Having a wealth of energy is the key to doing what ever you want in your free time. If you don’t watch your energy closely you will surely miss it! Likely when you neglect your regular eating and sleeping habits you will get very tired and unmotivated to exercise. When you get home from work, the last thing you think about is WORKING OUT!

This is a cycle that can be broken in 3 SIMPLE STEPS!

1. Regular snacking
Eating every 2 – 3 hours is the natural cycle of the human metabolism. Restoring your blood sugar levels by consuming 6 small (low or NO sugar) meals a day will not only regulate your energy, but also enhance your mood, productivity and focus. Start out by bringing veggies, fruit and nuts with you during the day and you will see a huge shift in energy!

2. Rest
It is recommended that you get 7 – 9 hours sleep each night, however quite often the quality of this sleep can be in question. Try reading a little bit before bed. Reading before bed stimulates theta brain waves similar to meditation. This should allow you to fall asleep easier and hopefully get into deeper states of rest. If this isn’t enough, try napping during the day between 2 -3 p.m. and never more than an hour.

3. Movement
The old saying “Move it or loose it” is SO TRUE! The less you use your body the less your body wants to move. Moving your body every day is critical for the person seeking more energy. Start with a 15 min walk up the hill by your house, and gradually after a week incorporate some light exercise.

In time as you refine your HEALTH PRACTICE you will continue reaping more and more powerful benefits. After a while these benefits will become so important to you that you will be hooked on wellness. For now… baby steps.

For lifestyle coaching contact: joshsmithtrainer.com

Keep it simple stupid”!  I have learned over the years that everything we do must make sense, and must be easy to understand.  My objective is to make your health practice easier for you, not more complex!  Here it is, read, ponder and apply…

1. It’s Just a “PRACTICE” – Be Patient!

Wether it’s healthy living, or riding a bike, practice is the only way to get better.  Very often we want to have everything NOW, but things take some time to develop.  First we fall, then we wobble, then we ride.  It’s simple, but we forget that this principal relates to all things.  Be patient with your self and create your “HEALTH PRACTICE” one step at a time. The most successful people simply make small consistent steps toward their desired result.

2. Do it for the “LOVE”

Do you remember your first bicycle?  I do, I was so exited I wanted to start making jumps out of scrap wood just like my older brothers did.  The thought of “flying” off a jump in the air on my bike was intense, and the love of that desired feeling was all the juice I needed to be diligent and “PRACTICE” every day.  At first I fell a few times, and hurt myself.  But after a few weeks I was hitting the back break leaving skid marks on the sidewalk!  Practice the feeling of being healthy!  The more you can feel good about your health the “EASIER” it is to draw more well being into your life!

3. Create “SIMPLE” systems

The internet wasn’t created over night.  The concept is just a system that is constantly being refined to be more efficient.  Your health practice needs systems in place to make it “EASIER” for you to manage.  For example, cooking 6 healthy meals every day is nearly impossible unless you are a part time chef with too much time? Not likely.  However, you can cook one big healthy meal and portion out the the other 5 meals in tupperware, ready to be eaten at your convenience.  Create the “SIMPLE” systems that will facilitate your health practice. Keep it super easy and refine your program as you get better.

4. “DON’T WAIT” for next week

Don’t make your health practice a chore!  Procrastination is just extra weight on your shoulders.  All you have to do is start!Once you start you will love the good healthy feelings you get, and then you will crave more, just take the first step!What is the first step?  It could be a 15 min jog on the beach after work, or buying some healthy groceries and cooking a great meal.  The point is that you have taken the first step toward creating some better lifestyle habits.

For holistic lifestyle coaching contact: joshsmithtrainer.com

1.  Drop the front

Our imperfection is what makes us interesting! Notice when someone is singing karaoke and THEY SUCK!  but they don’t care… everyone enjoys it and gives them a “high 5”!  This is because deep down we all want to take off the masks we wear and admit we aren’t good at everything. Sure people might laugh at us, but when we feel free, we become pleased in their laughter knowing it will be good for them to have a chuckle. They need to release their anxiety, and a good giggle can cure a lot of pain! As we practice “letting go”… people’s views of us no longer control our lives.

2. Practice self love

Self love comes from being who you truly are at the deepest level… without any fear that the world will condemn you for it. Now I’m not saying that it is always easy!  Sometimes life presents difficult circumstances that hinder us as we tuck our tail between our legs in fear.  But the only cure that I know is the practice of self love, and for me it is a constant meditation.  By eating well, practicing yoga, valuing exercise, sleep, hydration, concentration and relaxation I feel more self love, and these are the same techniques that I use to help people every day, I like to call it “Lifestyle Training”.

The truth is that I am a total Monkey, and learning about self control has been an on going lesson.  To keep my “monkey mind” at peace, and create the focus necessary to manifest the experiences I really desire at my core… takes practice.

3.  Get back into your body!

Get out of your head and back into your body!  Why do you think so many people have lost contact with their health?  It’s because they can’t stop worrying about a troubled past and an uncertain future.  I often catch my self “slipping away” into unwanted feelings and thoughts of fear and doubt, but after spending a decade helping myself and my clients work on health and well being, I now realize that by bringing attention back to our bodies, we relax and become aware that everything we need to really flourish… is already here…

Now… stop reading this and go practice your bliss…;-)

For additional assistance on your “lifestyle training” contact: joshsmithtrainer.com

Photographs of Josh Smith by LA76 Photography.

