Category Archives: focus on fitness

Don’t bully your body

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I started practicing yoga back in 2011, and I was still overweight at that time. I am a former dancer and I believe I was a yogi in soul and heart before I ever stepped on a mat, just like I was a poet before I ever penned my first poem. Some gifts are just part of your spirit, it just takes time for your body and mind to play catch up.

I was walking down the street at that time, and ran into a friend of mine, who was with a friend of hers. Her friend was a stranger to me, and when I mentioned I practiced yoga she shot out, you do yoga?

That hurt me deeply. I believe yoga is for everyone, whether you are overweight or in the best shape of your life. I did not understand the comment because to me yoga was about the mind and body connection, not who looks the best in their lululemons. Yes, I was over 210 lbs, but who was this person to question my passion for yoga.

Flash forward to present day, after my fifty pound weight loss. I sent my photo to a magazine calling for meditation photos in nature and I was really hoping this photo would be picked. It was not picked, and that opened the flood gates of not feeling good enough, or that my body did not fit the norm of what a yogi looks like. It brought back that comment from 2011.

I love this photo because I was simply stretching my back on this beautiful uprooted tree, and Melissa Bender from Benderfitness snapped it without me knowing. What I really love about this photo is it is me in my element. I love trees and water, and I was perfectly at home stretching and finding my serenity on that pillar of wisdom with the bay as my backdrop.

Even though I lost 50 lbs,  I am far considering myself an after, I am more like a work in progress. I have so many fitness goals/fitness milestones to accomplish and I wish to be stronger and in the best shape of my life. With that I also would love to believe my view of my own body has improved and that I no longer bully my body. I am human, and far from flawless and sometimes I do succumb even after my weight loss to feeling like I am not good enough or I do not fit in the circles of yoga and fitness.  I felt like I was rejected and started to really bullying my own body. I let a moment of rejection take away the beauty and stillness that was meditating on that exquisite fallen tree.

I realized I was negating all of my hard work and sacrifice and not showing gratitude to my healthy body. I went back to that photo, regained my composure and realized what such a moment in nature felt like to me.

I am grounded and centered, and when my zen is uprooted, I connect back with the earth below my feet and find my balance once again. I am a work in progress.

I am a work in progress,
Do not let any rejection reflect back to you in a negative way. You are beautiful, you are uniquely you. Perfect in every sense. Just like the tree, we come in all shapes and sizes, and we should own our diversity instead of trying to conform to be what everyone else is. 
 
Love and light to all
Namaste’

Runner’s High on 4/20 day

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runme15

It has been about four weeks since I started running seriously. I admit it took me this long to fall in love with running. I am finally there, and thanks to BenderFitness I am officially a runner. Melissa taught me how to run to maintain my pace and achieve distance without stopping or walking.

Yesterday I achieved a fitness milestone, running over the Golden Gate Bridge and back again. It is a total of 3.4 miles. It was the most euphoric feeling and I am so happy to have shared the moment with one of my dear friends Kristina who visited over the weekend from NYC.

Kristina is running a half marathon in Brooklyn NYC in October and that has inspired me to do a half marathon in November instead of the 10k. I know I will really have to train and Melissa Bender and I are in the works coming up with a training program to get me there.

The sky’s the limit. It was national 420 day and I earned my runner’s high and crossed an item off my fitness bucket list. It was the most amazing moment and next I plan to run over it four times and do a few 5K’s as I train for the bigger races. I am so in love with running and cannot believe it took me this long to get there. Better late than never.

Namaste’

Love and light

Rose

runme8runme7

 

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Here are the Bender Fitness videos we filmed in the Bay Area

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Hey guys,

Sorry for the delay in posting this week. As you know if you read my last couple of posts, my friend Melissa Bender and my other friend Nicole were out in the Bay Area (where I currently live) last week. We essentially had a one-week fitness-focused boot camp. My big takeaway was learning to love running (which I normally hate). I can now run about 3 miles without stopping to walk (intense for me) and I can do it without music (right now, I like to focus on my breathing and pacing).

We filmed a bunch of videos while Melissa and Nicole were in the Bay Area, and those are below; you can find them all at the Bender Fitness YouTube channel as well. I hope you enjoy. Oh, and hey — I struggle in a few of these (LOL), but remember I often ran right before filming them. We’re all human, right?

I’ll be posting some workout plans, recipes, and potential 5K plans in the coming weeks. I hope you keep coming back!

Love and light.

