Posts by Joy Held

Wednesday Workout: Plank Power

Posted on by Joy Held

Hopefully, you know by now that sit-ups are soooo yesterday. They only irritate the hip flexors and don’t do anything whatsoever for the rectus abdominis or the transversus abdominis which are where the real abdominal work needs to be done. Enter hatha yoga poses to save the day (again.) When the grunt-and-sweat method produces nothing but smelly gym clothes, people look around to see who has accomplished what they want to be and look like and copy them. Usually without giving the successful programs and people any credit. Fitness gurus are promoting an ancient yoga pose to build deep abdominal strength instead of multiples of useless sit-ups and crunches.

It’s called the plank pose (Utthita Chaturanga Dandasana, Sanskrit for utthita=extended; chaturanga=four limbs; danda=staff or stick.) Yogis never do crunches. In twenty-five years of practicing hatha yoga, I have never done a sit-up in yoga class, yet I can hold plank pose and all it’s variations a plenty long time. And it burns the twenty-two year-old college athletes in my classes who have lifted weights and chugged protein sludge daily for five years and they can’t hold plank the first time they try it for more than 15 seconds. When they drop to the mat with a thump and a loud grunt, they remember I’m old enough to be their mother and I’m still holding plank and talking about its benefits and beauties and they get irritated. Sixty seconds later, I SLOWLY lower  to my stomach, sit up, smile and begin my brief explanation of the abdominal muscle system and how, while they may have a six-pack in their refrigerators, they will never have a true one on their bellies without working diligently on the transversus abdominis muscle hiding behind their flabby rectus abdominis out front. Once I say “core”, the lights go on and they listen.

What’s so great about forward inclined plank pose? It’s practically the all-around exercise. The only thing it doesn’t offer is a twist for internal organ. Wait, yes it does. The extremely advanced variation where you wrap one arm around your back, bend your leg, and grab your toes behind your back is a twisting variation of plank. It’s probably out of your range at present, but never stop reaching! Plank pose develops the abdominals by calling them into action because when you are balancing on your arms as required in forward plank, the spine’s natural orientation to gravity is negated. Gravity pulls the front of the body and the spine to the earth and our work in plank is to pull those elements up and away from the gravitational pull. The muscular effort required to do this, simple as it sounds, builds strength and stamina in the whole abdominal area. The other reason it works is because the spine is kept straight and this frees the abdominal muscle group to do its job which is to hold you up. Just suck your belly and chest up to your spine and wait. It’ll happen.

Need a milder version that still works the abs? Balance on your forearms instead of your hands. Either way, don’t let your chest or belly sag toward the mat and work up to holding the pose for 60 seconds. What’s fun is trying the exciting variations of plank pose we do in hatha yoga all the time. Reversed inclined plank and side plank have even more options. That’s the neat thing about yoga. There is always a way for anybody of any condition to try any part of it.

Plank a yogi, I mean, thank a yogi for an amazingly simple and challenging pose that produces results.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

Be well, write well.

Tuesday Tickle: Puzzles For Brain Power

Posted on by Joy Held

Creative people need brain power. It is brain power that brings the good ideas out in the open so we can shape and form them into novels, paintings, or whatever your medium of choice should be. Besides inspiration and the right foods, our mental faculties need regular workouts to stay sharp and focused so we can recognize a good idea when we see it. Puzzles are a quick and easy way to keep our thinking powerful.

How and why do puzzles help our brains stay alert and focused? The brain’s mini-computer runs on “software” much like our laptops and other digital thinking tools. Our brains require attention, processing, cognitive flexibility, the ability to retrieve stored information, and reasoning skills to get us through our basic day. These functions need regular challenge and are strengthened and more readily available to us if we remember to weave brain exercises into our lives.

