Again, you have more of a clear head than you have had in a while! Not to mention, clear access to your heart and soul, where your real wisdom comes from.
What is working for you in the people you hang around, and what is not?
What do you want as part of your social environment moving forward?
More truth?
More good energy?
More people that can grow you in positive ways?
More fun? Adventure?
More love?
Set out for yourself, in detail, how you want your social environment to look moving forward in your life. It is your prerogative and your responsibility.
Happy Cleansing...
Seek and Ye Shall Find...
4/8/10
Fitness Day 18 - Power Walk!
How are you all feeling?
Stronger?
Leaner?
Lighter?
More in Love with your life?
Have you created fitness plans to help you continue on this wonderful path of healthy living?
Using a combination of the fitness posts you can beging to develop a personal program that will keep you in connection with all you have learned here during the 21 Day Cleanse.
***************************
Today's fitness tip is one that I am certain most of you already do - each and every day!
WALK!!
Did you know that a 30 minute daily practice of power walking can:
Help you live longer
Help you lose weight and keep it off
Help you reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke
It boosts your brain power
Improves your mood and relieves stress
Now - let's get walking!!!!
How do you develop a sustainable walking practice?
-set realistic time goals at the beginning
- make a walking schedule
- chart your progress
- keep it interesting
Think of your walk in three parts. Walk slowly for 5 minutes. Increase your speed for the next 5 minutes. Finally, to cool down, walk slowly again for 5 minutes.
Try to walk at least three times per week. Add 2 to 3 minutes per week to the fast walk. If you walk less than three times per week, increase the fast walk more slowly.
To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further, and walking for longer periods of time.
The more you walk, the better you will feel. You also use more calories.
Try to walk at least three times per week. Add 2 to 3 minutes per week to the fast walk. If you walk less than three times per week, increase the fast walk more slowly.
To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further, and walking for longer periods of time.
The more you walk, the better you will feel. You also use more calories.
Walking right is very important.
Walk with your chin up and your shoulders held slightly back.
Walk so that the heel of your foot touches the ground first. Roll your weight forward.
Walk with your toes pointed forward.
Swing your arms as you walk.
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4/7/10
"Mindful" Eating
Day 17- Cleanse
We are nearing the end of our cleanse, so I would like to insure you have the tools to continue on a lifelong journey to staying healthy
Most of the time, when we’re craving cookies, we’re really hungry for love, sex, friendship, peace, a sense of purpose and meaning. And when you’re gripped by that kind of hunger, all the tips and tricks in the world won’t save you.
Instead of focusing on the food, Try tuning in to address the emotions that make you stray.
Here’s how to start:
1. Feel your hunger. After a lifetime of denying our hunger, it’s hard to tell when we really need food. But we’re all born with the capability to eat when were hungry and stop when we’re full. As children, we eat in response to our bodies’ hunger signals. As adults, we eat in response to the clock, the latest magazine article, or our uncomfortable feelings.
Get back in touch with your body’s signals by carrying a small notepad and charting your hunger before you eat, rating it on a scale of 1 (starving) to 10 (uncomfortably full). If you do this day after day, feeling your body’s cues will soon come naturally. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you start eating in response to your body—a rumbling in your belly, a slight lessening in your ability to concentrate—instead of your thoughts or emotions.
2. Stop counting. That means calories, fat, carbs, grams, portions—whatever number you use that keeps you out of your body and in your head. When you count, measure, weigh or calculate your food, you’re eating according to your intellect rather than your body’s cues. For a life-long food counter, the prospect of free-for-all noshing can be scary. Start small: eat one meal a day without counting anything. After several days, eat two meals without counting. Continue at your own pace until you’ve stopped counting your food—and start eating in response to your body, not the numbers in your head.
3. Examine your cravings. When you’re feeling the urge to eat, what are you really hungry for? If you’re craving chips, does your jaw want to chew and crunch, to relieve stress and tension? Does the noise the chips make drown out the racket in your head? When you’re aching for ice cream, maybe the soft, creamy texture makes you feel nurtured, or fills up some empty spaces. Once you have a better idea of what you’re really craving, you’re better equipped to make a conscious choice. Maybe you massage your jaw, minimize sources of stress, visit a friend who makes you feel nurtured. Or maybe you have a scoop of ice cream—but you do it as a conscious decision.
4. Practice mindful eating. There you are, in front of the fridge at 9 p.m., noshing on leftover Chinese right out of the container, with no recollection of how you got there. It’s called “eating amnesia,” where the unconscious, hand-to-mouth action of feeding yourself becomes so automatic that, before you know it, you’ve wolfed down a whole box of cookies. Become fully aware of the act of eating. Always put your food—including snacks–on a plate. Then sit down at the table, remove distractions like television, and observe your plate. Notice the colors, textures, shapes and smell for 30 seconds to a full minute before you take the first bite. As you eat, notice the chewing action of your jaw, the taste of the food, how it feels moving down your throat and into your stomach. It’s such a pleasant practice, it will soon become second nature.
