It’s Never to Late to Move in a Better Direction…

I run into people all the time in classes and out and about, who express something about themselves with which they are not happy….maybe their eating habits,  fast-paced lifestyle, having no time to stretch or sleep or (you fill in the blank).

Several months ago, I started down one path with my business that seemed right.  Scratch that – it seemed good enough…But along the way, there was definitely a whisper over my shoulder saying, “You can do better…” or “Stop this – and start again in a new way…”  I continued to ignore the whisper, until it became a bullhorn shout…and then I acted.   I stopped,  stepped back, checked in with my “divine life coach” and set off in a new, better direction.

You can do this as well — with ANYTHING.   If you’re thinking that you don’t eat enough healthy foods, or don’t get enough exercise – don’t continue in the status quo of NOT doing what you know you want to do, and  continuing to tell others that you don’t do what you should…Stop the cycle…It’s never too late to stop moving in one direction, readjust and move forward in a better way…

As an example, think of  Tree pose…you’re standing on one leg and begin to feel that your standing ankle move, feeling a little vulnerable and underqualified for the pose at hand.  What would you do? I think you’d lower your balancing foot…stand in Mountain pose and breathe….and then try again…hmmmm…

This works in many circumstances (health, finances, relationships, work, parenting) …and with my own story of re-adjusting thought we might all need reminding…

Anybody want to share a lesson of examining, re-adjusting and moving in a better direction?

Back to school, Back to busyness?

Santa Cruz Beach

With summer, it’s easy to get out of our weekly routines, even if they’re good for us, like exercising, cooking at home, etc.. We have vacations, summer activities with the kids, all those extra hours of sunshine for gardening, softball, walking the dog…

As our summer ends, and back-to-school activities begin, it’s easy, tempting to get back on the “busyness bus”, where our to-do lists get longer, our calendars booked, our minds frazzled. During the summer, we use the excuse that it’s summer, we don’t need to tackle that long list or fill our days because we’re enjoying the summer – and whatever that means – maybe the kids are home from school, we’re off work (or just working a lighter schedule, like myself) or we just have more important things to focus on.

Then September hits and we’re off to the races until Thanksgiving, Christmas, 2009! It doesn’t have to be this way. Who says that every minute of every day must be filled DOING things? What about STILLNESS, what about NOT DOING, instead?

As some of you know, I made a conscious effort beginning in May and pretty much all summer to do less. No, it wasn’t a ploy to be lazy, but an effort to make space for quieter activities – being still, meditating, praying, enjoying my present moments whatever they may be. It was also an effort to listen in that stillness, for inspiration, guidance, direction. At first, this “not doing” was very frustrating to me…I like to get things done, scratch them off my list. But by July/Aug, I was getting the hang of it. After our vacation to Santa Cruz, CA (see photo), breathing the ocean air, slowing down our pace, I’ve decided it doesn’t have to be a summer thing. Balance is good all year around. We just have to be intentional and mindful about it. Here are some ideas I’d like to share:

• Schedule time for you to be still, quiet or enjoy your favorite refective, rejuvenating activity. The key is to schedule it — just like you would a doctor’s appt, or meeting with your boss.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a few appts with yourself. Maybe you set your goal at 15 minutes a day just for you, and it only actually happened twice last week. That’s still an improvement from not at all.
• Challenge your old way of thinking that busy is better. Wouldn’t you love to answer the “How are you?” question with something other than “We’re sooo busy”? Maybe fewer activities or commitments would mean less stress for you and more time doing/being with what/who you genuinely care about.
• Encourage family and friends to follow suit. The idea that we don’t need to be SO BUSY, that we can deselect things and have downtime shouldn’t be a new idea, but sadly it seems to be. Share with those you care about…if more people catch on, busy, busy, busyness doesn’t have to be the norm.
• Hone in on the activities, people that really do fill you up – whether that’s a weekly yoga class, a good book, a walk with a friend – and make those a priority in your week.

Of course, sometimes we’re just busy. It’s a busy week or a busy season at work…that happens. But, it’s also ok to challenge the mindset that we need to always be so chronically, continuously busy. Step out of the busyness bus and breathe for awhile. You might not want to get back on board.

Healthy Habit #5: Keeping a Journal

I’m a writer. Not a professional writer, but I like to write. I make lists. I keep a paper planner (no blackberry or pda for me). I get some therapeutic satisfaction from actually writing things down (lists, thoughts, whims, etc.), reviewing them, re-tooling them, crossing things off the list – you get my point.

So…on the note of writing, I’ve been keeping journals for a long time – off and on. At some points in my life, I was writing everyday, at other points, the entries are very sporadic with months at a time with no entry. There is something very cathartic about getting whatever is in your head & heart out and on paper. When I’m planning or dreaming, it can be helpful to see those musings on paper and help them get a little closer to reality. When I’m frustrated or worried or burden, those problems or fears just seem smaller, less intimidating in black and white.