Schedule creative play and work puzzles on a regular basis and your brain skills will remain sharp and intact for much longer. We all have so much on our plates these days that working a puzzle for brain training rarely crosses our fuzzy minds. Keep it simple and play games on your cell phone, carry around a small word puzzle book, and keep puzzles readily available in the house where it will allow you take just a few minutes on a regular basis and work it out.

Here’s an interactive word search puzzle using words from the Writer Wellness plan to get you started. It’s fun. Try it and then look for other puzzling ways to keep your brain humming.

Writer Wellness Interactive Word Search Puzzle

 http://www.wordsearchmaker.net/wordsearchplayer.aspx?puzzleid=42e906f1-39ae-431c-ba09-3847845e5b61

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

Be well, write well.

Monday Meditation: Monkey Mind Matters

Posted on by Joy Held

I’ve got bad news. Meditation is not the “quick and easy” idea several teachers and websites claim it to be. It’s so simple, it is REALLY, REALLY difficult. During my teacher education courses in college, I was admonished about forewarning students that “the following information or activity may be difficult, but do your best.” As a student, I would have appreciated knowing in advance that I was about to be trying to tame extremely hungry lions, but the prevailing teacher education message of the day was, “Don’t tell students in advance that the lesson is difficult. You are setting them up for failure.” Poo (and I don’t mean Tigger’s friend the chubby, blond bear.) If something is going to take work, I want to know up front.

Meditation takes work.

“How is that possible?” you ask. “All you do is sit there with your eyes closed. I do that every night once the wine kicks in.” Meditation is not sleeping. Snoring is a sign that your brain is bored and has fallen asleep. This is not meditation. Meditation is CONSCIOUS RELAXATION where thoughts are guided, not controlled or followed, but guided. Huh? We all have this state of thinking that is fondly referred to in meditation circles as “monkey mind.” Meditation is taming your monkey mind to keep it from jumping from thought to thought, image to image, and idea to idea. Taming monkey mind is not as easy as cracking a whip or stabbing at the air with a wooden stool. This may cause hungry lions to back down, but it does not scare monkey mind. Monkey mind responds better to kindness and compassion. Monkey mind ceases to chatter and screech, and finds a still place to rest if it is fed a steady diet of calmness, reassurance, and love.

I’ve recently explained how a simple set of words repeated over and over in your mind will calm your brain, breath, and body. It’s called a mantra, which literally means “mind tool” in the ancient Sanskrit language which is the mother tongue of meditation and yoga. It is always a very simple phrase like “Breath in. Breath out,” that is repeated rhythmically with the movement of the breath and sometimes the body.  A mantra is not quite a chant because chanting is a call to order, a statement of purpose, or a dedication. Mantras are always really, really simplistic and tend to feel musical as they are repeated over and over. They aim to produce a hypnotic state of stillness and peace by repeating the chosen phrase over and over until it doesn’t want to be repeated any longer. Yes, I said until the mantra decides it has been said enough. This is one point where the difficulty arises.

It reads like a simple exercise to mentally repeat a phrase until your mind is at rest, but the actual practice is challenging because monkey mind is typically very immature and difficult to appease. With time and practice, just like any normal toddler, monkey mind will learn to quiet down sooner and sooner when it hears the mantra, but it requires practice, practice, practice. One thing toddlers and monkey mind do NOT respond well to is punishment. No spanking, yelling, or time-outs in the corner for monkey mind. It will only mature and become quiet with patience, practice, and love.

So here’s the plan. Sit comfortably with your spine supported and your eyes closed. Yes, you can recline slightly as long as you PROMISE not to fall asleep. Better to sit upright. Begin by allowing monkey mind to chatter away about everything it can possibly think of. When you think the time is right, begin repeating the mantra you have chosen. (See list below.) Anytime monkey mind interrupts your mantra, kindly and gently IGNORE it and return to repeating the mantra. Set a timer so you don’t get frustrated. Start with three minutes once a day and gradually add a minute as you notice the time seems to “fly by.” That’s a signal you’re ready to increase your meditation time.

