This Is Why I'm Hot!

It's not what you think...I'm not exactly toting my #HotMamaSociety sign right about now, and truth be told, a sistah is a li'l bit skurd...LOL!

Image Credit

I'll be embarking upon a new level of fitness this Thursday morning with @ilovemytemple and my friend Tiffany as a part of her Yoga for Weight Loss journey (#TeamTiffany), and I'm sweatin' bullets already! Why, because I'll be taking on HOT YOGA (gulp!) for the first time, and I can't even front like I'm not this.close to calling in sick...wait, can you do that when it's not your job?

If you're in metro Atlanta and want to come check it out with me, shout me out! I wrote about the calorie-bustin, cardio phenomenon HERE, and once I get pass my punk-ness, I really am looking forward to it.  Apparently, the heat helps warm your muscles so you can better reshape your body.  Sounds awesome, but I'm wondering just how much I'll be able to hang when the temperature is raised, the focus is tunnel-visioned (it's a small class), and the carb ingestion has been rather high these past few weeks.

What’s hot?

Hot yoga is a form of yoga more formally known as Bikram Yoga after founder Bikram Choundrey. It is also one of the most popular forms of yoga. It is defined by 2 breathing techniques and 26 postures practiced in a room heated between 95-100 degrees in order to warm the body up from the inside out. MORE

Well, I know I'm in good hands because Tiffany Campbell is the TRUTH when it comes to yoga instructors, and having seen her in action, I know I'll be a fitter woman in some sense after taking a class with her.  After all, I do love my temple, so this is definitely worth the effort!

Okay, good folks, cross your fingers for me, please.  Oh, and if you hear that an ambulance whizzed into a Fairburn, Georgia Wellness Center to rescue an over-zealous Execumama, just say a prayer on my behalf, and don't be tweetin' about me either!!

Namast...wait...ouch!


Oh, and if you haven't already, please subscribe HERE for all-things-empowered-mama!!

How Meal-planning, Headstands, & Beads of Sweat Can Lead To A Healthier YOU!

CAN YOU GET DOWN LIKE HOMEGIRL IN THE WHITE TANKTOP? 

Tiffany B. of metro Atlanta, and Tiffany Campbell of Temple Yoga & Wellness Center are in their second week of the Yoga for Weight Loss program.  I am shocked at how much my longtime friend Tiffany is beginning to change already? When I first tried to steer Tiffany in the direction of yoga, she all but told me to sit down somewhere and get back to her when I had a REAL answer for her weight loss woes.  Today, that song has changed! Tiffany is up in the yoga studio doing headstands and thangs...whuuuuut?! I LOVE IT!!

Tiffany did another vlog post about how she's getting guidance from her instructor on meal-planning, along with her Hot Yoga, Power Yoga, and Yoga-lates classes. I'm so proud of her, and I'm asking you to take a few minutes to cheer her on, and see how her journey could help you!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

I'm loving Tiffany Campbell's tips on how to make small changes that have a big impact on our overall health.

GET ADEQUATE REST
I have people who come to my classes all the time with weight loss as their primary focus. However, when I ask them about their sleeping habits, they all complain about fatigue. Adequate rest makes all the difference in your ability to do anything, including show up for yoga or workout classes. You are not going to be able to get what you want out of your body if you are constantly pushing its limits. It’s like going to the bank for a withdrawal without making any deposits. So, make a commitment to adding more rest to your schedule.

Want the rest of Tiffany's tips? Visit my main chill spot for a few more.


Oh, and of course, follow @ilovemytemple on Twitter for more information on how Yoga could be that change you need! Go, #TeamTiffany!!

WHY FATHER'S DAY MATTERS TO ME

Does Father's Day mean ANYTHING to you?

I never really celebrated the idea, outside of the obligatory socks and tie gifts to my dad every once in a while, and I really haven't changed much since I started doing that back in middle school.  I must say though, being married and watching Kris in action with our girls has helped me not only to appreciate him, but so many of the father figures who have shaped my life in wonderful ways.

