I hope everyone had a nice Monday. I’ve said this before but it’s one of my very favorite days of the week. I love that everyone has a “fresh start” attitude. I always say that the energy in my Monday evening yoga class is the best of the whole week.
I also love starting my week by teaching 6 a.m. BodyPump. I am so inspired by my Y members who get up so early on Monday mornings to strength train.
I had a personal training client immediately after teaching BodyPump this morning. I ate one of Emily’s Hungry Bars in the car on the way to my session. I am officially a fan of Hungry Bars and will be doing a review with a reader discount very soon!
I went to the studio and took a hot vinyasa class after my personal training session to complete day 14 of the 62 day yoga challenge. It was probably my worst practice of the challenge so far. Everything felt like a struggle. I ended up stopping halfway through the seated postures and just taking a 15 minute savasana…during which I completely passed out. It’s funny because yesterday I had a super strong practice and felt really, really good. Oh well…not stressing. I still have 48 days to go. 😛
Lunch after practice was a salad with green apples, carrots, edamame, avocado, feta and dried cranberries with lemon dijon honey vinaigrette and a side of this amazing cheesy sour cream rice that my mother-in-law made.
I had an afternoon yoga session with the guys from the Charlotte Hounds, they are starting a professional lacrosse team here in Charlotte and I’ve had so much fun introducing them to yoga!
When I got home I made a snack with my newest obsession – Wild Squirrel Pretzel Pizzaz peanut butter.
It’s all-natural peanut butter with honey and salted pretzel pieces. I don’t know how they do it but the pretzel pieces stay crunchy and it’s so addictive. I can’t get enough! I love it most on toast (or today a cinnamon raisin English muffin) with an extra drizzle of honey…mmm. Their products are available in some stores in Oregon and Washington but you can order it online and it’s only $5.99 a jar. Worth it. I swear. I appreciate them sending me a jar to sample. I will be ordering more!
I washed it down with a mug of Awake tea with a splash of vanilla soy milk. I have a bad habit of ordering this at Starbucks when I can make it at home for a fraction of the cost. I really love hot tea and now that it’s getting cold I am drinking multiple cups a day.
I worked on my yoga playlist while I ate my snack. I had quite a time getting my music from the PC to the Mac but we finally have it all transferred over. I was so ridiculously sick of my music and I’m so happy to have my iTunes all set up again. Here’s a look at today’s playlist. It was a good one!
I am always accepting ideas for songs/new artists to add to my playlists so send them my way! (Oh and “track 10” is Britney Spears Criminal.)
Post-class dinner was mahi with a Cajun seasoning/maple sauce, roasted acorn squash and kale.
I finished the evening with a slice of rum cake with vanilla ice cream. When I arrived home today, I was thrilled to find two big slices of cake in the fridge. My mother-in-law sent it home with Brandon. Bless her.
Off to answer emails and head to bed. I slept horribly last night and hoping I can make up for it tonight. I find that I get in patterns of bad sleeping…it’s like once it’s in my head it messes with me. Does that happen to anyone else?
I don’t think I’ve had rum cake. Is it the one with raisins?
Noticed two Twilight Breaking Dawn tracks from the new soundtrack… are you a fan?? There are a few really mellow nice tracks that would be great for a yoga mix. 🙂
I’m seriously impressed by your love of Mondays. I think I need to start telling myself it’s a fresh start rather than dreading it!
I am going through the same bad sleep cycle right now! It is driving me crazy and throws off my whole day. I resorted to some desperate measures and bought some melatonin (the hormone your body releases when it is getting ready for sleep), so hopefully that can set the pattern straight.
That PB sounds amazing! Nothing better than the sweet and salty combo 🙂
I love that you’re working with a sports team–so legit! As always, I wish I lived in Charlotte and could take your classes 🙂
I love Anberlin! I have seen them in concert several times. So good.
And I love TAZO. This reminds me to buy some next time I am out of tea. Thier full leaf teas are also really good. I espeically like the “Orange Blossom” which is a citrus-flavored green tea.
Glad you had a good start to your week, Jen! I need to try that peanut butter. It sounds amazing! 🙂
I need that peanut butter right now! I think I’d eat the whole jar, it would be impossible to resist. I love the name of the company, I’ll have to check them out!
Go Hounds! You should check out Spotify. Awesome app for music.
I LOVE the fresh start of a Monday as well. Normally I very much look forward to getting back to a routine after a weekend of indulgences.
How cool that the laxers came to you– do you make the classes more fitness-y or do you try to instill some of the yoga philosophy in them?
the best part about a bad practice is that it’s always (well mostly) followed by a really great, satisfying practice!! 🙂
also, you just made my tuesday by posting your playlist. during class i always take mental notes of songs…but by the time we come out of savasana i’ve lost anything that was going through my brain during class!
I LOVE It Will Rain by Bruno Mars. I pretty love anything that that man sings. 🙂
Deadmau5 is nice.
I ordered one of each of the Wild Squirrel Nut Butters when I saw you post it on Facebook the other day! They shipped yesterday. I can not wait to try them! 🙂
Thanks for the new peanut butter recommendation! I’m always look for new “butters” to try…maybe not a good thing : – )
I actually had a “so-so” yoga practice last night, but I needed it and just listened to my body and did what I could do and what my body would allow me. I think I passed out for a few quick moments while in savasana. As for bad sleeping patterns, I sometimes (but very rarely) will take a Tylenol PM just to knock myself and get a good solid sleep. Otherwise, I find reading and writing in my journal helps. Good luck and I hope you get some rest.
That peanut butter sounds delicious! It reminds of this pb I have in my fridge right now by smuckers, all naturals crunchy…the pieces stay so nice and crunchy I love it!!! But I can totally see how that wouldn’t be the case with pretzels!!! Let’s just say it’s magic!!! 😀
i think it can have raisins. it’s basically jut rum soaked pound cake. yummmmm
that peanut butter looks awesome, i want to order some right now! lol