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Last month's theme was NO. Saying no more, noticing opportunities to say no, and removing distractions and input. The theme I set up for March was "f*ck yeah or no". I want to do stuff I only feel f*ck yeah about. But, I'm struggling a bit with this philosophy. a) I have to do boring stuff like go to work. b) I get tired of "f*ck yeah" all the time. Instead, I want to focus on mindfulness, processing, and being intentional about what comes into my life. The same as before, but an amped up version of "no". Combat the FOMO. I want to involve myself in experiences that are good enough I want to live them twice, I want to keep being aware of how much I take on, and I want to be a little bit bored. I want more downtime than I know what to do with...it's not my strong suit. Q1: Salad every day! Same as last challenge--a salad every work day (4 days a week). Last month was pretty easy but I want some more time to settle into this habit. Q2: Skill practice/flexibility work Last challenge I wanted to do one session of skill practice/flexibility work per week. This challenge I'd like to do two sessions per week. Q3: Daily Social Media Check-in Last challenge I set up some tracking and kept my social media use down during work hours. It was pretty effective, but it didn't touch any social stuff I did on my phone or my home laptop. I just want to track if I've accessed Twitter or Facebook on any device, each day. How many days can I go without checking in? I found last challenge that the longer I went without going to Twitter/FB, the less interesting it was to me. And I want to track why I went to social media each time. I've also tried to turn off my Google Now feed on my phone...but it isn't working. So I want to track how often I go there. Q4: Daily Writing Write every day for 15 minutes. Any kind of writing. The end. I haven't been getting enough sleep so FIRST AND FOREMOST that has to stop. But I'm pretty good at regulating that, so no official quest. -- A few obstacles: My partner's parents are coming to visit for a week I'm going to a HUGE HUGE conference the last week of the challenge. It's always crazy intense and exhausting, and as I've gotten more involved in the community, it gets more and more exhausting. I'm already overwhelmed trying to figure out where I'm going to be when. So, I'm going to do a special challenge week like I did last year, adjusted based on what I learned: Goal 1: Stay hydrated (3 nalgenes per day) Goal 2: Lie down on the floor for ten minutes every day. Goal 3: Bring sneakers so you can work out in the swanky hotel gym. Goal 4: Check-in with my conference buddies at least once a day.

I just picked up a copy of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. I'm still on the first chapter, but it looks like a chunk of the book will focus on mindfulness and how being more aware and more alert can keep your brain sharper. The book jacket says the author explores Sherlock's "unique methods of ever-present mindfulness, astute observation, and logical deduction." Has anyone read this book? If so, what did you think? Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan? Comment below.

Hi Rangers. I’m back... a few pounds fluffier after a long dark winter... but determined to regain my old lithe self. Keeping it simple this time, all comes down to focus. Fuel the fire: Track food. Eat to 500 cal deficit. No alcohol (variance allowed for my birthday, coming up towards the end of the challenge!) Move that body: Walk outside, at least an hour each day (can be broken up throughout the day). Hot yoga, targeting 3x per week. 100 squats (also can be broken up through the day, and just body weight for now, say my knees). Focus on the positive: recognize 3 good things each day. I’m excited to getting back to my best self! Range on!

Here I go again. Re-spawn. Now that I'm married, returned from a fantastic honeymoon and back into the swing of things, some changes have been made and continue to be underway. At my wedding in July 2017, I didn't quite reach my goal weight, but I was happy enough to fit in that dress and still be reasonably passable and not feel like a stuffed sausage. I weighed in at 149, then. After the wedding, Keven and I gained a significant amount of weight back in a short amount of time -- relaxed and eating what we please, little to no exercise, winter hibernation setting in, and having fun on our honeymoon, I ballooned to 173 pounds! Both vowing to go back on the diet when we returned, the first week of January, I since lost 13 pounds at my last weigh in on Feb 3rd, only to gain 9 pounds of it back this last week. It happened to both of us. Burn out and stress. This week I'm refocused and ready to go all the way and so is he. Goal is to get to my goal weight of 135 pounds before my 41st birthday in August. Maybe get pregnant before I'm 42, 43? First, how is it possible to gain 9 pounds in a week, I ask? It can't all be real fat! I can't help but feel that a lot of the weight is water retention, salt and waste (okay BLOATING) and yes of course some stored fat. Today I start the challenge by continuing on our low carb diet, I know the weight will appear to melt off, like 2-3 pounds a day for a week, then I'll start getting into real extra fat loss at least that is my theory, and it will be more like the normal healthy 1-2 pounds a week. I felt I wanted to track my progress again using NerdFitness. Love this place! Thought of it last night and said I'd revisit you today. And what do I find? A new challenge that started today! A serendipitous moment? Hmmmm...well here I go, continuing what I started in January and then some... A new positive attitude going in instead of dreading it. I can say I started off reasonably well by going to bed at 10:30 last night. I woke up early, 10 minutes of yoga, and drank green tea. Did not leave myself enough time for breakfast though. The Challenge Basics: 20 net carbohydrates daily Drink more water Daily morning yoga routine Drawing MINDING THE DETAILS In keeping within the 20 net carb total, in effect training my metabolism to burn fat instead of sugar the following foods are on the list- Avocados, chicken, Beef, Pork, Pepperoni, Turkey, Eggs, Bacon, Salmon, Tuna, Spinach, Kale, Tomatoes, Onions, Celery, Asparagus, Green Beans, Limited variety of nuts and seeds, Blueberries, Blackberries, Greek Yogurt (not the low fat kind), Cheese, Pickles, Jalapenos, Homemade blue cheese dressing, Garlic, Mayonnaise, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil (contingent on affordability), Real Butter, Herb tea, Limited Coffee with cocoa, Stevia, and cream, Water, Seltzer water, 6-12 oz diet Pepsi (now aspartame free!), and limited dark chocolate. One cheat meal every two weeks, or every 6 pounds of weight lost with a conscience effort to keep the portion size reasonable. Drink more water - I have a 32 oz water bottle at work, goal is to drink at least half of it there. Daily 10 minute morning yoga and mindfulness routine - includes coinciding side goals Setting a 10:30 pm bed time curfew Involves actually rolling out of bed at 6:15, 6:30 at the latest 10 minute yoga Mindfulness Drinking green tea Eating breakfast before leaving for work Art and Drawing - also includes coinciding side goals - paves the path towards a longer life-time goal that leads to being a prolific artist, and stoking the fire of artistic passion and inspiration Setting and keeping an hour appointment with myself twice a week, no exceptions, to do nothing but draw something An artist date once a week where I do something artistically whimsical and inspiring Mindfulness Meditation Tomorrow's plan Everything I did today with some mindful effort: Waking earlier Morning Yoga Breakfast before leaving for work Walking to work 7pm - 1 hour of drawing That's it. Here's to a successful day ONE in mental attitude, and doing most of what I set out to do before I even knew there was a challenge starting today.

