<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Variety is the Spice of Life]]></title><description><![CDATA[I cover various topics such as health and wellness, travel, following your passion, and aging well. For wisdom from my dogs, follow my other publication, Wild Western Wanderers.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6zp_!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47cc0e16-3df3-422b-a42c-6adc42984a18_1280x1280.png</url><title>Variety is the Spice of Life</title><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 12:30:15 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.carrielehtonen.com/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[carrielehtonen@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[carrielehtonen@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[carrielehtonen@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[carrielehtonen@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Chaturanga Alternatives to Save Your Shoulders]]></title><description><![CDATA[In the final video of this series, we apply alignment to our vinyasa practice.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/chaturanga-alternatives-to-save-your</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/chaturanga-alternatives-to-save-your</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 22:01:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196598978/fb00fd53eacee056539e332cbcf7ff48.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In the final video of this series, we apply alignment to our vinyasa practice. If your shoulders are rounded forward, a standard Chaturanga Dandasana can strain your rotator cuff or cause a pinch in your shoulders. In this video, I show you three modifications to build the tricep and core strength needed to protect your joints for the long haul, from dropping your knees to skipping the push-up entirely. <br></p><p>I hope you enjoyed this series. You can find more yoga videos on my YouTube Channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@fireflycommunityllc">here</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Melt the Slump with Supported Fish Pose]]></title><description><![CDATA[Stop stretching and start melting.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/melt-the-slump-with-supported-fish</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/melt-the-slump-with-supported-fish</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 22:01:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196598615/25619fa31d12730d431966d25b98eb03.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Stop stretching and start melting. Supported Fish is the ultimate pose for undoing the effects of rounded shoulders and slumped posture. By using blocks (or a bolster or pillows) to support the shoulders and head, we allow gravity to open the chest without force. Stay for 3 to 5 minutes and feel your shoulders finally drop away from your ears.</p><p>This pose is the &#8220;antidote&#8221; to Forward Head Position. By using blocks to support the spine, we allow gravity to do the work. This pose is essential because it:</p><ul><li><p>Realigns the Scapula: Encourages the shoulder blades to slide back and down.</p></li><li><p>Opens the Intercostals: Stretches the muscles between the ribs to improve breathing.</p></li><li><p>Hydrates Fascia: Gently melts the tight connective tissue in the chest and throat that keeps us locked in a slouch.</p></li></ul><p>Stay tuned for the last video in this series focused on the neck and shoulders.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Release Tight Shoulders]]></title><description><![CDATA[Does your upper back feel like one giant knot?]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/release-tight-shoulders</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/release-tight-shoulders</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2026 22:43:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/196598280/1c313cb93aaf2f5dea4f171dda4e27ec.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Does your upper back feel like one giant knot? Between &#8220;tech neck&#8221; and driving, our shoulders are constantly pulled forward. Relieve shoulder tension and neck pain with two simple yoga movements. In this video, we&#8217;re using a strap to &#8220;floss&#8221; the shoulder joints and Eagle arms to create space between the shoulder blades. It&#8217;s the perfect 3-minute break for your workday!</p><p>You can view this video and more on our YouTube channel <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@fireflycommunityllc">here</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Arizona in April]]></title><description><![CDATA[I spent last week in Arizona, and the wide variety of birds inspired me to write this poem.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/arizona-in-april</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/arizona-in-april</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:10:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I spent last week in Arizona, and the wide variety of birds inspired me to write this poem.</p><div class="preformatted-block" data-component-name="PreformattedTextBlockToDOM"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false">Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published</label><pre class="text">Halfway into our nine-hour drive
We stop at the Hampton Inn in Kayenta, AZ
After spying tables hidden among shrubs&#8212;
A patio oasis along the highway.
As we enjoy our salads brought from home,
We observe as a House Finch visits its nest, 
Seemingly too large for such a small bird.

A Mourning Dove on a nearby light pole calls
And calls, awaiting a response. &#8220;From who?,&#8221; I wonder.
He leaves his perch and enters the Finch&#8217;s tree.
Another Mourning Dove arrives with a stick,
Nesting closer to the Finch than I&#8217;d expect.
&#8220;Maybe they have to take what they can get&#8221;, I say,
&#8220;There aren&#8217;t many trees around.&#8221; 

We enjoy the songs of both species while we eat. 
Grateful for the reprieve from the long drive.
I close out the Merlin app, 
And we load back into the car.
Traffic gets heavier the closer we get to Scottsdale,
Causing us to lose our patience with other drivers.

Finally, we arrive. 
The dogs, thrilled to be out of the car,
Greet our hosts with happy wags as we unload our bags.
We gather in the backyard for a refreshing beer,
While being serenaded by the local avians.
They seem as happy as we are to be here.

In the morning, we venture out for a walk 
Before the sun heats up the day.
Along the way, 
The Northern Mockingbird has much to say - 
A surprising number of different calls, 
No wonder the name &#8220;mockingbird.&#8221;

The cactus wren and two types of warblers 
Are added to my lifer list. 
The Gila Woodpecker taps on the saguaro,
While the flycatchers and cowbirds sing.
I keep recording the sounds, 
Identifying more and more birds.
The morning is alive and joyful.

As the sun rises higher,
I retreat to the shade of the patio.
I&#8217;m silent as the Costa&#8217;s Hummingbird 
Observes from high on the stem of an Ocotillo.

&#8220;Hello&#8221; says the Gambel&#8217;s Quail,
With his feather cap bobbing in time.
The Verdin and Sparrows chirp in reply
Almost frantically calling out at times.
The Northern Cardinal perches high in the tree
Only for a moment before he&#8217;s off again.
Just stopping by so I can admire his feathers.

I close my eyes and listen.
Content to be still, only my fingers are busy,
Typing on the keyboard. 
When was the last time I just sat? 
Not in a hurry to be productive,
Simply enjoying the calming effect of Mother Nature&#8217;s symphony.

How lucky are we
To share this planet with so many wondrous beings?
