Like breathing, the more we let go, the more we let in….I may not be an acrobat. Or a gymnast. And I’m not one to stop moving. Or thinking. But these are all ways that I define myself. And those definitions become guardrails. But when you let go of what you “are”, you let in room to become…what you may be. So maybe I am an acrobat. A novice, uncoordinated one, but I’m letting in that growth. And you know what, it’s kinda fun? Want to experience that trapeze artist, bouncing off the walls high…or just let in a little more personal growth? Read on for some tips to let go, let in and let loose at DEFINE Austin.

I like to make it a habit to be…uncomfortable. Why? Because it sets me up for those life moments when I don’t get to choose to be uncomfortable. It trains me to deal with things, feelings, people I’ve never dealt with before so I can navigate that ambiguity like a pro when I need to in my day-to-day. Because working in innovation means the path is almost never clear. And it can be frustrating, agonizing even, to not know what to do, to not be an expert, to not have the answers. But all of those things add up to self growth. Change may be inevitable, but growth? Growth is intentional.

When I first moved to Austin, one of my first intentional acts of growth was to try a new studio and a new class: the DEFINE BOUNCE – 45 minutes of bouncing on a trampoline. What could be more joy inducing than bouncing around with a bunch of strangers to start your day? Little did I realize that my instructor, Leigh Anne Spencer, was a real live Energizer Bunny. This wasn’t the backyard trampolining that my 5-year-old self had mastered, this was hyper speed bouncing, kicking, punching insanity. And I loved every minute of it. Was I able to keep up the pace? Most of the time. Was there some choreo that I completely skipped to bounce as high as I could bounce? You bet. Is there where my addiction to DEFINE started? Yesiree.

On a literal high from all that bouncing, I was feeling bold. Bold enough to try…hanging from the ceiling by a few ribbons. The DEFINEmind class on Sunday evenings is an opportunity to literally unwind. The class starts by nestling in a hammock like your own personal cocoon to decompress. Then things turn upside down as the class is guided in suspension movements to enable deep stretching, test your balance and your strength. Did some of those moments upside down feel like eons? Sure did. Did I want those moments in the cocoon with my eyes closed to never end? Yes, please. Is it a Sunday routine that is the definition of a reset? Like magic.

There’s also nothing wrong with getting comfortable in your cozy zone. And as a former cycling instructor, the bike is my chariot. While I loved the high of teaching and inspiring, there’s a different kind of joy that comes with just riding your bike, not knowing what’s to come next. And the wildest ride yet at DEFINE was with Mr. Ricky Hodge at the podium. Expect oddly perfect pairings like dance-inducing V-ups to Dolly Parton. Don’t know what a V-up is? Guess you’d better go and find out! The class is rhythmic-based, so expect to get lost in the music without any competitive metrics to create anxiety. It’s all fun ‘n games until that sprint out of the saddle.

If I had listened to the doubts in my mind, I never would have trusted those ribbons to allow me to be the aerial princess I never thought I’d become. Or experience the laugh out loud joy of bouncing on a trampoline with 12 strangers before 7 a.m.

So do yourself a favor and quit comparing your start to someone else’s middle…or even end. Allow yourself to be a beginner. Be unafraid. Be without expectations.

Namaste.

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This is the true story of a small-town girl who picked to live in a big city, and put her life on social media, to find out what happens when she starts a blog and sh*t starts getting real. Thank YOU for coming along on this journey with me around the sun. It’s that time of year to rest…and reflect on our epic presence. Yes, YOUR epic presence, too. Whether 2018 seemed like the best year yet or pretty meh, I promise there is a lot to be grateful for. Sometimes you just need to look a bit hard. Read on for the positive affirmations I’ll be taking with me into 2019 and tips on setting your best intentions for another amazing year.

Holy Nikes 2018 was a BIG year! I took a leap of faith 8 months ago and launched The Shooks Life. I traded teaching spin for exploring more fitness gems across the city, started developing my own recipes and actually made it in the top 20 for a national recipe contest (recipe here) and started simplifying my life by moving from a 4-bedroom house to a 2-bedroom apartment. And that my friends, is going to continue to be my mantra for 2019: Do more things that set you free, and less that hold you down.

