Be Obsessively Grateful

Do you ever project yourself into the future, worrying about all that needs to be done? A dark cloud starts to form over the present moment, overwhelm bubbles up, and then you're trapped. Stuck in a toxic headspace.

Too often, I fall into the Sunday blues and allow it to spill over onto my Monday. What if, instead of worrying about what hasn't happened yet, we focused on finding the joy in each moment?

Today, I set the intention. So, here it goes: life through my eyes with the gratitude filter.

#1 Today I had the privilege of rolling out of bed with an able body. I breathed new life into my lungs, and energized my day with a 6am hot flow class. Any negative vibes trickled down through beads of sweat. Inhale, exhale. What a blessing.

#2 My shower was HOT, and I got to soak up more than the suds while I washed my hair. Filling my head with knowledge and inspiring perspectives from my favourite podcasts is the best.

#3 My breakfast can't be beat. Everything I need: vitamins, minerals, high quality nutrition. All I have to do is add water and blend. Prepared and down the hatch in less than 5 minutes. Busy girl. Healthy life.

#4 Getting lost in the pages of a good book is something I take for granted all too often. Even 10 minutes of personal development a day can be life changing.

#5 When I took off my heels after a long day and job well done, I couldn't help but wonder: Is there any better feeling? Live the little things.

#focusedtransformations 

Related:

• 5 Apps For A Happier You 
• Living by Accident vs. Living by Action
• The Bliss Habit: 3 Magical Lessons Learned

Let's connect:

             

10 Self-Care Tips For The Busy Bee

Things have been fast and furious in my world, so slowing down and intentionally finding my feel good was nonnegotiable today. I don't care who you are, everyone needs a good recharge from time to time. Life is a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself.

As I sit here cuddled up on the couch sipping my fruity herbal tea, I feel whole, complete, happy, content. This kind of feeling doesn't happen by accident. There are no accidents. I spent the day doing exactly what I needed to do in order to dial back stress and restore balance. I dedicated the day to self-care and, damn, was it ever worth it.

You may be thinking, "what the hell is self-care." Don't worry, I used to think the same thing. To me, self-care sounded like a luxurious way of describing a waste of time. We are taught to work hard, push through, grind on, do the do, but how often are you invited to take time to focus on your needs? I'm going to be the first one to say that society may be broken, but you don't have to be.

I feel compelled to share some of my top self-care tips for those with busy schedules and high stress levels, so that we can cross that finish line together.

1. Listen To Your Body. Check in with yourself, take a scan of your body and pay attention to how you feel. Your body will tell you what it needs, whether it be exercise, a change in diet, or rest.
2. Practice Mindfulness. Stay in the present and be nonjudgmental about your thoughts. It's that simple, yet incredibly powerful.
3. Be Grateful. Count your blessings - write down ten things your grateful for, daily. Be thankful, show appreciation, give kindness in return. 
4. Get Moving. You will never regret lacing up your shoes or spending some time on your mat. The sweatier you get, the better. 
5. Nourish Your Body. You can't run on an empty tank. Fuel your body. You're in charge of your health, so choose foods that make you feel energized, strong and satisfied. 
6. Go Outside. Fresh air and sunshine can do wonders for clearing a busy mind. 
7. Get Enough Sleep. Turn off your alarm clock, tuck yourself in and wake up when you're ready.
8. Take A Bath. Give yourself the full spa-like treatment. Epson salts, essential oils, bubbles, bath bombs - the possibilities are endless. 
9. Meditate. Eliminate distractions, close your eyes and focus on your breathe. Even as much as 5 minutes of meditation can help you relax and refocus on what's important. 
10. Choose Happiness. Whether you like to hear this or not, happiness is a choice. How do you start your morning each day? What are you thinking about? Focus on anything and everything that brings a smile to your face. Start there and let the rest unfold.

Now go #doYOUboo!

L.

Related:

• 10 Lessons Learned From Healthy Mind & Body
• Why Changing Your Perception Changes Your Life
• 5 Apps For A Happier You 

Let's connect:

             

From Start To Finish: My 16 Week Challenge

Recently, I learned something about myself. 

I learned that I used to be a Starter. Starting something new is fun and exciting. Finishing, on the other hand, requires time, hard work and a serious commitment. Finishing didn’t excite me.

I wasn’t committing to my fitness goals, because I wasn’t having fun. Running ferociously on the treadmill just to end up in the same place 20 minutes later seemed ridiculous, and picking things up and putting them down made my head spin. I used to love running and when I first began weight training my body transformed in incredible ways, but neither were doing it for me anymore.

