5 Ways to put yourself first this holiday season

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season.

The holidays can be a stressful and difficult time for many of us, so I wanted to remind you of 5 ways you can take care of yourself and ease your burden this holiday season.

For many of us it can be extremely difficult to put ourselves, especially during the holidays. As a wellness expert please let me tell you it is so important that you take care of yourself (physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually) so that you can go out and give your best and be your best for everyone else.

Here are 5 ways you can take care of yourself and put yourself first this season….

1. SLEEP.
The holidays can be such a busy time. They are filled with tons of emotions, parties, and checklists. You need to take time to unwind every day and allow time for your body to recharge. Perhaps, you can go to bed just 30 minutes earlier every night for the rest of the year.

2. NUTRITION.
The holidays are notorious for cookies, candy and spiked egg nog. Be sure to balance out your indulgences with tons of fruits, vegetables and water. Start your morning with the Lean and Green Body® Triple Play and you’ll be off to a great start! Increase your daily recommended water intake from 8-8 oz glasses daily to 10-8 oz glasses of water per day; this will help keep you hydrated, and will assist in cleansing the body.

3. MOVE.
Take a minimum of 30 minutes every day to move your body. Ride your bike, take a walk with loved ones, try a new fitness class... sweat every day! Exercise not only helps keep our physical body healthy, but helps to keep our mental and emotional body in balance as well.

4. PLAN.
Plan your weeks out in advance. One of my favorite things to do on Friday’s is to plan the following week out. I write down all appointments, meetings, dinners, and schedule my workouts. This allows me to clearly see what I am dealing with and create a plan of action. I can schedule mid-week grocery runs, holiday parties, and leave room for the unexpected.

5. MEDITATE.
Meditation is the key to a balanced life. Taking a few minutes, if you are a beginner perhaps start with 5 minutes, every day to sit in stillness and just breathe. Find a connection to your breath, letting go of the outside world, your to-do lists and just tune into your body. There are numerous benefits of meditation; one of my favorites is that it helps me to slow down. I am constantly on the go, and the holidays seem to be even busier, my meditation practice allows me time to check in and pause. Afterwards, I feel a sense of renewal and peace.

The holidays can be a very busy time, don’t forget to take time for YOU! 

World Wellness Weekend Recap!

I can not believe that World Wellness Week is already over! I have been co-hosting this event in collaboration with the Edgewater Beach Hotel for four years now, and this was definitely our biggest and best World Wellness Weekend yet! We had 45 yogis sign up for the event, and although a few couldn’t make it last minute we still had an incredible turnout!!

This weekend is always so special because communities all over the world come together to offer free wellness events and classes to their communities. I just love this!

This year I led a 75-minute beach yoga class and a guided meditation, and Edgewater Beach Hotel served up green smoothies after class!

Our next big collaborative event is in January for Paradise Coast Wellness Weekend, and we have some incredible things lined up for all of you! Details coming soon.

10 of the Best Meditation Songs - Meditation Playlist

I am very dedicated to my meditation practice, and as the year goes on the stronger my practice gets. 

Check out how meditation has changed my life HERE

I thought it would be fun to share one of my favorite meditation playlists with all of you!

Inevitability - Fannie Shelton

Blunda - Astrid Alvarsson

Big Sky - Sleepy Clouds

Endless Nights - Devansh Tushar

Te Urewera - Jay Belshaw

Halvmane - Manvarv

Phaedra - Arlette Leduc

Eyes of Redemption - Dolores Fernel

Sogno Illuminum - Enchanted Feel

Ethereal - Lectus

Ready to start meditating here are 4 tips to starting your practice!

3 Things You Need to Start Meditating

I talk about my daily meditation practice frequently and how it has changed my life. I literally can not imagine my life without it anymore, my body and my mind need it. It feeds my soul in a way I can’t really put into words.

I have found that people are often intimidated to try meditating. They build up a big story around it as to why they can’t or why it won’t work for them. If you just let go of the fear, let go of the assumptions, and just sat down and tried it you may start to experience the magic.

When starting your meditation practice just start with 10 minutes per day. Now that may seem like a lot, but there are 1,440 minutes in the day…I’m sure you can find 10 minutes each day to meditate. Once you commit to a daily practice, and are feeling the results you can gradually increase. I now meditate for a minimum of 40 minutes each day, and it has changed. me.

