Focus On February

Relax. Reset. Recharge—Are you ready?

Need some ‘me time’? Now the festive season has come to an end?

I’ve been absent from the SoulFit Adventures blog recently… lying low, intentionally. I find after I wrap up the final SoulFit Adventures Active Retreat for the year along with everything else, and, dive into the festive season—I have to take deep rest, reset, and recharge for the New Year ahead, which to me - February feels like the official kick-off!

And, with February arriving – I’ve decided to write some inspirational ways to help you prepare yourself for the year ahead.

For me, inspiration comes from adventure—which is freedom. It doesn’t have to be as dramatic as jumping from a plane or traveling to the furthest destination, it is the attitude of openness to something different, the willingness to try, go with the flow as new, unimagined elements unfold around us. Adventure could be as simple as cycling to work and leaving the car, taking a yoga session or simply reading something you would never usually read—it’s finding delight in everyday things.

So, whether you work 9-5 in a corporate job, run your own business, or in overwhelm about the year ahead, Soulfit Adventures wish for you is to live motivated by the adventurous experiences, in whatever form that takes for you.

You have all the necessary equipment to illuminate your life and live your best year ahead. Like Swami says, “there is no other teacher but your own soul” and here is how you can blaze your own trail:

Get Up Earlier

I now get all of my important work done before everyone else is even awake—you would not believe the difference this makes! There’s no better feeling than knowing no matter what happens for the rest of the day, you’ve accomplished what you set out to.

Watch the Sunrise or Set

See the sunset or sunrise from a beach, park, or your backyard. Set your intentions and find peace in the moments.

Shake up your morning

Swap your habitual coffee for a blend of your favourite fruits with a homemade smoothie. And save your latte dollars for your next Soulfit Adventures…;-)!

Go for a walk

Get off the beaten track. Swim in oceans, lay in the sunshine, and be active. Get home exhausted, and happy.

Book a retreat

Retreats offer a different approach to your everyday way of living, you learn new ways to incorporate a holiday feel into your normal life, you will connect deeply with who you are and meet like-minded friends along the journey.

Be creative

Successful living needs creative approaches; lose your fear of being wrong, of making mistakes. It’s never too late to create a brand new beginning. Everything is, and always will be in the process of changing and becoming something different. Paint, dance, sing, write, cycle, or simply meditate for fifteen minutes.

Start the day active

Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you’ll have the time for it, and it improves your self-control and energy levels all day long. We recommend yoga, cycling, walking, swimming or something that you enjoy that gets you moving!

Do something that makes you meditative

If sitting cross-legged and breathing isn't your thing, find something that is. Do whatever it is that makes you really grounded and present and in the moment. If that's going for a long drive with the windows down and music up, do that. If it's dancing, do it in your room each day. If it's hiking a mountain, schedule time to do that, too.

Let’s rise to the year and, together, officially welcome 2016!

Why do I buck traditional trends and hold off until February to start anew? It’s simple: I’m too tired in January. And the truth is, so are you.

Think about it. You’ve just come off of a hectic festive season. You’ve been on the move since then, attending festive parties, eating copious amounts of food, and trying to wrap up the end of the year. So when January rolls around and you finally have time to catch your breath, what do you?

You try to take on new habits, attempt to abolish bad ones and tackle projects while not giving yourself the time to recharge your batteries and really reflect on the year that has just passed you by.

Make January a month of setting yourself up rather than sprinting in to the year with full intentions and not enough energy to see them through over the long haul. Remember that a year is a marathon, not a sprint.

Don’t saddle yourself with intentions that are going to be difficult to maintain throughout the month – let alone the year – because you’re not fully prepared for them in mind, body, and spirit.

Focus on making February the month to hit the ground running. You’ll have a better chance of not only finishing the race, but being pleased with your results as well.

Even the loftiest resolutions (running a marathon, writing a book) don’t have to fall by the wayside come February. Staying active―and achieving what you set out to do―is surprisingly possible.

Just be active, take route of your life and step up to the abundance of opportunity and possibilities waiting.

In a yoga practice, each new breath is a new moment: you can restart any time, all the time. Pranayama literally means extension of life force or vital energy (breath). Yoga helps you remain in the present, moving forward, never looking back. Let 2016 be the year to cultivate new habits, and remember—you can restart anytime—be adventurous, active and most of all, have fun doing it.

Early February we will be back on the blog to launch some exciting NEW SoulFit Adventure’s news and give you the heads up on the up and coming retreats for 2016 (lucky for you, there are some places are still available).

Be Part of The Adventure,

Virginia and the Soulfit Adventures Team

x

Here’s our favourite smoothie recipe to kick-start the new you!

Beets in this healthy fruit smoothie produce nitric acid, which helps to increase blood flow throughout your body—including to your brain. MRIs done on older adults showed that after eating a high-nitrate diet (including beet juice), these adults had more blood flow to the white matter of their frontal lobes.

Ingredients

150g cooked beetroots, coarsely chopped

60g fresh or frozen raspberries

250ml cranberry juice, chilled

225g low-fat plain yogurt

Chilled raspberries, to garnish (optional)