Simple? Let me know. Be kind to monkey mind and it will be kind to you.

Mantra suggestions:

Breath in…breath out

I breathe in…I breathe out

Peace in…negative out

I…am

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

Be well, write well.

Thursday Thought: Guest Natalie Clark Doesn’t Believe In Writer’s Block

Posted on by Joy Held

The Cure to the Dreaded Writers Block

A common stress for many writers is writers block. A great way to ease your stress, of course is through meditation as Joy E. Held discusses in her book, ‘Writer Wellness.’ I offer another solution that writers can implement in addition to meditation. First of all, let me tell you—THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS WRITER’S BLOCK! I do not believe in writer’s block. I believe in setting your mind to the task of writing and it will come. Whenever I am stumbling with a scene, I simply move on or switch projects. When I go back to the troublesome scene I see that it wasn’t the scene, just my mindset at the moment. Only you can find your own answer to curing “writer’s block.” Mine? Exercise. Yes, I have deadlines, a baby, a high maintenance dog and a husband who has a limited selection in his cooking repertoire BUT I schedule time for my fitness. It’s amazing what an hour in the gym can do to my mind. I also make time to laugh. Put something humorous around your workstation. The attached picture is something I found in my Grandfather’s office after he passed away. It never fails to make me laugh.

I also love to love on my dog, Oscar. Taking a few minutes off to hug and play with him is another great way that I clear my mind. Recently, fellow dog author, Amy Shojai wrote on the health benefits of having a dog. She focused on actual health conditions such as high blood pressure but I know that Oscar helps me with my stress. To read Amy’s article click here. I also encourage writers to experience with other genres. This is easy for me since I dabble in many writing areas such as my freelance work, non-fiction book series and my YA and MG fiction novels. By switching projects you will find that you never get bored or stuck on anything. If you only write in one area that is fine but try out another style of writing. You will be amazed at how you will grow as a writer. What do you do to limit your stress during a deadline rush? How do you battle with “writer’s block,” if you even believe it exists? Thank you, Joy for allowing me the opportunity to share this information with your readers.

My book, ‘CARING FOR YOUR SPECIAL NEEDS DOG’ is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my publisher’s site, Who Dares Wins Publishing. A percentage of profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

 

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

 

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

 

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

 

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

 

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

 

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

 

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

 

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: Independently Sweet

Posted on by Joy Held

I love sugar. This isn’t a post about the evils of sugar. I love sugar, but too much of anything refined and white is apparently unwise. Just think obesity and cavities. If sugar didn’t sneak its way into everything we eat and drink, we might stand a fighting chance of monitoring the amount we ingest. Alas, they are making the decisions for us and dumping sugar into our bloodstreams like toxic waste from a chemical plant in the middle of the night.

If we are to be aware of the amount of sugar we take in, the first job is to read food labels. Yes, it’s a silly feeling to be blocking an aisle in the grocery store while reading the criminally miniscule print on the side of spaghetti sauce. Yes, it takes more time to shop when we stop and read the contents of what we’re buying. Yes, it makes a difference. It makes us look important too. Don’t be surprised if while reading labels in the grocery store someone asks you what aisle the tuna is in. The first job is to read labels.

The second job is to know what means sugary goodness besides sugar. Look for high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, sucrose, sorbitol, and beet sugar. Here’s a cool list of 50 other names for sugar

http://www.dietriffic.com/2009/03/26/names-for-sugar/

The third job is to limit the products purchased with sugars in them.

The fourth job is to choose sweeteners and add them to food instead of relying on the whims of manufacturers to decide how much of the sweet stuff is in our food. What are they hiding anyway? Some alternative choices for sweet goodness are stevia, xylotol, and agave nectar. http://allaboutagave.com/ They are all plant based and a little goes a long way. It takes some trial and error to find alternative sweeteners that are not chemicals and that your mouth will tolerate. But it’s worth the effort. Real sugar is okay, but just like anything else it’s okay in moderation.

