Natural Time is another very powerful Nia White Belt Principle for me.  It is based on the belief that there are natural cycles (both internal and external) that we can either follow or resist. Over time, our bodies have adapted to our demands for achievement and accomplishment, often at the expense of these natural cycles. Re-discovering the natural cycles of life (like breath, birth and death, moon and tides) and learning to honor them is like paddling a canoe with the current rather than against it.

In doing so, I have seen that there is a far greater intelligence at work than mine, and I am in awe of that and learning to trust it’s sense of timing. I have seen that my timing is not always the best for everyone involved, including me.

When I lose the sense of Natural Time in my life, as I have recently, I find myself eating to comfort myself, feeling rushed, and being impatient. Here are some of the things I do to re-connect to it:

1.     I physically re-connect to Natural Time by doing the 5 Stages of Self-Healing, spending 1 minute in each stage, moving my 13 joints and stimulating my body, mind, emotions, and spirit.  This practice relaxes my nervous system and alleviates the sensation of being rushed.  On particularly busy days, I may do this several times.

2.     I go into Silence, sometimes for up to 2 days. Beyond the sensation of boredom lies the powerful, healing sensation of peace and silence always takes me there.  Even 10 minutes of sitting in silence with NO intention, NO meditation, NO thing, just breathing can change my entire state.

3.     I allow myself to exist for 1 day with no mechanical time (no clock, no alarm).  I live on my own schedule, stepping out of the world’s time and reconnecting to my own.

Much has been written and said about Healthcare reform in the U.S. recently.  So much so that it has become a lightening rod topic and has inspired both healthy and destructive debate.  So, I am going out on a limb to share my opinion about REAL healthcare reform, which is available to anyone right now, for very little cost.

From what I understand by researching this topic, the goal of healthcare reform is both cost reduction and quality of life improvement for more Americans.  To me, a critical tactic in doing both is prevention of the chronic diseases that are increasing for many Americans. These include diabetes and heart disease which consume a disproportionate amount of healthcare costs.  These are also known as “lifestyle” diseases because they can be controlled, and in many cases reversed through lifestyle changes.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I am not minimizing the seriousness or suffering of these diseases – I am merely saying that long term the most sustainable way to reduce the costs and effects of these diseases is by preventing them in the first place. Prevention includes changes in diet, exercise, stress levels, and other choices that maximize the body’s ability to heal and repair itself from the daily grind of living. And, perhaps most importantly, lifestyle changes have ZERO negative side effects, unlike the drugs required to manage these diseases!

Again, I am not minimizing the initial effort it takes to make lifestyle changes, for that takes courage and persistence, based on my own experience.  But combined with the almost immediate increase in energy and vitality these lifestyle changes give us, migrating to a healthier lifestyle to prevent long term deterioration of health seems like something that should be included in the government’s health care plan and certainly deserves as much funding and attention as treatment of the diseases that cripple so many of our fellow Americans.

Interested in instituting your own REAL healthcare reform?  Checkout my other blogs on how to make sustainable lifestyle changes.

Niais a dynamic fitness practice which delivers sustainable fitness by integratingbody, mind, emotions, and spirit.  It isalso a lifestyle practice that can have a profound impact on life outside thestudio.  This is the first blog in aseries on Nia as a lifestyle practice, where I’ll share my own experience aswell as tips on how to enhance your Dance Through Life. 

Let’sbegin with the first Nia White Belt Principle, The Joy of Movement.  The Joy of Movement is based on the idea thatJoy is not only an emotion, but also a sensation – Universal Joy – that isavailable to us at all times and in any circumstance.  We activate that connection to Universal Joythrough sensation in the body, by bringing our attention back to the body, aswe dance both literally and figuratively. We can CHOOSE JOY in any situation, when we understand that it is morethan an emotion caused by our likes and dislikes.  It is acceptance of what is, and being fullypresent in the moment.

