4 Steps to Succeeding in Your New Year Resolutions

One of the amazing benefits and bonuses I have found in serving others is that every time I give to others, they simultaneously give to me in return. Often the gifts they give to me extend further than they realize possible or initially intend. One of the gifts I recently received from one of my favorite couples that I coach is an awesome podcast from NPR’s The People’s Pharmacy entitled Tapping the Science of Willpower for the New Year. After their agreement that I would find the information beneficial and in alignment with the philosophies I embrace, teach, and live by, I queued it up for a listen while working on a blog post I was inspired to write on resolutions and succeeding in creating lasting change in 2014. Not only did I indeed find the podcast beneficial and brilliant, it shifted the direction of my post into what you are reading now 🙂

In the podcast (which I encourage you to listen to if you feel called to do so: http://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2013/12/28/840-willpower-science/), guest Kelly McGonigal, PhD, award-winning psychology instructor at Stanford University and health educator for the School of Medicine’s Health Improvement Program, offers amazing insights and understandings as to the science behind willpower and how it effects our New Year’s—and year round—resolutions and commitments to create desired change in our lives. Dr. McGonigal’s sharings fell perfectly in alignment with what I planned to share through my blog on how I’m succeeding with my commitments for 2014 and inspired me to focus this post on four key factors as to why I am succeeding in my resolutions, which will set you up for success in the new year, as well!

• Step 1 – Get Clear. What is your intention? If you do not know what you want your life to look like, you risk squandering valuable time, money, and energy. Take a moment to envision what changes you would like to create this year. It’s all about getting your actions in alignment with your words and desires. What’s at the forefront of your mind is at the forefront of your actions. If your only vision of your life is glances back to what you experienced in the past or what you do not wish to experience in your future, you’ll be destined to experience those very things again this year. Bottom line: This year is going to happen rather you make changes or not. If you continue doing the same things throughout the year that you are doing now, what will the end of 2014 look like for you? If you don’t like the answer to this question, I encourage you to take a couple moments with yourself to gain some clarity around your ideal 2014. Dr. McGonigal also encourages those seeking to create change to get a picture of what they want their future to look like, as well as envisioning your future self if you do not create the changes, and the consequences this will bring.

• Step 2 – Chunk it Down! Often we subconsciously set ourselves up for failure by taking on everything at once. We over commit and under deliver when we take big steps that are new to us or we are not in the habit of doing. Before I mastered creating lasting change in my life, I’d take too large of a step toward my goal and come up short every time, so this year I embraced a different approach and set small, simple, easily accomplished commitments. For my commitment in reclaiming my post-childbirth-body, I committed to doing 3 push-ups, 3 squats, and 3 crunches every day. While I am aware doing this will not get me on the cover of Fitness magazine by the start of swimsuit season, my true goal is to get back in the habit of exercising regularly, while creating a new exercise habits that honor the fact I’ve got a little one to tend to throughout my day. Now of course that doesn’t mean I can ONLY do 3 of each, it simply means if it’s 11:45pm and I’m crawling into bed and realize I have not followed through on my exercises and all I have to do is drop and give myself 3, I’m far more likely to do so (and I have, by the way) than I am to get my workout gear on and do a 30-minute exercise routine. I’ve also found that once I start to do my exercises, I easily am inspired to do far more than three (I’ve also discovered my little angel makes quite the inspiring little cheerleader).   I learned from Dr. McGonigal a great question to ask yourself: What’s the smallest thing you’re willing to do that is consistent with the vision you have for your life? Following through with small steps daily brings improvements daily. Committing to big steps and not following through brings no improvement. The smaller the commitment, the more likely to have the success experience, and ultimately the more likely to continue with creating the change.

• Step 3 – Take it one day at a time. Again, with the overwhelming view of having to take something on for the whole year or the rest of your life, it’s easy to get caught up in feeling you may never reach your goal. Creating lasting change takes time. You are where you are right now due to your current habits. Those habits took time to create. You did not wake up on day being exactly as you are now. Your new habits will take time, too. Focus on today. Be here now. It is only in the NOW that you can make the choice that most serves your desired change. If you miss the mark and fall short of your intention for the day, be kind, loving and patient with yourself, and recommit for the next day. Dr. McGonigal reinforces this self-kindness by mentioning how those that are hardest on themselves for not accomplishing what they set out to do are more likely to continue their non-serving behaviors for the long-run, especially if they use the setback as evidence that there is something wrong with them that keeps them from succeeding. Again, lasting change is a journey taken one step at a time.

