We are immediately thrown into a pop-challenge after the week 8 weigh-in and brought to a field where we see life-size day one photos of each of the remaining contestants. The object: each person must run their colored cinder blocks over and cover another contestant’s photo. The last person whose photo remains uncovered must leave the ranch for the entire week. I lose my footing right off the bat and completely DECK it against the hard cinder block. The wind is knocked out of me as I felt the corner of the block jab into my ribs and leg. There is a reason Joe nicknamed me “Grace” on the show! I know I have to get up and continue.

It’s between Jackson and Gina as the final blocks are placed. Jackson pleads to the rest of that cast that he should go home. He believes that Gina needs a redemption week and that he would thrive off the ranch. We respect Jackson’s wishes and save Gina – but that wasn’t the end. Jackson had to choose someone to join him. Now Jackson AND Jeff will begin the week facing their fear of leaving the ranch.  This changed the tone for the whole week!
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I recently met a young woman at the farmers market who was inquiring about taking one of my yoga classes. After a few minutes of discussing the many varieties of yoga, she told me she was hesitant to try it for the first time because she was convinced that with the rising popularity of yoga, everyone by now must already be so advanced.

Not wanting to feel like a total beginner in a sea of what she thought would be only svelte and lithe yogis, she voiced her discouragement.

It is not uncommon for people to feel like they’ve lost their chance to try yoga for the first time because they are under the false impression that they will be too far behind compared with the masses who have been practicing for several years. While years of practice may yield impressive poses, yoga is really meant to inspire happiness.

The following are three fear-busting truths that beginner yoga aspirants should read, believe, and share with other soon-to-be yogis to alleviate anxiety or doubt about trying yoga for the first time.
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There are many types of motivation for making any change. Some people decide to make a change for their children, to be able to keep up with them and play with them more. Some people decide to make a change to feel better about themselves – like Brittany Aberle wanting to be “steamy hot.” Some people decide to make a change to have more energy or to be happier or to be able to think more clearly. Some people are motivated by money. Some people, like Gwyneth Paltrow, decide to make a change as a result of a negative experience. Wednesday, Fitperez shared a quote from Gwyneth Paltrow that explains how her focus on healthy living came as a result of watching her father’s death from cancer.

“I would do anything to have him back, but half the reason that my life is good, has real, true value, is that he died. All I’ve learned about nutrition and health came from his cancer,” she says. “I’ll probably have a long and healthy life because he didn’t. I wish he hadn’t smoked, because the fact is that he did and he died. As much grief and pain and trauma and heartache are caused, there was an equal amount of positivity that came out of his death.”

Gwyneth does a great job of reframing her father’s death, which is a therapist term for finding the silver lining. When something negative occurs in our lives, we have the option to dwell in the negativity or to use the experience to drive us to better understanding and a better life. It is possible that fear could be part of Gwyneth’s motivation, but I am not sure we can read that into what she has said. While I would like to believe that changes in my dietary habits have come as a result of what I have learned from Diets in Review, there could also be some fear for me in knowing just how dangerous certain things could be.

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