Small but endlessly delightful,
Providing a soundtrack to my day
And color when things feel bleak and gray. </pre></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg" width="1456" height="970" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:970,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:592397,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;a Gambel's Quail sitting on a fence&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/195929019?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="a Gambel's Quail sitting on a fence" title="a Gambel's Quail sitting on a fence" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0mqb!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47175c07-bc4e-41ae-95da-6bc7e76ed006_2048x1365.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Photo of a Gambel&#8217;s Quail by John Busch</figcaption></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Get Moving to Extend Your Health Span]]></title><description><![CDATA[We all know exercise is good for you, but with all the information out there about high-tech biohacks to keep you young, it&#8217;s easy to forget that you already have what you need to stay healthy, and it&#8217;s free.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/get-moving-to-extend-your-health</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/get-moving-to-extend-your-health</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 10 Apr 2026 20:11:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We all know exercise is good for you, but with all the information out there about high-tech biohacks to keep you young, it&#8217;s easy to forget that you already have what you need to stay healthy, and it&#8217;s free. All you need to do is move. <br><br>A recent study by biostatisticians at the University of Colorado, Johns Hopkins University, and several other institutions analyzed data from the long-running National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to compare the predictive power of 15 longevity markers. <br><br>The study followed 3,600 people aged 50 to 80 to determine who died in the years after their baseline measurements. In addition to physical activity, the subjects were assessed for 14 of the best-known traditional mortality risk factors: basic demographic information (age, gender, body mass index, race or ethnicity, educational level), lifestyle habits (alcohol consumption, smoking), preexisting medical conditions (diabetes, heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, cancer, mobility problems), and self-reported overall health. <br><br><strong>The amount of physical activity performed in a typical day emerged as the winner &#8211; an even better predictor of longer life than having diabetes or heart disease, receiving a cancer diagnosis, or even your age. </strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 1272w, 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other&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/193818471?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe2e53e1-b20e-495a-a3c0-a1b52014c316_1204x1806.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="two woman walking on a trail by a field with their arms around each other" title="two woman walking on a trail by a field with their arms around each other" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!njnr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F96f3d9a1-e24d-4be7-a958-5907ad36b443_1204x1204.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br>April is Move More Month. The American Heart Association kicked things off with National Walking Day on April 1, and its <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/events/april-is-move-more-month-featuring-national-walking-day-stress-awareness-month-national-pet-month-national-garden-month-and-more">website</a> offers numerous resources to help you be more active. The New York Times posted earlier this year about the top 10 fitness tips to help you get moving. I&#8217;ve sifted through these resources and distilled them into the following tips. </p><ul><li><p>A popular trend that took off on social media last summer is <strong>Japanese Walking</strong>, which involves walking fast for three minutes, then walking slowly for three minutes, alternating for at least 30 minutes. According to the NYT article, &#8220;research suggests that varying your walking intensity in this way may improve blood pressure, cardiovascular health and leg strength more than keeping the same pace.&#8221; You could increase the challenge by incorporating some running intervals. </p></li><li><p><strong>Use compound movements to build both strength and balance.</strong>&nbsp;A squat-to-shoulder-press sequence is one example. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of cardio to raise your heart rate before strength training. Choose a weight that works for you. You might start with five-pound dumbbells and increase as you get stronger. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, then lower into a squat by pushing your hips back. Go as far as is comfortable for your knees while keeping your chest lifted and your heels on the floor. Then straighten your legs and press the dumbbells overhead. Your palms face each other. Repeat for 8&#8211;12 repetitions or about 30 seconds, rest briefly, and complete 2-3 sets.</p></li><li><p><strong>Strengthen the glutes and hips to help protect your knees. </strong>Exercises like bridges or clamshells use your body weight and don&#8217;t require any equipment. For bridges, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart. Push into your feet to lift your hips. Hold for three seconds, then lower and repeat. You can also do small pulses at the top of your range of motion. Gradually move your feet farther away from you to incorporate your hamstrings as well. For clamshells, lie on your side with your knees bent and stacked evenly. You can rest your head on your arm or prop yourself up on your elbow. Your hips should be stacked. Lift the top knee as high as possible without rotating your hips, keeping your feet together. Lower the knee back down and repeat for 10 to 15 reps, then switch sides. Do 1 to 3 sets a couple of times per week. You can add a band above the knees to make the move more challenging. </p></li><li><p><strong>During your workday, be sure to incorporate movement by alternating between sitting and standing.</strong> If you don&#8217;t have an adjustable or standing desk, make it a habit to stand or move every time you make or answer a phone call. March in place or pace to keep moving. Stand up and walk around at least once an hour. When you take a break, move to a different room or floor and stretch rather than sitting in place. </p></li><li><p><strong>Skater jumps are a plyometric exercise that builds strength, endurance, and power in the lower body.&nbsp;</strong>This exercise requires balance and helps improve core strength, agility, coordination, and stability in the hips, knees, and ankles. Stand tall with your chest up, back straight, knees slightly bent, and feet shoulder-width apart. Jump to the right and land with a slight bend in your knees. As you jump, lean forward, swing your left leg behind you, and swing your left arm in front of your body. Repeat on the other side &#8211; jump to the left, swing your right leg behind you, and bring your right arm in front of you. Keep hopping from side to side, transferring your weight from one side of your body to the other. If hopping is too challenging, start by stepping side to side and allow your back foot to touch the floor. You can adjust the speed and size of your steps or jumps to make them more or less intense.</p></li><li><p><strong>Make time for rest and recovery, and be sure to stretch.</strong> Yin yoga is a great way to maintain your range of motion because it works with your connective tissues, including the fascia, ligaments, and tendons. You can read more about the benefits of yin yoga <a href="https://www.fireflycommunity.com/post/get-grounded-with-yin-yoga">here</a> and check out our 60-minute <a href="https://youtu.be/HLUfWeKdD24?si=BThdr65-9b0g90GO">Yin Yoga Post Hike Class</a> on YouTube. If you only have 20 minutes, try this <a href="https://youtu.be/GPP51xXLYrw?si=d-3u-iaOyK2OQax7">20-Minute Yoga to Find Calm</a>. </p></li></ul><p><br>Most importantly, find a way to move that you enjoy. If you like what you&#8217;re doing, you&#8217;re more likely to stick with it. Keep moving, protect your strength and balance, and you&#8217;ll give yourself a powerful nudge toward a longer, healthier life.<br><br>What's your favorite way to move? I like to get my exercise outside, whether it's mountain biking, trail running, paddleboarding, or hiking. </p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Variety is the Spice of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sitting all day? Do this for 3 minutes.