Get Fit Quick Tip:
Deep Breathing!
Practice mindful deep breathing regularly during your day to decrease physical and mental stress. Inhale for a count of 3-4 seconds. Hold for 1 second. Exhale for a count of 4-6 seconds. Slowly extend the duration of your exhale. Repeat for 2-3 breaths. Make breathing-breaks a priority during your day and you’ll feel better, think more clearly and have more energy!
Tense, stiff and sore muscles do not have to be a part of driving and traveling long distance! One rule to always remember is posture, posture, posture. Sitting in proper posture will make a significant difference in how you feel during and after hours in the car or on a plane. Following a few basic principles will also help.
Take regular breaks. Taking a “stand-up” break every two hours will decrease muscle soreness from decreased circulation.
Change or shift your position often. Obviously, this is limited when seated. However, you can reset your posture often. For example, slide back in the seat if you’ve scooted forward. Sit up straight if you’re slouching.
Move your extremities often. That means wiggle your toes in your shoes, move your fingers, and circle your wrists and ankles if you’re able. Break up the monotony of sitting motionless for hours on end.
Stretch. Try the following upper body stretches to relieve muscle tension caused by traveling long distance. The following exercises may be done standing or seated. Hold all stretches for 10-30 seconds. Make sure you’re breathing comfortably through each stretch. Stretch to mild tension, not pain. As always, consult your physician before beginning any exercise.
Lace your fingers behind your body. Pull your shoulders down and back; slowly extend your elbows pulling your hands toward the floor, and then pull your shoulder blades together.
Reach both arms straight up overhead. Keeping your weight centered, slowly reach to your right, then reach to your left.
Lace your fingers behind your head, pull your shoulders down and back pinching your shoulder blades together; and then pull your elbows wide.
Pull your shoulders up toward your ears, then release.
Pull your shoulder blades together, then release.
Pull your shoulders down, tilt your right ear toward your right shoulder. Release and repeat, tilting your left ear toward your left shoulder.
Pull your shoulders down; rotate your chin toward your right shoulder. Release and repeat by rotating your chin toward your left shoulder.
Make a loose fist with both hands, slowly extend your fingers.
*Disclaimer: Results may vary from person to person.
STRESS – just the word can make your heart beat faster, blood pressure rise, and mood turn irritable. And stress can make you turn to food too, to feel better. It’s true that stress burns more energy (calories), especially the type of energy that supplies a chemical called serotonin. This chemical helps relax and calm you, and carbohydrates start the process. This calming effect can be produced by a handful of whole-wheat crackers or fresh fruit, but often a handful of cookies is more appealing.
What can you do to STOP stress-induced eating?
Declare your desk, computer, television, loud music and any other distractions off limits until AFTER you eat something.
Plan ahead by keeping an ‘emergency snack pack’ available. Avoid higher sugar, simple carbohydrate foods as much as possible, which can actually increase your appetite even more.
Choose a combination of whole grains and lean protein such as a mozzarella cheese stick and whole-wheat crackers, or peanut butter and apple slices. If those aren’t convenient, prepare ahead by having your own trail mix of whole-wheat cereal squares mixed with slivered almonds and raisins handy.
No matter what, slow down and give yourself a 10-minute break to fuel your brain with healthy, lasting fuel to relax those stress hormones and boost your energy. And if emotions take over and you dive into a plate of brownies, clear your head by sitting down first, then slow down and savor each bite. Diffuse the quick rush and fall from simple sugars by adding protein, like a cold glass of low fat milk. Most importantly, get right back on track and don’t let guilt cloud your way. Remember it is what you do more often than not that makes a difference.
Tammy Beasley, RD, CSSD, LD, CEDRD
Rev It Up for Life
www.revitup4life.com
How to stay calm and productive when there is ‘too much, too fast’ going on in your life? Mikao Usui, who re-discovered Reiki, brought these “life guide” principles back to the world as part of the Reiki healing principles. Explore how they can help you manage daily stress better.
Just for today I will not be angry.
It is hard not to be angry when for instance someone, who barely knows you, casts a fast judgement about you. But you know what? How people act is their responsibility. How you respond to their action is your choice. Try not to take anything personally and remember that letting go of anger frees one’s mind.
Just for today I will not worry.
While anger deals with past events, worry deals with future ones. Either way, we won’t be present to what is happening in our life NOW, if we allow anger or worry to take over. Let’s try not to worry about things we cannot change, and let’s try to substitute worrying for action where we do have the power to change something. Action speaks louder than words or thoughts.
Just for today I will show love and respect to every living thing.
Every living being has its purpose in life and deserves to be respected. Honour your parents, your teachers and everyone who comes into your life. Even if the encounter is not pleasant, remember that we learn the most from the hardest lessons.
Just for today I will live by the attitude of gratitude.
