balance

To Live, Luv, + Leave El Lay

Arielle Miller / Adventure, Alive, balance, Blog, Build connections, Central Coast, Central Coast California, Challenges, Community, Fitness, LAUSD, Lifestyle, Santa Ynez Valley, School, Teacher Life, Teaching, Updates / Begin Again, Being Courageous, Equinox, Leaving Los Angeles, Lompoc, Lompoc Unified School District, Los Angeles, Los Olivios, New Job, New Life, Overcoming Obstacles, Podcast, Proud Teacher, Santa Ynez, Santa Ynez Valley, Starting a New Life, Starting Over, Teacher, Teacher Life / 7 comments

May 8, 2019

The last 15 years of my life have been the absolute best, most challenging, formative years of my life.

Immediately after my undergraduate studies, I ran off to Los Angeles after my college boyfriend broke my heart. I left behind family and virtually no friends, as I did not cultivate relationships with people from high school. While in college, I struggled with my own demons, making it hard for others to want to be around me, so leaving the few lasting friendships did not faze me.

So, at 22 years old, I ran off to Los Angeles to escape myself, masking it as self-discovery and reinvention. I started my new life teaching 8^thgrade English at a low-income, high needs, and ‘rough’ school in the heart of urban LA. I did not know of gangs, LA traffic, lip fillers, butt implants, which hipster neighborhood to live in, the meaning of cholo, or how to get into the coolest clubs. Nonetheless, I leapt head first into a life where ignorance was bliss, thus allowing me to thrive. Precisely because I had zero sense of failure, it never crossed my mind that I could actually fail at something.

My love affair with Los Angeles blossomed virtually instantaneously, and I was smitten with this city. From the late night burrito and taco spots, to the laid back nature in which teachers dressed for work, to the upper echelon of bougie Beverly Hills, fancy restaurants, bars, and clubs, to the beach, to the gritty and tough environment of my teaching jobs—I loved this city and she loved me.

Los Angeles embraced my incessant desire to express myself through clothes, hair, and tattoos. Various administrators turned a blind eye to my self-generated, edgy, and contemporary English Language Arts curriculum, thus allowing me to find my place as an educator and flourish. Even my no nonsense and unapologetic approach to teaching my fitness classes was welcomed [in most cases, haha]. Los Angeles just seemed to get me and LA looked damn good on me.

Oh, to live and die in LA.

Los Angeles is my home. In fact, if you were to ask me where I were from, I would respond, “El Lay”. Yes, I was born and raised in New York, but Los Angeles is where I grew into the woman I am today. Los Angeles has shaped my belief systems, passions, politics, and so much more.

I am a proud Angeleno through and through.

Life in LA is not just good for me. It is great.

And so, it seems only fitting that after the best years of my life, having established myself in working for Equinox, one of the most prestigious fitness brands in the world and recently getting promoted at the school district, it is time for a new adventure…Right?!

Recently, while on Spring Break in Los Olivos with my husband Greg, we were presented with an opportunity to relocate to our Happy Place. A place that we dreamed of living ‘one day’ without ever really thinking that ‘one day’ would actually come [well before retirement that is].

After a beautiful love affair with Los Angeles, my husband and I will be moving to Santa Ynez Valley, California’s Central Coast to begin a new life and adventure in Los Olivos.

Before I get into the details, I do want to share something with you all.

When I first met my husband nearly six years ago, I told him I dreamed of moving to this ‘small town called Los Olivos’. Greg scoffed at the idea of me—ME, living in a small town. But after our first trip up to the area together in June 2014, Greg said to me, “Now, I get it.” It was then our little dream started to incubate. We toiled with moving. We chuckled while drinking wine in the tasting rooms and talked about how “One day…” while telling everyone we met during our trips to the Santa Ynez Valley that ‘we want to move up here’. I mean, come on. How many tourists say shit like that?! Ahem, like everyone, but how many actually do it?!

Then, in November of 2018, I made a vision board. Upon arriving home from another blissful trip to our “Happy Place”, I started gathering images evoking positive feelings associated with the life I wanted to live…The life I wanted—no, was going to manifest. These images were simple, capturing rolling hills, wine, horses, books, some athletic clothing, and a simple life. Quite the departure from the life I lived in LA. I looked at my vision board and if I am being honest, I didn’t think much other than it was pretty badass. Before landing on my closet door, my vision board remained propped up on our bar in the living room for a few weeks.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think, could I think, or would I think that in a matter of months, literally every single thing on that vision board would leap off the page to become my new reality. Talk about The Law of Attraction, that’s for sure!

Greg will soon, and by soon, I mean very soon, transition back into managing a restaurant as the General Manager for The Bear and Star at The Fess Parker Inn. In addition, I am eager to report that I too have gotten a new job at Lompoc Unified School District (LUSD). Talk about mind meld—from LAUSD to LUSD that sure is going to take some getting used to on my part. I am thrilled to share with you all that next year, I assume my new position at Lompoc High School teaching 9^thgrade English and English Language Development (ELD). Now, as someone who has just spent the past year in an out-of-classroom district role, the terminology used to reference this transition is, ‘I am going back to the classroom’. And I need to tell you, I never liked that phrasing and I like it even less now seeing it ascribed to my venture moving out of LAUSD. The term ‘going back to the classroom’ implies some sort of demotion, or assumption that the role of a classroom teacher is somehow lesser than working in an out-of-classroom capacity. Simply, that is not true. I am not going ‘back’ anywhere. I am returning to a place where I am needed most. A place where 150 bodies walk through my door every day and it is my job to empower, inspire, and educate them. A place where what I say and how I do my work can potentially alter the trajectory of someone’s life for the better. A place where hormones, out bursts, pimples, and boyfriend/girlfriend drama are commonplace. A place, a place…

A place where I feel whole, overwhelmed with purpose doing the best work in the world. A place where I know what I say may not resonate in the immediate, but will reverberate years down the line. A place where I learn everyday through the eyes of a child. A place where I am the best I can be.

That place is THE CLASSROOM.

So, when I say I am ‘going back to the classroom,’ I am going home. I am going to MY PLACE where I shine brightest by helping others tap into their greatest potential.

Now, that is not without saying that I am not scared to take this step, because I am. I am terrified to leave the only meaningful friendships I have ever known. To relinquish my fitness classes that I worked so hard for, earning my place on a schedule, and then building a following. To leave a well-respected district position with LA Unified where I thrived and looked at my career in education and said, “It’s all up from here!”

And trust me, I saw it all. In two years I would be an Assistant Principal…then a Principal, then…

Nevertheless, sometimes things change. Sometimes plans, ambitions, and dreams evolve and that is OK! For the last seven years, I have taught group fitness, six of those years for Equinox. The grind and hustle of working, maintaining, and remaining at the top of my craft in two career fields has taken everything I had deep within me. Also, it has taken my time from self-care, social engagements, and didn’t leave anything left for passion projects like this blog, my motivational speaking, my new podcast Leveling Up with Arielle Miller, and so much more. My entire 30’s have been dominated by work, work, work, and all I have to show for the ferocious commitment to my careers are some Instagram followers, extreme fatigue, low self-esteem from the fitness industry since I will never ‘look good enough’, and a wholllleee lotta leggings.

