Author: joanfitandfree@msn.com

Posted on

Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season

Another holiday is in full swing. Today I want to offer you some tips to make this a better season for you and your family.


Remember what the holidays are really about. It’s about spending quality time with family, friends and loved ones. It’s about giving love and joy to others. Watch your expectations; make sure they are realistic. We try for perfection during the holidays and we tend to forget what the holidays are really about.


Take care of yourself during this month. We worry so much about setting a nice table; buying and cooking the food; decorating the house; buying the presents; etc., we forget to take a time out and spend some quiet time alone. If we aren’t feeling mentally, physically and emotionally healthy, how we will be able to have a good holiday?


Gratitude- this is the time of year that we should spend more time counting our blessings, remembering what we have instead of worrying about what we don’t. Instead of “Keeping up with the Jones’s,” take a minute to appreciate the abundance of love, health, family, and friends. Teach your kids about abundance. They should know that the most important things in life are the things that make us the happiest: good relationships with family and friends, a partner we can share our life with and a full schedule of social activities that involve lots of smiling and laughing


Be upfront financially- tell family and friends what you can and can’t do early on. If you know this will be a tough financial holiday season, then recommend other options such as: buying for the kids only, a grab bag, the charity option (everyone gives to a charity – whatever they can afford) instead of a gift, play a fun game like Yankee Swap where everyone buys one gift (set a value for it), or learn from our children – homemade gifts!

As much as possible, enjoy all the special moments this month brings, and let go of what doesn’t go so well. In just a few weeks, we will enter another new year full of fresh opportunities to begin again. Try to spend some time this month reflecting on the past year and thinking about what you want to bring into the next year.

Happy Holidays to each of you my friends. I’ll be taking a break from this blog until the new year.

Posted on

Improve your Health with a Dose of Gratitude

I love drinking my morning coffee out of my new mug above. It’s such a great “first thing in the morning” reminder of how I want my day to begin.Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays because it draws people together with such a positive purpose – to be reminded of all of our blessings.

I’ve really tried to make gratitude a priority in my life. Regardless of your daily struggles and heartaches, there is probably plenty you can give thanks for. Did you know that a grateful heart can actually improve your health?

The connection between health and gratitude actually goes back a long ways. Throughout history, philosophers and religious leaders have shown that gratitude is integral to a person’s health and well being. Mental health professionals in the emerging field of positive psychology, are taking a closer look at how gratitude can benefit our health with some positive results.

“Grateful people are those who perceive gratitude as a permanent trait vs. a temporary state of mind. They have an edge over those less grateful when it comes to their health” according to Web MD’s research of gratitude. Gratitude helps to lower stress levels, which have been shown to be connected with cardiovascular disease and cancer. Gratitude provides this benefit by helping people cope better with their stress.

“There are some very interesting studies linking optimism to better immune function,” says Lisa Aspinwall, PhD, a psychology professor at the University of Utah. In one, researchers comparing the immune systems of healthy, first-year law students under stress found that, by midterm, students characterized as optimistic (based on survey responses) maintained higher numbers of blood cells that protect the immune system, compared with their more pessimistic classmates.

These are just some of the health benefits of gratitude. Another interesting find was that it wasn’t material things that provided the greatest life satisfaction. It’s more about your perspective on life. People with very little, as well as those with money, could be found equally grateful. I think this is good news and I believe we need to be thankful right where we’re at today. I recall being very happy in my 20’s and 30’s when money was very tight.

It’s about connection and a positive attitude, even when things don’t look so great.You are your happiest when you decide to be. I wish for you this season to have a grateful heart filled with thanksgiving! Blessings my friends.

