Don't Stop Believing

Kayleigh Rocks Dofitness Studio

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A Sister

A Sister Is A Gift To The Heart And A Forever Friend.
A Sister Never Gives Up On You.
A Sister Always Understands And Will Always Be There For You.
A Sister Is Your Mirror That Shines Back At You And Helps You See
All The Wonderful Possibilities This World Can Be!

Love You Dee!
Long Live Fraggle Rock (Only Because You Love It)

The Power Of Flow Part 1

First Off, I hope everyone is doing well, training hard, and staying positive.

THREE WORDS...POWER OF FLOW! I am fascinated with this concept and want to share some inspiring ideas with you. What does flow really mean? Flow is defined as the natural, effortless unfolding of our lives in a way that moves us toward wholeness and harmony.  So many people in the media, teachers, therapists, trainers have always conveyed the concept of...allowing yourself to flow...in order to live, to experience, to be happy, etc. One person in particular that touched and embraced this concept until the end of his life was that of Bruce Lee. He believed in constant flow...to not control a movement or an action, but to allow it to flow naturally. To relax mentally, to allow things to evolve naturally....which would bring great purpose to your life. He continues to inspire so many people with his philosophies....AMAZING! One phrase that sticks out in my mind is what he always instructed his students to do.... "get over the consciousness of themselves."

Bruce Lee believed that you should experiences things for what they are and to not analyze them on how to make the experience better. To learn from each experience as a life lesson...to flow with the experience.
To never be in frontal opposition to any problem, but swing with it. In more detail, he describes his thought process with the concept of WATER. That's right...Water! He observed that water was so malleable that is was impossible to grasp a handful of it and that when he struck it with his fist, it was impossible to hurt. Water is both pure Yin, remained one of the softest, most yielding substances in the world and pure Yang, also capable of penetrating the hardest forms of matter. Calm like a still surface of a pond or turbulent and violent like Niagara Falls.

To be like water, then, is to adapt itself instantly to any obstacle in its path and, by moving at its own pace, begin a natural process of surmounting it. The lesson to be learned here is that if we can learn to flow with adversity, WE WILL EVENTUALLY OVERCOME IT! And it is only through OUR FLOWING WITH LIFE that we are able to adapt and grow. LIFE IS MOVEMENT....and if we cease to flow with it, it passes us by. One of my favorite quotes from Bruce Lee is: "Running water never grows stale. So you've got to just 'keep flowing.'"
Simply let life--with all of its experiences-FLOW THROUGH YOU!

When you allow things to flow in your life, occurrences line up, events fall into place, and obstacles melt away....IT BECOMES YOUR POWER OF FLOW. Flow is DYNAMIC and can make us feel alive. Most of us have experienced the beauty and the power of flow...you are in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. You feel at peace and connected to something larger and greater than ourselves.

When you learn to make flow a way of life...your world becomes filled with synchronicity- meaningful coincidences in which outside events, seemingly disconnected in time and space, link up with our internal states and connect us with the greater whole. What an amazing process to be in tune and open to all  experiences, dreams, and embracing signs that surround you. And by paying attention to these signs, you are able to reach new levels of comprehension about your inner life and your role in the world.

"Synchronicity is lyrical--a little sprite of a surprise, a little gift," described by Charlene Belitz.  I absolutely love this thought process. She goes on to state, "it can get so big that everything can start to talk to you; everything can suggest things.  HOW POWERFUL IS THAT!!!! Can you think of the times synchronicity has happened in your life?  For instance, you could be thinking of someone and minutes later the phone rang with that person on the other end. Here is an interesting one, the same number repeated itself to you at significant times. So you can honestly admit that you have experienced something to this affect...you have been given a taste of this.

In order for you to continuously experience the process, you must allow yourself to flow in your life. Flow responds directly to our beliefs, behaviors, and actions. You must become open, willing, trusting, and  allow yourself to experience the beauty and power of flow. And with this experience comes fulfillment and joy.

There are steps to discover, which will allow yourself to flow and embracing what life truly has to offer you. Creating changes in yourself to help your experience of flow, discovering how to be TRUE TO YOURSELF, determining your mission in life and your next step to fulfill it, treating yourself gently and compassionately, enhancing your intuition so that you make better decisions, and stretching yourself and taking risks.
Imagine yourself moving into harmony, oneness....TRUE ALIVENESS.

Live your life with purpose!!!!!  FLOW!!!!!
"Try to live freely from moment to moment letting things happen and adjusting to them." -Bruce Lee

With Love,
Dofitness

Belitz, C. The Power of Flow. Pgs. ix-xv.
Little, J. The Warrior Within. Pgs. 26-30, 46-48, 65-67.

The Disney Way

Have success the Disney Way...

Think "tomorrow."

Make today's efforts pay off tomorrow.

Free the imagination.

You are capable of more than you can imagine--

so imagine the ultimate.

Strive for lasting quality.

"Good enough" never is.

Have "stick-to-it-ivity."

Never, Never, Never give up.

Have fun.

You're never truly a success until you enjoy what you are doing.

Maxwell, John C. One Day At A Time. Pg. 35.

