To kick off this post, I want to send everyone wishes for a Happy and Healthy New Year! I am sure that we are all back in the swings of things gearing up for a productive start to 2014.
I was big on New Year’s resolutions…always gearing my mindset to focus and accomplish certain goals throughout year. But then started to realize a negative connotation to it and began to hear it from others. There was always disappointment when a resolution wasn’t achieved or even started. Some may experience an overwhelming feeling of impossibility and lacking initiative which sets off a chain reaction of frustration and a sense of giving up. So I’m sure you’ve already set your list of “resolutions” but I ask you not resolve but instead explore each of them.
Here is my simple list that I am super excited to explore! 1. Going upside down!Yes, I have faced that fear and am admitting to you all that I do not enjoy being upside down. It’s simply that I don’t like to fall. Maybe there is a subconscious message about it but in all seriousness, I don’t like to lose control of my body and potentially crack my neck or break my back. I know…so dramatic. But I am grabbing this bull by the horns and will go upside down in a handstand or forearm stand at least 5x a week. Totally doable and with the help of my yoga teacher, Phillip Askew, I know my feet will rise above the rest! I’m super excited for this ride as I explore tackling my fear of falling.
2. Chef Julia!I should either buy stock in Juice Generation or purchase a Vitamix. Thanks to my brother and my sister-in-law, the latter is the answer. I shall now grind to make almond butter, mix to make soup, and blend to make green drinks. And explore what else I can do with this amazing machine. Going raw and cooking from scratch will help feed my body with cleaner and healthier foods. Looking forward to putting my skills to the test.
Vitamix 7500
3. Exploration Drogo! Every morning, I choose between 3 paths to walk Drogo. We see the same scenery, same dogs, same doggy owners, sniff the same scents and it’s just the same same same. Just last Sunday, I took a different path in Central Park and not only did I discover a rustic bridge that lead into a running waterfall but Drogo was ecstatically sniffing his way through. Twice a month, I will take Drogo on a different path and explore Riverside and Central Park while exposing his nose to different pee and poo scents. Can’t wait for the journey.
This is Drogo. Isn’t he cute?
4. Breath and Meditation Project. I consider this a serious project. It is something that takes a plan, coordination, focus, and set up. All of those efforts to step away from my crazy schedule to close my eyes and take deep slow breaths and/or to sit in a comfortable seat and meditate for at least 15 minutes. It is so tough to do but when I find the time for it, it feels so darn good! I’ll try this 3x a week and see where it takes me.
I have already begun my explorations and hope you all have, too. Accept the attempts you take (or lack of), acknowledge any difficulty or resistance you encounter, and simply experience the process. View your list as opportunities of growth instead of moments of achievements or failure. And most importantly…have fun!
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my weekly food intake so celebrating Thanksgiving definitely threw me off my eating routine filling it with what I call the Big 3 (Gluten – Dairy – Sugar). Unless you’re hosting the dinner yourself and cooking every dish with your dietary restrictions in mind, it’s hard to resist the gluten filled stuffing, the creamy green bean casserole, and the sugary pecan pie – all on the menu at my mom’s this weekend. Although I contributed to the meal with my Big 3-free brussel sprouts dish, I couldn’t avoid it altogether in the other dishes. Not a big deal as the holidays come once a year and eating the Big 3 in moderation is not the end of the world (depending on your health condition). But as my sister-in-law called out the ingredients for her dish, all I heard was Gluten! Dairy! Sugar!
Gluten, dairy and sugar create inflammation in your digestive system. The more inflamed your system, the more susceptible you are to allergy, illness, chronic condition, and disease – not to mention a constant bloat in the belly and puffiness throughout your body. The conventional supermarket offer limited choices but little by little market shelves are stocking Big 3-Free items. However be aware of those that claim to be free of these ingredients as they will more than likely have filler ingredients that will replace one for the other.
Here are some great (and my favorite) healthy alternatives to the Big 3 that you will enjoy and won’t make you feel like you’re missing out.
