Rainy Day Relationship Revelations

This afternoon’s lunch hour was spent with one of my close friends and mentors Kristin, owner of Nourishing Storm. She is a fellow nutrition student at IIN and has been the most amazing influence along my journey!

Our intention was to have a lovely lunch in the park, to catch up, and for me to practice doing health history consultations for school. Of course, as soon as I stepped out of my car, the skies opened and it began to down pour! Being the nature loving ladies we are, we both commented on how awesome the rain felt and didn’t let it alter our plans – the blanket just got set out on the gazebo floor instead of the grass!

After the consultation, which went really well, we got to talking about how things are going in each of our lives. As we reached the topic of my relationship, and healthy relationships in general, she said something very powerful that I guess I’ve always known but often forget. Ironically enough, it had been the topic of her morning meditation.

Kristin said that we have everything we need within ourselves and its once we’re able to recognize and celebrate that completeness that we find the partner we’re meant to share this journey with. While that may sound a bit lofty, its totally true.

I believe in my heart if I had met my boyfriend even a few months earlier than I did, we wouldn’t be together. It wasn’t until I was happily on my path and finding fulfillment in everyday that I could be open to attracting ‘the right’ guy!

Always remember you’re perfect and complete just the way you are! Finding a partner in life is a blessing, not a requirement! Love you first!

Advertisement

Master your Moods

Happy Hump Day!

Do you ever find that skipping one workout leads to skipping another, which leads giving yourself excuses to completely slack on your routine?

Work and life have been crazy lately and I found myself skipping a workout here and there. I didn’t think it was a big deal but I was really only getting my sweat on once a week. You want to know what I noticed?!?! I became irritable, easily depressed and generally grouchy (such a joy to be around!) the longer a went without regular exercise.

Yesterday was definitely my breaking point – I was majorly road-raging, crying out of frustration at my desk, cursing everyone for every little thing as if the world was out to get me – it was bad! So I took my butt to the gym and got a solid workout in.

Well don’t you know I left feeling much better about life and literally woke a new woman this morning! I forgot how much happier and more pleasant my mood is when I exercise. Whether its a yoga class, a run outside, a few rounds of interval training, a walk, a spin class, etc… dedicate yourself to getting regular workouts in and I guarantee you’ll become the master of your moods!

 

Reset and Refresh

So, some might look at my photo and think “why on earth is this chick standing on her head?!?”

Well sure, it was partly to impress one of my best friends who was visiting but also to reset my circulatory system (providing a lovely feeling of renewal and refreshment).

Now don’t get all huffy and be like “well I can’t do that, so thanks for nothing” because this is just one of many inversion poses (some easier than others).

Sometimes when I feel like I can’t get out of a funk, I stand up, bend from my waist, reach for my toes and hang out for a few deep breathes. Slowly, I roll my body up one vertebra at a time and give my neck a little roll – instantly refreshed (and much easier and less attention drawing than standing on my head).

The power of yoga is amazing! Get inverted and reset yourself for a fresh start!

Not just about goals

Happy Tuesday! Miss me?!? I missed my WordPress world but sadly life has been getting in the way of my best intentions….they’re not really daily thoughts unless there is one a day, haha!

Something we talked about during my IIN coaching circle was action steps. Sure, setting goals is amazing and a great ‘first step’ but going a little further and maybe thinking of a few action steps to bring yourself closer to that goal will make you that much more likely to take steps forward.

I know that sounds, well to me anyway, rather intuitive but not something I had ever done or been encouraged to do before. My whole life has been about setting goals and living those action steps but as life becomes more complex and those goals more difficult to ascertain, it’s sometimes hard to live my action steps. Writing down steps and thinking about realistic ways to move forward is the best way achieve the goals you want to achieve.

Don’t just set goals…set actions!

Cookie Wisdom

We can go ahead and say himself or herself for this one as I am certainly not a man, haha, but I really liked the message.

The ladies in my office have a propensity for ordering take out and leaving the remnants in the kitchen. One of their favorites is chinese yet no one seems to like their fortune cookies. I can’t say I am a huge fan of the ACTUAL cookie, but I do enjoy the little messages inside (so I often crack it and toss it…I know, I know, there are starving children all over this planet and I shouldn’t waste food).

Admittedly a lot of the messages are a little silly but every now and again I come across a truly insightful one that helps bring meaning to my life at present.

I would say the cultivation and discovery of ‘who I am’ is a work in progress,and its scarey! I am totally not as cool as I thought I was, haha!!

Honestly though, allowing yourself to be your true self can be very intimidating. We all want to be the perfect child, sibling, significant other, friend, employee, etc.. and sometimes being ourselves and being great in those roles can seem diametrically opposed.

Here’s the thing: Who you are is perfect! You were made just the way you are for a very specific reason. Daring to be true to your inner self, no matter who that is, will always allow you to be your best self no matter which role you’re in!

 

Over the plate

Do you ever miss being a kid? I reminisce about my childhood years almost daily but last night while walking around the city, I felt a longing for those days past I hadn’t felt in awhile!

