, I do wonder at least for a split second when a guy ask me out if he's asking me out because I'm a chick on tv or because he's asking me out for me.  I've gone out with both and the first type I realize in a hurry.  Those are road blocks, but you have to run in to those to appreciate the joy of spending time with those who want to spend time with you, because of you.  It's just like in yoga, you have to put in the effort of trying a pose, fail, or not quite be able to do it, to relish in the joy when you can.  Wow, I am correlating yoga to dating I thought.  My closest friends say I'm perceived as a strong woman.  Not that there's anything wrong with that, but apparently it's not such a great thing when dating.  Struggling through postures and poses in yoga while watching others bend and twist in ways I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do, I know I have many weaknesses and weak moments, but I'm willing to at least try and search for a strength inside of me to get through.  In a roundabout way I figured out my intention in that class:  weaknesses and struggles can lead you to a new joy.  Mr. Right?  He'll come along but it's probably going to take me getting smacked in the head to realize it.  It's ok to laugh, because I am.

I did smile when Heather said near the end of class to think about the intention you started the class with....and then how the intention changed over the 60 minutes of class.  Wonder what my intention is going to be for my next yoga class.  

Lazy Day Monday

I'll admit - I took a lazy day Monday.  After a busy weekend of traveling to Telluride and some fun adventures there, I took a nice long nap after working Monday morning.

Plus since it was a holiday I decided it was ok to take a lazy day.  You have to every once in a while!

Taking A Ride On An ATV

Sunday I got a chance to ride with Telluride ATV.  It was a blast going through the trees on some rocky dirt roads near Telluride.  While it's not a break a sweat kind of workout, you do have to use core strength to stay balanced on the ATV and even some quads as you go through the twists, turns, and maneuver the terrain.

It was great to be outside on a beautiful day soaking up some picturesque views.

We did stop and walk around in a meadow for a break before heading back.  We ATV'ed for about 2.5 hours.

Ok, I know it's a stretch for a workout but that's what I did before driving the six hours back to Denver.  And it was a heck of a lot of fun!

Jeeping Saturday

After spending the morning walking around Telluride I went on a jeep tour with Telluride Outside.  It was a fun shoot as we headed up to the Tomboy Mine, then back down in to Telluride, and then up to Bridal Veil Falls.

Not sure how much of a workout it counts for but you do have to do a lot of holding on as you get bounced around in the jeep on the bumpy roads!

At Smuggler Mine on way to Tomboy Mine

Bridal Veil Falls

Friday Travel Day....of course!

Friday was another travel day for me.  No surprise right?  I was off to Telluride for Mountainfilm Festival and to shoot a couple of stories.

Push It With Intervals & Weights

Today was one hour of intervals and weights with Cristina at Pura Vida Club.  Which really means one hour of push me to the max.  I went in full of energy and ready to rock after a great day of work and 45 minutes of running around scrambling to get a few errands done.  We hit it right away with sprints after a warm up.  That meant 30 seconds running on treadmill at 6, 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9, 9.5, 10, and 10.5 miles per hour with 30 second breaks in between.

After sprints, it was some arm work, several intervals with VIPR, squats with 85 pound barbell, more arms including TRX moves of pull ups and triceps extensions.  All weights were three sets of 12.  All intervals were 30 seconds with short rest in between.  Goal with intervals is 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off like Cristina has me do with sprints.

Here are a few of the exercises so you can see how to do them if you want to try them out!

Talked Myself Out of a Workout

Yesterday I was really tired and feeling a little rundown.  I'd taken my workout clothes to work but managed to talk myself out of working out and headed home with plans to take it easy and get some work done.  I was more tired than I thought as I felt asleep for over an hour afternoon nap.  That's something I normally don't do!