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Sunday, September 15, 2019

Improve Health Spend Quality Time in Nature

Enhance Health, Mood, and Joy from Nature



Research indicates spending 120 minutes a week outdoors engaged in physical activities improves health and overall well-being. It may include 2 half-hour brisk walks, meditative moments noticing the landscape and its inhabitants, and playing a sport, game, or participating in a physical activity with family or friends. Riding bikes, picnicking, or tending a community garden each week are just a few leisure time activities that encourage optimal health and happiness.
 

This post has been updated 10/1/23


A simple, refreshing way to take in the good vibes of the great outdoors is with a one minute grounding meditation. This one is from Mindful.org, and was written by Cara Bradley, who also is in a video that goes along with it. 

Want to absorb the refreshing energy of nature? Use your imagination to see the colors of nature. Then, look at the collage below. 


Get Outdoors for Improved Health




Envision a place you've visited or want to see that's serene, tranquil, or ablaze with brightly colored plants, trees, and shrubs. 

Green energy creates balance, harmony, self-compassion, and rejuvenation. Read Use Energy from Green to Refresh You and Your Home.

Gold, rust, amber, scarlet, and browns of autumn leaves and soil remind us of transitions. These colors provide grounding energy and connection to Mother Earth. Get suggestions for outdoor activities that are fun for the whole family here.

If you prefer, dream about a place where there's a broad expanse of sea, sand, and sky or picture it in your mind's eye.




Aquamarine and the green blue colors of a waterfall, ocean, lakes, or stream are colors that create a sense of expansiveness and tranquility. Sea blues of azure and sapphire remind our body and intuition to  "go with the flow." This energy shift helps reduce tension and attachment to outcomes.

It's surprising how many ways nature impacts well-being. It reduces stress, anger, fear, physical aches, and emotional pain including depression or anxiety. 

Notice how easily natural surroundings awaken awe and wonder in you. 

A large-scale nature engagement study conducted by the Wildlife Trust in the UK showed its participants, over a 30 day span, took greater notice of nature's beauty, their own physiological and emotional responses to nature, and felt an interconnectedness to their surroundings that led to improved happiness, health, and conservation behaviors.

Use your senses to tune into the sights, sounds, aromas, textures, and pace of nature. When you bring mindfulness to the time you spend in nature, it reduces stress, heals, and renews enthusiasm in you. 

When you take a break in nature, it shifts your perspective. Getting outdoors away from screens and other electronic devices, helps you relax. 

You'll notice down time helps you feel refreshed and improves your ability to concentrate, once you resume your work.




In fact, one recent study conducted at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston shows women may live longer in green environments.

Make time to get outside for even a few minutes a day. Enjoy relaxing or exercising outdoors, get a healthy dose of sunlight for Vitamin D, and give thanks for this inexpensive, fun way to enrich daily living.


Please comment below. 😊 I read and appreciate each one, but will not publish comments when they contain links. Thanks for understanding. 💗


What outdoor activities do you enjoy participating in and why?

Do you feel physically, mentally, and spiritually uplifted when you see a sunset, sunrise, the first snow, a deer in the woods, or a majestic mountain? Explain. What natural wonder makes your heart sing?

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Sunday, September 1, 2019

Come to Journal Tips for Self-compassion Workshops!




"Self-compassion is the act of accepting all parts of ourselves and treating ourselves with lovingkindness. A self-compassionate mindset helps us connect to our humanness, acknowledge mistakes and shortcomings, and perceive experiences as opportunities to heal and grow." Nancy Andres

Self-compassion is a self-care practice I've been relying on to walk through my grief, since my son died at the end of last year.




I'm prepared to share ideas and tips that helped me let go of self-judgment, critical thoughts, negativity, and guilt. 

One of the most effective tools I've discovered to improve my mood is to journal write about things I'm grateful for, count my blessings, and record those things I feel will help me be kinder to myself. 

Scientific research backs this upStudies show troubled people can get major relief from focusing attention on good things in life. Those who did enjoyed a higher percent of happy days, felt optimistic, and expected the best. They were also more satisfied with their lives, which they perceived to be more meaningful, and they felt more connected with others each day.

Here's where you come in. You'll have an opportunity to learn what things can be used to support and empower your thinking and behavior. 

Whether you're suffering from the end of a relationship or career, transition from one stage of life to another, or just want fresh ideas about how to treat yourself better when you feel less than, I can help you. 

September is a great month to use self-compassion and you are in luck because... 

I am facilitating two self-compassion workshops. I'd love to meet you at either one. ðŸ’—



You're Invited to "Journal Writing Tips for Self-compassion and Personal Growth with Book Signing for Colors of Joy " 





Come to an interactive workshop with games, fun activities, and an opportunity to meet Nancy Andres, author of Colors of Joy: A Woman's Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance, and Bliss.


When: Sat Sept 14, 2019 2:30 PM-3:30PM, book signing after

Where: The Seasoned Woman, 5460 E. Broadway Blvd. #300, Tucson, AZ

Reservations are on a first-come first serve basis and complimentary. Please go to the Seasoned Woman’s Website and Click on the Link for Events to reserve your place. 

For Nancy Andres’ bio, event schedule, and wellness ideas see her Website. ðŸ’—

You’re Invited toJournal Writing Tips for Self-compassion and Personal Growth with Book Signing for Colors  of Joy.”


When: Sat. Sept. 21, 2019 between 2-3 PM Book signing afterward

Where: Literate Lizard Bookstore, 1575 W State Rte. 89A,Suite D, Sedona.

Call 928-325-2971 or email theliteratelizardsedona@gmail.com to RSVP

After the workshop meet Nancy Andres, author of Colors of Joy: A Woman’s Guide for Guide for Self-Discovery, Balance and Bliss. Colors of Joy provides tips and ideas to help you thrive!





Nancy Andres is a Health and Lifestyle Writer, Author, and Wellness Blogger. When she’s not working, she enjoys walking and hiking on Tucson trails and paths, has her nose in a book, is cooking whole food plant-based meals for friends and family, or is savoring dark chocolate. 😄

      Please comment below. 

Do you understand why self-compassion is so important? Explain.

Do you know simple ways to feel heard, cherished, and understood by you?

What techniques do you use to coax yourself to try something new, change a bad habit, or reframe how you look at things you see as failures? 

Do you think a self-compassionate attitude would help in these situations? Why?

I read and appreciate every comment, yet do not publish those that include links. Thanks for understanding. 💗

Come to a workshop and learn how journal writing prompts, affirmations, and fun activities can help that precious person who is you appreciate, approve, and be awe-inspired by you.


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