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Front Porch Morning
Summer mornings are peaceful at my house. All mornings are actually, but the summer at 6 AM is a special time to enjoy. The air is simply delicious—fresh and cool and inviting. With a cup of coffee, I head out to the front porch. First I must check to see that the resident frogs are not hiding under the cushions on the couch. I don’t know why they seek shelter on the couch, but there they are most mornings. Assured that it is a frog-free zone, I can settle in.
How delightful it is! A rooster from a far-off neighbor greets the brightening sky. Some mornings I can hear the coyotes howling as they sign off for the day. As I sit quietly, the sun slowly ascends, illuminating the sky and lighting up the treetops. Over several minutes, I witness the subtle change from dawn to day. In harmony with the morning, I feel my own energy shift internally, as I transform to what will soon become my daytime vigor.
But it is the birds that lure me out at 6 AM, day after day. Ah, the birdsong! Variety is the spice of life, and we have it: Grosbeak, Robin, Chickadee, Nuthatch, Finch, Stellar Jay, Woodpecker—acorn and my personal fav, the pileated—and some mornings if I am really lucky, I can discern the call of a Kingfisher up on the irrigation canal that meanders through the forest. The birds serenade me, they sing to celebrate the new day, their various sounds merging into one fantastic symphony. I breathe, I quiet, and I breathe some more. I express gratitude for this gift of nature—the sunrise, the forest, the fresh air, and the birds. My heart is filled with joy! I am ready to jump into my day.
Posted in Updates | 
Tags: birdsong, breathe, Grass Valley, morning, Nevada County, peaceful, Relax, sunrise | 
No Comments »Get Moving!
Your body and mind will thank you for it.
Does the word “moving” conjure images of sweat, grunts, and aching muscles? Have you enjoyed a Zumba class on a Friday after work, only to rise Saturday morning with a stiff back? Or joined a gym with the best intention of managing your weight, gaining energy, and becoming fit, to find that after a valiant initial 6 week effort you have become quite skilled at finding more and more excuses that prevent your maintaining a workout schedule?
Moving does not have to be an Olympic effort. Movement should not be “hard”, unpleasant, or expensive. What moving should be is fun, varied, stimulating, and within your comfort zone.
What’s important is to GET MOVING! You’ve heard this before: park your car on the opposite end of the lot so that you walk a good distance into the store or movie theater; take the stairs instead of the elevator; push the grocery cart out to your car instead of allowing the nice young man to do it; find every and any excuse to move throughout the day. Take three minutes each hour to push your chair away from your desk to stretch your shoulders and neck; stand on your toes then rock onto your heels; do some wall pushups, squats, or bicep curls. Get creative! For every three minutes of activity at your desk, you will enjoy a burst of energy and productivity. Read the rest of this entry »
Mindful Living
Savor the moment to enhance your well-being.
Life is hectic! Our days are filled with commitments, family, obligations, activities (hopefully exercise fits in here), shopping and cooking, reading, driving to and fro…it’s a busy day. Many of us live in a “hurry up and get it done” mode—either multi-tasking two or three activities at the same time, or while in the midst of completing one task, already thinking about what is next on the list to do.
When did we buy in to this mode of existence—getting as much done in one day as humanly possible? Don’t get me wrong; efficiency and effectiveness are important to our personal and business success, but what is the price we pay for life in the fast lane? And one thing is certain, this ramped up performance expectation that has become the norm in our society does carry a price.
I believe that in our rush towards completion, the richness of each experience becomes diluted, leading to the loss of a certain amount of depth and sensory awareness. A superficiality is attached to the event, minimizing its’ value and contribution to our quality of life. Regardless of how ordinary or extraordinary the task may be, our attachment to the experience is minimized, and to counterbalance, it is mindfulness that allows us to fully engage in the depth and detail of the event or task, however mundane it may seem to be. Read the rest of this entry »
Women in the Workplace—is that the Office or Home???
For most of us, it’s both.
Women today do it all…contribute to the family finances, in some cases as the sole provider; nurture their children, partners, and extended family members; take care the house, which may include shopping, preparing meals, cleaning, laundry, or minor repairs; help with homework; talk with teachers; soothe hurt feelings and broken hearts; walk the dog; empty the cat litter box; write out the bills (all the while balancing the family budget); and mow the lawn in summer. While there may be a family effort exerted for these daily living tasks, much of the coordination, if not the effort itself, is left to the woman of the household.