I thought it would be fun to break down the 3 things you need to start meditating today!

The first thing you need when meditating is an open mind. Let go of preconceived ideas, thoughts, assumptions and just allow this experience to be whatever it may be. It won’t be perfect the first few times, hell it may never be perfect…and that’s totally okay. People often assume that in order to “meditate properly” you have to have a completely clear mind, false. We do not live in a society where it is easy to have a clear mind, which is why we need to meditate. Thoughts will come in, acknowledge them and then just put them to the side. You get to decide whether or not you pick up those thoughts after your practice.

The second thing you will need to begin your meditation practice is a quiet space. You can set up a quiet calm corner in your home, your office, your patio. Choose a space that is relaxing to your mind and body. It will be tough to meditate in a messy space because your mind will be thinking about cleaning instead of just being. I work with some mother’s who meditate sitting on the edge of their bathtub, or sitting up in bed. Find a space that feels good to you. I like to turn down the lights in the room to create a calm relaxing vibe, do what feels best for you.

The last thing you will need to start your meditation practice is either quiet chill meditation music or perhaps use an app for a guided meditation experience. It can be very difficult when starting to simply sit in the silence and meditate. The thoughts will come in and can become overwhelming, and even take over the experience. Currently, I use very calm meditation music to help guide me and I set a time on my phone, the music shuts off when the time is complete. You can also use an app, there are dozens of meditation apps and guided meditations available online. I often use Gabrielle Bernstein when I am looking for a guided meditation experience, and I highly recommend her. When first beginning your meditation practice following along with a guided meditation can help to focus the mind. If you have a favorite meditation app let me know by leaving a comment below!

There are several different types of meditation and it is important to find one that aligns with you. Play around, experiment, and have fun with the process.

Photo By Jontel Chere

5 Ways Meditation Has Changed My Life

Hi friends! I wanted to check in with you and update you on my meditation practice. New Years Day I committed to a daily meditation practice just for the month of January, hoping to gain some clarity. I loved it so much, and deeply connected with the practice, that I decided to continue my daily meditation practice indefinitely. I have felt such a dramatic shift in my life and my personal being since committing to this practice, it has changed my life in so many ways.

Here are 5 ways my life has changed since I started meditating daily:

1. I am way less stressed…I would conservatively say that my stress level has decreased over 50%, pretty amazing!

2. I am less reactive. I am able to remain in my breath, and focus on what’s real even in challenging times.

3. I am more connected to my body and my soul than ever before. 

4. I have a new found love and deep appreciation for my body. Meditation is not technically a physical practice, but it is changing my physical body. 

5. Meditating has allowed me to more clearly see my life, where I am currently and where I want to be. I find that I am able to more smoothly move through road blocks and say no to projects that do not align with where I ultimately want to be. 

Have you started a daily meditation practice? I would love to hear how it has changed your life. 

Comment below and let me know! xx 

My Number One Tip for Living a Healthier Life

My number one tip for a living a healthier life…be more present.

Be more present with the foods your are consuming, eat consciously.

Be more present with the media you mindlessly consume. You can be ‘up to date’ with the happenings of the world without having the news on 24/7.

Be more present with the energy you consume. Who do you surround yourself with? How do they make you feel?

Be more present with what you choose to read. There are so many happy endings yet to be read.

Tune in to what is real.

Tune into what is happening all around you. We are constantly consuming. You have the power to choose what you consume.

What we consume ultimately determines our attitude and outlook on life.

I would encourage you to pause - to be more present starting today.

Be more present with the gifts that are right in front of you.

So many of us are so focused on scrolling through social media, unnecessarily checking our emails 100 times a day, and being up to date on everything the tv throws at us. When we give our energy to those things, we are not being present we are giving all of our energy away willingly. When we choose to live this way we are missing the incredibly beautiful gifts that are right in front of us. Put the phone down, take off your watch, turn the tv off, and look around.

Presence is a true gift for ourselves, and the ones we love most.

Photo By Jontel Chere

Friendly Reminder...

This is your reminder to breathe.

To let go of whatever is holding you down, stressing you out, and weighing heavy on your mind.

Take a moment to put it aside, and just breath.

In and out.

Placing one hand on your chest and one hand on your belly.

Connecting with the rise and fall of the chest, and the rise and fall of the belly.

Connect to everything you are in this moment, and let the rest fade away.

