Your Well Being Tip of the Day

Don't Just Do Something, Sit There
Right now, an estimated three million Canadians are experiencing some form of depression. But there are lots of little things we can all do to make the world a less depressing place. Like… just listening. It’s a real art, actually – and not as easy as it sounds. Listen to someone. Don’t make any comments, don’t try to solve their problems. Just listen. Just be with them.

from “Change the World for Ten Bucks” (2006).
 

Inspiration & Idea

I Thank You … E. E. Cummings

I thank You God for most this amazing day: for the leaping greenly spirits of trees and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(I who have died am alive again today, and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay great happening illimitably earth)

How should tasting touching hearing seeing breathing any – lifted from the no of all nothing – human merely being doubt unimaginable You?
(now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened).

 

The Power of Pure Leisure!

After 25 years as a Leisurologist (teacher, student and lover of leisure), I still stand in awe and absolute amazement at the power of pure leisure. What do I mean by pure leisure? It’s the kind of thing we do simply because we like it. Pure enjoyment, fun and/or pleasure are what drive us.

For so many of us, pure leisure feels like a distant memory – our lives are so full of the day to day tasks of living and taking care of business. And when we do take time out for leisure, there are often ulterior motives. For example, we walk around our neighborhood or play tennis in order to stay fit and/or lose weight; we go dancing so that we can meet other single people, we do crossword puzzles in order to keep our minds sharp because we’ve read somewhere that that helps.

Of course these are all wonderful activities and it’s possible to enjoy ourselves immensely at the same time as reaping the other benefits; and yet it’s also possible (and common) to neglect the enjoyment factor in pursuit of the other pay-offs we’re seeking. And when that happens, even our “free time activities” can begin to feel like work … another task to add to the long list of daily to do’s.

Last week I really noticed the power of pure leisure in my life. I had been struggling to make an important decision and felt confused, tired and irritable – out of touch with myself! So I asked for divine guidance (aka “help, please!”) and the immediate thought that popped into my head was “go do something fun”. This inner voice didn’t say “go make a list of pros and cons” or “go read another self-help book”, it said “go and do something fun”. So I did.

I got out of my head and into my heart and my heart led me to walk from my apartment in Kitsilano to one of my favorite little coffee shops in Yaletown, buy a coffee and the daily edition of the New York Times (just on a whim), and sit on a park bench, savouring this delicious coffee and the sights and sounds of the Times and the people, dogs and boats surrounding me. How lovely! How rejuvenating. Pure, pure leisure.

Needless to say, about 5 minutes into my return home this juicy, wonderful, calm and beautiful clarity came to me, out of the blue it seemed. It came easily and effortlessly… it had arisen above all the confusion sometime during my pure pleasure. I literally felt myself returning from some far-off place… and I felt such gratefulness.

So, am I saying that it’s not a good idea to make a list of pros and cons or read self-help books when we’re in need of clarity? No. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love a good list and a great self-help book. When my intuition says to go there, I do. Am I saying that one dose of pure leisure will give you the answer to any question you’re pondering? Maybe, maybe not. What I am saying is that a dose of pure leisure feels really, really good … and that it alone will often surprise you with brilliant gifts you might never have imagined on your own. And it will do all that quite effortlessly. And that’s a great thing, don’t you think?

I wish each of you an abundance of pure leisure, and so much more, this summer, and always!
Love and blessings,

Coconut Cookies

From the Chopra Center Cookbook: Nourishing Body and Soul

Makes 24 small cookies.
 

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup plus 1 cup coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a cookie sheet and set aside. In a mixer or food processor, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the lemon juice and the eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cloves, nutmeg, and 1 cup coconut flakes. With the mixer running, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Combine together into a soft dough. Remove the dough from the mixer and knead slightly. Place the remaining cup of coconut flakes in a flat bowl. With a 1-ounce scoop, form the dough into balls. Roll each ball of dough in the coconut flakes and place on the prepared pan, 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.


"The Summer Day"... by Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?

Xylitol: a Sugar for Dental Health!

During the Second World War sugar was in rare supply in countries such as Finland. Thus, an entire population started to use xylitol as a sweetener. Xylitol is made from, among other sources, birch tree bark, and it is as sweet and wonderful tasting as refined white sugar (and looks the same), but has half the glycemic index. Intriguingly, at the end of the war, dentists began to notice a significant decline in dental cavities in the Finnish population. A recent study has corroborated these findings as more than anecdotal, and substantiated earlier research, as scientists in Finland have now proven that xylitol kills several kinds of dental bacteria. … Many companies are now adding xylitol to candies, gums and drinks due to its superiority to cane sugar. (Excerpted from “Dental Health and Xylitol”, July/August, 2008 issue of the Well Being Journal). For more information: http://www.dentalgentlecare.com/trident_research.htm

PS from Lee: I love to chew “Spry” gum (which I buy from Capers/Whole Foods) – it’s non GMO sweetened with 100% Xylitol. It’s not a substitute for brushing and flossing, but it tastes great and is a great substitute when I’m on the road and can’t brush right away.
 

Five Fitness Tips for a Healthy Summer
By Tanji Johnson Personal Trainer Consultant

1.  Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Water cleanses the body and allows your body to function more efficiently.

2.  Get outdoors. Our country is beautiful and exploring the great outdoors can be a helpful distraction to the chore of exercising. Make a list of outdoor activities that you want to participate in over the summer and schedule them!

3.  Establish your support network. When trying to get into shape, it is important to have family and friends who actively support you. Explain to them how important this is to you and that you need their encouragement.

4.  Love yourself.  Accept the fact that we are all built differently and that love comes from within. Love yourself for who you are

5.  Remember to have fun. Keep in mind that the summer can create some of the best memories of the year. Combine physical activity with fun and you’ll do more of it!