1.Quinoa, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, and Brown Rice are all great alternatives to gluten (oats, wheat, barley, rye). All are gluten free so your body can easily digest without bloat or belly pain. Replace your gluten breads, pastas, granolas, and snacks with these options:
– Brown Rice Bread by Food for Life
– Millet and Flax pita chips by Sami’s Bakery
– Brown Rice Pasta by Lundberg or Tinkyada – Granola by Purely Elizabeth – Granola bars by Two Moms in the Raw – Brown Rice Flour by Bob’s Red Mill
2.Almond, Rice, Coconut, Goat, or Sheep milks are other dairy options to enjoy if you want some creamy goodness. Goat and sheep milk manufacturing is not as processed and have slightly different variations in the amount of lactose and casein than cow milk, which help the gut to digest easier. Almond, coconut, and rice milks are derived from its original source containing no traces of casein or lactose sugar making it easily digestible as well. These are some of my favorite dairy go-to foods:
3.Raw honey, real maple syrup, and coconut sugar are great substitutes when you’ve got a sweet tooth. Sugar is by far the most complex of the 3. It’s hidden in everything you eat and often come in artificial forms. Even if the words don’t stand out on the label (sucrose, dextrin, rice syrup), there are so many derivatives of sugar that even complex carbs such as bagels, breads, pastas fall in the category of these refined sugars. Our bodies break them down just the same and can create serious health issues. I love these sweet indulgences that help me curb my cravings while steering clear of processed sugars:
– Dark chocolate from Not Your Sugar Mama – Probiotic Chia Berry Yogurt from Organic Avenue
– Chocolate Mousse from Organic Avenue – Protein Bar from 22 Days Nutrition
Living in NYC has made having these diet restrictions an easier experience as both larger chains and smaller health food stores offer a variety of options. The key to finding the right foods (and not the fake foods) is to read the labels. If there are more than 5 ingredients and you’re unsure of what most of them are, then it’s safe to assume that food is not the ideal choice. We all have our food vices but try exploring next time you’re at the store (Health Nuts is a great one!) and see if you can be Big 3-Free!
*Most foods above can be found at Trader Joe’s, Fairway, Whole Foods, Organic Avenue, and Health Nuts. Sami’s Bakery and Not Your Sugar Mama can easily be ordered online and shipped to your home. Enjoy!
Known more for balance, stretch, and mind body connection, many would not look to Yoga to lose weight or to help increase cardio endurance. Unless it’s a Bikram Yoga class (due to the high temperature in the room, your heart rate increases as a means to cool your system down) or performing an intense and fast paced yoga sequence (which is never recommended for beginners due to the likelihood of injury), the average maximum heart rate reached in a yoga class is anywhere from 95bpm-100bpm. MSN writes a good article about calories burned in yoga in comparison to other activities.
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I encouraged everyone to try Chandra Namaskar (Moon Salutation) to find a calming yoga practice. But if you’re looking to get your body warm and increase heat, Surya Nasmaskar (Sun Salutation) is the way to go. I love to add strength and power into my workouts especially when I teach yoga. Not necessary for all sequences but great if you want to cultivate some heat into your yoga practice. Check out this version of a Sun Salutation with two exercises that will increase your heart rate and get your sweat on! Try it!
In Vinyasa Yoga, a very common sequence is the Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar). Sun Salutation is considered a Yang practice where the flow of the asanas (poses) are faster, more aggressive and challenging and is meant to create heat and energy in the body. Most yoga classes will start off with Sun Salutations as a warm up or within other sequences to push and challenge the body. The complimenting sequence to Surya Nasmakar is the Yin practice of the Moon Salutation (Chandra Namaskar). This quieting practice is slower, passive, more grounding and is meant to soothe and calm you – a perfect cool down or restorative practice.
These dueling practices hold significant benefits so depending on where your mind and body is at, choose the practice that will help bring balance to you. If you are feeling agitated and stressed, Chandra Namaskar would be beneficial. And if you are needing a pick me up or are feeling fiery, try Surya Namaskar to strengthen and energize.
Since we are in the Fall season, where life’s pace picks up speed, I invite everyone to try Chandra Namaskar. It’s goal is to ground and nurture your body but you will still feel your muscles benefit from the stretch this sequence gives you.
