Me Time: Finding Happiness in the Yoga Studio
Jennifer's yoga practice brings peace and calm to her life.
For a long long time, I believed, like many people do, that to take some time for yourself was selfish; that you could spend that time cleaning, running errands, visiting family, hanging out with friends, etc. However, like so many people, I would run and run and run until I would hit a wall. Then I would need to take a “mental health” day for myself; A.K.A. do nothing but what I wanted to do which was usually to laze on the couch all day long. After indulging in a mental health day, I would feel incredibly guilty because my to-do list would come smack me in the face the next day. My mind would start chiding that I could have gotten SO MUCH done while I was just lying on the couch. My brain goes 24/7 with to-do lists, ideas, errands, strategic plans on how to get everything done in as little amount of time as possible, etc.
Sounds like you?
That was me.
I began taking yoga in February 2013 with my mom because she wanted to get into shape. I had been “practicing” yoga with a DVD. (Not even CLOSE to the real, live yoga class—just saying) I went about 4 times a week on average. I didn’t realize it, but I was carving “me” time. During those yoga classes, I allowed myself to really get into everything the instructor was talking about, and not just the exercise aspect that I came to class for in the first place. Believe me—I thought all their talk was completely hippie and stupid the first few months I went to class.
After a few weeks, my mind would clear as soon as I hit the studio, and I experienced silence for the first time in my life; I was hooked. After three months, yoga became more than just exercise. I didn’t have to have “mental health” days because I was carving out about 5 hours a week to let go of all my worries and cares; to feel my body and breath and how it felt just to be alive! (Yes—I know I now sound like a hippie… But really, when was the last time you actually thought about your ribs, let alone felt them, and what they do to support you? ) After six months, my body aches and pains were gone; I am not the most flexible by any means nor in the most pain, but it was liberating to not think “OW that hurts” all the time. I learned to breathe and be present in all emotions and feelings like discomfort, learned patience, and to listen to and honor my body. I was also the happiest that I had ever been in my life; I was actively living yoga as much as I could with my limited knowledge.
Then in February 2014, I stopped going to yoga classes. There were several factors, most of which are too personal to share. I was fine for a few months, but then the stress and worries began to creep in again. I tried to practice on my own, but it just wasn’t the same. I began taking mental health days again; my body began to get tight and achy again, and I lost the calmness of my mind that came with the practice.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I talked with The Hubby, and he encouraged me to go back. He said he could tell that I enjoyed it, and I was a much better person when I went, much more calm and happy. (I wasn’t sure how to take that.….) We had to make some hard decisions like the fact that he would have to make dinner more often and help out a bit more with chores; he didn’t mind.
I started back in August 2014, and I was welcomed with open arms. In fact, the owner said, “Hey! You’re back! We missed you!” (I was seriously there 5 times a week for a year; I joked that I could just move in.) I felt like I was home again.
It hasn’t been easy; my body is stiff, and I want to push it to do what it could do after one year of practicing yoga. I know that I must be patient. My mind went to it like water flowing downhill. I am not able to go as often as I would like since I now work out of town, but I am going about 3 times a week. I can already tell a difference in my attitude and demeanor.
Just like a flight attendant tells you before you fly that you have to put YOUR mask on first BEFORE you help others; you have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.
That’s a fact.
I learned that early in my life, and I hope that you realize it soon for your own health. It’s not selfish to put yourself on the same level of attention you give to your friends and family. Sharon Tessandori says it beautifully when she stated —“You are equally deserving of your time, energy, and love”.
My advice to you is do something at least once a week for YOU. Not something that you think you have to do (like exercise), but something that makes YOU feel happy and alive, that rejuvenates YOU—read, go to church, volunteer, take zumba classes, stroll through your neighborhood, go to the gym, paint, quilt, practice yoga, collect stamps, take a nap, play computer games, join a fan club, go to an art gallery, take some classes at the extension agency, listen to symphonies (large colleges usually have a few free concerts a month), play with your pet, etc.
I practice yoga.
You can. I promise. You have the time; you just need to make it a priority.
Your to-do list can wait; I promise. Mine does.
Jennifer is the chef behind the website, a girl eats world.
The HerKentucky Guide to Speakeasy Louisville: The Belle of Louisville
The Belle of Louisville turns 100!
Welcome to the latest installment of the HerKentucky Guide to Speakeasy Louisville! On Thursdays throughout the fall, we'll travel back to the Jazz Age in the Derby City, when the nation's Prohibition laws didn't quench the collective thirst for Kentucky Bourbon. We'll channel our inner Daisy Buchanans and dance the Charleston at Louisville's finest establishments. And, of course, we'll take a sip or two of the native drink that kept the city's spirits high. Today, we'll visit one of the steamboats that kept the River City booming.
