Month: January 2017

Sleep Your Way to Better Health

Ahhh, sleep. Nothing rejuvenates your body, mind, and spirit like a good night’s sleep. But for many of us, sleep can be an elusive dream, so to speak. Even worse, a lot of people wake up in the morning with pain because they “slept wrong.” Yikes! Because I truly appreciate the value of a good night’s sleep, I don’t believe that there is a “wrong” way to sleep. However, here are a few tips that can help you wake up to a pain-free morning. After all, I want you to be able to face the day feeling fit, fabulous, and ready for anything. 1) If you sleep on your back. Use a pillow under your knees to support your low back in a neutral position. Play with different sizes until you find the one that is the most comfortable for you. Be sure that the pillow you use under your head is the correct...

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Self-Confidence Is the Best Self-Defense

Self-confidence plays a critical role in self-defense. How we stand, walk, and carry ourselves communicates to the world how we feel about ourselves. People pay more attention to our body language than we think they do. And they respond to what they see, and what they think they can get away with. This really hit home when I was teaching one of my self-defense classes for women. There were several grown women and two petite teenagers in the class. The girls were sisters, and they were adorable. One was very chatty and outgoing, and the other one was extremely quiet and reserved. They were accompanied by their grandmother, who had decided they should all take the class together. It usually takes some time for women to feel comfortable in a self-defense class, and this group was no exception....

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Be Careful What You Tell Yourself

Be careful what you tell yourself. Words are very powerful, and what you believe it what you become. Several years ago my husband and I were traveling to Atlanta to visit his family. We were on the train from the concourse to baggage claim and I was practicing a technique I learned in martial arts. I stood with my eyes closed, my knees bent, and without holding onto anything, I practiced finding my balance while I sensed the movement of the train. As I was getting into a meditative state, I heard a loud voice say, “I have to sit down, because I’m an old lady! When you’re an old lady, you can sit down, too.” I opened my eyes and saw a woman squeezing into the last available seat and talking to a little girl standing near her. I closed my eyes and went back to my musings...

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More Fit Tips For a Healthy New Year

Here we are, already in the second week of the New Year. Hopefully, you’re still on track with your resolution to get fit and healthy, exercise more, or eat healthier. However, it’s easy to lose our motivation once we return to our daily routine after the holidays. The pressure of work and family obligations, combined with the cold, dark days sometimes get in the way of our good intentions. You might even be tempted to give up. But before you get discouraged or throw in the towel, keep these tips in mind to help you stay on track. 1). Visualize success. Imagine yourself achieving your goals. Close your eyes and see yourself as the fit and healthy person you want to be. If you can imagine it, you can achieve it. The practice of visualization is a powerful tool to help you accomplish...

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Memories, and Ghosts of Christmas Past

Memories are the best part of Christmas celebrations. And making those memories are even better. For most of us, Christmas has come and gone. But not for me, it hasn’t. My decorations are still up, along with my tree. My tree is the only one that lights up the neighborhood at night, and my neighbors are probably wondering why I haven’t given it up yet. However, I cling to my decorations as much as I cling to my memories, and the ghosts of Christmas past. I was born into a family that was lucky enough to celebrate Christmas twice in two weeks. My mother’s parents were from Eastern Europe, and were Serbian Orthodox. That’s a tribe (so to speak) that celebrates Christmas on January 7th instead of December 25th. As a child, it was a little confusing, no matter how many times my mother explained...

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