What do you sweeten your tea with?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Wednesday Workout: You ARE Independently Wealthy

Posted on by Joy Held

The practice of yoga is founded on the principle that we are each naturally endowed with what we need to survive and thrive during whatever time period we exist on Earth. Each of us lives a unique life and serves a particular role in the grand scheme. Some prosper longer than others or are equipped with what seems like better health than others. In yoga the goal is to live a life of health and devotion to the divine, self, and others that honors whatever time we have been allotted. Therefore, we are each expected to make the best of and appreciate what we are born with, and we are all independently wealthy in a sense because we have exactly what we need if only we will respect our basic gifts.

The basic gifts are:

                Breath

                Muscles and bones

                Mental ability

                Immunity

Breath: Yoga teaches breath practices known as pranayama just the same way yoga teaches physical poses or asanas. The belief is that we are each supplied with a certain number of breaths to take. It is important to make each breath productive and to recognize its value. No one knows in advance how many breaths they have received so it’s important to take care of the breath and honor it. That’s why yoga classes provide so much instruction and reminder about breathing. The breath is just as much a tool as the physical body. Use it wisely.

Muscles and bones: The wild, wild westernization of yoga has expanded its perspective in many ways. Purists are somewhat disheartened by the ideas but I believe the variety contributes to the evolution of yoga. It must continue to grow right along with the progresses of mankind. One of the changes in yoga has been the implementation of equipment. Props (blocks, straps, blankets, etc.) help students find unique ways to participate in some poses but  yoga is founded on the concept of wholeness, and whatever muscles and bones we are each supplied with is what we are expected to work with when it comes to yoga. This way we are considered rich in ourselves because we strive to strengthen what we have instead of reaching for what we cannot ever realize.

Mental ability: Advanced yoga pose variations look complicated and they can be intricate, but an upper level pose is really just a twist (sometimes literally) on the basic mental attitude of the student. Basic yoga poses such as Standing Mountain Pose and Triangle pose represent the basic thought processes of a simple idea leading to a more convoluted concept. Meditation is the opportunity to recognize a simple thought and understand its place in more intricate thought processes.

Immunity: The human immune system is fascinating. It strengthens us against disease. While some immune systems are born weaker than others, there is some degree of immunity natural to everyone. Yoga contributes to the maintenance and development of our immunity by calming the nervous system. With breath control (pranayama,) physical actions (asanas,) and mental calmness (meditation,) we are working with our individual gifts to be the best we can be.

Do you realize how wealthy you are?

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

 Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

 Be well, write well.

Tuesday Tickle: Creativity Leads to Fashion Independence

Posted on by Joy Held

My daughters are both very fashion focused. I like to think it’s partly my doing because I loved dressing them alike (the same dress in sizes 4T and 7, please,) and always making sure their clothes matched and were clean. I took great pride in dressing my beautiful babies. As they approached the pre-teen stages they turned their eyes toward me and noticed I didn’t dress myself like I dressed them. The closer it looks and feels to a pair of elastic waist pajama pants and a baggy t-shirt, the more I’m drawn to wear it. And if there’s a drawstring in the waistline, honey, I want six pairs, one in every color it comes in. My fashion savvy daughters do not approve.

I really don’t mind, but they have been picking out and/or “sanctioning” my clothing purchases for years now. No “matchy-matchy” (I will happily wear five shades of the same color at the same time,) and keep patterns at a minimum. I have been sitting at the mall food court with my daughter and she will gather my attention to a woman wearing a colorful pair of Capri pants and say, “In case I’m not with you when you’re shopping, no multi-colored prints across your butt.” I thought they were fun and vibrant looking. Let it be said, I have a few wardrobe pieces in hiding that neither off-spring would appreciate. This one pair of elastic waist silk pants from India is crafted of more than fifty fabric swatches and almost none of the patches match. Granted they are amazingly difficult to wear with any solid color top, but I love them.