So here are a few ideas…take them, leave them, modify them to fit you.

Keep a journal by your bed – At night, a lot of us can have “mental chatter” before we go to sleep. Random thoughts, fears, plans all creep into your mind when you really want to just sleep. Getting those thoughts out of your head and down on paper can be helpful. Even if it’s just jotting down those “I gotta remember to”’s, that’s a start.

Journal after your yoga practice – Yoga tends to bring up emotions, thoughts that we might overlook or avoid during our regular day. (As I once had a yoga teacher tell me in class: “our issues are in our tissues”) . Don’t ignore those – but explore them…take a journal with you to yoga and pop into a coffeehouse or park afterwards and jot those thoughts down. Maybe you had an inspiration on how to handle a challenge or felt a certain peace about something that’s been bothering you. Capture those inspirations.

Take a journal on vacation - Just getting out of your daily routine and scenery is great – that’s why we take vacations…but it can also help our perspective, our stress levels and our creativity. Maybe you’re inspired by a beautiful view or by experiencing a new culture or meeting interesting people. Capture your reactions to what you’re seeing, the highlights of your trip, and any new perspectives on the life you’re coming back to. Getting away can give us new eyes into our world.

Finally, since I have been journaling for awhile, it can be amusing and telling to look back over previous year’s journals and see what was important to me then, what seeds were planted then that have now come to be real parts of my life…

happy writing…

Healthy Habit #3: Juicing, Part 2

As I fully admit – I’m a bit of a wellness junkie – antioxidants, healthy recipes, holistic therapies, you name it.  Sometimes it’s easy to jump on a trend – like eating 8 pistachios a day or meditating every morning and it’s just as easy to jump off the trend and on to the next thing – or worse yet, back to familiar, unhealthy habits. 

One healthy habit that I’ve been able to stick with is juicing.  Not only have I made this part of my routine, I find that I really crave these juices (and have been known to send my husband out for more bundles of kale & beets!) I seem to have more energy and feel better.  See my previous post on juicing for the basics.  Here I thought I’d share a couple of my favorite recipes.

Green Monster:

3-4 leaves of kale (with middle stem removed) [could use other dark leafy greens]

1 apple or pear

1 zucchini (small or half of a larger one)

1/2 cucumber

1-2 stalks of celery (juice this last as the strings get caught in the juicer blade)

Beet & Carrot Concoction:

1 beet quartered and peeled with tops and roots cut off

2 full-size carrots, tops cut off

1 apple or pear

quarter of lemon or lime without the rind

Healthy Habit #3: Juicing

Juicing is a healthy habit that I was resistant to start, but one that I’ve come to crave. When I’m feeling sluggish, needing more energy or feeling just a bit irritable (me? Never!), I juice. For those of you, envisioning that I’m gulping down a full bottle of Sunny-D or Ocean Spray, let me explain.

Juicing – involves taking fresh, whole foods and processing them through a juicer, which extracts the vast majority of nutrients from the food.  Often when we overcook foods, we lose the many nutrients that they offer us.  Juicing also allows you to drink the nutrients of a large quantity of fruits & veggies – that we may not be able to do practically if we were eating those foods. For instance, I can juice a significant quantity (5 servings – what is now recommended) of vegetables: kale, beets, carrots, spinach, celery, broccoli – in a fraction of the time it would take me to prepare & eat them.  Certainly this doesn’t mean juice all of your fruits & vegetables – we need fiber too — but juicing does provide a fairly quick and tasty way to eat healthfully.  Here are a few tips and resources to get you started.

Finding a Juicer: You’ll want to choose a juicer that’s right for you and your budget. I currently have Jack LaLanne’s juicer ($99 from Costco). While it does a good job, I think my next juicer will be a Champion based on my research. Here’s a great article to give you insight on the differences in juicers and help you choose the right one for you. 

http://www.harvestessentials.com/whatjuicisri.html

You’ve got your juicer – Now what? You may want to go online or pick up a basic guide to juicing at your library or local bookstore.  Having a few recipes as your guide will be a good way to start.   You might want to start with a fairly simple juice. Carrot/Apple Juice is a great one to begin with:

2 Full Size Carrots (not the baby ones)

1 Apple, quartered

 As a general rule of thumb, you’ll always want to include something sweet in your juice concoction. An apple or pear is a good choice.  If you start with a Kale/Broccoli/Celery mix, it might be the last time you juice. The apple or pear will balance out the other flavors.   For more great recipes, I’ve found this site:

http://www.harvestessentials.com/juicsaucsoup.html

That’s all I have for now – happy juicing! (I think I have a spinach/cucumber/celery/apple juice in my near future). Enjoy!