mindfulness

Integrando Mente y Cuerpo

/ mxospina / Leave a comment

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Como saben mi interés es motivar, educar y sobretodo concientizar para crear bienestar a todo nivel. El tema de la nutrición física, (con física me refiero a los alimentos), es crucial para tener niveles óptimos de energia y evitar enfermedades. Por supuesto, nadie quiere estar enfermo. Sin embargo, la alimentación física no lo es todo. De nada sirve alimentarse con smoothies y volverse vegano si no se cultiva una actitud de autoconsciencia (Mindfulness). Y qué difícil es practicarla a diario! La buena noticia es que no es imposible, todos tenemos la capacidad de observarnos hacia adentro y darle nombre a esas tendencias que tenemos, que nos llevan a actuar de cierta manera (unas veces constructivamente y otras destructivamente).

Solo cuando se hace este ejercicio de autoconsciencia de forma constante, es posible re direccionar la atención de tal manera que nos ayude a vivir con plenitud y bienestar.

Photo by geocities.ws

Algunas personas pensaran “porque está escribiendo sobre este tema que no tiene que ver con alimentación?” A esas personas les puedo decir que tiene TODO que ver con la alimentación. Una dieta antiinflamatoria es excelente, contribuirá tremendamente a mejorar la salud, pero si esa persona tiene una percepción negativa sobre sí mismo, tiene baja autoestima y se siente solo, es muy probable que los cambios de alimentación no sean del todo efectivos. La conexión entre el cuerpo, mente y espíritu es muy estrecha, por ende, es necesario prestarle atención y cultivar cada aspecto. Muchos estudios científicos demuestran que problemas como la ansiedad, dolor crónico y depresión son curables cuando se desarrolla un nivel de consciencia superior.

Así que amigos y amigas, este blog es una invitación a auto indagarnos.

En este camino de salirnos del usual modo “piloto automático” en que vivimos, me llama mucho la atención lo que nos enseñan los expertos en mindfulness (autoconsciencia) y neurocodificación. Así que les voy a compartir estos autores porque quiero que ustedes mismos investiguen por su cuenta. Ni siquiera crean lo que yo les escribo, simplemente los animo a que abran su mente para que puedan ampliar su consciencia y así lograr la plenitud que tanto queremos tener. (Aclaro que no tengo ninguna relación con ellos, ni obtengo beneficios por nombrarlos)

Photo by goodreads.com

 

 

“Si aumentas la consciencia, los cambios vienen solos”

Jon Kabat –Zinn

 

Jon Kabat-Zinn – Profesor americano de medicina y biólogo molecular, considerado como el padre del mindfulness afirma que por medio de la atención plena, (a través de la meditación zen) es posible reinstaurar el balance corporal y mental creando bienestar. La observación activa del momento presente sin juzgamientos es transformadora, tiene la capacidad de cambiar nuestro cerebro, ampliar la memoria, capacidad de aprendizaje y manejar el stress al afectar favorablemente la amígdala en el cerebro (que es el botón de alarma interna que produce el stress). Les comparto este articulo y este video.

Este tema se relaciona estrechamente con la epigenética  que se refiere al estudio de todos los factores no genéticos que regulan la expresión genética sin alterar la secuencia del ADN.  La Doctora en Ciencias Biológicas Belga Nathalie Zammateo escribió un libro llamado El Impacto de las Emociones en el ADN el cual me parece muy interesante porque habla de que el ADN es información, con millones de neurotransmisores que se comunican entre sí. La actividad de estos está afectada por el ambiente y una parte del ambiente son las emociones. En el momento en que se manejan las emociones (por medio de la autoconsciencia) es posible generar salud emocional que se refleja en la salud física.

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Cada vez hay más estudios científicos y más evidencia que demuestra que la mente tiene un poder increíble en la salud, los pensamientos sean los que sean, generan emociones y cuando estas son muy intensas y además negativas nos enferman y nos sacan de balance.

La solución?

Ya antes lo he dicho en otros blogs y lo seguiré diciendo: meditación es una gran herramienta y para esto hay mucha información en Youtube donde pueden encontrar meditaciones guiadas, música para meditar, yoga y muchas opciones para todos los gustos.

No sigas creando excusas para no prestar atención, los cambios empiezan de adentro hacia afuera y cada uno de nosotros tiene las herramientas para lograr una mejor versión de sí mismo. Así que ánimo y enfócate. Si requieres ayuda profesional, aquí estoy yo para hacerte un plan de vuelo personal.

No olvides compartir y comentar si crees que otros también se pueden beneficiar con estos tips.

Namaste!

Maria Ximena Ospina

 

 

The Power of Self Talk

/ mxospina / Leave a comment

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Hi there my friends!

