Motivation Mondays – Meditation

 For those of you who don’t know already, meditation has many benefits. Studies show that meditation can basically help by resetting  the nervous system. Did you know that people with Fibromyalgia and Psoriasis have been using meditation as a form of treatment and it has shown significant improvements? It can help get rid of bad habits by rearranging your thoughts and promoting positivity with a conscious effort. The goal is to let go of physical and emotional tensions. My husband has tried several times over the last two years to get me to start meditating. My passion to pursue meditating comes from wanting to reduce stress and lower my anxiety. I have also seen improvement in my sleep and patience. Most importantly, my spirituality has grown and I have become more grateful of my life. The more traditional method, Transcendental Meditation, uses a mantra (word or phrase) to calm internal thoughts with rhythmic sounds. If you are a beginner to meditation then TM would probably be best to try first. Positive thinking, noise-free environment, and an open mind is really all you need to start meditating.If difficulties arise early on, try to focus on your breathing instead of a phrase or Mantra. Take a deep breaths to help you concentrate. If it helps, you can focus your body parts. Start at your head and relax it. Go through each major body part and continue down to your toes. This will help calm your entire body and create balance. Lately, I have been very aware and conscious of my posture so I like to also take this time to strengthen my back and core when inhaling and exhaling. Surprisingly, even if thoughts are running in my head non-stop, I can still focus on my breath and get back to my “safe spot” and/or happy place.

I have learned through trial and error that it’s ok to have thoughts while you meditate. In fact it’s quite difficult to stop all of your thoughts or clear your head completely. Self-direction comes from clearing your mind and becoming focused. Sometimes an image or thought interrupts you.Patience is key. There is no exact science to meditation and there are many different ways to try.

Make time, be consistent and complete each session. Whether you schedule 5, 10 or 20 min, don’t give up!

Infused Water

Limes_In_Water

Spring is here and the sizzling weather is coming sooner than we think. With that comes hectic schedules and days filled with outdoor activities. This usually results in us grabbing an ice-cold soda or juice to quench our thirst. We all know that sugary drinks aren’t good for us, but water is just so… boring.

Have you ever tried homemade infused water? It’s so simple to make, aids in weight loss, and will help break dependence on sugary drinks. There are water infusion bottles available on the market, but you don’t need a fancy bottle to get the benefits and great taste. Just use a glass container- such as a mason jar- and fill with water and selected fruits/vegetables/herbs.

You can pretty much add in whatever you want; you can’t go wrong!

Here are a couple of my favorite recipes to get you started:

Cooling Citrus:

-1/4 sliced cucumber

-1/2 sliced lemon

-1/2 sliced lime

-5 mint leaves

-1 1/2 quarts of water

Brew overnight and enjoy at room temperature.

Orange Ginger Spice

-1 sliced orange

-2 slices of peeled ginger, cut about 1/8 inch

-12 oz water

-Dash cinnamon (use real cinnamon if possible)

Brew in cold water overnight

Raspberry Lime

-4 oz raspberries

-1/2 peeled lime

-32 oz water

Muddle fruit and add to water. Let sit in fridge for a few hours if possible.

There are countless recipes/ infusion ideas available online, so you will never get bored of the taste. You will get just as much flavor as you do with sodas, but you will feel so much better after drinking infused water instead. No artificial sugars and no preservatives. Your body will be properly hydrated and energized. Summer is the perfect time to give them a try!

New Year’s Beauty Resolutions

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How do you celebrate the new year? Is it “new year, new me” or business as usual? Personally, I’m all about the resolutions. But it’s not just a January thing for me- I make goals all throughout the year and edit them as necessary. It may seem extreme, but I have monthly, quarterly/semi-annual, and yearly goals. I like to know where I’m going and to plan for how I’m going to get there. So while I’m not big on the “New Year’s resolution” thing, I do use this time to re-evaluate my plans. My goals range from my personal life, to my career, and of course beauty/style. A few things I hope to accomplish this year in that area:

  1. Achieve waist length hair. This is completely doable towards the end of the year, but it’s not going to happen with the way I’ve been treating my tresses. No more going a week without moisture, no more half-detangling, no more ignoring my fairy knots.
  2. Continue working on clearing my skin. I’ve fought acne my entire life. At one point, I was resigned to the fact that I’d have bad skin for years, but now that I’ve found successful and cheap natural remedies, I see clear skin is possible for me. Consistency is key here. I know what to do, I just need to make sure I take the time to do it.
  3. Stop leaving the house in sweatpants. ‘Nuff said.
  4. Exfoliate my body 2 to 3 times per week. My skin changes so drastically with a little dry brushing. It’s soft, smooth and glowing. Again, the key is consistency.
  5. Refill my closet. A few months ago, I tossed out anything in my closet that was ill-fitting or that I hadn’t worn in at least a year. That left me with a few pairs of jeans and club dresses (which is a major contributer to my 3rd goal). I’ve gotten lazy.
  6. How to fix? Force myself out to the thrift stores at least once a month, and keep an eye out for end of the season sales from my favorite online stores coming up soon.

Some may think that planning in so much detail is silly, but I love the sense of direction and control it gives me. So, if you’re making new year’s resolutions, here’s my tip: know the difference between a goal and a dream.

A goal is something you can control. If success of a goal is dependent on other’s actions, it’s merely a dream. Saying you want a promotion at work is nice, but it’s not entirely up to you whether you get one- it’s up to your superiors. It’s merely a dream. To say, I’m going to finish my degree to make me look more attractive for the next promotion, is all on you- that’s a goal. Make a plan, and then figure out how you’re going to get there.

What are your resolutions for 2015?