The holy VitaMix

• regular green smoothies, chock full of vitamins, enzymes, and EFAs
• making sleep my top priority (aside from getting my work done)
• knowing the ropes, which greatly reduced stress (speaking of which: make sure you don’t miss tomorrow’s post)
• spending the months leading up to the summer making sure my body was in a peak healthy state
• approaching my work with love, even when that was really, really hard
• dry brushing!

Typically, when I come out of some similarly intense period, my body crashes, and crashes hard, unleashing all the illness and stress that I was harboring in every fiber. Thankfully, all my planning and strategy this past month has really paid off, and I don’t feel there is anything lurking (knock on wood!), waiting to rear its ugly head.

That said, I’m still taking care to ease out of this intensity. My former self would have pushed, and pushed, and pushed. But where would that get me? Sick and burned out and no fun at all. So this time, I’m making a conscious effort to–wait for it–honor my body and give it the rest it needs.  This may not be earth-shattering to you, but believe me, this is a whole new ball game for Miss Type A Squared.

Now that this insanity is over, I hope to post all the things I’ve been thinking about these past few weeks. But I’m going to take my time with it, rather than push to meet some arbitrary, self-imposed deadline no one cares about.

How do you plan to rest today? My friend Tina just shared this quote with me, and I urge you all to take it to heart–and take care!

Before you spend all day doing everything, spend five minutes doing nothing.

The Bucket. (You can't tell, but it's pretty full.)

A year ago, this would have sent sensitive little me into a days-(weeks?) long freakout. This year, I’ve gotten much better at putting things into what I affectionately call my F*ck It Bucket. (Sorry Mom and Dad!) And that little scowl from the big cheese? That is deep in my bucket right now.

That said, it did rattle me a little bit, and I woke up this morning dreading work. What if I got called into his office and yelled at? In Korean culture, you don’t talk back to your boss, so defending yourself isn’t really part of the game. Not an easy thing for an opinionated monkey like myself. What if I got fired?! OK, that’s the paranoia talking. Besides–the fella and I have already talked about What’s Next, so it wouldn’t be the end of the world if that got put in motion much sooner than we thought.

But I value being pro-active, so I had to do something to kick this funk. After all, I’m much too busy to be grumpy. Wink, wink.

I started off with some positive thinking…which I usually broadcast on Twitter. (I never thought I’d be into Twitter, and yet…here I am.) This morning’s tweet was: “So glad it’s Thursday, and I finally slept last night! Lots to do these next few days, but feels more manageable.” Lemmetellya: that was much more upbeat than I actually felt at the time, but Fake It Til You Make It has always served me well, and this was no exception. Besides, the tweet was true: I did finally sleep, and that definitely helped. Relates to that mantra power, I believe.

The next thing I did is a combination of some of my mom’s best advice–and there has been lots of fabulous advice over the years to choose from–and visualization. First, Mama Wisdom: Always have something on your calendar that you can look forward to. It can be dinner with a girlfriend, a pedicure on your lunch break, your favorite yoga class on Sunday morning. Or, if you’re really lucky beyond anything you ever imagined, it could be a delicious honeymoon with that handsome man you plan to marry. We just booked our getaway two nights ago, and I have been fantasizing about it ever since.

This morning, to obliterate any lingering anxiety, I switched my laptop wallpaper to this:

Beach in the Dominican Republic, where we will enjoy our newlywed bliss for a week.

And man does that make me smile and feel like all is right with the world!

So what’s on your calendar to make you smile? Nothing yet? Schedule some bliss! And maybe go ahead and tack up a picture somewhere to remind of that nice little dose of joy you get to savor soon.

Teaching in Seoul in July is it’s own special brand of intense. We’re currently logging around 80 hour work weeks, and find our lives largely revolving around crazy class schedules. Unfortunately, this leaves little time or energy left over for anything else–running, yoga, blogging, heck, even eating.

To help make this month just a little more manageable, I’m officially reducing my responsibilities to: make it through. If this means I don’t squeeze in a single workout, and emails pile up in my inbox until August (when things slow down a smidge), then that’s the way it’s gotta be.

Good times with family, right around the corner, and I can't wait!

Of course, the great news is that in under two months, my man and I will be back Stateside without a scheduled workday until May. Which means I’ll have ample time to catch up on everything that’s falling by the wayside for now. I’m ok with this temporary imbalance knowing what the future holds. Thanks to all of you for understanding if I slack and seem to be incommunicado for a bit!

