We can all use a little stretch and relaxation every now and then. Here are 3 easy yoga techniques you can do at a moment's notice to find peace and serenity (think George Costanza's dad saying, "Serenity now!") in the midst of a hectic day.
1. pranayama
This is a big word for "breathing." To be technical, Prana is the life force energy in air and Ayama is control. To benefit, become aware of your breathing. As you inhale, think inhale. As you exhale, think exhale. Repeat 4 or 5 times, pausing in between each inhalation and exhalation. Try to exhale a tad longer than you inhale. To take it a step further, aim to have your breath expand your belly rather than letting the breath stop at your chest.
2. meditation
Yoga followers talk about the "monkey brain." Some take it further and refer to our mind as "a drunken monkey stung by a scorpion." If you can picture what this might look like, relate that to the number of thoughts running through your mind at any given time. Meditation comes in to help calm the thoughts--it's the reset button we all need. Find 5 minutes, sit in a comfortable position, and stare at something, anything, for the count of 30. Now, close your eyes and focus on the image on the inside of your eyelids (the contrast, or negative image of what you were just looking at). Here's one such image at http://www.hereinreality.com/optical/optical7.html
3. lie down
Yep, it's that simple :) If you are overwhelmed, stressed, scared, worried, confused...you name it, take 5 minutes and lie down. Calm your body first before calming your mind. Lie on your back, in yoga this is the Savasana pose, or corpse pose. Yes, that sounds awful, but the idea is that you completely let go of this physical body and retreat to your mind, or your being. It sounds so simple, yet it is truly difficult to just relax, to just be. Don't be discouraged, lie down and you'll begin to feel its healing and restorative powers almost immediately.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
be the change
The world is full of movers and shakers, people who not only stretch the envelope, but completely re-define it. You have ideas. You know what would make the world a better place--whether it's a good home cooked meal in your family's bellies or an innovative approach to the status quo at work. Get out there and do it. Here are 3 ways to bring those dreams to life.
1. humor every idea
Take time to really dive into each of your "crazy" ideas. True, some may be ridiculous, but how do you know until you look into the details. Think of the diamond-in-the-rough (cliche, I know, but it fits), sift through the minutiae and get to the nitty-gritty of your brain-child.
2. release the nay-sayers
My goodness are there nay-sayers, and I-told-you-so-ers, and people waiting in the comfort of "doing nothing" to point out mistakes. You have to let go of trying to please these people. Surprisingly, some of your loved ones might fit into this category. Still love them, still enjoy their company, just let go of wanting their approval for this new venture you're working on.
3. be willing to put your money where your mouth is
Fact of the matter is that sometimes things cost money. It's too easy to put off your idea as a pipe dream and refuse to put any funds towards it, saying that it would be a waste. Put your money on the table, believe in yourself and see where it goes.
1. humor every idea
Take time to really dive into each of your "crazy" ideas. True, some may be ridiculous, but how do you know until you look into the details. Think of the diamond-in-the-rough (cliche, I know, but it fits), sift through the minutiae and get to the nitty-gritty of your brain-child.
2. release the nay-sayers
My goodness are there nay-sayers, and I-told-you-so-ers, and people waiting in the comfort of "doing nothing" to point out mistakes. You have to let go of trying to please these people. Surprisingly, some of your loved ones might fit into this category. Still love them, still enjoy their company, just let go of wanting their approval for this new venture you're working on.
3. be willing to put your money where your mouth is
Fact of the matter is that sometimes things cost money. It's too easy to put off your idea as a pipe dream and refuse to put any funds towards it, saying that it would be a waste. Put your money on the table, believe in yourself and see where it goes.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
help with peer pressure in the classroom
Come on, everyone’s doing it.
It’s no big deal, just tell me what was on the test—it’s not like we’re cheating or anything.
Peer pressure is everywhere. To say it’s avoidable is hardly accurate. However, it is possible to arm students with self-knowledge and put a few coping strategies in their pockets for the next time they feel peer pressure staring them down. Here are three lessons to help your students see beyond “tattle-taling” (which they never want to do) as the only answer.
1. staring contest
Introduce the idea of peer pressure. Ask the students what that pressure looks like, how it sounds, and most importantly how it feels. After the discussion, ask for a few volunteers to sit in a prominent place in the room. Have the class act out some of the descriptions of what peer pressure looks/sounds like (from discussion above). The audience members may start at their seat and then, at your invitation, move closer in proximity to the volunteer in the “hot seat.” After a few minutes of this pressure, have all the students return to their seats and ask for them to describe their experience:
If you were in the hot seat, was it hard to sit still while people were staring at you?