Here are the affirmations that will be my guiding light in 2019:

1.) Let’s STOP priding ourselves in how busy we are and START bragging about how little we have to do.

2.) Let’s START making room for things that matter and STOP adding things that don’t.

3..) Let’s STOP making oodles of resolutions we won’t keep and START taking action towards one.

4.) Let’s START being content with what we have and STOP being envious of the things we don’t.

5.) Let’s STOP the outward comparison and START the obsession with loving ourselves.

Now it’s your turn to put your mark on 2019. What will your legacy be in the coming year? And if “legacy” feels a bit over dramatic, think about how your recap will read at the end of next year. Getting started is the first step. Your welcome. Genius, I know. Read on for a few less obvious steps to setting your intentions for an epic 2019.

Setting Up 2019 to Be the Most Epic Year, Yet!

Step 1: Envision your best day ever. What time do you wake up? Where are you? Who are you with and what do you do that makes your heart swell? If you’re working, what are you doing? How would you sustain this lifestyle? Details matter! Write that sh*t down.

Step 2: What values light you up? What are the words or feelings that describe your best day ever? These are the values that you seek. For me, it was “Free”, “Inspired” “Challenged” and “Connected”. Try to keep it to single words, active words to drive specificity and focus.

Step 3: Create a mood board. Yes, this will require either the old school approach of cutting out pictures from magazines or using the Google images search. Include images that reflect your best day every and those values. This will serve two purposes: 1.) it can be a reminder throughout the year of your goals and 2.) ask someone else to look at the mood board and describe it to see if there’s any values you may have missed. Perhaps someone else will look at your board and say ‘woah’ there’s a lot of movement and activity. Maybe you’re someone who needs to live an “Active” life. Or maybe it’s the polar opposite and exuding “Calm” is your thing.

Step 4: Set 3 goals that will help you live those values. First Goal: How can you exude those values today, in your current profession? What more can you do within the present constraints? Second Goal: How could you exude those values tomorrow, perhaps in another profession or role? What would you being doing outside of the present constraints to sustain a life you love? Third Goal: How could you exude those values without any constraints? What if money was endless and you could do whatever you wanted, wherever you wanted, with whomever you wanted?

Step 5: Make a game plan. Write down at least three specific steps that will help you achieve each of those goals. What ACTIONS do you need to take to get closer to those goals? What RESOURCES do you need to get there? WHO can help you get there? Be specific, action-oriented and set deadlines for each of those steps. I know, dreaded deadlines. But if it’s not measurable, there isn’t accountability. And YOU are the only one that is in charge of your future. So take charge! If it’s helpful, use the START, STOP and CONTINUE framework. What do you need to START doing, what should you STOP doing and what should you CONTINUE to do to achieve these goals?

Now start setting those intentions! Cheers to living, breathing and ACTING upon these mantras in 2019! And if you ever need accountability, your girl has your back! Feel free to comment below with your goals or one thing you’ll stop, start and continue below. Writing it down is the first step towards accountability.

Thanks again for coming along on this journey.

There is SO MUCH MORE to come in 2019!

The post Here’s Looking at You, 2018! appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Some days you go to the gym and eat salads, Sundays you eat Fruity Pebble cookies and don’t put pants on. You gotta nourish to flourish, ya know?

It’s another SMonday…that time when it stops feeling like Sunday, and starts feeling like Monday. All that weight and baggage can be heavy. And so there’s a reason we call it “Self-Care Sunday”. But what about all the others days of the week? Are we treating ourselves like sh*t day in day out? What if we practiced a little more positivity, a little more self love and care…each and every day of the week? In this week’s post, I’m sharing some of my favorite practices for adding a little more positivity to every day. Because you deserve it!

What spurred all of this yearning for a bit more self-care was a healthy dose of madness this month. Starting a new role at work, while playing double duty with my old role, annual review season and selling our house had me brimming with businessness and yearning for…less. Less noise, less negativity and less of the stuff that wasn’t adding value to my everyday. So I made a choice. To not get lost in the madness. To not get overwhelmed. And to focus on a practice of positivity. Here are my top 5 tips. I hope this helps bring a bit more joy in your day as we face a new week and new month.

