The best three months of the year are coming...and we all want to get the most out of them. More casual clothes, flip flops, outdoor dining, vacations, graduations and holidays. We need the summer pause that refreshes.
Summer is the season of revitalization. The sun is at its peak. It gives us more energy and more vitamin D. We might use that energy to be more active with more daylight and friendlier weather. However, we don't want to use that extra energy boost on consuming extra foods and drinks. This can be challenging because there are often more opportunities to socialize and more occasions to let our guard down.
Let's think about how much weight we'd like to lose, maintain or gain this summer? Be honest. Are you set on reaching a certain milestone marker this summer? OR, are you ok if you stay where you are on the scale, between now and Labor Day? OR, are you ok if you gain a little weight this summer?
It's your choice, and it's time to decide so that you will know how to manage your behavior, choices, points, activity and restrictions.
What do you REALLY want? WHY do you REALLY want it? How important is this to you right now? Be realistic. What might get in the way? Where, when, who are the potential obstacles? How will you feel by July 4th if you are not on track? What can you do? How will you feel by Labor Day if you are still not on track? What will you do?
Choosing a plan gives us reasons to stick with a plan. I am concerned with you getting what you REALLY want. You are worth it. You are worthy of your heartfelt desires. You are worthy of your goals. You deserve to get what you want out of this precious life of yours.
A great summer--yes, plan on it.
A healthful summer--yes, plan on it.
An active summer--yes, plan on it.
Control over the scale according to your plan--yes, plan on it too.
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Relaxation through Breathing
Stress is a part of life. It gets us up in the morning. It gets us to the airport on time before a flight. It gets dinner on the table when everyone is hungry. That's normal stress. Then there is the super stress that makes every move difficult, full of tension, frustration, impatience and maybe anger.
One of the best ways to dial down the super stress is through breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the nose. By doing this, we engage the parasympathetic nervous system that calms us down. We can lower the blood pressure through relaxation breathing. We can become more efficient breathers by practicing intentional breath. We can use this technique anywhere and everywhere that we need to slow down, calm down, take a pause and relieve super stress.
Most of us inhale 18,000-20,000 breaths per day. Most of us only inhale half of our potential lung capacity. By practicing this self soothing technique (the most basic form of meditation) we are improving our relaxation response and health.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to think about something positive like the word "calm"--and inhale deeply thinking of "calm" and take a pause--then exhale deeply with a word like "chaos." Whenever you inhale, you bring towards you what you want to attract. Whenever you exhale, you release what is no longer serving you. At first it can feel hard to focus. At first it feels like you're "not really doing anything." However, if practice for a few minutes every day, you may find that it actually is helping. You can self soothe. You can become more aware of what is going on. You can become more conscious of stress factors and more capable of dealing with them.
This is a win/win. No equipment is needed. No gym membership. No special place. As long as you have a breath in your body, you can release tension.
Life is full of its ups and downs, joys and disappointments, pleasures and pains. We don't need to look for stress, it will find us no matter what. How we choose to respond to stress is what we can control. So, start breathing more deeply. Start watching your belly puff up on the inhale and sink in on the exhale. Breathe in three or four counts and pause; then breathe out three or four counts. Let go of expectations, and let the breath do its work.
It's worth the time and the effort, because YOU are worth it.
One of the best ways to dial down the super stress is through breathing deeply in through the nose and out through the nose. By doing this, we engage the parasympathetic nervous system that calms us down. We can lower the blood pressure through relaxation breathing. We can become more efficient breathers by practicing intentional breath. We can use this technique anywhere and everywhere that we need to slow down, calm down, take a pause and relieve super stress.
Most of us inhale 18,000-20,000 breaths per day. Most of us only inhale half of our potential lung capacity. By practicing this self soothing technique (the most basic form of meditation) we are improving our relaxation response and health.