Seriously though, we celebrate this no-days off mentality, this constant “I’ll sleep when I am dead’ mentality but that’s just it—you’ll be dead, so you won’t be able to reap the joys of your constant laboring. There must be—no, there IS more to life than zipping through life at a million miles an hour. How can I, rather, how can one, enjoy this life if you are too busy to even experience it? For me, this move is about re-establishing balance and boundaries in my life. This move is about giving myself the permission I would have never been able to give myself living in Los Angeles. Permission to begin again, to step back, to give up classes, to work out more purposefully, and to simply DO ME.

Wow, do me. Now, that frightens me. How does one go from having seemingly ‘no time’, to now being able to have the accessibility to pursue matters of the heart and soul simply because one can as opposed to IFthey can…?

Sure, some may call me brave for willingly catapulting myself into the unknown, but remember this:

People are only brave because they are scared.

Moving is scary. Leaving a fitness community, gym, job, colleagues, routine, and so much more that is familiar, safe, and comfortable is a lot for me to grapple with and I would be lying if I told you that I was so strong that I handled this in stride. I have cried every day since Greg and I said “YES” to us and a new life. And I haven’t cried for any other reason than lamenting leaving whilst being SO excited to hit the reset button on my life. Also, in some respects I am mourning a figurative death as I leave my beloved El Lay and all that I have come to love in all its familiarity.

In deciding to leave LA, I feel like I am letting so many people down. I feel like I am turning my back on those who need me, even though we damn well know I am doing nothing of the sort. It just feels like I am choosing to throw away a life I have worked tirelessly to build, even though I know that is not true and it’s only my silly perception. However, in reflecting with my husband…Should we move? Should we not move?

Me and Greg at a Carhartt wine tasting in LA in March/April 2018

What if it doesn’t work out?

We kept asking ourselves,What if it DOES work out?

For the both of us, the resounding thought was, what if in 20 years from now we looked over at one another and wondered what could have been…What if we said aloud, “Remember when we could have taken a grand adventure, but we were too scared to…”

What ifwe don’t take this chance?

Shoulda

Coulda

Woulda

Truth be told, I am more terrified to take this giant step then words can convey. But you know what’s even more scary? Not taking this leap of faith and living a life of what if, and wondering. Frankly, I believe the greatest tragedy of one’s life, is to not live life to its fullest capability because of fear. That is not living. That is always playing it safe and never growing or learning because one was too afraid to leave their comfort zone.

I really cannot think of anything more tragic than wishing, wanting, hoping, and never DOING. Life is meant to be lived by taking risks. This risk needs to be taken.

My friends will always be there.

Work will always be there.

Fitness will always be there.

But this chance to jump head first into the abyss of the unfamiliar, most certainly won’t.

Fifteen years ago I ran away to LA to flee a life I did not have. Now, while this move looks as if I am walking away from so much, I do not see this as walking away from anything, so much as running towards something.

My Healing Journey, Part I

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, Adversity, Autoimmune Disease, Awareness, balance, Challenges, Chronic Illness, Diet, Diet and Exercise, Fitness, Hard Work, Holistic Nutrition, Keto, Ketogenic Diet, mindfulness, Nutrition, Strength Training, Updates / Autoimmune, Autoimmune Disease, Autoimmunity, Fitness, Healing Journey, Health, Health and Wellness, Seeking answers, Unexplained weight gain, Weight / 2 comments

November 13, 2018

Over the last year I have struggled tremendously. If you follow me on any of my social media outlets, especially on Instagram—you have watched my unraveling as my weight spiraled out of control without any discernable cause or explanation. I became more and more lethargic, depressed, anxious, frustrated, and more crippled by my inability to focus as a result of debilitating brain fog with each passing day.

Every day I’d wake up, walk to my closet and sift through my clothes, “Nope. No. Not that. That doesn’t fit. Not that either. Nope. No. No. No.” Which finally always culminated in a breakdown of tears in frustration because I literally couldn’t get dressed for work. Absolutely NOTHING I owned fit me any longer. Even my stretchy clothes and my sports bras were almost too tight to wear, and as it was, there were already some stretchy clothes I could no longer fit into. Demoralized, enraged, broken down I spent the last few months seeking answers.

I spent my entire summer in and out of doctor’s offices. Prior to this point, as my body and energy level started to change I sought out the help of a Registered Dietician. I was Crossfitting 4-5 days a week, counting macros, adding in rest days, adjusted my sleep schedule and in the end; the RD I was working with finally said to me she could no longer accept my money because in spite of everything she did to help me lean out and build some muscle, we were making zero progress.

Then, I saw a rheumatologist and she tested me for nearly every possible thing known to man, including my hormones. My blood work all came back normal with the exception of a positive ANA (Antinuclear Antibodies) which is the marker for autoimmunity and positive Thyroid antibodies, AKA Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies. This meant that my body was showing signs of an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Disease, but since I still had normal Thyroid function; these tests did not indicate I was suffering from an autoimmune disease. Since I was not quite sick enough to be treated, the doctor told me this could be reversed with lifestyle changes.

Lifestyle changes…?

Yoga, meditation, not working out, self-care, therapy, de-stressing, and generally just slowing down.

Lifestyle changes?! What do you mean? I eat well, workout, just got promoted, have a great apartment, in a city I love, where I get to share my life with an incredible husband, I have great friends, a wonderful family—what possible changes do I need to make to my life?!

I felt like this was fucking bullshit. But nonetheless, begrudgingly I made all the changes the doctor told me to make. I revamped my daily meditation practice, cut out the weight lifting, started walking, doing more yoga, resting, and trying to slow down.

In June 2018, I went Keto (short for the Ketogenic Diet), which in my last post at one week into the diet raved about how it was changing my life. However, what I failed to do was update that post. Because after my first week on Keto where it appeared that I had lost some weight at week two, I was UP three pounds, then four, then five and before I knew it—by summer’s end I had gained 13 pounds and increased my body fat by 10%! While I did not know this at the time, even as I phased out a Ketogenic lifestyle, alllllll the healthy fats from avocados, Primal Kitchen dressings, nuts, oils, and nut butters were LITERALLY TURNING MY BODY INTO FAT. While Keto aficionados will vehemently oppose this, do your research. There is a small amount of the population that Keto:

– Doesn’t work

– Actually promotes fat gain because the body’s systems, specifically the liver are so taxed that it cannot metabolize the fat. So, the fat is NEVER actually used as fuel and is well, just fat

This was clearly the case for me. Keto wasn’t The Magic Pill and I was devastated.

In July 2018, I saw an endocrinologist. My blood panels were all normal and that was the end of my treatment. What treatment? Yea, my thoughts exactly. Western medicine nowadays is comprised of running blood tests, discerning whether the results are within the normal range or not, then sending an email with the results. Today’s medicine practitioners aren’t actually concerned with identifying root causes, just prescribing a pill and calling it a day. But I digress.

In August 2018, my husband and I spent $1,000 of money we did not have at Bulletproof Labs, a Biohacking facility in Santa Monica to aide in my recovery. We were hoping that this fringe science was the answer to our prayers. It wasn’t, as it did not work.

