It has been almost a year since my last posting on this blog. So much has changed in the past six months that life is virtually unrecognizable from the same time last year. Let's see...what has changed? For those of you who don't know, I quit my job in September of 2012 and started attending University of Chicago. Throwing caution to the wind, I applied for UChicago's Urban Teacher Education Program to get my Masters in the Art of Teaching and become a secondary biology teacher. I say throwing caution to the wind because as I was informed during my interview, my schedule would be beyond rigorous due to the lack of science courses on my college transcript. Most secondary and elementary students in this program take the required UTEP classes and generally one additional class at the university. My first quarter, I would have to take THREE additional courses (all with 4 hour labs, too) and two additional courses each subsequent quarter for the first year. There are a few other students with a similar schedule due to being fourth years, but for someone who has been out of school for over 5 years, I was scared shitless. Actually, I wasn't really scared until I attended my first week of classes and saw what type of craziness I was getting myself into. Without rehashing the whole quarter here, let's just say it was second hardest thing I have ever gone through in my life. I always considered myself a good student but this school, especially the biology department, is soul crushing. They weren't kidding when they said that this school is a place where fun goes to die.
I survived the first quarter and did better than I had hoped. Despite the severe lack of sleep, poor eating habits and massive amounts of coffee, I have been happier than I have been since I graduated high school. Since I only have two classes this quarter, it feels like my whole world has opened up. Unfortunately, it became very clear to me early in the quarter that when given extra free time, I am exponentially less motivated to get work done and the first weeks have totally kicked me in the butt. My house was (and is) a mess, I had the sleeping schedule of a vampire and I have been eating whatever crap happens to sound good in the moment. It's been rough to say the least. The worst part is that these are all things I have some level of control over, and I am simply allowing myself make bad choices. I think I finally reached my breaking point and fortunately I have awesome friends who care enough to encourage me to make better choices.
The real reason I wanted to blog today is because I have found an activity that I think may be life changing. Now, I know I tend to get all into something and then 6 months later drop it, but I think this might be different. Thanks to my friend, Bridget, who talked me into signing up for a trial subscription to Power Yoga Chicago, I have found an activity that is more than energizing. Power Yoga Chicago is a studio where you practice what is commonly called hot yoga. The "power" part simply refers to the speed of the movements, which are of the Vinyasa-style. Don't let the yoga part fool you - this workout is killer! For people who have joint issues, like me, the stretching and strength moves have already started having a seriously positive effect on my body. The heated room means you sweat buckets, and I can't tell you how cleansing that feels. I also tend to be a shallow breather and yoga has helped me take better, deeper breaths which are both energizing and calming. For someone with high anxiety or anxiety problems, this type of yoga is an awesome way to forget the world around you and focus on being in touch with your body and thoughts.
Even with the extra time I have now with one less class, I didn't think I could make a commitment like this. And honestly, the cost is a little more than I really wanted to spend. However, after utilizing my free trial, I can't imagine giving it up. Nick and I have decided to cancel our cable in order to balance out the costs, and I'm sure this will be beneficial in more ways than that. For those of you who know me, giving up my cable is serious business. THAT is how much I enjoy this whole hot yoga thing. I am even getting up most mornings at 5:10 a.m. to make it to 6:00 a.m. class. Did I mention how much I LOVE this!!! The awesome thing about yoga is that you can take it at your own pace and level. I am out of shape and very stiff/ not flexible but even I can do this and I know each time I go I am just getting stronger.
I can't wait to see what other positive changes come from this humble start. With my big 3-0 coming up in six short months, I know that I want to start a new decade feeling the best that I can. I haven't really made any other drastic changes but even with this one change, I already feel better. With as many times as I have fallen off the wagon and gotten back on, I realize that this "race" to a smaller waist that is the inspiration for my blog is most definitely a longer, more challenging journey. I am reminded, once again, that life is not a sprint, and I need to find the inspiration for the long-term commitment to healthy living.
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