YOUR LIFE A-Z:EXERCISE

NEVER SKIP IT

EXERCISE

EXERCISE is also a great de-stressing tool.  Some of you love to EXERCISE and can’t wait to get to the gym or on your mountain bike.  Others of you hate EXERCISE and have to be forced into doing it.  I would wager that those of you who hate to EXERCISE are EXERCISING for the wrong reasons and doing particular EXERCISES that you just hate.  Before I talk about different types of EXERCISE, let me get clear EXERCISE, whether you like it or not is important to your health.  Thus establish an EXERCISE rule.   The only rule needed is to EXERCISE at least thirty minutes a day whether you like it or not.  The simplest way to EXERCISE is to walk for thirty minutes.  Other than a good pair of walking shoes, walking EXERCISE does not require anything else and almost everyone can do it.  If you can’t walk then you need to discover other ways to EXERCISE.  Stretching is a good choice of EXERCISE and it does not require any fancy equipment.  Learning to make EXERCISE as part of your daily routine is a very important part of self-care.  The goal is to EXERCISE more days a week than not.  EXERCISE will help you stay flexible and healthy as you age.  And unless you die early, you will age.  If you want to get around in a healthy body as you age EXERCISE is important.  Make it your goal to discover an EXERCISE that you don’t hate and then do it on a daily basis.  It is simple.  The only goal is to do it.  Don’t do it to lose weight, do it because you love yourself.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: JUICE

NOT ALL JUICE IS GOOD FOR YOU!

JUICE

The TWENTY MINUTE COACH is discovering that “J” words are not great motivators for blogging; however, the word JUICE has some possibilities. The word JUICE provides a multi-topic format. It is common to think that drinking JUICE is healthier than drinking soda.  But not all JUICE is created equal. Next time you reach for the orange JUICE, grape JUICE or the cranberry JUICE,read the label.  Check out the sugar content, the additives, and the carbohydrate count.  You may be shocked.  Then check out the contents of a typical soda drink.  Compare the two drinks. Not much difference in terms of healthy choice. If you are the industrious type you might want to consider JUICING.  JUICING fresh fruit and vegetables is healthier than buying JUICE. I know that my basic personality make-up, finds no personal interest in JUICING; however I admire those that do. If a persondoes not have interest in something, he/she will not move toward it.  JUICE in the English language is not all about food. JUICE is also about motivation.  You have heard the phrase, “Get those creative JUICES going.” What is it that motivates you to be creative?  Those who love to JUICE fruits and vegetables feel creative as they follow their inner JUICINESS. Don’t allow yourself to become a coach potato, JUICE up your life with something different to keep yourself moving.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: REJOICE

REJOICE IN WHO YOU ARE

REJOICE

“REJOICE and love yourself today, ‘cause baby you were born this way.”  Lady Gaga’s lyrics to the song Born This Way are quite powerful and if you allow yourself  to close our eyes and listen a sense of hope is birthed.  The word REJOICE is an action verb that promotes an inner response of “yes.”   REJOICE implies that you exclaim, shout, dance, and proclaim out loud an inner delight and exuberance.  What makes you REJOICE?  What makes you SING?  What make you feel alive and want to tell everyone how excited you are to be you in this moment and time?   REJOICE is an action response of gratitude.  Take a walk through your closet and chose a favorite outfit and REJOICE (do a little jig) that you are blessed enough to have favorite clothes in your closet.  REJOICE that you are able to be alive right now in this very moment regardless of how tough it might be in your life, express some gratitude for what “is” verses looking at what isn’t.   REJOICE in the small things in life and those small things will become more expansive and important.  REJOICE and love yourself today just the way you are, allowing self-acceptance to overflow into your heart and your actions.  Choose a symbol that represents who you are and search for a piece of jewelry that expresses your uniqueness in a way that you can delight in.  REJOICE is an important word, own it and use it today. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z:WANDER

WANDERING ALLOWS YOU TO SEE MYSTERY

WANDER

WANDER is another action verb.  You can WANDER leisurely through the mall and begin an early Christmas shopping excursion by just WANDERING from store to store.  Or you can WANDER in your mind as you imagine yourself traveling to faraway places of adventure and gastronomical delight.  To WANDER is a relaxing action that allows you to stretch beyond your to-do list.  Take a WANDER today in some near by park, mall, or the town next door and you may have the experience of seeing it “for the first time,” because you are not on a mission.  You are giving yourself permission to amble about in any store looking for nothing in particular and looking at everything mindfully.  This trip of WANDERING may lead you to enjoy something that you never thought possible or you might find yourself WANDERING toward a treasure that will fill your heart.  Give yourself permission to WANDER and if that free-flow makes you too anxious, then go WANDER for three hours and if you start fretting about wasting time, use your breath to bring you back to the here and now.  Tell yourself you will journal about your experience to help make this exercise of WANDERING a mindful exercise for you.  It is important to take yourself on an adventure that allows you to relax into doing only what is front of you.  WANDER in your mind or WANDER with your body, but whatever you do WANDER around and notice the world of wonder as you WANDER.