This summer will be different. First of all, I know what to expect. Yes, I have the stress of working 70+ hour weeks for the three months of summer. But this time I feel comfortable with the subject matter and my relationship with the students, which makes all the difference. Second, I now have a great local support system with people I have grown close to over the past year. Third, and of critical importance, I have developed a deeper understanding of the physical manifestations of stress, and spent the last nine months researching and practicing so my body can best accommodate this draining schedule. I’m still tweaking now that we’re in the thick of it, but I wanted to share my strategy.

A few weeks ago, Jen sent me a copy of Brendan Brazier’s Thrive, which addresses how to feed your body with whole, plant-based food to best fuel different degrees of athletic intensity. Much to my surprise, Brazier also spends a nice bit of ink addressing the different types of stress–positive and negative–and what we can control to improve our situation.

This has been pivotal in my approach to the summer.

As I’ve mentioned before, I have quite a skill for being a little stress ball. This proclivity for stress has led to countless days of tummy troubles, endless nights of insomnia, and more than a few panic attacks. You’d think that after that much practice, I’d have the whole managing stress thing figured out; I don’t, but I’m getting there. And Thrive is playing an integral part.

I know that yoga and meditation do wonders for my well-being, and I know that life with green smoothies is infinitely better than life without. But somehow, I had never made the connection (don’t laugh) that everything I put in my mouth either feeds or alleviates my physical stress. This doesn’t mean I’m being perfect (I have a delicious glass of Chianti next to me as I type), but I’m making much better choices, and making them more easily and without the feeling of deprivation now that I have this new filter on.

The perfect match.

[Image source]

Brazier also talked about when he increased his training regimen to such intensity that it was counter-productive. He wasn’t getting enough sleep and pushed his body too hard, so it rebelled. Instead of improving muscle tone and endurance, he saw a backslide. I’m not a triathlete, but I was just falling in love with my running and lifting regimen when work picked up. When I’m finally done with classes, and there are hours more of prep (not to mention laundry, a few emails, and maybe even some fresh food to prepare), it can be tough to decide whether or not to go to the gym. Now I ask myself: what will most give my body what it needs? So far, the answer has been sleep. When I’m barely managing six hours a night (if that) before adding the gym routine, it just doesn’t make sense to add something else to my plate.

All this means I’ve fit in exactly two workouts in the last two and a half weeks. I’d like to increase that number, but instead of punishing myself on the treadmill, I’m trying to arrange my life to be more efficient so I do have time for a stop at the gym a few times a week.

Michael picking green tea in May.

In the meantime, I’m passing over all caffeine except green tea, and limiting my sugar to a glass or two of wine, and maybe a small piece of chocolate. I’ve said bye-bye Starbucks, bye-bye fries. And you know what? With this new understanding, it’s the easiest part of my day.

How do you deal with stress? What gets you through those periods when you feel like you just don’t have anything left? Or, better yet, what do you do to keep from getting there?

At this point, I think I’ve got the diet part pretty much down (though I do still have to test my sensitivity to soy and corn when I reintroduce those after the program ends). No surprises here, but: fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, herbs and whole grains are all a-ok for me and my digestive system. I also realized with new understanding just how damaging sugar (Mom’s been telling me for at least a decade) and dairy are for me, and I don’t digest meat well, either. Gluten, as we well know, is my kryptonite, and you couldn’t pay me to ingest it at this point.

I think it’s important to not feel the need to be 100% perfect 100% of the time, though. Even Dr. Lipman says so! Seriously–it was one of the daily pulses: ease up. So, taking that advice, when we had our monthly TED talks evening over the weekend and a friend showed up with a delicious looking bottle of Montepulciano, I decided that I was going to give myself the OK to have a glass. Just one. And what happened as soon as I gave myself permission to do that? It lost the allure. I realized I cared more about feeling healthy than I did about sipping that robust 2007. Towards the end of the evening, I asked myself how much that glass of wine would have improved my experience if I’d had it earlier on. Would I still be enjoying the taste? Would I have been driven nuts by the fact that I couldn’t have a second? Would I have had a second or third? I realized that even if I enjoyed it while I was drinking it, the pleasure would soon be over.

Don’t get me wrong–I’m a big supporter of pleasure! Big time! But lately, feeling healthy and energetic is the real pleasure. Now that my tastebuds aren’t numbed by sugar and freaky oils and additives, fresh salad tastes really good. Long walks with friends leave me smiling for hours. The deep breaths and releases from yoga send me buzzing.