Louisville has a lot of nicknames -- the Derby City, the Falls City, The Ville -- but the River City is a moniker that gets at the heart of the city. It never stops being a river town whose history and fortune is intimately tied into the river that defines its northern boundary. On October 18, 1914, a steamboat known as Idlewild was launched in Pittsburgh; the Idlewild's original mission was to serve as a ferry between Memphis, Tennessee and West Memphis, Arkansas. One hundred years later, we know this boat as The Belle of Louisville, one of the most familiar sights of Louisville's downtown waterfront.
While the Belle didn't make it to Louisville until the 1930s, steamboats played an important role in Jazz Age Louisville, bringing businessmen, bootleggers, and even the occasional mobster to the city. (And perhaps even exporting a few barrels of our finest spirits, despite Prohibition laws...) The 1920s would see steamboat travel give way to modern highways, but the Belle's history -- at various times and under various names, she's served as a cargo ship, a ferry, and even a floating USO nightclub -- provides a fascinating glimpse of riverboat culture.
Louisville celebrates Belle's 100th birthday with the six-day Centennial Festival of Riverboats, which kicked off Tuesday. The festival includes cruises, free concerts, steamboat races, and even a calliope competition! Check out the Festival website for more details.
If, like many Kentuckians, you haven't been aboard the Belle since taking a trip with your middle school class, I highly recommend going back. I had the opportunity to take the cruise last year as part of my beau's work outing, and I have to say that it's a lot more fun when libations are served. You get an amazing view of the city, and it's a fun way to imagine traveling to the city in the era before automobiles were the primary mode of transportation! It's also pretty cool to realize that the Belle is the oldest Mississippi-style steamboat still in operation.
From all of us at HerKentucky, Happy Birthday, Belle!
The Five Best Girls' Nights Out in Louisville
There's nothing better than a night out with your girlfriends to recharge your batteries. Sometimes, though, the same old pitcher of margaritas or the same old "can't miss TV show" starts to feel like a chore. Suddenly, relaxing with your bestie seems like another thing to check off the to-do list.
Over on HerLouisville today, I have some suggestions to help you break the cycle of boring Girls' Nights Out. Check it out and let me know how you plan "me time" with your girlfriends.
Louisville's Can't Miss Charity Fashion Shows
Fashion Shows.
The very phrase conjures up images of far-away Fashion Weeks filled with angry, hungry-looking models in fantastical creations that are neither affordable nor practical for most of us.
Here in Louisville, we have a couple of Fashion Shows coming up in the next few days that feature far more realistic fashions to benefit some very worthy causes!
This weekend -- October 11th and 12th -- don't miss the Junior League's American Girl Fashion Show at Churchill Downs' Millionaire's Row.
This is a great chance to help introduce the girls in your life to charity while having fun. I've never met a girl who didn't love the American Girl collection, and I am such a strong believer in the Junior League's mission -- promoting voluntarism and improving life for women and children!
If you follow HerKentucky on Instagram or Facebook, I'm sure you've seen promos for the Younger Woman's Club's Fall into Fabulous Fashion Show. I sit on the YWC Board and I could not be more excited about this event! Real Louisville women -- our YWC members -- modeling fashions from Louisville's top boutiques. The event is next Wednesday, October 15th, at 7 pm at The Pointe Butchertown. Tickets are available here. I hope to see y'all there!
The HerKentucky Guide to Simple Keeneland Wagers
It's HERE!
Keeneland's Fall Meet has ARRIVED!
You're going, right? Of course you're going. We only get to do this in April and October. Get up, get dressed, and go take part in one of the best parts of living around here. (Yes, I'm basically a walking, talking Keeneland commercial whenever meets are in session. I love it that much.)
When I talk to someone who's visited Lexington and not been to Keeneland, I'm sad. When I talk to someone who lives near Lexington and hasn't been? Words cannot describe my devastation. I recently met a girl who told me she's lived in Lexington for eight years and never been to Keeneland. Not once!
Even if you don't care a bit about horse racing, go for the sheer excitement of it. See the horses. Enjoy the atmosphere. Most of all, experience the glory that is Keeneland, one of the most beautiful racetracks in the country.
My friend told me she's never been to Keeneland because she doesn't know how to bet on the races. This, my friends, is no excuse. First, any one of the tellers at the betting stations will happily help you through your bet (trust me, they've helped me with several); and secondly, I'm about to give you a quick crash course in how to bet like you know what you're talking about.
Disclaimer: I don't do complicated bets. All these examples will be using a standard $2 minimum bet, although I believe Keeneland lowered the minimum wager to $1. Go big or go home, I say. TWO DOLLARS.
Regardless of what you're betting, when you place your bet, you say...
- The name of the track
- The race number
- The amount of the bet
- The type of bet
- The number of the horse
One horse, one bet
The easiest bet is just to pick one horse to win, and it's a super straight and simple bet.
Example: "Keeneland, race one. $2 to win on 4."
Across the Board
Have a horse you love but you're not entirely sure it's a winner? Bet it "across the board," or to win, place, or show. That bet will cost you $6 since you're basically placing three bets ($2 to win, to place, and to show). As long as your horse comes one of the top three spots, you're a winner.
