Rejuvenation Lounge

By Carole Fogarty

Editor of  Rejuvenation Lounge and facilitator of Women’s Rejuvenation Retreats:

A Chat With Kate Hanley, Yoga Teacher, Writer and Author Who Shares 77 Simple Strategies For Serenity In Her New Book:

 

Kate says: ‘With a simple mindful adjustment of your posture and a few deep breaths you can make all the difference in 30 seconds.

 

 Photo of the gorgeous Kate Hanley:

 

Before we chat with Kate, a quick reminder that Kate is giving away  3 copies of her new book called “The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide:  77 Simple Strategies For Serenity” right here at the Rejuvenation Lounge.  I love this book and have a copy beside my bed.  To win yourself a copy simply click here and leave a thoughtful comment at the end of the post.

Now, lets get into our chat with Kate.

 

Question to Kate:

How did you come up with the idea for The Anywhere, Anytime Chill Guide?

 

I’ve been practicing yoga for 13 years, and I’ve come to realize that the one deep breath  I take when I get a last-minute project heaped on my plate is even more important than the many deep breaths I take during the yoga class. Because in that moment when my carefully planned schedule flies out the window, I need all the help I can get so I don’t make a bad situation worse by stressing out.

I love going to yoga class, but I have come to realize that the true power of cultivating a self care practice comes in the midst of your  everyday life. I also know that a lot of people are looking for a way to feel less frazzled, but they have no idea where to start.  So I had the idea for a book that would help people of all ages and fitness levels remember to take a breath, regardless of their exposure to - or propensity towards -all things “woo, woo”.

In addition to modified yoga poses, I also include mini practices from meditation, breath work, nutrition, Ayurveda, acupressure, and more. It’s one-stop shopping  for self-care remedies.  Because that was another guiding principle when I was writing the book.   Offer the best solutions for each situation, and compile all this incredible information that’s been cultivated over the last 3,000 years and make it accessible to today’s incredibly busy, time-crunched person.

 

 

Question to Kate:

Some of these remedies you suggest take just 30 seconds.  Can something that quick really change the way you feel?

Absolutely.  That being said,  I’m not going to tell you that you can completely defuse a stressful situation by doing 30 seconds of deep breathing.  Nothing in the book is going to solve all your problems, I am sorry to say.  But in any situation, how you react to it, plays a huge role in how much of an impact it has on your well being.  And if you take even one deep breath or make a mindful adjustment to your posture before you respond, you are going to react from a place of awareness instead of knee-jerk impulse.  The impact may be incremental, but it’s like the law of inertia. Just as an object in motion has a tendency to remain in motion if you take a step to improve your wellbeing no matter how small you have a greater tendency to move toward balance, calm and contentment.  In most cases, the most difficult piece of any of the remedies I suggest is to simply remember to do them in the first place.

 

Question to Kate:

What is it about remembering to take a deep breath or adjusting your posture that’s so powerful?

 

Either of these actions reminds you that you have a body, and that you are more than just a never-ending stream of thoughts. And that’s a good thing because our bodies are where are deepest wisdom lies-whether you call it a gut instinct or a feeling in your bones.

Taking a deep breath or adjusting your posture works on many levels: First, it helps your body work efficiently - you get more oxygen and you remove any barriers to the flow of breath and energy throughout the body.

Second, by shifting your attention away from whatever situation is causing you stress and turning it toward your breath or your body, you give your mind a chance to get off the treadmill of negative thinking and create an opportunity for your deeper knowledge to rise to the surface and be heard.

And third, it takes your intention-to react to a situation with a clear head-and puts action behind it.  And without action, all your best intentions are just nice ideas.

 

Last Question to Kate:

How do you envision a reader using the book?

 

I like to imagine you keeping it on your bedside table, and before you go to sleep or get out of bed, you look up whatever’s going on in your life at the moment and get some ideas on how to help yourself through it.

I wanted the book to be incredibly relevant to your daily life, so I organized the chapters around all the major parts of your life - at the office, - out on the streets, in love and friendship, and dealing with life’s biggest challenges.

I also included remedies for the most common mental and physical woes - from PMS to constipation - cross-referenced everything so that you can go through and cook up a prescription for whatever is ailing you.  I was inspired by the idea of  Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute  Meals: (thanks Rachael Ray), and wrote my remedies in the tried-and-true recipe format, so you can see at a glance what you’ll need, how long it will take, and exactly what steps you need to take in what order.

Kate’s web site:

Please  zip over to Kate’s web site MsMindbody.com  and feel free to look around, watch her TV interviews or subscribe to her weekly newsletter.  If you are interested in the fine art of feeling “better” and “better” then Kate is a great person to know.

Kate also hangs out on twitter  www.twitter.com/KateHan

 

Thanks for your time.  Peace, love and chocolate, Carole.

Feel free to subscribe to our regular articles right here at the  Rejuvenation Lounge or grab daily tips, shared links, books that are hot and rejuvenation tips from me daily over at twitter.

 

More Great Ideas For You to Rest, Relax And Unwind:

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Six special bath recipes for sleep, relaxation and healing;

Power at your finger tips with hand yoga:

9 ways to soften yourself up for a great nights sleep:

Relax and unwind with a yoga eye pillow:

 

 

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