• Step 4 – Get accountability. I know, I know…if you are like how I used to be, you cringe at the thought of accountability. To succeed in transforming your life, accountability is key. As I learned to embrace accountability, the easier my life became. Often, we do not want to tell others what our goals and commitments are because we fear embarrassment or letting them down if we fail to follow through. This very reason is a great reason to get accountability! I cannot tell you how many of my commitments I follow through on solely because I’ve told my accountability partner that I was going to do. Plus, my accountability partners allow for me to reach out to them when I’m feeling overwhelmed, uninspired, and tempted to fall short of follow through, and they always assist me in getting back on track. Dr. McGonigal points out that part of willpower is recognizing where you have support and being able to plug yourself into that support when needed. We are not in this alone. We are meant to link arms and champion one another to success. By posting this blog, you have become one of my accountability partners and I appreciate your support!

 

I would like to extend my support to you, as well, and assist to ensure you create the lasting change you desire for 2014. If you are in a place in your life that you can read this post and put it to work instantly benefiting from its wisdom, good for you! Go for it and reap all the rewards that are destined to be yours! If you read this, resonate with the information it contains, feel inspired to get into action, and could benefit from some additional support, I encourage you to consider participating in my virtual workshop series that begins Monday, January 27. Living From the Heart is a 12-week series guaranteed to set you up for success in creating lasting change this year. Not only will we dive more in depth on each of the four steps I referenced in this blog post, we’ll cover the entire foundation for creating lasting change in your life.

When I say “guarantee,” I mean exactly that. You seriously have nothing to lose in the new year except fears, self-imposed limitations and non-serving habits!

With my 100% money back guarantee for up to one year upon full out participation and completion of my virtual workshop series, the design of it allowing you to complete each week at your pace, honoring your schedule, unlimited access to my personal support via email and text you are set up for success! The next three months are going to happen anyway. What will three months from now look like if you continue to do live life exactly how you are right now? If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting. You have nothing to lose. No excuses. Go for it. You are so deserving! Results are guaranteed. Register today!  http://holisticrestoration.com/happenings/virtual-workshop-series/lfth-virtual-workshop-series/ If you are reading the post after the start of the series, don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out. Contact me today to find out about the Living From the Heart home study course!

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Energy: What’s Behind the Issue in Your Tissue

Everything is energy, made up of particles and atoms vibrating at certain speeds to create the physical manifestations that we witness in life, like the kitchen table, for example. Some of the energy moves at a frequency that exceeds the limitations of our human senses appearing to not even exist until we are able to tune into them, such as radio, television and the internet, which display the physical results in their respective ways. The same is true for our emotions, a seemingly unseen frequency that comes from within our human bodies. Emotions flow, animating our bodies, and leading our actions and experiences in life. Some are light, lifting us up on top of the world; and others are heavy, densely weighing us down.  When held onto and not allowed to continue to flow through our bodies, our emotions, like anything else not allowed to flow, become stuck, slowing down the vibration, which display in a much denser form. Most often: the physical manifestation of tense, tight, sore and achy muscles.

As a Licensed Massage and Bodywork Therapist for the past seven years, my main approach to assisting others in releasing these physical manifestations was by dealing with the physical manifestation itself. My well-trained and gifted hands have navigated countless tension-filled muscles, skillfully manipulating the muscle tissue, silently suggesting (this is how I’ve become known as the Muscle Whisperer) to the fibers to relax, release, and restore harmony in this beautiful orchestra of flesh that creates our bodies of divine perfection; the physical expression of the specific vibration of molecules that make you uniquely you. Far more often than not, this approach proves session after session, that it is amazingly effective and beneficial.

As awesome as it is, massage alone has its limitations. Though the very act of massage allows wonderful healing energy to flow through my hands and into the bodies of my clients–which is very likely strongly influencing the effectiveness of my intention to release the body of stored tension, toxins and tight muscle fibers, thus allowing the flow of blood, and the flushing out of the unneeded and bringing in fresh nutrients and oxygen, creating an environment perfect for healing to establish. Or simply put, massage allows your energy to re-establish flow, by addressing the physical manifestation of the stuck, blocked energy.

So why not take it one step further?

Our physical body reflects the energetic vibration that creates its form. Every aspect of our vibration has a physical representation for it, and since we’ve already established that everything is energy, this also includes our emotions and beliefs. Like all energy and the blood in our bodies, when restricted and slowed down, they take on a denser form, and therefore create an in-balance in the body that demonstrates itself physically in those aforementioned tense, tight, sore and achy muscles. Just like how exercise allows for improved circulation of blood allowing for better overall health, we too must allow our emotions to flow in order to improve the circulation of our energy, giving us the physical results and benefits of restoring overall health and balance. In fact, the divine perfection of the body’s physical design even gives us a map to where to look in the emotional and believe departments within. The imbalance in energy within this emotional area will display in specific physical areas.

How cool is that??

