What Being In Nature Can Do For You

This past week I went up to NC to visit a friend who has built a house on the side of a mountain near Burnsville.  I have never been in this area of the NC mountains and it was truly spectacular.  Green, green hills and valleys, lots of wildlife (deer outside the back door, wild turkeys on the road, bunnies, hummingbirds and even a weasel), and plenty of fresh air.  Even the rain was refreshing and beautiful.  The cloud formations were constantly changing.  I watched everything from a fantastic deck overlooking the valley.  My whole self was able to relax and forget about any worries.

We hiked on the Appalachian Trail for a about an hour and I was proud of myself for being able to do it.  I felt tired, but so relaxed afterward.  I stopped and took breaks when I needed to - it wasn't a race.  Many people with chronic health conditions don't even try to push themselves for fear of not being able to do things outside their normal routine.  It is amazing what the body can do with a little encouragement (from a friend) and lots of positive ions (the good air near the mountains and sea.)  Being in nature is good for your body, mind and spirit.  Why not step outside your comfort zone and walk a new route, hike a trail for a bit, swim in the ocean or pool or just be still and take in God's creation?  It will do wonders for you!  This is what I saw as I sat with my tea in the early morning:

Just beautiful!

A Great Sun Hat

While wandering in a clothing store in Burnsville, NC, I found a bunch of good summer sun/beach hats.  Tried on lots, but most were one-size-fits-all and they were all too big.  The salesperson pointed out that some had adjustable inside bands, so my friend pointed out a really cute one made by Wallaroo and I tried it on.  Made the inside adjustment and it fit perfectly!  It will come in handy when we are at the beach for a week later this month.  Has an SPF of 50+.  Their website is:http://www.wallaroohats.com/products.aspx  Check it out:

Cute Seersucker Jacket!

Free day - no appointments = shopping!  Took myself to Talbots today, because I got an e:mail that everything in the store was 30% off.  When I got there, I remembered that all full-priced jackets were 50% off!  Not thinking that I needed a jacket in hot June, I perused the store.  My eyes saw a really cute seersucker jacket that had a nautical print lining.  Regular price $149.00, today $75.00.  Fantastic for a lines jacket.  All the sale jackets were marked down even further.  The seersucker jacket looked really cute with a red tank, but any bright color would look great.  Here is the jacket:

 

Check it out and while you are there, see all the other jackets - I scored a lapis blue jean jacket for $40:

Happy shopping!!!

Who Are You Being Today?

Have you ever felt that you aren't being authentic to the world?  Do you put on a certain face in certain situations and certain days and then breathe a sigh of relief when you get home and can "be yourself?"  When you are with your friends, say, or your husband and can relax and "be who you are, faults and warts and all?"  Lately, I have begun to recognize that I have two faces - one for my "perfect" or "professional" self and one for my "cowgirl" self, who is funny and slightly quirky.

Martha Beck, in her book "Finding Your Own North Star", which I highly recommend, identifies these selves as the social self and the essential self.  She defines them like this: "the essential self contains several sophisticated compasses that continuously point toward your North Star (where you were meant to go and how you were meant to live.)  The social self is the set of skills that actually carry you towards this goal."  This system works great if the two selves are working in harmony. Not many people can experience this harmony.  Most of us steer our lives according to what other people think and who end up steering us "off course."

Are You A Diet Survivor?

"If you have been on more than one diet, lost and regained the weight, and are becoming aware that the failure is not your fault, you are a diet survivor.  The term diet survivor encourages people to get off the diet roller coaster and get on the non-diet bandwagon of living fully and joyfully in one's body through the life-affirming action of feeding oneself based on internal cues of hunger and satiety."  from The Diet Survivor's Handbook, by Judith Matz and Ellen Frankel.

Check out this book - it will change the way you think about dieting.....

http://www.amazon.com/The-Diet-Survivors-Handbook-Acceptance/dp/1402205449/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371169132&sr=8-1&keywords=the+diet+survivor%27s+handbook

What is a Wellness Coach?

Here is a great explanation of what a wellness coach is and is not.... from "Live Beyond the Mat" by Rebecca Bly:  
If finding someone to work with is on your radar after you read the description, please give me a call...

First let me start by telling you what wellness coaching isn’t…

WELLNESS COACHING IS NOT THERAPY…

Coaching focuses on discovering possibilities and envisioning the future rather than resolving problems and revisiting the past.

WELLNESS COACHING IS NOT PERSONAL TRAINING…

I’m not going to go to the gym with you, make you do push ups in Rock Creek Park, or even prescribe a fitness routine for you.

WELLNESS COACHES ARE NOT DIETITIANS, REGISTERED NURSES, PERSONAL TRAINERS, YOGA TEACHERS, THERAPISTS, NUTRITIONISTS, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF WELLNESS EXPERT…

while they are coaching, but instead call upon their knowledge and experience in their field of expertise as a foundation for coaching others. All Wellness Coaches are already professionally designated in one of the fields above.*

A WELLNESS COACH DOES NOT TELL YOU WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO LIVE YOUR LIFE…

Rather, a wellness coach will assist you in discovering your passions, strengths, dreams, desires, and values with the intention of designing a vision of your best self. A Wellness Coach helps you design a path to achieve outcomes aligned with that vision.

So then, this is what wellness coaching really is…

WELLNESS COACHING IS…

a regular conversation, between a coach and a client, that facilitates movement, discovery, change and growth in the name of the client’s wellness.

A WELLNESS COACH…

encourages personal responsibility, deep thinking, self discover and self efficacy. She assists a client to connect the dots between who they are, who they want to be and takes steps to enable them to succeed.

Can You Wear Skinny Crops?

I am of-a-certain age.  I thought I would never be able to wear skinny jeans or crops, because I have a muscular pear-shaped body type.  Then I discovered Chico's So-Slimming slim crops.  I am in love and have bought 3 pair.  They hold you in in the right places and don't make you look like an ice-cream cone.  With a cute tunic top, they rock!  They come in different colors, too.  Go to:  www.chicos.com   Check these out: