When you’re hungry or tired, do you listen to your body or to your mind first?
Here are a couple of examples so you know what I mean.
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Scenario #1: When to Eat
Your body says: I’m hungry!
Your mind says: You’re going out to dinner in an hour and a half! You know you’re not supposed to eat before dinner!
Your body says: But I ran errands, worked out, and cleaned up the house! I’m not gonna make it over here!
Your mind says: Please just hold out and wait for your Supper.
Who wins?
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Scenario #2: When to Rest.
Your body says: I’m tired!
Your mind says: Tired? We have a plan, remember? You told me you’d walk the dog today!
Your body says: But I’ve walked the dog six days in a row! It’s Sunday, and I want a break!
Your mind says: A break? Are you kidding me? Get that word out of your vocabulary. We’ve gotta go, go, go!
Who wins this one?
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Interesting scenarios huh? So what would you do if I told you I can help you make those negotiations with your mind and body a much easier process?
Yes, you are one in the same with your mind, body and spirit but each one has a different objective. The Body Knowledge System™ can help you. Contact me with your challenge and we can set up a free Healthier You Consultation at your convenience.
Learn how to answer this question for yourself – when I am hungry or tired, I will listen to _________.
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Tags: Life Balance, Mind Body Connection, Reducing Stress
Last week and the week before, I told you about one of my favorite clients, Cathe (not her real name), volunteering to open up and share her progress (and setbacks), her ups and downs, her challenges and triumphs during our coaching calls for a few weeks.
If you missed last week, no worries . . . you should be able to jump in the middle of the story no problem at my blog.
[These events and their outcomes will resonate with you. Perhaps you can identify with them and certainly you’ll learn from them beyond the value Cathe’s received. She learned to love her body and how to showcase her new self- image to create more prosperity in her business through our time together…]
***[This week (#3) Cathe realizes how her body is playing an integral part with her business decisions and continues to use some Body Knowledge System® tools to help her move forward]
Come to the call…
For a risk free peek into my coaching process with Cathe.
SW: So where do you want more clarity today?
Cathe: (happily) I, uh, “we” accepted the offer, and we’re going on the cruise.
SW: So what did you do differently from the last time we spoke?
Cathe: (with confidence) I moved more, and paid attention while moving.
SW: And?
Cathe: It’s not just about moving for motion’s sake…it’s about meaningful motion with intention. My dance, practicing it, not perfecting it, you know?
SW: (with humor) So sit-ups aren’t part of your practice?
Cathe: (laughs) They belong in my fitness program, not in my practice! When my body and I dance our dance, we move meaningfully and then we can hear what each other is saying. We exchange information through graceful, free flowing motions…that’s when I know this system is working.
SW: How did this conflict lead to a better understanding?
Cathe: Well, quite frankly conflict brought me to more understanding of knowing what she wanted for me at the same time what I wanted for myself. I thought about my choices during our practice. It was neat to notice how my mind & body considered our options, the advantages and the disadvantages of going or not going, helping me make our decision.
SW: (curious) Did the answer come quickly?
Cathe: (laughs) No way! My body was pissed at me for neglecting her in the most meaningful way…not consulting with her when the issue first came up. Instead, I excluded her.
SW: (verifying) By keeping it to yourself, in your head?
Cathe: My mind focused on what I knew to do: to eat less and move more. She sure fooled me, didn’t she?
SW: She did a great job of getting your attention by making you feel uncomfortable in your clothes.
Cathe: (knowingly) Communicating in the only way she knew how, now that we had lost touch with each other. Separating myself from her, being unaware of her, and not bothering to listen to her input came from my head… not her heart.
SW: (smiling) Her heart is your heart. Your head is her head.
Cathe: Next week, I want to explore how to gain more confidence with my cruise presentation.
Message: Your body always supports your best interests. Your body ALWAYS tells the truth.
Learn to listen to your body, befriend your body, benefits both of you!
You can experience the same thing by joining this teleclass…for a risk-free peek into my coaching process.