Which brings me to the part I really need to be working on. The food part, I get it. It’s the activity I need to work on. My darling man has been encouraging me to be more active since we met. And I really enjoy lots of physical activity. Hiking, kayaking, yoga, biking–all wonderful. I’ve definitely been better about physical activity since starting this program, but it’s going to be a while before I really make it a habit. I know the benefits, I have loads of inspiration, it’s just a matter of making time and getting off my butt.

And then there are days like yesterday and today when you just have to give in and accept defeat. I’m sick, my body aches and tummy’s funny and I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. I’ve been spending a lot of quality time with my pajamas, tall glasses of water, and wonderful fella. I figure my body’s actually in a position to kick this bug quickly if I can keep giving it what it needs, so I’m trying to take it easy so I can get better. The universe must have heard my whining about having to go work this afternoon (truth be told, everyone must have. I pouted for at least an hour.), and just as I put on my coat, I got a message that my afternoon student wasn’t coming today! Oh hurrah! I stripped down and climbed back into my PJs in record time, grateful for this extra down time before my evening classes.

My big problem is noise. I feel I am hyper-sensitive to noises around me, and it often makes me feel anxious or frustrated. I grew up in a pretty quiet house. Music was often playing (blues, jazz, classical), but as far as noise–TV blaring, people yelling–there just wasn’t much.

How do I learn to handle my reaction to noise better?

I can’t control how loudly other people speak, and my office is often full of people speaking loudly or joking around–which is great, but I like to work at work so I can relax at home. Michael is gem about my noise sensitivity, and obligingly puts in headphones when he plays videogames or I’m trying to read, so that’s not an issue. Changing the volume of the office isn’t going to happen, and I hate my silent seethe at my desk. (This is not a problem only at work; you may remember my post last week about being incredibly frustrated by loud neighbors in the morning.) Furthermore, I don’t want to be a hypocrite. While I think I’m a pretty quiet person most of the time, I know there are times when I annoy or frustrate people with my music/loud speech/etc.

I have tried channeling Pema Chodron and reminding myself that “I cannot cover the world in leather,” but when I can’t think through the noise to work, it’s hard to know what to do. How do you find patience and grace for the most frustrating and trying experiences?

The good news is, I do think it’s happening, bit by bit. I like to think this intention is helping me become a better teacher. Before, I would get so frustrated when students didn’t “get it.” Now (thank goodness!) I know that it’s up to me to make sure they understand, and to be patient in trying to decipher what the challenges are. It helps me approach my work with love and grace, rather than frustration. How do I know it’s working? I’ve realized my face actually hurts from how much I smile while in class. Seriously. My cheeks need a break!

Michael, the Zen master, is of course very supportive of this new undertaking. (Hmm…can’t imagine why…) He recently share this beautiful, brief video of Buddhist nun Pema Chodron with me. Many of you may have already caught the link when I shared it on facebook and Twitter, but I wanted to post it just in case. (I finally figured out how to embed video! OH HURRAH!)

This lesson has already helped me refocus quite a few times since I first watched it a few days ago. My new mantra is, “I cannot cover the world in leather; I can only change my thoughts.” The morning after watching this for the first time, I woke up to the sound of a very long, very loud, very annoying conversation in the stairwell outside my door. My automatic first thought was, “I’m gonna kill that woman.” Nice, Liv. Great, positive way to start the day! Then I remembered Pema Chodron and took a deep breath:

“I cannot cover the world in leather; I can only change my thoughts.”

Ten seconds later, the conversation stopped. I couldn’t help but laugh. I think I’m finally picking up on what the universe is trying to teach me.

So you can imagine my joy when I walked into the classroom and he broke into a huge smile, followed by:  “Yay! Victoria!”

I laughed and gave him my well-practiced, “Seriously?” teacher look.

“Wait. Something’s wrong,” he said.

I nodded.

A full three minutes later: “Olivia!”

I would get mad, but I still mix up his name, too. We’re all human, right?

- It’s a pretty green city. By which I mean, they’ve got a lot of those basic ecological principles figured out. The heating systems are super efficient and comforting (hot water runs under the floor). Recycling and composting are routine and free, but you have to pay for each bag of trash. We take out the recycling and (sometimes stinky) compost bucket much, much more often than we empty the trash, and it always makes me feel good. Plus, all public trash cans have a green recycling bag attached. See:

Lastly, clothes dryers just don’t really exist here. We hang all our clothes out to dry, which not only saves energy, but preserves the life of the clothing, too. That means less clothing that needs to be replaced, and a lower ecological footprint overall. What a great cycle. (Though I admit, it took a few tries to figure out how to handle adequate circulation in the cold winter months.)