Top 10 Tips for Living a Life of Positivity….Every Day of the Week

1.) Write Yourself Love Letters: Nope, not the kind that you silently passed to the boy (or girl) next to you in middle school. The kind that set the tone for a kick *ss day. Notes like, “I can do all the things” or “Everything always works out for me.” I like to put post-its at my desk as a reminder that “Hey, I got this!”. Or, you can use these little love memos as the labels for your daily alarm (as shown above). Who likes to wake up to, “Alarm”?That just gives me all the heebies jeebies. Wouldn’t it be so much better to wake up to, “I am in charge of how I feel today.”? Heck yes!

2.) Limit Social Media: It can be so easy to get lost in comparisons or feel so dang depressed when you look at everyone living their best life on social media. News alert: your friends aren’t doing exciting things 24/7. To give yourself a reality check, think about either 1.) taking a few days off social media 2.) restraining from immediately scrolling through your social media apps as soon as you get up or 3.) limiting your time spent on social media each day. The new Screen Time and App Limit features on iOS 12 are pretty cool. You can see how much time you’re spending on certain apps and also set limitations. Once your limit is reached, the app is blocked on your phone. Check out on these features here.

3.) Get Inspired Through Podcasts: There’s a reason you shower every day and a reason to practice positivity each day. All that negativity can build up and needs to be cleansed on the daily. I often find that I start a lot of books and never finish them. So I’ve turned to podcasts, which I can listen to during my daily commute rather than getting lost in emails or social media. Some of my favorites for empowerment, inspiration and entrepreneurship are: TED Talks, Courage & Clarity, She Did It Her Way, The Turnaround and How I Built This.

I also just started using Audible so that I can listen to books. I simply never get around to finding the solitude to read a book in hard copy or lose my spot because I never use bookmarks, so this has been a game changer. I just listed to “How Will You Measure Your Life?” and highly recommend. Plus, I heard you can share books with friends on Audible, so if anyone would like to listen to this book, let me know!

4.) Let Go of All That Excess Stuff: I’ll admit. I’m a hoarder. I just always think there will be a use for something down the road! Like those scrunchies from middle school that are making their way trendy again! Selling our house has been a bit of a godsend in nudging me to JUST LET GO! Physical clutter can lead to mental clutter so I’ve made a practice of picking one room each weekend to purge. And already, I’m feeling the levity. So where does all this stuff go? I’ve either donated the clothing or, I’ve been using two apps: letgo and OfferUp to make a little side cash on things that weren’t providing me much value anyway.  We literally sold a bag of rocks. There’s someone out there who will pay $5 for anything – anything!

5.) Express Gratitude: The real secret to having it all, is realizing what you already have. Each night for the past week I’ve said thanks for 3 things that brought happiness to my day. No matter how small. Like, I found a parking spot so I wasn’t late to my 6 a.m. fitness class like I was last week. Or how lucky I am that when I get home late at night, my husband has dinner waiting. It would be easy to grumble about working late. But when you frame it in a positive, it washes over the negativity. If you keep a journal, write down the 3 things that you’re grateful for each day. If that’s not your jam, say it out loud. There’s something about writing it down or saying it out loud that gives it more lasting meaning. After all, feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is liking buy a present and never giving it. Gift yourself gratitude and see just how great every day truly is.

Put yourself first today…and every day. Self love isn’t selfish. It’s necessary each and every day. Let’s do away with Self-Care Sunday and make every day a celebration.

Have additional thoughts on living with positivity? I’d love to hear them! Feel free to comment below or send me a message.

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When you accidentally show up as twinsies for your first boxing class and totally own it. Ready for the ring? Maybe not. But at least we’ve got our one-two combo down thanks to Unanimous Boxing Gym. Read on for a review of this Logan Square spot.

When I say this was my first boxing class, I mean LEGIT boxing class. I’ve done plenty of kickboxing classes at big box gyms that are more Jazzercise than boxing. Or the all-too-common and on-trend boxing mash-up classes where you never totally do any move right because it’s some sort of weird combination of barre and boxing, or you’re already moving onto the next move before you get the hang of the first. Youknowwhatimean? Unanimous Boxing, on the other hand, was a 100% pure, unassuming boxing gym. You come here to box, you actually box. Weird concept, huh?

