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It is just about that time of the year when people are focusing on getting in shape, making changes to their homes, finalizing travel plans, getting ready to enjoy the outdoors, and tons of other changes, as the sun gets ready to grace us with its presence. I like to call this time of the year “Spring Cleaning”.

It is that time of the year when it could be at our advantage to not only do a Spring Cleaning of our homes, but a cleansing mentally, physically, and spiritually as well. What better time of the year to get things in order overall, and leave more room to simply enjoy what the summer time brings?

Physical Cleaning: I am sure that being physically in shape is a top priority for most before we hit that time of the year when people are walking around wearing as little clothes as possible. While losing weight might be at the top of the priority list, making sure we are healthy should be as well. We are leaving a season filled with holidays, big family meals, and limited amount of exercise because everyone is trapped indoors. The Spring is the perfect time to cleanse inside and out. While there are many methods, I thought I would share a few that have helped myself and people that I know.

Exercise:

1. Playing Wii: Wii now has work-out games that are tons of fun and really can get you into shape. Also, playing some of the other sport games can get your muscles working as well.

2. Dancing: sign up today for a hip-hop dance class or salsa lessons. Dancing is a fun alternative to normal workouts at the gym. It can be great cardio!

3. Bike Riding. Riding a bike can burn a lot of calories, but also allow you to enjoy the nice scenery in your neighborhood and the fresh air.

4. Bikram Yoga: It has been proven to work every part of the body.

Diet:

1. Drink lots of water: 8 glasses of 8 ounces of water is the recommended amount of water. I say push it a little further and have a gallon of water a day.

2. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. (Raw is the best way)

3. Weight watchers: it really helps with portion control and just getting an idea of what you are putting into your body.

4. Cook more instead of going out to eat at restaurants and fast-food establishments.

5. Incorporate “Super Foods” into every meal. Spinach here, Avocados there…

6. The Master Cleanse: A great way to detox!

7. Daniel Diet: a great way to cut out “fatty” food items for a selected amount of time. This diet will also help you become more conscious about what you are eating.

8. Don’t eat after 9pm: you should all be familiar with this rule, but sometimes you need a reminder that after 9pm it is harder to digest food.

9. Cut out carbohydrates, sugar, and white flour

10. Cut out red meat

Mental and Spiritual Cleaning: April Showers bring May Flowers. It is time to water yourself mentally and spiritually. It is very important that you take time to relieve stress, clear your mind, and become more focused. For many of us the winter season can be a “heavy” season. Use the spring time to cleanse and release everything just in time for the summer. Below are a few methods that might help in cleansing mentally and spiritually.

1. Writing in your journal: take time to clear your mind by writing all of your crowded thoughts onto paper. Often we don’t take the time to release what is on our mind. Writing in a journal is the perfect way to do so!

2. Listening to soft music throughout the day. When you listen to music such as classical, jazz, or gospel, it puts you into a relaxing state of mind. This is a great relaxing method that can be done on your way to work or while taking a run in the park.

3. Deep breaths when you wake up and before you go to sleep.

4. Working and playing with a Rubix cube. It really gets your brain working!

5. Taking breaks from technology. We spend so much time logged into our email accounts, reading blogs, and adding pictures on Facebook that we never take time to be alone with ourselves. We also miss out on enjoying what is physically in front of us.

6. Meditation: taking time to be alone with your thoughts. There are many forms of meditation and you should do the one that benefits your needs the most.

7. Prayer: for those that are religious or spiritual, add prayer time during the morning and evening. What better way to start and end your day?

8. Reading Daily Scriptures or motivational quotes of the day: Great way to start your day and get your brain focused on something positive.

9. Fasting: this helps with discipline, goal setting, and cleansing. This can be one of the biggest cleansing processes for you physically and mentally.

10.Affirmations: Writing and saying affirmations is a great way to get your confidence up!

11. Here is a fun one! I recently put up a hammock in my bedroom. It is the most relaxing addition to my home. The swinging can be very soothing.

You can try some of the methods above, or you can come up with your own methods. The point is to do some type of “Spring Cleaning” regardless of how you do it. Look at this time as the season of “out with the old, in with the new”. Use this time to become a better “you”. Clean space, clean body, clean mind!

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