grounded.

I can't say I was too shocked when I found out that the typical Thanksgiving meal is 4500 calories. If
you're like me you make a deal with yourself heading into the holidays that you will not over indulge!
And then you promptly break that deal when you see and smell the mashed potatoes, the pumpkin pie,
the wine, etc. That great saying: “It's all about moderation,” goes out the window. So today, on Move
It Monday let's commit to moving our bodies to work off some of those 4500+ calories that we
consumed over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
We can start by forgiving ourselves of our over-indulgences and then strike a yoga pose. Tree pose is
a pose that makes us feel more centered as it calms down the central nervous system. Stand up tall,
suck your belly button into your spine. Ground down into your left foot as if you are rooting down into
the earth. Place your right foot onto your ankle, your thigh or in half lotus position. Avoid placing it
on your left knee as it might knock your knee joint out of place. Slightly tilt your pelvis forward and
raise your arms up over your head while dropping your shoulder blades away from your ears. Lift your
gaze. Hold this pose for five deep breathes and then switch sides.
Tree pose is a grounding pose. You can learn a lot from a tree: a tree is rooted down into the earth but
not too rigid as it bends and sways with the wind. It has the right balance of groundedness and
flexibility.
Now that you have achieved some balance you are ready to move and burn off some of those holiday
calories. Go for a run, a hike, a yoga class, a swim or an aerobics class. Do some form of exercise that
you love and enjoy the wonderful freedom you can experience just by moving your body.

Lisa Brownstead is a former TV news anchor who believes in the transformational power of yoga and helping young and old alike find more balance, self esteem and joy in their lives through yoga. She also believes that yoga (and a little bit of humor) leads to a significant decrease in stress and keeps those practicing looking and feeling young! As a mom of three kids who love yoga, Lisa has followed her passion teaching yoga to both kids and adults. Lisa is the founder of Pretty Postures.  For more information on private in-home instruction, classes, and yoga parties check out www.prettypostures.com.

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centered. LIFE.