mind-body balance Archives - Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Mind-Body Balance + Active Bridge Pose Metaphor

mind-body-balance

I just finished an Ayurvedic series and am starting a mind-body balance series TODAY.

This NEW series on Mind-Body Balance is I believe so important for our happiness. Because our mind-body’s off-ness or imbalance that we can restore, is the cause of why we’re feeling:

…misaligned with the natural season

…distant from our peaceful-joyful selves

…or, lack of clarity that’s different than uncertainty that’s part of this life.

And the good news is we’re able and empowered to restore what’s naturally meant to be ours… and mind-body balance is one of those life benefits.

One sign that we’re on a good track is when we feel mostly clarity…

Clarity defined as grounded in knowing who we are despite daily situations that change and shake us up.

Life situations play out and can put any of us in a funk. That’s a good reason to not take life situations so seriously… and instead, slip back to leaning into our naturally designed groove of being happy and living healthy.

Because if you’re not happy, those undertone feelings show up in and on your body… and preventing this is what mind-body balance is about on a practical level.

The below tips are to help you walk through imbalances and for the next time…

But, before jumping in, I just wanted to mention the next part will be about Mind tips as related to the mind-body equation. And then the last part will be on the Body in the mind-body that you may not have been informed of or thought about in those ways. So you can discover more about you and empowering better outcomes.

…Because you do have a choice in all three: your mind-body, mind, and body life.

If you believe that your happiness exists within you and not your situations, you can have your best season yet.

So clearing the mind is such an important tool to gain clarity on helpful beliefs, feeling better, and making better daily decisions.

Suggestion Reminder Steps to Feel Better

One good step and reminder is to take multiple deep breaths. Taking conscious breaths clears the air instantly…

You get a pause break from active thoughts, and you pump in life-giving new oxygen into your body, while pumping out old air. You get the chance to exhale bad energy and anxious thoughts not grounded in full reality.

You can realize in the moment that your thoughts are only part of the equation in any life situation.

And, maybe you take a few moments for a few deep breaths now to help you with your mind-body health.

Did you do that?

And, the second suggestion is to take a few minutes in silence by yourself every day where all you hear is the white noise in the background. You can do this in a quiet room with a door or at a quiet park. Listen to your mind-body…

Connect with your mind-body where you’re in tune with your heart’s whispers.

The mind-body is interconnected in a deeper way than the physical mind and body (e.g. organs like the brain and skin).

And connect the idea that symptoms on your body show up as outcomes from your carried thought-feelings.

That was revelatory for me years ago because that helped me to grasp how to change thoughts at any moment.

It’s a mental exercise that isn’t visible so it’s not as easy as say, picking up a ball where you don’t have to be as fully mind present.

And it’s one where we can have a block if we never embraced changing thoughts.

We can start by acknowledging that it’s healthy to agree to disagree with ourselves sometimes and exit out the negative thoughts. And we’re healthy wise to do so often!

But our ego tries to sabotage these efforts. And it takes mental power to fight our ego as it fights for us to be right with ourselves.

And most of us don’t have reinforcement backups, as we weren’t taught by our caretakers or teachers to debate ourselves. …Ah, but those old ways are old school.

…And I believe is the cause of us not living our best lives sooner. Until we can get to this more humble place of admitting our minds could be wrong, our outcomes are lesser than they could be.

Of course… this is by no fault of anyone as we were born into this mind and body… but now that we know better, we can do better.

We have to outsmart our programmed machinery.

And for me, that led to awareness, getting past my ego thoughts, and to the root of PTSD thoughts that I previously was oblivious to and then was one day aware (much like someone blindsided).

And you can too can uncover the wounds that need scar healing if you dial back your ego trying to mask imperfection… and if you tune into your deeper mind-body that’ll help reveal blind spots so you can get out of the lesser life and into your peaceful, whole, and abundant life. That’s why quiet time is super helpful.

And in busier moment times, emotional outbursts or displaced anger, irritation, anxiety, and withdrawal sub-feelings and undertones usually mean there are blind spots that need healing.