In late August into September 2018, I started working with a naturopath. I saw her weekly where she conducted ‘Muscle Testing’ to determine the dosing of herbs and supplements I would take that week. During this time, despite her attempts to stop or slow my weight gain, I kept gaining about 1.5-2 pounds a week. Finally, after 5 weeks, she referred me to someone with more experience to help me because after spending nearly $100/week to seek treatment from her, I wasn’t getting any better.

During this time, I also saw a gynecologist. She biopsied my uterus to rule out Uterine cancer since she believed I wasn’t ovulating; nor had been doing so for the past 10 years. So, just to be safe, what was supposed to be a routine visit to dig deeper into my hormonal issues; she biopsied my uterus. Gentleman, you have NO IDEA what this entails nor could possibly feel like. Ladies, if you’ve had a LEEP procedure you can infer how this felt—and I had a LEEP in my 20’s. THIS WAS NOTHING LIKE THAT. It was HORRIBLY painful and uncomfortable. I mean we are talking about taking a chunk out of someone’s flesh and I will just stop there.

Thankfully, the biopsy was negative, but I was directed to a fertility specialist to delve deeper into my ovulation, or lack thereof. Table this—more on this later.

Why this long case history of my last few months? I felt it vital to understanding my last year was filled with counting macros, The Whole30, intuitive eating, going Keto, reverting back to my body building diet; all while pushing myself harder and harder in the gym and at Crossfit and making no gains. Over the last year, I was so devoid of energy that workouts wiped me out. More specifically, during intense exertion, I crumbled and couldn’t perform. I had an entire year without one Personal Record, no competitions or meets, and nothing to show for my hard work other than severe depression and anxiety, a thickening waistline with 25 pounds added to my barely 5’1 frame, fatigue, no menses, and yet according the doctors I was ‘healthy.’

I refused to accept that this life was my new normal. What’s more, I couldn’t fathom how the medical world wasn’t boggled nor concerned as to how and why I was exponentially gaining weight.

Thankfully in early fall, salvation was delivered in the form of a chance meeting at a Reiki healing event with my husband that our amazing rheumatologist had organized. Mona, a gorgeous woman with radiant skin, lush brown hair, magnetic energy, and an adorable baby just so happened to know Greg AND our rheumatologist! What a small world and in the vastness of LA, an even smaller city. Turns out, Mona is a Holistic Nutritionist and so, so, so much more.

After meeting Mona, a few weeks passed before Greg suggested I reach out to her. I mean, what did I have to lose [pun intended]? Mona called me and we spoke for about an hour. She asked me questions about my health and goals, shared some personal anecdotes about her own struggles, and her process to help people regain their health. Our conversation was effortless. Mona is infectiously likeable, genuine, caring, and INSANELY knowledgeable. I knew the moment I ended that call that help had arrived.

Mona sent along her client intake forms and a host of other materials for me to complete. I couldn’t get them back to her fast enough. I was ready to heal and get this journey going already! Over the two weeks to come, Mona poured over my forms and all of my extensive blood panels from the last 2 months. And when I say poured over them, she texted, emailed, and called to gather more information and ask more questions. At the end of the two weeks, we had a 2-hour phone call where she went over the data and a 10-page treatment plan.

Answers.

FINALLY.

Stay tuned for my second installment, My Healing Journey, Part II next week. If you do not subscribe to my blog, make sure you do so ensuring you don’t ever miss a post. Until then, stay healthy my friends.

Live Your Best Life As Your Best Self in 2018

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, Adventure, Adversity, balance, Build connections, Celebrate, Celebration, Challenges, Community, Fitness, Goal Setting, Goals, Gratitude, Hard Work, Lifestyle, Married Life, mindfulness, Motivation Monday, Updates, Yoga / 2018, Dedication, Goal Crushing, Goal Digger, Goal Setting, Goals, Happy New Year, Married Life, Motivation, New Year, New Years Resolutions, Setting Intentions / 0 comments

January 1, 2018

It’s the New Year so you’ve committed to a “New You”. You have bought yourself new kicks, snagged a new gym membership, and you are ready to re-invent yourself in 2018. Whoohoo! Well, here’s my problem with this whole “New You” business. This concept suggests that the person you were in 2017 wasn’t good enough and I don’t like that. What was wrong with who you were in 2017? So maybe you didn’t achieve what you set out to do, you didn’t meet the partner of your dreams, get that promotion, whatever—but that doesn’t mean the entire year was a wash and what’s more, it certainly doesn’t require an entire personal overhaul [unless of course, you are are horrific human and in that case-well, tear it all down and begin anew].

Ladies and gentleman, we are entirely too hard on ourselves. We HAVE to love ourselves more so that we can thrive (yes, yes, yes I am working very hard on accepting certain aspects of myself, sigh). For us all, last year like any other was filled with joy, struggle, and laughter. For all the bad that may have happened, there was also SO MUCH good! In looking back at your 2017, as you prepare to tackle 2018, I want to ask what I feel to be more pertinent questions:

What speaks to your heart?
What are you doing to bring the things that speak to your heart alive?
How have you nourished your soul?
How are you filling your cup while you are serving others?

What terrifies you?

I mean what is something you have always wanted to do, but let your own fear and self-imposed inadequacies stand in the way of you reaching out, branching out, and growing?

Get involved in something.

Be part of something bigger than yourself.

Commit to something.

Train for something.

Find your faith or connect to a higher power. Whatever your faith maybe or whatever it is for you where you derive your spirituality from should be something that brings you strength.

The thing is here, there are no right answers to how you need to cultivate your soul, fill your heart with life and light, and wake up invigorated and energized by life. I invite you to move away from thinking you need to change the you that the world knows. The current you is just fine. Simply, look to this New Year as a season of hope, after all–obstacles in our lives are merely opportunities in disguise.

I wish you all the happiest New Year as you look boldly and confidently ahead. I will be here to celebrate your journey, laugh, sweat, and cry with you. So stop what you are doing right now. Reflect and dare to dream big. You hold the pen to craft this tale and it is up to you to fill the pages of your story.

Arielle’s Goals and Vision Board

And to help hold us all accountable, I am sharing my personal vision board with you all. About a month ago on November 19th, 2017, Greg and I each created our own vision boards to kick our lives into gear before 2018–’cause why the hell not?

We mapped out 3 things to focus on individually: Short, Mid-Range, and Long Range goals with tangible time frames, as well as couple goals we hoped to accomplish together (seen on my board above).

At present, Greg and I have our goals hanging on our closet doors so we see them daily. Personally, I like to take a quiet moment when starting AND ending my day to check back and reflect on my goals while rereading them.

We had a great time doing this little exercise together: markers, colored paper, wine, and them some good TV when we were decorating…Or when I was decorating, haha. Doing things like setting intentions, goal setting, and vision boarding helps not only bring you closer to your hopes and dreams, but also those you care about!

Greg’s Goals and Vision Board

Happiest of 2018, my Fitness Family, Friends, Loved Ones, Students, and those whom I have never met. I hope this year is truly transformative!

