Okay

Okay I'm giving it a try. Jumping back in. I might as well do the next two months and then if I want to start over I can...

I'll be in Washington DC for the next 9 days - but staying with very healthy eating people so my diet will be easy and they have a big house with lots of room to work out. Fun! Let's hope I make it back onto solid ground.

I will try to blog but not sure how much I can use their computer.

lost

Okay. I am really lost. I was on vacation this past week, and had a bad cold. So I hardly exercised, didn't have a computer to blog on, and was eating at someone else's house. I am basically not doing this program.

One possibility is that I might just start over again. Start with day one and just do it kind of on my own. I get that its not the same group feeling as PCP, and that might be good as I haven't kept up with the group or the plan. I depended too much on our PCP group - but it was really good for motivation. Can I motivate from the inside? So far, no. NO! Time to face myself.

Not sure what to do. Lost.

Day 16 17 18

A bit confused about what day we're on.

Well honestly I'm feeling a bit disconnected. I threw myself into it last week but the weekend get so busy -- I didn't jump Sun or Mon - driving much of Monday to New Jersey. Did the exercises last night. But it feels like we as a group aren't really watching each other. Maybe it is a different energy in Kung Fu than PCP? PCP was so new and kind of dramatic. Our group posted almost every day and we left comments on each others blogs. I wonder if seeing the weekly pictures wasn't also kind of bonding. But maybe this is simply a more individualistic kind of experience. What are the rest of you feeling?

I just did jumping and now am headed out for a walk.

Day 15 Wow

Okay today was important.

Today I stopped worrying about whether I was going to make it to the end of each set. Instead I was focused on my body. I know this sounds obvious. But I remember now that I had the same shift in PCP. It was about a month and a half in!! This time it only took two weeks.

Before the workout I took time to read through all Patrick's instructions and watch the videos again on stances, kicks and so on. I also looked at a couple of his Youtube videos - the core video is especially interesting. Then I remembered to bow. (In fact I put a few extra bows in -- one between each section and before I meditated and after!!!) Focusing and in fact bowing to my own body.

I have been focused on "getting through" the set. This is similar to how I live my life. I've got to get through the day, get through the week, get through this section of my life. Obviously I fight this and make efforts (like this program) to be in the moment. So I'm very pleased that today I stepped into the moment.

This shift allows me the opportunity to see (as PCP taught me) that reaching the fatigue point is a way of learning about myself and my body. Instead of seeing it as a big failure and myself as a big slob, today I welcomed the message from my muscles that we were at our limit. Huh, I thought, that's interesting information.

After the pushups and plank - which are very challenging for me even at this low level - I instinctively went into the child's pose. Almost like my body/myself choose to comfort for a moment after feeling exhausted. That was great.

I also put the wide angle forward bend in at the end of stretching. I can get my elbows and hands on the floor. But not my head. Not yet. When I was younger I could put my head easily on the floor. Interesting.

Okay all. I'm off to make a breakfast of Huevos Rancheros -- I highly recommend it!

Onions and tomatoes, in a little olive oil on low heat for a long time.

With chipolte peppers. Not too many or it is too hot.

Then throw one corn tortilla in and an egg. Pour a little water in. Put lid on skillet to let steam.

Yum.

In

Today I actually stepped into the journey of Kung Fu. The past two months have been very tough for me personally. The choice to enter this journey with you all was intellectual - a choice that I felt would be "good for me." For the past two weeks I have been going through the motions, with as little effort as I could, because I felt I have so little energy. Today I woke up and for the first time in a long time I felt that I could begin again.

So I did the exercises and the meditation with my whole heart - pushing my body to its weak limit - feeling each moment and stretch and effort and I was in. In the moments. Not suspended and watching myself.

Whew. I am tired and proud.

So I am now -- in.

Hi.

Day 9 10 11

Been out of town and away from a computer for 3 days. Lovely little vacation.

Did pretty well with diet (asian restaurants) and was able to jump in the hotel workout room.

Quick post... more later.

No pizza by the way.

Day Ate

Ate well today. Very taken by Huevos Rancheros without cheese. Lots of chipolte peppers. Lots of onions and tomatoes and an egg.

Just finished exercises. Very bad at jumping. It's been a long day. Up since 6 and lots of non stop. Sunday can never seem to jump first - which is the way I managed to deal with it during pcp. Jump first, live through day, do exercises.

The Stress Movie: (streaming on Netflix) "National Geographic: Stress: Portrait of Killer."

