Week 8: Present Moment Awareness

Week 8: Present Moment Awareness

This week we are going to look at an approach to being still, present and attentive to ourselves and our surroundings. By making time to enrich and nurture ourselves internally, we can regain a deep sense of who we are and restore our inner wellbeing by reconnecting with ourselves and with life. This connected state is not far away or out of reach, nor does it require a particular environment within which to discover it. Instead it can be found by simply relearning how to pay attention to what is happening right now, both internally (inside the body) and externally (the environment surrounding us). 

Week 7: Gratitude & Appreciation

Week 7: Gratitude & Appreciation

What does the word “appreciate” mean?  On the surface it means to be thankful, grateful, to value and so on.  

There’s another definition of the word that’s used in the financial sector.  When shares of stocks increase in value they’re said to “appreciate.”  So to appreciate something is to increase its value.  

One creative ability we seldom wield to it’s full potential is:

 

Whatever we give our full unconditional attention to increases effortlessly.  

An easy experiment you can do today to hone your ability to appreciate is to give meals your full attention.  

Week 6: Reduce Sugar, Increase the Vegetables & Fat

Week 6: Reduce Sugar, Increase the Vegetables & Fat

If have trouble losing fat even though you’re eating clean and exercising regularly you have probably built up insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance occurs when you’ve maintained chronically high blood sugar levels over a long period of time.  Usually from a combination of poor diet with too much sugar, eating processed sugars, a lack of healthy fat/protein/fiber, and insufficient exercise.  High cortisol levels from chronic stress can also contribute to insulin resistance.  

Week 4: This week you’re going to create an optimal environment for sleep

Week 4:  This week you’re going to create an optimal environment for sleep

This week you’re going to create an optimal environment for sleep.  

A perfect diet and a consistent daily movement training routine are all for naught if you have poor sleep.  Making some small changes to your sleeping environment (aka: the bedroom) can have a dramatic effect on the quality of your sleep.  

The task this week is to optimize your sleep chamber by going through the following checklist:

Gyms in Santa Monica Can Help You Perfect Your Kettlebell Technique

When it comes to working-out technique is everything. There’s nothing worse than scorching your motivation with a silly, avoidable injury.  Many people enter the gym without any idea on how to workout. In fact, most folks who are entering the world of regular exercise forget to take into account that their bodies have drastically changed since high school or college.

When stepping back into the gym, it’s a great idea to get in touch with good personal trainer in Santa Monica to help ease you into a safe workout plan. Being eager is a great attribute to have about your health, but being too eager to start pump iron can end up having a negative affect on your body in the long run.

Gyms in Santa Monica, like 34 North are a great place to start, when thinking of getting back in touch with those muscles. They can help you get reacquainted with all of the equipment and movements you may have forgotten about.

One item that is currently a large part of successful training facilities is the kettlebell. You know, the cannonball-with-handle!  If there is ever a piece of equipment that is incorrectly used, it’s the kettlebell. Here’s a couple tips to keep in mind before and while mixing in a kettlebell into your workout routine:

1.      Brace yourself. 
If your back hurts, something is out of whack. Chances are you’re either rounding your back by not bracing your core and retracting your shoulder blades. Or you’re initiating the descent of the kettlebell with your chest, allowing your torso to drop to the floor. Start and finish the swing by loading, firing, and hinging at the hips.

2.       Stand over the kettlebell with feet hip-width apart, chest up, shoulders back and down. Start with the bell one foot distance in front of you, lined up with the middle of your stance. Choose a kettlebell that allows you to swing with perfect technique while still challenging you. Consider starting and practicing with a ‘bell much lighter than what you’ll eventually use to work out so that you can practice your form.

The benefits of proper kettlebell use are innumerable. Not only does it build total body strength, but it also promotes improved cardiovascular stamina, power and balance.

Source: ( How to DO the Perfect Kettlebell Swing – Greatist.com – August 12, 2014)