Hi from Flexible Warrior

Hi Everyone! Gosh, I had even forgotten about this blog. I started it about 10 years ago when I went on my trip to INDIA.

OMG, to re-read some of my posts. WOW. This is why everyone should blog, or at least keep a journal :) I had forgotten so much.

Anyway, I wanted to send a quick note to say HI and hope all is well in your world.

New beginnings are always taking place. Maybe this upcoming holiday weekend, find time to pause and be in awe of it all :)

Also, to all my new blog posts are HERE and posted to my social media channels, so hope we can connect on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and I just started Pinterest (took me long enough!)

Also, tons of free video content when you subscribe to my Flexible Warrior YouTube channel and even new online Yoga & Superfood programs.

I just actually wrote a new blog post tonight - planning on sharing for Labor Day weekend, but you all get a sneak preview for being amongst my first followers 10 years ago. Thanks for supporing and cheering me on my India Journey 10 years ago. It was the year I turned 40, so you can guess what's coming up for me :)))

Hope our paths cross in person soon and you're enjoying your new beginnings.,,

XO & Namaste,

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Out with the old

Hi all! So I'm forever saying that September is the new January. Great time to start over / begin again. 

With that in mind, I'm starting a new blog via Wordpress. You can follow me there at http://flexiblewarrior.com/blog/

What are you doing this September to start fresh? If you need support in achieving your health and wellness goals, I offer a free 30 minute consult. You can sign up at http://flexiblewarrior.com/contact/

Have a great day! 

Karen Dubs 

Www.flexiblewarrior.com

Being Disappointed, Having Faith & Getting Brave.

Most of you know that I graduated from The Institute of Integtative Nutrition and published a book a few months ago. Neither one of those things would have happened if 1) I had gotten what I wanted last year this time or 2) if I had let my fears get the best of me. 

Let me explain. First, I have been teaching yoga for the Baltimore Ravens on and off for over 10 years. They are always trying to improve but have limited time to fit everything in, so yoga just wasn't on the list last season. Admittedly I was disappointed but the extra time gave me the chance to travel to France with my sister and our hubbies for a once  in a lifetime Normandy hiking adventure and to register for a year-long course to become a health coach. Plus, a few months into nutrition school, I also decided to write a book which was an all-consuming 5 month project. I would have never had the time to go to nutrition school, write a book and travel to Normandy if I had been working with the Ravens last season. 

The Dalai Lama always inspires me with his words of wisdom. I too believe that health, happiness, faith and compassion are keys to a fulfilled life and it's our responsibility to make the most of the life we've been blessed with. Feelings of fear and self-doubt will often creep in and problems will inevitably arise. Ultimately, it's all about our attitude. Being flexible and resilient when faced with challenges and "remembering that not getting what we want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck."

Second, I had no idea how much courage it took to write a book! I knew it would take discipline and focus, but it was the fear that quickly set in and literally made me squirm so much I tried to drop out of the writing program twice! Thankfully both times I slept on it and had my husband to help buck me up and rise to the challenge. 

I bought this decal for my yoga studio and I'd practice hand stands against the wall. There's something about turning your world upside down and standing on your own two hands that helps get me head on straight...

I wrote daily for five months straight from Nov - March. I always took a break to cheer on my Ravens on game day! It was a rough winter. But nothing worth doing is ever easy! And by the time April rolled around I had a published book in my hands! A few weeks later, I was teaching off season yoga for the Ravens again. Talk about good timing! 

On the days I felt extra stuck with my book, feeling like a college student slumped over a desk with writers block, I'd break away from my computer, blast some inspiring tunes and do 10-15 minutes of yoga. The playlist was key to get the blood flowing and brain in gear... 

Brave by Sara Bareilles 

"I wonder what would happen if you say what you want to say and let the words fall out. I want to see you be brave!"

Brand New Me by Alecia Keys 

"I'll never be perfect but at least now I am brave."

There were lots of other songs on the playlist but these two really got me in the right frame of mind to just speak my truth from my heart and not worry if it's perfect or if everyone likes it. Just write and share your truth! 

The happy ending is ... 1) I won the top 10 writing contest for my school and 2) I'm back teaching yoga at the Ravens this season. Yeay!!! 

The reason I'm sharing this story is to encourage you to be brave and speak your truth and to remember that sometimes not getting what we want when we want is the best thing for our life's journey. 