I’m what’s known as a non-conformist dresser and personality in general. I’m not a trouble maker or intentional hellion, but I prefer the beat of my own drummer. My wardrobe reflects practicality and creativity. It’s practical because it is easy to wash (I do five loads of same-color laundry a week: whites, black, green, purple, and red/pink/orange. Although brown has recently been gathering strength.) It’s creative because I can buy a scarf of many colors and wear it with three other solids and have an outfit that is “acceptable” yet simple, quick and self-created. I didn’t have to rely on the whims of a regional clothing buyer at a major department store to pick out my clothes. I wear what I wear because I like it not because it’s fashionable.

In his fun book The Art of Non-conformity, author Chris Guillebeau looks at life much the same way I view creativity. Creativity is a side effect of thinking outside the normal way of doing things. Guillebeau explains that the advice we received as children from supposedly well-meaning adults was good to a certain extent. The patina-speckled remonstration goes something like this: If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you? Well…….it depends. Guillebeau says, “It’s not bad advice, even if it’s sometimes used to exert control more than to support independent thinking.” While the advice is meant to make us think for ourselves, then what’s wrong with dressing for ourselves? Because everyone else is jumping off the same fashion bridge into their laundry pile of the same thing everybody else is wearing doesn’t mean I’m going to swan dive right along with them. Guillebeau then says, “Screw those people jumping off the bridge. Make your own decisions. Live your own life.” But he adds to do in a conscientious way that contributes to our world and doesn’t suck from it greedily without returning the juices.

That’s what creativity is for. Being creative in life helps return the flow of exciting energies back into the Earth and the Universe to help others find their own creative habits. And as Guillebeau points out, the age old phrase is really meant to encourage independent thinking but the message gets skewed by manipulators with control agendas. Okay, I’m not really an intentional hellion, just want you to think (and dress) for yourself. After all, even Albert Eistein knew the clothes make the man when he said,

"Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy." - Albert Einstein

Girls, I promise not to wear stripes and plaid at the same time out in public, but that’s as far as it goes. Love, Mom.

Tell me about how the fashion police would write you a ticket for a clothing infraction!

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Monday Meditation: Independence Day Lessons

Posted on by Joy Held

 

My first child was born 24 years ago on the fourth of July. I named her Aurora which means “new dawn” as her addition to my life signaled a new chapter. She has been a grand teacher for me because her ever self-reliant nature determined from the beginning that she would do things her own way. From her I have learned to love a free spirited child whose independent nature isn’t meant to threaten our bond but to test its strength and assure that it will hold no matter what. This is the very same lesson I have learned from years of meditation practice and day after day of trying to apply the concept to my writing.

At first blush, independence is a startling notion the initial time we feel it. It is both exhilarating and frightening when we understand that we are in total control of something: ourselves, the lives of our children, the books we write, relationships, and more. On closer inspection, freedom of choice comes with assorted baggage firmly attached to it that could threaten to dampen our new found moment of feeling like we are running unencumbered through a field of perfect daisies wafting in the breezy sunshine (or whatever image independence means to you.) The downer for some people about independence is recognizing gratitude as a hanger-on-er  because this means a responsibility to someone or something else. It doesn’t feel like the ideal definition of liberation if we have to be thankful and appreciative of who and what got us to this point. Therein is the first lesson.

Saying “thank you” is really tough for some people, but it’s the first lesson of independence and meditation. Simply and regularly being grateful is a great stress reliever because it helps us stay connected to people, and since we are wired to be social beings, we need them from time to time. Telling others how much we appreciate what they’ve done for us keeps them around. People like to be recognized for their contributions. The easiest and quickest way to get rid of volunteers for anything is to neglect saying “thank you” for your help. And people are volunteers when it comes to other people in every sense of the word. None of “have” to help anybody else. We’re busy enough trying to survive ourselves. Take care of yourself, right? Without the help of others none of us could get anywhere regardless of smarts, talent, or beauty. Moments when meditation is difficult (we get bored, tired, frustrated, our backs hurt, etc.) are the perfect moment to appreciate. Start a mental run down of everyone you could thank for anything. When you think the list of people to thank is done, start over again saying the person’s name or visualizing their face and telling them “thank you” in your mind.