Namaste,

Rose

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5 Things BenderFitness taught me about running

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friendsvvisitrunroserun

 

1. Pace yourself, and start slow. I used to fear running even though I did a 10K last year. It was such a proud moment for me but I had to stop and walk/run. I never fully embraced running like I am now. I want to keep going and see how far I can go. Run a marathon someday? Why not. It is all in the pace.
2. Listen to your breath and turn off the tunes. Ok this was a hard one for me and I resisted. I am a dancer and I love my music, It motivates me. Now I find I am motivated by running for the sake of running, not drowning out the sensations with music. There will be a time when I become a seasoned runner when I can listen to music as I run, but for now I run and listen to my breath.
3. Keep Moving, sounds so simple and so difficult, but honestly if you just keep moving you can do it.
4.Dress for the weather, and have on layers that can come off if you get hot. Here in the Bay Area it can feel cold with the wind but as you get moving you become warm.
5. Start with a small race. I am signing up for a 5K in a few months. I can already run over 3 miles and I will definitely be ready. Once I have a few under my belt I will graduate to a 10K and then maybe a half marathon.
I am really loving running now, and I am so grateful she taught me how to run the correct way. Now I feel like the sky’s the limit. I also discovered after I run I have this incredible zen like euphoria that relaxed my whole mind and body. It really is helping me handle the day to day stress.
Namaste’
Rose
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Rose Bruno Bailey Cowboy Hat

Some of my early Northern California exploring

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Explorer: a person who investigates unknown regions.

If you’ve read this blog or know a little about my backstory, you probably know that I recently (within about six months) moved to the Bay Area in northern California; my husband James got a job offer in this region. Previous to this move, we had lived in Los Angeles for about four years, and prior to that, we had lived in New York City and Connecticut.

As a result, we’ve done a lot of exploring over the past few years as we discover new places.

One of my favorite things to do is to get of the rectangular box and spend time exploring where I live. I like to think I am a modern day explorer, finding new remote nooks on my journeys. Living all over the country has made my life an adventure.
Friday I did some exploring in my own neighborhood. I figured I would get a long walk in and see where my feet could take me. I ended up at the library and received my library card so I can read til my hearts content, then I walked miles and discovered a thrift store and a vintage store. My heart paused for a mili second. Treasures on this expedition? Yes, please.
Here’s the beginning of the walk:
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My healthy lifestyle requires me to be diligent about my diet and workouts, and I do not stray. That does not mean I never have a little of something decadent. I follow what is called the 80/20 rule. I eat clean, no processed food 80% of the time and  I allocate the other 20% for small indulgences. The treasures I discovered in the thrift store had my name written all over it. Mini cup cake pans for 99 cents. I bought three and I plan on making mini muffins and mini black bean brownie bites Sunday afternoon when I play domestic. This girl likes a little sweet with her coffee once in a while.
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I found a cowboy hat at the vintage store, and of course I bought it. Everyone needs at least one white cowboy hat in their closet. Who knows where I will rock the hat — perhaps country line dancing? Combining a fun night out, fashion, and cardio. That is how I roll.
You can see the picture of me in the hat at the top of this post.
This weekend we are exploring Santa Cruz CA, and I will have plenty of photos of the magnificent Pacific Coastline to share. Another chance to get in extra cardio, a brisk speed walk oceanside. I will get my Melissa Bender Fitness workout in today either before or after, but of course I do not skip.
I read somewhere never go two days without working out, and that is one of the rules I like to follow. Everyone’s body is different, I think to think after my first 45 lb weight loss I am getting to know my own body. For the first time in a long time we are now on a first name basis.
 
Life is such a joyride if you ask me, crank up the road trip music get out there and explore beyond your own backyard.
Love and Light to all

 

Rose Bruno Bailey Richard Simmons

Why did I start My Change For A Ten?

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It is amazing how often we look in the mirror. We wake up, wash our face, and get ready for our day. We look in the mirror when we check our reflection to make sure we look presentable before we walk out the door. We see ourselves constantly but do we really see ourselves as others see us?

Homer Simpson Mirror

I was a dancer. I went to school for theater and dance; I studied ballet, jazz, modern and even did ballroom/latin. Dance is my first passion. I took pride in my dancers’ form and I walked with an air of confidence that dancers earn from years of training. I also had some issues with eating disorders and kept my weight within the range of 100 lbs and 135 lbs. When I hit 35, my weight started to go up and down, but it never got truly out of control until after 40. Even at that point I never considered the possibility that I could be obese.
I actually had a sign I had a weight problem the summer of 2011, but I was in denial. I went to a doctor in Beverly Hills who insisted I needed Bariatric surgery. He humiliated me, and accused me of lying about my diet.  On my walk home I was in tears, and I was suddenly startled when I was approached by the famous director Quentin Tarantino. He asked me for a business card and stated he was interested in me for a movie he was filming. I did not give him any information and totally botched what could have been a pivotal moment in my life, all because of what happened earlier in the day with the fat-shaming Beverly Hills doctor. Even after that moment I did not believe I could be that person, a person who was on the far side of fit. I just felt I was just a little chubby.
 
