31 Jan
Yoga

NOTHING IS MISSING

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“Contentment is falling in love with your life” – Swami Rama

Would you rather be free in contement or imprisoned in lack?

There are things that I really want in my life.

Over the past few months I found myself really obsessing over not having those things. To be fully transparent I want a life partner, and a family. I was so focused on what I didn’t have and thinking about what I needed to do to attain them, that I realized I wasn’t happy with my present, not because there wasn’t joy there, but I couldn’t see it because I was so focused on my future joy. 

That’s been a pattern for me. I set my eye on something I want, and then I hyper focus until I get it. Don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy once I achieve my goal, but what if I could’ve been happy throughout the entire process? 

I feel like there’s this idea that if you are content, then you aren’t growing. Kind of like contentment with your present  is equivalent to lack of motivation for your future. 

But is that true? Contentment and complacency are not the same thing.

Can you be happy with where you are in life today and still have goals for where you want to be tomorrow or the next day? 

Yes. You can.

Santosha- is a Niyama or observance that means Contentment. 

Keep reading for some guided journal prompts in the practice of Santosha.

ARE YOU HAPPY WITH WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE?

If you aren’t happy do you feel like fear of missing out or the grass being greener on the other side are affecting how you feel about your current situation?

HAVE YOU EVER CONSIDERED THAT YOU CAN BE HAPPY WITH WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND HAPPY WHEN YOU ATTAIN THE THINGS YOU THINK YOU NEED TO MAKE YOU HAPPY?

Try identifying non-external sources of happiness. These are things that you can actually control. Take control of your happiness by directing it in inwards vs. outwards.

WHEN YOU SET YOUR WEEKLY OR MONTHLY OR EVEN YEARLY INTENTIONS, DO THEY ALLOW FOR SPACE TO BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR PRESENT?

 Or is everything focused on the future? 

If you are always thinking about the next move or the next step, how do you have time to enjoy the now? 

Can you reframe your thinking so that you can prepare for the future and enjoy the present simultaneously?

Being content doesn’t negate aspirations, it creates space to enjoy, understand, and appreciate where you are. It provides the understanding that you don’t NEED any external sources to make you happy because happiness is an inside job. It eliminates the stress of FOMO and reinforces the ease of being present in the moment.  

State this affirmation: NOTHING IS MISSING. I have everything I need. My life is complete, I am complete.

01 Nov
Lifestyle

OPTIMIZE YOUR TO DO LIST!!

What’s one thing that every adult has in common? A To Do List! While they might not have the same content, the fact of the matter is that we all have something to do! It’s just a part of life. Now the question is do we or do we not actually make a list? Well if you ask me, I’m making a list every time! I am a checker offer. ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️ It literally brings me peace and joy to check things off. I feel organized, effective, and productive! It also just helps me remember the massive amount of tasks that I have to complete. To Do Lists are awesome when done right, but they can also be stressful when done wrong. 

Keep reading to see how I make my lists more efficient!

1. GET THE ESSENTIALS

A To Do starter kit is a must! What does it require? 

  • Small Size Sticky Notes
  • Medium Size Sticky Notes
  • Small note paper pad
  • Colorful pens

I bought these items together in bulk at target for less than  $25.00. 

I like to have specific items designated for making my list because it’s easier to keep up with and in my mind it gives the list a level of importance. If I have my iPad, my computer, and my list kit, I know some things are about to get done!! 

2. CREATE A COLOR CODE

I select 3-4 different color pens and then I assign a priority level from low to high and then urgent. When I used to study for tests in college and dental school I would always use different color highlighters and pens to write and absorb my notes. It was something about the colors that made my notes pop and thus easier to remember. It may be a little anal to assign the priority levels, but just think about a list written in all black w/ no organization vs. one that has 4 colors and each color tells you the level of importance of what you need to do. I’m way more efficient when I color code. 

3. BREAK YOUR LIST DOWN

  • WEEKLY, DAILY, & SINGLE TASKS LISTS
  • LISTS IN DIFFERENT PLACES

I always feel like I have a million and one things to do and when I write them all down on one page, I get overwhelmed and my anxiety levels go up immediately! Also, if all my tasks are on one sheet, I try to do them simultaneously. At one point I thought being a “multitasker” made me a high functioning individual, but then i realized when I multitask I never complete my list, I stay forgetting things, and although things are getting checked off, the quality of what I’m getting done is compromised. So I break my list down into three. 

1.A weekly list, which is the master copy and holds everything that needs to be done. 

2.A daily list which is a smaller snapshot and limits how much you can do. I put my top five tasks on this sticky. 

