Back to School!

Back in College after 20 years!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on the Disciplined Indulgence Blog.

So much has been happening.

Many of you know about the FIRE

at The Controlled Burn Fitness Studio.

If not, please feel free to read about it.

The day of the fire, I made up my mind to go back to school!

The catch: I had less than 5 days to go through the application process which included writing several lengthy essays and hunting down old college transcripts that date all the way back to 1990 when I first tackled college before heading off and pursuing my dance career.

I’m currently enrolled in the amazing LEAP Program 

(Liberal Education for Arts Professionals)

through Saint Mary’s College of California

I've already completed

KINES 17 - Kinesiology and Human Performance

I'm in the process completing

LEAP 176 - Writing for the Liberal Arts
and
LEAP 100 - Personal and Professional Assessment

 For the next couple of months I’ll be sharing bits, pieces, brainstorming, and rough drafts from some of the Learning Process Papers, Experiential Learning Papers, and Developmental Autobiographies, from my Personal and Professional Assessment course; and tid-bits from my Writing for Liberal Arts Class.

I welcome any comments, criticism, and words of encouragement.

Thank y’all so much for your continued support!

Wishing ya’ll a happy and healthy day!

M

J



Life's a Trip

Tomorrow marks 1 year since I created the Disciplined Indulgence Blog.

It's also the day Mister AC asked me to be his wife!

:)

Last week, Andrew told me to "Take a Hike!"

No, he doesn't want a divorce! :) He wants me to be happy! So he's sending me away to one of my favorite places, Santa Cruz Island

off the coast of Santa Barbara

The picture above was taken on one of my solo adventures to Santa Cruz Island, about 1 months after I returned from a trip to Tasmania. You can see my little blue tent in the left hand corner

:)

 

Thanks to the love and support of the amazing man I've married, I've begun to embark on several new adventures. Journey #1: I’m jumping back on the trail, of formal education, that I left a long time ago when I left college because my career as a professional dancer had taken off.  I had no clue how to return to school since I had no clue how I had even gotten there in the first place-I had been given scholarships for Ceramics and Photography and no one ever gave me a map in case I decided to return. Thankfully I've found my way back, thanks to much inquiry, and by surrounding myself with productive and supportive people. Journey #2: I'm recovering from the loss of the Controlled Burn Fitness Studio due to that fire in May. This event spurred me on to pursue the LEAP Program at Saint Mary's of California thanks to Career Transitions for Dancers. Journey #3: Taking a Hike! I need to disappear in order to find myself. Anytime I’ve ever been on the brink of a new and intimidating personal journey, I’ve made it a point to head out on a physical, solitary adventure. I’ve found these getaways to be so helpful with gaining perspective on my intentions and expectations, and these adventures give me uninterrupted time to really map out a plan of action.

I want to thank you for reading this far and if you have read any of my previous posts, wow, I am humbled. There is something so powerful, humbling and exciting about being able to transport a person to places where I’ve been. Stories come from experience; my experiences have all been adventures, my adventures have all contained personal epiphanies, and all of my personal epiphanies have coincided with my wilderness adventures. The fact that you've read any of them means so much to me.

Part of my blog's title reads:  "...Every Day Should be a Journey. This is Mine…”

I am so happy that you want to come along!

I invite y’all to share your journeys with me. Please feel free to post links to your blog, website, twitter, or feel free to ask any questions and post comments.

Here’s to the next year of wonderful advedntures!

Can’t wait! J

Life Lessons from My Kayak

Overall, I can easily say that my life is pretty wonderful.

J
But I am human. Even I have my sad days, or moments of helplessness.

There will always be challenges and life is not always puppies and rainbows, but I am always so happy each day when I wake up and know that I still have the ability to breathe, move, laugh, smile, and make decisions for myself and care for the ones I love.

I can give much thanks to all the time I spend on the water, with my kayak, for giving me a positive outlook on life.

I can rely on the ocean to help soothe my sorrows…and to teach me a lesson, or two.

I go kayaking to make my life better, to gain perspective, and to renew my will to move forward regardless of what obstacles may be waiting for me along the way.

