Monthly Archives: August 2013

MASTERING THE ART OF BURPEES

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When you learn something new that is outside your comfort zone, you feel awkward doing it. For me, exercise has always been dance related. When I speed walk I dance in my head to the music I am listening too, everything for me up until this point had a rhythm to it. My heart would follow the beat, and it was seamless and natural for me and I loved it. 

I still love to work out to dance moves or  walking outside or on the treadmill to music, but I have added a lot of new exercise moves to my regimen since I started working out with Mike my trainer and friend. Like I have said before in recent posts, his help is invaluable and I am learning so much. He is really helping me through our weekly workouts. Now, a lot of what I do with him is completely foreign to me, and some things are down right difficult since I have never had arm strength. In the six weeks we have been working out though, I can see significant changes in my form as well as my strength. I am definitely getting better, and that is when he mixes it up and makes it more difficult for me. I love a challenge and I am working really hard, and each week I get a little stronger and more fluid in my movements. I am so grateful for his expertise, assistance, and time.

Burpees feel so awkward to me, and I am yet to master the push up part so I do the burpees without the push up. I do not know what my hang up about this exercise move is, but for some reason I feel like I look completely silly when I do it. My best friend Melissa at Melissa Bender Fitness has asked me to see if Mike would video tape me doing burpees for her website. He loved the idea, me not so much. It looks like we will tape me doing burpees next week. I am going to practice the hell out of them in the week to come. This is an adventure, and sometimes you have to not fear and just do. 

We also worked out a lot with a kettle ball, and a jump rope as well as the machines that are at the park we go to. I can jump rope fast but my endurance is not as good. More things to improve upon. Each week is different and each week I get a little more natural at everything we do, and if I do say so myself I am very proud I have stuck to my regimen thus far. I have a long way to go to my goals, but I am definitely just around the corner to my first ten pound goal. I can tell I am losing inches too.  I feel stronger and I have more energy, and it feels completely wonderful. 

Tonight is yoga with Nicole, and I look forward to it so much. Last week she was explaining the difference between sensation and pain. I still cannot decipher which is which. I also signed up for a Groupon for one month unlimited classes at YogaWorks, thanks to  my friend Francie from the video shoot. She sent me the link and I had just enough time to get the amazing deal. I have to say I am so happy our paths have crossed, she is a fantastic human being and friend. We are both excited that the Richard Simmons video comes out this Friday. We had so much fun dancing in it.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday full of love and light.
Namaste’
Rose



TUESDAY WEIGH IN

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I love being a woman. With that said there are some things that I do not love about being a woman, and one is wicked monthly water weight. You can do everything right and the scale will go up from time to time. You have no control over it, it is what it is.

Today I woke up feeling great but I knew deep inside I probably did not lose this week. I did everything as according to plan. I ate clean and I worked out six days of the week.  The scale did not budge, I stayed exactly the same as last week. I weigh 190 pounds. It was not my fault, it was the fault of my gender. 

Time to take a deep breathe and move on. I did not gain, I did not lose. I know I am losing inches and I am progressing so no worries. I am changing my body, my mind, and my life. Next week is another chance to lose and get closer to my My Change For A Ten first charity. In the meantime, more workouts, yoga and eating healthy. 

Tonight is my workout with Mike. I am assuming it will be a little more challenging since I am progressing and growing stronger. He is a very good trainer. He works you and pushes you without being aggressive or pushing you to the point of an injury. He respects your level of fitness and is understanding and motivational. That is probably a hard thing to find in a trainer so I am blessed. 

Happy Tuesday to all.
Love and Light
Rose




MANIFESTING MY DESTINY

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Good morning Monday. Another Monday has arrived and I am happy that I am evolving in my journey. I have such belief in my quest, and in myself. I know I am not always perfect but I am sticking to my program and I am proud with each and every passing Monday. I am full of gratitude to those who believe in me and are helping me to become a better version of myself, healthy, fit and happy. I am manifesting my destiny.

