In today’s crowded fitness landscape, intensive fitness programs stand out as genuine game-changers. At Premier Fitness Camp, we’ve witnessed thousands of transformations through our comprehensive wellness approach. But what makes these immersive experiences so effective when regular gym routines fall short? Let’s explore the science-backed reasons.

The Real Science Behind Intensive Fitness Programs

Preserving Muscle While Shedding Fat

Traditional diets often cause substantial muscle loss, with up to 30% of weight lost coming from muscle, not fat. In contrast, research shows structured fitness retreats experience dramatically better muscle retention.

A key study in the International Journal of Obesity found comprehensive wellness programs combining resistance training and protein intake preserved up to 90% of lean muscle mass during significant weight loss. This preservation matters because:

• Each pound of muscle burns 6-10 calories daily at rest
• Maintained muscle ensures functional strength for daily activities
• That coveted “toned” look comes from preserved muscle, not just weight loss

Figure 1: Research shows immersive wellness programs preserve up to 90% of lean muscle mass during weight loss, compared to just 70% with traditional approaches.

At PFC, we’ve perfected the balance of strength training, nutrition, and recovery that protects muscle while maximizing fat loss, creating sustainable results. Learn more about our weight loss programs designed to optimize your body composition.

The Mental Transformation

Breaking Through Mental Blocks

The most powerful changes happen in your mind. The American Psychological Association has documented how concentrated physical challenges in supportive environments create lasting mental resilience.

When fully immersed in a transformative wellness experience, several psychological shifts occur:

• Breaking entrenched patterns that have held you back
• Seeing yourself as someone who naturally makes healthy choices
• Discovering abilities beyond what you previously thought possible

Our guests regularly apply this newfound confidence to work challenges, relationships, and personal goals, benefits rarely seen from conventional approaches. See real transformations in our client success stories.

Why Immersive Programs Outperform Traditional Methods

Research shows forming habits typically takes 66 days in everyday settings. In a dedicated wellness environment, this timeline shrinks dramatically through:

• Structured schedules that eliminate decision fatigue
• Quick wins reinforcing positive behaviors
• Supportive community strengthening commitment
• Expert coaches providing immediate feedback

This accelerated habit formation explains why our comprehensive approach succeeds when traditional fitness plans fail. We’re rewiring patterns for life, not just changing your body temporarily.

A Day at Premier Fitness Camp

Wonder what an immersive wellness experience actually looks like? Here’s a glimpse into a typical day at PFC:

• 7:00 AM: Morning hike or outdoor activity to energize body and mind
• 8:30 AM: Nutritious, chef-prepared breakfast
• 9:30 AM: Strength training session with personal coaches
• 11:30 AM: Nutrition workshop or cooking demonstration
• 12:30 PM: Lunch and brief recovery period
• 2:00 PM: High-intensity interval training or specialized fitness activity
• 4:00 PM: Mindset workshop or behavioral coaching session
• 6:00 PM: Dinner and evening reflection

Unlike traditional approaches, an immersive wellness retreat provides the structured environment and expert guidance needed to break through plateaus. Explore our world-class facilities at Omni La Costa Resort to see where your transformation will take place.

The Power of Shared Experience

According to Harvard researchers, there’s a 57% increase in maintaining health behaviors when supported by like-minded people. The connections formed at fitness retreats provide:

• Natural accountability
• Genuine celebration of achievements
• Collective problem-solving
• Real inspiration from others’ success

We intentionally foster this supportive community, creating a profound difference from the typically isolated experience of traditional fitness approaches.

Hear From Our Guests: The Power of Transformation

Watch how our supportive environment helps guests achieve lasting transformations:

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Intensive Program Results vs. Traditional Methods

The data clearly shows that comprehensive wellness programs accelerate results by optimizing every aspect of your health journey. A University of California study on PFC’s approach revealed:

Result Measure	At PFC	Traditional Approach
Weekly Weight Loss	4-7 pounds	1-2 pounds
Muscle Preservation	85-90%	60-70%
VO2 Max Improvement	14-18%	5-10%
Habit Continuation (6 months)	68%	32%

Note: Data represents typical results seen in our program participants. Individual results may vary based on initial fitness level, adherence to the program, and other factors.

