{"id":1032,"date":"2019-09-21T18:03:28","date_gmt":"2019-09-21T18:03:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/?p=1032"},"modified":"2020-08-07T20:32:03","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T20:32:03","slug":"how-fantasy-football-deepened-my-relaxation-practice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/?p=1032","title":{"rendered":"How Fantasy Football Deepened My Relaxation Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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September 2019<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I recently took the dive into the Fantasy Football world.\u00a0 Having become an avid football fan in recent years, and especially loving game days with my son, Jamie, I found myself being drawn into the excitement and frenzy of Fantasy Football (FF).\u00a0 Jamie is a spirited FF participant, winning several leagues in the past few years, and drawing me in with his impassioned outbursts (sometimes expletive-ridden) as we gather on any given Sunday to watch our games.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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I noticed that Jamie\u2019s enthusiasm was infectious, and soon I<\/em> was rooting for his fictitious team and following players across the NFL.\u00a0 My allegiance to my home team (Go Pats.<\/em>\u00a0 Sorry, don\u2019t hate me), expanded to an appreciation for other teams and individual players.\u00a0 My once a week Pats game morphed into tuning in for Monday nights, Thursday nights, and Sunday marathons of football viewing.\u00a0 Not religiously and obsessively, but I certainly found myself clicking over to the games more often than not.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

So when Jamie informed me that he and his Dunoyer cousins were starting a Fantasy Football League of their own, \u201cThe Doon Squad,\u201d I jumped in.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got Looney Doons, Legion of the Doon, Doonsday, Doon Shakalaka, Mount Doon, the Big Kadoona Burger, Here Comes the Doon, and me\u2026. Mama Doon.\u00a0 My first indication of just how animated my own FF firieness would become was on \u201cdraft night.\u201d\u00a0 We were all gathered in a Google Hangout, and I loved seeing my 5 Dunoyer nephews and brother-in-law, Francois, as we waited for the draft to begin.\u00a0 And then the draft started.<\/em>\u00a0 Jamie was totally revved up, as he got the first pick and scooped up Saquon Barkley.\u00a0 From there the serpentine picks rattled on, and not 30 minutes later, we were done.\u00a0 I took a deep breath, was actually pretty happy with \u201cmy team,\u201d debriefed with Jamie and was all in.<\/em>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Fast forward to the season.\u00a0 I am now becoming fully schooled in the whole Fantasy Football thing.\u00a0 I had no idea\u2026\u00a0 <\/em>Podcasts, TV shows, numerous online articles, apps\u2026 you name it\u2026. all devoted to Fantasy Football.\u00a0 The weekly match ups.\u00a0 The waiver wire.\u00a0 Tuesday drop\/add day.\u00a0 Thursday, Sunday, Monday games.\u00a0 But it is exciting.\u00a0 And I am loving it.\u00a0<\/p>

And then comes week 2, game day, Sunday, September 15th<\/sup>.\u00a0 I\u2019m preparing food and super excited to have Jamie and his friend, Anthony, coming over for the day. Red Zone is set up.\u00a0 The potato and leek galette is in the oven, biscotti cooling, drinks ready, my healthy energy cookies on deck.\u00a0 Anthony brings two outstanding bottles of Beaujolais.\u00a0\u00a0 We settle in, contemplating who we are playing, who is on the bench.<\/p>

Bam!\u00a0 The games start. \u00a0First of all, watching Red Zone is like an exercise of brain gymnastics, but I am getting the hang of it.\u00a0 My phone dings from time to time, as my FF players score points for me.\u00a0 Phone, Red Zone, Patriots game.\u00a0 Bing, bang, bong, back and forth.\u00a0 And I begin to notice something.\u00a0 I am so amped up.<\/em> It\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing. But I realize that I\u2019ve been in overdrive the entire day, anticipating the excitement of my first season of FF.\u00a0 I think of this as \u201ceustress.\u201d\u00a0 My nervous system activates and pours out adrenaline, responding to my excitement and the buzz of energy in my living room.\u00a0 Jamie and Anthony, although clearly animated, appear quite chill underneath their enthusiasm.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think their <\/em>nervous systems were spitting out adrenaline at all.\u00a0 They are veterans of FF.\u00a0<\/p>

But I am not.\u00a0 By the end of the day, and before the evening games\u2014yes, more games\u2014I am still enraptured, but exhausted.\u00a0 Granted, I live with a body that even on a good day is short on energy, but my brain is spinning and I know that it is time to lie the heck down, and turn off all devices, screens, TV.\u00a0 So I do.\u00a0<\/p>

Monday morning.\u00a0 I decide to turn on one of the FF podcasts.\u00a0 I\u2019m psyched about learning the ins and outs, post Sunday games.\u00a0 Not 2 minutes into the podcast I have to turn it off.\u00a0 The blaring music and bellowing, over zealous commentators rev me right up again.\u00a0 My morning routine tends to be meditative and a slow gearing up for whatever is on tap for the day.\u00a0 And then it hits me.\u00a0 If I am going to do FF, I have to up my relaxation game!\u00a0 I can do that.\u00a0 No problem.\u00a0 I have been honing and practicing relaxation for years now.\u00a0 In my daily life, whenever I find myself rushing and getting caught up in my head, not my body, it\u2019s my signal to breathe, release tension, and ground into the earth.\u00a0 God knows I am far from perfect at this practice. \u00a0But what becomes apparent to me on this particular Monday morning is that FF is another opportunity for me to deepen <\/em>my relaxation practices.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been a long-term daily meditator.\u00a0 But I also have a practice of integrating relaxation into my every day<\/em> life.\u00a0 And I\u2019ve been sharing this with clients, friends, and family for years.\u00a0 Not everyone has the inclination or time to meditate \u2013 but don\u2019t get me started on the time issue; people who cannot find 10 minutes a day to quiet their minds need it the most.\u00a0 Some folks don\u2019t like sitting still in meditation.\u00a0 There are many moving meditation practices, such as yoga, tai chi, mindful walking or running, etc.\u00a0 But I am referring to not just the 10 or 20 minutes of any type of meditation a person may practice\u2014moving or not\u2014but the small things we can all do to inject relaxation into our day, throughout our days.\u00a0 This way rather than continually pouring out stress hormones into our bodies\u2014which is so easy to do in the frazzled, disjointed, sometimes terrifying world we live in\u2014we activate the relaxation part of the nervous system, over and over, throughout the day.\u00a0 Soon, you can retrain your body to live more fully in a relaxed state, rather than an exhausting, depleting, blood pressure elevating, potentially illness-inducing stressed state.\u00a0 Don\u2019t marinate in stress hormones.<\/em>\u00a0 Sink into relaxation, just for a few minutes here and there throughout the day, and watch how your body responds with a big exhalation of relief.\u00a0<\/p>

