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By Julia Rymut;

How to Get Out of a Studio and Enjoy Outdoor Yoga

Woman in Dog Pose OutdoorsDo you love being outdoors? Have you ever thought about outdoor yoga for a change of scenery from your usual practice area?

More and more yoga lovers are heading outdoors during the spring and summer months to make the most of the weather. But be warned, there is a very good chance you will not want to go back inside to practice once you have tasted outdoor yoga!

Under the sky

For a long time I put myself off the idea, because I told myself that I needed to be in my own ‘private space’ where I could control my environment. The idea of being on display whist practicing my asana’s was incredibly off putting because I knew I would have trouble concentrating if I felt that I was making a spectacle of myself and people were staring at me.

Eventually I plucked up the courage to give it a try and having experienced the freedom of meditating in various outside locations, there is no looking back for me. I now have a few favorite spots depending on weather and time constraints

I discovered that it is a shame to confine oneself to practicing indoors when you could be enjoying the experience and freedom of taking your yoga outside and connecting in a natural environment.

Here are some tips that will help you to get the most out of your al-fresco yoga!
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: exercise, happiness, stress relief, stress-free living, yoga

By Julia Rymut;

9 Ways to Make Your Home Tranquil and Beautiful with Bamboo

I enjoy beautiful things.

I love making my home pretty and comfortable.  I love creating unusual decorations that make my home feel like me.

But even my favorite decorations can feel stale after a while.

Sometimes I need to bring something new into my home to keep my place feeling alive and creative.  The new things don’t have to be big or expensive–just fresh.

And fresh home is a perfect home for nurturing creativity.

Today I decided to find fresh possibilities that would make my home feel fresh, creative and tranquil.  I’m a sucker for bamboo so today’s “My Favorite Things” list is all bamboo. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Favorite Things Tagged With: happiness, stress-free living, Tranquil Home

By Julia Rymut;

Tips for Moms to Reduce Stress

Sometimes you race from one appointment to the next. You get so busy that figuring out how to slow down becomes another challenge. You could use a few quick tips. For moms on the go, here are 10 great ways to reduce stress.

In the spirit of David Letterman, we will start with #10.

Drum roll please….

The Top 10 Quick Tips for Moms to Reduce Stress

Young woman journaling for stress relief10. List 3 things you are grateful for. Better yet, buy a pretty journal and start a “Gratitude Journal”. Each morning list 3 things to be grateful for. To up the ante, list 3 different things every day.

9. Take a walk in nature. Even if your nature walk is around the city block, take a walk, breathe deeply, notice the flowers and trees, listen for birds. A 10 minute walk can be quite refreshing.

8. Take a weekend “at home vacation”. This is one of the best tips for moms because it is so not what we do at home. Take a weekend and pretend you are at a hotel, only you are in you PJ’s at home. No chores, no laundry, no business. Tell the kids you are on vacation and they heat up the frozen pizzas themselves for the weekend. Rent a bunch of chick-flick videos, give yourself a facial, and take naps.

7. Plan a fun unusual date with yourself. Do something you have always wanted to do. Drive by that new florist everyday and wondered what she has? Stop in. Always wanted to glaze some pottery at the you-glaze-it-yourself shop? Give it a try. Skinny dipping in the lake? Why not?

6. Plan a retreat. Pick up the phone and make a reservation for a weekend alone at a retreat center. Plan to spend time not talking, not being interrupted, not caring for others. Just be quiet and relax.

5. Get together with a girlfriend. Eat chocolate.

4. Take 1 hour and do something creative that you enjoy. Paint, write, dance, work in the garden. Make time for creativity.

3. Exercise. Plan some exercise which you really enjoy. Better yet, be outdoors if you can. Sun. Getting your heart pumping. It all make you relax more.

2. Make a “(insert your name here) Budget”. Make a budget of your time (like you would budget your money) which includes time for yourself. If every week you have an hour for something you enjoy you will begin to replenish yourself.

…And the #1 Idea of the

Top 10 Quick Tips for Moms to Reduce Stress….

