In Pursuit Of Balance For Maximum Wellness

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With every new year that approaches, millions of us make resolutions to change our lives in one way or another. Will this be the year that you finally quit smoking, drinking, eating too much or will you finally decide that this is the year that you’re going to get into better shape?

  As a Personal Trainer I see the change that comes every January; the unfamiliar faces of the determined in the gym. They all have the same look in their eyes; a bit of apprehension mixed with enthusiasm. Day by day and week by week those well intended people and their new shoes slowly disappear.  They all had good intentions mixed with great new outfits but they didn’t have the one thing that’s vital to obtaining any goal, COMMITMENT.  I wholeheartedly believe that the first step is always commitment.

When you commit to something it can take you in many interesting directions and to people and places that you never knew existed.

What I have figured out through a great time of reflection is that if you don’t have balance in your life then you really aren’t living but merely existing. I definitely enjoy having balance for maximum wellness and I definitely feel it physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually when I don’t.

A motto that I came up with over 20 years ago and use to this day professionally and personally is

“Total fitness is a broad umbrella-like concept that encompasses the body, mind and spirit so

Let The Body Work, Let the Mind Relax and Let The Spirit Play.”

To achieve Balance for Maximum Wellness you have to do one thing this New Year. You have to choose to either say YES to things that you previously would said NO to or say No to things that you previously would say YES to. That’s it.

Still having fun! -Lisa

Christmas Time Is Here

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It’s that time of year again- THE HOLIDAYS. The time when you eat too much, drink too much and exercise too little (except for all of the running around that you’re doing to get everything done).

For me the holidays have always represented a time of personal reflection. I think it’s also because my birthday is at this time of year as well.

Every year when I put my Christmas decorations away, I think of what will be going on in my life when I take them out the following year. I wonder if I will I have the same job, the same residence, be living in the same city? Perhaps a new and exciting person will come into my life and I always hope that the people that I have in my life will be there next year- happy and healthy.

And you know what? Every year I am surprised by how my life is when I take those decorations out. I am very blessed to have the life that I have and am thankful to be able to enjoy the holidays in whatever form they take.

I love everything about Christmas. So much so that every year in July or August I find myself starting to sing Christmas songs. It’s strange, but true. I love the music, the lights and watching the kindness of others.  I also like watching Frosty, Rudolph and all of the other must see shows, spending time with family and friends, all of the food- OH, HOW I LOVE THE FOOD, going to movies and just enjoying the slow and relaxed pace.

I refuse to get stressed out over the holidays. I don’t want to miss out on the pleasures of this time of year and you never know what the next year will bring.

So, enjoy the holidays. EAT, DRINK, BE MERRY (in moderation) and just remember that I’ll be looking for you in the gym in January.

Lisa

Thank- You, Thank- You, Thank- You.

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Those are two words that I never get tired of saying or hearing. I think that gratitude is something so easy to do and it should be practiced as often as possible.

At the end of every single training session that I have with my clients, we stand face to face, close our eyes and with every deep breath that we take, we think of one thing that we are grateful for. We do this three times and my clients and I always are grateful for the chance to practice gratitude. It is one of those things like meditating that I make a point of adding into my day. It feeds me in a way.

So many people are more than happy to tell you about all of their complaints all day. “I’m so fat, I hate my job, I have no money, my relationship sucks and my( fill in the blank) hurts all the time.” Now the funny thing is that all of those above mentioned things can be changed by the person’s choices. Instead of complaining about your weight, be thankful that you are fortunate enough to have food on your table. Millions don’t. You also have the ability to make better choices regarding what you are feeding yourself whereas many don’t.  If you are able to move, be grateful for that; many are bed ridden. Moving and nourishing your body will get the weight off if that is what’s needed.

Unfortunately, many people hate their jobs. In fact it is said that 4pm Sunday is dread time- the time when people start thinking about returning to work on Monday. How sad is that? When someone complains to me about their job I always tell them to be grateful that they have one as many don’t. That immediately shakes them out of their thoughts.

No matter what your situation is you are always better off than someone else. Remember that. Many people would love to complain about the little things that most of us routinely complain about.