YOUR LIFE A-Z: MOVEMENT

ENJOY THE PLAYFULNESS OF MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT

MOVEMENT is absolutely essential to your wellbeing.  Whether it is touching your toes ten times or walking around the block ten times, it is important to MOVE.  Physical MOVEMENT also increases your resistance to depression, increases your immune system, and keeps you younger and agile as you MOVE through the stages of your life.  It is impossible to maintain a sour attitude if you MOVE your body and focus on letting breathe and life within.  MOVEMENT requires that you focus your attention to your body and often in our Western culture we forget we have a body.  There is a mind-body disconnect that can be healed via MOVEMENT and focus.  Focus on your body and MOVE it slowly and purposely.  Stretch your body with MOVEMENTS that require you to focus on “further” than before.  Stretch upward and MOVE downward.  MOVE to the right and then to the left.  MOVE for your enjoyment and health.  Swimming is also a great way to MOVE your body with little effort.  If you will MOVE for 10 minutes a day you will gain more energy.  If you change your position and MOVE to the back of the room you will gain a different perspective.  If you re-arrange your furniture by MOVING it around it will elevate your mood and give you a sense of newness.  If you MOVE a plant to different location you will smile at the change of attitude in a room.  MOVEMENT is key to changing your mood in a matter of minutes.  MOVE your body or MOVE your environment around and notice the internal change. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: DANCE

MOVE TO ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

DANCE

DANCE is an energetic artistic expression of the body moving to music.  Ballet DANCE is a classic form of expression where African DANCE is an interpretive form of telling a story.  Both are art forms.  Both require study, passion, practice, and dedication to the art.  DANCE brings enjoyment and joy to those watching but DANCE is really not intended to be a spectator sport.  DANCE is an all-inclusive opportunity to move your body to music in order to keep your body healthy, express yourself and keep you in shape.  DANCE is easy and anyone can do it with no training.  I hear your complaints, fears, and judgmental self yelling, “But I look funny,” or “I have no coordination.”  Those are excuses.  You can DANCE alone in the privacy of your own home while no one is watching.  You could also take a Zumba DANCE class.  However, the real issue here is that you DANCE.  Young or old you can DANCE.  I challenge you to play some music that you like, close your eyes, and move your body to the music.  DANCE for ten minutes and repeat tomorrow and the next day.  This is an experiment for you to try for the next thirty days and discover whether you are happier and less negative as a result of DANCE.  DANCE is a transformative energy that requires no practice, no reps, no counting, and no competition.  Experiment with different types of music.  DANCE and enjoy the freedom of creative expression while feeling better

YOUR LIFE A-Z: YARE

STATY NIMBLE -BE FLEXIBLE IN ALL THINGS

YARE

Be quick be nimble like Jack jumping over the candlestick.  The word YARE means exactly that, quickness, agility, and easy to maneuver.   YARE is necessary for our bodies.  We cannot afford to let our bodies get stiff, tight, tense, or rigid. YARE is needed on a daily basis.  Discover ways to move your body.  Google different stretches to add to your daily workout.   Yes, I did say daily workout.  You may not want to be a ballerina or a great gymnast, but in order to grow older with agility it is important to practice YARE on a daily basis.  Can you still touch your toes, bend over and tie your shoes, or get up with out using all fours?  If not, start your YARE there. Those are necessary skills for aging with grace.  The last “Y” word was yoga.  Have you started yet?  Can you do the sun salutation or downward dog?  I am not feeding you a yarn; YARE is necessary for agility and flexibility.  Look for opportunities to practice YARE often throughout the day.  Touch your toes ten times often throughout the day. Stretch your arms to the ceiling and move your body in various YARE ways.  How you YARE today will depend on your range of YARE tomorrow.  Age sneaks up on you.  One day you may be perfectly happy being a couch potato and tomorrow you may not get out of bed easily because your YARE was not taken seriously and it got up and left you. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: MOJO