1. Do it! You know what you need. In your deepest heart, you already know what is lacking for you and what would make you feel better. So do it. Whatever it is, find a way to give yourself what you need.

Filed Under: Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: busy mothers, stress relief, stress-free living

By Julia Rymut;

Thoughts on Stress Free Living

Time management, exercise, nutrition, breathing… Thoughts on stress free living–what is the core of the problem?

Stress involves a cycle of steps; stressors lead to stress reactions which decrease our health and increase our sensitivity to the stressors. Each step increases the effect of the next.

Often we stop the cycle by reducing the stressors in our lives (time management, learning to say ‘no’ to commitments, etc.). Sometimes we reduce our reactions to the stressors (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, relaxation techniques, etc.). And other times we simply support our bodies to better cope with the stress (good nutrition, exercise, yoga, etc.).

But what is the Big Picture?

Why there is so much stress in modern life?

Yes, our lives are busy. There’s hustle, bustle, crazy deadlines and lots of demands. Still, some people can remain calm and happy in the midst of it all, and others fall apart.

We are disconnected from our true selves.

In our modern lives, we have forgotten our purpose. We don’t know why we are here and we don’t sing our unique melody.

In Tsalagi (Cherokee) belief, one of the causes of disease is to not utilize the gifts you were given in this life.

The discord of how we live our lives and who we really are leads to decisions which are disharmonious. Our lives blast rock ‘n roll while our inner beings hum classical. Since we don’t know our own song, we get lost in the bustle bustle, the materialism and the chaos of life. We travel in a direction which we were never intended to take.

The process of reclaiming ourselves can be long as we untangle the knot of poor choices. In the beginning, it is hard to even know what is wrong and what is right.

To live stress free, we must find enough quiet to hear ourselves, and we must become clear enough and strong enough to act on it. We are both the song of ourselves and the symphony of everything around us. When we receive the vibration of the Divine, and channel it into our own Divine Purpose, we have the energy to do whatever we must, without stress or effort.

Start with your Daily Habits

The easiest ways to start the process of recovering yourself is with external habits which take you from your daily life deeper inside yourself.

  • Meditate–or at least sit quietly. There are many mediation techniques and one can easily get lost trying to find the right one. For now, if you are an absolute beginner, keep it simple. Promise yourself to sit in a chair quietly for 10 minutes every day.

    Just sit still.

    Notice how you feel. Notice what you think about. Don’t sleep. Don’t day dream. Don’t do anything. Just sit.

    Oh–and don’t start to stress. Mediation is not supposed to make things worse!

    Sitting can be a challenge. In no time you can feel bored, frustrated, or your mind will wonder with your list of things to do.Practice sitting.

    If this suits you, then look for some deeper meditation practices to guide you.

  • Woman taking relaxing walk in winter forestTake walks. Commit to a 20 minute walk everyday. No jogging. No talking on the cell phone. Just walk. Breathe. Notice what’s around you.
  • Follow your secret passion. Have you always wanted to dance? Learn the bag pipes? Rock climb? Take up that dream you have always had and see how the enthusiasm of playing can lead you to new possibilities. Living stress free can be fun too.
  • Indulge in little luxuries. As stressed mothers it is especially important to tenderly care for ourselves. We devote ourselves to others so much that it is no wonder that we lose ourselves. Take time every week to do something strictly for yourself, something which reminds you of who you are when you are not a wife, mother, daughter, co-worker or PTO member.
  • Buy the Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron, and do the exercises. Julia’s book helps artists re-find their muse through a series of weekly steps. View yourself as the artist creating your own life. Awaken the playful child in yourself, follow your dreams and ignore the voices telling you to stop.
  • Say a prayer. Connect with your Higher Power and let your relationship with the Divine guide you.
  • Make a practice of following your thoughts. Stress free living emerges when you stop torturing yourself with what could, should or would have been and just live quietly in the present. Focus your thoughts on stress free living.

When my thoughts careen out of control, I remind myself over and over:

“Right now, for this moment, I am safe, happy and everything going fine.”

