Om- Part II

Last weekend I went out and crossed one more thing off my bucket list.... a tattoo.

I've wanted a tattoo since grade 7. I remember wanting 'made in canada' on my foot for the longest time. When I'd talk about it in University, friends would comment 'you haven't got it yet?!'  The pun was always how do you know you were 'made' in Canada. Ew. 

A lot of thought and a lot of research went into my tattoo. Placement, which parlour to go to (based on cleanliness - price - and artists), the meaning, the story I wanted to tell others, and how it was going to look when I have wrinkles. I settled on the Om symbol on my foot. Why my foot? When I get married it will be covered and I can still be taken seriously in a professional setting. I wanted it to be somewhere I can see it when I want to, not all the time. See my previous blog post on its many meanings. 

I'm so happy with the final product. People told me it would hurt so much I'd never want another tattoo again. One said the foot hurts so much you'll want to saw your foot off. That was a bit dramatic. On the pain scale from 1-10 it was about a 5, maybe because I was prepared for the worst. What was neat is that my artist turned out to be a friends bother, fate. I had two Om pictures and he combined them to make a more artistic symbol. I would definitely recommend Karl from Living Canvas. Very professional, clean, and fast. Did I tell you it only took two minutes? Super surprised. They say once you get one you'll want another, I can see why. Every time I look at mine I smile. My mom said your body is no longer perfect. I say it never was, and now its a piece of art. Onto another item on my bucket list.... 

Om

The Om symbol has many interpretations. It has a different meaning from person to person and religion to religion. Om is a mantra, originally in Hindu, that has been used in Indian religions. 

In Hindu, they believe that "Om" is the original vibration and sound as creation began. It is thought to be the manifestation of God. They believe he first created sound then built the universe. Everything that exists and that will exist is symbolized by the symbol. Om is a root sound the world is built on and held together by. Everything vibrates if you listen close enough and that vibration is 'Om'. 

The symbol is composed of three letters: aa, uu, and ma (AUM). It represents three Hindu deities Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer. It has also been used to symbolize triads: [mind, body, and spirit] [past, present, and future] [earth atmosphere, and heaven]. 

Above there is a diagram with the four states of consciousness in Hinduism.  Wakefulness is symbolized by the lower half of the 3 like letter. Wakefulness is when we turn our consciousness outward and use our senses to interpret the world. It is large portion of the symbol because this is where we spend the majority of our time. The upper half of the 3 is dedicated to deep sleep. This is when we are considered unconscious. We are not dreaming nor wanting anything from the world in this state. The middle outward curve represents a dreaming state, between being awake and deep sleep. The forth state is symbolized by the dot. This when our attention is neither outward nor inward. This is the 'absolute', the ultimate calm and peace we hope to achieve. The semi circle underneath the dot symbolizes, maya - the illusion, the idea of a translucent barrier between the states of consciousness and the absolute. 

People chant this manta to bring them internal peace. It's to help you tune into the world, your core, and your spirituality. It is said at the beginning and ending of Hindu prayers. It is also used in Yoga as a way to help meditate. For myself, 'Om' helps be remember to be calm and focus inward about what truly matters. Reading about the symbol and understanding its many meanings is only one way to grasp the complexity of Om. Try humming Om right now, and see how it feels. 

  

10 ways to make running...fun?

RUNNING. I don't just dislike running. This is how I feel about running:

How to make it more fun? Here are my tips and tricks for you this week!

1) HAVE A GOAL: There's nothing worse than running aimlessly... unless you're playing tag. Which is awesome. Someone should start a game of tag asap...but when I run I like keep my eye on the prize. Here is where I start...and here's where I end. Easy. Having an exact allotted time helps me. Those last 5 minutes I push myself, or those last few blocks home I sprint. Measure your success.

2) BUY SOME GOOD SHOES: Are you running long distances? I recommend investing in some decent shoes. I strongly dislike any kind of foot discomfort when running. Plus you can get some wicked colours in sneakers now. My pretty neon pink ones make me want to put them on and run. A little motivation.

