MSI Press Blog

When you’re knee deep in work in the office or at home, gratitude is probably not the first thing that crosses your mind. Instead, you might have racing thoughts about how much you still have to do today or about things that aren’t going your way. Enter gratitude practice. Gratitude is appreciating and recognizing the abundance already in your life. Among its many benefits, living in gratitude can enhance your optimism and expand your heart. Gratitude is always there, but practicing it is a choice. Every thought you think, every word you speak, every action you take can carry the vibration of gratitude. As I write this, I’m typing with one hand because my son is sitting on my lap, asking me how to spell different words. And do you know what? Instead of feeling like he is bothering me and redirecting his attention elsewhere, I’m grateful for his questions and his curiosity, and that he still wants to hang out with me. I know in a few moments, he’ll wonder off to play wit

Adding yet another thing to your to-do list when you're already overwhelmed may be out of the question, but what if this extra thing could help bring more clarity and balance to the rest of your life? Enter journaling—one of my favorite self-care practices. Journaling helps me to continuously check in with myself, organizes my thoughts and brings laser focus to what areas of my life are in need of more attention. Journal every day to be well on your way to more clarity and balance. Journaling can help you: 1.      Articulate who you are and name what it is that you want. 2.      Become more aware of your habits and patterns so you can modify them if needed. 3.      Let go of stress, release emotions that no longer serve you and process experiences. 4.      Spark creativity, including helping to identify innovative solutions you may not have previously considered. 5.      Connect to the possibilities available to you in every moment. Get Started Tod

Congratulations to Julie Gentile for winning the bronze medal in the IPPY Living Now competition for her book, 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas .

Julie Gentile, author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas , was featured in an article, " When Yoga and Journalism Collide ," on the Roosevelt University website.

Julie Gentile, author of 1 08 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas , wrote an arutlce published on the Power of Moms blog: "5 Ways to Feel Amazing When You're a Busy Mom" Great picture, too! Read the article here .

For National Women's Health and Fitness Day, Julie (author of 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas) provided us the following guest post. My 3-year-old does Downward-Facing Dog and Tree Pose. Even at her age, she’s learning how simple and fun it can be to fit in exercise and that exercise is integral to mind-body wellness.   Since she and her brother were newborns, they’ve seen mama stretch, run, walk and lift weights. And some days they exercise with me. The message they’re getting about exercise is: “Fitness is fun and it helps keep us healthy!” As they grow, they’ll know exercise is just as much a part of their day as brushing their teeth and washing their hands. I wake up knowing when I’m going to workout. Fitness fits in the nooks and crannies of almost every day. Sometimes it’s a 20-minute yoga video before breakfast; other times it’s a 30-minute walk outside with the family after dinner. Scheduling time for exercise

So, after a bit of hiatus because of that pesky roatotr cuff overuse that made my trainer suggest I leave off some of the more strenu ous arm activity, I returned to yoga. Suerprisingly, yoga requires a good deal of arm strength. (This has been a surprise to me: my arm strength is not good enough to get me easily through a one-hour yoga class, but it is good enough to get me rather easily through a two-hour rock climbing class. Boy, the myths are being vividly revealed as I continu with training.) One of the things I have learned is something I suppose every athlete knows, but, then, I am not and have never been an athlete, so I would not be aware of it. That is the best knowledge (and not really a sexret at all): no matter what it is you want to do, however impossible that seems, just start small and keep on going. That happened with leg presses. I struggled at first, just 18 months ago with 10 pounds, and I stayed around 30-40 pounds for months. Now, surprisingly, I can do 24

Julie M.Gentile's 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices For Busy Mamas is an uplifting and inspirational book that will give confidence to moms out there to become their own wellness leaders by prioritizing self-care so they can make positive changes in their families, friends, coworkers, and the world. The author's ultimate wellness path shared in this book will help to create an easy transition from caring for others around the clock for caring more for you. The 108 (a sacred number in yoga) writing prompts, meditations, yoga poses, breathing exercises, and other wellness practices will inspire readers to walk a path of self-love.  The book will help readers kick start their self-care journey and readers who practice will see wellness coming into their lives. The life-changing practices can be incorporated into daily life and the tips and tools are good to getting started  and keeping the wellness inspiration flowing. Practicing yoga gives the resources and motivation to t

Name: Julie M. Gentile Book: 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas Date of Interview: June 10, 2019 Who are you? What do you want readers to know about you? I am a full-time working mom, certified and Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher, author of the book 108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas (MSI Press), wellness speaker, and creator of the blog Stand Up for Your Self-Care . I am on a wellness mission to inspire other moms to have the courage to stand up for their self-care. Why are you qualified to write this book? I have two young children and I work full-time, so I understand what it means to be busy in the modern world raising little ones. I have been leading yoga classes since 2011, and I have authored numerous health and wellness articles for multiple publications and websites.   What is the message of your book? What should be the take-away by readers? Everyone deserves more self-care. Whether you dedicate an hour to exerc

Yes, it is out!! Chock full of help for mothers who want to stay fit physically and mentally.  At the MSI Press webstore. At online booksellers. And, before anyone else has had a chance to stock it, at Barbara's Bookstore in the Chicago area.

Sent to the printer this week:  108 Yoga and Self-Care Practices for Busy Mamas  by yoga instructor and guru Julie Gentile. Already available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble. As a mama with a life full beyond belief, do you find yourself too busy to take good care of yourself? Whatever your situation, you deserve spectacular health and wellness. As a mama, your life is full beyond belief, so full that it’s easy for you to forget about self-care. With all of your responsibilities, you’re pressed for time in a major way. But if you don’t take great care of yourself, who will? This guide is your ticket on how to learning to live well as a modern mama. With Millennial working mama, certified yoga teacher, and widely published author, Julie Gentile, as your personal wellness mentor, this book coaches you along your own authentic wellness path. Using 108 writing prompts and self-care practices, yoga poses, meditation, and breathing exercises, Julie shows you practical ways to

Today, I began my yoga classes. I dropped in to the gym's Flow Yoga class. Earlier, when I consulted with my trainer, Brittany, she suggested that, of the classes that the gym offered, yoga would be the most beneficial for me in my seeking to develop the skills needed for coping successfully with the ninja obstacles. I quickly saw how well she had identified my weaknesses, the most significant of them being balance. The yoga instructor was patient with me as I topped over again and again. Stand on one foot? No, I don't think so. Not yet, anyway. My ability to handle positions, like the downward dog pose above, surprised me, pleasantly so. All the work on core with Brittany for the past six months really had prepared me for poses requiring core development. Planks? Not a problem. Contort legs and arms? Not a problem -- for six months, I have also been working on flexibility. However, balancing on one foot ended up with both feet on the floor or real tipping over. Than