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I highly recommend this book! 📖 “first we make the beast beautiful: a new journey through anxiety” 📖 . Anyone who experiences anxiety (diagnosed or not), or loves someone with anxiety, or just generally has that unsettled, antsy, overwhelmed, something-is-wrong-but-what-is-it? kind of feeling from time to time (don’t we all?), this book is for you. . It’s not often that a non-fiction book - especially in the mental health space - will pull me in in such a pleasant & enjoyable way that I don’t want it to end, but this one did. @_sarahwilson_ is a truly gifted writer whose honesty and vulnerability about her experiences with anxiety I found super helpful, normalizing, and also entertaining. #skills . You may relate (I know I did) to her experience “sucking at meditation” but doing it anyway, working through ‘weekend panic’: “I must choose the very best thing to do this weekend or I will be failing at using my weekend to its fullest potential!” and appreciate her walking us through her very thorough exploration of healing approaches. . The overarching message? Anxiety isn’t the enemy, and if we take the time to get to know it, appreciate it, & pay attention to what it has to teach us, we may see be able to make the beast beautiful. . Brilliant work Sarah, and thank you for sharing this gem with the world. #recommendedreading #smhtraining #thebeast #sarahwilson #mentalhealthmatters #bookstagram #anxiety
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To all the strong, capable women in the world who show us all what’s possible. . I love that we can do amazing things in the world: climb mountains, float rivers, wash dishes, change the oil, chop wood, raise families, & break stereotypes... and at the same time be vulnerable, empathetic, feel all the feelings, and see all of that as STRENGTH as well.💪💪🏻💪🏼💪🏽💪🏾💪🏿 . Happy International Women’s Day! . Pic is #skibabe @mslater2 (bi-lingual doctor, traveler, wife, athlete, friend, adventurer, and so much more) showing us all what’s possible! . #internationalwomensday #diversitymatters #functionalfitness #mentalhealthmatters #girdwood #backcountryskiing #smashthepatriarchy #yougotthis #empathy #superpowers
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Last week’s post about diversity in the outdoor world and the need for all of us to recognize our various privileges in order to improve inclusivity generated a lot of conversation - thanks everyone who participated, kept it civil, and took the nudge to start untangling these issues in your own life. . I received a bunch of recommendations that I want to pass on here for anyone looking to un-whitewash your social media/outdoor adventure feed. Following these people is a step toward elevating minority voices and normalizing the voices & faces of people of color, those with different body types, sexual orientations, etc. in outdoor recreation, and dismantling our own internalized ideas of who “does this stuff.” . @outdoorafro @melaninbasecamp @teresabaker11 @ayesuppose @iamchrissyking @thebrownbikegirl @browngirlsclimb @unlikelyhikers @rethkduir @brownpeoplecamping #diversifyoutdoors @bodyposipanda @healthateverysize @iamlshauntay @nativesoutdoors @girltrek @lizzy.dances @prettybigmovement @prettybig5 @mynameisjessamyn @blackgirlssurf Educators (pay them for their labor): @rachel.cargle @iamrachelricketts @imdrtee @LaylaSaad @iamchrissyking @nowhitesaviors . http://www.inspiringgirls.org/ Mirna Valerio - The Mirnavator NativesOutdoors https://www.diversifyoutdoors.com . My next step in this work is to read the book “White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism.” This book was recommended to me by multiple people last week as a resource for developing the skills to talk about these issues without doing further (well-intended) damage along the way. . Let me know if you’re going to read it too, or if you’re taking other steps let’s hear about those too. And keep sending your diversity in the outdoor recommendations, they’ve changed my feed and I love it!