I remember a few years ago on social media a photo was going around with a young girl who was crying and clearly having a tantrum because for Christmas she didn’t get the correct colour for her new cell phone. At the bottom was another photo of a person who without proper shoes had tied pieces of cloth onto large pop bottles and attached them to their feet. Kinda puts everything into perspective real fast, doesn’t it!!!! That person would give anything to walk a mile in YOUR shoes. Would you do the same?

Appreciate everything that you have been given, good and bad. Always be grateful!!

What are three things that you are grateful for on this day?

Karma

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You always hear people throwing around the saying ‘What goes around, comes around” but many don’t really dig any deeper into what karma is all about.

Some say that Karma means ACTIONS and some say that it means TO COME BACK. I think it’s both combined; actions coming back. It is like a boomerang.  All of your words and all of the actions that you put out into the world will return to you. Whether they are good or bad, they belong to you.  You just deliver them to a person, situation or the universe for a period of time. The amount of time for it to return can be eons or a moment; we have all heard of Instant Karma. In fact, John Lennon did a song about that and it is absolutely brilliant. Pay attention to the words when you listen to it.

If it is a short period of time you may recognize it and learn the lesson if it is negative and you may be happy or experience another positive emotion instantly if it was positive.

However, the time may not be instant. It may take years or (according to Buddhist philosophy) lifetimes for you to reap the words or actions that you sowed and if that is the case then you may be confused, hurt or angry at the time if the karma was negative.

I once dated a guy who was Hindu and he grew up with the knowledge of karma.  He was going through a horrible situation in his life when we met and when I asked him how he was coping with his situation and why he was not angry as most people would be, he told me that this was his karma and he just accepted it. Wow! That taught me a lot. He didn’t fight back or throw anything negative from his being out into the mix and you know what, it just seemed to dissolve very quickly on its own and it got much better than either of us thought it would. It was incredible and I feel privileged to have been able to have witnessed that side of someone. Acceptance of the situation was not a passive act by him; it was quite the opposite. It took such great strength to do that, to go through something unpleasant and feel the feelings, especially in a world filled with revenge and unacceptance of anything (actions or feelings) that is uncomfortable or negative.

I think that Karma is like gardening. Let me preface this by saying that I am in no way a gardener but I do know that what you reap, you sow. If you plant flowers, you are not going to end up with carrots. Also you will not get 50 carrots if you only plant one seed, right? Again, I can only assume as I am not a gardener or a farmer. Maybe there are trick seeds out there or technology may have evolved. Calling all gardeners and farmers, is this the case?

Let’s just say that that is not the case. You may throw out a whole bunch of seeds and some will stick  and grow immediately and some will get blown away. The thing is you don’t know which ones will ripen now and which ones will next season or the season after.

The great thing about all of this is that once you are aware of Karma and its effects, you have the choice to produce positive or negative words and actions based on your thoughts. That is free will. Others may try to persuade or advise you positively or negatively, but when it comes down to it, you alone control your actions.

I love this saying and feel that it sums up everything discussed in just the perfect way. “What someone does to or for you is THEIR Karma; how you react is YOURS”

Throw good stuff out into the universe always. The world needs lots of love and hugs, positive energy and compassion. Then sit back and look at all of the wonderful people and experiences that appear in your life to make it even more wonderful.

Giving And Receiving

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To give is to receive. You really do receive so much more when you give sincerely from your heart. Be grateful for the opportunity to be able to exercise this important part of you.

There are many opportunities to give every day and most of them are simple to do. Saying good morning to everyone you come in contact with is a good place to start. Eye contact and a sincere smile are real treats to give or receive in this fast paced, head down looking at something kind of world. We need that connection more than ever. Best of all- it’s free! You never know what that simple gift is going to do for someone that day but it will have a positive impact one way or another. Like skipping a stone in a calm body of water; it has a ripple effect.

It is also important to graciously receive whatever or whenever someone is trying to give to you. Remember you are helping them exercise that important side of themselves as well. Saying thank you with that same sincere smile and eye contact will help them to know that their actions are appreciated and doing so will encourage them to continue with those actions. It really is a give and take world and you will find that when you balance the two out artfully, the happier, less stressed and more connected you will be to the world and the people in it.

What have you given lately that has put a smile on someone else’s face?