I was going to write a blog post about not over-thinking your health. Focusing on all the things you can do to make yourself healthy and stay healthy is as detrimental as unhealthy behaviors. And this post is still about that with a little twist. Let's talk about Blue Zones. Blue Zones are regions in the world that have some of the healthiest seniors and most centenarians. The question has always been, what are they doing that we're not doing? Their secrets aren’t that secret. From region to region, they have many commonalities in their lifestyles:
· Movement
· Food (fresh ingredients with a lot of variety)
· Social connections
· Sense of purpose
· Faith
This is no different than what we tout at blue door. And, by the way, I just Googled the definition of “tout” to make sure it was the word I wanted to use, and here it is:
tout1
/tout/
Verb
1. attempt to sell (something), typically by pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner.
I took pause at the pestering people in an aggressive or bold manner, but let’s face it, I’m pretty pester-y and bold about what blue door is selling, so I decided to keep it 😊
Movement—duh, I think we got that part covered!
Food—I’m always asking people to follow Ayurveda and Ayurveda is all about fresh, seasonal, cooked meals.
Social connections—yup we’ve got that covered with our Lounge/Chai Corner and the opportunity for people to share in classes (especially our Chair Yoga classes because seniors need that connection more than ever). Also, if you’ve been in a class with me, you know I have no problems sharing EVERYTHING that’s on my mind 😊
Sense of purpose—this is HUGE. I talk about how I found yoga in 2010 and I knew it was my calling. At the time I was a stay-at-home Mom, and I knew I needed to find something that set my soul on fire so I wouldn’t feel adrift when the kids were grown and didn’t need me as much. This is when blue door came into being. I encourage everyone to find what sets their soul on fire and pursue THAT!
Faith—I always chafe when I hear this word, because it’s usually linked to organized religion. But let’s shift that and think of it as a path of truth and enlightenment. I was raised as a Sikh (pronounced “sick”).
Sidenote, interested in learning a little more about Sikhism (it’s a pretty cool religion, IMO)? Here it is: https://www.sikhcoalition.org/about-sikhs/beliefs/
Organized religion isn’t my jam. Why? Human beings get in the way. I love the ideals of most religions because they are good and pure, but when you put human beings in charge, it tends to lose that purity. Sad, but true (again, these are all my personal opinions). That’s why I was so excited to find yoga. I feel so connected within my practice (and beyond). Yoga is NOT a religion, but it is a way of living your life with truth and clarity.
So, as you can see, Blue Zones are no different than blue door (and, no, it is not lost upon me that we both have blue in our names 😊). We each have the components to live a longer, healthier, more productive life. So, if you’re reading this newsletter and you haven’t come to blue door, my question is “why not?”
Xx
Jesi
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