An Experience of Trust and Surrender

Freshly back from part one of my yoga teacher training at Kripalu, I'm feeling puzzled about how to convey a fraction of what I experienced during the past two weeks. Although I typically love to write about my experiences, several of them seem to lie just beyond words. However, in the interest of inspiring just one other person in the world who might stumble upon this post, I'll share a story that might illustrate some qualities of my time there: my first practice teach.

The Set Up
The second Monday, each of us was asked to lead a small group (2-3 other students plus a facilitator who would drop in for parts) in a 30 minute class. In this short time, we had to incorporate all 8 elements of a complete Kripalu yoga class. We were required to teach two different breathing techniques and one required posture, but the rest was up to us. Because I was comfortable with my group and what I'd learned so far, I was excited about the opportunity to put together and practice leading a class, but for the most part, an atmosphere of anxiousness permeated the larger group. During lunch and dinner breaks, students asked each other "are you nervous?" and "how are you feeling about your practice teach?" After a little while, I started to question why I wasn't feeling nervous.

My default is typically to be an extreme planner, an over-practicer, and a learner who memorizes perfectly for evaluations and then promptly forgets everything. However, I had decided going into this training that I was going to approach it differently. For example, I:

• was not going to stress about not having time to do all the readings from the manual in between sessions
• would pay active attention (possibly taking less notes) to try and really absorb the material
• was going to plan and practice at a higher level than usual, then wing it, trusting that it would come out just fine
• would let go of my need to be perfect, and be okay with making some mistakes as part of the learning process

This seemed to be working out for me, until one more person asked me how I was feeling about my practice teach, and it snapped me back into my old habits. Up in the Sun Room during a break, I found myself over-analyzing (down to the minute) when I should be on which posture and starting to write down the exact wording of what I would say. As I did this, I noticed how it felt in my body. My heart started to race, my breathing got shallower, and time seemed to speed up. Thankfully I decided to stop, packed up my things, and headed to the Meditation Room with the Japa mala beads we received early in the program.

The Small Enlightenment
The Meditation Room has long been one of my favorite places at Kripalu. It's a  simple room with a small altar, adorned with one photo of Swami Kripalu and random trinkets and flowers left by visitors. It's ridiculously silent and peaceful. Alone in the room, I grabbed a cushion and sat down close to the altar, taking in the photo of Bapuji (as Swami Kripalu was affectionately called). In it, he has one hand outstretched with his palm facing out--given that it's closer to the camera than the rest of him, it appears large and detailed. I closed my eyes and started to repeat a mantra, following along with my mala beads.

After a few rounds, something happened. I first noticed myself sitting a little straighter on my cushion. Next, my ability to take a full breath up into my chest (which is often difficult for me) seemed to just open up. Then my heart started to feel...well, just a little bit stronger. The words "courage" and "bravery" came into my mind, and I started to sense powerful beams of energy radiating from the palm of Bapuji's hand moving directly into my opened heart. I thought, "I need to teach the  Warrior 1 posture, and I am a brave and courageous warrior." I sat there taking this in for several minutes, extremely grateful and in awe of the seeming infusion. When I opened my eyes, I thanked Swami Kripalu profusely, and left feeling even more centered and grounded than I had before anyone had asked about my feelings around the practice teach.

The Follow Through
My first practice teach went well. I wove the theme of bravery and courage, which I felt Bapuji had re-revealed to me during my meditation, throughout the class. When I stumbled to remember which warm up I was going to teach next, I calmly glanced down at my notes at the title to remind myself, and continued on. When what I'd planned took longer than I expected, I decided to bag the transition to the Warrior 2 posture, and instead gave my group the gift of a longer relaxation. When I realized I probably could have fit the posture in anyway (especially when another member of our group was told she brought people into relaxation too quickly, much as I had), I didn't feel shame. Rather, I felt proud of how I had trusted my instincts, and believed that over time, I would hone them to be more accurate. Overall, I felt a deep peace about what I had done. I had let go of my need to control every last detail--I had surrendered, and not only had nothing catastrophic happened, but I had flourished.

While I'm Away, Please Give Me Your Feedback...

Many of you know that I'm going to be away for the next couple weeks, doing part 1 of my 200-hour Kripalu yoga teacher training certification. As you can imagine, I'm very excited and curious about what this experience will bring!

