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Quiet the Mind…
From Blue Mountain Meditation, Eknath Easwaran’s Thought for the Day
Imagine if all the tumult of the body were to quiet down, along with our busy thoughts. Imagine if all things that are perishable grew still. And imagine if that moment were to go on and on, leaving behind all other sights and sounds but this one vision which ravishes and absorbs and fixes the beholder in joy, so that the rest of eternal life were like that moment of illumination which leaves us breathless.
– Saint Augustine
Choosing the essential “things to do” ~Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is a nobler art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of nonessentials.”
– Lin Yutang, author
Kids understand this…
Make winter weather work for you ~
While we would love to hop a plane to a sunshine-kissed, warm-sand, tropical Island beach … most of us need to make the best of the winter in which we live and work, and hopefully play. Here are a few suggestions to help avoid the winter blues.
1. Get light and sun every day. Expose yourself to daylight early in the morning to keep your body’s internal clock on track. It could be as simple as dragging yourself out from under those cozy covers to open the shades, or sitting by a window with your tea or coffee.
2. Spend time outdoors. Even though wintery grey skies, especially in the Northwest, can seem sun-less, you are still receiving some filtered sun and light to help you feel better and elevate your mood. Fresh air is a fantastic elixir. Even if an effort of heroic proportions to take that first step out the door when it’s raining, you’ll always feel better afterwards – and you’ll feel so cozy returning home. Hats, gloves, scarves keep you extra warm and are fun to wear.
Light Boxes can also help give you mood-lifting rays with faux sun. Be sure to get one that filters out UV rays.
3. Head for the hills! In the Northwest we are gifted with mountains and beaches within a few hours drive. The mountain ranges unto themselves are exquisite to drive through, and once there, you will be amazed at how time in the snow or on the beach will elevate your mood and make you sparkle with energy.
4. Work it out. Exercise is always key in improving mood and maintaining a healthy body, but in winter it’s especially important to get up and move 3-5 times a week.
It may not be your cup of tea to run in the rain or cold but there are tons of other activities: Yoga, Zumba, Pilates, Barre, aerobics, dance classes, walking a high school track or out on our beloved Wildwood trails.
5. Put down the bread. When the temperature drops, our bodies tend to crave carbohydrates to give us that warm and full feeling. Temper your cravings and experiment with foods and tastes and recipes that you haven’t tried before. Use spices to heat up the cuisine. And of coarse, there is always dark chocolate:-)
6. Take your vitamins. Sunlight does a lot of work to keep our bodies balanced and working right. Plus, your body is no doubt missing all those fresh fruits and veggies you ate all summer. Taking a quality multi-vitamin can help supplement the nutrients you may be missing.
Perhaps the most important supplement in winter is Vitamin D—this all-star vitamin helps keep your bones strong and keeps your morale sunshiny.
7. Set the scene. Warming up your spaces can help you enjoy the cold weather from the comfort of your home. Color it up with bright tropical hues, pull out the extra rugs, pillows, blankets – and when is the last time you cozied up to a hot water bottle?
8. Get social. If you’re feeling the winter blues, your friends are likely going through the same thing. Being engaged in conversation with good friends or in an activity or cause that you like is a fantastic distraction and energizer, and you’ll feel better knowing you aren’t alone in the winter gray days.
“Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?” — A.A. MilneA.A. Milne is beloved for his “Winnie the Pooh” and “When We Were Very Young” stories. You may still derive great pleasure from reading them…
Charles Kuralt narrated them as well and are delightful to listen to on audio (Cassette availability only).
Five Hidden Dangers of Obesity ~
By Christine Gorman | Scientific American January 10, 2012 |
Excess weight can harm health in ways that may come as a surprise
By now it is common knowledge that being severely overweight puts people at increased risk of suffering from heart disease, stroke and diabetes and that obesity—defined as weighing at least 20 percent more than the high side of normal—is on the rise.
Check out this graphic article and ladies, please see the previous post on tomorrow, Wednesday 11th,Women’s Wellness Day at Spa at the Avalon Hotel
Live a great New Year!
On Wednesday January 11th the sumptuous and serene Spa at the Avalon Hotel (south waterfront) is hosting a Women’s Health & Wellness Day.