Our guests achieve in weeks what might take months with conventional approaches thanks to expert guidance, optimized nutrition, strategic exercise, and psychological support offered in our transformative programs.

Our Comprehensive Approach: The Think-Eat-Move Framework

Think: The Mental Foundation of Lasting Change

Mental preparation forms the foundation of lasting change. Our behavioral specialists provide:

• Practical mindset workshops that transform challenge responses
• Stress management techniques for real-world application
• Goal-setting systems for long-term motivation
• Tools for understanding emotional relationships with food

Eat

Our nutritional education develops true food literacy through:

• Hands-on cooking with our chefs
• Real-world grocery shopping strategies
• Restaurant navigation techniques
• Understanding individual metabolic needs

According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, culinary education combined with nutritional guidance results in 67% greater adherence to healthy eating compared to diet instructions alone.

Move

Our fitness protocols focus on:

• Maximum results in minimum time
• Injury prevention
• Progressive advancement
• Creating sustainable workout habits

This integrated approach explains why participants in our programs maintain results long-term; they’ve gained comprehensive lifestyle skills that support continued progress.

Beyond Your Stay: Ongoing Support for Lasting Results

The transition home is where many traditional programs fail. At PFC, we’ve developed comprehensive systems to support your continued success after your wellness retreat:

• PFC At Home Program: Weekly one-on-one coaching sessions with our expert team
• Digital Tools: Access to meal plans, workout programs, and progress tracking
• Alumni Community: Connect with fellow graduates for ongoing motivation
• Quarterly Check-ins: Structured follow-ups to ensure you’re staying on track

Is an Intensive Fitness Program Right for You?

Consider our transformative approach if:

• You’ve hit frustrating plateaus despite consistent effort
• Your schedule makes gradual approaches impractical
• You learn best through total immersion
• Medical considerations make supervised programming beneficial
• Accountability significantly impacts your consistency

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, supervised programs result in 3.3 times greater adherence than self-directed attempts.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long are PFC wellness programs?

Our programs range from 1-4 weeks, with most guests experiencing optimal results with a 2-week stay. We work with your schedule to create the most effective timeline for your goals.

Do I need to be fit to attend?

Absolutely not. We welcome guests of all fitness levels and adapt every workout to your current abilities while progressively challenging you. Our team specializes in meeting you where you are and building from there.

What happens after I leave?

Your transformation doesn’t end when you leave. Every guest receives a customized plan for continuing their progress at home. We also offer virtual coaching, our PFC at Home program, and a supportive alumni community to ensure lasting success.

Experience Transformation at Premier Fitness Camp

At Premier Fitness Camp, we’ve refined our approach through years of experience. Located at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, we combine world-class facilities with expert guidance to create an unparalleled transformation experience.

Ready to experience the difference?

Contact Our Team Today

Premier Fitness Camp is a leading weight loss retreat in Southern California, featuring certified personal trainers, registered dietitians, behavioral health specialists, and wellness coaches dedicated to your transformation journey.

This article references studies from the Journal of Applied Physiology, International Journal of Obesity, American Psychological Association, European Journal of Social Psychology, New England Journal of Medicine, University of California, and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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Animals can be some of the best teachers in life, if you simply pay attention to the way they live, love, and interact with the world around them.

They possess an incredibly grounding energy that:

• Teaches us how to stay present (they’re rarely worried about the future or tormented by the past)
• Provides unconditional love
• Heals hearts and souls

This is the reason why therapy dogs—and cats, rabbits, and other creatures—have become so ubiquitous in hospitals, long-term living facilities, and prisons.

These compassionate animals provide love and affection to those who need it most. They bring joy into lonely hearts, comfort the sick, and offer physical contact to people who otherwise receive little or no touch.

