The change-formula

Change is easy.

What is she saying there??? Yeah, sure...!?

Is that what you're thinking right now - I understand, but I still stand behind this statement 100% and let me tell you why:

I am someone who seeks and embraces change (be it consciously or unconsciously). I need variety and spice in my life to feel fulfilled, but it does not always mean that these times are easy. 

Discovering that you are unhappy or not fulfilled in a certain area in your life is painful. There might be times when you manage to suppress and deny the discomfort but sooner or later it affects your everyday life. In my case it is definitely sooner than later ;-)

What to do in such a situation??? Hm??

And there it is... CHANGE!

The reason why we think change is hard is because we associate the whole process of being uncomfortable and unhappy for weeks/months/years until we reach a certain point, where we say 'No more!' with it. However, the actual change is a simple decision to do, feel, speak or act differently with the goal to be happier than before - sounds great, right.

Here is what we need to make it happen:

1) Willingness: we can wish, want or desire something but if we don't bring up the willingness within us to put the stake in the ground for what we want to be happy, we will miss the chance to live fulfilled and with integrity. To be willing to change is to show up for yourself - and honestly, what is more powerful than that!?!!

2) Strong enough reasons: in order to be able to change we need compelling and strong reasons - we have to create leverage why we want to take this step. Start with WHY!!! Why, do you want to improve your health? Do you want to look more fit or sexy? Do you want to have that promotion or job? You have got to want it REALLY BAD!!! Commitment and focus are key - what you focus on you become!!!

3) Action plan (I call it passion-plan^^): What are the steps that will get you there? When we start to break our goals down, two powerful things happen: 1. we appreciate the baby-steps, which allows more successes on the way and 2. we allow more space to really enjoy the process, because LIFE IS ABOUT PROGRESS AND NOT PERFECTION!

With that in mind, change becomes effortless and fun instead of scary and unpleasant. Sure, the real outcome is uncertain, but what if we make shift the negative suspension to the excitement for a surprise... we all love surprises don't we ;-)

"There's something inside every human being that will make it click...that today is not like yesterday, and tomorrow will be different forever, and that process is an emotional hook." ~ Tony Robbins

Looking forward to your thoughts on this! 

Take care & love,

xoxo

Are you up for a challenge?

A challenge that will boost your health, your happiness and your belief in your own power!!!

I AM living fit & excited for a great health challenge this month :) are you?

Something miraculous and powerful happens when we start taking care of ourselves, of our health - you realize YOU ARE PRECIOUS :)))
I'm very excited for this month's challenge and I hope join me!

Let's make it even more powerful... I put mine out here in writing again:
1) no refined sugar
2) one green juice a day
3) no white flour

Let me know what your 3 challenges are, in the comments below!

Making yourself accountable for something is very powerful and enhances the probability to follow through and succeed!!! Isn't this what we all want!? ;)

I'll see you soon :)
Lots of love,
xoxo

Impressions from my trip to D.C.

This weekend I visited the United Stated capital city - Washington D.C.

Beautiful and calm (probably I'm saying this because I have lived in busy Manhattan for the past 6 months) city with amazing buildings and friendly people.

This weekend was also a special one: Today, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the 44th president of the United States was inaugurated and I witnessed the preparations for this big national event.

Enjoy the captions of some moments of this weekend :-)

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can. ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

The Smithsonian

George Washington Memorial

CNN reporting on inauguration day!

View on the GW Memorial from Lincoln Memorial!

Lincoln memorial

Happy ME :)

Huge and clean subway stations - getting spoiled here & not missing NYC that much to be honest ;)

When you wish upon a star *love*

Can't touch this ;)

Thomas Jefferson memorial

apparently girls like to take pics like that... this time I followed the trend ;D

Franklin D. Roosevelt memorial *beautiful* *mindful*

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today!

Let us move forward with strong and active faith!

Martin Luther King Jr. memorial

freakin' cute squirrels

 

Ice-skating in Georgetown!

I hope you enjoyed some pics instead of writing for a change ;-)
Sending you lots of love from NYC (again) and watch out for miracles!
Xoxo

Feeling overwhelmed by your own plans?

The answer is simple: Appreciate the baby steps! 

Thank you my dear readers, this was the post for today - just kidding, but it is as simple as that...