Perhaps this is what they call the seven year itch, because lately I’ve been receiving a calling to enhance the experience and results that my clients receive in their sessions. Although I know I have developed my technique and intuition over the past seven years, in a sense I’ve been offering the same massage experience. It was through my desire to offer a holistic approach that brings 360-degree balance to our lives, and my relationships with my clients, that led me to coaching clients and teaching others how to live a more peaceful emotional and overall life experience. Now, I’ve been led to bridge the gap between my coaching; assisting your emotional energy to flow, and my massage; assisting your physical energy to flow, I am able to offer my clients the authentic meaning of my practice name: Holistic Restoration.

What does bridging the gap between coaching and massage look like?

I’m incorporating everything I’ve learned about the body and the energy that creates it, animates it, and heals it by offering Body/Mind Healing sessions. In these 90-minute to two-hour sessions, my clients will receive the physical benefits of my healing therapeutic massage work, as usual, though with a twist. Not only will I be listening to what the muscles tell me as far as where to focus my skilled hands and what physical techniques to apply, I will also be listening to what areas are affected and relaying the information back to my client on what physical issues in that particular area of the body could emotionally be attached to. Together we will explore what possible non-serving beliefs and stuck emotions could be the culprit behind the issue in the muscle tissue. This is where my intuitive coaching skills will aid in the healing by offering a shift in perspective, facilitating the opportunity to release the stored emotions and adopt a more serving believe, therefore balancing the energy of the area, and ultimately resulting in a release of the physical issue.

Again, how cool is that?!!

I am more committed and inspired than ever before to offer you the healing experience you are so deserving of receiving. Your support and belief in me and my offerings is a gift that is immeasurable. For more information on Holistic Restoration and my services, be sure to check out the rest of my website. If you have any questions I may assist with, always feel free to contact me, as it is my highest honor to serve you.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Secrets to Living a Thirst-Quenching Life: Hydrate Your Way to Happiness—Letting the Easy In (part 4)

In the year 2000, I experienced the end of a relationship. I’d put more years into this relationship than I had any other beyond my family. To say there was an immense amount of love is an understatement. To say there was attachment is just getting started. I could not image my life without this relationship, but I knew what had to be done. About a month after it ended, I thought maybe I was missing something and I went back for a little taste. It burned, it felt awkward, and it surprisingly left me completely unsatisfied, more than ever before. Instantly I knew it would never be the same again, and I said goodbye once and for all. Now, almost 14 years later, there’s still not a single day, I’d even say not a single moment, that I’ve regretted my decision. Luckily it didn’t take long to find a replacement and that replacement has been more serving and satisfying than I could ever image. To this day, my new relationship is still my top priority no matter what kind of day I’ve had, what choices I’ve made, or where I travel. I can honestly say I’m committed for life…or until death do us part.

I committed to stop drinking soda (soft drinks, as we often say in the South; pop, for you mid-Westerners; and I’m not sure what they say in Canada…eh?). I switched to only non-carbonated beverages, other than the occasional adult beverage. Originally, I made this choice in an effort to change my dieting habits and hopefully lose some weight. After immediate amazing results, staying away from carbonation was a no brainer. A couple short years later, I learned the value of drinking water, and began to make a conscious effort to drink more. I felt the benefits in my body, mainly in ways that allowed me to feel more comfortable…in a personal sort of manner. A couple years after that, I began studying whole food nutrition and was led to read amazing life altering and enhancing books like Dr. Emoto’s The Hidden Messages in Water and Dr. Batmanghelidj’s Your Body’s Many Cries for Water: You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty, I began to understand the full power water has on our bodies.

Here’s some perks I’ve personally noticed in my life:

1. No hangovers. Ever. Enough said.
2. No headaches. In fact, it is often the glass of water you drink as you swallow down your favorite headache medication that remedies your issue, not the pill.
3. Save money while dining out. You may have to have several refills as it seems to be a common myth among restaurants that because you want water you’re not as thirsty as the average non-water beverage consumer because so many places give you tiny cups to use. The savings continue at the grocery store, as well.
4. Abundant breast milk production. As a new mom committed to giving her baby the most nutrient-rich, cost-efficient, God-intended food, believe me this is a huge gift of diligent water drinking. And men, don’t overlook the benefit of this and all the money you’ll save not buying formula for your baby.
5. While on the subject of motherhood, how about no morning sickness? That’s right, morning—or for many women all-day—sickness during pregnancy is a common side effect of not having the body properly hydrated. If you are planning a pregnancy in the future, go ahead and start upping your intake now. I doubled what I required while I was pregnant, and continue to require that amount with breast feeding.