Practice this sequence 5 times on each leg and observe how your body feels. Check out next week’s blog post when I mix up Surya Namaskar with some challenging strengthening poses to really get your heart rate going!
I am dedicating this blog post to one of my favorite students, Lauren Riess. Her dedication, drive, and love for fitness helped her lose 100 lbs and finally get the flat stomach she dreamed of since she was a teenager. Her story and achievements are what makes my job so rewarding and so proud to have students like her.
For as long as Lauren can remember, she has always struggled with her weight. From 13 years of age through her college years, she fluctuated between 230 lbs to 270 lbs. Working out with a trainer, bouncing from one fad diet to another, controlling her urge to binge, and the emotional roller coaster that would take her from the high of losing weight to the low of accepting that she may be obsese forever. Her family encouraged her to eat healthy and stay active but as much as she tried, it was always an uphill battle. Lauren recalls, “I thought it was too late for me and for most of my life. I just accepted what I believed was my fate. Even when I was motivated and did lose weight through diets, I never to stuck to them. I would see success, lose 20 lbs and then quit.” The thought of having to continue on that track and commit to several more months of dieting and exercising only sent her back to depression and to inevitably give up again.
This yo-yo routine is common for those trying to lose substantial weight in a short time frame or for those that don’t have enough information or direction on how to. They jump on the bandwagon of fad diets (Hollywood Diet, Zone, Atkins, Cabbage Soup diet, Master Cleanse) that help you temporarily take off the weight but don’t help to keep it off or teach how to eat properly for the long run. It’s a typical set-up-to fail situation.
Lauren and I met at Crunch Gym almost 5 years ago. She was back from college for the summer and was determined to try again. She weighed 230 lbs when we first started and and lost 30 lbs in two months with me. But once she returned to college, she gained the weight right back. Her struggle then was with what she considered “diet foods.” Choosing to have diet coke, 10 calorie Jello, SmartOnes, sugar/fat free options was her idea of eating healthy. Her portions were large and eating patterns were uncontrollable and inconsistent. She had seen nutritionists who planned meals for her but she never stuck to them. She continued to “relapse into her old eating habits, not being conscious of portions, and lacking any desire to control herself around food”. Losing weight and being healthy was an insurmountable task that she felt she will never achieve.
Lauren 2011
After college, she got back on track and lost 45 lbs bringing her to 206 lbs in 2012. Lauren states “I realized I had to see Julia again when I had lost that weight but although I was skinnier, I wasn’t healthier and was going down a path that would cause me to revert into the same mindset and habits that contributed to my failures so many times.” She was seeing a doctor who put her on a 6 week low calorie diet that consisted of shakes, protein bars, and soups – an unrealistic diet that would put the pounds back on. “After 3 years apart, I still always talked about Julia and how she changed my summer. Now that I was really ready to commit, I knew she was the only person who could help and continue to keep me motivated on this journey towards health.”
So here we are today! Lauren, 200%, committed herself to living a natural and healthy lifestyle – to not only lose the weight but to become mentally and physically stronger so to never go back down that dark, scary, and overwhelming state that she experienced for over 10 years. She worked out 5-6 days a week (seeing me 2-3x), stuck to a“clean” diet without compromising her cravings. Lauren has lost a total of 100 lbs since the end of 2011 and 50 lbs of that with me since May 2012. Due to the substantial weight loss, excess skin was left around her midsection which became problematic during her workouts and a potential health risk. In May 2013, she received a tummy tuck that has now given her a flat stomach that she has always wanted.
Lauren 2013
Now weighing 150 lbs (her lowest weight), she still trains with me 3x a week, sticks to a clean diet and cleanses with me 2-3x a year. We can now work on sculpting, toning, and defining her muscles. Students like Lauren are hard to come by. So many come to me with a goal, reach it and then stop their workouts, go back to their old ways only to come back to me after 6 months. Lauren has fully embraced the fit and healthy lifestyle that I teach and now lives it to this day. She spreads the word of how exercising and eating right is what got her to her goal. But mostly expresses her deep gratitude for the love and support from her family and friends and how she could have never done it without them. Her mother and father are absolutlely adorable and I will never forget that day when they came to visit me after a run in the park with Lauren. They greeted me with a beautiful orchid, a card, and a hug with tears in their eyes thanking me for changing their daughter’s life.
