It is countdown time…. 5 more weeks of school!!!! Hallelujah! It is crunch time! Time to squeeze the last little bit of knowledge into our students brains before MAP testing, time to review last minute items about MAP testing, time for planning the EOC’S (end of course tests), time for planning end of the year parties for my incoming 5th grade orchestra students, and my strolling strings, and the Final Concert of the year, not to mention keeping up with the grades and continuing my regular day to day teaching. So much to do in the last 5 weeks of school!!!!!
If you know a teacher, give them some encouragement over the next couple of weeks… we are all so exhausted and it will mean a lot.
I have been going and going for the last couple of weeks, thinking about my classes and recruitment, but also performing a ton of concerts. I am used to be really busy, but I have found that after about 3-4 weeks without time for myself, I can get kind of crabby. Maybe you can relate?!
I need time to recharge my batteries. For me, I have found that there are a couple of things that I can do that will help me recharge my body and my mind. One is Yoga! I have always liked yoga, but I really started getting into it about a year ago.
After I got married, I began gaining weight mainly due to eating Dave’s amazing meals and the portions that he would give me. Now, it wasn’t that the food he made was unhealthy or really fattening, but it had everything to do with portion size- I was trying to eat the same amount of food as my husband! What was I thinking?!!! Well the pounds crept up and slowly I realized that my clothes did not fit the same as usual. That is usually the indicator for most of us women… unless you are really horrible at doing laundry and continue to shrink all your clothing 🙂 So one day as I was watching T.V. I saw an infomercial on 21 day fix and decided to try it out! I absolutely loved the work out DVD’s and the whole process ( more to come later about that…) but then after loosing the weight using that method, I decided that I wanted to work on toning and lengthening my body. So thus began my love of yoga!!!
While yoga has been incredible for my body, it has also become one of my favorite things to do when stressed or when I need to be energized. Here are some added benefits of yoga!
I used to go to classes and really enjoyed that, but due to my crazy schedule, I began doing my own yoga practice in the evening in the bed room. Youtube has become one of my best friends! I first started doing “Yoga with Adrienne” on youtube and really enjoyed her quirky and fun practices. She always made it easier to get through the practice. But I found a channel last summer that I absolutely love… “Boho Beautiful,” and that has become my “go to” yoga workouts. If you enjoy yoga and don’t have time to go to classes, you should take some time in a quiet place at home, maybe with some lit candles and try out the “Boho Beautiful” youtube channel… you will love it!!!
The second thing that I love to do to recharge and relax is take a nice hot bubble bath or Salt bath! Being a violinist with lots of rehearsals and long hours of performing or practicing, my body is usually in pain and a hot bath really helps with those aches. Here are the Hydrotherapy benefits:
- muscle, joint, and nerve pain
- headaches
- stomach pain
- stress
- sleep disorders
- depression
- anxiety
Baths help improve sleep, and the Lord knows that teachers need their sleep!!! And Baths help your body Detox from the harmful toxins from food, soaps or body products, and air that we breathe in. Here are a couple different detox baths to try:
- Add at 1 cup of apple cider vinegar to a boiling hot bath. Stay in there until the water cools. Towel dry and refrain from taking a shower for at least 8 hours.
- Dissolve 2 cups of of epsom salt in a warm bath. Stay in for up to 30 minutes. Rinse and towel dry.
- Pour 4 cups of baking soda into a boiling hot bath. Rest for 45 minutes. Don’t rinse.
This is a beautiful bath!!!
Seriously though…. take some time for yourself!!!! Figure out what works for you and helps you de-stress and recharge and stick to it! But if you haven’t tried yoga or a beautiful hot bath, you should! Maybe it will be just what you need!
Calgon… Take me away!!!
