My Unforgettable Yoga experience at The Aquarium

I have been doing yoga at The Georgia Aquarium in The US…the classes are in front of the Beluga whales and it can best be described as a dream.
To flow into poses as the whales swim and float through the water is so beautiful…it is hard to find words. As I connect with their dance and vibration through my yoga practice I can dive into my inner spirit. It is a truly beautiful experience and has had a powerful impact on my dreams since I began
classes there a month ago. I am so grateful to Kimberly Hard and Be Well Atlanta for this powerful experience!
By Stephanie Jolluck

Be Well Atlanta invites you to do Yoga Under The Sea

Be Well Atlanta invites you to join us Sunday Feb 8th for the launch of Yoga under the Sea. This is the first class of its kind in the world. You will find the experience truly unique and life changing for adults and children.

Here is what one student had to say……

There isn’t a proper word in the English language to describe the immediate and long-term effects of the Beluga yoga class at the Georgia Aquarium. The whales are such mesmerizing and hypnotic creatures that I found it difficult to close my eyes and focus on the postures instead of the playful whales. I kept sneaking a peek at them instead of focusing inward but eventually it was possible to tune in to my body and get into the yoga. Even with my eyes closed, I could feel the high vibrational energy from them. It was a bit intoxicating and powerful. Yoga has been an important part of my life for over 12 years now, but this class was oh, so different.

I walked away with an incredible sense of inner peace, serenity, and joy. What a shift from “I really didn’t have the time to take the class today, I have a million things to do” to “what a beautiful and necessary gift I just gave myself!”

Yoga means “union” and experiencing that union with the peaceful and gentle Beluga whales was transformational on many levels. It is an event you will definitely want to experience for yourself!
Jennifer H Atlanta, Ga

Details: Please join us…..
Adult + Children Classes ages 3-14 (Parents can get a break)
Georgia Aquarium (Main Gate)
225 Baker Street
Atlanta, GA 30313
404-581-4000

Yoga classes begin Sunday February 8th
9:30AM-11 (Worth waking up early)

Cost:
Adults $35 (non-aquarium members) you get a free pass to the aquarium good for 90 days
Members $20

Children $25non-aquarium members) you get a free pass to the aquarium good for 90 days
Members $20

Value program (This is amazing)
5 classes passes, Aquarium Annual membership, Be Well Atlanta lifestyle card $290 value Your cost $145
You can only receive this program through the call center
Visitor Services:
Call (404)581-4000

www.georgiaaquarium.org
(You will be able to sign up online next week)

you can send us a message on facebook if you have any question.

Look for Be Well Atlanta in this months Atlantan magazine, CNN,CNN Espanol and the AJC

Be Well Atlanta Partners with Georgia Aquarium

The peaceful energy of the Belugas, whale sharks, and the serene setting of the oversized viewing windows, offers Atlantans an opportunity of a lifetime.

Breathing Meditations By:Kimberly Hard

The first stage of meditation is to stop distractions and make our mind clearer and more lucid. This can be accomplished by practicing a simple breathing meditation. We choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a comfortable position. 

We can sit in the traditional cross-legged posture or in any other position that is comfortable. If we wish, we can sit in a chair. The most important thing is to keep our back straight to prevent our mind from becoming sluggish or sleepy.

We sit with our eyes partially closed and turn our attention to our breath. Breathe naturally, preferably through the nostrils, without attempting to control our breath, and try to become aware of the sensation of the breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils. This sensation is our object of meditation. We should try to concentrate on it excluding everything else around you

If we discover that our mind has wandered and is following our thoughts, we should immediately return it to the breath. We should repeat this as many times as necessary until the mind settles on the breath.

Enjoy!

Medication Or Meditation

Millions of children and adults are being prescribed medications like Prozac and Ambien for issues.This has been a growing concern in our country for quite some time. Depression, anxiety, and sleep issues are commonly treated with such mood altering medications.

I have been teaching meditation for over ten years and have personally experienced its unlimited benefits.  Through the power of meditation you can expect to calm the nervous system, lower blood pressure, and ease depression, stress and add the ability to focus.  By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances.

With the hectic pace and demands of modern life, many people feel stressed and over-worked. It often feels like there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. For many, the use of prescription drugs assist in attaining proper sleep, aiding in ones sex life, and altering moods. 

Our stress and tiredness make us unhappy, impatient and frustrated. It often affects our health. The common thought is that there is no time to stop and meditate! But the practice of meditation actually gives you more time by making your mind calmer and more focused. 

A simple ten or fifteen minute breathing meditation as explained below can help you to overcome your stress and find some inner peace and balance.If we train in meditation, we will be able to attain a more peaceful and healthy state from many common problems such as depression, sleep issues, lack of focus, and low libido. We will also discover I amsure the need for less medication in our lives.

In this way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as “liberation” or “nirvana”. Then, day and night in life after life, we will experience only peace and happiness.

The Essential Truth About Water

 

 

 

Turn on your kitcthen tap for a glass of water and you get as much clean, fresh water as you want. But what if you just got a trickle, or worse yet, nothing at all?

It’s a problem for every one of the 6.6 billion people that live on this planet. Fresh water makes up just 3 percent of the world’s water supply. 

“There is a water crisis today. But the crisis is not about having too little water to satisfy our needs. It is a crisis of managing water so badly that billions of people – and the environment – suffer.

“Water is everybody’s business” was one the the key messages of the 2^nd World Water Forum.

