The Body/Mind Connection
Have you ever thought about what the body/mind connection actually means? Well, let me explain it to you… Your body responds to how you think, feel and act. That is the body/mind connection and it is a very clever connection and it is there for a reason. When something is not “right”, your body will “tell” you. It might elevate your blood pressure, it might give you a stomach ulcer. So it really starts from the mind….then it manifests in the body. So, if you are thinking negative thought for some reason or have some limiting decisions which won’t support your emotional health….it eventually will manifest as dis-ease in the body. If you consistently are in a “poor” emotional health it will weaken the body’s immune system. It is also worth recognizing and when you are not feeling good about yourself, you are less likely to look after yourself and you may not take care of your health as much. You might stop exercising and eating right.
So, it is very important to take care of your emotional health. It is important to become aware of what you are thinking, beliefs and your self-talk. Is it going to support your health or is it going to have a negative impact on your health? Below are a few tips on how you can improve your emotional health and therefor improve your physical health as well.
- Be aware of the thoughts you are thinking. Are they positive and beneficial for your health?
- Express your feelings rather than keeping them inside you….let them go.
- Live a balanced life. Look after each area of your life so that you are happy and content and don’t feel like you are “missing” out in one area.
- Do things you like and love doing. It is important to focus on things you like doing rather than doing things that you don’t like doing or because someone else think you should be doing them or it.
- Keep a positive view of yourself. Spend time in growing and develop yourself as a person and listen to your needs.
- Take care of yourself such as looking after your body by exercising and eating right.
- Love yourself!
- Calm your body and mind by doing meditation or relaxation methods, practice yoga or pilates.
- Learn to let go of thoughts, things and people that are not supportive towards your wellbeing.
- Develop resilience so that you can cope with stress in a healthy way. This means having a social support, keeping a positive view of yourself and accepting change and keeping things in perspective.
Well, they are some of the things that are important to think about to stay happy and healthy. There are many more. Feel free to share the things you do to support your emotional health by commenting below.
Stay Happy and Healthy,
Karin 
Autumn contemplation and Soup making
Here I am sitting in front of my computer in my “paradise” garden enjoying the rays of the autumn sun. It is so warm and dry, but I am sure the weather will change soon and winter will be here. I’m really “soaking” it today.
I’m sitting out here writing and soon I’m going to eat my soup that I just made – Chickpea, Tomato and Quinoa soup. Yummy!
As winter sets in here – the spring and summer starts on the other side of the world. As I have contact with family and friends from overseas, it seems like I am tuned in to both winter and summer. It also makes me long for that wonderful European spring sun, when everything explodes into a bright green colour and all the flowers starts to bloom. All the signs of a new beginning – a fresh start for many…. Everything just comes to life and I reckon people “change” too. I love seasons and I embrace change.:)
Here in Australia, south of Melbourne – where I live, we have seasons but it is not so noticeable as we have different trees here. The Eucalyptus trees stays the same in colour and always keep their leaves.
This year is a very special year to me…the other day my daughter turned 20! Wow! Where did that time go….and it made me realise that in 4 months time – September the 19th I arrived in Australia! My daughter was 4 months old only. Moving country was a big step for me and since than many big steps has been taken. What an amazing journey its been…
It has made me reflect on that time that has been, the learnings from the experiences I have gained and the excitement I have for where I am and where I am going. I feel so good and am so excited about the plans I am making and I just want to “run” …forward in the direction the wind takes me. I have decided to go with the “flow” – to go with the least resistance and enjoy the feeling. This year will mean more flexibility…not just in the body…also in the mind….and work wise. I am so excited about my upcoming retreat in November which is going to be held in Pennyroyal, Victoria – in the beautiful Otway Ranges. This is the start of something exciting….more wellness retreats will be organised…not just held in Australia…but also where the “wind takes me”.
Gratitude
Lately I have been thinking of how grateful I am for the friends and family (especially my kids) that I have around me in life. Life to me is all about sharing, not just with your partner but also with good close friends and family members. I feel excited and grateful for having the opportunity to share with people daily but I feel this will be taken to a whole new level during my Wellness Retreats. For now, I would love to send a warm big hug to all my family overseas, my kids here in Australia, for my dear clients and my wonderful friend I both have here in Australia and I also have overseas. You all mean so much to me and you teach me so much.
Now…to the soup. I will share it with you. Not only is it super duper Yummy – it is also full with nutrition.
It takes about 50 minutes to make and the recipe below serves about 4 people. I put a bit of low fat yoghurt on top as I liked that. You can also of course, put a bit of sour cream on top, if you prefer that to yoghurt.
