A Beachin Giveaway!

These past few days has been all about that beach ’bout that beach, no troubles.

Virginia Beach and the livin’ is easy.

Thinking it would be a light read, I dove into Cameron Diaz‘s book, The Body Book this weekend.

It was actually packed full of thoughtful ideas and facts about digestion, nutrition, mindfulness, and overall wellbeing. She argues for mind over matter:

“Because sometimes, even when you’re certain of failure, you try your hardest anyway and actually succeed. Sometimes you allow yourself to think I can do that, and then you actually do that. That’s mind over matter. That’s using your mind stead of letting it use you. That’s the basis of all human achievement. It’s using the part of your mind that is the small voice inside you, the quiet steady one coming from your gut that’s always there but can be hard to hear because the self-sabotaging voices always seem to drown it out. The smaller voice is the one that tells you the truth; it is the reasonable one that truly believes in you and knows what you are capable of. It’s the one that’s always rooting for you. It knows the difference between right and wrong and how much discomfort and pain you can endure to achieve the goals that you want in every living moment. This voice will always be there for you when you need good advice or when you need someone to push you and motivate you….Because that voice speaks from truth. From kindness. From self-acceptance. Not from ego. Not from fear.”

She goes on to say:

“Here’s why listening to your gut is so important” Happiness comes from within. It is the absolute truth. You may have to hear it a million more times before you either believe it or truly understand it.”

Happiness and health are undoubtedly inter-connected and it’s not an easy trail to glide down:

“One of my favorite sayings is “Pain is weakness leaving your body.” Isn’t that such a great thing to know? When you push through to the other side of pain, you are stronger for it; you let go of weakness and build resilience in your mind and body. Because the more you resist giving up when you can actually keep going, the more your mind will also adapt—it will learn that it is capable and it will power you through the pain.”

My favorite part was her parallel between health and habit:

“Healthy is not an accident, a gift, or a rabbit’s foot. It is a HABIT. It is a habit that will shape the bodies that we were born with, a habit that will support the genetic makeup we got from our parents.” 

Next time you’re trying to pursue a goal and you slip up, tell yourself you can start again the next day. Each day is a new chance to get it right. Don’t succumb to the pressures of giving up. Stick to it, whatever that goal may be.

Eat clean, train dirty. What about eat clean, drink dirty?

Chee-ahs!

You know I’m always moderating for Moderation. Even though alcohol isn’t the healthiest, it is a lot of fun. #vice

If you’re stuck in a rut, switch it upside down.

Invert before you hurt.

If you’ve ever wanted to try yoga or you’ve tried it and you don’t like it, why not try it again? You’ll inevitably learn something new, even if it’s what you don’t like.

For me, yoga is sanity. I know it’s not for everyone, but I can’t help but to preach what works for me. Yoga gets me through anxiety, the roller coaster of emotions, mundane attachments, and the tunnel that is my personal truth. Oh, and it keeps me in shape (in addition to cardio and weights).

There are many different styles and branches of yoga. If you leave the familiar western culture at the door, it’s easy to embrace the unique, sometimes strange practice of yoga. After all, isn’t weird just the absence of expectance?

The super.natural team sent me this comfortable yoga outfit. The versatile long sleeved top and base layer tights are designed to manage moisture next to skin and improve thermal performance. I like the color combo. The jersey material is soft, cozy and breathable.

Yoga stylin’ and profilin’.

While I usually prefer a live class, videos can also be fun. The GAIAM workout videos are easy to follow along in your own home and the yoga flows are creative, keeping your mind busy and not concentrated on the time.

If you’re interested in giving yoga a try, here’s your chance.

I’m giving one lucky reader the Gaiam Beginning Yoga video with Chrissy Carter.

To enter: Leave a comment below telling me the first word you think of when you hear “yoga.”

I’ll announce the winner next Wednesday, October 1, 2014!

Disclaimer: While super.natural and GAIM provided me with apparel and videos for this post, all thoughts and ideas are my own