With so much going on – a lot positive and some negative – I find myself overwhelmed with worries, concerns, decisions, responsibilities, etc…

On my walk I passed a youth softball game and paused to take in the game as well as absorb the nostalgia. Not only did I play softball as a kid but I pitched. At this particular point in the game, the pitcher on the mound was getting frustrated. The young girl of maybe ten had a runner on 3rd, no outs, a batter at the plate, and a frustrated scowl as she struggled to throw the ball over the plate. With the crowd and her team supporting her the young pitcher calmed her nerves, took a deep breath and found her zone!

“God I miss the days where my biggest concern in life was throwing strikes in softball” I thought as I continued on my way. The more I walked the more I realized that even though I may not be playing softball, I still spend everyday just trying to get it over the plate!

I had to laugh a little at myself because its totally true – some days are better than others but the best you can do is try and get it over the plate!

Distinctly Different!

Happy Monday Everyone! Like many folks around the country Sunday, I had the pleasure of celebrating one of the greatest men on the planet, my father! Yesterday was filled with spending time as a family, chatting, eating and reflecting on years past.

We’re a pretty close family, so time together is in great supply! There is a lot of love but we poke fun at each other a lot – mainly because we’re so different. It blows my mind that we came from the same set of parents and how one gene pool could spit out such different, but equally awesome, people. One theory for our differences, which I came across during my studies at IIN, is that the life situation, state of mind, diet etc.. of our parents were vastly varied during conception and while in the womb.

While this may not be news to some, this little thought experiment proved very interesting to me. With each description of the process, I figured out (or more guessed) why each of us were different.

This is not to say that A LOT of other factors don’t go into making us who we are – we’re a product of our constitution as much as our condition – but I bet you’ll find it interesting to look into it for yourself. Ask your folks what things were like when you were in the womb and see if you discover some interesting things you didn’t realize before.

 

Listen Closely

I am far from perfect! I make a million mistakes a day, inevitably forget something important, loose track of my cell phone hourly and don’t always know the right thing to say. One thing I know I can count on though is this lovely little vessel I float through life in!

Yes, your body is one of the most accurate things in existence! Not convinced?…think about it! Our bodies rise and rest everyday, our hearts don’t miss a beat, our lunges don’t forget to inhale and expire, our temperature stays around 98.6, our eyelids blink every few seconds, etc..

I am consistently fascinated by the human body and always shocked that more people don’t take the time to listen to what it has to say. Just like with the aforementioned actions, our body intuitively gives us signs regarding our food, sleep, environment and overall well being.

When you’re craving chocolate, have a nasty headache, or get an uneasy feeling, they’re usually a reason – your body is trying to tell you something! Instead of blowing it off, take a moment and think about why your body might be sending you those signals.

By taking time to listen to the body, we can better understand our own unique path to the healthiest version of ourselves! Your body will give you insight into the right foods for you, the amount of sleep you need, whether you’re overexerting yourself or if you’re right on track!

Your body tells you everything it needs…are you listening closely!

Flow with it

Happy Hump Day!

There is a saying that goes something like “When we make plans, God laughs.” For the life of me I couldn’t tell you where it comes from, but I love and hate it all at the same time!

As a planner and mild perfectionist, one of my biggest challenges is ‘going with the flow’ and adapting when things don’t go according to plan.

Learning to roll with life’s punches and go with the flow was a near impossible feat for me in the past. Sure, I can be easy going…as long as everything goes according to my plan, haha!

Through my yoga practice, I have learned how to breathe through points of discomfort, and just be with them. When things don’t go according to plan, my practice reminds me that you’ll be given everything you need in life and nothing you don’t. So if the plans changes, perhaps God (or the Universe or whatever higher power you subscribe to) has another, potentially greater, plan in mind.

Today, remind yourself you can have everything you want in this world. Things may not follow the path you’ve set in your mind but if you allow yourself to flow with it, life will take you where you need to go!

Uniquely you!

We’re all familiar with the concept of individuality – everyone is their own person: thoughts, feelings, beliefs, attitude, style of dress, interests, dislikes etc..

I think that concept should be taken one step further and be applied to our diet and food consumption. What a person needs, from a nutritional standpoint, varies for each individual. One thing that has really stuck from the lectures I’ve had over the last four weeks is that one person’s food is another person’s poison – I feel that couldn’t be more true!

While I loved my cleanse and feel more alert, clear headed, energized and healthy, I know a primarily raw, laco-free, no grain carbohydrate diet is not optimal for me. I feel more satisfied and function better long term with a few servings of whole grains and dairy everyday. While I experiment often with my diet (especially now that I have a library full of hundreds of different dietary theories), I know what works and doesn’t work and always listen to my body!

Give this a try in your own diet! See if you can figure out what works best for you and what, even though its healthy and fantastic for someone else to eat, doesn’t quite work for you.

Remember, you are your own unique self! Listen to your body – its almost never wrong and always tells you what it needs!