5 Tips for Cleansing without losing your mind

February 13, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Cleansing is awesome.

There is a sense of freedom and lightness that comes from letting go of habits that aren’t helping you, extra weight, and helping your body get rid of toxins.

As a busy mom, wife and entrepreneur, I find that going at a gentle pace with my cleansing serves me better than doing something radical. At the end of the day, I still need to make dinner for my kids, make sure they have clean clothes to wear, and not be so run-down that I can’t be present and nurturing for them.

So, if you are in the same boat, I wanted to offer some simple tips for cleansing at a pace that will still allow you to be there for your family and your business.

Make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day. Adding some greens (either in a smoothie, or powdered greens) and squeezes of lemon with help up the cleansing properties of water for you.
Move your body every day. When we move, whether walking, dancing, doing yoga- whatever, we increase our circulation, which helps our bodies off-load toxins, and we nourish our organs with fresh nutrients and oxygen. When move our bodies, we also tend to deepen our breath. Breathing is an incredible tool for detoxification, make the most of it. Plus, it helps us stay clear in our mind and keep a good attitude.
Exfoliate. Our skin is our largest organ of elimination (yes, your skin is an organ), so to help keep things moving along, it’s great to start each day- or ever one day a week- with a dry body brush. You can find these at any health food store, and just take a few minutes before you shower in the morning to scrub your body with the dry brush. Start at the hands and feet, and move toward your heart with circular strokes.
Experiment with letting go of foods that can be problematic for people. The biggest ones include; sugar, dairy, wheat, soy and eggs. For me, creating a nutrition program that includes very little sugar is the best. I notice such a big difference in my energy, my skin and my weight, that it has become a way of life. Get really curious about this for yourself. How does your body feel when you’re not eating lots of sugar? What about letting go of dairy or wheat for a few days. Experiment with this so you can notice the effects these foods have on YOU.
Play with your awareness. Your thoughts have a huge effect on your body chemistry. Stressful or negative thoughts create toxic levels of stress hormones, and can ultimately create disease in the body. This doesn’t mean that you should pretend that there are only butterflies and rainbows in the world- being delusional isn’t healthy either. What you can do is create a mindfulness practice that lets you see your thoughts instead of be your thoughts. There is a wonderful freedom that comes form being able to just notice that you’ve gone off on some dark tangent, but not get wrapped up in it, feeding it from the fuel of your imagination. You can also incorporate practices that encourage positive mental states, which create healthy hormone levels and body chemistry that encourages health.

Play with doing some of these things. Pick one or two if you are feeling pressured, or decide to spend a few weeks incorporating them all. Chances are, you’ll feel lighter and more energized by the end of it.

Join me for a 28 day empowerment cleanse that starts Feb 22, 2012 – I will be leading this empowerment and nourishing cleanse with my long-time mentor and friend, Joyanna Cotter - There are three different levels you can choose to join at- the basic level is FREE!

Go Here for details… and to sign up.

Filed Under: Action, Curiosity, Inspiration, Monday Moment, weight loss

Will just doing what you can make a difference?

February 10, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

I’m not sure about you, but my to-do list gets a little long…

And by long, I mean Rapunzel’s braid long. Kind of makes me want to throw it out the window like Rapunzel did with her braid

Having a list like that can be overwhelming.

So can starting a hard-core diet, or an over the top exercise routine.

While going all-out can work for some things, ultimately, things get done when we take them one thing at a time. Burning yourself out with hours of gym time every day just means you won’t get long-term results. Most crash diets end up in more weight gained than was lost.

So, for today, what is one thing you can do to support and nourish your body.

Is it going for a 20 minute walk? Or adding 10 push ups to your routine.

Maybe it’s as simple as starting the day with a big glass of water, and carrying water around with you the whole day.

Or perhaps it’s taking a few minutes every morning before jumping into the day to think about some of the gifts of your life. Roll them around in your mind and notice any sensations that come up in your body.

Find your one thing, and do it every day, until it’s a habit. Then find one more thing. Repeat as needed.

When we add one thing, we create way less resistance and backlash within ourselves. After all, who can’t do just one little thing? Doesn’t have to be hard, or take a long time. But that one thing, when it’s a habit, can make a hug difference in your energy level, and it can boost your confidence because you see you can make changes in your life. And they don’t have to happen all at once with drama and suffering.

What will your one thing be today?

Filed Under: Action, Energy, fitness, Get results, Inspiration Tagged With: Gratitude, habits, Inspiration, simple steps

What’s on Your Playlist?

January 31, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Not feeling up to your normal routine? If you’ve been pushing yourself lately, or not getting enough sleep, maybe you need to listen to your body. Or maybe you’re just making excuses. Only you know the truth. So, if you’ve got some serious rationalizing going on, (and when it comes to your workout or another cookie- it’s entirely possible- we’ve all been there!), stop making excuses, grab your ipod, dial down to your favorite playlist, and get moving.

