Palisades Village, a network of volunteers that supports seniors who choose to live and stay in our community, is looking for volunteers. Read on to learn how you can use your skills to help!
Fitness and Parenting.. from ZEN HABITS
From Zen Habits Blog
"I’m a big subscriber to using whatever you can find to work out: pullups on trees, throw big boulders, flip logs or big tires, jump over things, sprint up hills...
As a parent and a minimalist, I’d like to share my ultimate minimalist workout secret: my kids are my gym.
Fellow parents, if you’re not doing this yet, I can’t recommend it highly enough. How are they my gym? Instead of paying hundreds of dollars (even thousands) a year for a gym, I use my kids to get in shape.
How? Every way I can, but here’s a few:
I carry them on my shoulders as we walk around town.
We race each other to the corner, sprinting. Often up hills.
I do pushups with them on my back.
I lift them up in the air — it’s like lifting weights.
I’ll let them hang on me as I do chinups.
We climb and jump around in the playground.
We play with the soccer ball — getting lots of sprints in as we do.
We jump around in the ocean. A great workout.
We wrestle.
We challenge each other to do pistols (one-legged squats) or handstand pushups (what they sound like). Mostly we can’t, but it’s fun.
We do lunges while walking up a hill.
I carry them slung across my shoulders — a fireman’s carry — which is a great workout btw.
I’ll carry one on my back, piggy-back style, while racing another kid up a hill. Yes, I love hills.
Awesomer than a gym
So why is this so awesome?
1. We bond. Instead of spending time away from the kids at a gym, I spend time with them. And get a great workout in throughout the day. It’s two birds, one stone, saving time while helping me bond with my kids.
2. Work becomes play. It’s not exercise, it’s not a workout, it’s *play*. And that’s a whole different ballgame. Play is fun, it’s challenging, it’s easy, and yet it’s a great way to get in shape.
3. No cost. OK, kids aren’t cheap — but I have them anyway, so why not use them? I’m saving money and getting fit — that’s all kinds of win.
4. I’m being a role model. Kid learn most of all from what they see others doing, especially their parents. You can tell them things all day long, but unless they see you doing it, you’re not teaching them much. When we go to the gym, they don’t see us working out. When we workout as we play with them, they’re learning how to be healthy, and that is a gift that will last a lifetime.
5. It’s a lifestyle. I don’t work out at one time during the day, and then stay sedentary the rest of the day. It’s all throughout the day, every day, which means it’s woven into my life, not a small segment of my life. This is what a healthy lifestyle looks like.
6. It’s functional. When you do a bicep curl with a dumbbell, you’re making a motion that you never would do in real life — when have you ever lifted something heavy while keeping your upper arm fixed to your torso? Instead, when we lift heavy things, we bend at the knees, and use our legs, our torso, our shoulders, our arms — basically most of our body at once. When I lift my kids, that’s the same motion I’d use to lift anything else. Functional exercise is much more useful than isolated lifts.
Working out using my kids as equipment is the best thing I’ve done with my fitness. It’s fun, so I never want to stop. It’s functional, it’s cheap, and best of all, I get to do it with my kids. I love it."
thanks LEO!
—
Prenatal MUSIC.. Part 2
Okay, so first we published the list of LOVED lil omm musicians.. now I actually made Imixes for you all! ( thanks Paige for telling me how easy it is, and Natalia and Sylvie for inspiring me to work on this project)
Here are the links below- check out our Prenatal lil omm music!
4 different mixes for you , for home, labor, birthing mix, whatever!
ENJOY!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=403616676
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=403618224
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=403618229
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=403619564
YoKid - an organization close to our hearts!
Help support this amazing organization that brings yoga to kids who need it most!
YoKid's 3rd annual Wellness Weekend & Silent Auction is just around the corner...
FREE activities for adults and children
November 13th & 14th
lululemon athletica ~ Georgetown
Saturday, November 13th
5:00-5:30: Open bidding/information opportunities
5:30 – 6:15: Healthy Movement Presentation by Hoop Dance DC
6:30 -7:15: Making Nutrition a Core Value for Your Family w/Whole Foods Market Eating Specialist Amanda Louden
7:15-8:00: Open bidding/information opportunities
Sunday, November 14th
2:00-4:30: YoKid Challenge: Can you do 108 Sun Salutations?
4:45- 5:30: Healthy Eating w/Takeyah Young of Core Connection Lifestyle AND Monica Silvestro
5:30-6:00: Open bidding/information opportunities/YoKid Video presentation
Event Sponsors Include:
Budding Yogis, Capitol Hill Yoga, lil omm yoga(!), quiet mind yoga, Radiance Yoga Studio, Yoga Alliance, Dawn Wilson of Keller Williams Realty, and Jen Walker Realty.!
