7simple steps

7
SIMPLE STEPS
TO LIVING
LA BUENA LIFE
Hola
&
Congratulations!
I am so happy that you are taking your health and
happiness seriously and have downloaded my 7 Simple
Steps to Living La Buena Life. Whether you have worked
with a wellness coach in the past, are working with one
now, or are planning to work with one in the future…YOU
HAVE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE! I am on a mission to
inspire you to live a healthy, balanced and prosperous life,
what I call La Buena Life.
DO YOU WISH THAT YOU:
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Were healthier?
Had more balance in your life?
Woke up with energy, passion and purpose?
Felt great about yourself?
Loved the way you looked?
Loved your life?
Made a contribution to society?
Living La Buena Life is all about living your BEST life. It’s
about feeling good, looking good and doing good, (for
others). My goal is to inspire you to go after your best
life. I am here to help you tap into your vitality, insight and
vision. And from there it’s up to YOU to take action.
TAKE ACTION TO LIVE YOUR LA BUENA LIFE!
Why you should keep reading…
W E LC OME
Let me take you back a little so that you can see where
I’m coming from (what motivates me). For as long as I
can remember, I have been the gal with boundless energy,
so much energy that I have been asked on more than
one occasion to “tone it down”. Even my parents were
quick to put me into ballet class, to offer me an outlet.
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(And my husband often refers to me as eléctrica, that’s
“electric” in Spanish). So, as you can see not much has
changed over the years. In addition to loads of energy I
have a certain joie du vivre; (that’s French, not Spanish),
and a great desire to help others. So after years teaching
Spanish to children in Pre-K through 12th grade I decided
that it was time for un cambio, a change. It was time for
me to incorporate my movement skills with my training in
education and teach people to safely move their bodies,
through Pilates. For over a decade I have improved
people’s lives through fitness. I have been lucky enough
to own two Pilates studios, train clients and instructors
throughout the world and create an award-winning Pilates
DVD series. However, it’s now time for more.
You see, for years I have devoured books and workshops
on health, wellness, exercise, nutrition, self-help,
Psychology (when I graduated college I was only one class
shy of a minor in Psychology) and more. It seemed only fit
to start a blog that encompassed those things. So I created
La Buena Life, my blog and web-series to inspire women
to feel good, look good and do good, (for others). I have
now taken it one step further, however, and am creating
products and programs to better help YOU live La Buena
Life.
I hope that my 7 Simple Steps to Living La Buena Life
gives you the jump-start that you need to start living your
BEST life!
SO…ARE YOU READY TO START LIVING YOUR
LA BUENA LIFE?
The following pages are packed with information. If some
of it seems like common knowledge, then great, you can
see how easy it really is to live La Buena Life.
W E LC OME
¡Disfrútalo! (Enjoy!)
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Give Gratitude
I
f there is one thing that we know about living in this
universe it’s that anything is possible and that like
actions attract like effects. It has been proven over and
over that by consciously utilizing the power of positive
thought individuals have overcome great sickness and strife.
Likewise, by consciously utilizing the power of gratitude
you can attract to yourself the abundance and happiness
that you desire and deserve in your life. Just the simple act
of acknowledging your blessings (whether they be good
health, the love and support of family, or a roof over your
head) holds your energy in a frequency of abundance. You
are grateful for what you have. Your energy resonates at
an abundant frequency, not a frequency of lack. Therefore,
what will be drawn to you is more abundance, abundance of
that for which you are grateful.
It’s simple, really. If you focus on the negative things in your
life, the things that bother you, that are lacking, or that make
you sad you will find yourself sad, bothered and feeling a
sense of lack. However, by focusing on the good things in
your life you will attract more of the same. So in order to
live La Buena Life you should give thanks for that which
you have and enjoy, and in that way you will continue to be
showered with good things.
An easy gratitude exercise is to give thanks for something
each morning, the moment your feet touch the floor. (Or find
another way that works for you). That way you start your day
in a positive space, not a space of disappointment and lack.
S T E P O NE
JUST REMEMBER TO GIVE GRATITUDE DAILY.
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Surround Yourself
with Positive People
A
ny successful person is only as good as the team
that they are surrounded by. Are you surrounded
by positive, supportive people? Is your team
positive? Or is there someone “toxic” in your
midst? One person with poor intentions, or bad energy can
really throw you off kilter and pull you off course. Being that
person’s friend is not necessarily doing them any favors,
either.
ST E P T WO
Friendships and relationships change over time. Oftentimes
we outgrow a relationship or realize that a lesson was
already learned from a relationship but continue to stay
there anyway, when in fact it’s time to move on. Assess your
relationships, personal and professional. Are they serving
you well, or are they draining you and bringing you down?
If so, decide to make a change. You will be glad that you
did. Realize that by letting go of a toxic relationship you are
allowing space for a new and even better relationship to
begin.
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Exercise
E
xercise is so vital for our bodies and the benefits
that we get from it are so great that it’s surprising
that more people don’t do it on a regular basis.