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Reposting part of this amazing piece by @hilary_m_oliver for OR, “Closing the Confidence Gap with Sheldon Kerr” @sheldonkerr . Believe in the skills you’ve built. In the committing moment, remember all the practice you’ve put in—and all the preparation you’ve done to help you succeed. “I mentally remind myself that I’ve chosen this objective because I’ve had these specific experiences which have prepared me for this 55-degree icy ski line,” she says. . Practice your power stance. “In order to lower cortisol levels—or stress hormones—and raise testosterone—the confidence hormone—in your body, one of the things you can do is stand with an open posture, like a Wonder Woman pose, and just breathe for two minutes,” Sheldon explains. She and Lindsay practiced their power poses during their Alaska trip. “When we got to the top of these routes, even though we were scared and shaking, we would just stand in these Wonder Woman poses for two minutes and breathe, and chemically, it just flooded our bodies with confidence, and then all of a sudden, we were willing to charge the stuff.” Find out more about power poses here [google Amy Cuddy Power Pose]. . Fake it till you make it. Going forward feeling confident, even if you’re not 100 percent sure of the outcome, will help you achieve a positive outcome anyway. “When you’re not confident on a ski line, the way that manifests physically is you tend to bring your hips back, which then makes you more likely to make a mistake, to fall, to not turn well. It’s bad skiing posture,” Sheldon says. “And this is true in so many sports: Your confidence level directly affects your body posture, and that posture directly affects your ability level.” . Improve your self talk. “When you’re scared or you’re in over your head, talk to yourself the way you’d want a partner to talk to you, rather than talking to yourself with your mean inner voice,” Sheldon suggests. “That takes a lot of training, but it’s so powerful.” It may take a while to change your inner mental monologue, she says, but beginning with what you say out loud is a good start that will eventually internalize. (cont in comments)
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Here’s to all the simple ways to spend some time outside. A walk to the neighborhood bakery, a lap around the block while on a phone meeting, swinging at the playground swingset, or parking in the wrong parking lot & climbing over the snow bank to get there instead of re-parking (💁‍♀️). . Outside time doesn’t have to be epic to be worthwhile, and these small moments in nature count big toward our mental & physical health & happiness! . What are your go-to ways to get some outside time into daily life? . #smhtraining #skibabes #countit #yougotthis #everythingcounts #noneedtobeepic #functionalfitness #diversitymatters #mentalhealthmatters #fireisland #airportheights #
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YOU'RE SO MOTIVATED! - An acquaintance said this to me last weekend, and it gave me pause. The comment felt more than a little ironic, as I was coming off a week of low-energy (remember my it's okay to take a week off post?), not having been as active as I would have liked, and definitely not feeling motivated. - AND, I had always looked at HER as someone who always seemed to be active, upbeat, and, well, motivated. - But doesn't this happen all the time? We look around and think everyone else is doing the thing, and we're the only ones having a hard time. And they're looking around, thinking the same things right back at us. - It's really important to me, as I step out more and more into the social media world, that you all know that I am NOT perfect. I don’t have bulletproof motivation, or everything “together”. I am a continual student of the human experience, our psyches, our amazing bodies, and the world we live in, and I love to teach, coach, and lead from the seat of the student. We're all in this together! - And I'm not always motivated. Most of us aren't. Motivation is a fickle thing, so please don't beat yourself up about if it evaporates on you for a time. Instead of depending on motivation, we can build habits, set up simple routines, and make COMMITMENTS that help us do the things that we want to do, but maybe don't really feel like doing in the moment. - Motivation, and how to work with & without it, is a whole interesting and complex topic that I'll have to write more about down the road, but for today, know this --> we're all in this together, and your motivational ebbs & flows are completely normal. - xoxo -s . . . . . #smhtraining #skibabes #summerstrong #functionaltraining #motivation #mindsetiseverything #comparisontrap #yougotthis #wereallinthistogether
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Winter (and life) is more fun when you are fit and strong! Ski Babes are starting Spring Training today, and even if you don't do winter
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Riding the high from a great day in the sunshine, enjoying these beautiful mountains, strong legs, good friends, and so much fun feeling my ski skills come together. I’m finally able to hold speed, stay balanced, and not be gripped & scared all the time...and it feels so good! I know it’s my own program so of course I’m biased, but I really do credit the strength & balance work from #skibabes (join us!) for getting me here, plus some groundbreaking technique coaching from Bre Donovan, who we videoed and include as a bonus so everyone can experience the magic! It’s so fun to feel strong & capable & less afraid! There’s a link in my bio if you’re curious - we start spring training on Monday. It’s a diverse group with benefits for all sorts: moms, retirees, horse-back riders, competitive athletes, recreation -level folks, etc. Happy to answer any questions if you’ve got ‘um.