1 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 – 2 large celery stalks, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 long red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1 tbs ground cumin
1tbs sweet paprika
1 tabs tomato paste
400 gram tin chickpeas, drained
400 gram chopped tin tomatoes
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup quinoa
and this is how you put all those yummy things together in to a super soup
1. Heat up the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion & celery for about 5 minutes or until soft. Then add the garlic cloves, spices and cook for about 1 minute then add the tomato paste, stirring and then cook for another minute more.
Add the chickpeas or 3 bean mix if you prefer that, stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and partly cover and let it simmer for about 25 minutes.
If you want to soup to be smoother, blend half of the soup then return it to the remainder of the soup.
Well, there you go… enjoy the soup….it being autumn or spring. It will certainly put a “spring to your step running”.
Karin
Why did I start doing Pilates?
Lately I have had a few people asking me why I started to do Pilates. So, I thought I would explain why to you all.
It was about 13 years ago now I started to work at a Gym where they had Pilates Reformers (spring loaded Pilates equipment) and all the staff did training so we help the members use the equipment. Straight away I thought the principles of Pilates was simple yet so effective.
I have always been interested in how moves or exercise is performed – in other words – doing it really, really well with good technique and in the most effective way. You see, I used to row, and rowing is a very technical sport and I have always had to pay attention to the detail of the stroke, to the flow, to the rhythm, to the feel, the coordination, focus on the breath etc. They are also things you need to focus on whilst doing Pilates so it really made a lot of sense to me. So, that is how my journey started with Pilates.
I then decided to educate myself further and ended up doing Certificate IV in Pilates.
I love working with “just the body”, so I started teaching Matwork Pilates. I then later started to also include smaller props like the Pilates Ball, the Swissball, the Pilates circle and the Resistance and. There are so, so many exercises that you can to without the need of going to the gym and be reliant on gym equipment.
I have now taught classes for over 12 years and I am still loving it! I also ended up writing my own book on the subject – “Body Awakening, Balance your body, mind and spirit with Pilates and and active lifestyle” and also produced 3 DVDs. So, it’s been a real interesting Pilates journey.
There are also other reasons for me loving Pilates. I used to have lots and lots of problem with my back. It was partly brought on by the amount of training I did in Rowing. My back used to constantly ache. It even used to be a struggle walking around shopping. My back is still something I have to being careful with even now but I am managing keeping it in good shape with Pilates. It has really changed my life.
The other reason was after I had my two children. After the first baby it was not to bad but after a very big second baby I though I would never get back into shape. My belly was huge! My skin and my muscles stretched so much. I am sure you ladies that have had big babies/pregnancies know what I am talking about. Well, I am not exactly back to pre-pregnancy shape but it is as good as it can get.
So, that is how I got started with Pilates and why it has become part of my life. I now encourage everyone – young and old, all abilities to incorporate Pilates in their life. It is something that I see as absolutely necessary to be in shape for life in general and for performing at your best when doing sport.
So that is my Pilates journey – are you going to join me?
Karin
What you Think you Become
Create Yourself
My Weekend Treat
My daughter made me some yummy treats the other week and I thought I would share the recipe with you cause they tasted amazing! Not just that, it’s a pretty healthy treat. So here it it.
Let’s call them “Energy Balls”.They make a great snack and they are high in protein, fibre and source of vitamins and minerals.
RECIPE
This recipe makes about 20 balls
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of dates + boiling water
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup almonds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 6 pieces of dark chocolate or 3 – 4 tbs cocoa
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
How to put it all together:
- Soak the dates in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- Blend the almonds in a blender until they are cut up into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients, including the dates. Pulse the ingredients until combined. You may need to stop the blender and push the ingredients down from the sides with a spatula.
- Squeeze a spoonful of ingredients together in your hand and push firmly into a ball shape.
- Roll them in Coconut or chopped up Almonds
You can store in the fridge and enjoy for a delicious, tasty snack.
A little bit about the ingredients…
Dates
Dates provide a natural source of sweetness and are also an excellent source of fibre – good for digestion and keeping you feeling full. Dates also contain B vitamins, vitamin C and the minerals selenium, potassium and magnesium.
Rolled oats
A wholegrain carbohydrates, oats are a great source of slow release energy. They are also high in fibre and a source of selenium, magnesium, and zinc.
Coconut
The main reason for coconut in this recipe is it adds a nice flavour but it is also a source of some of the B vitamins.
Dark Chocolate or Cocoa
Chocolate is a source of beneficial antioxidants and is associated with some health benefits.
Almonds
Almonds provide healthy fats and protein as well as vitamin E, calcium, riboflavin and niacin.
Pumpkin Seeds
A good source of zinc which we need for a healthy immune system. They also provide magnesium and iron and are a source of good fats and protein
The honey, vanilla and coconut oil add taste and help keep them stuck together.
The simplicity of life