3.A single task sticky on which I write one action down at a time. When I complete it I cross it off the other lists and then choose the next one up. It eliminates multitasking, keeps me focused and I complete my list!!

Another reason I like to break the list down is because you can place them in different locations as reminders. I’m always moving throughout the day, so having reminders in different places ensures that I don’t forget the list I made myself at the beginning of the day. 

There’s obviously more than one way to make a ToDo list. This works for me, and I’m hoping it will give you an idea of how to approach organizing your own list! I would love to hear if you are a list maker and if so what are your tips and tricks to make your list more effective?! 

01 Sep
Lifestyle

AGING GRACEFULLY INTO FITNESS

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I’m turning 35 in a few days and don’t get me wrong… I am ecstatic about it, but also a little wary. Why? Well because I can’t predict exactly how aging will affect my body or my health.

This summer I decided to recommit myself to running. I hate running, but when I was in middle school and high school I could run a 7 minute mile. Now… not so much. On a good day I’m running it in 9:15, but if the distance increases…. my mind literally just shuts my body down. Now I know this isn’t solely because of age and more likely due to my inconsistency with my running habit and my negative mind set towards it, but when I was inconsistent and young, it didn’t matter. I could still run a fast mile regardless of how long it had been since I practiced. As I age, I realize that I have to adjust my habits in order to maintain a certain level of fitness.

Keep reading to see the steps I’m taking to age gracefully into fitness!

1. SELF CARE

Self Care is such a hot social media term these days, but that’s because it holds value. Self Care results in Self Preservation which really is the Goal! In taking care of our bodies and minds we can effectively prolong or even overcome certain unwanted affects that getting older can have. Strictly speaking about fitness, age can be detrimental because our bodies are inching towards the end of their life cycle. Muscles lose mass, strength and elasticity. Bones become brittle and cellular healing capacity declines.

Self Care looks different to everyone but these are my go tos for fitness and self care:

-Flexibility and Mobility Training

-Percussion and Massage Therapy

-The use of props/appropriate safety personal protective equipment when working out (i.e. – wearing good running shoes, using blocks and straps in yoga, wearing waist and knee braces if I’m lifting heavy).

-Knowing WHEN and HOW to rest my body

2. KNOW YOUR LIMITS

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t push or challenge yourself. You absolutely should! Yet there is a fine line between pushing yourself and injury. If we know our body’s ability to heal isn’t 100 percent, why would we intentionally put it in a position where it has to?

By knowing my limits I am effectively listening to my body. Understanding that running a 7 minute mile isn’t impossible, but it might take me some months or years to get my cardio back to that level. While it might hurt my ego, I have to admit that physically I am not where I used to be AND physically it might take me longer to get back to where I once was. It’s about being honest with yourself and then moving forward accordingly.

3. CONTINUE TO SET GOALS

Continue to set goals, even though they may have changed. Goal setting is a motivation and accountability tool. We evolve as we age, so it makes sense that our goals will change. It’s still important to set them so that we can visualize and form a path towards what it is we are trying to achieve.

My fitness goals for this year are to improve my cardiovascular health. I want to be able to make running a daily habit. I also want to continue to grow in my yoga practice and improve my flexibility.

4. CONSISTENCY IS KEY

Like I said earlier, running would probably be easier for me if I had stayed consistent with it. Why is consistency key? It’s key because achieving a fitness goal doesn’t magically happen overnight. It takes hard work and dedication over a long period of time. If you’re always starting and stopping, it takes longer to get to where you want to go and every time you stop it becomes that much harder to start.

I don’t know about y’all, but I’m all about finding an eazier solution for the same outcome. So yea…. Consistency!!!

5. APPRECIATION

Appreciate where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re going. This is all about offering yourself grace and understanding for where you are in your journey.

I honestly got mad when I realized I wasn’t running as fast or as long as I used to. Like legit mad, but then I paused. I thought to myself… ‘ you formed a healthy habit of running at the age of 11 and 24 years later you can still do that activity, just at a different level.’ Then I thought… ‘imagine what you can do in another 24 years if you’re consistent and intentional with the goal you want to achieve?!’

Taking a moment to give myself grace gave me the time to process the situation in a completely different way. A way that encourages and motivates me to do what I have to do.

A part of me is afraid of getting old. Afraid that I will lose the abilities that I have now. While that might be true, I realize that how I age isn’t something that’s completely out of my control and that I have the power to age with grace. I do not have to be bounded by fear.

I hope these tips are helpful to you all! Let me know what you’re doing to age gracefully into fitness!