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| Mike and I at the IAPS Convention in June! |
About a year and a half ago, I decided to get healthy. I was tired of my hip hurting from standing in a particular position at my easel. I always kind of lean back and put my weight on my right hip. I was tired of making choices about what activities to participate in because of this nagging pain. And, I must admit, I was tired of carrying around that last bit of weight that I'd always wished I could loose.
I'd been exercising doing a form of dance called NIA, nianow.com, but I really wasn't putting that together with a healthy diet and other lifestyle choices to get the most benefit. NIA incorporates not just fitness, but self awareness and self-healing . So, with a very conscious approach, I lost 15 pounds, changed my diet to mostly fruits and veggies. I eat small meals about six times a day and exercise to break a sweat at least three times a week. I'm now in the process of trying to eliminate things like caffeine which I find very, very hard. But I'm making progress.
I share this with you because a few people have been curious about my weight loss and how I did it. Some were concerned that it was actually ill-health which couldn't be more opposite. Mostly, I share this because I've never felt better, stronger more capable as a person and more perceptive as an artist. I truly believe in the very close connection between energy and attention/mind body.
I feel so fortunate to have found NIA. It makes me happy and makes me go back, again and again.I know it's not every ones path to fitness, but it was most certainly mine. Soooo, check it out and have fun dancing.
4 comments:
Hi Marla, you look just fabulous - congratulations! We all fall into bad habits, and it takes a lot of mindfulness to shift weight off our enduring frames. Caffeine is a tricky one for me too, cut down to one cup a day now, hot chocolate with a sprinkle of chilli is taking up the slack! plus herb tea.
I've dropped nearly 40lbs now, taken me about 7 months, quite a few more to go, but with increased fitness and strength, I can stand at the easel for hours now. Push-ups took care of niggling shoulder and neck issues. Over here in NZ we have a fitness dance called 'Zumba' - which is a lot of fun. Good on you - inspiring on many levels!
I looked up NIA and it looks like a lot of fun. I think I may dance like this when alone listening to my music. Maybe I should do it more! I've got to balance stress much better this next year and eat better. My gall bladder was screaming by end of May and it has taken all summer to calm down. Hard to balance working full time with my art but I must try harder. Congratulations on the recognition at IAPS. Your work is truly an inspiration.
It feels just so great to be in good shape, healthy, happy....so lucky!!!
Congratulations, it sounds like you are making a lot of positive changes in your life. Caffeine is tough but I did it by making my own mix of regular and decaf, slowly changing the portions. Now I have one cup of straight decaf a day and many days I am too busy to drink it. The great thing is that I never have the caffeine hangover!! Good luck!
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