I knew that I had to find something, anything, that I truly got excited about. 

Don’t get me wrong, I get excited about my nutrition on the daily, but I couldn’t get excited about fitness. I was discouraged.

That’s when I found yoga, all kinds of yoga. 

Hot flow, power, fusion, core, hot hips, hot 26 and the practice that changed everything for me: yin. 

Yin is unlike anything you’ll ever experience. It’s the opposite of our world, and after hearing the three principles of yin for the first time I was slapped in the face with a metaphor for my entire existence.

The three principles go a little like this. 

The first thing you want to do in your yin practice is find your edge. Find that point of tension in your body that you can breathe through. It’s uncomfortable, but your body isn’t screaming. There is tension, but no pain. Next, find stillness. And finally, hold for time. Eventually, over time, your body will naturally open up and your edge will expand. You don’t have to tear and pull at your limbs to reach that next point of flexibility. It just comes with time.

In life, your edge is like the verge of your comfort zone. It isn’t necessarily a place you want to hangout, but if you spend enough time on the edge, you’ll slowly begin to grow and expand as a person. Before you know it, the limitations you once put on yourself will be gone. Your edge will expand, allowing you to move to the next point of tension.

From that moment on, I decided to truly commit to yoga. 

I woke up every morning and planned around the class I was going to attend that day. Yoga gave me an appetite for fitness, and I was hungry.

27 days ago I started my first 30-day hot yoga challenge. It’s the first 30-day challenge that I ever truly intended on finishing. I now know that once I make the decision to commit, I AM capable of anything.

Deep down, the Starter in me hasn’t left. When fresh opportunities arise, I still get a rush of excitement and become eager to begin, but there’s nothing more fulfilling than becoming the Finisher you always knew you could be.

Consider this challenge FINISHED.

For more fitspiration:

• #TransformationTuesday
• 5 Running Tips For Beginners 
• Introducing, {FIT} Focused & Inspired Transformations

Let's connect:

             

2016: Find What Feels Good

What if rather than asking yourself, 'What do I want to accomplish', you first answered, 'How do I want to Feel?'

Over the years, I set goals that sounded good on paper, but they didn't necessarily drive me, scare me, stir me, or align with my greater purpose.

So, because I did't feel connected to my goals, I wasn't as committed, I wasn't as successful, I wasn't as happy as I knew I could be. Even after achieving success, there was often a void that remained, an emptiness.

I never truly understood why my accomplishments left me feeling unsatisfied, why I always felt the need to strive for more, more, more, until I received this message.

Thank you Peta Kelly for speaking right to my soul!

"Abundant. Ease. Inspired. Grateful. Jazzed up. Accomplished. Spacious. Unaffected. Joyful. Efficient. Organized. productive. Compassionate. Light-hearted. Free.

Do any of these sound good to you? 

I learned something a little while ago, that changed the goal setting game for me. For so long i has been setting soul-less goals that were made up, or coming from a place of 'this sounds good.' Can you relate?

I realized that although my goals sounded good, and were leading me to 'success', money, and ticks off my list, I wasn't feeling accomplished. I wasn't feeling full. I wasn't feeling free.

Why? Because although my goals were great, they weren't always resulting in me feeling HOW I WANTED TO MOST FEEL. Sometimes, achieving my goals would mean I had more obligations in areas I didnt want them. Sometimes, achieving my goals would mean I spent rarely any time at home. That didnt feel good to me.

What I realized was, my goals weren't always helping me achieve the most important goal of all- FEELING THE WAY I WANT TO FEEL.

Did you know that? Your #1 goal is ALWAYS to feel good?

Did you know that the only way to feel good, is to know what that looks like to you?

Duh, freddy. But we still do SO many thinks that DO NOT make us feel good. And set goals that don't make us feel good.

Before you set your goals for 2016, spend the time to hang out with some powerful words.

Write down ALL of the feelings you most love to feel. Write down ALL of the feelings you most want to feel in 2016.

And then, narrow it down to just a few. Stick them everywhere. Have them as our screen saver.

If your goals don't allow you to feel these core desired feelings, then they're not your goals.

Here's where it gets most exciting. If you have trouble saying NO, your core desired feelings will say no for you. Only do things that support your core desired feelings.

Why do we make it so dam hard? why do we do so much that we don't wanna do?

FEEL your way to your goals in this order:
1) How do I want to feel
2) What goals and habits will support me feeling this way more often?

Voila! More feeling good."

Wishing you all the best in 2016. Happy New Year!

L.

