Be Still ... and Be Beautiful

Sometimes to get in touch with our inner beauty we need to be still and get quiet. I have discovered an awesome way to do that.

I just finished a little routine that I often do in the morning or anytime of day really. The one thing I did differently today was that I set the routine to relaxing spa music. Wow! Did that ever enhance the experience. So much so that I just had to share it with my dear readers.

The activity that I'm referring to is a 5 minute morning yoga routine. The video is at the end of this post so you will get to see it and even give it a try. It's only 5 minutes!! I hope that you discover as I have that it truly impacts the whole person - body, mind, spirit.

1. Body: This activity will get your body moving in a very gentle way. It's energizing yet calming and it just plain feels good. Plus done on some regular basis you will see and feel physical changes.

2. Mind: Your mind will relax and let go of all the tensions of life. It will sooth the stress brain waves that cause us to do crazy things like overeat.  

3. Spirit: You will feel so nurtured that your spirit will sing. A little activity like this will speak mounds of love to your inner self.

In body, mind, and spirit your body will thank you. You will be surprised at how something so small can not only add a bounce to your step but actually be healing. Depending upon your day and where you are, it can even give you warm fuzzies. I've had that experience! =)

Try this simple 5 minute yoga routine with calming spa music in the background. (See my Amazon Picks for suggested music.) Let me know if you walk away feeling relaxed and beautiful from the inside like I do.  

What kind of things do you do to get still and quiet?

"Be still, and know that I am God." ~~Psalm 46:10



Ready to quit your weight loss/fitness program? Don't!!

What is your response when you venture away from your health & fitness program?  What do you do when you "blow it" for a meal, for a day, for the better part of a week? 

So many people just give up. They "blow it" once and figure there's no hope and back to the old eating habits they go and/or the exercise is thrown out the window.  And in the middle of all that they beat themselves up so badly - you know... the negative mental chatter.  Does this sound familiar?

As of last Monday I have discarded 17 1/2 pounds and dropped my body fat percent by 3%.  I am pleased as punch.  However, last week was a bad week in terms of my program.  I wasn't able to stay on target with my healthy eating habits nor was I able to keep up with my regular exercising.

So what do I do?  Do I give up after 12 weeks of great progress?  If a friend came to you seeking support and advice what would you tell her?  Would you tell her what a loser she is and she's never going to make it so she might as well give up now?  No way!  That's ridiculous, right?  So why in the world would we ever talk to ourselves like that??

So this is what I'm going to do...

1.  Stop the victim thoughts AND feelings!  Those thoughts and feelings will only cause me to spiral downward.  That is not my goal.  My goal is life-long eating and exercise habits no matter what the scale says.  And even more than that my goal is to love myself.

2.  Forgive myself and let it go.  Yes, forgive myself for not staying on track, caving, and/or for not planning better.  A simple "I'm sorry" and it's done.  It's behind me so that now I can move forward.

3.  Regroup/refocus.  I need to revisit my short and long term health and fitness goals ... AND my core values that are connected to those goals.  In other words I need to revisit my why.  Make it stronger if I need to.

4.  Tweak/change up my plan.  Let's face it.  Doing the same thing day in and day out week after week gets boring.  I'm a girl who needs variety.  Variety is the spice of life in my world.  Changing things up gives me a since of newness, excitement, and renewed motivation.

That's it.  Those four simple steps is all I need to do to get back on track.  That's all any of us need to do.  And the truth is sometimes we don't even need all four.  

So go for it!  Go for the gold!  Keep your eye on your prize!  You can do it... I know you can!  Your worth it ... and I believe in you!!!