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All online, six weeks of sweat, strength, and community. For winter and non-winter people alike :) link in my bio with all the deets! 💕⛷💃🦋
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IT'S OKAY TO TAKE A WEEK OFF. . Or a nap. Or both. In fact, I hope you do. Take a week off, with lots of naps. You do YOU. Let's ditch the never miss a Monday, no pain, no gain, if you're not puking you're not working hard enough, way of thinking that's so prevalent in the fitness & outdoorsy worlds, and choose something that's more accurate, kind, and helpful. . Children are such good teachers of this. My little nephew, with me here, naps all the time. Of course he does, he's a baby! But really, we all need rest - children are just way more obvious about it than *most* adults. . In reality, the rest part of any cycle is as just important as the work. It's the time between workouts when muscles are repaired and strength gains happen, and the time between training cycles when our motivation gets replenished and our connection to WHY we do the work can get reestablished. . Sometimes those rest periods are perfectly programmed in, and sometimes they come out of nowhere. Last week for me was one of the later - I was low on energy and motivation to do the high-intensity workouts that I had planned... and instead of forcing it - I've been working a lot on listening to my body and trusting it's messages - I had a less-sweat, more restful kind of week. It's fine. It's great actually. It's what my body needed. And today I'm ready and excited to move, and so that's what we're going to do. . Do you intentionally build in rest to your active pursuits and daily life? Or do you let the rest periods happen when they happen, in accordance to what your body and life dictate? Either way, and even though it's not a big part of what our culture teaches, I hope you allow for rest periods in your training. When we don't rest, we risking overuse injuries, overtraining, adrenal fatigue, burnout, and more. . In building my fitness programs, it's always been really important to me that people are both encouraged to push their comfort zones (that's how we get stronger), and also encouraged to allow for imperfection, prioritize rest, and be kind to themselves. We're currently in a Rest & Catch-up” week before beginning again on Feb 25th, link in bio to sign up! #skibabes
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I'm so tired of seeing -only- white, upper-class, thin, privileged people representing the outdoor recreation world - let's acknowledge this & talk about how we can do better. . I’ll start by recognizing that I'm a white, upper-middle-class, thin, privileged woman, and my world is mostly full of others like me. I don't have all the answers and I'll probably say something wrong here. But I'm committing to starting the conversation, learning, and taking informed action on what we discover. Here's what I've got so far: . 1) the ability to do big adventures IS a privilege, and we've got own that. It takes time off (aka not working multiple jobs to make ends meet), $$$ for gear & training (cheap crappy gear works, but better gear helps us pull off bigger trips, and costs more money), and a privileged body that can do the crazy things that we ask of it outside. And lots and lots of the above over lots of time so that skills can can develop. Not everyone has the resources to do this stuff, and we're not better than anyone who can't - just more privileged. . 2) outdoor time doesn't only count when it's flashy, insta-picture-perfect, or you're the first, best, biggest, epic, most extreme. A walk in the woods can be beautiful in its simplicity. Let's get better at acknowledging these moments as enough - because they are - and because they're much more accessible to people who are beginners, or have less privilege, or just aren't interested in going big. . 3) minority voices in outdoor sports can be uplifted by the rest of us. Follow people (see comments), listen to their voices, share their work, and introduce me to other ones please! I'd love to see some tags of diverse voices in the outdoor world here. . 4) we can all do the work to untangle our #whiteprivilege #thinprivilege #. This is something I'm actively working on with @laylafsaad ’s #meandwhitesupremecy workbook, which you can download on her site. Let me know if you want to join in an accountability group to do this work on a deeper level. Other people to follow (and pay for their work) in this area: @rachel.cargle @iamchrissyking @iamlshauntay @imdrtee . #representation #outdoorrecreation #diversity
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I’m doing my very first webinar tomorrow. I almost didn’t share it here, because there’s a (pretty loud) part of me who wants to do this growth thing in private and only come out once it’s dialed in, all perfect and tidy and looking good.. but I’ve been trying to be perfect for much of my life and it turns out that’s exhausting and doesn’t really work anyway, so here goes: You’re invited. I’d love to have you. The link is in my bio. . I’ll be talking about the intersection mental & physical health, and for years I’ve been wanting to talk about this stuff so it’s time to start. Deep breaths. I’m keeping it short, ~30min, starting at 4:30ak time. I’ll share my story, some of what I’ve learned, and leave you with something that I really believe will be helpful as you negotiate your own mental & physical health journey. See you there! . . . . . . . #growth #nextadventure #deepbreaths #mentalhealthmatters #physicalhealthmatters #itallmatters #webinar #stretchgoals #yougotthis
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Do you ski in a tutu? After reading this article in #adventurejournal by @activelifekc, I’m into it! #teamtutu #outdoorswoman #skibabes #backcountrybabes #women #adventure
