Exercise and Narcolepsy
When Motivation Doesn’t Grow On Trees (Part I)
Let’s be honest, motivation doesn’t grow on trees. At least not where I live. Here, it’s getting darker and colder by the second. A perfect time to talk about motivation and where to find it! NIKE says, “Just Do It” as if it’s that simple. Maybe it is for some – but not me. For me,…
Read MoreTaking Risks & Discovering Nia
“One hour of life, crowded to the full with glorious action, and filled with noble risks, is worth whole years of those mean observances of paltry decorum.” – Sir Walter Scott Photograph provided by Nia Technique (www.nianow.com). Out of Habit: Like most mornings, I awoke a creature of habit. I had no intention of stepping out…
Read MoreSurviving Heatmaggeddon
The District is hotter than hot. Walking outside this morning, I started sweating before breathing. Although I notoriously complain about being “too cold,” I’ve changed my tune – Help! I’m melting. In yoga class the other day, our teacher said this heat wave serves as a reminder of the eternal shifting nature of…
Read MoreAdventures of the Sleepy Yogi: A Mid-Summer Day’s Challenge
Today’s 12 noon class marked #21 of my 21 Day Yoga Challenge! It also rung in the Summer Solstice at 12:16pm EST (the moment that the Earth’s axis points closest to the sun). Yet, my midsummer day’s practice was far from a Shakespearian dream or Buddha’s enlightenment. Instead, I hung upside down in down-dog, battling nausea. To…
Read MoreIt’s a bird! It’s a flower! It’s YOGA!
When I heard that “Bird of Paradise” was the Pose-of-the-Month at Tranquil Spacethis June, I was skeptical. Another bird? I love yoga’s Pigeon and Swan poses – but Bird of Paradise sounded exotic… and challenging. The Bird of Paradise is a very colorful bird. It’s also an orange flower. In yoga, it’s an advanced…
Read MoreAll Roads Lead to Downward Dog
Do NOT wear short shorts to yoga class. You will end up in compromising positions. You will expose your upper-thighs to your neighbor yogis. I should know this. I’m not a yoga novice. Yet with all my yoga pants in the dirty laundry bin this morning, I quickly threw on jogging shorts and left for…
Read MoreAdventures of the Sleepy Yogi: Starting Summer with 21 Days of Yoga
If YOGA came in a pill, I’d definitely take it. Who wouldn’t want the benefits of improved sleep, better mood and overall well-being? Side effects include: better flexibility, strength, weight-management and general physical fitness. But yoga doesn’t come in a pill. It comes on a mat. And for me, it’s hard work. When…
Read MoreA Flower A Day Keeps the Doctor Away
Today, I woke up from a late afternoon nap around 5pm. My stomach clenched – I’d slept too long and “wasted” my day. Yet, bright sunshine poured in through the windows. With the recent time change – there were still two hours of daylight! Determined to make something of myself – I changed into…
Read MoreAdventures of the Sleepy Yogi Part II: From Hallucinations to Inner Peace
I woke up and slowly climbed out of bed, still wrestling with sleep. A few minutes later, I woke again, much to my own surprise, still lying in bed. Strange, I thought, I remember just getting up. Had I not gotten out of bed a second ago? I couldn’t be sure. No…
Read MoreRacquetball & Cataplexy
My boyfriend, Ben plays racquetball recreationally. I’d never played racquetball before, but as a college squash player and a lifelong tennis player, I thought racquetball would be an easy transition. Stepping onto the florescent white racquetball court the other night, both Ben and I predicted I may just beat him on my first try. Yet…
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