If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to live with a dog, you know how they make you feel—like you’re the center of the universe. Who else is going to greet you with such unbridled joy—tail wagging, turning in frantic circles, howling in excitement—when you come home from work?

They’re so much more than our best friends; they’re members of our families and, for many people, the living being with whom they share the strongest connection. The animal-human bond is profoundly powerful—and research is finally proving it.

Here are four ways spending time with animals can make you happier and healthier:

1. Improved Physical and Mental Health

Pets can lower blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels. A recent study found that even the simple act of watching fish swim in an aquarium can lower blood pressure and heart rate and reduce stress. Furthermore, pets provide companionship that can help combat feelings of loneliness.

2. Increased Exercise

Most dogs need to be walked twice a day, which means you’re walking right alongside them. This increased physical activity not only improves your physical health, but also combats depression and makes you happier.

3. More Opportunities to Socialize

Animals have an uncanny ability to transcend social barriers. You’ve probably noticed that it’s much easier to strike up a conversation with a person who has an adorable animal in tow than someone who does not.

This social interaction, however brief, can increase feelings of happiness and help you feel more connected to your community.

4.  Release of Oxytocin

Oxytocin is the feel-good hormone responsible for the euphoric love and unbreakable bond between human mother and baby. Gazing into a dog’s eyes releases oxytocin in both the dogs and the humans.

Of course, not everyone can have pets at home. They are, after all, an enormous responsibility. But there are so many ways to spend time with animals without the long-term commitment of a family pet.

Here are some alternative ways to reap the benefits of spending time with animals:

Volunteering

Think beyond the four walls of the local shelter and explore other rescue organizations in your area that focus on specific species, breeds, and medical conditions. And then get involved.

These rescue organization need kind and loving people just like you to help:

• Walk dogs
• Pet cats
• Train and socialize animals
• Provide foster care
• Help with transportation

Whatever your passion may be, these organizations will put you to work to improve an animal’s life.

Volunteering with a rescue organization is a double dose of happiness, too, because not only does spending time with animals boost your mood, but acting in the service of others is an excellent way to improve both physical and mental health.

Wildlife Watching

Go to a local park, beach, or forest and observe the birds, squirrels, and any other creatures that might be there. Watch them move about their world or close your eyes and listen to the sounds they make.

Slow down and pay attention to how they focus on the simple things, like chewing an acorn or building a nest. This can help you feel more connected with nature, and thus more grounded and at ease.

Pet Sitting

This is a wonderful way to spend some quality time with animals if you can’t have your own pet. Pet owners are always eager to find reliable, animal-loving humans to look after their pets while they’re away. Try:

• Watching a pair of dogs while their owners leave for the day
• Feeding a friend’s cats while she’s on vacation
• In-home pet sitting for longer-term vacations

Supporting Animals from Afar

Maybe you love animals but you don’t necessarily want to or can’t be physically close to them. There are countless ways to support our best friends and love them from afar.

You can donate to an animal rescue, organize a fundraiser, or assist with administrative tasks—like drumming up grants or helping out with a rescue organization’s social media.

Being Prepared

Here’s something simple anyone can do right away, and it benefits both animals and humans. Store a few small packets of dog food and human snacks in your car. When you see a homeless person with a dog, offer them the dog food along with the snacks.

Showing compassion toward others—even in a small way—is a positive practice that lifts spirits and brightens days.

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Let’s face it: we can’t eliminate stress completely. It’s part of being human. However, we don’t have to be helpless bystanders waiting for stress to strike; nor should we feel overpowered by the first indication that it’s moving in.

We can exert a certain level of control to help manage stress levels. With the proper tools—diet, sleep, and meditation—we can handle stress in a healthy, effective manner.

Ayurveda teaches us that body and mind are strongly interlaced; it’s important that you nourish them both through a proper diet, sleep, and meditation. These three steps will not only help you handle stress when it crops up, they should also lessen its intensity and frequency.

Adjust Your Diet

Diet can either help or hinder your ability to handle stress. High-nutrient foods provide you with energy and a productive mindset to effectively handle stress. Other foods and beverages can actually sabotage your efforts.

