When I saw this lovely snow heart melting outside my window I thought of love, and hearts, and spring. Of course then I ran and got my camera. What a special gift in the cold of winter.
So in honor of Valentine's Day today's tips are for heart health.
Heart foods: Healthy heart foods include nuts, salmon, blueberries, beans, flaxseed, brown rice, fresh fruits & vegetables. Here's a a good resource, an here's another.
Heart Exercise: Exercise that gets you moving 20 to 30 minutes, at least three to four times a week works the heart muscles just as you would want to keep any other muscle in shape (after consulting with a doctor of course). Whether it be raking leaves, shoveling snow or jogging, be sure you warm up to it and don't just dive in. Regular exercise is the key to healthy exercise.
Deep Breathing exercises get oxygen into all your organs. You should do a series of a dozen or more deep breaths every day. Breathing exercises can lower blood pressure and even break down the salt we ingest. Some breathing exercises can be found here and here.
A Yoga practice includes great exercise for the body, soul and the heart. Since the practice of yoga includes a different way of thinking about movement, it helps you to connect with how your body and your emotional heart feel. It's non-competitive, even with yourself, so it allows you to experience the movement.
Anusara Yoga in particular, comes from a place of love. Founded by John Friend in 1977 one of it's fundamentals is to develop compassion - both for yourself and others. You learn to open your heart physically and spiritually so you can live your day to day life from a place of love and appreciation. To quote an excerpt from the website, "its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a "celebration of the heart," ... looks for the good in all people and all things".
Relaxation techniques support heart health. Here's a great site for a sampling relaxation techniques, including meditation and deep breathing.
Meditation for relaxation and stress relief is good for your heart and soul. It has been shown to reduce heart disease realted deaths. Here's an overview of meditation considerations and techniques.
Happy Valentine's Day
Relaxation techniques support heart health. Here's a great site for a sampling relaxation techniques, including meditation and deep breathing.
Meditation for relaxation and stress relief is good for your heart and soul. It has been shown to reduce heart disease realted deaths. Here's an overview of meditation considerations and techniques.
Happy Valentine's Day
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