Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only as far as I seek can I go, Only as deep as I look can I see, Only as much as I dream can I be Karen Raven

In spite of the unpredictable weather (tropical heat, then snow blizzards!) it is Spring! (Or is it early Summer? I can't tell!) With Spring comes the chance to be outside more even if it is dodging between rain showers! I know, the weather isnt really playing ball at the moment, but couldnt you be? After a winter conserving energy and warmth inside, and of lovely comfort foods, it is time to shake yourself off and become more active, to add more movement to your life and to begin to breathe.

When you wake in the morning, instead of rolling out of bed groaning, take a moment to throw back the covers, raise your arms above your head and stretch! Take deep breaths and really welcome the start of a new day. This is a day full of possibilities! Have fun adding more movement into your daily life. Dance, whenever or wherever. It doesnt really matter what other people think of you as you take the floor at the supermarket! In fact, youll make them smile, which has to be good! Run up and down stairs. Enjoy every feeling in your body as you relearn how each muscle works and moves. Join a friend on a walk, or for a swim. It doesnt have to cost much, if anything at all. Borrow a fitness video from the library. Try them all out to find which appeals to you. We all are unique, so our choice of exercise will be personal to us. There will be more warm days. Why not stretch yourself out on the grass? Extend your arms and legs and really reach. Dont forget to keep breathing.

It is not only your body that needs a good stretch. Your mind also needs to be exercised regularly. There are so many things that you can do to stimulate those little grey cells, as Agatha Christies Poirot called them. What appeals to you? Learn something new every day, for pleasure or for improvement at work. How about joining the Library and making the most of the resources there? If youre going abroad on holiday, you could make a stab at learning a new language. If you are staying in your own country, how about researching the local history of the area you are visiting? Or the local history of the area you live in? Embrace change and challenges. Stretch towards a dream. What do you need to learn to get you closer to that dream? Make it happen by taking the first steps. Stretch your voice sing! Listen to a different kind of music. Even if you dont particularly like it, it will make you think. Smile stretch those facial muscles. Reach out to other people and make conversation with people you dont know. Pass the time of day. Have a curiosity about the world you live in and the people who populate it.

Push yourself. What skills and abilities would you like to learn? Enrol in a class, read up on the subject. Practice. Make a special effort to stretch yourself.

Why do this? If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll keep getting what you always got! So take a chance. You will feel positive and confident about yourself, and by developing new skills you will be opening yourself up to new experiences and opportunities and the chance to make new friends. By stretching your body, you will feel better in all aspects of your life and will be physically prepared for anything that comes your way. Dont look back and think if only..

STRETCH!