Keep your heart high. Have faith. Be a Flexible Warrior... Never give up. Always let go. 

Namaste

Karen Dubs

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Sick of Zucchini? Try this salad!

My husband and I started a garden 4 years ago. There is do much joy in planting the seeds in spring, watching it grow and mostly harvesting in summer. The best part is knowing there are no chemicals and making a dinner out of all veggies from our own garden! Very fun and rewarding. It brings 'eat local' to a whole new level! My favorite is a crab cake from the street stand down the road with summer squash and cucumber salad. Yum! 

I mostly grow tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, peppers and lots of herbs but the one plant that constantly produces like no other is zucchini (to the point where I get sick of it by August). Can you relate? 

So I invested in a spirulizer and it has been so fun and fabulous! It's easy to use, adults and kids love it and the possibilities are endless... 

Here's an easy delicious raw zucchini salad that's similar to spaghetti but of course gluten free and super healthy ... 

First, use the spiralizer to make 3-4 cups. Then make your tomato sauce: 

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, the juice of three lemons, fresh basil and sea salt to taste. Blend that all up (I use a Nutribullet). Toss with zucchini. Add some extra chopped basil, tomatoes, onion, feta, pine nuts or whatever you like! Enjoy! Even kids love it! 

If you don't have a garden be sure to hit up your farmers market this summer and eat local! 

Karen Dubs

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Chocolate Superfood Pudding

I was in the mood for chocolate today. But between work and school I didn't have much time to spare. Then I realized I had cashews, raspberries and dates ... And I always have the staples coconut oil and cacao in the pantry. So as soon as I walked in the door, I threw the cashews in water to soak, finished my school work and jumped in the shower. Before dinner, I threw all the ingredients in the Vitamixer and within two minutes - dessert! 

The best part is, this is a guilt-free, gluten-free, raw, vegan, superfood sweet! The cacoa is high in iron, fiber and magnesium; the cashews are high in antioxidants and minerals.

I'm no chef. So this is a rough recipe but give it a try and adjust to your taste and the consistency you like... 

1 cup raw cashews (soaked for 3-4 hours)

6-8 dates, seeded 

3-4 Tablespoons raw cacao 

1/4 cup organic coconut oil 

1/2 cup (or less) water or other liquid like almond milk. Start with less and add a little as you go. I winged it. 

Throw it all in the blender (I use a Vitamix) and blend until smooth. Put it in the fridge for an hour or so. Top with berries or peppermint leaves if you have them.  Enjoy!!! 

PS the Beaujolais in the background of the picture was not supposed to be there! But you could certainly enjoy with a glass of red wine which is high in the heart-healthy antioxidant called resveratrol. One glass will do! 

Obstacles and Inspiration

I'm a busy girl. I'm guessing your schedule is maxed out too. There is hardly enough time in the day to whip up a green smoothie much less stretch! And definitely not enough time to write a book. But I believe it's more about making the time instead of making excuses. My fast food consists of superfood smoothies I make in about two minutes and drink out of a to-go mason jar in my car, my stretching routines happen in 10 minute increments, and my book was written in 5 months during gaps in my schedule. I even wrote a few paragraphs while waiting in doctors offices and in my car between clients (thanks to Google docs!) 

Why did I write the book? What made me want to challenge myself and sacrifice every spare moment of my life for 5 straight months? 

My first inspiration for the book was my Dad and my brother. My dad was an alcoholic who died when he was 50 years old. My brother was a type 1 diabetic who died in a car accident when he was 44. I'm 46. 

The cliche "life is short" became very real to me after losing my brother suddenly. Often we wait until we get sick or are diagnosed with cancer, high blood pressure or diabetes until we wake up and take better care of ourselves. I would like all of us to take better care of ourselves NOW - Before something tragic happens. There is no perfect time. The time is now. 

My second inspiration for writing the book was you. Even though I may not know you, I truly want to spare you any of the pain I suffered and want to help share what I learned along my healing journey from Lyme and autoimmune thyroid disease and how an anti inflammatory superfood diet, self-care and yoga / stretching transformed my health and my life. Little changes make a huge difference. 

