Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 31, 2015

13

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES

 Mountain Views News Saturday, October 31, 2015 


THE JOY OF YOGA


MIND-BODY CONNECTION


In many ways, 
our yoga practice 
is always about 
establishing and 
re-establishing the 
mind-body connection. The connection is so deep, 
so continuous and completely interdependent. All of 
our experiences--birth until present moment-- are 
held, absorbed and “seated” in the body, down to the 
cellular level. Think of the amount of experiences that 
take place between the hips, for example. Creation of 
life happens here, emotions are held here. Our backs 
often carry our burdens, hence the pain in the lower 
back. Our lungs and breath are affected when we’re 
anxious, scared or repressing our feelings. Sickness can 
evolve when our feelings haven’t been expressed fully 
or in a healthy way. You can imagine that the way we 
think affects our body, and our body affects the way 
we think. 

 Thus, our yoga practice can bring stuff up and 
release emotions. It also can facilitate healing. Step 
one to healing and letting go of our more troubling 
experiences is to become aware of what’s going on with 
the body. Step two is to notice the mind’s reaction to 
this stirring of emotions or resistance. In our practice, 
we want to cultivate what’s called, Adhikara, or a 
sensitivity to our awareness of the subtle body. It also 
means being “spiritually ready” for self-study. We peer 
back to the observer point of view, just noticing what’s 
easy or hard. What’s the condition of the breath? Does 
the mind want to check out? What’s our reaction to 
what’s taking place? 

 Practicing this awareness and deepening our 
sensitivity to what’s going on internally and with the 
physical body can help us off the mat. We may notice 
the same resistance in other situations. Ultimately, the 
fruits of this work will be pause in our reaction time 
and a present-moment oriented mind. And there is 
nothing unmanageable in the present moment. 

Namaste and see you in class, 

Keely Totten 


Keely Totten 

RYT 500,Yoga & Meditation Instructor 

www.facebook.com/keelyyoga

LET’S FIGHT FATIGUE!

More and more 
Americans complain 
that they suffer some 
sort of fatigue. It may 
range from needing 
a nap mid-day to 
symptoms more 
severe like chronic 
fatigue. Fatigue is 
frustrating and can be 
debilitating. For some 
people they have to 
push through every 
day. For these same people, at the end of each 
long and exhausting day, sleep is yet another 
challenge. Oddly, for many people the more 
exhausted they are during the day, the worse 
sleep at night. After a restless night of tossing 
and turning, the cycle begins again as the sun 
arises. 

Feeling great and energetic requires reversing the 
things that contributed to the problem in the first 
place. Fatigue is something that gradually goes 
away so you have to be committed. Supporting 
your body with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables 
which will improve your body’s immune system 
will greatly aid in restoring normal energy 
levels. Here are 5 more things that you can do to 
get started on a path of eliminating fatigue. 

1. Cut back on caffeine. 

Adrenaline is what gives athletes that winning 
burst of energy and also gives a person the 
strength to lift a car that has rolled onto a child. 
Adrenaline is the source of our “fight-or-flight” 
response, which enables us to run for our lives 
if the need arises. Caffeine stimulates your 
adrenal glands to produce this fight or flight 
response. When the over stimulation of your 
adrenals wears off you feel fatigue, and possibly 
irritability and headaches. If you are constantly 
using caffeine you are keeping your body in 
“flight-or-flight” mode.

2. Try to relax.

Make your world as small and uncomplicated 
as possible by reducing your everyday needs. 
Start by filtering news and information. If you 
cannot do anything about it and it stresses you, 
you do not need to be concerned with it. Learn 
to practice relaxation techniques whenever you 
can. Meditation, even for a couple of minutes 
can relieve stress as can a few slow deep breaths. 

3. Generate feel good hormones through 
movement. 

Endorphins are the “feel good” chemicals 
induced by exercise. Of course, you can be so 
fatigued that doing anything seems impossible 
which is a real “Catch 22” because moving 
is needed to eliminate fatigue. We need to 
be physically tired as well as mentally or 
emotionally. A simple walk can be the first step. 
Once you have established a routine, begin to 
walk farther or slightly faster. Yoga is another 
great option to get your body moving again and 
to relieve fatigue. 

4. Try to develop good sleep habits. 

Our bodies need a mini tune-up daily. Sleep, 
especially deep sleep, is when our bodies do this 
repair and maintenance. There are many things 
you can do to promote a good night’s sleep. 
Once you have done 1, 2 and 3 above to improve 
your odds of sleeping well then try to; establish 
a schedule, don’t eat too close to bedtime, and 
keep your bedroom as dark as possible. 

5. Embrace whole food or herbal therapy instead 
of drug therapy. 

If you are taking any type of drug therapy, be 
aware that it may actually be contributing to 
fatigue. Nutritional deficiencies can make it 
difficult to get your energy levels back even 
when you are doing all of the above. There 
are whole food and herbal supplements that 
feed the body what it needs to overcome 
fatigue without side effects. Herbs can help 
relieve the symptom of fatigue directly by 
enhancing immune function, balancing 
hormones, and stimulating the healing 
systems of the body. 

Feeling good every day does require a 
healthy lifestyle and some effort but it well 
worth it!

