Choose Health First

No doubt about it, Calgary is a hardworking city. I have nothing against putting in a good and honest days work. At the end of the day, I take great pleasure and find validation in my own work and saying: “I did the best I could.” What I find difficult to accept is when folks choose work over health. I cringe when I hear stories of people that work right through their lunch breaks and sit in front of a computer for hours on end. There is something completely unnatural about this, don’t you think?

I learned the hard way, during Calgary’s last boom and bust in 2008. I worked fastidiously putting in 14 hour days, six days a week at a growing business. I put my heart and soul into it. Inevitably, I broke down physically, emotionally, spiritually and ended up in hospital. Ironically, I was teaching people how to find balance in their life and did not practice what I preached.

Did I learn from this experience? You bet I did. Now I choose my health first and every other aspect of my life follows that initiative. Perhaps this is bold, but speaking from experience, it is absolutely essential.

Choosing balance in one’s life is simple in theory but not so easy to follow through. Here are seven simple strategies that have worked for me:

•  Choose 10-15 minutes per day of quiet time for yourself preferably in the morning. Try meditation, contemplation, focused awareness and breathing exercises.

• Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday – even on the weekends.

• Prepare homemade, nutritious meals as often as you can.

• Choose at least one hour per week for yourself to exercise and make sure it is something you love to do. (yoga, hiking, dancing, snowshoeing, skiing, cycling, running, gym, etc.)

• Walk 20-30 minutes per day

• When your day is done, choose to turn off all electronic devices.

• Connect with someone (friend, family, colleague or stranger) everyday by phone or in person.

 Choose to make your health number one. The truth is, if you don’t have your health, you can forget about work or anything else for that matter. Try not to learn the hard way. Rather than break down, choose to break through by sticking to your guns no matter what. It is completely in your power to make the right choices everyday. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “the first wealth is health.”

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Prost owns a Calgary Yoga Studio called Core Yoga+Pilates and is a yoga/health/fitness professional and writer.  Previously, she was a competitive figure skater that has traveled throughout Canada and skated professionally throughout the world.

Meditation: Take the 21-Day Christmas Challenge

Meditation: The 21-Day Christmas Challenge

Oh, it was the month before Christmas

and all through the house

my mind is racing

I am poor as a church mouse

The T.V. is on and the media says

buy, buy, buy.

I take a deep breath in and ask

why, why, why?

I feel like I am not alone in this crazy month before Christmas. I say to myself, “not this year, I am not going to be sucked in by a wave of holiday hysteria.”

We tend to have high expectations of what the holidays “should” be like, with company parties, eating, drinking, gift giving and overall merriment. We may have an emotional pull towards family and friends with how these relationships “should” be and with an expectation of how a perfect scenario my play out during the holidays. I have never been good with the word “should.” Is it possible to think about what Christmas could be and what is real and true? Could the simple messages from our favourite holiday animations like the “Grinch That Stole Christmas” be acted out in real life?

I have written several articles in the past year on the topic of meditation in the hope that folks may take heed. In my experience, a solution to potential holiday hysteria is simple: stop, be still, breathe and meditate.

Now, I can go on and on about this until I am blue in the face but I won’t. The following is a guide to a 21 day Christmas meditation challenge. Commit to spending 10 minutes of quiet time for yourself per day. Find a quiet place for yourself to sit comfortably and undisturbed. If you are in a chair, sit with your feet planted on the ground and your spine lengthened. If you are sitting cross-legged on the floor, make sure that both sit bones are making contact with the floor. You may want to elevate your hips by sitting on a folded blanket or cushy foam block. Use what you have. If you are feeling scattered, place your hands palms down resting comfortably on your thighs. If you are feeling more open and grounded, place your hands palms facing up.

Close your eyes and take a few minutes of focused awareness on your breath. In the first week, you may ask yourself (in your minds eye) this simple question: “Who am I?” Repeat it several times and listen for the answers. You may experience plenty of empty space or responses. Be aware and let it flow. Deepak Chopra states simply, “ask the questions, live the answers.”

In the second week, you may ask yourself: “What do I want?” Once again, try not to push for answers. In the third week, ask yourself: “What is my purpose?” You may find yourself on an incredible journey of self discovery or have more focus and clarity to what it is you need and want in your life. Give it a try and watch how it helps you get through the holidays unscathed.

