Xmas is a great time of the year with lots of catch ups, festivities, and plenty of food, not to mention alcohol. I hope you have enjoyed your Xmas. Mine has been great, but my body has decided that after a year of work, that it’s time to have a bit of manflu! It’s not too bad though and I’m allowing a bit more rest with nice afternoon siestas!

If you need a bit of a control-alt-delete to reset the balance then here’s a few tips:

1. Fruits before lunch– this is a nice easy semi-fast. Choose apples, pear, banana, papaya, watermelon, pineapple. Really, anything that takes your fancy. Throw in some nuts if you need to feel more fullness. This enables your gut to rest after all the heavy eating of xmas.

2. Walk– if you have been completely out of exercise, then start with a 30 minute walk every day. It can be a stroll initially, and once you find that comfortable then turn it into a brisk walk. If you need to get the heart rate up a bit higher then make that a 30 minute jog. The beauty of walking and running is that you can scale the intensity up and down depending on where you are at.

3. Learn kapalbhati– this is a fabulous yoga breathing technique that helps clear the mind. It can literally be translated as “shining skull”. You will need to learn this from a trained yoga teacher. Essentially it is a rapid breath technique which is performed in a set number. It brings a keen clarity to the mind.

4. A morning habit– develop the morning habit of waking early and doing something useful and productive. Yoga, meditation, reading, writing, planning, goal setting are all great things that you can do in the sacred hour between 5 and 6 am.

5. Service– develop an interest, hobby or charitable activity that takes you outside of yourself, your family, your house, and your bank balance. Focussing on what you can give instead of what you can get, will remind you that you are part of a much grander picture.

Another Xmas spins around and it’s time to get back to the routine!

In Health and Wellness