Here’s some signs you may be chronically dehydrated:

1. If you’re not drinking ½ your body weight in ounces of water every day…at a minimum. And that doesn’t even cover the increase needed with added physical exertion, consuming of non-water beverages and unhealthy foods, and stress. I know this may seem overwhelming to some of you, however break it down this way: If you weigh 180lbs, aim for a minimum of 90oz—or less than three liters, or just over five standard-size bottles—of water in a day. That’s only two throughout the morning, two throughout the course of your day, and one in the evenings after work. Easy-peasy.
2. If you don’t get thirsty. The thirst mechanism is the first function to shut down as the body becomes dehydrated. If ignored, the body eliminates it and moves on to compromising other bodily functions; anything from regular (daily or more often) bowel movements, to skin issues, to lethargy.
3. If you don’t like the taste of water. Water assists the body of ridding metabolic wastes . To me, water taste like liquid gold…or something like that. I LOVE the taste and prefer it to almost anything.
4. If you experience regular headaches, migraines, neck or back pain, skin issues, digestion or gastrointestinal issues, allergies, sinus issues, mood imbalances, stress, low energy, muscle cramps/spasms, and a number of other health issues that are typically treated with allopathic medicine. In other words, if you are experiencing anything other than ideal health and you currently do not drink a large amount of pure, fresh water daily, it is absolutely worth your exploration to see if increasing your water intake assists in balancing your issue. If this one applies to you, then I strongly encourage you to read Your Body’s Many Cries for Water, as referenced above.
5. You feel hungry even when you shouldn’t be. That’s right; the majority of hunger pangs are truly thirst in disguise. Try it out for yourself. The next time you find yourself hungry and it’s either not time to eat or you’re not in a position to eat, drink yourself a pint or so of water and wait 20-minutes to see if that doesn’t remedy the situation. This is a really great tip on anyone working toward a weight-loss goal. Water does not replace food, though you can survive much longer without food than you can without water.

Here’s some simple tips to increase your daily water intake with ease:

1. Start each day with a pint of water. Do this for three days to a week, then add a glass mid-day, then add one to the evening. Slowly increasing is the trick to not be in the bathroom all day and night as your body adjusts to the change. Like anything, if you add too much too fast the body will view it as excess and rid itself of it. Slowly added over time tells the body to fully utilize it, because more is coming.
2. Set a bottle or glass of water on your desk, nightstand, wherever you spend your time. When you see it, sip it.
3. Start carrying a bottle of water everywhere you go. Don’t worry so much on the source; even unfiltered tap water is better for the body than no water. If it has a dirty-ish taste to it, see tip 4.
4. Add fresh fruit or herbs to your water to enhance the flavor. Citrus fruits, cucumbers, strawberries and mint are just a few suggestions that can add in the flavor without compromising the body’s ability to absorb, utilize, and hydrate. Pretty much anything else you add to water will hinder these processes.
5. For every non-water beverage you consume, match it with equal water. Every non-water beverage has a dehydrating effect on the body. Regardless of how much water is used in creating the beverage, fresh fruits and herbs are the only things that can be added to water without affecting its ability to hydrate your body. I’ve heard that for every 8oz of coffee you consume, your body requires an additional 64oz of water to counter-balance the dehydration effect…that’s in addition to the ½ your body weight in ounces for basic cellular functions.

Simply put, proper hydration makes for a healthier, happier life. It is the one consistent commitment I make to honor the gift that my body is. Just because we have such a plethora of other tasty beverage choices in this day and age, it does not make water obsolete. In fact, due to all the advances in our society, increased pollutions, artificial ingredients, and stress (dehydration causes stress and stress causes dehydration; it’s a vicious cycle), it is more crucial than ever before to honor and protect our natural water sources, and to ensure we keep ourselves, our children, and our loved ones properly hydrated. In this post, I’ve only scratched the surface on the reasons to hydrate. Research more if you’d like, but either way, kindly consider loving yourself enough to give yourself this simple gift ♥

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Never Diet Again—Letting the Easy In (part 3)

I remember shortly after I began to dive into the personal development realm, I was introduced to the concept that people who have mastered the law of attraction and manifesting no longer found the need to diet. Instead, they maintain a level of health consciousness. I didn’t really understand what this meant, so my brain—likely in an attempt to self-sabotage and maintain a reflection of reality that proved a misguided belief system that I’ll never be enough—took it in a literal way that I could think myself thin while eating anything and everything I wanted. Needless to say, I’m sure you can imagine how that worked out…I ended up with a cavity and a few extra pounds on the scale. Years later, after staying the course of finding my peace and balance in life, I was blessed to discover the true meaning of health consciousness and it is equally as liberating as the thought of never dieting again—because that’s exactly what it is—and if it’s not obvious to you already, I’m here to share my perspective.

