Embodied Awareness: Exploring the Power of Mindful Movement

We know movement and exercise are beneficial for overall health. There is no end to the ways you can move your body, but do you ever feel like you 'should' be running? Or you 'should' be doing more yoga?

When we see children playing at the playground, we are witnessing joy. Movement and joy. They are not thinking that they need to get their daily steps or close a ring on their watch or that they are doing it for their health, but rather the pure enthusiasm that comes from doing what your body is supposed to: MOVE.

Somehow, as adults, we can stray away from this and it's why so many of us can really struggle with finding an exercise practice that we can stick with, and enjoy.

My number one rule for every client that is looking to achieve some kind of fitness routine is to pick something you enjoy.

Hate running? Don't do it. Can't get into the zen zone with yoga, then stop. LOVE crossfit? GO for it! Enjoy long walks? You go Glen Coco!

So how do we bring mindfulness into our movement beyond just choosing something we enjoy? Let's explore!

1. Exercise with Intention: This will always be my number one recommendation. Choose activities that you genuinely enjoy and that align with your goals and values. Whether it's walking, yoga, dancing, or weightlifting, you do you - what brings you joy and fulfillment?

2. Mindful Movement: Approach exercise as an opportunity to connect with your body. Sometimes it can be an opportunity to escape, and that's ok, but we rarely stop to actually pay attention to what our bodies tell us. Be present during your workout, paying attention to the sensations, your breath, and the movement of your muscles.

3. Be Kind to Yourself: Avoid self-judgment or comparison when it comes to exercise, who cares what the person on the bike next to you is doing, or if that woman across the room can touch her toes and you can't? That's not why you showed up.

4. Listen to what your body needs: Not every workout is the same, some days you are going to crush it and feel like a rockstar, and some days, you just feel heavy and slow. Your body is asking for you to give it what it needs, allow some flexibility in your routine to accommodate it.

5. Mindful Rest and Recovery: Allow yourself adequate time for rest and recovery. Listen to your body when it needs a break and honor its need for relaxation and rejuvenation, you can't grow, gain, or get faster without downtime.

6. Mindful Reflection: Take a few moments at the end of the day to reflect on your relationship with exercise. Notice any patterns, emotions, or thoughts that arise. Cultivate awareness and make adjustments as needed.

Embracing mindful movement and cultivating a deep connection between our mind and body can unlock the potential for greater self-awareness, presence, and well-being. It is not about competing with others, or achieving perfection (what is that anyway?) but honoring our bodies and the beauty of where they are in this moment.

Whether it's practicing yoga, engaging in dance, or simply taking a mindful walk in nature, we have the opportunity to fully inhabit our bodies, tune into the present moment, and tap into the wisdom that resides within.

Embracing Mindful Eating: Nourishing Body and Soul

You're busy, I get it. If you're a parent like me, and even if you're not, sometimes feeding yourself can be the last thing on your to-do list or something you fit in while in a meeting or in the car.

Why do I care?

Your nervous system has two states of being; ‘fight or flight’ or ‘rest and digest’. When you are operating in ‘fight or flight’ mode, all your blood and energy is sent to the brain, heart, and muscles so that you can either fight or run away from danger.

In ‘fight or flight’ mode you are NOT in the best state to digest your food. If you eat when your nervous system is thinking it needs to be preparing for combat, you will likely suffer digestive symptoms like heartburn, indigestion, bloating, gas, and either constipation or diarrhea. Because your body is not focusing on digesting food, you also won’t absorb as many nutrients from whatever you are eating, not to mention miss out on the actual enjoyment of your food which is a really important part!

Be honest with yourself - can you take 15 minutes to slow down and actually be present with your food? Is the world going to fall apart in that short period of time? I know this is not always realistic for a hectic morning of meetings or getting the kids ready for school, but most of us have at least one meal or even a snack each day that we can slow down and be more mindful with.

By cultivating mindfulness in our eating habits, we can enhance our overall well-being and create a more harmonious relationship with food.

1. The Art of Slowing Down: Mindful eating starts with slowing down the pace of our meals. Get off your phone, step away from the TV, avoid the dreaded doomscroll while eating. Take a moment to pause before digging in, and observe your food with curiosity. Notice the colors, smells, and textures. By savoring each bite and chewing slowly, we allow ourselves to truly experience the flavors and enjoy the nourishing process.

