Tag: Blog – The Balanced Life

This year has presented many of us with unique struggles. Whether you’ve realized it or not, 2020 put many stressors and obstacles in daily life that may not have been there before. 

In this week’s episode, Robin is sharing some of the struggles she’s been facing over this past year and how she’s now overcoming them. Robin dives into a deep look at her own health, the challenges and diagnosis she has faced, and ways she’s moving forward. Join Robin in this personal and explorative episode to hear more about her health journey.

Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!

• The consistent symptoms Robin was experiencing 
• Why Robin chose to invest in a holistic practitioner 
• How Robin is dealing with mold toxicity and adrenal burnout 
• Ways stress impacts the body 
• The difference between acute stress and chronic stress
• What is HPA Access
• Ways The Balanced Life + Pilates has kept Robin afloat through her diagnosis 
• What we all need to do to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves 
• The struggles of maintaining balance and health with a busy schedule 
• Small steps you can take to make progress on your health goals 

Links in this episode:

• The Balanced Life
• Pilates Strong: a FREE 5-Day Pilates Challenge
• The Balanced Life Sisterhood
• The Balanced Life on Instagram

Download your FREE guide here! Core Components of Health + Healing

Share this podcast episode…

The post A surprising diagnosis: my current health + healing journey appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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This year has presented many of us with unique struggles. Whether you’ve realized it or not, 2020 put many stressors and obstacles in daily life that may not have been there before. 

In this week’s episode, Robin is sharing some of the struggles she’s been facing over this past year and how she’s now overcoming them. Robin dives into a deep look at her own health, the challenges and diagnosis she has faced, and ways she’s moving forward. Join Robin in this personal and explorative episode to hear more about her health journey.

Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!

• The consistent symptoms Robin was experiencing 
• Why Robin chose to invest in a holistic practitioner 
• How Robin is dealing with mold toxicity and adrenal burnout 
• Ways stress impacts the body 
• The difference between acute stress and chronic stress
• What is HPA Access
• Ways The Balanced Life + Pilates has kept Robin afloat through her diagnosis 
• What we all need to do to make sure we’re taking care of ourselves 
• The struggles of maintaining balance and health with a busy schedule 
• Small steps you can take to make progress on your health goals 

Links in this episode:

• The Balanced Life
• Pilates Strong: a FREE 5-Day Pilates Challenge
• The Balanced Life Sisterhood
• The Balanced Life on Instagram

Download your FREE guide here! Core Components of Health + Healing

Share this podcast episode…

The post A surprising diagnosis: my current health + healing journey appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Simplifying reduces stress.

Not just for us, but also for our kids.

With 4 little ones in the house our home is anything but calm and serene. We are a loud bunch (sorry neighbors!) Someone is always running or jumping off of the furniture, someone is usually crying, someone is always singing, and on top of that, there’s usually some bickering/laughing/fighting mixed in there too.

As someone who prefers calm, quiet and peaceful environments, I’ve had to get creative with ways to bring more peace and calm into our home.

One of the ways I do that is by trying to keep our toys and kids stuff as simple as possible. I’m not an extreme minimalist by any means, but I read a book called Simplicity Parenting after having my first child 7 years ago and it had a huge impact on the way I think about toys and what choose to keep in our home.

I strive to take a “less is more” approach and honestly, it can be hard! Toys and things just seem to fill up the house no matter what I do, which is why this month we’re focusing on simplifying and decluttering as our off-the-mat mission in The Balanced Life Sisterhood.

A few things I do to keep the kids clutter at bay:

• Toy rotation: we have 3 big plastic bins in the garage that we use to store toys that don’t fit in our toy basket in the living room. We rotate these out on occasion which not only helps to reduce clutter in the house but it also keeps the kids interested in their toys because when something new comes out of the bin it feels new and inspires them to play!

