You Are Beautiful

A few years ago I attended a seminar called “Time Out for Women”. This seminar had an hour set aside for a new seminar they were testing out called “Time Out for Girls”. As the name suggests, this session was for the younger generation.

What I want to share with you is one of the many things we talked about; Body image, self-esteem, and positive reinforcement.
The lady teaching gave us a challenge. Every day when you wake up in the morning head down to the bathroom mirror, look yourself in the eye, smile, and tell yourself that you are a beautiful daughter of God. She told us to do it every day, but not to let the meaning of what we were doing slide from our mind.

We went on to talk about how words are powerful and how you talk to yourself is extremely important. Not just out loud, but in your head, because that’s where most negative thoughts reside. Can you say “I’m ugly” in your head while also saying “I am beautiful”? Go on, try it. I’ll wait.

You can’t! It’s impossible!

So when you are getting down on yourself and feel terrible; stop, take a look in the mirror, and think again. I am beautiful. Say it. Say it as often as possible. It’s not vain, it’s confident. You are beautiful. Do not let anyone say otherwise. That includes you.

Embrace your beauty instead of trying to fit into the mold of someone else. After all, there's only one you, and the world would be lost without you. Trust me. 

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Challenge Yourself

Am I the only one who's terrified and extremely intimidated by the thought of going to the gym to work out? I have no idea how to use the equipment they have! Can't I just stay home and workout in private where I can't be made fun of by avid gym goers who think (and are right) that I have no idea what I'm doing?

Okay, that's not the point of this post. Yes, I am terrified of the gym, but I will face that fear when I get off the road in July to go to college. Meanwhile, I promised a new fitness challenge, so here goes.

I surfed Pinterest for some workout plans and then YouTubed  researched some of the exercises that I didn't recognize for proper form. 

I am doing an "at home" workout that requires no equipment or optional weights/something heavy for the russian twists and squats. I'll be doing these workouts every day around 4pm to create consistency, taking pictures of my progress every Thursday. At the end of a month I'll post the side by side pictures to see the improvement, and then switch up the exercises and add more in to challenge myself and continue making progress. Baby steps, right?

Here are the two workouts I plan on alternating throughout the week. The "Extreme Body Weight" workout almost killed me, can't believe I've gotten so out of shape! Of course, it's not a workout I am used to, so maybe after a couple more times I'll be able to do every rep (I had to take some stuff down a bit). The early morning workout is meant to be a sort of rest day without resting, it's easier but not slacking. You feel me?

Yoga anybody? People say yoga improves your strength, mental health, agility, flexibility, over all well being, endurance, focus, etc. Seems like something I should look into, right? I found a simple yoga sequence I felt would help with my hamstring flexibility and hopefully reap some other benefits, and will do it every other day. I'm no expert when it comes to yoga, any tips would be greatly appreciated! Maybe we can entreat a post from Aurora about it?

This challenge is about getting in shape and challenging myself.

Wish me luck!


***Important Update***
Due to a knee injury resurfacing, I had to stop seriously exercising, but I will be starting up again and posting my progress soon!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

Fitness Update

Hey all!

It’s time for some real commitment fitness posting. We all posted our goals awhile back, and for the most part I did a lot of “working out” in the form of several different dance classes that incorporated various forms of exercise. Here’s a rundown of what I would do in a week:

Monday
Intermediate/Advanced ballet for an hour and a half. 

This class works as an all-over body workout focused mainly on core, butt, and legs, but also works your back, shoulders, and arms in a less extreme way. The class included a combination of cardio and strength exercises in the form of barre and center work.
Barre consisted of plies, tendues/degages, ronde jambs, fondu/developes, frappe, and turns designed to warm up, strengthen, and stretch calf, thigh, ankle, feet and core muscles. Center work is comprised of petit and grand allegro made up of turns, leaps, jumps, tendue, and adagio.

Tuesday
Intermediate ballet/pointe for an hour and a half

This class is the same as Monday’s class excepting less strenuous forms of barre and center work. It also included pointe work in the last ten minutes of class where we did small variations of the barre and center work en pointe, adding extra stress to ankle, legs, and core.

Modern for an hour 

Modern begins with an exercise to warm up the feet; a combination of popping your heel, plies, tendues/degages, and small developes and envelopes (de-vell-up-ays and en-vell-up-ays) facing forward, feet in parallel and then turned out. After that we move to a series of plies in first-fifth ballet positions, facing a different direction with every new position. Following these exercises we’ll do a variation of turns, rolls, and other modern movements and then learn our dance.

Wednesday
 Rest day 

Thursday
Jazz for an hour 

Warming up we would jog, skip, or chasse for a minute, high knees for thirty seconds, kick butts for thirty seconds, and jumping jacks for thirty seconds and repeat it three times. Then we would move into a series of stretches, followed by a differing arm or leg work out that we would change every couple of weeks and often a series of squats. Sometimes we would finish this off with butt/hip isolations and a coordination exercise.
After the workout we did complicated combinations of turns, leaps, kicks, and whatever else she decided to throw at us that day, and then our dance.

Lyrical for an hour 
Intense cardio, arm, and leg work out that we started with various forms of crunches, pull backs, and “c-tuck” hovers. We would go on to do kicks, plies, and stretches, and finished with inner thigh leg press exercises, lying toe touches, butt exercise, plank into push-ups, and lower back strengthening/stretching. After the initial work out we would do combinations of turns and leaps and then our dance.

 Friday
Ballroom for two or three hours, depending on the week. 

This depended entirely on the willingness of the participants to focus that day on whether or not we accomplished much dancing. I’d usually end up doing several intense swing dances and waltzing before I left though.

