I’ve been wedged underneath rocks in the river, been trashed in the impact zone in the surf, and as a solopreneur, wondered how I was going to pay my bills. You know, that feeling of being crushed by doubt, fear or things not working out the way you’d hoped? Whitewater kayaking has been a phenomenal teacher for me in learning how to make big comebacks. How to not let one incident send me into a downward spiral. Like the one time I got stuck in a hydraulic, swam out of my kayak, bawled my eyes out, then got back in
3 Things I Ask Myself to Recover from Disappointment
August 22, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Kayaking Tips, Mindset
Someday or Day One?
July 23, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Health and Wellness, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
When you schedule time on your calendar how often do you pencil in activities on Someday? Never heard of Someday being on the calendar? That’s because Someday doesn’t exist in reality. There’s a saying that goes: “There are 7 days in a week and Someday isn’t one of them.” Saying you’ll do something Someday is saying that what you want is just a pipe dream. As uninspiring as this is, it’s also easy and doesn’t involve risk. On the other hand, taking steps towards what you really want feels scary, risky and hard. I get it. I’ve been there over
3 Tips to Avoid Summer Burnout + Smoothie Recipe
June 20, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
It’s officially the change of season, and if you don’t want to overheat and burnout, it’s critical that you make changes to your diet and lifestyle. Summer is the season of heat, long hours of sunlight and full-on activity! If your diet and lifestyle run hot during this season then you could experience physical symptoms such as skin problems and breakouts, acid reflux and bouts of urgently needing a bathroom 🙁 Emotionally you may experience increased anger, frustration and stress. This can lead to confrontations with family and co-workers, overwhelm and burnout. Here are three of my favorite, and perhaps not-so-well-known
Why YOU Matter
May 24, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Mindset
Have you ever gotten down on yourself thinking that nothing you do or say really matters? Somehow, women especially, are good at finding evidence for how small and insignificant we are. This is especially true when we compare ourselves to others. Our minds latch on to the story we’re telling ourselves about how much better so and so is, and the downward spiral begins. Last week I went to see US Soccer champion and author, Abby Wambach, speak. She has two Olympic gold medals, 4 World Cup Titles and holds the record for highest number of international goals scored in
4 Steps to Finding Your Paddling Tribe
April 22, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Inspiring Articles, Kayaking Tips, SUP Tips
Are you struggling to find a group of fun, supportive paddling partners? Finding a paddling tribe is key to enjoying the sport for the long term. It’s fun to go out on your own (especially SUP), but that can get old after awhile. Connecting with other like-minded women who share a similar passion is uplifting and inspiring. If you’re like me, you want paddling buddies who lift you up and support you in your goals, from paddling something new and challenging, to just having fun and getting outside. Here are my top 4 steps for finding your paddling tribe. Join
5 Exercises To Relieve Your Anxiety
March 7, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
Calm and patient. Two words my clients have used to describe my coaching style over the years. Anxiety and panic attacks. Things I never thought I’d experience, much less need to manage… until this year. This is new territory for me, and new experiences lead to growth. As I’ve adjusted I’ve learned about myself and how the self care I’ve implemented over the years is making a big difference for my mental and physical well being during this time. Here are my Top 5 Strategies for Managing Anxiety: Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor or a counselor. My intention with this post
Want a Consistent Roll? Try These 3 Things
February 15, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Kayaking Tips
Do you struggle with a consistent roll? You’re not alone. The roll can come and go, especially if you paddle rivers where you don’t flip over. The roll can be challenging to perform consistently because… a. The movements are counter intuitive. We’re use to being able to use strength to push ourselves up or brace ourselves if we fall. In the element of water that’s not possible because water is not solid! Effective technique is needed. b. Whether you want to admit it or not, flipping upside down in a medium where you can’t breathe while having your lower body
The 2 Questions I Ask Before I Help Someone
February 5, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
There’s love, satisfaction and joy present when we contribute in a positive way to someone’s life. Whether it’s helping a stranger with directions, being a powerful listener for a friend, a caregiver for family, or setting safety for our crew on the water. Then why, you may ask, does helping or being of service sometimes (or often) feel frustrating and tiresome? Why do feelings of resentfulness creep in? Perhaps you even ask yourself why you bother helping that person/people anyway?! The love is clearly gone. If you feel this way then… Ask Yourself These Two Questions: Why? It’s the simplest
How the Sun Rules Your Health
January 17, 2019 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness
What if I told you that the secret to optimal health, stress and weight management is your relationship with the sun? You may think that I’ve gone off the deep end and joined some weird crazy cult that stares into the sun for energy or something. Well, it’s not crazy or airy fairy, it’s called chronobiology. The science of chronobiology, the field of biology that studies natural physiological rhythms, is telling us that our circadian rhythm (24 hour body clock) governs our health and wellness. In 2017 the Nobel prize in medicine was awarded to three scientists for their discoveries showing
Yoga for Paddling: How to Sit to Reduce Back Pain
December 19, 2018 | Written by: | Filed Under: Anna's Blog, Health and Wellness, Yoga for Paddling
Did you know that one of the main functions of the spine is that of shock absorber? That’s why the spine has curves, to act like a spring to absorb impact. The disks in between the bony vertebrae also play a major roll in this function. Disks are made of squishy cartilage able to absorb impact by compressing slightly. In a healthy spine the cartilage doesn’t stay compressed, but retakes shape. When the disks get too compressed by the vertebrae it can lead to bulging disks. A bulging disk is when the disk gets so compressed that it bulges out
