Lifestyle

I can recall many times I made lists of resolutions in December only to forget them by February:

“Stop biting your fingernails.

Learn to relax.

Find a career that you love”

Despite my good intentions, it wasn’t until I made a huge transition—booking a one-way ticket to Costa Rica two Januaries ago—that my life really began to change. But it wasn’t living in the remote jungle that caused me to magically change.

Real change happens from the inside out, not the outside in.

In fact, what travel has taught me more than anything, is that wherever I go, there I am. When I’m in a world where the only constant is me, it becomes spectacularly obvious where—internally—I struggle or thrive.

So how did I transition from an anxious, workaholic, serial monogamist into a beach-bumming, solo female, world traveler?

Practice.

Thousands of miles from the people and the patterns of my past, with more free time than I knew what to do with, I began to evaluate my daily habits and decided how I wanted to change them. In the process, I developed a set of daily practices. When I find myself slipping from myself, falling into past patterns of unhappiness, or feeling overcome with anxiety, I come back to these. Perhaps we can practice them together?

Photo by Megan Kimble

1. Ask Ourselves What We Want

This sounds simple, but many times we get so caught up in our routines, our responsibilities, and our relationships that we don’t stop to ask ourselves, “Uhhh…is this even what I want?!” 

What do you want? If you struggle to answer this question, try asking yourself, “What would I do if I could not fail?” Be prepared for your answer to this question to change often. Know that that’s okay.

2. Believe That it is Possible

We are what holds us back from actualizing our dreams. We must believe that what we want is possible; that itcan happen and we can do it. I remember the first time I saw a yoga teacher push his legs up into crow position. For yoga novices, this is a posture where the yogi crouches down, rests his knees into his armpits, shifts his weight forward into his hands, then floats his feet off the ground.

If you’ve never done it before, it looks impossible. Yet today I am able to do crow with little effort. A posture I once laughed at my teacher for even suggesting. How did I get there? I first had to believe that I could do it to give myself the courage to try. I use this as a metaphor for my life—a reminder that I am capable of achieving things tomorrow; that today might appear impossible. First, I have to believe that I can.

3. Live Life on Purpose

We must decide what we want and then focus our actions to support it. By doing everything—eating, speaking, breathing, behaving—with purpose, our actions become sacred rituals that yield intentional results. Eating something because it’s what we actually want to eat to nourish and please our palates and our bodies. Saying something because it needs to be expressed and heard. Breathing in a way that supports our thoughts, feelings, and movements. Behaving in a way that makes us feel proud of who we are.

4. Set Intentions

It’s easy for us to drift from our purpose with distractions—not only within our own minds, but those from the world around us as well.  We can stay focused on our purpose by beginning each morning with one clear intention: concentration, generosity, gratitude, peace, joy, energy, clarity, balance, or anything we want to harness in our lives. Throughout the day, we should remind ourselves of this intention and bring ourselves back to it often. The more we remember our intention, the more effortless living it becomes.

5. Think Positive

People say this all of the time, but how do we actually put it into practice? A little over a year ago I was sitting on my favorite beach, Punta Uva, in Costa Rica. I was reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns” and—wow—did that book ever remind me of what I have to be grateful for. I began to make a list of all of the positive things in my life. Yet a few minutes later, wandering down the shore, I noticed my mind wandering into negative thinking. I then began beating myself up for thinking negatively in the first place. I began listing all of the things that were wrong with me and my life.

But a voice inside me spoke up: “Ahem, excuse me, Mind. You do not control me.”

In that moment, I decided to play a game. Every time I noticed a negative thought creep into my head, I gave it a positive spin. “You’re not as skinny as you were a year ago. What are you doing wrong?” became, “You have become so dedicated to your yoga practice. Look at how much stronger you are today than you were one year ago!” This game became a daily exercise.

I noticed that the more I practiced, the more automatic positive thinking became. Try shifting your self talk to a positive, kind, supportive dialogue. Our thoughts become our actions and our actions become our lives.

6. Be Selfish

How often do we give others compliments and gestures of kindness? How often do we give that treatment to ourselves? We deserve to feel healthy and happy and no one has the power to offer us that except ourselves. Do at least one thing every single day that is completely, absorbedly, selfish. Take a long soothing bath. Sit in a chair and read a book. Wake up in the morning and do yoga, not to burn calories, but to feel good. Prepare a beautiful meal and enjoy it alone.