While the chandelier may look all fancy, this gym was anything but fancy – but in a good way. So many gyms around Chicago are super trendy and more worried about image vs. delivering a quality, highly technical, form-centric class. Now, I’m not going to lie, it was intimidating walking into this gym. Mostly because it was clear that this was a place for serious boxers and I was, well, very much a novice. Thankfully I was meeting up with a friend – being a newb is always better with a friend. Strength in numbers.

I attended a 6 p.m. class on a Thursday evening with Aisling Holt. She’s a 3-time Chicago Golden Gloves Champion, so she knows a thing or two about boxing. The class was relatively small with a dozen or so people, which allowed for a more hands-on experience. Beyond my friend and I, there was only one other girl. But if the machismo intimidates you, they also offer all women’s boxing classes too.

The class I attended was a 60-minute coed boxing class that started out with a cardio segment, including movements like jumping jacks and burpees to warm up the body and get the heart rate up. This was followed by shadow-boxing, which is sparring with an imaginary opponent. This help with form and to learn the movements. Since my friend and I were the only two newbies in the class, we got a lot of hands-on training during this section, which was super helpful. I had vague knowledge of a jab, hook and cross, but my form was totally off from so many kickboxing classes where I was never corrected. Aisling was super helpful and attentive.

After the shadow-boxing segment, we did some partner work at the punching bags. The gym offers free wraps and gloves, but had run out of wraps. I was mostly fine, but was feeling it by the end of this segment. My friend who had wraps was 100% fine, so, get the wraps if you can. We definitely got a lot of good shoulder and bicep work in this section.

The session ended with some ab work, which was the toughest part of the workout in my opinion. It was basically 4 minutes straight of abs – think 30 seconds of bicycles immediately followed by 30 seconds of boat pose. Repeat and then onto the next move. It was pretty savage and exactly what I was yearning for at the end of the workout.

All in all, it was a great lesson in boxing form, but wasn’t the toughest workout. I was still learning the moves, so I imagine that I’d be ready to push my limits a bit more the second or third time. I was expecting a bit more cardio work incorporated throughout, but it provided a lot of good toning exercises and was a great way to vent after a long week! If you want to give it a try, they offer a free 3-day pass for newcomers, so you’ve got nothing to lose! The gym also offers showers and a space downstairs for individual work on treadmills or variety of cross-training equipment. Find Unanimous Boxing Gym at 2764 N Milwakee Avenue in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood.

As always, if there’s a new gym I should check out, feel free to shoot me a message!

*Photo credit Unanimous Boxing Gym.

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Ready to tear up Tuesday like, HIIT me with your best shot! Fire away. If you’re a real tough cookie (or a softy searching for those abs – no judgment), here’s the lowdown on a few of my favorite (and new) HIIT classes in Chicago (and elsewhere), including the new FlyFit class at Flywheel, Barry’s Bootcamp, Studio Three, Shred415 and Sweat Fitness. With so many classes, it’s hard to choose. I can’t pick a favorite, so I do them all and let you decide! Check out my recap of all things HIIT below.

These days, it seems like every gym is trying to diversify, for good reason. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, HIIT workouts (or high intensity interval training) is the number one workout in the U.S. for a second year in a row. The basic framework is bursts of all-out work separated by rest periods, which never seem to be long enough. People (myself included) are addicted to the adrenaline rush – and the results. According to Shape magazine, there are a multitude of benefits to this intense workout including:

Benefits of HIIT

–Efficiency: You can make dramatic changes to your body in half the time you’d spend slogging on the treadmill. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, it takes 6 to 8 weeks of endurance training to match the improvements you’ll see in aerobic capacity from just 2 weeks of HIIT.

–Fat Burning: Not only do you burn mega calories during HIIT, but it also revs up your metabolism for the next 24 hours so you can be burning calories while catching up on the Bachelorette afterwards.

–Lose Weight, Not Muscle:  HIIT preserve muscle as you lose weight while steady state exercise tends to result in muscle loss as well. Remember, strong is sexy!