where's the lie though? actual goal of this challenge: treat myself like my cats. when my cats do something wrong or make a mistake i don't judge them. i treat them with kindness and deal with the results of whatever just happened. so...the same goes for me. also, taking things one at a time. cats aren't stressing about things that may or may not happen. they just do whatever is in front of them I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THIS CHALLENGE AS IT IS 12:40 AM. but i think the sentiment is right. measurable ways of doing this...is one of tomorrow's goals. gotta do a 2017 reflection in my last challenge and then, 2018 i'm so ready for you.

Hello Everybody - Back for another challenge. I chose to step out last challenge because of the big project I had at work. To make a long story short - I had to do in 11 days a project that took me six weeks last time. I got it done, but it wasn't pretty. I also spent the next few weeks recovery. I did some yoga, and some walking but that's about it. So, this challenge is about rebuilding the good habits I had going before the project. Details are below the fold:

Hello, Annyshay Here! Last challenge I learned something about myself... I am SO MUCH STRONGER than I have given myself credit for, and I can TRUST MYSELF. Let's get right down to business shall we? This challenge, we're going to get to know the Earth with Toph. Quests! Barefoot - spend time every day in nature barefoot Twinkle Toes - movement breaks (dancing encouraged) Melon Lord - tell stories, play games Dig Down - ongoing recovery work (journal and various online communities) Also, never forget. No one is alone. Let's get started!!!

Repost with some edits from my Battle Plan Been offline here for way too long and have slipped back a long way from where I wanted to be this year. For some reason I always have a weird feeling of being a disappointment when I really fall of the wagon to getting back online and updating because I really feel like I've disappointed all my online friends on here, a stupid feeling I know but a strong one none the less. But after a lot of struggling and beating myself up I've finally got back on and want to try and finish out the year strong. Around the beginning of the summer I hurt my back pretty bad which really thrown me off, and it has been a constant battle between the back pain and my own pity party because of the back pain causing me not to really want to do anything. I traveled around a lot this summer (want to Italy and Greece and to Tennessee) and overall had a great time but I know it wasn't the best for my back since sitting down tends to be what causes me the most pain and those long plane rides were painful . Plus having to stop exercising just made me hate myself and just snowball into bad eating habits on top of no exercise. Needless to say I'd gained some weight over the past few months which just added more snow to the snowball. Then once the school year started back I got the icing on the shitcake and was informed that my classroom had flooded over the summer and they still hadn't finished the floor. One week till the start of school and I couldn't even get into my classroom to start setting up, every day they told me that it would be ready the next day and then the next day would come and it still wouldn't be done. That continued for two weeks, into the first week of actual school and I couldn't even get into my classroom to start setting up for the year. Needless to say that didn't help my stress levels or my back, and made my work hell for the first month and a half of school. Finally, I decided that enough was enough and I wanted my life back. I was tired of life happening to me and being caught up in the shitstorm that my life had become for the last few months and decided to take back control, so I started with what I could do and I decided that I was going to wake up early and do yoga every day, so I started doing yoga every morning. So far I am 24 days straight of doing as much or as little yoga and I can. About a week ago I even decided to double down and signed up for a year long unlimited membership at a great local yoga studio and so far I love it and it's (or at least seems to be) helping out my back. Taking that victory and trying to keep up I've gone ahead and started making some goals and have a plan for the next 4 week challenge: Ryuu Survives Aincrad (_____/200) 1 HS The idea of MMORPGs and grinding levels has been on my mind a lot recently because its a lot like real life having to grind to get to the next level. Its a long (and mostly boring) process, but once you really get into the game or the activity the grind can become relatively fun. For this challenge I'm focusing on the grind, trying to build sustainable habits and get some level ups along the way. In past challenges I've used hit points to good success so I'll be using them again. Stat Bonuses- Goal One: Nutrition- ____/7: ____/28 Record Nutrition and be close to 1700 cal. Every 7 days of Recording = +1 Health Crystal (HS) Within >200: +0hp, >300 off: -10hp, >500 off: -25hp, 600+: -50hp, No Recording: -100hp Ultimate goal to loose ~2lbs maybe 1-1.5 bf% Start lbs: 165.2 BF%: 22.8 Practice my Sword Arts- Goal Two: Yoga Everyday- _____/7: _______/28 Yoga Everyday, for as much or as little time as I can, just do it. ~5min: +0hp 20-30min: +5hp 1h+: +10hp Explore the World- Goal Three: Walk Everyday- ____/7: ______/28 Walk everyday for 5+ min, Mindfully: Concentrate on my day, the future, the sights and sounds of nature...exc 0- 5000 Steps: -10hp 5-7000 Steps: +0hp 7-9000 Steps: +5hp 9-10,000 Steps: +10hp 10-15,000 Steps +15hp Find Magic in Words- Goal Four: Read Everyday- _____/7: ______/28 Read everyday for 20+ min. 0min: -25hp ~20min: +0hp 1h+: +10hp

