A while back, I heard the phrase “beaten to death by butterflies” to describe how all the little stresses of work and life cumulatively add up to a overwhelming sense of helplessness or failure. Exercise and eating habits can fall to the wayside because they just add to the swarm.

I’d really like to hear from you… what do you do to manage your attacking butterflies? You can comment below, tweet me @cparkburke, or send me an email at christine@lightheartedfitness.com.

Hmm… evil potato seems unrepentant… unperturbed, even.

Let the toes fall outward or inward, whichever feels most natural.

Arms are also relaxed, resting on ground, at any angle that allows the muscles to “melt.” Elbows may be bent in the most comfortable position.

Palms up or down, whichever is more relaxing. Hands should curl naturally.

Slow your breathing, and take deep breaths. Head may turn to one side, if that feels easier on the neck. You may close your eyes.

The name of this pose is “Serene Possum”. I typically end my own training sessions with this pose, or even after a hard set. My clients will also usually finish their workouts in this position, uttering the ancient chant/prayer of “thank God the workout is over” or something similar. Interestingly… I don’t think I’ve never had to explicitly teach anyone this pose, so I’m inclined to believe it’s something inherent to our human nature.

Here is a photo and a video for Serene Possum.

And sometimes, my projects turn out like this…

Click on the photo and guess which word these dogs knew!

I laughed out loud at this because I run to this song all the time. In fact, according to iTunes, I’ve played it well over 259 times. The song is Misirlou by Dick Dale & The Del-Tones, and you probably recognize it if you’re a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

If you’re a fast runner (around 9-min miles or faster), this is a good warmup song. If you start at an 11 or 12-min mile pace, Misirlou is great one for picking up your speed during your run.

Of course, some cats actually prefer treadmills…

BONUS Entertainment: start playing the slide kittens and when the music starts, play the treadmill kittens at the same time. It syncs up quite well!

Today, I want to congratulate my friend Pam, who finished her first 5K at the Oceanside Turkey Trot! See? Wasn’t bad at all!

(I’m sure she’ll start speaking to me again soon.)

I also want to acknowledge my sister, who crawled out of bed early and drove through sheets of rain to run the race with me.

(She eventually conceded she had fun, too. After we stopped running, of course.)

My folks are in town, and I’m looking forward to stuffing and pie and playing Guitar Hero with my cousins. Oh sure, times are a little rough right now, but it makes it that much easier to be thankful for all the things that are good.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!