Even though it might seem like there are no positives in your life right now, try to start your day with listing things for which you are thankful. Your health, family and friends, steady income, roof above your head, food… Or anything else you can think of that not everybody has and people might tend to take for granted. Simple things like thanks, forgiveness, smiles, good words, and gratitude calms the mind and brings more positive things into your life.
Just for today I will do my work honestly.
Try to do everything you do, to the best of your ability. It has been proved that, for instance, food cooked with love has much higher nutritional properties than food cooked absent-mindedly or with negative emotions. Let’s bring some love to everything we do and watch for the results!
This article is written by Marty Fabianova. Marty works as Reiki and Bowen Technique Practitioner in Stoke Newington, London. She is passionate about helping people to tap into the wellness of their body and mind in a natural way. Contact her at www.thebowenway.co.uk or via marty.fabianova@hotmail.co.uk. You can also connect on Facebook via her page The Bowen way – Help your body to help itself or on Twitter @MartyFabianova.
Summer is often thought of in terms of “lazy days of summer” yet some jam-pack their every last fun desire into a day without a thought. While most adults are at work, student age kids want to indulge in otherwise less stressful activities: play.
One of the challenges to overcome is to undo some of the busy-ness of the school day months and translate that into a more relaxed version of what would be considered an actual break. Keeping busy is appropriate at certain times, but being addicted to being busy is not healthy. So, that begs the question: How to become less addicted to always being busy?
Does being less busy make you feel guilty? For some adults this is a very real situation. Children experience less of this as they are still able to find value in ‘play.’ It’s important for a parent to not put their own agenda and feelings of wanting to be super busy onto their child. That said, it is also important not to sit around and waste an entire day doing nothing but watch TV.
So, how do we “undo” busy?
It all comes down to priorities. Determining what is important, meaningful and necessary in our lives.
Ask yourself ‘why’ you are engaging in a particular activity. Granted there is much more that we need to do besides the income producing work we do, but is all of it really necessary?
Acknowledge that we can’t do it all at once. To have something scheduled every day or night of the week without ‘down time’ to recharge will come back to bite you. When do you rest? When do you recharge?
Look at your life, assess your schedule and determine what doesn’t need to be part of your routine ‘right now.’ Take it out and let there be simply ‘nothing’ in its place. Everyone needs to rest and have unstructured time. Be sure to take time to do nothing.
Contributed by Juli Shulem (jshulem@gmail.com/805-964-2389), Professional Coach focused on helping people get more organized. www.julishulem.com, Organizing Expert since 1984, and author of the eBook, Order! A Logical Approach to an Organized Way of Life, www.getordernow.com
Reiki- The Inner Sunshine
Imagine you are lying on a beach. The hot sand is filling every cell of your body with a feeling of beautiful warmth and all your worries and stresses are being washed away by the whispering waves of the sea. The sun tickles your cheeks and the blowing wind is making you feel fresh, energised and content. Your body is relaxed and your mind is in a state of absolute peace. And now imagine that you can feel like this anytime, not just when you go on a holiday. How? By treating yourself to a regular dose of Reiki!
What is Reiki?
Reiki (pronounced ‘raykey’) is a natural, hands-on healing system. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Tibet, thousands of years ago. This technique was lost for centuries, until its rediscovery in the late 1800′s by Dr. Mikao Usui from Japan. Since then it has found its fans all around the globe.
This powerful healing enhances the flow of Qi/Chi (Chinese), Ki (Japanese), Prana (Sanskrit) or the Universal life-force energy which is present in every living being. The Reiki practitioner acts as a channel for this Universal energy, enabling the body’s own healing processes to be activated – on a physical, mental and emotional level. Reiki is now offered by the NHS, most commonly as a complimentary treatment for cancer patients. Heart surgeon Dr. Oz (‘Oprah Winfrey’s doctor’) and celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Meg Ryan and Angelina Jolie all tout the benefits of Reiki.
What are the benefits of Reiki?
Reiki engages the body’s own self-healing, so we are able to better address whatever dis-ease we are going through. It does not treat any condition directly. This healing discipline goes to the core of bodily and emotional problems, rather than just easing symptoms. Many fans of Reiki say that it helps them to release stress, improve concentration and sports endurance. It is also said to help lessen the symptoms of many chronic conditions.
Reiki is not restricted to any gender, age or religion. Everybody can benefit from Reiki’s rejuvenating and empowering touch. Are you ready for your portion of inner sunshine?
This article is written by Marty Fabianova. Marty works as Reiki and Bowen Technique Practitioner in Stoke Newington, London. She is passionate about helping people to tap into the wellness of their body and mind in a natural way. Contact her at www.thebowenway.co.uk or via marty.fabianova@hotmail.co.uk. You can also connect on Facebook via her page The Bowen way – Help your body to help itself or on Twitter @MartyFabianova.
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