Annyshay always knew she was a hobbit. She was born in a sleepy farming town of the Shire. As a young hobbit, she worked the land with her family. Her nose was often firmly wedged in a book, and she fancied herself quite the scholar. When turmoil split her family asunder, she began her apprenticeship and long quest to live a good life. For years, Annyshay found her hobbit-y nature at odds with her training and quest. The confused hobbit struggled through periods of being “good” and keeping perfectionistic track of everything she did. Inevitably, she would lose momentum and return to the joy of second breakfast, elevensies, and her hobbit hole. Somehow, she managed to lose herself amidst all the stress, processed food, sedentary habits, and self-doubt. This was not the good life that she dreamed of all those years ago on the farm. One day, Annyshay was cleaning out a trunk, when she found an old scroll with “For the Rebellion!” on its seal. Filled with curiosity, she brought the scroll to her favorite reading chair, so that she could investigate the matter fully whenever she had a chance. When Annyshay eventually cracked the seal of the scroll, she found it was more than she imagined – a device that allowed her to interact with countless Rebels questing to improve their lives. Although she was cautious at first, the support and tales of these Rebels convinced her to join them. Annyshay learned from her fellow Rebels that she was a Hylian Hero and her life was about so much more than safety, comfort, and control. Annyshay has set out on an adventure to become the Hero she was born to be - resilient and radiant, so that she reflects God among the nations! Herein lies the Legend of Annyshay. The Legend of Annyshay, like so many heroic tales is not exactly linear. She has been adventuring with the rebellion since 2012 - as a hobbit, superhero, bender, and of course Link. Her quests have led her on many twists and turns, as you can see if you desire to wade through the Tales of Yore below. In September 2016, Annyshay was called to join a deeper Adventure at Camp Nerd Fitness. In the mountains of Clayton, Georgia, she was convinced well and truly by the Wizards and Headmasters that she is a Hero. Inspired by the stories of Atollo, Tyrus, Havok, Rheno, and Volo, as well as the countless rebels she met in real life, Annyshay returned with Character, Ability, Mind, and Purpose in order to stand against the darkness. Annyshay will fully embody and manifest herself as the Hero of Light.

For any newbies, welcome! I'm Annyshay (Shannon IRL), and I've been wandering around in the rebellion for quite some time now. For all my allies, welcome back! I'm never exactly sure where I fit... assassin, ranger, adventurer, druid. Lately, I've had a lot of life events that have brought me back to examine my identity. And like any millennial worth her salt, I took a bunch of online quizzes... Unfortunately... Your results were not clear. Tell me about it, quiz... wait a minute. I know what this means. I'm the friggen... Time to bust out of this stupid Iceberg... With a little help from my friends... (PS, that's you guys )

Bye Weeks Challenge Goals Quest One - Try something new Cooking! I love cooking and am always looking for new things to try so this goal is 1 new recipe per week. Quest Two - Mini fitness goal Changed to one extra day of weight training. So Weights 2x a week: Tuesday and Sunday Quest Three - Unadulterated joy Reading for pleasure. I don't do this regularly enough . It always makes my day better so 30 minutes of reading per day. Continuing with meditation also falls under this goal. Life Quest: Finish Papers before June 3

Hello again, all! I'm back for another air-installment to try to build awesome habits. Last time around, my challenge was simple, but I still bit off more than I could chew. My new job, an online course (just finished up!) a surprise Whole30 with coworkers and some other challenges really threw wrenches into my system. Not great! I'd like to do this challenge again (even though I did alright last time!) to really solidify these habits and build on them. I'll also be emphasizing daily morning rituals. When you're taking care of an Air Temple, you've got to start the day off right! Equinoxe's Airbender Challenge: Part II Mindful Study: Morning Practice Start the day with 15-30 min of morning meditation at 5am. I have found that reading in the evening is better than starting with reading in the morning; I get into a groove, and don't want to stop! That's better to save for when I don't feel the time pressure to get out the door for work... Mindful Moving: Morning Exercise Pretty self-explanatory. I've been ramping up my exercise routines, but want to aim for more frequency rather than harder workouts. My biggest challenge will be making time for exercise every day, instead of getting a head start at the office. (My #1 excuse for skipping a workout) But now that I have the Movement Space set up, I want to use it! I'll be focusing on yoga and weights/rowing, alternating every other day. Mindful Eating: Eat (and drink!) Like an Airbender Alright, this goal will be separated into two parts: First part, finish my vegetarian Whole30 with my coworkers (done the last week of October). Second part: Continue eating primarily whole-foods plant-based through the rest of the challenge. I've ID'd some great foods that seem to do really well for me, and I want to favor them. (I'll probably get more specific about this goal when the second stage rolls around) As for my mindless snacking, I've been eating a LOT of nuts over my Whole30, which has actually been making me feel pretty ill. Instead of snacking, my plan is to reach for herbal tea! That seems good enough for now. Let's keep training! Boom!

