Hello sweet souls! I hope the cosmos have treated you well this week—if that was not the case here are a few things to make you feel more comfortable.

3 ways to decrease stress in your life

1. Give yourself some meaningful rules.

Setting rules for yourself is different from setting goals, or thinking about tomorrows plan; it allows you to work on self control, organization and will help you keep yourself in check. Ultimately, the only control you have is over yourself, so why not exercise that control to better yourself? Setting rules does not mean subscribing to others’ ideals or limiting yourself from the things that you love or indulge in. Simple things such as : “I will refrain from using my phone 30 minutes before I sleep” or “I will take at least one page of notes each class” will help you keep yourself on track and work to conquer everything from sleep problems to test anxiety.

2. Vitamin D is your best friend during a Minnesota winter.

Because your body absorbs vitamin D from sunlight, our bodies tend to be deficient during the winter months. Vitamin D can help your body absorb other valuable nutrients like calcium that keep your body feeling energized and comfortable. You can find vitamin D caplets at almost any grocery store or pharmacy, there are also drink mixes, gummies, and other options for you to choose from based on everything from preference to body type.

3. Not all poses are created equal.

Yoga is a given when it comes to de-stressing and taking care of your body, but not all poses are created equal. Certain poses are perfect for strengthening your core workout style while an inverted pose like plow pose will send the blood flow to your head, something known to stimulate mood and release endorphins. All yoga is good yoga, but if you are battling specific physical pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue or many other ailments, there is are certain poses you should practice vs. others. For core strengthening try plank or side plank, if you’re feeling anxious try legs up the wall pose, spending a few minutes in pigeon pose will make you feel energized and open, and both warrior and boat pose are great ways to engage the solar plexus chakra (try it with some malachite near by!)

Stone of the Week: Malachite

Malachite is a somewhat common stone found among copper in various parts of Australia, the Ural Mountains, Chile and the USA. Bands and formations of various shades of green give the stone the appearance of dye dropped in water, or sometimes stripes. This stone is associated with the Solar Plexus chakra, the third chakra that is located between the sacral and heart chakras near the navel. Malachite is especially good for strength and helps with understanding, gaining insight and coping with anxiety and fear.

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gfavazza01@hamline.edu