Jumping In

My dream, slightly altered, has become my goal.  The original dream was to hike the Juan de Fuca trail – I have dreamt about it, researched it and talked about it for years.  The one thing I never did was put action behind my dream and actually make a plan to do it.  Then a few years back I decided I wanted to do the Chilkoot Trail.  I once again dreamt about it and started watching YouTube videos about the trail and other hikers’ adventures.  However, I once again did not put action behind my desire to do the trail and it stayed as a dream.

A few weekends ago I got an experience that allowed me see in a very real way, that I often do this in my life – I come up with what I want, I do the research, I dream about it; but when it comes to action I freeze up, point out all the reasons why it can’t be done and talk myself out of it.  However, the interesting part is the dream will usually cycle back around and I will do the same process over again.  Even as I write this I cannot help but think that the whole thing sounds a little insane.  The number of times I have been so close to action behind a dream is kind of mind-blowing ... I must have been just on that edge a number of times, yet never just jumped in and took the chance.

During another weekend adventure through many conversations and activities I was exploring different options for getting out and trying something new.  A few nights after this weekend I remembered a program called Outward Bound that a friend of mine did after getting her undergrad degree.  So I typed the words “Outward Bound” into Google, hoping that I remembered the name correctly.  Sure enough there was an “Outward Bound” and I clicked on the link.  It looked like the type of program my friend had talked about, so I started to explore their adult courses for 2014.  I saw the West Coast Trail – and a few other trips, but landed on one that sounded like EXACTLY what I was looking for.  The weekend, a backpacking trip in the Rockies, didn’t have 2014 dates posted, - so I figured I would email them later ....

Well the next day (or so), after reading the description an embarrassing number of times, I tweeted Outward Bound to see if I could get a response on if and when they would be offering the course.  The next day I saw the response – it was happening, though the dates were unknown.  Maybe a day (or so) later there was an additional tweet that stated the likely dates would be August 10 to 17, 2014.

On October 24^th I noticed the dates were up – August 10 to 17^th, 2014 and registration was open.  I read the description again, very – slowly, each word, carefully.  The next day as I read the description and opened up the tab to register I would freak out.  

“What if I cannot do it?”

“Am I strong enough?”

“My cardio SUCKS!”

“It is a lot of money.”

“What if life changes and I cannot go?”

 ALL the EXCUSES I could possibly think of came to mind.  I stopped for a second and thought – What do I REALLY want ...... and the answer was, I WANT to go on this trip.  So before I could change my mind I filled out the application form, typed in the payment information and hit complete.

Step one – I JUMPED - this is no longer a DREAM, it is now my GOAL.

So step two is figuring out how to plan for an 8 month goal of a backpacking trip.  I have been spinning my wheels a bit and today decided that step 2 will likely involve getting a trainer to help with setting up a plan.

So my lesson from October is – sometimes when standing on the edge, the action of anticipating what will happen and the voices in my head are way scarier than just jumping in and going for it. 

Getting inspired

I spent this past weekend out in the country at a lodge with 8 amazing women.  The weekend was pleasure – learning what it is and how to get more of it in our lives.  I know that I definitely enjoyed drinking my morning tea or coffee on the porch watching the sunrise paint the autumn landscape orange.  However, it also got me thinking a bit more about what I want.  I spent most of Saturday night outside alone watching the full(ish) moon light up the sky, feeling the cool breeze and hearing the other women laugh inside as they played games.  I just enjoyed the fresh air and the time in nature.

About a month and a half after moving to Edmonton I have signed up for a number of meetup groups.  Just a couple of weeks ago I found out that Edmonton has an outdoor club, so I signed up for that too.  Tomorrow will be my first event that I actually attend with the Edmonton Outdoor Club – a night of learning about snowshoeing.  The event is actually being held at Camper’s Village (an outdoor store) as part of their winter adventure series.  Tonight I ended up at Camper’s Village to see if they still did ski package deals and determine what it would cost to gear up for cross country skiing.  They invited me to sit down and listen to the lecture tonight – Winter Survival.  The passion of the presenters was contagious!  I noticed when the one guy started talking about search and rescue my reaction was pure excitement.  I have looked at doing search and rescue on and off for years, though each time I look at it I am reminded I am not in good enough shape to do what I want.  The realization came up again tonight – first I am not in the mountains and second, I am not in good enough shape to be in that type of roll.  The giddy passion that coursed through my body is almost at the threshold of giving in to at least working towards being in good enough shape for 2014 recruitment.  There is no guarantee that I will be able to meet all the requirements; however, I have learned that if I don’t start, I will never be where I want to. 

This just added to the fact that lately I really feel nature calling my name – to go and explore the outdoors, to be inquisitive of the environment around me again.  So tonight I learned how to prepare for winter activities and tomorrow I will learn more about snowshoeing and meet other local people interested in doing the same.  