Photo by Jordan Ross Dore

7. Become Aware of Our Breath

Our breath is our life. Without it we would cease to survive. It literally moves life energy throughout our body affecting every function of our being. By gaining awareness of our breath and learning to control it, we can control our physical and mental state. Check in with the movement and pattern of the breath. Allow its supportiveness.  When life feels stressful and we feel out of control, we can calm our breath. Slow it down. Deepen it.

Remember: as long as we keep breathing, we keep living. And nothing is ever as serious as it seems.

8. Drink Water

Drink clean, pure, fluoride-free water. Drink a huge glass first thing in the morning. Drink it throughout the day. Carry a big bottle of water wherever you go as a constant reminder to drink, drink, drink!

9. Feel More, Numb Less

Sometimes feelings are intense. Pleasure, pain, sadness, joy, anger, anxiety, fear, hope…it can all be overwhelming. In our society we have created so many tools designed to make us feel less. We escape the intensity of sensations with food, alcohol, drugs, television, the internet, small talk, violence, sex.

Why are we so afraid to just feel?

When I feel an uncomfortable emotion creep in (especially loneliness or boredom), I notice that, suddenly, I have an urge to eat something or get online. However, the same way a throbbing headache is a signal that our bodies need something, boredom is a signal that our spirits need something. Our bodies are not telling us they need a pill the same way our spirits are not telling us they need distraction. We must stop quieting these signals and instead start listening.

10. Eat a Salad

This piece of wisdom comes from my dear friend and food blogger, Andie Mitchell. Eat a big, satisfying, crunchy, varied, balanced salad every single day and, trust me, you will feel amazing! My favorite salads include a crunchy lettuce (like romaine or cabbage) mixed with dark, nutrient-packed greens, something sweet (like fruit, corn, or tomatoes), quinoa or beans, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds, and a tangy dressing with lots of fresh herbs.

11. Move Our Bodies

Run. Jump. Dance. Move. Sweat. Our bodies are filled with energy channels; let them flow! Somehow we’ve adopted this mentality that movement is about calorie burning and weight loss. It has become a chore and a “should” rather than a “want.” Moving our bodies is detoxifying, liberating, energizing, relaxing, and it’s downright fun. We should do it because our bodies want it and because it feels damn good!

12. Start Setting Boundaries

When we feel taken advantage of, taken for granted, or generally out of control, the chances are we are not setting boundaries in our lives and in our relationships. It is each of our responsibilities to define what makes us feel respected and communicate that to others. If we don’t want to loan our favorite sweater to a friend, we should respectfully say it. If we are too busy to volunteer at an event, we should be honest. If something makes us feel uncomfortable, we shouldn’t do it. We can never expect others to behave in accordance with our wants or expectations. However, we can absolutely determine what we are willing to receive and kindly express what is and is not acceptable to us.

13. Don’t Take Things Personally

Did you know that nothing is ever personal? Really. Nothing. What someone says or does that strikes an emotional chord with us is always a reflection of our own insecurities, values, and perceptions. Therefore, the way that someone treats you is the mirror image of what they are personally feeling inside. Knowing that nothing is personal, release the burden of what other people think and how they behave. Know that really, it’s not us. It’s them. In turn, when we find ourselves judging or mistreating someone else, we need to look within and ask ourselves what our thoughts and our behavior say about us.

14. Put Things Into Perspective

A few years ago a co-worker was telling me about her divorce. I will spare the details, but it sounded like an emotionally devastating experience. At the time I was going through my own never-ending breakup in an on-again-off-again relationship. Seeking guidance, I asked her, “How did you get through it?”

“I went to the Holocaust Museum,” she said.

Sometimes, the best way to move on from our problems is to simply put them into perspective. Things are rarely life or death, everything will always be ok and nothing is ever good or bad unless we think so.

15. Spend Time Alone

With the internet at our fingertips, many of us are never alone. I find that my greatest moments of peace and clarity are those when I allow myself to fully separate from other people and outside distractions. My alone time fuels and energizes me when I return to the social world. Years ago, I hated being alone. Really, I hated it. It was uncomfortable, boring and lonely. Usually the thing that we want to do the least is the thing that we most need to do.

Take a long walk by yourself (without your iPod). Go out to dinner and sit at a table alone; don’t bring a book or your phone. Sit by yourself in nature and just stare at what surrounds you. Notice what you feel in your body. Notice where your thoughts go. Realize that you are not only capable of maneuvering the world with your own strength, you are cable of maneuvering your thoughts and your feelings. Find freedom when you realize how good it feels to be alone.

