Just say "YES!"

Positive thinking. You know what it is. You know how to do it. Sometimes you may even do it without trying. But how many times to you make an effort to think positively when you do not at all feel positive?


Now, I’m not going to get into the debate of whether positive thinking can influence health or cure cancer, which many think it can, but I would like to challenge you think about your thought patterns.

Going past the basic philosophy of human thought, (Ego cogito, ergo sum; Descartes famous line “I think, therefore I am.”) proponents of positive thinking believe that how you think influences how you are.

If you have ever seen the movie “Yes Man” you know where I’m going with this. In the beginning Jim Carey’s character is caught in a cycle of his own negativity. A series of events leads him to, (as the name implies), say “Yes” to everything that comes his way. “No” is no longer part of his vocabulary. He is introduced to new foods, new friends, and new experiences that his previous mindset would never have allowed.

Aside from being a pretty funny movie pitch, it’s interesting to consider how perhaps just changing one simple word in your vocabulary could change your life.

Can you imagine heading into situations knowing that no matter what, you are going to say “Yes!”

Think about a group fitness class where the instructor decides to introduce some crazy move you’ve never seen. Rather than thinking, “Ugh. No way I’m doing that. I’m too uncoordinated.” You say “Yes! That looks awesome!” How different would that class be for you?

What about a new vegan recipe a friend brings over. Do you think, “Oh no, this is going to be awful.” or do you say, “Yes, I’d love to try some, Thanks!”

I’m not suggesting that you walk around constantly with a phony positive attitude or that you take “No” completely out of your vocabulary. But I do believe that if you open up your thought patterns to accept not just the possibility, but the probability, that something will be a good experience, that it will be a good experience.

So my challenge to you is to simply take pause before you dismiss a new experience (even, say, this very challenge!) with a quick “No way.” Imagine yourself saying “Yes!” and it being a great event. You may completely surprise yourself and open up an entirely new world of fun. Happy “yes”sing!

Summer 2 Schedule Update

Your Wellness, Your Choice

Like most words, ask a group of twenty people to define the word “Wellness” and you will get twenty definitions, each with its own individual bias.

Think about your own definition. What popped into your mind when you read the word “Wellness”? A cover model? Absence of illness? Physical fitness? Being able to adequately cope with the daily stresses of your life?

Now, I would never insinuate that your definition of wellness is probably wrong, but I would hazard a guess that for most of you, your definition of wellness is, at best, incomplete.

In its truest sense, “Wellness” goes beyond the mere absence of illness or achieving physical fitness but strives to include a balance of all the dimensions in our lives. This includes spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, social, occupational, family, or financial priorities. We tend to focus on one or two of these things, leaving the other components of our lives under nourished and off balance. We feel incomplete, unhappy, and stressed out.

In addition to our definitions of wellness being incomplete, for most of us our definitions are not even our own! They are given to us by magazines and media, friends and family, and experts. You can disregard everything I’m telling you, and as long as you come up with your own definition of what you believe is needed in your life to achieve wellness, then I would consider that a success.

To truly get to your own definition it will require more than the first thing to pop into your head. I would recommend finding a quiet place, a pen and paper, and taking five minutes to write down the things that come to mind. Let the word wellness roll around in your head and write down any thoughts or images that come to mind. Don’t be picky, just write, even the things that surprise you.

It may seem like a lot of work for just a definition, but this type of exercise is more than just forming a definition, it is a way of developing your own wellness vision. It is vision that drives action so this step is vital to creating appropriate goals. This is so critical to helping you focus on the dimensions that are most important to you.

The choices you make everyday determine your current state of wellness and the bottom line is that your wellness is your choice.

So go ahead, grab a pen and some paper, and ponder. As your vision becomes clearer the choices you need to make to achieve that vision become easier.

Have fun and be well (whatever that means for you)!

Your Health and Chronic Dehydration

People love to talk about health and the latest and greatest ways to improve it. There are pills, diets, classes, methods, and seminars, all designed to make you healthier.