So although this post may seem like an ode to me and my ability to whip someone into shape…this is a feat that is rarely achieved and should be recognized. So my hats to Lauren for being such an incredible human being and for being an exemplary student. Keep up the great work!
*Thank you, Lauren for allowing me to write about your journey to health. Love you, girl!
Two weeks ago, I had pushed my body to its limit. Long runs, heavy lifting, intense yoga practice and a stressful week at work, I felt a deep pain in my joints, especially in my hip which was healing a stress fracture and a strain in the attachment at my greater trochanter. These injuries began to radiate throughout my hip (specifically in my sacroiliac joint – located in the pelvis by the sacrum) into my lower back. My yoga teacher, Ariel Karass, informed me after our private session that I needed to take at least 3 weeks off from physical activity. I’ve had more than my share of doctors, bodywork therapists, and fellow trainers tell me the same but his confirmation made my decision final.
During my week of rest (more mentally and physically challenging than I had expected), I worked with two massage therapists, a guided meditation teacher, and received chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture – all to help me heal. After collecting data from these brilliant professionals, there was one profound piece of information that hit the bull’s eye!
This was nothing new to me and something I often educate my students on yet I neglected to see this in myself…a simple pronation of my left foot. Pronation of the foot is when the heel angles inward and the arch collapses. Those with arches in their feet all have some form of pronation. It depends how extreme the pronation that determines how the foot will strike the ground, how the body will absorb the shock and where the bones and muscles will align as the foot lands. Runner’s World wrote a great article on the different types of pronation.
Regine Rousseau, massage therapist and pre-med student studying Orthopedic Surgery in Sports Medicine, performed alignment assessments before she began bodywork on me. Try these on yourself! – Pelvic tilt: Place 1 finger on the front boney knobs on each side of your hip. CHECK!Are your fingers lined up to form a straight line? Is one higher than the other? The one lower means that your pelvis is anteriorly rotated and the higher is posteriorly rotated. – Slow walk: Take your time and consciously step one foot in front of the other when walking across a room. CHECK!Do your arches roll in? Does one hip drop down more than the other? Does your pelvis move front and back or side to side? – External rotation of the legs: Lay on your back, make sure your legs are set hip width apart, flex both feet so they point straight up, then relax them. CHECK!Does one leg roll out more than the other?
My results were YES to most of the above. But the problem was in the over-pronation of my left foot. It created a tightness in the entire foot that led to a chain reaction up the shin to the knee to the hip flexors and then finally to the lower back. Who would have thought that your feet would lead to hip pain. But when you think of it…it’s pretty obvious.
The foot is the foundation of our body’s structure and the first and last part of the body to touch the ground. Elasticity of the foot is crucial as every step demands a stretching of its muscles and attachments. As elasticity decreases, so do the biomechanics. Not only do the muscles need to be elastic but most importantly the fascia that encases these muscles. Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds our muscles, groups of muscles, and nerves (think of pantyhose or the casing around sausage). Fascia binds groups of muscles together so that others can slide smoothly over each other. When there is tightness or adhesion in the fascia, limitations occur in movement creating a pulling effect on muscles and their insertions.
For example, in over-pronation of the foot, the arch is where the pulling stems from. Inside the structure of the arch is the insertion point of the tibia posterior (see image) which travels up the back of the shin bone and behind the tibialis anterior (the muscle right next to the shin bone). When the fascia of your feet (plantar fascia) become overworked or bounded, it can add more pressure and pulling of the tibia posterior which can affect the alignment of your knees into the hips and up the back.
Tibialis Posterior insertion in the foot
This is when rolling of the foot or better known as Myofascial Release is the cure. Myofascial Release has exploded in both the fitness and massage industry and now recognized as the most effective form of healthcare therapy and treatment of pain and dysfunction. There are 2 ways of MFR: passive (one is completely relaxed and work is done on them) or active (where resistance is applied such as foam rolling).
