Fall is Here and Time for Transformation

Fall is a wonderful time of year. The leaves change from green to gold to burnt red and auburn shades - similar to the quadrants of a well-composed piece of music. But unlike the end of a song, life continues on and on, akin to a gradient circle of color. Fall is the time between the extremely heated and passionate summer and the frigid, icy, colorless winter. Just like its cousin, Spring, Fall is a time of transition. Cool mornings give way to warm afternoons, followed by chilly evening breezes. The clouds at sunset hang lower in the sky as the earth bends to reposition itself against the sun.  This is the time of year to embrace change. We change our clothes in the closet, we adapt to the receding sunlight and shortening of the days. We exchange our sandals and sunhats for closed shoes and berets. We begin to crave a bowl of hot soup and a good glass of red wine. We pursue indoor activities more and more.  Fall is the perfect time to plan for the reawakening colors and excitement of Spring. So during the next few months, while you are enjoying the changing colors of the leaves and sky, think about change. Change in terms of better health, less anxiety and stress, a new career, a better relationship with your friends, co-workers and loved ones…whatever it is that you can change in your life to make it better -try to make it happen. Practice those changes in baby steps over the next several months. By the time the warmer weather returns, you might be very surprised how just small adaptations and changes can make such huge differences in your life and the lives of everyone else around you.  Fall is also the time when many are fooled by the Indian summer-like afternoons and forget to take along a sweater, scarf or jacket when they leave home in the morning. This is the beginning of cold and flu season.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Take care of yourselves and take the time to remember various layers of clothing. Keep the back of your neck and throat covered; protected from the winds. The wind, in Traditional Chinese Medicine is considered to be the cause of 1,000 evils (diseases). And I couldn’t possibly sign off without advising you to schedule an appointment with me for a ‘fall tune-up’ to ensure you can romp and play thru all those great piles of leaves in good health!

Let Go Of Poor Habits

All of us love to hold onto something that makes our lives difficult...whether it is a conscious or subconscious choice.  It could be that last mile you think you cannot finish, that 2nd roll you just don't think you live without, or those silly communications gadgets you can't seem to turn off.  This week, challenge yourselves to look inside and find just one habit you stubbornly hold onto and let it go.  Transform the thought of "I can't" to "I sure can!"  We are now in the month of Leo, the only astrological sign that is ruled by the Sun.  The energy of this month is monumental and powerful.  Anyone you know who is a Leo is a natural born leader and their presence is felt before they enter a room.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Harness the Sun's energy and be Leonine in character!  Transform the negatives into positives.  Be steadfast and persevere on your journey to well being.  If you just don't think you can do it on your own, contact my office and together, we will compose a wellness program that will fit your lifestyle and help you shake off those poor habits and develop new, healthy and fun choices for life!

Transformation & Reinvention in the Face of Adversity

Last night, I was training with a friend of mine who was also a full contact Muay Thai kickboxing champion.We went our usual 10 rounds, 3 minutes each (which can seem like an eternity sometimes).  Both of us aren't spring chickens and not without our histories of various injuries.  That being said, we modify how we use our elbows, knees, fists and legs so that whatever piece of us is permanently damaged is not reinjured.  We continue to have fun, get an incredible workout, while ferociously executing strikes with tremendous control.  My partner is quite fast and much taller - hence, her length and reach are something to avoid.  I am much shorter, but more solid; my strikes harder.  We work together as training partners; switching our stances from left to right.  We could really hurt oneanother but that's not the point of training.  Occassionally, she 'gets one in' on me if I don't block or keep my gloves up to my face.  I laugh when this happens - always have when hit hard.  It scares the pants off an opponent to know a hit doesn't scare or hurt you.  You adapt; you transform pain into laughter and you reinvent your injury into an asset by surprising your opponent with a different operandum.
This attitude transcends into everyday life.  Sometimes you get hit with events that upset your applecart - layoffs, rejections, dissolution of relationships - it's all the same.  Taking the experience, looking at it in the eye and using it to your advantage is transformation and reinvention.  Change is good; it shakes us up and motivates us to do something meaningful with our lives.  The job was most likely a dead end or boring, the rejection meant that the situation wasn't right to begin with and the dissolution of one relationship brings the opportunity to have a great relationship with someone else.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  A fighter who doesn't adapt in the ring gets knocked out.  A smart fighter assesses the situation and adapts and modifies every second in the round.  Be a champion...transform, reinvent yourself in the face of adversity and remember...when you get hit, laugh - and laugh loud and hard at Life.  In the end, YOU get LIFE - LIFE doesn't get YOU!
No blog until next Tuesday...I'm goin' fishin' for the holiday!  Enjoy your 4th of July!