The truth is we all have wants and desires and our own special version of Christmas whether it be in tradition or something new. Be present, true to yourself and let it all unfold in a natural way. Find a balance in giving and receiving and in loving and being loved. Who knows, maybe your heart could grow to three times its normal size.

 Be well and happy this holiday season! 

Lizzie Prost is owner of a Calgary yoga studio called Core Yoga+Pilates and has been an a yoga/health/fitness enthusiast and freelance writer for 12 years.

Cold & Flu Season – Choose Prevention Not Fear

Cold & Flu Season – Choose Prevention not Fear

Fall is in full swing and old man winter is just around the corner. The media is telling us it is cold and flu season with countless ways to “fight it” and suppress those awful symptoms. Admittedly, I have been feeling under the weather and have pondered my compromised immune system and the attack of that nasty cold virus. I eat well, take high quality supplements, walk, hike, do yoga and practice meditation so how could this happen? The answer is simple: overwhelming stress and not sleeping well for an extended period of time. It happens to all of us at one time or another. The more important question is what can we do about it?

There is a misconception that viruses float around, hang out on all kinds of surfaces and attack us causing cold and flu. Have you ever been around coughing and sneezing sick folk in an elevator, office or bus and consciously move away? Perhaps you have said to yourself, “that sick person is not going to make me sick.” I have always thought that this is a dysfunctional scenario and not exactly empowering to say the least.

A microbe, be it a cold or flu virus, is a necessary but insufficient cause to getting sick. It is the strength or weakness of a person’s immune system that determines whether or not one gets ill. We have millions of microbes of the good and bad variety that inhabit us. Most of the time, like the bacteria in our intestinal tract, these keep us healthy. When we are overstressed, fatigued or malnourished, the immune system reacts to the virus. It is the immune reaction that causes symptoms like fever, sore throat and runny nose. If one contracts a virus there is a period called “viral shedding” when the bug is doing its job. In layman terms, cold and flu symptoms may not show up for several days after a person has contracted the virus. So, you could be sitting beside a contagious perfectly healthy looking person on the bus or in the office.

According to Lindsay Irwin, a naturopathic doctor, having a cold or flu is not necessarily a bad thing. It is proving that your immune system is doing its job. She states, “ a fever is not the enemy. It is a beautiful process of the body that kills microbes, increases the ability for the body to remove toxins and brings it back to balance.”

Hippocrates even said, “give me a fever and I can cure disease.” Dr. Irwin suggests that there are homeopathic remedies in system relief that is not suppressing what our bodies are naturally designed to do. I find myself going back to the basics like herbal teas, hot water, lemon and honey, homemade chicken soup and something as simple as rest.

But what about the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?” Dr. Irwin suggests seven strategies: stress reduction, good sleep, proper nutrition, high quality supplements, hydrotherapy and exercise which will support a healthy lymph system. The lymph system is an important part of our immunity that is associated with the digestive system. This system does not rely on a pump like the vascular system. It relies on muscle contraction and movement to get the lymph moving. It is a flowing system that bathes our cells and helps remove waste. Even simple exercise such as walking will get this system moving.

Get back to the basics and empower yourself with pumping up your immune system in all kinds of ways that may or may not appear to be common sense. Dr Irwin states with confidence, “focus on health, not on illness.” And the next time you are near a person that sneezes their head off say, “god bless you” and remind yourself that it is in your power to be as strong and healthy as possible.

 

 

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Prost is owner of a Calgary Yoga Studio called Core Yoga+Pilates and has been a health/fitness enthusiast and writer for 12 years.

The Art of Walking

The Art of Walking

Recently, I spent some time in small town southern Saskatchewan with my parents. Everyday I went for a long walk exploring the town and in every direction along gravel roads through wheat fields and towards big sky. I did not see one person walking. I have lived in Calgary for the past 20 years. Everyday I explore the hood and wander into Mount Royal through winding streets and admire the beautiful big homes. I have seen a handful of folks walking. Are people car-centric, too busy or just plain lazy?

In my experience, the simple act of walking is like a moving meditation and can spark ideas and creativity. With focused attention, one can notice details like the shapes of trees, shadows and light dancing off the pavement and glistening dew on grass or the sky changing colour as the sun rises and makes its descent in the west. Walking can be a precious time for indulging in daydreaming or to let go of details and the clutter in our minds.