#Focus Sleep In the wake of the Relationship Strife, sleep has been elusive and fitful. I persist in the routine, though, and that helps. There are a lot of physical ailments coming about, and all together the symptoms seem to be pointing to a resurgence of chronic fatigue. I'm not happy about this, I can assure you. Legal The Big Honking Court Date is October 4 -- review of custody, visitation, support and divorce matters, all thrown in together. It would be lovely to have a resolution that is supportive of Vivian and her interests.I will be doing as much praying about this as I will paperwork. Daily Sauna or hot bath Daily Writing a few pages each day, hopefully finding something that can get worked on well enough to turn in for the submission due on October 1. Weekly Therapy because a week without it would be tragic. Daily Craft Reading Even if it is only a page or three, this will help hold my writing and my headspace, making what I write that much better along the way. #Acceptance leads to #patience. #Patience leads to #balance. #Balance leads to #harmony. #Harmony leads to #peace.

Main Quest To live a healthy and balanced life by exercising and trying to eat healthy. My motivation I eat 1200 calories per day, M-F with blow meals on weekends. It’s been over 3 months since my last challenge and I want to get back into the regiment of it, so I’m back! And I’m with the Druids again for this challenge. I’ve been going to the gym, but it hasn’t been as focused on a particular area since I haven’t done a challenge in awhile. I intend to do some weightlifting, per my usual, but I want to focus more on other smaller quests this time around. I enjoy doing themed workouts and for this challenge it will be Avatar, since the Na’vi are appropriately nature-oriented. That, and Neytiri is just awesome! The titles of my small quests are from the Avatar soundtrack too. Smaller Quests 1. The Path To Heaven - Walking I’ve done running for challenges, now I want to go back to walking. It doesn’t make me break as big a sweat as running does, but it makes my legs stiff in new and painful ways so that’s gotta’ count for something! Also, my husband walks A LOT and I want to be able to keep up with him better. The final week of this challenge will likely get tricky for this though as I will be in Cozumel and thus, underwater scuba diving most of my days. Hopefully, I can get to my 30 mile goal before I go, but we’ll have to see. Scoring: x/30 miles in 4 weeks (7.5 miles per week, at the gym) Reward: +4 to STA (1 for each week completed) 2. I See You - Mindfulness I want to practice better mindfulness; that is, being thankful for everything I have and meditating more. I already am very aware of, and extremely thankful for, all that I have. However, I think I should be giving thanks for the food I eat so I want to try to take a few silent moments before eating to remember where my food comes from and to honor the essence and sacrifice of it. I will aim for giving thanks daily, but if I can do it once per meal that would be ideal. I also want to practice more meditation. I’m a relaxed and easy going person by nature, but I miss meditating and want to do it more so I’m trying for once per week. Scoring: Mindfulness /29 days Meditation /4 weeks Reward: +3 to CON & +3 to CHA 3. Becoming One Of ‘The People’ - Spanish I’m going back to Cozumel soon, during the last week of this challenge actually, so I want to get back in the habit of practicing my Spanish daily during the week. I want to practice at least one DuoLingo session each day. This will be difficult because of my schedule on weekends and going to Rehoboth and then being in Cozumel too. I also find that I practice Spanish more regularly in conjunction with a challenge here. Scoring: /29 Reward: +5 to WIS

Hi everybody! My name is Annyshay. I'm an assassin adventurer from Hyrule. I've been wandering these wilds for quite some time now, but there's always more to practice and learn. I am committed to recovery (anxiety, depression, disordered eating, etc) in order to seek adventure and inspire others to rise up. Feel free to check out my battle log if you'd like more backstory and/or nitty-gritty details. Main Quest: Resilient and Radiant This challenge, I'm going to return to Zelda-dom for further inspiration. If you've managed to miss it somehow, I'm currently completely engrossed by Breath of the Wild. There's five billion ways that I could pattern my challenge on this game, but I'm going to stick to a relatively small part of the awesomeness in an area that I'm addressing IRL. Hopefully this will minimize spoilers. Idea shamelessly borrowed (heck, we're assassins here...) stolen from @Akura. I'll be collecting ingredients (goals) and using them to cook up some excellent meals (weekly summaries). I'll detail goals below, but I totally reserve the right to add bonus ingredients based on other awesome feets of recovery, cooking, or general badassery. Let's get cooking. For the Rebellion!!!

