The other day, when I was stuck in traffic, I just started to take big deep breaths. I actually put my car in park and closed my eyes and just breathed in and out slowly and mindfully through my nose. It was quite soothing actually, and I felt like it helped minimize my frustration. And then yesterday, I had carried a pretty heavy bag around on one shoulder, all day. By nightfall, I could tell...
Whether you’re sleep deprived or not, there are moments when one needs more energy. It’s easy to fall into a coffee habit when experiencing a lull, and I certainly went through that phase, but there are way better techniques for bringing energy in. Here are my top five instant (and free and painless!) energizers: Do Five Minutes of Meditation – often we feel fatigue because our minds are on overdrive. Mediation helps slow the mental chatter which in turn settles our nerves. I love an open-eyed mediation,...
Joe Pilates famously said, “Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness.” He couldn’t have been more right. It is the first requisite. The body is meant to move and wants to move. Feeling strong and capable is foundational to joy. Now, what’s the second requisite? Well, I’d say it’s faith. Faith in it’s broadest sense, meaning complete trust or confidence in something. So for this topic, that means faith in your body’s ability to function, to heal...
On Saturday night, I stood in my kitchen, attempting to make dinner for my family, when a wave of fatigue fell over me. I had had a busy week and the day flew by with a bit of rushing around, but I was well rested and hydrated, and it was only 6pm. I quickly realized I wasn’t physically fatigued – I was emotionallyfatigued. I get the sense that a lot of us are experiencing emotional fatigue...
Your body craves balance – balance in every possible way – but one example of balance I harp on incessantly is the one between the front body and back body. (Lucky for us, it’s one that mindful movement can fix easily too.) Most of our days are spent in forward flexion, i.e., sitting, slouching, rounded. This is the posture of sitting, driving, texting, eating and cooking, and if we sleep in the fetal position, sleeping too. Too much...
The last big video shoot we had for Ellen Barrett Mindful Movement was February 24, 2020. Who knew that craziness would ensue so soon after that day? By Mid-March 2020, life as we knew it was turned upside down. All summer long, I plotted my next video shoot and prayed everyone involved stayed healthy and prayed our government wouldn’t close down production. I prayed the weather (and the power!) would cooperate too. Well, my prayers...
When you’d like to workout but you’re feeling a bit “unambitious” about it, here’s what you need to do – just get to the mat. Just get to it. Maybe sit or lie down on it. Maybe stand on it. Just get to that mat with bare feet and comfy clothes and stay there. Something wonderful happens when you get to the mat – you nurture your self with movement. It might be seated in...