16. Lead With Your Heart

When we experience completeness within ourselves—alone—we may forget about the outside world. Lower the walls we’ve built to protect ourselves. Be honest with people about how we feel. Take a chance on love. Trust people knowing that we might get hurt. Leading with our hearts means being true to ourselves. When we are true to ourselves, we can live without regret.

17. Learn the Words Pura Vida

Why I love Costa Rica can be summed up in two words: pura vida. This simple phrase embodies the most beautiful philosophy I have ever known:

‘Everything is good, life is beautiful, go with the flow, surrender to what is, let things go, enjoy your life.’

We can say, “pura vida” on a sunny day as appropriately as we can in a storm. Pura vida is all about accepting the beauty in the world in every form. Learn these words and live them.

18. Seize the Day

The best time to take a step toward what we want is when the idea is fresh in our minds and the motivation is strong in our spirits. Live in the now. Tomorrow may never come, so do it today. Do it now.

19. Make it a Habit

My experience has shown me that to actually change, I must practice consistently. This is why drastic shifts, like moving or leaving a relationship, seem to affect us in the biggest ways: the aftermath of these actions have results that remain consistent day after day. For anything to really change we need to do it often enough that it starts becoming a habit or a pattern. Choose something that we really want and do it. Every. Single. Day. Practice discipline. Do it until we don’t have to remind ourselves to do it anymore. Then keep doing it. Again. And again. And again.

20. Let Everything Go

Perhaps the most transformative practice of all is the act of letting go. In order to change, we must first make space to allow growth to happen. Let go of our expectations. Let go of our past pain. Let go of who we were yesterday and who we think we might be tomorrow. Let go of everything that is not making us better individuals right now. Most importantly, let go of thinking that we need to be perfect by adhering to anything. And that includes this list.

Via Camille Willemainon on elephantjournal.com

Photo by Jordan Ross, Co-Founder of Breathe in Life

Formerly known as Cape Camorin, KanyaKumari is the southern most tip of India, located in the state of Tamil Nadu. Here in a stunning mix of wind, waves, color and temples, the three oceans surrounding the Indian Subcontinent meet. The town is named after the Hindu Goddess Devi Kanya Kumari, a sister of Krishna to whom women pray and give ritual in hopes of finding marriage.

Being the most extreme tip of India the town has much mysticism, history and ritual surrounding it. Swami Vivekenanda, one of India’s most famous monks and philosophers, came here on pilgrimage as directed by his Guru and swam out to a large rock about 500m from shore. It is said that he attained enlightenment here and in 1970 a beautiful monument was built on the rock in his honor, along with meditation hall open to visitors. On the large rock next to that holding the Vivekenanda memorial sits a very impressive statue, standing 133ft tall of Tamil poet and philosopher Tiruvalovar. There is a small boat running through the day taking visitors and pilgrims out to the rocks to walk around and contemplate the spiritual and historical significance of these remarkable rocks.

Visiting major pilgrimage points such as Kanyakumari in India is always an incredible experience. Beyond the amazing architecture, energy and environment, it is truly something special to see the devotees who have come to give their thanks, prayers and love to the Gods. For many Hindus it is a must to come to Kanyakumari once in their lives, and for the poorer communities it can be a great challenge. We are always amazed and the sheer joy and elation of watching groups arrive by the dozens to celebrate, splash in the water, and fully surrender to the moment.

This stop is one of our personal favorites and we can’t wait to share it with you on our 20 day South India adventure in February 2016.

Photo and blog via Mystic Mamma

“Woman is the creator of the human race. She is the first Guru, the first guide and mentor of humanity.”

“Think of the tremendous forces, either positive or negative, that one human being can unleash upon the world. Each of us has a far-reaching effect on others, whether we are aware of it or not.”

“The responsibility of a mother, when it comes to influencing inspiring her children, cannot be underestimated. There is much truth in the saying that there is a strong woman behind every successful man. Wherever you see you happy, peaceful individuals; where ever you see children endowed with noble qualities and good disposition; wherever you see men who have immense strength when faced with failure and adverse situation; wherever you see people who possess a great measure of understanding, sympathy, love, and compassion toward the suffering, and who give of themselves to others  you will usually find a great mother who has inspired them to become what they are.”

“Mothers are the ones who are most able to sow the seeds of love, universal kinship, and patience in the minds of human beings. There is a special bond between a mother and a child. The mother’s inner qualities are transmitted to the child even through her breast milk. The mother understands the heart of the child; she pours her love into the child, teaches him or her the positive lessons of life, and corrects the child’s mistakes.”