• Regular toy clean outs: before birthdays and holidays we do family toy clean outs. The kids (who are older than 2) get to decide what they keep and what they give away to a family in need as they make space for the new gifts that will be arriving soon.

• Crafts and items that come home from school have a special spot on a shelf and we keep them there long enough to be enjoyed. And then once the kids forget about them or lose interest – out they go! (I do keep the sweet & special art work in a plastic storage bin in our closet, but I try to be very selective in what I keep and upload the rest to artkive)

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If you’re a parent, you know that the more toys around the house, the more we have to pick up. I’d rather use that time relaxing, doing Pilates, reading a book so I’ve found that keeping toys simple not only encourages more creativity and outdoor play for my kids, but it also makes it easier for all of us to keep the home feeling somewhat organized and clutter-free.

I also hosted a live chat with my friend, Allie Casazza, where we talked ALL about practical tips to de-clutter and de-stress. You can watch the replay here!

xo,

PS – Full disclosure: My daughter LOVES to play and will spend entire days in imaginative play. In those times I fully let her make a mess with her pretend world because that’s exactly the kind of play I hope to foster in our home. I let her run wild, as long as she helps to clean it up

The post Minimalism Strategies with Kids appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Simplifying reduces stress.

Not just for us, but also for our kids.

With 4 little ones in the house our home is anything but calm and serene. We are a loud bunch (sorry neighbors!) Someone is always running or jumping off of the furniture, someone is usually crying, someone is always singing, and on top of that, there’s usually some bickering/laughing/fighting mixed in there too.

As someone who prefers calm, quiet and peaceful environments, I’ve had to get creative with ways to bring more peace and calm into our home.

One of the ways I do that is by trying to keep our toys and kids stuff as simple as possible. I’m not an extreme minimalist by any means, but I read a book called Simplicity Parenting after having my first child 7 years ago and it had a huge impact on the way I think about toys and what choose to keep in our home.

I strive to take a “less is more” approach and honestly, it can be hard! Toys and things just seem to fill up the house no matter what I do, which is why this month we’re focusing on simplifying and decluttering as our off-the-mat mission in The Balanced Life Sisterhood.

A few things I do to keep the kids clutter at bay:

• Toy rotation: we have 3 big plastic bins in the garage that we use to store toys that don’t fit in our toy basket in the living room. We rotate these out on occasion which not only helps to reduce clutter in the house but it also keeps the kids interested in their toys because when something new comes out of the bin it feels new and inspires them to play!

• Regular toy clean outs: before birthdays and holidays we do family toy clean outs. The kids (who are older than 2) get to decide what they keep and what they give away to a family in need as they make space for the new gifts that will be arriving soon.

• Crafts and items that come home from school have a special spot on a shelf and we keep them there long enough to be enjoyed. And then once the kids forget about them or lose interest – out they go! (I do keep the sweet & special art work in a plastic storage bin in our closet, but I try to be very selective in what I keep and upload the rest to artkive)

---

If you’re a parent, you know that the more toys around the house, the more we have to pick up. I’d rather use that time relaxing, doing Pilates, reading a book so I’ve found that keeping toys simple not only encourages more creativity and outdoor play for my kids, but it also makes it easier for all of us to keep the home feeling somewhat organized and clutter-free.

I also hosted a live chat with my friend, Allie Casazza, where we talked ALL about practical tips to de-clutter and de-stress. You can watch the replay here!

xo,

PS – Full disclosure: My daughter LOVES to play and will spend entire days in imaginative play. In those times I fully let her make a mess with her pretend world because that’s exactly the kind of play I hope to foster in our home. I let her run wild, as long as she helps to clean it up

The post Minimalism Strategies with Kids appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Are you ready to strengthen and tone your lower body in just 10 minutes?

Sometimes all we have is 10 minutes to fit in a quick workout and as we believe here at The Balanced Life, 10 minutes is always better than zero minutes. Fit this workout in while dinner is in the oven, on a break between meetings, while the kids are napping, or anytime you need a quick boost.