I bet this happens to many of you because unfortunately, we do it often: you are sitting in front of someone and while he/she is talking to you, you have a hundred thoughts running through your mind. Your body is there but your mind is somewhere else. In the meantime, the person in front of you is hoping you are listening, but clearly you are not. You are not present. We are bombarded by thoughts every minute of the day, some have to do with situations in the past and others with plans in the future, but rarely with the present. While we are recreating the different scenarios (of what could have been but didn’t or what could be but hasn’t happened yet), we waste a lot of time not realizing that what matters is what we are now. Our internal narrative becomes our world, we play the same scenario so many times in our mind that without knowing it, we act on it and make it our reality. This is the power of self talk. Not only can we shape our destiny with our thoughts, we can alter them if we pay attention to the quality of these thoughts.

But how do you become aware of the quality of your thoughts? Because they happen very quickly and we also act on them very quickly. I certainly don’t have all the answers but I can share with you these tips that have helped me and I trust that if you are persistent, you will also benefit from them. They are not magic tricks, in other words, you will not see results overnight, they are meant to create a mindset that builds you up so think of them as steps to include in your routine to a better you.

Start a gratitude practice

It is always easier to be negative. Whichever the situation is, because life is not perfect, focus on finding reasons to be grateful. Be grateful for being alive, for the experiences that you have lived so far, for your health, for feeling the sun or the cold wind in your face, for the food in front of you. Focus on the positives, not the negatives. This practice sets a wonderful tone to start your day. If you are religious, include it in your prayers, and if you aren’t, simply be grateful to the universe for being here. 

Set your intention for the day

Make clear what you want to achieve and write it down. Words are powerful and the more you see them and repeat them to yourself, you will subconsciously create the space for these actions to occur. You are manifesting the universe what you really want so focus your energy in making it happen. Like they say, fake it til you make it!

 

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Develop your tribe

Being healthy is contagious and being miserable is also contagious. Surround yourself with people who share the same values. Take part in meditation groups, attend events where you know you will find others who love what you do and actively participate. Your tribe will be your best resource when you need someone to build you up, when you are feeling down or lost and more importantly you can also give back , which is even more rewarding than receiving it.

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Get active

Physical exercise is clearly important for physical health, but even more for mental health. When you find yourself down, over thinking, put on your trainers and go walking, running, walk your dog, find an activity that you like. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins which are our natural painkillers, they help reduce stress and create a sensation of positive feeling.

Abdominal breathing

Who would have thought that abdominal breathing actually massages your digestive system? Apart from calming your mind and reducing stress, it also aids proper digestion and helps to strength the immune system. Take a few minutes when you first wake up or before you sleep to practice abdominal breathing. Lay on your back and place your hand on your belly and see how it expands and contracts, try it for a few minutes everyday and you will feel the difference.

Being aware of our thoughts can be hard, but the more we develop mindfulness, we will be able to protect ourselves from diseases. Remember that being healthy is not only the food we eat, it also includes our thoughts and our internal narrative. Be patient and consistent, I promise that you will see the positive effects on your overall health if you do it and more importantly, everyone around you will also benefit from it.

If you want to learn more about this topic,  there are different research studies on the web, but I can recommend Dr. Bernie Siegel who has done extensive research and written different books related to self healing and the effects of positive thinking to cure diseases.

 

Don’t forget to share and like if you learnt something new today! I would love to know your thoughts on this topic.
Bear hugs,

 

Sunday barbeque gone bad

/ mxospina / Leave a comment

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Hi There!

This weekend I had an unpleasant experience that I think is worth sharing with others because it has to do with our emotions and food. We were having a lovely time with friends who invited us (my husband and me) for a barbecue in their home. Everything was set for us to have a great afternoon: salads, veggies, good quality meats, deserts (one of them made by my husband in the barbeque) and of course wine and beer. We were all enjoying ourselves, listening to music and getting ready for the feast we were about to have. I was really looking forward to this lunch and so was my husband. We got served and we started salivating just by looking at the delicious food that was cooked for us. It smelled and looked so good! Plus, considering I changed my diet and I don’t eat as much animal protein as I used to, I was determined to fully enjoy the experience.

We started eating and enjoying our meals and 5 minutes later I look at my husband and he was very quiet. I knew something was wrong. He stopped eating and excused himself to the restroom. He had a piece of meat stuck in his throat. He could still get some air so he was not actually choking. In fact, the food was in his chest, he tried to push it down with some water but it didn’t work. Of course, we all panicked. He then proceeded to put his finger down his throat but nothing came out. I knew he was in total discomfort but because this has happened in the past, I was thinking to myself “he will get it out soon, I will not  panic because he will get it out soon, and if I freak out, he will also freak out”. Unfortunately, a couple of hours later we were at the local hospital and he still had the piece of yummy beef in his chest. We were tired, he was stressed, unhappy and anxious and I couldn’t believe our Sunday afternoon had turned into a hospital visit. He did some abdominal breathing exercises to help relax his muscles but clearly he was going to need x-rays, an  endoscopy, medication and a small procedure to push the meat down. Fortunately, as the doctor was about to start with the procedure, the meat went down his stomach and the problem was finally solved. 4 hours at the hospital and a medical bill that was everything but reasonable.