Wondering which event to choose? The big part of the weekend is the YoKid Challenge on Sunday, November 14th, 2:00-4:30 at lululemon athletica, Georgetown. Adults and children will challenge themselves to see how many sun salutations they can do (the goal: 108)! Some of our students are in need of sponsors because many of the adults in their immediate community are not available to support their efforts. If you would like to adopt a child to sponsor please sign up! (Sponsors commit to donating $.05-$1.00 for each sun salutation, up to 108 salutations, that the child completes.)
Get more info, sign up for events or sponsor a YoKid here.
Did you know that YoKid is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization? All donations are tax-deductible. YoKid's program fees are based on a sliding scale designed so that ALL children can have access to yoga & meditation by qualified instructors.
Have further questions? Email us at info[at]lilomm[dot]com or contact
michele of YoKid / 703.475.0046
Teachings from Zen Mama
Thanks Brandice, for passing this on to us. What wonderful teachings here in this text. And lil omm is THRILLED to host Karen Maezen Miller here to DC in April.
We spoke in our postnatal class last week about the CHALLENGES we face with asking for help as women, as mothers. Read below for some guidance , support and mindful love. ENOY!
From Karen Maezen Miller...
"First let me say how humbled I am by the questions. More than that, I am proud of everyone. When we ask for help, we empower ourselves to make a positive change.
I grouped the questions together by type, so each response applies to dozens of questioners. Even though our circumstances are unique, the underlying issues we face are common. Most of us are disappointed with ourselves – our anger, our impatience and our feelings of imbalance. We feel out of control and anxious about the future – about how our children will survive and thrive.
I hope readers find a glimmer of hope and encouragement in the answers that follow. If what I say is not quite enough, please contact me personally through my website atwww.karenmaezenmiller.com and give me a second chance to help. I will do my best. Thank you for your patience and kindness.
Q: How do you keep your cool in the face of outright defiance? How do you deal with the drama and stresses without losing it? How do you keep a zen-like attitude? Where do I find patience?
A: All of us lose our cool. What matters is that we find it again. I can’t pretend to keep my cool in the face of defiance, even though I’d like to. The job of children is to defy their parents. Kids are always stretching boundaries for themselves and for us. It’s how they grow, face consequences, learn responsibility and become independent. It’s also how we grow as parents. Our children resist us because they must, and in a way, it’s a sign of how much they trust us.
What helps me most is to step away – literally. I try to go into another room, take a comfortable seat, catch my breath and slow down. There is a chair in my room I call my “quiet chair.” When I come back I can speak my mind without losing it. I can say, rather than scream, “I’m upset right now. I don’t like what is happening right now. I need you to change what you are doing right now. I’m sad. I’m angry. I’m tired. My head is about to explode.” My family always appreciates when I warn them about how I am feeling rather than suppress it until I erupt in rage. It’s like a weather report: they can adjust before the storm catches them off guard.
When I lose it, I can always apologize (even when it’s not my fault!) That’s the fastest way to bring the temperature down. Then we all start over. The truth is, we all want to find a way to get along, and working with myself is the fastest way to change the situation.
Q: How do I deal with my own nit-pickiness? I am a control freak and a perfectionist. I want the best for my daughter but I also want her to do her best.
A: This is a constant question for me. First of all, we’re all control freaks. We just have different ways we try to exert control. Sometimes we try to control things around us by what we do; sometimes we try to control things by what we don’t do. Give yourself credit. You have recognized that your expectations and fears may be at the root of the problem. When we act out of fear or guilt our decisions are not well-made.
From time to time I realize that everything I say to my family is a command, such as “Go do such and such!” or a correction, “You did it wrong,” or a second-guess, “Did you remember to do such and so?” Once I hear myself, I realize how I must sound to them! No wonder they tune me out!
We all want our children to do their best. We have to trust that we are all, always, doing our best, and remember that what encourages us all is positive reinforcement. Not false praise, but recognition. The other day I said to one of my daughter’s friends, “You’re a great kid.” My daughter turned to me accusingly. “You never tell me I’m a great kid!”
She was right. I’m too busy trying to turn her into a great kid to realize she already is one. Tell your daughter she’s a great kid, and give yourself a break. You’re a great mom too.
Q: How do I restore balance in my life?
A: The nature of balance is imbalance. Let’s all accept that it’s impossible to keep from tilting out of balance! The point is not that we tilt, but that we find our way back to center, moment after moment. This is the essence of faith.
Keep reminding yourself what your priorities are. In our hearts, we know what they are. In our daily lives, we keep forgetting. When I actively choose my work – even my housework! – over time with my children or husband, I have to be honest with myself. We have choices to make every moment of the day. When we are mindfully aware of the choice we are making, there is no need to feel guilty. We all have work to do, and when it’s time to work, work. When we get lost in our worries and preoccupations, wasting our time, then we need to correct ourselves.
The wonderful thing about children is that they need us far less than we think they do. Although our children may be in our constant company, they need our undistracted attention for one hour a day. This is an hour when we are not on the phone, on the computer, cleaning up, giving orders, getting angry, etc. That might sound impossible, but if we don’t have an hour a day to spend with our children talking, playing, and paying attention, then we have a problem we have to face.