5. Be in your body. Many of us walk around all day in a state of half-awareness, not really present in the room, on the earth, in our bodies. And when we’re not in our bodies, we can’t tell if we’re hungry or when we’re full. How often are you aware of your body? Tune in right now, as you read this, and check in, starting your toes and moving up through your body. Pause at your stomach, and notice how it feels. Is it empty, or satisfied? Does it feel rigid and tense? Numb or dull? Or is it soft and relaxed? Once you become intimate of your stomach’s sensations, you can begin to identify true hunger.
6. Pause. When you experience a craving for food, just stop and observe it. Don’t try to make it go away, but don’t indulge it. Sit with the discomfort of the craving. It may become intensely distressing, even painful; that’s okay. Stay with it, and notice what comes up. You’ll often find a vast ocean of emotions like fear, anxiety, even grief, under the craving for food. It’s a powerful exercise—but quite illuminating, and sometimes life-changing.
7. Be happy now. Maybe you’ve been postponing your happiness until you lose ten pounds, give up sugar or eat more greens. But the happier you are now, the more likely you’ll be to stick to your eating goals. The “do-have-be” mindset tells us that success breeds joy when, in fact, it may be the other way around. Once you’re able to accept yourself exactly as you are, you’re more likely to achieve your dietary goals, and less likely to eat from stress, depression or anxiety. And anyway, there’s no point in postponing joy. Be happy now; the rest will come.
We are nearing the end of our cleanse, so I would like to insure you have the tools to continue on a lifelong journey to staying healthy
Most of the time, when we’re craving cookies, we’re really hungry for love, sex, friendship, peace, a sense of purpose and meaning. And when you’re gripped by that kind of hunger, all the tips and tricks in the world won’t save you.
Instead of focusing on the food, Try tuning in to address the emotions that make you stray.
Here’s how to start:
1. Feel your hunger. After a lifetime of denying our hunger, it’s hard to tell when we really need food. But we’re all born with the capability to eat when were hungry and stop when we’re full. As children, we eat in response to our bodies’ hunger signals. As adults, we eat in response to the clock, the latest magazine article, or our uncomfortable feelings.
Get back in touch with your body’s signals by carrying a small notepad and charting your hunger before you eat, rating it on a scale of 1 (starving) to 10 (uncomfortably full). If you do this day after day, feeling your body’s cues will soon come naturally. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you start eating in response to your body—a rumbling in your belly, a slight lessening in your ability to concentrate—instead of your thoughts or emotions.
2. Stop counting. That means calories, fat, carbs, grams, portions—whatever number you use that keeps you out of your body and in your head. When you count, measure, weigh or calculate your food, you’re eating according to your intellect rather than your body’s cues. For a life-long food counter, the prospect of free-for-all noshing can be scary. Start small: eat one meal a day without counting anything. After several days, eat two meals without counting. Continue at your own pace until you’ve stopped counting your food—and start eating in response to your body, not the numbers in your head.
3. Examine your cravings. When you’re feeling the urge to eat, what are you really hungry for? If you’re craving chips, does your jaw want to chew and crunch, to relieve stress and tension? Does the noise the chips make drown out the racket in your head? When you’re aching for ice cream, maybe the soft, creamy texture makes you feel nurtured, or fills up some empty spaces. Once you have a better idea of what you’re really craving, you’re better equipped to make a conscious choice. Maybe you massage your jaw, minimize sources of stress, visit a friend who makes you feel nurtured. Or maybe you have a scoop of ice cream—but you do it as a conscious decision.
4. Practice mindful eating. There you are, in front of the fridge at 9 p.m., noshing on leftover Chinese right out of the container, with no recollection of how you got there. It’s called “eating amnesia,” where the unconscious, hand-to-mouth action of feeding yourself becomes so automatic that, before you know it, you’ve wolfed down a whole box of cookies. Become fully aware of the act of eating. Always put your food—including snacks–on a plate. Then sit down at the table, remove distractions like television, and observe your plate. Notice the colors, textures, shapes and smell for 30 seconds to a full minute before you take the first bite. As you eat, notice the chewing action of your jaw, the taste of the food, how it feels moving down your throat and into your stomach. It’s such a pleasant practice, it will soon become second nature.