Saturday and Sunday are designated rest days cuz I usually didn’t end up doing anything those days towards actual “working out”.

I feel like that took more effort mentally to write up than it did to actually do it. Anyway, I had pretty dang good abs, firm thighs, butt, and arms from doing those exercises consistently. Stay tuned for a post about my fitness challenge I've come up with that will list specific exercises with reps and everything listed!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

22 Things Happy People Do Differently

I believe our self image is linked directly with how happy we are, so here are some great tips on how to live your life to be happier, and to love yourself more.

This article is from Chiara Fucarino over at Successify! 

There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Contrary to popular belief, happiness doesn’t come from fame, fortune, other people, or material possessions. Rather, it comes from within. The richest person in the world could be miserable while a homeless person could be right outside, smiling and content with their life. Happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They maintain a positive outlook on life and remain at peace with themselves.

The question is: how do they do that?

It’s quite simple. Happy people have good habits that enhance their lives. They do things differently. Ask any happy person, and they will tell you that the they; 

 1. Don’t hold grudges. Happy people understand that it’s better to forgive and forget than to let their negative feelings crowd out their positive feelings. Holding a grudge has a lot of detrimental effects on your wellbeing, including increased depression, anxiety, and stress. Why let anyone who has wronged you have power over you? If you let go of all your grudges, you’ll gain a clear conscience and enough energy to enjoy the good things in life.

2. Treat everyone with kindness. Did you know that it has been scientifically proven that being kind makes you happier? Every time you perform a selfless act, your brain produces serotonin, a hormone that eases tension and lifts your spirits. Not only that, but treating people with love, dignity, and respect also allows you to build stronger relationships.

 3. See problems as challenges. The word “problem” is never part of a happy person’s vocabulary. A problem is viewed as a drawback, a struggle, or an unstable situation while a challenge is viewed as something positive like an opportunity, a task, or a dare. Whenever you face an obstacle, try looking at it as a challenge.

4. Express gratitude for what they already have. There’s a popular saying that goes something like this: “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.” You will have a deeper sense of contentment if you count your blessings instead of yearning for what you don’t have.

5. Dream big. People who get into the habit of dreaming big are more likely to accomplish their goals than those who don’t. If you dare to dream big, your mind will put itself in a focused and positive state.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Happy people ask themselves, “Will this problem matter a year from now?” They understand that life’s too short to get worked up over trivial situations. Letting things roll off your back will definitely put you at ease to enjoy the more important things in life.

7. Speak well of others. Being nice feels better than being mean. As fun as gossiping is, it usually leaves you feeling guilty and resentful. Saying nice things about other people encourages you to think positive, non-judgmental thoughts.

8. Never make excuses. Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Happy people don’t make excuses or blame others for their own failures in life. Instead, they own up to their mistakes and, by doing so, they proactively try to change for the better.

9. Get absorbed into the present. Happy people don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They savor the present. They let themselves get immersed in whatever they’re doing at the moment. Stop and smell the roses.

10. Wake up at the same time every morning. Have you noticed that a lot of successful people tend to be early risers? Waking up at the same time every morning stabilizes your circadian rhythm, increases productivity, and puts you in a calm and centered state.

11. Avoid social comparison. Everyone works at his own pace, so why compare yourself to others? If you think you’re better than someone else, you gain an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you think someone else is better than you, you end up feeling bad about yourself. You’ll be happier if you focus on your own progress and praise others on theirs.

12. Choose friends wisely. Misery loves company. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with optimistic people who will encourage you to achieve your goals. The more positive energy you have around you, the better you will feel about yourself.

 13. Never seek approval from others. Happy people don’t care what others think of them. They follow their own hearts without letting naysayers discourage them. They understand that it’s impossible to please everyone. Listen to what people have to say, but never seek anyone’s approval but your own.

14. Take the time to listen. Talk less; listen more. Listening keeps your mind open to others’ wisdoms and outlooks on the world. The more intensely you listen, the quieter your mind gets, and the more content you feel.

15. Nurture social relationships. A lonely person is a miserable person. Happy people understand how important it is to have strong, healthy relationships. Always take the time to see and talk to your family, friends, or significant other.

16. Meditate. Meditating silences your mind and helps you find inner peace. You don’t have to be a zen master to pull it off. Happy people know how to silence their minds anywhere and anytime they need to calm their nerves.

17. Eat well. Junk food makes you sluggish, and it’s difficult to be happy when you’re in that kind of state. Everything you eat directly affects your body’s ability to produce hormones, which will dictate your moods, energy, and mental focus. Be sure to eat foods that will keep your mind and body in good shape.

18. Exercise. Studies have shown that exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft does. Exercising also boosts your self-esteem and gives you a higher sense of self-accomplishment.

19. Live minimally. Happy people rarely keep clutter around the house because they know that extra belongings weigh them down and make them feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Some studies have concluded that Europeans are a lot happier than Americans are, which is interesting because they live in smaller homes, drive simpler cars, and own fewer items.

20. Tell the truth. Lying stresses you out, corrodes your self-esteem, and makes you unlikeable. The truth will set you free. Being honest improves your mental health and builds others’ trust in you. Always be truthful, and never apologize for it.

21. Establish personal control. Happy people have the ability to choose their own destinies. They don’t let others tell them how they should live their lives. Being in complete control of one’s own life brings positive feelings and a great sense of self-worth.

22. Accept what cannot be changed. Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you’ll be more at peace with yourself. Instead of obsessing over how unfair life is, just focus on what you can control and change it for the better.

~La vie est belle, Bri~