Many people ring in the New Year with a hangover and a resolution to improve their lives by eliminating what they feel is bad or damaging. For those living in Orange County, an area in Southern California filled with sun, ocean and much beauty, it's hard to imagine anything bad. But at times, opulence comes with decadence and we forget the simple things in life. This upcoming New Years in Orange County, consider spending it off the beaten path with some unexpected experiences that will bring health and wellness to you spiritually and organically.
Food Bank
Wellness comes from happiness with everything you have in your life. We frequently forget all the abundance we have until we realize how little some other people have. Instead of over eating and over drinking this New Year, consider helping others who have less, by working at a food bank and serving food. Then, make a New Year's resolution to donate a pound of food each week to a local food bank. Give a pound, lose a pound, it's a win-win situation. Believe it or not, food banks are open on New Year's Day, so start the year off with a bang.
Self Realization Fellowship
One of the temples of the internationally renowned Self Realization Fellowship is located up the Pacific Coast Highway, in Rancho Palos Verdes. Known for its tranquility, the meditation center offers chanting and meditation, or just an oasis in the city to escape the craziness. For those willing to take a slightly longer drive up the coast, spend your New Year's Day at the Lake Shrine Temple on Sunset, located in Pacific Palisades. The museum and gift shop are closed on holidays, but the grounds remain open for visitors.
Go Raw
Cooking through the holidays can be stressful and mind numbing. So on New Year's Day, try a new lifestyle and go raw. Spend the day preparing raw food recipes. The benefits of raw food can range from healthier skin tone to easier digestion. Heat can change the makeup of foods and cause foods to lose their beneficial enzymes. The digestive system has to work harder and longer to process cooked foods for nutrition & energy. So make some Ahi Poke with Grade-A Sashimi and juice a batch of ginger, coconut, lime and cayenne juice to start the year off in the best of health.
Learn to Ride the Waves
From Laguna Beach to Huntington Beach, Orange County has some of the best surf spots in the world. Grab a wetsuit, as it is a bit chilly in the Pacific on New Year's Day, and learn to surf or boogie board, or just plain body surf using the strength of your body. If you have a surfboard or boogie board, head to the water just below the pier in Huntington. If you have kids, try the safer waters in the cove at Laguna Beach. If you don't have a surfboard or boogie board, do like the locals and grab a food tray to use as an improvised hand board to ride the short waves near the coastline.
Sadhana and Yoga
The road to wellness includes a healthy mind. After a year of hustle and bustle, the New Year can find many of us in an exhausted spiritual state. Sadhana, frequently offered early in the morning by many yoga centers, is a combination of prayer, yoga and chanting that can help you start the day off centered, with clarity and stillness. It doesn't require a dedicated practice and belief of the yoga world, just a willingness to go beyond your daily ego and limitations.
Member Comments