Checks & Balances

Fall is officially here! School is in session, days are shorter and crisper, and OR days thus seem longer. But outdoor exercise is much more pleasant! Here are some of the things that have inspired my practice of balance this month:

• • I’ve taken up various 30-day challenges over the recent months. In June, I did a challenge of daily paired leg/glute exercises with increasing density, designed by one of my fave fitness bloggers Bret Contreras. Great results! So in July, I made up a shorter (2 week) upper body TRX rowing challenge. Then I attempted a twice weekly yoga-or-meditation challenge that didn’t go very far… 🙁 But this month, my new goal is to complete two walk/running sessions a week with nasal breathing. Check out this article/interview about nasal breathing here; the benefits are numerous, and you keep your pace slow (just walk if you can’t keep breathing through your nose – I do this often). My cardio fitness has been really lacking since my brain surgery 2.5 years ago (can’t believe it’s been that long already!), and at this point I’ve got no excuses for not improving it!
  • And speaking of 30-day challenges, one of my favorite blogs Mark’s Daily Apple is holding their annual Primal Blueprint Challenge! Check it out, it’s a fun one with multiple facets. I did one of these a couple years ago.
  • My personal practice of simplicity is still ongoing, and after returning from a vacation where simplicity was forced, it is much more of a daunting process! This article by Melissa at Whole9 gives a great discussion of the trappings of information overload and ways to try to tame it.

• • This past week, I had the opportunity to perform anesthesia for the exact pituitary resection surgery that I had, with the exact same surgeon. It was a bit surreal. Honestly, I tried not to watch too much, but the experience left me with a sense of gratitude for how far I’ve come in just over two years. This HuffPost article (despite its attention-grabbing title) points out the REAL keys to happiness – gratitude one of them – which are actually more obvious than you think.