Yogurt - KeHE Distributors, LLC

9POSITIVE BODY MECHANICSNot to be overlooked in your comprehensive healthand wellness attunement is our perpetual abilityto keep ourselves relaxed and healthy by simply payingcloser attention to how we sit, stand, and move about duringthe course of our day. Sit up straight and stand at “relaxedattention” with your shoulders rolled back and down, yourchest out, and your knees ever so slightly bent with yourweight evenly balanced on your feet. Good posture keepsyour musculature properly engaged, and optimizes theposition of our vital organs and spinal column. As we getout of alignment through the rigors of life, we develop stressin our bodies and the wrong kind of muscle memory, whichleads to the familiar compressed or ‘hunched over’ physiqueof older individuals – when standing, the center of our earsshould roughly align with the center of our shoulders. Mostpeople have a pronounced forward leaning head which isinfluenced by poor posture, (think sitting over a computerfor hours) and one of the earliest signs of succumbing to theforces of gravity, combined with improper body mechanics.Take a break and walk around for a short bit – stretch breathand unwind. Breaking the monotony of a computer “sitathon”can keep you relaxed and focused as well as improving yourproductivity and most importantly, your posture.Proper strength training, stretching, yoga, and otherforms of biomechanically correct exercise will conditionyour body toward better alignment and an almost effortlesscommitment to “correct” or healthy posture.10PRACTICE CONSCIOUS LANGUAGETry this simple exercise, listen to everyone youencounter during just one day… and I’m not talkingabout listening in the traditional sense, (hopefully you arealready doing that - Ha) but pay attention to how often youhear negative and unproductive words and phrases splicedinto everyday conversation. We all know people who we thinkhave a high stress threshold – perhaps they possess solidconflict resolution skills, have a generally cheery disposition,and tend to let things roll of their backs. We also know peoplewho are STRESSED… on a routine basis. They may tend to bemore anxious about simple challenges and easily “pluggedin” when things do not go their way.High level stress management techniques includefocused attention on getting enough exercise, rest, andproper nutrition, along with a premium put upon obtaininga healthy work/life balance. Committing to more productivewords and phrases may also improve our ability to positivelyimpact our relationships with family friends and co-workers,while at the same time improving our overall stress responseand minimize any feelings of angst.An example of how we may use conscious languagein our everyday lives… When a complex puzzle comes upat work refer to it as a challenge rather than a problem.The word challenge tends to stimulate a more creative andinspired response, while the word problem is devitalizing,it suggests things are not good and we should feel badabout them. Let’s carry this same situation into your homeenvironment. Upon returning home from work a spouse orfamily member asks “How was your day?” Will you say “Itsucked, we had a major problem come up.” Or would yousay “It was great! We had a very challenging situation ariseand our team really came together to source a solution.” Ifyou are someone who is already incorporating productiveor conscious language into all areas of your life, you arelikely in a very healthy place regarding family, friends,and your professional life. If you feel like you may benefitfrom becoming more conscious of the impact of yourspoken words, try experimenting with incorporating moreproductive language into your life and observe the waypeople respond to you.May/August 2013 ONTREND 27