Given all the energy women devote to household/family needs, how is it that we find time for success within our work life? Because we must. Whether we go to work full time or part time, at an executive or laborer level, love our work or just tolerate it, women give as much of themselves to their job as they do to their family and home.
That brings me to my point: What’s left over? Where is the energy or the time for our pleasures, our personal pursuits, or our self-nurturing? Yes, we derive pleasure from our family and work successes and challenges, but is that enough? NO, it is not!
We need balance in our lives. This is easier said than done, yes, but it can be done. Finding balance is a practiced skill, meaning that it must be practiced to become familiar. As working women, our path has been obscured by our sense of obligation to others, so that we can no longer see the way to care for ourselves. This is evident on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
Balance incorporates three key components: relaxation or a quieting of the mind, eating foods that are health sustaining, and engaging in some type of physical activity. The quieting of the mind is the most important aspect of this balance. The relaxation achieved from this quieting can have a tremendous positive affect on your physical and emotional health. Give yourself permission to take just one, or three, or six minutes a day to sit and breathe is all I am suggesting. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Balance | Tags: Balance, breathe, Business and Professional Women, Mindfulness, nutrition, real food, relaxation, Women in the Workplace, Women Misbehavin' | No Comments »Eat Well
Tricks of the trade – Restaurant Survival 101.
Imagine This: A much-anticipated dinner at that new restaurant you have been so eager to try, perhaps in celebration of an anniversary or a promotion. It’s been a busy day without much time for lunch. You are ravenous when the hostess seats you and thrilled when the bread, oil, and balsamic vinegar arrives. Marveling at the chewy texture of the ciabatta while enjoying a glass of wine, you contemplate the menu. Along with the divine roasted beet, arugula, and goat cheese salad, you enjoy a second and maybe a third piece of bread. When the entrée arrives twenty minutes later, you are amazed to find that you are no longer very hungry!
Of course you feel compelled to at least try the entrée, which is delicious, leading to an enticement for a couple more bites, and before you know it, you are uncomfortably full! Does this sound familiar?
Eating out does not have to be a free-for-all in terms of indulgence. It is entirely possible to enjoy a fine meal out (or in for that matter), eat well, become satisfied and well-fed, but not over-fed. Read the rest of this entry »
Relaxation as Medicine
Know your intention.
Adults experience an average of 50 stress responses a day! Whether you are awakened in the night by a wrong number phone call, can not find your car keys in the morning, or share in a difficult conversation with a colleague, each stress response has a negative impact on your physical and emotional health.
One way to diminish this negative impact is to take a moment or two out of your busy day for an intentional relaxation break, called Eliciting the Relaxation Response. Becoming relaxed is initiated by focusing on the rhythm of your breathing, which will allow your mind to become soothed and quieted. Not only will you enjoy an increase in focus and productivity, but perhaps more important is the decrease of the impact of the stress hormones. Just as a massage will relax tense muscles, a relaxation break will relax a tense mind.
There is a physiologic response that occurs when we become stimulated by an event, a thought, or physical discomfort. Commonly known as the fight or flight response, the changes that occur in the body are due to a hormonal cascade during which adrenaline and cortisol flood the body. The stress hormones will cause the heart rate and blood pressure to rise, increase blood glucose levels, and increase blood clotting. This protective mechanism is meant to prepare the body for the possibility of physical injury due to a “fight” and/or the need to take “flight”. If a vicious dog were charging you, these physical responses would assist you in getting out of the way in a hurry.
Hopefully, there is no charging dog. There is however the reality of daily events, such as family dynamics, job, traffic jams, and chores to name just a few, that can lead to a chronic sense of stress, worry, and hurry. The near constant presence of adrenaline and cortisol leads to an inflammatory response inside the body that may increase the risk to develop diabetes, coronary disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease. The increase in blood clotting can lead to a heart attack. Chronic stress interferes with good quality sleep, which in turn will lead to an increased sense of stress. Appetite can be affected negatively, with either less nutritious food choices being made, or too much food being consumed as a means to self soothe. Chronic stress can affect exercise habits, personal relationships, job performance, and could lead to behaviors that do not support optimal health.
Additional information will be provided in this and future newsletters to address relaxation techniques, healthy nutrition, and routine physical activity—optimal lifestyle choices that will lower your stress response, and your risk for disease.
Posted in Relax | Tags: health and wellbeing, Mindfulness, optimal lifestyle, relaxation, stress | 1 Comment »Welcome to the new and improved HeartMatters website!
There is so much to learn but the opportunity to share with you my passion for optimal health and well-being is very exciting. Stay tuned.