The Power of Good-Bye: Letting Go Doesn’t Mean You’ve Given Up

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, balance, Challenges, Fitness, Goal Setting, Goals, Lifestyle, Yoga / Acceptance, Changes, Goal Setting, Goals, Happiness, Letting Go, Yoga / 2 comments

September 25, 2017

Have you ever wanted something for so long that when you finally got it, you couldn’t recall why you wanted it in the first place? I guess sometimes that’s the irony of goal setting. You want something so darn badly for so long, work ceaselessly towards it; and occasionally there’s a massive let down or disappointment. Perhaps this has happened to you. I know with respects to myself, this sort of colossal disappointment is normally reserved for when I go off my diet. I mean seriously. I eat so clean that when a meal or dessert that I’ve committed to fails to deliver, I am filled with anger and pissed I wasted my calories. Ok, ok, maybe the food thing was a touch over the top but it’s the truth nonetheless. However, on a serious note this whole thing is really about letting go when you’ve planted an expectation and reaped a disappointment.

Big picture, I am talking about giving yourself the permission and opportunity to create space and then walk away from something that no longer serves you.

Recently, I left a job I loved. Yes, that’s right. I left a job I loved. I wasn’t pushed out, promoted, and something better didn’t come along. To put it simply: as much as I loved the job, the negatives outweighed the positives.

The very hip and trendy millennial attitude is to not do things you don’t want to do. First off, thankfully I am too old to be considered a millennial, but there is some truth to not doing shit you don’t like, and don’t want to do. No, I am not talking about not paying bills or cleaning your house ‘cause you don’t wanna do it. I am talking about when you are able to release things that are weighing you down in life—let them the ef go!

Initially when I grappled with possibly giving up something I loved here were some things that made it so difficult for me:

I wanted the job for YEARS
When I tried to get the job in the past, I was rejected and told I wasn’t good enough. This made me only want it more, work harder, and keep at it
I loved the people I impacted directly and whom interacted with me on social media. These people made me feel like I mattered in their lives
I enjoyed being part of something positive for others. Whether it was building up their confidence, or just giving them a smile when I felt they needed it most, I relished the chances to be the bright part in other people’s days

Yet, in spite of all the great things about the job, it was gut wrenching to realize that I wasn’t happy. And to top it all off, the money was great. But friends, if you haven’t learned the ol’ adage yet; wise up: Money doesn’t buy happiness.

I took an honest look at my life. Where it was going and where it wasn’t going. I also evaluated things that made me happy, and things that I was doing that no longer brought me the same joy. Here’s what I came away with:

I lead a life that prevents me from actually living life.

Daily, my grind consists of leaving my fulltime job as a public school teacher to run to a gym or studio and teach fitness classes. At one point, my group fitness schedule swelled to 10 classes a week, and that was without my own workouts! I was tired, cranky, run down, and above all—not cultivating the relationship with myself I yearned for. I had no time to take yoga classes, to write this blog or work on my book, meal prep, spend time with my husband, be social, or really give 100% in my workouts [assuming I even had the time to sneak them in]!

I took a giant step back and looked closely at my life. I made a list of things I loved doing; my goals, wants, wishes, and areas that I felt needed cultivating and casting off to keep my thinking focused. When I gazed down at my paper and started discussing some of the things with close family and friends aloud, it became more and more apparent to me. I had to leave, it was time to cast off the burden weighing me down so that I could soar in my own endeavors.

I cried when I made my decision to leave this job that I loved.

I cried for the people I met.

But mostly I cried in anguish over something I wanted so badly and for so long. Finally, when I owned my decision and I mean truly owned it, a weightlessness washed over me. Instantly, I felt liberated from my self-imposed chains. Now, I looked at my life and my schedule with hope and possibility as opposed to the daunting challenge of where to find ‘Me Time’.

So, why was I holding onto something that was bringing me such negativity and holding me back?!

Oh, there are many factors friends. The biggest one though is the most shameful one of them all and it’s ego. That’s right—my ego. The prestige and honor of being associated with such a job/brand made me feel validated, like I had finally arrived in the fitness world. Again, the more I thought about this, the more I berated myself for this ludicrous thinking. How did I allow my self-worth to ever be tied up in something that had absolutely nothing to do with my performance in any capacity?! Moreover, why did I believe that I needed the approval from someone else to determine my perception of self? It really got me thinking:

Why in the hell do we do that to ourselves?

The more I thought things through, the more I realized that in order to thrive in this life in the manner in which I wanted; I was going to have to relinguish this life line to which I was clutching. This tether bound me, held me back and stifled my spirit. I must share with you all, releasing something that no longer brought me the same joy and happiness as it once did was empowering. However, I will say this about the job. It was a great lesson in truly living my yoga. Now, I know what you are thinking—that yoga is just making shapes and blah, blah, blah; but that my friends is where you are wrong.

It’s all yoga, baby.

Yoga is something that you live. It’s a lifestyle and a way of living so you uphold yourself to the highest level of self at all times. For me, this whole process WAS yoga. Maybe not in the way you get your yoga on, but was my yoga. Realizing and accepting that I couldn’t control the business, the staff, the managers, and more was the first step. The second step was recognizing the areas of control within my life, the places where I could alter the outcomes. So whether or not I wanted to represent that specific institution was indeed a choice I could make. In the end, I picked me. I picked myself because the time for me to start putting myself first was beckoning. And there ya have it, folks.

Yoga is everywhere.

Let that shit go that isn’t bringing light and bliss into your life.

Give yourself the opportunity to experience happiness on your own terms because you certainly do deserve it.

What Really Matters

Arielle Miller / Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, Adventure, Adversity, Alive, anger, balance, Build connections, Celebrate, Celebration, Challenges, Community, Fitness, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Motivation Monday, Remembering / Challenges, Death, Family, Grateful, Gratitude, Life, Loss, Love, Mourning, Overcoming Obstacles, Reflection, What Really Matters / 4 comments

April 10, 2017

I have been working on this piece for a while, initially crafted on March 23^rd, it was really hard for me to write. Also, as life would have it, the events in the piece to follow seemed to parallel some trying times in my personal life; ultimately delaying the timeliness of getting this completed. Despite the delay in publication, I still wanted to share it because I felt it was and still is an important story to tell.

I need to start this off with an apology to my readers. I am sorry for the things I have written about myself and my life where I allow myself to feel bad for myself or even allude to anything other than the reality that is my life.

My life is effing fantastic. No matter how I think I want to see things, or when things don’t go my way, or whatever challenge physically, emotionally, and professionally I think I am enduring—it is NOTHING compared to the reality of people with real obstacles and problems.

I am not only sorry for my lack of clarity, but I am also incredibly ashamed of myself. As of late, I have been carrying around this overwhelming sense of shame and it is truly heavy in my heart and soul. How dare I?!

Recently, my world has been seriously rocked. And while my heart is swollen with pain and sorrow; these events and people in my life have taught me invaluable lessons in what I am going to call perspective.

A dear friend of mine gave birth to beautiful baby boy in late February. Upon his arrival he struggled to breath on his own and suffered from seizures. A full term baby and deemed healthy prior to his birth, doctors couldn’t quite figure out what afflicted the child. It was agonizing to watch this horror unfold on social media as we learned that the fate of the child was grim. A GoFundMe was set up to help pay for medical expenses as this innocent child spent the entire duration of his life hooked up to machinery. Daily I not only wept, but sobbed uncontrollably while asking God to take from me and my life and give to my friend. I was angry that it appeared God didn’t hear my cries. Yet, despite the baby’s worsening condition, my friends, community, and myself kept hope alive. We had to believe the baby would survive and miracles do happen—why couldn’t we be fortunate enough to witness one?