I reached full circle again, diet wise: First I restrict. I've tried intermittend fasting, kcal counting, restricting food groups, cutting out sugar, doing shakes. You know, the diet stuff everyone tries. Then I binge. I get hungry, tired and I just don't care anymore. I eat everything in sight, and it feels good. At that moment that is. Then my pants don't fit like they should, or I sneak a peek on the scale and scare myself. Then I purge: I go on a really strict diet, and exercise every free moment that I've got. (I'm not talking about vomiting or something like that. I've never gone there luckily.) And then I loosen up a little, and 'just' restrict. And binge again.... You get the picture. I've tried to break this circle a few times now with mindful eating. Making smart choices, and listen to what my body really wants. And the crazy thing is: if I do this really well, I loose weight without restricting anything. I still eat my favorite foods, just in moderation. And healthy foods dominate my diet. Last challenge I restricted again, in the form of Intermittend fasting combined with kcal counting. And not surprisingly it ended in a binge, and that ended in thoughts about purging. But I'm not going to purge this time. I'm not going to restrict again. I'm going to listen to my body. And treat it with the love it deserves. And that's going to be hard. So here are some tools that I will use to help me with this: Limit screen time during meals. I can eat maximal 3 meals with a screen (phone, laptop etc.) a week. Eat regular meals, stop when I'm full, not stuffed. And only eat snacks when I'm hungry. Pick the best available option at that moment. This doesn't have to be the perfect choice. Just the most healthy thing that will satisfy me in that moment. Move because I love it, not because I ate too much. I love, love, love dancing! And I'm feeling pretty good about the kettlebell workouts I've been trying. But I still got to listen to my body, before I'm going to do a workout and during. And take the time to recover after a workout. Find ways to deal with feelings. Like journaling or meditation. Or pick up my recorder again. I don't know yet. To summarize: I'm going to treat my body with love, not hate.

Last month I tried to measure ALL THE THINGS. It was hard. I was hoping to feel a sense of increased achievement, but I actually just felt the pressure, and then like a failure for missing bits. Lesson learned (in science, it’s all about learning what DOESN’T work too). Now... I haven't climbed since May, and I keep telling myself to go once more, before my membership ends in August, to say I gave it a solid go, but the very idea of having to take clothes, change, park, walk in (no on-site parking), then hope someone else is there so I can ‘legally’ climb, but not more than about 6 people as it’s too cramped, then I leave after 15-20 minutes ANYWAY…. It just doesn’t feel ‘worth it’ for me. However, if I can commit to going once, Ill have gone 6 times in 6 months, which will make me feel less like a quitter. POSSIBLE CLIMBING DATES: - 27-29Jun - 3-5Jul - 17Jul - 20-23Jul So for this challenge, I’m dialling it back. I want to take part in the Mini, because exercise is almost the last thing I’m actually progressing in. I found 'daily' check-ins just failed, so removing all the 'daily' ones, except writing, which has been a daily goal for about 2.5 years. So this month, I’m keeping it simple. It’s my last month of University, so that has to come first. Equally, I want to launch my business at the end of the Summer, so that needs to get moving. My Five Week Goals: * Finish COP 1-9 Entirely (9) * Finish Portfolio Entirely(1) Finish Course Plan (4 weeks, intro/ending) for Business (5) Three Workouts a Week. MINIS COUNT. Yoga counts. Dance counts. (15) Three 'Meditates' a week (15) Clean kitchen once a week (5) Write fiction daily (35) Log Extra Exercise (5) That’s a weekly target of 10 points + Uni assignments completed (10 points overall). The Uni stuff is all due by July 26th so... Pressures on! Let's do this.

Fairly straightforward this time, journal the shit out of the feels while I start an SSRI. No, not subject you people to the journaling, this isn't xanga for christ's sake. But I'll try the fugging check boxes that I've always judged you for, and also whine about my last full training cycle before peaking for a comp. □ Reading □ Journaling □ Meditation □ Puppy Training □ Language □ Physical Therapy

(This song has nothing to do with anything. I just stole the phrase from it. And like it.) ************************************************** “What if we trusted ourselves, believed in our basic worthiness, believed that we would be OK even if things didn’t work out as planned, believed that we are loving, kind, and innately good human beings?” I've been having a hard time articulating what I want to do this challenge. I've been adding one new habit per challenge this year, with the idea that I'd accumulate 10 healthy habits over the course of the year. But something's a bit off, even though the new habits have been going well. So at first I thought I was just going to take a break for a month to let the new habits settle in more without adding anything new. But then I was trying to articulate WHY I felt I needed a break and what exactly it is that's been feeling off. And it's a couple of things. My progress has begun to hurt me. I’ll work out three times a week and think “ugh that wasn’t as good as the workouts I was doing last year!” instead of “Yay! I did all of my workouts!” And that’s a problem. That’s a stop drop and roll problem. I need to stop and fix it before I move on. Simultaneously, even though all of my habits are worthwhile and positive, I feel like I just don't have SPACE in my life right now to just enjoy things, and I'm not sure if it's the fault of all the things I'm trying to do or something else entirely. I take everything completely seriously, and that's both an incredible strength and a danger. So this challenge, I’m going to stop, drop, and roll. I’m going to take a break from my one-habit-per-challenge approach to the year. There’s no right way to do things. There’s no one thing or even list of things that I HAVE to do to enjoy life. Or to succeed at this challenge. And right now that sense of needing to make progress is robbing me of something else important in the present. And I don't just mean video game time. So this challenge, I both have a goal and don't have a goal. I guess it's a meta-goal, because I'm incapable of completely taking a break. I want to BASK. I want to bask in how lovely and beautiful the world is. I want to bask in how amazing it is that I can run a mile and think it’s no big deal when I used to DREAD running a mile. I want to bask in the fact that I have a boyfriend who I can cuddle and touch and play with. I want to bask in the feeling of working late into the night during an aikido class because we all love what we’re doing and we love moving and learning together. I want to bask in the feeling of sunshine or the pleasure of playing a video game. I want to drop anything that I can’t bask in. If I’m reading a book and I’m not actually getting pleasure from the experience, I want to do something else instead. I want to celebrate what I’m accomplishing. I want to hit all of my scheduled workouts and say "Woo! I'm awesome!" instead of anything else. So for this challenge, I can only post updates about what I bask in. I can complain about unrelated things too, of course. I'm not a monster. But I can't just post a list of everything I've done for the day. I can only share the basking. I'm hoping this will help reset my mindset in the direction I want to be going. So maybe the song has a little bit to do with the challenge. I want to emphasize to myself that there's no one right way to do things. I want to fall in love again with everything I'm doing. And If I'm incapable of loving it, maybe it's not something I shouldn't be doing.