Let’s talk about active release. Grab a tennis ball or a massage ball (I love these!) (for more density, use a lacrosse ball) and begin by placing it on the arch of your foot. Slowly roll up and down the arch releasing the fascia. When you find a tender spot, stop and apply your body weight to release adhesions. Once tension releases, begin to roll up and down the foot (see anatomy). Make sure you get the outer blade, center, and the balls of the feet. This will release tension in your feet and help you find more elasticity and stability as you walk, run, and stand.
Anatomy of the Foot. Note Fascia.
Strengthening the feet is just as important. Toe raises, toe taps, and resistance band work will strengthen the muscles of the feet and the lower leg helping to stabilize your stance, making your feet accountable for every step!
So the next time you’re feeling hip or back pain, look down at your feet. Pay attention to tightness and range of motion. Start by rolling your feet and then work your way up the leg to the hip. You will be surprised how those 2 little extremities can play a huge part in living a pain free life!
* Thank you to those that helped me heal during my week of rest. I’m so thankful to have them as part of my Community. Massage Therapists: Regine Rousseau + Amey Shue (Soho Sanctuary) Chiropractor and Acupuncturist: Dr. Gabrielle Francis (The Herban Alchemist) Guided Meditation: Alison Blake
Yoga Teacher: Ariel Karass (Ariel Karass)
Most are under the impression that to lose weight or fat you need to spend a good chunk of time doing cardio. Jump on a treadmill for 45-60 minutes = burn the most calories = drop the weight. That mentality does hold some truth because calorie intake vs expenditure is the key to weight loss. But the bigger question is what does that cardio workout consist of?
Low intensity steady state (LISS) cardio workouts are often what you see in the gym. This type of workout consist of purely low to moderate type of exercise. An example would be walking on the treadmill or riding a bike and being able to hold a conversation. When considering our body’s energy system and what it uses for fuel, LISS does help with burning fat as a whole. At a lower heart rate (120 beats per minute or less), your energy source is primarily body fat. Once your heart rate starts to climb (140 bpm +) and you begin to fatigue, your body will start to look for other sources of fuel such as blood sugar and muscle glycogen. When your heart rate reaches a consistent 150-160 bpm for 45-60 minutes, your body will revert to using fat as fuel. Sounds great when you’re focused on losing fat. However, in the initial weeks of LISS cardio workouts, you will see a change but your body quickly adapts, your metabolism will plateau, and eventually the weight loss will cease. That same workout will be what your body will use simply to maintain.
If one of your goals is to increase strength and muscle tone while losing fat, then LISS aren’t the workouts for you. During long periods of LISS, after it has used fat as fuel, your body will start to search for glycogen. Once your body is depleted of glycogen (mainly due to improper diet), its next source will be protein. Once it starts to use protein, your body begins to waste its muscle, known as catabolism. This works against all the strength training that one does for that toned and sculpted look.
Consider high intensity interval training (HIIT). This method of exercise allows for high intensity training alternated with short periods of recuperation or low intensity training. An example of HIIT would be running at a fast speed on a high incline for 1-2 minutes followed by a moderate pace walk or rest. Originally developed by track coaches to train their runners for speed, HIIT has scientifically proven to burn more body fat – in less time- than LISS workouts. The main reason for this is due to the great calorie burn that’s maintained after the workout is over, better known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption). HIIT workouts require muscle strength and endurance. Once you develop muscles and continue to strengthen them, your body burns calories even when you’re sitting around doing nothing. This, in turn, helps to increase your metabolism. This “resting” metabolism helps muscle cells promote fat burning and prevent fat storage.
Win-Win!
This doesn’t mean that LISS workouts are not effective. They’re actually great for beginners that have just started a fitness routine and for those that may not be ready for the intense interval workouts. But if you’re looking to maximize your workouts (especially those that have limited time), ditch the long cardio workouts and TRY THIS! on a treadmill. Have fun!
1. Walk at 3.5 speed on 3.0 incline (1 min warm up)
2. Light jog at 4.5 speed on 5.0 incline (1 min warm up)
3. Run at 7.0 – 11.0* speed on 10.0 incline (1 min)
4. Walk at 3.5 speed on 10.0 incline (2 min)
5. Run at 7.0 -11.0* speed on 8.0 incline (2 min)
6. Walk at 3.5 speed on 8.0 incline (2 min)
Repeat steps 3-6 two more times and cool down with a 3.5 walk on 3.0 incline for 2 minutes. And don’t forget to stretch!
