Day 11: Forget the Bullshit, Do the yoga (dew).

From early on in day 10 up until the very end of day 11, my schedule was packed. I worked early both mornings, squeezed in some reading and homework, dashed to two awesome yoga classes and supported the wondrous Beehive Collective's ashtray auction at the Borough (which raised $1,900!). The Beehive is a community giving circle in Raleigh and straight up great. Check out the website to see how you can join!

I love having a really full schedule, especially when all the pieces are helping me grow, supporting community endeavors and keeping me focused on my goals. The downside to having a packed schedule is lack of sleep, which completely screws my day. For a long time, I could operate on a meek 5 (sometimes 4) hours of sleep. I would stay up well into the night, drinking and socializing, and retire around 12 or 1...maybe 2. My alarm would violently beep around 5:30 am and with bleary eyes, I would rouse myself enough to put on some clothes and bike to work. This sucked. It was hard for me the realize how large of a component sleep is for health; to understand that 5 hours is not enough rest.

Day 11, I found that out. I pulled a summertime sleep move and rode to work on barely 5 hours of shuteye. The whole day was a struggle and I relied on coffee, sugar and any other legal stimulants to carry me through the shift. I felt like poop. It was around 3 when I realized that unhealthy choices, at least for me, were a coping mechanism. When I am sleep deprived, I look to other sources to help energize me. And these sources are usually the ones you have to pay for, like sugar. The diabetes-inducing sweet stuff brings you up, temporarily, than slams you hulk hogan style into a sugar coma. Coffee? In moderation, as in a nice americano every now and again, is fine. 4 shots and a cup of drip? This overexcites your adrenal glands and gives you that longed-for buzz, then drops you off right next to hogan...crashville. Read more about the cycle in this article: Hidden dangers of coffee and sugar. Though I am a barista...so shouldn't talk about this. Well, like we all know, moderation is what we need. So, come in for coffee...just not 12 cups.

So with renewed vigor and clear view of what helps and hurts my body, I'm ramping up the Mala. I've been slowly phasing out the bullshit: muliple boozy nights during the week, sugary treats, reasons to not make sweet love to my comforter (or sleep) and all the other choices that lead to negative consequences. Ramping it up does not mean that I am anti-fun. I am quite pro-fun. Fun? Me? Close friends. Pals. Real amigos. It just means that fun will not be a "late night bar crawl around gutter-ville, vomiting, no sleep and coffee in the morning" cycle. I'm thinking fun in terms of nurturing my body and opening my soul. Great movies at the Indie theatres in Raleigh, exploring other yoga studios, rock climbing, long bike rides, reading in my favorite corners of town, gardening (when the weather warms up) and maybe even practicing meditation. One day that will be labeled fun or beneficial, insead of just "Shut the fuck up, brain."

Triangle:

Wins: Ramping up the Mala; Delicious oranges; finding a pear at the perfect ripeness point!; staying in the present; edge, edge and beyond the edge; building strength; clean lungs; awesome arm warmer gloves made by Liz Niemeyer; Rooibus tea.