Kind of a stressful title if you think about it. But good and ultimately inspiring.

Confession. Last night watched an old Star Trek movie with my son and ate THREE PIECES of PEPPERONI PIZZA. I was hoping that I would feel dreadful or that it would not taste good. Like our indulgences on PCP but clearly I have not purified myself enough again this time. I do eat well, much better now, but still I strayed away from the pure clean food - and was back to some cheese and sugar. So I have to say the pizza was simply heavenly. Oh My God.

Ah that way madness lies - like King Lear said in the storm.

Go the other way.

Alright everyone. Carry on Fuing and Kunging.

Deb

Friday Actually Day Seven

Snow Snow Snow Snow in my world....

Non Carb Bliss. Thai Chicken with ginger, garlic and jalapenos on lettuce

Okay. I am now adjusted. Day Seven.

Ugh. So much jumping. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. growl.

Knees very tired this morning. Do not want to jump once more ever.

Diet...excellent. Lots of veggies - but one drink. Oops. My great downfall...the margarita. Not just a drink but pretty much a 3000 calorie drink full of sugar. Augh.

Day Five and Six

I thought it was day Five but I guess it is day Six. How did I start on Sunday? I shall be a day late and a dollar short. hmmmmmmm...

Body much better. Thanks all for the cheerful comments.

I see that this odyssey is different than PCP. KFB (Kentucky Fried Bacon? No. I think not. Kind Flexible Body? Perhaps. Skill... Kansas Finesse Body? Yes. That shall be my title. Ah that woman with the skillful Kansas Finesse Body - she walks and talks with authority and purpose. Grace. So the odyssey is taking us deeper - past the modern focus on fat and feeling fat and being weak and fragile. This KFB trip is more elegant. Taking time. We know where we are now - so let's survey the landscape and lie in the wet grass of the valley and know these bones we carry and the heart that pumps blood through the veins that wind through us.

(For those of you who don't know me I am hereby warning you that my posts are .... well rather fanciful. You can just skip to the end if you want....)

Saw a documentary about stress today and how it puts plaque in our arteries, kills our brain cells and frazzles our DNA which speeds up aging. Positives - positive social interaction combats stress. We are social creatures and when the group is supportive (as opposed to the typical primate stratified society...or the typical modern stratified society with dominant and subdominant and submissive levels) supportive social interaction combats the effects of stress as much as almost anything. Huh. I felt this with the first PCP group - that there was a kind of mystical power in the connection that we had even though we were not physically present with each other. I saw us scattered around the world and it was so helpful. I hope that we can find that as a group. That is part of the power of this process. To connect with our own bodies we are helped by connecting honestly with others.

Okay.

Exercises went pretty well. Ate NO carbs today. Lovely veggies and chicken. Nice long meditation. Breathing. Love stretching. I am a first class Kung Fuey stretcher already.

Good night all.

Day Three and Four

Two days blurred together with inactivity.

Been rather socked in with a cold. Decided to collapse and let my body rest. Did most of the exercises. Ate well.

Absolutely loved Patrick's email today about the stuff of stars that make up my very own flesh. Lying in bed, resting, I felt the fragility of my atomic structure. The balance that can easily be tipped on direction or another.

Mounds of snow outside. Quiet inside.

Day 2

Sunday

It snowed like mad here.

Very beautiful.

I took this picture about 8AM this morning. It's a picture of Ann in front of her red barn. I pick her up every Sunday morning. Ann is 80 and has never learned to drive. So she's spent a life walking everywhere. It's served her well. She's the healthiest 80 year old in church.

I exercised just now. I like the kicks. I like the stretches. My body feels very warm and awake now. Eating -- went to a cooking class at a friend's restaurant -- Asian appetizers -- pork buns, potstickers and drunkard noodles. Yes. A little too many carbs. But absolutely delish. And full of flavor, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and hot things.

Day Two.

Day One It Is

Okay. Here we go.

I did the Peak Condition thing with happy results. Hugely better health. Could bound up stairs with good cheer.

Not sure I am ready for this.

I've backslid some - especially with the jumping. The past month, January, in Vermont is very dreary. Cold. And I was tired and kind of stopped doing much of anything that was good for me.

So I'm ready to live again. To make great healthy choices.

Day one was pretty good. Jumping...eh.... But I shall focus on the positive. Stretching is fun. And I went swimming this morning in an nice indoor pool. Now it's snowing. We've got a foot and a half already.

Welcome everyone. I look forward to Fuing with you...

Deborah