One of the easiest ways to improve your overall health, however, can be as easy as turning on the faucet.

Water is an essential element in your body, comprising around 50% of your entire body mass. Yet the majority of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

We severely undervalue the importance of sufficient water intake.

Even a 2% decrease in body water can seriously impair physical and mental functions. Fatigue is a classic symptom of chronic dehydration. Enzymatic activity slows down when tissues are dehydrated which causes a decrease in energy production.

Weight gain can also be attributed to chronic dehydration. Often people who are dehydrated can mistake thirst for hunger. This leads to over eating. After months and years of this the body can even turn off the thirst signal and instead go to craving foods heavy in water simply as a way to bring in any fluids at all.

Other symptoms include constipation, ulcers, and a multitude of digestive issues. With low body fluid your systems are simply not able to secrete sufficient amounts of digestive juices or process the food due to the water imbalance in the body.

In addition, your body is not able to eliminate toxins sufficiently and dehydration has been theorized to contribute to skin issues like eczema or chronic pain diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Because your body is still able to function, albeit at a suboptimal level, with chronic dehydration most people are unaware of their condition.

So how much water do you need to take in each day? According to the Mayo Clinic, “if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate.”

If you prefer some more specific recommendations, the most common is the 8x8 rule which suggests drinking eight 8-oz glasses a day. This is the basic level of water and should be increased with exercise or strenuous activity.

Another fluid replacement level recommendation from the Institute of medicine is about 3 Liters a day for men and 2.2 Liters a day for women.

Even if you can’t take in all the recommended ounces in a day, don’t give up on it! Even just one glass more a day will be more than you are getting now. And over time, if you add just one glass a month, you will be taking great first steps to improving your overall health.

So go ahead. Grab a glass right now and get started on your way to better health!

The YMCA Labyrinth: give your brain a break

If you have ever been in the YMCA parking lot you may have noticed an odd grouping of bricks and gravel at the southwest corner. Looking at it you may not know exactly what it is for but get a little closer and you will see there is a definite pattern. The outer bricks form the shape of a circle, and inside the bricks make a maze-like pattern.


It is a Labyrinth designed to help combine spirit, mind and body.

Labyrinths have been used for centuries as sacred spaces and are found in nearly every religion.

Unlike a true maze, which is designed to be unclear and difficult to navigate, a labyrinth really has only one path towards the center, and one path out. Unlike the world around us, the path of a labyrinth is unambiguous.

When you walk a labyrinth you follow the meandering path. The speed at which you travel is totally up to you. The biggest thing to remember when walking a labyrinth is that ‘finishing’ is not the point. Remember, unlike a maze there are no tricks so this is not a puzzle. It is the journey along the path that allows your mind to open up and can be a type of walking meditation.

Each time you walk the path you have a different experience. Some people enter a labyrinth with a specific question in mind. Others just use the time to let the mind quiet down for a few moments.

The time in the center of the circle can also be a symbolic space for praying, receiving, or reflecting.

The journey out of the circle can be used to integrate what was learned on the journey in with that from the center.

Of course, for many, walking a labyrinth is less about profound personal realizations and is just a nice time for a pleasant walk.

However you decide to use the labyrinth, it can be an enjoyable experience. A short break from a hectic life using a slower pace and no difficult choices.

The YMCA labyrinth is open to the public. Feel free to stop by and try it out today!

Check out this article on how personal training can help you reach your goals!

You might want to lose a couple of pounds so that you can fit into that dream dress or it might be on doctors orders; whatever your reasons for wanting to lose weight and get fit, a personal trainer will help you to achieve them. Personal training can help you to achieve you goals in a fun and effective manner.


Personal Training is the Answer to Your Fitness Needs

Hoop with Thursday June 17th at 10:00AM!

This week Thursday Hoop dance like a pro with hooping sensation Cecilia Deede. At 10:00AM you can build your own hoop, and at 11:00AM you can learn to use it (or borrow our limited of hoops). Register today and come join the fun!!