Happy, Healthy, Active Spring!
Aaah, spring is here! It’s time for blooming flowers, outdoor activities, and colorful foods. Lest we not forget about the rain, mud, allergies, and erratic New England temperatures from day to day.
Spring is about change – in weather, dress, lifestyle, and diet. As we welcome the warmer weather we want to be more mindful of our bodies, diets, and lifestyle.
Use the ideas in this newsletter to aid in the seasonal transition from winter to spring in order to make the most of the sunny days ahead.
Namaste means “I bow to the Light within you” and is a sign of deep respect to those to whom it is offered. Given this, we honor the spark of divinity in ourselves and others, to remind us of the basic spiritual truth common to many doctrines – We are all one.
Spring is a Time of Change
Spring time is when all that is dormant comes alive again. After months of peaceful sleep beneath the cold earth, remnants of plants from last spring and summer begin to stir and feel the longing to be reborn. So it is with usthe pulse of life within us quickens, we feel the need to change our routine, clean up the clutter of being closed up, defrost the freezer, and get our bodies moving in a different way.
If you typically do hot yoga, try a cooler version, like Anusara or Kripalu. If you practice a kinder and gentler yoga instead of hot yoga, vinyasa or flow, try one of those quicker practices – just for the experience and to heat up your spring. On warmer days, try a shorter practice on your deck or lawn in the sun – practicing a drop-back is perfect against a gently sloping and grassy hill.
Vrksasana (tree pose) is a great pose to try outdoors and barefoot. As you come into the outer form of the pose, imagine that you, just like a tree, have roots. Feel the energy of the earth gently rooting you downward. Against the feeling of being grounded, with your tailbone lengthening down as well, begin to expand from the inside out and upward, just as the branches of a tree grow up to reach the sun. When you feel solidly connected to Nature, you can gently scoop the tips of your shoulder blades inward to lift your heart even higher toward the sky, tip your head up, and expand in all directions.
Top 10 Healthy Living Tips
- 1. COME BACK TO EARTH! Choose whole food like fruits, veggies, and whole grains over processed foods.
- 2. Eat BREAKFAST every day!
- 3. Eat smaller portions - 3-4 small meals per day. Make supper your lightest meal.
- 4. Stay HYDRATED - drink calorie-free beverages like water, white or green teas or flavor water with fresh lemon or lime.
- 5. Include a LEAN protein source with each meal - legumes, tofu, chicken/turkey or fish.
- 6. When choosing grain foods, fill up on fiber (25 – 38 g/day).
- 7. A daily multivitamin with 100% of the RDA of all vitamins is a good health insurance policy.
- 8. Make fruit and veggies a part of every meal. Color is key!
- 9. Stress less - take 10-15 minutes every day for quiet contemplation or meditation.
- 10. Sleep deep. Your body rejuvenates at every level when you’re sleeping.