Personal health is everything. I have learnt that I am fully responsible for my own happiness. I used to look outwards and expect others to create a feeling of happiness. Sadly this was such a disappointment and unsustainable. In running my business I used to think that I needed to work, work, and work. That became my sole focus. I was always tired, stressed and unhappy, striving for personal success. I could not finish a day until all emails and correspondence had been actioned. Again, this is unsustainable and didn’t create a sense of personal success.
“You are born alone and you die alone”
I remember hearing this when I was young and not really getting it, but now, at 44, I understand!!
Only you can make yourself happy. Firstly you need to find peace before you can feel happiness and then, in turn, see happiness in everything around you. A sense of being content, which is such a terrific feeling, follows quickly from there.
Personal health is everything. I have learnt that I am fully responsible for my own happiness. I used to look outwards and expect others to create a feeling of happiness. Sadly this was such a disappointment and unsustainable.
In running my business I used to think that I needed to work, work, and work. That became my sole focus. I was always tired, stressed and unhappy, striving for personal success. I could not finish a day until all emails and correspondence had been actioned. Again, this is unsustainable and didn’t create a sense of personal success.
Personal success in my mind has now been narrowed down to everything I do in my day, from keeping up with domestic duties, to running our household, having good, wholesome food in the fridge, and being organised! Doing these simple things and paying attention to these simple tasks every day has created peace and harmony, not only for me, but also for everyone at home.
Daily exercise has also changed my life. This physical application and time spent daily in physical activity has created increased resilience which I need as a mother, wife and business owner. Time spent undertaking daily exercise also gives the mind time to quieten. A jog, a walk, a Pilates session, or a bike ride to and from work, is down time for the mind and creates a sense of calm.
Finding health and happiness and acknowledging how important that was started for me in January 2013 when, as a family, we decided to tackle the “overland track in Tasmania” which consisted of pack in / pack out over five nights and six days while being prepared to be completely self sufficient.
It was during that six day trek that I realised I had neither found happiness within myself, nor was I as healthy and fit as I could be.
I suffered on all levels. My problem solving capabilities were limited as I hadn’t realised how fatigued and stressed I had let myself become. I was all work, with very little rest and play.
Physically I found it really tough and I now realise this was completely linked to my all work, very little rest and play mentality. Looking after my own health physically and emotionally had been well down the priority list after:
Day 1: Go for a 30-40 minute run. Try different surfaces, hills vs flat.
Day 2: Ride your bike to and from work, aiming for 20-30 minutes each way (if necessary get off the train or tram early to facilitate this).
Day 3: Attend a Pilates studio session to quieten the mind, condition the body, strengthen, stabilise, and mobilise.
Day 4: Run for 20 minutes.
Day 5: Go for a 50 minute walk.
Day 6: Attend a Pilates studio session or mat class.
Day 7: Take a rest day. Combine this plan with a healthy diet, rich in fresh food and vegetables and minimise processed and packaged foods.
We’re delighted to share that Kath Banks, owner and Principal Instructor of Aligned for Life Moonee Ponds, has been named a finalist for the AUSactive Pilates Professional of the Year Award.
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The difference between a good movement experience and real, lasting change often comes down to two things: the right equipment in the right hands, and an instructor who genuinely understands the body in front of them. At Aligned for Life, that combination has been at the heart of everything we do for over 25 years. This isn't a fitness trend for us. It's our life's work.
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