- Korean babies.  Seriously. Have you seen them? Fat little faces, running around saying “Anyong!” and, sometimes, even at age 2, “Hello!” Here’s a little peanut I snapped at the Aquarium earlier this year:

- KIMCHI! Or, more specifically, kimchi jjigae (kimchi soup). The little restaurant below school makes delicious kimchi jjigae, and I’ve ordered it so often, they no longer hand me a menu when I walk in. They just look at me quizzically, I nod, and a few minutes later, out comes my hot, steaming bowl of deliciousness. I’m trying to recreate the dish at home, and think I’m getting closer. The trick is to start with aged kimchi, not the fresh stuff. Here’s a picture from my attempt a few weeks ago:

In addition to the kimchi, it’s got oodles of mushrooms, tofu, ddok (rice dumplings), onions, garlic, and pork, which can obviously be omitted for a vegetarian version. Once I perfect the recipe, I hope to guest post on my dear friend Melinda’s super inspiring recipe blog. It’s chock full of mouth-watering, healthy dishes, punctuated by the occasional can’t-resist-and-oh-so-worth-it indulgence.

- Shabu shabu.  This meal stole my heart when I first arrived, and has held my attention ever since. I wrote a post about it (and some other classic Korean meat meals) way back in June, available here.

- My students. Of course there are times when they drive me nuts or insult me right to my face, but for the most part, I love them to bits. How many people can say they leave work in a better mood than when they arrived? The smart, darling teenagers I work with every day are the reason that happens. And in what other job can a student, on their first day in class, ask you to please stay after because they have a question about your lecture on two factions of empiricism. His query? Under the second principle, which states that empiricists try to use their senses to prove something false when they really want to uncover the truth, could I help solve this dilemma: “If I spend time with someone, and then when they go away, I realize I’m sort of empty on the inside, does…does that mean I like her?” Love it! (And my answer: since you’re trying to prove a situation false, you have to ask if that means you don’t like her. All we can deduce is that you do not not like her. So you probably do like her. But it’s not a strict binary situation.)

- Konglish. I know I haven’t posted a konglish in a while, but I recently found some on my toothpaste, picture pending. I use the 2080 brand (though as soon as it runs out, I’m ordering some Tom’s of Maine through iHerb. Can’t wait.), which has the following (translated) slogan: Keeping the 20 healthy teeth for 80 years. That’s all well and good, but I have more than 20 healthy teeth. What happens to them? I mean really, that’s quite the sales pitch.

- Cost of living. It may not be glamorous, but it’s a big reason I’m here. That amazing kimchi jjigae mentioned above? W4,000, or about $3.25. Our monthly utilities? About W125,000, total — cable, electricity, internet, gas, water, etc. That’s roughly $100, split between two people. Amazing.

- Drunk compliments. I don’t know why, and I don’t agree, but Korean men who are so drunk they can barely stand like to tell me I look like Sophie Marceau.  Ok, ok, it only happened twice, but still! Again, I disagree, but I still like it. Here’s Sophie Marceau in Seoul:(image: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/2QkLN0x87LX/Sophie+Marceau+Promotes+Shaumet+Seoul/-iedhC91lvl/Sophie+Marceau)

And here’s me in Seoul (at hogwan, just after my haircut on Monday):

(And yes — I searched for the most Sophie Marceau-esque photo I could find. This is what I came up with.)

- Last, but not least, my fellow expats–and a few awesome natives. I have met some amazing people since moving here, and they make the many, many miles away from my friends and family much easier to cope with. Here are some of the lovelies I’ve gotten to meet:

Laughs with friends on Thanksgiving

(A very dark picture of) Thanksgiving Drinks with Friends/Coworkers

Goodbye dinner with Julian and Kathy -- last time together in Seoul

One of my first outings in Seoul -- Mr. Kim's in Apgu

A favorite indulgent meal (Mercado) with some great people

So there you have it. A nice assortment of some of my favorite parts of living here. Next week, part iii.

Here is my proposal: five sun salutations every morning.

That’s it. No “45 minutes of yoga five times a week” or “30 minutes of meditation every night”. Those are both GREAT health goals. But those are not going to fit me right now. But five sun salutations strikes me as just enough to actually make a difference (and, of course, if I get in the groove, I can always do more), but a small enough commitment that I can actually keep it.

What are your thoughts? Any other quickie health boosts you can recommend?