When the going gets tough, I go kayaking.

The moment I’m out on the water I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be able to move. Without fail, if I’ve hit the water to work out some demons, a moment of calm can override my volatility, within moments of my paddle hitting the water.

While kayaking, I am easily reminded that I cannot fight the tide. I have to go with the flow, relax, enjoy the journey...all the good, the bad, and unexpected that comes with it.

Life is very much like ocean kayaking; one cannot truly be happy when fighting the ebbs and flows of life.

When I go kayaking, I ride a fine line between control and surrender. I find this balancing act to be wonderfully invigorating and very therapeutic. While kayaking, the water is my master and I’m always aware that Mother Nature is really the one in control.

As in life, while on the water, things can turn ugly without warning and I must not fight them. If I try to fight the tide, I will exhaust myself and, in a truly challenging situation, there is a chance I may die.

I have learned many lessons about life while being challenged on the water.

I’ve learned that proper planning, my ability to be alert and connected with body & mind is essential to keeping me safe and happy while on my adventures. Knowing better not to throw myself into harm’s way by putting myself into situations that are beyond my ability is essential to my safety, longevity, well being. I also choose my kayaking companions wisely. I choose to surround myself with kind, considerate, and productive people on the water (and in life)…if they have respect for their well-being it is pretty easy to assume they will respect others.

Kayaking has taught me that if I do not take inventory of all my gear and make sure that my kayak is in great condition, I cannot expect it to keep me safe. I take care of my body the way I take care of my kayak…as if my life depends on it…my life does depend on how I take care of it.

I’m not saying everyone should go kayaking (most people are freaked out by the water) but I do encourage everyone to start moving, start taking inventory of the people they surround themselves with, take inventory of what they have been doing to and with their body.

I encourage people to get to know their body and their mind. Respect it. Stop ignoring it. There is so much we can learn when we stop trying to turn things off.

I encourage everyone find their “kayaking.”

Life is as difficult as we want to make it. J

Enjoy the ride!
J

My Official Goodbye to the Original Controlled Burn Fitness Studio Location

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Run or Walk. Fast or Slow. It's all Good

Run, Walk, Hop, Skip, Jog, or Crawl

Miles are miles

As long as you enjoyed the journey,

there is no way I will judge how you got there...

and neither should you.

: )

Sunday, May 15th, 2011

I enjoyed a rainy day, cheering on my wonderful man and many others

who were participating in the Pasadena Marathon.

Mister AC smiles while running in the rain during the Pasdena Marathon

(Gotta love the foggy/rainy camera effects)

; )

I especially love to cheer for the walkers who are nearing the finish line

becuase many of them think they don't measure up

to the runners flying past them.

Other than the regular cheering of

good job, you're almost there, and the usual, I also say things like:

"Walkers take it slow cuz it feels good-just ask their girlfriend/boyfriend"

"Walkers get their money's worth by being out there longer"

"Walkers need love too"

Everyone smiles when they hear a cheer for them especially the walkers!

However...

This little tid-bit kinda broke my heart

I was cheering on a group of runners who were speeding by,

when a group of walkers came into view.

I started cheering for them too.

I noticed they were all looking at the runners and didnt look too happy. 

I said "looking good you guys, you're almost there, you should be proud!"

One woman who was wearing a 1/2 marathon bib, shook her head and said "we're just walking."

I said

 "JUST?!?!"

You've just covered 13 miles!

She said

But we just walked. We didn't Run. Runners are better.

I just stood there. Stunned. Sad.

Sad she felt that way. Sad, that instead of being proud of the fact that she just covered 13 miles

(while not being a spring chicken nor being especially fit)

she decided to compare herself to the people running.

Many people I know feel pressured to Run

Thinking that as a walker, they are not "good enough".

To any runner, the following questions may appear to be silly

but to a person who isn't confident with their physical abilities or who have heard too many times things like "running is bad for your body"

(remember, running isn't bad for your body, people are bad to their body)

they are good, solid questions.

