10 LIFESTYLE CHANGES FOR LASTING HEALTH

Head on over to MindBodyGreen to read my latest post on healthy, lasting lifestyle changes for a better you!

The path to a healthy lifestyle, reaching your goals and making lasting changes has great rewards, but also plenty of obstacles that attempt to steer you off track. 

After years of working with a variety of clientele, as well as pushing myself, I've established a few tips and tricks I give all my clients to help them make a permanent shift to a healthier life. I hope these tools help guide you along the road to becoming your best self as well.

1. Take a moment and determine what makes you happy...

2. Set a schedule for your workouts, put them in your weekly calendar and stick to it...

3. Make deeply restful shut-eye a priority...

4. Think of food as high quality fuel...

5. Add weights to lose weight...

6. Cultivate a support system...

7. Incorporate radical forgiveness into your life...

8. Practice santosha...

9. Ditch self-doubt, stay positive and trust in the universe...

10. Don't take shortcuts...

ENJOY THE JOURNEY, HAVE FUN AND DO WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING!

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A new take on adventuring

The damp, cool air of the Pacific Northwest can be just as refreshing and soul-nourishing as sunbeams soaking into my skin and bones. While I miss the daily dose of Vitamin D and my community in sunny Venice, I've discovered what makes my adventures tick with soul-boosting energy - do it with people I love and bring food, really really good food.  

Living in Seattle, we leave the bustling city that excites us on a weekly basis in search of nature, tree tops, perfect waves, expanse and quiet.  For me, there's nothing more satisfying than sitting above the clouds, perched on a mountain top sipping coffee after a heart pumping climb, camping in the middle of nowhere and whipping up hearty fare over a warm open fire, crafting a delicious spread on a sandy beach with the hum of waves as your music, or like this day, foraging in the rain for nettles and harvesting clams and oysters at dusk, knowing that a comforting meal is at the tip of your fingers. Hiking, ski touring, summiting, surfing, beaching, mountain biking, city pedaling, flower sniffing, you name it: forget the nuts and seeds, I'll carry ten extra pounds on my back to have a better-than-average picnic and be able to share that experience with friends and family, gazing over an infinite valley of dust and snow. That's what makes my soul sing.

I fully grasp that not everyone seeks adventure in this way, including my main squeeze, and that's ok.  Some get out there purely for the thrill of achievement and the pushing the edge of personal limits, getting outside in nature away from the daily woes of a desk, accomplishing climbs and rides to compare notes with friends on who completed it with a faster time, climbed a higher elevation or who envisioned something more epic than the time before. I can get on board with that, for sure, but what really awakens the adventure-seeker in me is looking at each experience as an opportunity to simultaneously impart a sense of freedom to break the rules a bit and create an eternal memory and inspired menu, no matter what we're about to do. And the most exciting part, is sharing that part of my soul with friends and family and toasting life over a majestic view. This is my canvas. What's yours?

Leading With Soul/Love Your Body

I had the privilege of sitting down with the the ever-inspiring Sarah Kaler, founder of Soul Powered, for the Women Who Lead initiative to share my story of self-love and leading with soul. For the month of February, Soul Powered is sharing the personal stories of six females in the Pacific Northwest, their visions for the future and their unconditional self-love. Head on over to the blog to read the inspiring profiles of 5 more health and well-being advocates and what they love most about their bodies.