One of the easiest ways to do this is to think about something positive like the word "calm"--and inhale deeply thinking of "calm" and take a pause--then exhale deeply with a word like "chaos." Whenever you inhale, you bring towards you what you want to attract. Whenever you exhale, you release what is no longer serving you. At first it can feel hard to focus. At first it feels like you're "not really doing anything." However, if practice for a few minutes every day, you may find that it actually is helping. You can self soothe. You can become more aware of what is going on. You can become more conscious of stress factors and more capable of dealing with them.
This is a win/win. No equipment is needed. No gym membership. No special place. As long as you have a breath in your body, you can release tension.
Life is full of its ups and downs, joys and disappointments, pleasures and pains. We don't need to look for stress, it will find us no matter what. How we choose to respond to stress is what we can control. So, start breathing more deeply. Start watching your belly puff up on the inhale and sink in on the exhale. Breathe in three or four counts and pause; then breathe out three or four counts. Let go of expectations, and let the breath do its work.
It's worth the time and the effort, because YOU are worth it.
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
A Memory to Help Manage Stress
The older I get, the more responsibilities I have, and the more stress I recognize coming into my life. The older I get, the more adept I become at recognizing my limitations and protecting myself from drama. The older I get, the more serious certain worries about my family members become. While I can accept these statements and usually "go with the flow" and manage, there are times when stress piles on, and it becomes too much.
What I have discovered most recently is that keeping normal routines is a big help. I found that running into other people who are doing "normal" things is a relief. While it's harder to make an effort and go to the gym, I know I need it even more. It's harder to get up and put on a smile and face the world, but the alternative is worse. It's harder to care about certain things, but I have to go through the motions at least, in order to keep going. The other thing I noticed is that during tough times is that I wish I could "walk off the stage "and enter another life. This is normal--an escape. This is self preservation. However, walking off is not possible in my role, but then I started remembering a favorite childhood memory.
My grandfather, Poppy, was the best grandfather I could ever imagine. He had enormous patience, and he loved me dearly. He would wake me up from naps and get me out of my crib. He would give me and my siblings little candies before dinner. I have a photo of him holding me when I was about 4 months old, in my bedroom. One time when I was about 4 or 5, I climbed up the kitchen counter and opened the corner cabinet where the orange baby aspirin were kept. They tasted like candy, and I remember eating a bunch of them. I don't remember what happened next, but I was taken to Nanny and Poppy's house. It was a summer day. I remember the warm sun shining, and it was very quiet at their small ranch house. I remember my grandparents staring at me, watching me. There were no dramatics. I didn't feel sick or vomit. I didn't get rushed to the emergency room. All I remember is the love and kindness all around me. My Poppy was a big gardener. He coaxed African violets to bloom under sunlamps in his basement. He walked around with a pen knife and got rid of dandelions the old fashioned way. He even picked beatles off his rose bushes with his fingers and put them in a small can of kerosene. In his early 70's, he had a heart attack in his beloved garden and died four days later at the hospital. I was eleven years old at the time. He's been gone most of my life, but the love he showed me grounded me then and grounds me still. Mining this memory is like a big hug from a great man who can still make me feel like things will be ok.
I share this story because when life is challenging, we need all the help we can get. Relief from pressure, even for a brief moment, can remind us that things are always shifting. We cannot suffer forever. We cannot live in a state of near-perfect bliss every moment either. What we can do is proceed with caution and kindness, doing normal things, with normal people who are doing the same thing.
What I have discovered most recently is that keeping normal routines is a big help. I found that running into other people who are doing "normal" things is a relief. While it's harder to make an effort and go to the gym, I know I need it even more. It's harder to get up and put on a smile and face the world, but the alternative is worse. It's harder to care about certain things, but I have to go through the motions at least, in order to keep going. The other thing I noticed is that during tough times is that I wish I could "walk off the stage "and enter another life. This is normal--an escape. This is self preservation. However, walking off is not possible in my role, but then I started remembering a favorite childhood memory.