I use a kitchen timer to keep track of time so I can devote my attention to my priorities single-mindedly without distracting myself. That even goes for “floor time” playing with my daughter (when she was little.)
Attention is the most important thing we can give our children. Attention is love, and what we pay attention to thrives. Just keep asking yourself, “What am I paying attention to right now?” You’ll find your balance again and again.
Q: I struggle with past mistakes and worry that my daughter will hate me. How can we make sure our children grow up knowing they are loved and full of worth?
A: We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. The best way to repair the past is to apologize, even if there was no way to have done anything differently. To do this, we have to stop obsessing about past events, stop casting blame and simply say, “I’m sorry.” It’s the fastest way to let go. The best way to change the future is to say, “I love you,” even if we can’t see the outcome of our love right away. These two things are the most that we can do, so we must do them, and forgive ourselves for everything else.
Q: How do I deal with my frustrations with my husband? I feel like I’m doing more than my fair share at home.
A: I’m sure you are doing more. You are doing things your way, and he is doing things his way. This is true in all relationships. The purpose of a relationship is to teach us how to get along with people who don’t do things our way! (I hate that part.) I understand your resentment, fatigue and worry. I have those feelings every day. You can continue doing things the same way, realizing that even though they exhaust you they also give you a sense of order and fulfillment; and you can also practice giving others more time and space to pick up the slack. It always helps me to give myself some time off: an evening with girlfriends, or even by myself, so I can have fun, relax and refresh myself. My husband can have some daddy time. Then we can all start over with renewed appreciation for one another.
Q: Some days are good but some days are very bad. I need help keeping my head in the right place. Pointers and advice, please.
A: Here are 5 simple things I practice every day:
Ask for help. Ask for help from others – your children, your partner, your friends, your neighbors, your church – and pray. Prayer works.
Create a place for peace and quiet for yourself. Noise elevates stress. Although at first they will complain if you turn off the TV and all electronics, your children will benefit from an hour or two without them. Their nerves are fried too.
Breathe. When we are stressed we forget to breathe, especially to exhale. The breath is the body’s own calming device. When you focus on your breath it quiets the craziness in your head.
Pay attention to what is in front of you. If problems seem insurmountable, focusing on the one simple thing in front of you will keep you steady and unafraid. This may be something as simple as washing the dishes or sorting the laundry.
Let yourself go to sleep. Rest is a miracle cure, and things always look different in the morning.
About Karen Maezen Miller (from her Web site): I call myself an errant wife, delinquent mother, reluctant dog walker, expert laundress and stationmaster of the full catastrophe. I’m also a Zen Buddhist priest and teacher, or sensei, at the Hazy Moon Zen Center in Los Angeles. Don’t let that last part confuse you. I’m not the kind of priest you have pictured in your mind. I’m the kind of priest that looks a lot like you do, doing the same kinds of things you do, every day.
If every Tuesday afternoon you wheeled your garbage cans out to the curb and saw your next-door neighbor doing the very same thing, your neighbor would be me.
--
Meet Dena!
Each month, we'll be featuring a lil omm teacher in our monthly newsletter. Dena has been a integral part of the lil omm community, and we're so happy to share her path!
Five years had passed between Dena's first experience with yoga and when it became an integral part of her life. In her late-twenties and rising in her career in educational administration, she found herself walking bent-over around Manhattan, unable to stand upright.
After just one yoga class with an incredible teacher, her aching, stressed and twisted back began to feel relief. Yoga was the antidote to an incredibly fast-paced, disconnected life. After three-years of a dedicated practice with Kripalu master teacher Priti Robyn Ross and ISHTA-trained Lauren Hale, Dena pursued her new calling and became a Kripalu Certified Yoga Teacher.
She believes that yoga is a process of personal discovery and that even in class settings, yoga is an individual experience. Each time on the mat is unique. The body is different everyday. The connection with breath and the challenges of the mind change each time the practice of yoga is engaged. As a teacher, she is there as a trained and knowledgeable guide. Paths may be offered, but are only suggestions. Even young or inexperienced yogis can attune themselves to their bodies, mind and breath to discover what is needed, what feels good, and how to meet a challenge. As a student turns inward, listens and explores, the inquiry of yoga will begin and a journey will unfold.
Practice with Dena at any of her regular classes, including:
Kids
Littles (drop off class for 3-4 year olds) on Wednesdays @ 4:00pm
Tweens + Teens on Wednesdays @ 5:00pm
Adults
Adult Yoga on Saturday @ 8:00am
Families
Family Yoga (3+Up) Mini Session, 3 week class starting this Sunday @ 5:00pm
Upcoming Workshops
No School Today on 11/11
PJ Party on 12/4
Dena hosts lil omm birthday parties, too!
want more details about these classes and workshops?
view the entire schedule here
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