You are doing amazing.

You are perfectly imperfect…and that’s just about how perfect you should be.

Just breathe.

Photo By: Jontel Chere

6 Ways to Deal With Anxiety

We have all had to adjust to our “new normal” over the past few months due to COVID-19, and with many of us being able to leave the house again (thank goodness!) we are now gearing up to adjust to a “new normal” once again.

I am a bit different than most, in that I actually thrive on change. Instead of running away from change, I typically run towards it. Over the past few months we have all experienced massive amounts of change in our personal lives, our work environments, our communities, and globally. For many this type of change can elicit anxiety… even in people like me who typically love change.

Even though I love change and was easily able to adapt my business model during the quarantine, I still experienced bouts of anxiety. I believe it’s normal. Anxiety is our body’s way of communicating with us and letting us know that something is off. It’s a sign for your to stop tuning into all the external distractions, and start tuning into whats going on inside.

Today’s I’m going to share six ways to deal with anxiety. I use these personally and with several of my clients.

1. Breathe. Pause whatever you are doing, close your eyes, put your hands on your heart and simply breathe. Connect with the rise and fall of your chest as breath enters and exits the body. Take 10 deep breaths here.

2. Meditate. Find a comfortable position, I prefer to be seated, but find what works for you. You can lead yourself through a meditation, simply tune into your breath, or listen to a guided meditation of choice. Check out the benefits of meditation here and my four tips for meditation here.

3. Journal. Sit down and write out all your thoughts that are rushing through your head, without judgement, just let it all out. Sometimes purging our emotions through writing and getting it all down on paper can help us to release whatever it is that is causing our anxiety in that moment. It may almost feel like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

4. Move. For me movement is one of the best ways to keep my anxiety in check. Find a workout you love…running, yoga, pilates… whatever it is, and move every day. Even if it’s only 20 minutes, do something to move your body and change up your mindset.

5. Diet. Nutrition plays a huge role in our emotional state. Keep a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink in a day, then record your emotional state morning, noon, and night. Check in with yourself and notice the connection between what you choose to eat and your emotional state. Every time you eat think about fueling yourself physically and mentally.

6. Tapping. Emotional freedom technique tapping can seriously help anxiety as well as many other mental health conditions. EFT tapping helps to balance out the energy in the body, and alleviate emotional and physical pain. I will be doing a whole blog post about this in a few weeks, but feel free to google EFT tapping if you are interested in learning more!

I hope that you are able to incorporate some of these techniques into your daily routine to help manage anxiety. I am not a doctor and am only offering suggestions based upon my own personal experience. Please always remember that anxiety is a mental health condition and it is important to talk to your doctor about creating a treatment plan that would work best for you.

Free Meditation

Feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed by the sudden changes surrounding COVID-19?

This meditation is less than five minutes and will leave you feeling relaxed and renewed. 

Sometimes all we need is to breathe. 

Enjoy!

xx

If you enjoy please ‘like’ the video and subscribe to my You Tube channel here!

** I apologize for the wind in the background, I am still new to this and we have already begun making changes to accommodate the elements. Thank you for your patience. 

4 Meditation Tips to Try

photo credit: NIK WILCOX

Meditation has literally changed my life. {check out all the benefits here} I have been meditating on and off for years now, and recently committed to a daily meditation practice, which has been unbelievable. The amount of clarity I receive during my meditation is unreal. It truly allows me time to disconnect with whatever is going on in my life and to connect solely to my breath. I can go into my meditation super stressed and overwhelmed, and during the meditation I can actually feel my shoulders begin to release down out of my ears and relax down my back. This time is my own, and sometimes honestly it is the only alone time I get in a day {can any busy entrepreneurs or Mamas relate??}. Meditation is such an incredible way to disconnect with the craziness of our days and to turn the focus inward.

Here are my top four tips for creating your own meditation practice at home.

1. Find a time to meditation. Determine a time of day that you can have uninterrupted, and can commit to everyday. Perhaps this is in the morning before breakfast, or after work. The time is not a important as the commitment to the daily practice.

2. Pick a spot to meidtate. Some of my clients prefer to meditation sitting up in their bed first thing in the morning, some prefer to do so on their yoga mats, and my busy moms tend to meditate on the edge of the bathtub with the door locked. Whatever works for you! Just like with the find of day, the location is not that important. What is important is the commitment to yourself and to this daily meditation practice.

