Volume 6: Spring's Coming!

Contents
1) Body: DETERMINING YOUR IDEAL WORKOUT HEART RATE FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE
2) Mind: FLIP-SWITCING NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS by Gretchen Spiro Shansby
3) Spirit: THE YEAR OF THE HORSE
4) SOUL SPARK - Poem by Wendell Barry
5) SPRING FOR A RETREAT!: Adventures in the Body & Soul

1) Body: FOLLOW YOUR HEART FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE
The importance of strengthening your aerobic capability is the critical key to enhancing your overall
performance while preventing injury and illness. Don't take it for granted. Here are the 9 major benefits of
building your aerobic system.
1. Aerobic muscle fibers are very resistant to injury. When injured, it's usually the anaerobic fibers that are
damaged. And, joint support comes from aerobic fibers.
2. Athletes with better aerobic development are better equipped to stay hydrated and prevent
dehydration.
3. Fat burning takes place in the aerobic muscle fibers - the more they are developed, the more fat you'll
burn.
4. Aerobic muscles provide the endurance for both training and racing. In a two-hour event, 98 percent of
your energy comes from the aerobic system.
5. Aerobic speed - the ability to go faster with lower heart rates - is developed only with high levels of
aerobic function
6. Increased aerobic function improves circulation and the whole cardiovascular system.
7. The increased blood circulation in the aerobic muscles help the nearby anaerobic fibers work better
when sprint or added power is needed.
8. Antioxidant activity - important for optimal health - takes place in the aerobic muscles
9. Athletes who develop their aerobic system are less likely to be overtrained and usually say training and
racing is more fun.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEING "AEROBIC" WHEN YOU ARE WORKING OUT?
Check your heart rate! Use the 180 - formula to calculate the ideal heart rate for aerobic training:
I got this formula from Dr. Phil Maffetone, for more information on Phil's books and bars call 1-877-264-
2200
1. Subtract your age from 180 (180 minus your age)
2. Modify this number by selecting one of the following categories which best matches your health and
fitness profile:
a. If you have or are recovering from a major illness (heart disease, any operation, any hospital stay, etc.)
or on any regular medication subtract and additional 10.
b. If you have not been exercising, have been inconsistent with exercise, have been injured, regressed in
training or competition, get more that two colds or flu per year, or have allergies, subtract and additional
five.
c. If you have been working our regularly) at least four times weekly) for up to two years without any of
the above mentioned problems, keep the (180 minus age) number the same.
d. If you are a competitive athlete training for more than two years without any problems described above
and have made progress in competition without injury, add five.
For example, if you are 30 years old and fits into category b:
180 - 30 = 150; then 150 - 5 = 145 beats per minute.
The heart rate obtained with this formula is referred to as the aerobic maximum heart rate.
If it is difficult to decide which of groups is best, choose the group or outcome which results in the lowest
heart rate. In those taking medication which may effect the heart rate, those with a pacemaker, or those
who have special circumstances beyond what has been discussed here, further individualization may be
necessary.
Above all, have FUN with your workouts! See if you can find signs of SPRING around every bend!

2) Mind: FLIP-SWITCING NEGATIVE THOUGHT PATTERNS by Gretchen Spiro Shansby
We all can get stuck in negative thought patterns (worry, bummer thoughts, irritability, etc.) sometimes.
While this is not a "bad" thing to beat yourself up about, you CAN "flip-switch" those patterns when they are taking the spring out of your step. Here are three ways to become more aware of JOY by letting go of gremilin-ish thoughts:
1) FLOW APPRECIATION
Focus on anything - a piece of dust, a bug, a street sign (whatever) - and FLOOD that thing with appreciation. (You can do this with a person or a pet, too!) Pour it out until you feel the warm fuzzies making you tingle from the inside. Make yourself turn on, feel the adoration, love, respect, and gratitude pour out for this creation of god so much that you start to feel some happiness pushing up through the ground of yourself (like how those tenacious bulbs grow a beautiful flower from a lumpy glob under the dark earth.)
2) INNER SMILE JUMP START
This is a good junp-start for any kind of "flip-switching." Begin by putting a REAL smile on your face. The muscular act of smiling releases happy body chemicals (isn't that cool!) Ok, fake it till you make it! Really, smiling will make you feel better from the inside-out! It makes other people happy, too.
3) TOUGH-TALK IT OUT
Go ahead, talk out-loud - a you-to-you talk that is tough and firm. It is tough love at its best when you tell yourself what a dork you are for being or acting or feeling so negative. Sometimes tough-love is the only way to feeeeel yourself out of a crappy situation. It may take 5 minutes, or an hour, but you might just be able to lighten up when you take a hard look at what negativism is doing to your mental (and physical) health.
4) TENDER-TALK IT OUT
This is good by itself, and especially important after one of those tough-love thoughts. Talk to yourself like a parent would talk with a little one who just fell off her bike or came home from school saying "nobody loves me, I think I'm gonna eat some worms." As you feel tenderness flowing to yourself, lovingly assure yourself that everything is going to be all right, and that you are a precious person. When you flow negative thoughts out, the world looks darker. This Spring, lighten up your step and remember that the world needs now is "love, sweet love"... and that includes YOU. And what if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about!