Time enough for excuses later.

Anatomy of an awesome playlist

It’s always a good idea to warm up with someone that’s not over the top explosive, but makes you want to get going…

I love to start with some fun Pink Martini or Deep Forest for some good beats.

Then, if you’re going for a good interval workout, mix and match songs that make you want to GO with songs that give you a bit of recovery- Think BEP’s ‘Boom Boom Pow’ followed by Usher’s ‘Yeah’.

You can take this idea into any genre you want – go for fast, strong beats for one song, followed by something that still makes you want to go, just not as fast.

This type of playlist will rock you through your interval workout before you get a chance to have a second thought.

More Benefits of Music for you body and your mind

According to Oprah’s favorite Docs Oz and Roizen, music makes your brain work better, and improves your memory.

Music is one of the best stress relievers around. Your body will respond to the beat, so choose music that makes you feel mellow, I’m lovin’ Diana Krall, Nina Simone and George Winston lately.

So, what’s on your playlist? What gets you moving, and what helps you chill out? Leave your must-have picks below

Filed Under: Energy, fitness, get in shape, Inspiration

Get Fit for your Adventure

January 30, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Are you Ready for your Ride?

Last week brought beautiful waves, and a wind that allowed us to enjoy beautiful smooth rides. As a surfer on Maui, it was about as good as it gets.

Whatever your sport is, are you keeping yourself in condition, so that when it all lines up, you can enjoy it? I think of Life as a sport and an adventure- I know motherhood has been the wildest ride of my life so far. I keep myself in condition for it when I am physically fit to run with my kids; emotionally fit so I can hold them when they cry and hold the space for a bigger perspective on the hurts and trials that are part of life.

I want to be quick to laugh, and slow to judge;

Ready to jump into the deep end with both feet and a ‘woop-woop’

Able to be patient enough to recognize the gifts that surround us all, even when they are wrapped in struggle;

For me, the ocean helps me remember all of these things, and so much more.

This video made me think about the power of Life and Nature, and how precious and delicate our lives are – and again to remember, you’ve got to be fit and strong for the adventure of life. Hang on and Enjoy the Ride!

Filed Under: Action, Energy, Inspiration

Sweet song when you are having a moment…

January 26, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

I came across this song a while ago.

It made me smile and laugh….

And then I read how it was made, and I liked it even more.

Enjoy!

Then check out the background on it

<a href="http://zefrank.bandcamp.com/track/chillout">chillout by zefrank</a>

Filed Under: happiness, Stress

Multi-task much?

January 23, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

As moms, as women, as entrepreneurs, our lives are filled with demands.

Phone calls to make, laundry to wash, to-do lists to do, walks to take, it goes on and on…

We think it’s useful to be doing 5 things at once. Of course we can make dinner, write an article, and answer the phone all at once; doing lunges all the while. We think we’re getting ahead, making a dent in our list, but is it really working for us, for you?

Research shows that all this multi-tasking is actually NOT the way our brains were designed to operate. Of course, because our bodies and brains are such exceptional specimens, our brains adapt to this frantic demand- sort of. The reality is that we are meant to focus on one thing at a time! “What??” you cry? How can I possibly get it all done- one-thing-at-a-time?? Well, the reality is that you will be more efficient and effective if you use your focus (your mind) like a flashlight, shining it on one task at a time. In a new book co-written by my mentor, Margaret Moore, and Harvard Neuroscientist Paul Hammerness, Organize your Mind, Organize your Life; the details of how to best use your mind are laid out.

Part of this work is learning how to focus. In our fast-paced, multi-tasking world, focusing is not something we have practiced much. According to an article the authors wrote for the Harvard Business Review, three key elements to developing focus are:

1) Get your mind out of ‘fight or flight’. You’ve got to learn how to cultivate positive emotions, while managing negative ones. If your system is always fueled by adrenaline and ‘on the lookout’ for danger, it will be very hard to focus. Bathe your system in the neurochemicals of positive emotions, and you’ll be much more able to focus.

2) Learn how to harness your awareness. We get pulled away from our focus, often without even realizing it. Developing the ability to notice that you have become distracted, and then to choose whether to stay with your focus, or to shift it, is critical.

3) Ritualize a shift in focus. This involves deliberately choosing to stop one thing, letting your mind release that, and then move onto the next. Moore and Hammerness suggest using a short walk, some stretches or deep breathing as possible ways to create a ritual shift in attention. These things can also serve to allow your brain a chance to integrate and access important information for future use. You open the door to new insights and learning here.

I have put these practices in place during my work-day, and been surprised at how effective they are. I thought multi-tasking was helping me accomplish more, but really I was spinning my wheels.