Most of us have a plan for our life - we all thrive to achieve really great things, whether we are aware of it or not! One important thing to mention here is that the perception of great is different to each individual - some project their plan on career, others on family or personal development. Some of us have good patience to get to their desired state and others (like me) can't wait to get it all at once.

I'll admit to something here, my big ideas have changed over the years and have radically changed since I moved to NYC. The 'transformation' began on the day of arrival, when I took my first intenSati class - life has never been the same for me... Those who have been following this blog (You guys are awesome!) have witnessed my shift, which does not mean that I have become more patient with craving to get what I want ;) 

I have been developing big ideas of how I would imagine my career to be like as a coach and trainer *yay* and I created this plan aka how-can-I-get-there-as-quickly-as-possible! Unknowingly I have overloaded my mind with all those plans that I started to compare my efforts to the efforts of others and that I felt I had to do everything I could to get there as quickly as possible and to become greater. I researched the various classes and courses I could start, like right NOW and finish them preferably tomorrow. 

Even though I have been thriving and following my dream, I felt more disconnected to it than ever!!!

Only this week during a coaching call I was introduced to a great concept that has become my new mantra: 

• You are holding your vision >
• The feeling that is created within you is JOY, PASSION and HAPPINESS >
• Passion makes you take the first step, which leads to success >
• Then you have your vision in mind again >
• The feeling of joy and passion lead you to take the next step to get closer to the vision... >

It is like the most 'vicious' as in radically awesome cycle ever!!! 

The baby steps will always get you closer to achieving your goal and as soon as you start appreciating the baby steps, the whole journey becomes a joyous adventure for you. Moreover, by maintaining an overview of how you actually got from your beginning to your big YAY, you will have more moments of pride for yourself, which will fuel your creativity to make your YAY even more amazing!

For me personally this information helped me a lot to connect to my desire again and to see the next steps clearly (one of them definitely is to write this blog and to share my learnings with you :))

If you have similar experiences or if this was helpful for you... OR if you have tried the 'most awesome vicious-as-in-radically-awesome cycle'... I would love to read about all of it in the comments below :)

One motivating thing to remember is: FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM(S) SHOULD BE FUN AND JOYFUL! (not exclusively but a great deal of times!)

Thank you all! 

XOXO

p.s. The song for this post is Jordin Spark's 'One step at a time'  :)

The HAPPY Diet...

... What? The words HAPPY and DIET together in one headline - yeah, sure... crazy-cr*p again, right!!! No thanks! I'm outta here...

You might want to hear me out on this one here, I promise it is worth staying!

Today's post is inspired by Gabby Bernstein's vlog The Lovetarian Diet, in which she talks about exactly what I translated into the Happy Diet. Now, both include the two beautiful concepts of LOVE and HAPPINESS - coincidently the two emotions everyone is looking for having in their lives. 

Achieving love and happiness is strongly interconnected to the thoughts we think during the day. Thoughts are the food for our mind! We have been educated that healthy foods, rich in vitamins and nutrients feed a healthy and strong body *yay* We also know that greasy and heavy food does not contribute to our physical and mental health *puh*

The same thing is true for the thoughts that we think every day. Every thought we feed our mind with is going to have an impact on its well-being, in effect on our happiness and love.
By allowing negative thoughts to flood our system we let them become our reality, and as I elaborated in a previous post 'We are THE co-creators of our lives' we give so much power and potential away - let alone the beautiful moments of pure happiness and  joy! If we only hold thoughts of anger, self-criticism, judgment, jealousy, fear, _________ (fill in the blank!), how can we possibly expect to experience happiness and love 24/7!?!?!?
We do not expect our digestion system to easily digest crappy foods without longterm consequences - the same applies to when we keep thinking negative thoughts of "I'm not good enough! Others are better than me! I can't do that! Me???" - we feed our minds with heavy take-ins and expect to become more and more happy in our lives... Guess what, this does not work!

Being living proof that this diet works within a short period of time, I would like to share my routine with you :) all you need is commitment, faith and determination!

