Living well

I have recently gotten back into my yoga and workout routine, and my body is thanking me.  It's amazing what a little physical activity can do.  I now have much more energy, I'm happier, and if I keep up my high-protein diet, I hopefully will gain back a little muscle. 

It may seem like I have this whole diet/workout thing figured out, but (shocking, I know) I'm not perfect.  I struggle with eating the "right" foods all the time.  For example, last night my husband invited his friends over for a BBQ.  While he grilled steaks, hamburgers, and bratwursts, I stuck with my vegetarian burger.  But I did allow myself a few glasses of Chardonnay, which probably did more damage to my diet than a hamburger.  Usually I have a hard time forgiving myself for some diet slip ups, but I'm trying to learn how to move on, look forward, and think about the big picture. 

A website that I've come to love, not only for it's clean eating and exercise articles, but for opening my mind in new ways, is helping me with this journey.  I would like to share and article that hit spot on with how I feel, and I hope any dog-lover feels the same way too.

Why Dogs Are the Ulitmate Yogis

By Nadine Fawell

 

Everything I've needed to know about life, I've learned from dogs. I often joke that I am like a dog: if I am unwalked, unstretched, unfed or unloved, I get grumpy, and start tugging on my leash. OK, the leash bit is metaphorical, but the rest is 100% fact.

As I tramp the parks and beaches near my house, I watch the dogs and I think about how much simpler our lives would be if we just lived like, well, dogs.

Everything you need to know about living, you can learn from watching dogs:

1. Drink lots of water.
2. Rest in the heat of the day.
3. Walk every day.
4. Stretch when you wake up, and when you have been still for a while.
5. Playtime is always good, no matter how old you are.
6. When you meet someone new, be friendly, but sniff them out and don’t get too close until you are sure they’re not going to bite you.
7. If your ears are being scratched right now, then life is good. It doesn’t matter what happened five minutes ago...
8. Greet every new day with enthusiasm!
9. Sometimes, if you don’t follow the rules, you will get into trouble, but sometimes you won’t. It’s worth pushing the boundaries just to investigate what’s possible.
10. Seeing your loved ones again at the end of the day really is the most exciting thing ever!
11. There are so many interesting smells and sights in this world: investigate them.
12. It helps to be in the right place at the right time: how else do you get the best pickings off the barbecue?
13. Be gentle and patient with children.
14. Growl when you need to, and bite if you feel very threatened. It’s not always appropriate to roll over and show your belly.
15. Be loyal.
16. How you have been treated is a direct indicator for how you will behave now, but that can change with love and the right circumstances.

Dogs are the ultimate yogis!

You can explore the rest of their website here.  Anyone interested in yoga, healthy living, and clean eating might find it a little addicting.  I would apologize, but I'm not really sorry.  Enjoy!