In this episode Suzanne shares the final piece of the Feeling Fitness Formula, emotional well-being. She explains the meaning and how yoga and mindfulness can be the tools to create it.

So, what is emotional well-being? It doesn’t mean you are happy all the time. It simply means that you are aware of your emotions and you know how to manage negative feelings. 

Decreased emotional well-being can be the culprit of stress, depression, and anxiety. It can also lead to digestive disturbances, sleep disturbances, and general lack of energy. Yoga and mindfulness can really contribute to emotional well-being. In recent years, there has been plenty of research done to back this statement.

Now that it’s so much more mainstream, you'll find yoga and mindfulness being used in schools, prisons, corporate settings, and on and on.

Suzanne discusses how to do alternate nostril breathing(nadi shodhana) and how it can help the body function from the parasympathetic nervous system(rest and digest) instead of the sympathetic nervous system(fight or flight). This form of breath work relaxes the mind and body and is great to use during meditation. Yoga teaches how using the breath can help us connect the mind & body and create peace and calm.

Suzanne then explains a few examples of postures(asanas) and how they can help the physical body as well as aid in emotional well-being. A back bend, such as cobra can alleviate stiffness in the body as well as open the heart center and contribute to emotional well-being. Inversions such as standing forward fold can send fresh oxygen to the brain to clear mental fog. Twists can help with digestive function and releases tension in the body. 

Mindfulness reminds us to operate from a place of non-judgment. It teaches us to accept the present moment as it is. We train ourselves to respond rather than react and to put some space between trigger(s) and reaction(s). 

All this being said, Suzanne reminds us that we need to keep in mind that we are all different and sometimes yoga and mindfulness will not be enough. In which case, further help should be sought out. 

She shares a personal story about how yoga has helped her as emotions have ebbed & flowed throughout the seasons of her life. She also shares how there was a point in her journey where she needed to seek additional help too. 

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Want more connection with Feelings Fitness? Join me over on the Feelings Fitness Facebook page. You can also find Feelings Fitness on Instagram too!

In this episode, Suzanne discusses mindfulness and meditation. She includes some history and a touch of her personal journey with the practice. If you think mindfulness and/or meditation aren't for you? Listen in. You just might change your mind.

This is part two of a three part series breaking down the Feelings Fitness Formula. Yoga + Mindfulness = Emotional Well-Being. This episode is all about mindfulness with a brief introduction to meditation and breath work too.

You will walk away from this episode with a better understanding of the difference between mindfulness and meditation. There is a distinct difference. Be sure to find the answer in this episode and go out and impress your friends & family with your new found knowledge!

Listen in to find out how you can incorporate mindfulness into your every day life. This practice will not only instill a power of positivity within you, it will also benefit everyone you come into contact with throughout your day.

You will also learn about the secret sauce of it all, the breath. Suzanne shares a book recommendation to learn even more about breath work, "How to Breathe," by Ashley Neese. Check it out.

Another book recommendation in this episode is, "Loving What Is," by Byron Katie. Suzanne will dive deeper into this book in a later episode, as it offers a great process that can transform our thinking in an incredibly positive way creating a lasting impact on the way we move through life.

Suzanne also recaps an encounter with Brene Brown at a conference that offered her a fresh perspective on analyzing thoughts and making peace with vulnerability. Our thoughts can certainly get in the way of our ability to live our best life. By adding an element of mindfulness we can break through some stubborn mental blocks.

Did you enjoy this episode? Do you want more? Be sure to subscribe & leave a review. 

Want more details about this episode? Head over to the website, www.feelingsfitness.com.

Feel Fit. Mind, Body & Spirit.

In this episode, Suzanne discusses YOGA. She includes some history and a touch of her personal journey with the practice. 

This will be the first episode of a three part mini-series. It breaks down the Feelings Fitness Formula, Yoga + Mindfulness = Emotional Well-Being.

Suzanne, briefly, answers the question what IS yoga and what yoga is NOT. With many misconceptions about practicing yoga and living a yogic lifestyle it warrants breaking down some history of its origin. 

With so many wonderful benefits to the yoga practice, it would be a shame for people to rule it out as a viable option for a healthy lifestyle simply because they are misinformed. A main objection by many stems from the fear of it being a "religion." Although yoga beyond the physical practice can include a spiritual component, the practice in and of itself is not a religion. 

In a nutshell, yoga can help us gain balance and control, a sense of calm, and sheds some light on the power of the breath.

Did you enjoy this episode? Do you want more? Be sure to subscribe & leave a review on iTunes or Spotify.

Want more details about this episode? Head over to the website, www.feelingsfitness.com. 

Want more connection with Feelings Fitness? Join me over on the Feelings Fitness Facebook page. You can also find Feelings Fitness on Instagram too!

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Welcome to the Feelings Fitness Podcast! In this episode your host, Suzanne Bazarko, will be sharing the back story of the Feelings Fitness Podcast. She will share her journey of using yoga and mindfulness to establish emotional well-being.

What started as a teaching career in an elementary school classroom & then working as a school counselor, has evolved into a podcast speaking to kids and families about the benefits of a consistent yoga and mindfulness practice. So, how in the world did that shift transpire?

Well, the stress and overwhelm of family life was very apparent to Suzanne even prior to starting a family of her own. But, once she embarked on raising a family of her own, she really felt the overwhelm first hand. She needed a way to ease the overwhelm of new motherhood.

So, Suzanne added yoga teacher training to her career journey. This became the missing piece that linked all of her endeavors together. She is now here to share with you how yoga & mindfulness just might be the tool that you have been in need of too!

Listen in to the introduction episode and then be sure to listen in weekly to learn about yoga and mindfulness tips and tools that you can use with your family.

Feel Fit. Mind, Body & Spirit!