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Self-care practices like meditation, or just taking time to check in with yourself, go hand in hand with healthy living. How we connect with ourselves has a direct effect on our mood, stress level and overall feeling of happiness and contentment.
The more we balance the negative thoughts and
unhealthy habits that don’t serve us, the easier it is to create a
healthy life. If the word “meditation” is not for you, just call it
breathing practice. And remember, it’s called a practice for a reason:
It is not intended to be perfect!
Try this simple breathing exercise to start your day:
- Find a comfortable sitting position, keeping your spine tall and supported. Close your eyes, relax your shoulders and breathe deeply into your belly. Feel your belly rise and fall with each breath.
- Draw the mind to the breath as you take a big inhale, filling the belly, the ribs, and the chest. Pause at the top of the inhale and count to three.
- Exhale slowly, imagining the breath leaving first from the chest, then the ribs, and the belly. Pause at the bottom of the exhale and count to three.
- Repeat this 3 part deep breathing for fifteen breaths.
I like to finish my morning meditation by counting 10 things that I am grateful for each day. (I just count on my fingers!) Gratitude is the best attitude adjustment!
Submitted by:
Lisa Cohen
Nutritionist & Personal Fitness Coach
Lisa Cohen, MS CN, is a Certified Nutritionist and Exercise Physiologist with a Masters Degree in Nutritional Science from American Health Sciences University. Lisa has been providing health coaching and nutritional counseling for 15 years and has helped her clients to dramatically improve the quality of their lives through the variety of health and fitness programs that she offers. read more »