As many of you likely remember, in September of 2009, I took on a 24-week challenge to transform my physical and emotional body offered by Isagenix every year. With the sweet motivation of a $10,000 grand prize (which is NOTHING compared to what they offer now…including $200 in free products for simply completing the challenge! Click here to learn more), I ventured into the world of finding balance in my body; something I failed to maintain for as long as I can remember. Around twenty-four weeks, forty-nine pounds, and sixty-two and a quarter inches later, I was well on my way to creating a balanced physical life. I left the competition with something money can’t buy. For the first time in recollection, I was finally comfortable in my own skin. From there, I continue the journey today, maintaining habits that honor myself, my family, everyone involved, and has allowed a new level of ease in my life. (Check out my Accepting the Challenge blog post to learn more about my challenge experience.)

Take a moment to picture never reading nutritional labels, counting calories, proteins, fats, or carbs ever again. How much ease did that thought alone create in your life, let alone its application? Add to that the releasing of all the self-loathing involved in not eating perfectly and giving into temptation, while still enjoying your favorite treats (For a fresh perspective on “treats”, read my post: 5 Questions to Re-Evaluate Your Self-Rewards). Feeling lighter already? These are just the highlights of living a life of health consciousness.

For myself, my journey to health consciousness looked like the folowing…

• I developed the awareness and serving habits of health consciousness by making choices that I could live with long-term, not just for a few days, weeks or months.
• I realized the gift my body is by divine design which fueled my inspiration to follow the blueprint my creator made and committed to eating closer to the earth.
• I gave myself a “free day,” allowing myself one day of eating whatever I wanted in exchange for six days of following a serving Isaterian lifestyle, consisting of a primarily whole foods, vegetarian diet with the occasional seafood, and Isagenix products.(Side note: Whole foods are great on many levels. Beyond their superior nutritional content compared to processed, packaged and pre-prepared foods, there’s no nutritional label to mess with! I hear many people voice concerns over the amount of calories, sugars and fats found naturally in many earth-given foods, however this is of no concern to me as the body was designed to consume these foods and knows exactly how to handle them in almost every case.)
• As my journey continues, I maintain my balance by choosing every day to consume more serving, quality food choices than not. I’m not interested in perfection, only balance and longevity.
• Bottom line: Living health consciously means loving your body and treating it was the gift it is by being aware of the choices we make in what we put into and do with our bodies.

Fittingly enough I took on this endeavor to be a better example to my future children and not pass along my uncomfortable skin. Now four years post-challenge, I have been gifted with an angel with unrivaled perfection. I hold the vision of my daughter living a life always seeing herself as nothing short of awesome and amazing, and absolute divine perfection. To always feel comfortable in her own skin and not have to endure the years of second guessing her value and her worth. She inspires and refreshes my commitment to myself, which is a simultaneous commitment to her, which makes the choices I make all the more easy and rewarding. Being an example to her by living a health conscious lifestyle is the least I can do for her, for myself, and also for you.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Move it Momma!: Letting the Easy In (part 2)

For the past couple of months I’ve been going through new job training. The position: Mom. One thing I’ve discovered is that motherhood is challenging, to say the least. I could say, and have heard it described countless times as hard, though I believe nothing is anything until we name it and if I’d prefer to let the easy into my life (see my past blog post on Deserving Moms) why would I name anything hard? I certainly do not prefer to experience hard, so I’ll name it more accurately as challenging. To me, a challenge is an opportunity to succeed and discover how capable I am. Believing that only that which I am fully equipped to handle shows up in my life, I embrace challenges and chose to perceive them as a positive thing.

Continuing from my previous post on how deserving moms are of creating a life full of challenges as easy as possible, taking time to honor our physical body by giving it what it requires to thrive: quality nutrition, proper hydration, plenty of movement and ample rest, is essential. Creating a health conscious lifestyle (which I’ll discuss in more detail in part three of this Letting the Easy In blog series) serves moms and their families in such a beautiful way.

My daughter and husband deserve for me to be well rested so that it is easier for me to be kind, loving, patient and generous with them and myself. Heck, I deserve that peaceful experience as well! My daughter deserves for me to be able to hold or carry her as long as required for her to feel safe, comfortable, and cherished. And I deserve to do so without shoulder, neck, back or arm discomfort. (Seriously, I do not know how moms carry around car seat buckets all day! Luckily I more often chose to wear my child in a wrap or sling so I rarely have to experience that haul.) This ease in my body and mind, and improved quality of sleep are just a couple of the many benefits gained from honoring my physical body—the vehicle for my soul, my gift from God to navigate this world—with regular movement and exercise.

Exercise is not something reserved for the ultra-healthy or those desiring to shed a few pounds. It’s a basic need, like breathing, that when met, allows us to tap into the true potential we have physically, and in our life experience. It is not a chore, it’s a gift. An endless gift you chose to give to yourself, your family and the world around you. Choosing to give this gift, regardless if it’s for only ten-minutes a day, is something you are so deserving of receiving. Life is a physical event, so begin viewing yourself as an athlete. If you need a bit more encouragement to do so, I recommend reading a post I wrote last year on Honoring Your Inner Athlete.

