Find Wholeness by Intensionally Welcoming Opposites
Life, the beautiful dichotomy. No matter where you are, who you’re with or what you experience, there is a simple inner resource to help cope with the changing nature of reality. Taking the time to explore the opposite of what we’re feeling can be the difference between obsessing and the restoration of ease and grace. Divisiveness is unnerving. Hostility, within ourselves and between others has its costs. The price we pay is with our health and well-being. Sensing that pulse within us, we are sometimes caught by those feelings, emotions and thoughts. The mind can paint our inner landscapes [Read More]
Coming Home to Yourself: How to Walk the Path of Your True Nature
Life is a process of change. The human spirit has a natural inclination for growth and renewal while the mind has a tendency to resist. The mystery of what life presents and what one is to become seems threatening at times, driving us further away from who we actually are. Conscious awareness, intension and engagement are paths to get back on track and home to our true nature. Pathways to Transformation Marilyn Schlitz, PhD, vice president of research and education at the Institute of Noetic Sciences states in her book, Living Deeply, “Where there is resistance there is [Read More]
Learning to Live with Arthritis
In Western countries yoga is increasingly practiced lacking the context which serves to enhance a myriad of life enhancing health benefits. Hatha yoga often thought of as the physical component of yoga, includes breathing practices, relaxation, and meditation. These features are indispensable for people suffering from inflammation to due arthritis. As certain medical communities question whether yoga is appropriate for people with vulnerable joints, studies at John’s Hopkins University provided critical evidence showing that patients with arthritis advocate yoga as safe, feasible, and enjoyable. Focusing on rheumatoid arthritis, (RA) osteoarthritis, (OA) and metabolic arthritis known as gout, participants [Read More]
Bhagdavad Gita’s Call to Action at a Glance
As part of a larger work, the Bhagavad Gita is known as one of the epic Hindu texts widely popular in yoga philosophy. Written about two thousand years ago, its essential theme of body, mind, and spirit awareness is a narrative between Arjuna and the avatar, Krishna. Their dialogue weaves a profound tapestry of poetic wisdom covering a deep enigmatic swath of the worldly and spiritual. However, the Bhagavad Gita can also can be seen in its simplicity at a glance. Training the senses, following one’s right path, and the soul’s purpose is the subject of many paintings [Read More]
Lift Your Mood with These Health & Mindfulness Tools
Mood disorders are common, persistent, and disrupting, but tips in lifestyle and environment can turn aggravation into an improved mood. In addition, complementary therapies recommend nutrition, mind-body practices, massage, and acupuncture. These tested modalities along with any medical advice have proven to open the heart, quiet the mind, and cultivate an inner smile. Recruiting the mind, body, and spirit to lift mood is the idea. Mental health is tied to physical and spiritual health. Since poor mental health is a risk factor for physical ailments, the lack of fitness increases the chance of moodiness. Gaining strength, flexibility, and [Read More]
Develop New Habits By Understanding Health Behavior
Habits, the urges and repetitive patterns we constantly entertain. According to researchers at Duke University, habits account for about 40 percent of our behaviors on any given day. Because habits essentially reflect our health, holding on to habits that no longer serve us can be problematic. The Transtheoretical Model and The Process of Change is rich soil for growing better habits for ourselves and others. The stakes for modifying human health are high. According to State Health Access Data Center, 1 out of every 2 adults ages 18 and older had at least 1 of 6 reported chronic [Read More]
Philosophical Physics of Body, Mind & Spirit
The body-mind-spirit connection is a popular call to self care. The interpretation of these aspects are subjective and at times hazy. Because the spirit and mind are often considered synonymous, understanding their physics respectively opens an opportunity to look at the source of fundamental healing. The idea of self-healing is no stranger to Eastern philosophy as contemporary neurobiology weighs in on the macro and micro events that make us human. According to Stanford University, the evolution of natural philosophy into modern physics once was a combined discipline. The word physics is Greek, meaning nature and the study of [Read More]
Use the Eight Limbs of Yoga Inside and Out
From the inside out, The Eight Limbs of Yoga can be a useful tool for meditation as well as thoughtful daily reminders. As the winter approaches, so do the pressures of the holidays. Compounded by seasonal affect disorder, life’s complexities can dim the joy of merriment; however, there is good news. The Eight Limbs of Yoga offers a two-fold solution to the blues by balancing moods while managing our interactions in the cold months that lie ahead. Written by the sage, Patanjali, sometime between 200 BCE to 200 CE, Yoga’s Eight Limbs is an important section in the [Read More]
Into the Lotus Wilderness: Traveling Light
In yoga, we learn to relax and calm the mind to feel the essence of our true nature. This peaceful liberated state may also occur spontaneously, just by communing with nature and connecting with its live elegance. Both can inspire an awakening, but how do we make it last? Venturing into the lotus wilderness with the Yamas and Niyamas reveals more about living in our true nature. Buddhist philosopher, Shinzin Young, calls the presence of our true nature an unobstructed clarity and equanimity. It’s easy to loose touch with it when physical, emotional and mental stresses become our [Read More]
Unmasking Social Intelligence
The study of social intelligence tells us we are empaths, all of us. Our brains are biologically wired to sense the experiences and feelings of others. Daniel Goldman’s book, Social Intelligence, The Revolutionary New Science of Human Relationships, uncovers how this empathetic link helps us to understand someone through a sense of feeling. New discoveries prove just how much relationships shape us and the significance of mindfulness. Because the pattern of another’s micro expressions can literally nurture us or poison us with bad feelings and poor health, masking is really quite revealing. Traveling in the covid-19 crisis, I saw some people [Read More]
Why Breathe Consciously?
