Managing Stress, Staying Healthy, Boosting Energy through the Holiday Season

Exercising a Mandatory Time Out

Like a well-stuffed stocking hanging by the fireplace, the holiday season can fill us up with good feelings and experiences. However, Hughes acknowledges it also can bring its own set of stressors and demands with shopping, decorating, food preparation and gatherings wrapped around our already busy lives.

“What I love to tell people is to be the architect of their own time and that means to take a look ahead, be intentional about planning things out and schedule time in that’s just for you,” she said. “And when you schedule that time in, refuse to cancel on yourself because we tend to cancel on ourselves more than we would cancel on anybody else in our lives.”

Taking Out the Garbage

Along with Santa, snow and gifts comes the arrival of the flu and cold season. Hughes reminds us that our lymphatic system, part of our immune system, is not like our circulatory system, it doesn’t move on its own. It needs our help to get rid of the toxins.

“When lymph starts to pool in our bodies, that’s when we have the stagnation where illness can really grow and prosper. By moving the lymphatic system, we are cleaning things out. It’s kind of like taking out the garbage.”

Yoga and Pilates create movement for the lymphatic system. Hughes also uses a dry brush as a daily body massage and does facial reflexology, which stimulates pressure points on the face and scalp to calm the brain.

Sleeping in Heavenly Peace

Scientists have long praised the health benefits of a good night’s sleep, linking it to our moods and how well our brains perform. Better sleep, says Hughes, starts with preparation.

“In our fast-paced world, our brain never has a chance to slow down and shut off. Most people get into bed and the mind is in the way. Starting a bedtime ritual could mean dimming the lights, setting some candles, diffusing scents like lavender and bergamot that help you relax, taking a hot shower, getting warm and cozy, drinking some hot tea and getting away from electronics.”

Developing a routine signals the brain that it’s time to get quiet and to slow down, she says. “So then once you actually get in bed, the brain is going to be a little bit more on board so that you can get a good night’s sleep.”

Every Body Can Move

Hughes has been teaching people of all ages and abilities how to move their bodies for 30 years, starting as a girls’ gymnastics coach while she was in college and then as a yoga instructor for preschoolers when she was a young mom.

“I want every person to feel comfortable, confident and successful in the way their body is able to move. And I also believe that every body is able to move. I had the experience of working with a young woman with Down Syndrome for three years, and over the course of that time, working with her was a gift. It showed me that, in all the years that I’d been teaching, I had never really been able to work with someone with a developmental disability. From there, it became a mission of mine to bridge the gap between the fitness industry and people of all types of abilities.”

Wellness Takes Practice

The path to peaceful living and our highest quality of life, Hughes says, is found through daily practice, and not even a highly skilled team of elves can create a quick fix.

“I bring little things into the course of each day that help me stay calm, that help me stay nourished and nurtured from the inside out,” she said. “When I’m intentional about bringing peaceful moments into the days, especially the busy days, that’s what helps me feel more at ease and calm. It really is about planting intentional seeds each and every day to help yourself find those places, regardless of what life may bring.”

Hughes grew up in Sierra Vista. She held the title of Miss Sierra Vista 1993 and competed in the Miss Arizona Pageant in 1994. Scholarships earned through the Miss America Organization supported her through college. She also was the first state recipient of the Quality of Life award sponsored by the Phoenix Suns. She served on the Super Bowl XXX host committee and helped open the Arizona Science Center as the membership coordinator.

As the founder of PeaceFull Living, based in Parker, Colorado, Hughes believes yoga, Pilates and meditation are the pillars of peaceful living. She supports people with their wellness goals and practices through in-studio classes, live-streaming, private and semi-private virtual and in-person sessions, an on-demand library of more than 150 videos, workshops and retreats. Currently, she is offering a health and wellness holiday gift package that includes three, one-on-one Zoom sessions. Her Peaceful Winter Wellness Retreat is scheduled for Feb. 23-25, in Monument, Colorado. For more information, go to PeaceFullLiving.com.    QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

To hear more from Roberta Hughes, visit Zonie Living at StarWorldwideNetworks.com. Visit https://starworldwidenetworks.com/episodes/managing-stress-boosting-your-immune-system-with-peacfull-livings-roberta-hughes-video.

Courtesy Photo: Roberta Hughes believes a combination of Pilates, yoga and meditation are the pillars of wellness and that “every body can move.”