MY FATHER
I held a strong sense of resentment toward my biological father for many years. (Dang, what if he's reading this post!) Anyhoo, he was in and out of our lives, and he seemed to be disconnected from us as human beings, and more involved in the "your mom said you were doing (insert grade-school-kid-foolishness here), and she doesn't want you to do that, so stop it" type of talks. He and my mom were never married, and by the time my brother and I moved to the U.S. in 1987, he and my mom had long been separated, and we saw him on weekends, some summers, and a few other times. He would drop us off at the library for hours on end, look right through us when we spoke, and whoop on my brother for what seemed to me like stupid shit.  #IMHO

I must say though, as an adult, I've grown closer to my father. I have a better understanding of him as a person, and I've let go of the idea that he should have been a certain way. He was who he was, and more importantly, that's the past. Today, I enjoy his booming voice, his animated personality, and his overall smarty-pants way of being. He's a cool dude, and I love him.

MY PAPA
When I lived in Jamaica as a child, my dad was in the U.S, but I was so very fortunate to have a grandfather and two uncles who shaped my views of what to expect from men. My grandfather, Joaclyn Sinclair, meant the world to me, and he treated me like an absolute princess. He was judicious with hugs, kisses, and I-love-you's, and he allowed himself to be used as a human jungle gym, as several of my childhood pictures will prove. I was literally always climbing him, smelling his beard (which had an intoxicating scent that always had me breathing in the poor guy while he tried to read his bible or listen to talk radio), and asking him a million questions. We chased butterflies together, we talked about whatever was whirling through my brain, and he simply made me feel like I mattered. Thank you, Papa! 

MY UNCLES
Martin and Richie, were (and still are) the bees knees in my book! They were attentive, fun-loving, and super-protective of us kids.  Even though they were much older than I, I never felt flitted away or like I was an annoyance.  Instead, they celebrated my big personality, and would take me with them to the store and to football matches--a pretty sweet deal for a curious 6 year old! In the evenings, they would sit my cousin and me up on the gate posts and ask us questions as we people-watched and shot the breeze.  Those memories still make me teary-eyed, and I love them for giving me the time of day! Thank you, Uncle Martin! Thank you, Uncle Richie!

MY PARTNER
Kris is a godsend, and that's nothing short of the truth.  This is not solely my opinion, but also that of several sound-minded women who also love him. I'll share a few gems from my extensive list of reasons I know I'm brilliant for choosing him as my hubs!

---He has a very calm demeanor.  He's not the type to get worked up, and his "Level 10" notch just doesn't exist. He's the Caribbean Sea, and in our house, we NEED that!
---He's one of those smart guys who don't make people feel stupid for not knowing quite as much as he does.
----His web and marketing smarts offers me a great opportunity to enjoy in-house creative, and that ROCKS!
----He understands our daughters.  Sometimes, I find myself going to him, all "third daughter-esque" with complaints like, "Why don't Marley and Sage make sense? Why would they do that?!" In his calm, Caribbean-Sea type of way, he is always able to calm me and help me to re-connect with the reality that I am fit to be their mother, even when I'm feeling rather "Huh!-ish".
----He has football (soccer) player legs? If you don't know what those are, my sincere condolences, because, dude, you've been missing out!

I could go on, but this post is already like 8000 words long, so I'll leave you with a link to his new blog, The Conflicted Philosopher, and remind you to make your own appreciation list for the fathers in your life!  Thank you, Kris!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU BEAUTIFUL DADS OUT THERE!

Parenting While Pursuing (PWP): When Babies & Business Don't Mix

I really appreciate Kandi Burruss' candor in her recent vlog post over at HelloBeautiful.

I know I'm not alone in hearing the familiar call of the Execumama in her voice.  The sentiment, though varied in wording and number of tears, carries the same tune: How the hell will I manage to pursue my passion while remaining committed and anywhere near good at my role as a mother??

