Goals...Why Not Stack the Odds? ~ by Marj Ivancic

photo courtesy of pexels.com

For many years, I subscribed to a variety of health-related magazines because I enjoyed learning new exercises as well as tweaks that I could make to my eating habits and daily practices to improve my overall wellness.

Interestingly enough, the more I read, the more it became clear that those articles weren’t just teaching lessons about weight loss and diet. They were instruction manuals for how to make a change in one’s life and, perhaps more importantly, how to sustain that new model. The principles they shared are guiding tenets meant to keep the practitioner grounded and moving forward.

#1 BE FORGIVING
You are going to have setbacks, times when your plan isn’t working

photo: greatergood.berkeley.edu

or when an unexpected roadblock is thrown in your way. This is not a prediction; it’s a fact. Acknowledge this at the beginning of your journey so that when it happens, you are prepared to some degree. You don’t have to beat yourself up over it. Reflect on it, learn from it, but then check it off the list and move on.

#2 START SMALL
Very few things compare to the feeling you get from achieving a goal. It’s a rush of pride and excitement that thrums throughout the body. So why make them impossible to capture? You know yourself better than anyone else does. You know what you can and cannot handle. Break up your long-term goals into pieces that are realistic and attainable for YOU. Short sprints of action can be daisy-chained together to become long-running success. And even if one of these links break, the setback is significantly less of an impact because it’s just one tiny piece in a larger effort.

#3 HAVE A PLAN, BUT BE FLEXIBLE
Go into the journey knowing what you’re getting into. Plan out

photo courtesy of pexels.com

those small steps and set goals within goals. Understand the dependencies between them all. And remember guideline #1; think about potential failure points and have a plan B workaround for when surprises happen. Aim to be a step ahead of yourself and your environment.

#4 MAKE IT VISIBLE
When something is in front of you, it’s pretty hard to ignore or forget. Keeping your goals where you’re reminded of them keeps you accountable and reinforces both your successes and the work yet to do. Some folks like to go public with their goals; friends and family can be great motivators. But that approach doesn’t work for everyone nor is it the only step to take. Little things, like putting inspirational pictures, articles and quotes where you’ll see them on a regular basis—the fridge, the bathroom mirror, above your bed—can make a big difference between success and failure.

photo courtesy pinterest

Obviously, nothing can guarantee success. Life is one big poker table, and each goal we set is a gamble. But if the four steps listed above can help hundreds of people lose weight and eat better, why can’t they push the odds in your favor for the other bets you make in life?

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5 New Year's Self Care Techniques by Cynthia Land, LMT, RYT

At the beginning of every year many of us make obligatory resolutions, often abandoned within days of making them.  Today I offer you a set of somewhat yoga related self care items you can easily drop into your existing wake-up routine. They will help you feel refreshed and ready to face the day.  For the most part, they're easy to do and don't require you to purchase a lot of expensive equipment such as you might need with exercise regimes.  Give them a try. What do you have to lose but the parts of you you didn't want anyhow?  

• Lemon Water

By the time you get to my age, there's a chance you're already drinking water with your handful of supplements and/or medications.  Warm lemon water jump starts your digestive system by moving the sludge of the previous night out of your digestive tract and infusing you with a big hit of vitamin C.  The writer in this link doesn't mention it, but I have personally found that a big cup of warm water in the morning gives peristalsis a kick and might just help you run a little smoother if you know what I mean. 

• Skin Brushing 

This is one of those techniques that sounds uncomfortable but is really quite nice.  One of the first times I experienced skin brushing was at a waterfront hydrotherapy spa near Seattle.   The practitioner gently brushed my skin with a boar bristle brush and prepared me for a deep cleanse of my pores in a sauna.  It was amazing!  I now do this for myself and I love the way it makes my skin come alive. Remember, your skin is your body's biggest organ. I also know I'm helping slough off heaps of dead skin.  Yay!  Skin brushing isn't for everyone.  If you have eczema, psoriasis or just sensitive skin, you might not benefit from this technique.  

Banyan Botanicals image

• Abhyanga (self massage)

Skin brushing is often followed by a shower, but I recommend abhyanga or self massage.  If you think your skin feels soft after the skin brushing, get on your warm massage oil, hop in a warm/hot shower to open up those skin pores and then see how soft your skin is!  I was using heaps of body butter to just barely not feel as though my skin wasn't going to break off from dryness.  When I do these two techniques together my skin is happy, happy, happy.  The video above also notes that you can get oils mixed for your dosha.  I just use sesame oil but am thinking I might add a drop or two of rosemary or verbena to soothe my doshas.  

• Five minutes of pranayama 

https://www.givinghandsreiki.com

I suspect this will be the hardest one for folks to add, next to the last one but it really sets the tone for your day.  Pranayama is the breathing exercise that determines the setting on your energy.  If you need more energy, pranayama. If you need calmer energy, pranayama. If you need more uplifting energy, pranayama.  Just five minutes a day can really make a difference as you head into meditation and into your day. Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself.  There are many different kinds of breathing exercises, be sure to check with your teacher to find the one that is right for you.  

• Meditation

Ah yes, if you are a yogi, all roads lead to meditation.  If you really want to be calmer and have more serenity this year meditation must be included somewhere.  I was reminded recently that meditation doesn't always mean sitting with your eyes closed.  Some people meditate while walking (Thich Naht Hahn), some even come to a place of peace by jogging or swimming.  However you get there, eke out a space in your daily life to soak in it. 

image from pinterest

Some would include neti pot in this list and that would be excellent.  Personally, I do nasal cleansing at the end of the day. Give one or all of these recommendations a try for 30 days and see what you notice.  And remember that meditation can start at five minutes and work up to something longer.  The important part is regularity.  The only way you'll notice a change is if you do these things regularly.  Let me know what you find!

Looking Forward to 2019 ~ by Shannon Binegar-Foster

   
In my last post I talked about my “word” of the year. It took me several weeks to decide on my word for 2019. I didn’t feel like I chose wisely for 2018 as it was anything but “Limitless." 

I feel like I completely missed the mark on that one. Even though I published my second book and launched several new items to my product line, the sales were not there. 

I have been in a creative funk since the first part of November. Thankfully, I started creating again last week. I refuse to give up, 

so once again I chose very boldly. My word for 2019 is…

Something about that word empowers me and gets me excited about what great things are ahead in the new year. I am going to do my best to live up to my chosen word for 2019. 

I am close to finishing my 3rd Coloring Journal. In my personal life I began my wellness journey in January of 2008. There have been so many ups and downs in the past 10 years. I am armed with much more knowledge than I had then. 

I truly feel that 2019 is my year. I will be 49 on 4/19 so I just feel that 2019 holds great things for me. If you haven’t picked your word for the year take the next few days and reflect on 2018. Then chose your word and share it in the comments below. I can’t wait to see what you pick. 


On that note I wish you all a very Happy New Year.