Blindly in our busy lives, any of us can carry around these past feelings and hurts, that are still presently heavy burdens that disturb our natural mind-body balance.

And if left unattended, they show up as accumulated body stressors that can lead to scientifically-known early aging and chronic diseases.

But you can claim back unnecessary unhappy years and seasons with a little effort on your part…

With humility, openness, and a desire to grow, you will save yourself and open yourself up to better opportunities.

Getting Mind-Body Balanced

1.Being and keeping aware is not overused. It’s imperative to bringing light out of darkness feelings… as is, connecting dots in your past to your present. And consistently flipping the negative thoughts to positives.

…Or said another way, gaining peace of mind, where you have less outbursts and negative reactions. And one day, no outbursts. That’s definitely possible! I’m living evidence 💕

And then, you enjoy more of your day. And you get more out of this life. You meet your higher potential that’s greater than what you originally thought was possible.

You don’t fear uncertainty as you’ve made peace with that, and you worry less (or not at all). You take moments in each day and use them as brand new chances to build off the days before.

And you use your past experiences in a beneficial way. And those new perspectives bring you better outcomes.

And when you believe deeply in your mind-body that all is possible, you speed up your growth and bypass ego’s tricks.

2. Uncover and replace mind-body blockage like that found in PTSD. This means confronting your feelings and questioning why those happen when you feel them. Make them visible.

And if you’re in a temporary funk, call that out. So you can figure it out. Exchange for a loving and life-giving belief.

And one great way to do that is to have a yoga pose that serves as a mind-body reminder.

And habit stack after walking around or whatever your favorite moving activity is. Or do it as a stretch before you get out of bed in the morning.

In the Blue Zones, the living 100 year olds in those concentrated zones do mostly natural activities that use their bodies and not machines for exercise.

And they also celebrate with yoga that’s a natural move in getting up and sitting down. In our younger, modern, and Western societies, we can do that too.

We optimize when we activate our mind-body and are aware that we’re naturally getting up and sitting down, using our body. And that awareness helps to calm us just like active breathwork.

Mind-Body Active Bridge Pose

A natural active bridge is an active body pose in motion. And you can combine with that your deep breaths.

Bridge pose is one you can make active and fun.

Here’s how:

You can use a yoga block to heighten your bridge. You can stack two blocks on the shorter height sides… or use the taller skyscraper building block side as your back support.

You want to place the edge of the block where the top of your tailbone meets your back (and the rest of the block or blocks are toward your buttocks and not your upper back).

Challenge yourself… reach to your outer edge limits!

It’s at that block meeting intersection where your legs take off, bend at the knees, and are grounded by your feet. And the fun comes in when you remove the block.

You can use this as a mind-body balance reminder: where you no longer need a crutch support like a block. And in awareness, you’re removing the yoga block and mental block that could be anything holding you back.

And when you release down, you let go of whatever that is… maybe it’s the how something turns out, control over someone else, past hurts, PTSD, etc. And that can start the process to heal.

And you maybe hold the block (or a dumbbell weight) close to your pelvic area and move your hips up and down.

Use the block as a peaceful symbol that you’re now aware of how what you let go of is easy now to see in front of you, and you know what to do.

…And the block whether it’s under your bridge or in your hands is in your control and helping to build strength in your life. In active moving bridge, you’ll also feel it in your buttocks and upper hind legs (hamstrings), so you have a full mind-body balance pose. 🧘🏻‍♀️

Ayurvedic Series:

Part 1 – Pitta/inflammation

Part 2 – Vata anxiety vs. nervous

Part 3 – Kapha awareness

For a mind-body balance recipe, you can make this star beet granola pan. Beets and cinnamon are good for Vata. Oatmeal is a good meal before practicing yoga. And this is a good snack to help tie you over 🌟

Star Beet Granola Pan

Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets

Equipment

plastic wrap

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 cup light olive oil
1/2 cup raw honey
chocolate, melted
beet powder
crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

Combine dry ingredients and then mix in wet ingredients.
Bake granola for about 25-40 minutes at 325°F or until toasted.
To make chocolate topping. Prepare chocolate on display pan you will be using. Take a piece of plastic wrap and put on top. Add melted chocolate and pour onto plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chocolate is hard. After granola is baked and cooled, you can pour into the pan and then add the hardened chocolate ontop removing the plastic.
To make beet heart: take a star stencil or make a star cutout with cardboard. Add beet powder to create star shape. For fallen star effect, use tweezers to pull out the yellow pepper flakes (found in crushed red pepper flakes) to make a fallen line.

