Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Relax And Thrive ☺

So if you read my newsletter you have some tools in place to start working on your overall reactions to stress and how to soothe your body with nutrition.  An important start.

Now I'd like to talk a bit about those things you can do daily or off and on during the week that can also make a large improvement in your current health, which if practiced regularly..I guarantee you will see and feel the improvement.

Yoga - Not just 'exercise' yoga is actually a science that has been used over thousands of years.  It is technically considered therapeutic.  It helps you become more aware of your body's posture and alignment. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the middle of stressful situations. 

Even if you start with basic yoga poses and stretches daily, you will begin to feel progress - quite quickly.  You can rent, buy or borrow from library DVDs on yoga to start seeing how you can incorporate it into your day.  I even watched free on youtube.com and typed in 'beginners yoga' and did some poses like that! Classes in your area are everywhere now...many places will allow you to attend a free class to see how you like it.  (This video above it just one of many!)

Some physical benefits: All systems in the body improve...cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory etc.  The body becomes more efficient.  Dexterity and flexibility improve, energy and immunity increases, sleep also improves.  You look and feel younger.

Emotional benefits:  Anxiety and depression decrease, mood improves, memory/attention improves, well-being improves and overall feeling of self improves dramatically.

This is a free, and do-able practice to incorporate into your daily schedule...whether 10 or 45 minutes...I highly suggest you get started. Who cares how little you can do at first or how funny you look!   Look into it at the very least.  I also saw an hour special on PBS not long ago on the benefits of Yoga and pain in the body - very enlightening and at any age - even doing it from your chair! Many on pain meds or restricted in their movement are now off medications and enjoying a better quality of life.
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Meditation
You probably knew this was coming next.  And since I've been doing this quite regularly since before Christmas I am here to attest to the difference I've noticed consistently.  I'm much more easy going - more upbeat and find it easier to turn around a mood that would have a tendency to stay with me too long.  I laugh more, tease and joke more...quite frankly I'm feeling like the better part of me is more upfront on a regular basis.  The other day a customer said to me...you look happy...ha...I mean we were just chatting and he said this out of the blue...I just laughed and said...well why not?  But it was funny to notice as it was not a day different from many others..however my outlook was not the same.  

My boss even asked me a week so ago...when I said "Good morning"  when passing him in the hall...- he said "What's so funny?"  I  turned around and said..'What do you mean?' and he just said because of the way I was smiling...lol  Again...too funny, I said "I'm just in a good mood." And the funny thing is I tend to think I am usually in a fairly good mood - compared to many I come in contact with. Guess I needed a wake-up call too!  But this was all due to 10-15 min of daily meditation.  Wow.

Try and take timeout where ever you can - at home, work, on a break - it can just be for 5 minutes of concentrating on your breathing.  It's not meant to be difficult or stressful! lol That would defeat the point.  Guided meditations help me and I find I can sit still much longer this way.  

Meditation has been proven to help with depression and anxiety - immensely.  So again this is free, easy and accessible no matter who you are how crazy your life might seem.  Just do it.