1. “Nobody is Watching You”!

It’s true! No one is actually watching you as closely as you might think. They are far too busy looking in the mirror thinking you and everybody else is watching them! Release others expectations and be who you really are at the deepest level, make this your life’s goal. Because in the end the person you will want to understand the most is YOU!

2. “Don’t Believe Everything You Think”!

Humans have an average of 140,000 thoughts a day! 90% of the thoughts we think AREN’T productive! They are mostly speculation about the past and future, neither of which are a true and certain reality! Just HOT AIR! Stop trying so hard to “figure it out”. If there is a solution to your problem then stop worrying, if there is no solution then relax because there is nothing you can do.

3. Life is too short!

Your body will grow old and die! This is a fact, there is no way to argue the subject. The more often we can remind our selves of this the better (unless you are scared and it makes you poop your pants! lol). But really, accept that when the game is over all the pieces go back in the box! It is part of the excitement of life! It isn’t all bad! In fact, it’s ALL GOOD! This body, this name, this past is all just on loan!

Enjoy the air!

For private wellness coaching contact in Los Cabos contact Josh at : joshsmithtrainer.com

Photographs of Josh Smith by LA76 Photography.

When it comes to exercise and healthy living in general, the amount of information that can be found online is overwhelming. We live in a fast pace world and we need fast pace answers that will solve our problems as quickly as possible. These tips I’m about to give you are “The top 3” wellness tips you NEED to know.

1. Exercise is 90% Mental/Emotional & 10% Physical

Most of us have a vested interest in our misery. We become addicted to our unhealthy habits and we are happy in our unhappiness, at least it makes us feel safe to say we can predict a similar future. If we want growth in our lives, we MUST shed our old skin. This usually happens after a traumatic event in our life that forces massive change, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Make a point of taking small, consistent positive change. START A JOURNAL and each day write down your daily exercise accomplishments. NOT TOO BIG, maybe start with a 10 min hike up the hill by your house every day for a week. Your ego won’t freak out and feel like you are threatening it’s existence, sabotaging you back into you old patterns. Congratulate your self with a big glass of water and write down your progress in your journal. Each week add a bit more intensity and duration.

2. Fat loss = Calories/Day + Frequency

This is a tough one for those busy bees that live at work. If you have a job that requires a lot of your time then planning healthy snacks through out the day is imperative. Cook lots of food every evening and portion out small meals into tupperware. Bring them to work with some fruit and nuts and snack every 2 hours. This will help to speed up your metabolism and start your bodies natural fat burning fire.

Write down all your healthy snacks in your journal and after completing 3 healthy snacks in 1 day congratulate your self with a big glass of water. This may seem childish but so are your bad habits and unhealthy lifestyle practices. This RECORD & REWARD system works every time.

3. Water your seeds

Once you have decided that you are going to make some awesome changes that will make your life better by optimizing your wellness, you have to continue watering those thoughts with your emotional energy. That means “doing the little things” like writing down your daily diet in your food journal. Bringing your attention to your accomplishments on a regular basis will help to remind you that you are improving. After a few weeks these seeds will begin to take root and become a part of your new healthy lifestyle pattern.

Trick your self into developing POWERFUL habits that will transform your life experience, enhancing every area of your life from relationships, mental focus and courage to energy, longevity and well being. “Every passing moment is another chance to turn it all around”.

For holistic wellness info and private coaching contact me at www.joshsmithtrainer.com

Until the next time,

Stay healthy,

Josh Smith

Header photograph of Josh Smith by Romana Lilic & LA76 Strategic Design & Photography

What is it about the urge to bask in a beautiful oasis that intrigues us so much? Is it the sway of palms dancing in the warm breeze, or the sun drenched days that never end? Maybe it’s the allure of the traditional Mexican food and music? For me it comes from a deeper inquiry into reality itself. Instead of living in life’s waiting room, dreaming about when life is going to start, I am wasting no time in living my dreams right now. In fact this moment is the evolution of “the dream”.

Visiting Cabo about 5 years ago for the first time, I remember feeling so in awe of the sunrise that turned the air purple and seemed so surreal. The cactus so unique, with a shape that makes you feel like you are on another planet. As a skateboarder in Vancouver, BC, I quickly took full advantage of the surf and the many beach activities that were seasonal in the “rain forest” that I was accustomed to.

Now I spend my days teaching functional exercise, kick boxing, and yoga on some of Baja’s most breath taking beaches. My focus is in drawing people towards a balanced state of mind while releasing stress and becoming aware of the beauty that is right here and now. I promote the health of the body and the mind to help my clients experience increased energy, self-discipline and the personal confidence to get what they want out of life. This is the most important part of being here, remembering that your dream has arrived and to give thanks each day by acknowledging your participation in your own happiness.

“All that we are is a result of what we have thought” Buddha.

On the “vision board” I created a few years back, I drew a picture of myself teaching yoga on a tropical beach. This reality that I live now was once just a thought that I gave my happy feelings towards. What is your dream feel like? Focus on it, because the statement that the Buddha made almost 3,000 years ago has proven true time and time again.
If you are still unsure of what your dream feels like, take a hike up one of Southern Baja’s many mountain peaks over looking “The Sea Of Cortez” and watch the whales jumping out of the turquoise water, it might be a good place to start…

Josh Smith, personal trainer

For private yoga classes in Los Cabos please contact: www.joshsmithtrainer.com