Tag Archive for "New Year’s resolutions"

Guest Post: Making 2020 The Official Year of Wellness

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Monday, January 13, 2020 Holistic Health, Lifestyle, Wellness New Year's resolutions, positivity, Wellness Permalink 0

2019 has come and gone, and a new year is finally upon us. While many are ready to move on from last year, many more of us are not sure what direction to take for the upcoming year. If you are still struggling to make your New Year’s resolution, or maybe even have given up on making one altogether, then here’s an idea for you: Make 2020 the year of wellness.

While the idea of promoting wellness may seem like an abstract and lofty goal, it really isn’t. Once you begin to consider your well-being seriously, you will notice the tangible effects it has on every aspect of your life, from physical health to social interactions and beyond. If you’re still not convinced, here is how you can make 2020 the year of wellness.

The Power of Positivity

Your path to wellness begins with the right frame of mind. So often, we get bogged down in negativity and self-doubt that we deny ourselves valuable experiences and opportunities to pursue what we love. Positivity, much like personality, is unique for everyone. We all have different activities that pique our interests and bring us joy. As you begin to create a year of wellness, you will need to find ways to boost positivity in your life. This could be anything from taking time to meditate and organize your thoughts, to reading a book that inspires and motivates you.

Creating a Sound Mind and Body

Once you begin to feel positivity enter into your life, you must capitalize on its effects. Take that good energy you’ve created for yourself and use it to enhance your physical and mental health. Part of embodying the idea of wellness is trying to become your best possible self. Engage your body in physical activities such as swimming, jogging, and yoga to help you breathe more deeply, run longer distances, and feel stronger. Many find that a fitness tracker or smartwatch can enhance their fitness routine. When deciding which type of device is the best fit for you, consider which features you need and how much you’re prepared to spend.

Being well is strengthening not only your body, but also your mind. Meditation, reading, and academic pursuits are ideal for increasing focus and stretching creativity. The power of improving your mental and physical health can do wonders for your wellness, which is why so many people who suffer from anxiety, addiction, and depression use physically and mentally stimulating activities to improve their lives.

Discover Something New About Yourself

Nothing can be more motivating than watching an idea that started in your brain manifests itself in the real world. As you focus on making 2020 the year of wellness, you shouldn’t be afraid to push your mind and body to achieve new things that you have never done before. This could be writing down a story you thought up while jogging outdoors or reaching a new fitness goal that you have never been able to do before. As you reach for new heights, you will feel a level of satisfaction that brings you pride, self-confidence, and motivation to keep reaching further.

Improving your wellness is a process that begins with positivity and ends with you pushing yourself to do things that will help you be a better person. It isn’t a resolution that can happen in a few weeks at the gym or a month in a book club, but instead calls upon you to continually give and grow and push yourself further and further. If 2019 felt like a step back for you, why not take two steps forward this year?

Dana Brown lives in Miami. She created Health Conditions to provide readers with content that will help them make healthier decisions for their lives.

How to Go Into 2016 With Intention

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Monday, January 4, 2016 Lifestyle, Wellness goals, intention, life coaching, New Year, New Year's resolutions Permalink 0

Whether you stayed in last night and cuddled with your sweetie and a bottle of Dom, got glammed up for a night on the town, or something in between, I hope last night was exactly what you needed it to be!

We had a low-key gathering of a few friends and family, with sake cocktails and sushi, while little Margaux slept upstairs. It was a great night, and it felt awesome to be able to let go of the expectation to make New Years epic, and just go with the flow.

That’s been a definite theme of the last year — letting things happen as they are meant to, letting go of my need to control and plan everything within an inch of it’s life — which usually tends to lead to disappointment and frustration when things don’t go my way (for more on all that, check out my posts on leaving New York City, our struggle with getting pregnant, and our birth story).

Maybe you’ve been experiencing something similar in your life… Perhaps you had an idea of what you wanted to accomplish this past year — losing 20 lbs, making a 6 figure salary, finding your soulmate, getting pregnant, traveling more, buying a house, revitalizing your relationship…etc. etc. etc. And maybe you found that things took a different turn and didn’t go exactly as you had planned. And you got frustrated, and down on yourself, maybe a little hopeless. Or maybe you were able to adapt on the fly and make the most of what did come your way.