Eat More:

• Complex carbohydrates send a signal to the brain to increase production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter believed to play a key role in emotion and mood.
  Found in: whole grain breads, green vegetables, beans, and legumes

• Vitamin C boosts the immune system and helps lower levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
  Found in: oranges, kiwi, and red/green bell peppers

• Magnesium regulates cortisol levels. Low magnesium can cause fatigue and headaches, making it difficult to manage stress.
  Found in: spinach, avocados, and nuts

• Omega-3 fatty acids lower stress hormones and blood pressure as well as improve cardiovascular health.
  Found in: salmon, nuts, and seeds

Eat Less:

• Caffeine acts as a stimulant, causing the release of adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream.
• Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, digest quickly and temporarily spike serotonin levels. Instead, choose natural sources found in fruit, milk, and other dairy products.
  Found in: candy, table sugar, and soft drinks, and have little if any nutritional value.
• Alcohol changes levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in the brain, which can result in feelings of anxiety
• Processed foods. Choose produce over packaged items.

Develop Better Sleeping Habits

Restful, quality sleep is vital for combating stress. Unfortunately, stress can get in the way of achieving this. Stress can cause your mind to race, impacting the quality and quantity of your sleep. In a 2013survey, adults who slept less than eight hours a night reported feeling more irritable, overwhelmed, and stressed than those who slept at least that much.

Developing better sleep habits can put the odds in your favor of hitting that eight-hour mark, despite feelings of stress. Here are a few suggestions of healthy sleep habits:

• Take a walk after dinner
• Eat a light dinner and avoid heavy snacks in the evening
• Turn off electronics (including cell phone) an hour or two before bed
• Take a warm bath (add essential oils such as lavender or rose)
• Read or journal to gear down

Start a Meditation Practice

You might find it difficult to control thoughts and emotions, let alone your body’s reaction to them, when you’re feeling stressed. Luckily, the practice of meditation can help slow racing thoughts, regulate emotions, and calm the body. The benefits of meditation include reduced stress, decreased muscle tension, and improved sleep quality.

Beginning a meditation practice is simple, requires little resources, and can be done just about anywhere. As few as 15 minutes a day of meditation, ideally in the morning and/or evening, can be beneficial.

Find a quiet, comfortable space to practice where you won’t be disturbed and remember to breathe naturally and easily. Should thoughts arise, which will inevitably happen, try not to judge them, but rather focus your attention back to your breath or chosen mantra.

Remember, the purpose behind meditation is not to “empty” the mind but to find the quiet that already exists within it.  

Deepen your meditation practice and overall health at Chopra Fit—a week long weight loss and wellness retreat that combines the healing practice for yoga and meditation from the renowned Chopra Center for Wellbeing with the leading health experts behind PFC Fitness Camp.

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It is possible. And once you’ve stopped judging yourself, you can begin to have a more fulfilling life. Meditation, acceptance of who you are, and loving yourself as you love your family and friends are all ways to learn to stop the destructive habit of self-judgment.

But before you start trying to correct this tendency, it’s worth examining why you judge yourself. When you look at yourself, what do you see? Do you look with love or shame?

Trying to push yourself to reach your full potential is a worthy effort. But it needs to be done with love and compassion for you. Without love and compassion, your desire to better yourself can take a negative turn anytime you miss or fall short of a goal.

Discipline yourself to think and act with grace and positivity. When that attitude is turned inward, it shines, and alters the way you treat yourself. If your intentions are to better yourself, then there is no room for negative self-judgment. Remember that every mistake is growth, and every negative serves to bring light to the positive.

1. Determine Where Your Judgments Are Coming From

When we look at the rest of the world, our minds have a natural tendency to analyze all the stimuli. This form of judgment is a way for the brain to manipulate and use the body’s environment to assess and adapt. When we look within, all of our 60,000 to 80,000 daily thoughts are similarly analyzed.