AND – if you are interested in learning how to quickly and safely shed those extra holiday pounds, please join Sharon Kitzhaber for the evening reception at 6:00 P.M. to learn about effective, safe, rapid, and most importantly, lasting weight loss and nutritional wellness; and why insulin regulation through healthier food choices is at the heart of successful weight loss. When individuals stabilize blood sugar levels while maintaining muscle, they burn fat, and, can lower cholesterol, high blood pressure and significantly reduce (dangerous) “belly fat.” The evening reception also features wine and appetizers, seated chair massage, moisturizing hand treatments and hair and makeup consultations.
The day-time events include women’s circuit training beginning at 12 noon, power yoga beginning at 1:30 p.m. and nutrition & wellness consultations throughout the day. I hope you will come!
Please RSVP to Carrie Burns
503-802-5910 or cburns@avalonhotelandspa.com
Valet Parking is Complimentary
Living in Abundance
As many of us are stacking up the stress over this holiday season around gift buying and entertaining with the shadow of the recession yet looming over, we might recall these simple words of Buckminster (Bucky) Fuller: ”more with less”. He proffered that no matter what our circumstances, we can live in a mindset of abundance. That we are defined not by material objects but by the state of generosity we hold in our head and heart.
At the same time, by believing in an abundant universe, we feel optimistic and excited about the possibilities that exist for everyone. Because we have the choice to view life and our circumstances in a variety of ways, by choosing a mindset of abundance we realize that lack doesn’t exist unless we create it, and that the possibilities for attracting great abundance and blessings exist for all of us.
“Our feelings of jealousy or envy or inadequacy towards others then vanish, because we understand that those who have mastered the attraction of abundance in their lives can serve as a powerful example of what we are capable of also.”
Tis the season – for stress?Therapy in the Air
Focused attention on breathing can boost mood
By Tori Rodriguez | November 29, 2011 | SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
Feeling tense? Paying attention to your breathing for a few minutes could soothe your nerves. Practicing such mindful breathing regularly may even lead to better mental health, according to two recent studies.
In an experiment reported in May in the International Journal of Psychophysiology, researchers at Toho University School of Medicine in Japan taught healthy subjects to breathe deeply into their abdomen. After subjects maintained attention on breathing this way for 20 minutes, they had fewer negative feelings, more of the mood-boosting neurotransmitter serotonin in their blood, and more oxygenated hemoglobin in the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with attention and high-level processing.
Another study, in the April issue of Cognitive Therapy and Research, looked at depression symptoms. Investigators at Ruhr University Bochum in Germany asked healthy participants to stay in mindful contact with their breathing—maintaining continual awareness without letting their mind wander. During the 18-minute trials researchers asked the subjects frequently whether they were succeeding in doing so. Those who were able to sustain mindful contact with their breathing reported less negative thinking, less rumination and fewer of the other symptoms of depression.
“In my opinion, the cultivation of mindfulness through breathing meditation helps to prevent depression,” says study author Jan M. Burg, although he cautions that this interpretation goes beyond the findings of his research. Mindfulness, Burg explains, may allow people to disengage from dysfunctional rumination, a central risk factor for depression.
Anyone can try a bit of this technique on the fly. Simply sit up comfortably and breathe naturally. Focus your attention on your breath, feeling it in detail—in the nasal cavity, the chest and the abdomen. If you notice your mind wandering, try to redirect your attention to your breathing—it is important, Burg says, not to criticize yourself during this process. At first it might be difficult to stay focused, but with some practice you should be able to hit the mark these studies showed to be beneficial, about 20 minutes. And once you have the hang of it, even a few minutes of mindful breathing can help you become more calm and collected before a high-stakes meeting or any other stressful situation.
What do you think is the best time to weight yourself?
Research shows that people who step on the scale daily lost twice as much weight as those who weigh-in on a weekly basis. That goes rather counter to what most of us have learned, but based on my weight loss coaching and consulting experience, I think it’s a good idea (or every other day is just fine).For one thing, so many factors can affect daily weight (like time of day and hydration to name just two) that weighing only once weekly may offer either inaccurate elation – or disappointment!
For your truest weight, hop on the scale early in the morning, just after waking up and using the bathroom. Resist the urge to step back on multiple times a day, though, as your weight can fluctuate by up to five pounds during the day depending on what you consume for food and drink and how active you are. That said, if constantly monitoring your weight makes you feel obsessive or anxious, ditch the scale and rely instead on how your clothing fits. How is that waist-line?
There’s an App for that ~
Check out this helpful App. to more easily choose great food to eat.