If adding exercise still evokes feelings of one more chore in your life, challenge yourself to redefine what exercise and working out looks like to you. No need to join expensive gyms—though they do offer the added benefit of getting out of the house for moms, sometimes offer childcare if needed, and can add the bonus of fun classes to spice up your routines; spend hours slaving away—seriously, raising your heartbeat for 10-15 minutes even just three days a week is better than zero-minutes seven days a week; or any other reason your mind is giving you right now to not do it. As I would encourage you to do with everything you do in life, find a way to move that makes your heart sing!  Here’s some ideas to get you started:

• Create a dance mix to listen to every morning and turn your living room into a private dance club.
• Go outside for a walk around your neighborhood and challenge yourself to pass a few more houses every couple of days while taking the same amount of time.
• Challenge yourself to clean a room in the fastest amount of time possible and accomplish two needs at once.
• Get your kids involved in your movements, ask them for ideas, encourage them to participate, or use them (carefully of course) as added weight to some resistance training like I’ve started doing with my almost 18-pound baby.
• Take 10-15 minutes to skip, frolic, romp, hop, shake, shimmy, boogie, squat, lunge, stretch, discover what you like, discard what you don’t, just get out of your everyday routine of motions (or lack thereof) and MOVE IT!!!

How you move doesn’t matter…THAT you move does. You will find ALL of your life becomes easier with an increased level of fitness. Climb stairs with ease, tote heavy laundry baskets without a grunt, get out of bed without needing to hit the snooze button, and most importantly have the energy and physical strength required to give your children and your family all that they deserve.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Moms Are So Deserving: Letting the Easy In (part 1)

I was chatting with one of my beautiful friends today and she asked me how new motherhood was going for me. After I gave a brief recap of my experiences the past few weeks—which as you mothers know can best be summarized as never-ending and demanding along with all the cuteness—she replied while nodding,

“And can you imagine what it’s like for moms that don’t have Isagenix?”

I immediately pictured myself more tired, much further from my pre-pregnancy weight, and much busier having to figure out meals for myself throughout the day, plus the additional stress of trying to make it nutrient-rich and budget-friendly. No wonder so many moms keep or even add on to their pregnancy weight. No wonder so many moms skip meals or make food choices based on convenience verses making their nutrition top priority. No wonder I was continually told how tired I would be once the baby arrived. No wonder I haven’t experienced any of these issues!

My pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum experience has absolutely increased my gratitude for having such sound, cost-efficient and convenient nutrition Isagenix brings to my life. With all my gratitude, this was the first time I thought about what my life and new motherhood experience would look like without it.

Moms, we work hard. We’ve been given such an important mission in raising these babes. We are so important and we matter so much. The choices we make not only affect us. They affect our family and quite honestly everyone in our paths. The demands on us physically and emotionally are never-ending and we deserve to be able to handle all of it with peace and ease.

You deserve it.

Your kids deserve it.

Your family deserves it.

Let the easy in.

Now I’m not making any claims that my wonderful transition into motherhood is directly a result of my involvement with Isagenix, as I could never prove that to be true. What I do know to be true, however, is when you feed your body and mind the way it was designed to be fueled, you increase your capacity for reaching your peak potential. (**and this doesn’t even mention the personal growth and development I’ve experienced over the years of being immersed in the culture of Isagenix, allowing a significant increase in my peace of mind, allowing me to eat 80% of my meals for free, etc…I’d be happy to share more of these benefits with anyone interested in learning of them. Simply send me a message or call me to chat!)

This realization and reflection has inspired me to turn this single blog post into a series focused on what it truly takes and how simple it is to let the easy into the lives of mommas. Not a momma? Not to worry. All the information I share will be beneficial for daddies, parents to be, and anyone currently undergoing the human experience no matter where you are on your journey. So be sure to stay tuned and share these postings with anyone in your life that you believe is deserving of letting the easy into their lives. As always, thank you for reading and supporting my mission to bring a bit more peace and self-love to you and the world!

 

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Who Do You Think You Are: Avoiding SBD’s of the Mind (Silent But Deadly Thoughts)

The other day a beautiful friend of mine asked if I had made the tie-dyed outfit my daughter was wearing. My immediate thought was: I wish! I can’t make a tie-dye that awesome. Images of when I was in Girl Scouts flashed through my head, along with the excitement of make a rockin’ tie-dye shirt for the first time, and the disappointment that followed when mine didn’t look like the ones I had seen for sale in stores. In that moment, at the ripe age of likely 10, I decided I suck at making tie-dyes, and that’s been my thought anytime making tie-dyes has come up ever since.

