October 2023 theme: Falling Into Mindfulness: The holidays and winter time are upon us and it’s the perfect time to become more aware of what you’re doing instead of just doing things on autopilot or because “that’s how it’s always been done.” All month long, we’re focusing on mindful eating, mindful mornings, being mindful of how your body feels when you workout or after eating certain things, and of course, mindful of your own thoughts and feelings.
Quote: “Learn to slow down. Get lost intentionally. Observe how you judge both yourself and those around you.” – Tim Ferris
Health Habit Focus: Jump in on the #waterfirst challenge with me this week and build the habit of drinking water before every meal. 
tag @angelballance in your stories on Instagram and/or tag Angel Ballance Fitness on Facebook stories when you post a pic of your water and meals together! See the reel I posted today (Monday) for an example.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3555654601370782
It’s funny how I had this Falling Into Mindfulness theme planned out for October to serve all of you who are in my Life Fit community, and yet now I see that it’s “falling” right on time for my personal life, too. My beloved cat, Menaw, passed away Saturday, and my heart has been grieving around every corner that I expect to hear her meow or see her big eyes and little tiny face. She has been a constant companion in my daily routine and now I feel her absence. In this kind of sadness, I tend to feel the “not care” feelings well up inside me. The old me would numb out with stuffing down food and laying around in heartbroken inactiveness. So, if that was me, I imagine there are others who can relate.
And so, I share my life around taking care of myself and coping without emotional eating. I hope it is an encouragement and help to you in some small way should you also find yourself in a hole of struggle sometimes. This is how I deal. I become more mindful of what I’m doing to take care of my body/soul and remind myself why it matters when I feel like all I want to do is sit in my negative thoughts that nothing really matters at all. I know the Truth and I will purposefully walk in the way I know is right.
So — Here comes October and Falling into Mindfulness. You’re invited to tune in and be a part of the mindful eating, moving, feeling, and being with me. Welcome. Please drop a heart below… and maybe your favorite Fall emoji!
View my full class schedule here.
Request to work with me in my virtual coaching groups by emailing me at coachangelb@gmail.com.
Putting Mindfulness Into Practice: Body Scan
Before we can actively engage in mindfulness, let’s define it.
Mindfulness is “the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something” and “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”
Now let’s try it! Today I challenge you to practice mindfulness by doing a body scan. This is a great way to get started because it doesn’t require anything but your body and you can start with a couple minutes and work your way up.
- Lie on your back on the floor or bed, with your palms at your sides facing up. Your feet should be about hip-width apart, comfortably falling outward with toes pointing to the sides.
- Start by focusing only on your breathing. Just be aware of every slow and steady breath. You can take exaggerated breaths if you’d like, or just breathe normally.
- Notice and experience the environment your body is in. Note the temperature, textures, smells, sounds and how your body feels in the space.
- Do a scan of your entire body from head to toe. Focus on just one part of your body at a time, noticing how it feels to tense and then fully relax each one. Start with your forehead or top of your head, move to your facial muscles, then chin and neck, then shoulders and chest, down through your arms to the tips of your fingers, through your abdomen, then your hips and legs, all the way through the tips of your toes.
Start with body scan today and try to make it last a full 2 minutes. ✌️ As you practice this more, it will feel more intuitive, and you will be able to pinpoint and stay on more specific parts of your body as you scan through. You can even find body scan guided audios to help you get started.
Every Movement Matters: Slower Forms of Exercise
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi
We can’t go through life without mindfully moving and planning for exercise. 👟It’s a huge part of overall health and Each & Every Movement Matters, so that’s what we’re talking about this week! I am going to share little tips all throughout the month to help you become more aware of your movements, both in daily life activities and in your actual workouts.
My first and most important tip is to just slow down. You may start noticing a theme here as we got through October and the holidays ahead… that mindfulness requires moving more slowly. When you are moving too fast it is pretty much impossible to be fully mindful of what you are doing. Not only can you get a better workout or more fulfilling experience when you focus and slow down, but you can also reduce the risk of injury. Slower forms of exercise make it easier to focus on your form, movement and breathing.
Here are some options you could try to slow things down:
Foam Rolling / Stretching / Mobility
Pilates / Yoga / Barre
Walking / Swimming
Cycling / Biking
Weight training / TRX
Low impact bodyweight training
If you’re interested in learning more Low-Impact Workouts, you can read this article here
Reading the list above, you can start to see that we include many of these types of exercises in the classes I teach and the on demand workouts I also do from home.
There is a time and place for faster moving cardio too if you enjoy that like I enjoy teaching it!! But don’t ever feel like you are not doing enough if you are just taking things slow. From deadlifts to downdogs… go for quality over quantity, moving through full range of motion and feeling every movement to the fullest. This allows you to be present and mindful so you can be more intentional in how your body moves. 👌
Faith for Life Fit
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” – Ephesians 5:15-16
The Apostle Paul has left us with great advice in his letters, and here he is telling us to be more mindful! In all that we do, we should be careful, intentional and wise. One of Satan’s most effective tactics is distraction. He keeps us distracted by things of the world, putting us on a hamster wheel of to-do lists, keeping up with the Jones’ and striving for worldly wealth and fame. Satan delights in us being lukewarm … apathetic and just half-way in on living our life tuned in to God’s ways.
The good news is that Jesus has left us the Holy Spirit! When we spend time in the Word, in prayer and in community with other believers, the Spirit shines brighter within us. And that light is way brighter than Satan and his distractions. I pray for the Holy Spirit to be present within you, guiding you through life with intention and direction for the glory of God!
Will you join me?
With the chaos of the holidays just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to become more aware of what you’re doing instead of just doing things on autopilot or because “that’s how it’s always been done.” That is what we are doing in my October monthly membership! We’re focusing on mindful eating, mindful mornings, being mindful of how your body feels when you workout or after eating certain things, and of course, mindful of your own thoughts and feelings.
Take your life out of auto-pilot with daily advice and tips, healthy recipes, tracking sheets, bonus resources and more to live a healthier, happier and more mindful life. Plus, you get a community for support and accountability! These are all the things that have made the difference for me and now for the clients that I work with. I have the tools and resources, you just need to make the decision and move forward with intention!
Following a nutrition program together with my accountability group, I’ve been able to lose and keep off nearly 10lbs since starting a couple months ago just to tweak my eating habits a bit and be more mindful in my choices – despite unpredictable marching band schedules and long late nights/days! Let me show you how to maintain your health with a simple and sustainable lifestyle.
Enrollment for this group is open now! If you want a spot, send me an email coachangelb@gmail.com ! 💌 We can chat about what you are struggling with MOST – overeating, emotional eating, consistency, cardio… and what you want out of life…, and then see if my virtual group coaching is a good fit!
Living Life Fit,’
Angel
Angel Ballance 