Leaving Negative Energy to Find Creative Energy

Apple chunks in homemade carrot juice is a great fall breakfast juice 🧡

Are you holding onto negative thoughts taking up your time and energy?

If so, you want to read this blog post (and maybe with a fresh, healthy apple carrot juice), to help you change your thoughts and maybe the trajectory of the next steps you take in life.

Restoring calm emotions is an art. That’s what I know, and I’ll explain below how it takes some creative skill.

At the very least, it takes shifting of thoughts. And doing what you need to do that sits right with you. Sometimes that means caring less. And letting go of your pride. And focusing more on what you want in your life (than what you don’t want).

And another way to say this, is to find a stronger WHY (that’s the reason behind what you’re doing).

Getting to these answers is a win-win strategy because you’re doing what you need for your Best Self to show up in the positive energy that the world needs more of.

None of us can fool our deeper mind-body selves, that gives us daily, subtle clues into how we authentically feel or think about situations.

Besides writing articles, I read a lot of articles and they kinda lump together the idea of stress, nervousness, and anxiety. Your mind-body sees these things differently. For example, if you feel nervous like before presenting to a group, you may be running to the bathroom a lot.

But if you’re actually anxious (from your body’s perspective), it’s the opposite effect. You could take extra fiber so you can become regular again when your temporary anxiety goes away.

If that’s confusing, just understand that your mind-body needs are different than how you think you feel. 😉

And if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing or who you’re doing it with or for, then you’re wasting valuable time in this life of finite years.

If you’re not feeling excited and calm, then what you’re involved with may not be for you for the long-term.

In my life, this took many years and dues paid for me to get this freeing, healthy balanced lifestyle that I’m describing… but I know if you start to aim for and walk towards it in your life, then you will get closer and closer to the bullseye 🎯 until it gradually becomes your life because of the small actions you take.

If you’re a Vata especially, that’s like the sensitive wind metaphor, you live off positive energy, enjoying what you’re doing and feeling good about.

Natural Vatas don’t have the same level of endurance or tolerance that say a natural Kapha does who will stay in a situation because it’s easier than making a change.

Take it one step further, it’s the mind (in the mind-body) that leads. Feeling resistance to change is one negative energy example.

And any negative energy is like oil and water. They don’t mix. Oil grease sits there stagnant and the situation doesn’t change until change is made.

That’s how stress builds up, and is counterproductive to someone looking for growth or making improvements.

But, working really hard to get rid of the oil spills is not fun. It’s hard work.

In our messy oil spill life situations we can get in, we can take on negative energy that turns a good week into wasted energy and unproductivity. And not to mention leave stress marks and somersault stomachs along the way.

But, if your WHY to why you’re in your situation causing your knotted emotions and nerves is worth getting over the hump of your fears or nerves, well…then, that’s a good sign to keep with it!

Otherwise, better to nip it in the bud. And make changes early on as soon as you know the direction of the negative energy that has sunk in.

…And maybe that’s a WAKEUP CALL to change your strategy today, and what you’re doing.

And maybe that’s an exhaustive job, a wrong relationship, or anything that doesn’t feel good or right for you. Your life leaves clues.

And instead of fighting against this area and taking on snowballing negative thoughts and energy, there’s a better path for you in or out of those situations even if you don’t see them immediately (in your clouded state).

And there’s nothing to be gained holding onto negative energy (after you’ve thought, meditated, or prayed about your options and know what you should do).