Breathing is one of the most natural and indispensable reflexes, yet rarely do we notice it until it is disturbed. It’s worth knowing that by controlling this vital life force the quality of living improves exponentially. Thanks to the ancient principles of yoga and yoga’s popularity, the inseparable relationship of the mind, body, and breath is no longer an esoteric concept, but based in scientific evidence. The way you breathe makes a difference. At times you may not even notice how a quiet pant with shallow sips of air or sighing is due to a shortness of breath. [Read More]
Change is Good
As creatures of habit aren’t we constantly reminded that the one thing we can count on is change? Truthfully, I accept that change is inevitable and most of the time I say, "bring it on!" But, when my ski instructor challenges me to a new level of terrain, I cringe. Her popularity is a credit to her skill, so why do I resist? There’s comfort in familiarity. However, yoga invites the idea of welcoming change with a paradoxical twist from the ancient sage, Patanjali. In his epic text, The Yoga Sutras, he reveals that change is especially [Read More]
Rewire the Brain for Happiness
Happy New Year! In the advent of the new year we wish each other a “Happy New Year.” We want others to be happy, but what about ourselves? Recently, I saw the funniest episode on the PBS hit series, Doc Martin. The hilariously negative, insensitive bad mannered doctor asks the proverbial and exhausting question, “why does everyone need to be happy?” Of course, if he could answer that question and stop spoiling all the smiles waiting to spread around him, there would be no show. Happily, those in the field of neuroscience have discovered simple ways to elicit [Read More]
Becoming a Better User of the Brain
A Glimpse into Neurobiology Hormones. We readily accept that some behavior is influenced by brain chemistry. One phrase we often hear is about menstruating or pregnant women, “That’s just hormones talkin’.” This piece of brain trivia confuses as much as it may placate because the idea that certain phases are “hormonal” creates false opposition between a chemically manipulated female brain and an unalterable male brain. The truth is, testosterone changes male behavior as dramatically as estrogen does, but an aggressive male is not usually thought of as being “hormonal.” Though a woman’s neuro-chemical makeup has a more regular [Read More]
Get Free
Transitioning to Healthy Changes The stakes for modifying human health are high. According to Healthy People 2020, in 2008, 107 million Americans almost 1 out of every 2 adults age 18 or older, had at least 1 of 6 reported chronic illnesses: Cardiovascular disease Arthritis Diabetes Asthma Cancer Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Obesity, stress, smoking, poor nutrition, binge drinking, drug abuse, unprotected sex, and a sedentary lifestyle are contributing factors of chronic disease. Our attitudes, beliefs and perceptions often influence destructive behavior. In 2008, individuals in the United States reported on average 7 physically and/or mentally unhealthy days [Read More]
Connecting with the Universe
Connect by Letting Go In holistic environs the idea of “connectedness” is no stranger. Likewise, the concept seems familiar because it drifts across a myriad of philosophical texts and often conjured by our yoga teachers as they say, feel a sense of connectedness with We are encouraged to “become one with the universe” because separateness is an illusion and a source of suffering. Great. How do you do that and what exactly does it all mean? Fundamentally, the impression of being “one” with everything seems impossible or subjective at best. In a culture driven by individualism and competition, [Read More]
Get Smart With Yoga
In the past few decades yoga’s popularity has increased exponentially. The ancient mind/body science known for promoting relaxation, flexibility, and strength is common knowledge, but other benefits are now gaining recognition like improved mood, increased cognitive abilities and enhanced lifestyle behaviors. Scientists are reporting outcomes from a myriad of claims pertaining to the system of yoga and as the data has been quietly collected, studied and documented, another question has emerged, “does yoga make you smarter?”Based on the findings, a consistent adherence to yoga does in fact facilitate smartness. When practicing the prescribed methods of yoga, the internal change of chemical effects result in positive synergistic [Read More]
Yoga and Conflict
Most people prefer to steer clear of conflict. Like them, I usually pay the quiet ransom for civility and avoid the distraction or disruption left in its wake. As a yoga teacher and a proponent of peace, trying to cultivate balance and equanimity in the midst of commotion is encumbering at best. But, as much as I try to sidestep a confrontaion, theres another side of me that can emerge like a warrior. When danger lurks, the goddess energy of Hindu’s charnel-clad Kali unleashes. She will flare in varying degrees of circumstance, and I’m not so quick to reveal her encounters. Because this is also a conflict of sorts, its [Read More]
