New Season • New You (Health Program)

*Sigh...  Summer has come to an end and it's time to face reality once again. I know how busy people get during the summer months. Trying to cram 3 get togethers into every Saturday and Sunday during the Summer. There's little or no time to think about your healthy lifestyle or exercise. Although we are outdoors more often, the multiple potato salads outweigh the effort we put in.

That's why I thought a 3 Month Fall Program would do the trick to get you back into shape. Whether you didn't achieve your Summer health goals, looking to lose some baby weight and want guidance getting there or you just want to shape up for the winter parties coming up... this program has something for everyone! The Fall Program is infused with positivity. I'm ready to help you achieve those goals you've been humming and hawwing about. There's no better time than now! (cliche but true).

This program can be done in person or via skype (free yoga class not included in skype package). The  program keeps you accountable for your health and the once a week sessions keep you on track to success.

The initial health consultation is complimentary as it's a time for us to go over your health history, current health and all the goals you have planned for yourself. This is also a great time for us to see if we work well together.

Email or message me today to book your initial health consultation.

-Michelle

Certified Holistic Health Coach

Think Arete - If You Weren't Afraid

Happy Friday! I wanted to share something that floated into my inbox this morning. I thought it would be a great way for everyone to start their weekends. Maybe even a few of you won't return to that 9-5 job that doesn't agree with your soul on Monday morning ;)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and don't forget to pursue your happiness and LOVE your life and everyone in it!

            

thinkAreté.theManifesto  |  by Brian Johnson

What would you do if you weren't afraid? 

OK...
 So...uh...what exactly are you waiting for?
 This isn't a dress rehearsal...
 Wake up!
 Here's the deal: What we can be, we MUST be.
 Period.
 There's no getting around that one.
 So, turn off your TV. Put down your drink. Get off the medication.
 Quit numbing yourself. The pain's not going away.
 Not until you Think Areté.
 Think Areté?
 Yep.
 Gandhi got it. Einstein got it. Mother Theresa got it.
 Tiger gets it. Gates gets it. Oprah gets it.
 The Greeks got it.
 Get this: Guys like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle said that if you want happiness you better live with Areté--a word that literally means virtue or excellence but has a deeper meaning...something closer to “constantly striving to reach your highest potential.”
 Areté.
 How beautiful is that? It was one of the highest ideals of Greek culture.
 It should be one of ours.
 Tragically, it's not.
 We seem to be more interested in resumes, accolades and 401k's.
 Speaking of retirement...
 Who came up with that? Work our asses off doing something we're not passionate about so we can accumulate enough money to pay the bills from our stress-caused illnesses while we bitch about what we should have done when we were still young.
 Hmmm...can't quite figure that one out. Seems like it makes a bit more sense to go ahead and dare to live now...
 Why not Think Areté?
 Live to your highest potential--moment to moment to moment.
 Not in the mood?
 Fine. Then live with regret, anxiety, and disillusionment.
 Your call.
 Think about it. When do we feel most alive?
 Exactly. When we're being ourselves--our highest selves.
 You want happiness?
 Think Areté.
 Dream. Grow. Stretch yourself.
 Rip off the tie. Jump out of the cubicle.
 Dream. Think. Dare to be crazy.
 What are you waiting for?
 Think Areté.
 Live. Love. Smile. Hug. Laugh. Dream. Do. Create.
 Have fun. Be intense. Be audacious. Be unreasonable. Act impeccably. Breathe.
 Be you. Be different. Get paid to do what you love. Dance in your underwear on your way to work...
 Why not?
 Ditch the tie. Escape the cube. Leave the 8-5. Trash the resume.
 Ignore the critics. And the cynics. Burn the corporate ladders. Laugh at the ceilings.
 Quit the bitching. Open your mind. End the laziness. Overcome the fear. Transcend the conditioning...
 Why not?
 Move the world.
 Change the world.
 Push the human race forward.
 Whatever you call it, go out and do it.
 When?
 Now.
 Not when you have enough money or once you do this or do that. That's nonsense.
 It's not gonna be easy, but go out and live your dream. Now.
 You deserve it.
 And, if that doesn't move you: The world deserves it.
 Think Areté.

-Michelle
Certified Holistic Health Coach

Graphic Source: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/272467846179116604/

Opportunity to Guest Blog for LiveLoudly

I have an opportunity for my fellow bloggers to guest post on my blog from November 23 - December 1st. I'll be in Cuba during this time.

• I have 3 openings available.
• The guest blog post must be health and wellness related.
• It must include at least one high quality image.

If you are interested in one of the spots, please feel free to contact me and we can discuss your idea for a post.

-Michelle

Things That Really Matter

Yesterday I came across a post from Jess Lively and wanted to share it with you all. I had seen this story a couple years ago but had completly forgot about it.

It's a great reminder to appreciate what truly matters in life. Family, friends and happiness should never be second best.

Appreciate the Small Things in Life That May Mean the Most

Golf Balls, Sand, Coffee and a Mayo Jar

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES”.

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.” he said.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you…” he told them.

“So… pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family. Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled and said, “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

Don't forget to tell the most important people in your life that you love them and that they are everything to you!

-Michelle

My Life Update : What Is A Health Coach?

I'm taking steps towards my goal - dreams - purpose in life right now!

