By Colleen Cannon
I look at it this way, I now have a huge base of experience that I can draw from. This base allows me to take short cuts where I know they’re beneficial, become more efficient in order to savor what I love, avoid drama at all costs, and navigate day to day life more confidently. To live life full throttle I don’t take anything personally or care what others think. I just don’t!
Here are my Ageing backwards secrets:
1) Celebrate. Find something, however small it may be, in each and every moment to celebrate. We all love celebrations and guess what.. Life is the biggest one and you are in it. So Play, Have FUN and Spread Happy Molecules!
2) Meditate. This is the absolute best beauty treatment. One of the most simple ways to begin this process is to sit down in a quiet, comfortable place, close your eyes, and start breathing. A wonderful mantra to adopt is “Let Go.” With each inhale, chant the word “let” in your head, and as you exhale, silently chant “go.” Repeat for several minutes until your breathe becomes steady and natural. (By the way also get 8 hours of sleep)
3) Exfoliate. I like to do this daily to my whole body. Exfoliating is crucial for shedding old, dead layers of skin, essentially getting rid of what the body no l longer needs and making way for the new cells.
Some of the benefits of exfoliation include detoxification of the skin, brightens the complexion, reveals healthy, younger skin, reduces fine lines and sun damage, improves skin tone, and kills bacteria and prevents breakouts. Keep yourself ageless and fresh with this simple technique!
4) Create. To keep the brain vital and thriving, create magic and wonder in your daily life. Whether you choose art, music, to learn a new language, start a program for your kids, or any other method of creativity, do something new and exciting everyday to exercise our creative minds. It can be as simple as eating with your opposite hand!
5) Regenerate. As an athlete I always trained in a way that would leave me feeling rejuvenated and my body restored. You want to be Fit but you also want to be Healthy. Everything you do should point in the direction of “Feeling Good”, rebuilding and renewing the Body, Mind and Spirit.
6) Lift weights. Do some kind of weight baring exercise, including your own body if physical weights are unavailable. Weightlifting increases muscle strength which fights fat, reduces depression symptoms, fights osteoporosis, helps you move with ease, lowers risk of diabetes, improves heart health, supports healthy blood sugar control, prevents back pain, improves balance, makes you mentally stronger, and of course, helps keep you looking fantastic!
7) Levitate. Get over it or get above it! Stop holding grudges of any kind, forgive your parents, partners, friends, and all those around you. By living in the past and holding grudges, we are only doing damage to weigh ourselves down. Instead, remind yourself that the past in the past, and work to rise above it, keeping your heart and spirit light!
8) Marinate. Savor everything; take time to enjoy the details of life. When something delicious comes your way, be that a warm cup of tea by the fire or a hug from a loved one, marinate in those feelings of warmth and love. Take the time to watch the clouds go by like you did when you were a child and be filled with wonder, freshness, and new possibilities. Reverting back to this innocent, child-like mindset will keep your heart and mind young.
9) Dedicate. We all have passions that we all too often convince ourselves not to follow. This is a challenge to pick something that makes you sing and dedicate yourself to it. There is no rush to get everything done in a day, a week, or even a month, but commit to something that gets you excited. Work on or towards this project, trip, idea, or goal as much or as little as you can, knowing you’re dedicated to joy.
10) Appreciate. Before you fall asleep at night, tell yourself something you are grateful for. Focus in on this thing, whether it be the softness of your sheets, the roof over your head, a special person in your life, a random stranger that smiled at you, or anything in between. When we fill our minds with something we are grateful for before we fall asleep, we have planted a seed of positivity and love that has the change to grow and flourish in the many hours we are asleep. Instead of going over your list of to-do’s, or stressing about one thing or another as you fall asleep, let the last thought that crosses your mind be of appreciation.
11) Cultivate. We usually hear this word in reference to land, “cultivate your garden.” This process is just as important for our own lives, cultivating our own bodies, homes, careers, and lives to allow the fruits of our labor to grow and flourish. Cultivate yourself with the mentality that how you do anything is how you do everything. Prepare for the goodness that is to come, wait patiently, and know that the blossoms will appear know that they have the proper base to bloom from.