Food For Thought

This morning, while I was on the elliptical, I started reading "Yoga For Dummies" - the book I showed in yesterday's blog post. I came across a few passages that I think provide some food for thought, whether you're doing yoga or not, so I thought I'd share.

"Most people are aware of how fast time flies in the 24 hours they're give each day. Yet if you look more closely at how you spend your days, you may find that not everything you do is necessary, and that in idle moments, you may miss the opportunity to recharge yourself or tap into your inner well of joy."

Gosh, if I had a nickel for every time somebody told me they didn't have time to do something. Shoot...if I had a nickel for every time I said that. We make time for the things we want to do. Period. There really is no gray area. When you really make up your mind to do something, you'll get it done!

"...what you get out of any endeavor is only as good as what you put in it. In other words, don't expect health from junk food. Don't expect happiness from miserable attitudes. Don't expect good results from shoddy Yoga practice. Don't expect something from nothing."

So true. No matter what it is in life, very few things happen instantaneously. Especially when it comes to matters of health. What you put in is what you get out. If you eat junk all the time, your digestive system will be jacked up, and I don't need to list all the results of that...you know how you feel. Garbage in, garbage out!

The next time you're feeling down, try focusing on positive thoughts and not dwelling on the negative. And if someone comes into your personal space/time with the negative, gently shoo them away. :)

"Most people tend to be passive in health matters. They wait until something goes wrong, and then rely on a pill or a physician to fix the problem."

I think this is just how we were raised. I don't recall my parents specifically focusing on preventative health. While I've managed to klutz myself into injuries, I haven't had a cold in quite a while. Last year I spent all of January sick with a cold/bronchitis. Once I got that cleared up, and started eating more healthy and working on prevention, I haven't been sick since. I know my EENT doctor is probably wondering where I've been. I haven't had to go in for allergies. I know when it's that time, I need to reduce dairy intake, and take other measures. It seems like such a "duh" idea, but it's really not something I started focusing on until last year.

If there's a health issue that you've been planning to tackle, take it on now. Make small changes and eventually you will get there. If you know your blood pressure was elevated at your last doctor's appointment, what are some things you can do on your own to lower it, before they have to intervene with medication?

That's all I have for now. As I come across more juicy tidbits in the book, I'll be sure to give you my thoughts.