I penned a piece on the subject of us Execumamas over at my main chill spot, and I'd love your perspective.    

Are you a busy businesswoman who also dons the title of Mom? How do you do both effectively? 

Are you living in a GWZ (Guilt-free Woman Zone) or are you plagued with work/life guilt?

There’s a crazy philosophy out there…

that claims we are right on the heels of achieving the ever-elusive balance between our work as women and our work as mothers, if we just figure out how to “get it right”. If our passion includes more than the joys and challenges of motherhood, there’s a constant pressure to measure the time we spend pursuing our passions against the time we spend with our children. Let’s be clear; ALL mothers are working mothers, and that’s a fact! But for those of us who, either by choice or circumstance, decide to embrace the additional challenges of pursuing a career—particularly those of us who are self-employed—the pressure gauge constantly lingers near the popping point. The Execumama lifestyle, though filled with rewards and reasons to be grateful, is also not for the Wuss Puss types.

READ MORE HERE

Yoga for Weight Loss...Meet Tiffany B!

As promised...

That's a recent photo (taken June 4, 2010) of me and my longtime homie, Tiffany.  You may recall that Tiff is taking Temple Yoga and Wellness Center's Tiffany Campbell up on her offer to start a permanent lifestyle change of healthy eating, regular exercise, and overall FLY-osity!!

COME ON OVER AND WATCH MY BRIEF CHAT WITH TIFFANY...

Follow Tiffany Campbell on Twitter @ilovemytemple and use the #TeamTiffany hashtag to tweet your support! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!

Have you taken any steps (small or big) toward your healthiest self?  Do share!

Yoga for Weight Loss

 I LOVE MY TEMPLE!  Just the wording sounds like something to proudly proclaim at every reasonable opportunity, doesn't it?  We should love our temples, but often, we find "perfectly good reasons" not to!

My friend Tiffany is among the not-so-in-love-with-our-temple crew right now, but she's doing something about that, and inviting you to join her on the journey.  With her first major production around the corner (oh, I didn't tell you she owns a theatre company and is directing her first independent play?! Yep, she's the bomb.com, honey!), Tiffany is ready to step into a space of mental and physical health, and Love My Temple's Yoga for Weight Loss program is a great tool to help Tiffany do just that!

Read about Tiffany's struggle here, and stayed tuned for regular updates on her progress.  The Yoga for Weight Loss wellness program will be taking over my blog during the next 5 weeks, and I'm happy to surrender this space for such an honor. You'll meet her live...well, not live, but close...we'll be vlogging with Tiffany next week, so you can get to know and love her like I do and root for her success!

I found a little bit of myself in Tiffany's words, and I think many of you will find a kinship with her too.  She's vowed to be candid and committed throughout this process, and she will need our inspiration.  Besides, I think her journey may help us more than our words may help her, knowwhatImean?

TEAM TIFFANY, Woo-hoo!!!

Self-Celebration: A Contest About YOU

Loving yourself can carry so many odd connotations, can't it?  Somehow, we've collectively been sold wholesale the notion that loving ourselves is something that sounds good in cards and speeches, but shouldn't be stated to often, too loudly, or boldly, lest we be labeled with all kinds of negative tags that really don't reflect our real selves.

Well, you know what I say to the labels, the rolling eyes, and the who-are-you-to-shine comments?  Yea, um...I say things I'm smart enough to spell out on this blog :)

THIS POST, and the beautiful symphony of responses inspired me to keep the See Me Shine movement going, but this time, with GOODIES, courtesy of Kahran over at Creative Soul Photography (@CSPhoto_atl) and Ivy over at Ivy LaArtista (@IvyLaArtista)

Get the details over at Execumama.com and enter this month's celebration of self-love for a change to win a free make-up session, a free photo shoot, AND a free accordion book that features none other than your FLY SELF on every single page!!

This contest is open to metro Atlanta residents only, BUT we'll be branching out to get a good dose of sunshine from your city soon, no worries :)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS... then get your shine on!!