The openness of childhood

Did you grow up believing in magic, magical places, and beings?

Did the world seem like a place full of magic, wonder, a place where anything could happen, a world where anything is possible?

Living in the “Real(?)” world

Somewhere on the path of growing into mature functioning adults, we stop believing the world is place of wonder. For some of us the world becomes mundane, a struggle or a place full of dangers we need to manage or control.
Remember the first time you realized no santa, no tooth fairy, Easter bunny or unicorns.
No magic.

Magical vs. Mundane

Yet, how else can we explain the wonder of the simple act of breathing, seemingly inhaling nothing and animating your entire body, from nothing comes something. Billions of neurons firing through your brain connecting thoughts, feelings, emotions and memories. The intelligence that tells every cell to divide and multiply, creating you and the world around you. Intelligence that creates stars, planets, universes and galaxies. Quantum Mechanics tells us that through our attention, we create our reality. Not only is magic at play all round us, we are that magic.

So next time you find yourself wondering if there really is any magic in this world, think of the mythical unicorn, a one of a kind, magical creature.

You my friend are that unicorn.
Isn’t it time you galloped though magical fields?

We all know the feeling; you get a great idea and you just go with it. You go full out, head first, with an enthusiastic, “I can do this” attitude and then the realization of reality kicks in and you get the wind knocked out of you. In all of your glory you forget that you actually have to do something in order for the great idea to happen.  This, my friends, is what goes through our minds when we think about initiating a lifestyle change. Whether it be challenging you to go to the gym or vowing to eat organic, we all have this great intention but don’t always follow through.  With the New Year just around the corner I figured this would be a great time to nudge you to stick with it with a little advice.

The most challenging hurdle that we must all overcome in order to succeed at anything is ourselves!  We are our worst enemy and the only way to get past our reservations is to push the mental challenge in a positive yet selfish direction.  You might think, positive yet selfish? You’ve
got to be kidding me. No I am not. This is the hard reality here.  You want to think positively as in “I can do this” but you also need to be thinking, “I can do this because this is what I want.” When setting a goal you have to keep in mind that this is your goal. Not anyone else’s.  No one is going to wake you up at 5am to get you motivated to hit the gym.  You have to rely on yourself and be strong.

Staying strong especially through the holidays is really tough to do.  Pre-holiday festivities, holiday work parties, after-the-holiday parties and plenty of other reasons to overeat and forgo the gym are upon us. This is the time where our will power is tested and where we can really show ourselves that we have what it takes in order to succeed.  The best thing to do is to stick to as normal of a routine as possible.  If you go to the gym after work on a regular basis, continue to do so.  If you have an obligation to attend then work out before you go to work.  Make small changes in your routine, do not alter altogether because this will disrupt your normal pattern and can ultimately lead to you accidentally “giving up” on your goals.

Forget the past and move on. Slipped up and ate too much or skipped a couple of workouts? Don’t panic.  You cannot waste time or energy thinking of ways you could have “been better”, what’s done is done.  The only thing you can do is get back on the horse.  After a binge at a holiday party or a couple of unexcused absences from the gym, the best thing to do is to acknowledge the mishap and get back into your normal routine.  Congratulate yourself for feeling guilty and know that this is a good sign, it means you care. It’s not too late to being again with extra enthusiasm and some insight as to what can happen if you get off track.

Now is the time for you to start a change!  The holidays and the New Year is a good excuse for initiating a lifestyle change but honestly, any day is a good day to start.  It does not have to be a New Year’s resolution or anything pertaining to anybody else.  This has everything to do with you and what it will take to get you motivated enough to think about making a change and then actually implementing it.  The idea of making a change is exciting and thrills even the best of us but it is those who actually stick to their idea who are really rare.  My only question is, are you strong enough to be one them?

Allow Change

Ever try to capture a moment and put it in a bottle, or try to stop the seasons from changing? It just can’t be done. The simple truth is that everything of this world is subject to change. Change is the only constant. You are subject to change. Your body changes, your circumstances change. You are quite literally not the same person you were a year ago, physically, emotionally or in your life circumstances. With all this change we have the choice of moving with the flow of change or resisting it.

Letting attachment go

To allow change requires letting go. Letting go of our attachments of wanting things to stay the same. Letting go of our mental constructs of how we believe things should be. Our homes, automobiles, lifestyles, even our loved ones. We want them to stay the same. We create memories, positive impressions of events in space and time. We personalize them and identify ourselves with these past impressions. We come to believe that these past impressions are somehow better than whatever is happening now.

