Newsletter Winter 2010
New Year Motivation
It's a new year, a fresh start, and for many of us this means new year's resolutions
and plans to do things better or differently than we did last year. Unfortunately
in most cases, we start off with the best of intentions ("I'm going to
go to the gym every day", "I'm going to lose that 10 pounds"),
which tend to fade out by Valentine's Day. I am a big supporter of goals and
motivation, but this year I am going to focus on living each day at a time,
rather than setting up unrealistic expectations. Here is my wish to each
of you this year - celebrate small successes, revel in each achievement, and
live each day as though it were a resolution in and of itself. Most of all,
live life fearlessly!
Your partner in health,
Rachel
Living Fearlessly in the New Year
My
personal resolution this year is to commit to living life fearlessly. This
does not mean never feeling scared, but facing life with courage and living
outside of the prescribed comfort zone. According to Rhonda Britten, author
of Fearless Living, "Fear is the gatekeeper of your comfort zone." Fear
is what prevents us from achieving what we want for fear of not being accepted,
approved or understood. Rhonda Britten says, "sometimes a crisis is what's
necessary to shake up your world and give you the courage you need to show
your fear who's boss....Maybe you are simply sick of letting yourself down
or listening to your own excuses. You may not even be able to pinpoint what's
going on but you know something isn't quite working. Your soul yearns for more.
That's all you need to get started on the journey from fear to freedom."
I had an interesting experience several years ago. Having set the goal to do the notorious Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, I began training with local coach, Pedro Ordenes, who is famous for holding the record number of swims from Alcatraz island (without a wetsuit to boot!). Pedro is an inspiring coach and each week he holds swimming clinics in the San Francisco bay for swimmers and triathletes. Once I overcame the initial cold (the average water temperature is about 54 degrees), I began to realize that I had many childhood fears of swimming and open water.
I had taken swimming lessons as a child and gone to camp every summer, but I never really learned to swim properly until my mid-twenties when I took adult swimming lessons at the YMCA. I was experiencing a lot of panic and fear in the cold open water and with the race as my goal, I had motivation to work through this childhood fear. I began working with a colleague of mine who was trained in neuro linguistic programming, which traces the root of a fear and addresses it by working with the subconscious mind (somewhat like hypnotherapy or psychology). Over the course of several months, I began practicing the techniques he had given me, along with facing my fear by going swimming in the open water as much as possible, a little bit at a time, and desensitizing myself to it.
I cannot describe the amount of joy and triumph I felt when I landed on the shore after completing the 1.5 mile open water swim from Alcatraz island that day. Yet the thing that sticks with me, and the reason I share this story is because in life, we have fears to face every day. In my case, I had a choice, but oftentimes we don't. I am thankful that I had that experience to remember and remind me. For me, when I feel fearful, I think of that day. Then, I say to myself, "if I could overcome that, I can do anything."
Happy, Fearless New Year!
The Joys of Sleep
I
am a big fan of sleeping. Not only does a good night's sleep make you feel
more alert and revived, it gives your body the opportunity to recover from
the activities of the day, and your mind the chance to unwind and rest. In
fact, sleep is so important that studies say if you are not getting at least
7-8 hours a night minimum, you may be more likely to suffer from illnesses
such as depression and obesity. CBS Moneywatch recently did a segment called
Sleep your Way to the Top, talking about the benefits of sleep on workplace
productivity, among other things.
Here are some other benefits of a good night's sleep:
Keeps your heart
healthy
May prevent cancer
Reduces stress
Reduces inflammation
Bolsters memory
May help you lose weight
Naps make you smarter
All good reasons to get your zzz's!
What's New at Rachel's Mobile Fitness
New Year Referral Program
Thanks to your referrals, my business continues to grow. As we
ring in the new year, I am offering a referral program. For all
clients whom you refer to me that sign up and become new clients,
I will give 2 free workout sessions to the person who referred
them.
For more information on Rachel's Mobile Fitness, Personal Training and Corporate Training, give me a call at 415-269-5238 or come visit my site.
Sincerely,
Rachel Schey
Rachel's Mobile Fitness
