Blessings from a Balanced Birthday

This week was my birthday, which for me, is kind of like New Years, a sobering time to “rethink everything.” The recognition that time is so precious and OMG am I really THAT old?!  

Chocolate Raspberry Cake from my book, Savvy Secrets

I woke up feeling sad, frustrated and sorry for myself. My husband was out of town, and my twin sister and a few others who were coming to my retreat next week are now unable to go. I’m sad not to be able to share this time with them but grateful that a couple of years ago everyone came together to create yoga dance videos, such precious memories!  You can see why I will miss her and how she is so much fun here:

Also given my own recent wake up call and given that I am STILL trying to figure out exactly what I want to be when I grow up, I’m cognitive of what my recently deceased brother in law said, “My runway may be shorter than I thought”. 

Yes Lisa, your actions today determine tomorrow’s destiny…

So I purposely chose NOT to work on my Birthday.  As the “energizer bunny” I’ve been known to work too hard.  This is a badge of honor we Washingtonians bestow upon ourselves to prove our worthiness.  “I’m just so busy” (and therefore so important).  It’s true, I do feel more productive and seem to get more done, the busier I am. But sometimes this busyness has a cost. In my case, my blood pressure is my body's loving reminder to find equal time for rest, relaxation and play!

My mantra has often been “There's never enough time...” which, according to Dr. Deepak Chopra is the fastest way to a heart attack.

So the question is what do I really really really WANT? So I pondered this on my Birthday, starting with how did I want to spend the day. First I had to call my twin sister in tears and offload what had been on my chest.  I want honest open loving relationships.  That means first being open, honest and true to myself and verbalizing hurt and sometimes-difficult conversations. I told her that yes I may sound vain and selfish but I was really disappointed that she decided to go with friends on another trip instead of coming to my retreat and I didn’t want to give her a guilt trip, but that I felt sad and hurt anyway. This was not an easy call for me and especially challenging for an accommodating, people-pleaser like myself. 

My rock solid, faithful, loving, sister said, “I’m not accepting any guilt trip and I am so proud of you for making this call”.  Wow, aren’t our relationships our best teachers? It felt good to let it go and I felt heard and safe to verbalize my feelings. Something so important for all of us to practice. Now that the air was clear, we could plan our day together.

The night before I stopped at Whole Foods and bought a few of my favorite things for a picnic lunch. Denise did the same, and we met at a vineyard close to her home with our Mother to celebrate.  I made Victoria Woods’ quick roasted cauliflower and brussel sprouts with olive oil, garlic and spices and brought pate, raw cheese and gluten free crackers, grapes, olives, and of course, dark chocolate.  I grabbed a bottle of green tea, my glass water bottle and some ice and was out the door. 

I decided to wear my new Athleta wild yoga pants because after all it IS my birthday so I could wear and do whatever I wanted! Don’t you love how they match my company colors? I even got a couple of thumbs up in my convertible on the way, not bad for a 56 year old woman :)

My gift from Denise?  An old caricature that she found drawn when I was twelve years old as a ballet dancer and a cheerleader.  My husband who was out of town, sent me a jibjab card of him dancing and singing about how I am still his cheerleader…..hmmmmmm

After our picnic, I mailed my books and handouts for the Asilomar Retreat and went to the bank to cash in a savings bond from 1968, another found gift from Denise.  Worth $131 today, woo hoo!  I decided to treat myself to a Hot Spot infra Red Sauna @HotSpotSauna and relaxed while I put the finishing touches on my workshop for next week. It's amazing how good and productive I felt in the 45 minutes of writing in the sauna. There is nothing like a good sweat to get the endorphins going and the heat is soooo relaxing!  An infrared is different than a dry or steam sauna.  It uses the same heat that hospitals use to warm newborn babies.  It actually penetrates deeper in the tissue and is hotter but does not feel stifling hot like other saunas. I especially recommend this to my clients who want to do a periodic cleanse. My daughter and I spent 30 minutes in an infrared sauna several days a week during her cancer treatment in Arizona and getting one for my home is on my wish list. 

Last stop was to MOM's Organic Market to buy food for Sunday when we will celebrate my daughter Margo, and sister Cristin and niece Luzy's birthday and my nephew Eddie's birthday too!  How blessed we are to have a big loving family and how grateful I felt to spend time with my twin sister and to take time just for myself too.  

A very important lesson I learned from my friend Dr Wes Rocki is that by acknowledging all of us, the fear, the sadness, and the parts we want to hide, allows us to see the opposing emotions. If we stuff our anger, fear and sadness, we also stuff our joy. Imagine balancing on a boogie board. One side is our dark side and one side is the light. If we press down on the dark, the light rises. By letting go of the thoughts that no longer serve you, you are able to make room for love and joy.  By letting go of our constant busyness, gives us time and space for gratitude.