Those are just a few examples of the power of HIIT. Ready to try out a class? Find my recap of the HIIT scene below.

FlyFit by Flywheel Sports

The newest kid on the block is FlyFit or Functional Intense Training at Flywheel Sports. Many are familiar with Flywheel as the mother of indoor performance cycling. In the past couple of years, Flywheel expanded to offer barre classes and this past month, brough HIIT to its Old Town location in Chicago. The classes are held in the barre room with free weights and a mat – that’s it! The basic format is circuit style workout with 5 rounds that include 3 exercises each. I went to Elana’s 7:00 a.m. Upper Body and Core class on a Tuesday and let me tell you, she turned. it. up! I wasn’t sure whether I’d actually be able to get my heart rate up enough without a treadmill or rower, but those burpees and split jumps did the trick! Unlike the barre classes, you do wear shoes (hello, weights!) and the weights are a bit heavier – you can choose upwards of 25 lbs (I think, don’t quote me though! I predominantly used something in the 10-15 range).  We also did some magic with resistance bands that had my arms feeling like Gumby afterwards – mission accomplished! The only downsides were that the room was relatively small, ventilation could have been a little better and I didn’t sweat quite as much as I would in a class with a treadmill. All in all, a good burn for a day you might not be feeling like sprinting.

Barry’s Bootcamp

Barry’s claims to be the original high-intensity workout, but it’s only in the last year that the trendy chain made its way to Chicago with a location in Lincoln Park and River North. The infamous “red room” is where you “face yourself” and get ready to slay the day with 25 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of strength – or opt to do a double on the floor and skip chasing your own tail on the treadmill. The instructors are top notch and the workout is never the same. It’s the place where sexy bodies are made and the tunes carry you away – as much as they can when you’re trying to keep pace. I generally habit the early morning classes at Lincoln Park, so #deathbytrista with Trista Greco is a fav, as are classes with Matt (best tunes and short shorts) and Holly (total spitfire). Only drawbacks to this work out are 1.) the lights are way too bright in the lobby for 6 a.m. (no one needs to see that well that early) 2.) I swear the treadmills are harder here than any other place – like in a “what kind of tricks are you trying to play?” kind of way and 3.) the transitions are a bit slow as everyone puts weights away after each round – snore. However, this place is great for: hard core HIIT fans who like a “scene”.

Studio Three

Studio Three has been on the Chicago scene for a couple of years now with a location in River North and soon-to-open this fall location in Lincoln Park (hell, yes!). I was originally drawn to Studio Three for the Peloton classes, but the basement Torch classes soon became a mainstay in my routine for the rowing machines. If you haven’t rowed (and I hadn’t until coming here) you are missing out on this hidden gem! Rowing works, get this – 86% of your muscles! Holy shiznit! And for someone with joint issues (raise your hand!), the integration of rowing is a knee-saver. At Studio Three, there are three rounds of various length on the treadmill, floor and rowers. I love that Studio Three keeps the transitions quick and your heart rate up. My fav instructor (and also the director of the interval program) is Dustin – he keeps the rowing segments interesting (think partner races) and goals reasonably achievable since most people are the least familiar with rowing. Only drawback is that some of the newer instructors don’t seem to know what to do to vary the rowing, so it can be a lot of long hauls. Studio Three is definitely great for all levels – tough workouts that are a bit easier on the knees vs all tread workouts and tons of showers (anyone else have shower anxiety when they walk out of class to find a huge line?).

Shred415

Shred415 is a Chicago born and bred chain of bootcamp-style studios that has exploded across the city and is starting to make it’s way to places like St. Louis and soon, Seattle! Bonnie and Tracy are the dynamic duo that started the explosion and will definitely give you bestie envy if you follow their Instagram! Like Barry’s the workout generally consists of 15-minute interval sessions alternating between high-speed chases on the treadmill and muscle making on the floor with free weights and sometimes resistance bands. Of all the HIIT studios, Shred415 offers the best tread workout in my opinion – generally you “set your pace” in the first few minutes and build from there with flat road sprints, rolling hills, steady climbs, you name it! Variety is the name of the game and I always feel like the goals are reasonable and personalized. Similar to Studio Three, transitions are much quick and Shred does a great job of keeping your heart rate up on the floor. Only downside is that the studios (there are a multitude of locations across the city) tend to be smaller. BUT the workout is far less intimidating and less “clubby” compared to Barry’s. There are too many great instructors, but to name just a few: my girl Caroleen, the always bubbly Wicker Park manager Julie, the svelte Alex and the sweet, but tough Alice. This one’s great for a less intimidating, but sweat-tastic workout, especially for runners who get bored with the “dreadmill” or flats of Chicago trails.

