My Trip Out East: A Personal Note

Now….don't get me wrong…I love my kiddo. But to be honest…this momma needed a break!

My trip to Virginia not only provided me with an amazing opportunity to hone some of my professional skills and catch up with long lost friends, but it also provided me with some much needed "me time"!

First let me start by sharing the fact that IF I take the time to sit down and read a book, I want to read something so far from reality that it is an escape. I like syfy, fantasy, anything outside of reality…oh…and smut….I like to read smut….but that's a whole other story ;-)

So, I got the opportunity to read the book A Feather On The Breath Of Ellulainean but Robert Denethon. After reading the snipit about it, I was pretty excited! Elves, Fairies, Gryphons…right up my alley.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed.  It just wasn't my cup of tea. It was hard to follow with too many intertwining story lines for me. I think if this book had been split into about 3 books, it would have been awesome. But it was so much packed into one story that it just skimmed the storyline and didn't get deep enough into the actual characters and story that I just couldn't invest in the book.  

No worries though, that disappointment was very short lived! 

I absolutely LOVED the section of my weekend training that covered yoga for pregnancy.

I have about 4 co-workes who are all expecting! I am really looking forward to sharing what I learned with these ladies and helping them stay healthy, and maybe a wee bit more comfortable throughout their pregnancy!

 

However, my favorite part of my trip was spent on a whirl wind tour of DC with a very dear friend of mine!

Kevin met me Monday morning on the train and took me all over the city! He first took me to Arlington National Cemetery where we saw the changing of the guards, JFK's memorial, and Robert E Lee's house. It was really great getting to see all of these national monuments with a military man who could explain the history and significance of these monuments to his hippie counter part who forgot everything she ever learned in her american history classes!

After our long hike, we decided to belly up to a bar in Georgetown.

 We sat down in a beautiful window seat at J. Paul's and proceeded to enjoy a delicious meal and an obscene amount to booze for a Monday afternoon.

Best.Monday.Ever

Once we were more lubricated, we headed out to Pres. Obama's crib, scoped the Washington Monument, and the Lincoln Memorial.

I have to say that the Lincoln Memorial is absolutely breath taking. I'm not sure if words can really do this justice. It is very large, very pristine, and set atop this amazing little hill with a great view!
 I just loved it!

Kevin then assured I made it safely to the airport and I was on my way!

All in all, it was a great trip both professionally and personally! A big thanks to Stacy and Golda for their amazing hospitality, delicious cinnamon rolls and guinness cake! Also, a big thanks to Kevin for the whirl wind tour and one of the best Mondays on record!

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free.Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Heading East to Clear My Chi

This weekend I packed up both my BITS and MY bits and headed East!

I spent the weekend in Fredericksburg Virginia at the 

Fredericksburg Healing Arts and Yoga Studio

We spent the weekend learning Mantra's and mediation practices as well as getting into more specialty yoga topics! We covered the anatomy of the head, neck, and shoulders in reference to specific yoga positions, practicing yoga for pregnancy, as well as applying the basic spiritual aspects of yoga not only into our classes but our daily lives and businesses. 

It was a pretty incredible weekend forum!

We spent one afternoon focusing on clearing our inner Chi and re-balancing our Chakras.

The Chi is the body's natural energy, or Life Force. It is believed that the Chi permeates everything and links our surroundings together, it we are able to link into the flow of energy around and throughout us we are able to form a bond with the universe around us.

Apparently…..my Root Chakra was out of balance. 

How did I find that out?? With Bells. Yep..bells. 

Long-Story. 

The Root Chakra is related to security, instinct and survival and located at the base of the spine. Physically it governs sexuality, mentally governs stability, emotionally governs sensuality, and spiritually governs a sense of security. 

 Sounds like I had some stuff pretty out of whack with myself….however after a bit of research I discovered that the Root Chakra is represented by red lotus flowers. Interestingly, I have red lotus flowers tattooed on my lower back, at the base of my spine. So I am going to assume the bells picked up on my tattoo….not some serious mental, spiritual, and emotional distress!! Or at least I hope!!

Don't worry though, my entire trip was completely focused on finding the deep spiritual meaning in life. I got to do some sight seeing, beer drinking, learned a lesson in the art of coffee and caught up with old friends that resulted in having one of the best mondays on record!

But that my friends….is for a another post!

Top Tricks to NOT GET SICK!!

Now that the weather is turning cold we all start to spend a lot more time indoors, which means less fresh air, less sunshine, and more germs. 

Eating right and staying active are key to staying healthy, but sometimes we need just a wee bit more to help prevent catching that cold bug!

Here's a list of my standby's and newbies to keep healthy all winter long!

My TOP choice:  Recoverybits

"Let thy food by thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food" ~Hippocrates

Recoverybits are 100% Chlorella algae. The algae is dried into tab form, so you can chew them, swallow them, or use them to make tea. Personally, I just swallow a handful before I head to bed at night and call it good. 

Chlorella is considered a "superfood". It is high in protein and many other vital nutrients. It boosts your immune system and liver function plus it has been shown to be beneficial in cancer treatment. It's a pretty amazing little plant!

You can learn more by clicking HERE

A bonus….You can use coupon code "kendallfitness" to save you 20% on any of the Energybits and Recoverybits products!

We all know that a good nights sleep can do wonders for the body! Sleep not only allows our bodies to rest but also allows our bodies to heal themselves!!

With the recent time change coupled with a new schedule, I have been having trouble sleeping. I got the opportunity to try Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson 

This is a 30min MP3 you download to your iPod. You pop in your earphones and listen as you are first climbing into bed. It is designed to help you focus in and relax, letting you fall into a deep sleep.

All in all I think it is a decent little product, my only complaint is that whoever is doing the reading sounds like Chibs from Sons of Anarchy. 

Bad Boy Gangster Biker isn't quite what I had in mind when I was preparing for a nights sleep. But an accent is always kind of sexy, so I'm not complaining too much! 

The last tool that is in my "don't get sick" toolbox…. TEA!!

I am a tea lover!! Once the weather turns cold, I religiously drink Enchinacae tea to give my system an extra boost. Recently, I got the opportunity to try Kiss Me Organics Organic Matcha.

Matcha is finely milled green tea powder. It has a high concentrating of EGCG, a super powerful antioxidant. It boosts metabolism, boosts the immune system, and has shown to improve memory as well as reduce stress levels! 

You can add Matcha into smoothies, lattes, and it can be used in baking up healthy treats!

I have been adding it into tea and coffee…..it's getting cold out so I am always wanting to sip on some hot coffee or warm tea!

Today I made Mint Matcha Latte! 

I brewed a cup of organic peppermint tea, added 1/3 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1/2 tsp of Matcha, and 1/2 tsp of honey. 

It was delicious! 

Kiss Me Organics Organic Matcha is an amazon exclusive product, so if you would like to try it…click HERE

Hope this helps you stay healthy as the seasons are changing! 

~ Do you love tea as much as I do?

~ What do you do to stay healthy in the winter?

Disclaimer: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.