My grandfather, Poppy, was the best grandfather I could ever imagine. He had enormous patience, and he loved me dearly. He would wake me up from naps and get me out of my crib. He would give me and my siblings little candies before dinner. I have a photo of him holding me when I was about 4 months old, in my bedroom. One time when I was about 4 or 5, I climbed up the kitchen counter and opened the corner cabinet where the orange baby aspirin were kept. They tasted like candy, and I remember eating a bunch of them. I don't remember what happened next, but I was taken to Nanny and Poppy's house. It was a summer day. I remember the warm sun shining, and it was very quiet at their small ranch house. I remember my grandparents staring at me, watching me. There were no dramatics. I didn't feel sick or vomit. I didn't get rushed to the emergency room. All I remember is the love and kindness all around me. My Poppy was a big gardener. He coaxed African violets to bloom under sunlamps in his basement. He walked around with a pen knife and got rid of dandelions the old fashioned way. He even picked beatles off his rose bushes with his fingers and put them in a small can of kerosene. In his early 70's, he had a heart attack in his beloved garden and died four days later at the hospital. I was eleven years old at the time. He's been gone most of my life, but the love he showed me grounded me then and grounds me still. Mining this memory is like a big hug from a great man who can still make me feel like things will be ok.
I share this story because when life is challenging, we need all the help we can get. Relief from pressure, even for a brief moment, can remind us that things are always shifting. We cannot suffer forever. We cannot live in a state of near-perfect bliss every moment either. What we can do is proceed with caution and kindness, doing normal things, with normal people who are doing the same thing.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
Let Go of Limitations
When I teach yoga classes, I tell my students to "let go of whatever isn't serving you...negative thoughts, frustrations, shoulds...limitations." It's a great message off the mat as well. How often do we allow self imposed constraints define us? How often do we listen to the "negative tapes" that keep looping in our brains? Maybe it is too often.
The problem is that we start believing the negative messages that we hear. We then allow those negative messages to become reality. Instead of expanding our capabilities, we limit them. This happens with simple things like--getting some exercise and far bigger things like looking for a new job or getting out of a dysfunctional situation.
Let's explore exercise. We know that it is a good idea. We know that we feel better when we are done. We know that we actually have more energy after exercising even if we were tired when we started. Some of us know that we need a formal class, gym, fitness buddy or trainer to keep us going. Others know when the better time to exercise is. Morning, noon, after work, night--you pick. However, and yet, and somehow, we manage to talk ourselves out of what we know is a good thing.
Exercise is the healthiest of all legal stress relievers. Meditation is a close second. When we move the body, we get out of the overthinking mind and into something entirely different. We forget our worries for the moment and focus on something healthy that creates the endorphins and the sense of accomplishment that makes us feel good.
One of the best things about exercise is that just a little can add up to a lot. If I were in charge of the world, everyone would get two ten or fifteen minute recess breaks a day. Leave desks and phones and computers. Meet in a communal spot. Move the body with gentle stretching and take back a fruit or veggie snack. It would be destressing and enable everyone to feel better. The negative self talk and the limiting tapes that play would start quieting down.
We can all take better care of ourselves. We are the ones who have to make it happen. The world we live in is full of 24/7 stimulation. We are the ones who have to let go. We deserve a brain break, a natural mood enhancer and limitless possibilities.
The problem is that we start believing the negative messages that we hear. We then allow those negative messages to become reality. Instead of expanding our capabilities, we limit them. This happens with simple things like--getting some exercise and far bigger things like looking for a new job or getting out of a dysfunctional situation.
Let's explore exercise. We know that it is a good idea. We know that we feel better when we are done. We know that we actually have more energy after exercising even if we were tired when we started. Some of us know that we need a formal class, gym, fitness buddy or trainer to keep us going. Others know when the better time to exercise is. Morning, noon, after work, night--you pick. However, and yet, and somehow, we manage to talk ourselves out of what we know is a good thing.
Exercise is the healthiest of all legal stress relievers. Meditation is a close second. When we move the body, we get out of the overthinking mind and into something entirely different. We forget our worries for the moment and focus on something healthy that creates the endorphins and the sense of accomplishment that makes us feel good.
One of the best things about exercise is that just a little can add up to a lot. If I were in charge of the world, everyone would get two ten or fifteen minute recess breaks a day. Leave desks and phones and computers. Meet in a communal spot. Move the body with gentle stretching and take back a fruit or veggie snack. It would be destressing and enable everyone to feel better. The negative self talk and the limiting tapes that play would start quieting down.
