Center Yourself

"My hair is a mess!"
"I can't find my (insert item here)!"
"My pants are too tight!"
"Ughhhhh why can't I do anything right?!"
"Why me???"


If this is you, please....Stop right there, and put down the Oreo cookies! Thoughts like these most likely come from being out of touch with oneself and out of balance entirely. I'm sure many, if not all of us feel this way from time to time. Do you ever think to yourself, "My gosh...I feel so out of it...out of balance...exhausted, etc." I know I do. The past week has been just this way, and I just knew I had to do something about it.

Sometimes we can't help but feel a little blue. It happens; whether it's by fault of hormones, family, friends, or work. Sometimes it's just us being a little too hard on ourselves. As a result, our whole life can fall out of sync. We may reach for an extra sweet snack, we may avoid eating much at all, we may cry, and we may find other ways to "de-stress"... Honestly, none of these things will help the stress levels fall down. In fact, they can actually do just the opposite.

For me, I was so stressed that I wasn't drinking or eating enough to keep me 100%, especially with my amount of physical activity on top of other things. As a result, I injured my knee, just slightly... a couple days later, I didn't feel much pain at all, so I decided to go run again, only this time, I messed up my knee pretty bad. I was so focussed on other things that I payed little attention to my form, my level of hydration, and my need for nutrients.

That being said, I learned that it is absolutely imperative that one must be in tune with his or her mind, body, and spirit. When one of these things is even slightly off kilter, it can throw your entire self out of balance. I needed a remedy...

Meditation can do just the trick. Deep breathing, relaxation, and imagery; possibly even calming music, or maybe even the sounds of nature can be quite therapeutic and helpful while meditating.
Meditation can allow you to tap into your soul and find the root cause of all the problems that have recently developed in your life. It can allow you to get back in touch with yourself so that you may continue on in peace and tranquility.
Ask yourself, and honestly answer, "What is it that is giving me so much trouble?" "Why am I feeling so blue?"
Maybe the answer will come to you right away; and maybe it won't come until after a few meditation sessions...the key is to make it a habit. At least once a day, as little as 10 minutes can be beneficial and helpful to you in your hectic and busy life. It can be in the morning before you start your day, or it can be at night before turning in...it can even be on your lunch break or at some other random time that becomes available to you. It is all about becoming balanced and feeling whole. It's about being like a child, full of life and love. Find your inner peace.

Be grateful every day for the things that you have in your life...
It is good to count our blessings daily, because it keeps us in a mindset of positivity and joy. When we can be joyful and positive throughout the day, things just automatically go right, and the pieces somehow fall right back into place.

May we be grateful and loving today,

Ashley