I work with clients from all over the world, but it’s always my New Yorkers who put “stress management” at the top of their list. It seems like the same beautiful thing that makes us all so ambitious and creative can wreak havoc on our sanity. Here are some tried and true tools for creating more peace in your life in the city. They’ve worked for me and I hope you can start putting them to use this May! 1. CREATE YOUR OWN RITUAL Rituals are a great way to remind us to slow down and practice a little self-care, clear our minds and connect with our higher self. Something as simple as spending a health couple minutes sitting up in bed, taking a few deep breaths and envisioning how you want the day to go or getting up earlier than usual so that you can really sit down and eat a nutritional breakfast. Your ritual can be ANYTHING, make it your own and start incorporating it into your life. Stick to it and I promise they love! it will not only start your day off on a more balanced, optimistic note but it will set you up for having a happier life. 2. FIND A HAPPY PLACE Everyone needs a happy place! Your happy place should be inspiring, comforting and serene. Here are some of mine to give you a couple ideas: a gazebo on the water in Central Park, my favorite café in Union Square and a small corner of my bedroom that I’ve filled with pictures that inspire me, candles and various trinkets. Once you have even one “happy place,” spend time there on a regular basis, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Sit down and just soak up the energy, the peacefulness and the serenity. 3. FOCUS ON YOUR BREATH When in doubt, reconnect with your breath! This is perhaps the simplest, yet most effective piece of advice I can give you for finding your Zen in the concrete jungle. Close your eyes, focus inwards and take long, luxurious breathes for at least a minute or two. A simple mantra to pair with it can be “LET” on your inhale and “GO” on your exhale. Just repeat the words in your head as you focus on your breath and let any tension and stress come to the surface on “LET” and float away on “GO.” Feel free to visit gosweetandskinny.com/events for videos and classes on different meditations. 4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH ZEN FRIENDS It’s been said that we become like the five people we surround ourselves with the most. Make an effort to have a yoga, tea or lunch date with that friend who has a great outlook on life. Start calling up your friends who meditate frequently or always seem to be the sane voice of reason when you need it. Be conscious of creating a week full of wonderful influences and people who inspire you to get in touch with your inner serenity. 5. FIND COMMUNITY Finding your Zen all by yourself is a beautiful and wonderful thing but finding a community will truly enrich your stress-busting tool box. We are so blessed to live in New York, there are so many wonderful classes, meetings and groups for us to get involved in. I have two great events coming up, one in May and a LIC-based one in June (info at gosweetandskinny.com/events). You can come, learn some more powerful tools from yours truly and be lead in a wonderful guided meditation that will take you to a more magical place. You can find all sorts of similar groups and classes on MeetUp. com, Eventbrite, even in your local paper’s event columns. Seek out and connect, take advantage of these resources that can help you along your journey to urban Zen. Cassandra Bodzak is the happy, healthy living guru on ABC’s “The Taste.” She started GoSweetandSkinny. com, where she shares her healthy recipes and tips for living your happiest life, and is the proud author of “Juicespiration,” her no-nonsense guide to do-it-yourself juice cleansing. She works with clients all over the U.S. to help them stop dieting, start eating right and achieve the body and life CASSANDRA BODZAK 5 TIPS for FINDING and KEEPING your serenity in the city
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