For this challenge, I am trying something new. I've been meditating for a few years now but never worked mindfully within chakra healing. In light of some recent life stress, I think this is a needed experiment. I'll have some fun along the way, too, by channeling some Avatar: The Last Airbender characters, as well as other bits of fun. Chakra Challenge Practice at least one from each of the following daily: Root (Earth/Red) Chakra: Grounding exercises: walk barefoot outside, feel the earth beneath your feet, sit or squat on the ground, sit beneath a tree and imagine connecting deep into the earth the way a trees roots connect to the earth. Kundalini yoga; standing poses such as mountain, warrior, etc. Listen to a guided meditation for root chakra or for feeling grounded Eat earthy vegetables from the ground, like potatoes and carrots, as well as animal proteins like red meat and eggs, spices like cayenne or tabasco, and red foods like apples and beets. Drink dandelion root tea Sacral (Water/Orange) Chakra: Practice deep, abdominal breathing exercises such as "breath of fire" or WHM breathing. Eat orange colored foods such as an orange or a tangerine Hip/core yoga poses such as cobra, camel, etc. Listen to guided meditation for sacral chakra Get near water and/or drink plenty of water; go for a swim if you can Vitality (Fire/Yellow) Chakra: Kundalini and abdominal/core poses, as well as abdominal breathing exercises (breath of fire, WHM). eat yellow foods (bananas, lemons, sunflower seeds, yellow peppers. Drink tea with ginger, chamomile, or mint. Listen to a guided meditation for solar plexus/vitality chakra Heart (Green) Chakra: Bikram yoga and poses that open up the chest/heart Open up your heart: express love, kindness, gratitude, and trust to others, even complete strangers. Eat green colored foods life leafy green vegetables, spinach, green peppers, etc. Drink green tea. Go for a hike; surround yourself with the color green. Do exercises that work the pectoral/chest area (pushups, etc.) Listen to a guided heart chakra meditation. Breathing exercise in which you hold your hand over your heart and feel your heartbeat as you breathe. Throat (Sound/Blue) Chakra: Sing a favorite song with passion and as loud as you want. Drink plenty of water. Observe the color blue, especially in nature. Speak the truth with love: if you have to say something tough, be honest but not hurtful. Listen to a guided meditation for throat chakra, especially one with chanting or humming. Laugh out loud, even if you don't feel like it. Find a secluded place, preferably in nature, and just roar! Read a poem out loud. Do a brief silent retreat in which you don't speak for an allotted period of time. Do a shoulder stand and/or similar poses. Fast to give your mouth/throat a break. Third Eye (Light/Indigo) Chakra: Child's pose or other forward bend exercises. Drink tea with coconut oil, raw ACV, and honey. Add lavender if possible. Watch the sunrise/sunset. Listen to a third eye chakra guided meditation. Massage the center of your forehead (location of "third eye") with your fingers. Eat purple colored fruits like grapes or blueberries. Eat dark chocolate (the heavier the cocoa the better). Crown (Thought/Violet) Chakra: Take a nature bath: shinrin-yoku Listen to a guided meditation for crown chakra. Sit in silence, eyes closed, and just breathe. Drink plenty of water. Drink tea with lavender Also do the following: Chakra healing guided meditation at least once/week Intense mindful movement session such as tai chi, qigong, or kung fu at least 3 times/week. Mindful walking at least 5 times/week. At least one day/week without technology (exception: phone for calls only). Take a "sabbath" or "retreat," a day of rest at least once/week. Read Frank Forencich's Beautiful Practice.

Last month, I finally feel like I actually deserved a ‘level up’ - I didn’t just say i'd worked out when I'd done 5 press ups alone because of my fear of failure. This month I'm focused on getting back to actually working out, and only logging it when it counts. In March, I set a goal of going climbing 4x in 6 months. I’ve currently been 3 times in the first 5 weeks. My next ‘booked in slots’ are: 28 Apr, then there’s a lot of closure/work stuff throughout may so anything in May would be bonus, then 5/6 Jun, 23-25Jun, and 27-29Jun. Then the deadlines kick in, but I’ve pencilled in 3-5Jul, 17Jul, 20-23Jul as options too. I’ve upped my ‘aim’ to 6x by 31st July. With so many options, but only "1 this challenge" required, i should be good to go. Having said that, 4th May is my very last chance to attend a Thursday pilates class (lunch time, I’ll be at work on Thursdays from mid-May as I lose my study day). I’m not sure I’ll feel up to doing this, but I’m mentioning it to remind myself. This month, I aim to: * Log my extra exercise [This resulted in me walking an extra 25km across 5 weeks!] * 3 workouts a week [2 sets of 3 exercises minimum] * Go gym/bouldering once in the challenge * Add in extra healthy food once a week. * BONUS - Meditation [I used to meditate daily in 2004 and it really helped. I experience mental health struggles so I feel this really needs to be a holistic approach, but it feels so daunting, I'm leaving it as bonus] Week 0: Workout: 0/3 Gym: 0/2 Log Extras: 0km Healthy Food: Name/Meal BONUS: Meditation/When

