Category Archives: Fitness

How To Shine Your Own Light and Let Go of Envy

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/Bjxi-SRQzMM/

Woman Standing on the Moon

“As we let our light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence actually liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson

“Look at her, who does she think she is?”

“He’s so full of himself. He’s so big headed”

Have you ever heard these types of expressions being used? Have you said them yourself?

I have.

Or at least I used to. I was taught to believe that people who shine their light were showing off. That they were brazen and big headed. But what does being full of yourself actually mean? Seriously, what does it mean?

Is it being cocky or could it simply be having confidence in who you are? Is it being arrogant or might it just be saying no to playing small?

Plainly put, being full of yourself is to be brimming over with who you are. How utterly amazing is that? To be full of who you are. Not empty. Not lacking. Full.

Why do we believe that celebrating our greatness is something to be scorned?

We worry that if we let all of our colors blaze brightly, we’ll be perceived as being “too much.” We end up trying to throw shade on our most vibrant parts in order to blend in.

Are we suppo…

Deepak Chopra’s Advice for Getting Started with Meditation

Source: http://www.sonima.com/videos/getting-started-with-meditation/

Watch video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW00II1gl9c

When you’re first getting started, meditation can feel like a mysterious and daunting task. In truth, the most important step to beginning meditation is quite simple and concrete: Just take the time to do it. Diligence in practice is important, so make quiet contemplation a part of your daily ritual. Once you get started, don’t worry if you’re doing it right or not, because there is no such thing as a wrong meditation. Just follow the instructions or quiet your thoughts as best you can and transformation will follow. Watch the video above to learn more about Deepak Chopra’s essential advice for new meditators.

The post Deepak Chopra’s Advice for Getting Started with Meditation appeared first on Sonima.

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A Healthy Creamy Tomato Soup

Source: http://www.sonima.com/videos/creamy-tomato-soup/

Something about tomato soup always brings back memories of childhood and provides much internal comfort. This vegan tomato bisque by Sonima chef Joy Houston delivers satisfying creaminess without any milk products. The secret to this vegan soup is a simple cashew cream, as well as a roux made from coconut flour, which has the bonus of being gluten-free. Roasted tomatoes, carrots, and celery come together to make this a flavorful, hearty, and healthy soup to enjoy any time of year. Watch the video to see how you can make it yourself.

Related: A 3-Day Clean Eating Meal Plan

 

 

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9 Basic Needs We Have to Meet to Feel Happy and Alive

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/_iTCpJHt8h8/

Happy Man

“No person, no place, and no thing has any power over us, for ‘we’ are the only thinkers in our mind. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.” ~Louise L. Hay

Seven years ago I felt a tangible sense of despondency about where my life was heading.

Having ended a six-year relationship, I found myself alone, feeling isolated, often with only a bottle of wine (or two) for company on a weekend. For the first time ever I wondered if I had depression.

After weeks of feeling helpless and sitting on my sofa crying, I decided enough was enough and started taking action to turn my life around.

In doing so I discovered the “Human Givens Basic Needs.” Suddenly, everything made sense to me.

I realized I didn’t have depression; I just hadn’t been meeting my basic needs in a healthy and balanced way.

Working through the basic needs I scored myself a number between one and ten for each, with ten being fully met.

After taking action and pursuing a new diploma, I reflected on how much better I was meeting my basic needs for control, creativity, and stimulation, and how much happier and alive I felt as a result.

I also recognized that I was meeting my need for status in a new way, as peopl…

Netflix And Chew: How Binge Watching Affects Our Eating Habits

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/31/461594989/netflix-and-chew-how-binge-watching-affects-our-eating-habits?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Researchers have been studying the links between TV viewing and mindless eating for years. And the news isn't good for our waistlines.

Researchers have been studying the links between TV viewing and mindless eating for years. And the news isn’t good for our waistlines.

iStockphoto

Bingeing has become many people’s favorite way to consume television. But marathon-viewing doesn’t just change how we watch – it also affects how we eat.

While the culture of the Netflix all-nighter is relatively recent, researchers have been studying the links between TV viewing and mindless eating for years. And the news isn’t good for our waistlines.

“There’s convincing evidence in adults that the more television they watch, the more likely they are to gain weight or become overweight or obese,” says Lilian Cheung, director of health promotion & communication at Harvard School of Public Health and author of Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.

She says the sedentary nature of prolonged viewing as just one contributing factor: “TV viewing may …

An End-of-Day Meditation with Deepak Chopra

Source: http://www.sonima.com/videos/end-of-day-meditation/

Watch video on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CaaHXjoRhA

A busy day can leave your mind racing, making it hard to relax, let alone focus during meditation practice. In this video, Deepak Chopra, M.D., offers a guided exercise for the end of the day to bring a sense of peace and calm. Take a few minutes to reflect on the day’s events and relive your experiences with a more mindful eye so you may transition to rest easily and begin anew tomorrow feeling centered and balanced.