Myown experience with this principle has been very powerful, and it is one of thereasons I was drawn to Nia.  I firstexperienced this sensation a few years ago when I had a deep spiritualawakening that left me in a state of Joy for an extended period.  As that state subsided, or rather faded intothe background, I was happy to discover that I could use Nia to access thatstate and to cultivate it in my life.  Sincethen, I have used the sensation of Joy to listen more to my body and to give itwhat it needs versus what my mind wants. This includes beating the Joy out ofmy movement in the studio and in life. The Joy of Movement has taught me tofollow Pleasure rather than Pain, and showed me how to be healthy and fit inall dimensions of my life, not just in the studio.  I have reduced 75% of the stress in my lifeusing this principle. I can access Universal Joy in the dentist’s chair, whiledriving, and heal myself and others in the process.  Joy energy is of the highest vibration andheals everyone in its field – I am proof of that.

Toengage Joy in your Dance Through Life, give a couple of these things a try:

1.    Pickan activity that you do NOT enjoy doing, but must do every day, and infuse itwith Joy energy.  Choose Joy, and chooseto do it in Joy, by being totally aware of each and every movement your bodymakes.  Engage all your senses in thesmallest details of its doing. Become fascinated by the activity itself.  I have done this with brushing my teeth andmaking my bed, and washing dishes.  This alonecan change your life.

2.    Whereever you are, stop what you are doing and bring your focus to your breath.  Take 3 conscious breaths in and out toreconnect to Joy.  Very powerful, and canbe done anywhere, anytime.  It’s how Igot through my dentist visit!

3.    Usethis affirmation daily to expand The Joy of Movement from the studio to yourDance Through Life:

a.    I choose Joy as my guiding energy. I amcommitted to sustaining and increasing Joy today, sensing Joy in my body. IfJoy is not present, I will tweak what I do, changing something until Joyreturns.

Now that the New Year is underway and the gyms are packed with people with good intentions, don’t you wonder what happens by the end of February when 50% of those people have disappeared?  It is GREAT to start the New Year with a new exercise plan and motivation to “really stick to it” this year.  But then, somehow, life happens and we tend to end up back in the same routine, blowing off working out because we’re tired or have to work late or can’t make time.  I know that when life gets crazy, the first thing I do is quit going to yoga.  And I KNOW that doing yoga makes me feel much better when life gets crazy.  How crazy is that?

So, if you’d still like to be doing your exercise routine by the time March rolls around, here are few tips from people who successfully stick to a routine:

1.     Always exercise on Monday – it sets the tone for the rest of the week.

2.     Never skip working out for more than 2 days.  You can skip for one day or two, but more than that and it’s too hard to get back in the saddle.

3.     Find a workout that inspires more than just your body.  There are many ways to move your body, but a workout that inspires your spirit and is fun for you is one you are more likely to stick with.

4.     Exercise frequently.  Similar to #2 above, if you are only exercising once or twice a week, you are probably overcoming a LOT of inertia to make it happen.  Try to do something most days, and it will become much easier.  At least 4 times per week.

5.     Something is better than nothing. On days when I REALLY don’t feel like exercising, I just put on my running shoes and I tell myself that I’ll run for 10 minutes and if I don’t feel differently I’ll stop.  After 10 minutes I always feel better and want to keep going.  Similarly, if you are injured, find something else to do that you can do while your body heals.  Anything is also better than nothing.

6.     Create a routine that works for you.  If you are too exhausted at the end of the day to exercise, then do it at lunch or first thing.  If President Obama can do it, so can you.

7.     Start a Pleasure Journal – what?  Yep – journal about the pleasure you receive from exercising every time you do.  If you don’t receive pleasure from your exercise routine, then you might want to re-think it.  Review your journal entries when you don’t feel like exercising for inspiration.

These are just some tips that work for others. What helps you stick to your exercise routine? Please share your comments with this community!

Who wouldn’tlike cookies at breakfast?  Well, theseare good for you, can be made vegan, and are being posted by popular demandfrom the participants of the 52 Moves Nia Workshop.