We all need peace in our lives. If you would like to find that balance between your mind, body and spirit, try this PvP challenge. You can do this through your yoga practice, walking, running, shavasana or sitting comfortably in a quiet room. Focus on your breath, and either a candle or your foundation, as long as you bring yourself back if your thoughts start to wander (they are called the minds bicep curls). This analogy on reddit has been referenced frequently, but here is something you should keep in mind: Post your meditation and describe what you can from it. First with the tally of how many meditations you have completed. How did you do it? For how long? How often did your mind wander? How did you feel afterwards? Did you learn anything new about yourself? Try this for at least 10 minutes every day or every other day, depending on your routine. If you complete 30 days of meditation, you are rewarded with learning how to embrace your distractions, taking time to focus on yourself. and gained "emotional intelligence". Among many other benefits people have claimed to experience. I have downloaded the Insight Timer app. I usually meditate during yoga class, but I will use the app on non-yoga days. Please feel free to offer any suggestions for this PvP. I plan on making a list to keep track of how far each participant has come. If you want to do more than 30, go for it! Good luck and namaste!

Another challenge is here and once again I'm building it around my mindfulness practice. I decided that for 2017 I'm renewing my commitment to my practice of Soto Zen Buddhism, which has been on and off for about a decade now. The practice centers on daily zazen (sitting meditation) and mindfulness practice throughout the day. This practice has in recent months been helping me re-center and rebuild my life and has proven effective with controlling my mood and depression, hunger, and is currently helping me reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption. Plus it is really helping me better appreciate every moment and live more fully. I have two goals for the year related to this. The first is to explore the different Sanghas (buddhist communities/churches) in/near Indy. The second is to go to a seshin (meditation retreat) which is usually 3-5 days of just meditation, work, eating, and sleeping. So this challenge is about improving my zazen practice and endurance, and using mindfulness to improve my health, fitness, and life in general. Goal 1: Zazen Sit in "lotus" or seiza for meals at home. Spending more time in a criss legged sitting posture should help me increase my flexibility and endurance in zazen. I also need to: Maintain daily zazen practice (@least 10 min) Do stretches before zazen Do one long session (40+ min) once a week Side quests: Caffeine causes scatterbrainededness, and alcohol diminishes awareness. So... 1) No caffeine for 30 days 2) No alcohol for 30 days These will be ongoing, resetting after failure until I achieve all 30 days on both. Reward: I'll buy a French press for single servings of coffee afterward. Goal 2: Nutrition Here are some dietary observations I've accumulated. Meat: Makes emotions more intense, especially red meat. To little interferes with sleep. I need to experiment more with fish. Grains: wheat/gluten are fine, a are oats and rice. Barley and rye cause bloat/gas/discomfort. Dairy: Milk and lots of whey/milk protein causes gas/bloat/discomfort. Eating high quantities of dairy send to cause mild seeking and mucus formation in the throat and nasal passes and overall puffiness. Soy: Is fine with me. Legumes: canned and pressure cooked are fine, but otherwise cause gas/bloat/discomfort. Nuts/sees: limit to small handfuls. To much causes constipation and bloat. Peanuts are mildly irritating. Tubers: white potatoes cause more fullness but are mildly irritating. Sweet potatoes do not. Sugar: Every time i eat a sugary snack/soda/candy/dessert i feel fatter at the end of the day. Literally, my stomach seems fuller and more jiggly. In light odd these observations I'll focus on the challenges that are most difficult to surmount. Track meat consumption vs. sleep quality I'll just be jotting firm days i eat meat on my calendar and noting my sleep quality each morning. Limit dairy and sugar I'm going to make conscious decisions to not consume or substitute these in various recipes. Eat more root vegetables Eat a tuber everyday. Replace some carbs with more tuber veggies. Buy more fresh tubers at the store, and try new ones out ones I've not had in a while. Goal 3, Exercise: Break a Sweat 6 days per week. Barbell, treadmill, kettlebell, bodyweight... 30 min., 20 min., 5 min.? No matter. Just break a sweat. I also want to go to the actual gym at least once a week, i am paying for membership after all. LUYL_1: Manage finances Spend one hour a week with my mind on my money. Making spreadsheets, planning a budget, going through receipts, clip coupons, read about saving and paying off debt, retirement plans, investments. Whatever. One hour. I currently don't really think about money until there's a problem... and that's why I'm in debt and living paycheck to paycheck. Sidequest: have enough extra cash lying around at the end of cheyenne to buy a cable modem and wifi router. LUYL_2: Art Paint and complete at last one painting each week. Grading: Basically I've got my dry erase board calendar set up. Every time I do a thing for a goal, including side quests etc. I make a doodle or dot on the calendar. If the calendar is reasonably congested with squiggles and dots while i contemplate the progress I've made and the challenges i faced during the 1+4 weeks... Cool. If it's empty, not cool.