If you were in the crowd, did you feel you had to act like someone else?
2. advice jar
Adults offer advice all day long. Sometimes kids like to hear what other kids have to say about getting out of sticky situations. Send a jar around the room. On a slip of paper you provide, ask students to write a question about a tough peer pressure situation. Be sure to remind the students “no name, no blame” to avoid talking about specific people, and keep the questions anonymous. After everyone has placed their questions into the jar, begin to draw out slips and read them (you read the slips for any last minute editing to avoid discussing a person rather than simply an event). Ask for advice from the class as to how they might handle the peer pressure.
3. secret signal
For the student who is reluctant to ask for adult help for fear of offending a peer, have a private conversation about the peer pressure. Develop a secret signal the student can do to alert you to the uncomfortable situation. Rather than having to leave his/her social group to get you, this signal will bring you to the group. If you hear the peer pressure happening, step in and have a mini-lesson on the spot about how to get along without pressuring one another out of comfort zones.
It’s no big deal, just tell me what was on the test—it’s not like we’re cheating or anything.
Peer pressure is everywhere. To say it’s avoidable is hardly accurate. However, it is possible to arm students with self-knowledge and put a few coping strategies in their pockets for the next time they feel peer pressure staring them down. Here are three lessons to help your students see beyond “tattle-taling” (which they never want to do) as the only answer.
1. staring contest
Introduce the idea of peer pressure. Ask the students what that pressure looks like, how it sounds, and most importantly how it feels. After the discussion, ask for a few volunteers to sit in a prominent place in the room. Have the class act out some of the descriptions of what peer pressure looks/sounds like (from discussion above). The audience members may start at their seat and then, at your invitation, move closer in proximity to the volunteer in the “hot seat.” After a few minutes of this pressure, have all the students return to their seats and ask for them to describe their experience:
If you were in the hot seat, was it hard to sit still while people were staring at you?
If you were in the crowd, did you feel you had to act like someone else?
2. advice jar
Adults offer advice all day long. Sometimes kids like to hear what other kids have to say about getting out of sticky situations. Send a jar around the room. On a slip of paper you provide, ask students to write a question about a tough peer pressure situation. Be sure to remind the students “no name, no blame” to avoid talking about specific people, and keep the questions anonymous. After everyone has placed their questions into the jar, begin to draw out slips and read them (you read the slips for any last minute editing to avoid discussing a person rather than simply an event). Ask for advice from the class as to how they might handle the peer pressure.
3. secret signal
For the student who is reluctant to ask for adult help for fear of offending a peer, have a private conversation about the peer pressure. Develop a secret signal the student can do to alert you to the uncomfortable situation. Rather than having to leave his/her social group to get you, this signal will bring you to the group. If you hear the peer pressure happening, step in and have a mini-lesson on the spot about how to get along without pressuring one another out of comfort zones.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
feed your soul like you would your belly
Many of us take care of others in one form (bank teller) or another (parent) all day long. If we aren't careful, this give-give-give philosophy can quickly lead to burn out and exhaustion. We know the right way to eat--more real food, less processed products, pronounce-able ingredients. Nutrition is a key piece to wellness, but only a piece. We need to be able to rattle off the same list of strategies for feeding our soul. To get you started, here are three easy ways to feed your soul the same healthy way you feed your belly.
1. golden list
Each morning, in that moment between sleeping and awakening, linger in the calm stillness and create your golden list. Start with naming 3 people, places, events, comments, etc that make you feel good. Hold onto those good feelings you are conjuring up. Set your intention for the day to be open to more experiences that feel just as good. Follow what the day brings you--your eyes are now open to the possibility of new experiences bringing you joy.
2. be selfish
Say no to other people, schedule a solid hour for lunch, close your office door...whatever it takes to give yourself a break from the constant demands of the outside world. To be clear: block out a chunk of time on your calendar and keep it for you--this is your sacred time to find peace in the hectic work day. If you had a magic wand, what would you do now that your door is shut? That giant pile of filing, clean off your desk, read all 200 emails in your inbox so that red flag will finally disappear? Use this time each day to take care of your immediate needs. Trust me, anything on the other side of the door will be just fine waiting for one hour--and you'll be in a better place to deal with it after your "selfish time."
