Lifestyle

Yoga: My Favourite Pill

December 17, 2014

Author: Eryl McCaffrey

It’s been a long and winding road to get to where I am today: a happy and healthy yoga teacher and wellness writer. I was told as a young teen that there was something wrong with my brain and the only way to fix it was with medication. This seemed far too easy and short-term for me, even at that age. I knew there would always be the truth hiding behind layers of medication. The truth was and still is that I have all that I need within myself to be happy, peaceful and powerful. I did not have a severe chemical imbalance thankfully, and knew I could heal myself from the inside out. How? I didn’t know that part (yet) but I made a commitment to staying open to new ideas and practices.

I had practiced yoga as a young teen with my dad’s old yoga handbook from the 70’s but didn’t make it a regular part of my life until a few years ago. I came back from a volunteer trip to Costa Rica feeling inspired, yet lost and found my feet at a yoga studio in Oakville called Power Yoga Canada. It was challenging, but I felt alive for the first time in years! All of my pent-up frustration and pain seemingly poured out of my body in sweat and onto my mat for good. It wasn’t long before I became addicted to yoga. Soon enough, I was healing from the inside out and I could finally pat myself on the back for trusting that I could find a natural way to brighten my mind.

Yoga has been there for me through thick and thin, miles beyond the capabilities of a doctor recommended pill. My mat was by my side ready to catch me through break-ups, deaths, weight gains and losses, career changes, moves, depression and anxiety. When I thought I had nothing to live for, I lived for the promise of that hot room and my moving body. The rewarding path in life is not the easy one. It’s the one you know you must follow in your heart, but fear to do so. On the true path you’ll want to quit, take the easy way out, give in, give up and hide. You won’t though, because beyond the frustration and suffering is transformation of your mind, body and soul!

You’ll find inner strength, happiness and a deeply deserved sense of peace.

I’m now teaching yoga and writing about health and wellness and I couldn’t be happier! It took some trials and tribulations to get here, but boy am I glad I listened to my intuition. I understand some people have chemical imbalances and require medical treatment, I don’t mean to disprove the fact that some people do require medication. I simply want to share my experience that fighting anxiety and depression through fitness proved to be better than a flimsy Band-Aid of a prescription over my wounds.

Many studies show that exercise has better long term effects on mental health than anti-depressant medication. This Harvard published article, covers a follow up study that showed those who exercised over taking anti-depressants were less likely to relapse into sever depression.

Look deeper, listen to your heart and trust that you already have all that you need inside yourself to feel the way you want to feel and be the way you want to be!

Namaste.
<3 Eryl

**Neither Eryl nor anyone at HealthSouls.com is a doctor or medical specialist. If you want to learn more about exercise vs. medication, click here. Before making any decisions, please contact your doctor or health specialist**

About the Author: Eryl McCaffrey is a Yoga Teacher and Freelance Writer from Toronto, Ontario. She says yoga wakes her up physically and mentally and allows her to step into authenticity and power! Eryl’s especially passionate about using yoga to heal mental health and body image issues.

Check out Eryl’s blog twofeetheartbeat.wordpress.com, website: erylmccaffrey.com and social media – Instagram: @yoga.writer, Facebook: Eryl Hannah and lastly Twitter: @ErylMcCaffrey

Holiday Habits

December 10, 2014

Author: Amber French

Get ready for 8 thousand articles about how to resist temptation over the holidays to hit your inbox, mailbox and Social Media stream…..

Here is one more!!! EXCEPT this one isn’t about resisting it is about accepting. We know we need to eat before the party to avoid overindulging, drink lots of water to fill up or graze on veggies to avoid the more calorie laden temptations. And once you have, you are left full (really needing to PEE), totally unsatisfied and staring all crazy eyed at the spinach dip.

Lets rewind to the morning of your Christmas party or family dinner and lets accept that today is going to be outside the norm as far as our healthy eating plans go. Let’s accept that we are going to eat more than usual and probably consume more calories than usual. So what can we do with the other 20 hours in our day (assuming you can tolerate your family for 4 hrs!!) in preparation for the evening’s events!!??

We can eliminate the horrible state that we work ourselves into by worrying about our over indulgences before the even happen. We can prepare for the shame game by focusing on what makes us feel good prior to.

Here are my tips for changing your heads space before and after the EVENT.

