Years ago, a friend gave me the “The Miracle of Mindfulness” by Thich Nhat Hanh. I didn’t really get it; I skimmed through the pages and my mind drifted off until I placed it on a shelf and forgot about it. I realize now that my friend was tactfully trying to enrich my life by pointing out the reality that all we really have is NOW.

For the entirety of my adult life I was a chronic cardio junkie. Determined to avoid the freshman fifteen, the college me spent hours every day running, doing step aerobics, and climbing the stairmaster.  Post college, and burned out on those activities, I became a DVD addict. Jillian Michaels, P90X, Buti Fitness, Insanity- if there was an infomercial for it,  I’d completed the program.

During my last Primal Health Course module I found myself feeling a twinge of discomfort. In the unit, Mark Sisson stresses the importance of making local food a priority in one’s diet; in the recommended spectrum of produce choices, local fruits and vegetables rank at the top (higher than certified organic!). Primarly adapted, my husband and I eat a lot of vegetables. And we live in Alaska. And it’s winter. Would I have to give up eating vegetables from my Washington CSA during our long winter season?

Are you feeling stressed and maybe a little scattered? Take a look around your house. Are there piles of things everywhere? If you are anything like me, these stacks of doodads can creep into your subconscious, making your brain feel disorganized and uneasy. I actually wasn’t aware that too many items were causing me stress until I was forced to take a hard look at my belongings.