3. laugh
Find the funny in each day. Each moment doesn't require a full bent-over, can't-catch-your-breath type of laugh. Sometimes a smile is just enough to help you find humor in daily life. Laughter releases endorphins in the brain and has even been linked to increasing immune functions.
1. golden list
Each morning, in that moment between sleeping and awakening, linger in the calm stillness and create your golden list. Start with naming 3 people, places, events, comments, etc that make you feel good. Hold onto those good feelings you are conjuring up. Set your intention for the day to be open to more experiences that feel just as good. Follow what the day brings you--your eyes are now open to the possibility of new experiences bringing you joy.
2. be selfish
Say no to other people, schedule a solid hour for lunch, close your office door...whatever it takes to give yourself a break from the constant demands of the outside world. To be clear: block out a chunk of time on your calendar and keep it for you--this is your sacred time to find peace in the hectic work day. If you had a magic wand, what would you do now that your door is shut? That giant pile of filing, clean off your desk, read all 200 emails in your inbox so that red flag will finally disappear? Use this time each day to take care of your immediate needs. Trust me, anything on the other side of the door will be just fine waiting for one hour--and you'll be in a better place to deal with it after your "selfish time."
3. laugh
Find the funny in each day. Each moment doesn't require a full bent-over, can't-catch-your-breath type of laugh. Sometimes a smile is just enough to help you find humor in daily life. Laughter releases endorphins in the brain and has even been linked to increasing immune functions.
thought stopping techniques
When negative thoughts keep swirling in your mind and you just can't seem to turn your brain off, everything you attempt is that much more difficult. Remember--you are in charge of your thoughts! Next time you are stuck in a mental traffic jam, try one of these methods to regain control of your thoughts.
1. breathing
Notice your heart rate. Now, consciously breathe in through your nose, fill your belly with air (not just your chest), pause, and then breathe out your mouth. As you do this, say: In through the nose, notice the pause, and out through the mouth. Take several of these slow, relaxing breaths until you start to feel the tension associated with the negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath and repeating the mantra, you've regained control of what you are thinking about.
2. look at the clouds
I once had a yoga teacher tell me this and I honestly thought it was for the birds! Now here I am recommending it, too. The key is practice. When you have a thought, telling yourself to simply stop thinking about it is nearly impossible. So, accept the thought but distance yourself from it. Picture the thought as a cloud floating across your mind. Stay with the thought until the cloud floats out of sight. If another cloud (or the same one!) comes back, simply repeat the process.
3. let go of the old
If you're tired of ruminating about the same frustrating things, take a mental inventory of what you're holding onto. In order to fit new items into a stuffed closet, some old items must be removed. Think of all the grudges, annoyances, and unfulfilling relationships you are holding onto. Why do these things mean so much that you let them control you, your thoughts and your feelings? Start small, but let go of one thing that's not bringing you joy. Once you clear this mental space, it's free to let in new and exciting thoughts and ideas.
1. breathing
Notice your heart rate. Now, consciously breathe in through your nose, fill your belly with air (not just your chest), pause, and then breathe out your mouth. As you do this, say: In through the nose, notice the pause, and out through the mouth. Take several of these slow, relaxing breaths until you start to feel the tension associated with the negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath and repeating the mantra, you've regained control of what you are thinking about.
2. look at the clouds
I once had a yoga teacher tell me this and I honestly thought it was for the birds! Now here I am recommending it, too. The key is practice. When you have a thought, telling yourself to simply stop thinking about it is nearly impossible. So, accept the thought but distance yourself from it. Picture the thought as a cloud floating across your mind. Stay with the thought until the cloud floats out of sight. If another cloud (or the same one!) comes back, simply repeat the process.
3. let go of the old
If you're tired of ruminating about the same frustrating things, take a mental inventory of what you're holding onto. In order to fit new items into a stuffed closet, some old items must be removed. Think of all the grudges, annoyances, and unfulfilling relationships you are holding onto. Why do these things mean so much that you let them control you, your thoughts and your feelings? Start small, but let go of one thing that's not bringing you joy. Once you clear this mental space, it's free to let in new and exciting thoughts and ideas.
start thinking about wellness
Wellness is the new word. Most of us are done with thinking about how far behind we are--not thin enough, not emotionally-balanced enough...not good enough. The wellness trend is a welcome change. Rather than thinking something is wrong, that we are in some way broken, we assume life is relatively ok. The wellness programs aim to make life even better. Semantics? Maybe. But how we think is how we feel which leads to how we act. If we think something is wrong, then we'll act like it is. If we assume we are ok, that there are areas we can improve to be even better, then we'll ultimately have more confidence to make those changes.