Small changes that protect water supply and improve water quality

• Check all water-using appliances and equipment in your home for leaks. Running toilets, steady faucet drips, home water treatment units and outdoor sprinkler systems are common sources of leaks.
• Consider water-efficient landscaping in your  yard. 
• Replace old toilets. The major water use inside the home is toilet flushing. If your home was built in 1992 and you haven’t replaced your toilets since then, you probably could benefit from installing high-efficiency toilets that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush. A family of four can save between 14,000 and 25,000 gallons of water per year be making this change. 
• Don’t let the water run while shaving or brushing your teeth.
• Before pouring water down the drain, consider using it for other uses, such as watering plants. You can catch this water by placing a bucket in the shower or the sink.
• Operate the dishwasher only when completely full.
• Sweep driveways and sidewalks rather than hosing them off.
• When using a hose, control the flow with an automatic shutoff valve.
• Install low-flow shower head 

What is Yoga?

The word “yoga” means union – to connect with all living beings and finding balance within the body, mind and spirit. Yoga is an Eastern philosophy of health living that has existed in the East for thousands of years and is in no way a religion.

 Yoga will assist you in achieving unlimited possibility and discover your inner beauty and stillness. This practice will allow you to find the time for yourself, unlock your fullest potential and overcome physical, emotional, and mental obstacles to develop confidence in yourself and your body. Discover the delicate balance between creating harmony in your life and equalizing the mind and body. Align yourself with the universe, becoming conscious of your inner self as well as everything around you.

Yoga’s Effects On the Body:The following is only a partial list of yoga’s benefits:

• reduced stress
• sound sleep
• reduced cortisol levels
• improvement of many medical conditions
• allergy and asthma symptom relief
• lower blood pressure
• smoking cessation help
• lower heart rate
• spiritual growth
• sense of well-being
• reduced anxiety and muscle tension
• increased strength and flexibility
• slowed aging process

Yoga’s benefits are so numerous, it gives a high payoff for the amount of effort involved.

Here is a few of our favorite yoga studios in Atlanta:

            

 

 

 

Danger in the sugar bowl

It’s funny…I remember my mother being a total health nut when I was growing up. It was tough as a kid when your house was the one that was skipped on halloween due to the sesame honey candies that were passes out year after year. We never had coco puffs or even a sugar bowl sitting in the kitchen.

As a child all I could think about was getting a hold of a coke or gummy bears. My sister Kristen, now the owner of K Chocolat used to  attempt to make candy when my mother was not around. She would go next door to borrow cups of sugar….most parents are not aware of the sugar addiction that has taken a hold of their children.

And here I am years later operating a “Health and Wellness company”. I had to take a full a circle in my life to truly appreciate my mothers wisdom. Sugar is toxic and has so many harmful effect on our body and mind.

It is in everything…The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week, which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and a plethora of frozen meals.

Because sugar is devoid of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and has such a deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and major health organizations (American Dietetic Association and American Diabetic Association) agree that sugar consumption in America is one of the 3 major causes of degenerative disease. 

We all need to take a deeper look at our daily intake of sugar. You might just be surprised to discover how it has an effect on your mood.  Perhaps try to substitute with agave or stevia. Look, I love a good carrot cake and an occasional crem brule however; i keep it for very special moments in life and try to remember that, “my mother knows best”.

Kimberly

Feel great on Monday

Keep it up. Your healthy habits, that is.

We all tend to relax – or be lax – on weekends; that’s what they’re for, right? But loosening our grips on a healthy lifestyle, even just for the weekend, can sabotage our efforts to reach health and fitness goals.

Recent studies indicate that we tend to take in more calories on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The exact number varies from an average of 85 calories per weekend day to 115, and while that may not seem like much, it adds up. A pound is 3,500 calories, so 345 extra calories a week will lead to nearly a pound after 10 weeks — or an extra five pounds over a year.

You may think, “So I eat a little more on Saturday night, I’ll exercise that off on Sunday.” Sunday arrives, yet you find excuses not to exercise.

Keep yourself motivated, and remember you do not have to cut out the things you like just try to enjoy in smaller quantities….. Keep yourself moving, you will feel better on Monday!  
Be Well!!!

Be Well Atlanta Launches “The Wellness Revolution”.

We are embarking on a health and wellness revolution for Atlanta. Now when I use the word,”revolution” I am referring to our personal intention to put Atlanta on the map  as the Mecca for heath and wellness. I have consistently worked in the wellness industry for over 18 years and have followed the wellness trends in this country. Between the latest craze in dieting, newest form of exercise, to the most ancient spiritual practices becoming main stream I believe that we can a sense of direction in this ever changing world of wellness.

Be Well Atlanta

The birth of Be Well Atlanta was created with the motivation and need to bring the best of the health and wellness industry in our city to people of all ages and backgrounds. We have hand selected  like-minded fitness providers, business people, food manufacturers,restaurant owners, doctors, wellness product distributions, and integrative practitioners together to focus on three things disease prevention, anti-aging and involvement in our community. We are committed to educating the public of the most cutting edge treatments, services, programs and technologies under the wellness umbrella.  Have you noticed this wellness revolution happening in this country?

 

The general public is demanding healthier choices. For instance take a look at McDonald’s, they now offer fruit cups and juices to children in a happy meal which I am sure the movie, Super Size Me might have had a little to do with this change. It is all around us, companies going “green” offering customers wellness incentives, corporations integrating full health programs and doctors selling supplements.   It is clear to us that you, the consumer is tired of being forced to follow the trends and want to take your health and wellness in your own hands. We are here to support you! Have you ever noticed how it cost more to be healthy? Just compare the cost of a burger to a healthy salad. For years it has been a belief that only the wealthy can be healthy. This is one reason we wanted to bring our community affordable wellness.

With our lifestyle card you will now be able to live the healthy life you have dreamed of. We will continue to add to the card benefits daily.  We are paving the path for proactive health care, educating ourselves and our children, diving into the latest anti- aging products and treatments, connecting with others, and living happy healthy lives. So join us and “Be Well”! Kimberly Hard