Motivation

To quit smoking with Yoga is real

Posted on by Sergei_Bst

To quit smoking might be hard, but yoga and meditation can support you in this journey. Tobacco use is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and premature death.

But nicotine is a stimulating and relaxing drug that causes severe addiction, so it is difficult for most smokers to quit smoking.

Can yoga and meditation practices help in the fight against addiction?

A group of researchers from the University of Health and Science of Oregon (USA) conducted a systematic review of scientific research on getting rid of nicotine addiction, including the practice of calming the mind and working with the body. The results of research claim that yoga helps to quit smoking.

How yoga can help to quit smoking?

It should be noted that a person who practices yoga is distinguished, first of all, by willpower. This is achieved both through physical practice and through direct training of the mind. It is the mind that plays a key role in the question of how yoga helps to quit smoking. First of all, the mobilization of the will is necessary to give up harmful dependence. It is the will that allows you to overcome a bad habit on your own.

Of course, unlike medications, it is impossible to get results here and now from yoga. There is no magic mantra or special pranayama that can defeat a bad habit, but the result obtained from the practice of yoga will be final and 100 %.

Yoga can help increase awareness of your body and mind

The researchers concluded that ” practices for calming the mind can be useful for getting rid of the smoking habit.”

Current primary treatments for smokers, including cognitive and behavioral therapies, as well as pharmacological methods, nicotine replacement therapy, and atypical antidepressants, have moderate effects. In view of this fact, the results of a review of studies on the effects of yoga and meditation on smoking cessation are encouraging.

While traditional methods of getting rid of nicotine addiction help many to quit smoking in the short term, long-term abstinence is a serious problem for most smokers.

The inclusion of complementary therapies, such as yoga and meditation, can help increase awareness of your body and mind, as well as develop greater emotional control and restraint in behavior.

There is general agreement that body and mind practices, including yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and others, are extremely beneficial for stress relief. It is likely that those who are trying to break the habit of tobacco use can benefit from adding such techniques to their treatment program, especially during the stressful process of fighting cravings and desire.

The key to quit smoking is willpower

Quitting smoking requires, first of all, willpower. Every asana in yoga, even the simplest, strengthens the will of the practitioner, makes him stronger. The most effective asanas for developing willpower are: Urdhva prasarita padasana, Chaturanga Dandasana, Shalabhasana, Utthita Trikonasana.

The next time you want to smoke – you practice chaturanga dandasana – staying in this asana for at least a minute will discourage you from any desire. On average, a person spends 2-3 minutes smoking one cigarette, the proposed alternative will take a minute — not only will you be able to strengthen your health, but also save time.

Remember that any habit is formed in 28 days, give up smoking for this period, replacing it with yoga practices. I am sure that such a replacement will help you easily get rid of the addiction.

Evening alcohol and frequent snacks: 4 effective ways to get rid of bad habits

Posted on by Sergei_Bst

Each of us has our own individual shortcomings, but bad habits are often similar. Living according to a certain schedule, we sometimes do not have time to notice how unhealthy addictions make their way into our routine — from excessive alcohol abuse to late bedtime waste.

And if at first these vices seem nice and pleasant, then soon we begin to notice their very unpleasant side effects-from deterioration of well-being to loss of productivity.

It can’t go on like this, and below we have collected effective ways to break out of the captivity of bad habits, recommended by experts.

1. Alcohol

Alcohol is a pleasant thing, but very insidious. It can be very difficult to track the moment when you start to get used to it, and then to depend on it. At first, you just have a drink with friends every Friday or weekend, then you delight yourself with a bottle after a particularly difficult day and before you know it, a glass of alcohol becomes a mandatory end to any day.

Meanwhile, drinking more than two drinks a day or 14 drinks a week can weaken your immune system and cause a cascade of other problems, from poor sleep to an increased risk of cancer.

When deciding to limit yourself to alcohol, Aaron White, Ph. D., of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse, advises trying to avoid an all-or-nothing approach that can provoke relapses.

One way to move away from this bad habit gradually is to break the automatism of the routine. Instead of the usual ritual with beer or whiskey every night, prepare a new interesting cocktail with low or zero alcohol content. The effort and pleasure of creating something new should help you start drinking a little less.

2. Addiction to constant snacks

Delicious food raises our spirits and helps us feel satisfied. But while eating is vital for our body, with the abundance of snacks and sweets on the market, we always have the risk of constantly delighting ourselves with delicious treats, unconsciously dragging them into our mouths throughout the day-especially in the evenings and at night.