Posted on

Home Yoga Practice Videos for your to Try

Today, I’ll sum up the month of October’s Yoga Home Practice discussions by offering you 3 sample classes you can try and see how they work for you. I chose 2 very short practices and a 23 minute class taught by the founder of YogaFaith.
We all come with slightly different world views, and that’s okay. I’m offering a 10 minute beginner secular morning stretch for you to try if you prefer no faith in a class. It’s a nice way to start your day feeling stretched out. Click below.
10 Minute Beginner’s Morning Stretch


Some of you may question practicing yoga as a Christian. If you prefer a faith-based class, I’m offering you two different class options. The first one is a video I found on You-Tube. I’ve done her classes before and it is a nice gentle way to start your day. Click below.
Christian Gentle 12 Minute Yoga Flow


This 3rd option is created by Michelle Thielen, founder of YogaFaith, where I’m working on my 500 Hour level of education. I’ve been 200 hour trained for many years and thought it would be fun to take my yoga up a notch and get trained with a different style that includes faith. Michelle is an amazing, outgoing, loving Christian woman that will make you feel at home right away. Click below.
YogaFaith 23 Minute Beginner’s Workout with Founder Michelle Thielen

If you take the time to try any of these classes, please let me know your thoughts. My goal is to offer you something you can do in the comfort of your own home for free.

I’d love to hear your feedback.

*** Be Still and Know ***

Posted on

More Tips to Start a Home Practice

Today I’ll share ideas on designing your home practice. There are so many props you can use in yoga. I’ll focus on a few items I think everyone should invest in:

  • Yoga Mat – You don’t need a fancy one. I’ve heard that you can get one at TJ Max or Marshall’s for under $10.00. Target and WalMart also sell inexpensive ones This gives you you space to stretch and move on. Just stepping onto your mat signals you’re switching gears and taking time for yourself.
  • Yoga Blocks – Having two yoga blocks can greatly assist you for better alignment in a pose. I have really become convinced in how helpful these little items can be in helping you safely move int a pose so you get more out of it.
  • Yoga Strap – A strap can be an amazing way to help you stretch safely and gently and even go a bit deeper than you might otherwise.
  • Other fun props for your future include: bolsters, blankets, essential oils (I use Young Living), eye pillow, and a wheel. These are things to add down the road but not necessary to start with. You may also enjoy putting some instrumental, praise or yoga music on quietly in the background. I like low lighting or even candles if your goal is stress relief.
  1. Always Start with a Few Minutes of Quiet – Taking a few minutes of quiet to just breathe and notice how you are feeling that particular day may dictate which poses you will do.
  2. Pick a Direction Before you Begin – If you’re feeling exhausted, opt for a very gentle restorative type of practice. If you’re raring to go, do something more energetic like Sun Salutations or a Warrior Series. If you need grounding, do more standing poses and balancing postures.
  3. Start with Poses you Know and Love – Ideally, you would start with four or five poses that feel great, so that you’ll want to do the practice.
  4. Pay Attention when You Take a Class – Then you’ll start to notice poses you want to incorporate to your home practice. Maybe you love the feeling of moving from Down Dog, to Low Lunge, to Down Dog to Pigeon. That may be all you do one day, taking 5 deep breaths in each pose.
  5. Try to Move in All Directions – You want to move your body in ways you do in your real life so it’s good to include a forward bending motion, some side twists, and some balance work on both sides of your body.

Whether you do breath work, some gentle stretches, or a more vigorous practice, I believe you will benefit greatly from taking some time for yourself on a regular practice. I know my own practice has greatly helped me learn to listen to what’s happening in my body and my mind.

I’ve included a 10-minute home yoga practice you might like to try. Jason Crandall, noted yoga teacher, shared this sequence in an article with Yoga International. You can google the poses to see what they look like if you’re unsure from the description below.

Supta padangusthasana I (reclining big toe pose 1) – Lie on your back. Hook a belt around your right foot and raise your foot up toward the ceiling, drawing the shoulder blades onto your back. Hold for 5 breaths and switch legs.

Supta padangusthasana II (reclining big toe pose II) – Repeat reclining big toe pose on the right leg. This time, as you exhale, open the leg out to the side. Hold or 5 breaths, and then switch to the left leg.

