Ready? Set. Crush it! - Jennifer Racioppi

Ready? Set. Crush it!

Today is both the Virgo new moon and Rosh Hashanah, amplifying the energy of new beginnings. As we head towards the autumnal equinox happening in just a few short weeks, late summer gives way to early fall. Back to school mentality kicks in, and the reality that 2013 is about to enter its final quarter […]

Today is both the Virgo new moon and Rosh Hashanah, amplifying the energy of new beginnings. As we head towards the autumnal equinox happening in just a few short weeks, late summer gives way to early fall. Back to school mentality kicks in, and the reality that 2013 is about to enter its final quarter kicks up the intensity of our work ethic. This is a great opportunity to bust out your list of New Year’s resolutions and see where you are in relation to the goals you set 9 months ago.

One of my biggest personal goals for the rest of the year, and in my life in general, is to feel amazing in my body. That’s because I know that when I take exceptional care of myself and feel strong within my skin, everything else seems to come into alignment much easier. (Gotta love ease!) As a matter of fact, I have noticed that the better I feel in my body, the more money I make. For instance, one of the things I loved when I worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers was having a super consistent schedule. This afforded me a solid routine of regular self-care and I realized that the more I stayed consistent with exercising, the better my performance was at work. And the better my performance was, the more moolah I made. Since I made that connection, I’ve stayed incredibly dedicated to an exercise routine and 9 times out of 10, my finding holds up: The better I feel, the more money I make. I feel so strong about this that one of my regular clients once told me that I should write a blog entitled, “You want to make more money? Exercise!” (Ha!)

To that end, I’ve decided for the rest of the year I am getting back to my gym routine.  Having spent the majority of August on my yoga mat, I’m now hearing the call of the treadmill and my running shoes.  As my reader, you know how important my yoga practice is to me, but I like to cheat on yoga with the gym, and find enormous value from running. (Don’t worry, I always end my gym sessions with at least twenty minutes on a yoga mat too.) Similar to yoga, running connects me to my breath. When I run, despite being a MASSIVE music fan, I rarely listen to tunes and instead favor mentally counting my breath. (I know … strange. I developed a geeky love of counting my breath in my middle school days and this bizzaro habit has stayed with me since then.)

Though I usually run three miles each time I head out for a jog, I don’t use distance as my gauge for how I did on my run. Instead, I determine my level of satisfaction with my efforts depending on how I feel.

Here are three things I look for:

1.     Do I feel my brain breathing? There is something that happens for when I am running and in a good cycle of breath that allows me to actually feel my brain breathing. I can sense the air going though my nasal passages and into the front of my skull. I feel space in my brain expanding.

2.     Is my face very relaxed? Somewhere around the fifteen-minute mark of a good jog, I begin to feel the skin around my temples and jawline start to loosen. From there, I pay attention to how free my face is as I continue to push forward. Is it moving with the pace of my step? If so, that’s good. What I am looking for is a deep relaxation of the muscles in my face, particularly in the jaw line.

3.     How’s the quality of my sweat? There is nothing more gratifying than earned sweat. I love to feel it come through my pores and cleanse my skin. If this is happening, I know I am in a good place.

Now, I know the majority of people would rather stand before a firing squad than jog until they feel their brain breathe, so I rarely suggest anyone take up running (though I will say, it’s kind of fun!) However, as a health coach you pretty much get my stance on exercise. It’s a non-negotiable for me and something I personally can’t go long without.

What’s your non-negotiable?

As the sun travels through Virgo, and especially today with the moon conjunct the sun, it’s time to become super clear on what you need to do to create (or commit or recommit to) self-nurturing routines that will amplify your best performance. Identify the behaviors and actions you need to take that will allow you to crush it for the rest of the year. We are coming into the home stretch baby … what’s your heart crying out for? It’s time to get super serious about making it happen. Take advantage of the intense Virgo energy to pull you forward in this direction.

So, what are your priorities for the remainder of the year?

Today, I want you to set aside sometime to get crystal clear on exactly what you want to create during these final months of 2013.  Write out your intentions and read them aloud three times. Be certain to put them in the first person and in the present tense.  When you read them out loud, notice what you are feeling in your body. Do your goals and intentions resonate? Do they feel good to you?  If the answer is, “Kind of,” go back to the drawing board and start again. Remember: if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hell no. Stay with the process until you find your hell-to-the-mo-fo-yeeeeeahhhh! Then really commit to the actions you are going to take to make your intentions a reality.

If you need support with your plan, please feel free to reach out to me privately, or ask for support in the comments below. I am here to be of service to you … and I want nothing more than your success. (The more women who step up to the plate, claim their power, become financially solvent, and obtain access to what they desire, the better our entire world will be as a result.)

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Feel free to let me know what helps you show up with your A-game in the comments below.

In the meanwhile, I send you my deep, deep love.

XOXO,

Jenn

 

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