A Happy and Healthy New Year

One of my favorite things about celebrating a new year, is taking the time to reflect on the past year, what did I learn about myself, about life...how did the intentions I set for myself at the beginning of 2012 shape my actions and how do I want to move forward? Without dwelling too much on the past year, I continue to set new intentions, building on my dreams and goals for how I want to live my life.

2012 was a difficult year, and it was also a beautiful, rewarding year. As I sit here writing this post, I am reminded of the opening paragraph from Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..." 

I am choosing to move in the direction of Light, with hope and belief that there is a better world for us to live in. One where our institutions and the people are motivated by prosperity, health and peace. I intend to do my part, starting with myself and my community. 

I was most inspired in 2012 through my education at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. IIN's mission is: to play a crucial role in improving health and happiness, and through that process, create a ripple effect that transforms the world.

Working towards that mission, I am on board with the core values that support the mission and that reflect what is important to IIN, it's students and graduates...the Ambassadors of health and happiness:

Be a source of positive change.

Do what you love and love what you do.

Set an example of self-development and growth.

Live each day with the freedom to choose what’s right for you.

Support each other in the global shift to better health.

Embrace learning and new ways to do things.

Create balance in all areas of life.

Simplify everything.

As I sit around our fire pit this evening and let go of 2012, I intend to uphold these core values. I will be making some ripples this year! I hope that 2013 is a year full of health, peace and happiness for all of you.

self care and care for others

The tragedy that took place last week at Sandy Hook Elementary School shook the world. Every time I think about it I feel a deep ache in my heart. I haven't really been able to watch the news or read any articles about it, but I am praying for the healing of the families and the community in Newton, Connecticut. I know that there are a lot of opinions about gun control and mental health regarding what happened and what our lawmakers need to do to prevent this from happening again. I'm not sure what the right answer is, but I do feel that there are many issues in this country that need diligent attention so that this level of violence is prevented. Yes, we need our elected officials to make changes that will protect us and our communities, but we can make a difference as individuals too. I believe this starts at home with our daily lives.

I often stress the importance of self-care because I believe it is imperative to our health. It is up to us as able individuals to be conscious of our needs for wellness and balance. The more that we tune in to what our body needs nutritionally, spiritually, physically and emotionally, we can offer more of ourselves to care for others. When we are of sound mind and body, we are stronger in times of crisis and chaos. We are more available to support others in need when we have nurtured our whole being. Caring for others is part of who we are, the more that we do it, the impact of people feeling loved will create a ripple effect, making the world a healthier and happier place.

 Be love and light and spread love and light.

Peace.

Breathe

Breathe. Inhale and exhale.

The human body is miraculous. We are made up of various highly intelligent systems working together to keep us alive. Respiration takes place without us having to consciously think about each inhale and exhale. Despite the constant functioning of our lungs and diaphragm, we can restrict the potential of these organs when we are experiencing stress or living such a busy life that we are not tuning into our body. Through my massage practice as well as personal experiences, I have found that when we don't slow down and listen to the body, that is when we end up in pain, injured or with an illness. Taking time to stop doing everything else that our daily routine requires and focusing on deep and slow breaths allows us to center in on what needs our attention in our body.

Here is a simple way to practice mindful breathing: sit in a comfortable position or lay down, place your hands on your abdomen, slowly inhale through your nose, filling your lungs and expanding all the way through your abdomen (imagine that all of the air you are taking in is pushing into your hands). While inhaling scan your entire body, what do you notice? Are there any areas that feel constricted, tight, sore, heavy? As you exhale, slowly release the air from your abdomen all the way out through the lungs and out through the mouth. Let go of what isn't serving you in your body and your thoughts. Repeat for at least 5 cycles. How do you feel? I find this practice is easy to do wherever I am and it really helps me to recenter, clear my head and relax in the midst of stress and chaos.

Deep breathing exercises have many benefits, which include: decreasing stress and anxiety, elimination of toxins from the body, improved quality of sleep and relief of general aches and pains. Consider deep breathing exercises on a daily basis to help improve quality of life.