“If you walk through a field of soft, green grass a few times, you will easily make a path. The good thoughts and positive values we cultivate in our children will stay with them forever…”

“…A woman who has awakened her innate motherhood brings heaven to earth wherever she is. Only women can create a peaceful, happy world. And so it is that the one who rocks the cradle of the babe is the one who holds up the lamp, shedding light on the world….”

~Sri Mata Amritanadamayi Devi from The Awakening Of Universal Motherhood: Geneva Speech

Sometimes sleep eludes us.

Maybe our brains won’t shut off, or we find ourselves tossing and turning all night, unable to get comfortable. Whatever the reason for your lack of sleep, it takes a toll. Studies abound linking sleeplessness with increased risk of serious health problems such as diabetes and stroke, as well as depression, impaired judgment, memory lapses and other cognitive deficiencies.

Thankfully, there are some easy yoga-based techniques you can use nightly to fall asleep and stay asleep. It only takes about six minutes to leverage your body’s natural sleep-facilitating processes.

These are the same stretching, breathing and meditative methods used by my professional athlete clients. As a yoga trainer for numerous sports teams, it’s my job to help athletes restore their bodies and minds to perform at optimum levels. This includes creating sleep-facilitation programs to counter the effects of grueling game and travel schedules, so players can feel refreshed and ready.

I’ve designed this six-minute sleep program to be effective and accessible for most people, not just athletes.

It begins with two postures done bedside to address the tension that builds over the course of the day, particularly in your lower back and hip flexors. By lengthening and realigning these areas, you can prevent waking in the night due to stiffness, aches and pains.

Functional squat

Lengthens spine, especially low back; realigns pelvis and hips

Standing with your feet hip-distance apart and arms extended at shoulder level, exhale and sit back into a deep squat. Maintain weight in your heels. Avoid allowing your knees and/or toes to turn out. If you have difficulty squatting all the way down without lifting your heels or feeling unsteady, hold onto something secure, like your bed frame, for support.

Take three long deep breaths while squatting. Focus on relaxing your lower back with each exhalation.

If you experience discomfort in your ankles, knees or shins, try widening your stance and making sure you’re dropping back into your hips as opposed to pushing forward into your knees.

Warrior one with side bend

Lengthens calves, hip flexors and side waist muscles

From standing, step your right foot back, placing your heel down with your toes angled slightly out. Bend your left knee to align above your ankle. Keep your back leg straight. Place your left hand on your left hip. If balance is a challenge, place your left hand on your bed or other support, instead of your hip.

Inhale as you reach your right arm up and over your head to the left, stretching your right side and front of your hip. Exhale to hold the posture. Inhale and return your arm to your side. Step back to standing. Repeat on the opposite side, then get into bed.

Once in bed, practicing a gentle twist to promote blood flow in the abdomen helps initiate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” aspect of our autonomic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate and blood pressure and inhibits the production of stress hormones.

Supine bent-knee twist

Stretches hip, groin and low-back muscles; increases blood flow in the pelvis and abdomen; enhances mid-back mobility; opens chest

Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides. Place a pillow under your head, if desired. Hug your left knee into your chest. Inhale as you place your right hand on the outside of your left thigh and reach your left arm to the left. Exhale fully as you gently twist from your mid-back to bring your left knee across your body to the right.

Take two more long, deep breaths. Unwind and repeat on the other side.

Employing deep diaphragmatic breathing supports the restorative action of your parasympathetic system. And because the diaphragm also works as a postural muscle, attaching to the ribcage and lumbar spine (low back) and running through the hip flexors, diaphragmatic breathing promotes proper ribcage, back and pelvis position, which decreases the likelihood of waking due to discomfort or the need to change position.

Pairing deep breathing with backward-counting meditation is a simple yet effective way to focus and relax a wandering mind.

Diaphragmatic breathing and backward-count meditation

Get comfortable with your head on one pillow and another placed under your knees. If you prefer a side-lying position, lie on your left side with a pillow between your legs.

Close your eyes. Inhale through your nose, filling the lowest lobes of your lungs and back of your ribcage. You should feel your lower ribs expand outward, as opposed to only inflating your upper chest. Exhale and focus on your lower ribs internally rotating and descending. It’s important that you feel your ribcage release downward as you exhale for proper function of your diaphragm. And a full exhalation is necessary to raise CO2 levels in your blood enough to inspire a natural, functional inhalation. When you think you’ve fully exhaled, contract your abdominal muscles to see if you can push out any remaining air. You’ll likely find some! Once you’ve fully exhaled, pause before inhaling.

