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Healthy Lifestyles

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 24, 2013

MVNews this week: Page 13

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 24, 2013

THE JOY OF YOGA

DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE

by Lori Koop, Right Brain Business Coach

“Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that
when you do it, it is not all mixed up.” – A. A. Milne

Imagine arriving in a foreign country without a written plan or map. Where
would you go? What would you do? You’d certainly waste a lot of time wandering
around, trying to make sense of things and find your way. And chances are
good that you would run out of time before you got to see all the things you
really came to see.

An itinerary requires upfront work, but it streamlines the effort when you arrive
so that you can get to see everything. That’s why you came, right?!! It gives
focus to the limited time you have. And identifies clearly the steps you will take
to get to your destinations.

Many people start their businesses with little more than an impassioned idea and the determination
to “make it work.” With the internet, it’s easy to jump in -- anyone can do it. Personally, I LOVE that!
But just because you can be in business doesn’t mean you know how to do business. After a few
wrong turns and miscalculations, it’s obvious how easy it is to waste time.

A business plan is like an itinerary: it gives clear and organized information about where you want
to go, and the steps you plan to take to get there. It considers carefully the best, most efficient use of
your time. It maps out how your big vision will become
a reality and provides clear directions.

There are many ways to create a business plan. Just
google “business plan.” Find the method that speaks to
you. The key is to DO IT! Not just wish for it. Decide
where you will go and what you will do. Put it in writing
so you don’t forget. Or get lost.

For the sake of your business, make a plan… a plan to
succeed!

P.S. For those who cringe at the dry, traditional methods,
there is another way. I teach a visual approach
called the Right Brain Business Plan. It invites the
imaginative, right brain into the process. You create a
VISUAL MAP with words and pictures. For more information,
go to “Classes” on my website: LORiKOOP.
com. Classes resume in September throughout Southern
California… both weekend intensives and 8-week
courses. Join me! Register by August 31st and receive the book
and all art supplies for FREE.

- - - - - - - - - -
Lori Koop, The Right Brain Business Coach

Reach your tru* potential! Schedule a complimentary coaching session at The Center for Well

Pranayama begins at your very first yoga class. First, we learn to close the mouth
and just breathe through the nose, becoming aware of the breath. Just listening to
the sound of the inhale and exhale is helpful. Noticing the rhythm of the breath is next, is it smooth?
Are the inhales equal to the exhales? You hear these questions asked in class all the time.

Our breath tells a lot about how we're doing too. Is the breath shallow? Are we holding the breath?
Are we just sighing out our exhaustion? Shallow breath could indicate anxiety, nervousness, fear, even
excitement. Lots of sighs? Sounds like a mom who needs a break.

Great thing about the practice of pranayama. We can use it almost anywhere. At one point in time I
was working in a busy office, totally stressed out. Someone suggested taking ten deep breaths at the
top of each hour, taken with control. This was perfect for me. And it helped quell those anxious moments.
Just like that I had a one-minute pranayama practice that I could do at work!

Add some asana (yoga poses) with the breath; and boom, Magic! Using pranayama and asana together
can produce amazing results. And at times, become what's called a "moving meditation" benefiting
body, mind, and soul.

We start out very simple , and then progress to many, many other forms of pranayama.

In this practice, we deepen our focus, awareness, and sense of calm. We might even find ourselves
pausing to breathe before reacting and answering a question. At that point, we know it's working.

Namaste,

Keely Totten, Teaching Saturdays at Yoga Madre

HOW LATE IS TOO LATE TO EAT?

by Dr. Tina

Does it matter when we eat or what we eat?

Unfortunately, for those of us who love food, the answer is yes!
Food that is consumed at night is not processed as efficiently as it
is during the day. After dinner what happens in our life? We wind
down, we prepare to end our day. That is what we should be doing
the last hour or two of our day…preparing for sleep. What is the
purpose of sleep? Sleep is when we recharge and when our bodies
repair. Our bodies need all their resources for this task. If it has
to work on digesting food, because that would be a priority for the
body if there is food present in the digestive system, then very little
repair happens.

It is not uncommon to have disrupted sleep when we go to bed after eating a large or hard
to digest meal too close to bedtime. This is because the body is working hard to digest
what was recently eaten. Meat takes longer than any other foods to digest. For good health,
avoiding eating meat late at night, as it tends to stay in the digestive tract longer than grains,
fruits, or vegetables. If we are using the body’s energy to digest food during the night, then
we are not giving the body that precious cleaning time that it needs to help fight off disease,
as well as help repair and rejuvenate us.

My recommendation….try to eat dinner by 6pm or at least 3 hours before bedtime and
avoiding eating large quantities of harder to digest foods like meat and heavily processed
foods at night. For more on this subject, see by blog article this week at www.vibrantlivingwc.
com

Dr. Tina is a traditional naturopath and nutritionist at Vibrant Living Wellness Center

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