5. Be in your body. Many of us walk around all day in a state of half-awareness, not really present in the room, on the earth, in our bodies. And when we’re not in our bodies, we can’t tell if we’re hungry or when we’re full. How often are you aware of your body? Tune in right now, as you read this, and check in, starting your toes and moving up through your body. Pause at your stomach, and notice how it feels. Is it empty, or satisfied? Does it feel rigid and tense? Numb or dull? Or is it soft and relaxed? Once you become intimate of your stomach’s sensations, you can begin to identify true hunger.
6. Pause. When you experience a craving for food, just stop and observe it. Don’t try to make it go away, but don’t indulge it. Sit with the discomfort of the craving. It may become intensely distressing, even painful; that’s okay. Stay with it, and notice what comes up. You’ll often find a vast ocean of emotions like fear, anxiety, even grief, under the craving for food. It’s a powerful exercise—but quite illuminating, and sometimes life-changing.
7. Be happy now. Maybe you’ve been postponing your happiness until you lose ten pounds, give up sugar or eat more greens. But the happier you are now, the more likely you’ll be to stick to your eating goals. The “do-have-be” mindset tells us that success breeds joy when, in fact, it may be the other way around. Once you’re able to accept yourself exactly as you are, you’re more likely to achieve your dietary goals, and less likely to eat from stress, depression or anxiety. And anyway, there’s no point in postponing joy. Be happy now; the rest will come.
Life Coaching - Day 17 - Your Home
It was so enlightening, the other day, to hear from Feng Shui Expert Katherine Russ, wasn't it? I'm sure it got you thinking about what parts of your home have good energy and reflect your soul, and which parts surely do not.
What areas of your home need change? How do you want to do that?
What colours do you want more of in your home? What types of art?
How can you bring the four elements into your home?
How do you want to handle paperwork in your home?
How is the energy flow in your home?
Take a walk around your home from your new, fresh, cleansed, clear self. You'll know what sits right with you and what doesn't. You'll know what you want to do to support your soul.
Your home is just another extension of you, and the manifestation of your home will be a direct reflection of your other manifestations. This is your chance to heal yourself on the inside and the outside at once!
Happy cleansing!
What areas of your home need change? How do you want to do that?
What colours do you want more of in your home? What types of art?
How can you bring the four elements into your home?
How do you want to handle paperwork in your home?
How is the energy flow in your home?
Take a walk around your home from your new, fresh, cleansed, clear self. You'll know what sits right with you and what doesn't. You'll know what you want to do to support your soul.
Your home is just another extension of you, and the manifestation of your home will be a direct reflection of your other manifestations. This is your chance to heal yourself on the inside and the outside at once!
Happy cleansing!
Fitness Day 17! ~ Let's pump it up!!!
Skipping!!
Are you ready to move your newly cleansed and healthy body? It is time to rev up your life, and pump your heart to increased health and vitality!
First you must invest in yourself - a good quality rope should cost you around $20, or borrow from your child, a friend or neighbour!
Seek, find and make friends with your new skipping rope!
Skipping is an excellent cardiovascular exercise which is far less hard on the muscles and bones than jogging. From an energy standpoint, jumping rope at about 130 revolutions per minute is similar to running at 6 miles per hour or cycling 12 miles per hour. Just 10 minutes of rope skipping is equivalent to a one-mile run!
A great benefit of a skipping rope workout is that it helps you improve your overall bodily coordination, forcing you to keep regular speed and proper form. It is also a great way to lose fat, as it encourages almost all of the muscles in your body to work out! Yeah!
Start your workout by skipping 2 minutes a day, for 5 days, then add on 1 minute each day for an additional 5 days - bringing you up to a daily 7 minute workout. Once this time frame is comfortable, add on 2 minutes each day, going up to a daily maximum of 15 minutes!
WOW! Imagine how incredible you will feel!
**********************************************
"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising everytime we fall"
Confucius
4/6/10
Tips on making affordable healthy eating, on a daily basis!
Day 16 Cleanse
Congratulations my fellow cleansers! we have made it to the 3rd week of our cleanse.
We’ve cleared out the toxins, had time for reflection, and now we will learn of ways to rebuild and continue on the path of health and wellness, long after the cleanse is over.
Tips on affordable healthy eating and preparing ahead:
1. Double or triple your normal recipes and freeze the leftovers. You’ll dramatically cut down the cost of buying prepared and packaged foods. And, you’ll eat healthier when you’re tired or in a pinch for time.
2. Use seasonal fruits and vegetables as much as possible. When food is in season it is cheaper. Plus, you’ll be doing your part for the environment by eating more locally grown food.
3. Watch for sales. Plan your meals around some of the cheaper sale items you find.
4. Add more beans to your diet. Beans are not only the “magical fruit” they can work magic on your budget since they are super nutritious and cheap. Dried beans can be cooked effortlessly overnight in a slow cooker. Place 1 cup dried beans and 6 cups water in a slow cooker before going to bed and cook on low overnight. Drain and rinse in the morning and they are ready for use in your soup, stew, chili, salad, or other recipes.