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Did you know your primary hip flexor, the psoas, is actually attached to your spine?]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/sitting-all-day-do-this-for-3-minutes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/sitting-all-day-do-this-for-3-minutes</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:02:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193019161/b8c80f0588397f1ff9001bfbe4311027.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Did you know your primary hip flexor, the psoas, is actually attached to your spine? If your hip flexors are tight, they&#8217;re literally pulling on your lower back around the clock. We use the Yin Yoga &#8220;Dragon Pose&#8221; to finally give that muscle some slack. Grab your blocks and let's relieve the tension.</p><p>The goal of this series isn&#8217;t flexibility. It&#8217;s about finding neutrality. When your pelvis sits level, your core can engage naturally, your glutes can fire correctly, and your lower back can finally stop doing everyone else&#8217;s job. </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The 3-Minute Reset for a Tight Low Back]]></title><description><![CDATA[Using a technique from Self-Awakening Yoga, we explore the &#8220;Pelvic Clock,&#8221; a powerful tool for maintaining low back health.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-3-minute-reset-for-a-tight-low</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-3-minute-reset-for-a-tight-low</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:01:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193018887/61e3a3ac1e279dccbc278a26bdc4eb68.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Using a technique from Self-Awakening Yoga, we explore the &#8220;Pelvic Clock,&#8221; a powerful tool for maintaining low back health. These are micro-movements that hydrate the fascia around your sacrum and SI joint. It&#8217;s not a workout &#8212; it&#8217;s a conversation with your nervous system. Find a more neutral position of your pelvis and soothe low back pain. Stay tuned for one more video in this series.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Posture Check: Is the Way You're Standing Hurting Your Back?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ever wonder why your lower back feels tight?]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-posture-check-is-the-way-youre</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-posture-check-is-the-way-youre</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:02:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/193018604/a89f8606b1899a4e6ccd258cb82535d7.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Ever wonder why your lower back feels tight? It's all in the pelvis. Your pelvis is the foundation of your spine. Today, we're assessing an anterior versus a posterior tilt. Most of us fall into one of two categories: the &#8220;Duck Butt&#8221; (arching too much) or the &#8220;Tucked Tail&#8221; (flattening the curve). Knowing your baseline is the first step to relieving the ache. Which one are you? Follow us for two more videos to help relieve low back pain.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Process of Becoming]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-process-of-becoming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-process-of-becoming</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 17:01:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Today marks the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. Spring symbolizes growth and renewal. The days are getting longer, and nature begins to wake up again. </p><p>This is a perfect time to harness the healing power of spending time outdoors. As highlighted in&nbsp;<a href="https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/blog/spring-ayurveda-ritucharya-renewal-and-seasonal-cleansing/">the article</a>&nbsp;from The Art of Living Retreat Center website about Ayurvedic rituals for seasonal cleansing, &#8220;Spending time outdoors helps align our internal rhythms with the natural world. Walking among trees, breathing fresh air, and soaking in sunlight all support physical and mental renewal.&#8221;</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Variety is the Spice of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><p>Witnessing the unfolding of the natural world in the spring is also a great reminder that the process of becoming is slow and steady; it is not a race. </p><p>The anticipation of flowers and trees beginning to blossom brings to mind a passage from Mark Nepo&#8217;s <em>The Book of Awakening</em> regarding the pain of becoming. In this passage, Nepo shares his thoughts regarding how, as humans, we can be impatient with change and push ourselves to &#8220;unfold faster or more deeply than is natural.&#8221; He explains that &#8220;The simple rose, at each moment of its slow blossoming, is as open as it can be&#8230;if a flower were to push itself to open faster, which it can&#8217;t, it would tear.&#8221; </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png" width="1408" height="768" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:768,&quot;width&quot;:1408,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2304231,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;a flower still in a tight bud&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/191278728?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="a flower still in a tight bud" title="a flower still in a tight bud" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OV7X!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F46230cbe-079b-4e5b-98e8-7c6cb46c21d2_1408x768.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Transformation takes time. Instead of comparing our current position with the final goal we&#8217;re aiming for, which can cause feelings of inadequacy, we should acknowledge that wherever we are on our journey is sufficient. At every stage of growth, we are exactly where we need to be. Like the rose, with each step in the journey of blooming, we are stretched to our limits. </p><p>I sometimes get impatient with how long the process of writing my second book has been; however, each step along the way is a milestone. Every time I write a chapter or research a potential agent or publisher, I learn something new that helps in the next stage of development. </p><p>If we constantly push ourselves to go faster and beyond our current limits, we do ourselves a significant disservice &#8211; it could result in injury, illness, or worse. </p><p>When you catch yourself judging your current state against the imagined ideal of what you'd like to become, pause and focus on the image of a flower in bloom. See the beauty in the early stages of growth. Then, as Nepo suggests, &#8220;inhale and appreciate the beauty of yourself about to open.&#8221; </p><p>As you work toward becoming who you want to be, it can be hard to see that each step you take shows progress. The process of &#8220;becoming&#8221; can be long and painful, but it&#8217;s a vital part of growth. Enjoy the journey.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Variety is the Spice of Life is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Call of the Sea]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you&#8217;ve been following me for any length of time, you probably already know about my love of water.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-call-of-the-sea</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-call-of-the-sea</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:34:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Z-S!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9917e42-51ee-4c43-8f34-2e67b48a58fe_3264x2448.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you&#8217;ve been following me for any length of time, you probably already know about my love of water. Even though I&#8217;m an earth sign (Virgo), I was drawn to water from a young age. My family called me a fish because I was always in the pool until my skin would prune. My brother and I often walked along our dirt road to a spot where we would sit on moss-covered rocks beside a stream that rippled through the woods. The house I grew up in had a lake and two ponds within a mile, where we would water ski, kayak, and swim in the summer and ice skate in the winter. The Atlantic Ocean was always freezing cold in the North East, but we would swim in it anyway on hot August days.