That’s a wrap! Holy roundup! The HIIT space is definitely getting bigger by the day and tough to keep track of all the options. But, variety is the spice of life! I highly recommend all of these studios for varying reasons and am always happy to answer questions – so HIIT me up if you want the real deal on any classes in Chicago because…I get around.

Photos courtesy of Studio Three, Shred415 and Barry’s Bootcamp. All classes attended by me, paid for by me!

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The smell of freedom and teen spirit…oh, you thought I was talking about those Friday feels? Throwin’ back to that epic rock bootcamp at the new Peloton Tread studio in NYC. Instructor Olivia Amato kicked my butt with 45 minutes of chasing down dreams and breaking down barriers in this new HITT format. And I loved every *ss kicking minute. Dare to check out more below.

Peloton, the ingenius masterminds behind the at-home bike / in-home studio experience are treading into new territory, literally. This May, the company that brought live streaming cycling into your average home broke new ground by launching a treadmill. I was a runner before I was a cyclist, so I was beyond stoked to hear the news and to see how Peloton would up the ante. With so many other treadmills and bootcamp classes on the market, was there room to do anything different? The verdict: did. not. disappoint. In fact, I’m using this post to make my case to my husband that we NEED the Peloton Tread.

Let’s talk about the treadmill first. My favorite feature is the spin dial that controls your incline and speed on each side of the handle bars. You literally spin the wheel to increase/decrease your speed or incline in seconds. No more holding down a button FOREVER to get to that sprint speed – just whip the dial and you’re going from a comfortable 6 to an all-out 12 (let’s be real, 11 is my max).

Also, the shock-absorbing slat belt with ball bearing system (vs rigid belt) is similar to Woodway treadmills and helps to absorb shock. Joint issues are what caused me to switch from running as my main activity to cycling, but this technology is game changing. “Pound the pavement” is no longer in my vocabulary thanks to Woodway and Peloton.

Finally, the 32″ screen is easy to see/read without being obnoxiously large.

So let’s talk the live class. I’m that overly enthusiastic front row person who wants to see EVERYTHING. And OMG, Olivia ran the whole dang time! And not a lolly dolly jog, this girl was movin’. We started out with the run portion. There were two segments of running and two segments of free weights. This was a rock bootcamp, so I was definitely digging the Green Day and Rage Against the Machine to work through some weekday angst. You choose your own speed, but are given guidance as to how you should feel. And yes, it is a competition. It’s always a competition The run had me pushing my pace and the weight segments had me cursing under my breath. The only drawback was that we didn’t do a lot of incline work on the tread, but I imagine that I would get more variety with additional classes.

All in all, it was the kind of torture that you love to hate. Peloton Tread studio, when you coming to Chicago???

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“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every while in a while, you could miss it.” Bueller? Anyone? Anyone?

After a hectic two weeks of workshops and travel, I was swimming in a bottomless abyss of emails. Rather than continue to tread water, I hopped out of the endless pool of email to take a chill pill. Quite literally, at Chill Meditation + Massage in River North. The studio opened in Chicago about a year ago and hosts yoga as well as mediation classes that offer a bit of stillness in an urban oasis just down the street from the Merchandise Mart.

I’ve always been one to fight stillness – with the mindset that stillness means you’re not moving forward, progressing, driving towards your purpose. So needless to say, meditation was not my jam and even the thought made me a bit twitchy with anxiety. But, I’m also a big believer that the most uncomfortable situations offers the biggest opportunity for growth. So, here goes nothing with this meditation massage studio.