These oversized cookies are more likemuffin tops, but calling them cookies makes them seem a bit more indulgent.They're chock-full of exercise-friendly ingredients like dried fruit and nuts.They're ideal with a glass of skim milk for breakfast after a morning workout.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1"cookie")

Ingredients

   3/4  cup  packed brown sugar

   1/4  cup  butter, melted (or you can use Earth Balance Vegan Spread)

   2  large eggs (or you can use Egg Replacer, available at health food stores)

   1/4  cup  finely chopped dried figs

   1/4  cup  sweetened dried cranberries

   1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

   1  cup  all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)

   1/2  cup  whole wheat flour (about 2 1/3 ounces)

   1/2  cup  unprocessed bran (about 1 ounce)

   1/2  teaspoon  baking soda

   1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

    1/4 teaspoon  ground allspice

   1/4  cup  sliced almonds

   2  teaspoons  granulated sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine first 3 ingredients in a largebowl. Stir in chopped figs, cranberries, and vanilla.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuringcups; level with a knife. Combine flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, andallspice, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirringjust until moist. Gently fold in almonds.

Drop by level 1/4 cup measures 4 inchesapart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle evenly withgranulated sugar. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2minutes on pans. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Nutritional Information

Calories:  211 (31% from fat)

Fat: 7.1g (sat 3.3g,mono 2.4g,poly 0.8g)

Protein: 4.5g

Carbohydrate:  33.2g

Fiber: 3.4g

Cholesterol:  54mg

From time to time I’d like to share some of my all-time favorite recipes with a couple of caveats:

1.     I’m no chef – I’m NOT a great cook, but I love great food.  Therefore, I only prepare recipes that are easy and taste great.

2.     I’m NOT on the Cleanse all the time. Therefore, I eat low fat and mostly vegetarian, but these recipes are NOT from the Cleanse. For those, you need to download my Cleanse Guide.

Okay, so the other day I saw Rocco Di Spirito on Rachel Ray, and I paused (only because he’s cute – Rachel Ray annoys me for some reason.)  He was promoting his new book on healthy comfort food recipes and made onion rings on her show. They looked awesome, and I remembered that I have an easier recipe for low-fat onion rings that ROCKS, so I’m sharing it with you.

Ingredients

2 large onions, sliced ¼ inch thick, rounds separated

1 cup buttermilk

Nonstick cooking spray

½ cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

4 egg whites, beaten

1 ½ cups cornflake crumbs (you can find them in the baking aisle)

Directions

Mix onion rings with buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a baking sheet (you might need more than 1) with cooking spray.

Combine flour, paprika, and salt in a shallow small bowl.

Put egg whites in a second shallow bowl and cornflake crumbs in a third.

Dip each onion ring in the flour, egg, and cornflake crumbs.

Place each onion ring on the baking sheet.

Spritz onion rings with cooking spray before baking.

Bake15 minutes until brown.

Do you wish your life had a “control-alt-delete” feature so you could just reboot and start over?  If you feel you need or want a reset button or a life-sized “do-over,” this is the blog for you. Ironically, you probably won’t read what you’d expect, regardless of what kind of reset you’d like – physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual.  It doesn’t take more discipline, or another diet, or another self-help book, or another new exercise regimen to reset your life. 

After years of trying all these things in an attempt to reset my life or try again every New Year, I have discovered that what works best for me is a step back –or out- of the routine of my life.  And, I have also discovered that the best way to step back and out of the routine of my life is to temporarily change my eating habits by upgrading my diet for 7 to 14 days.  I have found that since eating is a physical, mental, emotional, and sometimes spiritual practice, that eating more mindfully has a profound effect on each of these realms.  And at the end of the 7 to 14 days, I always have more clarity on what is sustainable, healthy, and true for me in each of these realms.  I always end up upgrading my life.

So, I know I have written many times about The Cleanse as a way to eat healthier, and lose weight, but it also serves to increase clarity and vitality quicker than anything else I’ve tried.  If you want to feel BETTER FAST, this is certainly the best way I’ve discovered.  And although many people have told me that it sounds so EXTREME, it really isn’t!  Believe me, I LOVE food and do not like to GO HUNGRY!  If you’ve been holding out or are afraid to try The Cleanse, give yourself permission to do it IMPERFECTLY.  Meaning, instead of cutting out all caffeine, reduce your intake by half.  Do it however you can do it.  Any attempt will enhance your quality of life and be an act of kindness and compassion to living on this planet (in terms of sustainable eating.)  Find your way to be successful and stretch yourself just a bit.  It’s about progress, not perfection.

I don’t know of a better way to start a New Year or to start over.  And, I would love to support you - send me an email at scirihal@hotmail.com.  You can learn more about The Cleanse here.