Friday, July 31, 2009

What will it take to make your garden grow

AUGUST brings with it an abundance of fresh produce.
Take a moment to reflect on what it takes to get that
wonderful food to your table. The fertile earth, the sun,
the rain, the seeds, someone to plant, someone to weed,
someone to cultivate, the truck, the driver, the gas,
the roads… Visualize the hard work, the coordination,
all the challenges that were overcome.
Farmers must be grounded in the present moment if
they want to have a successful harvest. Their soil may
need fertilizing. The weather may not cooperate.
Whatever the challenge, they must face it, find a solution,
get help and support if necessary. There must be a solution
for each challenge that arises even if the only solution is
starting over. Farmers MUST stay focused on what needs
to be done today or their harvest will not be the best
that it can be.
Growing or cultivating our own wellbeing is similar to gardening.
Like the farmer we must be able to recognize and accept our
current situation. We must stay focused on what is happening in
the present moment. Right NOW is the only moment we have to
effect desired changes in our lives. The past is gone and the future
is not yet here.
During some of these hot, sultry days of August, when we find
ourselves not wanting to move much, take some time to just sit
and think about your vision of your best self. What are the changes
you dream of? Ask yourself, “What do I need to do in this moment so
that tomorrow will be different than yesterday?” Discover what is
working in your life. Be grateful for that part of your life. Gratitude
for even the simplest things gives us the energy to tackle challenges
that come our way. Gratitude fills us with positive energy allowing us
to see our challenges as opportunities rather than roadblocks.
Make an intention of putting your attention on each moment
of your life. Just do what you can right this very minute and watch
how YOUR GARDEN of WELLBEING will GROW!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Upcoming Workshop

LIFE - ENERGY - BALANCE - YOGA
Sunday, October 25, 2009
12 PM – 3 PM
Here and There: The Journey...
DISCOVER where you are.
DREAM of where you want to be.
DESIGN your unique path to arrive.
Journey to your DESTINY of being more energized, balanced, alert, and awake.

Join us as we explore how yoga can assist us on our journey to peak
energy and wellbeing by strengthening, renewing and balancing
the energy sources of our lives.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Location: Listening, Barre Integrated Health Center, 35 South Street, Barre, MA
Cost: $30.00 ($25.00 if paid by October 17th)

The workshop will include yoga postures (asanas), breath work
(pranyama), journaling, meditation and discussion. Offering each
participant the opportunity to discover their unique path to
better health and wellness.

• Workshop will include a good amount of movement but is
appropriate for most people whatever their fitness level.
(Call if you have questions)
• Wear comfortable clothing.
• Props are available at the yoga center BUT bring any blankets,
pillows, etc. that will allow you to sit and lie down comfortably.
Chairs are available.
• Journals are included in the cost of the workshop


Workshop led by:
Patricia Roix,
Licensed Wellcoach, ACSM Health & Fitness Specialist, RYT200
Brandy Lefsyk
Devdasi and Embodyoga™ , RYT500

For further information call Pat at 978-249-6182 or Brandy at 978-413-2000.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

DISCOVER WHAT WORKS FOR YOU

What is your personal health and wellness struggle? Weight?
Fitting exercise into your daily life? Improving your nutrition?
Quality of sleep? Lack of energy? Managing stress?
Dealing with personal health issues or risks?
Simply wanting to look and feel better?

As I search for my answers to health and wellness,
I am inspired by the beautiful water lilies (lotus) we find
in bloom at this time of the year. These fragrant flowers
spend the first part of their existence sitting in the deep mud
of ponds or lakes. They find a way to dig their roots deep into
the particular spot on earth they happen to find themselves in.
Not until they have firmly grounded and rooted themselves in
this spot do they begin to rise to the surface. Some have more
muck to work their way through, some must make their way
around other plants or objects, some may have deeper water to
navigate. Each lily must find its own way to the surface in order
to bloom.

STOP and THINK for a minute. How many self help books
have you bought or read? How many weight or exercise
programs have you tried? How about the diets you have attempted …?
Exercise equipment sitting unused? The list goes on and on for many
of us. The money and time that we have spent looking for someone
to give us THE ANSWER.

Before any of the information we have gathered from these
outside sources can be of any help to us, we need to sit in our
own patch of mud. We need to discover what really matters to us,
what is getting in our way and what will actually work in our
unique situation. Only after setting this strong foundation can we
rise, like the lotus, and bloom into our best selves.
Discover what works for you.

Need some support on your journey? A wellness coach listens
without judgment, offers support, accountability, information
and tools that assist you in finding your unique path to making
the changes that will lead to better health and wellbeing.
Go to www.wellnessrising.com for more information.

LEARN TO MAXIMIZE YOUR ENERGY

Summer is here and “the living is easy” or is it? Wherever you find yourself right now, take a moment to check in with how you are feeling. How would you rate your energy level? Are you feeling at the top of your game...? a little run down...? or maybe stuck in the mud...?
The amount of time in each of our days remains constant but the energy we have to live those 24 hours can vary greatly. To be at our best we need to learn to balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual parts of our life.

Spend a few minutes looking at all four areas of your life. What are you doing in each area to assure that you are the best that you can be? Where are you doing too much? Where are you doing too little? Do too much without time to recharge and you burn out. Do too little, you feel like doing even less. Devoting all of our energy to one or two areas of our life at the expense of the other areas will leave you unbalanced and over time drain your energy.

Many of us use up the bulk of our energy working long hours at our jobs or taking care of home and families. We often feel there is just no time for physical activity, eating right or nurturing our spiritual side (our deepest held values). Just like having a problem with one part of your car, like a fan belt or a water pump, effects how well the car runs, so to does not challenging or recharging all parts of what makes us human beings.

Discover what you might do to have more energy. What part of being human have you been overusing or neglecting? What drains your energy? What boosts your energy? Take a few minutes to make a list of those things that you know from experience boost your energy. Choose one of those to focus on this coming week. What will it be? When will you do it? What might get in your way and how might you set up a strategy to get around that obstacle? Be realistic. Be specific. Now COMMIT to doing it. This will be your first step towards maximizing your energy everyday. This will be the first step towards being the best that you can be.

If you or someone you know is struggling to get started or stay on track on your journey to your best self, wellness coaching might be just the support and accountability you need. Wellness coaching can help to bridge the gap between knowing what to do and doing it on a regular basis.

Wellness is within your reach!

Discover what will help you navigate your way to managing your weight, your fitness, your stress. Learn how to take the small, consistent steps that lead to success. Wellness IS within hour reach!