Sadly, the baby did not make it. After 3 weeks of a short but very loved life, he passed. While I am not a mother, the hole in my heart for a child I never knew is bottomless.

The death of my friend’s child has taught me more about myself than his teeny soul could ever fathom.

What is truly important? What matters?

Love. Family. Time with the people I care about. That’s it.

In the same time that my friend’s baby was born, my college best friend and former housemate was diagnosed with a rare neurological autoimmune disease. I have watched the unfolding and unraveling of her health via Facebook for years, but never comprehended to the extent her health has degraded. Once a talented and star athlete, this woman who was our leading scorer in college, now cannot walk without assistance. As her body deteriorates at the young age of 35, she will be wheelchair bound in the very near future. What’s more is she has 2 young children and they have to move since she needs a handicapped accessible home.

In spite of her prognosis, my friend seems to be in such good spirits. Her positivity and strength are refreshing, but a stark reminder that whatever I think I am fighting, whatever I think I am grappling, whatever shit I think life is hurling at me—truly, it ain’t that bad.

Now, to be clear, I am not downplaying the things in my life, I don’t think that’s necessarily a healthy outlook either. And in due time I will unveil some other layers, but really, my life’s problems are small in comparison.

I mean, my biggest issue in my life is that I think I’m fat?!

Are you kidding me?

I’ve spent this time in reflection. Honestly searching within myself to make sense of this loss of life, but also how could I memorialize my friend’s baby? How can I keep his spirit alive? How could I be present everyday for myself physically, emotionally, and grateful? And the answer almost seemed easy. It was apparent to me that by loving myself wholly and fully, that was the first step to taking the teachings of this lesson in perspective and showing my learning.

I’ve stopped the nonsense.

I have showered myself with love. I have hugged my husband every chance I get. I call my mom everyday despite the fact she always has to jet to yoga or water aerobics and can’t talk to me (I still love ya mom, and I AM SO HAPPY that you have found bliss in your retirement!). I have stepped back to look at my life and realize that I am bountiful in more ways than can be measured. And by more ways than you can imagine, I am talking about the new-found gratitude for my physical capabilities.

Everyday now when I walk through the doors of the gym, I look around in utter amazement that this is the life I am privileged to live. I get to sweat in one of the world’s most beautiful facilities and above all—I can move my body any which way I darn please. THAT is a gift. These recent weeks have shed a light on my life that only go to show you that through darkness there really is light. And maybe you can say that this light is my friends baby, and maybe you can say it’s my friend’s undying spirit and zest for life, and maybe you can say it’s just me.

I don’t really care how you choose to see it or look at it. We ultimately see what we choose to see anyway. But what I do ask you to do is take a hard look at yourself and life today. Look through photos, strip down to your underwear and gaze upon your body in the mirror. Admire your strength, your power, and who you are in this very moment. Lovingly look at those in your life who bring you joy and seek them out. Make a plan, [one you will keep, you LA flakes] and get coffee, hit a workout, or just sit in a park on a bench and talk sans posting it on your Snap or InstaStory.

See? I bet you didn’t realize how damn blessed you are. Don’t wait for life to slap you in the face hard and sting before you wake up. Live life now.

Hug now.

Kiss now.

Run now.

Jump now.

Fix now.

Repair now.

Dance now.

Wander now.

GO NOW.

BE NOW.

DO NOW.

The Luckiest in Love: How True Love is Helping Me Live My Dreams

Arielle Miller / Abundance, balance, Body Building, Commitment, Community, Fitness, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, Strength Training / athlete, Body Building, Coach, Competition, Dreams, Goal Crushing, Goal Setting, IFBB Pro, Married Life, Olympia, Sports / 4 comments

December 23, 2016

I have had such a memorable year that I am going to need to reflect on it over the next week in installments; but before I do that, I am going to talk about love. I know, insert the eye roll here. But for those of you in thriving relationships, the faithful, the hopeful, the happy, the joyous, the cheerleaders—you believe in love and its power.

My 1 ½ year wedding anniversary just passed and while in the whole scheme of life it’s an inconsequential amount of time there’s something I want to point out. If you think about it, our lives are relatively mundane. The day-to-day stuff is mostly the kind of things that comprise an idle Tuesday afternoon. Peppered with some catastrophes and other life cycle events here and there that punctuate our lives; life just seems to run its course. For me though, my late 20’s into my early 30’s were marked by a series of one bad choice followed by another until my husband Greg wandered into my life. Now, I don’t want to bore you with the specifics of our love. For everyone thinks their love is the kind of love that will change the world. And that’s the beauty of it all—we all have something beautiful to share with someone and live this life with someone by our sides. There’s room for all of us and our love stories. However, the reason why I am so compelled to write this piece at this time is my husband did something so special for me that every time I think about it, it makes me cry and weep in sheer joy. I just had to share this story with the world.

First, I am not an easy person to like, let alone love. Anyone who knows anything about me will attest that I am an overpowering personality with a piercing intensity. My husband though is the complete opposite. He’s easy to love with his welcoming smile and kind eyes that you can’t help but love him instantly. I am blessed beyond measure to have someone in my life who is my balance but above all, someone who helps me achieve my dreams.

In 2016, I committed to becoming a body builder. It was an arduous journey but none of it would have been and could have been possible without the support, love, sweat, and hugs from my husband. My husband is my coach, best friend, personal chef, and sometimes my punching bag. He bore the brunt of my mood swings from my carb depletion and never once did he tear me down or lose his faith in me or us. And so my first show came and went. I was not stage ready by any means, but when I looked out into the audience and saw my husband beaming with pride, none of that mattered—we did this together.

After my show which was an awesome experience and I placed; I decided to dabble in other forms of fitness, more specifically power lifting in an effort find a home in the competitive fitness arena. Greg thought I’d enjoy power lifting more since it’s less subjective than body building. And since it’s a performance based sport, he encouraged me to pursue training for a power lifting meet. So, I started lifting and lifting real heavy. And as I lifted heavier and heavier, I did feel stronger but my body started changing in ways I did not like. I felt myself fantasizing about being back up on that stage, in a glittery suit, showing the world my hard work. I just couldn’t get body building out of my mind.

Time and time again I expressed my desire to compete again to Greg and he listened while attempting to gently nudge me into power lifting. My resolve though was impenetrable. I wanted to body build. I didn’t and couldn’t hear Greg when he talked about his concerns regarding the water cutting, carb depleting, and unhealthy body image he believes it perpetuates. All I saw was that stage, those lights, and me succeeding. It’s funny these things called dreams. They are crazy and intangible, but so real for the dreamers they feel it in every fiber of their being. For me, this insane dream to be a formidable competitor on the stage is something so visceral it’s unquantifiable.

As timed ebbed on, I committed to my first power lifting meet in January. But I didn’t register in time and I didn’t get into the meet, so I took it as a sign. Maybe I really am supposed to be a body builder…? All the same, I just continued to train and not really invest too much thought in either sport until last Thursday night. I had just finished teaching my yoga classes and turned my phone back on. I refreshed my email to see “Welcome to Roxstar Fitness”. My heart stopped. Wait. What? Why am I getting and email from Roxie Beckles?

