// Okay, so here’s the deal//

If you read my text posts (and God bless your soul if you do) you’ll know that I’m kind of at a crossroads in my life.

I wasn’t accepted to any graduate programs last spring, so I have to reapply and hope that I have a place to start in the Fall of 2013. In the meantime, I’m working and will be spending some time doing things that I was always too busy to do (read: I have a degree in Speech & Hearing Sciences. I was usually too busy for most things) and work to save up money for Grad School. I can ALSO use the time to take some more control over my health and be proactive.

There are three classes that I plan on taking/starting to take in the next few weeks that will be a key element in working toward a goal of better managing my health.

1) Adult & Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED

Okay, so this one is a bit less in line with the other two I’ll list. However, I’ve been CPR/AED certified for the past two years, and my certification expired in July. I haven’t had time to have it renewed, and want to have that certification. Adding the First Aid in isn’t a bad idea, because it’s good to know. I’ve worked as a camp counselor for 5 years (and am hoping to return for one last year before starting Grad school) and with class number two, having those certifications will certainly come in handy. Plus, I plan on working withpeopleso it will be nice to be training in First Aid, CPR, and AED.

2) Zumba Basics 1

That’s right. I plan on getting certified as a Zumba instructor. I’ve taken some classes and love it, and I figure it’s in demand enough that I might be able to get hired at a local place to teach a class once a week. Other than that, it’s a great way for me to make sure that I’m exercising and am on top of taking care of myself. If I’m teaching a class and am making sure I stay in the loop about new music and new steps, then I have no excuse to be sedentary.

After a few months, I’d love to take the class “Zumbatomic” which takes Zumba and teaches you how to adapt it for children. It’s a fun way for kids to stay fit and active. I love working with kids, and I think that I’d really love the opportunity to work with them in this way.

I mean, I also plan on going away for Grad school. It’ll be good to have a skill that I can take with me in order to earn money. Maybe the college I go to will want to have Zumba classes. Who knows? Point is, it’s a ton of fun, I love to do it, it gives me a really good excuse to work out, and if I can make some money off of it, that’s even better.

3) Yoga

I took a yoga class at college last semester, and really liked it. It was one of the first holistic approaches that helped ease the frequency and severity of my migraines. Because of this, I’ve been looking into places to take yoga classes.

I know that I can do yoga at home without much of a hassle, and it’s much cheaper to pay for a DVD (not to mention the wealth of free resources online) than to pay for classes, but I’d use classes as more of a supplement. And I’m mostly referring to Hot Yoga here. I know that I have some real muscle tension which not only makes it more of a hassle for me to exercise sometimes, but can also contribute to my migraines (can you say neck and shoulder tightness?)

I’m really looking forward to all of these things and hope that they’re going to help me in the long run.

Do any of you do Zumba or Yoga? What have your experiences been like? Have you found that physical activity helps your migraines or other chronic pain?