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JUNE | JULY 2015

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JUNE / JULY 2015 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | 27 Julia Freimund is a worksite wellness specialist, a state- registered hypnotherapist, and a certified yoga teacher. She has studied and practiced chi gong, meditation, and yoga in America, China and India since 1989. Reach her through the WAC Wellness Center. or mind is under stress. Focus on counting your inhales, then counting the exhales. Notice then relax the different tense parts of your body; pay attention to how your clothes feel on your body. These quick body scans are the foundation of mindfulness. Develop personal cues throughout your day that help you remember when to do this. Good examples include: just before leaving the house, when entering various passwords, and when walking to a meeting. You should quickly observe the difference in your body and mind. 2. CREATE CUES The average person can have as many as 50,000 thoughts in a day. Many of these turn out to be negative or repetitive. A great beginning step toward noticing the nonstop nature of our minds is to choose two frequently used doorways—one at work and one at home. Make these doors mental cues to check in with yourself. Are you having negative thoughts or holding in unnecessary stress? Let them go. Mentally and physically release tense areas. Take a deep breath and open the door. 3. WRITE IT OUT When you can't focus, it can help to write down a stream-of-consciousness rant. Write down everything and everyone you believe is preventing you from focusing. When you feel calmer and able to focus again, delete, tear up, or shred your writing. No one, including you, needs to see it ever again. Take some deep breaths as you do a body scan to notice and release tension. Now return to the task at hand. 4. VISUALIZE VACATION Feeling overwhelmed? Visualize a favorite calming vacation spot or any place you feel happy and secure. While breathing deeply, use all five of your senses to mentally teleport yourself to this oasis of calm. Focus on as many details as possible to remove yourself from stress. What do you see, smell, hear, and sense with your skin? What are you doing? Are you eating or drinking? The more often you imagine the same place and focus on engaging all of your senses, the stronger the neural pathways become so results are quicker and more comprehensive. 5. UNPLUG YOUR COMMUTE Many of us dislike our commutes to and from work. But remember this: Your commute is time you get to spend with yourself. Find ways to make your journey to and from work about you. Try turning off the radio or electronic devices for five minutes to help you focus. Spend time during your commute focusing on your body and its health. Our physical and mental well-beings are intimately related. Spend time focusing on your breathing and your mental state. Inhale calm, exhale stress. Repeat. In addition to these tips, make a habit of reviewing your day each and every night. As you lie in bed, think about how your day went for five to 10 minutes. Breathe deeply with longer exhales as you touch upon all areas of concern. Focus on anything that worried you or felt incomplete. Release those thoughts and feelings, reminding yourself that "this too shall pass" and knowing that you will have a fresh start tomorrow. During the review, note at least one thing you did well that day. It's easy to dwell on what we could have done better. By acknowledging our successes, we can shift our focus and improve our mindset. Also note three things you were grateful for during the day. Gratitude for a shared smile, an amazing cup of coffee, or a glimpse of something beautiful can change your perspective in a hurry. Looking for the "three gratefuls" becomes a mindfulness practice. The hardest part about living a more mindful life is starting—slowly and simply—to incorporate mindful moments in your daily life. Implementing the above tips will help. It begins with your first deep breath. Wellness author Julia Freimund will teach effective techniques to help thwart the many ways chronic stress can harm the body and impact the mind's ability to function. No change from work clothes is needed. Short or tight skirts are not recommended. Wednesday, July 15 Scaylea Room, 3rd Floor 5:30–6:30 pm Members $22, guests $27 Contact 206.839.4780 to reserve. MINDFUL ANTI-STRESS TACTICS INTRO CLASS

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