</p><p>Living in Colorado, being landlocked, means I seek out water whenever I can. I work on the water during the summer, teaching stand-up paddleboard yoga on small lakes near our home. When we go camping, we always pick a spot close to a lake or creek. Our vacations are usually to places by the water. Costa Rica draws me every year not only for yoga but also for its beaches and waterfalls. </p><p>Tomorrow, we&#8217;re flying to Mexico for a long weekend of scuba diving so I can drift silently among the fish, turtles, and whale sharks. I feel at peace breathing through my regulator many feet below the surface. </p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Z-S!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9917e42-51ee-4c43-8f34-2e67b48a58fe_3264x2448.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Z-S!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9917e42-51ee-4c43-8f34-2e67b48a58fe_3264x2448.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Z-S!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc9917e42-51ee-4c43-8f34-2e67b48a58fe_3264x2448.jpeg 848w, 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Does anyone actually look good breathing through a regulator?</figcaption></figure></div><p>During Ride the Rockies in 2015, as I pedaled over 400 miles through the Colorado mountains, my favorite days were when the road followed a river. I had hours on the bike to contemplate my love for water and why it calms me. I thought about all of the ways I can relate to the river. </p><p>Like a river, I am always moving, flowing through life, taking new things in and carrying them until they no longer serve me, then depositing them along the shore. When I face obstacles, I may need to change course or find a way through, over, or around them, but I keep moving forward. Sometimes I influence those I meet&#8212;shaping or smoothing their edges. I can be unintentionally destructive when my life is stormy. My life&#8217;s goal is to help others grow and thrive.</p><p>Water gives life and can be gentle and peaceful, but it can also be powerful enough to carve canyons, reshape landscapes, or even end lives. Water can change from liquid to solid and back again. It reminds us that the only constant is change, but we have the tools and resources to keep moving through it all. </p><p>Last summer, I wrote a post about how living near water provides various psychological and physical health benefits, such as reducing stress, encouraging physical activity, and enhancing air quality. I&#8217;ve linked it below.</p><p>I&#8217;ll leave you with this quote from E.E. Cummings: &#8220;For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), It&#8217;s always our self we find in the sea.&#8221;</p><div class="embedded-post-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:171835093,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-power-of-blue-spaces&quot;,&quot;publication_id&quot;:3526370,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;Variety is the Spice of Life&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6zp_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47cc0e16-3df3-422b-a42c-6adc42984a18_1280x1280.png&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;The Power of Blue Spaces&quot;,&quot;truncated_body_text&quot;:&quot;Most areas in the United States experience high temperatures in August, so I felt this was a good time to write about one of my favorite subjects&#8212;water!&quot;,&quot;date&quot;:&quot;2025-08-27T17:01:18.963Z&quot;,&quot;like_count&quot;:0,&quot;comment_count&quot;:0,&quot;bylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:23386308,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Carrie Lehtonen&quot;,&quot;handle&quot;:&quot;carrielehtonen&quot;,&quot;previous_name&quot;:&quot;Wild Western Wanderers&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7ba1f350-14d7-4c1d-b770-3cb0882db6b9_998x998.jpeg&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;I believe variety is the spice of life. After surviving a heart attack at 31, I reinvented myself many times. I'm now a health coach, yoga teacher, retreat leader, published author, and travel agent, and I'm excited about whatever comes next!&quot;,&quot;profile_set_up_at&quot;:&quot;2023-10-17T12:56:58.127Z&quot;,&quot;reader_installed_at&quot;:&quot;2023-10-21T02:20:15.342Z&quot;,&quot;publicationUsers&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:2037906,&quot;user_id&quot;:23386308,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2037349,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;,&quot;public&quot;:true,&quot;is_primary&quot;:true,&quot;publication&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:2037349,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Wild Western Wanderers&quot;,&quot;subdomain&quot;:&quot;wildwesternwanderers&quot;,&quot;custom_domain&quot;:&quot;www.wildwesternwanderers.com&quot;,&quot;custom_domain_optional&quot;:false,&quot;hero_text&quot;:&quot;Rescue dogs who found our forever home in the mountains of Colorado. We share our perspective on life, and adventures with our family.&quot;,&quot;logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/318b84d2-10f6-4363-86b1-83e8b6a997ea_1165x1165.png&quot;,&quot;author_id&quot;:23386308,&quot;primary_user_id&quot;:23386308,&quot;theme_var_background_pop&quot;:&quot;#EA410B&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2023-10-17T12:57:07.606Z&quot;,&quot;email_from_name&quot;:&quot;From Wild Western Wanderers&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Wild Western Wanderers&quot;,&quot;founding_plan_name&quot;:&quot;Founding Member&quot;,&quot;community_enabled&quot;:true,&quot;invite_only&quot;:false,&quot;payments_state&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:null,&quot;explicit&quot;:false,&quot;homepage_type&quot;:&quot;newspaper&quot;,&quot;is_personal_mode&quot;:false,&quot;logo_url_wide&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/61fb088c-de70-43b4-9bb6-4aabcd1a0ff0_507x226.png&quot;}},{&quot;id&quot;:3594977,&quot;user_id&quot;:23386308,&quot;publication_id&quot;:3526370,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;admin&quot;,&quot;public&quot;:true,&quot;is_primary&quot;:false,&quot;publication&quot;:{&quot;id&quot;:3526370,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Variety is the Spice of Life&quot;,&quot;subdomain&quot;:&quot;carrielehtonen&quot;,&quot;custom_domain&quot;:&quot;www.carrielehtonen.com&quot;,&quot;custom_domain_optional&quot;:false,&quot;hero_text&quot;:&quot;I cover various topics such as health and wellness, travel, following your passion, and aging well. For wisdom from my dogs, follow my other publication, Wild Western Wanderers.&quot;,&quot;logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/47cc0e16-3df3-422b-a42c-6adc42984a18_1280x1280.png&quot;,&quot;author_id&quot;:23386308,&quot;primary_user_id&quot;:null,&quot;theme_var_background_pop&quot;:&quot;#FF6719&quot;,&quot;created_at&quot;:&quot;2024-12-14T22:32:28.652Z&quot;,&quot;email_from_name&quot;:null,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Carrie Lehtonen&quot;,&quot;founding_plan_name&quot;:&quot;Founding Member&quot;,&quot;community_enabled&quot;:true,&quot;invite_only&quot;:false,&quot;payments_state&quot;:&quot;enabled&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:null,&quot;explicit&quot;:false,&quot;homepage_type&quot;:&quot;magaziney&quot;,&quot;is_personal_mode&quot;:false,&quot;logo_url_wide&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/890536bf-0055-4611-a7d5-a27b7f0d0c2a_1344x600.png&quot;}}],&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null,&quot;status&quot;:{&quot;bestsellerTier&quot;:null,&quot;subscriberTier&quot;:null,&quot;leaderboard&quot;:null,&quot;vip&quot;:false,&quot;badge&quot;:null,&quot;paidPublicationIds&quot;:[],&quot;subscriber&quot;:null}}],&quot;utm_campaign&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="EmbeddedPostToDOM"><a class="embedded-post" native="true" href="https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-power-of-blue-spaces?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_campaign=post_embed&amp;utm_medium=web"><div class="embedded-post-header"><img class="embedded-post-publication-logo" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6zp_!,w_56,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47cc0e16-3df3-422b-a42c-6adc42984a18_1280x1280.png" loading="lazy"><span class="embedded-post-publication-name">Variety is the Spice of Life</span></div><div class="embedded-post-title-wrapper"><div class="embedded-post-title">The Power of Blue Spaces</div></div><div class="embedded-post-body">Most areas in the United States experience high temperatures in August, so I felt this was a good time to write about one of my favorite subjects&#8212;water&#8230;</div><div class="embedded-post-cta-wrapper"><span class="embedded-post-cta">Read more</span></div><div class="embedded-post-meta">8 months ago &#183; Carrie Lehtonen</div></a></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Alternate Hip Stretch - Pigeon vs. Deer Pose]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this third video of our Healthy Knees series, we explore an alternative hip stretch if you experience knee discomfort in pigeon pose.