This Moment, Each Moment

This is the moment!  This is when you choose to be healthy!  Each moment really.  Sometimes it's hard when lazy days and high calorie food are all around.  It seems easier to say I'll get back on 'track' tomorrow.  Don't wait until tomorrow start the next moment making healthy choices for yourself.  You choose to exercise, you choose to take a quiet moment, you choose to eat nutritious food, you choose to drink plenty of water, you choose to get 8 hrs of sleep, YOU CHOOSE.  And if the last moment felt like the wrong choices for you start the next moment (not the next day) with the right choices for you.

I'd love to hear your tips on making healthy choices,

Nance

Have a Grand Holiday Season

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

I hope your holidays are full of joy, peace, and love.  Take time and space to be with each moment.

See you in January!

Give Up Hurrying

Lately I've noticed that "Hurry" has been controlling my life.  No new reason for it, per se, I just got in the "hurrying mode" somewhere along the way and got stuck or became addicted to it.  And then I realized I was drained and jumpy and my heart spent a lot of time racing, like I was making life and death decisions all day, ... but I'm not.  So, I've taken to giving up hurrying.  Simple, but not easy. 

You're probably thinking, "..how will you get it all done this season if you don't hurry..."  Well, I might not, but I think it's more important to redefine Hurry.  "Hurrying has less to do with how fast you're moving and more to do with your agitation and preoccupation with being somewhere you're not. " I'm rereading an article on enjoying the ordinary and it helps me remember to be present and not always be thinking of the next thing on my To Do list.

This time of year seems to go by so fast as it is, so I'm committed to practicing being with every moment as it arises.  Join me and keep me posted on your experiences.

Breathing Techniques

We talked about this in all of the yoga classes this week, so I wanted to be sure and get it out on the blog.  Remember, give yourself 3-5 minutes everyday this week to practice some sort of breathing technique, even if you choose to simply sit and observe the breath.  It is a great way to keep yourself relaxed and refreshed during the holiday season.

If you feel the breathing rhythm is causing or increasing anxiety, go back to simply watching the breath and if you are already stressed, stick to the Balanced or Relaxing breathing rhythm, since the energizing breath could make you more tense.

Inhalation   Hold   Exhalation   Hold   Effect

     4                1             8              4        Relaxing

     6                2             6              2        Balanced

     6                4             6              1        Energizing


Enjoy and let me know how it effects your day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just read this today and it really struck a chord with me, so I wanted to pass it on..

"...it is the actions you take on a daily basis that will have a cumulative effect on your health..."


So simple, yet easy to overlook!

This is something we need to always remember, but especially as we move into the holiday season, where many of us are moved out of our normal schedule and presented with less nutritous food options.  It is a good idea to take a moment each day to check in with yourself and catch any minor imbalances, then make adjustments, instead of waiting weeks, months, even years, and wondering why we don't feel so well any more.

It could be as simple as going to bed an hour earlier that night, or drinking more water now, or maybe eating an extra serving of fruit and vegetables for a couple days.

Whatever it is, please take time to listen to yourself and what you truly need.

Holiday Eating

I want to take a moment to refresh your memory, just in time for Thanksgiving, about some tips for holiday eating. Then you can take what you learn at Thanksgiving into the rest of the holiday season.

This time of year can be a little taxing, if you’re trying to eat right and all the holiday goodies are staring at you, vying for attention. I want you to enjoy the holidays, enjoy the food, but be good to yourself in the process. What follows are a few tips to help you come through the holidays feeling renewed and full of joy, not wishing you hadn’t eaten a third piece of pumpkin pie & collapsed on the couch feeling gorged.


All foods can be included in healthy living, as long as we pay attention to portion sizes and frequency. Fortunately, many traditional Thanksgiving dishes are fairly healthy and adjustments to preparation methods can increase their nutritional value.

If you are unsure of the proper portion size, then try serving yourself like you would serve a 4-year-old child -- very small amount of each item.

Traditional Dishes:
1. Turkey – low fat, good source of protein
2. Stuffing – contains healthy fat, if prepared with olive oil vs. butter or margarine. Try enjoying only 1/4 cup.
3. Cranberry Sauce – fresh recipes are best, good source of vitamin C.
4. Mashed Potatoes – depends what you put in or on them, watch serving size if you’re eating stuffing also.
5. Sweet Potatoes – generally a better carbohydrate source than white potatoes, good source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and fiber.  Again, it depends what you put in or on them, try truly enjoying a small portion, like 1/4 cup.


