Tag: Wellness Coach

10 Sustainable Ways To Improve Your Health

It’s incredibly important to be mindful when on a journey to improve your health. I make it a point daily to think of ways to help our planet, and in turn the future of our children (or the future of those children who will be responsible for taking care of all of us). I decided to compile a list of things I do which might be helpful to incorporate in your daily life.

drinking water

10 ways to keep you, the Planet, and your children healthy:

  1. Buy recycled printer cartridges. Yep that’s right, all those little wasteful capsules are just creating waste. Guess what? You can buy them second hand- they have been fully filled and sealed and look like new.
  2. Use the back of paper for to do lists, calendars, game score tallies, and paper airplane contests. Or staple them together and make a notepad.
  3. Turn the water off in the shower while you are sudsing your hair and body. Really, this actually saves A LOT of water. It also  lowers your water  and electricity bill. And more importantly it teaches children a valuable lesson about the importance of water.
  4. Reuse glass jars to store things. All snacks, dry goods, and nuts go in jars in my cabinets. Not only are less chemicals leaking into your food, you are recycling the glass all on your own. I also drink from jars, use them as vases, crayon holders, cookie jars, you name it.
  5. Don’t wash your jeans. Yep I mean it, ask anyone in the denim industry and they will tell you, do not wash your jeans! They last longer, look and feel better unwashed. If they smell, put them in the freezer- a tip from Rag & Bone.
  6. Make your own nut milk- it is so easy, so cheap, and so delicious. You also know your ingredients. And, the left over nut pulp can be used to make cookies, or spread them on a pan, put it in the oven, and then grind for flour to pan fry chicken, fish, or veggies.
  7. Use a half cup of vinegar for smells in the washer. Don’t buy synthetic fragrance that causes cancer, hormone dysfunctions, mood swings, and migraines to name a few- just add the vinegar and see how the smells are neutralized.
  8. Use salt and peroxide for blood or wine stains instead of bleach. Bleach is highly toxic, particularly for marine life. It can cause blindness, and yet we still pour it down our drains, going into our water sources.
  9. Use a few drops of lavender oil and water in a spray bottle to clean your yoga mat. If you are a germaphobe, just use a drop of tea-tree oil as it is a natural disinfectant.
  10. Old newspaper cleans windows and mirrors better than anything. Simply use vinegar and water to clean windows. If you don’t like the smell of vinegar, use any essential oil in the mix.

Eliminating waste and toxins out of our environment is a collective win/win as everything ends up in our drinking water. Would you like to know more about sustainable living? Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, or you can connect with me here!

Problems Solved with this 5 Minute Meditation

There is a special style of meditation that I practice. 5 minutes of it a day can help to minimize stress and improve your overall wellness. Over seven years ago I embarked on a journey that changed my life forever: Vipassana.

Vipassana (Insight Meditation) was first taught by Buddha 25 centuries ago and now can be practiced all over the world. I encourage everyone to go through a vipassana practice at least once. Being 10 days with yourself in silence is one of the best things you can do for yourself and those around you: http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml. The gist of Insight Meditation is to use your own breath and become aware of the daily sensations (vibration or frequency) your body transmits. Through this you can relieve yourself of misery, pain, disappointment, expectation, impatience, jealousy, to name a few. It allows you to become capably aware when you are about to subject yourself to these feelings merely by witnessing sensations. Considering we are one big bundle of energy made of stardust, Vipassana enables you to feel those vibrations inside of you, while cleansing the mind.

meditation

It took me 5 years until the time was right for me to attend the retreat. However, after seeing 6 other friends complete the course and witness a positive change in their lives, my curiosity prompted me to go. And next to childbirth, it was the most painful, yet most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life.

Just to get an idea of what it’s like. Try being by yourself all day. You want to flee, you want to give up, and some do. Your body starts making excuses for sitting 10-12 hours a day. Then suddenly, you finally feel exactly where the breath from your nostrils touches your face. I had been breathing all my life, 20,000 times a day, and it took a silent meditation retreat and 36 years for me at that time to actually be aware of the location of my exhalation.

To Summarize What I Gained

  • All conditioned things are in a constant state of flux.
  • Everything is impermanent, nothing ever stays the same, so observe it and enjoy life.
  • Letting go of attachment paves the way for a flow of love and compassion I was unaware of obtaining through the devotion of my own breath.
  • If you recall something that has bothered you or angered you in the past, you discover that these feelings stem from longing, craving, or attachment to something or someone.
  • We are obsessed with our own ego.
  • We want recognition for our efforts, our skills, our talents.
  • We want money, love, and we want more and more and more of it.

Once you are able to release this mainstream conditioning, the misery dissipates. Of course, it’s not that simple. But sitting 12 hours a day focusing on your breath for 10 days while remaining silent, and not eating dinner, definitely brings you back to the real essence of being.

Meditation is beneficial for everyone, regardless of whether it is TM, Zen, in between your yoga pranas, or whether a mantra is used. But vipassana is different. Think of a tree- when the branches become unruly, you prune it to keep it calm. Meditation is a pair of shears used on the mind. But with vipassana, the tree is not only trimmed, but it is also uprooted so that a new sapling can grow. Perhaps you can’t tear yourself away for 10 days, but give yourself the gift of 5 minutes a day, which perhaps can be lengthened as you continue your practice.

balance

How to Reset Your Brain in 5 Minutes

  1. Find a quiet spot, I normally wake up and go straight to my meditation stool. However, you can simply roll out of bed and sit up straight.
  2. Close your eyes and allow any thoughts to come in, do not suppress them. But think of them like helium balloons- let them come in, and let them float away.
  3. Focus on your breath. Take a deep breath in your nose fill your abdomen with air, and exhale to push all the air out of your abdomen. Repeat. And repeat. And repeat.

