1. LAUGHTER IS GOOD FOR YOUR BODY
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Laughter helps you breathe better, leading to increased heart rate, higher respiratory rate, and improved levels of oxygen consumption, which are similar to what happens during exercise.

Laughter also lends powerful benefits to the cardiovascular system. The benefits are only applied while the laughter is happening, so laugh often enough and you'll indirectly be padding the perks of your regular exercise routine by strengthening your heart and lungs.

2. LAUGHTER REDUCES ANXIETY AND CALMS STRESS HORMONES

Laughter has positive effects on stress hormones.

Humor, and by extension, laughter, stimulates multiple physiological systems that decrease levels of stress hormones, such as cortisol, and increase the activation of the dopamine-dispensing reward system of the brain.
Furthermore, humor softens anxiety.

In a 1990 study, folks were told to wait for an electric shock (that never came), and they either watched something funny, something serious, or nothing at all while they waited.

The humor group, perhaps not surprisingly, experienced the lowest levels of anxiety, showing the positive effect humorous laughter has on threat-induced anxiety (like having to deal with an erratic boss or unfriendly neighbor.)

3. LAUGHTER BOOSTS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM     
Multiple studies link laughter to an increase in immunoglobulin (IgA), which are antibodies that play an important role in immune function.

More laughter, more antibodies…more antibodies, stronger immune function. So I guess what I’m saying here is more laughter = better health!

From my Funny Bone to Yours…

3 Television Series To Binge Watch:

• Schitt’s Creek
• The Office
• Cougar Town

3 more:

• Parks and Rec
• Community
• 30 Rock

3 Stand-Up Comics to Check Out:

• James Acaster
• Amy Schumer
• John Mulaney

3 more:

• Hannah Gadsby
• Demetri Martin
• Ellen Degeneres

3 Movies to Get You Giggling:

• Best in Show
• Raising Arizona
• Juno

3 more:

• Wedding Crashers
• Pitch Perfect
• Legally Blonde

3 Amazon Prime shows: 

• Catastrophe
• The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
• Red Oaks

3 Hulu Originals: 

• I Love You, America (with Sarah Silverman)
• Difficult People
• The Mindy Project

3 Netflix Originals:

• Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
• Santa Clarita Diet
• Arrested Development

3 Podcasts:

• Mortified
• Ask Me Another
• 2 Dope Queens

3 More:

• My Dad Wrote A Porno
• Bubble
• SYSK

3 Instagram accounts to follow:

• Celeste Barber
• Strange Planet
• El Arroyo 

3 book lists:

• The 40 Funniest Books of All Time
• 46 Hilarious Books Guaranteed to Make You Laugh Out Loud
• 50 of the Funniest Books Ever Written

You gotta know when to fold 'em. Please to enjoy 30 seconds of:

aka: Why This Endeavor Wasn't Meant To Be

Maybe you can relate - when life comes at me too fast, I can get overwhelmed. 

When I get overwhelmed, my anxiety makes my thought train go into overdrive.
 
When my thoughts go into overdrive, it's like they all bombard me at once; every single sliver of potential worry suddenly looms large, demanding my immediate and full attention, appearing much more menacing and inflated with importance than they actually are.

I get thrust into the future, which, as we know, doesn't actually exist, so it's a very unsettling and confusing place to try and set up shop, which is what it feels like I'm being asked to do in those moments. Figure out the solution to all potential problems; that way, no matter what happens, we're covered. 

I have found, over the years, that one of the very best ways of dealing with that kind of mental ambush is to physically ground myself in the present moment. 

Sometimes I take a breath and say things out loud for myself to hear: "That (thing I'm worrying about) isn't actually happening RIGHT NOW. Right now, I am sitting in a blue chair looking around my living room, listening to my dog snore. I have a glass of water near me and I can see the sun shining through the window. All is well."

Sometimes - a lot of the time - I take the grounding practice one step further and initiate a Back to Basics Beauty Bomb session.

This practice is literally about bringing your focus to your physical self through the lens of care and gratitude.

​Applying this kind of concentrated attention re-roots us right into the present moment, allowing us a clear path back to the kinds of actions we can choose right here, right now, in order to help our bodies become and remain strong vessels, able to withstand any and all of the challenges life decides to throw our way.  

If time is limited, I'll pick and choose just a few of the items off this list, just for a boost in the right direction. 

But if I have the time available, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll start my Back to Basics Beauty Bomb session at the very beginning, in the shower, and leisurely include every last one of these steps, because time and experience have shown me how much stronger my power pose is when I feel like I am shining my brightest on all levels.

As I'm doing any/every one of these things, I am practicing mindfulness.
I am thanking each body part for anything and everything it does for me..I am appreciating the unique way my body was put together, the strength it shows, the adventures it takes me on...I am repeating affirmations as I make eye contact with myself in the mirror:

• I am beautiful in this moment, as is. 
• I am worthy of my own love and affection. 
• I am here on purpose.

I am reinforcing to my subconscious mind that I deserve love, I deserve care, and I deserve time to myself and for myself. 
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The more often I reinforce these things, the easier it becomes to believe them.

The more I believe them, the easier it is to prioritize the actions that align with them.

The more I prioritize those kinds of actions, the better I feel.
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And the better I feel, the more likely I am to perpetuate behaviors that accentuate those good feelings. 

No matter the length, I like to cap off these sessions with some sort of closing moment that extends the lovefest beyond my physical body, offering a bit of the positive energetic momentum to other areas of my life. 

These closing actions are things like getting some fresh flowers into my home, listening to a guided meditation while laying down for 10 minutes with my feet elevated over my heart, playing a favorite inspiring song or two, texting a faraway friend or relative to tell them I love them, studying my Vision Board for a few moments, or creating a nutrient-dense, delicious meal, a quick stretch session, or a few big, deep, cleansing breaths.
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Whatever you choose, let it feel like the cherry on top.

