Darja (Dar-ee-ya) is an Expressive Arts Therapist and a dear friend I'm proud to welcome into our ME Method family.

Darja has a special message for you (name) this Valentine's Day!

We prepared a short video where she talks about the negative patterns a lot of people go through in their health and mental-health journeys.

Do some habits feel hard-wired?

Think about when it comes to New Year's resolutions, Valentine's Day, relationships, and how we feel when we look at ourselves in the mirror - we're likely our own worst critic.

Let's talk about how you react to & manage stress.

Did you know that:

• your body can react to a stressful text message in the same way as if you were running away from a thief?

• certain systems in the body actually pause or shut down when you're stressed in order to protect yourself?

Smoothies can be an awesome snack or meal depending on what you put in them and what you may already have at home.

If you're already a smoothie person, how about 'mixing' things up?

I prepared an easy MIX & MATCH guide…

We're all adults, so let's talk about

• gas

• bloating

• constipation

• diarrhea

Did you know that IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is one of the most common problems for 1 in 5 people?

It's time for a perspective change!

Ever get lost in your own thoughts or feel like you're on a hamster wheel not being able to get out of your head or break repetitive thought behaviours?

Ever feel like your issues are never going to go away?

Can you do me a favour?

Never enough time to exercise? 😲

I bet you can squeeze in a few or all of these exercises in 15 minutes or less!

THE CORE - Candlesticks, Crunches, Leg Drops & Glute Bridges - oh my!

Last month, I showed you how to do the Glute Bridge to help strengthen your core - the key to improving your stability and balance, especially if you sit down most of the day for work.

Remember, a strong core includes the abdominal, hip and glute muscles!

As the days get colder and darker, the mind and body head into a hibernation stage that leaves us wanting to curl up in front of the TV most evenings... like at 5pm or earlier!

On top of that, sweet & salty snack cravings become overbearing.

You probably already know our glutes help us walk, run and get ourselves up from a chair, but did you know glutes also help support the lower back during lifting motions, and prevent knee injuries during lifting, boarding and running exercises?

When we are stressed out, our bodies go to work preparing us for a battle. Energy is taken from our regular functions (digestion, sex and thyroid function, sleep) and distributed to the heart, lungs and limbs in preparation for fight or flight response.

As you build the strength in your core, you increase your power, balance and stability in every movement you do!

However, while building up your abdominal muscles, it’s important to also work the muscles of your back and hips.

This is why the Dead Bug is a revered exercise for almost everyone, including people who are suffering from arthritis, the elderly, or people with chronic pain.