I began to feel exhausted at the age of 15. As I approach my 30th birthday, it dawns on me that this is now half my life.

I’ve tried everything to regain my energy, including going to various traditional medical doctors, acupuncture, supplements, functional medicine, bio-meridian medicine, radically changing my diet, yoga, therapy and various different healers. Some modalities were helpful, others less so. Eating healthy has made a tremendous difference, but nothing gave me my energy back completely. I needed something else.

In 2013, I purchased Marc David’s book, the Slow Down Diet and began studying to be an Eating Psychology Coach. For the first time in my life, I became acutely aware that my whole life was a battle between a constant state of rush, perfectionism and overwork followed by a total mental and physical collapse. I had never even realized how much I was rushing through life. I realized that I was rushing through almost everything. Driving, cooking, eating, walking, cleaning, working, I even realized that my yoga practice felt rushed!

Once I recognized this pattern, I knew that I had to make a change. My priority now is to allow myself to slow down, rest and take my time. While simple, it has been the best thing I could have done for myself.

Slowing down isn’t easy. My mind still pushes my body too hard sometimes, but now I have the awareness to know when it is happening and to make a change before it goes too far. I have learned to stop resisting how I feel, but to allow myself to feel my feelings and give myself the true rest that I need. Slowing down has allowed me to enjoy my life more than ever before.

My Favorite Steps to Slowing Down

1) Affirmations – Using daily positive affirmations is a great way to help you slow down. Try affirmations such as, “I am relaxed and at peace. My mind is calm. I am centered and quiet. All is well in my world.” Speak them aloud and repeat them often for the greatest effect.

2) Restful Yoga & Meditation – Practicing restorative or yin-style yoga is a wonderful way to help reduce stress and relax. Through meditation and gentle yoga, you can discover that there is a stillness, a sense of home and belonging that is always there within us.

3) Open Your Eyes – When in a rush, we tend not really even notice the world around us. To help you relax and slow down, stop for a moment and really open your eyes. See the little details in your world and experience being present.

4) Close Your Eyes – Sometimes the best way to slow down is simply to stop and rest. Lie on the couch and just breathe, take a nap or go to bed early. Honor the amount of rest that your body needs to truly rejuvenate. You deserve to rest.

Christie Rosen

Nurturing. Kind. Thoughtful.

Christie Rosen is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Eating Psychology Coach and Yoga Instructor in the Boston Area. Healthy living is Christie’s true passion in life and she enjoys nothing more than working with her clients and students to improve their health and happiness. Through Mind-Body Nutrition, Dynamic Eating Psychology and the practice of Yoga, Christie helps to guide her clients into lasting positive changes. Christie’s kind and caring “heart-centered” approach focuses on incorporating healing whole foods, joyful movement, relaxation, self-care and guilt-free pleasure to create a nourishing relationship with food and life. Having spent her entire adult life working through her own health issues, Christie understands the value of having support and guidance on the journey to health and happiness.
Phone: (413) 537-1794
Website: http://www.christierosen.com