1. Breakfast: Meditation! Upon awakening I listen to a nice guided meditation that prepares me for the day ahead. Meditating is a great way to center in and ignite your personal greatness to spark into the world! You can consciously choose you thoughts and attitude - choose love instead of fear! Variations of this breakfast can be: morning work-out, journaling, reading in your fav book, waking up saying 'Thank you!', ...
2. Snack: Do something good that serves others! Does not have to be something huge, but a nice gesture to someone you know or don't know. Can be a nice text or email to a loved one, which you know will make the person smile. Or you hold the door for someone, smiling at a stranger or give up your seat on the subway for another person, who might be not as agile.
3. Lunch: Move your body! Get active, work-out, walk instead of taking the bus or elevators, sweat, smile and be proud of your accomplishments :) intenSatiiiii *yay*
4. Snack: Listen to uplifting music! What is the simplest and most efficient thing that will bring you out of a baditude?? MUSIC *yay* create your playlist and listen to songs with positive lyrics and energetic sound! I'm actually listening to my "Happy playlist" right now ;)
5. Dinner: Journal! I used to be a journal-avoider, was considered as waste of time... I couldn't be more wrong! We are used to writing down every important piece of information when we listen to a lecture or our boss telling us what to do next - How do you know that what your emotions and feelings tell you is less important?? Our minds are sort of our bosses... but here it is ok to question our thoughts! One thing is sure, our mind is probably the most adaptable boss we will have - so take advantage of it and choose to hold loving and happy thoughts and write them down! Also if you are not feeling all easy-cheesy-super-happy... JOURNAL, because it will give you the chance to look at your feelings on paper and I've experienced it multiple times that I had to start laughing at my anger/anxiety etc.

One more important thing: make GRATITUDE your WATER!!!

Adults should drink 2-3 liters of clear water per day, this is how important gratitude is in our lives. We can be grateful for sooo many things, e.g. to live in a healthy body, to be able to read this post right now ;) etc. Gratitude is a powerful tool to become conscious about how many things we have we can be pleased to have, but tend to take for granted! Showing appreciation for things and actions of others will attract more happiness, love and blessing into your own life!

Who joins me on this miraculous diet?
I AM a Happytarian!!!

Love, xoxo

p.s. in a state of love and gratitude our bodies are able to digest and take in the actual food in much more gentle way, that vitamins and nutrients can be processed to their highest potential = A happy soul equals a healthy and lean body!

Song for this post: Colbie Caillat - Think good thoughts

An inspirational walk through Highline Park!

Good morning world :)

A couple of weeks ago I went to see the beautiful Highline Park in NYC! What was once intended to become a train connection on Manhattan's West side was transformed into a very nice and calm park next to the Hudson! Today I want to share some inspirational quotes from the various books and teachers I have been studying lately! Why this park and inspirational quotes?! Well, walking through this park and seeing all the railway rails, which are still there, made me associate this place with change! We all go through a lot of changes in our lives - new jobs, new apartments, new love, new goals, changing environments, changing thoughts, transforming habits and circumstances! Enjoy and get inspired <3

Our lives are determined by our thoughts, our attitude and our actions! That is how we co-create our reality - every day and in a very true way!

Become the witness of your thoughts! The outside world is the reflection of our internal state. We should support ourselves and our experiences by choosing positive thoughts!

What you've done is unimportant compared to what you are about to do. How you have erred is insignificant compared to how you are about to create!

Doubt your doubts and they vanish! Feel your fears and they fade! Let go of your worries and they will let go of you! Give all of yourself and you will have all!

I AM that. I AM free. I AM great. The words you say after 'I AM ...' are very powerful. You are declaring who you are, who you have been and who you choose to be!

Trust not your good intentions. They are not enough. But trust implicitly your willingness, whatever else may enter!

All shallow roots must be uprooted, because they are not deep enough to sustain you!

LOVE (in a Course of Miracles): the right minded emotion of peace and joy! <3

I AM in charge of how I feel and today I AM choosing HAPPINESS!

I love the ones who are in my life and make it amazing and I thank the ones who left my life and made it even more fantastic!

I've seen miracles just happen, silent prayers get answered, broken hearts become brand new - That's what faith can do!

Don't let anyone ever dull your SPARKLE!

I believe that happy girls are the prettiest :) I believe in miracles <3 xoxo

Someday everything will make perfect sense. So, for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason!

Dream, desire, imagine your life and yourself in a greater state than you are now. Know that what you desire is on its way and and expect to receive all guidance that you need!

Thank you Patricia Moreno and Gabrielle Bernstein for inspiring me every day - I love your books!