Wait, wha—

No.

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

GREG GOT ME A BODY BUILDING COACH! A REAL COACH! OHMYGODOHMYGOD!

I was completely frozen where I stood as the tears streamed down my face. I cried and cried and kept rubbing my eyes—was this really happening?! Was I now going to be trained by an IFBB Pro and former Physique Olympian?! It still doesn’t even seem real.

So I am sure at this point you are wondering, what does all this have to do with love? Well, a real and true love supports you and helps you achieve your dreams. An honest love never tries to change you or discourage you from things that are your passions and bring you true happiness. My husband Greg, God bless his soul, is fully aware that nothing about my upcoming journey back to that stage will be easy on us physically, emotionally, and financially. But what my incredible husband also understands since he too was a college athlete is the ultimate price to compete in a sport you love. There is nothing I can give Greg to express my thanks, love, and appreciation like the gifts he has already given me. But I think Elton John said it best in Your Song:

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple but

Now that it’s done

I hope you don’t mind

I hope you don’t mind

That I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you’re in the world

I hope you don’t mind

I hope you don’t mind

That I put down in words

How wonderful life is while you’re in the world

Live a life less ordinary. Turn the volume way up on your Tuesday afternoon life and live and love boldly.

Thank you Greg for coaching me, laughing with me; and above all for loving me, every single part of me for the good, the bad, and sometimes the very ugly parts. I cannot wait to start my journey to stage again and know that every step of the way it was you pushing me to be great.

The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part I: Learning How to Love Myself [Again]

Arielle Miller / 200-hr RYT, Abundance, Acceptance, Accountability, Ashtanga Yoga, balance, Body Building, Celebrate, Celebration, Challenges, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Strength Training, Teaching, Yoga / Body Building, Figure Competitor, Fitness, Growth, Learning, Lessons, Muscle Beach, Portrait, Strength, Strength Training, Weight Lifting, Yoga / 7 comments

September 7, 2016

It wasn’t until very recently that I realized much of what I do and how I spend my time in my adult life is a reflection of my desire to ‘prove something’. I am not really sure what exactly it is that I feel like I need to prove or why I feel that way, but there’s this insatiable void deep within my heart that feels like I am never good enough, strong enough, pretty enough, or just enough. So when I set out a few months ago to reclaim my body, I thought body building would be a great way to leave my mark on this world exclaiming, I have arrived! While my hope in body building was to initially acquire a slamming body, what I learned through my dieting and training was more than I could have imagined. Some of the most transformative lessons of my adult life happened in the wee dawn hours before the sun slipped above the horizon to wake the world. Body building gave me a purpose that I desperately longed. Perhaps most importantly though, it gave me the self-confidence to find myself again and the permission to finally and truly love myself.

Throughout my fitness career, I have been blessed with abundant opportunities to teach for incredible companies and studios while maintaining my fulltime position as an LAUSD English teacher. And for years, while my schedule swelled with group fitness classes, I constantly defaulted to simply teaching my classes and then heading home after a long day. Depleted mentally, emotionally, and physically drained from my work as a teacher in so many capacities; I told myself that I couldn’t possibly build myself up to work out. I just didn’t have it in me. I was completely empty. What I also told myself was that there wasn’t enough time for my own workouts—I mean, after all, I work full time, teach multiple group fitness classes and formats a week; when was I going to workout? Certainly I wasn’t going to workout in the morning because, well [enter yet another excuse and insert eye roll here]; I’m not a morning person.

Sound familiar? Sound like you and every single other person we all know? Plagued by excuse after excuse, I dimmed my own light. Like so many others, I stood in my own way preventing my light from shining bright. In spite of this, I have concluded and now believe we intentionally thwart our own success. Yes, we actually willingly do this to ourselves. Honestly, I think it’s because we are just afraid of our power. I really do. I think we are afraid that if we unleash our true potential on the world that we’ll have something to uphold and live up to. So rather than aiming high and striving for excellence to constantly improve ourselves; we hold back and restrict, constrict, and suppress our greatness in favor of mediocrity because it’s just easier that way. More safe, more secure, more ordinary rather extraordinary. But for me, committing to a body building competition was my way of telling myself enough of this bullshit—you are better than that. It is your time.

Like most things I do in my life I don’t have any breaks. I just jump in fully and commit absolutely, full speed ahead. I took to my 6-day a week training regimen instantly and never skipped a day or workout. This sometimes meant after a day filled with traveling, hungry, and jet-lagged; I still made it to the gym. Other times it sometimes meant finally getting to the gym as late as 10, 11, or even midnight! I even attended my own birthday party and drank water. I sat through countless family gatherings with chicken cutlets, homemade pizza, and BBQ’s munching on chicken breast and broccoli. I totted a cooler around NYC, onto airplanes, and to friends houses. I made no excuses because this time I was going to do this right; I wasn’t going to give up or quit on myself.

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein Photography

The more I trained, the less it became about the outcome. Sure, placing in my first show would be really great but I had to detach from that. The work I was doing wasn’t to achieve any sort of external validation, it was only for me. A means to use my body as a vessel to tell a story for the world. To inspire others to find their path and to walk it. To prove to myself that I was so damn worthy of greatness. And perhaps on a level to tell that little chubby girl inside me—the one who haunts me every time I look in the mirror that you are beautiful, smart, talented, and so much more than the number inside your jeans. This journey was about me taking control of my life [for real], taking ownership, and finally proving to no one other than myself that I am effing fantastic. This was my battle cry shouting to the world that I indeed have nothing to prove.

As my training progressed, my yoga practice waned as lifting and cardio started to fill my time. While I may not have been able to practice as much as I typically do or would have liked, my yoga never disappeared. For yoga is so much more than asana (poses). Yoga is something celestial that lives within your heart and the fibers of your being. It’s not really something that you can quantify as it’s an awareness of your body, mind, and spirit—it’s simply just a part of you. My ritualistic yoga practice of staking out my spot in a yoga room, unrolling my mat, and moving my body to my breath was replaced by meditatively portioning out my supplements, packing my gym bag, and pushing, pressing, and pulling weights to my inhales and exhales. So you see, I never abandoned my yoga practice, it transformed.

With my yoga practice nestled closely to my heart, I started to experience something I never could see nor find in a yoga room. Well, actually let me refine that. What I initially found when I discovered yoga was I felt beautiful while practicing. It didn’t matter how big or small I was (as my weight tends to fluctuate pretty drastically). I was boundless on a yoga mat and no one could strip that from me…Until I became a yoga teacher. The competitive nature of the yoga industry, the body shaming, the handstands, fancy arm balances, and the age of the Instagram Yogi made me nauseous. The things I loved and felt while practicing seemed to be replaced with the need to nail an inversion somewhere cool to post on the Interwebs with the hopes of gaining more followers. I found myself swept up not even in the hub-bub of it all but feeling inadequate and frankly, empty on the inside. But body building gave me back something I was seeking and lacking: self-love, acceptance, and it made me feel invincible. Nothing could touch me when I was lifting. No one could hurt me when I was lifting. And no one, and I mean no one made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of something when I was lifting. It was just me, a barbell, and some plates. No bullshit about it. No staging of my photo. No stressing on the perfect alignment. Just grit and determination.