3. Turn your cell phone either off or on air plane mode to limit distractions. If you have children or dependents (or run a business) and need to have your phone on try to turn it to ‘do not disturb,’ at least this will limit the interruptions.

4. The biggest question I receive around meditation is “well, how long do I have to do it for?” That is entirely up to you! My suggestion would be to start a daily practice first and commit to that habit before committing to a lengthly meditation. Try 5 minutes a day, then 10 minutes until you reach a comfortable amount of time, perhaps one hour. Many people meditate with their eyes closed so how exactly are you supposed to determine the time?? When first starting out I recommend either using a gentle timer, with a vibrate instead of a ringing sound; or using a song. You can find several meditation songs on Spotify, pick a song that matches your time length. As the song ends you will know that it is time to come out of your meditation. My current favorite quick meditation song is “I release” by Beautiful Chorus.

What are some of your meditation tips?? I would love to know!

Guided Pranayama Meditation

In the dictionary, pranayama simply means the regulation of the breath through certain techniques and exercises. 

Prana = breath or vital energy

Ayama = control

Pranayama, or breath control, was first mentioned in yoga literature as a breathing practice around 700 BCE. 

Pranayama has many benefits for both our physical body and our mind. This breathing practice has been known to decrease stress, lower tension and anxiety while relaxing the mind. Pranayama has also been known to help lower blood pressure and restore elasticity of the lungs, great for those with breathing conditions such as asthma. This type of breathing practice induces a meditative state and quiets the mind, allowing for healing and true peace to take place. 

I will guide you through a brief pranayama exercise, simply click the link below!

Namaste,

Setting yourself up for a successful day

Take time each morning for YOU. 

I like to start each day early…before my family is awake. Taking this special time for just me.

I try to start the day calm & relaxed - manifesting a great day ahead!

Set your intentions for the day. 

Perhaps journal or meditate. 

For more info on meditation, check out my blog post here.

Think about what you are going to achieve that day… not in an overwhelming manner…but instead with a “yes, I’ve got this” attitude.

Think about each day being the best day of the week!

I like to make a cup of tea and then head into my home office. I light a candle or incense, and typically read a passage from Journey to the Heart, and then journal whatever comes to mind. This allows me to get any ‘stuck’ ideas out of my mind, and allows me to be open for a positive day ahead. 

Instead of getting stressed about the day, I am calm and collected. I start my day off with a meditation and quiet time, and if my day begins to get off track I bring myself back to this moment. 

How do you start your day?

Take Time For YOU

The holidays can be a hectic time. Full of expectations, juggling daily life, holiday parties, and all the things that come with this season. This is said to be one of the most stressful times of the year…and yet it is also the happiest time of the year.

How can you juggle everything, find your balance and spread holiday cheer?

Take time for YOU!

We cannot take care of others, unless we are taking care of ourselves. 

You cannot serve from an empty cup.

Take 20 minutes per day just for you. I’m not talking about working out, power yoga or  answering emails with a glass of wine. 

Find 20 minutes in your day for you. Our workouts and workaholic lifestyle has become a daily part of our life. At some point, we need time to unwind and relax.

When are you the most relaxed?

What are you doing? What does it smell like? What is the lighting like?

Find time to create these moments everyday. 

Perhaps, you enjoy reading with soothing lighting and a vanilla candle. Perfect!

Or you enjoy the beach, sitting there as the sunrises, smelling the salty air. Great!

Or perhaps you enjoy sitting by the fire and just breathing, the smell of the wood burning and the feeling of your stress melting away. Wonderful!

Think about what relaxes you. Choose to make yourself a priority this holiday season. 

Benefits of Meditation

Meditation has endless benefits for our mind and body.

15 reasons why you should add meditation to your daily routine:

Reduce stress

Improve concentration

Encourages a healthy lifestyle

Slows aging process

Boost immunity

Reduce depression

Reduce anxiety

Increase self-esteem

Increase optimism and awareness

Improves mood

Increases memory

Increases cognitive skills and decision making

Helps one process information and ignore distractions (excellent for those with ADHD)

Decrease blood pressure

Increases energy

Creating a meditation practice can be intimidating at first, but it does not have to be. 

Start with just 5 minutes per day. 

Increase by 1 minute per week until you reach 20 minutes. 

Meditating for 20 minutes per day will change your life.