Meditation allows you to push out the noise and fine-tune your thoughts. Once you’ve become more aware, you’re able to peek into the inner world. This is the space of consciousness beyond judgment that just blissfully is. The more you tune into this aspect of yourself, the more you can see the imperfections in how you see yourself.

Sometimes how you see something is more important than what you see. Pay attention to where your judgments are coming from and “who” is doing the judging. Shift your awareness to a loving discernment and free your self of negativity.

2. Love Yourself

The problem with self-judgment arises from its roots. Judgment can be useful; it can help you come to an understanding and then take action. Discernment is a reason-based form of judgment. When judgment is based on logic and impartiality, your intentions are to better yourself. You are taking accountability, and this is healthy.

Seek thoughts that align with love for you. If your thoughts lead to self-pity, and other lower vibrations, chances are you will continue to give yourself more material to hate. This is because this form of judgment is not rooted in self-love. Be kinder to yourself. Forgive your wrongs with a heart that wants to manifest more right. A judge’s job is to restore balance, to reset harmony. As your own judge, learn to do so with compassion and a mindset for evolution.

3. Treat Yourself as You Treat Others

Chances are, judgments of yourself are harsher than those placed on others. You may see some of the same actions and physical flaws in others, but react differently. Why? Maybe it’s because there is a degree of separation. It’s easier to be kind to others and overlook their negatives because they are not you. Your ownership over your personal image will not allow you to be so kind.

Pay attention to how you smile and enjoy your time with your overweight friend and love them without judgment of their image, yet cruelly dissect yourself over a few pounds. What’s the difference? Why can you encourage that friend who struggles with substance abuse, but treat yourself horribly for not breaking destructive habits. Do you love them more than yourself?

Try to recognize what you overlook in others. Think about the characteristics you share and how you treat them differently. Replace those self-loathing attitudes with forgiveness just as you would a loved one. Love your Self just as much as anyone else and show it.

4. Be the Witness

When self-judgment arises, shift mental gears. Step out of the conversation you’re having with yourself. Don’t engage the negative thought, just passively acknowledge it. When you don’t get defensive, your truths come to the surface.

Self-judgment is not intended to hurt. Your criticism can be motivational. You’re your worst hater, because you’re your biggest fan!

Truth transcends and sometimes works through emotional sensitivity. Release your sensitivity to judgment and just witness. It is the process of change happening within. Your emotions are what prolong the change and cause more despair. Simply observe.

Judgmental thoughts turn negative when you process them as detractions from your worth. When you are grounded fully in yourself and are detached from ego, you can realize self-judgment as love. Witness the thought and its origin, without defense, and you will be victorious over self-judgments.

Want to go even deeper?

Nourish your entire body, mind and spirit at Chopra Fit— a week long weight loss and wellness retreat that combines the healing practice for yoga and meditation from the renowned Chopra Center for Wellbeing with the leading health experts behind PFC Fitness Camp.

The post How to Stop Judging Yourself appeared first on Premier Fitness Camp.

Many of us spend most of the year thinking about what we want and what’s next. It’s not until Thanksgiving that we’re reminded to think about what we’re grateful for and how to express that gratitude.

Expressing thanks shouldn’t be a once-a-year tradition. It is possible to cultivate a gratitude mindset that will stick with you throughout the year. A gratitude mindset means lower levels of envy, anxiety, and depression as well as increased optimism and well-being. Research recently conducted at University of California-Davis found gratitude gives the person expressing it the power to heal, to be energized, and to change lives.

What Are the Benefits of Gratitude?

Gratitude can impact the physical, psychological, and social aspects of an individual’s well-being, studies show. Positive psychology sees gratitude as one of the keys in turning potential negatives into positives.

Here are some of the benefits that come from adopting a gratitude mindset.

