Obama, Clinton and President George Washington

Today we celebrate George Washington's birthday. Let's hope that whoever wins be it Clinton or Obama that they will have the admiration and respect that lives on for president Washington. One of my favorite quotes from President Washington is "Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company. "

When we look at this quote how may of us care more about our own reputation and are willing to go against peer pressure? Many times we get caught up in wanting to feel wanted and needed and associate with people who we don't 'esteem' or even care for. I suppose that President Washington was saying that we need to have high self esteem. Here are a couple of tips for building high self esteeem.

1. Self Acceptance of both good qualities and the personality traits that you don't like. Make a list of 10 things that you love about yourself and 10 areas you want to improve. Spend 5 minutes each day seeing the good qualities first then seeing the areas you are working to improve.


2. Learn to stop the critical voice inside. This voice is usually either your mom or dad and has been internalized. This critical voice shows up in co-workers and parternships both business and personal. Once you stop the inner critic the outer critic will no longer show up.

3. Take a look at this story of an 88 year old man who decided to start ballet at 79. We are never too old to change and start something that we love and enjoy! If you are looking for a new start check out our retreats.

Obama vs Clinton, and Heart Health Tips

Obama and Clinton must be under tremendous stress right now. How do your support your heart and health and deal with your stress level? Denial isn't a good way to deal with stress. Feburary is Heart Health Awareness month follow our tips to keep your heart healthy.

1. Remember to breath deeply. Have your ever noticed that when you are stressed that your shoulders begin to creep up toward your ears? If you are aware at that moment you probably also notice that you are barely bearthing--deepending on the stress level. If you continue to shut down your breath this can be the beginning of a migraine headache. The stress points in the shoulders can trigger a pain pattern that shoots pain from the shoulders up the back of the head and to the front of your face. These headaches can be dibilitating for some people. Massage can release these trigger points.

2. When you are under extra stress, eating healthy and maintaining an excercise program are essential. Yoga, is a great way to move your body, release stress, and calm your mind. Conscious breathing will assist you to release stress that has accumulated in your body. Another great stress release is EFT or Emotional Freedom Technique click here to see a video and gather more tools.

3. At Retreat and Heal we offer tools to deal with your stress through massage, EFT, hypnotherapy, hikes at the Sedona Vortex sites, and a safe place to heal your body, mind, and spirit. A retreat can be just what the doctor ordered to escape the hectic pace of your stressful lifestyle. If you don't have time or money to get away schedule time to watch a sunset and just sit and absorb the beauty of the moment and breath away your stress.