Try to lengthen and deepen your breathing to match this pattern: 5-count inhalation, 5-count exhalation, and 2-count pause after exhalation.

Once you’ve established the breathing pattern, begin counting your breaths backward from 20 to 1. Concentrate your mind on an image of each number and the sensations of your breathing. If you still haven’t drifted off after 20 breaths (approximately three to four minutes), repeat the process, starting at 30 or 40 breaths.

Practicing this six-minute yoga program before bed should deliver consistent quality rest by creating an optimal physical (muscle relaxation and body positioning) and physiological (parasympathetic nervous system and diaphragmatic breathing) foundation for falling asleep and staying asleep.

Sweet dreams.

Blog from CNN.com

Photo by Mystic Mamma

You cannot get healthy by “trying to be healthy”, continuously bantering yourself that you “should eat better”, reading articles and looking at healthy recipes and getting takeout anyways then being hard on yourself for your behavior. It creates an energetic disconnect from the health you are in fact seeking. The health that you in fact already are.

An ongoing reminder that thoughts create things, a truth now being proven by metaphysics, must be used in your creation of your own health. This is one of the strongest, most effective tools I coach my clients through and it works not only in health, but in so many other areas of your life… an absolute must if you want to actually get anything you want out of life.

“You already have inside you everything you’ve ever wanted or looked for elsewhere.” –Sara Avant Stover, author of The Way of the Happy Woman

When I tell people they are already the health that they seek – they think I’m crazy at first. But hang in there with me for a minute. Let me walk you through a few mindset shifts that you can use yourself right now to start on your own path. Take a deep breath and start with a few shifts in your language. Here’s a few suggestions:

Shift: “I need to go to the gym.” to “I am a gym monkey and I love working out.”

Shift: “I can’t control what I eat.” to “I make conscious choices about everything that goes into my body.”

Shift: “I don’t know what to eat or how to make it.” to “I know exactly what is the best nourishment for me and I prepare it with ease.”

See, most people wait for circumstances to change in order to change the way they feel, rather than changing the way they feel in order to project new circumstances. Write that one on your wall. I’ve witnessed and experienced for myself over the last decade going from “I am terrible in the kitchen…”, “I don’t like my job” “I don’t know what to do with my life” to saying “I am a happy, healthy nutritionist and natural foods chef who inspires people around the world.” I’ve travelled around the world from Dubai, Columbia, Peru, New York, becoming a world travelling chef and nutritionist… all starting from the words I would speak in my 9-5 office job. I’ve watched clients who said they were going to workout three days a week check in the next month confessing they hadn’t been once and couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them. I had them use shift #1 above and they went to the gym the next day and have been going ever since.

Remember to watch your thoughts as you start this process – you may already be skeptical and shift right back into “this doesn’t work”, etc. That itself is just the mind playing more tricks. It’s an ongoing process… a daily one. To consistently self talk yourself back into “I am healthy and vibrant and all good things come to me.” “I don’t have to get this perfect right away – or ever.” If you are really far off track, give yourself a break and tell yourself it’s all going to get better from here. The letting go and surrendering to the health that you already are is a refreshing feeling. And in that refreshing feeling you will unveil more of the inspired actions that will keep you there.

Written by Kristin Fraser from Inner Glow Nutrition. She will be the nutritionist and chef on Breathe in Life’s Rejuvenation Retreat – Live Food + Yoga.

Photo by Monika Hoyt

The main theme for March is “SURRENDER” with subthemes of TRUTH and TRUST.

SURRENDER is a word that tends to trigger a definition of failure as if we are surrendering to the enemy and as if we have failed in something we believed in and have been striving for. Our definition of SURRENDER for the month is a giving up, a release of a stance, position, or belief that we have stubbornly held onto for way beyond its useful and practical life. It is time to let go of what should have been, could have been and what ought to be in the future. It is time to SURRENDER our anger, our resistance, our judgement and our need to know.

SURRENDER is an act of power that takes the reins away from the false personality and hands them over to essence. SURRENDER is letting go of the attachment to being “right” and the attachment to drama and suffering. SURRENDER is letting go of fear, giving up the need for control, and finally releasing emotional wounds, shame, guilt and resentments we have been carrying around for eons.