Physical benefits:

• a stronger immune system
• less bothered by aches and pains
• lower blood pressure
• sleep longer and feel more rested upon awakening

Social benefits:

• more compassionate, generous, and helpful
• more forgiving
• more outgoing
• feel less lonely or isolated

Psychological benefits:

• higher levels of positive emotion
• more alert, alive, awake
• more joy and pleasure
• more optimism and happiness

The Challenges to Gratitude

Being thankful might seem like a simple task. There are roadblocks to gratitude, including narcissism, materialism, and even overscheduling. There are also the myths that gratitude expressed at work is “kissing butt,” that it can lead to complacency, isn’t possible in the midst of suffering, or makes you a pushover.

Gratitude is stronger when it is shared. To sustain your gratitude mindset, find a way to verbalize, write it down, or share through social media. Just like meditation is a practice, so too is gratitude.

3 Quick Gratitude Boosters

Keep a Gratitude Journal: At the end of each day, make a list of three things you are grateful for. Think of everything from running water and a cozy bed to no red lights during your commute and having a great friend at work. The list can be endless! As you practice, you strengthen the neural pathways that help you find even more things to be grateful for. Pretty soon, gratitude will be your attitude.

In one study funded by the John Templeton Foundation as part of the Greater Good Science Center’s Expanding Gratitude Project, middle school students listed five things they were grateful for—for two weeks.  They were then compared to a control group documenting their everyday events. At the end, the gratitude group reported more satisfaction with their school experience.

Write a Gratitude Letter: Choose someone who has made a positive impact on your life. Write he or she a letter explaining how and thanking them. Be specific and include lots of description. You can either mail the letter or just tuck it away. Expressing your gratitude heightens it.

Receive Gratefully: Many of us are better givers than receivers. Put your focus on your experience of receiving gratitude. When you’re given a compliment, do you belittle yourself by saying “it was nothing” or by playing down your role? Notice your experience as a recipient and try to receive complements or thanks with grace. The law of giving and receiving places equal emphasis on both sides.

Gratitude is essential for happiness. By setting the intention to prioritize gratitude, you have already begun to adopt the mindset. So thank yourself!

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While there are many products on the market that address these issues, aromatherapy offers a natural way to soothe and protect yourself.

Aromatherapy is an incredible healing art and science, supporting and enhancing immunity and mind-body wellness. At the core of aromatherapy are essential oils, which are extracted from different parts of plants and abundant in healing properties.

Various essential oils support the immune system by soothing the nervous system and reducing stress. Use the following essential oils and recipes to help enhance your immunity and strengthen your respiratory system for the season.

Essential Oils That Boost Immunity

Tea tree oil

Purpose:

• Enhancing your immune system

Properties:

• Anti-microbial
• Anti-viral
• Decongestant
• Expectorant

Frankincense (C02 extract)

Purpose:

• Enhancing the immune system
• Supporting excess Vata
• Relieving anxiety (produces sedative effect)
• May reduce feelings of grief and sadness

Properties

• Expectorant
• Anti-microbial
• Anti-tussive

Eucalyptus Globulus

Purpose

• Fighting colds, flu, coughs, and bronchitis
• Supporting excess Kapha
• Reducing mucous
• Reducing lethargy

Properties

• Expectorant
• Decongestant
• Anti-viral
• Anti-tussive

Note: Avoid use of Eucalyptus globulus and peppermint for children.

Scots Pine

Purpose

• Expanding the breath
• Opening up the lungs
• Supporting excess Kapha

Properties

• Anti-viral
• Anti-microbial
• Expectorant
• Decongestant

Helichrysum (AKA “Immortelle”)

Purpose

• Fighting sinus infection, ear infection, bronchitis, and lung congestion
• May reduce feelings of grief and sadness

Properties

• Decongestant

Rosemary

Purpose

• Fighting colds, sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis
• Expands and deepens the breath

Properties

• Expectorant

There are many ways to reap the benefits of essential oils. Follow these four recipes to get the most out of them.

Direct Bottle Inhalation for Colds

Putting essential oils directly in a bottle allows for easy storage and travel. You can take them wherever you go. This undiluted blend is great for congestion relief.

Ingredients:

• 6 drops of rosemary essential oil
• 4 drops of helichrysum essential oil

Directions: In a 10 ml, dark cobalt or amber essential oil glass bottle, combine the two oils. Waft bottle under nose, inhaling deeply three to four times daily, as needed. Gently shake bottle before inhaling to synergize.