Get enough sleep the night before (or the afternoon before): Sleep deprivation cause over indulgence… FACT: our bodies crave sugar, fat and caffeine to “get us through” when we are staying up late or coming off a crummy night’s sleep.

Make sure your outfit fits: Seriously don’t force it if it isn’t working. Don’t spend money on “spanx” if your favorite little black dress is feeling dimply or snug. Dress in the present, don’t dress in the past. If a certain size or dress used to fit don’t force it. Instead plan on an outfit that allows you to sit, stand and mingle in comfort. Another Fact…Feeling “Fat” makes you over indulge and literally throw in the towel and eat everything in sight. If you feel good you are more likely to engage in conversations, meet new people and be the sparkly life of the party.

Hit the Yoga Studio: Do something physically active for at least 30 mins. Research shows that doing something positive for your health will lessen the urge to leave a serious dent in the Nacho platter. Plus using the time at the beginning and end of your class to visualize your event, who you are excited to catch up with, reflect on the engaging and supportive environment it is going to be.

Read the Paper: Go prepared to have something to talk about. Don’t expect to be entertained! If you are like me boredom is the gateway to extra nibbling!

Eat healthy throughout the Day: Don’t starve in anticipation to a big binge, because you may harm some small children during your beeline to the meatballs! Eat your regularly scheduled meals prior to the event and go with the attitude of enjoying the food your host has prepared for you instead of battling it.

Lastly, have fun! Don’t be the crazy lady hugging the cheese and crackers. Enjoy your food, take a picture post it online in homage to your lovely host and hostess and then hop into your family’s Christmas Eve tradition of Twister Olympics.

As for after the party…..read the article again and repeat above tips! (They apply to everyday not just “party/family dinner” days)!

With Kindness,

Amber

About the Author: Amber has been in the fitness and recreation game for over 15 years (not including school!!). She made fitness her life because as the age old saying goes, study and teach what it is you need to learn. In other words, she’s battles with some weight issues for many years and wants to share what she has learned along the way.

You can follow her @TheVeganHouse

How to Win Happiness – Wellness Retreat Contest

October 30, 2014

Author: Lindsay Hogg

Sponsorship: Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa, Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

I travel often and no matter where I go, I end up coming home feeling tired, run down and flubby. That’s because when I hear the word ‘vacation’ or ‘holiday’ my mind automatically gives up on all the nutrition and physical work I’ve been doing (sound familiar?). Things like my work out routine and healthy eating habits get thrown out the window. I exchange these good habits for a week or two of stuffing my face, lazing around or stressing out about touring the town and drinking everything in sight.

Although I don’t travel as much as I used to, losing touch with my healthy habits is something I struggle with. I can’t blame the places or people, it’s something I need to work on myself, but It often leaves me wondering if I can really travel much anymore at all. Some trips are better than others depending on the company I keep, but in general I find it really hard to stay mindful and healthy.

So I’ve decided my next vacation will be to find happiness, wellness, fitness and bring home a calm, relaxed mind, body and soul. I’m super intrigued by wellness retreats and offered to post Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa’s contest where you can win 10 nights at their retreat, plus airfare. The more I started to research their retreat so I could write about it, the more I am falling in love with the idea of a well-cation.

Why You Will Want To Go (aka, why I want to go):

Power yoga, meditation, bootcamps on the beach, green smoothies, island activities, massages and hammocks are just a few of what this wellness retreat has to offer. They even have a ‘Happiness Package’, which includes your own personal happiness consultant… #mindblown.

Some of the amenities:

Jungle open-aired yoga pavilion

The beach!

Tours Available:
Deep sea snorkeling hosted by Yemaya representative
Travel around island with a local island guide
Kayaking & Paddle Boarding
Bocce Ball, Slack Line, Tetherball and Beach Volleyball
Horseback Riding
Beach and Jungle Hiking

Beach side meditation platform

Where the magic happens

Contest details:

The Best Vacation Ever Contest is a video contest. (It’s easier than it sounds, it’s only a 30 second video about why you want to win). Be fun, playful, creative and use your humor to grab the judges attention. Think outside of the box.