5. Eat more vegetarian meals. Meat tends to be more expensive (not to mention takes a higher toll on the environment and your body).
6. Shop at your local farmers markets instead of grocery stores as much as possible. Most farmers’ market food doesn’t have the built-in costs of lengthy transportation, distributors, warehousing, and other costs. Plus, the food is fresher and frequently more nutritious, and eating locally is better for the environment.
7. Buy seasonal produce in bulk and freeze it. From berries to sliced peaches, to chopped green and red peppers, many fruits and vegetables can be frozen.
8. Hit the bulk bins at your local health food or grocery store. Here’s where you’ll find the lower cost whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and flour. They’re usually substantially cheaper than their packaged counterparts. And, less packaging is good for your wallet and the planet.
9. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store. You’ll find the fresh, healthier options there. The center aisles are primarily reserved for the packaged, convenience foods that tend to cost more and be full of dangerous additives, trans fats, and sugar.
10. Make your own snacks. Prepared snack foods are not only full of junk ingredients that you should avoid, they tend to be expensive. Make a batch of cookies, muffins, granola bars, with wholesome natural ingredients.
11. Plan ahead. A few minutes of planning the meals you’ll make and your grocery list can save you plenty of cash on impulse purchases you’ll be less likely to make.
Congratulations my fellow cleansers! we have made it to the 3rd week of our cleanse.
We’ve cleared out the toxins, had time for reflection, and now we will learn of ways to rebuild and continue on the path of health and wellness, long after the cleanse is over.
Tips on affordable healthy eating and preparing ahead:
1. Double or triple your normal recipes and freeze the leftovers. You’ll dramatically cut down the cost of buying prepared and packaged foods. And, you’ll eat healthier when you’re tired or in a pinch for time.
2. Use seasonal fruits and vegetables as much as possible. When food is in season it is cheaper. Plus, you’ll be doing your part for the environment by eating more locally grown food.
3. Watch for sales. Plan your meals around some of the cheaper sale items you find.
4. Add more beans to your diet. Beans are not only the “magical fruit” they can work magic on your budget since they are super nutritious and cheap. Dried beans can be cooked effortlessly overnight in a slow cooker. Place 1 cup dried beans and 6 cups water in a slow cooker before going to bed and cook on low overnight. Drain and rinse in the morning and they are ready for use in your soup, stew, chili, salad, or other recipes.
5. Eat more vegetarian meals. Meat tends to be more expensive (not to mention takes a higher toll on the environment and your body).
6. Shop at your local farmers markets instead of grocery stores as much as possible. Most farmers’ market food doesn’t have the built-in costs of lengthy transportation, distributors, warehousing, and other costs. Plus, the food is fresher and frequently more nutritious, and eating locally is better for the environment.
7. Buy seasonal produce in bulk and freeze it. From berries to sliced peaches, to chopped green and red peppers, many fruits and vegetables can be frozen.
8. Hit the bulk bins at your local health food or grocery store. Here’s where you’ll find the lower cost whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and flour. They’re usually substantially cheaper than their packaged counterparts. And, less packaging is good for your wallet and the planet.
9. Shop the perimeter of your grocery store. You’ll find the fresh, healthier options there. The center aisles are primarily reserved for the packaged, convenience foods that tend to cost more and be full of dangerous additives, trans fats, and sugar.
10. Make your own snacks. Prepared snack foods are not only full of junk ingredients that you should avoid, they tend to be expensive. Make a batch of cookies, muffins, granola bars, with wholesome natural ingredients.
11. Plan ahead. A few minutes of planning the meals you’ll make and your grocery list can save you plenty of cash on impulse purchases you’ll be less likely to make.
Fitness Day 16 ~ Gaining Strength
Downward Dog!
Go down on all fours, on your Yoga mat. Place your hands a little in of your shoulders and your knees right below your hips. Spread out your palms; your index fingers should be slightly turned out or parallel to each other. Now, turn your toes under.
With an exhalation, raise your knees up from your mat. Initially, you may keep them slightly bent, your heels raised up from the floor. Press your tailbone slightly toward your pubis and stretched away from your pelvis. Now, shove your sit bones up towards the ceiling, and then draw your inner legs up into your groins, from your inner ankles.
Exhale and push back the top of your thighs, then push your heels down into your mat. Without locking your knees, straighten them out, firm your outer thighs and roll your upper thighs slightly inward. Contract the front of your pelvis.
Squeeze your outer arms and press the bases of your palms firmly into the floor. Next, raise your inner arms from your wrists to the apex of your shoulders. Widen your shoulder blades and then draw them up toward your tailbone.