When someone comes to me and asks

How do I start running?

I want to learn to run, what should I do?

Do you think I could ever run?

I don't answer right away. First,  I ask

WHY?

Why do you want to run? Is a bear chasing you? You afraid of something?

People have many reasons why they want to start running

And all that matters is that you want to start.

Everyone has different goals.

Whether you're fast, slow, go long or short distances, like roads, treadmills, or trails...as long as you enjoy it, and continue to enjoy it, just keep enjoying it!

The best way to start running

Start Walking!

:)

Put one foot in front of the other, pick up the pace, and keep going!

Never feel pressured to run.

Some people prefer to enjoy the slow pace of walking because it affords a person the time to see, smell, and hear things

that can be missed while one is running.

Some people prefer running because of the speed, the freedom,

and the excitement.

How much, how fast, and how far you run is up to you!

Some people try it for a while and never really get into it.

Others take to it like a duck to water and you just can't stop them.

Some dabble in it whenever it fits into their schedule.

No matter what one's relationship with running turns into, there is enough room and respect on the road for everyone

as long as everyone is respecting themselves.

All that matters is that we put one foot in front of the other and enjoy every step.

:)

-Melissa Adylia Gutierrez

Owner/Personal Trainer

Controlled Burn Fitness

Day after LA Marathon Dinner for Mister AC at Chez Calasanz

Mister AC ran the LA Marathon
on Sunday for his 40th Birthday

We followed up his run with wonderful friends
and his favorite treats of pizza and chips and other goodies.
So on Monday, I decided to cook him up something healthy, and nutritious.
This meal is packed with protein, fiber, and nutrient rich goodies.

Sauteed Super-Garlicky Shrimp and Shallots

Mister AC loves pasta
All kinds of pasta.
Any shape, size, hot, cold, with sauce, without sauce...he loves pasta!
He also likes spinach (lightly steamed and chopped), and cheese (little mozzarella balls), so I decided to toss them all together with roasted baby tomatoes (in the oven at 350 with just salt and pepper till they looked good to me), shallots (raw and diced), white kidney beans (canned, thoroughly rinsed), sage (fresh coarse shopped), a hint of olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.
The combo made an excellent pasta salad that was both nutritious and delicious.
Had to throw in a side o Green Beans for color and texture.

Served with love
and a bottle of Prosecco from our dear friend Jessica S
(Thanks Jessica S for the Bubbly!)
A wonderful home cooked meal for my wonderful man.
Cheers!
: )
3.21.11

Random SOLO Beach Getaway Monday, Feb 28th 2011

Sometime I get the urge to sleep outside

under the stars, as close to crashing waves as possible

The inside of my cozy little cocoon

next to the pretty Pacific Ocean on Monday Evening Feb 28th, 2011

My Grandma's Birthday.

Wow, my SnugPac Softie Bag that I got from Sheepleg really was

SOFT and WARM

Comfy and Quiet!

: )

Good morning!

I couldn't wait to greet the day

I poked my head out
and this is what I saw looking to my left (south-ish)

Scampered out to get a better view of the sunrise

and to see how cute my tent looked so close to the ocean.

Wasn't quite sure how my surroundings were really gonna look

since I pitched my tent at 10:30pm the night before in the dark.

Here comes the sun!

I guess I picked a pretty good spot to sleep.

: )

Looking out at The Channel Islands...Anacapa, Santa Cruz...

How I miss those Islands

Decided to head south

to read a magazine and enjoy the sound of the waves

My trusty Subaru and "The Love of My Life"
Nothing gets me to where I wanna go in better style than my Subaru
: )

Wow, we've really missed the water!

Took my bivy as close to the ocean as possible

and snuggled in for a good read and a nap.

It felt so wonderful to be so close to the water, relaxing
waiting for the sun to make it over the cliff

Saw plenty of seals playing together and pretty, graceful birds...

...but nothing beats the beauty of the ocean...

and the sunrise

The progression of the sunrise

over one of my favorite hikes.
: )

What a beautiful morning

after a peaceful night.

: )

Life is Good

: )