Adho mukka sukhasana (seated forward fold pose) – from a seated position, fold at the hips and walk your fingertips forward until your arms are fully extended. After 5 breaths, sit up, change the cross of the legs, and repeat.

Adho mukha svasana (downward facing dog pose) – Press up into downward dog. Keep your knees bent – and your heels lifted. As you exhale, lift your sitting bones, press your thighs back, and stretch your heels toward the floor.

Anjaneyasana (low lunge pose) – From downward dog, step your right foot forward between your hands, drop you left knee to the ground, and bring both hands to your right knee. After 5 breaths, switch legs.

Adho mukha svasana (downward-facing dog pose) – Press up into downward dog once again. Bend your knees slightly, and lift your sitting bones toward the ceiling. Exhale, press your thighs back, and stretch your heels toward the floor.

Eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon prep pose) – Bring your right leg forward into pigeon pose, keeping your left leg extended behind you. Hinging at the hips, rest your forehead on your arms. Hold for a minute, and then switch legs.

Balasana (child’s pose) – Kneel on the floor. With big toes touching, open your knees wide and fold forward at the hips. Rest your forehead on the foor and stretch your arms out in front of you.

Please let me know what you think of this as a way to help you get started.


Once again, if you’re not sure of yourself, feel free to contact me. I offer 1:1 yoga and small group instruction in my home.


For Young Living Essential Oils Information Click Here

Posted on

Tips to Start a Home Yoga Practice

Creating a home yoga practice is easier than you think. This month, I’ll share some ideas on how to get started in simple, practical ways. It is my hope that you will begin to enjoy what even a 10 minute yoga/stretch can add to your life and fitness routine. By the end of the month, I’d love to hear that you are making progress in establishing your own practice. You may also find this very practical as we move into a new season of the year.

One of the biggest myths people have about a home yoga practice is that it needs to look the same as a 45-90 minute instructor-led class. I think this can easily sabotage a person’s good intentions. Short sessions, even 5-10 minutes at the start of your day, can help get you feeling great mentally and physically, and reduce tightness in your body.

Here are some benefits you might consider in establishing a regular home yoga practice:

  • Self-Knowledge – when you practice on your own you can really learn to listen to what your body needs today, and stretch those areas. When you’re quiet and responding to what your body tells you, you can become much more aware of when something is off in your body. Yoga has really taught me to slow down and notice what’s going on in my body.
  • Self-Indulgence – You are in charge of which poses you do, how long you hold them, and how long you choose to practice each time. Maybe you only want to do 2-3 poses because that’s what you need, or maybe you need to do Sun Salutations to wake up your body and get energized.
  • Self-Growth – You will experience greater benefits of yoga, like less pain and tension in your body and mind, less stress response from spending more regular time deep breathing and taking time to be quiet.

At the very beginning of starting a home practice, you will need to decide when and where you will practice. The photo above is my MN home practice area. You can see it is a very small space. When I’m in Florida I have even less space, so I just use a small corner in our master bedroom, which works out just fine. Decide where you could make a space you can have for your yoga practice.

You will need to decide when you will actually carve out some time for this. I like mornings, but an evening practice (if gentle) can be very conducive to a good night’s rest. And maybe commit to just 10-15 minutes 2-3 times per week. Put the day and time block on your calendar or it won’t happen.

To end today’s post, I’ll offer you a seven minute meditation that you may want to start with. Maybe you just sit quietly and focus on your breath moving in and out of your body while you listen. After all, yoga is first pranayama (breath) and then asana (physical poses), so if you just start with the benefits of breath work, you will be ahead of many with their yoga practice.


7 Minute Guided Relaxation Meditation


I love to hear your thoughts. As always, I’m available for your questions.


I offer 1:1 yoga training to help you establish a regular practice, based on what your body needs the most.


What I’ll share throughout October will offer you some tools to familiarize yourself with a beginning yoga practice.