At all times, your head should be between your upper arms without hanging.
Hold the pose for anywhere between 1 – 3 minutes.
To exit the pose, with an exhalation, bend your knees and, gently, drop them to the mat, and rest in (Balasana) Child’s Pose for a while.
Hold the pose for anywhere between 1 – 3 minutes.
To exit the pose, with an exhalation, bend your knees and, gently, drop them to the mat, and rest in (Balasana) Child’s Pose for a while.
Benefits
It elongates and release tension from your spine
Stretches the calves, hands, arches and hamstrings
Strengthens your shoulders, arms and back
Improves mobility of the digestive system
A mild inversion can calm your nervous system and helps in relieving stress
Relieves headaches, fatigue, back pain and certain level of insomnia
It also helps in relieving the symptoms for menopause
It elongates and release tension from your spine
Stretches the calves, hands, arches and hamstrings
Strengthens your shoulders, arms and back
Improves mobility of the digestive system
A mild inversion can calm your nervous system and helps in relieving stress
Relieves headaches, fatigue, back pain and certain level of insomnia
It also helps in relieving the symptoms for menopause
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision,
then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid."
A. Lorde
Life Coaching - Day 16 - Your Body
We are recreating our world from the inside out! We started with our internal environment, now let's shift our focus, only slightly, to our bodies.
You're having an incredible experience that is giving you a chance to learn what you do, and do not want in your body. You are learning how your body can feel. You are learning how well you can operate when you are at your physical best.
How much of this cleanse do you want to continue? As you focus on your health, are there parts of your physical system you could be supporting better? How do you want your body to feel? How do you want to be moving and using your body? How can your body better support you?
Your cells are alive, they are listening, and will respond to your mental images about your body. What images do you plan to give?
Happy cleansing...
You're having an incredible experience that is giving you a chance to learn what you do, and do not want in your body. You are learning how your body can feel. You are learning how well you can operate when you are at your physical best.
How much of this cleanse do you want to continue? As you focus on your health, are there parts of your physical system you could be supporting better? How do you want your body to feel? How do you want to be moving and using your body? How can your body better support you?
Your cells are alive, they are listening, and will respond to your mental images about your body. What images do you plan to give?
Happy cleansing...
4/5/10
Create Your Own Cleansing Kit for Your Home
What you'll need:
- a sage stick - easily found at health food stores, new age book stores
- an old plate or cup. A shell is used in traditional ceremony.
Life Coaching - Day 15 - Rebuilding from the Inside Out
Congratulations, cleansers. You've made it to week 3, and it is time to rebuild. We've cleansed a lot of what we don't want out of our lives, we've got deep to reflect and understand more about ourselves and what we want. Now it is time to start creating our future.
We are going to rebuild from the inside out, so let's start with the most intimate part of your life. Your internal life of mind, heart and soul connection.
What do you want your internal environment to be like? Do you want it to be quiet, peaceful, energized, soulful, directed? Do you want to feel love, peace, joy, happiness, balance? Do you want your mind to be focused, creative, relaxed?
Write in your journal, your specific vision for exactly how you want your internal environment to be...
We are going to rebuild from the inside out, so let's start with the most intimate part of your life. Your internal life of mind, heart and soul connection.
What do you want your internal environment to be like? Do you want it to be quiet, peaceful, energized, soulful, directed? Do you want to feel love, peace, joy, happiness, balance? Do you want your mind to be focused, creative, relaxed?
Write in your journal, your specific vision for exactly how you want your internal environment to be...
Fitness Day 15 ~ Stand Strong in Mountain Pose
Mountain Pose
As we move into our phase of rebuild & strength we can begin by standing strong and bring energy to our root chakra - that which brings us stability.
How to do this pose.
1. Stand tall with you feet hip width apart.
2. Inhale as you lift and spread your toes and the place them back on the ground (imagine your toes are like fingrs reaching up then gripping the ground.
3. Balance your weight evenly between the soles of your feet, and alow your toes to relax
4. Your lower body should now feel grounded and stable
5. Tuck you tailbone under to lengthen the spine
6. Relax your shoulders down and alow your arms to hand loose by your sides.
7. Point the crown of your head to the ceiling and softly gaze at a fixed point in front of you
8. Relax your face, eyes, jaw and throat.
9. Hold this pose for 1-2 minutes and really be aware of your body and balance.
1. Stand tall with you feet hip width apart.
2. Inhale as you lift and spread your toes and the place them back on the ground (imagine your toes are like fingrs reaching up then gripping the ground.