Exercise can improve your mood, combat chronic
diseases, help you manage your weight, boost your energy
level, promote better sleep, put the spark back into your sex
life, and yes, exercise can be — gasp — fun! So how much
exercise do we really need? The Center for Disease Control
and Prevention recommends that we get 30 minutes of
moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week and 2 days of
muscle-strengthening activities that work all major muscle
groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and
arms). Now if that feels like a chore it’s time to look at what
you call “exercise”.
STEP THREE
There are many ways to get your exercise. You can obviously
walk, jog, swim or bicycle, however you may be looking for
something different. Why not take a class? From martial arts
to salsa-aerobics there are so many kinds of group fitness
classes available these days. Sometimes we just need a little
accountability and buddy support. That’s where exercising in
an organized group setting can be a good fit. Plus, there are
now several websites that allow you to track your progress
and have buddies hold you accountable for your workouts,
not to mention there are websites dedicated to bringing
people with similar interests together for activities. A great
website to find people with similar interests is MeetUp.com.
Also, why not plan a workout with a friend, rather than a
dinner out? Sure, you can still grab a snack afterwards, but
wouldn’t be fun to feel like you earned the snack?
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Eat Clean
T
here is no fitness goal achievable without first
cleaning up your diet. One of the biggest challenges
faced when improving one’s health is changing
diet. Most of us are used to eating highly processed
foods on a regular basis and breaking away from that can
be difficult. But the good news is that it isn’t impossible and
once you make it a habit to eat clean, it becomes second
nature.
In a nutshell, eating clean is basically eating whole, natural
foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and complex
carbohydrates. It also means staying away from the basura
(junk) that typically makes up the Standard American Diet
(S.A.D). These types of foods include man-made sugar,
bad fats (hydrogenated, trans-fat), preservatives, white
bread, and any other ingredients that are unnecessary for
our bodies to function. The general clean-eating rule is “if
man made it, don’t eat it.” I mean, do you really want to eat
“engineered” food?
S T E P F OU R
Bottom line, it takes discipline in order to make eating clean
a habit, especially due to most of our society’s addictions to
sugar, white bread, and fast food. But it IS possible and has
many long-term health benefits.
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Raise Your Eco-tegrity™
*
TM
W
e are all well aware that the state of our
world is changing. Mother Nature has been
very generous to us and we have abused her
generosity. We are now at the point that we
MUST take action to care for our planet. The good news is
that simple changes can be made to positively impact the
environment. Sure, you can buy a hybrid but that’s not the
only way to do your part.
Here are some simple things that you can do to raise your
eco- tegrity™ and give back to the planet that has given
you a home:
• Recycle all paper products, not just your magazines
but empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls, receipts,
bank statements and envelopes.
• Use a refillable water bottle, aluminum, glass or
plastic. Not only will you save on waste, but the water
may even stay cooler and taste better than in a storebought water bottle.
• Refill your printer ink-cartridges, rather than throwing
them away to buy new ones. It’s better for the planet
than buying new ones and costs less, too.
• Carry reusable bags in the trunk of your car, for ALL
of your shopping, groceries and other products. Now
they make super-small reusable bags that roll up into
themselves, which are great to keep in your handbag.
• Install a low-flow shower head. It will save water,
which is good for the earth and great for your wallet!
STEP FIVE
• Begin replacing your incandescent light bulbs with
light emitting diode (LED) ones. LED bulbs burn
very cool, while incandescent bulbs emit 98% of their
energy as heat. Also, LED bulbs can last from 50,000
to 100,000 hours while incandescent light bulbs
usually only last around 1,000 hours. Much more bang
for the buck!
• This may seem obvious but when you are not in the
room TURN OFF THE LIGHTS! It’s amazing how much
electricity is wasted by people leaving the lights on,
when they are not even in the room.
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Give Away One
Thing a Day
Y
ou may change the world by giving 1 thing away,
daily. According to Cami Walker, the New York
Times Best Selling Author of Gifts: How a Month
of Giving Can Change Your Life** you should “give
one thing away each day for 29 days…Because to see your
world change, you have to DO something to change your
world.”
The simple act of taking the focus off of oneself and
putting it on another is very liberating. The best part is
that it doesn’t have to cost a penny and it’s so simple to
do! Here are some creative ways to give one thing away a
day:
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Send out positive thoughts and prayers to others.
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Make a phone call to a friend and tell him/her how much you care about them.
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Open a door for someone.
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Exchange a smile or two with strangers.
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Make a greeting card and give it to someone
you love.
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Email a friend a list of 29 things that you love about
him or her.
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Give a few sincere compliments to people throughout the day.
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Take your dog (or your neighbor’s dog) for a
nice walk.
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Invite your neighbor over for tea or coffee.
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Read a story to your child.
STEP SIX
Isn’t this fun? The real bonus, according to Cami, is that
“the best way to attract abundance into your life is to be in
a perpetual state of giving and gratitude.” So now there is
really no reason not to be generous. Everybody wins!
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Honor Yourself Daily
I
t’s important to take some time out for yourself, daily.