Thought for Today – If not now, when?


*** Be Still My Soul and Find Rest *

Posted on

Empowering Self Talk

How do you speak to yourself on a daily basis? Are you as kind and compassionate to yourself as you are to a good friend? Or do you find yourself saying negative things to yourself?

I have worked 1:1 with clients for over 20 years and I have experienced that women tend to be much harder on themselves than men are. Men tend to have a much healthier view of their good qualities and more compassion towards their flaws. They want help to be healthier, but also recognize what they’re doing right.

Today I want to focus on the importance of self talk if you want to be healthy in body, mind and spirit. It’s important to be careful what you read and allow into your mind. Guard against toxic thoughts and toxic people that drag you down. Focus on a good attitude and a mindset that will enable you to be your best, while accepting that we will always be a work in progress. Progress Not Perfection is a phrase I try to live by.

Fill your thoughts with all that is true, honorable, good and empowering. Let go of negativity that serves no positive purpose. Do what you can with the things you have control over (like your body, mind and spirit) and let go of the things and circumstances you can’t change. We all have to learn to just let go of some of the things around us. You are more in control of your life than you think.
Refuse to worry so much. Most of the things we waste time worrying about never even happen. Embrace faith and hope for a brighter future. Hang around people that inspire you and help you come up higher. Spend less time with people that drag you down. I realize we all have some ‘downer’ people in our lives that we can’t release, like certain family members. But we can choose how much of their negatively we embrace.

I encourage you to come up with some positive affirmations for yourself. Things you are working on bringing into your life, and telling yourself some truths that you may struggle to believe about yourself, but are really true. Here are some I hear from clients and myself that may be helpful for you to embrace. You may want to write some of these onto a recipe card and place it someplace you will see it daily. Some examples you may want to include are:

  • I am strong
  • I am lean
  • I am enough
  • I am healthy
  • I am worthy
  • I am loved
  • I am special
  • I am intelligent
  • I am worth it
  • I make good choices

Get the idea. Saying these affirmations out loud to yourself can help you see yourself in a better way. Before you know it, you may realize it is true. I hope this helps you to be your best self.

Posted on

Keep the Commitments you Make to Yourself

Today I want to talk about honoring commitments you make for yourself.

Commitment can be defined as, “the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause or activity.” Another definition says, “an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action.” For example, a job commitment is the feeling of responsibility that a person feels toward the mission and goals of an organization. When an individual has a job commitment, he or she is more likely to perform tasks and responsibilities that will help an organization achieve a goal.” Most people show up at work every day and do what they said they would do. They want a paycheck so they do the work.

When you make a personal commitment to yourself, do you honor it as highly as if it were for someone else? I think it’s easier sometimes to do what you tell someone else you will do for them, even if it means you will no longer be able to fulfill your commitment to yourself. For example, it’s real easy to say I’m committed to eating better. Then 5:00 comes along, and you forgot to plan, so you just grab something unhealthy quick, and later feel regret. But if you told someone you’d bring a healthy meal to their home, would you have found the time to prep the night before because it was important to follow through for them?

I get that most people feel overwhelmed in life, and self care is truly challenging. But the reality is that you only get one body and one life, and how you take care of it is up to you. Many people take better care of their cars than they do their own body. In spite of our valid excuses and busy lives, we probably give in on promises we make to ourselves much easier than we would to another person.
I encourage you to value yourself enough to follow through on the things that matter to you. If you say you will do something for yourself, get it on your planner. Take the steps necessary to be successful with the things that are important in your life. It’s so easy to put off the steps we need to take to be our healthiest. What do you need to let go of so you can make room for what needs to come into your life? Here are some things you may want to consider making a priority:

  • Get more sleep (7-9 hours per night)
  • Drink 8 glasses of water per day
  • Take a bath at night or read for awhile to relieve stress
  • Wear a pedometer and get 10,000 steps per day (work your way up to this)
  • Eat a salad once a day with lots of veggies in it
  • Minimize packaged foods and fast food restaurants
  • Cook at home so you can eat real food that will give you energy
  • Drink less alcohol, soda, or coffee (what is your vice?)
  • Lift some weights so you retain your physical strength
  • Do yoga or stretching to minimize pain in your body

Are you tired of letting yourself down? Then don’t do it any longer! Pick one thing on this list, or come up with your own priority. Maybe ask a friend to keep you accountable or find a buddy to do it with you.

