In the heat of the political campaign, it's easy to get caught in the hype of it all. Though okay to feel passionate one way or the other, it's important to keep perspective remembering that whatever you think and feel not only directly affects your personal health, but also contributes to the health of the world.

There are two core emotions from which all other emotions originate - love and fear. It seems that the dominating emotion these days is fear... with both sides afraid of the other. Fear, as a result, stirs the "fight or flight" stress response, and stress - as we know - wreaks havoc on our immune system, our health, and ultimately our life.

Equanimity is defined as the "evenness of mind, especially under stress," and in times such as these, practicing this can be greatly beneficial. Though often feeling "victim" to outer circumstances, it is possible to remain in a place of inner calm and peace; it is a matter of choice, commitment, and focus.

Finding it easy to dwell in our differing ideologies, I believe there is a place we all share - a common desire for a better life. As difficult as it may seem, these times challenge us to look beyond our differences and seek our similarities. Fear divides, love unites. We cannot change others, but we can choose to change how we view each other. Chances are we'll see ourselves.

Lisa Brisse & the State of the Heart Fitness Staff

Do you ever feel that life seems to be speeding by and you can't seem to get a hold on things? Do you go to bed feeling exhausted and wake up feeling the same way? Do you ever feel like you just can't catch up with everything on your "to do" list? If so, you're not alone. It seems to be the chronic consensus of our society.

Often we've been taught to cater to everyone and everything else before ourselves which essentially is like making withdrawals from the ATM without ever making any deposits. Would we be surprised to find ourselves overdrawn? Yet, this way of living lends us to feeling over-stressed, overwhelmed and chances are... over-weight! In other words, we are out of balance and our bodies reflect this.

Our body has a natural state of balance or equilibrium called, homeostasis. When we are in this balanced state, we experience optimal health, vitality and zest for life. It's important to remember that THIS is our natural state of being and when living in tune with our body, it let's us know exactly what it needs in regards to sleep, nutrition, and exercise to maintain that state of balance and optimal health. Much too often, however, because of all the outside distractions of our busy lives, we lose touch with the innate intelligence of our body leading us to eat unhealthy foods (not to mention eating much more than the body actually needs), not getting enough sleep or practicing healthy stress management, and not getting enough exercise. In turn, we feel tired, sluggish, run down and too often experience disease... a dis-ease within the energy flow of our system as a whole. It's official! We are out of balance!

So what do we do to "stop the insanity" as Susan Powter used to say? First, ask yourself, what does balance look like in your life? How does it feel to you? Looking back, was there ever a time in which you felt your life was in balance? How did it look and feel?

"Balance is that place where no effort is required." - Rajpur

Though balance is our natural state of being, we, as a society, have lived out of tune with the natural rhythms for so long that we have forgotten how to live in tune to ourselves and our bodies. Therefore, just like learning a new skill that requires ongoing practice, we have to re-learn how to listen and be in tune once again. Think back to learning to ride a bike... at first it took much focus, concentration and many constant adjustments to find the balance, but once it was found, the ride became fun and effortless! Our life can be the same!

FREE LECTURE: "Get Off the Scale & Back to Balance"
October 18th, 2008
See more details in this newsletter!

With all of the seriousness going on in the world these days, sometimes the best medicine is a really good laugh! Who doesn't feel good after a hearty belly laugh that makes the abs feel "worked," the cheeks on your face hurt, not to mention maybe a few tears in the eyes? For myself, one of the greatest gifts my family is the gift of laughter. Growing up there was always humor. In fact, my mom is the queen of silliness and at the age of 59, she always sees the potential humor and lightness in life no matter what happens. I have found this to be a very healing and healthy outlook on life; it has gotten me through many times with still a joy and levity in my heart.

Did you know that babies laugh an average of 500 times a day, while adults laugh an average of 10? Who decided that growing up meant laughing was "out?" This doesn't have to be the case. It's easy to take life and ourselves too seriously, but one can get through just about anything, if a sense of humor is a close companion. Who hasn't been in a situation where you think, "Well, if I don't laugh, I'm going to cry, so I might as well laugh." It's the best thing we can do for ourselves in those moments... laugh!

How does laughter make us feel good? Physiologically it decreases the level of stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and adrenaline, while increasing the secretion of endorphins - the body's natural painkillers and "feel good" hormones. It increases the antibody-producing cells and the effectiveness of T cells which makes for a stronger immune system. It is a great "workout" for your internal abdominal muscles, including the diaphragm, shoulders and heart, leaving one feeling relaxed afterwards. And from a mental and emotional standpoint, laughter can shift one's focus away from anger, guilt, depression and other not-so-uplifting emotions. In this regard, it is an excellent form of stress management, not only for the physical benefits, but also for a more positive perspective on life.

As Dr. Patch Adams says, "I have reached the conclusion that humor is vital in healing the problems of individuals, communities, and societies. Humor has made my life joyous and fun. Wearing underwear on the outside of your clothes can turn a tedious trip to the store for a forgotten carton of milk into an amusement park romp. People so unabashedly thank you for entertaining them." Let's remember to laugh!

come join lisa brisse

get off the scale
& back to balance

saturday, october 18th
12 - 1 pm
loews hotel fitness center & spa

*includes a 15 minute progressive relaxation session
registration required; call to sign up!

NOTE: Lisa Brisse is available to speak at your next event.
Please check out lectures & seminars offered HERE.

Also check out the latest Heart Blog.

kudos to clients: natalie clark
state of the heart fitness' client runs first 10k in scotland!

When Natalie Clark and her father came from their native Scotland for a little "sunny holiday" at the Loews in August, they didn't realize it would be a trip dedicated to their health & fitness! Deciding to train with State of the Heart, Natalie (27) - who started running for the first time in her life in May - wanted to train for a 10k run in Glasgow. Gigi laid the groundwork while she was here and sent her home with a plan. According to Natalie, "I managed to complete the 10K in 1hr 14mins and ran it all. Thank you, Gigi, for giving me great encouragement and support when I was staying at Loews! I hope to be back soon for more training!!"

State of the Heart Fitness congratulates Natalie for her accomplishment. According to her, when she began her training, she could barely run for a minute!
Way to go, Natalie!

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