Let’s get our minds, bodies and bellies on board
Hello lovelies,
First off, welcome (back for many of you, or..) to the BLOG. So many of you are new and I feel so blessed to expand my community on this platform. My name is Amy Rosoff Davis. I’m a mama, celebrity trainer, brand ambassador, lover of life, beach, good meals and all things health & fitness. This blog is designed to help you live you best life as I continue to expand mine. The blog’s filled with life hacks, yummy recipes, workout videos, my favorite brands and… #realtalk.
I also just added a new shop section to my website with links to all the brands I love and work with. Check it out for my favorite brands and discounts. Go to the main page, move your mouse over shop and explore the drop down. You will not be disappointed- I only recommend brands I personally use!
Anyway, back to that #realtalk I mentioned… Today, I want to get down and dirty with meditation today. Well maybe not dirty, but you know what I’m talking about. The hard (slightly embarrassing) truth is that no matter how much I know about meditation and its benefits, I’ve always struggled with a consistent practice. And despite how often I preach it to my clients, it’s my Achilles heal of wellness and mindfulness. Like so many of us, my whole life I’ve struggled with anxiety, so sitting in stillness for long periods of time never felt fun or inspiring, it always felt like something I HAD to do. And especially after my little Lennon entered our lives, I barely had time to pee let alone sit for a long stretch of time to recenter myself.
So after sometime away from a practice once again, I found that it was not meditation, but my relationship to it. And I needed to reframed my approach. I needed to come to terms with the fact that right now in my life, a standard meditation practice where I sit quietly for 10-20 minutes doesn’t really work for me. I needed to come to terms with the fact that I’m not buddha, but a mom with more jobs than hours in the day. AND THAT’S OKAY. If something feels forced or chore-like I won’t maintain or nurture it - that goes for diets, workouts, relationships & jobs. I’ve learned this lesson plenty of times and meditation has proved no different.
Right now, I have an imperfect meditation practice, which usually looks like me slipping away for 2-5 minutes of quiet time where I listen to some mantra music and get back to myself. I find that small increments of time with the help of some good tunes (shout out to White Sun) work really well in my day and make me more present for all the special moments I otherwise can take for granted. As I continue with my practice, I see how much making myself a priority allows me to be more present with my kids and partner. These little nuggets of self care are my life line.
So this week, I’m sharing a meditation I love written by my friend, life assistant, and nanny, Jaime Jaget, that is quick, simple and a blessing when I feel a little underwater. And since many of you don’t know me yet, I also included a workout and recipe, which Ellie, my daughter, helped a lot with… in her mouth.
Sending you all big safe distance hugs and hoping these little tips can help you #beyourbestself
xoxo,
Amy
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Hi, hi! I’m Jaime Jaget. I’m a Reiki Practitioner, Writer, Surfer and Ellie and Lennon’s Nanny.
For me, meditation is how I get really present with myself and my internal life.
In cities were constantly in collision with people places and things. This simple practice is what I use to call my energy back to me, get grounded and replenish my life force. I specifically like to use this meditation when I feel fixated or obsessed with a specific person, place or thing. You can integrate this into a longer meditation or use it as a quick tool to redirect your day while washing dishes, showering, or on a walk.
The biggest meditation myth is that we have to be sitting crosslegged in silence. You don’t - there are countless ways to meditate. So get curious with this, take it so slow, and do what feels good for your body and brain.
Photo by Taylor Orlandt
Tune into your body. Where are you holding tension? Where are you connected to the ground? Really feel into that connection. Move your jaw, your fingers, your toes. Roll your neck a few times. Your shoulders. Your wrists. Start to come back to yourself.
Take some deep breaths into your belly. Belly breathing stimulates your vagus nerve and calms your nervous system and lets your body take care of itself. Releasing stress.
Once you’re feeling more in your body return to slow and deep normal breaths.
Now, here’s where this gets a little different. Often in meditation, we are encouraged to let thoughts pass. For this meditation, notice the thoughts as they come up and imagine that person place or thing in the world.
In your minds eye say “I love you. Thank you.” Remind your self that no thoughts are “bad.” If something painful or provoking is coming up, it’s often the universe calling us to dig a bit deep.
Now on your next breath in, imagine breathing back in all of your precious energy you’ve left with that person place or thing and imagine give it back to yourself. Feel it come in through your nose and radiate throughout your whole body. This energy should feel good, loving and a bit like home.
When you exhale, exhale out through your mouth and imaging your are letting go of everything in this attachment that doesn’t serve your highest good.
Do this for a long or as short as you like. I personally feel the effects of this mediation after a few breaths. The longer your breath yourself back home the more grounded you’ll feel.
Imperfect No-Bake Oat Bars
• 1 cup of smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup of honey
• 2 cups Quick Cooking Rolled Oats
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (cashews, peanuts, walnuts)
• 1 tbs of Chia Seeds (optional)
• nice pinch of salt
• Small handful of dried coconut, cranberries, raisons & chocolate chips (all optional)
In a bowl mix together peanut butter, honey, vanilla, chopped nuts, and handfuls of fixing as desired. Mix together fully. Then add oats. Mix it all together. If it’s tough to mix you’re doing it right!
Line an 8x8 pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper. Pour in the mixture and spread evenly throughout the pan. Cover with another layer of parchment or plastic wrap.
Place in fridge for an hour. Cut in bars and serve. Store in the fridge.
(P.S. none of these measurement need to be near perfect. Ellie had a blast throwing in ingredients as we went sans recipe.)
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