This quick and effective workout will strengthen, tone, and stretch your entire lower body in to help you feel your best.

You’ll end this workout stronger, more energized, and ready to tackle the rest of your day!

Click here to check out this Lower Body Pilates Routine on YouTube – and Sisterhood members, this workout has been dropped into your workout library + app for your convenience!

Take 10 minutes for you today – you are worth it.

xo,

The post Lower Body Pilates Routine appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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While periods are a natural part of our cycle, pain is not. For some women, this news may be shocking. Despite what you may think, periods shouldn’t be painful. Today’s guest, Berrion Berry, is a menstrual health educator who helps women have simple and uncomplicated periods. She helps women find ways to optimize their flow and understand their cycle in a deeper and new way. 

In this conversation, Berrion and Robin discuss cycle syncing, the different phases of the cycle, and how to honor our cycle with our fitness routine. Berrion shares an abundance of knowledge to help educate you on your cycle, stress management, and how you, too, can be in better flow.

Show highlights: what you can look forward to in this episode!

• How Berrion became a menstrual health educator 
• What inspired Berrion to help other women fix their periods 
• Things we should all know about our cycle that most women don’t
• The four phases of the menstrual cycle 
• Berrion’s daily journal prompts to stay in touch with herself 
• Giving ourselves permission to pause + to not be perfect 
• Honoring your body in your workouts 
• Ways to manage pain that aren’t birth control 
• The biggest “aha” moments to improve your lifestyle 
• The importance of regulating stress 
• How Berrion aligns her daily life with flow
• How Berrion decides what to say yes or no to, and operates using the B.I.G. method 

Links in this episode:

• Pilates Strong: a FREE, 5-day Pilates challenge 
• Robin Long • The Balanced Life on Instagram
• Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler
• Sunday Riley
• Summer Fridays Vitamin C serum

Keep in touch with Berrion:

• Berrion’s website
• Berrion’s course – Optimize your Flo
• Berrion’s Instagram
• Flow with Berrion Berry Podcast 

Share this podcast episode!

The post Exercise, Energy, and Your Cycle with Berrion Berry appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Hi friends,

I want to talk about the “unseen” benefits of Pilates…⁣⁠

We often talk about the physical benefits of Pilates – such as increased strength and muscle tone, more flexibility, and better posture – but Pilates actually has numerous benefits for our mental and emotional health as well.

⁠Here are three “unseen” benefits of Pilates…

1. Pilates can help release emotional tension

⁣⁠Did you know that many of us store emotions in our body? This might look like hunching our shoulders when self-conscious, tensing our jaws when angry, or tightening muscles when afraid.⁣⁠

Pilates helps us release tension in our muscles – including emotional tension that we might be carrying. (This is why many people actually experience a feeling of emotional release at the end of Pilates workouts!)⁣⁠

2. Pilates can help provide stress relief⁣⁠

When we experience high levels of mental stress over prolonged periods of time, our stress hormones can lead to physical symptoms such as aches, pains, and spasms. Through strengthening and stretching, Pilates helps relieve physical stress, which in turn can help with mental stress.⁣⁠

Joseph Pilates actually once said the following: “A body free from nervous tension and fatigue is the ideal shelter provided by nature for housing a well balanced mind…”⁣⁠

3. Pilates can provide benefits of mindfulness⁣⁠

You’ll often hear me remind you during our Pilates workouts to be present and clear your mind of distractions. The reason for this is because when we quiet our minds and focus on the present, we can better focus on our mind-body connection.

The mindfulness aspect of Pilates can lead to multiple benefits, including reduced stress, improved concentration and focus, better sleep quality, and more.⁣⁠

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Want to experience these benefits for yourself? Then I invite you to try out Pilates Strong – a FREE, 5-day Pilates challenge that will show you the power of Pilates in just 15 minutes per day.

