Yoga

A few months ago I ventured into trying to do yoga. I have fallen in love with this practice and think everyone should give it a try. It is low impact and focuses on breathing versus power and strength. You do not need to be Superman or Wonder Woman to do this. You just need to know how to breathe ;)

A couple years ago I ruptured a disk in my back which has been extremely debilitating for me and limits what kinds of exercises or activities I am able to do. Discovering yoga was the best thing I could have come across and tried. Now don’t get me wrong, some of the poses and positions are hard, and I am still not able to do all of the reps in a set yet, but I am getting better and the moves are becoming easier for me the more I do this workout.

What is amazing about yoga is that you can feel how your body is going to look as you continue to do this. Your body tightens and I find myself holding in and tightening my abs for several days after each workout. I go several days in between workouts just to make sure my back will be able to hold up but I am working into doing this more frequently as my body is now demanding more. This is also a fantastic stress reliever! Because you are focusing on breathing and pushing energy through your body, you are not thinking of the things that are weighing you down. I close my eyes, listen to Jillian, and focus my breathing on my movements.

If you have never tried it, try it! I work out to Jillian Michaels but you could use any yoga DVD or online video to work to. I prefer Jillian because she is tough but very encouraging and motivating. She is the type of personality that works well with mine and she pushes me to dig deeper and work through some of the tougher poses.

So even if you do not need or want to lose weight or tone your body, at least try this if you are experiencing some stress in your life. We all have those days where we think we cannot handle anymore and that it would be easier to give up. I have those days. More often than not, I think, but that’s part of why I love yoga so much. TRY IT! You won’t be sorry you did! You can buy her DVD which as a beginner workout and an intermediate one ($9 at Walmart) or you can buy her 30-Day Shred DVD which comes with a mat and dumbbells for $14. I bought both and will be starting the 30-Day Shred shortly. I have another plan I am working on as well so I have to sit down and plan the workouts so they are not clashing with one another.

The 30-Day Shred I hear is an ass-kicker so wish me luck! I will keep you posted on my progress and hope you will join me in the journey to get fit! My next post will consist of goals I have set for myself and then I will continue to update on my progress throughout the journey of getting fit.

Won’t you join me?!

Please Take Action!

 

Anyone who knows me is well aware of the fact that I am an advocate for sharks. I am trying to be a voice for the voiceless, and have been fighting to outlaw finning and the sale of fins and shark fin soup all around the world. I have been active in signing petitions and even gave a presentation for a school project to bring awareness about the horrific way these creatures die.

Ever since I was a kid I have been fascinated with sharks of every kind. Many (if not most) people see them as man-eaters and killing machines, but they are mistaken. In fact, there is more of a possibility of being struck by lightning TWICE than to be attacked by a shark. Sure, there are rogue sharks out there that will eat anything and everything, and will attack unprovoked, but there are dogs out there that will do the same.

I believe that people have their minds in this frame because they are not properly educated on the subject or the animal. But that’s what I am here to do. People kill one shark every 4 seconds and that totals to be approximately 75 million sharks per year. What happens is the shark is pulled on board a fishing vessel and the fins are hacked off. This happens while the shark is very much alive and feels every slice of the fisherman’s blade. It is then tossed back into the ocean where it will die one of three ways: drowning because it has no fins to swim; starving to death because it cannot catch food; or it will be eaten alive by other marine life.  What a horrible death. Imagine having your arms and legs removed and then being thrown over the hull of a ship. Not such a pretty site when we put ourselves in the place of the shark, is it?

 

There are many states and countries that have already passed laws either banning the fishing of sharks or have added stipulations to the law such as requiring the fins be naturally intact and attached to the animal when the ship arrives to port. California and Oregon recently were added to the list of states placing restrictions on finning. Senator Legarda from the Philippines has been working to push a law to be enacted there. Currently there is no law in place which only encourages people to fish for, and slaughter, these animals. Please search for petitions that work toward banning completely, restricting the fishing practice, or removes Shark Fin Soup from menus. I don't really know why people eat this soup anyhow. It has absolutely NO nutritional value and no taste. I've read that it is more for political power and prestige because it is so expensive but that is the only reason. Hardly seems like an adequate reason to kill off millions of sharks every year ... 

 

Sharks take approximately 20 years (or more!) to mature so when they are killed off, they are in danger of becoming extinct. Just in the last 40-50 years, some species have been decimated by as much as 99%! They are the apex predator but are very sensitive to changes, especially fishing. Other impacts from finning are what are called “long lines.” These are nets that stretch between 1 and 100 miles across the ocean and catch anything that swims into them. It could be a shark, various types of fish, sea birds such as albatross, sting rays, and even sea turtles. Not only are the sharks being affected but so is the entire marine ecosystem.

 

Please take action! Whether you eat Shark Fin Soup or not, if you do not care one way or another, please sign a petition. These creatures have been around since before the dinosaurs; we should not be the ones that put an end to the ultimate evolution!

www.change.org

 

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