Welcome to the first Wellness link up of 2019! I started this monthly link up last year with a fabulous group of blogger friends and now we're in year #2. My blogger friend, Leslie, and I worked together to come up with the new Wellness link-up graphic. A fresh start! Feel free to join in on the fun with your recent or past wellness-related posts every second Wednesday of the month.
THE OPTIONAL PROMPTS for our 2019 monthly Wellness link up are as follows:
- January 9: A Fresh Start
- February 13: Healthy Heart
- March 13: Indoor or Outdoor Fitness
- April 10: Healthy Mind
- May 8: The B.E.S.T. Care (BEST is for Breasts, Eyes, Skin, and Teeth)
- June 12: Mid-Year Review - How Am I Doing?
- July 10: Family
- August 14: Friends
- September 11: Sleep Hygiene
- October 9: Gratitude
- November 13: Healthy Holidays
- December 11: Year-End Review - What Went Well?
MY HEALTH GOALS FOR 2019
Last week, I posted my goals for 2019 here. I've started working on them and have been tracking my progress on a simple sheet. I'll provide a monthly update this year. My Health goals for 2019 include:
- Meditate 15 minutes daily.
- Find humour to smile or laugh daily.
- Walk 45 minutes near nature 6x/ week.
- Strength workouts 3x/ week.
- Yoga 2x/ week.
- Swim 1x/ week.
A FRESH START
Today I want to share my first 'fit and fun' outing of the year because fitness and fun can and should go together. We're more likely to stick to a fitness plan when we have fun doing it.
So I planned an outing to the Winter Flower Show at the Allan Gardens Conservatory. The show was on from December 2 to January 9. We had no snow on the ground which made walking outdoors easy.
HOW I PREPARED:
- Choose a point of interest: The Winter Flower Show at the Allan Gardens Conservatory.
- Bring what I need: Comfortable clothing, walking shoes, my purse, and camera.
- Go at non-peak time when it's usually quieter at the Gardens.
- Walk briskly for 20 minutes outdoors to arrive at the Conservatory.
- Walk in the gardens to view the flowers and took photos for about 1 hour.
- Choose a quiet spot in the gardens to meditate for 15 minutes.
1. Visual: Plants and flowers, mostly poinsettia for the holidays, were beautifully arranged at different heights, with different textures, colours, and shapes. They were a real visual treat as shown in my photos below.
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| Three reindeer among beautiful poinsettia |
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| Heights, textures, shapes, and colours |
2. Auditory: The soft sounds of a toy train circling the track built above a small pond, and the gurgling water at the Lena and the Swan fountain gave soothing effects. Both were nice spots for quiet meditation or contemplation.
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| A toy train circling above a small pond |
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| Lena and the Swans fountain with koi fish |
3. Olfactory: The mild smell of potting soil gave me a sense of closeness to earth and nature. The design of a house added to the feeling of comfort.
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| There is no place like home |
4. Tactile: As I walked along the nice winding paths leading from one garden to another, I could feel the warm temperature in the gardens. I could touch and feel the textures of the plants and flowers.
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| Winding path in Allan Gardens |
- Raised heart rate from the brisk walk outdoors,
- An enjoyable quiet walk in the beautiful gardens,
- Positive sensory experiences,
- A sense of mental clarity and calmness,
- A time for reflection and contemplation.
OVERALL RATING - I gave this outing 5 out of 5 points, one point for each of the following:
- Affordability: Admission to the Conservatory is free.
- Elements that support wellness: Walkability and tranquillity in the gardens.
- Fun: Beautiful and colourful flower displays.
- New experience: It was my first visit to the Winter Flower Show.
- Uniqueness: The Winter Flower Show is once a year and its design is unique.
I was pleased with how well my first winter outing turned out. I left the gardens feeling energized, joyful, and peaceful. A fresh start indeed.
What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments.
Inlinkz Link Party
A great way to grade your experience. There's nothing quite like a conservatory to fill the senses & I got that from both your words & the pictures.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jo, for linking up and supporting Wellness Wednesday. I look forward to reading your updates.
DeleteWow, Natalie, the gardens sound heavenly. What a great wellness activity on several fronts. Thank you for inviting me to participate in Wellness Wednesday. I look forward to reading some of the other posts. Happy Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christie, for joining us. I'm excited about this link up this year. Hope to get more participation. Happy Wednesday!
DeleteThose gardens look so pretty and tranquil, I can't think of a nicer place to do all those exercise intentions.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Deb, for stopping by. Feel free to join us in today's link up or in future months. I was pleased with how well my outing to the Winter Flower Show turned out.
DeleteI need to plan some of these activities to incorporate into my fitness goals for this year. This looks lovely! #teamlovinlife
ReplyDeleteThey make fitness fun. I look forward to reading more about your fabulous 50.
DeleteWhat a lovely venture! I like how you broke the experience down into a treat for each of the senses. This morning I was especially mindful of the sunrise because I am participating in a photo challenge for which this week's prompt is 'morning'. A shame it took that prompt to encourage me to notice the sunrise. It was gloriously pink and coral. A real treat.
ReplyDeleteSo thankful to your for this wellness series. Looking forward to another great year as we work toward healthier versions of ourselves.
Your sunrise sounds beautiful. Thank you, Leslie, for hosting this WW link up with me. We're off to a great start.