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


BUSINESS NEWS & TRENDS

FAMILY MATTERS By Marc Garlett


WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU 
DIE WITHOUT A WILL?

Most people know they need a will. And many of them 
fully intend on writing a will … someday. But life is busy 
and the will keeps getting put off. Eventually, someday 
becomes never.. In fact, nearly half of American adults 
will die without a will in place. So what happens if you 
die without one?

The Legislature Writes Your Will

Your state’s legislature has passed laws that dictate who 
will get the property of someone who dies without a valid 
will. These are called the laws of “intestate succession.” 
(“Testament” is simply another name for a will. If you die 
without a will, you are said to have died “intestate”—that 
is, without a testament.)

 The laws of intestate succession generally give your 
property to your heirs at law - your nearest family 
members. If you leave a spouse and children (or 
grandchildren), your property will usually be divided 
among them. If you die without children, some of 
your property will probably be given to your parents, 
siblings, nieces, or nephews. Different states use different 
percentages for dividing the property. If you don’t leave 
any close family members, your property may be divided 
among more extended family, such as grandparents, 
aunts, uncles, and cousins. In the rare situation where you 
don’t have any close-enough blood relatives alive when 
you die, the state government gets to have your property.

 As an example, suppose that you live in California 
and your only close family members are your spouse and 
your sister. Under California law, if you die without a will, 
your spouse will get half your property and your sister 
will get the other half. But if you leave behind your spouse 
and three children, then your spouse will get one third 
of your property, and your children will equally divide 
the rest. (This doesn’t include things that you and your 
spouse owned together; in California, your spouse gets to 
keep all of those.)

 Without a will, you also have no control over what 
happens to your family heirlooms or other special items. 
In a will, for example, you can leave your wedding ring 
to your daughter, or your coin collection to your brother. 
But without a will, all those special things may end up 
being sold so that the money can be divided among your 
heirs.

A Judge Chooses the Guardian for Your Children

If you have young children, maybe the most important 
part of your will is naming someone to be their guardian, 
in case both you and your children’s other parent die.

 It always takes a court order to appoint a guardian. 
But the judge will appoint the person you name in your 
will, unless there are serious reasons not to (for example, 
if the person has been convicted of child abuse). If you die 
without a will, however, and haven’t named a guardian, 
the judge will have to choose someone without your 
input. 

 As careful and caring as the judge may be, he or she 
doesn’t know your children or what you would decide 
for them. The judge may make a decision that you would 
never make yourself. And if a guardian has to be named, 
he or she will become the most important person in your 
children’s lives, helping them overcome the tragedy of 
losing their parents and influencing them to go on to lead 
happy, productive lives. Do you really want to leave that 
decision up to a complete stranger? 

 With help from a good attorney, writing a will can be 
easier than you may think. We would love to empower 
you to legally protect and financially provide for your 
family, no matter what the future holds. Call us today and 
make an appointment to talk about ensuring your family 
is always well taken care of.

 Dedicated to your family’s wealth, health, and 
happiness,

 

A local attorney and father, Marc Garlett is on a mission 
to help parents protect what they love most. His office is 
located at 49 S. Baldwin Ave., Ste. G, Sierra Madre, CA 
91024. Schedule an appointment to sit down and talk 
about ensuring a legacy of love and financial security 
for your family by calling 626.355.4000 or visit www.
GarlettLaw.com for more information.


In today’s fast paced content world, the art of a 
marketing campaign has been re-defined. A campaign 
is simple. It’s a piece of content sent out to an interested 
audience with a call to action. 

 You don’t need a thousand different social channels 
and tools to create a campaign that produces results. 
Our 3 favorite tools are:

 Constant Contact: This tool will help you create a 
simple email that can serve as an on-line flyer for your 
campaign. All it needs is a picture, a paragraph and a 
CTA (call to action). 

 Canva.com will help you create an interesting image 
for your campaign. It is free to use and they also have a 
variety or stock images that are very affordable.

 Facebook Boost will help you extend the reach of 
your campaign. With $50, you can reach a lot of people 
on Facebook with specific demographics and interest.

 Here are 5 campaign ideas for the holiday months:

 Exclusive offers to your customers and subscribers. 
Reward loyalty.

 A list of gift ideas. Come up with a cleaver “gift idea” 
list (gifts for Dad, gifts for that special dog, gifts for 
Grandma, Gifts for mom etc.) 

 Gratitude Campaign: Send a “thank you for being 
a loyal customer” email and talk about what you have 
accomplished in the past year in your business. 

 Set up an automated campaign. Create a series of 
all the big shopping days (use Constant Contact’s auto 
responders). Include your offers for Black Friday, Small 
Business Saturday, Cyber Monday or make up your 
own shopping day!

 Leverage a weird holiday like National Ugly 
Christmas sweater day on Dec. 18. Take a picture of 
your entire staff in ugly sweaters and create a campaign 
around it.

 About MJ: MJ and her brother David own HUTdogs, 
a creative services business that helps their clients build 
a strong on-line presence. “Like” them on Facebook for 
trending news in social media, internet marketing and 
other helpful tips, www.facebook.com/hutdogs.

 Sign up for their upcoming workshops at: www.
hutdogs.com/workshops/schedule 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com