How meditation can be fun

Some people say they want to learn to meditate but worry it's too difficult or they don't like to sit still. There are so many ways to bring meditation into your life, that can be fun and help you tap into other parts of your brain! Here are some ideas below.

I'm excited that my talented friend, architect and art professor Michael Kieley, has asked me to teach meditation as a short segment of a creative Meditation-Drawing workshop that is going to be so much fun! Whether you're an artist or not, it's just great to exercise your creative muscle in a safe learning space, and he's a terrific guide for that. I have two spots reserved for Embody Health students in this special event, so please be sure to click on the event link and see if you want to join in on Sunday March 29th.

Another way to try meditation in a fun and easy way is to join my Meetup group for Heart Health Hiking. It's not just a hiking group, but we explore different parks and integrate yoga stretches, strength training, meditation, and nutrition tips. All things good for your heart health with the help of nature to get you to de-stress and relax. I started this group because I saw people who were interested in getting a good cardio workout get injured or have missing pieces of the formula for their heart health goals (nutrition, good posture, stretching, breathing/meditation techniques). One of my meditation students has inspired me with her beach walks, that we can plan a beach walk + meditation soon, once the weather is reliably not raining.

Here's an easy exercise for developing mindfulness: When you take a walk, start with taking 5 minutes of your walking to truly pay attention to your breath and the small wonders of nature you see along the way. Things like the unusual stream of light coming through the tree branches, the shapes of the clouds, the small weeds poking out between plants, the patterns of ground covers, the vibrant colors. You've now stimulated at least 2 senses (your breathing and your eyesight). As you go along, see if you can tune in to more of your 5 senses, feeling the breeze against your face, hearing more sounds, etc. Finding a curious attitude like a kid first discovering a new park or street is a way to get more present in your body and make that mind+body connection. You might enjoy this so much that 5 minutes of mindfulness becomes 10 or 15 minutes! Just tuning into your breath alone will help calm down any stress or anxiety. Have fun!

Finding Fitness Anywhere

If you're traveling for the holidays, sometimes we get sidetracked from our regular fitness routine. For me, when I travel, I think of it as a chance to explore more parks or meet new hiking groups or take a fitness class--it's an adventure! How do you find where to go?

There are lots of free resources on the internet from the parks systems or if you want to join a group, look at meetup or facebook. If you're in the LA area, join my Heart Health Hiking group on meetup. Whereever you are, you can go to www.meetup.com and look for the keywords "hikes" or "hiking" OR look up parks under yelp for reviews from other hikers. Yesterday, I found a terrific hike with a local chapter of the Sierra Club, and it was a wonderful group of friendly people. I want to also celebrate for Rachel from yesterday's hike, who recently had her 62nd birthday and qualified for the lifetime senior membership with the National Parks system!

If you are looking for fitness classes, an internet search for your local dance or pilates or yoga studio is easy when you put in your zip code. In general, it's human nature to prefer something convenient (it improves your chance of actually doing it!) and when it's in your neighborhood, you might even find the opportunity to walk to it and get some more footsteps in! And if it's cold or rainy weather, there is always a shopping mall or museum that is big enough for you to get in some walking towards your daily 10,000 steps. You can find fitness anywhere!

VISION HEALTH: More news about anti-oxidants

Tired eyes from the computer? Seeing fortieth, fiftieth birthdays around the corner? Take care of your vision!

When people lose their vision, it gets harder to keep up your cardio exercises and maintain good posture for your spine.

Another great article from Eating Well magazine, with great explanations on which foods have what nutrients and how those work with your body, from a nutrition professor at University of Vermont.

Summary here, with my commentary

1) Up your antioxidants
Vit. C food ideas - citrus, kiwi, broccoli
Vit. E food ideas - nuts, avocados
Lutein and zeaxanthin: leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collards
If you need ideas for healthy recipes, search this blog for some easy recipes

2) Eat (whole) eggs
And I say, get the free range omega-3 eggs--these chickens were fed with omega-3 grains including flaxseed! Eggs boiled or scrambled make a great breakfast and starts your day right.

3) Help yourself to more “see” food - get your omega-3 fatty acids and zinc
Eat at least 2 servings of fatty fish per week. Inexpensive small fish like sardines and herring can be tasty as a dip. Smoked herring with greek yogurt, dill, and fresh black pepper makes such a yummy omega-3 and protein packed appetizer dip! If you eat salmon, make sure it is wild-caught and not sick farm-raised. If the restaurant menu does not say wild, it is not wild.

4) Consider a supplement
As much as I like to cook, I honestly don't have time to get fresh wild caught salmon every week, and I don't get my omega-3 fatty acids regularly. I don't like spinach enough to eat 3 cups of it every day. I don't like taking too many pills, and excited to find a line of supplements that I can drink as a healthy cocktail: antioxidants, multivitamin, and vision health. Omega-3 supplements are best carried with Vitamin E in a gel capsule form, so I just have to swallow this one.

5) Keep your blood pressure—and your weight—in check
If you live in LA, it is a driving town and you need to schedule in your cardio workout and you can't leave it up to chance. If you have a walking lifestyle already, give yourself some new challenges because the brain "adapts" to habits and you need to give yourself some changes to get the brain and body working smarter. With the great weather, why not sign up for one of our fitness hikes? Walk as much as you can--park your car farther from your shopping destination. Walk to support your local merchants and meet your friendly neighbors for a better sense of community. Need help losing weight or addressing specific health concerns? Sign up for a F.R.E.E. 20 minute phone consultation to learn more about wellness programs.

Feb 22 UPDATE: More commentary about antioxidants and vision health from the Johns Hopkins Health Alerts.

New Hiking Group - Find out details on Meetup

So excited to hear from people that they want to go hiking! It's a great way to do cardio and get some fresh air and absorb some zen from the trees.

Join the meetup group to get the latest info.
www.meetup.com/Heart-Health-Hiking

Hikes are free. There is an optional 6-month membership that pays for personalized wellness consultation and 10% of proceeds goes to a non-profit arts school for low-income kids.