Plant Based Calcium for Strong Bones
Osteoporosis and other bone weaknesses are primarily caused by excessive calcium loss and inadequate vitamin D. Animal protein, excess salt, caffeine, tobacco, and physical inactivity are part of the problem, but here’s the good news and it doesn’t include milk. Calcium can be found in dark green leafy vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, as well as many other non-dairy products. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Its required for muscle contraction, blood vessel expansion and contraction, hormones, enzymes, and transmitting impulses throughout the nervous system. The body strives to maintain [Read More]
Genetically Modified Crop Assessment
Let’s start with the bottom line, buy organic. True, it’s more expensive than the conventional and genetically modified alternatives, but it’s safer and cheaper than a pill. Physical and mental malfunctions caused by pesticides, genetic transmutations, and growth hormones are surfacing. Think of organics as health insurance. The safety of genetically modified (GM) crops for human nutrition and health has not yet developed a satisfactory approach in evaluating risk for long term effects. Currently, GM sources are compared to conventional crops only for nutritional performance and growth in animals. This measurement is called “substantial equivalence,” and it’s not an effective risk assessment for many [Read More]
Manage Stress & Restore Internal Harmony
5 Ways to Give Stress a Rest. Your body and mind are meant to be whole and connect through a network feedback loops. In other words, the body collects information from the environment and reports to the mind. The mind listens and responds. Make no mistake, every cell gets the word about something stressful and it’s expressed in chemical reactions in the form of hormones instead of words. Real or imagined, the messages come through loud and clear. When it comes to managing stress, awareness is the key. People with heart health concerns should be especially mindful [Read More]
Exercising Increases Brain Power
The more you work your heart and lungs, the more efficient they become at delivering oxygen to the body and brain. With increased blood flow come the chemical cascades that may very well be your fountain of youth. As we age smoking, inactivity, and eating poorly are root causes of disease. Lifestyle also influences the mental hazards that come with getting older. “The same things that kill the body kill the brain” states Dr. Mark Mattson, of the National Institute on Aging. Diabetes increases the risk of developing dementia by 65 percent, and high cholesterol increases the likelihood by [Read More]
More Tips on Healing Foods
Think Outside the Pillbox The growing popularity of medicinal plants is increasing due to the legitimate research supporting them. Even though many have been used for hundreds if not thousands of years, both the government and the private sector are now funding the investigation of plants and their healing properties. The outcomes have been mixed for some, but others are fairing so well that many healing foods are preferred to prescription drugs and over the counter pharmaceuticals. This doesn’t mean to stop taking your medicine, but to inspire a different approach about what to eat. In this way, many [Read More]
Food Enhancers are Counterintuitive
Think again when you’re preparing for a meeting or studying for a test over chips and soda. The consequences of ignoring MSG and artificial sweeteners can be devastating. The list includes brain damage, impairing the nervous system, and emotional disorders, just to name a few. Despite complaints about headaches and heart palpitations, supermarket shelves are scattered with products that contain MSG and many consumers wrongly assume it’s not present. Not only that, but MSG sales are hard to track. The Glutamate Association said it didn’t have sales figures when questioned by NBC correspondent Micheal Hull, but Ac’cent, Aji-no-moto and Sazon remain staple ingredients in [Read More]
Soothe Bug Bites Naturally
During the summer season on those muggy, buggy evenings, if youre going to spend anytime outside dont wear skin lotion and/or perfume, mosquitoes LOVE it. While its important to reduce the risk of getting bitten, many OTC products contain toxic chemicals such as DEET. Instead, try some great smelling herbal insect repellents straight from your porch or backyard. The same thing goes for your home garden, instead of spraying poisons all over flowers and veggies, use natural alternatives. Soothe Bugs Bites Naturally Insect Repellents : Helpful Herbs Courtesy of Annies Remedies Basil For a quick insect repellent, just rub some crushed basil leaves on your skin, or add the [Read More]