Raise your hand if you've had a crazy last few days. I know I have. And now I sit at my computer, feeling as though I am coming to the end of a chapter that could well be titled: "Meditations on a Full Moon or Madness and all of its Friends".

I have a wonderful life- and not without madness, mind you. But the madness that started Thursday evening and ended just a few hours ago was not of the garden variety. Yes, the last few days brought me a mysterious plumbing catastrophe in my home, crazy, feuding neighbors, an almost tribal night of dancing at a friend's going away party and today a children's birthday party that would make the Mad Hatter's tea gathering look tame.

And I had to wonder, did any of this have to do with Friday's incredible full moon?

When the madness began to happen Thursday evening, I started to resist it but I found it much easier to let go of the paddles and just enjoy the experience like a wild and colorful dream.

So to end it on a peaceful note, I am staying in tonight, cuddling up with a new book (that will remain nameless as I am going to review it shortly) and am just going to appreciate a quiet evening at home.

Did you survive the madness of the full moon?

Exercise is a tricky topic for me. I'm not the type to go to the gym everyday for two hours. I prefer to spread my movement throughout the day- like the French do! When I lived in France in 2001 I became the ultimate lifestyle detective. I noticed that French women preferred to walk to the market or work- or up 9 flights of stairs in lieu of hitting the gym. And I never saw a French woman in sneakers. Quelle Horreur! I took what inspiration I could from them and ran.

Here is what a typical day for me is like- exercise wise:

When I first wake up, I do yoga for a minimum of 10 minutes. This is more for my peace of mind than anything else. I love stretching and breathing deeply. This really starts me off on the right foot. This is usually followed by 5 - 10 minutes of meditation- which is more exercise for my brain in how to quiet down! Then later in the day I usually take my dog, Gatsby for a 40 minute power walk. Good for me, good for the dog! Lastly, my husband and I live in a three story town house so usually late at night, right before I go to bed, if it strikes my fancy, I usually walk up and down all three flights of stairs 10- 15 times. You get the idea.

This was all great but I became concerned that I wasn't toning my upper body and using weights. Well, as you can imagine, all of these mini exercises that I fit into my day leave room for little else, so I've developed a plan. On weeknights my husband and I watch between one and two hours of TV- a girl's got to keep up with her shows! So I now do reps while watching our favorite shows or during commercials (if I'm not watching our dvr). I'm starting out small- 20 reps of each arm move with 5lb weights. I am loving the results and don't feel guilty just collapsing on the couch!

We'll see how long this goes. I do tend to get bored doing the same thing all the time. I would be interested to find other ways to incorporate exercise into my day...

Spiritual Practice- Incorporate movement and exercise into as many parts of your day as you can. It will help you stay present and remind you to breathe!