Cal-a-Vie Spa
If you are like most of our species, you began the New Year with resolutions to improve various arenas in your life. Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines resolution as a formal expression of will or intent, but also as the act or process of reducing to simpler form. Similarly the definition of resolve is to reach a firm decision about something, but also to become reduced by dissolving.
So, we’ve now progressed a few weeks into 2002 and by now it is quite possible that your New Year’s resolutions have begun to dissolve, rather the all too solid flesh or the less than ideal habits accumulated during the past months – first from the stress of our national tragedy, and then from the holidays themselves. Post holidays we can measure the obvious results of intense activity, erratic schedules and one social event after another by the expanding girth of our bodies. We have increased by addition. Resolution is the solution, to reduce by dissolving. But this takes will, intent, in short, resolve. There in lies the rub. Here are some gentle suggestions for re-educating body and brain.
- The first resolution should be to love yourself just as you are, flaws and all. Coming from a compassionate attitude, you are more likely to stick with what ever goals you have set for yourself. Make the goals simple and achievable. Write them down, they are more likely to be fixed in your consciousness.
- Just because you slipped off the program this morning, this week, or this month, doesn’t mean that you have blown it for the rest of the year or for the rest of your life. Get back on the health track soon after you wander off. I have what I call my 3-day rule. If I have overindulged today, I am very good for the next two days to compensate. You just have to be good most of the time, not perfect.
- Pick one or two achievable fitness, nutrition, weight or stress management objectives and do your best to schedule time each and every day to make them a reality. Just remember, if you don’t take care of you, who will.
- Keep your objectives simple (resolution means to reduce to a simpler form). If regular exercise is your objective, decide that you are going to walk 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back on most days and strength train twice a week for 20 minutes.
- If better nutrition is your goal, don’t eliminate the things you love, adapt them by making them in a healthier way or, if that doesn’t work with your lifestyle, resolve to eat smaller portions of the heavy duty foods and just surround whatever it is with lots of fresh veggies in the case of a meal, or fruits with desserts.
- If stress management is your goal, schedule time to burn off stress by taking a yoga or tai chi class, and by learning the simple breathing techniques unique to each that both cultivate inner energy and deep calm. Take little breathers through the day to release physical and mental tension and to recharge your batteries.
- If weight loss is the objective, resolve to lose 5 pounds at a time, not 15 or 50. One or 2 pounds a week is all that is really feasible without damaging health. Eat nutritious, but low calorie foods, and exercise on a regular basis. Little by little the pounds will drop. And, because the changes are from healthy lifestyle changes, they are for a lifetime.
- If better interpersonal skills are your objective, learn to be a better listener. Sit and breathe and listen fully to the other person before jumping in with an opinion. Once the person has spoken their piece, ask if they would like to hear what you think. Repeat back what you think you heard, then proffer your ideas.
- Whatever your resolution, try to simplify your life. Dissolve all the unnecessary demands in your life and begin to live closer to nature, and closer to that which is unchanging, that is, the inner core of your own being. Then when confronted by the inevitable changes of life, you are better able to take it all in stride. Resolve to dissolve the complexities of life into inner harmony by refreshing yourself from the inside out. If you find it difficult to achieve these measures on your own, then come to the spa of your choice, where the outer environment fully supports your efforts to make your inner goals a reality.
