A More Mindful Start to My Days

Scott and the kids were gone again a few weekends ago when I was supposed to attend a training for a new fitness class. I decided to forgo the training but they still went out of town since they had already made the plans. I taught a few classes, went to some of our church’s women’s conference, shared a fabulous meal with a great friend (more on that below) and of course spent lots of time in the kitchen cooking and listening to podcasts.

Unfortunately, the rest of the family was in a car accident on the way to Cincinnati. This was the second time in six months that Scott has been sandwiched in between two other cars on the highway traveling to or from Cincinnati. The first accident was in his car and this time the van. Praise God everyone was okay and the van was still drivable. It needed some major repairs and after a few weeks of waiting on the other people involved in the accident, we are finally getting it fixed.

One of my favorite podcasts from the weekend was Rich Roll’s interview with psychologist Michael Gervais titled Mastering Mindfulness in Sports & Life: High Performance Psychologist Michael Gervais. There were tons of great takeaways from the interview. I’ve been listening to many great podcasts and reading more and I want to remember some of the things I hear so I decided to start a Word doc to keep track of everything in one place. Normally I’ll jot stuff down on sticky notes or in my journal but I end up losing the notes or completely forgetting about it. I’m hoping having one central location will help. I found it ironic that I randomly picked this podcast about mindfulness to listen to since we had just had a discussion about mindfulness at a women’s Bible study I’m part of and mindfulness is the main topic of the March 2015 issue of Yoga Journal.

I’ve been including one of Michael’s suggestions at the start of each day and have found it so helpful to start my day off with more intention and focus. Most days I wake up to the alarm, jump out of bed and get straight to my workout. I am a morning person so it has never been hard for me to get up and going in the morning but I realized it would serve me better to begin my day at a slower and more mindful pace so that I can take a moment to just breathe, work through any anxiety I’m feeling and get my mind in the right place before I do anything else. I recently started getting up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than normal so that I could have some dedicated time to take a few deep breaths, read my Bible and devotional, journal and pray. It’s a small amount of time but after many years of unsuccessful attempts to do this for a larger chunk of time, this is a good start. I’m happy to report I’ve stayed committed to the plan for all but two days in the last several weeks. I’m feeling great about this accomplishment. The pic below is of my “morning spot.”

In addition to this, I’ve incorporated a simple 3-step routine before my head even leaves the pillow (Michael suggests this in his podcast):

1. Take one deep breath (and continue breathing of course!)
2. Have one thought of gratitude
3. Set one intention for the day

Lastly, I try to set a positive tone for how I’m going to interact with others that day by making my first interaction with another human a positive one. In the few weeks since I’ve been doing this short and simple routine, I have found that I start my days with more peace, less anxiety and a better state of mind overall. This doesn’t mean the rest of my days have been perfect but at least I’m starting them out better!

Here are a highlights from other things I did during the weekend they were gone.

My friend and fellow yogi / foodie / cookbook addict / etc. had an oh so yummy dinner at Banana Leaf vegan and vegetarian Indian restaurant on Saturday night. Check out this spread! We both got the buffet at the suggestion of the owner and loved everything. The buffet comes with an appetizer plate (the school lunch tray looking thing in the pic below) for each person that contains some common Indian street food. I’m not sure what everything was on there or that I ate from the buffet but I loved it all. It had been a long time since I last had Indian and I’d forgotten how much I like it. If only I could re-create these dishes at home. Of course I spent time that night on Pinterest looking for Indian recipes! Unfortunately my first attempt a few days later totally bombed but at least I tried, right? I knew it was bad before we even sat down for dinner but I kept my mouth shut and so did the rest of the family. I was shocked they ate it without complaining! I have a nice family 🙂 I’m going to invest in a few new spices and hope for success next time around.

