Showing all posts tagged wellness wednesday

In Natural Wellness, Uncategorized

Mental and Emotional Wellness Through Breathing Prayer #WellnessWednesday

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

woman yoga breathing relaxation wellness

Mental and Emotional Wellness through Breathing Prayer

In our fast-paced, media-driven society, it is increasingly unusual for most of us to be still. It is even more uncommon for us to spend even a few moments in stillness focussing on our breathing. Unless you regularly practice yoga, chances are you very rarely consciously stop and consider the pace and depth of your breath. The truth is, though, that stopping for a few short minutes each day to do focusses breathing can actually change the brain and improve your mental and emotional wellness! (See links below for the article from Science Daily on the subject of how deep breathing has been shown to change the brain. It’s fascinating!)

I have seen the affects of focussed breathing, specifically breathing prayer, this month while participating in the Revelation Wellness “Heir to the Crown Challenge.” Each day part of the challenge involves setting a timer for 3-5 minutes, sitting still and closing your eyes, then breathing deeply while praying/meditating on a repeated phrase. Each day has a different focus surrounding the overall theme of our identity in Christ as daughters of the King. For example, one of my favorites this week has been this:

Inhale– “God fights for me,”

Exhale– “so I can be still.”

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

As I have practiced this breathing prayer daily for the past 10 days, I have noticed my breathing more at other times, especially when I am feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Remembering to slow down and take a few deep breaths, especially while praying over the current situation, helps me to think more clearly and respond in a more positive way to whatever is upsetting me. I have also been noticing myself making better food choices overall. In the podcast linked below, Revelation Wellness founder Alisa Keeton talks about how focussed breathing activates the part of the brain in control of appetite. I wouldn’t normally associate the breath with the appetite, so this connection is quite intriguing!

Have you ever tried breathing prayer, or even just simply noticing your breath for a set period of time? If so, I would love to hear about how it affected your health and well-being! If you have not tried this practice, I would encourage you to give it a go for a few weeks and see what positive changes it makes in your life!

Links:

Revelation Wellness Podcast – #302 A Simple Way to Keep “The Weight” Off

Science Daily – “The Yogi masters were right — meditation and breathing exercises can sharpen your mind”

And now it’s your turn! I want to read your thoughts on your own health and wellness journey! Follow the instructions below to join the link-up and share!

How to participate: 

  1. Write a post on a topic related to wellness, and add your link to the list below.
  2. Grab the Wellness Wednesday logo graphic below and put it in your linked post, also with a blurb mentioning and linking back to that week’s link-up.
  3. Please stop by at least two other participants’ blogs and leave a comment on their Wellness Wednesday posts. This doesn’t take long, and it is really encouraging and helpful for building community and continuing the conversation!
  4. Bonus points if you post about the link-up on your social media. I will feature a post from one or two Wellness Wednesday participants on my Facebook page during the week after the link-up, so please head on over there to follow me and see if your post is featured!


In Natural Wellness

Wellness Wednesday: On Eating Well

Author Kiel LemonPosted on 1 Comment

Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday here at Tuning Hearts! I’m so glad you are joining us! If this is your first time here, feel free to look around and read back a few posts to get a feel for what we are all about! If you would like to participate in this week’s link-up, scroll on down to the bottom of this post for all the details on how to do that. Now, on with the post…

On Eating Well

We couldn’t go on much longer in this wellness vein without talking about eating well, could we? Last week I stepped on the scale for the first time in probably a month. I don’t make it a regular habit to weight myself as I’m not obsessed with weight and can usually tell how I’m doing fitness-wise by how I feel anyway. I had been feeling like some of my clothes were a bit tight, so that is actually what prompted me to check. Sure enough, the scale confirmed that I had indeed gained a few pounds recently, even thought I am still working out regularly.

I knew the cause, though, even though I didn’t want to admit it at first. Too much sugar. Too many unnecessary snacks. Too many grains. Sigh… I am not a highly disciplined person when it comes to food. If we have sugary foods in the house, I am sure to eat them. If I don’t buy and prep enough fruits and vegetables, I fill up on grains instead. And I tend to snack for comfort or as a reward, so there is that emotional eating component, too.

