Move Your Body, Move Your Mind

Keep your knees locked! Hold your arms straight until they hurt! If you feel pain, good for yousomething is happening

Ah, the soft and tender words coming from my militant hot-yoga instructornot exactly soothing. Isnt yoga supposed to be relaxing, you ask? Not the kind Ive been doing for a while. I prefer to think of it as bootcamp yoga: an hour and a half dripping with sweat in a very hot room, often practising next to someone who had too much garlic at dinner last night, contorting myself into positions that make my head want to explode, while feeling murderous towards the teacherwelcome to my form of heaven.

Do I enjoy torturing myself this way three times a week come rain or shine? NO. Do I often get into the hot room and want to run out the door screaming? YES. Do I pay a lot of money to go through this torture? YES. Am I glad I do it? ABSOLUTELY.

You may be scratching your head in confusion at this point and I totally understand why. But when I tell you the real reason I do this exercise regime three times a week religiously, suffering and cursing the entire time, youll understand where Im coming from.

At the age of 36, Ive gotten a bit wiser when it comes to health and taking care of my body. Gone are the days of starving myself or overeating and then punishing myself through exercise. Believe it or not, I absolutely LOVE exercise now. Not because it makes me skinny (nothing will do that due to having the pulchritudinous physique of my shapely Jewish female ancestors which I have come to learn is purely genetic). However, regular exercise does keep me at a healthy weight for my size and stops me from obsessing about my body and food (except during PMS when my body and mind are overtaken by some form of alien life who temporarily makes me think that chocolate is in itself, an entire food group and that excess water in the tummy area is a must-have).

The reason I love exercise now is how it makes me feel AFTERWARDS. You see, after I leave an exercise class, I am transformed. No matter how crappy, miserable, sad, or angry I am feeling before I exercise, for some incredible reason, I consistently feel energized, positive, relaxed, and peaceful after a good workout. And so do many of the women I know. Now we know from brain research that exercise boosts serotonin, the feel-good neurotransmitter in our brains, increases endorphins; chemicals in our bodies that make us feel happy and neighbourly, and relaxes our muscles, which in turn, relaxes our mind.

I encourage all of my clients to follow a regular, three-times-a-week exercise regime of their choice as the first step in improving their mental health. I have not met one single person who has adopted this healthy lifestyle habit who has not greatly improved their mood, productivity, and reduced stress in their lives as a result. I know we hear it over and over again about exercising regularly, but being the stubborn self-willed person that I am, I have finally accepted that other people are wise when they espouse this concept and its not a conspiracy to make me conform to some strange cult.

I have witnessed countless womens mental health improve vastly from including regular exercise into their lives including recovery from depression, anxiety, disordered eating, post-traumatic stress, and many other issues.

I especially recommend regular exercise for women who are suffering from the effects of being in any kind of abusive relationship where they were systematically stripped of their dignity, sense of worth, and faith in their abilities. Vigorous exercise in this case, especially something like kickboxing, can be extremely empowering and help you to overcome feelings of worthlessness and toxic shame. Through the act of exercising, you can transform a negative self-concept into one of power, strength, and awareness of your abilities and gifts.

In my therapy practise, I have discovered that many women are weighed down with depression or anxiety and that what is often underneath those labels is suppressed anger and/or grief. Being in our bodies and expressing ourselves physically through regular exercise is a fabulous way of releasing emotions that have been stuffed down for a long time.

Exercise can be extremely helpful in moving our feelings up and out of the body and can thus free up energy and leave us feeling lighter, stronger, and more peaceful and in control of our destiny.

There are so many wonderful, exhilarating, and enjoyable forms of exercise out there. Check them all out, try them out, and find the one(s) that you feel the best doing. Experiment and have fun!

To end, Ill leave you with some very inspiring reasons for working out regularly

Esthers Top Ten Reasons to Exercise regularly:

1.Time for yourself- you get to leave all the people and things that you feel responsible for behind for a time and just focus on yourself

2.Lifts your mood and helps you feel more positive

3.Stops you from obsessing about your body size and shape (in most cases- if you are really prone to this, try a form of exercise that focuses on how you feel on the inside; not how you look on the outside- focus on becoming strong and feeling good emotionally).