What Is Your Super Power

Do A Shoulder Shrug

The tension we hold in our bodies is a big happiness vacuum. While it is possible to be happy and in pain, it certainly isn't desirable. Most of the time we override our body's signals, ignoring its cries for attention and relief.

I suggest that at least three times today you do shoulder shrugs, preferably when you notice the tension building in your upper back as you work. It's incredibly easy-and feels great. With your hands in your lap or by your sides, simply lift your shoulders toward your ears as high as they will go, hold for five seconds, then let your shoulders drop, exhaling audibly. (You can skip the noise if you are in a meeting). Repeat five times. Doesn't that feel great? Do the little things for yourself...you will feel better and will function better.

Love Always,
DoFitness

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 50.

Week Three To A Lean Body

Many times people look to a fat-burning supplement without even controlling their eating regimen. It is important that you get your eating in order (which we have been working on in the last two weeks), which has gotten your body into a fat-burning mode. So for this week, the strategy is to look for a decent fat-burner, which should include ingredients such as green tea, caffeine, and evodiamine, which boost fat-burning and makes the body less efficient at storing calories as body fat.


It is important to note, that there is a big advantage for putting off the fat-burners until Week 3...it is that you have already moved your body in the right direction with your eating regimen. By adding a fat-burner, it will help your progress.


The other strategy for Week Three is you must get low...really low. In order to get lean, it comes down to calorie reduction, hormonal manipulation, and exercise. But understand that it is also about perception. Anytime you make a drastic decrease in calories, the body PERCEIVES this as a threat and begins to tap into other fuel sources, FAT BEING CHIEF AMONG THEM. So for one of your four low-carb days during this week, slash carbs even further-to nearly a quarter of your normal intake-to increase fat-burning.

Stay focused...sacrifice and change your eating in the name of getting lean. ;)

Try A Relaxing Breath

There are many breathing techniques, each designed to do something different. Some are energizing; others are relaxing. Here is one derived from yoga that Dr. Andrew Weil swears by for relaxing. He recommends it for falling asleep, going back to sleep after being awakened, or when you are feeling angry or upset.

Lie or sit comfortably. Touch the tip of your tongue to the ridge of tissue on the roof of your mouth behind your upper front teeth. Exhale completely through the mouth to the count of eight, making a whooo sound. Inhale through the nose to the count of four. Hold your breath to the count of seven, then exhale again to the count of eight. Do four complete cycles of inhalation, holding and exhalation, all the while keeping your tongue on the ridge on the roof of your mouth. Then breath normally.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health And Happiness. Pg. 331.

Week Two To A Lean Body

Hi there. Hope everyone is doing well and training hard. Now we all know that losing fat is the result of what you eat, how you eat, and how much you eat...also, combining intense strength training and cardio.

Using moderate cardio allows you to get over fat-loss plateaus without altering your eating regimen. So for this week (try not to cheer to loud) one strategy is to do only two moderate cardio sessions at 45 minutes per session. That should be enough to facilitate fat loss. Try not to force fat off, it can actually backfire on you, with the body downgrading its metabolism.

The next strategy for this week is to make sure you are including enough protein and leucine. After cutting carbs in half from last week, your body will begin to look for alternatives to bodyfat for fuel in this second half. You must be careful because unfortunately the body turns to muscle tissue as its first source. You can reduce this effect by increasing your protein intake by 50 grams per day. Think about adding an extra protein shake between meals or increasing your protein intake at the meals you eat before and after training. And don't forget the leucine, which can be found in BCAAs. Try to take this supplement before and/or after each workout. Leucine is so important and vital because it halts muscle breakdown (catabolism). It is important that you understand that when you start to get leaner, the body tears down protein, which would include muscle tissue, at a far greater clip than when calories and carbs are much higher. Adding Leucine before and after each workout will prevent the loss of protein, muscle tissue, and will help you maintain a balanced metabolism. Muscle & Fitness. 2007. Pg. 162.

Good luck this week. Work hard and take the time to give your body the proper nutrients it needs to function, repair, rebuild, and perform. Healthy eating has the potential to affect every aspect of your being...BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT.

EAT TO WIN...You can't build and repair muscles without sufficient protein in your eating regimen. If you're working hard but not making progress, upping your protein intake will help you perform and progress.

Cultivate The Positive

Happiness, teaches the Dalai Lama and other great sages, come from cultivating positive states of mind and eliminating negative ones. What that means is to experience as much as possible generosity, compassion, tolerance, and patience toward ourselves and others. When anger, fear, anxiety, or hatred arise in us (the enemies of happiness, say the Buddhists), we need to use our capacity for generosity, compassion, tolerance, and patience to eliminate them.

This is a lifelong work. For today, it is enough to commit to cultivating generosity, compassion, tolerance, and patience. When we dedicate ourselves to practicing these positive states, we take a giant leap toward bringing them into our lives on a daily basis.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 309.

Keep Working Those Quads

Knees can ache when cartilage wears thin, but toned legs may spare that padding. Among osteoarthritis sufferers in a study at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, those with the strongest quadriceps preserved the most cartilage behind the kneecap. Fit quadriceps keep kneecaps from moving abnormally and grinding the cushion, even in healthy knees.

