How Do You Get A Grip?

Your eyelids flutter open every morning to a fresh day and reality to transform. Your neurons light up with to-do lists and jump ahead to stresses and worries. How do you stop the influx of negativity? How do you get a grip in reality and stay cool as a cucumber? Life is an evolving dance, but how are you performing? Anxious and tense or calm and adaptive. As a dance performer, speaker and teacher every day is another chance to hone my grounding skills. Grounded and completely aware of the present moment and whatever floats into those that follow.
Here are some simple, fun ways to get a grip and grow conscious roots in your every day life.

Be More

Sweat Your Worries Away: Meditation is fantastic in it’s most basic form of just following your breath with your mind…but why not double the pleasure, focus and detox of negative thoughts and toxins in the body by soaking in a sauna at the same time? Infrared sauna’s are my new addiction. A vice I’m happy to hold on to tight.

Bare All: Slip off your shoes and socks and put your soles on the earth. Preferably grass or sand for more fun. Wiggle your toes free of the shoe casts and strengthen your feet. I wear holes in my toe socks at least once a month dancing and teaching, while Vibrams top my minimal living shopping list. Learn about the importance of foot health and awareness with my follow along video Happy Feet= Happy You.

Move More

Rebound Your Energy: Whether you jump rope, hop on a rebounder trampoline, shake out all the cobwebs on the dance floor or bounce on an exercise ball, find a fantastic way to get blood, oxygen and lymph flowing every day.

The human body needs to move. The lymph system bathes every cell, carrying nutrients to the cell and waste products away. Contrary to blood which is pumped by the heart, the lymph is totally dependent on physical exercise to move. Without adequate movement, the cells are left stewing in their own waste products and starving for nutrients, a situation which contributes to arthritis, cancer and other degenerative diseases as well as aging. Vigorous exercise such as rebounding is reported to increase lymph flow by 15 to 30 times. Bye bye cellulite too!

I get enough rebounding jumping in ballet, but a rebounder (like the Airzone 38-Inch Mini Band Trampoline) is an awesome addition to any home gym that won’t sacrifice the joints like running can.Gravity is our friend when it comes to moving lymph.

Lift With Gripz: I lift weights a few times per week beyond my normal pilates arm/shoulder focused routine on the Pilates reformer and I like to prevent wrist pain and calluses from forming as much as possible. Form is crucial, but especially for heavy lifters, the palms can shred quickly. Weight lifting gloves stink after a few sweat sessions, so I was stoked to stumbled upon this supportive, portable grip product called Gripz Gloves. The cushioned palm grip is really comfortable and keeps germs at bay.
I had a chance to jump in as a fitness model for their promo video and website pics. So fun!

Nourish More

Eat Some Earth: Winter is the season for grounding earthy veggies and grains. Enjoy a vast array of the seasonal delights from the farmers market. Go for root veggies, squash, lentils, legumes, sprouted and raw nuts and seeds. Need grains in your life? Chose high protein and healthy fat full sprouted pseudo-grains like quinoa and millet.

Drink Green Protein: People always ask me how I get my protein eating raw vegan. Everywhere! Especially with all the gorgeous dark leafy greens in season. Kale, chard, and spinach are high in protein and back a chlorophyll punch. Blend in a green smoothie or juice for pure liquid sunshine energy. Cleanse on a cellular level by adding more greens to your routine.
I also add a green superfood powder to most of my salad dressings and smoothies. My favorite brand at the moment is Health Force Nutritionals VitaMineral Green. I can’t believe how many greens, seaweeds, grasses, probiotics and digestive enzymes I get in one spoonful. Now that’s true nourishment.

If you are not a subscriber to my Be Epic Newsletter yet I don’t want you to miss out on this week long virtual health debate going down on February 6th. Featuring some of the top experts in nutrition and longevity, watch as they “battle” their diet philosophies. High Raw Vegan vs. Primal Paleo Diet…. find what works for you by joining in the fun. Sign up for free and learn with me.

I’m off to enjoy the sunshine on this gorgeous Wednesday after a butternut squash raw soup from my vitamix.
So now that you’ve learned just a few ways I find grounding, clarity and presence every day, what do you do to get a grip?