3. Balance your weight evenly between the soles of your feet, and alow your toes to relax
4. Your lower body should now feel grounded and stable
5. Tuck you tailbone under to lengthen the spine
6. Relax your shoulders down and alow your arms to hand loose by your sides.
7. Point the crown of your head to the ceiling and softly gaze at a fixed point in front of you
8. Relax your face, eyes, jaw and throat.
9. Hold this pose for 1-2 minutes and really be aware of your body and balance.
Benefits
Improves posture
Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles
Firms abdomen and buttocks
Relieves sciatica
Reduces flat feet
Improves posture
Strengthens thighs, knees, and ankles
Firms abdomen and buttocks
Relieves sciatica
Reduces flat feet
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“Each time we face our fear, we gain strength, courage, and confidence in the doing.”
4/4/10
Feng Shui Your Life with Katherine Loader
If you would like to know more from Grail Springs's Feng Shui experts Katherine and Russ Loader, you can email them at info@powerofplace.com!
Fitness Day 14 ~ Happy Baby!
Be a Happy Baby!! Ananda Balasana
Lie on your back. With an exhale, bend your knees into your belly.
Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
Inhale, grip the outsides of your feet with your hands (if you have difficulty holding the feet directly with your hands, hold onto a belt looped over each sole.) Open your knees slightly wider than your torso, then bring them up toward your armpits.
Position each ankle directly over the knee, so your shins are perpendicular to the floor. Flex through the heels. Gently push your feet up into your hands (or the belts) as you pull your hands down to create a resistance.
Coax the thighs in toward your torso and down toward the floor as you lengthen the spine—release your tail bone toward the floor and lengthen the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
Hold the pose steadily for 30 seconds to one minute. Then release the feet back to the floor with an exhale and rest for a few breaths.
Coax the thighs in toward your torso and down toward the floor as you lengthen the spine—release your tail bone toward the floor and lengthen the base of your skull away from the back of your neck.
Hold the pose steadily for 30 seconds to one minute. Then release the feet back to the floor with an exhale and rest for a few breaths.
Benefits:
Gently stretches the inner groins and the back spine Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
***********************************************
"Every now and then, when the world sits just right,
a gentle breath of heaven fills my soul with delight..."
Hazelmarie ‘Mattie’ Elliott, A Breath of Heaven
Life Coaching - Day 14 - Reflect on Your Life
You've been doing a lot of inner and outer work. Your vision is continuously becoming clearer.
It's time to take another look, with cleansed eyes...
Ask yourself these questions in your journal...
What aspects of my life are working for me, and which are not?
When do I feel most comfortable in my life? The least?
What goal did I used to tell myself I couldn't do, or wasn't good enough for?
What strengths have I discovered that I didn't know I had?
What is most important for me to live a life of balance and health?
These questions will open up even more areas of reflection, so don't be shy, let your wisdom come through.
Happy Cleansing...
It's time to take another look, with cleansed eyes...
Ask yourself these questions in your journal...
What aspects of my life are working for me, and which are not?
When do I feel most comfortable in my life? The least?
What goal did I used to tell myself I couldn't do, or wasn't good enough for?
What strengths have I discovered that I didn't know I had?
What is most important for me to live a life of balance and health?
These questions will open up even more areas of reflection, so don't be shy, let your wisdom come through.
Happy Cleansing...
4/3/10
Boost your health through nature
Day 13-cleanse
Good morning happy cleansers!
We made it through the juicing phase!! yah I would love to here about your experience with the juice fast. How are you feeling?
Spring is here...new growth..rejuvination..Lets see what nature can do for us.
Nature can actually make you healthier with fewer doctor’s visits. Human nature is enmeshed with nature. Learn to get along with nature’s rhythms to reset your own biorhythms from technology overload — focus on the benefits.
Here are some ways nature can boost your health:
* Silent communication. Overscheduled and endless demands, you need to detoxify your senses with solitude, setting aside quiet time to reflect. You can hear a bird, smell a flower and feel the wind on your skin. Learn to pay attention to feel alive and alert —
* Slow you down. Being crazy busy sets you up for chronic stress. Nature reduces the inflammatory response of stress which is damaging to all your bodily processes and sets you up for unhappiness.
* The sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D as transmitted by sunlight to your skin and helps to release serotonin to improve your mood. Exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin which plays a role in quality sleep, so that you wake up refreshed to start your day — without irritability. Vitamin D boosts the immune system and helps prevent certain cancers like breast and colon.
* Nutrients. Eating local, organically grown pesticide-free fruits and vegetables provides superior nutrition because they go directly from harvest to table. Better yet grow fruits, herbs and vegetables in your own garden or a community garden. Did you know that gardeners don’t tend to get osteoporosis and get a great workout that many gym members envy?
* Natural self-expression. Nature reminds you to be your authentic self — embrace your body and run with wolves — metaphorically speaking. Silence, suppression, pretense — take their toll on your mood and cardiovascular system.