What should you say no to today, so you can say yes to something better?

Your physical, mental and spiritual health is worth the effort.

Posted on

3 Keys to Your Wellness Success

If you are reading this, your health and well-being are probably already a priority for you, or at least something you are seriously contemplating. Today I will focus on 3 key areas I consider important for your success: healing foods, healing movement, and a healing mindset.

Healing Foods
I think we all would admit that we could eat better. It’s definitely a challenge we need to work on. I just need to be home to cook more often. We tend to eat out socially too much, especially in FL during the winter. I have to really think about what my healthy options are at a restaurant. When eating out, I try to look at the menu ahead of time and decide on something before I get there, and try to skip the bread and desserts.
Meals at home are easy for me because I know how much better I feel when I eat right. Tonight we will grill chicken breasts and serve that with a small serving of brown rice and lots of steamed asparagus. I make quick and easy healthy dishes like this quite often. We don’t eat a lot of grains, but if we did I would cook up a bunch of rice and portion it out for meals and freeze for use in another meal. I’m also going to cook up a family pack of chicken tonight so I have leftovers for the rest of the week.

Healing Movement
Every day you should try for some kind of movement, even if it’s just focusing on getting your 10,000 steps by being intentional throughout the day. Today, I did weight training and no cardio, but have just been moving a lot during the day and I’m almost up to 7000 steps so far. I should be close to my goal by bedtime, but today’s focus was strength, which I try to do 2-3 times per week. Tomorrow I golf and will walk the hilly course for 18 holes. Walking 18 holes can easily get me over 10,000 plus the rest of the day. I try to stretch 10-15 minutes or do yoga several days of the week. I listen to my body and notice where I feel tight and move to stretch those areas, which really helps me stay pain free. Cardio is not my favorite, but I do it 2-5 days per week, sometimes for only 20 minutes on my elliptical. You can see it’s really about being intentional to plan out how you will move each day. If you’re not doing anything right now, start with 10-15 minutes 2-3 times per week until that is a habit, and then move up from that. Let me know if you have questions about that. I’m happy to help.

Healing Mindset
This can easily be an area people neglect but it really matters. I start my day with 5-10 minutes of mindful meditation. I like the Abide and Mindfulness app. If I’m doing a longer meditation, I might combine it with some yin yoga poses that you hold 3-5 minutes. I also try to talk to myself with the same kindness and compassion I’d use with others. I have found that women tend to be their own worst enemies. Try to change that in your life by saying some positive affirmations that you want in your life, like, “I am healthy,” or “I am peaceful”. What you focus on tends to happen.
I really believe that we are spiritual beings and that God wants us to take care of our bodies, minds and spirits. I try to read inspirational things and do some journaling each morning so I start with input that helps me be better and start my day with a positive note.

I encourage you to plan for your wellness the same way you plan for your professional development and your future. I’m here for you and love to hear your comments.

Posted on

The Power of Setting Goals

I’m a HUGE believer in goal setting. I have been setting personal and professional goals for the past 15 years and have probably reached 95% of them. We tend to be much more successful when we set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-sensitive goals. Today I’ll share my recent goals reached, along with sharing a few new ones of mine, to give you an idea.

Recent Goals Reached:

To be able to do a pull up once again. 15 years ago, I could do 10. I was doing a lot more strength training then, and teaching classes when I ran Medtronic’s wellness program. My summer goal was to get back to doing at least 1. A few weeks ago, I did 1-1/2 (yup – I’m counting 1/2 way up) which slightly exceeded my goal. Because I told someone I would do it, I knew I’d work on it faithfully. Pull ups are really hard, so I’m pleased. I will keep on working on building upper back strength and try to add a few, but at least maintain.