I know that when I eat well. I feel better in general. But I have to make a conscious choice to deny myself of the quick fixes and go for real, nutrient dense foods that will fuel my body. So today I got back to a better balance of veggies and meat and fruit and cut back on the grains. The only sugar I had was in a little spoonful of my mom’s homemade plum jam added to plain yogurt. I feel good about my food choices, and I feel better physically today, too! How about you? Do you struggle to eat well and make healthy food choices? I would love to cheer you on!

P.S.–If you are feeling stuck in some aspect of your journey to better health, can I encourage you to check out the resources in the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle? This year’s bundle  includes: 96 eBooks, eCourses, and printables to help support your weight loss goals, get your family onboard with a healthy lifestyle, detoxify your home and beauty routines, and so much more. $29.97 for 6 days only. https://ultimatebundles.com/sale/uhlb2018-main#a_aid=a13314&a_bid=2be9a5f4&chan=WellWed (This is an affiliate link, so if you purchase using my referral link, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting me!)
Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle

And now it’s your turn! I want to read your thoughts on your own health and wellness journey! Follow the instructions below to join the link-up and share!

How to participate: 

  1. Write a post on a topic related to wellness, and add your link to the list below.
  2. Grab the Wellness Wednesday logo graphic below and put it in your linked post, also with a blurb mentioning and linking back to that week’s link-up.
  3. Please stop by at least two other participants’ blogs and leave a comment on their Wellness Wednesday posts. This doesn’t take long, and it is really encouraging and helpful for building community and continuing the conversation!
  4. Bonus points if you post about the link-up on your social media. I will feature a post from one or two Wellness Wednesday participants on my Facebook page during the week after the link-up, so please head on over there to follow me and see if your post is featured!


In Faith Talk, Natural Wellness, Uncategorized

Wellness Wednesday: More Than Just Bodies

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

Typically, when we hear the words health, wellness or fitness, we immediately think of the physical components: good nutrition, regular exercise, adequate sleep, etc. But the truth is that you and I are not just bodies. We are whole persons, each having a mind, a soul and a spirit. And our physical bodies are interconnected with our thoughts, emotions and spirituality in miraculous and mysterious ways.

Our beliefs affect our thinking. Our thinking affects our feelings and choices. Our choices affect our bodies. And even more intriguing is all the neuroscience coming out about how our thoughts actually makes physical changes in our bodies! So if we have healthy thought patterns and beliefs that support positive choices and healthy emotions, then it follows that our physical health will be supported, as well.

But if we have destructive thought patterns and believe lies about ourselves and about God, then no matter the amount of good food and exercise we get, our bodies are going to be stuck. I don’t know about you, but I want to get un-stuck! I want to be healthy and whole on all levels, and I want my beliefs and thought patterns to be pointed in the right direction!

That is one reason I am so excited about the upcoming “Heir to the Crown” challenge from Revelation Wellness. This 30 day wellness challenge is about more than diet and exercise. It is about finding your true identity! I strongly encourage you to check out this info page about the challenge and see if it is something you feel led to do. Sign-ups end on September 7, 2018, so you have just over a week to take the plunge!

(Please note that this is not a sponsored post. I am not affiliated with Revelation Wellness in any way. I just believe in the work this ministry is doing, and I want to get as many people to join me on the “freedom train” as I can!)

And now it’s your turn! I want to read your thoughts on your own health and wellness journey! Follow the instructions below to join the link-up and share!

How to participate: 

  1. Write a post on a topic related to wellness, and add your link to the list below.
  2. Grab the Wellness Wednesday logo graphic below and put it in your linked post, also with a blurb mentioning and linking back to that week’s link-up.
  3. Please stop by at least two other participants’ blogs and leave a comment on their Wellness Wednesday posts. This doesn’t take long, and it is really encouraging and helpful for building community and continuing the conversation!
  4. Bonus points if you post about the link-up on your social media. I will feature a post from one or two Wellness Wednesday participants on my Facebook page during the week after the link-up, so please head on over there to follow me and see if your post is featured!


In Natural Wellness

Wellness Wednesday: Real Connections and Emotional Health

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

As a strong introvert and a Highly Sensitive Person, sometimes social interactions can feel truly exhausting for me. It takes a lot of emotional energy for me to make small talk, deal with crowds and get out of my comfort zone to forge new friendships.