The post An End-of-Day Meditation with Deepak Chopra appeared first on Sonima.

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Want To Avoid A Hangover? Science Has Got You Covered

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/12/31/461594898/want-to-avoid-a-hangover-science-has-got-you-covered?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Listen to the Story

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Seeing double after toasting? Just wait for the hangover that's coming, thanks in part to those bubbles in sparkling wine.

Seeing double after toasting? Just wait for the hangover that’s coming, thanks in part to those bubbles in sparkling wine.

Chris Nickels for NPR

Editor’s note: This story was first published in December 2014.

The first time I ever got tipsy was during a ch…

Holiday Running Fun

Source: http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2015/12/31/holiday-running-fun/

Hello and happy New Years Eve! Time flies – I can’t believe it’s the last day of 2015. I love the holiday week because so many friends are home visiting – like my buddy Ashley! She lives on the west coast now – boo. But glad she is back this week. :) Per our usual preferred form of hanging out, we met up for a run yesterday!

running the c&o canal

We used to run on the C&O Canal together all the time back in the day, so we decided to hit it up for old time’s sake. Yep, still rocking a tank top in December. No complaints!

IMG_0529

The rain held off and it was a nice day for a run, although there were lots of muddy puddles on the trail for us to dodge!

<i…

tool no one is using in your gym

A Simple, Cheap Tool No One Is Using In Your Gym… and It Will Melt Fat Like A Knife Through Butter

What is the tool no one is using in your gym? Let’s cut to the chase. The tool is the simple jump rope! Trust me, keep reading!

A jump rope workout is a fantastic way to burn a lot of calories, improve your overall conditioning, and use as part of a metabolic resistance training program for some serious fat loss.

Tool no one is using in your gym

Two of the great things about a jump rope is you can take it anywhere and you don’t need a lot of room to get in a workout.

You can also use the jump rope as part of your training program, whether you’re using weights or just using bodyweight exercises in your training.

You’ll get a lot more out of a jump rope workout that’s only 10 minutes long than you will doing 45 minutes on the stationary bike the way most people do it. You know what I mean; the people at the gym who pedal, pedal and pedal some more while reading a magazine or watching television, yet they never even break a sweat. What a waste of time!

As you can see, there are a lot of things you can do with the jump rope.

If trying to jump rope for 10 or even 5 minutes straight is daunting for you at this point, a great way to get started is using the Tabata Protocol of performing an exercise for 20 seconds as hard as you can, rest for 10 seconds and then repeat. You do this 8 times for a total of 4 minutes of working out (less, since one third of that time is resting)!

Once you can do that, try adding a second cycle of the Tabata Protocol. Do 8 sets of 20/10 (again, 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest), rest 1 to 2 minutes and then do it again.

Once you can do this, you can start adding more time to your jump rope workout and also start adding different techniques like jumping on one foot for 10 jumps, then switching feet, alternating feet, doing double jumps, etc.

But get the regular old two foot jump down first!

You can also combine jumping rope with other bodyweight exercises. Here’s an example:

30 seconds – Push ups

10 seconds – Rest

30 seconds – Jump Rope

10 seconds – Rest

30 seconds – Alternate Forward Lunge

10 seconds – Rest

30 seconds – Jump Rope

10 seconds – Rest

30 seconds – Bodyweight Squats

Rest 2 minutes. Perform 3 to 5 sets

Another great way to use the jump rope is to incorporate it into your resistance training sessions, whether you’re using bodyweight exercises or weights, or both.

Instead of resting between all your sets, do some cardio, like the jump rope! You’ll burn a ton more calories.

Now you know. The tool no one is using in your gym. But should be.

Are you interested in more fitness info? Check out my free report:

“10 FITNESS HACKS YOU NEED TO KNOW”

Leigh Peele Unplugged: What’s Wrong and Right in Health and Fitness

Source: http://www.niashanks.com/leigh-peele/

leigh peele unpluggedShe is a nutrition ninja.

She has reverence for research.

She is a master of fat loss.

She loves animals.

She can captivate you as you she jams out on her guitar and sings (practically) any song you request.

And, thankfully, I can call her a friend.

I’m referring to the one and only Leigh Peele and she joins me in this week’s educational and most certainly entertaining episode of The Nia Shanks Show.

Leigh discusses what’s wrong, and very right, in health and fitness. We also dive into other (entertaining!) topics and reveal a project Leigh calls You Need to Hear This. Get this in your ears; you’ll be glad you did.

Use the audio player above to listen now or …

Download the MP3 file of this episode.

Download this episode from iTunes.

Download this episode from Stitcher.

Show Notes for Episode 8 with Leigh Peele:

2:15 – Leigh’s “new direction” and what’s in store for the future. What she thinks is missing in health and fitness, specifically for women.
9:00 – Why proper debates can be exceedingly beneficial. The power of rational thought!
15:00 – Some of the current things that are going wrong with the health and fitness industry.
23:00…