Purifying Room Mist Spray

Use essential oils to create a room spray that can help turn any environment into a place of healing.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces pure water
• 10 drops cinnamon leaf oil
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 10 drops lemon essential oil
• 10 drops eucalyptus globulus

Directions: Gently swirl essential oils in a 4 oz. PET hard plastic mist spray bottle to synergize, add pure water. Shake before spraying in room to purify the air. Not for dermal use, avoid contact with eyes.

Direct Palm Inhalation

Direct Inhalation is one of the safest methods of using essential oils and can be very effective.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 drops of any essential oil

Directions: Add essential oil to a tissue, place tissue in palm of hands, and inhale deeply two to three times through the nose. Do this twice daily.

Steam Inhalation

For a different experience, try using steam to inhale essential oils. This can be a great practice for cold days.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 drops of any essential oil
• 2 cups steaming hot water

Directions: Add essential oil to steaming hot water in a basin. Cover your head with a towel and place your head above the basin. Breathe through your nose from a comfortable distance, exhaling through your mouth. Keep your eyes closed.

Keep in Mind

When using essential oils, keep the following in mind:

• Low concentrations of essential oils should be used with children, elderly, and pregnant women (less than 2 percent).
• Use essential oils in a well-ventilated area and keep concentrated oils away from children and pets.
• Keep bottles tightly closed to prevent evaporation and oxidation.
• Before using essential oils, test your body’s reaction on a small patch of skin.
• If you are pregnant or under care for a medical condition, consult with your doctor before using essential oils.
• Never ingest oils and never use undiluted oils on the skin.

Remember that aromatherapy can greatly benefit your health, but is not a cure for ailments. It’s a complementary treatment used to help alleviate symptoms.

Aromatherapy is not meant to replace a diagnosis or treatment by a physician.

Nourish your entire body, mind and soul at Chopra Fit— a week long weight loss and wellness retreat that combines the healing practice for yoga and meditation from the renowned Chopra Center for Wellbeing with the leading health experts behind PFC Fitness Camp.

*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chopra Center’s Mind-Body Medical Group; and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program. 

The post 4 Aromatherapy Recipes to Boost Your Immune System appeared first on Premier Fitness Camp.

A is for Awaken

Meditation is a way to awaken purpose, awaken health, awaken abundance, awaken connection, and awaken creativity. You can allow your true self to reveal and awaken your pure potential through meditation, including guided meditation or silent or mantra meditation.

B is for Being

To sit and be—without thinking, without effort, without judgment—is the gift of meditation. We are not our past, nor are we our future. Be present.

C is for Connection

Connection is twofold: connection to self and connection to those around us. At first these might seem separate but as you connect to your source through meditation, the recognition that we are all waves of the same ocean deepens.

D is for Detachment

Detachment reveals the great paradox of life: In order to acquire something, you have to relinquish your attachment to having it. When you recognize the only genuine source of security is living as your true self, then you can more easily detach. Meditation helps you to get present and detach.

E is for Ego

According to Eckhart Tolle, author of books on ego like A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, ego is any image you have of yourself that gives you a sense of identity. Ego likes to separate us from others rather than encourage oneness and connection. Meditation acts as a tool to silence the ego and allow the true connected self to be seen.

F is for Flexibility

People with flexible minds are adaptable, open, and resilient. Like bamboo in the wind, they are strong but pliable. Being flexible allows you to embrace your day rather than bracing for it. Meditation cultivates a flexible mind.

G is for Gratitude

Meditation reminds us how everything fits into a greater plan. It connects us with spirit, God, or the universe, and with this connection comes gratitude—gratitude for who we are and what we have. Gratitude has been proven to benefit our physical, physiological, and mental health.

H is for Happiness

Happiness increases when you meditate. Studies have shown that the centers for emotional processing are just one of the areas that change significantly with a meditation practice. People who meditate regularly report higher levels of well-being and are less bothered by aches and pains. This all translates to increased joy.