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/alternate-hip-stretch-pigeon-vs-deer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/alternate-hip-stretch-pigeon-vs-deer</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 21:00:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/189710402/9211a498232e251ed5592fe9e909aea8.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this third video of our Healthy Knees series, we explore an alternative hip stretch if you experience knee discomfort in pigeon pose. Deer pose offers the same hip release without putting leverage on your knee.</p><p>This is the final video in this series, but stay tuned for the next series focused on the hips.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Saving the Inner Knee]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this second video of our Healthy Knees series, we show how to modify your Warrior 2 pose to protect your knees.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/saving-the-inner-knee</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/saving-the-inner-knee</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:01:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/189709975/f4b1c13978e88840ec826523f6783c90.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this second video of our Healthy Knees series, we show how to modify your Warrior 2 pose to protect your knees. Engage your glutes to keep the knee open, and don&#8217;t worry about squaring your hips. </p><p>Stay tuned for the last video in the series coming on Friday.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Support Your Knees]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this first video of our series on knee health, we explore why your knees cave in and how to correct it.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/support-your-knees</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/support-your-knees</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 23:00:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/189709294/696f6b8c3f2c15c702607482df52eb8a.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this first video of our series on knee health, we explore why your knees cave in and how to correct it. Start by taking a look at your feet, then use the provided tip to engage your glutes to support your knees.</p><p>Stay tuned for two more videos in this series. </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Gratitude for Roots]]></title><description><![CDATA[Roots are important for building a strong foundation.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/gratitude-for-roots</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/gratitude-for-roots</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 19:01:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5b88c839-f9e7-49eb-aa89-684e2ff43072_940x788.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;Root down to rise up&#8221; is a phrase you may hear in a yoga class and a cue I often use when guiding students into tadasana (mountain pose). When I think about the importance of roots in creating a strong foundation, my mind turns to my own roots &#8211; those provided by my family and friends who have helped shape who I am today.</p><p>I&#8217;m grateful to my parents, who, despite being young when raising my brother and me, gave us a childhood of abundance. We were surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who loved us, and we were always guaranteed plenty of toys and, of course, pets. </p><p>I learned the value of hard work from my Dad and amazing strength from my Mom. My Grandma, with whom we spent many weekends watching Red Sox games and making pancakes, had a fierceness and independence that, to this day, give me the extra push I need whenever I&#8217;m faced with something challenging. </p><p>There is a picture of me as a child. I couldn&#8217;t have been older than three at the time, walking well behind the rest of the family, strutting my stuff without a care in the world. That photo always reminds me of the independent little girl I was&#8230;not afraid of anything. </p><p>I&#8217;m my father&#8217;s daughter. As a kid, I was always tagging along behind him, barefoot because he was, not worrying about the occasional pain from a sharp rock as I walked outside. I climbed trees, rode snowmobiles and three-wheelers (yes, I grew up in a time before these ATVs were deemed too dangerous), built forts, and spent a lot of time in the woods. Like my father, I can&#8217;t sit still and do most things for myself (sometimes with a quick call to Dad to make sure I&#8217;m on the right track). </p><p>Our parents encouraged us to do our best in whatever we chose to pursue and to follow our dreams, even when it meant moving 2,000 miles away, as I did in 2005. When I realized I needed a change, my belief that I could do anything gave me the courage to pack up and move west, where I didn&#8217;t know a soul, and start a new life in Colorado. </p><p>When I first moved into my home in Colorado, I bought all the necessary tools and equipment to run my household with little help from anyone else. I painted two rooms (including a horrible popcorn ceiling) by myself. I handled minor maintenance and upgrades around the house, and maintained my own yard for the first few years. Then I got busy. The typical household chores and yard maintenance lost their novelty, and I outsourced those activities for the most part. Somewhere along the way, it became easier to call someone than to spend the extra time doing things myself. </p><p>My brother, Keith, has inspired me more than he knows. He left a job that didn&#8217;t inspire him to start his own business, <a href="http://www.crittergear.com/">CritterGear</a>, which has been tremendously successful, not to mention making my pets quite stylish. Keith somehow manages to run his business (for which he still makes most of the product), care for his many dogs, maintain a beautiful home, and grow abundant gardens and fruit trees.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png 424w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:788,&quot;width&quot;:940,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:943444,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;a collage of photos of family and friends, and graphics of the state of NH and a tree with roots&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/188543496?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="a collage of photos of family and friends, and graphics of the state of NH and a tree with roots" title="a collage of photos of family and friends, and graphics of the state of NH and a tree with roots" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WYPo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F230df6f2-bb70-4521-8384-322b1b6d7d3f_940x788.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>Then there are my friends &#8211; those fun-loving, big-hearted people who have loved and supported me without judgment through good times and bad. It&#8217;s always a special treat to spend time with people who have known me for so long. Our lives have moved in different directions (we&#8217;re spread across the country from the East Coast to the West Coast, and I&#8217;m the only one without human children), but we never fail to pick up right where we left off and have an amazing time together. We&#8217;ve laughed, cried, spent hours in conversation, traveled, and shared many memorable moments. We still call ourselves &#8220;girls&#8221; even as we inch closer to 50, because we've been friends since we were girls. I joined this friend group in high school, but the others have known each other even longer. Our friendship has remained strong throughout the decades. Being with them (no matter where we meet) is home to me. They are as essential to me as the breath in my lungs and the blood in my veins. I only hope they all know how much they mean to me. </p><p>My family and friends, and even New Hampshire itself (which requires a certain degree of tenacity to live in), are my roots &#8211; my lifeline. I&#8217;m still the New Hampshire girl who can roll with the punches and stand on my own two feet through whatever life throws at me. Take a few moments to reflect on the people you&#8217;re grateful for, and never lose touch with your roots.