Working out and practicing yoga regularly is the major key. I love it, and I will continue to learn about my body and be in the best possible shape for my own body type, not anyone else’s. I do not compare myself to anyone else, nor am I in competition with anyone but myself. This is just the beginning for me. I am a former dancer so I so know a thing or two about form, and I have always loved movement. There is a commercial on television that states a body in motion stays in motion, and a body in rest stays in rest. It is so true, if you do not move it, you will lose it. Cliche’ maybe, truth, absolutely.


So, another Monday and I am happy with my results so far, and I know I have a long way to go but I know I will arrive at my goals. I have faith in myself finally. I believe I can do this. Tomorrow morning I will weigh in again, and I will post my new weight. I am also going to post my weeks food journal on Wednesday. It is not perfect, and sometimes I do not eat enough, nor do I always get enough protein but I am learning and that is the reason I will post it. Nothing is ever perfect, we learn and we evolve with each and every single step. That is what I am doing in this journey, learning, evolving, believing in me, and making new friends in the process. I am so close to the first charity and I look forward to serving the residents of skid row with The Monday Night Mission. So close, and it feels so good.

Wishing everyone a bright and beautiful Monday
Monday’s aren’t so bad
Namaste’
Rose

YOGA PRACTICE

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There is nothing like Yoga practice to give you that mind body connection. I feel so zen today after my class with Nicole Sherman at Pink Iron. I am trying to do as much yoga as possible, and I can see my practice is opening up with each class. Today we did a lot of hip openers, which feels completely marvelous, especially afterwards. I am really getting more flexible by the day and that makes me completely happy. Afterwards I awarded myself with a fresh squeezed carrot/cucumber juice from my friends at WeHo Bistro. Now it is time to eat a healthy lunch and workout soon. I love being so active, I feel like I am floating on a cloud.

Yoga fuels my muse, here is a poem I wrote that was featured in Lightworkers World. It is how I view my yoga practice. 
Namaste’ 
Love and Light to all
Rose



NAMASTE’

Coming from me, a poet and former ballet dancer,
yoga combines the cerebral aspects of my brain with the physical reality of my body;
stanzas gesturing in motion.
As I transition from asana to asana, my mind poses that
age old question; am I one with the universe?
The answer is always a definite yes.
I feel as if I am the salt of the earth below my toes, the clouds hovering above my head.
I realize not only am I one with the earth and the universe, I am so with all creatures;
and one with my sometimes puzzling psyche.
By the time I reach the elusive state of savasana I feel as if I am floating above my body.
I finally return back to earth in prayer pose to recite that final namaste,
in that belated moment of clarity I am reminded of the gratitude I have for being heaven sent yet earth bound.
(c) Rose Bruno Bailey

THE SECRET IS OUT

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Happy Weekend to all. Yesterday I decided to try on some cute summer dresses that I have never worn, since they have never fit. They fit now and look great, but not for long since soon they will be too big for me. The secret is out, no crash diets for me, eating clean and healthy with moderation and exercise six days a week actually works. Did you hear that? Shocker, hard work pays off and it is fun too.  This should not be a surprise to me or anyone. I exercised like crazy when I danced, but somewhere in the chaos of moving around in the last few years I had stopped taking good care of myself. That will never happen again, I believe our bodies are our temples and I will not trash my temple any longer. My husband commented last night after my workout he has not seen me have such quick results in years, and how I look great. I feel healthier and stronger too with much more stamina. I am really looking forward to assisting with the first charity the Monday Night Mission, I am getting close to the first ten pound goal. My self esteem has returned and I get to do what I love to do, help others. It is such a win win for me. 

