Today I woke up congested with a head cold and for the last three nights I hadn’t gotten my usual 8 to 9 hours of sleep. Coincidence –I think not! I’ve gotten to understand my body very well and one thing I’ve always needed to feel and perform at my best is lots and lots of sleep. Up until this past week, I’ve made it a priority this year to get a full night’s rest consistently at all costs and as a result I have had my longest streak ever of not catching that pesky ol’ cold and flu that I’m normally so susceptible to. I dropped the ball this week by overloading my schedule with more clients, which cut down my sleep time and now sick is the price I pay. What people don’t realize is that sleep is most definitely not overrated. Each of those hours you are resting your body is actually using to repair itself. Every organ in your body has a repair/maintenance cycle during each hour of everyday. The liver, lungs, large intestine, stomach and spleen are all repairing themselves during the hours when we are supposed to be sleeping, which is why if your sleep cycle is disrupted you may wake up feeling bloated and achy.
Keeping a clear mental state has also become very important to me. I realize that if I’m feeling anxious, easily irritable and overwhelmed it inhibits my happiness. Meditation has become my calming agent. I try to meditate each morning for 20 minutes to set the day on a positive note. It allows me to quiet my mind and focus my attention on what I’m grateful for and positive affirmations. The more you fill your mind up with good thoughts the less you become effected by negative people and circumstances. Creating this space in my life has become a safe haven. It allows me to have a daily practice of self-care and self-love. It’s made me a more peaceful person and because of this I have so much more to give. And as the saying goes, “when you love life, it loves you right back.”
I’ve found it so rewarding to have found my personal passion for fitness. Many people exercise to stay in shape, but when you find a physical outlet that you love it becomes therapeutic. Yoga for me has become that outlet. I enjoy lifting weights, but I love exploring what the body alone is capable of doing as can be seen in how I train my clients. It’s a true art form. The more disciplined, controlled and self-aware I am the more limitless I become. Meditation has really complimented my yoga practice because together they center on mind and body connection. This is a principal of exercise that I always strive to convey to my clients. The more you connect your mind with the physical form, the better you can execute.
Healthy habits don’t happen overnight. It’s something you have to nurture consistently, but the more you do the greater the impact you’ll see in your life.
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