Following My Own Advice!

 

On September 3rd, I accepted a new teaching position at Place Cartier. On top of teaching many fitness classes every week, I am now teaching English, Secondary 5 to adults.

One of the great things about this new job is that it does not conflict with my fitness classes.  Unfortunately, I had to let go of my afternoon dance class and yoga class.  This was very difficult for me as I have worked hard to build up a wonderful group of dedicated individuals.

After being in this new job for over a month I now see how hard teachers work on their own time.  As a result of having to spend hours correcting papers and prepping lessons, I have had to let go of another one of my fitness classes.

I started teaching on Saturday mornings in 2007.  I rented a beautiful church hall full of light and love and every Saturday at 8am, twelve or so of my students gathered to exercise together.  We have weathered snow storms and poor driving conditions. We have supported each other through injuries and the passing of loved ones. We have celebrated our various fitness achievements. We have gone on retreats together, shared many breakfasts and above all, many laughs.

I speak often about maintaining balance in life to avoid disease and overall ill health.  I was simply finding it too hard to keep my Saturday class going when I have so much to do to get ready for the next week of classes. It was with a very heavy heart that I announced the end of my Saturday class yesterday however I had to accept defeat. There is only so much of me to go around and if I want to continue to do my best for the remaining classes, I had to cut one more from my schedule.

I love all of my students. I really do care and I work very hard to be my best for each student, everyday.

In life we have to recognize the signs of stress and eliminate the cause early before it can harm our health. I saw how it was affecting me and "something had to give."

I encourage everyone to examine their own lives and if stress is a regular part of your day, it may be time for a change.  Sometimes simply going to a yoga class or working out is not enough. Sometimes we have to put an end to something in our lives. It is hard to do but I promise you that your health is the most important thing that you are taking care of at this moment. If you get sick, all of the things that you are juggling will come crashing down. So listen to your body. Select what feels right and make lasting changes by eliminating the things that are possible to eliminate.

In the above picture, a heart appeared after teaching 3 fitness classes in a row.  I love this picture and each time I wear this shirt the heart appears. This is just a reminder to take care of myself. I have made these changes with my own health in mind. I am learning to follow my own advice!

Breathe.

Have a great day everyone,
Beth