 Really – it is about the small steps!

Change is in the Air

As the weather changes and the leaves start to turn yellow and fall to the ground, I realize just how much my life has changed in the last 3 months.  Since the end of June I have changed jobs and changed cities; which in turn changed the friends I see (or don’t see), the activities I do and even the way I shop.  All these changes led to a decision to change my blog – its name and its purpose. 

Previously my blog was created to write about food, moving and getting into the flow of life.  However, often when I thought about what to write it would fall under the “flow of life” category (if any).  What I had thought I would be interested in writing when I created my blog has changed – along with the other aspects in my life.  So it seemed only reasonable to change the name of my blog and free myself from the constraints I felt I had put upon myself.  I am hoping this change will create the outlet I originally desired.

So welcome to the new revised blog – Bushwhacking through Life. 

Finding Flow – Yoga Code Style

A week ago an email arrived in my inbox from Jackie Dumaine, a yoga instructor and coach I worked with over the past year.  It was an email drafted to her clients, which issued a challenge at the end…

“Whatever it is you have on your schedule to do today, take a few minutes to go through the principles of The Yoga Code and pick ONE of them that you will commit to practicing for the upcoming week, starting today.  You may choose one that you feel at ease with, or you may choose one that you've been struggling with.  Either way, it doesn't matter - pick one and commit to living it.  Fully living it, in all that you do.”

I have spent the last week thinking about the email, but failing to make a commitment to take action.  I would review the 10 Yoga Code principles, which are the Yamas and the Niyamas of the yoga practice often not discussed in the Asana (physical) practice.  These 10 principles can be found on Jackie’s website (http://www.jackiedumaine.com/the-10-sacred-principles/). 

As I moved away from sitting on my small couch to eat meals, to sitting at my small kitchen table to eat my dinner, I would stare at the Yoga Code - 10 Sacred Principles handout hanging on the side of my fridge.  I received this handout when I took the Yoga Code workshop just over a year ago.  Why could I not commit to one thing for 7 days?  Was I afraid of failing?  Was I afraid of succeeding?  And in the honest truth, no one knew I was going to be doing this so really the only person that would know if I completed it was me!  And yet I wasn’t committing. 

Yesterday I made the decision – Svadhyaya, which means self-study, observing and learning.  I told myself I just needed an extra week for everything to soak in and really read and explore the principles and choose the one that was right for me here and now. This morning though, a giggle was set free when I opened up my book from the workshop.  My favorite of the 10 principles is “Tapas” (burning commitment and inner discipline).  When I opened my book, written in green pen on my note sheet was “Tapas – a 30 day challenge or commitment to doing something.”  Without awareness I had actually committed to my favorite principle this past week.  I have set the challenge to create a daily self-care routine and stick to it for the next 30-days.  What makes me smile – one of the commitments is to eat at the table, which is where I spent my time staring at the 10 principles of the Yoga Code. 

 *~*ASIDE: If I am being honest, part of the reason it is my favorite is because it is one that I can always remember.  Tapas – like the Spanish version of appetizers, which go great with Cava Sangria.

This week – although I am continuing on with my Tapas of inner discipline, I am adding on to it Sadhyaya – self study.  This week will be about bringing awareness to my actions and thoughts. 

Here is to finding flow and freedom!

Big Changes

My life has undergone a number of large changes since my last post.

The biggest is likely the move between cities - at least this time I stayed within the same province.  I find it a bit amusing that I was just getting things settled in my house, when I had to pick up and move.  There are a number of things I am grateful for with this move, in particular a kitchen with more counter space to prepare food on and a larger fridge.  I am also no longer living in a basement, my place has windows and light and I am enjoying the summer sun!

The change is cities came about due to a change in jobs - my contract had ended and I was able to secure a new job that will allow me to move forward in my career.  I started the job only days after my stuff arrived in my new city and although I got a lot unpacked, not too much has happened since starting the new job. 

This major change in my life has also sparked me to take a look and evaluate other areas of my life and see where change is needed.  Although I have been here just under a month, things are changing consistently as I move towards creating a healthy balanced life.  This includes creating habits around food and eating, such as eating at a table; as well as exercise.  The challenges are becoming more apparent and I am still searching for how to get involved in a new city and where things are located.  I would like to get back to running and into a dance class in the fall; however I will have to wait to see what unfolds. 

I am excited about this new chapter in my life and sharing it here with other people.

Three Things Thursday

There has been a number of things I have wanted to write about, however getting online to sit and write has been a bit of an issue.  Tonight, I am making time to do a quick post of highlights for the three main focuses of this blog.