After I got home I spent some time in the kitchen making a batch of homemade corn tortillas that I used in a meal later in the week and a batch of homemade whole wheat tortillas to put in the freezer. I tried a corn tortilla recipe a few weeks back and was disappointed in how fragile they were. I couldn’t even get the dough off my tortilla press. I used a similar recipe this time but saw a tip to cover the press with plastic wrap and it worked like a charm! The tortillas peeled right off in one piece.

The family got home on Sunday and I made this vegan spinach artichoke sauce pizza on quinoa crust. I added chicken and a little shredded cheese for Scott and E. I used elements of several different recipes and can’t remember exactly what I did so I’m not posting links to anything. But it turned out pretty good for my first attempt at a vegan pizza. The sauce was great. Next time I’ll bake the naked crust a little longer to get it nice and crispy before adding toppings.

I have been learning so much from listening to podcasts lately and by incorporating things I’m learning, I am starting to make positive changes in areas that have been challenging me for years. I am a routine person and like to be (or feel like I am) comfortable. Change has never been easy for me to swallow. This quote spoke to me and I wanted to share it with you.

What if I told you that
10 years from now,
Your life would be
Exactly the same?
I doubt you’d be happy.
So, why are you
So afraid of change?

Karen Salmansohn

Have a great weekend!

Mother’s Day Surprises and A Great Song

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope all you moms are enjoying your day and letting others take care of YOU today. I feel extremely blessed and thankful for my own mom and the many women in my life who have been mother figures to me. I also thank God for the blessing of our two children and the role He has given me as a mother.  I wake up most days feeling ill equipped for this role but He gives me the strength and support I need! I certainly couldn’t do it without the support of Scott and my friends and family. It is true that it takes a village to raise children.

I treated myself to some extra time in bed today and slept until a very late for me 7:30 am!! Both kids were up before me and that never happens. I even got a little time snuggling with C in her (toddler) bed which, I sadly admit, has never happened in the morning. Then I came out to the kitchen to find a few surprises from Scott and the kids. They got me balloons, chocolates, flowers and made lots of homemade cards. (See pic below. The flower crafts with pictures are for the grandmas but we won’t see them until next weekend). We joke all the time how I don’t really like getting flowers because they are expensive and I usually prefer food gifts but Scott wanted to make sure he covered all the bases so he chose fake flowers from the Dollar Store 🙂 Ha! Everything was a surprise except for the balloons. We had to run to the Dollar Store after Es game yesterday and C said “mama, this is where we got you a balloon!” Apparently they were there earlier in the morning getting my surprises while I was teaching. So much for 2 year olds keeping secrets. E had also made me several adorable gifts at school over the last few weeks but he gave them to me on Friday. One of the gifts was a “coupon” pack with coupons for chores and other things he will do for me when I redeem them. I redeemed the “fold laundry” coupon right away on Friday but plan to use it again since the coupon doesn’t specify one time use only 🙂 I have to let go of any expectations when it comes to the kids folding laundry. While he folded the towels very nicely, instead of stacking them up he laid them out all around the room in a sort of obstacle course. I also treated myself to two drinks at Peet’s (used the BOGO offer they sent by email) that I’ll drink over the next few days (yes, I am cheap and even make coffee drinks last more than one day) and took a yoga class after church.

Lastly, I wanted to share these great lyrics from “One Heartbeat at a Time” by Steven Curtis Chapman. What a great reminder to every mom of the impact we are making even when we feel like our lives as moms are tedious and insignificant.

You’re up all night with a screaming baby
You run all day at the speed of life
And every day you feel a little bit less
Like the beautiful woman you are

So you fall into bed when you run out of hours
And you wonder if anything worth doing got done
Oh, maybe you just don’t know
Or maybe you’ve forgotten

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch
And every smile

Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

With every, “I know you can do it”
And every tear that you kiss away
So many little things that seem to go unnoticed
They’re just like the drops of rain, over time they become a river

And you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch
And every smile

Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

You’re beautiful, so beautiful
How you’re changing the world
How you’re changing the world

You, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time
Making history with every touch
And every smile

Oh, you, you may not see it now
But I believe that time will tell
How you, you are changing the world
Oh, I believe that you, you are changing the world
One little heartbeat at a time

Hey, you’re changing the world

 

Have a great day!