Photo credit: Jen Rosenstein Photography

So if you’re wondering what I learned from training for my body building competition, I learned that I don’t have anything to prove to anyone or myself. And most importantly, I don’t need to proclaim to anyone that I’ve arrived because well, I have purple hair and you can’t miss me. No seriously though, what I’ve taken away from this all is regardless of my placement in the show; I had already won.

Stay tuned for my second installment of The Portrait of a Body Builder, Part II: Finding Your People. Remember if you don’t already subscribe to my blog to do so by clicking here so you don’t miss a post!

Stop Making Excuses and Get Moving NOW

Arielle Miller / Accountability, Adventure, At Home Workouts, balance, Challenges, Commitment, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle, mindfulness, Motivation Monday, Strength Training, Yoga / Believe In Yourself, Body Building, Buddha, Fitness, Making Time, No More Excuses, Results, Set Goals, workout / 0 comments

July 11, 2016

For just over the last month or so I have been working with a body building coach to prepare me for my first-ever competition in early September. My workouts are 6-days a week, my nutrition is 7-days a week, and there is no room for cheating, slip ups, or excuses. Period.

People constantly tell me how amazing they think it is that I am taking on such an endeavor. They praise me for being an inspiration which is most always followed by a statement like “I’m not in good enough shape” or “I could never do that” or “I don’t have the time.” Well, I am here to tell you that all of your excuses regarding why you cannot do something are bullshit. That’s right, I just totally shit-talked you. It is time to get a handle on your relationship with your physical-self. Stop making excuses for yourself to rationalize your own lack of want and/or desire.

Now, I’m not saying to go out and hit your first body building show—I am not saying that at all. What I am saying is that marathon you’ve been meaning to train for, that cardio yoga class you’ve been working up the courage to attend, that Crossfit box that everyone loves but you’re too scared to even walk through the door…I am saying the time is NOW. Sign up for something to train for, register for a class, drop in at a new studio. Stop making excuses why you cannot and should not, and tell yourself that you can and you will.

Here are some real-life applications from my personal experience to help motivate and in turn inspire you to make some new and lasting changes in your life.

Bullshit Excuse #1: “I’m not in good enough shape”

No one is born ‘in-shape’. Ok, scratch that. Some people are more inclined to be more naturally cardiovascularly fit or muscular than others; but no one is born shredded, able to run an ultra marathon, and prepared for a floor routine with the USA gymnastics team in Rio. Every single thing in this world worth having requires hard work, grit, and determination. And I mean everything, not just fitness related stuff.

It all starts with committing to yourself and under no circumstance giving up or quitting. To bring this to real life, as I mentioned earlier I started training for my first body building show. Not close to being in the best shape I have been in, not knowing a soul in the industry, and unaware of the work I would need to put in; I committed to something so huge to grow myself. In just one short month, you can see my progress.

After all, as Lao Tzu said “The journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.” One foot in front of the other. We all start somewhere and it’s most certainly not where we want to be–so why keep putting it off? You’re worth it, so start striving for greatness.

Bullshit Excuse #2: “I could never do that”

Negative self-talk is about as effective as trying to solve an algebra problem by chewing gum. If you want something, and I mean anything you could ever possibly want to achieve, you’ve gotta get that mind right. Not believing in yourself is defeating and damning—do not allow it to be your downfall.

For me it’s simple, when I am in a workout I look in the mirror to see the sweat pouring down my face. I think to myself, “Hell yea, badass!” It starts there. Then I keep moving and when it gets hard I repeat to myself over and over and over and over again in my head “I can do this, I can do this, I can do this. I am strong. I am making progress. I can do this.” When you are hustling your butt off for something you want so deeply, you cannot allow the word ‘never’ to pollute your mind. You certainly can do whatever you want, you just need to make the choice to want it.

Bullshit Excuse #3: “I don’t have the time”

We all have the same 24 hours in each day. What you do with it is what separates you from everyone else. Whether you work full time, have children, or are simply overwhelmed by life and its responsibilities; congratulations. You are just like everyone else. We all have lives, people that love us, need us, and demand our attention. We all also have interests that we pursue, or waste countless hours on social media scrolling, refreshing our feed, then scrolling some more, to open Instagram and repeat the same god-awful process (GUILTYYYYYY). We all have lives. But how often are we using our time effectively? I know, as an adult having someone call you out on not using your time wisely totally sucks BUT, are you maximizing every single day to its utmost potential? Chances are you are not because you don’t want it bad enough. Here’s a story to help hit home for ya.

Buddha was wondering through the forest. He was carrying a very heavy sack when he happened to come across another traveler in the woods. Tired from carrying the sack the Buddha (unbeknownst to the traveler) asked if the traveler would help him. The traveler responded by telling Buddha that sadly he could not, as his own journey was very long and his own belongings were heavy. Finally, Buddha opened the sack to reveal its contents to be filled with gold. Interestingly enough, the traveler could now find the strength to help the Buddha.

I love this story for its simplicity reveals mankind’s truest nature of being self-serving. We are more inclined to help someone, get involved in something, or take action when the end result will somehow benefit us. Well, when it comes to yourself it all should benefit you. Make the time for yourself because you deserve it. Get up before the kids and go for a run in the brisk morning air, hit your yoga mat, or have breakfast alone relishing in the stillness of the day that is yet to come. Stay up late reading your favorite smutty romance novel for no other reason other than you like it and want to, go for an evening walk after dinner, or lift some weight in the garage. Stop telling yourself that you do not have the time to things, you do, you just need to make the time by making time with yourself a priority.

Yoga for Runners

Arielle Miller / balance, Fitness, Fitness for Men, Lifestyle, Sports, Yoga / At Home Fitness, at home workouts, athlete, Balance, Fitness, running, stretching, Yoga, yoga for runners / 2 comments

July 8, 2016

Running is a great way to get fit while blowing off some major steam. But as awesome as that runner’s high is, running can wreak havoc on our muscles and joints. So to counter that intense pounding of the pavement, kick off your shoes and restore some balance to your body. Incorporate cross-training into your running regimen to prevent injury and aid in recovery. Yoga is a wonderful way to get your body moving differently and keep it moving. Help preserve your body by integrating this short yoga sequence designed specifically for runners into your life 2-3x a week and thrive!

Tackle these poses after a short warm up such as a light jog or another basic yoga flow. Try to hold each pose for a cycle of 5-8 breaths and repeat the entire sequence 3x on each side. You will feel and experience some intensity in many of these poses, but keep breathing and ease up as needed.

Low Lunge

Benefits: Stretches hamstrings, quadriceps, and groin. Releases tension in the hips and strengthens the knees. Other cool facts: Cultivates balance and helps build mental focus and clarity.

The Deal: Start in a runner’s lunge with your hands framing the front foot. Make sure that the knee and ankle are stacked, and in line with the first 2 front toes—be careful to make sure that the knee slides forward past the ankle to protect the knee. Scissoring the thighs together, sweep the arms above the head while focusing on stacking the vertebrae.

Modifications: Rest the hands softly on the front knee, keep the hands on your waist, or join the hands in prayer at the heart.