3) LET'S TALK MOTIVATION: Why are you running? I need a reminder. That's why post a picture of a role model nearby who's fit to remind myself to get out of the house and run. Are you training? Put an alarm on your phone to remind you. Visuals help me. Maybe that'll work for you too. Whatever your motivation, however you answered the question, remind yourself.

4) REWARDS: What happens once you're done the run? Do you get to have an awesome shower or is the feeling of complete exhaustion enough? My personal favourite is a freeze...which is kind of counter productive but it's whatever works for you!

5) CHANGE IT UP: Run inside? Run outside! There's tons of great trails out there, find some. A change of scenery is always nice. If you run the same route every time, no wonder its boring. Try a different part of the city and explore.

6) GET YOUR JAM ON: Tunage is a must while I run. I need something to run to - my own personal soundtrack. Upbeat tracks gets me into gear while running. Although I've recently switched to podcasts, something different. You could also change it up and listen to some e-books. Especially while running on the Treadmill. Heck I even watch movies while I run. Best.

7) RUN WITH FRIENDS: Instead of coffee head to the gym or go for a run! Better yet train together for a run for a cause. You'll be bonding while doing something good for your body. Plus studies show we push ourselves harder and we last longer while exercising with friends. Bonus.

8) SHAKE IT UP: Like Florence and the machine. Don't like endurance running? Then sprint for 5 and give me 50 jumping jacks stat! Ha! You don't need to run forever. Stop and do something else changing your heart's pace and go run again. It's actually better to stop and go, switching it up, and keeping your body guessing what's next.

9) MAKE IT A RACE: Who doesn't love a little competition? Race your bud! Whoever wins buys a round of beers? Again perhaps a little counter productive but it works! Even trying to beat your own time can be fun. The thrill of doing better than yesterday or beating your bud.

10) TIME OF DAY: Always run in the morning? Try an evening run (or vice versa). It's really nice to see the sunrise but it's also neat to see it set. If you live in the city it could also be nice to see the all the lights glowing at night.

There it is. How do you make your run better? Let me know. Both of use should go run now. ish. Make running fun, otherwise it becomes a chore. No one wants more chores to do. Which reminds me I have some laundry to do.

...and I'm back in the game!

(A little throwback, courtesy of YouTube.)

I'm back at school from my stellar summer relaxed (not rested), tanned, and even a bit wiser. I had the best summer working for two hit radio stations. It kept me busy and I can say without a doubt every day I was excited to go to work (for one reason or another). I got to go to almost every event in town, getting paid to be there, and promote the station. I went to the beach, concerts, fundraisers, and BBQ's all for work. Dream Job. P.S. people love you when you're handing out free stuff.

I’ll be truthful and upfront. I thought about creating a new blog for the purpose of my assignment, one with more focus. I thought about a yoga blog, or a movie-o-holic blog but at the end of the day I still wanna blog about little things I find interesting.

Without further ado, I welcome you back from summer to be here, staying updated on Alexandra’s Glass Half Full. It's about spreading positivity, how to keep the good chi around, and sharing the fun stuff with you.

I will preface the next segment by coming out to you... I fully admit I'm a hopeless romantic. It just happened. I grew up watching disney princess movies on repeat, of course this would happen. As a result I'm going to share the latest date night I had. MINI DONUTS. What? yes.

YUM. This happened. My guy came over with a mini, mini donut maker and a recipe. I was shocked he A) came up with a date idea B) wanted to bake. They turned out perfectly, of course I was in charge of the icing (my favourite part). It was easy and delicious. The tunes were cranked up and making a mess of the kitchen ensued. Awesome date night. So simple. 

This wonderful lady knows how to do mini donuts right! Click: Granny School: The Best Mini Donuts on Earth. Why is it when I bake it never looks like the picture... oh well, it's still scrumptious! I'd say we've mastered the mini donut. What's next?