Ow.

I admit, I am so sore I put off my bendy-flexey routine until 2am last night, and chased it with a round of Tylenol PM, a hot shower, and an ice pack on my throbbing right shoulder. Sure, maybe I'm not "doing it right" but almost anything exercisical makes a similar stain on my neckshoulderback area. So, I'm trying to gentle it up and persevere. Stretching MUST become a part of my daily routine, and the initial breaking-in period is always the most difficult. By year end I expect to be able to do the splitz. Joking.

Week 5: Inhale and Stretch

I'm glad last week is over, and a more enjoyable and fulfulling goal is on the horizon: yoga/pilates/stretch every day. Going to bed with an ice pack on my neck every night should be enough to convince me to attend to my body's needs. But no. I NEVER stretch. It feels like a lost cause. How stupid, though!

Today makes two days strong (thanks to Hulu's yoga & pilates channel). GW's gym has been closed due to DC's Snowmageddon 3.0, but I've enjoyed doing the stretches from the comfort of my happy green living room. I think Youtube might have some free videos for me too if I get bored with Hulu. Here's one of my favorites:

Self Control

Wow, what a challenge. For a social creature like myself, who is experimenting in living alone, TV has become a form of connecting whenever I feel lonely. Once I took away TV, I saw myself turning to other comforts - food, conversation, romantic daydreams, prayer, exercise. Some good, others unhealthy. The act of taking away a staple from my day was very revealing. The disorientation aroused emotions that I need to deal with, in order to get to the other side of indulgence - which is SELF CONTROL. I feel like I've made strides toward this goal, but there is still so much work to do. It's good to know I've found a hot button for future reference. Practice conquering my desire to watch TV, and I can conquer many other temptations.

Hurts So Good

It's not that the sky would fall if I ate another meal and watched an episode of One Tree Hill. But controlling my impulses is a lost art in my life. So I'm saying no, turning off the light, and feeling good about it. This is new.

Adjustment

Ok... "No TV" has evolved into "One Episode a Day" (The Bachelor w/ Khyounghi last night & House over dinner tonight). I wanted to clarify that publicly, so I don't turn this goal into a slip and slide and bail on it completely. Because right now that's all I want to do. But I won't. Cold turkey may not be the way for me to quit TV... but baby steps HAS to be. Or else I have bigger problems than I anticipated!!! Next week... no TV. Here's hoping!

The sleep schedule is moving forward just fine. I have 20 min to make it in under the cut-off! Better brush'n'splash fast to make time for EPL!

Week 4: Sleep Without a Remote

Early to bed, early to rise tanked so bad I ignored the following week out of shame. The verdict is...

A TV fast and a sleep schedule must go hand in hand. So, here goes nothing. I will sleep between 10pm-12am and wake between 7-9am. I will not watch any TV unless it is a news/politics clip on youtube or a music video playing in the background. I just finished the Dollhouse & Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Hulu, so this is as good a time as any to detox. Hopefully this will help me end my nights more peacefully, with EatPrayLove or shower.

These two tasks seem impossible, but independantly make one another more likely. Here's hopin' it sticks!

P.S. The kitchen has been a mess for days. Maybe to day will be the day I've been waiting for. Time to get back on track!