8 Steps to Healthy Holistic Living

Living a holistic lifestyle means that you are committed to living a meaningful life to the best of your abilities. This does not necessarily mean having millions of dollars or a fancy car. But, rather living your life to make sure that your body, mind and soul are happy and healthy.

1.

1. Start each day with meditation. Even if it is just for a few minutes, this helps me to focus my thoughts and center myself for the day ahead. It is amazing how much better I feel after meditating. My days also seem to flow better when I start with this practice.

2. Regular exercise. I try to workout every day. No workout is ever the same. Sometimes I go to a yoga or pilates class, take the dogs for a long walk at the park, cycle to the beach, or do body weight exercises. These workouts helps to keep my body more physically active and in shape. I always feel so good after exercising, even if it's only for a few minutes!

3. Yoga. I love how relaxed and centered I feel afterwards. I started going to yoga classes at my gym while in college. I also started doing doing yoga in my dorm room, even if it is just a few minutes here and there.

4. Taking daily supplements. I prefer to get my daily vitamins and minerals from the healthy food we eat but sometimes it is not enough. I don't have my vitamin deficiencies, however I do take about 4-5 every morning (glucosamine, calcium, vitamin d, and vitamin b). I like to take supplements that aid in lubricating my joints and bones, as I am very active and have bad knees. It is amazing the improvement I feel in my overall health and well being after taking these supplements everyday!

5. Healthy Diet. I strive to eat a healthy everyday. Although it can be challenging at times and I'm not perfect (I love ice cream), my body feels healthier when I do.

6. Watch the sunset and sunrise daily. I love to walk my dogs around our neighborhood and watch the beauty of the sunrise and sunset. It gives me the chance to have some quiet time to myself to think and reflect. I also recently started kayaking on the river early in the morning as the sun rises. It is amazing how something so simple is so good for my soul!

7. Schedule more "me time". I often put my needs last and my family and friends first. This leads to me getting pretty exhausted and burnt out at times. When I get a chance to get have a girls day or just relax by myself I always feel so replenished and revived. I need to have a "me time" at least once a month instead of just a few times per year. It makes a huge difference in my overall health and well being!

8. Write in my journal daily. I used to do this every day and fell out of the habit. It is amazing how wonderful it is to end the day by sitting down for a few minutes and writing out a few things I was grateful for that day. It makes me realize just how blessed I truly am and helps me to stop dwelling on the negative aspects of my day.