I am a poet, and I was attending an open mic in Hollywood with some friends in 2013. My photographer friend Xiomara offered to take some photos of me standing at the mic reading my poetry. I felt on top of the world that night; it was my first reading since moving from NYC to Los Angeles and my poetry really resonated with the audience that evening. It was time to shine, or so I thought.
Later that week Xiomara emailed me the photos, and I could not believe my eyes. I was looking at my own image, and the person in the photo was a stranger to me. Who was she? I did not recognize my own face and body, and I was mortified that I let myself get to the point of obesity. That was the last reading I attended.
I took a self-esteem dive right into the oblivion of insecurity and body hatred:
Rose Bruno Bailey Before Pictures

It was months until I was ready to take action: months of feeling terrible about myself, months of overeating and under-exercising. It was months before I faced the dreaded scale.  I let myself sink further before I was ready to make a change. The change came in an idea — an idea that came from my writer and humanitarian side of my personality.

I wanted to start a blog.
I actually had two blogs working but the missing link was something to strive for: a journey, a path.  I also realized how much I loved giving back in the past. Yes, I gave back in little ways daily to random people I encountered. A sandwich for a homeless man, a donation to an animal rescue but I wanted, or I needed to do more. I remembered how I planned Downward Dog For Cats back in 2012, a yoga event in Los Angeles to raise money for a local animal rescue. It was like a light bulb flashed inside my  myopic mind. I gave more to others than I gave to  myself. I was putting myself last and trashing my temple. I thought what if I were to combine my philanthropic ways with a weight loss regimen and blog about my experience.
I decided to sponsor a charity with every ten pounds I lost, contacting the charity before I lost each ten pounds. I was now accountable — and going public with my journey — so I thought there was no way I could fail. I decided to be completely transparent: sharing my weight which was 210 lbs and before photos, basically sharing my whole life.
My idea was met with such enthusiasm, I was offered training from a co-worker turned friend named Mike. I was cast in a Richard Simmons video, the beginning in July 2013 started off on such a hopeful note. I would lose weight, help others, and have a blast doing it. I would have no fear, and be impeccable with my word. When I said I would do something, I did it.
My journey became a thrilling adventure and I lost almost 50 lbs and did things I would have never assumed I could do at this time in my life. I ran a 5k, missed the turn and completed a 10k. I did yoga on a heli-pad on a rooftop in LA. I have loved every minute of the ride, met some beautiful souls along the twists and turns of my road less traveled, and I am humbled that I have had the chance to do my little part to make a difference.
Now I find myself at a crossroads, here in the San Francisco Bay Area, continuing on my never ending quest to for fitness, philanthropy and feeling fearless and high on being alive. I am far from an after, but so much better than I once was before. All with a little help from my friends.

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Rose Bruno Bailey Yoga Helipad Los Angeles

Revisiting my fitness bucket list

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The photo you see here was my view doing yoga (in forward fold) on a helipad on top of a building in LA. I love to see things from different perspectives.
Good Morning to all. Let’s start with a basic question:
What are you doing today, this week, this year to make your goals a reality?
Dreams are never lofty thoughts that cannot come to fruition as long as you believe.

What would life be like if we were all perfect? We would have nothing to strive for, nothing to motivate us to be the best versions of ourselves.

I love that feeling of being challenged, of starting anew. I have so many goals: personal, artistic, creative, fitness, and philanthropic. I am always trying to shoot for the stars. I have a fitness bucket list, for example. I thought it might be helpful to share it here — it makes me more accountable, and maybe it will inspire others as well.

1. Trapeze Classes
I am actually doing this one! It will happen in the next few months based on my work with Melissa Bender Fitness. I’m excited — and get ready for a post with a ton of pictures (and maybe even a video).

2. Sign up and compete another race.

3. Do a month long yoga challenge, working on my home and studio practice

4. A workout video with Melissa Bender Fitness

5. Take a surfing lesson this summer

6. Aerial Classes

7. Yoga photos around San Francisco

8. Obtain exercise certifications

9.Send my story to a weight loss magazine to be featured in I did it section

10. Lose 30 more pounds

(In terms of the race/run, I’m thinking about a Color Run. There is a Color Run in San Francisco, although the exact date for 2015 hasn’t been determined. My husband James loves Las Vegas, and there’s a Color Run there in late February. Hmmmm.)

