Reflections: body, mind, and spirit: Pilates, Organization, and Self-Care
Here's what I've been doing for Body, Mind , and Spirit.
Body
Pilates - feeling reformed and invigorated!
Super excited to start the new year with Pilates classes. From Wikipedia: Pilates was developed by Joseph Pilates from Germany. His father was a gymnast and his mother a naturopath. During the first half of the twentieth century, he developed a system of exercises which were intended to strengthen the human mind and body. Pilates believed that mental and physical health were interrelated.
Joseph Pilates accompanied his method with a variety of equipment, for which he used the term "apparatus". Each apparatus was designed to help accelerate the process of stretching, strengthening, body alignment and increased core strength started by the mat work. The best-known and most popular apparatus today, the Reformer, was originally called the Universal Reformer, aptly named for "universally reforming the body".
Challenge for you:
Start something new. Is there a class you've wanted to try or a new workout program that is calling your name? Today, sign up for the class or commit to a new workout program.
Mind
Get your desk in order.
What better way to start the new year (aside from Pilates) than with a challenge. In January, I completed the Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge. Every day was an inspirational quote, an example from history and a challenge. One of those challenges was to get your desk in order. As pointed out, it isn't about cramming everything into a drawer or folder. Instead, it's about being intentional with what things you keep, where you keep them and how you use them. "It’s about creating a system so the mindless, excessive accumulation of stuff doesn’t creep back in."
Our mailroom / mudroom was the perfect place for me to start this challenge. Although still a work in progress, I noticed just by getting started, it has built momentum. I already have my sights on organizing other rooms.
There is science behind having order. From the New Year Challenge:
A sleep study conducted by psychologist Pamela Thacher found that people with cluttered rooms are more likely to have sleep issues. This includes having trouble falling asleep and experiencing rest disturbances. Thacher points out that this leads to bigger problems. Besides slowing down your thinking and decision making, making it hard to function during the day, lack of sleep also leads to depression.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that people who spent time in an unorganized room were twice as likely to eat a chocolate bar than an apple. And researchers at Florida State University reveal a link between hoarding and obesity, noting that "people with extremely cluttered homes are 77% more likely to be overweight." In a more organized home, there is more time to plan and more space to prepare healthy meals, as well as to relax and eat more slowly.
Challenge for you:
Look around your office or workspace. Could it use some order?
Spirit
Self-Care Day
Also from the New Year New You Challenge was to have a self-care day - to nourish your soul and clear your head.
From the Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge:
Make this a day I don't work. Means I have to structure the rest of the week accordingly so it frees up time for Sunday to have nothing planned. Make it a re-charge day so that Monday AM you hit the ground running. Clear your head and your soul.
Do we find ourselves busily working to get things done before the start of the work week? I found that if I already plan to keep this day as one of prayer, gratitude, journaling, and reading that I will complete my work during the week and Saturday, allowing for this time of stillness.
Challenge for you:
You need to not be all about business. Take a day to go for a walk. Journal. Pray. Breathe. Clear your head and your soul.
Quote from Daily Stoic New Year New You Challenge:
If you want to think well, if you want to work at a high level, if you want to enjoy the good life—as the Stoics wanted to—it doesn’t start internally, with cleaning up your mind and straightening out your thoughts. It starts externally, with cleaning out your stuff and straightening up your physical space.
To your reflection and health,
Lisa Schaffer
Do you have a friend that would benefit from this information?
***Please forward it to them!***
See my last newsletter Body, Mind & Spirit…
Comments