4.Gives you a sense of routine which can help you feel more grounded emotionally

5.Gets you out into the world connecting with people you may not meet otherwise

6.Increases your self-esteem as you grow stronger and feel fit

7.Normalizes metabolism which helps you gain or lose weight depending on what is best for your body

8.Improves your sex drive- not a bad side effect, huh?

9.Makes you nicer to be around because youre happier, healthier, and calmer

10.Helps you get out of your head and into your body; this is great for us thinkers and analyzers

So go hop on a bike, take the dog out for a walk, or crank up the stereo and boogie up a storm in the living room - youll feel better as a result!

Esther Kane, MSW, Registered Clinical Counsellor, is the author of Dump That Chump: A Ten-Step Plan for Ending Bad Relationships and Attracting the Fabulous Partner You Deserve http://www.dumpthatchump.com, and What Your Mama Cant or Wont Teach You: Grown Womens Stories of Their Teen Years http://www.guidebooktowomanhood.com Sign up for her free monthly e-zine, Womens Community Counsellor, to uplift and inspire women at: http://www.estherkane.com

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The Use Of Equipment Safety In Yoga Policy

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay - A Thrilling Antidote to Disney World!

Florida is well known for its diverse array of theme parks and attractions. Orlando in particular is a popular tourist spot with both Americans and overseas visitors, from the huge Walt Disney world resort to the marine delights of SeaWorld, Orlando's amusement parks are counted among the world's best. If you've already experienced all that Orlando has to offer and you're keen to sample the thrills of theme parks outside Florida's capital, head towards Tampa on the state's west coast, where you'll find Busch Gardens Africa - a truly unique theme park!

Busch Gardens Africa, also known as Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, is a theme park that is set in nineteenth century Africa - a world away from the offerings of Disney world. Originally opened in 1959 as a hospitality facility for visitors to the Tampa Anheuser-Brewery, the park continued to develop after the manufacturing plant closed down many years later. Today, Busch Gardens Africa is famous for its tropical landscape, exotic animals and thrilling rides, making it one of Florida's leading zoological attractions.

One of Busch Gardens' hallmark rides is the Serengeti Express, a replica steam train that runs along the rear of the park complex and makes stops at its Nairobi, Congo and Stanleyville areas. Additionally, the Skyride shuttles guests between Nairobi and the Stanleyville/Congo border areas - so visitors to the park have a variety of options when it comes to getting from one place to another.

In the Stanleyville section of the park, you'll find Busch Gardens' iconic ride ShreiKra - a 90 foot vertical drop roller coaster and one of only two of its kind in the United States. If this isn't quite your style, head towards the Congo area, where you'll find the 143-foot tall Kumba rollercoaster. Since November 2006, the Congo area of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has been under redevelopment and looks likely to be re-opened under the name 'Jungala'.

Moreover, the Timbuktu area of Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is themed after the vibrant and bustling bazaars of Africa, while the Egypt area creates an authentic Egyptian marketplace feel. Here, you'll also find a replica of the tomb of King Tutankhamen, as well as Montu - a 150-foot rollercoaster.

Of course, rollercoasters aren't all that Busch Gardens Africa is about and animal exhibits make up a large part of the amusement park. The Serengeti Plain, for instance, is a 29-acre animal habitat that comprises a free roaming home for a number of animals, including the zebra, giraffe, bongo, addaz, East African crowned crane and addra gazelle. And fans of primates will adore the Myombe Reserve - a three-acre home in the parks' Nairobi section which acts as the home of six lowland gorillas and nine chimpanzees.

If you're keen to visit the delights of Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa Bay, you'll find a variety of flights to Tampa from the UK and other global locations. What's more, if Busch Gardens Tampa Bay strikes a chord with you, your friends or your family, why not take your next holiday in Busch Gardens Europe - located in Williamsburg, Virginia. And while you're there, don't forget to enjoy what the original Anheuser-Brewery made Busch Gardens famous for to begin with - beer!

Adam Singleton is an online, freelance journalist and keen amateur photographer from Scotland.

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