Because you make your best and good decisions when you’re calm and when you find joy and love (or passion) every day of this life, that’s already short enough. Amen!?

And not to mention, if you carry negative energy, you will have a tough time getting to your creative juices and passionate activities that could bring on a whole new side or opportunity for you.

Which btw, in a recession, I made this available for less than the cost of a yoga class and it takes less than 10 minutes of your participation time to get good insight into your mind-body. And then you can use your personalized recipe for life whenever your energy is off like the way it could be this season.

…It takes one to know one! and to have gone through the rough patch challenges, to know that negative energy can rob you of your weeks and life.

So maybe these lessons will help you turn things around…

Life Lessons From Corporate to Creative

Sometimes you need to quit something because it feels off. You know it because your problem weighs like a ton of bricks on you and in the pit of your stomach. And that doesn’t go away after a few nights’ sleep. And the problem grows.

That’s the ultimate sign that it’s time to make a change. That situation you started with no longer serves you in the same way it did before.

And if it’s a relationship, spark those new conversations and see where there is life. And if it’s work, see if those you work with are vested in you and your future with them.

Work is hard enough, and to have negative energy on top… yikes!, that shows up on the body as new gray hair, acne, and added accumulated stress.

…And even if it’s a volunteer position where you’re helping others. Duty reasons aren’t good enough to keep at what you’re doing.

It may not be the best thing for you to continue as you miss your own needs and self-care over time which can turn into resentment towards people (…and maybe even the ones you’re trying to help).

Even if no one can do things your way or as good as you can, someone else willing can fill those shoes.

…But no one can replace your shoes you wear in your life. And your livelihood. Only you can do that.

And that’s how I knew I was gifted to do something different than the corporate path I was on. Someone else could replace me in my roles and as the role needs of the world change.

In the beginning, it was hard to get started on a new path. And in relearning old ways, I had to unlearn some things that helped me to succeed in the corporate world.

Those things were slowing down my creative path, like oil and water. Mostly because I had adopted a corporate work mindset that’s all about following structure, and procedures, and doing what you’re told.

And I did my jobs well enough to get promoted to new positions, but to my own detriment.

And when I took on the new creative path a few years back, I think I gained back health years. My mind-body was in alignment and I felt free.

I could appreciate the day. And even when I was doing responsible work (aka what I had to do) to support my creative lifestyle.

At the core, my mind and heart were aligned. And I could hear and get to my deeper spirit or core inside me (that’s hard to do if in negative energy or worry thoughts).

And the creative ideas came regularly and not just once in a while in the shower or on a walk.

Creative thoughts are the opposite of your mind being in a fog in distracted la-la land.

You know, where passively focusing and following what’s going on in the moment, in news reality or a television show, is difficult. Or getting motivated enough to do something out of the lounge position (that’s not a productive yoga pose 😊).

That’s when you know you’re off alignment in mind-body. And if that’s often, that’s too often.

One smart thing you can do in that moment when your mind-body is controlling you instead of the other way around, is to take a closer look at your thoughts as an observer. Are your thoughts positive or negative? Loving or fearful? Try to witness and catch your fearful ego in its act (and acting up).

Because there are two opposing voices in your head, one loving and one fearful or negative (if that’s easier to pinpoint). And the ego fearful one is much louder.

Turn to the loving (positive) channel if it feels like you’ve been wronged. Find some way to turn it around in your thoughts. If it’s worry, know that there’s nothing to be gained about worrying after you’ve noodled out some potential solutions.

Worry is a time-sucking activity with no productivity.

Your solutions are there if you need them. Or write ’em down in notes so you’re sure they’re there, and so you can peacefully move on.

And maybe you need to go one step further and spend more time doodling or journaling until you get all the emotions out, and realize why you’re feeling the way you do and know your WHY, so that you can sleep and be at peace.

Those are the restful thoughts I have this week. Peace be with you and have a joyful and calm week (no matter the situation)! 🦢 And I have a peaceful image I’ll leave you with that I saw this past week. 🦆