What do you wear when you are tuning your body?

First, let me say - I’m a front runner candidate for “What Not to Wear” on TLC. I practically live in my work out clothes because of the nature of what I do locally (in person sessions almost always include some sort of physical activity, whether it’s Qigong, Yoga, strength training, or cardio). If you watch the show, you probably know Stacy and Clinton’s feelings on workout wear. The practical side of me says it’s crazy to wear multiple outfits every day, so, I usually dress in the morning for my entire day’s schedule!

With that being said…..I know that many of my clients also wear either leggings or sweat pants or some variation….For me, leggings, even though they don’t block my flow or hinder movement, didn’t quite fit with my modest views. I hated working out at the gym with leggings on, and definitely wouldn’t teach class with them on. After all, when I’m working, I don’t want my clothing distracting my clients. And when I’m working out, I don’t want to be the focus of anyone in the gym!

On the other hand, sweats look, well, sloppy - especially for me. I can’t buy my regular smalls or even a go up to the next size in sweats since I’m 5′ 10″. If I even attempt it, I will look like I’m ready for the next great flood. So, I learned a little secret from my niece how to find pants (sweat pants in particular) that would cover my long legs. Of course, the downside to that is that they are still much to big for me, so, they were very sloppy looking.

So, what’s a stylish girl to do? We want to look good at work, when working out, and at play, right? I am excited to say that I’ve found a solution - thanks to one of my wonderful clients!

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I was recently turned on to a website that’s been around for a year, and an idea that started a few years ago, that has a unique look at how we should choose what foods we consume (sort of). Here’s the long and short on it: Eat foods grown locally.

Sounds simple, right? I mean there’s nothing quite like going to the local farmer’s market on a breezy summer morning and picking up some fresh-from-the-field produce….or some great organic, locally baked bread (oh my, our farmer’s market has this guy that brings the MOST WONDERFUL organic bread, made one loaf at a time with incredible ingredients that are fresh and locally grown! yum! My mouth waters just thinking about it!)

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Have you ever thought about the term and idea behind an “alarm” clock? Do you really want to wake up to an “alarm”?? Think about it….alarms….fire alarm, tornado alarm - the list of “alarms” are longer than my arm! I’m not sure “alarm” is the state our bodies should be in - ever!

As my clients know, I have a major problem with most alarm clocks. Most of them literally shock you out of bed, starting your waking day in a state of “fight-or-flight”. The “ALARM” you - and your body responds in like manner. Starting your day with your mind, body, and spirit in that elevated emotional response state is definitely not framing your day in a calm, peaceful way. Without even realizing it, you are unconciously starting your day in a stressed emotional, physical, and mental state. Possibly even worse - you may have been waking up this way for so long, you don’t even realize that you are waking your body in a fight or flight stressed state!

For quite some time, I’ve searched for a way to avoid this shock-stress wakening for both myself and my clients. I’ve even trained myself to wake up BEFORE the alarm goes off - so that I don’t have to awaken my body in a stressed state. I understand that this is not something that everyone can do, though - particularly for those who are under-rested and live in a state of constant sleep deprivation.

I’ve finally found the answer to this problem, though, and am delighted to share my secret with you.

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Many years ago, I realized that my attitude and my thoughts greatly impacted my entire life. However, it wasn’t until later that I realized I had only scratched the surface of that power.

The turning point - when I really began to realize what incredible power our mind has to influence not only our circumstances, but, also our physical self - was when I delivered my third child. During the pregnancy, I interviewed an incredible woman who believed that, through the power of the mind, a woman could experience child birth in a completely new way. This appealed to me, frankly, because I had two children and was definitely not looking forward to going through the birthing experience again. After we spoke, I immediately bought a book and set of tapes, and determined that I would change the way I looked at the birthing experience and see for myself if it would be different by simply changing my mind.

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The following, written by David Stewart, is an excellent example of what I wrote about earlier today on the Art of Health, using essential oils in natural healing. I found it particularly interesting after writing my article earlier which stemmed from a conversation I had earlier this week.

I urge you to thoughtfully consider what Mr. Stewart is so eloquently explaining on the way our mind and spirit effects our body.

It’s All in Your Mind or Is It?
by David Stewart

We are told in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” When doctors cannot find a physical cause of an illness, they sometimes say, “It’s all in your head.” This is if to say, “It isn’t real. It is all in your imagination.” The implication is that it would be easy to fix the problem by simply changing your mind and controlling your thoughts and feelings.

While it is true that at least 80% of all the sicknesses and conditions we suffer have emotional, mental, and/or spiritual roots, it is not always easy to fix the problem even when one fully understands the non-physical causes. Controlling our thoughts and emotions is, perhaps, the greatest challenge there is. In Proverbs 16:32 we read: “One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.” In other words, prevailing against our unruly thoughts and feelings is more difficult than prevailing in military battle or material conquest.

THE COMPLEXITIES OF EMOTIONAL ROOTS

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I’ve come to realize, over the past year, that actively seeking whole health is beneficial in so many ways - I wonder why I have rejected it for so long.  I know that, like you, I thought it would take a lot of time, or that it wouldn’t be as convenient.  And, that can be true - however, it doesn’t have to be.

Join me as I discuss the top 10 reasons to actively pursue whole health and wellness for your life.