Variations: Join the hands together above your head, and/or drop the hands behind the head, with the elbows aimed towards the sky cradling the head for more of a backbend.

Quad stretch

Benefits: Stretches the quadriceps of the back leg and opens the hip flexors. Other cool facts: Opens the shoulders and chest, releases the back muscles with a gentle twist.

The Deal: From your runner’s lunge, carefully lower the hands back down to the earth to frame your foot again. With your left foot remaining forward, slowly drop your right knee to the ground. With the right arm remaining planted, circle the left arm back and reach for your toes. When coming out of this pose be careful to slowly release the leg down towards the earth.

Modifications: If reaching for your toes is challenging, use a yoga strap hooked around your foot as you gently pull your foot towards your body. If you experience knee tenderness, place a blanket under your back leg.

Variations: To intensify this stretch, lower onto your forearm.

Revolved Lunge Pose

Benefits: Stretches the psoas and hips, stimulates strengthening and stretching of the quadriceps and gluteus muscles. Other cool facts: Stimulates abdominal organs, improves digestions and elimination, and improves balance.

The Deal: From your runner’s lunge, bring the hands to your heart in prayer. Twist at the navel and bring the right tricep across your body to the outside of your left thigh. Press the top hand into the bottom hand and peel the right rib cage towards the sky.

Modifications: If taking the twist is challenging, try manually moving the right arm across the body with assistance from the left hand to find some depth. Also, if you have a neck injury, keep the gaze down.

Variations: Straighten the back leg to work your balance in a different capacity and/or open your arms.

Pyramid Pose

Benefits: Stretches the hips and hamstrings while lengthening the spine. Other cool facts: Decreases pressure in the upper body and relaxes the shoulders and neck.

The Deal: From your runner’s low lunge, shorten your stance by walking the right leg in towards the left so that both heels can touch the ground. Turn the right toes away from the body slightly for stability. Bring the hands to your waist and lift yourself up to standing by straightening the left leg. Bring the hands to prayer at your heart and lower with with a flat back, placing your palms on the ground.

Modifications: If your palms do not reach the floor, you may come to your fingertips, or place your hands on blocks. You may also keep a flat back if lowering all the way down is too intense and/or keep your hands at your waist.

Variations: Bring the hands in prayer behind you for reverse Namaste or prayer.

Standing Pigeon

Benefits: Increases mobility and range of motion by relieving tension and discomfort in the hip area. Strengthens knee and ankle joints, as well as the thigh muscles. Other cool facts: Increases circulation.

The Deal: From your pyramid pose, bring the back foot to the front of your mat. With the hands at your heart, lift the right leg towards the sky by bending the knee and flexing the toes. Bend into the left knee and carefully lower the right ankle atop the left thigh. Keep a deep bend in the standing leg.

Modifications: Take this pose laying on your back and thread the left hand through the opening in the legs, then met the right hand by interlacing your fingers. Gently press the thigh into the clasped hands.

Variations: Play with the arms—lift them to the sky or bring them straight in front of you. You can also hold onto something stable to sit back into and intensify the hip stretch.

I AM THE GIRL WITH PURPLE HAIR

Arielle Miller / Acceptance, Accountability, balance, Blog, Build connections, Challenges, Community, Fitness, Goal Setting, Hard Work, Lifestyle / Battle Cry, Hard work, Motivation Monday, Own Your Awesome, The Girl with Purple Hair / 6 comments

June 27, 2016

I have spent the last few days feeling sorry for myself–ruminating on a tension-filled interaction with a good friend and coveting the success of others. I guess there really isn’t any other way to put it, I have just been angry and bitter. As a matter of fact, I would go so far to say that I’ve even felt entitled to said success I have yet to achieve. Ugh, it just sounds so bad when you actually say it, but being honest is paramount to understanding how we feel and why.

I guess like so many people, my newsfeed on Facebook is filled with people’s lives—most of which are mundane and ordinary and don’t really appeal to my hopes, wants, and desires. But alas, there are many though that taunt me with travel, packed classes with waitlists, awards, viral articles, modeling contracts, handstands, and lots and lots of flat bellies. It’s so hard not to look at the success of my friends/acquaintances and compare myself, tell myself I am better, more experienced, not good enough or successful, because it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what I think or feel about myself because those thoughts won’t change what has already been done. So, it’s really a waste to wallow when my energies can be redirected. Comparison is the thief of joy. It really is. So, I decided to reach out to a few trusted friends and share how was I was feeling—like really share how I was feeling, right down to the ugly part of being jealous of others.

First, being honest and owning how I really felt was the first step in starting to help me get over what I was experiencing. It was surprisingly liberating once I realized that these ugly thoughts and feelings came not from a place of malice but my own inadequacies. These realizations helped me redirect my efforts and refuel my desire more than ever—hell, I’m the friggen Girl with Purple Hair. Which reminds me—what does that even mean anyway?

The Girl with Purple Hair is me, you, and all of us. It’s making no apologizes for being who you are and boldly sharing yourself—all of yourself with others and the world.

The Girl with Purple Hair is vulnerable, sensitive, and compassionate.

The Girl with Purple Hair is active in causes by spreading awareness through education.

The Girl with Purple Hair feels deeply for impoverished youth, social justice, and equity for women.

The Girl with Purple Hair is not afraid to cry because emotions are what build bridges and community.

The Girl with Purple Hair makes no excuses, as there is no substitution for hard work in this world. So stop waiting, wishing, hoping, and work for it.

The Girl with Purple Hair forgives those who need to be forgiven and welcomes new and old friends [back into] her life and social circle.

The Girl with Purple Hair is unquantifiable, intangible, organic, and malleable.

The Girl with Purple Hair is me, you, and all of us.

The Girl with Purple Hair uplifts others but also needs those same people and community to in turn do the same.

The Girl with Purple Hair falters, missteps, and struggles [like everyone else].

The Girl with Purple Hair refuses to be defined by her circumstances and a victim of her life.

The Girl with Purple Hair handles shit like a boss and and won’t be bullied into silence for having an opinion, a voice, and setting boundaries.

The Girl with Purple Hair never settles and in the wake of her self-imposed pity, after leg day at the gym, put on a 20-pound weight vest and walked on the treadmill for 15 minutes a 9.0 incline—why?!

Because The Girl with Purple Hair refuses to just accept things as they are.

The Girl with Purple Hair is me, you, and all of us and this is my battle cry.

Whether my hair is purple, pink, blue or whatever shade I am feeling in the moment know this: The Girl with Purple Hair is a force and that same force lives within you. Awaken your dormant beast and unleash it on the world unapologetically. In a society that profits from your self-doubt, loving yourself is a rebellious act. Be a rebel and stand tall in your glory. Never let anyone cast shade on your light shining bright, and work with every fiber of your being to live your most authentic truth.

Own your awesome. Stand tall and vigilant and know that with great risk will always come great return. So, sometimes things don’t work out and you failed. That is part of the process. Part of growing is being stretched and pulled and knocked down to only redefine yourself on your rise back up to the top again. I am human, you are human, we are all human. That means sometimes we need the space and permission to honor how we feel for the good, bad, and in between parts, then handle business.

This is my battle cry.

I am The Fu**ing Girl with Purple Hair—are you ready for me?

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