While I'm gone, I'm going to take a break from writing blog posts. But in the meantime, I would really appreciate it if you, my readers, would let me know:

• Which posts you have enjoyed the most (and why)?
• Which posts you could have done without?
• What health and wellness topics you'd like to hear more about?

Comments on the blog or personal emails are both fine!

Enjoy your weeks, and namaste,
Jen

Setting Interaction Intentions: Defining Your Personal “Wake”

As I sat down to breakfast last Monday morning, I felt myself starting to feel overwhelmed. My schedule (both at work and at home) was jam packed, and it was easy to feel tired before I even started. However, what came to me as I sat there and took a few deep breaths really helped me through the week, so I thought I'd share my strategy with you—my fellow overwhelmed colleagues, family, and friends!

I forget where I first heard about this, but listening to Wayne Dyer recently reminded me about the concept of a “personal wake”. Like the trail of waves a speed boat leaves behind it, each of us leaves behind something when we interact with another person. Usually, this “something” is a feeling—it could be a feeling the other person has about themselves, and/or a feeling they have about you once your interaction with them is over.

That morning, I decided that rather than stressing about my hectic schedule and all the things I had to do, I'd instead think about what kind of personal wake I wanted to leave behind as a result of each interaction. For each of the meetings I knew I had that day, I wrote down who the primary people were in my journal. Then next to each of their names, I wrote an intention, or how I wanted them to feel after having interacted with me. Sometimes this was based on how I thought they might be feeling coming into the meeting, or about the topic we'd be discussing. Other times it was based on how I wanted them to perceive me as a colleague. Some of the feelings I came up with included:

• encouraged
• supported
• connected
• motivated
• amicable
• helpful
• appreciated
• understood
• safe
• valued
• smart
• respected
• relaxed
• inspired

After doing this for the people I'd encounter in my work day, I added two very important people to the list: my husband (whom I interact with mostly before and after work), and myself. Then I wrote feelings like:

• loved
• centered
• peaceful
• happy
• forgiving
• compassionate

Lastly, I put an asterisk next to my top three people, because after all, there were a lot of people and feelings I could potentially focus on, and I knew these good intentions also had to be realistic if I had any hopes of honoring them throughout my busy day!

Although I didn't refer to my journal during the day, I found that most of the time the intentions I had set came into my mind before each meeting. In some cases I was able to focus on bringing the feeling to the interaction—in others, not so much. But at least I felt that I had a higher goal--one that was much more based on people than on completing tasks. It also made me feel less attached to the outcome of each meeting, because whatever we decided to do was secondary to maintaining and strengthening the relationship.

Throughout the week, I took a few minutes each morning to do this exercise. Because things stick with me more when I write them down, I usually captured my intentions for the day in my journal. But some days I just thought through my day and mentally noted what I wanted my personal wake to be for each interaction.

Now, I'm not suggesting any of this was easy. Sometimes it was difficult to identify just how I wanted others to feel; sometimes I totally failed to think of my intention before getting together with someone; and sometimes I completely screwed up. But even screwing up gave me the opportunity to remember that I was on my list too, and that I needed to take care of myself. One of the most difficult and humbling things to do is admit when you are wrong, but for perfectionists like me, it's even more difficult to be forgiving and compassionate toward yourself when you know you've behaved in a way that's less than you would have desired, or when you feel you've let others down. After a bit of internal struggle, I was able to see how much my ego had been running a show, and tried to allow the experience to be an eye-opening, enlightening lesson, rather than yet another thing to worry about incessantly or continuously beat myself up over.

Meetings, tasks, chores and a limited number of hours in the day and week will always be a reality, but you only get so many opportunities to improve the lives of others. What kind of “personal wake” do you leave behind when you interact with others in your family, at your job, or during your social engagements? The next time you're feeling overwhelmed, try setting a few intentions and then watch with curiosity--see if and how doing this changes your feelings about the days events (before and after they happen). And just as importantly, pay attention to how it impacts your thoughts and feelings about yourself.

Jen's (Healthy-ish) Restaurant Recommendations

Recently I seem to have developed a reputation for knowing about a lot of good restaurants. I blame OpenTable. But, since I do try to follow a healthy lifestyle and do enjoy trying new places (i.e. eating out a lot), I thought I would share some of my favorites with you all. Plus, it's restaurant week(s) so many of these places may have good deals. Please let me know if you try any of my recommendations, and what you thought about them!