Example: "Keeneland, race one. $2 across the board on 4."
Exacta/Exacta Box
And now let's talk about my favorite bet ever. I use this one to make myself sound like I totally know about horse racing. (Note: I do not know anything about horse racing. My betting system is based purely on whether the horse name means something to me and who the jockey is. If Redhead McSparkles is ridden by a jockey named Jesus, I'm betting on it.)
The exacta bet involves picking the horses that will win and place (or come in first and second). Your best shot is to pick the favorites for this one. Whichever horse you say first is the one you expect to win, and the second is who you think will place. This bet will cost you $4 since you're actually placing two bets, $2 on the winning horse and $2 on the placing horse.
Example: Keeneland, race one. $2 exacta on 4 and 6.
Now- here's my bet- the exacta box. Something about saying "exacta" and "box" makes me feel like a total pro. The box means you have the horses you think will come in first and second, but you're not sure what order they will be in. You can box as many horses as you want. (I usually choose three horses in the hopes that two of them will win and place.)
Example: Keeneland, race one. $2 exacta box on 4, 6, and 9. (This is one where you probably want to go with a $1 bet, because these get expensive really quickly as you add more and more horses.)
Trifecta/Trifecta box
These are the exact same as the exacta and exacta box, except you're dealing with the first three slots instead of the first two. You're choosing the horses that will win, place, and show.
It is extremely hard to pick the exacta and/or the trifecta. What are the odds that you'll even get one horse right, let alone two or three? But these bets, without boxing them, are cheaper, and they typically pay out well if you win. The boxes are easier to win, but cost a lot more.
(If you bet and win a trifecta, you basically have bragging rights for life. If you see me there, I'll buy you a drink.)
Other bets
Daily Double: You choose the winner in two consecutive races. (My mom did this once when I was a kid. She still talks about it.)
Pick Three: You choose the winner in three consecutive races.
Pick Four: You choose the winner in four consecutive races.
More complicated
Remember how I said I don't do complicated bets? There are things involving "Part-wheels" which, I think, is basically boxing a bet but on a much larger scale. And you "key" horses in those if you know which horse you think will win but you're not sure about the order of any of the others.
That is literally all I know about these bets. You're welcome.
There you go! You officially have no excuse to skip Keeneland this year.
When you're there, look for me. I'll be the one with the bourbon and coke betting on every single horse with "Red" in its name.
The HerKentucky Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Day Giveaway!
Did you ever have a really, really bad day?
Well, of course, everyone has. Today, I was particularly fed up with the way my day was going. My parking lot view at 7:30 this morning looked like this.
Then, after hours doing no-fun-at-all doctor's office stuff, I got home and found that my wireless router was down. My brilliant pop culture think piece on Jennifer Lawrence was just going to have to wait. If I kept the door to my back porch open, I could just barely pick up a little wifi from the law firm down the street. (I love y'all who keep unsecured wifi, btw!) Those aren't exactly optimal conditions for someone who works in online channels, to say the least.
I was having, as the old kids' book said, a horrible, no-good, very bad day. There was even a severe thunderstorm warning, complete with a hail advisory.
Then, I sat down to fill orders for HerKentucky T-shirts and I realized that this site and y'all -- our readers and writers -- are the cure for a bad day. I also noticed that I'd never heard back from the winners of our September drawings for Shop Local Kentucky Swag.
So, let's have a little giveaway to make the day better. My internet is back up, the storm advisory has expired, and we all love Kentucky. Besides, nothing makes a day better than giving a present to somebody you like. Enter below to win a Shop Local Kentucky T-shirt or Reclaimed Bourbon Barrel Kentucky Necklace. You have until Saturday at midnight EDT to win. Good luck, and I hope you're having a better day than I am!
Kentucky Proud Fried Apples
It's apple season! Head to the farmer's market, grab some apples, and get to making this delicious and easy fried apple recipe!
Apple season is in full swing here in the Bluegrass! Orchards like Reed Valley and Evan's have stands at the local farmer's market where you can try different types of apples and buy them for ridiculously low prices!
Take advantage by making this quick and easy recipe for one of my favorite apple dishes--fried apples!
(Use apples that you would eat plain; I personally don't like Granny Smith apples, so I used one of my favorites, Gala, along with a new favorite, Pixie Crisp.)
Kentucky Proud Fried Apples
Makes 8 servings
- 8 apples (local), cored and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
- 3 plus 1/2 cups cider (local)
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 6 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- Place apples and 3 cups cider in a large pan on medium heat.
- Cook apples until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix remaining 1/2 cup cider, cornstarch, and spices together.
- Once apples are done, remove them with a slotted spoon and turn the pan up to medium-high.
- Add spice cider mixture and heat until thickened.
- Add cooked apples back to spiced sauce and stir to coat the apples.
- Serve either alone or with some ice cream.
Jennifer is the chef behind the website, a girl eats world. Head over for more Kentucky Proud recipes!