This silly mantra keeps my worries for the future or regrets of the past from ruining my current day. It keeps my thoughts on stress free living.

It is quite revealing to learn how often my problems are from my thoughts. Stress free living is begins when we can master our mind.

I spend relatively little time actually tending to a problem, and when I do, it is usually more stressful thinking about it than doing something about it.

Deeper Peace

These thoughts on stress free living are only the beginning. Once we have quieted our daily lives, and reclaimed our creativity and playfulness, we can begin moving even deeper. Eventually we will be so familiar with the place of peace inside ourselves that the little luxuries and daily habits of quietness become pleasant additions to our lives, but not necessary crutches. We can find peace regardless of the turmoil around us.

Peace in any situation, regardless of the circumstance, is the true core of stress free living.

Filed Under: Stress Articles Tagged With: happiness, mindset, stress-free living

By Julia Rymut;

The Therapeutic Benefits of Essential Oils for Reducing Stress

Leaf touching waterThere are many therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Aromatherapy is so naturally suited to stress relief that it almost like it was designed for it.

The small molecules captured in essential oils have benefits for all our organ systems–the same systems which are taxed while under stress. And the oils have a natural “intelligence” to do what your body needs. They tonify and balance, so while you may think that you are putting wintergreen on your neck to relieve your sore muscles, you may also receive some relief to your hypertension.

Therapeutic Benefits of Essential Oils: Natural Physical Support for your Body

In their most pure form, essential oils are the distilled essence of a plant, and if they are pure and well-made, they can be used herbally. Because the life-blood of healing plants are captured, and because the oils are very potent, they make ideal remedies for stress.

However, finding pure essential oils can be difficult.

Most essential oils are produced for the perfume industry and because of this, are made with chemical fillers, additives and extenders. You must be sure to use only the most pure, reliable oils if you want the therapeutic benefits of essential oils. Even the oils at health food stores should be carefully investigated before using them for your health.

Just because something is marked “100% pure” or “all natural” does not guarantee that these oils are safe for therapeutic use.

Ways that Aromatherapy Reduces our Physical Symptoms of Stress:

  • Essential Oils balance and tonify our organ systems.
  • They can increase blood flow to muscles and help them relax.
  • They can help regulate blood pressure and restore normalcy.
  • They can increase the oxygen flow in our blood.
  • They can remove and reduce toxins in our system.
  • They can reduce cortisol and other hormones released in acute stress situations.
  • They can counteract and reverse the wear and tear of chronic stress on our bodies.
  • They can reduce insomnia and help get a more restful sleep.

Recommended oils for Physical Stress Support:

My favorite essential oils for physical stress relief include Lavender and Valerian, both especially good for restoring the parasympathetic nervous system and promoting a good night’s sleep. I also find the blends “Valor” and “Peace & Calming” bring quietness. Sandalwood is high in sesquiterpenes which stimulate the pineal gland to release melatonin, which is a hormone which regulates sleep, and stimulates the immune system.

For sore, achy muscles, I like to use Basil or Marjoram. Both of these oils are muscle relaxants and can release the tension in your muscles. Wintergreen also brings pain relief to muscles with the hot-cold “Bengay” sensation, but wintergreen is natural and will bring the other healing benefits of the plant, which include anti-inflammation, vasodilation, and hypertension regulation.

Peppermint brings oxygen immediately to the brain and blood. This excellent essential oils brings alertness but not hyperactivity.

Cortisol is a hormone that is released during stress. If you have high cortisol levels over a long period of time, there are many detrimental effects including a weakened immune system, brittle bones, high blood pressure, weight gain and mood disorders. Essential oils balance hormones and so may help regulate cortisol. Some good oils to try include Lavender, Valerian, Frankincense and Blue Tansy.

The therapeutic benefits of essential oils are many. They are safe, natural, and balance the body, and correct the cause of imbalances and not just the symptoms. The next time you are stressed, try aromatherapy.

Filed Under: Aromatherapy, Stress Relief Tips Tagged With: aromatherapy, essential oils, stress-free living

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