I’ve spent the past four years consciously building my belief in myself. I consciously look for any limiting beliefs and thoughts I carry unknowingly/subconsciously with me. So this time, after the thought crossed my mind as I was about to respond to my friend’s question, I realized: I’m making a decision about who I am and what I’m capable of from the limited perspective and experience I had as a child, and I’m making it a truth about me. The truth is I haven’t tried to make a tie-dye in twenty-something years. The truth is I am very capable of doing anything I set my mind to. The truth is that I’m sure if I really truly wanted to make my own tie-dye, I’ve got twenty-something years of experience that will assist in guiding me successfully through the project. Even if it took me several attempts to reach tie-dye success, I’m sure that the shirts I have seen for sale are not someone’s first go at tie-dying either!

This realization immediately felt more truthful to me than my previous subconscious-provoked thought. I felt one more little piece of me being healed. I felt more self-loving and accepting. I truly believe that’s what this journey called life is truly all about: A journey to self-love. Following my belief that the world around us is a reflection of what we believe, when we fall in love with ourselves, the world around us reflects the same unconditional love and acceptance back to us. It’s our journey to peace and truly discovering heaven on earth, or more accurately, as Jesus said, heaven within us.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Natural Birth of a Baby and a Mother

I was called brave and courageous. I was called crazy and naive. I was encouraged and supported. I was laughed and scoffed at.

“Just wait…you’ll see,” I was told…“Aren’t you scared?” I was asked…“Wow, I could never do that,” I heard.

I received all these reactions for something that I would inevitably have to face, regardless if it went my way or not. Perhaps it was my decade plus of experience in the natural healing realm. Perhaps it was my faith. Perhaps it was innate intelligence. The fact that women had done this since the beginning of humankind absolutely was what I’d fall back on anytime I found myself inching toward self-doubt. For whatever the reason, I knew from the beginning of my pregnancy that having my baby au naturel in the comfort of my own home was something I had to experience. And now I am surer than ever, part of the reason I was given this divine mission, was to be an example to other women of what we are capable of doing.

Throughout my journey, one thing became apparently clear: Many women have lost their faith—or never had it in the first place—in what we as woman are equipped to handle. Any moms out there reading this already know what I’ve recently learned. Motherhood brings out a whole new level of capable. The demands of being a mom are never-ending. Ever. They NEVER stop. Especially while your newborn babe is dependent on you for every feeding, diaper change, comfort and necessity. While I and many moms-to-be understand this concept in theory, it is a whole other thing to experience it yourself. And even though many of us may doubt if we’ll be able to do everything “right,” we do know we will be okay and we’ll figure it out.

So why wait until the baby has arrived to believe in ourselves?

I’m not here to say that home birth or even natural birth is the answer or best solution for every woman. Nor am I saying that the other options are wrong, unnecessary or bad, or make you any less of a loving, amazing, wonderful mom. I’m simply here to say you are fully equipped and literally made to reproduce naturally, and often without all the fancy equipment provided by hospitals–which again are fabulous places that support the needs of some expecting moms that do require the added assistance. (I just learned today that only 5% of modern births actually need assistance).

Although this was my first pregnancy and birth experience, I was not called to read and research mounds of information. In fact, to date, I’ve read two books on what to expect, and skimmed three others. Beyond being at home, I didn’t have a birth plan. Inside I knew all along I’d simply know what to do and where to do it when the time came, and that’s exactly what happened. And although the labor at moments was intense to say the least, I never once would have traded it for not being fully present and aware of what was happening in my body. And although my doula and midwife held a beautiful space for me to complete the task of childbirth, I followed my instincts and was not told how or what I needed to be doing as I had seen countless times in my past on television with traditional doctor assisted hospital births. My body told me what to do, and I did it. More accurately, it was not so much my doing as it was my allowing that brought my beautiful daughter into the world.

I share all this with the intention to remind you, or perhaps let you in on the fact, that women are fiercely and perfectly made. We are fully equipped to bring life into this world. We were made for it. We were designed precisely for it. Women around the world to this day honor the experience by allowing their bodies to do what they were made to do without medication or medical intervention. Given the right support—physically, emotionally, and spiritually—we unlock our potential and accomplish much more than the doubt that arises within ourselves or comes from others may imply we can do. We are miracles. Our bodies are miraculous. And the babies we carry are packed with the same intelligence as flowers, never having to be told to grow, and always coming into full bloom at the perfect time, even if it’s a week past the predicted due date as my little angel did.

If I may offer any guidance and support to you or any planning or expecting mother in your life, kindly let me know as I believe my journey was intended to be one that allows me to expand my service to others in this life. Thank you as always for allowing me to share with you. You have my deepest and most sincere gratitude.