January 29, 2013 at 3pm Eastern – Learn that the “E” Word (Exercise) is Easy and Fun
- Learn how to naturally incorporate exercise into your pre-existing lifestyle.
****Coming in March: Magic Recipes for your Business Passion and Inner Health****
Look for next week’s transcript with Cathe to read about her progress in our coaching calls.
Why not come to the teleclass this month or contact me directly today for a no-cost Healthier You session.
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Tags: Body Image, Body Relationship, Career Transition, Dancing, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection
Here is a sample of more conversations I have been having with those who are experiencing the Healthy Lifestyle Resource Kit
Q. What’s the difference between my “body brain” and my “brain brain”?
A. When my client referred to her “body brain” on the audio, she referred to her body’s intelligence— the essence of my system. When we respect our body’s innate intelligence; learn to access and share it; learn to communicate back and forth, we will co-create a body knowledge system that works for you.
-Dana S, Parker Ranch, CO
Q. What do you mean by “separation”, “estrangement” between me and my body? I can’t go anywhere without her…
A. Nor can I, however, I am ALWAYS CONSCIOUS of her presence where ever, whenever we are, and whatever we are doing while we’re doing it. Her support, her friendship, her input creates the life we both love!
-Leslie L, Frisco, TX
Q. When you talk about personal Styles, do you mean behavior?
A. Yes, and choices, activities, decisions you make based on so many factors genetically and environmentally influenced. Some of us are RE-ACTORS who try the latest fad diet, exercise craze, shoe style foisted upon us by the media. Others are PRO-ACTORS, the pioneers, the seekers who keep trying any and everything until they find something that works—for a while. The Styles express your natural selection, intrinsic solutions, in other words, WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!
-Mildred Q, Philadelphia, PA
My system teaches you how to identify your style in every area of your life, and then how to incorporate it into your life. One Style does NOT FIT ALL, and may not apply to every area in your life…find out which style fits each activity with Your Body Knowledge System.
Go here and get it now!
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Tags: Body Relationship, Eating Healthy, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection
Your Personal “Fun Factor” always guarantees a great time!
Regardless of your role at the event, put the JOY back into en-joy-ment!
FACT: You will be relaxed, happy, and enjoy any event as soon as you discover your Style and apply it to your role at the event. Ask your body, ‘Are we having fun, yet?’ Your answer depends on your personal comfort zone…beyond the physical; your comfort zone includes your emotional, spiritual and psychological state, as well.
Your body never lies. When you listen to her answer, you learn what you feel like in your comfort zone anytime, anywhere, with anyone. My clients check in with their BFFs, their bodies on a regular basis by asking that most important question: “Are we having fun, yet?”
Events & You
As an invited guest:
- Wear comfortable clothes, shoes, and a smile.
- Just before entering the event, dance your practice, practice your dance
- Control your consumption of food and alcohol
- Keep your foot far from your mouth
- HAVE A GREAT TIME meeting new people and catching up with familiar friends and family
As the hostess:
- Wear comfortable clothes, shoes, and welcoming smile.
- Dance Your Practice and Practice your Dance.
- This is YOUR party so do it YOUR way!
- Decorations, Food, Drinks, and Favors are simply a conversation away—with YOUR BODY.
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There is Magic in Motion:
- You and your body circulate to create associations among your guests;
- Spread your positive energy around;
- Steer potential friends toward each other, potential enemies away from each other; and
- Set the fun example, by having a GREAT TIME at your own party!
As the honored guest:
- If you’re the bride, take off your Jimmy Chou’s after the ceremony and replace them with bunny slippers!
- If the attention on you creates discomfort, help the hostess with her social obligations. Helping always contributes to increasing your fun factor!
- If you LOVE being the FOCUS of everyone’s attention, DO NOT DISAPPOINT! Talk to your body and ENTERTAIN THE TROOPS with song, dance, speeches, and pictures of your last vacation! (I’m kidding about the pictures)
P.S. When you “Dance your practice, practice your dance!” the whole world dances with you!
Do this to increase EVERYONE’S FUN FACTOR!
If you would like to have a conversation with me, please contact me, or if you would like to be in a free group tele-class, learn more here.