"Crunchy Granola" Places

1. Life Alive - Original location in Lowell and another in Cambridge. All fresh ingredients in filling bowls, salads, or wraps. They also have smoothies and juices. It can be difficult to get a table, but both places are funky and interesting.
2. Nourish Restaurant - A gem of an OpenTable find in Lexington, they have food my husband and I both like, including awesome sweet potato fries and carrot cake, plus tempeh for me and juicy burgers for him. Super nice folks, a great bar, and live music some nights.
3. Red Lentil - A tried and true vegetarian with great pizzas and chili for even the most meat-loving folk. Just don't mention having tried rabbit while you're there.
4. Melt - OK, so not really crunchy granola and they are in the Natick mall, but their lunch crepes don't need meat to be fabulous. Oh yeah, and then you can step to the other side of the counter and get really amazing gelato! Let me know if you want to go (I have a frequent eaters card there, LOL)!
5. Tossed - I love the ability to design my own salad here. Their online menu will even calculate the nutritional information for what you decide to put into it!

Gotta Love Thai

1. Spice & Pepper - My boss turned me onto this very obscurely-placed place in Wayland. I hate to say it, but they may just top Lanna.
   
2. Lanna Thai Diner - A former BEA colleague turned me onto this place in Woburn, back when I worked in Burlington. Max (the owner) is the friendliest guy in the world, the food is great, and you're having Thai in a little diner streetcar! What could be better?
3. Tree Top - Another Waltham gem, a former colleague at StreamBase Systems showed me this place, based on his days at Brandeis. Excellent dishes you want to get again and again!

"Date Night Out"

1. West Side Lounge - I learned about this great place while stocking Joey's Facebook check-ins. Fabulously kind waitress let me change my order twice! Great drinks and scrumptious tiramisu dessert. Definitely a "return to". I'm starting to really love me some Cambridge!
2. 29 Newbury - We ended up here for lunch one day, so I can't consider it date "night", but it was fabulous. I had a rice bowl with tofu and grilled romaine lettuce (think it was in olive oil). Originally I wasn't going to eat the latter, and now I'm looking forward to trying it on our grill this summer!
3. Stephi's on Tremont or Stephanie's on Newbury -  The former was introduced to me by a friend; the latter we decided couldn't be bad and went to post a company meeting in the city. Stephi's has great big and interesting salads and very different, seasonal martinis (I once had a cherry bomb thing with a large, red pepper skewered by a toothpick across the top!) Stephanie's was more sophisticated and had the most amazing scallops and ahi tuna tartare I think I've ever had.
4. Giacomos - My favorite North End restaurant from the time I moved to Boston. There's no reservations and the line is always out the door, but it moves fast and is worth it! Cash only.
5. Top of the Hub - While we didn't get a seat with the best view, this place was still amazing for a special occasion.
6. Tantric Indian Bistro - Nearby on Stuart Street in Boston, this place has an awesome atmosphere, great service, and really nice Indian fare (including lots of vegetarian options).

One-of-a-kind Sushi "Experiences"

1. Oishii - We went here for our anniversary because we couldn't get into O ya. And, every dish brought out melted in your mouth. That is, if you could get over the beautifully intricate presentations! We had two waitresses and the chef personally came out to greet us.
2. O ya - We couldn't let this one go and tried it for New Year's. A different experience given we sat at the sushi bar. We didn't like everything (as we did at Oishii) but it was awesome to watch them making each course -- and we got to try all different types of sake pairings.
3. Wanokura - Here's the best of the not-super-special-occasion-clean-out-your-wallet sushi places, which my husband introduced me to years ago. Not in Boston like the others (and maybe far out for some), but hamachi that's to DIE FOR! :-)

When You Need Coffee, Dessert (and Maybe Some Wi-fi)

1. Cafe on the Common -  I spent a lot of time here on weekends when we were showing my condo to prospective buyers, and it's still a local Waltham favorite for me. It's in the dessert category because I love their tiny cupcakes, which are always homemade and give you just the right little taste of what you're craving. My favorites are the chocolate ganache and boston creme. Yeah, they have coffees, teas, salads, wraps, and wi-fi too.
2. 1369 Coffee House -  Literally next door to Life Alive's Cambridge location, you need to make room for their lattes and cake / cookie counter. Chocolate cakes of all kinds keep preventing me from trying their carrot cake, which also looks amazing. Given how long people stay with laptops, I assume they have wi-fi.
3. Cafe Vittoria - Following dinner at Giacomos, skip the lines at Mike's Pastry and go for a more authentic Italian experience. The decor in this place is fantastic, as is the gelato and tiramisu.
   