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Clearly this situation can happen to anyone, anywhere (Lunch sitting in front of your computer, at a business lunch, watching TV). Unfortunately, it has happened to him more than once, which means it is worth looking at the reasons why these happens so much; the one and most obvious is that my lovely husband doesn’t chew enough. He is so hungry that he doesnt take the time to chew properly. I am convinced that many people have experience this feeling of anxiety towards food. When you wait too long for your next meal and finally it is in front of you, its common to feel you want to eat it right away. We forget that our digestion starts in the mouth. Every bite is necessary to facilitate the journey of the food to our gut. After all, the first part of the digestion process starts in the mouth.

Different studies around this topic show that most people do not chew more than 10 bites per mouthful. According to the ancient Ayurvedic principles, we should be chewing at least 25 or more to really help the process of digestion. Chewing not only will aid the absorption of nutrients, it will also help you eat less, reduce binge eating and control your weight. Also, it is part of what it’s called Mindful Eating, a concept related to mindfulness around your emotions and feelings and physical sensations. We get distracted with media, work meetings, conversations and our own minds (constant chatting). Its time we pay more attention to our patterns to avoid this unfortunate situations in the future.

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The act of nourishing your body is an act of kindness from yourself to yourself. It should never be rushed, it should be appreciated it to the fullest. Ideally you want to smell the aroma of your food, feel the tastes in your mouth, pay attention to the details and enjoy the act of eating with good company. Since this issue has happened a few times in the past, it is likely that he also suffers from “Steakhouse Syndrome” considering it only happens with meat. We are yet to get more tests to determine if this is a real issue but in the meantime, nothing works better than eating slowly and calmly. If you find yourself too hungry and feel anxious (and angry) because you havent eaten anything, make sure you carry healthy treats with you: fruit, nuts, seeds, protein bars, to get your tank a bit full before the next big meal comes.

If you want to learn more about Steakhouse Syndrome check this link. And if you want to learn tips about mindful eating, subscribe to my site, I am constantly sharing information about this topic and I am sure I can inspire you to make some healthy changes.

In my corporate days, I remember having lunch in a rush many times just to make sure I was on time for my meetings. Of course, I felt awful afterwards, bloated, lethargic, and kind of moody. I didn’t appreciate the food, it was simply fuel, nothing else. My approach has changed a lot in the last few years for the better and I am always happy to coach and inspire other busy professionals and entrepreneurs to develop mindful eating habits.

If you think you are ready to create changes, do not forget to subscribe to my site and share your experiences whenever you are ready. I will be happy to help.

Bear hugs,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get real this year

/ mxospina / 2 Comments

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Hi my dear friends!

Remember when you said “I’ll do it next year”, well, here it is. We have just started a new year of life, a new year of opportunities that have the potential to be the best one ever or on the contrary, be miserable and full of disappointments. If you could choose one of these paths, clearly, you will choose to have a year with the potential to make you happy and fulfilled. Right? Now, as this is kind of an obvious question, I want to ask you another one. What are you doing to help yourself be happier and fulfilled this year? Think about the answer.

Setting resolutions is normally the first step that we do in order to organize the priorities, of course it is a constructive exercise but in my opinion, this exercise works when it’s based on realistic expectations. For example, if your resolution is to lose weight and you start strong and committed for 2 weeks but you stopped because you had a business trip, clearly, you are not setting yourself for success.

One important aspect of making long-lasting changes is to have clarity of the goals you want to achieve and why. If losing weight is a priority, then make sure you organize your environment to make sure that everything around you supports your changes. So instead of buying potato chips and butter popcorn you can go for homemade popcorn and sweet potatoes chips for example. Remove processed foods (dips, milk chocolates, dressings, cakes) and experiment with healthier options like homemade guacamole, humus, almond butter, dark chocolate. Set a day to cook foods and freeze them, in this way you will save time and money during the week and more importantly, you will avoid buying junk food because you cant find anything interesting in your fridge.

Another point is that one needs to realize that we can not pretend to look like someone else, we are unique, we have different body shapes and sizes not to mention different metabolism. I think our society is obsessed with body image. If you know already that a healthy weight for your constitution is between 55-58 kg why do you insist in being 52 kg? Having this expectation is not realistic and will only lead you to frustration and anxiety, which increases emotional imbalances and its likely that you will end up eating wrong foods just to find some comfort.