Today I will work out later, an hour on the treadmill and some other moves I have learned plus free weights. Yesterday when I did an hour speed walking on the treadmill, I actually jogged some of the time, and it made me feel so proud. Tomorrow same workout plus morning Yoga Flow with Nicole at Pink Iron. I tried to sleep in a little today and now I am meeting my friend Francie from the Richard Simmons video for a little Birthday Brunch before she leaves town to visit with family. We had plans to take Richard Simmons’ Saturday morning class but he is out of town for the next week, so no Richard Simmons for over one week.  Later my husband and I will go to the beach to walk and see the sunset, nothing like walking in the water in Malibu for some extra exercise on top of my workouts. Activity is the best natural high. I believe getting outdoors in beauty breathing in fresh air is mandatory for a healthy mind and body.

I feel very lucky to have such help with this endeavor, and to live in such a place with natural beauty to do it in.  I could not go it alone and I am learning so much about the body and achieving peace of mind in the process. So this morning I am radiating gratitude for my blessings. Life is truly beautiful.
Wishing you a sunshiny Saturday,
Namaste’
Rose

THURSDAY REST DAY

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Rascal

Spanky

These innocent little beauties have taken hostage of my nights. Rascal every night around three am wakes me up unplugging the air conditioner and now he has moved on to the alarm clock. Spanky likes to chew on my hair or bite my toes when I am sleeping. A few days of this and I feel so groggy and incoherent, that coffee is not just something I love to drink for the taste but a necessity. My husband is not a morning person, and he wakes up tired always. I on the other hand, If I do not get enough sleep I usually still wake up on the right side of the bed. The fact I am not so cheery this morning means it is finally catching up to me. With all the exercise I have been doing, the cats interrupting my sleep is making me feel completely fatigued. Plus I did not feel well yesterday, and it took all of my energy not to let it show to anyone I interacted with. I hope I was not rude to anyone, I doubt it I am never rude but if I was I apologize. I never get outwardly crabby but I can sometimes get quiet and of course people are usually shocked when that happens. It usually means I do not feel well, or I am in a very reflective mood. I will not elaborate why I did not feel well, but let’s just say I hope I do not gain any weight on Tuesday. 🙂

Of course on days like that, all I want to do is be with my friends and family back east. My wonderful friend Larry was one of those people. I would call and he would be there, we both lived in Astoria and worked in Manhattan.  I met him in Pittsburgh in 1999 and he moved to Los Angeles. I moved to Connecticut. He moved to Boston, and then NYC and finally I moved to NYC too. He one of the most fun people I have ever met and  he still has a way to make me laugh even across the miles. There are so many people I miss, but I a blessed to have wonderful friends here in California too. If I never would have moved here, I never would have met anyone of them, so I have no regrets and I love Los Angeles as much as NYC just for different reasons. 

Larry and Rose December 21st 2009 in Manhattan


I took my rest day Thursday since I was not my usual 100% and since Richard Simmons is traveling and out of town. I am so bummed out about this, I have grown accustomed to his high energy inspiration. It will be a couple weeks before he returns, so that means more treadmill and yoga and maybe a Zumba class to throw in for good measure. I will not slow down at all, one rest day is all I need. Today I am back in full force after work even though I still do not feel completely well. Nothing that time and a little extra weekend sleep cannot cure.

Wishing everyone a big Thank God It Is Friday. Much love and light to all. 
Namaste’
Rose

SERENITY OF YOGA AND WATER

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Good Morning Thursday, I wish everyone a beautiful day today. I am drinking extra strong coffee this morning, the Siamese nightly wake ups were much more frequent last night. I am about to call Jackson Galaxy from My Cat From Hell, he would be able to fix my issue. Funny, all night long in between the cats being rowdy I dreamed about Stormy, our beloved Tabby who we lost to renal failure last January. We will always miss her, so naturally I feel a bit melancholic this morning. Here she is doing her best downward dog, she was the mascot for the yoga event I planned in Griffith Park for Kitt Crusaders, it was called Downward Dog For Cats.