10 Life Lessons Learned From Healthy Mind & Body

It's official, my 60 Day Healthy Mind and Body program is complete. As with any good (great) program, there were many takeaways that I will carry with me throughout life, but as my gift to you I would like to share my top 10 lessons learned along the way

1. You can accomplish anything if you are committed.
Commitment is king. If you've made the decision, all other options should be eliminated. Don't count on a Plan B. If achieving a goal is important enough to you, failure should never be an option.

2. The key to achieving any goal is consistency. 
Research has shown that it can take up to 65 days to create a new habit. No matter the goal and no matter the amount of time you have to set aside for that goal, ensure that you dedicate time working towards it on a daily basis.

3. You deserve to be a priority in your life.
Don't even think about serving others if you're not serving yourself. First thing's first, help yourself, be your own best friend, become somebody that you're proud of.

4. It's okay to screw up if you learn from it.
You're never going to be perfect the first time you try anything. We all make mistakes, but are we all learning from those mistakes? Reflect on your thoughts and actions often and commit to understanding yourself.

5. Take responsibility.
Become the hero or heroin in your life, not the victim. Be accountable for your beliefs, thoughts and actions. Eliminate blame from your thought process.

6. Set small, attainable goals.
We all need a grand goal to work towards, but if we don't carve out the path to get there we have no way of determining whether we are on the right track. Set small goals for yourself, preferably daily. Remember, something is always better than nothing.

7. Celebrate every win, no matter how small.
At the end of each day ask yourself, 'What did I do today that I am proud of?" Focus on becoming just a little bit better every day, and you will.

8. Know your why.
Why is this goal important to you? Forget about all of the reasons why not and remember the number one reason why. A strong enough why can overcome any how.

9. Be grateful.
There are so many things to be grateful for. Find gratitude in everything, including the challenges you face, and you'll be amazed at the shift that occurs within you.

10. When in doubt, just love.
Don't beat yourself up. Don't beat others up. Just love.

Would you like more information on the Healthy Mind & Body program? Message me on Facebook.

             

Homemade Crispy Kale Chips: 3 Ways

DID YOU KNOW plain kale chips contain approximately 33 calories and less than 1 gram of fat per cup? Compare that to your classic potato chip weighing in at 154 calories and 10.3 grams of fat per cup. The obvious winner here? Kale chips.

Even after drizzling the kale with olive oil and your favourite seasoning, kale still comes out on top. Kale chips are SO easy and there really are no rules, as you will soon see. Here are 3 kale chip recipes for the healthy snacker. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.*
2. Wash and dry kale leaves. Remove and discard the thick ribs. Cut or tear the kale leaves into your desires size of chips.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss and massage kale for 1-2 minutes until it is soft and slightly darker.
4. Spread the kale out in a single layer on baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 12 minutes, or until kale is crunchy.
6. Remove and serve immediately, or store in sealed container for up to 1 week.

*Note: the hotter you cook the kale chips, the more nutritional value is lost. If this is a concern, adjust the time and temperature accordingly.  

Enjoy!

L.

             

Why Changing Your Perception Changes Your Life

per·cep·tion noun

a way of regarding, understanding, or interpreting something; a mental impression

synonyms: impression, idea, conception, notion, thought, belief, judgment, estimation

"I'm not smart enough. I'm not pretty enough. I'm too weak. I'm not successful. No one likes me." 

What if I told you that our thoughts create our reality, would you believe me? 

If you've ever been in a philosophy class I'm sure this will sound all too familiar. After an entire semester talking about the origins of the universe and attempting to figure out whether our brain, body and soul are connected, my professor came up with this controversial question: Are humans innately good, bad or a blank slate? 

I'm going to save you the anguish that comes with attempting to solve this riddle and give you the answer I've settled on. We are whatever we want to be. We have the power to become whatever we choose. Out of all of the equally brilliant philosophers, who have their own theories and arguments for why they are right, they never come to an agreement. Instead, they carry on shaping their existence around these uncertain beliefs. They take their beliefs to the grave, we all do. 

You know what the cool part is? It doesn't matter who is right, at all. What matters is the fact that these beliefs we form shape our thoughts, which affect our actions and create reality as we know it. Whether you believe humans are evil beings or pure, innocent Do-Gooders, you are right. What you think about you bring about, so you're right. We are all right. 

Whatever you choose to believe about yourself, about your life, about people, about the world at large, this will become your reality. So watch your words, be kind to yourself and others, believe in miracles and concentrate on manifesting all that you desire. 

"Happy people don't have the best of everything. They make the best of everything." 

With love,

L.