Healthy Body, Mind and Soul

So I haven't been as faithful a blogger this time around as I was last... not because I haven't been successful or because I am less committed, but because I am so rarely sitting in front of a computer where I can... and my personal computer is now out of commission, at least temporarily.
So... to catch you up on this journey... I weighed in for my week four appointment today and I have lost a total of 16.5 lbs and lost 3 inches in my waist so far... which is good and exciting.  In addition to doing Medi, I have also been on another journey... I started a 60 day challenge with Bikram Yoga, which has been really perfect for me. I have to do 60 classes in 60 days, and who wants to exercise in a 105 degree room for 90 min at a time more than once in a day... which makes me even more motivated to go every day. I can feel a change in my body... and in my spirit... My practice (overall) has improved (even though, of course, I still have bad days)... so today will be 18 days in a row... and I really LOVE it. My biggest challenge is staying hydrated though... because you sweat like nobody's business and I can't drink the coconut water or normal sports drinks because of the carbs (because of Medi) so, it has been a challenge... one that has resulted in 2 migraines during the 18 days... But the reality is, I need to stay hydrated anyway... so I just have to keep working at it.
Anyway... in addition to Medi, and Yoga, I have also been doing Spiritual Direction which was exactly what I needed to jumpstart my whole balancing act... helping me to balance my emotional and spiritual life and practice spiritual discipline. During my first session... before I started back to Medi or Bikram... she invited me to remember what it felt like to be the authentic Megan i have known in the past... and I remembered that there were times when I was Brave, Bold, Balanced, and Healthy and so that became my mantra... and my drive to be those things again...
Life long practices to keep balanced and healthy...

Where's your Sanctuary?

So I was supposed to weigh-in Friday, but I woke up at 4:45am with a debilitating migraine and by the time I woke up, I really had to go to work... so, I will have to wait until this Friday.  Then, the next Friday I will be out of town so I guess I am in an "every 2 weeks" pattern... this has the potential to be very good or very bad...  On the one hand, if I lose like I did last week, it could be very encouraging to see the double digit losses, which could fuel me to keep on my grind!  On the other hand, it gives me more time in between each weigh-in, which can be dangerous.  

Today, I choose to make it work for my health... 

This past week, the Pastoral Care Department of Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth hosted a Faith Community Leadership Summit.  We brought in Terry Hershey as our keynote speaker.  There were many meaningful truths that were powerful for me, one of which being a neat realization for me... 

See, one of the hardest things for people to do is to give our self permission to care for our self... and ministers are the worst.  Terry invited us to really think about the ways that we honor the Sabbath... the way that Jesus modeled throughout his entire ministry... honoring the Spirit of the Sabbath, not the Law...  Even in His ministry, he had to say, "No" to others so that he could say "Yes" to restoring His soul, and after teaching and healing in large crowds of people, he would go away by himself to be alone.  He was modeling for each of us what it means to care for our self so that we have something left to give to the world, and it is something that we all have to be intentional about.... 

Now, this concept is not new to me... it's something that I practice, not all the time of course, but what was a realization for me was realizing what that means to me these days... He asked us to take a moment to think about where our Sanctuary is... that place where we find rest and feed our souls... and that Sanctuary is different for each and every person... my realization was that, for me, that place is at the gym... Never in my life have I ever thought that if someone asked me how I restore my soul, my first thought would be "working out."  It was an exciting realization, made even more exciting yesterday as I was running on the treadmill and kept running... I was thoroughly amazed with myself as I just kept running longer than I have ever been able to do before and didn't get short of breath.  

When I'm doing cardio I try to keep my heart rate upwards of the 70% - 80% range of my resting heart rate... which is supposed to be the "Fat Burning Zone"...  and I have noticed lately that I have had to increase the incline to get to that zone.  (Since my little accident where I sprained my ankle and flew off the back of the treadmill, I have been scared to increase the speed, but yesterday I thought I would give it a try.)  I had "Girl Talk" going on my headphones which really keeps me focused... and I started jogging... I felt so good that I upped the speed a little more and started running... not very fast of course, but running none the less, and I kept waiting for the shortness of breath... but it didn't come... so I just kept going and got a little embarrassed when I realized I was grinning from ear to ear as I ran.  What can I say, it felt really good... and it hit me... this is what it feels like to "let my body catch up with my soul."

Of course, that is not the only way I know to restore my soul... 

spending time with my family restores my soul...  

Skyping with Alicia and Jack Jack...  

A hug from Cedric... 

Talking to Jen... 

Happy Hour with close friends... 

Sitting on my couch on Tuesday evenings with a  healthy meal, watching The Biggest Loser...

...all restore my soul!

So, as I leave you this Sabbath Day, I wonder... where is your Sanctuary?  

Where do you go to find rest and restore your soul? 
Today, I am going to honor it using my creativity to cook... the first creation is this delicious salad...

salmon, avocado, baby bella mushrooms, and Walden Farms Raspberry Vinaigrette