Here are 3 ways to incorporate wellness into your life today!
1. body
We really are what we eat. What did you eat today? Try to incorporate one growing, living food item into each day. Once this becomes habit (roughly 30 days) then up your challenge to eating one fruit or vegetable at each meal. The more natural, less processed your diet becomes, the more your body will thank you.
2. mind
What do you think about most? Keep a journal if you are unsure. If your thoughts are leading you down a negative path, start implementing some thought stopping techniques (tomorrow's entry). Once you stop the flow of negative thoughts, you open the door for positive experiences. You have to let some baggage go before you can move on to a new you.
3. soul
Take time to nourish your soul. Honor yourself and set aside key times in the day to focus on you--who you are today and who you hope to become in the future (a future posting will elaborate).
Here are 3 ways to incorporate wellness into your life today!
1. body
We really are what we eat. What did you eat today? Try to incorporate one growing, living food item into each day. Once this becomes habit (roughly 30 days) then up your challenge to eating one fruit or vegetable at each meal. The more natural, less processed your diet becomes, the more your body will thank you.
2. mind
What do you think about most? Keep a journal if you are unsure. If your thoughts are leading you down a negative path, start implementing some thought stopping techniques (tomorrow's entry). Once you stop the flow of negative thoughts, you open the door for positive experiences. You have to let some baggage go before you can move on to a new you.
3. soul
Take time to nourish your soul. Honor yourself and set aside key times in the day to focus on you--who you are today and who you hope to become in the future (a future posting will elaborate).
Thursday, January 21, 2010
are you a walking ball of nerves?
Constantly looking around, nervously flipping hair out of eyes, rubbing clammy hands down your thighs as you sit, forgetting to exhale while talking...any of these sound familiar? Put two or three of these behaviors together and WOW! you are a walking ball of nerves. Here are three ways to tame those anxious behaviors and give off the calm energy that will attract people towards you.
1. breathe
The most helpful thing you can do right now is to become aware of your breath. Chances are you are breathing in more air than you are exhaling. This lifts your shoulders and scrunches your neck and creates tension all across your shoulder blades. Try saying this to yourself as your breath: breathe in for 1...2...3... and out for 1....2...3... Stick with it for a few minutes until your breathing is under control. Feel the tension leave your shoulders as they lower from your ear lobes and elongate your neck.
2. close your eyes
Shut out the world by closing your eyes. Chances are, you're hyper-alert right now and your eyelids will resist staying shut. Take time to really focus on all the muscles on your face. Imagine releasing each one individually. Spend time on your forehead, then your eyebrows, then your eye lids, and so on, down your face. Keep coming back to the tension. No worries if it takes a while, just stick with it until your eyes are gently resting shut.
3. prepare
You've gotten your breath under control, your face is relaxed, now prepare a few things you feel comfortable talking about before entering the stressful situation. Have these topics "in your pocket" and ready for a conversation at a moment's notice. There's no shame in preparing conversations--not many people are comfortable winging it, especially when in a stressful setting.
1. breathe
The most helpful thing you can do right now is to become aware of your breath. Chances are you are breathing in more air than you are exhaling. This lifts your shoulders and scrunches your neck and creates tension all across your shoulder blades. Try saying this to yourself as your breath: breathe in for 1...2...3... and out for 1....2...3... Stick with it for a few minutes until your breathing is under control. Feel the tension leave your shoulders as they lower from your ear lobes and elongate your neck.
2. close your eyes
Shut out the world by closing your eyes. Chances are, you're hyper-alert right now and your eyelids will resist staying shut. Take time to really focus on all the muscles on your face. Imagine releasing each one individually. Spend time on your forehead, then your eyebrows, then your eye lids, and so on, down your face. Keep coming back to the tension. No worries if it takes a while, just stick with it until your eyes are gently resting shut.
3. prepare
You've gotten your breath under control, your face is relaxed, now prepare a few things you feel comfortable talking about before entering the stressful situation. Have these topics "in your pocket" and ready for a conversation at a moment's notice. There's no shame in preparing conversations--not many people are comfortable winging it, especially when in a stressful setting.
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