I don't know about you, but some of the most powerful lessons of my life came from the obstacles and challenges I faced. Both Lyme and autoimmune thyroid disease derailed me from my goals, crushed my spirit and zapped my energy. Losing my dad and my brother woke me up in ways nothing else could. 

If you've read my book, you know I'm all about the balance of opposites... willpower and doing hard things versus chillpower and doing easy things. Being strong and brave while maintaining flexibility and resilience... 

I'm not gonna lie - Writing the book was a hard thing. Sitting at my desk for 8 hours a day pouring out my thoughts is not a strength of mine. But life is short and I knew the months would pass whether I dug in and finished or I dogged it and bailed. Just like crossing the finish line at a race, I wanted to look back, smile and know I did my best. 

Whatever obstacles you're facing right now, try to find gratitude and be inspired to stretch yourself. The obstacles are there to teach and stretch us into the new person we are meant to be. Maybe you too have a story to tell and a book to write! 

Flexibility is power! 

Namaste, 

Karen Dubs 

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Full Circle

Twenty five years ago I was a student at Towson University, studying advertising and public relations. On nice spring days like today, we would hang out at 'the beach' (a grassy area in the center of campus) between classes. If you had told my 21 year old self that we'd be doing yoga on 'the beach' to launch my new book, I would have never believed it. But today, along with the TU students who helped me edit my book, that's just what we did! 

Just two weeks ago, I got together with some of my college roommates for our 25th reunion! 

Yes our hair has changed but we're still the same college girls on he inside. I bet, no matter how young or old you are, you can relate to that! And that's why I enjoyed having students edit my book so much ... I see myself in those students and it reminded me of the young woman I was 25 years ago. 

Plus, writing can be a very lonely process. Taking time away from my desk, to meet with the students, was energizing and fun. Getting their feedback on everything from the title and cover layout to content and of course text edits made all the difference in the world to me. Intetestingly, the students seemed to enjoy the process as much I did! 

From the outside, it can look like we adults have it all together. But, for me, I'm just winging it. Don't get me wrong, I work hard and put 100 percent into everything I do. And I have hundreds of hours of education and study in yoga, fitness, nutrition, sports conditioning and all things health. 

But had I waited until I felt ready or qualified, I wouldn't have a published book in my hands. I also would have never taught my first yoga class, filmed DVDs, raced Irongirl, or even started my own business or this blog! I'm not sure I have ever felt really ready for anything ever in my life! But the thing is, I did it anyway. And I hope you do the same. Be afraid. Be a little overwhelmed and unprepared... And dive in anyway with faith. 

I used to labor over words, spending hours writing and rewriting. Now I let go of perfectionism, try to be as authentic as possible, speak from my heart, speed write and hit send or publish before fear can creep in. So if you see typos, I'll assume you'll figure it out and forgive me for not being perfect. 

In that way, I'm not that different now from when I was a college student. We don't always have to feel ready or to know everything. We learn by doing and the learning should never stop. Someone will always judge. Whatever. 

I think one of the coolest things about yoga is it's basic principle of union. Although the students and I are different ages, skin colors, backgrounds, sexes, political beliefs, etcetera... what unites us is way more powerful than what separates us. We are more alike than different. That's how I feel when I'm with these students... United by a common thread. 

If I could go back in time to 1990 and know then what I know now, I would have saved myself a lot of pain and struggle. But that's the trick of life. So, I feel happy that I at least got to share some wisdom the years and challenges have brought me. I hope, as they edited my book, these students got a mini education on willpower, chillpower, self-care, stress management, stretching and nutrition.  I hope they are fearless and do hard things. I hope they stress less and listen to the wisdom of their bodies more. I hope they take time to move, stretch and breathe. I hope they drink more water and eat less junk food. I hope they find quiet to listen to their intuition. And I hope they let their light shine and trust that they are perfect just as they are...

Thank you Towson University and News Editing students! And special thanks to Professor JoAnne Broadwater who had the brilliant idea to have her News Editing students edit my book as part of their curriculum this semester. 

One last piece of wisdom for the students as they move on in their lives... Remember that worrying is praying for what you don't want. Focus your energy on what you do want. The Desiderata poem helps me keep me head on straight "in the noisy confusion of life". 

... And Baz Luhrmann's silly but poignant commencement speach / song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" nails it... 

Here's to fill circles. 

Namaste

Karen Dubs 

Www.flexiblewarrior.com