The One with the Inner Team

On Friday I went with Hippy Chick and Vixen to a "Meet your Inner Team" workshop!

Having had several sessions of confidence coaching with Hippy Chick and attending one of her workshops I felt intrigued and happy enough to go along and experience someone else's coaching style.

The evening was all about finding the characters in your head and helping them all work with each other in harmony rather than conflict.

As Hubby remarked "There's alot of people in your head so best of luck to them!"

It started off with the usual going round the room and everyone introducing themselves. We also had to say what conflict we had in our lives that we wanted our inner team to work towards solving.

After that the course leaders spoke a little about what the evening would entail and the theory and basis behind this type of coaching, I'd once acted in a play with one of them and he knew alot of people I did. I couldn't quite decide whether that made me feel uncomfortable with sharing my troubles or not but before I had chance to decide we were on to the next part.

It had not gone unnoticed that in the middle of the room, on a low coffee table, were a vast array of assorted teddy bears and cuddly toys. It soon became apparent what these were there for! 


We were told that we were going to physically move to the corner of the room and think about the facet of our personality where we are self critical and negative. We had to choose a soft toy from the selection that symbolised those feelings to us and take it with us. We had to remember a time when we felt these emotions and how it made us feel.

To give this member of our inner team a name the course leaders referred to it as Fox!

We then had to do the same again in another corner with another fluffy toy but thinking about our creative, playful side where the sky's the limit. This person was known as Rabbit.

Finally we went to another corner, took another critter with us and met the person they called Bear. He or she is resourceful, practical and gets things done.

We made notes, we closed our eyes and felt the moment and we connected to the cuddly toy!

No, really, we did!

Once we'd worked out how our Fox, Rabbit and Bear did, or more to the point didn't get on with each other, we went round again, this time thinking about these characters in relation to our individual dilemma. 

Now I discovered that my Fox makes me worry about my skills as a mother but that's ok because Bear can step in and be all useful and practical and just tell me to get on with it. Only he doesn't. he's too busy trying to get Rabbit to get off his arse and do something.


My Rabbit is very prominent  but doesn't work as well in conjunction with my Bear because I have a fourth character Monkey who distracts them.


Monkey is mischievous. Monkey wants to muck about. He has none of Rabbits creative flair, nor Bears get up and go! Monkey literally wants to live just for pleasure and leisure!


Have I lost you yet? 


So in conclusion what did I learn.


Fox thinks I'm a terrible mother because I'm not serious enough with the boy and I want to be his best mate all the time.


Bear would step in and sort it out but he's too busy trying to motivate Rabbit who he knows is talented but is too easily led.


Rabbit has loads of great ideas, sensitive feelings and an artistic, sensitive temperament but no drive. 


Monkey is cheeky, lazy and leads Rabbit astray.


Sometimes Bear just gives up and all three of them go off up the park with a bottle of Diamond White and 20 Marlborough Lights when they really should be doing their homework.


Fox thinks they're all useless tossers and tries to keep them in for detention.


My head is full of fluffy animals running round.


No wonder I can't hear myself think most days.


I explained all this to hubby when I got home. He looked bemused.


"And you paid 8 quid for someone to tell you all that" he sighed "Well to use the animal analogy what a load of old pony!"


Fox snarled and got grumpy. Bear shrugged and made another list of jobs to do. Rabbit felt a bit hurt and would probably write a poem about his feelings later.


Monkey said "Sod you then!" and went up the pub for a game of snooker and a pint.


I rather like my animals. Especially that naughty Monkey..... 

The One with the Random Interview

Yesterday I was invited onto local BBC radio to talk about my blog.


Yes this little old random blog. 


As you know I've been on local radio quite a few times for various reasons mostly to talk about shows I've been in, current Mum type issues, newspaper reviews or chatting about my new business.


But this time it was all about my blog.


I wondered what on earth I could say about my inane random rambles that, thankfully, you all seem to enjoy so much and that I love to write.


I made some notes. Things I thought she might ask me. When did I start, how often do I write, why do I write, what have been my favourite posts? Just pointers incase I got stuck for words. As if. Talk the hind legs off a donkey me. 


I'd never spoken to this presenter before but very quickly it became clear that she was a fan of my writing. I had made her laugh. I love to make people laugh. It makes me feel warm. It makes me feel loved.


As an aspiring broadcaster myself I always find it encouraging to hear female presenters on the radio. To my mind their aren't enough. Women's voices can be soothing and personally I'd much rather hear them. There are no female presenters on Radio 2's main daytime weekly output and I think the station is poorer for it.  


We chatted about the blog names I give my friends and family and I suggested the presenter would like one of her own. I knew she must be a fan when she seemed very enthusiastic at the prospect.


So here's the listen again link to the broadcast. To find me go 39 minutes in and you'll hear my dulcet tones chatting to Wavy Lady. 


http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mr2jz


Of course once you listen you'll find out Wavy Lady's real name along with mine but hey you can't promote a blog and stay anonymous all your life can you.


And if anyone can work out why I have called her Wavy Lady then... well there's no prize I'm afraid because we're skint! 


But you can have your own blog name as a reward!

The One with Yoga and the 30 Minutes

Last week I realised it's been nearly 2 years since I did any proper exercise.

I had practised yoga for ages and indeed all through my pregnancy I kept it up with a special preggie approved brand, but since I had the boy, nothing!

