Going on a Low Carb "Cruise" !!

(Blogging tonite from Abeline, TX)

I'm one of those "Type A" New Orleanian, whose life seems scheduled to the max ! I teach, run the kid to baseball, church, find time for Body Pump, Body Flow and RPM.. etc. I've learned, especially during this last month the irreplaceable value of quieting the body and mind. The question is : How can I fit relaxation into my everyday life ?

I got some great advice from talking to my friend, Darrell. He mentioned that I have to make a conscious choice to step back and RELAX... So, I decided to go on a 'low carb cruise !!"

My cruise does not happen on a ship. It can happen ANYWHERE !

Mine happens to be on my sofa. I take my favorite things : books, yoga magazine, and music, lie down and SINK for a while.. It readjusts ME, and allows ME to allocate the time that I truly deserve. I also like to call this my "Recovery Time."

This "low-carb cruise" restores the mind and body - releases the tension, thus allowing me to breathe deeper and develop a renewed awareness to my energy. It is a conscious effort, and therefore, renews my energy by creating an openness in my body and a calmness in my central nervous system. This way, you can create the conditions for TRUE relaxation to happen. This is what it's all about.. ME TIME. It is a powerful antidote to the state of stress many of us live with on a daily basis. I WAS that person !

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Just let it go ! Now you are on the cruise.. Give yourself some time to settle in and make the adjustments you need to get yourself in this state of harmony. It is so easy, yet So difficult. I am reminded often that it takes more effort to relax than it does to exercise ! Find contentment and think about what this low carb cruise can do for you. With the right mind and rested body (recovery stage), you will tend to feel and think So much better ! You will become aware of your breathing and learn how it truly feels to relax and the true value of self-care. I think that's what Darrell meant he recommended stepping back and making a conscious effort to RELAX. Hey .. I think I got this now :)

Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to stop overextending, to stop being goal oriented, and thinking we have to take care of everything 'right now.' Like tonite, I let the laundry at the hotel do its own thing in the machine, while I put my feet in the hot tub and enjoyed myself. I looked UP at the beautiful crescent moon in the twilight of the evening sky. I am beginning to notice things around me, sights , like the electric generating wind turbines..

I find that once you have reached the point of finding the true value of your 'low carb cruise'.. you will reengage with life and be more efficient and happier too. It's never about attaining goals. It's about taking whatever life seems to be throwing at you and handling it without resistance.

After your 'low carb cruise' has ended, don't forget what you have experienced ! Remember how you felt and relaunch your relaxed state of mind whenever you need. =)