Here we are in fall 2024 and I feel it’s time to reflect on wellness strategies and post-pandemic life. For me, a return to more in-person gatherings has been meaningful and fun! I’ve also discovered a new way to experience yoga and fitness classes in a Far Infrared heated studio that provides a variety of benefits from detoxification and improved circulation to stress management.
Sweating is the body’s natural way to heal and stay healthy! FAR infrared heat raises the body’s core temperature in a natural, comfortable way. Without blowing dry air or humidity, I find it to be a great environment to sweat in and the result is a detoxifying sweat at the cellular level. FAR infrared also supports relaxation and stress reduction.
The gentle heat and soothing effects of the heat, combined with yoga and mindful movement help to relax our body and mind, leading to reduced stress and improved mental well-being. It also enhances blood circulation by dilating blood vessels and promoting better oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells, which may help with the healing process and supporting overall cardiovascular heath. Another benefit is pain relief. FAR infrared heat penetrates the tissue, joints and muscles which can relieve minor aches and pains, speeding up injury recovery and reducing symptoms of chronic pain and stiffness.
FAR infrared can also help with weight management; as the body works to cool itself, there is substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. The combined benefit of practicing yoga & fitness in the FAR infrared studio is it causes the body to burn more calories. I find it helpful to take electrolytes and make sure to drink enough water. In addition, the FAR infared heat feels like a beach!
I’ve had the opportunity to train in FAR infrared Oxygen Yoga & Fitness studios and experience the benefits first hand. Now I’m teaching at a new studio in our neighbourhood and it’s wonderful to feel more connected with our community here at The Beaches. I enjoy teaching a variety of classes such as Rise & Shine, Freedom Flow, Core-lates and Barre Fusion. While I have more than 20 years experience teaching, discovering a new environment to teach in with the added benefit of FAR infrared heat makes it feel like a new beginning. Learning to teach in a new space provides a sense of renewal and circling back to my last blog, it’s one of the new things that I’ve integrated into my week to feel more fully engaged with life! Sweating in the FAR infrared space is also a way to let go! Post-pandemic, we can all benefit from more letting go. I also appreciate the affirmations that OYF shares each week. I’ve always been a fan of affirmations that support positive energy! And it’s great to feel part of the bigger OYF community as they continue to expand in Canada and branch out to the U.S. as well. For more info on Oxygen Yoga & Fitness-The Beaches, click here and you can also check out the OYF Beaches Instagram.
My interest in health & fitness began when I was 4 years old. I was in the hospital for a month, in a wheelchair post-surgery, and apparently almost died there. When I got out of the wheel chair and practiced walking, I felt so happy to move freely. My love for physical activity increased. Being able to move through different spaces and get outside became more important. The hospital can be tough at any age, particularly as a kid when I just wanted to play and move around. For me, the pandemic brought back memories of feeling claustrophobic in that hospital room at four years old. As an adult, I had surgery again and needed to face that hospital environment. It was not being able to open the windows that really got to me. As with any challenge, there are opportunities to take a deeper look at what’s going on.
Anyone else feel a bit claustrophobic during the pandemic or post-pandemic? The fear of being trapped or confined, or “unable to escape” that underlies the feeling of claustrophobia may reflect a deeper fear of being trapped by current circumstances in life, whether involving a career that needs a sense of renewal, or any situation that feels confining yet would require substantial risks to move beyond. Avoiding spaces, places and situations that bring on claustrophobic feelings may reflect a deeper avoidance of the very risks that are necessary to realize our full potential and life purpose. When we find something that gives our life a greater sense of meaning along with taking the necessary risks to embrace it, we may just find that we start to feel less confined and more free!
Ever since I was 4 years old in that hospital, being in a room with a door closed brought about a feeling of discomfort. It wasn’t every confining space…for some reason I feel very free in airplanes up in the sky. However, being in certain rooms with a door closed continued to feel uncomfortable. One amazing thing about the Oxygen Yoga & Fitness FAR infrared studios is that I feel relaxed in the heat and the door closed actually makes the room feel bigger! As we heat up from the inside out during each movement, I find it’s easier to stay in the present moment and sense more space both inside and outside of our body. Our awareness is a big space in which to reside, and rather than feeling confined in this heated space, I actually feel more free! As I’ve put my self in this closed door space more often, I’ve gained more stamina in the heat and continue to improve my ability to feel more free and fully alive throughout the day!
2024 has also been a year for me to reprioritize what’s most important for this next phase of my life. While program development was important to me for over 2 decades during my administrative work as a Supervisor and Assistant Manager, in my 50’s I’m happy to put more focus on Wellness Coaching & Consulting, leading workshops & trainings, and teaching yoga & fitness. One Wellness Workshop that I particularly enjoyed leading last year was a hybrid format for the OISE U of T Mentorship Program. I had been delivering more virtual presentations since 2020 and it was great to come back to an in-person experience with the mentors and mentees set up in a circle at OISE, while others participated virtually at the same time. Being an OISE alumna, the workshop was extra meaningful and I appreciated the opportunity to integrate mindfulness practices while keeping it experiential and interactive. For the New Year, I look forward to presenting an in-person workshop titled Integrating Mindfulness Throughout the Day at Oxygen Yoga & Fitness-The Beaches on Jan. 25th 1-2pm. For workshops at Oxygen, we take a break from the infrared heat and my workshop will be interactive as well.