So my new years resolution was to go to a yoga class.

Lemon Cake Lady said she'd like to join me so we found a class through Twitter and armed with my old yoga mat and Lemon Cake Lady borrowing my new one, we went along on Tuesday teatime to give it a go.

I hadn't realised how stiff I had become and basically "unbendy"! And how much I needed yoga in my life.

It is lovely for mind, body and spirit and I had missed it dreadfully.

Earlier on Twitter I had said to a fellow yoga classmate that she had to kick me if I started snoring in the relaxation! As LCL pointed out given my digestive system and 2 years of inactivity snoring was the least of my worries! And the rest of the class!


Amazingly I didn't disgrace myself but it was only the first of an eleven week course so it's early days.

The following evening I saw Hippy Chick and I mentioned I was now back doing yoga again and feeling very virtuous after my first class. I was sipping a large glass of dry white wine at the time so the irony of this supposed virtue was not lost on us.


"I've just joined this Daily 30 group on Facebook" she said "You have to commit to doing at least 30 minutes of exercise a day that raises your heart rate and then post what you've done on the page."


"What happens if you don't post?" I enquired


"Then the other members start asking after you and basically kicking you up the bum to get you going. It's good motivation. Shall I sign you up?"


Maybe it was the wine? Maybe it was the buzz in my muscles from the yoga class? But I said 


"Yeah cool I'd like that!"


Fool!


Before I knew it I had the members sending me Facebook messages to welcome me to the group and wish me well in the challenge!


Yikes!


30 minutes didn't sound too bad initially but it's fitting it into your daily life which is the problem and the point. It's amazing how much time and energy toddlers take up and after a day of Thomas, Fireman Sam, catch the ball, hide under the blanket and play peeka and for god sake stop chasing Oscar, 30 minutes of anything other than eating my tea and watching something inane of the television seems like supreme effort beyond my capabilities. 


Once you have got exercise into your daily routine then finding half an hour in 24 can't be that difficult. Can it?


So I started last Friday and did 30 minutes of lunges, sit ups and arm presses using this contraption I bought ages ago with foot straps and a pully thing you stretch towards you as you exercise and on Saturday I did an hour of running (and I mean running) as I played with the boy.


Yesterday was something of a rite off as all I really did was exercise my drinking arm with a meal out and wine with Clementine but I did walk there and back and although more like two bursts of 10 minutes than half an hour my heart was pumping against the cold weather as I strode along.


So later I have to complete 30 mins of something! You don't have to do something different everyday but you have to do something and Yogo with the Waybuloos during the CBeebies bedtime hour apparently doesn't count!


With limited space in my house and limited energy in my body I can't figure out what I can do!


But having just tasted the heat of chilli I've made, I think half an hour of eating my dinner may increase my heart rate to such levels that'll be me done for the day!


Now that I can fit into my routine.....

The One With the Guilty Pleasure

I never used to like January.


Christmas was my favourite time and I had to wait a whole year for it to come round again. It was cold. It was dark in the mornings. It meant going back to work. It was frankly miserable.


But now I don't mind it at all. 


It's still twelve months until Christmas and its still cold and dark but it's no longer miserable because....


The darts is on!


I blooming LOVE the darts. 


I watched the "proper" PDC darts on Sky with Phil Taylor and the like before Christmas and that's great. After all those guys can really play. They're banging in 180's and 11,10 and even 9 dart finishes all over the place.


But the darts that are truly my guilty pleasure are the rubbish BDO darts from Lakeside which started on BBC2 yesterday.


Until you get to the final these guys are playing glorified pub darts. The 180's are few and far between and they regularly get down to needing double 1 to check out! Hubby says the ultimate score in the rubbish darts is 26, as it shows just how inconsistent the player is, by getting the 1 and the 5 either side of the only 20 they can muster with 3 darts!


Indeed every time the guy calling out the scores says "22" or "37" in that long drawn out style only darts commentators can do, there's a definite feeling that you could play just as well. 


My Granddad played darts for the local British Legion team when I was young and one of my earliest memories was being stood on a box in the parlour and being taught how to play darts on a Saturday afternoon! As an aside my Uncle bought a snooker table from my Mum's club book (does anyone still have club books?) and we used to set that up after final score had been on and we'd had tea. I'd then spend the evening being taught how to play snooker!


I do love those memories of a miss-spent yet supervised youth. After all there's nothing like a bit of snooker or especially darts to sharpen up your mental arithmetic!


What I really love is the pantomime theatrical element to darts. All the players walk on to their own theme music, accompanied by a dolly bird on each arm. They all have nicknames like Scotty Dog, The Wolf Man and The Count causing the crowd, to woof, howl or dress up like Dracula. 


You haven't lived until you've seen a bloke in a cape come on stage to a rave track which starts "This is my territory be on your way" and chuck plastic bats into the crowd, just to play darts! 


So I'm looking forward to wallowing in a week of Martin "Wolf Man" Adams and Ted "The Count" Hankey talking the big talk, walking the big walk and then only getting "58"! I do highly recommend it to banish your post Christmas blues. It is possibly the funniest thing on television all year. 


The final is on Sunday and January will only be half over but never fear, there's no need to be down.


The Masters Snooker starts that day......


All together now...


LADIES AND GENTLEMEN LETS PLAY DARTS.......