4. Thinking Cup -  Although I'm off caffeine, there are still a few places where I'll indulge in a latte or cappuccino. This place in downtown Boston is one of them. Homemade hazelnut latte had me happy for days! Their breakfast egg muffin sandwich was amazing too.

When You're Traveling

1. Makeda (NJ) - One of the benefits of traveling for dance weekends was trying all the local restaurants. This is still one of the best places for Ethiopian I've ever found. And, their butterscotch martini isn't bad either!
2. Crepevine (CA) - I can't speak highly enough of this place for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert. Portion warning though: I think my tofu scramble plate had enough for about 4 servings!
   
3. Johnny's Pizzeria (NY) - Hey, if you are going to have pizza, make it a good one! If you grew up on the East coast and love a perfect, thin-crust cheese and sauce, definitely try this hole in the wall. Parking is limited.
4. Natori Sushi (CT) - I discovered this place on the recommendation of my GPS one day while driving with a friend down to NY. Amazing sushi from a little strip mall place, and cheap. And, in my old stopping grounds near the Buckland Hills Mall.

Health & Wellness Show 2012

Just wanted to let everyone know I'm registered to attend the Health and Wellness Show 2012, which will be taking place on Sunday, April 1 at the Sheraton Needham hotel from 10am - 3 pm. Registration is free at their web site.

Looks like they'll have "free screenings, and over 45 local health and wellness professionals to help [us] learn about the latest health and wellness products and service."

Hope to see you there!

My Experience with the Short Home Cleanse (SHC)

As some of you know, I completed my first real detox last fall. It was very powerful, and so as part of my follow up from attending Dr. Douillard's Ayurveda and Weight Loss program at Kripalu last month, I decided to try his 4-day, short home cleanse to prepare for spring. Here are some highlights from my experience. 

Prep Day: Sunday

• I keep thinking of my last detox and anticipating what this one might be like. I realize I need to let go of any expectations. 
• I make a different version of kitchari--this time based on Dr. Douillard's recipe, and am interested in seeing which one I like better. This kitchari seems easier to make for some reason; I decide to make it each night rather than quadrupling the batch and having it taste stale. 
• I decide to do the non-capsule form of all the herbs, and I can't find red root tincture after running to three different stores. I binge on a chocolate chip pumpkin muffin from Whole Foods because I'm frustrated. But I call Cambridge Naturals and they finally save me. 
• I say something to my husband about it being nice to have permission to take a bath each night, to which he responds, "why do you need permission any night?" Hmmm.... 

Day 1: Monday

• I can't believe I drank two teaspoons of ghee, although I didn't bother trying without mixing it with nonfat soy milk. I also added cardamom since I figured it would remind me of my warm spiced cardamom milk, but without the cashews. It actually isn't bad, but I can't imagine day four when I have to consume eight teaspoons first thing in the morning!
• It's nice to get back to alternate nostril breathing, but my mind is a ping pong ball during morning meditation. 
• I think I overdosed on the red root tincture! The instructions in Dr. Douillard's pamphlet say "one dropper-full" but I have a big bottle, and the bottle says 20-30 drops (which is nowhere near a dropper-full). I dump out some and dilute it with more water. It smells OK in the bottle but is gross in the water, maybe because I did WAY too much to start. I get a little paranoid about potential side effects, but after getting to work, I seem to still be alive. The red root tincture is gross, even with just 20 drops.
• I'm very hungry by 11am but I'd done a pretty brisk walk on the treadmill at the gym this morning--why is it so hard for me to back off!? I convince myself that warm water will hold me until 12:15pm, which it does. I'm hungry again between 3-4pm and slightly dizzy. Hopefully it's just a "first day" thing.