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[2026 is a Year of Action]]></title><description><![CDATA[Navigating in the Year of the Fire Horse]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/2026-is-a-year-of-action</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/2026-is-a-year-of-action</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Feb 2026 21:55:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>According to the Chinese calendar, we spent 2025 under the&nbsp;<strong>Wood Snake</strong>, moving with deliberate grace, focusing on strategy, and shedding what no longer served us. As of&nbsp;<strong>February 17, 2026</strong>, we have officially crossed the threshold into the&nbsp;<strong>Year of the Fire Horse</strong>, a rare event that occurs only once every six decades. The last Fire Horse year, 1966, was marked by significant social and political upheaval worldwide.</p><p>If 2025 was the year of the architect meticulously drafting blueprints, 2026 is a high-octane period of radical independence, visible action, and a refusal to be tamed. </p><p>The Wood element helped us establish roots and plan for the long term.&nbsp;With this dramatic shift in energy from growth and flexibility to passion, how can you harness the flame without letting it turn into a wildfire? This is a year when impulsive action can lead to great success or rapid exhaustion.</p><p>While the Fire Horse energy can lead to transformation, it can also bring volatility, impulsivity, and burnout. Because the Horse is a Yang sign and Fire is a Yang element, the energy is &#8220;Double Yang.&#8221; Without a grounding strategy, that incredible momentum scatters and burns out.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png" width="1024" height="1024" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1024,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1804950,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;an image of a fiery horse running in front of tall mountains while the ground splits below it&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/188657892?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="an image of a fiery horse running in front of tall mountains while the ground splits below it" title="an image of a fiery horse running in front of tall mountains while the ground splits below it" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0gRs!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3a00474-4d1c-4f67-a865-7d373528b3ec_1024x1024.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><p>The Fire Horse charges forward with incredible power, but without a rider, it can go anywhere... and nowhere. Here&#8217;s how to channel that raw energy into focused, unstoppable momentum:</p><p><strong>THE &#8220;SINGLE LANE&#8221; RULE</strong></p><p>The Fire Horse wants everything now! This leads to brilliant starts but few finishes.</p><p><strong>Strategy: </strong>Identify your top three priorities for the year.</p><p><strong>Action:</strong>&nbsp;Say &#8220;No&#8221; to anything outside these three, no matter how tempting. Stay focused on depth rather than breadth.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>GROUNDING: EARTH ANCHORS</strong></p><p>Too much fire energy disconnects you from reality, leading to anxiety and overwhelm.</p><p><strong>Strategy:</strong> Embed daily earth-based practices.</p><p><strong>Action:</strong>&nbsp;Gardening, hiking, strength training, cooking, and pottery&#8212;anything that connects you to the physical world. Stay rooted even as you move toward your goals.</p><p><strong>THE COOLING FILTER</strong></p><p>The Fire Horse acts first, thinks later. Passion is a great fuel but a faulty compass.</p><p><strong>Strategy: </strong>Implement a 24-hour &#8220;cooling period&#8221; for major choices.</p><p><strong>Action:&nbsp;</strong>Before saying &#8220;Yes&#8221; or &#8220;No&#8221; to big commitments, sleep on it. Consider, &#8220;Is this a &#8216;Hell Yes&#8217; on my path, or just a &#8216;Right Now&#8217; thrill?&#8221;</p><p><strong>STRATEGIC PIT STOPS</strong></p><p>You won&#8217;t feel tired until you&#8217;re already empty. </p><p><strong>Strategy:</strong> Schedule time for recovery.</p><p><strong>Action:</strong>&nbsp;Set aside dedicated blocks of time for rest, play, or gentle movement. Remember: Even a racecar needs to pull over. Consistent pit stops ensure you finish the race.</p><p>As we move beyond the Wood Snake's quiet introspection, we find ourselves at the starting gate of a completely different race. The&nbsp;<strong>Fire Horse of 2026</strong>&nbsp;isn't merely a calendar shift; it's a surge of energy, a call to action. This is not a year for those content to merely observe from the sidelines. By understanding the dual nature of this potent energy &#8211; its capacity for both triumph and burnout &#8211; we can learn to be the masters of our own destinies. Harness the flame, direct the charge, and let this rare, powerful year propel you toward your most audacious ambitions.&nbsp;</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Deep Tissue Release to Ease Foot Pain]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this final video of our foundation series, I demonstrate a deep-tissue release to ease foot pain by massaging the tripod of the foot.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/deep-tissue-release-to-ease-foot</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/deep-tissue-release-to-ease-foot</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:01:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/187770760/8a8e8683553ec54947ac299e6ca0b105.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this final video of our foundation series, I demonstrate a deep-tissue release to ease foot pain by massaging the tripod of the foot. I&#8217;m using the <a href="https://radroller.com/products/neuroball">Neuro Ball</a> from RAD, but you can also use a lacrosse ball. To get $5 off a RAD purchase, use <a href="https://radroller.refr.cc/default/u/carriel?s=esp&amp;t=cp">this link</a>.  </p><p>I hope this series has helped you get grounded, improve the alignment of your feet, ankles, knees, and hips, and ease any foot pain. Stay tuned for more yoga videos coming soon.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Toes Pose Challenge]]></title><description><![CDATA[In this video, we use toes pose to stretch the four layers of muscles and tendons in the soles of the feet.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-toes-pose-challenge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/the-toes-pose-challenge</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:02:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/187769859/e1a0c2e2256619fe4dc5c0569fa27c39.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this video, we use toes pose to stretch the four layers of muscles and tendons in the soles of the feet. If you missed the first video in this series, you can watch it <a href="https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/audit-your-alignment-focus-on-the">here</a>. Stay tuned for our next session in this series to relieve foot pain. </p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Audit Your Alignment: Focus on the Foundation]]></title><description><![CDATA[With 26 bones and three distinct arches, your feet are a masterpiece of engineering.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/audit-your-alignment-focus-on-the</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/audit-your-alignment-focus-on-the</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 17:59:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/187768044/78892372ecbfbb3d3e4ac99dd439f726.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>With 26 bones and three distinct arches, your feet are a masterpiece of engineering. But when they&#8217;re locked in shoes and strained by life, your ankles, knees, and hips pay the price.</p><p>Your foundation matters. Let&#8217;s build a better one, together. In this video series, we audit your alignment, help you get grounded, and release tension. Stay tuned for two more videos in this series. </p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[How a Heart Attack Gave Me My Life Back]]></title><description><![CDATA[In honor of Heart Month and Wear Red Day, here is the full story of the heart attack I survived in 2009 and its aftermath.