* Movement outdoors. Take your workout outdoors because we were designed to walk and run outside. Look for opportunities to move all day instead of sitting in front of the TV or a computer.
* The power of green. The fewer chemicals the better, as everyone has a tipping point for illness. Chemicals stress the body. Also, the color green helps to promote healing. Nature has many shades of green.
" Peace be with you "
Good morning happy cleansers!
We made it through the juicing phase!! yah I would love to here about your experience with the juice fast. How are you feeling?
Spring is here...new growth..rejuvination..Lets see what nature can do for us.
Nature can actually make you healthier with fewer doctor’s visits. Human nature is enmeshed with nature. Learn to get along with nature’s rhythms to reset your own biorhythms from technology overload — focus on the benefits.
Here are some ways nature can boost your health:
* Silent communication. Overscheduled and endless demands, you need to detoxify your senses with solitude, setting aside quiet time to reflect. You can hear a bird, smell a flower and feel the wind on your skin. Learn to pay attention to feel alive and alert —
* Slow you down. Being crazy busy sets you up for chronic stress. Nature reduces the inflammatory response of stress which is damaging to all your bodily processes and sets you up for unhappiness.
* The sunshine vitamin. Vitamin D as transmitted by sunlight to your skin and helps to release serotonin to improve your mood. Exposure to sunlight stimulates the pineal gland to produce melatonin which plays a role in quality sleep, so that you wake up refreshed to start your day — without irritability. Vitamin D boosts the immune system and helps prevent certain cancers like breast and colon.
* Nutrients. Eating local, organically grown pesticide-free fruits and vegetables provides superior nutrition because they go directly from harvest to table. Better yet grow fruits, herbs and vegetables in your own garden or a community garden. Did you know that gardeners don’t tend to get osteoporosis and get a great workout that many gym members envy?
* Natural self-expression. Nature reminds you to be your authentic self — embrace your body and run with wolves — metaphorically speaking. Silence, suppression, pretense — take their toll on your mood and cardiovascular system.
* Movement outdoors. Take your workout outdoors because we were designed to walk and run outside. Look for opportunities to move all day instead of sitting in front of the TV or a computer.
* The power of green. The fewer chemicals the better, as everyone has a tipping point for illness. Chemicals stress the body. Also, the color green helps to promote healing. Nature has many shades of green.
" Peace be with you "
Fitness Day 13 ~ Rest and calm in Child's Pose
Childs Pose - Balasana - The Prayer Stretch
This pose stretches the knees and the lower back. It is a very good pose to do to get blood to the brain and is recommended if you have dizziness or extreme fatigue. You may want to open the knees a little more if you suffer from over acidity. This will create more room around the belly. It also allows deeper breathing.
Finding deep breath in this pose will massage your organs, aiding in the release of toxins.
Finding deep breath in this pose will massage your organs, aiding in the release of toxins.
While you are at rest in Balasana clear your mind of mundane thoughts, and connect to the Divine - say a prayer from your heart as you heal and renew.
Sit on your knees with your feet together and buttocks resting on your heels. Separate your knees about the width of your hips. Place your hands on your thighs, palms down.
Inhale deeply, then exhale as you bring your chest between your knees while swinging your arms forward.
Rest your forehead on the floor, if possible, and then bring your arms around to your sides until the hands on resting on either side of your feet, palms up.
Breath gently through your nostrils as you hold the posture. Hold for about one to two minutes. Then return to an upright kneeling position with your back straight and your hands on your thighs.
Repeat the posture at least one more time.
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When we pray to God we must be seeking nothing - nothing.
~Saint Francis of Assisi
Life Coaching - Day 13 - Your Ideal Day
You've cleared a lot of things away, and you've examined yourself, what matters to you, and your life.
Now that you are so deeply connected to yourself, it's a great time to develop (some would say discover) your vision.
Let's start with an exercise that is meant to help you tap into your imagination and your most important values. This is a no limits exercise...Forget about limitations, barriers and fears.
Describe your ideal day! What would be the perfect day for you and your family?
These questions may help to get you thinking:
- What time would you get up?
- What would you feel like in the morning? What would you be excited about?
- What kind of house are you in?
- What do you do in the morning? What kind of family interactions do you have?
- Will you be working or doing some other sort of activity? What and where?
- How does what you do fulfill you? Why do you love it? What kinds of people do you work with?
- How does your work make a difference?
- What would you do in your spare time?
- What would your family relationships be like?
- What would your physical self be like?
- Where in the world would you be living?
- What else would you love?
Remember, describe your ideal day as if anything is possible for you...Because it is! :)
Happy Cleansing...