Given my angst about mediation, I chose to do a combo yoga + meditation class so I could at least flow through some of the jitters before sitting in silence. When I entered the studio, I was immediately welcomed and offered some relaxing tea to enjoy before class. Once I was settled, Darrell, the general manager, gave me a tour of the space, which included the retail space upfront filled with reads about finding calm and fun swinging chairs, a tranquility room with loungers and a flowing fountain for relaxation pre/post class, a dimly lit yet airy yoga room with mats and head rests already laid out, as well as a few curtained spaces for chair or table massages.

I enjoyed a bit of peppermint tea while I waited and since I’m a bit challenged to just do nothing, I chatted a bit with Darrell. I mentioned my meditation angst and that I couldn’t fathom completely shutting off my brain. He had some helpful advice that meditation isn’t about stopping. It’s about pausing to take in the moment. Your brain is like a spring, so it’s near impossible to just stop, but we can slow down the vibrations, allowing thoughts to flow in and out of our mindset. When we choose to rejoin the rhythm, we enter back into the story with intention – whether that be an intention to be more present, calm, understanding, loving, etc. I thought to myself, “pausing, I can do”.

The yoga plus meditation class was 30 minutes of restorative yoga, followed by 20 minutes of guided meditation and 10 minutes of, basically savasana. Rajni, the instructor, led us through something similar to sun salutations to warm up our bodies and build awareness of the present moment and how our bodies were feeling. As she phrased it, “we build heat from within so we can purge our bodies of everything that is unnecessary.” It was just the right amount of movement to feel worked and open to the next stage of stillness.

During the guided meditation, we sat upright on pillows with eyes closed as Rajni shared some mantras about breath and accepting the fact that stories might flow in and out of our mindset, but to let them pass through. I breathed a mental sigh of relief. I wasn’t the only one who was fluttering between restful meditation and my to-do list. It was more restful vs to-do’s though. The time flew by – though my feet did start to fall asleep towards the end. I was sitting cross-legged, so perhaps I’ll try another pose next time.

Following the class, I indulged in a quick 20-minute chair massage. The meditation massage studio offers an express recharge package for $50 that includes 1 class plus a 20-minute massage. Jose, my massage therapist, was fantastic. Despite the fact that we were in a curtained area vs separate room, I really didn’t notice my surroundings. And it was just the right amount of time to loosen up the constant stress that I hold in my shoulders.

While I feel like I “cheated” a bit by taking the yoga + meditation class, I left feeling much more grounded and open to the idea of taking a full 30-minute meditation class when I come back. Notice the phrasing “when I come back”. It’s active language like this that sets you motion to act. While I’ll always be an action-oriented person, I hope that I’ll have a little less angst, and a little more patience, next time I’m behind a slow-walker on the sidewalk.

Happy National Meditation Month. Take some time to accept the pause, knowing that it’s not setting you back, it’s clearing away the obstructions so you can run that much faster in the direction you choose.

The post Sunday and Chill appeared first on The Shooks Life.

‘Here goes nothing’ could be the start of….everything. Stop and think about that. Your choice is your magic. But those choices are only powerful if you take action. Take a minute to decide what magic you’re going to unlock this week. And run towards it full speed.

Each week I set 3 intentions:

1.) What is the 1 big thing I want to ACCOMPLISH this week?

2.) What is 1 new thing I can EXPLORE?

3.) What is 1 way I can CONNECT with others?

My ACCOMPLISH this past week was taking a workshop on design thinking to learn how to “Innovate Like an Entrepreneur”. The power of entrepreneurship is in thinking differently, finding inspiration everywhere and taking chances. With a new idea or business, you have everything to lose, but also everything to gain. In the workshop, we not only heard the tails from successful entrepreneurs like Jordan Buckner, founder of TeaSquares, but also took action to develop a new product and pitch to a set of venture capitalist – all in 24 hours! Talk about an intense thrill. While our team didn’t win, I was amazed by everything we accomplished. It had me wondering why we spend so much of our day analyzing when we could benefit from more doing?