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Tags: Body Image, Body Relationship, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection
When you apply the Body Knowledge System®, you and your body will host a very successful event with confidence, because you are doing it your way! When you obligated yourself to provide the celebration, you owe it to yourself to celebrate with your guests. When you have a great time, a glorious time; your guests will share in your spirit, especially the affection everyone has for the HONORED GUEST.
- Become the generous hostess who provides all your guests people with all of the food, frolic and fun but please yourself and your body first—
- Work WITH your body when making decisions as to the Who-What-Where-When-How of the event. What makes her feel good, makes you feel good, too. Fun for you, means fun for your guests!
- You are NOT responsible for anyone’s expectations, only your actions
No Early Bird Specials, Chez Stephanie!
I truly enjoy entertaining guests in my home. Rhythm (my body) and I take great delight giving dinner parties, because we schedule “Me Time” to take care of ourselves first. After spending the morning giving to myself first, by the time the first guest arrives, Rhythm and I welcome them into our home in eager anticipation of giving to others.
PS: Why stop the celebration when the door closes behind the last guest?
Dance Your Practice and Practice Your Dance to keep the spirit going, and the spirits flowing.
If you would like to have a conversation with me, please contact me, or if you would like to be in a free group tele-class, learn more here.
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Tags: Body Relationship, Dancing, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection
TIME IS STRUCTURE:
Years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. We spend our waking hours filling in our calendars, Day Runners, Outlook scheduler with appointments, calls, letters, email, errands, meetings, and other obligations. Time is the great equalizer among men and women; every one of us has the same number of minutes in a twenty-four hour period, 168 hours a week. How we choose to fill those spaces determines who we are, what our priorities are, and expresses our commitment to what we want in our future.
This oh- so- serious – subject deserves a little lightening up!
Enter The Body Knowledge System® a sustainable solution to our health and well being:
DANCE YOUR DAY AWAY!
The elements of dancing lend themselves to everyone’s schedule as soon as we become aware of how to apply them to our activities. It’s your time, it’s your body, and it will become your dance. Take any activity, professional or personal, and apply the metaphor of motion to enhance the experience, improve your production, and enjoy the process! Rather than suffering through your responsibilities, professional obligations, personal tasks; dancing through your day brings benefit beyond your body’s wellbeing and health. The magic of movement increases your breathing
that aerates your brain, making your more alert and smarter. Free form motion lifts you emotionally and spiritually as well. As you move to your own music, you strengthen your body with your personal grace. All of these elements increase your confidence, empower your work and play, and your body awareness becomes body AWE!
CHOREOGRAPHY
Planning, coordinating, and learning apply to every performance whether on the stage or at your desk, in your home or on the field, at work or at play. When you check your calendar, you notice the restrictions, the limits of each period. Like chains wrapped around your body, stifling your creativity, the tick-tock of time confines your body and your mind to the allotted space—at the same time, it cramps your mind and stuffs your spirit.
After imagining your dance, the next element of choreography is warming up the muscles prior to motion. Whether you’re studying for a test, preparing to write a business email, planning a menu, researching a report, the first step is preparation. As a dancer stretches and breathes consciously for release and relaxation, a working person prepares for the assigned task that is part of their job description.
Theatrical wisdom reinforces the importance of practice and preparation prior to performance. Regardless if your scheduled hour or day contains professional obligations or personal play, you’ll enjoy filling those minutes once you’ve warmed up in anticipation of the quality of your performance.
Warm up on the dance floor is physical and motivated by your body. Warm up for each activity during your day to create more productivity during the time you are filling with action. The prep benefits your body, oxygenates your mind, and inspires your spirit.
Try this tomorrow: When you awaken, stretch your muscles beginning with your toes and work your way up to the top of your head. Once out of bed, extend your fingertips over your head, out to your sides, and gently down to the floor in front of you. Scrunch your shoulders as you inhale deeply, and then relax your shoulders as you exhale.
Feel the music?
Hear your body purring in appreciation?
Move your happy feet and get on with your day!