Yoga was fantastic, as is Nicole my teacher. We did a lot of emphasis on hips and quad stretches. We were working on pigeon pose, and she taught us how to take our mat to the wall and do the pose up against the wall. It is a fabulous albeit hard stretch to do, but I can see how this is going to improve pigeon pose and our quad flexibility. I am so happy that my old flexibility is returning. I guess it is true that you have muscle memory. My Change For A Ten is working for me because of all the time I am putting in working out and doing yoga etc. I believe I would not feel this fabulous if I did not work out.  It takes the balance of diet and exercise to really see a difference in my body. I am so motivated to go forward and I really am enjoying the process as well as the results.

Richard Simmons will be traveling for the next few weeks so I will miss his high energy inspiration. I can still go to Slimmons for the class, but I think tonight I am going to go to the gym or take a class, or something to do with water. I love being in water, always have. It makes me feel completely alive and serene at the same time. I was a lifeguard in my twenties, I felt compelled to learn how to save a person from drowning. 

Here is a poem I wrote years ago about my love of being in the water and swimming, written in 2005.  I actually spent the afternoon swimming, then I took a shower and glanced out the window at the pool with the sun shining through the trees and the poem came to me right then and there. I had to have my husband write it down for me since I was in the shower, lol. Sometimes inspiration hits at the least convenient time, but I am always happy when it does.
Wishing you sunshine and serenity.
Namaste’
Rose

LOVE OF WATER 

I dive in a pool of crystal clear waters,

My worries float away.

I gaze at the sapphire sky, the sun

Blazes brightly above me.

Clouds drift aimlessly

Making a myriad of shapes and sizes.

My wistful spirit is baptized,

I am consumed by this show of

Sky high fireworks;

Warming my soul and body.

Trees pirouette in the wind, a minuet


For weary eyes; I am taken away.

(c) Rose Bruno Bailey

GETTING STRONGER BY THE DAY

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On Tuesday’s I weigh in, and I work out with Mike my trainer and friend. I lost two more pounds this week bringing my total to 190 LBS. This made me so happy, I have been really working hard and sticking to everything I say I will do, and to see the scale go down seven pounds is such a wonderful reward. I know I have a long way to go but to know this is all working motivates me even more. I am almost to the ten pound mark, and a few weeks after I lose the first ten is when I will be volunteering with The Monday Night Mission. Of course all the time I will be working on my twenty pound loss, this is a lifestyle change and I choose to make being healthy and fit a part of my life.

My workout with Mike at the park was wonderful, I can see and feel I am stronger than I was when we began a little over a month ago. Some of the exercises are not as awkward as they once were, and my strength and balance are improving.  I can feel my once dancer’s flexibility coming back, which made me elated. He truly is a great trainer/teacher and I am grateful to him for the time he puts in. I know I am a work in progress but it is all starting to feel quite natural to me. Tuesdays are the day I measure my true progress.

We did something I would have never dreamed of doing, he brought boxing gloves and I practiced punching the targets he wore on this hands and  then he had me alternate arms and do all these boxing moves. It was fun, of course I hit like a girl but I got better and I will get better. I do have this competitive side with myself and I do not give up. We plan on doing it again, it was fun and I can totally feel the effects on my body this morning. I am sore but it a good way. The jogging felt easier for me, especially when I discovered to try to stay on the heals of my feet and not on the ball of my feet. I tend to naturally do everything on my toes.  

Today after work is my one hour walk and my yoga practice. I love the way yoga makes me feel, totally zen inside and out. If I could find a way to practice five days a week I would, it truly makes me feel peaceful inside. I wish all of you love and light and a beautiful Wednesday. full of peace and joy.
Namaste’
Rose






WEIGH IN TUESDAY

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Left to right….Rose, Santa who I just worshiped, and sister Gina

It is Tuesday August 13, 2013 and before I get to my weigh in I would like to wish my big sister Gina a very Happy Happy Birthday. Just a shout out across the miles, and some nostalgic family photos. I miss my family, but I send them love and light back east. I hope to see them soon. 


