The Breath and 3 Tips on How You Use It!

Do you feel like you can't breathe when you are stressed out?

When you are working out are you scared that you'll never be able to catch your breath?  I've had these feelings before.

Feelings like I can't breathe and I'll never feel "normal" again.

That is why I am so grateful to what yoga has taught me.  The power of the breath.  Learning how to properly breathe can save your life.

Follow these 3 tips

to bring positive energy into your nervous system:

1. Remove yourself from your surroundings. Just walk away.  Go into a bathroom stall, sit down, close your eyes/look at something that isn't moving and begin inhaling for 4 beats, hold for 2 and exhale for 4 beats.

2. When you exhale, imagine your belly button drawing in towards your lower spine.  This is a sure way to make you you've fully exhaled.  A full exhale will get rid of toxins and negative thoughts.  Don't cheat yourself of a full breath.

3. Breathe with intention.  Bring full focus to your breath and let it guide you.

Have any breathing tips?  Leave them below!

Let's learn how to breathe, relax and calm down.

Exhale.

When You Have A Dream

Don't let anyone talk you out of it.

7 TIPS for changing your diet to enhance your performance!

Here are seven tips that help Novak Djokovic —and can help you —change your diet and change your performance:

1. Start the day with a glass of water.

Make sure it's room temperature. Cold water slows digestion and diverts blood from where he wants it — his muscles

2. Cut out gluten.

No brainer.

3. Eat lots of avocados and cashew butter.

Good fats are key.

4. No caffeine and very little refined sugar. 

No alcohol during the tournaments, either.

5. Two spoons of manuka honey daily. 

Mostly known for its antibacterial properties for wounds, this is a pretty eccentric addition. 

6. Sleep eight hours a night and supplement with melatonin. 

Seems like a sensible strategy!

7. Reduce stress: yoga, tai chi, biofeedback and meditation. 

Originally written by: BY JAMES MASKELL

AUGUST 27, 2013 5:00 AM EDT

 from Mindbodygreen

When Do You Know You Are Ready to Forgive?

I am ready.  I am finished not liking people because of the things they've done.  Quite frankly, I've grown tired of it.  I am happy now, I learned BIG lessons from all those experiences and I'm ready to move on.

3 Ways You Know You Are Ready to Forgive:

1. You look at pictures of people who hurt you

and you want to "like" their photo.

2. You think about the people who have forgiven you,

so you decide to do the same.

3. You are ready to kiss the past goodbye,

time to make room for the present.

Additional Way: You are tired of being upset.  It's wasted energy and you don't have any energy to waste.  You'd rather spend your energy on the people you love.  Another great way to know you're ready is because you remember all the things you've done and you've forgiven yourself.

Maybe that's key?  I have forgiven myself,

therefore, I am ready to forgive others.

HAVE A BLISSED OUT MONDAY!

Relationship Then and Now

Why is it so hard to be truthful sometimes?  When asked an emotional question, a question that I must dig deep down for, I am speechless.  The answers are shouting in my head, I can come up with a million responses, yet my voice prevents me from saying them.  Am I scared of the response?  Am I not sure how I'm feeling?  Will the other person be offended?  Is my answer too truthful?  What kind of answer are they looking for?  I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings.

This is a travesty for women from generation to generation.

For close to a decade, I was in a dark place.  I know deep down I went through an intense, rocky, long-term relationship for a reason.  I learned I want to heal people and that it is not always my place.  I saw self-sabotage and self-hatred.  To be honest, it's a path I never want to visit again.  What I didn't know then, is that I'd be left with the aftershock of cheating, denial, misuse of trust and guilt.  In my past relationship, I would have nightmares.  A lot.  They were usually my inner voice sending me hints about the reality of our relationship, or lack thereof.  My Mom likes to say that only one of us was in a relationship and it was me.  So as I get closer and closer with the man I'm with now, the exact man I've always wanted, I've started having the same nightmares.

Except this time, they aren't true.  But when I wake up they feel so real.  I have to talk myself out of the dark clouds into the present moment, into reality, into safety, into love.  A safe love, in which I have little experience.  I never felt safe/secure in the past and at some point, that insecurity became an addiction.  I longed for feeling like I didn't belong, for ways to escape the norm.  I didn't realize how damaging my past was, until I tried to repair it.  It's actually embarrassing to verbalize the treatment that I accepted and tolerated, especially compared to now.

I have talked to many women who go through the same thing.  We blame ourselves.  We long for the years we wasted with men that were assholes and wonder how it got so bad.  It could be an early 20 something versus a late twenty something's perspective.

It's important that you are treated with respect, love and kindness.

But don't be expecting it, if you aren't giving it.

Don't ruin something great because of something that wasn't.

Friendship Friday

I owe a lot of my college happiness to this woman on my right.

Thought she should know :)

I want to continue telling people who have changed my life for the better, that they matter.  I miss them.  I know our lives are crazy, our schedules don't always match up and we can go a long time without talking, but JUSTY you are in my heart forever.

I've Had Enough Today

I feel like all I have are ears and people don't even remember I have a voice.  Most days I can take it, but today I am tired, overworked and need fresh air.  There are rare days when I feel like I'm going to EXPLODE!  The days when my patience is out the window and I can't hear another story about someones life.  Other days, MOST DAYS, I could sit and listen to people talking about their lives forever.