Start there.

Once you are able to go a few more minutes, add it to your alarm.

Then start focusing on your vibration. The easiest places for you to feel yourself vibrating is at the crown of the head and in the feet and fingertips. Once you have gotten comfortable with sitting in silence, focusing on your breath, focus on those vibrations.

I promise, if you invite meditation to your day, everything will begin to flow smoother. If you’re ready to take your mindfulness practice to the next level, I’d love to connect, contact me today!

3 Ways To Find More Alignment In Your Life

It is possible to bring alignment to your life, even with today’s busy schedules. Unfortunately, our digital commitments (be them necessary or not), family events, parenting, and our social agendas tend to get in the way. This leaves us with the question, are we ever taking the time to enjoy the silence?

As a Wellness Professional, I’m committed to reminding you to do everything with a purpose, simply put, with mindfulness, whether it is washing clothes or putting food in your mouth.

The thing I love the most about the relatively new Marie Kondo craze (if you don’t know who I am talking about, have a gander at her book) is her Buddhist emphasis on finding a spark in everything. The more you find a spark, the happier you are.

Your happiness creates a trickle-down effect on our happiness. See the pattern?

I Implement These Tactics in My Own Work with Clients

In addition to keeping people fit and injury-free, their mind must also be in alignment, not just their posture. And, even more important are your surroundings, not only people, but products, chemicals- they all influence your mood and behavior. The more balance you have in life, the happier and more productive you are. Ever noticed how much more energized you feel after a great night of sleep and how that affects your day?

gathering thoughts to become more aligned

 

3 Easy Ways to be More Mindful in Today’s Hectic Life

1. Start Your Day With Belly Breathing

Lie on your back. Then while on your back imagine a balloon in your stomach. Take a deep breath in. Pay close attention and notice as your stomach rises when you inhale. Then push all of the air out as you exhale. Repeat this style of breathing 10 times. This breathing routine is how you should be breathing regularly. PRO TIP – If you are ever having difficulty sleeping at night, do this. It’s a great relaxer.

2. Give Yourself 10 Seconds to Respond

It’s inevitable, in life you will experience hostile situations. The worst thing you can do is react right away, full of emotion. Instead, take 10 seconds to gather your composure before you respond. PRO TIP – This is a perfect time to focus on your breathing. It will calm you quickly and take your mind off of your heightened emotions.

3. Gratitude is Key

At least once a day, take a moment to write down or tell someone 3 things you are grateful for. This will take your gratitude to a whole other level. PRO TIP – Here’s your chance to take full advantage of text! Find a go-to person, and use them daily to text your 3 things.

 

These 3 things will help you to become more mindful, leading to more alignment in your life. Are you ready to take it beyond breathing? Let’s connect so I can help you to live your best life.

5 Exercises You Can Do Anytime, Anywhere

Let’s be real, we’re not always somewhere we can do a typical workout. Here are 5 exercises you can do wherever you may be! Copy this on your phone in notes or print out and keep it handy. This is fun, fun, fun.

Feel free to add more reps or include another set. I will usually start the beginning of the week out with 3 sets of 15-20 and then by the end of the week I’ve turned this into a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) with 4 rounds of 5 minutes on and 2 minutes off. Whatever your choice is, at least you are getting your body moving and that’s what counts.

1. Bed jumps

This is not your 5 monkeys jumping on the bed, but literally going from the floor to the bed with a spring in your step (excuse the pun). If you do not feel comfortable adding that jump then simply do step-ups on the bed. You are changing your base of support which is unstable, making your body work double time. Make sure the feet get completely on the bed before you step down. 3×15 of each leg.

2. Swimmers

This exercise is stellar because most of us overuse our back anyway as we slouch forward, making this a great strengthener as well as a full-body exercise. Lie on your stomach face down. Take a deep breath in (belly breathing please and if you’re not doing that, you should hire me), on the exhalation, lift arms and legs, squeezing your glutes, shoulders away from your ears, and flail the legs and arms. Head is off the floor, but the spine is neutral- so don’t look forward. I swim for 2 secs go down, breath and come back up. Do 3 sets of 15.

swimmers workout

3. Snowboarders

Stand with feet hip-width apart, hand by your side on floor, squat touch and jump 180 to touch again. 360 equals one rep, do 3×15. Remember although you are jumping, place the most weight in the heels when you land.

4.&5. Side planks R/L

Since I can’t see you and protect you from potential improper form, side planks are safer to do alone than a regular plank. You can do them on your hand, on your elbow or elevated on a chair or bed- if elevated start on your elbow. Make sure the elbow is under the shoulder, and the entire body: hips and shoulders are facing sideways. Once in place use the outside arm to curl under your arm and reach back to the ceiling. That is one rep. Do 3×15 on each side.

workout at the park

Are you needing a little help or encouragement to keep going strong with your healthy lifestyle? I’d love to inspire you along your journey. Contact me today so we can schedule a time to chat!

New Post

Nature was my first love. I grew up in the countryside and spent most of my childhood at the beach or on the lake. Being from the South my grandmother was a huge influence on me through her cooking and gardening (albeit with a lot of chemicals). After studying abroad in Europe, I fostered a new relationship to food and nature. Everything was fresh from the market or backyard, without pesticides and eventually composted. Read more >