"The intenSati Method - 7 Principles to thinner peace!" represented my Kick-starter to allowing and welcoming spirituality and unapologetic joy into my life! The whole practice of intenSati has caused such a tremendous positive shift of clarity in my life that I couldn't be more grateful and happy about this experience :) And it gets me sweating a lot^^

And Gabrielle Bernstein's "Spirit Junkie" is my current source of inspiration! I love Gabby's approach to explaining our interconnectedness, our oneness and how she always strongly relates to her own experiences - that brings liveliness the whole journey and makes you think "I can have that too! And I want to have that too!" 

Funny story to how Gabby's first book "Add more -ing into your life" has found its way into my life: I was still in Austria and after reading the article about intenSati in the SHAPE magazine I went to Amazon to order Patricia's book and Gabby's book popped up as recommendation. I read through the plot and intuitively decided to order it too, without really knowing who she was or what i can really expect from that book! Something simply dragged me to the "Add to cart" button! 

I received Patricia's book a week later and read it twice within 2 weeks! Gabby's book had shipping delays even beyond my departure to NYC. And then I came across Gabby's website (gabbyb.tv), because she was interviewing Patricia (who happens to be a good friend of hers) for the promotion of Gabrielle's new book "May Cause Miracles"! Interview series with miracle workers - Patricia Moreno

OMG, how crazy is that!?! (I thought) There are no coincidences! Now, I have become a huge fan of Gabby's vlogs and Particia's daily Sati moments! 

And guess what - to make my smile and gratefulness for having these two strong women as teachers and inspiration in my life, they will be hosting an event next weekend in NYC together: Spirit Junkie Sati!!! I AM very very very excited :)

Thank you thank you thank you!
Happy Sunday, everyone :)
xoxo

We are the powerful co-creators of our lives!

Every intenSati class begins with the same words and movements:

"Every day in a very true way I co-create my reality! As above, so is below - this is what I know!"

intenSati Warmup @ Leader training

This is a powerful declaration, to become aware that we have the power to choose our thoughts, our attitude and our actions. The second part is the reminder that what we think in our mind ("as above"), we will become in our body and life ("so is below"). Our thoughts are the cause - either for what happens to our physical body or in our life!

Wow, what does that really mean?? And how can I apply that to my life?? Will I really really become aware and conscious about my thoughts only by saying those words and making those moves?? Thoughts come and go; they are influenced by my actions and the things happening around me... So how will I ever achieve to first of all become aware of my thoughts and how they influence my being and second how can I consciously choose them and choose happiness over fear and doubt?! It is said that human beings have 50,000 thoughts a day, Wow wow wow! That will become an interesting journey... - Those were my thoughts when I started the practice 3 months ago!

I am and have always been trying to identify negative thoughts or habits that I have during the day and once identified, I try my best to transform them into positive thoughts and actions. This starts with the words you choose to say - as you can read it on my Facebook page: Your word is your wand to create!

Words that we say to ourselves and others are affirmations too and they carry a lot of energy! If you choose positive and energizing words and language, your spirit (meaning your happiness and joy) will be uplifted and you will become the co-creator of your life! Words become reality - now, think about the effect negative words can have on your attitude, happiness, perception of  your situation and life...

At the beginning of this week I had my AHA moment: During my lunch break, I was sitting on the sunny terrace in Midtown Manhattan, enjoying my delish salad ;) and had the thoughts passing through my mind and for some reason I didn't feel joy and happiness and noticed that something was bothering me... First I was blaming it on the weather (it was actually too cold to sit outside), then I blamed it on the fact that it was only Tuesday, the weekend is so far away, blablabla... and then I "took a closer look" and discovered that I found myself in an old thinking pattern:  the old impatience paired with the old fear of the future, as I was future tripping with certain situations, surfaced again!!! As soon as I became aware of it, I started laughing and thought "Yes, gotcha - not with me!" - not only internally, no wonder people were looking at me *haha* but that certainly was my eye-opener and the moment I realized that you actually can be the witness of your thoughts and choose better ones whenever necessary!You are the co-creator of your reality!

I have been intensively engaging in daily spiritual practice since my first day in NYC - when I got all into it at the intenSati Work-out event! In the face of my sweat, tears and energy, I knew that this will be something great and it became something greater than imagined!

