​It’s the time of year where holiday food and treat temptations continue to add up - and holiday weight gain is real! Here are five tips to help keep you on your wellness game during the holidays.

1. Come hungry, but not starving, to big meals
Most of us love a fancy feast for the holidays and while it may seem like a smart idea to fast or minimally eat leading up to the big meal, it’s better to not skip meals throughout the day. If you do, it could result in overeating.Pace yourself to ensure you are hungry come mealtime, but not starving. To do this, stock yourself full of fiber-rich foods that will satisfy hunger like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

2. Don’t deprive yourself
It can be hard to say no to certain foods based on the amount of work that goes into holiday events. Keep in mind that it’s okay to indulge by eating in moderation. Think about your daily calorie intake like a savings account. You can plan accordingly and still enjoy those delicious holiday foods that show up only during this time of the year! 

3. Take advantage of nutritious foods
Many festive holiday foods are not known for their nutritious value, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take advantage of healthy foods this holiday season. The fall also produces an abundant amount of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables that are in season including squash, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, pumpkin, sweet potato, cranberry, and more. These can be turned into delicious side dishes!

4. Remain active
It's so easy to ditch your exercise routine during the holiday season. This can obviously cause more harm than good. It doesn’t take long for the body to start losing strength and if you remain inactive for too long, it could take you even longer to get back to your original fitness levels. Make it a priority to remain active. You can even incorporate activities with friends and family—participate in a holiday-themed 5k or check out a Christmas light show in your neighborhood.

We're beyond excited to announce our partnership with ATHLETA for a Turkey Burner Workout class on Zoom this Thanksgiving Day! 

The holiday season is upon us and depending on your work field, it can be a busy or slow time of the year. While it may seem impractical to let yourself off the hook during the busy season, sometimes it can be exactly what you need to relax and return to work with a winning attitude. Below are some useful tips for de-stressing and refocusing at work during the holidays.

1. Use your PTO. If you have any remaining PTO make sure you use them, especially if your company doesn't allow them to roll over. It's important to truly take some time off from work and not have to be "on", even while you're away. Make sure you have a plan in place to ensure things run smoothly and turn off email and/or text notifications. 

2. Delegate tasks. Don't take it all on yourself! Make sure you delegate specific tasks to others on your team that you trust will get the work done. It takes a team effort to run a business so take this as an opportunity to open the door for your team members to step up and shine. 

3. Work ahead to take time off. Make it easier on yourself by getting ahead on specific projects or tasks before you take time off work. That way, when it comes time to start your vacation, you’ll already have several tasks completed, leaving less to stress about during your free time.

4. Make time for working out. We all know that working out helps alleviate stress so make sure you take some time every day, if not at least once a week, to work out. Indigo Movement is offering FREE WELLNESS WEDNESDAY classes for the month of November! This Wednesday, November 17th at 12pm PST Jennifer will be teaching a yoga and dance fusion class. Sign up here! 

Last week we launched our first Wellness Wednesday class, a 45-minute live virtual workout that will commence every Wednesday at 12 pm PST. In case you missed it, our amazing instructor Jennifer Lucero-Earle led us through a series of dance and yoga postures that had everyone feeling energized and revitalized.

I started Wellness Wednesday after speaking with many of you about the importance of self-care, especially during the start of the pandemic. For my clients who were working from home, the days became blurred as it was hard to distinguish when to start and stop working. Some of you also vocalized the need for convenience, corporate wellness programs at work, etc. so for the month of November all Wellness Wednesday classes for FREE for everyone and anyone (pass this email along)! As we approach the holidays this month it can be a stressful time of the year and I hope you find some time for yourself during the week to drop in virtually and take a class. This week I will lead a kicking boxing and ab blaster class. You'll need a yoga mat, blanket, or a towel. Reserve your spothere. We hope to see you there! 

