Tag: lifestyle

How to make your Birthday special

Posted on by babettebrown

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It is Sunday evening and I finished a fantastic Birthday weekend, actually it was a whole Birthday week. Starting from last Monday until today, I decided to do something special for myself each day leading up to my actual Birthday last Friday – I really had fun with it. As a child we are always so excited about Birthdays, Holidays and Celebrations, as adults this magic is often lost and we just move through those days and on with our lives. But then life consists out of memories and special moments – and it is really up to us what we make of it. So I decided to make this Birthday special –  create good memories and enjoy myself.

Here are some ideas and things I did:

  1. Buy flowers. Not only are they gorgeous to look at and very decorative, they also let us know that we are valued and most important deserve beauty in our lives.
  2. Get yourself a new scented candle. They are relaxing and soothing and give us the feeling of luxury. They make us feel calm and peaceful and can have a positive effect on our mind and mood.
  3. Make a movie night and watch your all time favorites and have snacks and treats or a pizza party.
  4. Share some Prosecco with your friends/ coworkers / clients – as long as it is appropriate in your work environment of course.
  5. Go and buy yourself a present – because you deserve it 🙂
  6. Check into the spa for some serious pampering and time out. It is good to relax and check out from the daily routine to regenerate the body, mind and soul.
  7. Check out a new Restaurant you always wanted to visit. One of my new places this weekend was the Waldorf Astoria Rooftop in Beverly Hills and it exceeded everybody’s expectations. The view is nothing less than spectacular and it is the perfect place to enjoy Los Angeles to it’s fullest.
  8. Have a swanky date with a great girlfriend, great food and great conversations at one of your favorite places in town. My choice for this time was The Ivy on Robertson – you can’t beat the charming french country decor, the good food, great service and of course – the glass of champagne offered to you upon your arrival.
  9. Go for a delicious Sunday Brunch on a Rooftop. My friend took me to The Highlight Room in Hollywood, a lovely place with a Grill that opens at 7am daily, a pool and  a lounge area – and fabulous view of the Hollywood Hills 🙂
  10. And don’t forget to stop and appreciate all the little things in life you like and are important to you – let work be just work for the day and focus on yourself. Create your own happy place and cherish it. It’s your Birthday after all 🙂

Have a great start into the week

xo BB

30 Days of Yoga

Posted on by babettebrown

YogaOutlet.com

Hi Everybody!

Today I want to share a more personal journey with you. The last year has not been very easy in terms of my physical ability. We are all getting older which is OK and we all have kinks and ouchies and pulls and pinches – boohoo – lol. Being a Professional Dancer has taught me to deal with my body and to move through issues and rough patches – we all have them.

But last year was different. I danced my last show in August 2016, I needed shots into my back to get through it and I was in so much physical pain that all my strong, positive spirits were quite challenged. I even ended up in a pain management clinic and got prescriptions – which were very helpful and got me through the worst. But  just felt I needed a rest. From October 2016 until now, I basically stopped exercising much altogether. My body told me to Stop – Stop and Stop. I could not even ride a bike or ride my horse because my back was in so much pain, and by the time it was summer 2017 my hip stopped working as well and I basically could not walk normally. I had a limp, I could not easily get up and down stairs, I had a hard time teaching dance as well.

Basically my whole body went on strike and I felt that sitting around and going from one Doctor to the other and wailing in misery is not what I had planned out to do with my life.

I knew I needed to do something and I knew that I had to start to make friends with my body again and start working together with him in a mindful way. I also felt the need to refocus myself on the inside and make sure I stay a positive, strong person and my goal was to feel good again and to regain my strength.

So about a week ago I came across a series called 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene on Youtube. I figured I’ll try day 1 and see how I do. Day 1 was super easy, some breathing exercises, some stretches, some mindful time with the body, I loved it – it was exactly what I needed. It actually felt good – and I have not felt good moving in a long time!

I moved on to day 2 and 3, the workouts were not very long – only about 35 minutes – and gradually increase and Adriene presents everything in a light and very positive way, it’s all about what feels good.

Today I am onto day 7 – so it has been a week – and I already feel stronger and much more energetic during the day. My hip is still not good and my spine is still a challenge but it did made a huge difference in how I feel in general and I feel the gentle stretches and exercises help in the process of getting back onto my feet.

So I thought I wanted to share it with you, maybe it will make a difference for you too, whatever your journey in life is.

Feel free to contact me if you want to share your experience with exercising with me, I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful day!

xo BB
Lorna Jane (US)

Peaceful..

Posted on by babettebrown

Hi everybody, I am in Salzburg, Austria – my hometown. I haven’t been here in summer for a long time and I am enjoying it so much. I finally find some time for myself and time with family and good friends – it is recharging and I so much enjoy all the beauty, love and positivity around me.

look up – change your view – and find the beauty!

I wanted to share some of my thoughts with you about peace – the kind of peace within yourself. Life throws all kinds of things at you – and usually not only one thing at a time. If we react on each situation we will feel very soon stressed, worn out and worried – this is not a very good place – I have been there not only once…. So how can we accomplish to be at a personal good and happy, peaceful place with so much going on around us?

Find beauty in the details, look around the corner and explore!

“Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it.” ~Unknown

Here are 10 tips for you:

  1. Learn to ignore things
  2. Don’t allow another person or situation to control your emotions
  3. Accept your present and yourself fully
  4. don’t try to waste energy things you can’t change – only focus on things that you can control.
  5. Focus on everything you can be grateful for
  6. Practice Mindfulness – live in the present moment – not in the past or future. Find everything positive that is going on around you.
  7. Set healthy boundaries, be selective with who you let into your life. It is a matter of self preservation.
  8. Be kind to others.
  9. Strengthen your self discipline and inner strength
  10. Learn emotional detachment

I am very happy to spend this week in this beautiful place I call home. For me it is a place of love, serenity and reflection.

thanks for stopping by,

xo BB