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/how-a-heart-attack-gave-me-my-life</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/how-a-heart-attack-gave-me-my-life</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:00:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>In honor of Heart Month and Wear Red Day, here is the full story of the heart attack I survived in 2009 and its aftermath. </em></p><p>On a sunny&nbsp;July day in 2009, I set out for a bike ride with friends. That night, I found myself in a hospital bed, watching the cardiologist guide a scope through the femoral artery into my heart. A blood clot in my coronary artery came into view on the screen.&nbsp;&#8220;If you hadn&#8217;t come in tonight,&#8221; he said, &#8220;you wouldn&#8217;t have woken up tomorrow.&#8221; I was 31 years old.</p><p>As a physically active triathlete, I should have found the 60-mile bike ride to be no big deal. I had just completed a two-day, 150-mile charity bike ride a couple of weeks earlier. But as I painstakingly climbed the steep grade, I thought, &#8220;What is wrong with me today?&#8221; I felt lightheaded during the first break. I shrugged it off, thinking I hadn&#8217;t eaten enough for breakfast.</p><p>As we pressed on, I started to feel indigestion, an unusual occurrence for me. I thought I might not be drinking enough water. I walked my bike up the steepest part of the ride and stopped to hydrate and eat a snack. As I chatted with another rider who had stopped to refill his water bottle, one of my friends came back down the hill to check on me. I got back on the bike, but I still wasn&#8217;t feeling well, so I walked again for a bit.</p><p>When we finally reached the top, I had more food and water before we began the descent. I felt fine, except for some neck and shoulder pain, which seemed normal after a couple of hours on the bike. We stopped for lunch, then set out to return to my friend Keith&#8217;s house.</p><p>In the last 10 miles of the ride, I felt pressure in my chest. I kept riding. Not once on that hot July day did I think, &#8220;Maybe I&#8217;m having a heart attack.&#8221; When we got to Keith&#8217;s place, I couldn&#8217;t get comfortable, and the pressure kept worsening, even as I shifted into various positions, including lying on the floor. I chewed a few Tums and drank a Coke, thinking burping might ease the pressure. When the pressure didn&#8217;t subside, Keith finally said, &#8220;We&#8217;re going to the hospital. Something isn&#8217;t right.&#8221; Keith was a relatively new coworker, but apparently, he was more than that &#8211; he was my guardian angel.</p><p>It was too late for the clinic, so we went to the emergency room. I reported my symptoms and family history of heart disease, then sat down to wait. As time ticked by in the waiting area&#8217;s plastic chairs, I kept saying we could leave, but Keith insisted we stay. Looking back, I wonder whether I would have been brought in right away and whether my heart would have been the first thing they tested if I had been a middle-aged man entering the ER with chest discomfort rather than a young woman.</p><p>After about an hour, I was called into a room where they performed an ultrasound of my gallbladder and had me drink a GI cocktail. They told me I would feel better, but I didn&#8217;t.</p><p>By then, I was frustrated and scared, yet I was still apologizing to the nurses for being sweaty from my bike ride. When the doctor looked at my file and said, &#8220;I see you have a family history of heart disease,&#8221; tears welled in my eyes. I knew that was it &#8211; I was having a heart attack. The doctor noticed my reaction and said, &#8220;It&#8217;s probably nothing. We just want to run a blood test to be sure.&#8221; Turns out, it was something.</p><p>My heart was in distress, and the on-call cardiologist was awakened to come in and find out what was happening. I was asked to sign a bunch of paperwork and was prepped for the catheterization laboratory. I didn&#8217;t have much time to think, but I was relieved they finally knew what was wrong with me, even if we didn&#8217;t have the specifics yet. I was convinced I&#8217;d be out of the hospital soon, so I asked my friends to call an ex-boyfriend and have him go to my house to pick up some clean clothes for me.</p><p>Next, I called my brother in New Hampshire. By then, it was 3:00 a.m. on the East Coast, and I didn&#8217;t want to wake my parents. I told him something was wrong with my heart, but the cardiologist was coming to fix it. Most importantly, &#8220;Don&#8217;t tell Mom and Dad until I call you back. I don&#8217;t want them worrying about me.&#8221; I was confident I&#8217;d be fine to call him back the next day. I had to be. I couldn&#8217;t imagine the alternative.</p><p>The cardiologist found a blood clot in my coronary artery. He went to work, breaking up the clot, which was too large to suction out. I eventually fell asleep as he inserted a stent and placed a balloon to help my heart beat for the next 24 hours while it recovered. </p><p>Thanks to my friend, who convinced me to go to the hospital, and to the fact that I wasn&#8217;t off hiking the Inca Trail with my boyfriend at the time, as I wanted to be, I was in the hospital and alive. As Dr. Sara Szal says, &#8220;Your body keeps perfect records. And eventually, it sends a bill. It may come as a cancer diagnosis or a divorce or prediabetes or autoimmune disease.&#8221; For me, it came as a heart attack. My heart stepped in to tell me I was moving too fast in the wrong direction.</p><p>I spent the next three days in the Intensive Care Unit trying to stabilize my heart and blood pressure as new medications were introduced into my system for the first time. Fortunately, I was healthy enough for my heart to recover. I have some scar tissue, but my heart bounced back.</p><p>I&#8217;d been given a gift&#8212;a forced pause that required me to pay attention to taking care of myself. But I wasn&#8217;t ready to stop. Even in the hospital bed for those four days, all I could think about was getting back to work and the ladder I believed I needed to climb to prove to the world I was successful.</p><p>A week after my heart attack, I was back at my cubicle, responding to urgent emails, with the catheter bruise on my thigh still yellow. I had built a career in Human Resources, but I wasn&#8217;t living an inspired life. At the time, I didn&#8217;t know what else to do, so I kept working while exploring other options.</p><p>My boyfriend returned from Peru. By then, I was out of the hospital and looked fine, so he couldn&#8217;t understand what I had been through. Because I didn&#8217;t fit the typical survivor demographic, my doctor didn&#8217;t recommend Cardiac Rehabilitation. I was navigating my recovery alone, without a map.</p><p>I struggled for months with medications that drove my already low blood pressure even lower and caused dizzy spells. A couple of weeks later, I blacked out while watching a movie at the iconic music venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater. As my boyfriend and his friend helped me to the end of the row, I was annoyed that people in the crowd thought I was drunk. I wondered whether they felt bad about giving me a hard time once they saw the EMTs attending to me. Much to my dismay, I ended up back in the hospital for another night so they could make sure everything was okay with my heart.</p><p>After that incident, I finally convinced the doctor to let me come off the beta blockers. I was still on Plavix and aspirin to thin my blood. Fortunately, the tests for a blood-clotting disorder found nothing out of the ordinary. The blood thinners made me bruise so easily that even resting my arm on a hard surface, like my desk, left a bruise. One day, I fell off my bike, and the gear sliced my leg. It was hard to get the bleeding to stop. Fortunately, I had plenty of Band-Aids in my saddle bag. What was originally supposed to be only one year turned into three before I finally convinced my cardiologist to let me stop taking Plavix and rely solely on daily aspirin for the blood-thinning effect.</p><p>I was told I&#8217;d have to take a statin for the rest of my life, which I found unacceptable. I felt old as I filled my weekly pill box with prescription medications and carried it on vacations. I started doing what I&#8217;ve always been good at &#8211; research. In 2010, I enrolled in a nutrition course that led to my certification as a Holistic Health Practitioner. Through my training, I realized my diet wasn&#8217;t as healthy as I&#8217;d thought.</p><p>While reading <em>Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure</em> by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., M.D., I learned I could manage my heart disease with a whole-food, plant-based diet. I asked my cardiologist about it. He told me that since most people won&#8217;t change their diet, he doesn&#8217;t bring it up. But what about someone like me, who is more than willing to change the way I eat to avoid taking a prescription? If I could keep my Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) below 60, he agreed I could stop taking the statin.