Day 2: Tuesday

• I continue to have a hard time slowing down my exercise. I do a little yoga and limit myself to Tracy Anderson arms and abs. It's not easy especially given how much ghee (i.e. fat) I know I'm ingesting each morning. I hope to get a walk in today though--the weather is so gorgeous! 
• My husband had me awake a lot last night with the various noises he makes in his sleep. I decide not to mention it today, in contrast to what I usually do. It seems like telling him after the fact, when he can do nothing to change things, isn't "non-harming". 
• I feel slower and more relaxed somehow (or it it weak?). I'm more easily aware of my belly breathing, and when I tighten my facial muscles (which I do a lot).
• My hair is not right, even though I used limited massage oil on my head last night. 
• I'm not hungry for breakfast, and I'm wondering whether I should eat kitchari until I'm full or the full serving, given its a long way to lunch. I need to follow the two-palm rule more often (mine are small)! I end up eating 3/4, but once at work I panic slightly as I'm hungry again. I drink more warm water and it helps. (I'm getting better at the warm water!) By 11am I'm only slightly hungry. 
• I eat my lunch too fast, and my stomach doesn't feel well before even drinking the red root tincture water. I decide to save my whey protein shake for later, and wonder if that counts as a (forbidden) snack? Probably. In general the red root stuff is less offensive. I accidentally refrigerate it in my lunch sack, and hope that isn't a problem.
• After work I again eat 3/4 of my kitchari out on the deck, and call my mom and some old friends I've lost touch with. I decide that although my husband is fantastic, I still need a wider support system. Relationships have been difficult to maintain, especially with everyone not dancing as much and going their separate ways. I double the spices in my next batch of kitchari.
• During my evening bath I decide to face some difficult emotions I've been avoiding, which were stirred up by two different situations today. For the 20 minutes I don't read, but try to get in touch with my feelings. I manage to cry just a little. Not a total release or anything, but it's something, since I'm not a crier. I theorize this as a root cause of an issue I've been struggling with for a little while now (which is a possible topic for a future blog post). I feel amazed that I'm alive, given what my mother and grandmother went through in their lives. I consider that I'm out of balance again: I used to dance too much, but maybe now I'm too far into the yoga, meditation, and nutrition and not having enough dancing fun. Though I'd been wondering why the heck I signed up for Boston Tea Party, part of me starts to look forward to it. 
• I love that I happened to do this cleanse so that it fell on the vernal equinox / first day of spring! I think I should do this yearly.

Day 3: Wednesday

• I meditate outside on the front porch this morning. It's lovely. The gym is also good, but I am running late and feeling a bit of the fear I always associate with that. I hope my morning kitchari holds me until lunch, given the good walk I had. 
• I end up having a walking one-on-one this morning right before lunch, and am surprisingly, minimally hungry! I eat my kitchari mindfully and then have my shake. 
• Two colleagues give me unexpected gifts, which makes me smile! Also, during a meeting I end up being funny with my notes and people notice (in a positive way). 
• Work gets a little crazy in the afternoon but I somehow multitask without the stress I normally feel. Even driving home, stuck in traffic, hungry and knowing I should have eaten by 6pm, it isn't at the same level at all. Listening to Wayne Dyer's Making the Shift doesn't hurt either! 
• I wonder how I'm going to do eight teaspoons of ghee tomorrow morning. Tomorrow is already day four--making my kitchari for the last time I feel sad; I was just getting into the routine. It has been so easy to do each night -- I have it down to a science and had to plan so much less. And it does taste much better fresh each day!

Day 4: Thursday

• I've been sleeping so well, both last night and the night before. I wonder why I ever got out of the "no-technology/water after 9pm and evening meditation" routine. 
• I am amazed that today's my last day. I take my ghee and meditation on the front porch again, since it's another beautiful day! The 8 tsp. of ghee is OK going down, but after light yoga and the Bar Method I feel slightly nauseous.
• I got way too much oil in my hair last night, and haven't been able to get it all out.
• I have a really great afternoon -- overall I feel very productive and at ease at work, even though I'm very busy. At 4:30pm though, I'm starving and I feel shaky. I decide to have tea. I will NOT break this cleanse in the final hours!
• What is it about a cleanse/detox that makes everything just seem easier? Is it the food (i.e. because kitchari and ghee is grounding for my vata-pitta constitution)? Is it feeling like I have that "permission" to take time for: self care activities like baths and massages; a mental "vacation" from stress; less strenuous workouts? Is it because I'm focused on the cleansing process? Why can't every day be like this--just easy! That would be awesome! I think it can be, if I allow it.
• I mess up the order of the day 4 final steps: I eat, then drink some red root tincture water, then prune juice, then dandelion tea while taking a bath and waiting for the "may or may not happen" laxative effect. Several hours later, there are no observable issues (or laxative effect)!