Now that you are so deeply connected to yourself, it's a great time to develop (some would say discover) your vision.
Let's start with an exercise that is meant to help you tap into your imagination and your most important values. This is a no limits exercise...Forget about limitations, barriers and fears.
Describe your ideal day! What would be the perfect day for you and your family?
These questions may help to get you thinking:
- What time would you get up?
- What would you feel like in the morning? What would you be excited about?
- What kind of house are you in?
- What do you do in the morning? What kind of family interactions do you have?
- Will you be working or doing some other sort of activity? What and where?
- How does what you do fulfill you? Why do you love it? What kinds of people do you work with?
- How does your work make a difference?
- What would you do in your spare time?
- What would your family relationships be like?
- What would your physical self be like?
- Where in the world would you be living?
- What else would you love?
Remember, describe your ideal day as if anything is possible for you...Because it is! :)
Happy Cleansing...
4/2/10
Fitness Day 12 ~ Balance and connection
Tree Pose - Vrksasana
"Standing straight on the left leg, bend the right leg and place the right foot on the root of the left thigh. Stand thus like a tree on the ground. This is called vriksha-asana."
Gheranda-samhita II.36
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Within the balance of Tree Pose, we can begin to regain balance within ourselves. Stand, connect and allow for your inner being to grow tall and strong, just as the mighty trees upon our Gaia Mother Earth stand, filled with love for us all.
The challenge of the vriksha-asana is maintaining balance on one leg. Poor balance is often the result of a restless mind or distracted attention. Regular practice of this posture will help focus the mind and cultivate concentration.
I invite you to take this pose to many places over the next few days; outside, grocery store, line at the movies! Sharing with us where you found your balance and how you have begun to clam and clear your mind, illuminating your soul.
Namaste ~ Amanda
1. Stand with the feet together and the arms by your sides.
2. Bend the right leg at the knee, raise the right thigh and bring the sole of the right foot as high up the inside of the left thigh as possible.
3. Balancing on the left foot, raise both arms over the head keeping the elbows unbent and joining the palms together. Hold the posture while breathing gently through the nostrils for about 10 complete breaths.
4. Lower the arms and right leg and return to standing position with feet together and arms at the sides. Pause for a few moments and repeat on the opposite leg.
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“ Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony"
T. Merton
Life Coaching - Day 12 - Forgiveness
Hmm...There is one thing that can take this cleanse even deeper, and remove some toxins we keep very close to the heart.
It's the past injuries, the slights, the times we got hurt when someone around us, or we, were scared.
When we hold onto this pain, it gets in the way for us. The truth is we've all been hurt, and we've all hurt others. We all deserve forgiveness, or we don't. That simple choice can make a world of difference in your life.
Are you ready to let go and forgive? Others, and yourself?
It's easy. You feel love, compassion and forgiveness, as you say...
It's OK. I forgive you. I love you. Thank-you.
You can visualize giving the person a bouquet of flowers, or sending light from your heart to theirs. Do what feels natural to you.
When you forgive, you give a gift to yourself, to the "other" person, and to the Universe.
It's the past injuries, the slights, the times we got hurt when someone around us, or we, were scared.
When we hold onto this pain, it gets in the way for us. The truth is we've all been hurt, and we've all hurt others. We all deserve forgiveness, or we don't. That simple choice can make a world of difference in your life.
Are you ready to let go and forgive? Others, and yourself?
It's easy. You feel love, compassion and forgiveness, as you say...
It's OK. I forgive you. I love you. Thank-you.
You can visualize giving the person a bouquet of flowers, or sending light from your heart to theirs. Do what feels natural to you.
When you forgive, you give a gift to yourself, to the "other" person, and to the Universe.
4/1/10
Life Coaching - Day 11 - One Question
Cleanser, you have given yourself a special gift...A gift of clarity. When toxins are cleared we enjoy a strong connection to our higher selves, our truth, to Spirit.
A special opportunity exists for you at this moment. It is an opportunity to ask ANY question you would like an answer to.
Decide on a question that ignites powerful feelings of desire to know the answer, desire based on higher reasons, such as the highest good for all.
Get quiet and centered, then clearly ask your question, mentally or aloud. Feel your sincere desire to know the answer. Be sure to record your question in your journal.
Pay close attention in the next 24-72 hours for your answer(s).
Happy cleansing!
A special opportunity exists for you at this moment. It is an opportunity to ask ANY question you would like an answer to.
Decide on a question that ignites powerful feelings of desire to know the answer, desire based on higher reasons, such as the highest good for all.
Get quiet and centered, then clearly ask your question, mentally or aloud. Feel your sincere desire to know the answer. Be sure to record your question in your journal.
Pay close attention in the next 24-72 hours for your answer(s).
Happy cleansing!
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