Self.com

Try Some Candle Magic

How about conjuring up your heart's desire with candle magic? Writes Margie Lapanja in Goddess in the Kitchen, "Candles have been employed in almost every religious and spiritual tradition since fire was discovered. The flame symbolizes the energy of intention that is both released and attracted, and the light of the flame guides and illuminates these desires. The dripping wax represents the grounding power of the earth, while the dance of the flame resonates with the energy of manifestation...One vital note: Be careful of what you ask for because, if you have faith, you'll get it."

In the candle magic, the color of the candle symbolizes what you wish to manifest:
Red: Love, Passion, Courage:
Orange: Concentration, Emotional Stability, Healthy Sexuality
Yellow: Creativity
Green: Abundance, Health
Sky Blue: Peace, Intuition
Dark Blue: Protection
Purple: Power
White: Purification, Clarity
Pink: Honor, Friendship, Happiness
Silver: Serenity
Black: Release

I love candles. Do you love candles? Try to go through each color and feel what each candle does for you.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 305.

Spritz Up

Hi Everyone....sorry for the lack of blog entries this month. Lots of projects, new ideas, and training...I look forward to sharing all of it with you soon.. Thanks so much for always tuning in!

Here's a wonderful pick-me-up that uses one of my favorite scents-BERGAMOT. Bergamot is a light, flowery essential oil that is a mood lifter. All you need is a small plastic spray bottle. Make a body spray by combining 1 cup of water with 2 drops of lavender essential oil and 2 drops bergamot. Shake well and spray on hands and face anytime you need a boost.

HAPPY SPRAYING! ;)

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 284.

Expect The Best

Moods tend to generalize. What I mean by that is that you can get on a roll of feeling bad and carry it over day after day till suddenly a month has gone by with you in a gray fog.

We can stop such a cycle, however, when we remember that every day is a new one and that we should expect the best today no matter what. As Iyanla Vanzant remembers in YESTERDAY I CRIED, her spiritual teacher once said, "Just because it rained yesterday and the ground is flooded, that does not mean you are going to get wet today."

Try adopting that as your slogan for today. Keep walking forward and don't look back...keep forward and think positive, and things will fall into place like they should.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 269.
Thanks Mom...love you!

Where Are You Right Now?

It's so easy to get caught up in the mundanities of life and lose track of the big picture of our lives. To keep focused on what is most significant, a woman named Dawna Markova has taken to orienting herself by asking four questions: "What are you moving away from? What are you moving against? What are you moving with? What are you moving toward?"

Don't worry if you aren't sure what the questions mean. Just respond with the first thing that pops into your head. It's a powerful practice for getting clear on where you are right now in your life. It makes you realize what you need to do and holds you accountable for staying true to yourself. Live your life and EMBRACE IT!

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 259.
Thanks for all that you have done for me. Love you Mom!

Create Some Luck

Have you ever said, "If it weren't for my bad luck, I'd have no luck at all?" Does it seem like only other people enjoy good luck? According to Marc Myers, author of How To Make Luck, luck is not random at all. It's just that certain people are better at making good luck than others. Here's how to do it, he claims:

1. Instead of envying other people's luck, make a list of what is positive in your life. Envy saps luck-attracting energy.
2. Really connect when you meet people-smile warmly, look in their eyes, remember their name. A chance meeting often brings luck.
3. Let go of mistakes quickly by focusing on the positive.
4. Write down your goals and the people who help you make them happen.
5. Make time and space for opportunity to knock. If you're too busy running around distracted, you won't recognize a lucky break when it occurs.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 230.
Thanks Mom!

Take A Cool Shower

Hi. Here is another little tip I think you will find helpful.







The benefits of water have long been know for treating injuries. But recently there has been growing interest in the benefits of hydrotherapy to prevent sickness and reduce stress. And medicine is now discovering what we intuitively have known all along-that the temperature of the water produces different effects: warm water is relaxing and puts you to sleep; cold water invigorates. Much attention is now being paid to contrast showers where you alternate hold and cold, which are said by some holistic healers to be the fastest way to achieve good health.

Because it's August, I'm going to suggest you try an energy-boosting cool shower from The Complete Book of Water Healing. It will elevate your mood and combat fatigue by making your blood circulate faster. Stand under the warm water for two to three minutes, then gradually make the water cooler and cooler, standing under cold water for two minutes.

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 225

Learn From Those Around You

Often the people in our lives are our greatest teachers. Some say that we attract precisely the people we need in our lives to learn what we have to learn.

We learn from them not only directly-oh, so that's how to do it-but also by negative example-oh, so that's how NOT to do it. We learn from them by having to stretch ourselves in new ways-to assert ourselves finally, maybe, to avoid being run over by someone. Or to be more patient and tolerant of mistakes. When we see our interactions as opportunities for growth, we can by happier with them and with ourselves.

The list of what we might be learning is endless and different for each one of us. But today, I'd like you to contemplate these two questions: From whom must I learn to receive? From whom (or what) must I learn to protect myself? Take note and stay open. :)

Ryan, M.J. Instant Health and Happiness. Pg. 219.
Thanks Mom!