Try focusing your awareness on breathing and synchronize slower steps with each breath. Focus your attention on each step and notice the way your body feels. Draw your attention to the sensations of your body – sights, sounds and physical sensations. See your surroundings like it was for the first time. Without even knowing it, worry will subside and time may even stand still.

Walking has emotional and spiritual benefits but also has a myriad of physical benefits. Walking 30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by 30-40% and diabetes and stroke by 50%. It raises your high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (good kind) and lowers your low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (bad kind). It can lower your blood pressure and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. Walking is a low intensity workout that will allow your body to burn carbohydrate first and then fat so it is an easy option to lose weight and build muscle. It can even add 1.3 years to your life!

So what are you waiting for? I challenge you to try walking 30 minutes a day. Explore a park or part of your neighborhood that you have not been to before. Change your point of view and shake things up by going in another direction. The simple act of walking can stir up ideas and may give you the answers to life challenges. The art of walking may be finding that balance between effort and ease. At the very least you will do something good for your body, get some fresh air and it may just change your perspective.

Lizzie Prost is owner of a Calgary yoga studio called Core Yoga+Pilates.  She has been a yoga/health/fitness enthusiast and writer for 12 years.

Happiness 101

Happiness 101

 I met a yoga teacher once that was freakishly happy. He smiled for the entire class and seemed to have this continuous aura of happiness all around him. My initial reaction was, “are you nuts? Are you on drugs?” Why couldn’t I believe that someone could be so blissfully happy all of the time? Was I suffering from North American cynicism? Had the riots in Vancouver completely hazed my vision?

I have been pondering the happiness topic for a long time and in my research I have discovered that I am far from alone. Epicurus, the famous Greek philosopher from 331 B.C. , thought about it extensively. He said that we should not feel guilty for enjoying a pleasurable life full of sex, laughter and beauty. But the “Epicurean” way of luxurious eating and drinking is a complete misunderstanding of what he meant. Epicurus left the distractions of urban life and headed for the hills. He had a simple house and lived on bread, veggies and olives. His ingredients for happiness actually came fairly cheap: Friends, an analyzed life and self-sufficiency. He said, “feeding without a friend is living the life of a lion or wolf.” So, sharing meals was a big one to him. Self-sufficiency in this day and age – not a problem. Living an analyzed life? This is trickier business.

Maybe I need a more contemporary approach to happiness. I looked up my old friend Deepak Chopra. He has the “Ultimate Happiness Prescription.” Perfect. Now we are getting somewhere. His happiness formula involves three key areas with a percentage of influence on total happiness which are: an internal set point in the brain (50%), conditions of living (10%) and voluntary choice (40%). Without going into too much detail, internal set-point is where we may see problems or opportunity. Cognitive therapy and meditation seem to be helpful in this category. Surprisingly, conditions of living only influences about 10% of our happiness formula, so not much to worry about there. Voluntary choice is choosing personal pleasure or engaging in activities that allow us to express our creativity or make other folks happy. This is called “intentional activity.” Chopra has an interesting combination of science and spirit in his approach but I still have plenty of unanswered questions. Why do we end up with deep furrows in our brow line and what is wrong with laugh lines around our eyes and mouth? Why do we squirm and struggle with compliments? Why do we grapple with giving more and receiving less and vice-verca? Why do negative thoughts out-weigh the positive and do we make observations or judgments? Is there a key to happiness that fits into the 21^st century?

So, I am throwing down the gauntlet and inviting all you fine folks out there to think, discuss and share your ideas about happiness. Let’s come up with our own prescription. In the meantime, head to the hills, share your meals with family and friends and as Nat King Cole sang, “roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.”

Lizzie Prost is owner of a Calgary yoga studio called Core Yoga+Pilates.  She has been a yoga/health/fitness enthusiast and writer for 12 years.

Physical and Spiritual Benefits of Meditation

 

Physical and Spiritual Benefits of Meditation

  This is the third article of a three-part series on the philosophy and practical teachings of meditation. In my experience, meditation has had a profound effect on my life. Practising fifteen minutes a day has made my head clearer, stress levels lower, patience higher, driving slower and most importantly, every single thing that I have desired has come to fruition. This is not a fairy-tale; it is absolutely true.