In order to be available for others we need to care for
ourselves. It may seem like everyone needs you and that
they wouldn’t be able to survive without you, however if
you take a little time out for yourself, life will go on, you will
have more energy to give your friends & family and they will
appreciate you that much more when you return.
Take it from Oprah, the powerhouse, who says “If you neglect
to recharge a battery, it dies. And if you run full speed ahead
without stopping for water, you lose momentum to finish the
race.”
Here are some easy ways to recharge your batteries:
• Tell yourself that you have enough time. Take a moment
to breathe, relax and tell yourself that you have enough
time. Sometimes that’s all you need to feel recharged and
get things done.
• Stop taking things so seriously. Be happy and lighthearted and you may find that you get more done than
when you are stressed out. When you’re stressed you are
tense and anxious (which may cause more mistakes). So,
don’t worry, be happy.
STEP SEVEN
• Remember that you CAN have it all, but perhaps not
all at once. Oprah, who should know, says “I’ve learned
that you can’t have everything and do everything at the
same time”. There is time for everything and a time for
everything. Now may not be the time for a particular
thing. Take this as a time to recharge your batteries,
instead of dwelling on what you wish you could have
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STEP SEVEN
• Tune in to your intentions. Let your intuition be your
guide and, again, as Oprah says “Before you agree to
do anything that might add even the smallest amount
of stress to your life, ask yourself: What is my truest
intention? Give yourself time to let a yes resound within
you. When it’s right, I guarantee that your entire body
will feel it.”
• Remember that every decision you make counts. To
recharge your batteries and stop doing too much, look
at every decision you make in the light of not just your
truest intentions but your overall life plan. Commit to
making the choices that will make the most impact in
your life.
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Stay Tuned!
Remember to stay tuned to my
¡VIVA! (vitality, insight, vision, action) ezine, which
gives you a wealth of information and strategies to
inspire you to live La Buena Life. Plus, there are many
more opportunities and perks when we are connected.
Also, feel free to email [email protected] for other
informative and useful healthy lifestyle products &
programs or call 323.744.1327.
STAY TUNED
Testimonials
“Ana Cabán’s 1 Day Retreat
was as much a treat as a
necessity. It was such a great
opportunity to get out of
myself, my business and
most importantly, my office!
Between the activities, the
Pilates, the girl talk and the
bonding, it was incredibly
refreshing. I went back to
work the next day raring to
go! Not to mention that I adored the other women
in the group! Her retreat has an inherent bonus of
networking (read ‘write off’) where you’re really
connecting with these new friends over the course of
the day.”
Personal Stylist Catherine Cassidy, Los Angeles, CA
http://www.ustyled.com
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“Ana has a spirit and energy
that is infectious and real.
She’s a woman deeply rooted
in herself and her culture….She
spreads that message of being
who you are, being true to who
you are and celebrating who
you are…. She encourages …
inspires … and wants you to live
the good life. She’s a fabulous
guru. She walks the walk and talks the talk.”
Actress/Comedienne/TV Host Kim Coles,
Los Angeles, CA http://www.kimcoles.tv
“Ana’s feel good, look good,
do good philosophy has
become an important part of
my approach to life’s ups and
downs and challenges me on
a daily basis…Ana has become
my role model for staying fit,
keeping myself in good shape
and maintaining a positive
attitude.”
TESTIMONIALS
Nadina Rauf, Rome, Italy
“Ana Cabán inspires me by
proving that you can be a
success in so many areas
of your life by believing in
yourself, putting in the work
and loving what you do.
I was so impressed with Ana’s
energy. I was also proud of
the fact that she is Latina
promoting a healthy lifestyle.
I believe that Ana’s inspiring nature is what helped
snap me back into focus; it allowed me to step back
take a deep breath and strive for La Buena Life.”
Barbara Roman, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
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ABOUT ANA
“Good Life Guru” Ana
Cabán wants everyone
to have a healthy,
balanced, and prosperous
life. It’s a passion that
informs everything she
does. Creating a line of
bestselling Pilates DVDs
based on her popular and
highly-addictive classes
was just the beginning of a
mission that she conducts
in two languages, and
bridging two cultures, as a
successful fitness & lifestyle
expert, certified wellness
coach, and radio and TV
host.
This infectiously energetic mom of a young son has
built a dedicated legion of fans ranging from fitness
enthusiasts looking for more to high-achieving
professionals who strive to incorporate some form
of fitness into their jam-packed lives. Ana’s growing
catalog of products, programs, and merchandise
all reflect her core philosophy on the importance of
living “La Buena Life” (Spanglish for “the good life”)
by feeling good, looking good, and doing good.
FOOTNOTES
* The term eco-tegrity™ has been used with permission from
Giselle Achecar, Eco-tegrity™ Specialist and Creator of both EcoRico TV and the word eco- tegrity™. For information on Giselle
Achecar and Eco-Rico TV please visit http://www.eco-rico.com.
** The book 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your
Life is available at Amazon.com. For more information on the 29
Day Giving Challenge please visit http://www.29gifts.org.
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