I is for Immunity

The immune system is highly influenced by your mind. Meditators get benefits to their immune system’s function, including increased antibodies and decreased inflammation.

J is for Joy

Meditation leads to joy. Once you believe that the universe is working for you and that everything is happening for your good, meditation can help by turning up your awareness and allowing you to witness the joy in every situation. You will begin to notice if and when you are struggling or resisting the natural flow.

K is for Karma

In its simplest form, karma might be described as an energetic loop where every action generates an equal force of energy that returns to us—what we sow is what we reap. In meditation, you tap into your ability to make spontaneously correct choices for yourself and for all those around you.

L is for Letting Go

Want to let go of a habit that doesn’t serve you? Meditation is a tool to allow you to step outside your pattern and change it. Meditation also helps you to let go of the past and forgive by training your mind to stay present.

M is for Manifest

Manifest can mean to reveal presence or make an appearance. When you meditate, you are more clearly able to manifest goals that align with your highest self.

N is for Namasté

This popular word, which you might have heard at the end of a yoga class, is both a spoken Indian expression and a symbolic gesture that means “the God within me greets the God within you.” Namasté is the recognition that we are all equal and share a common divinity.

O is for Om

The primordial vibration Om (or “aum”) is sometimes chanted at the end of meditation or as part of a longer mantra used throughout meditation. It is considered the most sacred sound in Hinduism and Buddhism.

P is for Peace

In the words of the Dalai Lama, “If every 8-year old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.”

Q is for Quiet

Meditation is practiced quietly in order to quiet the mind. Note that quiet and silence are not the same thing in this case. When the world around you is loud, busy, or filled with distractions, the quiet that meditation provides doesn’t occur by turning off these stimuli but by focusing elsewhere, which gives you the perception of quiet.

R is for Raja or Royal Path

Raja yoga is frequently referred to as the “royal path to yoga” because it focuses on practices that take your awareness inward and promotes the integration of the mind, body, and spirit. Meditation is one of these practices.

S is for Subtle Body

This is where the magic happens—outside any physical construct and in a non-local place. Your mind, your ego, and your intellect all work together to form the subtle body.

T is for Transformation

Through meditation the mind and the body are transformed right down to a cellular level. Telomerase is another “T” word. It controls the age function of cells and recent studies have shown that meditation can positively impact the aging of cells by lengthening the telomerase.

U is for Unique

Your meditation is unique to you; there is no correct way to meditate. Whether it be mantra or silent, with music or without, in a group or on your own, whatever style of meditation works to keep you showing up for your meditation practice is the perfect style for you.

V is for Vitality

Meditation leads to vitality—the ability to flourish with a balanced physical, mental, and spiritual body. When your mind is at peace and you have left behind the patterns of stress and anxiety that are so common in today’s society, vitality comes more easily.

W is for Wholeness

Wholeness is also known as unity consciousness or the state of enlightenment, in which there is complete freedom from all conditioning, including habit, past experience, and karma.

X is for Ex- …

Meditation is helpful in kicking unhealthy habits to the curb. If you want to be an ex-smoker, an ex-drinker, or an ex-anorexia sufferer, meditation can help. Check out the Chopra Addiction & Wellness Center for more information on how to release unhealthy habits and get on the path to wellness.

Y is for Yoga

Yoga, the way many people think of it, is the asanas or physical postures; however, yoga actually has four limbs: karma, raja, gyan, and bhakti.

Z is for Zen

“Zen” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese character “chan,” which in turn is the Chinese translation from the Indian Sanskrit term dhyana, which means “the development of witnessing awareness.”

Now that you know your ABCs of meditation, there’s no reason to delay your next meditation. For more information on incorporating mediation, movement, nutrition and mindset into your life, check out our Chopra Fit program— a week long weight loss and wellness retreat that combines the healing practice for yoga and meditation from the renowned Chopra Center for Wellbeing with the leading health experts behind PFC Fitness Camp.

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