</p><p>As I continued digging into the data on heart disease, trying to understand where I went wrong and what I could do to protect my heart in the future, I was surprised to learn that heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women and kills more of us than all types of cancer combined. Like more than half of women in the U.S., I had no idea that heart disease is our biggest health threat. Before my heart attack, I, too, thought heart disease primarily affected older men.</p><p>I found out that heart attack symptoms in women differ from those in men. The image of a person clutching their chest might be what you see in the movies, but it is far from reality. Everything I felt during my 60-mile bike ride pointed to a heart attack, from lightheadedness and neck and arm pain to uncomfortable pressure in my chest. Other symptoms of a heart attack in women can include uncomfortable squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes and comes and goes; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, or jaw; shortness of breath; cold sweats; and nausea.</p><p>While I could go down the list of risk factors and check no to everything else (smoking, being overweight, having high blood pressure, being a Type 2 diabetic, or being physically inactive), it turns out that family history is the biggest risk factor.</p><p>My father&#8217;s first heart attack went undiagnosed when he was 42. It wasn&#8217;t until a couple of years later, when he walked into the emergency room in cardiac arrest, that doctors found the scar tissue and told him he had already had a heart attack. My grandmothers were in their 70s when one experienced a series of small strokes, and the other had a heart blockage that required a stent. Still, I thought I didn&#8217;t have to worry until I was much older, and that being physically active would protect me.</p><p>I started volunteering with the American Heart Association to share my story, hoping it would prevent another woman from ignoring her symptoms. I was first featured as a survivor at the American Heart Association&#8217;s annual Go Red for Women Luncheon in Denver in 2010, and I was featured again a few more times in the years that followed. I&#8217;ve spoken to groups, led yoga classes, served on a few committees, testified before the State House Committee in support of a bill to ban trans fats from school lunches, and organized teams for the annual Heart Walk.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg" width="1012" height="1012" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1012,&quot;width&quot;:1012,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:318973,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;a woman in a black dress with red flowers standing on a stage&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/187039769?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="a woman in a black dress with red flowers standing on a stage" title="a woman in a black dress with red flowers standing on a stage" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z401!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F35f60880-b544-477f-8469-15815b7a00ae_1012x1012.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Too many people die from heart disease, and I believe we can change that. The good news is that 80% of heart disease is preventable through lifestyle changes. I found my passion &#8211;&nbsp;helping others break the cycle of disease and live healthier, happier lives.</p><p>When I was offered the chance to move to a more flexible, less stressful job, I took it. My manager tried to talk me out of leaving, but it was time. I needed to get my priorities straight, and that wasn&#8217;t fully possible in my current work environment. Over time, it became clear I had made the right decision for me. I began prioritizing my health over the next promotion.</p><p>In January 2018, after the company I worked for was acquired by a larger technology firm, I took the leap and left my HR career to focus full-time on my health and wellness business, Firefly Community LLC. By letting go of my identity as an HR professional, I could help more people connect with themselves, others, nature, and food.</p><p>My path wasn&#8217;t always easy, and I found myself slipping back into old habits. However, along the way, I acquired tools and resources that supported not only physical health but also emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. I found ways to reconnect with myself and stay on track.</p><p>I still have a lot of work to do, but every day I get a little better at speaking my truth and living in the present. I listen to my body and nourish my physical and spiritual well-being. I&#8217;m closer to my authentic self. I look back on the day of my heart attack and say &#8220;thank you&#8221; for giving me my life back.</p><p></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Yoga for Aging Gracefully]]></title><description><![CDATA[Starting tomorrow, I&#8217;m teaching a series of yoga classes called Yoga for Aging Gracefully, held via Zoom on Tuesdays, February 3&#8211;24.]]></description><link>https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/yoga-for-aging-gracefully</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.carrielehtonen.com/p/yoga-for-aging-gracefully</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Carrie Lehtonen]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:49:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Starting tomorrow, I&#8217;m teaching a series of yoga classes called Yoga for Aging Gracefully, held via Zoom on Tuesdays, February 3&#8211;24. Each class runs from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.<br><br>Staying active as you age requires moving smarter, recovering better, and keeping your body in top condition. In my video posts last week, I shared a bit about my journey to yoga and introduced Yoga to Thrive, a comprehensive practice that blends vinyasa, yin, and Self-Awakening Yoga with strengthening exercises to help you age gracefully, preserve your range of motion, and prevent injuries.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png" width="940" height="788" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:788,&quot;width&quot;:940,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:369622,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.carrielehtonen.com/i/186679097?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZA_1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1003e855-6cd0-4611-9dbc-3c3559640cad_940x788.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><br>Yoga to Thrive has four guiding principles outlined below. </p><ol><li><p>Body Awareness: Throughout class, you&#8217;re encouraged to observe and notice sensations to access your body&#8217;s wisdom. By using the &#8220;as-is&#8221; principle, accept yourself and your experiences in the moment and remain inquisitive without judgment.</p></li><li><p>Mobility and Flexibility: Mobility is essential for preventing stiffness and injury. Regular stretching and myofascial release can enhance flexibility and improve movement patterns, allowing you to maintain your range of motion. In Yoga to Thrive, we move in all planes, work with our connective tissues such as fascia, ligaments, and tendons, bring awareness to areas of tightness or stickiness, and recognize asymmetries in the body.</p></li><li><p>Strength: Muscle mass naturally declines with age, but resistance training helps sustain strength, bone density, and joint stability. Yoga to Thrive classes incorporate movements designed to strengthen muscles and encourage practitioners to pay attention to which muscles struggle to engage or are unable to disengage or relax. The combination of strength and flexibility helps us achieve stability and our most efficient alignment, enabling us to move with ease.</p></li><li><p>Balance: Developing balance aids in functional movement and helps us avoid injury by strengthening stabilizer muscles and cultivating proprioception (a sense of your location in space). When you maintain balance, you are better equipped to catch yourself if you trip or slip, and you can sustain independence by being able to move well.</p></li></ol><p>Each of the four yoga sessions will incorporate the guiding principles. </p><p>&#8203;Register <a href="https://fireflycommunity.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=06ed26ed9002fb48a2ae4ff7e&amp;id=a0074a961d&amp;e=9f46834d81">here</a> for $60 for the series. We get started tomorrow! <br></p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>