How to begin your day in PEACE

Have you ever had a stressful situation in which you wished you had a magic tool to remain calm? Well there is one, it’s called the 4-7-8 relaxation breathing sequence.

This technique relaxes the nervous system and allows you to be calm and think clearly.

Here's how you do it:

1. Sit up straight in a chair.

2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process.

3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the slow count of 4.

4. Hold your breath to the count of 7.

5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8, making a slight audible sound.

6. Repeat the 4-7-8 cycle another three times, for a total of four breathing exercises.

Have a calm Monday ; )

 “When the breath is calmed the mind too will be still…” Svatmarama

A delicious CHIA recipe...

Lemon Chía Seed Loaf

INGREDIENTS

160 g flour                                             12 g baking powder

4 g baking soda                                  2 g salt

170 g coconut oil                                85 g sugar

2 eggs                                                     1 yolk

170 g yogurt                                         30 g poppy seeds

25 g chia seeds                                  Zest of 2 lemons

Vanilla to taste                                     

60 g sugar

1 1/2 lemons juiced (about 70 ml)

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (75 degrees C).

2. Butter and flour a loaf pan.

3. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Cream the coconut oil and sugar together until fluffy.  Slowly add the eggs one at a time. Add the lemon zest, poppy seeds, chia seeds, and vanilla.   Beat in half the flour, then add the yogurt.  Last, add the rest of the flour and mix until just combined.

4. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. While the loaf is baking make the lemon syrup.  Heat the lemon juice and sugar together until it comes to a simmer.  As soon as the loaf is taken out of the oven, spoon the syrup on top.  Leave the loaf in the pan for several hours, or overnight.

Enjoy!

Easy to prepare and sooo good... CHIA recipe.

Chia Seed Pudding

Recipe by Perry Santanachote

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/2 cup cherries or raspberries

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon Stevia

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chia seeds

PREPARATION

Blend milk, cherries, cardamom, Stevia and vanilla together in a blender on high until smooth.  Pour the cherry mixture over chia seeds and whisk thoroughly. Let rest for 5 minutes then stir again. After 10 minutes, stir again. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Before serving, give the pudding a good stir and divide into 4 cups; top with cream and more cherries.

Chia Fresca Drink Recipe

Recipe by Perry Santanachote

INGREDIENTS

1 cup coconut water

2 tablespoons pineapple juice

1 tablespoon chia seeds

PREPARATION

Briefly whirl all ingredients together in a blender (or shake well in a closed container) and let sit for 15 minutes for chia seeds to expand. Cheers!

So tiny and so healthy... CHIA seed

The word CHÍA comes from a Mexican dialect (Nahuatl) and it means "oily".

This plant is native to Central America, cultivated mainly in Mexico, Guatemala and Bolivia.

This seed is comprised of 25 to 40% oil.  Mainly omega-3 (60%) and 20% omega-6; it also contains protein (15-25%), carbohydrates (26-41%), fiber (18-30%) and a large amount of antioxidants.  These seeds are rich in mucilage, a soluble fiber that helps regulate intestinal transit.

Eating 25g of ground seed (2 ½ tablespoons) per day has great benefits:

• Protects against aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
• In people with type 2 diabetes mellitus helps regulate blood glucose levels.
• In hypertension lowers blood pressure.
• Helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (good cholesterol)
• Helps to slow the progression of Alzheimer's, and can help reverse the damage.

Try this week to buy some chia and next week I will give you some recipes to try.

Home office? Be MORE EFFECTIVE and work LESS.

I used to imagine that being self-employed or working from home was a luxurious lifestyle, free of rules or scheduling. 

Couldn’t be more wrong!

Over time I've developed a way of working that increases my productivity and allows me to enjoy the benefits of working from home. 

Here are 12 tips on how to successfully work from home:

• Rise and Shine

It is important that you set a time every day to start your journey, it will set the tone of your day and you will feel productive from the beginning.

• Establish a morning routine.

Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. It gives you time to clear your head, get focused and enjoy the extra time you have because you don't to have to commute to work.

I always start my day with setting an intention (be present, content…), then I eat breakfast and take a shower. Taking an hour to do this every day helps me feel centered, focused and energized before starting my work day.

• Get dressed.

While the idea of spending all day in your pajamas might sound appealing, getting dressed can actually increase your productivity.  In theory you could get the same amount of work done in a business suit or a flannel onesie, but getting dressed for the day helps delineate work time from sleep/relax time.

When you look and feel put-together, you tend to be more productive. Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident and you'll be off to a great start.

• Meditate

Even 5 minutes can make the difference. It is scientifically proven that meditation relaxes you, increases creativity and productivity. I can’t begin my work day without the refreshing feeling of a quick meditation.

See you next week with some more secrets!

Begin your day with a GOOD mood!

Your mornings set the tone for the rest of the day. 

If you get off to a crummy start, chances are the rest of your day will look the same. Rolling out of bed with your mobile in hand, scanning the latest Facebook posts and checking your email may not be the best start if you’re already super stressed.

More and more people are finding a meaningful morning practice to be the solution. By adding this practice in between waking up and starting the day, you’re sure to move through the world more grounded and connected.

I created a simple practice to help you move through the day without stress calling the shots.

• Place 1 to 2 drops of grapefruit or wild orange essential oil in the palm of your hands.  Rub your hands together, cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe in deeply for five rounds of breath.
• Set an intention for the day  How do you plan to be happier today? What are you going to learn from this day? How are you going to live and enjoy it?
• Be grateful  Count your blessings and appreciate them.
• Take a glass of water  This helps your body to begin the day and wakes you up softly.
• Move your body, stretch a little bit  It really doesn’t matter what you do here; just move out of your head and into your body. Stretch your body, do some head rolls or shoulder shrugs, move in a way that feels good to your body and your natural rhythm, you can even dance to your favorite song.

By giving your body the chance to practice dealing with stress in a different a way, you’re creating a new positive pathway. This simple morning practice can be done in 10 minutes or less from anywhere in your home.

Try it and notice how it sets you up to move through your day more aware, present and with less stress. Remember, the most effective practices are the ones that find a place in your daily routine.

Taken from “A 15-Minute Morning Ritual To Dramatically Reduce Stress” by Megan Roop

7 simple tips to feel HAPPY now.

In our rush to get through the tasks of our day, to complete our errands and answer emails, to look at the next video… when do we think we’ll find happiness?

If it’s not here right now, when will it come?

Maybe we think it’ll come when we improve our lives, or meet our goals, or succeed at our business, or finish our college degree, meet someone or have our first child.  Maybe it’ll come when we go on vacation, or when we find time to relax. Maybe tomorrow.

Or we could try this:

• Slow down instead of rushing. Breathe deeply.
• Pause to savor the current moment.
• Really notice everything about the moment, and find small things to appreciate.
• Be grateful for what there is right here, right now. Count your blessings.
• Allow the things that are bothering you to just be in your life, without fighting with them, without pushing them away.
• Don’t allow little things to offend you. They’re not worth ruining this moment.
• Let the beauty of this moment wash over you.

These are all things we already know. But we don’t actually do them. The key here is practice.

If you don’t practice being present, slowing down, enjoying the moment right now, when will you practice? 

What are you practicing now instead?

Start your practice this moment.

"In this moment you are here, you are living, you are present, you are fully blessed” Fiji Mc Alpine.

Based on: Practicing Slowness & Being Present (Leo Babauta).