Learn to Trust

Change can be scary and the uncertainty of unknown outcomes in our life can be frightening. Now imagine letting go of the fear of the unknown. Letting the change flow, letting life become a joyous celebration of change. No fear, no attachment to a past that is gone forever. Honor the moment, the memory of it, by letting it go. Think of how much energy it takes to hold up all these attachments, beliefs. Imagine having all that energy at your disposal. Imagine letting things be as they are and letting the change just flow. Imagine then becoming the change that moves through your life. Consider your relationships, do you put those closest to you in a holding pattern, not wanting them to change? Imagine all the energy you would have to place somewhere creative, somewhere loving. Imagine how would it change your life, change the world, by becoming the change.

Maybe all it really takes is letting go.

Stress is the body and mind’s response to the demands of life.  In a biological sense, stress can enhance survival (our reaction to meeting a bear in the woods, for example).   In small amounts in everyday life, stress can be positive, such as when it helps you conquer a fear or provides extra endurance or motivation to complete a difficult task.  Prolonged or intense stress however, can contribute to serious health problems (such as heart disease, obesity, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure and diabetes) through the release of hormones that were meant to protect us against threats.

The “fight-or-flight” hormone cascade evolved to prepare our bodies for defense or escape from aggressors.  When triggered by a perceived threat, a small part of the brain (the hypothalamus) sends an alarm throughout the body through nerves and hormones that triggers the adrenal glands to release hormones (including adrenaline and cortisol) to ready the body for action.  This alarm system also sends signals to parts of the brain that control mood, motivation and fear.

Adrenaline speeds up the heart and increases blood pressure whereas cortisol increases glucose (fuel) to the bloodstream and increases the availability of repair substances.  Cortisol also decreases functions that are not necessary for fight-or-flight, such as altering immune system responses and slowing digestion, reproduction and growth.  Normally this system is self-regulating and turns off once the perceived threat has resolved.  However, in some instances (for example, recurrent life stressors) the alarm system stays turned on overexposing the body to stress hormones which can disrupt almost all of the body’s normal functions. 

Acute stress is the most common forms of stress.  This is the stress that occurs from pressures of the recent past and worries about the near future.  While it can be exciting in small doses, acute stress is overwhelming  with prolonged exposure.  Fortunately this type of stress is easily recognized by most people and is therefore highly treatable and manageable.  Some symptoms include emotional distress (depression, irritability, or anxiety), muscular problems (tension headaches, back pain), stomach upset (heartburn, diarrhea or constipation), palpitations, dizziness, difficulty breathing and even chest pain.  Recurrent acute stressors can lead to persistence of symptoms and may require professional help.

Chronic stress (caused by poverty, dysfunctional family life, work stressors or global problems such as war) is more difficult to manage.  Many people get used to it and therefore do not attempt to reduce it.  Chronic stress can be life-threatening, leading to heart attack, stroke, violence and suicide.  This type of stress often requires extensive medical and behavioral help.

Not everyone who experiences recurrent stressors, however, becomes ill.   There are many factors that affect how an individual reacts to a stressor.  For example, a slight difference in the genes that control the stress response can cause an overactive or underactive alarm system.  In addition, environmental factors (such as neglect or abuse in childhood) can cause people to be more vulnerable to stress as adults.

Recognizing your body’s own unique response to stress is paramount to reducing your stress by learning to manage it in more healthy ways.   Symptoms of stress can be physical (headaches, back pain, irritable bowel, fatigue, insomnia), mental (anxiety, depression, irritability, memory problems, helplessness) and behavioral (eating disorders, substance abuse, social withdrawal, angry outbursts).   It is important to remember, however, that some of the symptoms of stress can be caused by a medical condition (for example, hyperthyroidism), medication side effects, vitamin deficiencies and excessive intake of caffeine or alcohol.  Therefore, if symptoms are severe or do not respond to your management approach it is important to speak with a health professional.

Fortunately, there are many ways you can help manage your stress.  The first, as mentioned, is recognizing and regarding your symptoms as your body’s way of communicating that it needs maintenance.  In this way, you can help your body correct itself and reduce the high cost and care of chronic long-term health problems.  Because stress is not usually limited to one part of the body or our life, it is important to address the whole self (body, mind and spirit) when working on stress reduction.  In general, you can combat stress by taking care of yourself.  This includes sleeping and eating well, laughter, and surrounding yourself with supportive family and friends.   Regular exercise (by helping to use up stress hormones) not only releases stress but also improves overall energy and mood.  In addition, many people find benefit from hydrotherapy (such as a sauna, hot tub or steam bath). 