2. Engaging the Senses: Engage your senses during mealtime. Tune in to the sounds of food preparation, the aroma that fills the room, and the colors that fill your plate. As you take a bite, pay attention to the different tastes and textures and how the food feels in your mouth. Engaging all your senses enhances the pleasure and satisfaction derived from eating and gets your digestive juices for better nutrient absorption and digestion.

3. Listening to Your Body: One of the fundamental principles of mindful eating is learning to listen to our body's cues. By slowing down while eating, you're more likely to notice when hunger arises and when it begins to subside. This allows you to honor your body's needs and maintain a balanced relationship with food.

If you're ready to take it one step further, check out the link below to download a mindfulness activity you can do in just a few minutes with a piece of chocolate or another treat. If you give this a try once, every day, or all week, I'd love to hear how it goes for you. Feel free to drop me an email or shoot me a DM on Instagram.

Chocolate Mindfulness.pdf

Download PDF • 107KB

4 Reasons You Need More than 1,200 Calories

I saw a post this week on the "Eating Well" website that claimed to be about gut health. While it did include lots of nourishing food options, it was extremely restrictive, coming in at around 1200 calories per day. 1200 calories is the average amount of calories most toddlers need to grow and thrive. NOT the amount for a grown woman.

I have had clients come to me who wanted to lose weight and somehow got fixated on this number and started following it. What happened? They initially lost weight, but very quickly plateaued, felt like crap, had no energy, experienced brain fog, and were dragging through their workouts.

Most women's resting metabolic rate, meaning what they need to just exist, breathe, and for their organs to work is at least 1600 calories. That doesn't even include daily activities or calories burned during exercise. The effects of this kind of caloric restriction can be very detrimental in the short and long term and very counterproductive if your goal is weight loss or weight maintenance.

Here's why:

It's stressing your body the F out

This kind of caloric restriction on an ongoing basis causes a stress response, which leads the body to be in fight or flight mode and release cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels for long periods of time negatively impact the body by reducing bone density, impairing cognitive function, and decreasing immunity.

Additionally, extreme caloric restriction can cause hormonal imbalances in women, leading to irregular periods or even the cessation of menstruation. The body slows down its metabolic rate as a survival mechanism, making it more difficult to lose weight in the long run and meaning anytime you start to eat more calories, you gain weight. No one is going to maintain this kind of calorie restriction long term, but often get defeated when they rebound and begin to eat more and see the scale go up as the body recalibrates.

It's making you weak

If you are a woman and lifting weights (and you should be! You ARE lifting weights right??) this is not enough to support your strength goals and promote muscle repair. If you're doing cardio, you're just creating an even bigger deficit your body can't handle.

Consuming only 1200 calories a day is going to leave you feeling fatigued and depleted, making it difficult to perform your best during exercise. In addition, such low-calorie intake can mean your body has to break down muscle for energy, which can be counterproductive to exercise goals.

Girl, if you want those #gains, you have to eat more.

It's not doing your gut any favors

Yeah, of course, we're going to talk about gut health. If you follow me, this blog, or any of my programs, you know that gut health is SO important to everything.

When you don't eat enough calories, it can lead to reduced nutrient absorption, which can cause changes in the composition of the gut microbiome, leading to a decrease in beneficial bacteria and an increase in harmful bacteria. This can lead to digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, and diarrhea. Moreover, extreme calorie restriction can also weaken the intestinal lining and increase intestinal permeability, leading to inflammation and an increased risk of chronic diseases. Not ideal.

It's bumming you out

This kind of obsession with calorie counting and restriction can have a significant impact on mental health, particularly in the long term, not to mention it's not fun. When the body is deprived of adequate calories, it can lead to feelings of fatigue, irritability, and anxiety. These symptoms may worsen over time as the body becomes more malnourished, leading to a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating, and even depression. It can also cause changes in brain chemistry, like a decrease in the production of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can lead to mood disorders.

Yeah, no thanks.

So, what should you do instead?

Most women attempting weight loss are not eating enough, or consistently fueling for their goals. We need to shift our focus away from restriction and towards thriving, radiant health. You are so much more than a number. Your strength and worth are not based on the scale.

Check out my guiding principles on my instagram here. and focus on eating more whole foods, drinking more water, sleeping more, moving your body gently, reducing stress, and prioritizing fat and protein.

Your body deserves to feel strong, energized, and healthy to keep up with your family, do your job, crush your workouts, and be happy! Get in touch if you're ready to make a plan that works for you!