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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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A New Commitment for a New Year

by Rosie Lazroe Coordinator, Local Yoga Directory

Welcome 2019!  This year, I resolve to spend more time focusing on my heart and I invite you to join me in making the commitment each month to do something that feeds your soul. We can do simple things like getting more rest or larger things like traveling to a new destination. I hope the following ideas spark even greater ideas within you! Let’s make this year the best one yet!

January: Let’s start off the year by establishing healthier sleep patterns. Start small by increasing the amount of sleep by five to 15 minutes each week. Yoga postures such as forward folds can calm the mind for better sleep.

February: Sometimes we get so busy that we lose touch with friends and family. Let’s resolve to invest a few hours each week by strengthening our connections with the humans in our lives.

March: We each have that one thing we’ve been putting off for months or even years. This is the month we’re going to do it! Want to redecorate? Start a new language? Take up a new hobby? Now is the time!

April: Spring cleaning for the body—replace one unhealthy snack with a healthier variation. Spring cleaning for the mind—let go of unhealthy relationships. Spring cleaning for the soul—donate belongings to those in need.

May: We all have that one thing we’ve always wanted to try but have been too scared.  This month throw caution to the wind and do it.

June: Looking to travel and give back? Volunteer with an NGO. Not into travel? Donate your time with a local church or shelter.

July: Buy the book, use the pen, write, sketch, paint and awaken the creative mind.

August: Purchase an eco-friendly, refillable water canister and commit each day to drinking a half-ounce of water for each pound that you weigh. This might be a challenge for some, but creating the extra hydration habit will quickly reap benefits.

September: There are many forms of meditation out there. Let’s take this month to incorporate one of them. Even one minute of stillness per day can activate the relaxation response.

October: Decrease screen time. Ditch the phone five to 15 minutes before bed and wait five to 15 after waking before picking it up again. Your brain will thank you!

November: Writing and reciting affirmations will attract even more to be thankful for! This month, let’s write down one thing each day that we are truly thankful for.

December: Do you enjoy gift giving? Explore making gifts by hand. Creating even a simple card by hand will feed the creative mind and make your family and friends feel super loved.

Rosie Lazroe is a certified yoga teacher and master reiki practitioner. For more information, you can contact her at 732-596-7384, [email protected] or visit RosieLazroe.com.

Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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