Balance. It’s one of those things in life that’s most sought after and least found. Yet like life itself, balance isn’t really a final destination but a shifting state of being. One of my most profound experiences of balance occurred in a yoga class, during headstand, when I noticed that maintaining the pose wasn’t about finding one point and holding it rigidly. Rather, as I held myself upside-down, I was continually adjusting in and out of my vertical position. A tiny shift here. A little wobble there. Off to the right, through the center. Off the the left, back to the center. Never picture perfect, but always good enough to keep me in the posture. This learning about the ebb and flow of balance now informs these four healthy habits I practice to keep me feeling grounded when the chaos starts to swirl!
Create Movement: To keep my energy flowing in the direction I want to head, I take at least a few moments every day to be mindful of the way my body moves. Most often this comes in the form of a heart-pounding, muscle-exhausting workout, but even five minutes of intentional action will do the trick. Case in point? This morning I woke up to a messy house and limited time to clean. I set my alarm for one hour and envisioned myself flowing like water from room to room. With quick, smooth, dynamic focus, I not only finished my chores before the timer went off, I also felt like I’d completed a moving meditation when I was done!
Create Stillness: Just as important for balance as movement is the restorative space between the movement. While a formal seated meditation is a great way to press pause, stillness doesn’t have to mean holding still; it can be anything that triggers that instant when all background noise fades away and just being feels effortless. Snuggle breaks with my fur babies are my number one way to grab a moment of calm. Journalling or reading also helps me find doses of zen throughout the day. And if I’m really in a pinch, there’s nothing like turning off the car radio and simply tuning in to the swoosh of traffic on the freeway.
Create Foundation: In headstand and in life, we can’t last long without a firm foundation–something to return to when we go astray. For me that anchor is a morning meal that sets the intention for healthy ways of being ’til bedtime. It not only fuels my body, but it sends a signal to my brain that says,”Heads up, brain! We’re taking care of ourself today!”Oatmeal with nuts or a veggie omelette signal that message way more clearly than a stack of French toast, delicious though it is!
Create Flexibility: Sometimes, though, the call of French toast wins. That’s where a flexible outlook comes in. It enables me still to find ways to take care of myself when even my best laid plans go awry. For example, I’ve known for a while that a daily supplement habit would support me by filling any holes in my diet, but I’ve frankly been rubbish at sticking with taking my vitamins. Then OLLY sent me some of their Women’s Super Foods Multi to try. And it turns out that the secret to filling any holes in my diet with a daily vitamin is to send my brain another signal—the sweet treat signal! Ever since tasting OLLY’s addictively delicious gummies, I’ve had no problem remembering to take a multi in the morning. In fact, I actually look forward to it!
What’s more, with OLLY’s Super Foods formulation, I get not only the vitamins and minerals my body needs daily but also a boost with phytonutrients from 10 potent ingredients like tamarind, wheatgrass, pomegranate—the antioxidant equivalent of a whole serving of fruits and veggies. I’m so hooked on OLLY supplements that as soon as my 30-day jar is done, I’ll be subscribing to have refills auto-delivered right to my door. Knowing that I’ve got a supplement routine to nudge me in the right direction when my eating takes a detour means that I have one less thing to stress over. Which is, after all, the entire outcome of creating balance in life!
P.S. To try OLLY and get one step closer to creating more balance in your routine, head to OLLY.com and use the code SUPER20 for 20% off your first subscription of any OLLY product, good until 3/30/2016! Thank you to OLLY for sponsoring this post and allowing me to continue to bring you fresh inspiration daily, and thanks to YOU for supporting the brands that keep this blog going! All opinions are and always will be my own.