Prize Details: Ten (10) nights’ stay for two persons at Yemaya Hideaway Resort and Spa on Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Airfare from winner’s home country (economy class, advance purchase) to Managua, Nicaragua reimbursed up to $2,000 USD (1,000 USD per person). Airfare and boat transport from Managua to Yemaya on Little Corn Island will be arranged and paid for by Yemaya. Meals and house beer, wine, and cocktails are included. In addition we are also including our Wellness offering, called “Happy Packs” for 5 days of your stay for two persons, which feature yoga, meditation, different physical activities, daily spa treatment, and more!.

Please Note: The contest entry period opens on 23rd October and closes on 23rd November. The contest is open to the residents of the following countries: USA, Canada, UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Mexico.

How to Give Constructive Feedback

October 28, 2014

Author: Lindsay Hogg

Keep, Stop, Start

I learned this technique at my Art of Assisting course (to become a yoga assist with Power Yoga Canada). It really comes in handy in all places in life, especially where you might find it hard to say what you need to say to someone.

You’re not helping anyone by telling them they are doing a great job when there are some aspects that really need to be worked on. By doing this, you’re keeping them stuck, unable to grow. Not speaking up or telling someone the truth about their performance is often the result of a fear of being the bad guy or having someone dislike you.

I know this because I used to have the same fear.

At first I was intimidated by how truthful the conversations were at this Art of Assisting training. But after a few attempts of speaking honestly and no one hating me, I realized how powerful and constructive it is to not hold back because of fear.

So whether you need to give a fellow employee feedback or speak up to a friend/family member, you can enter that conversation confident and prepared.

We like to call this simple tool, “The Shit Sandwich”. Why? Because although I don’t like to think of the center of this tool as ‘negative’, it is definitely the harder part of the conversation.

In your sandwich you’re going to have something for your recipient to keep. This is reaffirming something you like about them or something they are doing well.

Next, you will get to the inside of your sandwich (the shit), where you explain to your recipient what you believe they need to stop. Make sure this is something that will be beneficial to this person and be specific!

Lastly, the bottom of your sandwich, you will share something for this person to start. This is the more fluffy part, lifting back up your recipients spirits after the core of the sandwich (which is sometimes the only reason you make the sandwich in the first place).

Try it a few times and you will feel the weight rise off your shoulders as well.
use this technique when I’m having trouble speaking my mind to anyone in my life. I used it quite a few times with an old boyfriend and he really responded well to it.

Stop Dieting and Get Into Your Lifestyle Mentality

October 15, 2014

Author: Lindsay Hogg

People avoid lifestyle changes because they don’t seem as effective as the craze diets out there that you can lose 5 pounds on, in a day. There is a need and desire to lose weight fast (trust me I know it all to well). A wedding coming up, a beach vacation just around the corner… and you need to drop as much weight as possible.

But where has that taken you so far on your weight loss journey? For me, it’s often back to the beginning or I end up gaining back more weight than I started with before some silly fad diet. This isn’t to knock all eating plans, some regimes like Weight Watchers work for some people, but majority of us just gain the weight back in a constant stream of yo-yo diets.

But you can start dropping the weight sooner and faster than you think. We tend to not believe we are losing any weight if we aren’t deprived or suffering. The difference between a diet and a lifestyle change is perspective, lack of pain in the process and short term vs long term results and happiness.

Perspective
Weight loss is the answer to all problems and you will be happy with everything and anything once you are a size 0. Thus, you believe that if you slip up the tiniest bit, you’ve ruined everything.

Fact
Being happy takes way more than being a size 0. Weight gain is often the result of deeper rooted issues. When you start to focus on healing the underlying emotional issues you will not only feel happier, but the weight will start to melt away with ease.

Diet
You obsess over numbers on the scale.
Lifestyle
Instead of obsessing over numbers, you get to concentrate on yourself and what makes you feel good.

Diet
You struggle for a few weeks and manage to lose weight, but it’s only temporary.
Lifestyle
You lose weight with ease and create long term habits that will keep that weight off.

The point I’m trying to get at here is that time, after time, and time again, these diets have failed you. Maybe not in losing weight initially, but in keeping it off. Again, there is about 10% of people who these diets have worked for, but for most of us, we just need to change a few bad habits.

Take your lifestyle changes one at a time, like drinking water instead of juice or pop. I lost 3 pounds in one week just because I stopped eating past 8pm. Most of us are pretty familiar with what is healthy to eat (whole foods that actually come from nature), but we eat processed crap or overeat. Be mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth and why you’re choosing to eat it. You are constantly creating a future with your actions of today.