And this threatens not only to increase the indicators on the scales, but also to reduce energy levels, digestive disorders, poor sleep, and even the development of such serious health problems as diabetes.

“One way to reduce your consumption of comfort food is to limit your meals to a specific setting, such as the kitchen table,” advises psychologist Wendy Wood, Ph. D., author of Good Habits, Bad Habits.

This helps you associate the table with food and is less likely to consume it elsewhere.

3. Postponing training “for later”

Stop deceiving yourself and others by claiming that you are too busy to train! Let’s say more — even if you finally have a free minute, without willpower and motivation, you are unlikely to spend it on sports.

The more time we have, the more we have to waste. This is a finding from a large body of research on procrastination, which has found that people are often less willing to take on a task when they are given extra time to complete it.

“Whether you work at home or in the office, the antidote to the habit of skipping workouts is the same: set aside time and space for exercise,” says Pierce Steele, Ph. D., a psychologist at the University of Calgary.

He recalls that routine is the kryptonite of procrastination, because once formed, the habit of exercising can eliminate the temptation to quit training.

“Habits are like highways without exit ramps,” Steele adds.

Schedule your workouts for specific days and, if necessary, install a dedicated activity tracker, such as Strava, to get extra motivation.

4. Late withdrawal

After the end of the working day, we need to have time to do a lot of things before lights out. Yes, it is, but let’s face it: the main reason for our late lights — out is often not household chores, but the next episode of a favorite TV series or a feed on social networks.

It is especially easy to become an owl when you work remotely, or you have a flexible schedule, but even in this case, it is quite possible to get rid of the habit of going to bed in the morning.

If you do not have a serious sleep disorder, because of which you need to visit a doctor and start taking their prescribed medications, then the solution to the problem is very simple. Start, finally, to adhere to the regime and at least half an hour before bedtime do nothing.

“It sounds simple, but it’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done,” says Michael Perlis, Ph. D., director of behavioral sleep medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine.

At first, you will probably toss and turn and feel exhausted in the morning, but if you overcome the desire to take a nap in the afternoon and continue to adhere to the established schedule, you will soon correct your sleep schedule — according to Perlis, this usually takes 3-5 days.

Read more: WHY YOU BETTER START WALKING

Do this in the morning and you will change your life

Posted on by Sergei_Bst

Let’s admit, we all want a change

Each of us at some point of life thinks about how much his life corresponds to expectations, desires. How productive we are, what we live for and how to make it so that we live in pleasure and achieve the desired goals.

We spend a lot of time trying to find reasons for failures, new courses or videos on how to get better.
But it turns out that you can wake up in the morning and change your life in one hour. This is what you can read about in the book the “Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed To Transform Your Life… (Before 8AM)” by Hal Elrod.

Morning is magic

Hal came up with a system that helped him to get better every day. He called it “Magic Morning.” That’s what it is.

You set the alarm an hour earlier than you are used to get up. And within an hour, you perform 6 techniques that have a powerful impact on your life:

    • exercise,
    • say affirmations,
    • meditate,
    • visualize your dreams and goals,
    • keep a diary,
    • read books.

The silence or meditation

Try to start your day not with running around, but with calmhess and clarity. The best helper is meditation. Scientists claim that it reduces stress levels, improves concentration and even increases some areas of the brain (for example, the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus).

There are a very large number of techniques, the main thing is to perform them. Here’s the algorithm Hal Elrod gives:

Sit comfortably in a comfortable, but not too relaxing place – so as not to fall asleep.
Concentrate as much as possible on your breathing. To do this, you can use the “square rule” – inhale for 3 seconds, hold your breath for 3 seconds, exhale for 3 seconds and hold your breath again for the same time. Repeat this cycle throughout the session.

Your task is to clear your mind of all thoughts. They will still attack you – just accept it and keep concentrating on your breathing.

Start with 5 minutes and gradually increase this time.

Affirmations

Set your goals. Do it for every aspect of life – whether it’s finances, relationships, or physical health. Describe how you see your ideal life. The brain must know a specific destination.

Answer the question “Why i need this?” A few arguments will help you better clarify your goals and make them more conscious.

Describe what kind of person you need to be to achieve your goals.

Determine the actions that will lead to the goal. Include the exact number and frequency of steps you expect to take. Let’s say, ” I will go to the gym 2 times a week and spend 30 minutes on it.”

Write down your goals and then read them aloud every morning – every day. You can combine this with sports or a shower – the main thing is to do it emotionally and sincerely.

