12 Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle

source: http://www.yogalifestylecoach.com/healthylifestyle.html

1.     Positive Mental Attitude

a.     Stop negative thinking as soon as you notice it and count your blessings.

b.     Practice positive affirmations.

c.      Do karma yoga (selfless service).

d.     See humor and seek laughter.

e.     Practice loving-kindness meditation.

2.     Healing Relationships

a.     Take a look at your closest relationships on a regular basis and question “Is this nurturing to my Self?” Is this purifying to my ego?”

b.     Always seek nurturing and purifying associations and friendships.

c.      In your closest relationship, what quality can you cultivate and have more of?

d.     Find a spiritual mentor/teacher who resonates with you.

e.     Find a healing support group or a spiritual community.

3.     Healing Sensory Input and Environment

a.     Spend time out in nature.

b.     Be mindful of TV programs, shows, movies, newspapers, books, magazines, and Internet media.

c.      Look at what you see, read, and hear through the lens of detached, yogic, loving discrimination: “Will this make me more peaceful, more loving, and more selfless?”

d.     Create a healthy environment and sensory healing through the use of healing colors where ever you spend the most time: bedroom, dining room, office.

e.     Create sensory healing with positive visual images.

f.       Create sensory healing through the use of healing. Sounds.

g.      Use different scents and aromas for healing, relaxation, and well-being.

h.     Clear physical clutter.

i.       Take a look at your bookshelves and the DVD library and replace anything negative with something positive.

4.     Mental Tension Relief and Stress Reduction

a.     Take a mini-vacation at least one every two months in a place where you can be timeless.

b.     Spend a few minutes in yogic deep relaxation every day.

c.      Practice barefoot yoga or find another way to connect to the Earth on a good weather day.

d.     Chant or hum “omm.”

e.     Seek humor and seek laughter.

f.       Practice slow breathing.

g.      Establish and keep up a daily meditation practice.

h.     Get a pet or find a way to connect to animals.

5.     Find Your Perfect Calling: Right Livelihood

6.     Energy Cultivation

a.     Spend time in nature.

b.     Regular pranayama practice.

7.     Sufficient Sleep and Rest

a.     Make your bedroom a place of rest.

b.     Early to bed, early to rise.

c.      Get yourself physically tired.

d.     Practice abdominal breath to induce the relaxation response.

8.     Exercise

a.     Cardio exercise three times a week.

b.     Muscle-strengthening, weight-bearing exercise.

c.      Work on flexibility every day. Stretch out to the edges of your comfort.

d.     Develop balance with multi-dimensional forms of exercise.

9.     Relief of Physical Tension

a.     Stretch every day.

b.     Practice restorative yoga poses.

c.      Get a massage.

10.  Healthy Digestion

a.     Chew food well.

b.     Consume enzyme-rich foods or take an enzyme supplement (especially fresh fruits and vegetables, dark leafy greens, sprouted grains and beans).

c.      Drink a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar diluted in a glass of water first thing in the morning.

d.     Eat less.

e.     Eat simple meals with less than three types of food.

f.       Drink hot tea or water with lemon.

g.      Do not snack between meals.

h.     Eat pro-biotic foods a few times a week to maintain healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

11.  Healing Diet

a.     Eat simple meals.

b.     Eat as much organic food as possible.

c.      Eat as much locally-grown food as possible.

d.     Go easy on proteins and fats.

e.     For healthy protein, eat foods rich in amino acids.

f.       Get a daily surplus of antibiotics.

g.      Eat pro-biotic foods a few times a week to maintain healthy bacteria in the large intestine.

h.     Eat a good daily share of raw foods rich in enzymes (especially fresh fruits and vegetables, dark leafy greens, sprouted grains and beans)

12.  Detoxification

a.     Drink plenty of fluids.

b.     Go to sleep at 10 PM.

c.      Sweat regularly.

d.     Teach yourself to breathe through the nose, not through the mouth.

e.     Cleanse the nasal passages with a nasal wash.

f.       Drink a shot of wheatgrass juice or another green vegetable juice (spinach, kale, parsley) several times a week.

g.      Supply your body with a full range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

h.     Supplement your healthy diet with high-quality nutritional supplements that provide the full spectrum support and help detoxify the body.

i.       Get a massage/bodywork that improves circulation.

j.       Do a mini-fast.

And may the peace of the Lord be always with you.