Simply click here to check it out and I’ll send these quick workouts straight to your inbox!

xo,

The post 3 mental health benefits of Pilates appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Are you in need of a little boost today?

We’ve all been there. Mid-day we start to feel kind of sluggish, or just need a reset before taking on the rest of the day.

If you can relate, here are three things you can do to feel better right now…

• Drink a glass of water

Staying hydrated is vital for so many bodily functions, including our energy levels and brain function.⁠ Drinking a glass of water can give our bodies a little boost, increasing energy and overall body functions like memory, mood, and the ability to focus.

• Get some sunshine

Getting some sunshine actually boosts our serotonin levels, which helps improve our mood and stay focused.⁠ If you have time, take a walk around the block or simply head outside and take a few deep breaths.

• Do a few quick stretches

Roll out your mat for just a few minutes to get the blood flowing and to help release tension (tense shoulders, anyone?) at any time of day.⁠ Do a quick roll down, figure 4 stretch, or rest pose – you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!

And of course, a quick Pilates workout is always recommended for a mood boost.

If you have a few minutes, check out my IGTV for quick workouts to help you feel your best and follow me on Instagram for more inspiration and quick tips to help you live a balanced and healthy life.

Remember to take a deep breath, drink some water, and take a moment for yourself today. You are worth it.

xo,

The post 3 things you can do to feel better right now appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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Are you in need of a little boost today?

We’ve all been there. Mid-day we start to feel kind of sluggish, or just need a reset before taking on the rest of the day.

If you can relate, here are three things you can do to feel better right now…

• Drink a glass of water

Staying hydrated is vital for so many bodily functions, including our energy levels and brain function.⁠ Drinking a glass of water can give our bodies a little boost, increasing energy and overall body functions like memory, mood, and the ability to focus.

• Get some sunshine

Getting some sunshine actually boosts our serotonin levels, which helps improve our mood and stay focused.⁠ If you have time, take a walk around the block or simply head outside and take a few deep breaths.

• Do a few quick stretches

Roll out your mat for just a few minutes to get the blood flowing and to help release tension (tense shoulders, anyone?) at any time of day.⁠ Do a quick roll down, figure 4 stretch, or rest pose – you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!

And of course, a quick Pilates workout is always recommended for a mood boost.

If you have a few minutes, check out my IGTV for quick workouts to help you feel your best and follow me on Instagram for more inspiration and quick tips to help you live a balanced and healthy life.

Remember to take a deep breath, drink some water, and take a moment for yourself today. You are worth it.

xo,

The post 3 things you can do to feel better right now appeared first on The Balanced Life.

from Blog – The Balanced Life https://ift.tt/2SsnZg9
via IFTTT

Are you in need of a little boost today?

We’ve all been there. Mid-day we start to feel kind of sluggish, or just need a reset before taking on the rest of the day.

If you can relate, here are three things you can do to feel better right now…

• Drink a glass of water

Staying hydrated is vital for so many bodily functions, including our energy levels and brain function.⁠ Drinking a glass of water can give our bodies a little boost, increasing energy and overall body functions like memory, mood, and the ability to focus.

• Get some sunshine

Getting some sunshine actually boosts our serotonin levels, which helps improve our mood and stay focused.⁠ If you have time, take a walk around the block or simply head outside and take a few deep breaths.

• Do a few quick stretches

Roll out your mat for just a few minutes to get the blood flowing and to help release tension (tense shoulders, anyone?) at any time of day.⁠ Do a quick roll down, figure 4 stretch, or rest pose – you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel!

And of course, a quick Pilates workout is always recommended for a mood boost.

If you have a few minutes, check out my IGTV for quick workouts to help you feel your best and follow me on Instagram for more inspiration and quick tips to help you live a balanced and healthy life.

Remember to take a deep breath, drink some water, and take a moment for yourself today. You are worth it.

xo,

The post 3 things you can do to feel better right now appeared first on The Balanced Life.

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