Daily meditation - never underestimate the power 5-10 silent minutes with yourself can have on the experience of your day, attitude, thoughts, sleep, actions, etc. It is truly ah-mazing!!! We all have jobs, university, relationships, deadlines, family and friends who need our attention and devotion - and we all do certain things with real passion and other things just have to done, but be honest where is the time for yourself (the most important person in your life, btw!!!) Where is it??? And that is why a spiritual practice is essential for our well being, our happiness and to make sure that our attention and dedication to the outside world is guided by our happy self and not our angry or fearful self!

For me it is meditation and reading spiritual literature (Yeah, you are right, I go to the self-help section at the bookstore and I happily admit to that!) - What is true for me does not have to be true for everyone... You might find your 5(min) A DAY in listening or dancing to your favorite song, or sitting still without doing anything else (OMG - imagine that, right ;)) or you go for a walk, do some morning yoga or go for a run! Try to find your something that nurtures your body and mind and brings a smile on your face every time you do it! GO FOR IT!!!

You will eventually find your way to meditation and fall in love with it, just like I have :) 

To put it in a nutshell... Meditating helps you to become aware of yourself and the thoughts and beliefs that you CHOOSE to hold. Daily meditation also guides you to living a happy and joyful life - and now be honest WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE HAPPY!?!? ;)

Thank you! 

Love, xoxo

The truth is energizing!

About 3 weeks ago I started this 90 day challenge for a healthier self - I called it "healthy-ever-after" ;)

My initial plan was to commit to very very healthy eating, working out and getting enough sleep! Meaning: NO sugar, NO alcohol, NO white flour, NO meat, one fruit and veggie day per week and 2-3 liters of water per day!

Here is a little piece of myself that I am going to reveal to you... I get excited about certain things veeery easily and once I have set a specific goal, that gives me well enough reason(s) to hold on to, I simply go for it - no matter what! BUT, (most of the time) I do not consider the strings attached to that action or plan upfront - the energy-killers appear soon enough!

So, I expected to be full of energy every day and be comfortable in my body, by eating all healthy and conscious! 

What really happened:

I sticked to my well-created and supervised plans, for eating and working out and felt good - not as unstoppable as expected but I decided to stay patient! I haven't had any cravings or major drawbacks for the first 2 weeks. I cooked nice veggie dinners every night and had my lunches prepared for the next day!

This equation had one vivid error - I traded my social life for being fully committed to my rules of the challenge!!! I stopped going and eating out, which I loved so much during my first month being in NYC! 

At intenSati leader training we were discussing the topic of integrity - of being in full alignment with yourself, with your body and mind! You can only be completely happy and living the life you love, if you are being true and honest with yourself and others. Every thought that we choose to think determines our integrity! Every word we say determines our integrity!

I was miserable this week! I was unable to understand why I was in such a bad mood, after such an incredibly empowering weekend at leader training... And then it hit me: I lost my inner completeness over the past 3 weeks, by chastening myself. The truth is, I have already been living a conscious and healthy life-style before I committed to the challenge - I felt comfortable with my body and self, but I needed a challenge! Being on this NO diet decreased my energy levels, my happiness and joy for the moment. I actually created a discomfort with my body from nowhere, because it was not there before! Of course, i lost weight and my body refined, but I was not enjoying the process of how to get there!

From the moment I discovered that truth and decided to commit to the life I love, my mood and body perception changed instantly!

I will definitely hang in the challenge, but I modified it - I call it "Yay-to-life"

I choose to make the right food choices and I know that my mind knows what is right for my mind and body at that time. I get to embrace and enjoy my Semester abroad in NYC without having a bad conscious about anything I do, eat and drink! A lot of workout included (and that is anyways one of the easiest things to truly commit to as I am a sports fanatic)

This is happy cocktail in the "Yay-to-life" to-do list ;) perfect ingredients for succeeding in this challenge!

And so it is!

I AM an intenSati Leader NOW!

COMMITMENT-DESIRE-STRENGTH-FAITH-READY-WILLING-ABLE-PLAY FULL OUT- APPRECIATION-VICTORY

10 powerful words! 10 powerful movements! 1000000 powerful thoughts! 1000000 powerful emotions!

The very long awaited weekend was finally there - intenSati leader training *yaaay* I knew I am about to take a new step to guide my career path into a desired direction! I did my homework: memorize the affirmations, have the 8 count of the music, know the moves and their names (see above^^), meditate (that was my extra) and be curious about the experience.