Visualization

Hal Elrod recommends doing this practice immediately after reading affirmations.

Imagine what you want to achieve. Just create in your brain as vivid and deep images as possible of the life you are striving for. Connect all the senses, imagine the emotions that you feel. In other words, try to relive your future. The more lively it turns out – the more effort you will then make to achieve your plan.

Imagine who you want to be. Imagine with what enthusiasm you will do your job, and with what pleasure you will go for a morning jog.

Physical exercises

You may find it hard to force yourself – but you’ll never regret it afterwards. Create some active routine that you enjoy. It can be dancing or jumping on the rope. Make a list of exercises so you don’t need to think what to do. This will bring energy to your day and make you feel motivated to achieve goals.

Reading

Whatever you want to achieve – surely someone has already done something similar.  And it is very likely that he told about it. Today, there is no point in reinventing the wheel – just read the manual. This is the power of reading-you can go through the path much faster than its discoverer.

Start with at least 10 pages a day-this will give you about 20 200–page books a year.

A diary

The diary helps to document events, impressions, ideas, plans – all that is so easily erased from the head. This is a free form of psychotherapy that is available always and everywhere. The need to summarize all the most important things makes you think well and concentrate on the experience you have experienced. And re-reading it allows you to take a fresh look at old ideas and life lessons, as well as trace your development.

There are many aspects of life that you can describe in your diary. You can write about your goals, dreams, plans, achievements, life lessons, and ideas. You can simply describe events and your thoughts about them.

Improve your life and don’t forget to enjoy it. Every day.

Why habits are more important than goals?

Posted on by Sergei_Bst

To achieve a goal, it is not enough to simply formulate it. It is necessary to acquire correct and useful habits. They are the basis for future success.

Habits imperceptibly control our lives and influence our behavior. Good habits help you achieve your goals, but bad habits prevent you from doing so.

What’s wrong with setting goals

When we decide to change something in life, we set a new goal for ourselves. But this approach has its drawbacks.

Goals have a deadline

That’s why after achieving a certain goal, many people return to where they started. A person runs a marathon, and then forgets about training. Someone loses weight and celebrates this victory with a cake.

Goals depend on factors that sometimes we can’t control

The goal may not be achievable. Unforeseen expenses can prevent a long-awaited trip to the sea. When we set a goal, we usually build an algorithm to achieve it. But things may not go according to plan.

Goals depend on willpower and self-discipline

Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power of Habit. Why we live and work this way, and not otherwise,” writes: “Willpower is not just a skill. This is a muscle that, like the muscles in the arms and legs, gets tired from hard work, so we have less energy for subsequent tasks.”

Setting goals demotivates us

Research shows that the human brain can confuse setting a goal with achieving it. We relax and begin to believe that the goal has already been achieved and there is nothing more to strive for. This is especially true when we tell other people about it.

What are the benefits of habits

When we do something out of habit, it means that we do it automatically, without thinking. So the goal is achieved gradually, imperceptibly and easily. This systematic approach has its advantages.

Habits come easily to us

It takes 30 days to form a new habit. It is during this period of time that we get used to performing a certain action every day.

Habits shape our lives

Our whole life is made up of habits that we hardly notice. According to research by Charles Duhigg, we habitually perform about 40% of actions per day. They may be subtle, but they shape our personality.

Habits change your lifestyle

Some habits can dramatically change our normal behavior. Duhigg calls them “key habits”. For example, daily exercise can encourage a person to eat a healthy diet and give up alcohol and smoking.

Fitness motivation

Posted on by Sergei_Bst

Stop wishing start doing

You think:
When I have more free time, I will start training.
When it’s spring, I will start running.
When it’s New Year, I will eat clean.
Doesn’t work, right?
YOU HAVE AN ENEMY, that is stronger, than you.
And it’s “WHEN” which controls your brain.
START use “NOW” and you’ll see, how your life changes.

Start training with healthy motivation

We all are looking for some fitness motivation to start training and doing sports.

My motivation was always a strong desire to be healthy, have strong body and good stamina combined with usefull information, good workout tips and videos.

Sometimes we really want to achieve some goal, but lack of information or some weird advice, like eat nothing and lose 5 kilos in one week, can harm a lot, so then we are even afraid to do something.