Relish in Today & Take On Tomorrow
PERFORMANCE
Looking at your watch, checking your Day timer, you smile in anticipation of your next activity. Warming up before taking the first step in your dance for that hour will ease the transition between tasks, between mental efforts, between people. If your work requires face to face relationships, either intense or casual, your warm up allows others to interrupt (cut in), change partners, or simply “Exit Stage Left” without causing undue hardship to your or your schedule.
Maintaining the image of your dance throughout your day, allows you to go with the flow. Whether today’s dance is a solo performance, a partnership, a line dance, ballet or a folk dance, your grace, strength, and overall wellbeing brings your best performance to the stage. Depending the dance you select to perform during the period, your movement has the most positive effect on your partners, group, and the audience.
Even though the alarm goes off to signal the end of one activity and beginning of another, your finale awaits you not the impersonal, objective hands of a machine indicating the top of an hour. You may shift from a waltz to a jitterbug, from a tango to hip hop, from flamenco to the electric slide between hours, days, or even minutes, depending on your task, your approach, your feelings about the action and your best approach in the moment.
Try this tomorrow: After appropriate warm-up, perform your activity with your music in mind. Sway in your desk chair, tap your toes beneath your desk, slide across your kitchen, skip to and through the open doors, tippy-toe up the stairs, step up, swing and sway at every opportunity.
Life is a Spontaneous Smash Dance—or it should be!
APPLAUSE! APPLAUSE!
Dancing through your activity broadens your perspective, bringing inspiration and awareness to improve your performance. Before the phone rings summoning you to a meeting, before you put your keys in the ignition to drive home, after the last forkful of the evening meal, always remember to TAKE A BOW! Take several bows, you’ve earned the appreciation of your body, your mind, your spirit—and your audience.
Listening to the admiration from inside and outside you, as you cool down and ease into the next hour, the next activity, this is not the finale. Your dance continues into the next warm up, inspired performance and appreciative cool down before the next time period, the next activity.
Try this tomorrow: Before the final curtain, before you close your eyes to sleep, reflect on those spaces in your day filled with action PLUS motion when you dance through the time doing your work. Are you smiling at the recent memory? Of course you are! You’ve sprinkled sparkle on your schedule, you’ve lightened your load, you’ve created anticipation for the next page of your Day timer—and the dance you will do as you fill the hours with accomplishments
Warm up, perform, and cool down.
Take your bows, relish in today and take on tomorrow!
Dancing through your day becomes a habit, a custom, a daily practice.
“Practice Your Dance! Dance Your Practice!”
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Tags: Dancing, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection, movement
“Work” when applied to the Body Knowledge System always refers to your profession, and not your body. For some of us, work implies unpleasant effort, required responsibility, and dull routine; for others, work is a wonderful word meaning fulfillment, passion, and satisfaction.
Whether you love what you do professionally, or you do it to be free to pursue your passion, when members of the BodyAwe community refer to work—it never, ever,
applies to our bodies, or to exercise.
Body Knowledge System applies to what we do professionally, because BKS is integral to everything we do in our lives. Every moment we live and breathe can be enhanced when we apply the Body Knowledge System. Our work becomes our play when we are doing what
we love, and our body always reveals our life’s work—especially when we are actively engaged in doing it.
Are you doing the work you love? If not, why? I would like to know.
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Tags: Career Transition, Life Balance, Uncategorized, Work Life Balance
How will you know?
Ask your body.
She always tells the truth.
A mini-test to determine whether your position is your passion:
Stand up in the center of your room, your space. Take a deep breath—all the way to the bottom of your abdomen, then purse your lips and exhale slowly in an “O” until every molecule of air leaves your body.
1) Think of your job, work, profession.
2) Move with the thought.
3) Observe your movement, your dance.
Write down your impressions and how your body felt, preferably in your Body Knowledge Journal.
Place the date on the page, because you’ll want to refer back to your impressions later in your practice of the Body Knowledge System.
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Tags: Career Transition, Life Balance, Mind Body Connection, Uncategorized, Work Life Balance