All set - on my way to Midtown on Saturday morning, making my way through the EMPTY streets of NYC I felt super nervous and excited at the same time.

I always had these lines and words from other inspiring intenSati leaders in my head, of how great and life-changing this training was for them. I couldn't agree more!!!

My fellow and amazing soon-to-be-leaders and I enjoyed great workouts and coaching from Patricia, Betsy and Tiffany to prepare us for the journey of being able to train the change!

Two full days of intensive body workout, precious hours of training the mind and beginning to cause a conscious shift in my mind towards what I need to be successful in the things that I am passionate about!

1. Practice, practice, practice
2. Do not listen to what fear tells me to do
3. Be present and honest with myself
4. Keeping my promises

This weekend was an amazing experience - I needed a while to process all the emotions and feelings. I am so grateful for all the inspiring personalities I have met and for what I have been able to learn from all of them! Thank you!

Here are some links to videos taken at leader training:
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
Every day in a very true way, I co-create my reality!
What I desire is on its way...

Yes, I AM committed to live a life I love - I want it, I want it, I really really want it - I AM strong, now - I believe I will succeed - I AM ready for a change - I AM willing to change - I AM able to change - I AM playing full out, without any doubt - I appreciate this day - I AM the change! (Warrior series)

POWER, I CHOOSE, COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE - ALL I NEED IS WITHIN ME NOW!

Team CELEBRATE now ready to be the change!

Are you committed to living a live you love? ...

Making promises and keeping them!

Do what you say you are going to do!!! Why is this important?

I'm going to loose weight - I will never be late again - I want to workout more - I want to eat more healthy - I will save money - and - so - on ...

Sounds familiar?! Anyone!? ;)

Well, I say "yes" it did to me! I could actually apply all of the above to my life. They were my permanent companions - for example, when I ate too much or too unhealthy I would workout more - but that did not lead to loosing weight the way I desired it to!

The words 'I am going to or I want to loose weight or eat more healthy or (you enter yours)' leave our mouths with ease. Maybe we are already making plans how to get there and then another well-known companion 'Mr. Excuse' might come my/your way. 

We are very clever, especially in finding excuses for everything - putting it off to a later time, because right now is simply not a good time! or we are too tired, old, young, fat, lazy, *you name it*

The key behind sticking to the promises that you've made for yourself or to others is ACCOUNTABILITY! 

Most of the time keeping promises, made to others are easier to keep, because you are the one to hold accountable for not sticking to it and it affects someone else too. But, if you make a promise to yourself, only you can hold yourself responsible for it - no one gets hurt if I don't do A or B. And we are also very good at covering up the promises we make to ourselves - 'if no one knows that I try to loose weight, nobody will know if I fail, but if I succeed - I will tell everybody' Sounds familiar!?!

Funny isn't it... And guess what, your soon-to-be-ditched friend Mr. Excuse shows up! You know how the loop goes ;)

The intenSati method teaches you how to be true about and to yourself - integrity and accountability are the keys - and how to create the right thoughts to pursue your goals! 

This months Warrior series is concerned with - tadaaa 'Making promises and keeping them' :)

Let me share my great learnings with you:

1. Make a promise/ Set a goal (e.g. I will eat more healthy)
2. Make it SMART: be very specific about what you want to achieve (e.g. I want to loose weight or become more active, that is why I will eat more heathly); make it measurable (e.g. I will eat 2 fresh fruits and 3 veggies each day - your 5 a day *ahaha*); stay realistic and make it achievable - you won't switch to a full alkaline diet from one day to another and set a timeframe (e.g. 1 or 2 months)
3. Now the real FUN part: come up with consequences for not keeping your promises! I like the embarrassment consequences, such as making 3 random compliments to strangers the next day, or start singing the song you are listening to out-loud in public! Others are: wearing the same outfit the next day, wearing no make up, 100 push-ups, running an extra 5 miles, no chocolate, ... be creative!
4. And share it!!! Tell it to your family and friends - you will have their support and you might be a motivation to them to join in on keeping a promise :)

Try it - it's a lot of fun and veeeery rewarding! Once you become clear, why and how you want to achieve something and you have come up consequences for not sticking to it - half the journey is done!