Quick Tips:
 Be conscious of portion sizes.
 Eat a light snack (high fiber, fruit, veggies) before you go. If you arrive hungry, it will be very tempting to overindulge.
 Eat only your favorite dishes. Don’t feel obligated to try everything.
 Take your time when eating.
 Drink plenty of water.
 If you have to try multiple desserts, take bite-size portions.
 Balance your intake over several days. When you’re not at a holiday celebration, eat lighter, lower-fat meals and snacks.

Along with calorie intake, you also need to be aware of your physical activity level. Don’t forgo your workouts. Remember, they’re not only good for the body, but also the mind and spirit. If you can’t fit in the entire workout, break it into smaller increments or rearrange items in your schedule, but don’t skip it. Even a few extra walks can help. That said, if you are sick, please do not force a workout. Give your body some extra rest so that it can heal and you can get back to your exercise program sooner.

I wish all of you a safe and happy holiday season.  Please post any questions or suggestions you may have.  I would love to hear what eating, exercise, and mindful practices work for you!

Source: American Council on Exercise and Walter Willlett M.D.,D.P.H - Professor of medicine at Havard medical School, Chairman of nutrition dept. at Harvard School of Public Health

The Most Exotic Place on Earth

"Because I am so rarely there, the most exotic place on Earth is where I am right now."

Where are you?  Are you here right now?  Close your eyes and listen.  Then open them and look around.  Whenever you can today, remember to be where you are.

-- A Year of Living Your Yoga by Judith Hanson Lasater

New Website Design

When you have time, please take a look at my new website design and give me some feedback.
http://www.nancescott.com/
Thanks and Happy Friday!

Stress Can Kill You

Stress can kill you...

...this is not a metaphor or hyperbole, stress, unchecked is hurting you mentally, physically, and spiritually.  Stress makes you anxious, sick, and tired.  Upwards of 60% of all doctor visits are stress related ailments...digestive problems, muscular tension, headaches, heart palpitations, fatigue, etc.  Then our stress overflows onto our family, friends, and co-workers, and into every crevice of our lives.

You're all very smart and informed people, so I'm sure most of this is not news to you.  You've also probably heard that exercise, meditation, relaxation, eating more nutritious food, getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, deep breathing, and stretching all help release and ward off the build up of stress hormones.

And it's because we all have built up stress and we all need to release it that these next 6-week yoga and pilates sessions will be focused on that topic.  As we transition into a new schedule, class location, fall season, we'll practice letting go of our resistance to change and opening up to the new things to come.

I look forward to seeing you next week!

As always feel free to contact me and leave a comment on the blog with your thoughts and experiences.

Namaste

Second Week

Happy Saturday Morning!
For me this week went well, however, I totally bailed on meditation and reading on Friday.  At the time it seemed so necessary to skip, but when I did finally start the morning I realized that I really missed it!  I missed out on the time in the morning, when the house is completely quiet and still and no one needs or expects anything from me.  I'm going to try and remember how much I enjoy it (and miss it when it doesn't happen) the next time I think I "have to" skip it.
The food journaling is also going well and is helping me be aware of the times when I would normally reach for food out of stress/overwhelm/underwhelm....

This upcoming week, I'm going to continue with the meditation/reading time and food journal, but my new focus will be writing down 5 "accomplishments" at the end of each day.

I hope everything is going well for each of you.  Please keep me up to date.  I love reading your posts and staying connected!

Wishing you a blessing of a relaxing Labor Day Weekend.
Nance

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Inspire and Be Inspired

Hi all! So many changes happening that I haven't taken the time to update this blog, but more on that in future posts. Today I'm writing about an idea that came to me while working with a living wellness program (www.hillaryrubin.com/livingwellness)

So many times, in looking for support and accountability, we try to find friends who are working on the same things, but it can be hard because people have different goals. Instead of worrying about finding some one or group of some ones working on the exact same topic, we need to remember, although we're all at different starting points, we're moving on the same journey, toward a balanced, healthy life.

Instead of trying to find support among friends based on one short term goal, let's find common ground admist all types of wellness goals, building on the one thing we all have in common, the desire to become more aware of and connected to our whole & healthy self.

To participate, simply decide what your goal(s) is for the week. Be specific.
You may be committed to making better food choices (ie: no over processed food this week, 1 less soda pop/day, 2 more servings of fruit & veggies/day), maybe you're adding 2 days more/week of 30 min of exercise, or focusing on getting to bed an hour earlier each night to get some needed rest or to make time for your morning meditation. You see it doesn't matter what your weekly goal is, just be specific, so you can support yourself & be supported by others.