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Photo by superskinnyme.com

So I guess what I am trying to say here is BE REAL. Of course it is important to set goals but more importantly is to practice self awareness when we set these goals. Why? Because many times we are sabotaging ourselves with our attitude (we don’t believe we can do it, or , on the other hand, we set the bar too high and it becomes an impossible task). At the end, we give up and get back to our old ways.

The only way I know to make changes work for you in the long-term, is to practice self awareness. And yes, this is hard to do because we live fast, we eat fast, we sleep less and we stress too much. We are constantly distracted. We take little time to be with ourselves.To observe without judgement our actions, our thoughts and how these affect our behavior.

So my dear friends, be clear about your goals, write down your plan of action, pace yourself and be patient above all. Work on one change at a time, if you aim to achieve too many at the same time, it is likely you will be overwhelmed and you will stop doing it.

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Photo by Monell.org

There are numerous human behavioral and neuroscience studies that show that food is very close to us because it has to do with our survival. Brain connections start developing when we are babies and food is associated with safety and comfort. When we are calm and collected, we make decisions about making changes, but when we are stressed and tired, all bets are off, so its likely to go back to old ways even knowing they are not good. If you are interested in learning about neuroscience and the relationship of food with brain function, I highly recommend reading Dr. Mario Alonso Puig – Gastroenterologist, Surgeon for 26 years, an expert in brain function and how mental processes affect our wellbeing and total health. Most of his work is in Spanish, (he is Spanish) but I am sharing here a TED talk he did in English about Reinventing Yourself, which is also the name of one of his books, I totally recommend it.  

In previous blogs I have mentioned how important it is to have a spiritual practice. In my case, meditation has been crucial to practice self-awareness. To find the space to observe without judgement, to find my center and to be patient with myself and others. I don’t feel enlightened by any means, ( I keep working at it) I only share my experience with you because it has made a positive difference and I would love for you to experience good health and fulfilment in a sustainable way.

Did you learn something new? Don’t forget to share with your loved ones.

Until next time!

5 changes that are working for me right now

/ mxospina / Leave a comment

As some of you already know, I am currently getting certified as an integrative health coach and I cannot be happier! I am one of those people who enjoys learning new stuff and specially stuff that can bring benefits to my wellbeing and to others. I have numerous books about cooking, diets, personal development (and other topics) and follow different people on social media but I felt it was time for me to make a more serious commitment. So here I am, studying what I like and applying all of it at the same time. I plan to share all my experiences with you along this process so I am writing this blog for you.

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To start with, I want to share five things I am doing this year (that my studies have reinforced) that work to start on a cleaner path to good health.

1. Drink more water

It sounds pretty simple and we hear it all the time. Well, guess what? I knew it before and I wasn’t really doing it as much. Now I am drinking a full glass of warm water first thing in the morning or herbal infusions depending on the week. The important part is to keep hydrated as much as possible. Throughout the day, I carry a glass bottle with flavour water (basil and lemon, apple slices, ginger and cardamom) and I make sure I drink all of it. I don’t like the taste of water so these natural flavours totally work for me.

2. Set a timer for bedtime

I know I need to sleep 7-8 hours to have the energy to start my day and not be moody or tired next day. Setting up for bedtime (in my cell phone) works great because I am making the effort to create a routine. Scientific studies show that when we create this routine (just like babies and kids have) we tell our body that its time to switch off. The goal is to slow down your brain activity so you can fully rest when you go to bed.

3. Morning meditation

Every morning (except weekends) I jump from my bed to my meditation mat outside my balcony. If its rainy I do it in my bedroom but I do it yes or yes. I use some mantras (if I feel restless) or just practice shine meditation, which is the one taught at the budhist meditation group I am part of. I meditate for 10-15 mins and I finish my session with a prayer thanking the universe for all the goodness I have in my life. This is a precious moment to connect with my spiritual being, to remember what’s important and what’s not that relevant.

4. Mind my thoughts and words

We live so fast that we don’t really pay much attention to the thoughts we have in our minds, but its SO true that our thoughts become words and before we know it, they become actions. (I believe it was Margaret Thatcher who said this) We spend a lot of time thinking about things we have done or said and what we will say or do in the future. Minding the chatty monkey in my brain makes me more conscious of it. I still haven’t mastered this fully but I keep working on it everyday. I feel it makes me a more centered person and I enjoy more the now.

5. Planting at home

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I got a mini greenhouse and I am planting coriander, cherry tomatoes and watermelon. I have no idea if this will work but its making me more conscious about the whole process of creating food, specially food that comes from mother nature. Also, I must say its relaxing to do gardening. I already have an aloe vera plant and I love to be able to eat from it and see it growing.

I hope these tips are something you can relate too. And if you already have some that you think could be beneficial to others, please don’t be shy and share it here. I would love to hear from you!

Hasta pronto!

 

MXO