Claire 3/4/2016 “Why Yoga?”

Hey all! 

It feels like forever since I wrote a blog post (I know, it’s only been a couple weeks)! Well, I’ve known for a few weeks that I wanted to write about Yoga, because it’s an important part of my routine. However, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about exactly. There’s just so much about Yoga! Most of it I’ve learned through personal research and by looking up videos on Youtube. Recently, however, I joined this online community called Zenward. This is an online Yoga community focused on providing Yoga routines for Yogis from Beginning to Advanced. I absolutely love it, because our instructors could be from anywhere in the world, and I can do one routine over and over until I get it! Plus, I don’t have to go anywhere to exercise, all I need is my computer and the internet.

However, today when I went to do Yoga, I couldn’t get through the first five minutes of a ten minute flow that I’ve done half a dozen times. I couldn’t figure out why. Sure, I haven’t done Yoga for a couple weeks, but could I really be out of shape already?

For those of you who exercise regularly, you know that the answer is yes, but it’s probably not that simple of an answer either. There could be any number of reasons:

• Not enough sleep
• Not eating enough/well enough
• Not drinking enough water
• The shot I got in my arm yesterday which is still hurting after a day
• And it could even be as simple as motivation

It's hard to tell, but this is Warrior Pose. I don't have my arms
up just because I was in between poses.

That is why it’s SO important to stay on top of your workout routines. Not only that, but to also stay healthy, eat healthy, drink healthy. Really, it’s all about making everything in your body work harmoniously so that you can be in the best shape possible!

This is really hard on me. I was always a healthy kid, but my family wasn’t big on the whole exercise thing, and we did splurge and eat candy and other foods that aren’t the best for our bodies on occasion. This isn’t bad necessarily, it just didn’t teach me healthy habits. I’ve had to learn to create my own healthy habits as an adult, which hasn’t been easy on me. And I’m still learning!

Yoga helps me to realize how each part creates the whole. If one thing is out of whack, everything else will be too, and Yoga understands this. I don’t want to just practice Yoga when I’m on the mat, but I want to practice Yoga in all aspects of my life! And I want to have fun with it while I’m at it! Oh hey, look at that! I AM having fun!

I hope that you will consider these things when you are deciding how to be healthier. And remember, Yoga isn’t just a way to exercise: It’s a way of Life!

Namaste,

Claire

Claire 1/8/2016: “Why I Believe In A Personal Word of Wisdom”

By Claire

I was sitting at the dinner table recently with my family, and we came upon a pretty normal conversation for us: allergies. My sister is extremely allergic to quite a bit of foods such as soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and pears. Because of this she has a very strict diet, and can’t have regular bread which is a part of our sacrament at church services. My other sister has a gluten and dairy intolerance; she ends up in bed for days if she eats even a crumb of bread.

This past year, I took a class on campus about Church History. One of the things we talked about was our word of wisdom, which is a set of guidelines set by God for us to follow. It includes not partaking of alcohol, hot drinks, drugs, or anything else that could harm our bodies. It also talks about eating meat sparingly and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. As we discussed this piece of doctrine, we somehow got on the topic of allergies and illnesses that prevent you from eating some of the good things on the Word of Wisdom. That’s when we discussed having a personal word of wisdom.

A personal word of wisdom is a guide to a specific individual. It would include a list of “don’ts”, meaning a list of foods that you shouldn’t eat because it will make you sick. The word of wisdom is all about being the healthiest you can be, and God would want you to be healthy!

So, I get a little angry when people say, “It’s fine, you can have a little,” because they are saying that it’s okay to let just a little bit of a toxin into your body! In my mind, that’s tantamount to tempting me to drink alcohol or coffee and saying it’s okay because it’s “just a little bit”.

This year, I will be working on my own personal Word of Wisdom. This will include foods that make me feel sick or that I think I’m allergic to, and also include things I should limit or eat sparingly. Here is what I have so far:

Claire’s Personal Word of Wisdom:

Eat meat sparingly, ie not with every meal

Avoid sugary/carbonated drinks

Avoid processed foods

Stay away from raspberries, nuts, and other allergies (deadly toxins!)

And, because I also believe fitness should be on my personal word of wisdom:

Exercise 30 minutes daily (yesterday I went swimming with my friend Hannah!)

In the upcoming weeks, I will discuss more ways to eat healthy and even share some of my favorite recipes! In the meantime, why don’t you write your own personal word of wisdom or whatever you decide you want to call it? It’s a good place to start as you learn to eat and live a healthier, more wholesome, holistic life! And remember, if something makes you feel sick, you probably shouldn’t be putting it in your body. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last few months, it’s that if something looks unappetizing to you and makes you feel nauseated, don’t eat it! And NEVER be afraid to say no if someone offers something toxic to you!

Love your life, live your life, live well!

Claire