 

 

 

6 Tips for a Healthier and More Joyful Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching and with it comes extra stress for most of us. This year, instead of succumbing to the pressure to do it all and exhausting yourself before the holiday is actually here, take a step back now and think about what you can do different this year to make it better than last. Below are six tips to make this holiday season healthier and more joyful:

1. Remember to eat regular meals (especially breakfast!) – Even if you know you are going to be eating a larger meal later in the day, make sure to eat something for breakfast (preferably something nutritious). Try to eat something small before you head out to a gathering or party. If you show up ravenous, you are likely to overindulge.
2. Enjoy holiday meals but don’t go overboard! – God willing, this will not be your LAST holiday meal so don’t eat like it is and then regret it later. Allow yourself to enjoy the food you like in sensible portions and fill the majority of your plate with better-for-you choices.
3. Move! – Don’t let travel or general busyness keep you from being active and exercising. Even if you have to cut back on your normal routine, try to fit some exercise in every day. Take a walk or run, do a few sun salutations, workout to a DVD or YouTube video, travel with portable exercise equipment like a resistance band, or pick a short but effective full body mini workout to do when you don’t have time for anything else. Check out this link to find ideas for quick and effective full body workouts.
4. Get enough rest – Nothing is going to do you in faster and set you up for crankiness, impatience and sickness faster than regularly skimping on sleep. Make sure to get a full nights rest and take a short nap if your schedule allows.
5. ENJOY the holidays – Most of us tend to get caught up in the busyness of the holidays – decorating our houses, buying the perfect presents, making the perfect meal, etc. – and forget to stop and soak in the true meaning of each holiday. This year, allow yourself to cut back on what you “do” and instead enjoy. Learn to say “no” when necessary in order to avoid being overextended. Enjoy the holidays yourself and enjoy them with your family.
6. Find an outlet – No, not an outlet mall (in fact stay FAR, FAR away from those!). Instead, find an outlet for stress relief as for many of us the holidays mean extra stress from an overbooked schedule or maybe extended family dramas. Make sure to find an outlet that works for you to de-stress and unwind. Workout? Massage? Yoga? Essential Oils? Night out with friends? A good book? Find something that helps you release and unwind.

Let’s vow to enjoy this holiday season no matter how crazy things get around us!

**Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net**

A Prescription for Joy

Proverbs 17:22
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Psalm 5:11, 12
“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Surely, Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favour as with a shield.”

The text below comes from the A Jolt of Joy Bible reading plan from YouVersion found at https://www.bible.com/. You might enjoy it, or one of the many other plans available from YouVersion.

I am not a doctor, but I have a prescription for you!

If you are battling depression or sadness, 3 times a day turn on praise and worship music. You might want to lift your hands in worship or just quietly sit and bask in the peace that flows from His presence. For the very brave of heart, let me encourage you to join with David and even dance before the Lord! Take about 5-10 minutes every morning, noon and night and sing along with your CD in heartfelt worship.

If one spiritual prescription is not enough for you, try this one: 3 times a day open your Bible and read a verse or two. If you are in the throes of sadness, just start at the beginning of the Book of Psalms and read 3-5 verses in a sitting. Let the Words of the Psalmist roll over your soul and demonstrate their healing power in your life.

3 times a day, spend a few minutes in prayer, praying for someone else. Keep a prayer journal and write down other people’s needs and requests. When you give to someone else by praying for them, the blessings and the strength will come rebounding back upon your life.

And finally, once a week spend some time serving someone else. Baby-sit for a young mother who needs a mental break. Take a widow out to coffee and listen to her heart. Offer to make a meal for someone who has not been feeling well. Never underestimate the power of kindness. Kindness is the twin sister of joy … you can’t have one without the other!