WELLNESS TIPS FROM EAST COUNTY WELLNESS CENTER

July 8, 2014 (El Cajon) – The East County Wellness Center, home of the new East County Magazine & Media Center offices, has generously agreed to share wellness tips with our readers. This week’s wellness tips include maintaining limber muscles, inviting bliss into your life, and how to create a meditation space. 

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Maintaining Limber Muscles

Limber muscles are essential to safe exercise, as well as healthy joint function and circulation. To keep your muscles limber and pliable:

Warm up. Warming up before you exercise will increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your muscles before you start exerting them, and your joints will begin releasing more synovial fluid, which will also help prevent stiffness.

Stretch. Letting gravity do the stretching, reach down to your toes and hold for 15 counts. Then take turns leaning over to each side for 15 counts, making a giant "C" with your body. Next, bend your knees from side to side to stretch your groin muscles. After you roll your shoulders around a few times, you should be ready for more vigorous physical activity with less likelihood of injuries.

Drink your water. Your body uses water as a natural lubricant, cushioning your joints and helping your muscles to stay limber.

Relax. After you've exercised your body, reward yourself with an Epsom salt bath or a dip in a pool or hot tub. Spring for a massage now and then to treat yourself and keep muscles supple.

Inviting Bliss Into Your Life

If you are ready to have a blissful life (and who isn't), then it is time that you chose bliss. It really is a choice, and it really is that simple: choose bliss and then take steps to create it in your life. Here are ten steps to creating a more blissful experience:

 1. Invite bliss into your life, and be willing to experience it.

 2. When you experience difficulties, remind yourself of the greater good and expect that the outcome will be positive.

3. Remember that your view is only one part of the picture and try to see all the other possibilities.

4. Imagine the ideal outcome for every situation and envision it working out that way.

5. Expect miracles, and then work to make them happen.

6. Don't allow negative self-talk to take place. Substitute positive affirmations instead.

7. Create blissful rewards for yourself in times of stress.

8. Make a "bliss" date on the calendar and then keep it.

9. Put bliss on the top of your priority list.

10. Keep reminders of bliss around you so that you can re-enter that state of mind anytime you need to.

Create A Meditation Space

When you create this space, look for a place outside of the usual traffic flow of your home- you don't want people walking through while you are meditating. A space with natural light is the most desirable. If this is not possible, look for lamps and candles that will provide soft light. Fresh air is wonderful if you live someplace where a window can be opened without letting in much outside noise.

Make the space comfortable for you. Seated meditation can take place in a chair or on a folded blanket or mat. Know your body.  If sitting on the floor without back support is going to cause you to be uncomfortable, then sit in a chair or place a pillow or mat where you can lean against something for support. If sitting upright, unsupported, is your goal, work up to that, but don't forgo a deep meditative experience because your ego doesn't want to admit that you can't sit perfectly still on the floor for twenty minutes.

Have a blanket available, in case you get chilly during your meditation. If you enjoy candles or incense, you might choose to incorporate those into your space. Likewise, sacred or special images and objects are also a good idea. However, generally speaking, the less clutter in the space, the better.

Whenever you enter your meditation space, make sure that you turn off your phone, pager, or anything else that might disrupt you. If you have a limited amount of time, you can set a timer, but choose one that will have a pleasing, quiet noise when it goes off. The last thing you want is to be ripped out of your meditative space by loud and obnoxious beeping. Try to find time in your schedule each day to spend twenty minutes or so in your meditation space. If possible, do not multitask in this space, rather, keep it devoted to your meditation practice.

East County Wellness Center                  Contact Information

619-270-7171        1625 East Main Street Suite 205 El Cajon, CA 92021

www.eastcountywellnesscenter.com           info@eastcountywellnesscenter.com