Thanks to intenSati and Laurie Gerber from the Handel Group for a very inspiring and motivating coaching session on this topic!

Good night, lovelies!

xoxo

p.s. next time more on my challenge, the progress and experiences so far!

JoyPressions on Facebook

I AM in it to win it!!!

I workout whenever I can (approx. 4-5 times a week), I try to eat healthy (despite very small indulges in the gourmet temple called NYC^^) and yet I haven't regognized any major body transformation. I have lost some weight since I arrived (that for sure), but given my regular workout and rather healthy diet, I would expect a liiittle more, less actually ;) 

Well, I haven't been exercising according to a specific schedule, which makes tracking change and improving performance rather difficult. 

As I said, I workout whenever I can - as a fitness enthusiast I'm making a lot of time for regular physical exercise. But the usual loop goes like this - I go to the gym almost every day during the week and would only take a break when my body tells me to - by then energy levels are low and I feel my muscles being very tired. 

Pushing your body to its limits, excessive exercise and waiting for it to shout "STOP" - that is not how you become stronger and train your body in a healthy manner! 

Another thing, I said I try to eat healthy - well, set aside late evening dinners, cocktail happy hours and going out (mostly) on weekends, I'm following a grrreat diet ;) When I have the feeling that I consumed too many calories the day before, guess what... more intense exercise is on next day's schedule!

SO, juuust when I had the feeling I need to change something in my daily habits to get where I want to be, I received a message on Facebook from one of the intenSati leaders, Tiffany proposing a big challenge to all members of the Satilife community: A 90 DAYS EXERCISE AND HEALTH PROGRAM!!! What is in it for me to win it:

1. I will commit to 90 days of exercising according to a planned schedule! (which I will change every 2 weeks in order to ensure the diversity in my training)
2. I will commit to eating clean and healthy foods, like more veggies and fruits than other foods, whole grain, lean protein! 
3. I will commit to drinking at least 2 liters of water a day!
4. Amazing Tiffany as a coach and advisor!

And guess what, I am not the only one who takes the challenge - we are 30 people who are in this together! It all runs through a facebook group, where we post and encourage each other to stay in the game :)

A quote from Tiffany: "Accountability is KEY! Studies have shown (and in my own experience I have seen) that support from a peer group and family plays a significant role in reaching any of our personal and professional goals."

I couldn't agree more!

Official start is tomorrow - I AM excited!!!

My exercise plan for the next two weeks is all set - I go for a 4 split (Mo, Wed, Fri, Sun, ...)

Regarding healthy dieting: I will go veggie for the next 2 weeks! I will have one fruit/veg day each week for cleansing purposes! I will avoid alcohol, sweets and white flour!

In the intenSati practice the topic of the month is "keeping your word" or "making a promise and keeping it" - in one of the greatly inspiring community calls this week Laurie Gerber, life-coach, said that you will be more accountable for your promises if you add consequences for not keeping them to it...

Sooo my consequence iiis: If I will not stick to one of the promises I made, I must not be wearing ANY make up the next day ;) I was about to take the usual thing - No Email for one day!!! but then I will have someone at home worring "why didn't I read from her today - something might have happened!" ;)

My blog will be the reporting tool for my progress, the transformation and the change that is happening within me.

Perfectly fitting to my new promises, the topic of yesterday's ahhh-mazing Workin'it Out event with gorgeous Patricia Moreno was how a change, replacement or avoidance of one or more habits will bring you closer to your desired goal. I AM ready for this change and I AM prepared for this challenge!

Let's do this!!! Keep you posted :)

xoxo

p.s. I have been missing my smoothie blender sooo much that I bought one today :))) some delish and healthy recipes for smoothies and dips to be expected!

730 hours...

or 2 629 743 seconds!!! That is the exact time that I have spent in NYC already and I can't believe it -  the time passed by suuuper quickly and I'm thinking "What one month is already over??? Only 6 more left :("

I know that blogging was not priority number 1 in the past 730 hours, but I guess I needed the time to see for myself, if I really like and enjoy living in this city - and with confidence I can say now that this city is amazing, and that I am very grateful to be here!