Today, I went on more walks than normal, channeled my inner "calm" and tried to stay focused on the clock ticking away.  On days like this one, I am reminded that someone asking how you're feeling means the world, to have someone ask questions about your life, makes you want to cry, tears of joy.  A little too much?  I know.

I've realized that today, I need a break.

And yet, here I go again, off to the next great event.  But this one.  This one is worth it!  Because tonight, I am seeing SISTER ACT with my aunt, sister and Mom!  On my silent drive home, I couldn't think of a better way to end this day, than with people I love, singing along to a movie I grew up with!  I know tomorrow will be better.  So I move on and let life take the wheel.

OH HAPPY DAY!

H20 quote, Drink It Up!

“Only a thirsty person can feel the Real Taste Of Water...” 

                                                                      Rahul Barman

Chocolate Protein Snacks!

Did somebody say chocolate?  Sure did.  I didn't think it was possible, but these little protein balls are delicious AND nutritious!

Bonus: total time in the kitchen is 10-15 minutes.

SHOPPING LIST:

Eggs

Nut butter

Protein powder

Stevia

Vanilla extract

Coconut oil

Raw cacao

Raw honey

FOR THE COOKIE:

• 3/4 Cup Nut butter/Sunbutter (nut-free)
• 1 Cup Protein Powder  (I used Raw Fusion, rich chocolate, think the vanilla flavor would've tasted good too).
• 1/4 Cup Stevia
• 2 Eggs
• 2-3 TSP's Vanilla Extract

• Preheat oven to 325.  Add eggs, vanilla and stevia to bowl.  Mix.  Add nut butter and protein powder.  Mix.  Use non-stick spray on cookie sheet.  Make golf ball size cookies.  Press cookie down with fork.  Bake for 5/6 minutes.

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

• 1/2 Cup Coconut Oil
• 1/2 Cup Raw Cacao
• 1/2 Cup Nut Butter
• 1/4 Cup Raw Honey
• 1-2 TSP's Vanilla

• Stir together.

When cookies are out of oven, let them cool for 2/3 minutes.  OPTION to cut in half and put chocolate in middle, place half back on top.  MUST drizzle chocolate over all the cookies, until they are completely covered.  Freeze for 5-10 minutes and ENJOY!

Benefits:

Eggs-

healthy fat and protein

Nut butter-

healthy fat

Protein powder-

protein

Stevia-

alternative to sugar, contains no sugar

Vanilla extract-

adds flavor

Coconut oil-

healthy fat

Raw cacao-

superfood

Raw honey-

natural form of sugar, adds sweetness

Fear or Regret?

You choose the outcome of your life.

My Personal Transformation

From my highest at 148 to my happiest at 125.

Welcome to My Transformation!!

I'm sharing because I want to help YOU!

I was at a crossroad.  I thought I knew what healthy eating was and how to do it, but I couldn't lose any weight and felt hungry, even after depriving myself.  I decided that I had to stop thinking these kind of negative thoughts, "Today is the day that I eat EXTREMELY healthy, (slash, barely eat anything)."  And then I'd gorge later that night because I was starving!  "If I workout for 2 hours every day, it won't matter what I eat."  80% of weight loss is from what you are putting in your body.  I was left dehydrated and felt totally defeated by the number on the scale.  "I'll just eat this candy because it has no fat in it."  I thought that candy didn't count because there was no fat in it...dearie me.

It took me an ENTIRE year to quit sugar.

And I didn't do it alone.

I had the help of  Digestive Specialist, Rachel Feldman.

I started incorporating foods with less than 3 ingredients.

At first, I had no idea what to buy.  Then, I started eating: eggs, broccoli, spinach and turkey bacon for breakfast with a couple of my newfound, favorite seasonings.  Then for lunch, sandwich fixin's, without the bread and wrap it in lettuce instead.  For dinner, fish, sweet potatoes and sauteed mixed veggies.  I took my water intake to a whoolllllleee new level and aim for 4 liters a day.

I got as far as I could by diet alone, but could NOT shed the last 5 pounds.  That's when AdvoCare came into my life.

I decided to start the popular 24 Day Challenge.

I lost 6 pounds and more than 10 inches!

I continued on with Spark, Catalyst and

the non-dairy Meal Replacement Shakes.

After staying on AdvoCare products for 3 months,

I have lost a total of 9 pounds!

https://www.advocare.com/130231382

Paleo Dessert!

This chocolate should be illegal. Not kidding. 

-1/2 cup coconut oil
-1/2 cup raw cacao
-1/4 cup raw honey
-1/2 cup sunflower seed butter
-dash of vanilla/peppermint

Mix in a bowl, freeze in cupcake holders, eat. 

Or use it for frosting...

Gluten free, paleo, dairy free, nut free without coconut oil.

The Pursuit of Happiness

Rachel Solomon sent this to me and it really resonated.

Hoped to share and have it do the same for other people!

The Pursuit of Happiness

“I actually attack the concept of happiness. The idea that - I don’t mind people being happy - but the idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness. It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down 3 things that made you happy today before you go to sleep”, and “cheer up” and “happiness is our birthright” and so on. We’re kind of teaching our kids that happiness is the default position - it’s rubbish. Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don’t teach us much. Everyone says we grow through pain and then as soon as they experience pain they say “Quick! Move on! Cheer up!” I’d like just for a year to have a moratorium on the word “happiness” and to replace it with the word “wholeness”. Ask yourself “is this contributing to my wholeness?” and if you’re having a bad day, it is.”
-Hugh Mackay

Family!