New Year's Eve Ritual

 

Vision Board

1. Gather your supplies, look through old magazines, tear out pages that speak to you, create a vision board and write down what you want more of in the new year

2. Reflect on 2020 and make a check list of all that you've accomplished.

Here's my list:

a. I took my mom to Sequoia National Park, our first time there & got her to hike with me. Her first time hiking.

b. I checked off 2 on my travel bucket list & fell in love️ with Sedona. Mom & I braved the cold & slippery ground in Grand Canyon.

c. I drove with a FB friend to Prescott, AZ’s Christmas City & enjoyed the holiday lights/ decorations. I found out that the mayor pro tem is a fan of Blue Zones like me. 

d. I manifested a New Year Retreat, a sponsor & $500

e. I’m manifesting more $ when I align myself with my dreams

I’ve been inspired by my travels & will share what I ️& learned in an interview on YouTube! 

3. Let go of what doesn't serve you. Don't let your past keep you from achieving your goals.

Love is #mywordoftheyear

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Join the Breathwork Summit!

Ingrid Cheng

Author, health coach, yoga revolutionary 

Holistic Remedies: CBD and TCM

@fitnesswla

I was a third-grade teacher in L.A.U.S.D but got burnt out. I became a yoga teacher in 2007 because I wanted to make a difference. I started a Yoga Meetup and hosted donation-based outdoor yoga classes. What began as a group that practiced yoga regularly evolved into something more. I founded the Holistic Health Club in 2013 to help health and wellness professionals connect with each other and collaborate to create win-win. We had monthly Meetups and each member had a chance to present his or her products/ services. Unfortunately, due to high cost of hosting and planning events, I had to close the group.  

I started interviewing health experts for my 12 Days of Wellness and continue to educated myself so I can serve more women. I interviewed Belen Saavedra (CBD Girl) today to learn more about CBD. Here's what she shared with me:

1. Do your own research. Make sure the CBD is harvested and extracted the right way. The company's website should show that its products are third-party tested, organic, non-GMO and extracted with CO2 not solvents.

2. There are 3 types of CBD products: 

Full spectrum: contains < 3% THC, CBN, CBC, CBG,  terpenes and flavonoids

Broad sepctrum: contains all the beneficial compounds without THC (what makes you high)

Isolate: just pure CBD, no other compounds

Smaller, craft companies often have better quality

There's a mental and physical health crisis here in America and our system just deals with the symptoms not the root causes. Our society focuses on quick fixes - a pill for every ailment, a vaccine for every virus. In the race to get a new drug or vaccine into market, Big Pharma often doesn't have transparency. The FDA is bought by special interests. We both agree that taking a pill that has many side effects to cover a symptom isn't curing anything or solving the main problem. We need to look into why we are feeling sick and what's causing us to feel this way. 

I grew up in Hong Kong where my Chinese doctor treated me as a whole person and spent time to find out the root cause of my symptoms. Often, it's an imbalance of chi. Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on Chi (the energy in our bodies). There is either too much or not enough yin or yang in the body and the cure involves acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, time and patience. Our health care system is actually sick care because it mostly focuses on treating symptoms not prevention or addressing the root causes of illnesses.

Join the Breathwork Summit!

Ingrid Cheng author of The Anti-aging Secrets of Yoga (2021)

@fitnesswla

www.facebook.com/fitnesswla

 

 

Take a Break

Wanderlust

 I was at Wanderlust where I learned the "Beautiful am I" chant. I miss the yoga community and can't wait for my New Year Wellness Retreat! I've been struggling with anxiety and sleep deprivation lately, so I'm taking a break. Self-care is extra important right now. Have a wonderful holiday even with lockdowns and new cases. Lighten up and watch what you consume. 

1. Know your Why

• Why am I doing this - What’s my motivation? Our health care system is broken and women's health often take a back seat. We are the caretakers and are so busy taking care of others that we forget to practice self-care. We make excuses for not eating healthier or exercising. We just "don't have time". Working at home makes it worse. I often lose track of time, skipped lunch and kept working. I end up being "hangry" - hungry and angry. I resolve to take breaks and eat lunch at the proper time.

• What outcome am I looking for? I want to help other women take better care for themselves through my blog and my coaching.

• What do I need to do during this process to have that happen? I must be a role model and practice what I preach.

• Who do I need to be during this process in order to have that happen? I must be a stand for my own wellness.

2. Commit to your well-being. Focus on one of the below for the day:

• Joyful Energetic Body

• Loving compassionate heart

• Restful reflective alert mind

• Lightness of being... Total Ease 

3. Practice self-care

• Wake up early – An inspired day begins at an inspiring time.  Take a few moments at the beginning of your day to enjoy a few moments of stillness and remind yourself of who you are and what you're committed to for the day.

• Warm Water w/Lemon & Ginger – The Ayurvedic view is that this lovely brew stokes your digestive fire giving it the boost it needs first thing in the morning to efficiently process what you're taking in today and every day.  Start your morning with a cup! 