September Favourites (so far) : Sunsets, Tea and Smoothies



September is going to be the start of some really exciting things in my life. School officially started yesterday and I was an eager beaver and jumped right into studying. I'm attending the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York to become a health coach. I can officially start practicing in February. It's really interesting to meet a wide variety of people from across the world that are enrolled into the program. I love that the common interest is to create healthier lives for everyone in the world.

So what is a health coach you ask?
A health coach guides you to better overall health. Food is not the only thing that determines how healthy you are. It comes from a balanced combination of healthy relationships, fulfilling career, staying active (getting exercise) and spirituality. A health coach helps you recognize where you can improve in your life to find that overall happiness and health. Once recognized, set out and determine how to improve your health, setting goals and creating plans.

We've probably all been there at once when you can eat all the veggies you want but the scale doesn't move. Think back... were you happy at work? were you constantly arguing with others? was there no love in your heart for others? Sitting down a majority of the day? All these factors can bring down your overall health.

When your overall health is down for large periods of time, it leads to disease.

Preventable diseases is one of the reasons I wanted to become a Health Coach. It upset me to see the people around me year after year be diagnosed with diseases. Or hearing about peoples family members being diagnosed with a disease way to early in their life.

A few simple (sometimes challenging) life changes and you can prevent so much turmoil from entering your life and the ones you love.


Would you ever consider seeing a health coach?

-Michelle

8 Healthy Ways to Start Your Day

Are you morning person or are dragging your butt to get going?



Sun Salutation - via

 Me - I'm a huge morning! I love rising early before everyone else gets out of bed. I love the calmness of the morning and being able to hear all the sounds of nature outside. There is nothing like a crisp cold morning and watching the sunrise to revitalise you.

I find that how you begin your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Setting your morning off with a healthy routine leaves you wanting to live the rest of your day on healthy tone. I know that too often we can get caught up in the hustle and rush of the morning which leaves us feeling disconnected and lost. Making time for yourself in the morning is one of the keys to great health. It doesn't have to be complicated but adding some small steps and easy healthy habits can change your wellbeing. I've listed a few of my favourite habits that I do on a daily basis or a couple times of week. My best advice is to listen and observe what makes you feel the happiest. That is the goal when starting off the day: to bring happiness and love to yourself so you can share it with the world.

8 Healthy Ways to Start Your Day:

1. Warm Water with Lemon : this combination helps to get your digestive system going and also to jump start your metabolism. I also recommend drinking lemon water with filtered water through the day. It's great for your body and actually helps with weight loss.
2. Meditation: If this is new too you, I have one word for you: Patience. There is no right or wrong way to meditate. I've found the best way for me is to play some Reiki music (you can find it on Youtube), sit on a fluffy pillow so my bottom is raised a bit, cross my legs and place my hands with palms facing up on my knees. Focus on your breathing. Inhale for 6, pause for 2 and exhale for 6, pause for 2 and repeat. Focusing on your breath can create stillness in your thoughts.
3. Choose a mantra, an intention or word (or all 3) for the day: Creating a path for the day lets you have a focus. Having a mantra or word to fall back on when life becomes hectic or stressed always helps your to restart and become calm. For example: my word today is "gentle". Whenever I catch myself rushing around or speaking harshly I utter the word in my head 3 times and I instantly feel at peace.
4. Sun Salutation or Yoga: I love Yoga in the morning. It's a great way to gently exercise your body and mind. The sun salutation is my favourite practice. It feels very natural when you are performing the routine. The image above is a cute chart on Sun Salutation and here's a video I often refer too if needing a little guidance. If you are just beginning here is a more instructional video.
5. Be Still: If yoga and meditation is just not your vibe right now then the next best thing is just to be still and present. Grab a tea or coffee and sit still with no distractions. Reflect on the day ahead with a soft and positive outlook. Just breathe. Let there be relaxation and calmness.
6. Exercise: builds energy for the day. It can be any form of exercise. A small walk around the block, a run or anything that gets your body moving. This sends signals to your mind and body that it's time wake up and gets your brain sparking and metabolism going. Exercise in the morning actually has a great effect on what your eat for the rest of the day. When you go to reach for that unhealthy snack you will take a second and think if it's worth wasting the time you spent exercising in the morning.
7. Journal: The morning is a great time to write and get all your thoughts out of your head. Once they are all on paper it's easier to organize your thoughts, realize patterns or find new ideas through your notes.
8. A Healthy Breakfast: it's the most important meal of the day. This meal should be full of protein and provide energy. Fruit in the morning helps activate your brain. Breakfast is also a great way to jump start your metabolism. Make sure that breakfast leaves you feeling comfortably full so you don't run out of energy before lunch.

What are some of your healthy morning habits? What is your morning routine?

-Michelle

Motivation for a Sleepy Monday

Yaaaaaaaawn! okay... enough of that. It's time to hit the street running and get energized for another week of so many possibilities and opportunities.

Here's some Motivation & Inspiration to get your week started!

In this world - there is NO ONE else LIKE YOU! You are one of a kind.

img via

No one talks like you
No one smells like you
No one listens like you
No one thinks like you
No one believes the same things as you
No one has the exact opinion as you
No one sees the world like you
No one remembers what you remember
No one loves the same way as you
No one can be you

Don't try to be someone else or act like someone else. You are beautiful and brilliant in your own way. No one can be like you.


Be The Best Version of YOU





-Michelle