Next, post your goal as a comment on this blog. Then, throughout the week or at the end of the week drop a quick note on what you experienced, highs & lows, changes made, and whether you're continuing focus on the same goals for the next week or choosing new ones. While you're posting take a moment to look at what others have experienced and maybe offer insight.

I really believe we will all benefit from the sharing and knowing there are others moving through this life with wellness, balance, and health as their ultimate goal. Plus, I think it will be fun!

Well, I'm in, so here's what I'm working on this week....
*waking up earlier to give myself the time & space to meditate for 10-20min & read (15-20 min) each morning.
*eating mindfully all week. This involves keeping a food journal, so I am aware of each piece of food I put in my mouth. Not to berate myself over calories, but because I've noticed a tendancy to eat from a place of stress lately.

I'll let you know how it goes, and I look forward to hearing all of your stories!

Namaste,
Nance

Yoga is More than Exercise

Spring is here! With Spring, most of us start feeling the need to move more & eat better, in preparation for capris, short-sleeve shirts, and swimsuits :)

I just wanted to remind you that yoga is great for all that ... and so much more than that.

Yoga helps us train the mind, body, and spirit to handle life's stressful situations in appropriate ways. It doesn't happen overnight, but with a committed practice and mindfulness within it, you will experience positive changes.

"...the physical challenge [of exercise] can trigger a full-fledged stress response in the body. But when physical demands are met with mindfulness and steady breathing, as they are in yoga, the nervous system responds differently: It maintains activation while keeping an underlying sense of calm. It remains skillfully engaged but without going into full-fledged fight-or-flight mode.
... You're enabling your autonomic nervous system to imprint that response and therefore allow you to return to it during everyday stress."

"Yoga also trains the nervous system to return to balance quickly after a challenge response. By alternating strenuous poses with gentler ones, yoga conditions you to move easily between states of challenge and rest. Letting go of all effort in Savasana pose, teaches the nervous system to let go once the challenges of your practice have been met."

source: www.yogajournal.com Article: "Tame Your Stress" by Kelly McGonigal

I hope you're able to give yourself time for yoga regularly.
Enjoy your Spring and please let me know if you have any comments or questions.
Namaste,

February

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know I'm still here. Many people have been practicing the meditation/quiet time daily and have committed to continuing through February. Yea!!! If you're trying it, but it's still hit-n-miss, just allow yourself to enjoy the "hit" days and notice if you experience the day differently when you've had time to meditate. Or maybe you notice it when you've taken the time for several days in a row and then miss a day.
Wherever you're at, find joy in your day today.
Namaste,

How goes the week

I have had many positive responses to the daily meditation idea. Some people were already on the same page and happy to have others come along side and others are excited to get started again after taking time away from meditating, still others are intrigued to try it out.

The one thing I've noticed so far is the permission this has given me. It's not that I couldn't or didn't in the past, but now each day, whenever I am wondering if I'm going to fit my meditation in, I remind myself that I've made a commitment and that has encouraged me to do it.

Saturday, I had an interesting meditation venue. Ming loves to play in the snow. In the past, I have not been a huge fan of the cold. I love snow throughout the holidays, but by the end of January I'm weary of it. But in an effort to encourage exercise and a love for nature, I purchased a pair of snow pants and some very well insulated gloves. Then on Saturday, Ming and I played in the snow and I stayed quite warm, so warm in fact that after playing for a bit, I layed back in the snow and gazed up at the the sky through the empty tree branches. I felt the warmth of the sun on my face and the coolness of the snow trying to permeated through my coat and pants. I could see how each branch was layered with snow. I looked at the intricate design of the branches themselves and how they stood out against the blue sky. It really was a simple state of being present and if it wasn't for my daughter, I'm sure I would have never even attempted it.

I would love to hear your meditation happenings.
Blessings on your week.

Meditation

I brought this up at Monday's class, but I wanted to post it here, to hopefully, get even more people involved and encourage those who have started (or keep meaning to start ;)

I propose we all take time to meditate each day, through the end of January (just to give us a target date). If you already do this, great job! Keep it up! For the rest of us, I thought it would be nice to know that others are using a part of their day to meditate, a bit of accountability, if you will. Whether it be 5, 10, 20 mins, we're all taking time to turn our awareness inward.

I also think it will be fun to notice the changes and keep each other updated, through blog comments, emails, in-person at class. It will be awesome to hear how different people experience the process.

I'd love to know how many of us are planning to practice this, so send me a comment.
And I'll keep you updated on my experiences as well.
Talk with you soon.

Namaste
Nance