Don’t be surprised if the next time you see this person the words “thank you for…” pop out of your mouth. Handle it gracefully no matter how startled the both of you are. When you notice how wonderful you’ve made the other person feel by recognizing their volunteerism and how it’s benefitted your life, you will get hooked on being grateful and saying so.

The writing lesson is to not hold back when acknowledging the people who got you to the point of actually being asked by your editor and publisher to thank people. Go ahead and recognize your fifth grade teacher in as many books as you want. Isn’t she the one who helped you understand exactly what and where a comma does? Don’t leave her out. It’s a sign of mature independence to be thankful for the responsibilities attached to freedom.

Thank you Mrs. Mary Young, my fifth grade teacher at Elkview Elementary school, who believed in my writing for the very first time. Without your encouragement I wouldn’t know the liberty I know today to write stories from my heart just the way you told me to. Thank you, Aurora, who has taught me the meaning of loving our free spirits. Let freedom ring in your writing and your meditation then spread the love. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AURORA.

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

Have you subscribed to this Writer Wellness blog yet? Get email updates when a new post is added. Click “subscribe” and leave your email. That’s it and thanks in advance!

Be well, write well.

Friday Feast: The Consequences of Loving Food

Posted on by Joy Held

Friday Feast: The Consequences of Loving Food

There are five primary areas of practice to the Writer Wellness plan. Every other week I will post an idea for relaxation (Monday Meditation,) creative play (Tuesday Tickle,) fitness and exercise (Wednesday Workout,) journaling and misc. (Thursday Thought,) and nutrition (Friday Feast.)

I eat too much. It’s because I love everything about food. I especially love eating food. Because I workout several times a week, I get hungry. Sometimes really hungry and when I sit down to a meal, my eyes are bigger than I should be eating. Portion control is a must if I am to maintain the svelteness I so desire. Oh, but how to know when enough is enough? One of the consequences of loving food is not knowing when enough is enough.

I have never measured my portions and I’m not about to start, but I will play tricks on my mind and my stomach to curb overeating. Here are a few of my tricks. Am I really tricking myself because it’s me? Don’t know, but it works most of the time!

Portion control trick #1: Eat out of a bowl. Forget trying to use a smaller plate. I just stack mashed potatoes on a small plate until they look like the leaning tower of Pisa. A soup bowl works for me. The food in a bowl is not too high and not too wide which is exactly how I want my body to be, so the imagery and the amounts have equal messages for my brain.

Portion control trick #2: Eat smaller portions over the course of multiple “meals” during the day. This is also a good metabolism booster because the body is perpetually on task churning away which causes it to burn more calories.

Portion control trick #3: Candied ginger is a great way to curb appetite and not eat so much at meal time. About 30 minutes before eating, eat a small piece of candied ginger and drinks LOTS of water with it. You won’t eat so much later.

Have any portion control tricks up your sleeve? Care to share?

Happy Note: Book signing and hatha yoga demonstration Saturday, June 25 at Borders in Vienna, WV, 2-4 p.m. Will I see you there? Bring your yoga mat!

Meanwhile, remember to look for a digital or print copy of Writer Wellness, A Writer’s Path to Health and Creativity at Who Dares Wins Publishing, http://whodareswinspublishing.com.

And check out these great blogs for ideas to keep your writing and publishing healthy and prosperous.

http://writeitforward.wordpress.com/ Bob Mayer

http://jenniholbrooktalty.wordpress.com/ Jenni Holbrook

http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ Kristen Lamb

http://inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/ Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

http://pentopublish.blogspot.com/ Natalie Markey

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Be well, write well.