1. FOOD
At work we have a professor from Switzerland, who is visiting Canada with his family.  He arrived back in April and has been indulging our lab in his treats, as baking is his hobby.  At least three times a week we walk into the lab for "coffee time" and there is a new cake or pastry or bread sitting on the table to be enjoyed.  We have been lucky enough to also have two students from Switzerland come and visit.  The one PhD student brought with him cheese.  So last night after work our group sat down to a night of eating Fondue and drinking wine.  Unfortunately I am allergic to cheese, but it was so entertaining to watch the passion in the preparation of the Fondue.  I ate pickles and drank wine while I watched my coworkers dip piece after piece of crusty french bread into the smooth melted cheese.   Our conversation ended up in a discussion about the food culture in Europe compared to Canada.  I had two major observations as I sat on the side lines and watched.
               One: The passion in the preparation and discussion around food was inspiring - there did actually seem to be a difference between the Europeans and the North Americans
               Two:  There was such a different sense of community within the group as we ate and drank together.
This has sparked a number of feelings - mainly to get back into the kitchen and try some new recipes with passion and pleasure!  Perhaps I will even write about these adventures!!


2. MOVE
A quick update on how the learn to run clinic is going.  On Monday was our second last clinic and we managed to run 5km!  It was awesome to see the ladies that didn't think they would be able to run 5km when we started out, celebrate the accomplishment at the end.  Monday I think was my best run, I felt strong and steady - I felt like a jogger.  I counted the intervals and helped our instructor pick the course and make adjustments as we determined how far the group could go.  I enjoy having a bit of a leadership role in the group!  I was even asked last week if I would consider leading a learn to run clinic.  The answer is - YES, just not yet.  I want to get a bit stronger in my technique and feel more confident before I inspire others on their journey.  I have really enjoyed the learn to run clinic, especially since it has motivated me to get moving even on the days when I have wanted to stay home on the couch.


3. FLOW
I felt completely overwhelmed last Friday and although the jog with my group helped, Saturday morning I was not feeling much better.  So Saturday morning I grabbed my flip flops, an apple and a granola bar.  I jumped in my car, filled up the tank and headed West towards the mountains.  I was debating heading to my regular spot - the place in the Foothills where I feel most at home; however, the journey took a different path and I found myself down a path with no one else around.  I sat down next to the river and watched it  rush past me and flow downstream.  This made me think of some great advice I came across during my Master's program .....

Advice from a River

• Go with the flow
• Immerse yourself in nature
• Slow down and meander
• Go around the obstacles
• Be thoughtful of those downstream
• Stay current
• The beauty is in the journey!

BY ILAN SHAMIR                                                

This is exactly the reminder I needed.  I just sat there and watched the water flow by and allowed myself to relax, feeling completely at home in the quiet little natural spot I found.


I cannot believe how quickly time has been passing this year for me.  I am so happy that I managed to find time to sit down and write about some of the neat things happening in my life as I reflect back on the topics of Food, Move, Flow!

Taking Over

Last week I had to miss my run clinic as I had a previous obligation on Monday night.  I was really bummed to miss the talk about nutrition; however, I know so many friends in the nutrition field I can easily find the information from someone if I have questions.  We stepped up our run to 1 minute walking and 3 minutes running.  When I arrived on Wednesday, I was a bit nervous about being able to keep up with everyone, but was ready to get out and give it a go. 

We have broken our learn to run into two groups – the faster group and the slower group.  As much as I wish I were in the faster group, I have remained in the slower group as the faster group is quite fast.  On Wednesday out section was waiting around for our leader to come join us, but she got stuck elsewhere and we found out she wasn’t coming.  The faster group had already left for their run, so I mentioned to the group that I could track our intervals and found out what route we were doing.  So off we went!  I loved calling out the walk/run intervals and tossing in some of my motivational personality, not sure how everyone else found it, but the feedback was positive at the end of the run.

On Friday I headed over to the Running Room, as the learn to run group generally does Monday, Wednesday, Friday so that we don’t have to run back to back days.  When I arrived at the store there were 2 other girls and 1 more joined later – it was a small group of 4.  At 6:01 we realized that again we had no leader, so I once again offered to time the intervals and call them out.  This run was intense; we went a lot faster than on Wednesday for a total of about 3.2km.  It was fun, I did the intervals and another girl had an app on her phone for the distance.  At the last “run” interval I wasn’t sure if I would make it, but with our tight knit group we pushed each other to the end. 

I loved the chance to be the leader of the group and provide motivation to those around me.  Some of the other people in my group are faster than I am; however, I apparently enjoy the running the most.  The combination of the group was perfect for our jog on Friday and I really felt like I got a great workout.  I feel very privileged to have gotten to take the lead and have such positive feedback and gratitude from my group on both Wednesday and Friday. 

Added bonus?  The weather on Friday was amazing and it was beautiful to run next to the river and through a park.  There was lots going on and I could tell the city is ready to get out and enjoy the nice weather after a long winter!