Fierce Fifty Revolution

My Dream

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What I learned in the last few days made me realize that we are all more capable than we think.
I started training for my 5K run/ walk on Monday 9/25 by walking faster for 30 minutes after practicing yoga. Usually, I like to go on a leisurely Zen walk after yoga. But since my 5K event is less than 2 weeks away, I committed to my training and felt a sense of accomplishment even though my calves were sore afterwards. I did some gentle yoga stretches and soaked in a hot bath with Epsom salt. I added a few drops of lavender essential oil to help me relax. I continued to train every day this week and just finished a 2-mile walk in less time than I'd expected.

I just interviewed Janet Earling-Bencivenni, a 50+ lifestyle/ fashion blogger @grandma2glamma and I'm voting her as Grandmother of the Year because she takes care of her 4 grandkids during the day while her kids are at work. She started three and a half years ago when she joined a gym that offers yoga classes. At first, she thought that she needed to be athletic or a super bendy person to do yoga, but she had a good teacher who welcomed and accommodated newcomers so she didn't feel intimidated. "Yoga helps with my running. I also like to power lift. I don't see myself ever giving up yoga and am going to a yoga teacher training course" Janet said. After practicing yoga for more than a year, she noticed a big improvement in her balance, flexibility and coordination. She also gained strength and body appreciation/ awareness. Janet runs marathons because of the challenge and extreme sense of accomplishment she gets. "My daughter and daughter-in-law started running together and got me to join them on half-marathons and marathons. I don't like to run so I only run one day a week. I like yoga and strength training. I get a big emotional high from marathons that prove I could do it. When I was young, I was not allowed to participate in sports, so I guess I'm making up for it now." Janet loves yoga for giving her time to stretch and practice self-care; it helps with her running. "If I miss practicing yoga for any length of time, I'm not a happy person. It's very good for mental and spiritual wellness." She has a full-time job taking care of her four grandkids. That's why she needs yoga to help her keep calm. She has a friend who teaches yoga to seniors and shared that 50+ women love yoga because they find out how much they can do with their bodies. She knew about the benefits of yoga, but after experiencing them (how yoga helped her evolve), she is taking her practice to a new deeper level by training to be a yoga teacher. Janet also credits yoga for giving her the energy to run after her four grandkids.

I am so grateful to be part of Bridging The Gap (BTG) Campaign that pairs up Millennials with Influencers who are in their 40s and 50s. I blogged about Jessica Ganger, my partner in absence. I  but I haven't heard back yet. When I went to the Book Boot camp on August 11th (less than a month and a half ago), I wrote down my intention to publish a book. Then, I brainstormed ideas and came up with this book about yoga. Little did I know that it'd open so many doors for me. I got to talk to women like Karin Kiser author of Lighten Your Load, Hillary Bitar @silverstorm777 and Janet as part of market research for my book, The Anti-Aging Secrets of Yoga. I made new friends and feel so encouraged about the positive feedback and response. I will be 50 years old next year and I can't wait. BTG has a Meetup in Los Angeles on October 14th. Stay tuned here for details.

Ingrid Cheng
Author, Blogger and Health Coach


Mission: Empowering women to be healthy inside-out.
Vision: Creating a better and healthier world.