This is what Fantasy Football did for me.\u00a0 It reminded me to pull out my list of \u201chow to incorporate relaxation into my daily life\u201d and use it <\/em>on game day Sunday and beyond.\u00a0\u00a0 Life is always talking to us, guiding us, nudging us along our way.\u00a0 It\u2019s our responsibility to listen.\u00a0 Easier said than done.\u00a0 What are your triggers?\u00a0 When are you activated and in total stress mode?\u00a0 What revs you up, and gets you going?\u00a0 Your body is talking to you.\u00a0 And it won\u2019t steer you wrong.<\/p>

Below is my list of ways to incorporate relaxation into your every day life.\u00a0 Pick a few.\u00a0 Give them a try.\u00a0 Share them with friends and family.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s easier to adapt new practices or habits with a friend or partner.\u00a0 Find what works for you in your <\/em>life.\u00a0 Training the body to be in a relaxed mode, even if you lead an incredibly stressful life, is<\/em> possible.\u00a0 And here\u2019s the secret sauce, you will find more joy and contentment than imaginable when you do so.\u00a0<\/p>

Lastly, if you happen to come across a \u201cZen Fantasy Football Podcast,\u201d please give me a shout.\u00a0 That\u2019s <\/em>the one I am looking for.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Incorporating Relaxation into Everyday Life<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Practice \u201cabdominal breathing\u201d<\/strong>– 3 to 5 minutes once or twice a day.<\/span><\/p>

Download a free app, such as Insight Timer, <\/strong>to explore meditations, or to track your progress of daily relaxations.\u00a0<\/p>

Take 10 deep breaths when you wake up in the morning before you get out of bed. <\/strong>Spend a few minutes in that luxurious state in between being fully awake and in a sleep state. In this relaxed space, focus on what brings you joy, and imagine filling yourself up with brilliant, loving, radiant light.<\/p>

Take 3 deep breaths before eating meals. <\/strong>Focus on having gratitude for the food you are about to eat: where it came from, for those who grew it and brought it to you; for the sun for giving it sustenance and life; and for yourself or whomever prepared the food. Remember to eat mindfully<\/em>, and chew well <\/em>(digestion starts in the mouth).<\/p>

When needing to go inward or to find an answer: <\/strong>Place one hand on your belly and one hand over your heart, breathe deeply, invite the mind to soften, listen for inner wisdom. Often our soul speaks to us from this space, sometimes in a quiet whisper, sometimes with an image, sometimes later as we go about our day. The key is to soften the “monkey mind” and drop into the heart, your intuition, your inner GPS system.<\/p>

Journal- <\/strong>put pen to paper and do a “brain dump” of what needs to be sorted or let out of your conscious (or subconscious) mind. Journal your wishes, intentions, and desires. Just start writing, and whatever comes, comes.<\/p>

Be kind to yourself, always. <\/em><\/strong>Treat yourself as you would a child, a cherished friend, or a beloved pet. (Sometimes we treat our 4-leggeds better than ourselves). Life is a journey, not a race. Remember the tenet: progress over perfection. <\/em><\/p>

Slow down. <\/strong>We are a culture of multi-tasking, fast-paced humans. Even when you are moving at a quick pace, try to focus on the task at hand. \u00a0Remember to breathe. <\/em>One thing at a time…<\/p>

Do at least one thing, even if it is small, for yourself, each and every day. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Take a nature break. <\/strong>Walk outside, breathe the fresh air, look up at the sky, buy a few plants for indoor spaces. Nature has a unique way of inducing relaxation, when we tune into her.<\/p>

Move your body, turn on some music, dance! <\/strong>This sends feel-good endorphins coursing throughout your body, and filling you with bubbly joy.<\/p>

Conversely, if meditative or slow moving music, of any kind, is your thing, listen to your favorites and sink into the calm. <\/strong><\/p>

Unhook from technology. <\/strong>I know this is a hard one. But begin to notice how often you turn to your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. Can you decrease the amount, even just a bit, throughout your day and evening? Try a social media fast, or putting away screens for an hour before bed and for 20 minutes after first awakening in the morning. The news and blaring world of technology can wait, as you set your nervous system into a relaxed state.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.<\/em><\/p>

– Sonia Ricotti<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

September 2019 I recently took the dive into the Fantasy Football world.  Having become an avid football fan in recent years, and especially loving game days with my son, Jamie, I found myself being drawn into the excitement and frenzy of Fantasy Football (FF).  Jamie is a spirited FF participant, winning several leagues in the …<\/p>\n

How Fantasy Football Deepened My Relaxation Practice<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1032"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1032"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1032\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1460,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1032\/revisions\/1460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1032"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1032"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/vibranthealthintegrativenutrition.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1032"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}