New Years resolutions – intention in action

Wednesday, December 29, 2010  1:58 pm

source: didigetthingsdone.com

Dreaming and visioning, then capturing your intentions for the New Year is a wonderful way to spend some time during holiday week.

Wise life coach Marcia Goldberg once wrote, “Intention is the thread on which the pearls of our life experience are strung”. If we go through life without intention – without consciously knowing what we want to embody – we are more likely to have haphazard experiences in life. There’s a balance between going with the flow and setting the agenda. Finding that balance can be a fun and fascinating experience, if you also hold a sense of being open to the odd ironies of life that surround us.

As you vision your life unfolding over the next year, consider what you’d like to have more of in your life. Peace, abundance, fun, balance? How about taking some time to expand on that – breathe, relax and listen.

From there, you can set goals and ideas for the year that are grounded in intention. For me, this adds meaning to my planning and the daily things I choose to do to guide everyday. If I can take some time everyday reminding myself of my intention and goals, they do seem to get done.

Happy New Year, and thank you for checking in on this column from time to time. In 2011, I will be working to make this blog a community from which to explore integrative health, and particularly food as a means of supporting well-being.  More recipes on the way! Thank you for those of you who have commented, dugg, stumbled, twittered and otherwise reached out.

What is your wish or intention for the New Year?

My wish for you in 2011 is that you enjoy health, happiness, and the light of your truest self.

Annie

Howard’s Healing Prayers

Tuesday, August 5, 2008  7:42 am

Last winter, Howard Wills did a number of healing ho-downs on the North Shore in Kauai. On Howard’s site, you can find a collection of prayers that he’s written and that he uses in his work. He says repeating the prayers creates a powerful positive mindset, and facilitates our physical and emotional healing.

I’ve used the prayers somewhat regularly over the past months, and who knows if I’m healthier for it. I do know that whenever I put in the 20 minutes or so to say the prayers, I feel happy. Give them a try and I’d love to hear if and how they impact your life.
Be healthy and happy,

Annie

Some Guiding Worksheets

Friday, July 18, 2008  9:26 am

I have a very beautiful group of women that I’m working with on Nantucket this month. Hi everyone!

One of you asked that I make the ‘emotionally healthy habits & affirmations’ slides from Dr. Gould’s work into a handout, and here it is:

Emotionally Healthy Habits & Affirmations

I’m also including the Steps to Lifestyle Manifestation handout so that you can continue to use it as a framework as you work with different aspects of lifestyle:

Steps to Lifestyle Manifestation

Lastly, I’m attaching a Inquiry Food Journal, that you can use as an exercise to delve deeper into what you’re eating, and why/how. As I mentioned in our group, keeping a food journal can be difficult, but can also provide you lots of info and support. Most of us eat much more healthfully when we know that we’re writing it down! There was a recent study that suggested that people who use food journals lose twice as much weight as those following a similar program without tracking.

I suggest that you do your journaling in groups of 3 days, and try to plan 3 different but somewhat typical sorts of days. For example one week day, one weekend day, and a family gathering day (if these are typical for you). Then take time to ‘digest’ your journal, looking for ideas on how you can shift your environment or your habits to support healthy choices.

Here it is:

Inquiry Food Journal

See you on Tuesday!

Annie

What’s Up in Food & Wellness

Sunday, May 18, 2008  1:46 pm

Marian Nestle comments on new study from the International Food Information Council

NYTimes: World’s Poor Pay as Food Research is Cut

The Veggie Queen Vegetarian Recipes

Physical Activity for All that Ails – NYT Update

Thursday, May 1, 2008  10:25 am

For decades, Jane Brody of the New York Times has been a bit of an idle of mine (and of most of my nutrition-communications colleagues). Here’s a great update she did today on moderate exercise – the closest thing we have to a magic bullet for chronic disease.

Jane Brody Moderate Physical Activity Update - NY Times Article

Here Come Lots of Health-rating Systems, and More Confusion

Thursday, December 6, 2007  8:08 am

Get ready for lots of new signage in your local grocery store – as reported in a NYTimes Article earlier this week, there are at least three rating systems under development to help consumers sift the wheat from the chaff as far as healthy choices go. The problem being that from what I can see, they only include packaged food. So, the healthiest foods in the grocery store – fresh fruits and vegetables – won’t be included. Why can I see how these undertakings will add to the confusion, while the smarties leading these efforts don’t?