*maternity and birth photography by Amma Prema

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Trust Yourself to Trust Others

One of the philosophies I teach and live by is the belief that when you 100% trust yourself, you can 100% trust others. This simple philosophy is also the one that is most challenged by my students and clients. Too many of us have too much evidence to the contrary, and fully believe there are some people in the world you cannot trust no matter the circumstances. To be completely honest, there’s a small voice inside of me that begs me to reconsider this belief and offers me plenty of evidence from my past of different people I likely should never trust again. I decided this would be a great topic to expand on, for myself, along with you. Here are five reasons the philosophy holds water and what I can trust about others 100% of the time:

1. I trust that every person that crosses my path, at the core essence of their being is pure divine love and perfection. Simply explained: God don’t make no junk. Everything, everyone, is exactly how it should be. Life does not make mistakes and is always on purpose. We are all divine love expressed on this earth.
2. I trust that everyone wants to be happy and no one wants to be a jerk. While we all have many differences on the outside, within each and every person is the desire to be happy and to be loved and accepted. As one of my mentors teaches, no one is a jerk until you show up. All alone, or surrounded by those that accept them, they are at peace and happy until you come along and make them wrong for being them, deny them their acceptance, and trigger their jerk mechanism causing a reaction they feel fully justified to give.
3. I trust that anyone that displays anything other than this divine love and perfection and desire to be happy is doing so because they believe it’s what they have to do in order to survive. It may not bring them what they want, buts it’s proven the test of time that in the end, they will still be alive, and that’s all that matters to our subconscious mind that is making 90% of our decisions.
4. I trust that everyone is doing the best they can do. Often not the best they have the potential of doing, simply the best they believe is possible for them consciously or subconsciously in that moment. If they thought there was a better way or that they could make a better choice, believe me they would.
5. Most importantly I trust that no matter what choices others make, I am fully equipped to deal with whatever occurs as a result. Trusting myself 100% means trusting I am fully equipped to handle anything that crosses my path. So even if I deal with someone that fails to meet my mind’s view of trustworthy, I know I can handle whatever follows the betrayal or failed expectations. And since I doubly believe that life is our reflection, this opportunity offers a chance for me to reflect over where in my life I may be letting another or myself down by not following through on a commitment.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy

Food is Life and Isagenix is Food

At the beginning of my pregnancy, many caring people asked me with great concern if I was still taking Isagenix. I was surprised at everyone’s concern mostly because I couldn’t image growing a baby without feeding the best nutrients on the planet to my body. Here I sit 21 weeks later (at the time of this writing; 28 weeks at the time of this posting) without having experienced a day of morning sickness, feeling great with peace of mind that even though I do succumb to many cravings I typically do not have in my pre-pregnant diet, mainly regular dairy, wheat and eggs, along with a variety of processed, sugary foods, my baby is getting great, usable nutrients every day.

For the first time tonight, it hit me. Many must think that because it comes in powders, liquids and encapsulations, because I’ve released pounds and inches and maintain a balanced healthy weight for the first time in my adult life, Isagenix must be diet products that starve my body or at least trick it in some way. I’m here to set the record straight that that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Yes modern technology and advanced science has found how to harvest the highest quality nutrient sources in a way that they are convenient to ship, store, consume and for the body to utilize, however they are not magic potions or pills created in a laboratory to make people lose weight, using chemicals and stimulants, as other products claiming to produce seemingly similar results. Isagenix is an alternative way to eat food. Plain and simple.

I think of how many women eat processed, microwaved, fast convenient foods that modern technology has also assisted in developing over the past several decades. I think of the growing cases of childhood illness and diseases and disorders so many children have today. I think of the blessing I am giving my unborn child by laying down a solid foundation of nutrition to develop with. I know this doesn’t guarantee the health of my baby,  however I do know it’s a gift I am giving myself to allow ease during my pregnancy.

While I know good nutrition does not guarantee an illness-free life for myself or my child, I know it greatly ups the odds and reduces the chance of many issues to occur.  To me, I couldn’t think of a better investment of my time, money and energy before or after, and especially during my pregnancy. I appreciate you allowing me to share my thoughts with you and know that I believe every woman must choose what they feel is best for them and their growing baby during this amazing adventure called pregnancy. With all the perspectives, statistics, books, advice and the like available to pregnant ladies, trusting our instincts and listening to our bodies is the best advice I believe we can take.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my posting & I’ll be posting great new information, tips & tools regularly. If you have a recipe you’d like for me to try out & review, topics you’d like to hear about, or any other comments, feedback, or suggestions, kindly send me a message to AskCrissy@gmail.com and I will address the matter in a future blog posting. Be sure to subscribe to my Blog & YouTube Channel, visit my website regularly, and follow me on Facebook & Twitter, to stay plugged in to all of my offerings. As always, I wish you infinite love, blessings, peace, and joy as we take this journey together. I am blessed & honored to share my path with you.

Crissy