I have experienced so many fantastic things... NYC offers A LOT in terms of leisure time! A short wrap up of the past month: 

Rooftops - the view over the city is incredible 

Bar hoppings - 1. the beauty bar, where you can get a manicure for 10$ inside the bar, plus 1 free drink included (when you consider that you have to expect at least 5$ for a beer, its a good bargain i would say ;)) 2. a bar, where you get for every beer you order a free pizza :D
And there are maaaaany more, but these were (for now) my highlights^^

Department stores (Macy's, Bloomingdales, Century 21,...) I guess I can save the lines about shopping, casu we all know it is awesome to shop in NYC ;)

Culinary adventure - NYC offers an incredibly enormous amount of culinary delights! Especially in Hell's Kitchen the density of foreign restaurants is a pleasure for every thai, mexican, japanese, french, local food lover :)

Summer Stage in Central Park - in Summer the TV channel ABC is present every friday morning (7am) with their show Good Morning America and the specialty about these events are that VIP'S from the music scene are performing for free!!! So far I have seen Neyo and One Republic performing - next week the Backstreet Boys are on :D 

The fabulous trip to Lake George... but I will do an extra blog post with pics for that ;)

The concious life-style - Since I arrived 730 hours ago, I continued and even intensified my sportive routine and activities! Be it running in Central Park, going to the gym for Spinning (with which I totally fell in love with here^^) or another aerobics class either in the gym or somewhere outside! Also I really enjoy to eat healthy here - the rage of healthy restaurants is incredible (especially for lunch)
Most people would think, omg its NY you have to eat burgers and fries every day - b***sh**!!! Of course, I also indulge myself with a cupcake, ice cream or burger from time to time but I try to control thos temptations - Sporty regards ;)

Oh, I could go on for another hour or 5 about what I have been doing in the past 730 hours ;) but most importantly, I am super happy in this city and I embrace every moment I spend here!!!

Yesterday someone asked me if I already consider myself being a New Yorker; and I asked him what is needed to qualify - and here is the answer: "1st: You avoid Times Square, caus ou cannot stand the crowds of tourists! 2nd: New York is a very fast moving city, so are its inhabitants - so slow moving people, like tourists on the street are the worst! and 3rd: If you enjoy doing sports, you join the running crowd in Central Park!"

I had to check for each of these requirements ;)

Again, I can't believe that 1 month of 7 is already over! You can't imagine how much I look forward to the next 6 :)

I'll be back soon - promise ;)

XOXO

The pace of change!

NYC lives up to its image as city that never sleeps, which also applies to me up until now - everything moves so fast and eventhough it can takes ages to get from one place to the other especially when subways are crowded and you are suffering from this incredible heat (apparently we will have an indian summer - look forward to that^^) - a friend of mine said a couple of days ago that the time seems to move faster in NYC than anywhere else in the world! I will let you know about my perception of it, but I assume it won't take long until I will agree to that ;)

When I came to New York 9 days ago with my sister and my mom, we started to experience the city and to enjoy its amazing sights and attractions to the fullest! I hope you enjoy looking at some selected photos and have fun imagining what my past few days have been like...

Before starting off with the photos, I have to tell you about the most amazing KickOff experience that I had on my very first day: Prior to my arrival in NYC I signed up for a fitness event from Patricia Moreno "Workin'it out" - from the previously introduced lifestyle and fitness program intenSati! 

The first 2 hours in NYC couldn't have been better :) this special workout, which I have never tried before, promised a lot and exceeded my expectations - it was phenomenal, energizing, empowering, inspiring, motivating, ...........! I am really looking forward to taking some more classes this weekend :)))

Now, lets get started with a collection of my first impressions:

Foggy Day in NYC - wondering how high this building is?! ;)

Stunning boat cruise...

...amazing...

 

...north of Manhattan...

...like tiny Lego elements^^...

...the only connection beween Manhattan and Roosevelt Island...

...Financial Dirstrict!

Where is Chuck Bass???

Open-air movie @ Beautiful Bryant Park <3

Rockefeller Center

:)

Hello, Manhattan! (from Top of the Rocks!)

Yeees, I was there ;)

and there too ;)

I felt like watching a movie - a happy couple watching the stunning view over NYC and then he pulls out the ring... (you know the rest^^) Super romantic moment & same as in the movies :))) <3 A proposal on the top of Rockefeller Center, can it be more cheesy and romantic!?!

@ Central Park

Pain quotidien in NYC - I like! a lot! ;)

I will be back with some more impressions soon :) take care, xoxo