The Day and Night After: Friday / Saturday

• I can't get over how nice my skin is. "Radiant" I think, catching myself staring at my face in the mirror while getting ready for work. :-) I'm looking forward to a breakfast that isn't kitchari, although I'm taking leftovers for lunch. I feel so grounded and balanced between both feet. I do a light jog at the gym. I am very mindful during my shower, and makeup application. I lost 2 lbs, but I don't care, given all the other benefits!
• I have another busy yet productive day at work. A few times I feel like I've helped people, and that makes me feel good.
• My husband and I have a nice dinner out. I immediately divide my plate into the two portions it is, take half home, and have chocolate yogurt at home for dessert (proper portions). I pack a Sensible Medley snack and get ready to head out to Boston Tea Party for some dancing.
• I feel good listening to a friend while driving to the dance, and enjoy seeing people. I dance with a very sweet old man who tries to teach me how to Mambo on the West Coast Swing dance floor. I don't turn a single leader down, and I'm having a nice time.
• Around midnight, my ego comes out in full force, though I only recognize it after the fact. Disappointed but comforting myself with some compassion, I decide to head out. I manage to meditate and do alternate nostril breathing before finally getting to sleep around 1am.
• I wake up naturally at 5:20am, try to go back to sleep, and am up again at 5:45. I do my regular morning routine, but I have a headache and feel cranky, short of breath, dehydrated (even after drinking tons of water last night) and antsy. I feel like this just re-affirms the choices I've made over the last few months, and predict that my dance career may remain on hold for awhile.

Anyone else have a detox / cleanse experience you want to share? I'd love to hear about it.

What does "being healthy" really mean?

Lately I've encountered this question in many different places--in the blogs I subscribe to, in the articles I read, and in various talks about health and wellness topics. This question is interesting to me because the real question, "what does 'being healthy' mean to you?" assumes the answer to be a highly individual one, and I think that's very true. It's also a thought-provoking question, because how many of us really have a clear picture of what our "healthy" selves would be like? And if we don't, how can we ever set or achieve any goals related to being healthy?

The more I considered this question, the more I found that my definition of "healthy" was a rough concept, at best, and I struggled to pin down a more specific definition--that is, until I borrowed this very simple and effective technique from my day job:

1. Think of a person you would call "healthy". It can be someone you know, or someone you know about; someone next door or at work, or someone famous. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that when you you look at that person, you think "wow, s/he's really healthy. I wish I could be like that!"
2. While visualizing that person clearly in your mind, write down on a Post-it note one thing that you think makes them healthy. Then take a new Post-it and write down another, repeating this process until you can't think of any more. Don't censor yourself--just brainstorm as many things as you can without judgement.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with another healthy person. Do this until you run out of people you consider "healthy". Tip: Don't limit yourself by requiring that the people be perfectly, 100% healthy.
4. Put all of your Post-its up on a wall, or lay them out in an otherwise large space like on a table or floor. It doesn't matter what order they're in at this point.
5. Find at least two Post-its that seem like they go together. Move them to a new location and write a name for this group on a new Post-it. If you find two that are exactly the same, that's fine. Just stack them on top of each other. 
6. Repeat step 5 until all of your original Post-its are in named groups. Aim for a minimum of two Post-its in any group; most groups will have more than that. If a group has more than ten Post-its, look for a sub-grouping and try to break them apart.
7. Now take a step back and look at your groups. What are the largest groups? Do they contain the qualities that resonate most with you? Do the groups show you anything you didn't expect, or do they confirm what you already thought your definition of "healthy" was?

For me, this process was enlightening. While brainstorming qualities of people I initially considered healthy based on their appearance alone, I actually discovered many non-physical characteristics that made them seem less healthy to me. For example, maybe a person was long and lean, but they weren't very positive or nice to be around. Or maybe they were skinny because they were so stressed out they never had time to eat, or had digestive issues because of all the drama going on in their life. Conversely, several people who were slightly to significantly overweight came to my mind as healthy because they had absolutely beautiful internal qualities that I was easily able to describe.

In the end, most of the qualities I listed for healthy people had nothing to do with their physical appearance--most had to do with their mental, emotional, or spiritual qualities. Some things I wrote down were:

• confident
• great energy 
• optimistic
• muscular
• free of disease
• calm
• kind
• light-hearted ...

This process definitely changed my perspective and helped me clarify my own definition of "healthy". It also made me realize that some of my health and wellness goals needed to be tweaked--in some places I will be putting in less effort, and in others, more.

I hope you'll take a few minutes to try this for yourself. If you do, let me know what it reveals for you!