Breaking Down Your Barriers

A well known quote by Plato states "A sound body builds a sound mind." Even a few thousand years ago they knew enough to recognize that the two are intertwined! I don't care what philosophy you want to follow, every day you can look at yourself or someone around you to see evidence that it's true. Now I know that if you're taking the time to read this, there is a good chance that you have spent your share of time in spas, gyms, clinics, with trainers, going to lectures, reading books, etc. etc. Some of you have even spent your days giving advice to others about many of those services. But how many of you have found consistency in following all the advice you've gained or given throughout your experiences?

How many of you take the time to regularly get massages? To regularly get exercise? To regularly pray, or meditate or just plain close your eyes to clear your mind of the stress around and inside of you and breathe? Aside from children, there are very very few of us that honestly take the time to do those things at any stage of our life. But it is extremely important that we do, not just around the holidays when we get might get a few days off if we're lucky, but everyday.

If you DO happen to have a day free to yourself during the upcoming holidays, I highly recommend using a few hours of it for some much needed "you time" and self-inspection. And no, I don't mean in the kinky sense. What I mean is to sit down or go for a walk somewhere relaxing, and really take an honest inventory of what you've been experiencing over the past few weeks or months, and what areas your life and body are trying to tell you it's in need of. When you can identify what you're lacking, you can then take the time to brainstorm how you can fill that need, and set the priorities in your life that will allow you to succeed. For example, here's one common area I hear expressed, and a question you can ask of yourself:

Do you repeatedly find yourself saying "I don't have time" as a "reason" you're not doing something you know you should, yet still have time to watch TV or go to Starbucks each day? Guess what? All of the areas above can be improved IF you're willing to put yourself and your health as your priority. If you're watching TV, you could be stretching or doing a home exercise program at the same time.

Excuse 1: "I just want to relax when I watch TV". FLAW: Stretching can be far more relaxing for the body than just sitting there. You'll be improving blood flow, decreasing areas of spasm, and allowing yourself to mentally let go as you let your body simply breathe.

Excuse 2: "But I do work on my computer at the same time. I'm actually getting things done when I watch TV." FLAW: I have a word for this one, but I will refrain from writing it. I don't care how great a multi-tasker you are, if you're watching TV, you're not really focusing on anything and are thereby extending the amount of time it would've taken to complete whatever you needed to get done if you had just shut the TV off and focused your intent. The extra time you'd have free'd up for yourself then could be used to actually enjoy whatever you wanted to watch while stretching at the same time.

Excuse 3: "But I HAVE to have my Starbucks in the morning!" FLAW: Priorities, people. Need I say more? Apparently, yes, or I wouldn't be hearing it so often from clients. The bottom line is this: The 15 minutes you spend at Starbucks could be spent stretching away those aches and pains in the morning while brewing your own coffee at home. Its a multi-fold gift to yourself: Improving your flexibility, therefore decreasing muscle and join pain, while saving time AND expenses....If you REALLY need a latte, buy your fav coffee beans and invest in an espresso/latte maker for home where you'll realize just how easy it is to be your own barista.

Take a walk or grab a notepad and gather the questions that will help you identify areas that you could use some improvement on, and we'll help you to identify the way to break those blockades in the next blog! Often the single major contributor to the brick walls that keep us from better health is none other than ourselves. Every time we make an excuse or but our needs on the back burner, we make the walls higher and the path back to our Best Self more difficult to get through.