Studies on the physical benefits of meditation have been extensive. The single most reported physiological benefit of meditation is the drop in blood pressure. Breathing rate decreases, the nervous system calms down, the body relaxes and the incessant chatter of the mind takes a break. People who meditate exhibit an increased activity in the left side of the frontal part of the brain that is responsible for a more positive emotional state. Scientists are discovering that we are not as hard-wired as was once thought. We actually may have more control of our mental and emotional well-being.

In everyday life, we will always encounter some form of stress. The trick is, how do we respond to it? Meditation can give us the tools that can help us with possibly every moment of our day. Instead of reacting, perhaps consider a pause, a breath and then a response. A regular meditation practice will help us cope with not only stress and anxiety, but even depression.

Spiritually, in my experience, meditation has connected me not only to my deeper self, but to the earth and all other beings on it. I feel a stronger sense of community and a deep sense that I am never really alone. When I leave the Inglewood yoga studio, which has become my sanctuary, I look up at the sky and the moon and see it with clear open eyes. This feeling of connection and wholeness permeates into all layers of my life.

So, I invite you to try even five minutes of silence a day. Gradually increase your practice to fifteen minutes and explore the possibilities. Rumi, an ancient sage and poet says:

Which is worth more, a crowd of thousands,

or your own genuine solitude?

Freedom, or power over an entire nation?

A little while alone in your room

will prove more valuable than anything else

that could ever be given to you.

Lizzie Prost is owner of Core Yoga+Pilates Inglewood, and has been a yoga/health/fitness enthusiast and writer for the past 12 years. Contact her at 403-835-4540 or read her blog at lizzieprost.wordpress.com.

Spring – To Cleanse or not to Cleanse

Spring – To Cleanse or not to Cleanse

 The big freeze of our long winter is a distant memory and now we are enjoying the longer, warmer days of spring. We clean-up our yards, decks and homes so how about clearing out the internal pipes?

Every spring I think about doing a cleanse. I have perused some health food stores and asked a few questions but I am still very much in the dark. All I really want is to have more energy, do something good for my body and feel better. The truth is, like anything that has to do with health, there is no “quick fix” and we must take a holistic approach by looking at the big picture.

According to Carolyn Gish-Miller, a Registered Holistic Nutritionist, we need to get back to the basics, become like babies and think “eat, sleep, poop.” (Why didn’t I think of that?) Apparently, our bodies are designed to do all of these functions quite beautifully. Challenges in any of these areas of your life, may be signs of problems that need to be addressed with no easy solutions.

Gish-Miller takes a holistic approach to cleansing and asks simple questions like, “what are your main health concerns right now? How are you sleeping? And yes: what is your poop like?” By doing what she calls “pre-work”, we can see the bigger health picture and address some big red flags.

Poor eating and pooping patterns are signs of problems with digestion which could result in liver toxic overload. Poor sleep patterns is a sign of adrenal gland fatigue and hormonal imbalance. Gish-Miller says that many of her clients are stressed, not sleeping properly and have any ever growing “apple shaped body.” She will get an overview of a client’s diet, lifestyle and supplements and then get down to the “nitty-gritty” – the cleanse.

A cleanse is ideally an 8-12 week process that is broken down into five steps. Step one is the overview of the eating, sleeping and pooping; step two is a colon cleanse; step three is a liver cleanse; step four is restoration and hormonal balance; step five is empowering yourself to practice what you have learned and not return to a holistic nutritionist or other health care practitioner unless you have a specific issue. This is not an easy process.

Physiologically, the stomach, colon, liver, kidneys, lungs and skin are ALL cleansing organs. By going through the proper steps, your organs may run more efficiently and will improve your daily functions. Why run like a Chevrolet when you can purr like a Ferrari?

If you are serious about cleansing, I recommend doing your research and seek consultation from a holistic nutritionist or related healthcare practitioner. Take the time to see the big picture of what is actually happening in your body and empower yourself to long-term health and wellness. I mean who wouldn’t want to “eat, sleep and poop” like a baby?

Lizzie Prost is owner of a Calgary yoga studio called Core Yoga+Pilates.  She has been a yoga/health/fitness enthusiast and writer for 12 years.

 Carolyn Gish-Miller RHN, NNCP www.empowerwellness.ca