Tag: Life balance

Is Pilates a Form of Torture? Maybe. But It’s My Stress Relief! 

I love Pilates and most of the instructors at my studio. But some days, a class feels like a game of Twister — a game that, if I were 20 years (or even ten) younger, might have felt easy.

These days, though, each class is a little harder. My body hurts. And yet I keep going, again and again, and accept the pain.

This morning’s Twister routine? One hand on the box, one hand on the reformer bar, one leg on the shoulder block, and the other leg in the air. It hurts just to describe it. Somehow, I managed to tackle all these instructions. Honestly, I was just grateful the instructor didn’t ask us to sing a song — that would’ve been the end of me.

After all that, she came over and corrected my posture for the next exercise. Apparently, my leg is capable of a 90-degree angle. She told me she did it out of “love.” Probably a love of pain.

And yet, I go three to four times a week and wonder: how bad would it be if I didn’t take Pilates?

Why do I do this to myself? Because it’s good for my body — even if I hate it sometimes — and it’s very good for my soul.

Two months ago, my husband had a seizure. Since then, my regular stress life has turned into full-blown stress — with no relief in sight. Stress relief, for me, means not thinking for a little while. But when you’re stressed, your mind races, and you can’t stop thinking.

Enter: Pilates.

I get so caught up in the Twister-like shenanigans during class that thinking becomes impossible. The only thing on my mind is: Is my balance working? Are all my body parts where they’re supposed to be?

I don’t care that I’m not wearing a cute matching Pilates outfit. All that matters in that class is stress relief.

I am stronger now — at least physically. Mentally, my brain is still trying to figure out all those crazy Pilates moves… without falling.

March to Your Own Beet!

March to Your Own Beet!

Life is sometimes about patience and constant growth, following an unknown path, and trusting your instincts. It doesn’t have to be something huge or life-changing, but rather something small that can bring you joy and an opportunity to celebrate even the smallest achievements for yourself.

I own a small house in California. I don’t have a huge backyard, but rather a small patio with just enough space for container gardening, a BBQ, and a small patio set. I’ve always dreamed about having a big backyard so I could garden. For some reason, I enjoy plants. I’m not a great gardener, but I’m a happy one.

I planted tomatoes and peppers from scraps leftover from making salad, grew an avocado tree from the pit, and generally enjoyed schlepping around and playing in the dirt. I also have a great love for garden centers—Lowes and Armstrong were always my favorites.

Last year, I became a little more ambitious and planted two types of eggplant. My optimism also led me to buy beet seeds. I thought, “What could happen? If they grow, they grow; if not, the packet was only a dollar ninety-nine, and I had fun.”

To my pure joy, leaves sprouted, and I watched my beet grow from a tiny plant to one with huge leaves. Every day, I checked on it, making sure it was growing, and trying to figure out when it was time to harvest. Yes, I could’ve Googled it, but instead, I decided to follow my own instinct. A year later, I have beets—and I am extremely excited.

I’m very well aware that buying beets at the store is easy, cheap, and convenient. But there’s something so special about seeing something grow from a seed to a full-blown plant that I harvested today.

Some days are all about the little things that make you happy—those small achievements that no one else may notice or care about, but they still manage to put a smile on your face and make you want to march to your own beet!

Finding Balance When Life Gets Out of Sync

I’m technically on vacation this week—well, a forced vacation, as our office is closed. In my mind, vacation means fun, sleeping in, taking naps, and enjoying good meals. But apparently, my mind and my reality are not on the same page. I haven’t slept in once, and fun seems to be in short supply.

The first day of my “vacation” didn’t involve a flight to Hawaii or a relaxing retreat. Instead, it included a root canal. Yes, a root canal. Working non-stop for seven weeks meant that not only was I exhausted, but I also neglected my health, sleep, and all my appointments. The only thing I didn’t sacrifice was Pilates. I stuck with it, no matter how tired I felt, and honestly, it became my lifesaver.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m all about maintaining a healthy work-life balance. But life circumstances changed earlier this year. My husband lost his high-tech job as part of the massive layoffs happening everywhere, and I became the primary breadwinner. Not only did I take on a regular 40-hour job, but I also had a side hustle. To make ends meet until my husband found another job, I had to pour more energy into that side business.

And so, the concept of work-life balance pretty much flew out the window. In addition to my full-time job that covered health insurance and paid the bills, I dedicated time to building my side hustle. The positive side of this was that I became laser-focused on its development and the direction I wanted it to go. The downside? Exhaustion. Exhaustion to the point where even sitting down to read a short book felt like a monumental effort.

Luckily, my husband has found a new job, and I’m able to worry a little less. But finding that elusive balance again is no easy feat. When you’ve spent so long running on stress, it’s hard to suddenly switch gears and restore equilibrium. My brain has become so accustomed to juggling multiple tasks at once that it doesn’t know how to slow down and regain some semblance of balance and sanity.

Scheduling doctor and dentist appointments is a step in the right direction—at least I’m putting my health first. But it doesn’t necessarily help my mental state. I’m also using this “vacation” to focus a bit more on my side hustle and how to turn it into a profitable business.

Will I manage to get some rest, or at least sneak in a nap during my time off? I’m not sure, but I’ll definitely do my best to make it happen.