And there you have it, my darling - your Soul Fitness Back to Basics Beauty Bomb! Use it as often as necessary - you have permission to care for yourself, always and in all ways.

lots of love, 

Here is the biggest piece of self-care advice I can offer you: Throw away your scale. 

We've been conditioned to think that the number reflected back to us on the scale is somehow indicative of something important, but it's not - it only measures your gravitational pull, which actually has very little to do with your health. 

The number on the scale can fluctuate as much as up to 5lbs in a single day due to things like fluid retention, training routines, dehydration, quality of cumulative sleep, and sodium and carbohydrate intake. 

With so many variables affecting the number, you are not really giving your brain accurate information, which can not only be confusing and demoralizing, but it can also negatively affect your future behavior. 
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What about defining yourself by a different kind of measurement?

What about your heart, your soul, your compassion, your generosity, your strength, and your power?

If you neeeeeeed numbers to feel comfortable tracking your health and fitness journey, there are ways to do it without stepping on the scale. You can use body measurements, or blood pressure readings, or what size clothes you are fitting into comfortably (although, that can be another slippery slope, as not all clothing brand sizes are created equally!)

Or get radical and practice leaving the number comparisons behind altogether.

When you're learning how to love and appreciate your body, it's wise to acknowledge alllllll the different ways your self-care is benefitting you. To that end, I invite you to use the following comprehensive list to take stock of your progress instead.
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Adapted from the Whole30, these kinds of markers can and will have deeper long-term meaning in the grand scheme of living a happier, healthier life.

• Learned how to cook 
• Don’t use food for comfort 
• Don’t use food as rewards 
• Don’t use food as punishment 
• Don’t use food as stress management 
• No longer a slave to sugar and carbs 
• Know the difference between hunger and cravings 
• Fewer cravings 
• Healthy coping strategies to deal with cravings 
• More variety, color, vitamins, and minerals in your diet 
• Food no longer has unwanted side effects 
• No more food guilt or shame 
• No more bingeing 
• When you indulge, it’s deliberate 
• When you indulge, you savor it ​

PLENTY of ways to measure your "Before" and "After" states of being that have nothing to do with the blasted scale. 

​I love you and I'll see you soon!

It's an extraordinary thing, the feeling that comes with empowering yourself by expanding your knowledge base.

As they say, when you know better, you do better.

The way I see it, we're all souls having human experiences, and when we learn more about anything at all, it widens our worldview. And when we learn more about something that's directly related to upping our self-care game?

Well, look out world...

Learning how to better care for yourself is always worth your time, and one way to do that is to become familiar with the names and specific functions of your muscles.

​It's one of the very first steps of cultivating any meaningful relationship, learning a name, so knowing what each body part is called is a positive step towards a friendly relationship with your body.

​Additionally, in order to have a full appreciation of why it's important to take care of ourselves, we need to understand what exactly we're caring FOR. 

We talk a lot about movement here at Soul Fitness, and rightly so.

Movement is at the heart of both our body's fitness journey, and our day-to-day lives, so it makes sense we’d focus on how to move, why to move, and what to do when we can’t move.

As we cling to the motivation sparked by our 2019 goals, intentions and resolutions, it can be tempting to try and fill our days with go go go, because the more action, the better the results, right?

Well, not necessarily. Just like Rest Days are a necessary part of a balanced fitness journey, moments of #pause are a necessary part of peaceful, balanced, everyday living.

Defined as “a temporary rest,” a #pause during your workout allows you a valuable opportunity to check-in on all kinds of thing, like: 

• Am I using correct form?
• How’s my alignment?
• Is there a variation that might serve me better?
• Have I had enough water?
• Do I have the stamina for one more round?

But training yourself to look for chances to #pause can help more than just your exercise routine.

In fact, the benefits will reach far and wide into every corner of your life if you let them.

​And you can take a #pause anywhere, anytime, and it costs absolutely nothing.

With each #pause you gift yourself, you have the opportunity:

…to bring your attention back to the present moment,
…to decide if what you’re about to say to someone is true AND kind AND necessary,
…to double check your actions match your values,
…to calm yourself down when you’re on the edge of that downward spiral,
…to ensure what you say is actually what you mean,
…to steady your reaction when someone pushes your buttons,
…to appreciate what is happening right in front of you, right now,
…to adjust your attitude if necessary,
…to make sure you heard that right,
…to take a deep, refreshing, cleansing breath,
…to let a moment of peaceful stillness find you,
…to remember everyone is doing the best with what they’ve got, and/or
…to feel gratitude that your past decisions have led you here, to today.

And those are only a few possibilities!

Today, I invite you to look for ways to practice the #pause. Tomorrow, I invite you to do the same. In fact, consider it a standing invitation, yours to accept day after day after day.

Notice what kind of beautiful movement it allows into your life and enjoy!
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You already know that drinking water is important - like, for survival and stuff - and today we're getting into the why, where, when, and how of getting enough H2O! 

Remember, you are worthy of being taken care of, especially by your own self. 

So bottoms up, chug-a-lug, and cheers!

Staying hydrated is a fundamental part of staying healthy. 

While drinking plenty of water is the obvious way to get it done, let's not forget that eating certain foods is another.

You can actually consume a significant amount of water through a variety of water-dense fruits and vegetables into your diet, so much so that it can literally alter how much water you may need to drink in a day. 

​As long as you’re eating plenty of water-rich foods and drinking water along the way each day, you shouldn't have a problem staying hydrated.

​Keep your body's healthy water levels high by including any/all of these 10 water-dense foods.