In either case, I propose we go into 2016 differently. Instead of setting resolutions about losing weight, getting engaged, making more money, etc. etc., let’s focus on our intention for the year. What overarching theme are you seeking? What emotions are you craving?

If you take a little time this way to gain clarity about what you would like this year to bring (and why), the odds of having the year of your dreams increases exponentially.

Try these 3 simple steps for going into 2016 with intention:

How to Hold on to That New Year’s Possibility

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Wednesday, January 8, 2014 Lifestyle, Wellness goals, Lifestyle, New Year's resolutions, Wellness Permalink 0

“If happiness always depends on something expected in the future, we are chasing a will-o’-the-wisp that ever eludes our grasp, until the future, and ourselves vanish…” – Alan Watts

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The New Year is a beautiful conceit. Across cultures, it’s a period reserved for expansion of the self. At the drop of a ball, we celebrate pure Possibility, with open hearts and minds. We pretty much all align ourselves accordingly: start on resolutions, compare lists with friends, refresh those horoscope pages…!

We’re happy to. Maybe simply, we have the time.

Mayan Purification for the New Year

By: Natasha Uspensky, CHHC Saturday, December 29, 2012 Lifestyle, Wellness December 21, Enlightenment, Maya calendar, Maya civilization, New Year Permalink 0

Mayan Temezcal

My beloved hubby and I recently got back from a super romantic vacay in the Riviera Maya, where among lots of fun tropical activities like biking, snorkeling and sushi-making, we got to experience a traditional temezcal ceremony, which is an ancient Mayan sweat lodge ritual led by a shaman. During the ceremony, we were led into a small dome made of volcanic rock and cement, with 8 other people, where in pitch black darkness, a shaman led us through four “doors” of consciousness and self-discovery, each corresponding to higher and higher temperature heat radiating from the red hot volcanic rock steaming in the center of the dome. I’ll be honest, it was a pretty intense experience, and on more than one occasion, I found myself plotting my escape route. But despite those moments of sheer panic, I pulled through, and came out feeling, in a sense, a rebirth.

Getting purified by frankincense pre-Temezcal.

Our shaman spoke of a few things which really resonated with me, and I want to share them with you as we all move into the New Year. The first was in reference to the Mayan calendar and all this 2012 business (ps: the world didn’t end! Yay!). He explained that the Mayan calendar and the significance placed on December 21, was never meant to imply the end of the world, but rather, the end of a spiritual era. The new era that we have moved into is one of spiritual enlightenment and rebirth. I know it’s hard to envision that this era of greater human enlightenment began with shootings, fiscal instability, violence and grave human rights violations across the globe. But I do think that if we really take the time to catch this moment and let it resonate with us, then all this turbulence is just the fire that we can rise from, stronger… reborn.

Interior of the Temezcal

The temezcal itself is built to symbolize a womb. It is dark, hot, protective. As we experienced the intense physical heat and emotions that vacillated between panic, fear, calm, and euphoria, we really did go through a rebirth of sorts. We confronted what we fear most, what we’re avoiding in our lives, and what we would most like to change about ourselves and our daily existence. For me, I confronted my own fears of pushing myself, leaving my comfort zone. I envisioned a different reality, well within my reach, where I exist not ruled by these self-imposed limitations. I exited that dark, hot womb a different person than I entered.

So as we all move into 2013 and this new era of spiritual enlightenment, I challenge you to incorporate some elements of this emotional and spiritual rebirth into your own life. I challenge you to think about what old habits, frames of mind, and ways of being from the years before you can let go of and leave in the past.

When you’re making your New Year’s resolutions, this year, keep these things in mind. Think big! Making the annual resolutions of hitting the gym more often and eating more greens is thinking really small. Instead of making 10 small-scale resolutions you know you won’t stick to, make one big picture, big life resolution that will actually lead to the change you are hoping to experience! What are the real barriers that are keeping you from your goals? What is your way of being that keeps you from making the everyday decisions that lead to greater health and happiness?

Vow to make 2013 a year of true transformation and rebirth in your life, and don’t be afraid to dream big!