This is a very streamlined version of my list, and I will be updating it soon and adding more items. I want to be able to be challenged and make my goals a reality.  Since I began in 2013  I did a few really interesting things. I was in a Richard Simmons video, as well as doing a 5k and missed the turn and completed the 10k. I also planked for over five minutes and beat my Los Angeles trainer Mike, and  he was a very good sport about it.

My wish today for you is that you have the hope of a child, the enthusiasm of a cheerleader, the determination of an athlete. Inspiration is everywhere for the taking.

Love and Light
Namaste’
12 Bean Vegetarian Chili

Easy recipe for 12-bean vegetarian chili

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I love to make soups and vegetarian chili. They are so easy and tend to last a few days.

This recipe is so easy; I whipped it up in no time and it was delicious and healthy.

Ingredients
1 bag dry 12 bean soup (Use just the beans and not the seasoning)

1 whole onion

5 celery stalks

6 cloves of garlic

Dry Basil

2 cartons low sodium vegetable broth

Ground Pepper

4 cans fire roasted tomatoes

1 can corn rinsed and drained

2 bags chili seasoning from McCormick

You may need to soak the beans overnight — or do a quick soak (30 minutes) beforehand. Place the beans in cold water and boil on high for two minutes, then let them sit for one hour, rinse and you are ready to cook.

Saute onion and celery til clear and then add the garlic and saute for a few more minutes. Add the soaked and rinsed beans and the two cartons of vegetable broth. Season with pepper, basil and add tomatoes and corn. Add the two packets of chili spices and let cook on low for an hour and a half. When you are finished you can add some fat free sour cream or non fat greek yogurt.

It is delicious and truly a simple recipe.

Enjoy! Namaste’

Best Foot Forward

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I am on day nine of my workouts that I am doing since I became a fitness ambassador for Melissa Bender Fitness.I am doing the 12 weeks of bikini competition workouts and feeling great. http://www.benderfitness.com/2013/02/my-first-bikini-competition-prep-month.html

I ran to the running store yesterday, since I do have my share of challenges as I progress. I have a foot/toe injury and I feel so much better when I have inserts from a running store. It takes the pressure of the front of my foot and it really makes a difference how my feet feel all day. I am now putting my best foot forward and chasing after my goals pain free.
My diet is on track and you can find my food journal on my facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/MyChangeForATen
When I work I usually eat the same things in the am and afternoon, to make it easier to plan.
Week two is underway, and I am so happy to be back in the swing of things. I had two months off from the move and it really depressed me, I need those endorphins.
I am looking into doing a raffle for my next charity, and raffling off something exciting. The photo on this post holds a hint of what I will be raffling off. I have not been on the scale in a while, since I have been focusing on my fitness and clean eating and trying not to obsess. I will do another weigh in soon and I am purchasing a new scale tonight since mine broke in my move.
Off for my day, I admit I am a little sleepy this morning, it is that darn San Francisco fog. Much different then the LA sun I am used to.
Happy Transformation Tuesday to allplaystation
Namaste’
Rose Bruno Bailey Poetry

Soaring in the heavens

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Good Morning to all. Yesterday was a long day for me, and a rest day from my Melissa Bender Fitness workouts. Tonight is day five, and I work another long day so my workout will be later in the evening. Words cannot convey how motivated and excited I am for the trapeze classes in a few months. I met a couple last night who took the class here in Oakland, California and they said it was amazing and the staff made it so easy.
I feel like I found the fountain of youth. Last year I did yoga on a rooftop heli-pad in Los Angeles and this year I am taking trapeze classes and who knows what else what. I am so happy, I am manifesting my own destiny, and that through trapeze classes I will soar the heavens.
Manifesting my own destiny

I want to swim until I am sunburned and waterlogged. Fall asleep and dream under a bevy of stars on a clear night. I want to drive cross country and write poetry on top of the world at the Empire State Building, and travel back west by train, stop and sketch at the the foot of the majestic Grand Canyon. I want to be ageless, fearless, travel into space and be weightless. To journey to the ends of the earth to face my demons, and journey back and have the last laugh. I want to spend my days creating art and my nights making a difference. To dance forever, soar the heavens, snorkel the seas and live every moment like there is nothing like being totally and utterly alive.