DeleteI love how you break down your experience to the senses and then look at what you gained from your experience. Love also your wellness goals for the year. I listed a few of those in my post today also! Happy New Year Natalie - hope it's a fabulous one for you! #TeamLovinLife
ReplyDeleteThank you, Min, and Happy New Year to you! I look forward to reading your updates and your new ZTT link-up. Please feel free to join in this Wellness link-up.
DeleteHi Natalie - thank you so much for linking up with my very first #ZTT link-up! I appreciate it so much. I will link up my ZTT post today with your Wellness link-up tomorrow! Have a wonderful week! :-) xo
DeleteYou're very welcome, Min. I hope your ZTT link up grows and grows. My next Wellness link up is on February 13. See you then!
DeleteHi Natalie! Thank you again for another year of Wellness Wednesday and I'm excited by the prompts. You always inspire me, Natalie and I love your idea of a fit and fun outing. The Flower Show looks beautiful and would certainly have lifted your spirits so your mental health was taken care of as well. Have a great week and thanks for the inspiration. I'm going to think of some fit and fun outings myself. xx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue, for joining in the Wellness link up. I'm excited about this year's Wellness Wed. It looks like we're all off to a great start. I know we'll cheer each other on throughout the year. I look forward to reading about you fit and fun outings.
DeleteReading this from MLSTL, I saw the link about the Wednesday Wellness posts. I added a link from several months ago. It's not a new post, but still fits in with the 'Fresh Start' theme. It was in September when I found a fresh start that showed me how much some regular physical activity (with cardio!) benefits how I feel.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this and I'll look forward to more Wellness Wednesdays.
Welcome, Trisha, to the Wellness link up! Thank you for sharing your discovery of kickboxing with us. The optional prompts and dates for future Wellness link ups are in my post. I look forward to reading your next WW post.
DeleteGreat activities to incorporate into our lives this year, Natalie! I'm in for yoga twice a week. I've overdone the running this summer.
ReplyDeleteSSG xxx
So glad you're also in for yoga 2x/ week, SSG. I like to mix up my fitness activities to keep it fun and to avoid repetitive injuries. Please feel free to join this monthly Wellness Wed. link up.
DeleteOh lovely - the flowers look gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of wellness posts and so might join in. I want to refocus on my health and fitness a bit this year. Well... wellness in general I guess.
Please feel free to join in the Wellness link up in any or all months. I look forward to reading your posts. Happy 2019, Deb!
DeleteIt sounds like a positive experience all round, Natalie. Thanks for wandering over to my walks. I appreciate it. :) :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thank you, Jo, for your visit, comment, and linking up. I look forward to reading more about your walks, and sharing mine :)
DeleteHi, Natalie - I continue to be inspired by your posts, your endless energy, your fitness and your travel! You have made an awesome start to 2019. I look forward to reading more!
ReplyDeleteHi Donna - You're right. January is so far awesome. I see more walks in my future, some will be in Guatemala :)
DeleteWhat a great idea to get out and keep fit. Most of my walking is circular, though I do use it as a chance to catch up on my passion for politics by listening to podcasts!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emma, for your comment. Walking and listening to podcasts make double use of your time. Two birds one stone!
DeleteThose floral displays are stunning, wouldn't take much convincing to get me out walking amongst that beauty.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nikki, for your visit and comment. The staff at the Conservatory did a wonderful job and put on a beautiful Winter Flower Show.
DeleteI love how you combined this outing with fitness and presence in mind: finding time to meditate and enjoy the sensory perceptions too. Great! :-)
ReplyDeleteFit and fun, two birds one stone. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteIt is so true that we are more likely to stick with fitness goals if we have fun doing it. I enjoy walking on the trails near my home and always feel happier and healthier after a walk in nature.
ReplyDeleteJude
I think "fitness rule #1" should be "Choose an activity you enjoy". The rest will fall into place.
DeleteI love your goals for being in nature and finding humor in something daily! It's so easy to only see a glimpse of nature out the window at work or while walking from your car to a building, so I think it's a wonderful idea to make a conscious effort to spend time in nature and reset yourself. I've said this on a couple of other posts, but I'm glad I'm late writing my Wellness Wednesday post so I can "borrow" a lot of these ideas!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amber, for stopping by. If you live close to nature, take advantage of it to make your walks more interesting and calming. Humour is a great stress manager :) Feel free to join the next Wellness Wednesday link up on Feb 13. Optional prompt Healthy heart.
DeleteThat's such a smart way to evaluate your outing. It shows how beneficial it really was for you! We have a garden like this nearby, and it'd be the perfect place to go in the winter. But it's part of the botanic gardens so I don't think about it in the cold weather.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the inspiration, Natalie
XOXO
Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com
I hope you get to go to the garden near your home, Jodie. it makes the 'exercise' more fun and good for our mind and body. Two birds one stone :)
DeleteYour gardens look beautiful and I'm sure they are a great place to practice your intentions. #ZTT
ReplyDeleteThese gardens are wonderful, Jo, especially here in the winter when we lack vibrant colours. Thank you for stopping by.
DeleteWell-done on the incorporation of all the senses as you went along. I do try to do a lot more of that. It is the best way to remain mindful for me. Found you today on Min's first #ZTT link up.
ReplyDeleteDenyse x
Thank you, Denyse, for your comment. Being mindful of my senses seems to heighten the experience. Have a great weekend!
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