A few transitions helped me shift my priorities for this next decade. A couple years ago my mother-in-law passed away and it was a reminder that life is short and it’s important to make the best of it each day. Another turning point was finding out that I needed to have surgery and that I would be staying overnight in the hospital at the start of my post-surgery recovery. And then last year we celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday and attended a special event to launch his book, Gordon Cressy Tells Great Stories. While reading the book, I was reminded of my dad’s shift in priorities as he moved closer towards retirement. At this stage of my life, wellness strategies to enhance quality of life continue to be a theme including more time with family and friends, reading inspiring books such as GOALS: If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It!, enjoying healthy activities such as walking here at The Beaches, and planning more vacations to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and the Haliburton area in Ontario.
As the immune system and detoxification get more attention these days, another new thing that I’ve brought into my life is Immunocal Sport. I still take the original Immunocal in the morning, however on the days that I teach classes or train on my Total Gym GRAVITY at home, I also take the Immunocal Sport and booster to provide more support and energy throughout the day. Anyone engaging in fitness activities can benefit from Immunocal Sport. You don’t need to be an athlete to take it, however sport teams and Olympians have also benefited from it. Immunocal Sport combines immune-enhancing technology with cutting-edge sports nutrition to improve the immune system, boost performance, and recover faster. It reduces muscle soreness, and has been clinically proven to increase muscle mass, improving both muscle strength and endurance.
The original Immunocal is Immunotec’s flagship glutathione precursor, which has the highest Biological Value of any edible protein. It is one of the most important natural health products that I’ve ever taken. By raising glutathione, Immunocal has been proven to help maintain a strong immune system. It has achieve global recognition with patents in the U.S., Canada and around the world. Both the Physician’s Desk Reference and Compendium Pharmaceutical Specialities have listed Immunocal for over 25 years. Many of the world’s athletes and millions of fitness enthusiasts use Immunocal to help achieve peak performance. Immunocal has the highest protein value. A higher Biological Value (BV) means a protein is more easily absorbed by the body.
Immunocal has a higher BV than whey protein, whole egg, milk, tuna, beef, chicken, soy or oatmeal, so it is more easily absorbed in our body. It’s the first natural protein supported by patents that is clinically proven to raise glutathione levels. Immunocal maintains a strong immune system, helps build antibodies, detoxifies, and protects against oxidative stress and free radicals. A natural product both adults and children can benefit from. Another option as we age is Immunocal Platinum which contains all the natural goodness of Immunocal, and two additional components to help lower acidity levels in the body and support its natural pH balance, reduce inflammation, protect against cell damage, and strengthen bones by preventing calcium loss.
Glutathione is required for vital roles in our metabolism. Here are four key areas: 1) Glutathione is the master antioxidant produced by our body, 2) Glutathione keeps our immune system strong, 3) Glutathione is vital for detoxification of our body, and 4) Glutathione keeps our “power plant” generating. Free radicals are a prime cause of degenerative diseases. Antioxidants are our body’s natural defense for free radicals, and glutathione is the major antioxidant that aids in free radical scavenging. Other antioxidants such as vitamin C or E don’t work properly when glutathione is not present. We need glutathione to maintain normal functioning of our immune system because without it, our defenses become weakened. Glutathione plays a pivotal role in detoxifying heavy metals, pollutants and toxins we face daily. Among other methods, glutathione can bind to these toxins, transforming them into a form that can be excreted by our body. The major source of energy produced in our cells is derived from tiny structures called mitochondria. These mitochondria would burn up without the presence of glutathione.
For my family and friends and the colleagues who I worked with through the years, it’s well known that I am not a fan of Red Bull. It can cause anxiety and has a variety of negative consequences on the body, and can also impact behaviour in ways that may be harmful. For those experiencing Zoom fatigue or post-pandemic exhaustion, Red Bull is just not the solution. The quick burst also leads to a hard crash. There are healthier ways to increase energy and performance. Doing things to feel more engaged in life is the first step. See my previous blog to review some ideas on this topic. If you do not have high blood pressure, heart disease or anxiety, then an option could be to take Immunocal Booster Energy Performance. It kicks in within 15 minutes without the crash later, and offers a healthier way to increase energy. It’s powered by Nrf2 Catalyst to boost both our glutathione levels and our total antioxidant power, providing healthy, sustained energy and focus. Enriched with Selenium and vitamins C and B12 it reduces tiredness and fatigue by protecting against oxidative stress. It helps boost energy, helps with immune function, helps supercharge glutathione and antioxidant power, improves our focus, supports alertness, and helps decrease fatigue. It can be taken on its own or in combination with Immunocal & Immunocal Sport.
Post-pandemic I still enjoy virtual opportunities to learn, train and share, however I have a new appreciation for opportunities to engage with community in person and look forward to more opportunities to gather, move mindfully, sweat together, detoxify, let go of stress, let in more joy, and create a life that we love!
