Tag: lifestyle

Healthy Swellness: Living In-Sync

Running in Greece

You know when you’re in a good groove and everything is coming together nicely in life and you’re getting things done? That’s all the time, right? Ah, if only it were that simple.

When you #LiveInSync and have your life in alignment, that’s when you can push yourself to reach for…well, greatness. Now, I know that sounds dramatic, but by greatness I mean trying to achieve your full potential, and that’s always changing as you grow as a person. It may mean completing a race you’ve always wanted to do or going for that lofty promotion, for example, or taking the plunge and moving to that city you’ve been dreaming of. Reaching for greatness means striving for those goals that can sometimes seem so daunting you don’t even share them with anyone, or goals you’re afraid you can’t accomplish…but living in-sync is what can help get you there.

Living in-sync is a constant juggling act because there’s an endless number of things being thrown your way that force you to readjust. Lately, for me, having to travel regularly has been forcing me to recalculate my route. It throws my schedule off, and this can make life very chaotic. Two months ago, it was back pain I had to contend with. A while before that, a strained friendship. Life is always throwing things at you, and how well you manage these challenges is determined by the degree to which you’re in tune with yourself.

I’m always working to be as in-sync as I can be, because the payoffthat feeling of being at one with myself and capable of reaching my goalsis worth it.

How do I #LiveInSync? To start, I exercise regularly (and to commit to that, I put it into my calendar and register for events so I commit to training). Without exercise, I feel sluggish and not as sharp. I can’t say I love working out (it’s usually more of a love/hate type of relationship with most sports). But I recognize we are nothing without our health. I’m grateful to have never had any serious health issues, but with friends and loved ones who’ve been affected by health concerns and disease, you realize being healthy is everything.

With fitness, there’s also the reward of seeing what I’m capable of accomplishing; I’m the girl who could barely run one-minute intervals not that long ago, and have now completed nine marathons (and, in one case, was less than two minutes away from qualifying for Boston). That type of accomplishment can make you feel like you’re capable of anything and that confidence affects how you approach life. For example, I may not have swum any sort of distance since I was little, nor do I bike other than for leisure, but I recently decided to do a tri. Consider, too, it’s not long ago that I never would’ve even considered driving in a city I do not know, but I did that for a week this spring. I believe my accomplishments in running have helped me be more fearless with these other pursuits.

Being in-sync involves more than just fitness, of course. Following a healthy diet fuels you to be your best. And so I put effort into making sure I get more veggies in my meals (that’s where I can falter) and while I will indulge in dessert or a cocktail, it’s definitely as an occasional treat (it’s all about that 80/20 rule; that ratio works). Except for maybe when it comes to French fries. Those are my weakness and I can’t stop eating them. We all have our vices!

sunset in Sayulita

Being in-sync calls for getting enough rest, too. Getting enough sleep helps me function better for work and play. Besides rest, though, decompressing mentally helps keep me clearheaded. And although I don’t meditate or practice yoga regularly, I need quiet time to just be with my thoughts, so I fit it into my daily life in my own way. Often it has to be when I’m running (it can be hard to find a window of free time otherwise), or I use the time I spend walking around the city to work things through in my head. When I’m traveling, and there’s the chance to enjoy a great sunset or sunrise view, I do what I can to schedule my day around dusk or dawn so I can use that quiet half hour or so to just be.

I think of life as an intricate net. And when you live in-sync, that net is flexible and resilient — it’s nurtured and strengthened by the things you do to help you stay on track. So when something is thrown into it, your net handles it with ease. When not in-sync, it’s as though that net is being pulled and stressed in many directions; the cords are taut, straining and weakening, in danger of snapping. So, to be your best self, you need to maintain that net regularly. Sync it up, ladies!

(Now, who else has an N*SYNC song stuck in their heads??)

Being InSync is that special state when body and mind are aligned, we are in touch with our core, and we are driven from within to achieve our full potential. The positivity that radiates from being InSync will benefit all aspects of a person’s life — at work, in personal relationships and in the all-important relationship with oneself. Activia is an expertly designed yogurt with exclusive B.L. Regularis, carefully selected ingredients and a refined texture. Activia, #LiveInSync.

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This post was brought to you by Activia From Danone via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed here are those of the influencer and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Activia from Danone.

1 Comment September 6, 2016

Healthy Swellness: 2016 Green Living Show

Ste Annes life

Last weekend, I escaped to Ste.  Anne’s Spa in Grafton, Ont., as I was invited there to learn more about the 2016 Green Living Show, which takes place this weekend, April 15 to 17th in Toronto.

It was my very first time to Ste. Anne’s, which will be exhibiting at the Show. Over two days at Ste. Anne’s:

I ate gluten-free meals and did a few quick cooking lessons at the bakery.

eggplant lasagna

I took part in a yoga nidra class (which is also referred to as sleeping yoga). It’s more like a meditation class, which I’d hoped would be relaxing but I think I was so exhausted due to jet lag that lying in class, I just felt woozy and disoriented. Thankfully, the session was only 15 minutes.

I had my very first meeting with a homeopath, Julie Henry, who is working now at finding the right treatment for me.

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I indulged at the spa where they use the signature Ste. Anne’s spa natural line of products, Skin Nourishment (where many of the essences in the products are grown right on the property). Besides a Chakra Awareness Massage (not my first choice, but it was interesting nonetheless; I was naturally drawn to pick the Crown Chakra, which makes sense as that brings up your energy to its highest point–and I was feeling quite drained at the time). I also had a chance to try one of their mineral masks, which left my skin feeling much rejuvenated and hydrated. Ste. Anne’s will be at the Green Living Show so be sure to stop by their booth

And, of course, I got to learn much about the  Green Living Show from Green Living Enterprise’s President and CEO, Laurie Simmonds, and I found out the Show’s got a ton to offer everyone (it’s not just for super tree-hugger types, in case you were wondering). Check out 5 must-sees at the Green Living Show in my article over on AmongMen.

I’ll be popping into the Green Living Show this weekend…and while I’m too squeamish to try the protein powder I talk about in my AmongMen article, I hope to check out some of the fitness demos, and more.

Oh, and btw, if you plan to go to the Show, be sure to bring any e-waste (ie. anything that plugs in that you’ve been letting collect dust at home before throwing in the garbage or donating to a cause), and if you’re a Toronto resident, you’ll get the power bar pictured below (valued at $100 retail). (Non-Toronto residents, you’re not left out! You receive one worth $40 retail).

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Leave a Comment April 11, 2016

Reinvent yourself

I hate to use the term “think outside of the box” (it gives me the heebie-jeebies), but a blog post written by Stephanie Klein that I read months ago really got me thinking out of the box when it comes to me.  
 
What she wrote comes to mind when it comes to the clothing I apparently always gravitate toward (“Oh, that’s so Karen” says my sister whenever I show her a new purchase) or when I’m being forced to do something I’d much rather not (say, dealing with computer tech support, for example, because anything IT-related simply is not my forte) and I truly just wish G. would handle it because it should be considered one of his responsibilities.

Anyhow, I keep returning to reread Klein’s post every so often when I need a little nudge, and I thought it was worth sharing. (It does take awhile to get to the good stuff, but be patient and read it through).

 

 P.S. On another note, country style is back in a big way, according to Canadian House & Home, and I’m totally crushing on these rustic boxes (above) from The Broken House.

Leave a Comment February 5, 2010


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