We can all take better care of ourselves. We are the ones who have to make it happen. The world we live in is full of 24/7 stimulation. We are the ones who have to let go. We deserve a brain break, a natural mood enhancer and limitless possibilities.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
How Are You NOW
This question came up at a training over the weekend. It is a powerful inquiry that takes all the chaos of life's events and distills them into one precious moment. There is no judging about the question or the possible answer. There is no messy talk about feelings and whether they are valid or worthy. Instead, there is a simple question that invites just as simple and direct a response.
This question is not to be confused with the "how's it going" greeting from people you don't really know like the check out guy at the grocery store. To acquaintances at the store, a simple answer might suffice, i.e. "good--it's good..." But, to the traveler on the curious path of self improvement, the question can mean so much more.
For better or worse, the answer is always shifting because our moods, our circumstances, our people, our level of engagement is always shifting. I might be very revitalized after a big workout, ready to take on the world with positive intention. On the other hand, I might be very dejected after a long day at the hospital with lots of people in crisis. And, let's be honest--what about everything in between--the stuff of life?
It is worthwhile to slow down long enough and step back with a deep breath and ask this question. Life is moving by at the speed of technology which is too demanding for the average person. Sometimes there is no way to ground down to the moment unless you physically stop moving and doing so that you can start breathing and listening.
We are not our bodies. We are not our emotions. We are not the roles we play. But, they all matter dearly, and they can all play a part in answering the question, "How are you NOW?".
My friend, Todd, came to yoga class last week and simply said, "Karen, when is it going to stop?". I told him it isn't. Since that is mostly true and the "stuff" of life is always happening to us, around us, near us or our people, it is US who has to stop. We have to stop the madness and slow down and step back and be open to the answers to our own questions, free of judging the answers while knowing they are always shifting.
When I notice how I am NOW, I can often determine what my next step is. I might even be able to discover what I am capable of. On the other hand, I might just notice how I am--and simply let it be what it is for the moment.
All of this is de-stressing, which is precisely why it matters so much. This week, take a moment at any time and anywhere to simply breathe in deeply and ask yourself honestly "how am I NOW?" so that you can discover where you are and what you might want next. You deserve a happy, healthy, fulfilling life starting right NOW.
This question is not to be confused with the "how's it going" greeting from people you don't really know like the check out guy at the grocery store. To acquaintances at the store, a simple answer might suffice, i.e. "good--it's good..." But, to the traveler on the curious path of self improvement, the question can mean so much more.
For better or worse, the answer is always shifting because our moods, our circumstances, our people, our level of engagement is always shifting. I might be very revitalized after a big workout, ready to take on the world with positive intention. On the other hand, I might be very dejected after a long day at the hospital with lots of people in crisis. And, let's be honest--what about everything in between--the stuff of life?
It is worthwhile to slow down long enough and step back with a deep breath and ask this question. Life is moving by at the speed of technology which is too demanding for the average person. Sometimes there is no way to ground down to the moment unless you physically stop moving and doing so that you can start breathing and listening.
We are not our bodies. We are not our emotions. We are not the roles we play. But, they all matter dearly, and they can all play a part in answering the question, "How are you NOW?".
My friend, Todd, came to yoga class last week and simply said, "Karen, when is it going to stop?". I told him it isn't. Since that is mostly true and the "stuff" of life is always happening to us, around us, near us or our people, it is US who has to stop. We have to stop the madness and slow down and step back and be open to the answers to our own questions, free of judging the answers while knowing they are always shifting.
When I notice how I am NOW, I can often determine what my next step is. I might even be able to discover what I am capable of. On the other hand, I might just notice how I am--and simply let it be what it is for the moment.
All of this is de-stressing, which is precisely why it matters so much. This week, take a moment at any time and anywhere to simply breathe in deeply and ask yourself honestly "how am I NOW?" so that you can discover where you are and what you might want next. You deserve a happy, healthy, fulfilling life starting right NOW.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)