*Depending on fitness level, minimum speed is 7.0 or maximum speed is 11.0.
Just returned from a fantastic vacation in Mexico visiting Tulum and Riviera Maya (for my brother’s wedding) and I have truly been transported. My favorite part of this vacation, other than my brother tying the knot, was going back to simplicity…in Tulum.
If you haven’t been already, please put it on your list and visit this one strip of jungle-meets-ocean lined with eco conscious lodging, boutiques, and restaurants. Where electricity and water is conserved and common hotel amenities are few, Tulum allows you to connect with the green of the earth and the sounds of the oceans.
Climbing the Coba Ruins and jumping into cenotes were some of the tourist activities we did but my favorite was visiting Yoga Shala and starting my day with yoga.
Road to Yoga Shala. Yoga Shala located on the right.
Downward Dog at Yoga Shala
In addition to class at Yoga Shala, I joined Sherry Sidoti’s retreat group with a morning yoga session that was held in a hut overlooking the ocean. I also had a chance to meditate on the beach, connecting my breath with each crash of a wave. What is better than that?
If you have a list of places to visit, definitely put Tulum on that list. Even if you’re not into yoga or enjoy the more pampering all-inclusive hotels, you will still appreciate how real and natural a tourist city can be kept.
* Sherry Sidoti and I did our teacher training program together at Sonic Yoga. I’m so proud to have Sherry as part of My Community. She is an amazing fitness and yoga teacher and has a studio in Martha’s Vineyard. Please check out her site at Fly Yoga.
Chaturanga Dandasana is a challenging asana that’s an essential part of many different yoga practices. Also known as Four-Limbed Staff Pose, the whole body is parallel to the floor, stiff as a staff (spine) with the four limbs equally supporting the body. This posture requires complete body integration.
A perfect Chaturanga
Chaturanga is a key part of the Sun Salutation sequence that strengthens your arms, chest, and wrists and is a great preparation for arm balances. Many students attempt the full posture without fully understanding the pose or taking the time to practice the strengthening components to build the foundation. Needless to say, majority of students are practicing this pose incorrectly.
Here are some common mistakes you will see in Chaturanga: 1. Anterior rotation of the shoulders: Due to weakness in the upper body. Shoulder heads roll forward as elbows bend to lower down. 2. Collapsing in the chest: If shoulders roll forward, this creates a rounding in the upper back and the chest to cave in. 3. Deep arch in the lower back: Happens when abdominals are not engaged. Think plank when you begin to lower your body down. 4. Sagging hips: This happens because legs are not engaged to help support the lower body.
A great modification is to drop the knees to the floor and then lower into the pose. This will help to focus on strengthening the arms, back, and chest before you bring in the legs.
TRY THIS! This is a great technique that will guide you into the posture, strengthen all the muscles involved, and to slowly build a solid foundation to do Chaturanga the right way!
If I were to sum up this week, I’d say it in one word….GRATEFUL! My birthday was last week and on the actual day, I did the things that I loved and would make me happy (run in the park and a workout, hang with my dog, day at the spa, delicious meal, and time with my fiancee). The one thing that would have made it more perfect would be to spend time with my family and closest friends. The week was filled with gifts, dinners, messages of love and affection but most of all moments of retrospection and reflection. And it really got me to think about life and the race we run every day in the ultimate pursuit of attaining happiness.
This weekend, I attended a workshop hosted by Kayleigh Pleas. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Kayleigh a few years back as a fitness instructor. She has taken her fitness talents further and now is a nutrition and wellness coach. Her workshop is called the “How to Happiness” and basically breaks down the science of happiness and how your nervous and endocrine systems work together to produce an overall shift in your body. Kayleigh’s research to support her teaching was extensive studying work from neuroscientist, Rick Hansen to social psychologist, Barbara Frederickson. She started her workshop with a positivity ratio quiz that measures your moments of contentment, gratitude, negativity, boredom, confidence, disgust and so many more emotions on a daily basis. It’s amazing how many emotions we tap into daily. This workshop teaches you how to be mindful of these emotions (especially the negative ones) and to turn them into positive happy ones.