Relaxation techniques can reduce stress by slowing down the heart rate and breathing, lowering blood pressure, reducing muscle tension, improving concentration and reducing frustration.  For example, a few minutes of meditation daily can restore peace and balance, an effect that lasts throughout the day.  Meditation helps clear away information overload (stressors) of the day and has been shown to reduce numerous other health problems.  Yoga is beneficial for stress reduction in addition to overall improvement of fitness, weight loss and management of chronic health problems.  Yoga uses poses and breathing, bringing together physical and mental aspects that help achieve peacefulness of body and mind.  Tai chi, “meditation in motion”, promotes serenity through gentle movements that connect the mind and body.  Other stress reduction modalities include massage (including craniosacral therapy), guided imagery, aromatherapy and herbal medication and supplements. 

If these relaxation techniques do not provide adequate stress reduction or symptom relief, consider speaking with a healthcare provider.   Managing stress is not only beneficial to peace or mind, it may lead to a longer, healthier and happier life.

The holiday season has become synonymous with abundance, starting with the festive meal of Thanksgiving, the many gifts of Christmas, and the lavish celebration of New Year Eve. All of these are certainly forms of abundance. But, without the abundance that resides within, all material forms that we manifest in our lives are meaningless.
During these festive seasons, take a moment to look within and ask yourself; what does abundance mean to me? Is it in the form of family, relationships, in the form of love, or does it simply reside in how much we possess? Material abundance can mask a deeper feeling of scarcity, that without material wealth we are venerable and weak. We need to gather things around us to make us feel complete, to show others we are as good, or better. Once we have gathered what we want, we need to protect it, keep it safe. We buy into the belief of ownership and become attached.

Abundance is a form of energy and like all energy must move or it will create sickness in mind or body. When we become attached, we try to ignore it, or deny that this law applies. One way to keep abundance in your life and allow it to move at the same time is the act of charity, to give. Give some of that abundance you’ve stored up away and create room for more. The more you are attached to it, the more energy you will move, the bigger the space you create for more in your life. As children we concern ourselves with what we will get. As adults we grow into the realization, it’s really about what we give. That is the spirit of the season, the lesson of Karma, and the law of abundance.

Have a happy and  healthy  holiday season!

We can eat all of the healthy food we want; we can exercise until our feet drop off; we can do all of the right things to have us live a full healthy life but if we do not do this one thing, we are bound to live life at half throttle…..This one thing is often the last thing we think of- maybe  many of us never think of it.

It is called mastering oneself. We are either dictated by our circumstances and allow each thought of our mind to throw us off balance or we are in the moment watching ourselves and creating on a momemt to moment basis who we are going to be just because we say so, not because of any outside source.

Many illnesses breed from the negative thoughts that trample on the possibility of a great life.  Meditation, yoga, mindfulness, art: these are all tools in the belt for supporting us in being the great beings that we already are but maybe have temporarily forgotten. The only way to start living the life you truly want is to start taking action. Start today. Start right now. 

Here’s to living a full, happy and healthy life!

I have heard from a number of people since I wrote my first blog about this on how hard it is to change from being a stomach sleeper to being comfortable in any other position, even though sleeping on their stomach causes pain.  I understand because I was a stomach-sleeper till I was in my teens.  Then my neck cramped up big time and I couldn’t do that any more.  It was a tough transition but I had no choice and eventually succeeded.

I heard a great idea from a client the other day and wanted to pas it on.  This client has been able to remain comfortable sleeping on her stomach her entire life, but she now uses a pillow under her stomach for even greater comfort.  I tried that last night and it actually helps.  You can have the pillow in whatever position is most comfortable for you – just under your stomach or under your chest and stomach.  What it does is let your spine rest in a more natural curve.  Your face is always facing to the side and I do feel you need part of another pillow under just the back of your head so that your face is tilting down towards the mattress as opposed to lying flat to the side.  That relieves some of the stress off your neck.  Like I said – I tried this and it wasn’t bad.  I didn’t sleep that way but it was pretty comfortable – lots more so that just lying flat.
For you stomach sleepers in pain out there, give this a try. Sleeping on your stomach is still the most challenging position for comfort but this may help some of you.