GET YOUR MOJO ON

MOJO

Get your MOJO on!  Inside of you there is an energy source that will awaken if you start feeding it rather than starving it. MOJO is that indefinable quality of the life source energy the Twenty Minute Coach has been speaking about.  MOJO is that charismatic part of you that opens up when you dance, drum, chant, sing, or any other activity that your physical body participates in.  If you are depressed your MOJO has been stolen.  Don’t just wallow in your situational depression; call out the battle cry and dance.  When you dance your MOJO will hearyou and begin returning to you. When you stop dancing your MOJO will not have the energy to fight off the thieves that stole it.  MOJO needs your active energy to bring it to you. MOJO only shows up when invited and only stays while you honor and embrace it.  If you wallow in your situation MOJO becomes weak.  If you say to me, “but I can’t do anything about my situation,” I will say, “Can you dance, sing, drum, walk or chant?”  If you tell me no I will say, “Come back when you can do one of these things and we will call MOJO back together.” MOJO is that energy that wins, battles, and overcomes the nastiness of depression and leaves no room for anxiety.  You cannot be anxious while you dance because you stop dancing.  Your MOJO is your beloved friend who wants you to move into your full potential.  Find yours today!

YOUR LIFE A-Z: FIESTA

CELEBRATE YOU WITH ALL THAT IS COLORFUL

FIESTA

The Twenty Minute Coach is lightening the mood a bit with this word FIESTA. That brings immediate images of party, parade, food, dance, music, and good friends to the mind.  Did you know that the original Latin and Spanish use of the word was derived to worship a saint? I am sure there is more to that story.  However, in the meantime of all of this politico stuff, celebrate yourself with a FIESTA!  You don’t have to wait for your birthday, Cingo DeMayo, Fourth of July of any other reason to have a FIESTA.  You don’t even have to be saint.  You might want to choose a Greek god or goddess to celebrate.  But for no reason at all have a FIESTA.  THIS IS COACHES ORDERS:  celebrate with a FIESTA of food, fun, dance, music, many brilliant colors and friends.  Have your own personal FIESTA and celebrate the fact that you are still breathing.  To start, choose at least three people to invite.  There are at least three in your life if you choose from work, family, and acquaintances.  Next, choose your favorite colors and use that color scheme to decorate.  Choose your favorite foods and use that as your food theme and add your favorite music.  Choose a date and time and voila, you have a FIESTA in the making.  Now, enjoy the creation of this FIESTA.  Who is on your list? What does the invite look like?  What recipes from your favorite foods and is music via speakers or do you want your own DJ?  See, there are endless possibilities.  Enjoy all of them. 

YOUR LIFE A-Z: UNBLOCK

UNBLOCK 

GET A CLEAR VIEW

UNBLOCK and make free, release your inner potential.  Most of us have had an experience of feeling blocked.  Writers experience it so often that they have a name for it: writer’s block.  In order to UNBLOCK your energy you must move.  Yes move your body.  Get up and stretch for ten minutes or walk outside and around the block.  Observe your environment.  Notice what you usually don’t bother to see.  UNBLOCK your attention and allow it to wander around and explore what is right there in front of you.  UNBLOCK you positive voice. Let it out and express your thoughts and dreams.  Put fear in a box, while you move forward UNBLOCKING the energy that you need to accomplish all that you want to experience in your life today and tomorrow.  Fear blocks us from accomplishing that which we desire.  Fear fills us with what if.   UNBLOCK the voice that is waiting to say,  “You can do this.”  “It is okay.”  UNBLOCKING your potential requires that you take positive action.  It requires that you move toward, around, under, through, or over the obstacle that is keeping you stuck.  When you are on a drive going to a destination and you come to road- block, you can’t just sit there neither is it appropriate for you to turn around and go home.  You have a destination that you are headed toward.  There are many ways to get to the same destination.  It may be a detour, but UNBLOCK your resistance and move toward your destination today. 

YOUR LiFE A-Z: BRANCH-OUT

EACH BRANCH IS UNIGUE AND BEAUTIFUL 

BRANCH OUT

Now that we are on a roll with our warrior, headed out for a zany adventure, what is it that you have been hiding from yourself that you really want to try?  It does not have to be big but of course it can be.  It can be something as simple as getting those ears pierced that you have secretly always wanted to do.  Think about a tree and its many branches.  It is amazing that something that looks as boring as a tree-trunk can branch out into so many different ways, providing shade, shelter, and protection.  In the forest, deer and other creatures love to sleep near the tree trunks under branches.  It feels safe and protective to them.  What are the benefits that you will acquire in your personal life by branching out into a new direction or just responding to the warmth of the sun pulling you towards your best-self?

Branching out is an important part of growing up and becoming all of who you can be.  Without branches trees do not fulfill their purpose.  Without branches there is little beauty.  Look at your life today and ask yourself, where can I branch out?  Where can I expand into more of what I need and want in my life?  Is it time to ask your boss for a raise?  Is it time to look at adding class to your list of things you have been wanting to learn?  Find a way to branch out today!