I weighed in this morning. I have decided I would weigh in at home on Tuesday Mornings and follow Weight Watchers on my own and online. I prefer to weigh in at home to get the most accurate read, and that gives me more time to workout. 

I lost two more pounds, bringing my weight to…..drum roll…..190 LBS. That makes my total weight loss since I started My Change For A Ten to seven pounds. I am almost at my first milestone of ten pounds. As soon as I lose my first ten pounds, it will be a few weeks before I do my first charity which is The Monday Night Mission. I need to give my work  a few weeks notice so they can have the food ready. I also want to make sure I am past the ten pound mark since sometimes there are those weeks when we gain a few. I want to have the first ten pounds lost for good so I can focus on the charities and then getting to the twenty pound mark.

Today is my weekly Tuesday workout with Mike. I always look forward to it, it is hard but I can see it works and of course I am so grateful that he gives his time to help me. I am also handing him my food journal, that really helped me stay on track. I promised I would have more information about him and his  personal trainer services in the future and I will. He is a wonderful trainer and friend. I was saying just yesterday. You can never have enough friends. I love the quote from the film It’s A Wonderful Life… “No man is a failure who has friends.”  It is such an inspiring film about appreciating your life, a must see.

Off for the day. Happy Birthday Gina, and I wish everyone else a beautiful day today. You woke up, you are breathing, now anything is possible as long as you have that opportunity to make it so. Every day is a Birthday if you look at it that way. 
Namaste’ 
Love and Light
Rose

left to right Niece Nerissa, Uncle Edward, Gina, me, Sister Dona and sister Frankie

Me on the bottom, My Aunt Elaine in center, left to right from top, Dona, Frankie, My lovely Mother, and Gina

Left to right me and Gina

The girls, all of them. Left to right Niece Calli, me, Gina, Niece Nerissa, Frankie, Dona, and babies Satya and Clara

DESTINATION MONDAY

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Happy Monday to all.  Sometimes I feel like life moves on the fast track and again like clockwork comes Monday morning. Where did the weekend go?  On Mondays I begin my week of workouts and make my plans for My Change For A Ten.  I am a little sleepy this week thanks to my Siamese cat Rascal and his fascination with the air conditioner cord. I have to get at the bottom of this mystery, I think he does it for attention because I wake up and feed him then he comes back and does it again. Thank goodness I hear him and I am able to stop him, this is a dangerous habit he has started and a great way to make me a little groggy Monday morning.

I have decided that I do not need to physically take the time to go into Weight Watchers to weigh in, when I can be using that time to do some sort of other workout activity. I can do Weight Watchers online and weigh in on Tuesday mornings first thing, and I believe that is the way to get the most accurate read on my weight. Plus my trainer Mike has asked to see my food diary on Tuesday, and that helps too. I really think I am doing well, and I have already started to get comments about my weight loss and I have only lost a few. I know I am losing inches too and I feel awesome albeit sleepy.

I wish everyone a beautiful and bright day. I am off to drink some needed coffee on this Monday Morning and eat a protein bar. I am way too sleepy for more. 

Here is a Monday poem, written in NYC waiting for the train in the midst of winter. It may make you appreciate that it is summer now. I remember how hard it was to be sleepy and go out into the bitter cold. California thank goodness saves me from that experience.
Namaste’
Rose

MONDAY

It’s another monotonous morning,
birds are chirping, but spring
has hardly paid a call or visit.
I drink my hot coffee, gripping
the cup like it holds liquid gold.
Fatigue sets in, mentally, physically;
a rat races inside my head.
I am emotionally, physically
drained from running mundane
marathons to empty destinations.
I imagine a kiss, a zealous kiss
that would bring summer
to my wintry body and soul.
Instead I sip, caffeinated tepid cafe;
and long for lips that scald,
daydreaming of a moment
that could warm all of my seasons.

(c) Rose Bruno Bailey