As you guys know, I participated in the intenSati Warrior Challenge this month. Sunday was the closing ceremony. It was a really inspiring last class, and I am so glad that I went. When I got there I hung out with Missy (we did the challenge together).
I am going to lay this out the same way Missy did.
Summary of the closing event:
It was scheduled for 2 hours (1 – 3pm on Sunday). The first 20 minutes or so we mingled around and then we sat down and people shared some of their experiences. I did not have any major life changes during the challenge, but I was still happy with it. Some people did though! I loved hearing about all the courageous acts that people attempted. IntenSati has a way of really helping to clean up your life.
Then we did the class. I think it lasted a little bit more than an hour. First Natalia taught her segment, then Lindsay jumped in, and then Patricia did the last part (slow lower body stuff). Patricia actually did the first 2 parts that Natalia and Lindsay taught and I think she realized how hard intenSati is! After the class was over she made a comment about how difficult the workout was. I was impressed.
Some of the closing affirmations were: “I love you I love you I love you I love you” (said to yourself in the mirror); “I bow to the beauty within you”. I do not remember the rest. I really liked the lower body section though – it was all about loving yourself.
Then came the slightly awkward part. We had to find a partner (I picked Missy, which is kind of a cop out). Then we had to do the lower body workout while facing the partner. This was fine. THEN we had to stare into each other’s eyes for a few minutes. It was hard! I never realized how difficult it can be to hold someone’s gaze. I started worrying about whether I looked goofy or Missy thought it was silly; it was actually a really eye-opening experience. I tend to doubt myself and be self-conscious, but I really shouldn’t do that. Afterwards we gave each other a hug and said how much we believed in each other. It was really nice.
Then we had another sharing session and they gave away prizes (I didn’t win anything). The girl who did the most classes did 29 classes in the 30 days. Crazy! She did multiple classes a day sometimes. After the sharing we heard from Laurie of the Handel Group, which was very cool. They seem like a great organization.
So here are my pros and cons (not comprehensive at all – just what’s on my mind right now)…
The Good:
- It is AWESOME to yell positive affirmations 3x a week for an hour. It is a major energy booster.
- Bobby came with me to a writing workshop and he got a lot out of it!
- I got to meet a lot of amazing instructors and fellow Warriors.
- I learned a lot about myself.
- I started to set goals for myself, and actually started to make plans to get those goals accomplished.
The Bad:
- I gained 5 pounds. I’m hoping they will come off soon!
- I was hungry all the time and I ate more than I needed to.
- My knees hurt (this happened to Missy too). I think all the jumping is a little bit too much for my joints – so I will tone it down when I do intenSati in the future.
Overall, I LOVED my intenSati experience. I can’t wait to take the occasional intenSati class (I’m hoping once a week!). There is another Warrior Challenge coming up, so if you are in the New York area and want a free month of Equinox, GO FOR IT! Check out the intenSati website.
I think I am going to get some sleep. I did another class tonight and I’m very tired! I’ve had a really awesome week so far though and I want to keep it up.
What made you happy today? What made me happy was realizing I can choose to be happy any time I want.
Nice recap!I am so frustrated about the poundage too. Who would have thought all the extra hard work would do this! Blah oh well!
I’m a bit confused. Was the weight gain due to the Warrior Challenge?
Maggie, I am the same way! More exercise = more hunger, one reason I’m not a big fan of a lot of cardio. I used to run run run and eat eat eat. Not a good cycle for me, but I was always so stinkin hungry!
Glad you enjoyed your month, and it sounds like many good things came of your experience, and NO WORRIES about the 5 pounds. You’ll get back in balance very soon. I know you will.
Do I need to send you some Kiehl’s products? 😉
You know I find sometimes when I’m trying the hardest I end up gaining too! It’s very frustrating! But like you said, you were hungry all the time and ended up gaining anyway, which is even more frustrating! I really would steer clear of any “diet” foods and go for regular foods, which may have more fat and calories, but they are more satisfying and fill you up longer!
P.S. ~ Missy told me that you wanted to do brunch… I know we’ve been meaning to meet for a while now. So maybe we could come up with something soon… Let me know!
It’s funny how more exercise can lead to gaining weight. When I started training for my first half marathon I ended up gaining some weight from running too much!
I like the end of your post – what makes you happy is realizing you can choose to be happy. I get too passive about my happiness sometimes. Also, I thought that taking medication for depression was giving up, but it turns out it feels like more of a choice to be happy than anything.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the weight, as I think when you get back to your normal routine, it’ll even out.
today is hard for me to be happy… with the storm in place, knowing that I’ll be stuck at home for another 3-4 days, not being to meet with my advisor, can’t do any progress with work, woke up at 3AM, headache…. etc… well…. bottom line, i can’t think of anything to bright my day.
well… i should CHOOSE to be happy, i know, but it’s hard sometimes.
I understand how you feel Maggie. Sometimes it’s exercising too much creates a counter-reaction and also lack of sleep can always cause cravings and hunger. Just level off your workout a bit and do some yoga to tune in to your inner-self. We all gain a bit over the winter, but eventually, they should come off. Stay warm in this snow storm!
Great recap! That would be kind of weird to stare at someone for several minutes – even if you knew Missy!
The affirmations sound really awesome! I like your pros and cons list. I definitely want to try more workout classes, so maybe I’ll give it a go after the NYC half in March. I’m glad you got so much out of it 🙂
I tottaly can relate to exercising more and gaining more. But now for me it’s also that I am not sleeping well at all , I gained 8 pounds this winter (due to not sleeping well and eating way more) …Now I am back to eating breakfast in the morning (oatmeal) and DAILY yoga on my wii. And today I am actually seeing the benefits of having my old routine back. I think everyone gains a little bit with the holidays. I dunno 🙂