CityView Magazine

52 | January/February 2017 Connect and reflect Mindfulness is ultimately a lifestyle, a physical and mental health maintenance plan. We would not set out on a 30,000 mile road trip without checking under the hood of the car or checking the tire pressure, would we? Take the time to pause and be with the present moment. Connect with your breath. Feel the sensations of your body. Observe the movement of the mind. Explore a thoughtful approach to accepting and creating the experience you want in your own life, for it will be what you intend for it. In this new year, and always, I am wishing for you to live and be well. CV Kelsy Timas is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner currently living in Fayetteville, NC. She is the CEO of Guiding Wellness and Guiding Wellness Institute. With over 20 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, Kelsy spends her time educating and supporting people and organizations looking to improve their lives and community using sustainable holistic practices. G ently inhale and exhale the breath, softening your eyes and face, releasing the jaw, chin, throat and ears. Inhale the breath deeply from the belly all the way into the chest and shoulders and neck. Exhale the breath, releasing the shoulders down away from the ears, allowing the elbows, arms and hands to get heavy, relaxed and warm, resting in your lap. Remaining relaxed in the upper body, bring your awareness to your hips, legs and feet and with a deep inhalation and exhalation, relax the hips, thighs, knees and ankles, allowing the weight of your legs to pull down through your feet rooting deeply into the earth below you. Feel the breath rise up the spine lifting the crown of the head toward the sky and with the exhale draw the tailbone down into the chair. Settle into this comfortable position and soften the low belly as the natural and automatic breath fills and releases in the body. Allow yourself to be still for just a moment. Leaning into stillness and allow the present moment to find you. Notice the gentle presence of your heartbeat nestled safely inside your chest, gratitude for the miracle of life within you. ~ Mindfully Guided by Kelsy Timas Mindful Meditation Most meditation practitioners experience improved sleep patterns and an overall sense of well-being.

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