My other goal was to get to a 4 Minute Plank. My Ironman son encouraged me to do more than that when I was up to 3-1/2 minutes. And, I did. I made it to a 5 minute plank, which was much more than I thought possible for me. Thanks to Matt I pushed through the psychological limit I had set for myself.

New Goals to Strive For:

Deepen my personal and professional yoga practice and learn more over the next year as I finish my 500 hour YogaFaith training. I finished the textbook portion, and just last week the first half of of the live contact hours. I’ll take a Trauma Sensitive 4 day training next June in TX, and finish my second full immersion next September in WA. It’s intense training, usually lasting for 7-8 days, with each day of training about 14 hours. My new goal, along with finishing the live contact hours, would be to teach trauma sensitive yoga classes for people with PTSD or other lesser traumas they’ve experienced. I’m putting that goal out there. Feel free to ask me next summer how I’m doing.

Continue to teach yoga in Florida to friends and neighbors, along with offering 1:1 yoga sessions for those that want individual help with their particular body concerns in both FL and MN. Let me know if you’re interested in addressing pain and tightness in your body. I’ve personally seen so much relief practicing yoga from old injuries in both my neck and lower back, along with helping others move better. You don’t have to be flexible to start. If you can breathe, you can do yoga. Yoga helps me to keep moving so I can do what I want and it is also amazing for stress relief..

I’d love to hear what your goals are, and if I can assist you in any way. Have a happy, healthy, intentional day. You’re worth it!

Thought for Today – If not now, when?

*** Be Still and Know ***
Posted on

The Art of Slowing Down

It’s summer and it should be a time when we can slow down a bit and enjoy the beauty of nature, family and friends. Most of us live very scheduled, hectic days that rarely allow for times of renewal. How often do you find yourself responding to the question, “How are you doing? with an answer of “Very busy!” It’s become the norm of our lives and it’s hurting our bodies and brains, which is threatening our mental and physical health.

Studies show that stress – the nearly unavoidable side effect of constantly pushing our limits – can lead to a variety of illnesses, from depression and anxiety to gastrointestinal problems and headaches. I remember thinking it was a great skill to be able to multi-task. The latest research shows we’re actually getting less done working this way.

Today, I’m going to suggest you consider a different approach: slow down, focus on people vs. your to-do list, uni-task vs multi-task, and overestimate how long a job will take. Choose one day a week to do very little. Think about how your busyness is affecting your long-term health.

Here are a few tips to help you learn to slow down:

Seize the moment vs. Seize the day:
Why not try easing into your day by setting your alarm 10 minutes earlier so you’re not so rushed first thing in the day. Maybe you stretch your body a few minutes in bed before getting up, or just allow for a slower pace starting your day. I really appreciate some quiet time first thing in the morning, even if I have to get up a bit earlier.

Take a 1 minute anti-stress break as needed:
You can instantly derail the stress response and move into the present moment by simply closing your eyes and taking 5 deep breaths. Try it for yourself and notice how much different you feel in your body from this simple technique.

Change your evaluation system:
Stop measuring your self-worth by your list of accomplishments. Make it less about crossing things off your to-do list, and more about what’s in your heart, how you feel, and how you treat people. At the end of your life, the relationships you build and how you treat people will become your greatest legacy. Life is a journey meant to be enjoyed, not just checked off.

Leave some open space in your calendar:
This was a tough thing for me to do for a very long time. I am a big scheduler and have so many things I enjoy, but I have learned to leave some open spaces in my calendar. Things come up and it is a serious treat when you end up with an afternoon without anything you have to do.
Let me know a few things you do to slow yourself down.
*** Peace Be Still ***

Proudly powered by WordPress
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)