Just to hold you over....

Hello Everyone,

I'm getting ready to post my 5 variations of plank as promised, but it's taking a little longer than expected. Soooo, I typed this up to hold you over ^-^

The Keys to an Optimistic Outlook

1. Stop being your own worst enemy. Be your own best friend.

2. Don't put yourself down. Pull yourself up.

3. Don't permit others to define who you are.
You cannot be a failure without your own consent.

4. Respect yourself. Place a high value on yourself.

5. Take stock of who you are and what you're capable of.
Work on weaknesses and find new strengths every day.

6. Replace "I can't" with "I can" and "I will."

7. Treat yourself generously, the way you want others to treat you.

8. Be compassionate. Love yourself, and others will love you.

9. Remember that you are an individual expression of God. As a work of God’s art, you are priceless and irreplaceable.

10. Visualize what you want from life, then work toward it.
See it, then be it.

11. Allow time to be by yourself, with yourself. Take time to appreciate yourself.

12. Enjoy your uniqueness. Out of all the billions of people since the beginning of time, there has never been, and never will be another you.

12. Realize that you are important to the entire world; what happens to the world begins with you.

Excerpts from “The Path to Success is Paved with Positive Thinking,” Blue Mountain Arts Inc., 2008.

Profound Transformation Doesn’t Happen Until You Find Your Motivation Trigger

When I first started working as a personal trainer I was asked to picture myself the way I wanted to be…the perfect me. In the image, I was to visualize every detail from the sharp curviness of my calves to the suppleness of my biceps and the contrast of my rounded hips to my slender waist. I was able to focus long enough to create my personal paragon of fitness and it made me smile. Afterwards, I was told to picture my face and imagine the way I would feel. That was when I felt an emotional surge. I felt happy and satisfied with myself, I felt relieved, I felt energized and confident, and I felt in tune with my mind, body, and spirit. I almost started crying. It was overwhelming. My motivational trigger was not a fitness model cut body; my motivation was being satisfied with myself, being healthy, and being relieved.

Since that day, my focus shifted from teaching clients to count calories and follow a set routine of cardio and strength according to the book, to really finding their motivation trigger and using that to develop a program to reach that goal. If the journey ends with a goal that is set in the deepest held values of the individual, success becomes easier to reach and maintain.

So, my advice to find your true motivation is to be true to yourself. What do you hope to attain from starting a fitness program? What was the pressing issue or feeling that made you walk through the gym doors and sign a 2 year contract? Remember, be honest with yourself and if you need support or if you work better in a group, hire a personal trainer or join a bootcamp. Personal trainers can give you perspective on what you need to do to reach your goal and boost your training and knowledge. This will give you additional tools you will surely need along the way.

Ganbare!!!!

Erin Geraghty-Balent
CPT/Yoga/Martial Arts
www.fitlorenzo.com

3 Simple things you can do every morning to improve circulation and energy

3 simple things you can do every morning to stay healthy

During my one month excursion in Japan, I took a few yoga workshops. It was refreshing to learn from international teachers and I’ve adopted a new morning routine that has improved my circulation and energy levels. It took about a week for me to notice a difference and after two weeks other people were noticing a difference. This practice should be done upon rising, before eating, and in the order I presented them.

1. Brush your tongue- It’s simple. Take your toothbrush or some toothbrushes have a tongue brushing side and brush in outward strokes. This breaks up the collected plague on the tongue, stimulates the sinuses and tear ducts, and rids the body of accumulated mucous and toxins.
The instructor gave us some side notes I will share. He said when brushing the tongue, you get the very back of the tongue. This may cause a gag reflex which is actually beneficial because it assists in the expulsion of mucous and the body will more effectively flush out the tear ducts. After brushing, always blow your nose and rise your face.

2. Dry Brush your body- This removes fatty and fibrous toxins in the skin, cleans the lymphatic system, clears away dead skin layers, stimulates blood circulation, improves nervous-system function, and helps digestion.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this practice, you should dry-brush your body with a brush that has somewhat stiff bristles. You can find a brush like this at a beauty salon shop. When brushing, always brush towards the heart. So, start with the soles of the feet, and brush upwards to the hip, then begin the process with the other foot. After the legs are done, you can work the arms starting with the hands. After the arms, brush the entire core section and then brush the upper back outwards from the neck across towards the shoulder blade (this is the only part of the brushing not towards the heart). Brush the neck downwards being sure to brush over the collarbone and towards the heart.
*Be sure to hit the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands to stimulate those nerves.

3. Take a hot/cold shower- Brightens and clears the mind, heals the stomach, digestive tract, heart and brain, charges the cells, purifies unhealthy blood, flushes all the organs and glands.
Below is the process
Start with hot and then cold and massage body towards heart (just slipping the hand around the body). Repeat this 3xs and end on cold. Try your best to take some deep belly breaths when massaging (although the shock of the cold water can make this difficult)
This one takes some getting used to but it really energizes the body.

And that’s it. Those are 3 simple things to add to your morning routine for a healthy, happy body and mind.

One of my favorite Inspirational Quotes

Born to Manifest the Glory
Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural Speech

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?

You are a child of God.
Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking, so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Foods that Heal: Garlic

Foods that Heal: Garlic


This first food is one that we all know and love. We all have it in our cabinets in some form, it tastes awesome on any Italian dish, and if you eat too much of it, your date has to be a really good sport to hang around.

Garlic is one of my favorite foods that heal. Garlic has antimicrobial, antiviral, and antibacterial properties. It can be used to heal wounds, kill infections, and boost immunity. Garlic is also a great source of NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) which is a powerhouse antioxidant and a precursor to Glutathione (the body’s main defense against toxins).
Of course the best way to reap the benefits of garlic is to take it daily, but it is also powerful enough to be used at the first signs of illness or to prevent infection in a fresh wound. Fresh, organic, raw cloves of garlic quartered and taken orally give the body a boost to fight of illness.
That’s not all of the benefits though. It has also been proven to help lower high blood pressure, lower cholesterol, assist healing with digestive system disorders, and has anti-cancer properties. In addition, it also promotes cardiovascular health when taken daily.
Here is a link to read in depth about many of Garlic’s benefits.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/19/1024.html


Fortunately for me, my husband is a garlic fanatic so we don’t smell it on each other. We always have fresh cloves in the refrigerator to take daily. This remedy is cheap, easy, and effective. So the next time you feel a cold coming on, keep it at bay along with all vampires and reach for some garlic.

Dozo Yoroshiku Onegaishimasu!

Hello Everyone!

My name is Erin Geraghty-Balent and I will be blogging for your fitness and nutritional pleasure. I will keep this as short and sweet as possible.

I'm a fitness professional, ACFE-CPT, Yoga Instructor, Black Belt, Roller Derby Girl, Group Fitness Instructor, Japan Enthusist, and Nutrition and Supplement Advisor. I am passionate about health and fitness, I love to challenge and be challenged, and I live for bringing out the best in people. I have experience working with a wide-range of clients from completely deconditioned and injured to peak-performance athletes. I embrace a life of body/mind/spirit balance, constant progression, and promoting an optimistic and ambitious attitude.

It's hard for me to contain my enthusiam for my love of fitness and nutrition. I have learned how to heal myself and others by applying its principals dilligently and this blog is just one way I can do that.

Arigatou!

Erin