My EXPLORE this past week was checking out Runn Chicago, a running studio (treadmill studio) for urban runners. If the thought of running for 45 minutes on a treadmill sounds like a snore, you’re about to be jolted awake. I’m usually a 3 to 4-mile kinda gal as that’s all I can mentally take on what some might call the “dreadmill”. This class was drill after hill constant engagement. Before I knew it, I was flying past mile 5 and felt like I was just getting started. Danielle, my instructor, was a burst of positivity as she took us through four zones of work throughout various speed drills and rolling hills. Zone 1 was sort of your “comfort zone” – a pace that you could comfortably hold while talking with a running parner. Zone 2 was what I would call a “faster friend” pace that is a bit more challenging. Zone 3 is where you head into a true run that has you questioning whether you can hold the pace (and the answer is always yes!) and zone 4 is all out mayhem. I’d highly recommend checking out a class with @daniellekshea!

Finally, my CONNECT this past week involved re-fueling at a reunion brunch with a classmate from my MBA program who recently moved to San Diego. We, along with some friends, visited an old favorite, Hot Chocolate, in Wicker Park. Brunching patio style with good food and good company is seriously living your best life.

Get out there and set some intentional magic this week, friends!

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Wham bam, thank you ma’am.

Thanks to @asweatlife for another bad*ss event with a barre/boxing mash-up led by @tristagreco and @cbels23. The event was part of a full day of empowering events in support of Equal Pay Day on April 10. The date symbolizes how far into the year women have to work to earn what men earned in the previous year. Women get paid on average $0.80 to every $1.00 that men are paid for a variety of reasons – choice of occupation, maternity leave, lack of negotiation skills/confidence, etc. It’s an important issue and one that is near and dear to my heart as a woman in business.

On top of a kick*ass barre boxing class workout, the event featured an awesome panel of women blazing new trails. Moderated by @ahleeduh, the panel including advice from Brand Consultant @baabaholland, @glowoutsalons founder @jennandjuice_, Food Tech Entrepreneur @rianalynn, and @katlinasmith, founder of @simplemills.

My favorite message from the night: “You can have anything you want, but not everything. You have to ask yourself, what is your chief want.”

Still wanting it all, but mulling over that last bit of advice.

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When Monday looks like a mountain with a special entanglement of madness, take a deep breath. Foam floors are meant for falls and those falls mold us into our best selves.

I spent my Sunday afternoon conquering (indoor) mountains at @firstascentclimbing, an indoor bouldering gym in Chicago. My little urban adventure did include some falls, but in the end, I felt like a real life spider woman – super powers and all.

TBH, I’ve never done any legit rock climbing, but it’s been on my list of badass things to do since hiking in Sedona last February. I’m a teensy bit afraid of heights – and those red rocks are no joke! Crossing Devil’s Bridge (below) was legit scary, but I was proud of myself for facing those fears. I may look confident below, but inside I was screaming, “are you done taking the photo yet?!”.

I think it’s the fear or falling that gets me, but in the comfort of a climbing gym all you have to face is a giant foamy floor. A giant foamy floor! So, Jeb and I set out to conquer some (indoor) mountains on a Sunday afternoon for a little rush of urban adventure.

For first timers, First Ascent offers 3 different options:

1.) Bouldering Day Pass: $19 + $7 for shoes & chalk – the quickest way to get climbing.

2.) Learning to Boulder: $29, which includes a 1-hr class, rentals and a day pass

3.) Bouldering 101: $75 for a 3-week course with rental equipment and 3 day passes

We went with the “Learning to Boulder” class  for a hands-on intro before exploring on our own. Bouldering, as opposed to rope climbing, generally includes shorter routes called “problems” that require solid climbing technique to unlock the “beta” or series of movements to get you to the finish. Our instructor took the small group of us through various techniques (different grips, how to balance your weight) and took us on an adventure through a lot of the beginning climbs. The below pic, was not one of those beginner routes. Hello horizontal!

After class, we were let loose on the open terrain. A lot of the climbs looks easy in theory, but there was some serious core and balance work to make it to the top. Not to mention forearm strength. Nonetheless, our confidence grew and by the end, Jeb and I even made it up a level 2 climb!

All in all, we lasted about an hour and half before our forearms were screaming for relief. Seriously anyone can do this though. I would highly recommend – by the end , you’ll feel like a bouldering badass too! Check out this great indoor bouldering gym: First Ascent Climbing & Fitness.

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