"Healing means to make whole, to accept all parts of ourselves, not just the parts we like, but all of us." Louise Hay

Maybe for next year's birthday, we'll practice SUP yoga!

How will you practice balance and what will you do for yourself today, this week and especially on your birthday? 

Lisa

PS

One spot left for Self Health Retreat @ Asilomar next weekend! LMK if you want more information http://www.selfhealthretreats.com/

Optimal Health is Not Complicated; Maximize, Minimize & Prioritize

Do you, like me, have a hard time prioritizing self?

I start many presentations with this slide "Optimal Health is Not Complicated; Maximize, Minimize and Prioritize.”

...and yet doing this consistently is a challenge. Here lies the value of a health coach. I have my own coaches. I have a business coach and paid mentors that I work with. I still have to practice consistently prioritizing myself. Some of us are givers. We love to give, We thrive on giving, but we can give so much we wind up running out of gas.

We don't wait until our car runs out of gas before we fill it up. We don't put cheap gas in a Ferrari if we want it to perform with optimal performance. Why do we do this to ourselves? Do you ever fill yourself with cheap food or wait until you’re starving before taking a break? Do you plan and prepare a nutritious meal to fuel you for the day? Do you prioritize joyful activities and rest and relaxation every day?  It’s so easy to jump out of bed and get on the computer or get to the “to do list”.

So how do I prioritize me? I strive to practice treating my body and my soul as if it were my precious baby. 

Isn't it interesting how when you're pregnant, you don't drink? Most pregnant women sustain from alcohol, stop drinking coffee, and start taking vitamins. They start eating better foods and when they need to rest, they rest! This creates a healthy child, this creates a healthy body. As Mothers, we intuitively know this. So why do we stop these practices after the baby is born? What can you do today to nourish and nurture your body as if it were your baby? Can you love and nurture your body as you would your unborn and newborn child? Will you Begin today to consistently prioritize self? 

If you are local, join us today and bring your loved ones to Love Your Body Day at Reston Town Center. Bring your yoga mat and try different classes with different instructors from 10-3pm or visit some of the vendors that are in my Wellness Inspired Network, Beloved Yoga Studio, Neck Back & Beyond, Life Wellness Centre and Dr. Wes Rocki. In addition to having a booth with goodies and book signing, I will be giving a short talk on Seven Steps to Optimal Health at the Art of Healing Tent next to the pavilion @ 3pm.(I've touched on two steps in this post, Begin & Nourish.)  http://www.loveyourbodyyogafestival.com/ 

Here's to your health and nourishing choices; Carpe Diem!

With Love & Gratitude,

Lisa

Sunday Fun Day!

As a coach, my job is to hold sacred space for others. Today, I am reminded of the importance of holding space for ourselves.  My last blog post I spoke of the importance of vacations and how proud I was to have committed to goals of fitting in mini retreat and vacations for myself and my family.

This weekend I spent at Wanderlust and it has given me time for reflection, fun, beauty and connection.  I am reminded of the importance of community and support for all of us as we walk through life together.  No matter our diagnoses or labels, our challenges are the same...and so are the solutions.

My favorite solution, of course, is Step One as outlined in my book, Savvy Secrets, which is to Begin. Commit to self. Give yourself the same investment in time and money that you give to others.


Do you doubt the value of mini-retreats and vacations?  Then try this simple exercise.

Take a 12 oz can or better yet, your cell phone and hold it at arms length.  First notice how light it is.  Notice how the longer you hold it, the longer you work your muscles, the heavier it feels.Eventually, you will have to lower the arm and take a break. Rest, then pick up the phone again. Notice that its not so heavy, its easy to hold the load. You perform better when you schedule in time to rest and repair.

Do you want to move through life with ease and joy?  Make sure you schedule in mini-retreats.

This month only, we are offering you a deal that you cannot refuse, a chance to come to our New Self Health Movement Retreat and soak up the wisdom from 15 authors and coaches who have walked the walk. Come enjoy walks and yoga on the beach. Witness the lunar eclipse on the beach during our nighttime fire ceremony. (Only in September when I will be there, truly a once in a lifetime opportunity).  Enjoy local organic food and find savvy secrets and friendships to last a lifetime.

Reserve your spot now in June to get a phenomenal discount. Use the coupon code ID680 when you register here:

Who will join me for this memorable self retreat? Grab a buddy to make it even better. How can you schedule in mini breaks or retreats in your own life?  Begin a practice to give yourself 15 minutes to do something that you love. Do something that is yummy and nourishing. Walk in nature, meditate, dance and/or spend time with people that you love.

Carpe Diem.

With Love & Gratitude,

Lisa

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