My weekdays and Saturdays are usually booked with back-to-back client appointments, office work, and personal errands so when Sundays come around I like to have no agenda. My Sundays are spent sleeping in, watching Netflix, hanging out with my family at home, reading a good book, and sometimes it's spent just doing nothing! But can I be honest? I also like to clean my house on Sundays. This sounds like a chore to many but it's actually therapeutic for me! When it's time to clean, I love to open all the windows in my house and let the fresh air. I'll also blast my music loud and usually, it's to Earth, Wind & Fire Radio on Spotify (you can find the playlist here if you're interested) There is nothing like being in your home, your sanctuary, and creating an ambiance that will mentally and emotionally smooth your soul. 

Check out the below playlists on Spotify that will have you floating on Cloud 9 and let me know which playlist you're digging :)

You Gotta Be
The Voices of Sweet Jamaica
This Lil' Game We Play

Enjoy!

​There is nothing like good music to motivate you while you work. I remember once working for a business that was so silent (almost as if working at the library), which had an effect on the employees, including our patrons. Me being who I am; had suggested they add a radio to the front desk and recommended playing funk/soul music. Immediately, the once stuffy and uptight workplace was now buzzing with energy.

Studies have shown that certain types of music can be beneficial to us while we work. For example, some genres of music seem to help us with learning and improve our ability to process information while others help us block out distracting background noise. This week I'm sharing 4 types of music that are known to dramatically improve productivity in the workplace. 

1. Classical music
You probably know this already but researchers have claimed that listening to classical music can help people perform tasks more efficiently. This theory, known as “the Mozart Effect,” suggests that listening to classical music can enhance brain activity and act as a catalyst for improving health and well-being. The absence of words in the music may be one factor, as songs that contain lyrics have been found to be a distraction when you’re trying to focus. This genre of music is known for being calming, relaxing and helping reduce stress. 

2. Nature music
Listening to the sounds of nature like waves crashing or rainfall have been shown to enhance cognitive function and concentration. They also work best when they’re soothing sounds. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered that natural sounds boost moods and focus. The study found employees were more productive and had more positive feelings when nature sounds were playing in the background while they worked. This may be because nature sounds helped mask harsher, more distracting noises, such as people talking or typing. 

3. Music between 50 and 80 beats per minute
Some research suggests that it’s not the type of music that’s important in helping you stay focused and productive, but the tempo of that music. Studies have found that music with 50 to 80 beats per minute can enhance and stimulate creativity and learning. Dr. Emma Gray, a cognitive behavioral therapist, worked with Spotify to research the benefits of certain types of music. She found that listening to music set in the 50- to 80-beat range puts the brain into an alpha state. When we’re awake, we’re typically in a state of mind known as beta, a heightened state of alertness where our brain-wave activity is between 14 and 30 HZ. When our brain slows to between 7 and 14 HZ, we’re in a more relaxed alpha state of mind that allows us to be more receptive and open, and less critical. This state of mind is what scientists associate with activities that involve our imagination, memory and intuition. 

4. Your favorite music
If you have to work on something that you're not really excited about, put on some music you enjoy. Studies have found that putting on your favorite type of music can improve your mood and productivity. Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor in the music therapy program at the University of Miami, found that personal choice in music is important when deciding what to listen to while working. Her research found that participants who listened to music they enjoyed completed their tasks faster and came up with better ideas than those who didn't because the music helped them feel better and improved their mood.

​Since the beginning of time, indigenous societies have traditionally used sound during healing ceremonies, including hand-clapping, singing, drumming, chanting, and pulsating. Different sounds elicit different emotional responses from people and can also change their mental and physical state. For example, a recent brain-imaging study found that spine-tingling music "lights up" the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by food, sex, and certain types of drugs. 

This month we'll go over how sound, especially used during a massage session or in the workplace, can bring you into complete ethereal bliss or bringing you back to focus. Sound therapy has been known to help treat such conditions as stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, depression, sleep disorders, pain, and autism. It also has a way of moving through blockages in the body. The techniques vary but all involve the application of sound waves and harmonic vibrations to the body through the use of instruments, including the use of human voice. Now start to imagine receiving a gentle bath of sounds allowing your body to let go and move into a deeper state of relaxation....