But I also know that I need people, and I do enjoy time spent in community with friends and family. I believe that God created human being for fellowship with Him and with each other. And I know from experience that real connection with other people boosts my emotional health.

The trouble is finding a good balance between draining social interaction and life-giving connections. For me, I feel most exhausted by large groups and meeting new people. On the other hand, one-on-one conversations with a good friend leave me feeling refreshed and encouraged. Either way, however, I do have to plan alone time so that my emotional health doesn’t suffer from too much of a good thing.

The key for me in maintaining emotional health in relation to friendship is to have real connection, not just surface interaction. I prefer to go deep with a few people who I trust and can have regular time with and build community, rather than be spread wide and feel like I barely know my so-called friends.

And these connections need to be in person as much as possible, not on social media. Although things like Facebook and Instagram give us the ability to keep up with a lot of people from all over the world conveniently, I don’t believe that these online interactions are as beneficial or lasting as real life friendships can be. I am thankful for my online connections, but I need real people coming over to my house or going out for coffee and sharing my life on a regular basis.

How about you? If you are extravert, your need for social interaction is going to look a lot different from mine! I would love to hear how you pursue real connections for emotional health in this social media culture!

And now it’s your turn! I want to read your thoughts on your own health and wellness journey! Follow the instructions below to join the link-up and share!

How to participate: 

  1. Write a post on a topic related to wellness, and add your link to the list below.
  2. Grab the Wellness Wednesday logo graphic below and put it in your linked post, also with a blurb mentioning and linking back to that week’s link-up.
  3. Please stop by at least two other participants’ blogs and leave a comment on their Wellness Wednesday posts. This doesn’t take long, and it is really encouraging and helpful for building community and continuing the conversation!
  4. Bonus points if you post about the link-up on your social media. I will feature a post from one or two Wellness Wednesday participants on my Facebook page during the week after the link-up, so please head on over there to follow me and see if your post is featured!


In Natural Wellness, Uncategorized

Wellness Wednesday: Finding Surprising Joy in an Unexpected Place

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

One day as I was washing dishes, I tuned into a podcast featuring interviews with different Christian authors and speakers. I don’t honestly even remember who the host was or what podcast I was listening to. What I do remember was hearing Alisa Keeton’s message of hope and healing as she talked about her ministry Revelation Wellness and how much that message resonated with me. I quickly searched the internet to find her own podcast and website to learn more.

The next day I decided to listen to one of her podcasts while working out. Now, I am not naturally one who enjoys exercise in most forms. It never used to be a habit or even a choice that showed up on my radar, at least not for long. But in this case, my husband and I had recently gotten Fitbits and were in that highly motivated stage of excitement about the new gadget. Plus, I had been having a hard day emotionally and just wanted an outlet for my pent up anxiety and frustration. It was perfect timing, and I am sure God had His hand all over it!

The instant I started listening to the RevWell podcast, I could tell this was going to be different than anything I had ever done before. Alisa started praying right off the bat, and as she gave cues for warming up, upping the intensity, etc., she also quoted Scripture after Scripture and preached a message of truth. Never in my life had a thought of doing a cardio workout as being a time for me to meet with God, or for Him to meet me, but that day, He did!

As I continue to use my workout times as places to meditate on God’s Word, listen to gospel preaching, and pray about what it on my mind, I am constantly surprised by what a joyful experience exercise has become. It is actually something I look forward to doing each day, a much-needed time for refreshing and renewal. What I used to find draining has become a source of life, both physically and spiritually. And it was completely unexpected!

 

And now it’s your turn! I want to read your thoughts on your own health and wellness journey! Follow the instructions below to join the link-up and share!

How to participate: 

  1. Write a post on a topic related to wellness, and add your link to the list below.
  2. Grab the Wellness Wednesday logo graphic below and put it in your linked post, also with a blurb mentioning and linking back to that week’s link-up.
  3. Please stop by at least two other participants’ blogs and leave a comment on their Wellness Wednesday posts. This doesn’t take long, and it is really encouraging and helpful for building community and continuing the conversation!
  4. Bonus points if you post about the link-up on your social media. I will feature a post from one or two Wellness Wednesday participants on my Facebook page during the week after the link-up, so please head on over there to follow me and see if your post is featured!