Do you multi-task? Try these tips, and let me know how they work for you!

Filed Under: Action, How-to, Learning

Are you feeling blah?

January 18, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

The daily grind.

Waking up, cooking breakfast, shuffling kids, making lunches, heading out for school after a brief battle about whether or not a jacket is necessary.

Work, shopping, laundry, cooking, the list goes on…

Somewhere in there, are you squeezing in any time to feed yourself? And I don’t mean just by eating the kid’s leftovers- I mean Feed yourself; nourish your spirit, enrich your mind, honor your body – (is that laughter I hear- I can feel it bubbling up inside of me).

Because in this day of super-speed, nourishment of self is considered a luxury. Perhaps a few hours away once a year, or an evening out with the girls occasionally.

I’ve been playing with this idea of self-nourishment at a scale that mothers can attain. For me, it includes:

adding bursts of higher intensity cardio to my 20 minute walk (love those endorphins!)
taking an extra 10 minutes to make myself a beautiful lunch, and actually sit an enjoy it
planning a night a week to luxuriate in a hot bath with candles, a good book, a nice cup of tea or wine
using lotion that smells divine – this is so fast and easy- anyone can try it
Keeping a bottle of Queen Bee Honey Rose facial toner nearby, spritz as desired : )

So, if you’re caught in your daily grind, and you’re wondering why you just feel so… blaah, take a few minutes to list some fast and easy ways to nourish yourself- and then do one, every day.

I’d love to know what your favorite fast fixes are- please share them below- you just may inspire someone today

Filed Under: Action, happiness, Inspiration, Learning

Looking for a reason to shake your booty?

January 13, 2012 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Do you ever get overwhelmed by the idea of truckin’ yourself to the gym, or getting on some crazy new exercise program?
Here’s an entertaining bottom line for looking at the bottom line (pun intended)…

So… How will you spend your 30 minutes?

Filed Under: fitness, get in shape, happiness, health, wellness

What were you expecting?

December 24, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Holiday time can be funny.

Maybe not so much haha funny in the moment, but funny if you get some perspective and look at the situation with some distance.

Often you have many family members cozied up in tight quarters. You add a whole lot of sugar, with a fair amount of libations, sprinkled with the expectations of everyone there. Often there is the expectation that our buttons will be pushed, that we will eat too much, drink too much, and spend too much. Maybe we expect to get into the same arguments, with the same people, about the same things…

Expectations have a funny way of coming true. They are not usually conscious, and generally we have some really great reasons to expect what we expect. After all, that’s what has always happened in the past.

I was reading an article the other day about changing expectations, and that you just have to flip them, and expect only good things. I sort of agree. I think that when we expect good things, and actually believe in that expectation, then it’s a wonderful thing. But here’s what happens, our brain does not get on board. It can be too big of a shift.

Instead, if the thought of expecting it all to be groovy is too much, just suspend your expectations. Adopt an attitude of curiosity, and let yourself just notice what happens. If you add mindfulness, then you’ll get to notice when you start to get riled up by a comment Uncle Harry makes, and you can walk away. You can notice when you are just putting another cookie in your mouth because it’s there, and choose instead to have one piece of your absolute favorite dessert.

Let yourself be curious about what your expectations are, and then notice how you are helping to make those expectations come true. It just might change what happens.

Filed Under: Curiosity

It’s not always easy to get yourself going…

December 13, 2011 By Kalia Leave a Comment

Some days, it seems…

…that just making it through the day will be a victory.

…that it’s ridiculous to think that getting out for a walk, or a run, or a swim is worth the time and energy it will take.

…that it’s futile to even think about trying to get to bed earlier.

…that eating the first thing that comes across your path that is edible is the way to go.

I believe, those are the days that it matters the most.

Those are the days when the old habits are clinging to you, reaching for you with their little claws extended. When it feels like it will never make a difference is precisely when it makes the biggest difference to stay on course.

To decide to move your body, because it will shift your mood, your metabolism, your outlook on life…

To turn off the computer or tv, stretch your body, take a bath, lose yourself to the replenishment of sleep…

To choose those foods that nourish you, warm you, feed you in a real way, not a quick fix, sugar-junkie-fix kind of way…

When life turns on the heat, when it gets really intense, our patterns want to suck us back in- to pull us to that place of ‘comfort’. The question is…

How has that place of comfort, that old habit helped me?

If you are yearning, aching, stretching yourself to a new place, you’ve got to learn to be in the discomfort long enough for the edges to get worn smooth. The place where it’s not so easy to throw in the towel and revert back to the old habits of not moving, not sleeping well, or enough, or not nourishing yourself.

It’s a journey to get there, but a little discomfort can provide and incredible change in your life.

Are you willing to BE with it?

Filed Under: wellness