3) Spirit: THE YEAR OF THE HORSE - by Colleen's horse, Rafiki
As of February 12th, we officially entered the YEAR OF THE HORSE! (Colleen is very excited about this!)
In the Chinese calendar, last year was the year of the Serpent.... Last year the ruler of alchemy,
transformation, and the deep unconscious brought some intense lessons last year, taxing our spirits and
leaving many women emotionally exhausted.
With the Horse now galloping onto the celestial scene, we're in for a
little more FUN! "Come on," Horse whispers with an urgent toss of his
mane, "Let's hit the trail and just see where we end up!" Adventure,
excitement, spontaneity, pleasure, responsiveness, PLAY -- these are the
buzzwords for the Year of the Horse.
The challenge of a Horse Year is learning to relax into the spontaneity of
the present moment. If you are skilled at going with the flow in a swirl
of constant change, you're in for an easy ride. But you prefer to brood
and stew and overplan things, your life is about to get shaken up... While
you are busily contemplating your security needs, the Horse will buck
right up and toss you on your ear. And just as you start to get
comfortable again, he'll toss you on your ear once more. It's not
mean-spirited so much as instructive, but that doesn't take the sting out
of the bruises!
>From a feng shui perspective, it's a good time to open up your creativity
and play a little. Try a new look that's modern and fresh, keep
photographs and accessories in constant motion. Above all, scoot
yourself out of the house regularly! The Horse rules travel and adventure, so this is a great year to do
something new and exciting. The adventure awaits!

4) SOUL SPARK:
A A SPRINGTIME poem by Wendell Barry:
A PURIFICATION
At the start of spring I open a trench
in the ground. I put into it
the winter's accumulation of paper,
pages I do not want to read
again, useless words, fragments,
errors. And I put into it
the contents of the outhouse:
light of the sun, growth of the ground,
finished with one of their journeys.
To the sky, to the wind, then,
and to the faithful trees, I confess
my sins: that I have not been happy
enough, considering my good luck;
have listened to too much noise;
have been inattentive to wonders;
have lusted after praise.
And then upon the gathered refuse
of mind and body, I close the trench,
folding shut again the dark,
the deathless earth. Beneath that seal
the old escapes into the new.

5) SPRING FOR A RETREAT! (ok, I know that sounds corney, but I want to go outside and play soon and couldn't think of another headine that related to the topic.)
We love designing retreats for women! We have been having such a fun time planning three AWESOME summer retreats in the Rockies. They will be incredible experiences to connect with the essential parts of yourself and meet women or all ages on quests for health and self-discovery. You will return from a retreat inspired and renewed.
If you have not yet attended a Women's Quest adventure...you have something to look forward to! Check out www.womensquest.com to see how our programs inspire women of all ages and abilities to manifest vitality and balance in their lives. Each retreat is unique and empowering. We vary the theme and activities of each camp to inspire and challenge the women who are "alumni." Consider a 2002 camp for a re-infusion of "SOUL SPARKS" and the rejuvenation that is at the heart of every Women's Quest program.

We welcome comments and suggestions for WOMENS WEAVE MUSELETTER!
Contact gretchen@womensquest.com.