Effective tips to start being healthy

  1. No hard limits
    Usually setting a goal – to lose weight, turns into extreme measures. For example, a complete rejection of sweets and training five times a week. However, such ambitious plans in most cases end in failure, since it is impossible to radically change your lifestyle in one day.Moreover, in 3-4 days (maximum one week) you gonna feel depressed, low energized, bad mood and have a very strong desire give it all up, eat a burger and forget about perfect body, because such life is not worth it.
    The best way to stay motivated and really achieve a goal is to move in small but confident steps.
    Training to have a healthy strong body doesn’t mean not eating sugar and strict rules.This process is a joyfull path, because you start training step by step and feel better every day, you eat tasty food that is healthy.

 

2. Let your goals go far beyond appearance
Fitness should not be a punishment for you that causes negative emotions. It is necessary to turn physical activity into a pleasant time. Therefore, set goals that are not limited with the weight scale. For example, run a half marathon along the ocean coast, learn how to do simple tricks on a snowboard, or participate in a dance battle. That means become more confident, braver and happier person.Fitness is not only exhausting training sessions in the gym, but also any activity related to physical activity. When you set yourself such exciting goals, they become a source of incredible motivation.

3. Find an inspiring coach
There are fitness trainers who always know how to choose the right words. Motivate you to do intensive training or exercises that you previously thought were too difficult.Therefore, don’t focus only on fitness as a training process, but on the people that surround you. When you have an example to follow and a source of inexhaustible inspiration, every training session will turn into a real holiday.

4. Choose the perfect training program
Each person has their own desires and preferences. Some people like to train several times a week, but for a couple of hours. Others choose daily ten-minute sets of exercises. Someone can train exclusively in the fitness gym, and someone feels comfortable only during home sessions.If you don’t like heavy weights workout you can do stretching and body weight exercises. Or you can run outdoors and then perform some training session in the park. The choice is huge, so don’t be afraid to experiment until you find the perfect option for yourself.

5. Make a challenge
If the thought of long-term training doesn’t inspire you, then try to shake yourself up with the right challenge. For example, it can be a month-long marathon of plank performance or a challenge “perfect abs in six weeks”.This approach to fitness will not take much time, but you will see the results soon. In addition, such challenges teach you to regularly perform physical exercises, and achieving your goals, visible results motivate you.

6. Online fitness apps
There are many apps for weight loss, gaining muscle mass, stretching and other purposes. Pay attention to the wonderful applications for increasing the number of pull-UPS, training push-UPS, performing exercises on abs.

 Recover from active physical activity

Last but not least, give yourself time to recover from active physical activity. Otherwise, it will lead to overtraining, sleep problems, or poor health.
And this condition definitely does not motivate you to continue fitness classes.
If you have had unsuccessful attempts to start training, then treat it as a valuable experience.
Do not stop in percieving your dream to have a beautiful body, lose weight and achieve high results.

How to start training

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Why you need to start training

You need to start doing workouts, because physical activity has significant health benefits. It has positive influence on heart, body and mind. Exercising reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.

If you ask a question, how to start training, it means that you have already taken the first step – the decision to take care of your health.

Our Body and Soul Transformation project aims to motivate people to perform any physical activity. So here is a quick guide for beginners to start training.

8 tips how to start training

1. Start today – if you don’t have a bike, you can rent one, if you don’t have a gym membership, buy a yoga mat and start doing exersises at home. To start doing something is already half of success.

2. Look for new opportunities – think about what sport you’ve always wanted to try. Maybe you have always dreamed of playing tennis or enjoyed playing volleyball at school. You need to find some activity that is fun for you and brings joy.

3. Start with small goals – if you want to lose weight start with the goal to lose 5 kilos in 1-2 months (not 10 kilos in one week).

4. Try different activities – even if you started to swim, do not stick to one activity. Also try new things – aerobics, running, roller skates .

5. Eat clean and drink water – this is your fuel that gives energy and help you recover after exercises. Your plate should contain vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grain bread, cereals, vegetable fats, fish, dairy products.

6. Strengthen your muscles – if you do cardio trainings don’t forget to find time once or twice a week to strengthen the muscles. You will not only form a beautiful figure, but also create a protective corset that will help you avoid injuries.

7. Make sure you use the correct technique – sometimes results don’t appear due to bad technique. Use videos and tutorial blogs, or better find a good personal trainer at least for a month to learn how to do exersises correctly.

8. Motivate yourself – you should be inspired . You can use a prize, such as a new tracksuit or gadget. Try to reward yourself for each new goal you achieve.

Everything is possible. And we are here to help you.
All you need is readiness and a good plan.
If you work hard soon you will be proud of your results!