• Gentle Movement - do some stretches or gentle yoga.

• Source: https://www.embodiedyoga.com

I interviewed Dr. Jane Cheng and she shared these self-care tips:

1. Acknowledge how you are feeling

2. Find out what you're thinking to make you feel this way

3. Look at the situation with a different perspective (find the silver lining). Be more positive.

4. Practice deep breathing, yoga or listen to music

5. It's normal to use food, alcohol or cigarettes to cope when we are under stress. Change your mindset and replace a bad habit with a good one.

• Journal
• Exercise
• Meditate

Join the Breathwork Summit!

Ingrid Cheng

Author, blogger, health coach, yoga teacher, manifesting generator

@fitnesswla

12 Days of Wellness

12 Days of Wellness

Tis the season to be jolly and I am glad to partner with these great companies for the 12 days of Wellness from 12/10 to 12/21 (the first day of winter). I believe that self-care is the best way to stay healthy during these challenging and stressful times. I myself have been dealing with anxiety and sleep issues. I find that yoga, meditation and Calm by Wellness Sleep help me relax. I hosted a Fill up with Wellness Zoom event where we sipped hot wellness drinks with a few drops of CBD and shared tips on how to deal with lockdown fatigue.

I will be interviewing wellness experts and sharing their tips with you for 12 days

Day 1 is recorded here

Day 2 is healthy hair care tips with me and I will share my secret recipe with you in Facebook.

Delicious Living has a great article about hair loss and shared these nutrition hacks:

1. Biotin (vitamin B7)

2. Vitamin C

3. Collagen & hyaluronic acid

4. Vitamin D

Day 3: Stress relief tips by Calm by Wellness

1. Hydration - Drink more water

2. Greens & fiber - Eat more veggies

3. Breathe through it -Take slow deep belly breaths & sigh it out

4. Move more - Go for a walk or get up from your desk every 30 minutes

Learn more about detox with @NykkiHardin and how it can help you heal.

Day 4: Play with dirt. Garden or repot a plant. Check out this article in the New Yorker: The Therapeutic Power of Gardening

Day 5: Yoga is self-care. I interviewed Adriana Lee and she shared these tips with me:

1. Have a regular yoga practice (even just 10-15 minutes)

2. Guided meditation

3. Breathwork/ pranayama

4.A cold shower for 30 seconds builds resilience

5. Be grateful, pause for 10 seconds before you eat or write down 3 things you're grateful for each morning.

Day 6: Drink a glass of wine. Did you know that red wine has many health benefits?

1. It helps you warm up

2. It is good for heart health

3. It causes your cheeks to flush and your face to relax, making you look good

4. It helps you sleep better

5. Just 1 glass can help you burn fat

6. It also has resveratrol that is known for its anti-aging effects

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Make a cup of tea and sip it slowly. Art of Tea gifts are perfect for the holidays!

2. Get a healthy Advent Calendar. Built Bar has a great one filled with something sweet and delicious (while still nutritious)

3. Join the Calm by Wellness 12 Days of Wellness Challenge

Ever since COVID started, I've wondered why our leaders want lockdowns which are causing more harm than

good (more die of suicides and overdoses than by COVID). Our system is broken so it's up to us to take care

of ourselves.

 

www.metabolicliving

Make a Difference Day

Donate

Go to my Bake Sale and Silent Auction

Do you ever wonder why kids go hungry in this country of plenty? Do you worry about how kids are doing during the extended lockdown? I do. As a former grade school teacher, I know that our public schools (L.A.U.S.D) are failing our kids. The main reason I quit was because there was no help or support from the Teachers Union or the District when I had a class full of ESL students, more than half of them were below grade level in English. I was supposed to get an aide but never did. I called the Union to ask for help but never got any response. I did not have enough text books or supplies for my students and I felt so stressed because I felt like I was failing them. I know that it's the broken system that's failing them, but I became a teacher because I wanted to make a difference. In the end, I was sick and tired of dealing with the red tape and quit. I became a yoga teacher because yoga helps me deal with my anxiety and stress. Yoga changed my life and I want to give back to the cause that's near and dear to my heart. I support Good Food L.A. in their efforts to provide food security to the underserved in our city. I hope you'll join me!

@fitnesswla

Ingrid Cheng

Author of Anti-aging Secrets of Yoga

Founder of New Year Wellness Retreat

Gym in a box is the perfect gift!

Manifestation homework:

Find some old magazines, tear out pages with images that call to you

Get a 10 X 14 poster board, a pair of scissors and a glue stick

9 am-10 am (PST) Morning yoga to wake up your soul and manifest your dreams. Using yoga poses and movements as a tool, I will empower you to connect with your souls purpose. Then, I will guide you to start creating a vision board to help you manifest your dreams.

For full schedule, sign up or contact the organizer.

Partner of Indigenous Plant Medicine and Feel Good Movements