AYLA SARNOFF
Ayla Sarnoff, the owner and founder of Clarity of Heart Yoga and the Therapeutic Yoga Method, advises people to move to counteract the effects of sitting nearly all day. “One of the main things that is extremely beneficial for our physical body, but also for our mental state, is to be able to move our spine in all directions as often as possible, ideally every single day,” says the Sedona studio owner. “When we’re moving and when things are mobile and fluid, we feel a lot better overall.” One specific movement that she recommends is called viparita karani or legs up the wall. Any movement that counteracts the forward facing position – rounded shoulders and compressed chest that many of us adopt when sitting – can help. Try something that opens up your chest like a supported back bend. She also advises taking time to really focus on ourselves. “In our modern life, our attention is always going outward. We have all these distractions. We have social media. We have unlimited information available to us at our fingertips,” she says. “Having some kind of practice where we can kind of redirect our attention back to ourselves, back to our bodies, back to how we really feel, is going to be extremely beneficial.” For her, this means maintaining a yoga practice, but it could ultimately be anything.
“Whether it’s just taking a few deep breaths, going out in nature. Whatever it is for you to be able to kind of clear your mind, and press the reset button,” she says. “The number one thing is just to deepen your mind body connection.” Spending time outside in nature is one way of helping us reset and really focus inward instead of getting distracted by the modern world. “Nature has its own rhythm and its own intelligence, and we’re a part of that. We’re not separate from that,” she says. “Our bodies are a part of nature and because of our modern lifestyle, we often are very disconnected from nature. We’re lucky here in Sedona because we have all this beautiful nature around us.”
ROBERT TICE
To Robert Tice of Red Rock Naturopathic Clinic & Apothecary in West Sedona, good, foundational health starts with building immune resilience and adopting a healthy lifestyle that focuses on many different facets. Here’s what’s key: “Supporting the immune system through lifestyle, nutrition, food is medicine, mental and emotional well being,” says Tice, a naturopathic doctor. “The most important thing is the importance on the digestion,” he says. “Digestive health is the key to immunity and really preventing chronic disease. Digestion is the command center.”
In his practice, he helps his patients discover what foods they might not be able to tolerate. He also often advises his clients to eat whole foods and largely avoid processed foods. He also recommends that people work on simple stress management techniques that work for them. “I’m talking about three to five minutes a day, something super simple, digestible, realistic, practical for people to do, practicing deep breathing, getting their body breathing,” he says. Movement or getting exercise is another important way of staying healthy. Light movement like walking can help. “Twenty or 30 minutes of some kind of movement: walking, light yoga, light exercise. Simple things. Again, digestible things, practical things. People are busy. Those things go a really, really long way,” says Tice.
Above all, Tice recommends keeping it simple. Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet, exercise, and try to manage stress as best you can. “That’s the main thing. The secret is in plain sight. The secret is in the simplicity. The secret and the power and the potency is in the simple stuff,” he says. If you’re just starting to adopt a healthier lifestyle, start small and build upon the smaller steps. “Pick one thing. Implement one change at a time. Get rock solid in it, then add one or two more things, and then rinse and repeat,” he says. “Break it down in bite-sized pieces. You can make tremendous strides, and you can do things that you never, ever thought were possible.”
DANIEL MARINIC
Being a seasoned dentist, Daniel Marinic gave us general oral hygiene tips. Marinic is the co-owner of Care Esthetics and Natural Dental Artistry in Sedona. He practiced dentistry outside of Chicago for 35 years, and one of the things he sees here in Sedona that he did not tend to see in Illinois is tooth decay that’s likely from juice diets or sipping apple cider vinegar. To combat this, he recommends only drinking juices or other carbonated beverages during meals to blunt the effects of the juice or bubbly drink. Over time, carbonated drinks can erode the enamel.
If patients would prefer not to use fluoride, he advises switching that a toothpaste that contains hydroxyapatite or xylitol – both can help re-mineralize tooth structure. Prevention is key. “If you get the beginning of tooth decay, you can actually re-mineralize the tooth so that you don’t end up having to have any dental cavity that needs to be treated,” he says. He advises that flossing every meal is ideal. Try to opt for a floss that’s relatively thicker to help clean all the bacteria and plaque along the gum line.
If you grind your teeth, he recommends wearing some type of hardware to protect your teeth. Taking good care of your teeth doesn’t have to be super complicated. Just be sure to practice good daily dental hygiene. “If they can just brush and floss and stay away from excessive sweets or carbonated beverages, it’ll go a long way,” he says. Keeping up with regular dental appointments is always a good idea. “It’s just a good idea to get things taken care of when they’re either not a problem or before they become a big problem,” he says. “A healthy mouth is the start of a healthy body.”
ANDREA GAINES
Andrea Gaines is the founder of Horse, Heart and Connection in the Village of Oak Creek. She uses horses to help people therapeutically. We just had to know exactly what goes on during her horse therapy sessions. Here’s what she told us: She starts with a guided meditation. “To get present is the main thing,” she says. Once the meditation is over, her clients can start working the horses. This type of activity can help someone quiet their mind and tap into their deep feelings. “I want them to get their hands on them and feel,” she says. “That deep presence of that animal can help them feel really safe. And they might just lean into them. They might just hug them. They might cry. They might giggle like a little kid.” In addition to her work with the horses, she’s also taught group fitness classes for decades. She currently teaches at Snap Fitness in the Village of Oak Creek.
“When you’re trying to build a new habit, my tip is to give yourself permission to take baby steps,” she says. “Just try to start twice a week, and keep coming back.” If you’re struggling to maintain a routine, you could try taking group fitness classes. “Go take classes because sometimes I feel like it’s the easiest way to not have to self motivate,” says Andrea. She also advises people to bring a workout buddy along as you’re typically more likely to exercise if you’ve promised someone else you would go with him or her. When you’re exercising or even just walking, she recommends interval training to gradually increase stamina. Walk fast or jog for 20 to 30 seconds at 75% to 80% effort. Then allow yourself to completely recover. Repeat four to six times. When you’re implementing positive changes in your life, it’s important to praise yourself for making healthier choices. Try to stay positive.
“A lot of people will make excuses for themselves or self deprecate,” she says. “Start to learn to make praise for the baby steps that we take for change. Today, I ate healthy.” When it comes to creating a mindfulness program to help stay centered, she recommends reciting a gratitude list. Every morning and evening, count on your 10 fingers 10 different things you’re grateful for. She also advises practicing deep breathing. Breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth at a count of four for each breath. “I personally like to get outside because there’s much to be felt out there if we allow ourselves to go out and to take breaks,” she says.
