Wellness

Well, I did it: thirty days of Pilates and almost a month free of smoking. I hate to sound like my old cynical self, but as with most things in life, the completion of my challenge was quite anti-climactic. read more...

by Keri O'Meara
In my last entry I described my bitchy mood, this week I was hoping to discuss my poop.

Monica, the owner of CORE studio, told me I was likely to experience a mixed bag of emotions and so far, she has been right about that (unless I am just a crazy bitch). She said that another symptom of this type of challenge/detox is increased trips to the bathroom and a change in ones fecal texture.  Is it weird that this is one of the reasons I took this challenge on?  I even stocked up on magazines in the hopes of four BMs a day.  Sigh, no avail.  I am still just plain old once daily with ‘normal’ textured crap- whatever that means. I am peeing about seventeen times a day, though, so I guess I can be happy about that. read more...

by Keri O'Meara
I learned two things today and it’s not even noon.  First, I am a rib popper. Second, waking up at seven in the morning is not that hard. I did something wild and crazy ce matin: I went to an eight am Pilates class.  For most of you this may not seem that extreme but I am a writer who makes her living working at night (no not that- I am a server) so the earliest I ever get up is eight (and that’s rare).This was a huge accomplishment for me.  It was during this class that I learned I am a rib popper.  Actually, I already knew that I don’t curve my spine enough, flattening my back as I come up into flexion, and that I have trouble with Pilates breathing which requires you to breath in through your back ribs and breath out through your mouth knitting your ribs together. But I like saying rib popper.  read more...

by Keri O'Meara

Lately I have been feeling sluggish, unfocused, aimless and unhealthy.  I have been eating really badly, smoking a lot, partaking in a cocktail (or five) almost every night and I have been having a lot of anxiety ridden nightmares.   So when the sunny Queen West Pilates studio I go to, CORE, recently advertised a ‘30 day Challenge’ for its members I took it as a sign.  It's time to buck up. I figure thirty days of Pilates is a doable challenge that will help me focus and be present, as well as help me detox and sleep better.  I am not going to fast, or diet, or quit drinking (I mean, it's patio season now) but I am hoping that this challenge will at least curb some of my bad habits and contribute to better health all around.    read more...