I can’t say that I experience unhappiness as I generally have a positive outlook in life and am a happy-go-lucky person but will admit that living in NYC can wear that down. There are times that I want to barrel through the crowds at the Times Square train station and see how many people I can knock over. Not good and from what I learned in Kayleigh’s workshop, this negative emotion sets off the wheels to create a turmoil of hormones (cortisol and dopamine) to whirl around my body creating stress and uneasiness. I now bring awareness to those emotions once they arise and try to calm myself down before I react. But it takes practice.
Here are some things that I have taught myself to practice daily to remain calm and achieve happiness every NY minute of my day.
#1 Let Go! You can’t possibly be in control of every second in your life. Some things you just have to leave up to faith and fate. If you find yourself on a stalled train and you’re already running behind or if everything has gone wrong since the moment you stepped out your door, then just take a deep breath in and let it all go. Once you start to stress or feel anxious, your hypothalamus (a small but very important part of your brain that links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland) gears up to work. Your system then starts to secrete hormones through your system, your heart begins to pump faster, your digestive system stops during this time, and this cycle continues over and over again. If you stress often and long enough, your physical and mental body will break. Know that every moment you stress or huff in frustration, the less control you have not only of the situation but for yourself as well.
#2 Work It Out! Now that Spring has finally arrived, take your workouts outside. I love to take my clients for a run to Central Park or Washington Square Park. I use the park benches for step ups, push ups, tricep dips, and ab work. Find a set of stairs and use that for cardio. Take a resistance band with you and the exercises are endless. The benefits of exercise are hard to ignore. Physical activity gets your blood flowing smoothly (to help combat cardiovascular disease), delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues (improve muscle strength and endurance), help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep (to increase mental alertness), stimulates various brain chemicals (improving your mood leaving you feeling happier and more relaxed) and so much more.
#3 Work on Meditating. I am a yogi but I am far from being a guru in meditation. It is one of the hardest things to do. But I make sure I find brief moments of mindful meditation. On my train commute, between sessions, walking to get my lunch are all moments that I take for meditation. Meditation doesn’t only have to be seated in lotus pose on a yoga mat with your eyes closed. It’s what you make of it but most important is to clear your mind of everything but one thing. Neuroscientists have found that meditation shifts brain activity to different areas of the cortex. This mental shift decreases the negative effects of stress, mild depression and anxiety.
I’ve recently started a new meditation where I close my eyes and focus on the noises that surround me. I don’t force myself to hear them but allow the noises to travel in one ear and out the other. It’s surprisingly calming and helps me to focus on this one thing – other than having to sit and meditate. Try it!
#4 Express Gratitude! We all know what we want in life and may have an expectation where we should be in life. Since I just had a birthday, I started to think of these expectations (a baby, owning a home, my own business, a certain amount in my bank account, etc.) that I almost lost track of what I do have. When I start to count my blessings, I automatically feel at ease. Being grateful helps your well being. Psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough point out the benefits of expressing gratitude as ranging from better physical health to improved mental alertness. We forget about how much we do have: our health, love from our family and friends, and to simply be alive. Take some time today and think of these simple things and be truly grateful for all that you do have.
#5 Stay Connected! In this day in age, when you think of staying connected, you think Facebook, Twitter, email or text to keep in touch with others. But I’m talking about a real connection. And that means to pick up the phone and call, meet with your friends, laugh with your family, and even as simple as making eye contact with a stranger. I love this article in the NY Times, Your Phone vs Your Heart. The more attuned you are with others, the healthier you become. Try smiling or saying good morning to a stranger. You will be surprised how this simple act will brighten that moment. And consider the impact you may have on this stranger.
These are nothing new but these small actions can make a huge impact in your days and your overall health. Attaining happiness is very possible…it just takes a little bit of awareness and lots of practice. Thanks Kayleigh for bringing this to my attention again!
*I’m happy to have Kayleigh Pleas a part of my Community. Visit her site for upcoming “How to Happiness” workshops.