During the last challenge, I realized how important mindfulness is for my success. When i make it a priority, everything else seems to fall in line. It also got me reflecting on a number of my fitness choices, goals, and results since I joined NF and before. For this challenge I'm going to give a few things from the past another shot with a strong dose of mindfulness. Actually, many of these will be gearing up for the next challenge. Goal 1: Phase Out the Meat WHAT!!! I know right. Blasphemy. The truth is, during my two or three best attempts at weight loss that got the best results I was practically a vegetarian. I never fully committed to it, but there were long stretches with good health i can remember where i might have only eaten meat once a week. Another reason for this is the cost of meat. I need to be cutting expenses. And reducing overall consumption means i might actually be able to afford to support local, organic, pasture-raised, etc. I'm not against killing animals for food, but i do prefer that they had decent lives before they were on my plate. But I've got to get the protein i need. The one time when i didn't eat meat for like three months and was damned miserable, I'm sure I didn't get enough protein. Basically, for this challenge I will but no more meat. I will finish what's in the fridge and start to cook more with vegetarian foods... eggs and milk etc. are fine. I'm sure as hell not going vegan. That and shoot for a minimum of 110g protein/day. Edit: I'm going to eat vegetarian (ovo-lacto) for dinner every day during this challenge. Also, I will not add any more meat to my kitchen. Never mind the protein goal. I'm sure I'll hit it. Goal 2, Exercise Feeling healthy to me means being strong but flexible and balanced, and it feels good not getting winded easily. In the past I've done best balancing all three. Each week: 3 lifts 30 min. yoga 20 min. cardio Goal 3, Mindfulness Need I repeat myself? 10 min. of zazen, first thing in the morning daily. Keep a mindfulness journal by logging one mindfulness experience daily. LUYL: Pull the f***ing trigger Job search stuff. I need to move on and/or up to something soon. I have to do at least one of the following: 1) Apply for a manager job at Amazon 2) Register to take the A+ certification exam 3) Take a big step toward becoming a teacher... I've been thinking about this again... I might register for an exam, or apply...something. In any case, one of these represents a commitment to move on.

Captain's Log 20170107 After a restful berthing on the primitive planet of Zimbabwe, where crew members enjoyed some calming shore leave activities such as white water rafting and the view from the Devil's Pool atop Victoria Falls (see pictures below). I find myself reflecting on the mutinous actions of certain crew members. In particular, our Chief Educator, Salambander, whose surrender to her Romulan half's sensitivity made what could have been a wonderful holiday into a tense, rage-filled two-week argument. Although it may have been triggered by exposure to Trellium Ore, I believe she can regain control. We spoke together and she has agreed to follow certain steps towards controlling her emotions: daily exercise, meditation, and management of her time. I see great potential in her, and if she is to take over as Head of Aliens in September, she will absolutely need to find legendary the Oasis of Calm. If only Spock had left us a map. Perhaps all she can do is try to emulate his compassionate logic, and gain mastery of her temper. The rest of the crew, in particular our Chief Bard, Ben Jammin who seems quite enamoured of her, are in full support of her journey. Usually I don't recommend crew fraternisation but the universe is a vast place with lots of emptiness and loneliness in it; I'll let it slide. Primary Mission Directive Find Spock's Oasis of Calm, and retrieve the amulet of self-control. Mission Objectives The first stop on our journey, approximately one month's travel from here, is a world of organization and routine. The Bulletians are a rigid people, repetitive in their daily routines. Any disturbance to their routine is punishable by death. In order to survive our stay there, we will need to assimilate immediately into their culture. 1. Make full use of a bullet journal for the duration of the journey. Update it each morning upon waking up, or before going to bed. Captain's logs will continue weekly. The journey will be physically demanding. I have requested that the crew make full use of the facilities available to them. 2. Gym workouts will be compulsory for all crew, a minimum of thrice weekly. On non-gym days, crew members are encouraged to practise yoga to improve their ability to adjust to high-g speeds and low-g environments. During our second phase of the journey, to the perilous land of Texas, power will be diverted from gym to the kitchens and therefore home workouts will be acceptable. It is only through discipline that we can defeat the monstrous Bleurgh, which preys on sloths and gluttons. The poisons of the Christmas Hotel Buffets are slowly working their way from our systems. The ship's doctor has placed the crew on a strict regime. 3. No sugar and half their usual carbohydrates until our arrival in Texas. There, the only way to beat the Bleurgh is by eating vegetables at every meal, halving any restaurant portions and imbibing only water or tea. 4. Crew members are required to meditate for at least five minutes each day. Any crew members who complete all four tasks to the best of their ability each week may make use of our ship's masseuse. Captain's Log 20170108 1. Bullet Journal 2. Gym & Yoga 3. Nutrition 4. Meditation Captain's Log 20170115 1. Bullet Journal 2. Gym & Yoga 3. Nutrition 4. Meditation Captain's Log 20170122 Arrival in Texas estimated around 20170124, at which point nutritional guidelines adjust: drink only water, eat vegetables, halve restaurant portions 1. Bullet Journal 2. Workouts & Yoga 3. Nutrition 4. Meditation Captain's Log 20170204 1. Bullet Journal 2. Workouts & Yoga 3. Nutrition 4. Meditation