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Stability/mobility model courtesy of @akginger_g and @yogatuneup: thanks for the fabulous #spinalfunction workshop this weekend! . . I love how this visual conveys the way the body works as a system to create functional movement. And if there’s in issue in one area, of course it’s going to travel up the system and impact other areas. . Apply the theory: if you’re having an issue with one joint, look to the joints above and below it and check out what’s happening there. . . Knee sagging in? Where is your weight in your feet, and what’s engaged in your hips/glutes? . . . Forearm tightness? 🙋‍♀️ How’s your shoulder mobility and wrist strength? . . . . . . . . #anatomy #functionalfitness #yogatuneup #alwayslearning #smhtraining #skibabes #awarenessfirst #healing
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Post-trip wild ... The first look in the mirror after a backcountry trip is always a bit of a surprise. There’s something different in my face (and hair!) after days tuned into the subtleties of weather, terrain, movement, and my body. ... Wild hair, rough skin, dry lips...the wind and cold that left an impact on the skin also opened up space for this simple, rough, & raw part of me to surface. ... What happens to this part when we start going back to work, checking social media, taking hot showers, looking in the mirror? The adjustment back to “real life” has always been challenging for me, in part because I don’t want to let this part go. ... No answers here, this is something I’m working with and curious about. Maybe there’s a way the transition to the comforts back home (Hot showers! Real food! External heat sources!) can be eased, allowing space for this rough and wild part to coexist. . . . . . #wild #backcountry #alaska #wintercamping #selfies #wildchild #skibabes #smhtraining #parts #adjustment #transitions #mindset
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My first time in #katmainationalpark, #nordicskating justa few miles from the famous bear viewing at McNeil River... was happy to be there in the winter/hibernation season as the only bit of exposed dirt we found along this lake also had some healthy-sized 🐻 tracks #alaska #hibernation #wintercamping #bears #bearcounty
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Returned to internet land after a sweet backcountry ice skating adventure in Katmai National Park with @lucmehl. We lucked out with some of this blue sky and black ice glorious-ness , also got some post-holing portages & ground blizzard time in to even out the wilderness karma. @katmainpp #nordicskating #katmainationalpark #backcountryadventures #alaska #smhtraining #skibabes #blackice #onlyinalaska
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@raeanntheartist pointed out that at the right angle the #skibabes workout backdrop by Aurora Sidney-Ando make me look like I have wings! That’s always been a dream of mine, so even if they’re coming out of my ears I’ll take it! 🤣🦋🦅🦉🦢... ... ... ... ... ... #smhtraining #dreams #flying #owls #wings #localartist #ifyoubelieve #reincarnationrequest
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On fear, insecurity, and struggle: ... In the social media world, we see a bunch of smiling celebratory pictures in beautiful places. Here’s another... 🤣 ... For me, though, and I think for many other women at least, those happy moments are usually interspersed with times of fear, insecurity, and frustration. ... What happens if ...? Why are we doing this? Why is this so hard? I suck at this. ... This is only a small sample of what happens in my brain from time to time on a backcountry adventure. It’s not that pleasant of an experience... but it’s also a big part of why I do this stuff: it forces me to confront those inner demons, face my fears, and do the work of untangling the thinking patterns that absolutely happen in other parts of life too, but just aren’t as obvious. ... I really like how when we’re outside, we can’t distract or escape from the inner experience as much as we often do the rest of our lives. I like the concept that pain (in life, and in outdoor sports) is necessary, but suffering is optional - suffering being the mental state that we may end up in depending on how we relate to the pain. ... As such, spend a lot of time thinking and asking others about what they do in the difficult moments. How do you work with fear? Insecurity? Pain? ... I’ve been working a lot on understanding how this plays out for me and others, particularly women. If you have strategies you use, please share them! I teach what I’ve learned in #SkiBabes because it’s helped me so much & I believe mindset is a critical piece of success & happiness outdoors and in daily lives. ... The day in this was a complete joy: my strategies worked to keep me in excitement instead of fear, the snow was perfect & felt totally safe, and the group supportive & not pushy. A day worth celebrating!! ... ... ... ... ... ... #skibabes #smhtraining #wintersports #mindsetiseverything #captainschair #turniganpass #strongmindstrongbody #mentalhealthmatters #yougotthis #strategies #manageyourmindset #mindfulness #suffering #selfawareness
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Had my best day ever out skiing yesterday - the frosty face says it all! ... Perfect snow + new helmet + technique coaching from Bre Donovan (in the Ski Babes bonuses) + strong legs & core + enough time on skis that things are actually clicking = big smiles & so much excitement for learning & playing in the mountains. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... #skibabes #smhtraining #linkinbio #wintersports #functionalfitness #bodyweighttraining #alaskalife #frosty #backcountryskiing #backcountrybabes #flow #learningisfun #yougotthis
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Ok this article is pretty much saying what I’ve been preaching too- strength, power, mindset, proprioception, and balance all help us be better (and safer) skiers. If I could add anything it would be that all those things also help in so many other areas of life, not just outdoor recreation. And finally, Ski Babes training starts online with me on Monday! Full article: https://www-m.cnn.com/2019/01/04/sport/ski-fitness-training-alpine-edge-spt-intl/index.html