Seeing the TRUTH is what will inspire us to finally give up our stubborn positions. It takes courage to surrender but once we see the truth of something that has been hidden, and we can face it with courage, surrender becomes the obvious choice.

Surrender offers freedom. If you are feeling stuck in your life, there is probably something that needs to be surrendered. When you resist change, and many of us are probably resisting the changes we see happening around us, you block the flow of energy. Resistance is born of fear and is certainly an aspect of stubbornness. Resistance also takes a great deal of energy, like pushing against the tide.  It will exhaust you to the point of collapse and despair if you don’t consciously give it up.

Stubbornness is an aspect we will be dealing with this month. You may see the truth of something that involves another, but they may be too stubborn to go along with your insight. On the other hand, you may find yourself stubbornly resisting a truth that is uncovered and revealed by another. Watch for bad behavior this month as projections go rampant and Stubbornness gets channeled through all the other deadlies: Self Deprecation, Arrogance, Martyrdom, Impatience, Greed and Self Destruction. Take responsibility for your own baggage and remember to be compassionate during this time of truth telling and surrender. Resist the comments “I told you so” and “It’s your fault”.

How do you know what to surrender? All you have to do is look at what is not working out for you and release whatever it is that is holding you in that pattern of struggle and despair. Find some humor in it, and better yet, make it into a game, a ritual or a discipline.

Let’s talk about the TRUST subtheme this month. Once you surrender, you have stepped off the edge and into a space of TRUST. You have to have trust in order to successfully surrender. You have to trust that there is a bigger picture, that there is a greater order, that there is built in safety net, and that all will turn out just exactly as it should.

We are in the year of the Fire Rooster. Action, aggression, movement and evolution are all part of the plan. But if you are unwilling and unable to surrender what you need to give up and purge, those energies will eat at you causing you to become angry, irritable, belligerent and self-destructive. We are on a very big wave. You can either catch the wave and get the ride of your life or get pummeled until you don’t know which way is up or down. All it takes is TRUTH, SURRENDER and TRUST.

How the month shows up:

YOU PERSONALLY

What is that hair ball of old energy you have been choking on? Why would you want to hold on to it? Cough it up. Give it up. The good news is that what needs to be surrendered on a personal level is very easy to identify because it is always something that does not feel good. It is always something that gives you grief, makes you angry irritable and brings about the worst in your behavior and attitude. Don’t you want to feel better?

This is the best month to get over your fear, grab some courage, and finally surrender to what your essence and spirit really have in mind for you. In a way, it is now or never. There is great freedom in release and you have the opportunity for great freedom this month. Imagine how it would feel for you to be free from anything that did not feel good, joyful, loving and satisfying. The price you pay is that courage to surrender your comfort zone, show up differently, speak your truth and trust that the outcome will be better than anything you could have imagined.

RELATIONSHIPS

It’s truth time in relationships. Let’s start with your relationship with yourself. It is time to surrender any negative thoughts you have about yourself, any shame, any guilt and any patterns of low self-esteem. It is also a good month to take a look at your addictions and attachments and surrender them as well. And surrender the blame that you are the way you are because of what someone else said or did to you.

There is always posturing and projection in any relationship usually stemming from the fear of intimacy, vulnerability, rejection, failure or success. We hide behind our uncertainty and are reluctant to tell the truth and lay things out on the table. We also have difficulty giving up our positions of control, being right, or being righteous.

As truth is revealed, relationships may go through shake ups that are challenging but end up being reconfigured in a more positive way. Especially in family dynamics, family members that have absorbed more than their fair share of family secrets, peace keeping and sacrifice, may finally surrender that burden, causing some shifting in the family constellation.

And as truth is revealed, the relationship you personally have to your outdated beliefs will be shifted as you put down and surrender your own burden of struggle and limitation.

HEALTH AND THE PHYSICAL BODY

This is a big one because we never want to admit our attachment to what we get out of being unwell. It feeds the reasoning behind why we are not stepping into our lives, being seen, and why we are not taking responsibility for our own happiness. It gives us the excuse to be a victim and to be powerless. If we are not imprinted to receive healthy attention and energy by being healthy, we get it by being unwell.

This month is a good one to uncover the truth about these patterns and to surrender the position of being “not whole”. The challenges to our well-being this month will mostly be on the emotional level as we struggle with ourselves to be OK with being absolutely 100% healthy. After all, there is no drama or story of intensity if there is nothing wrong with us. So it is a tough order to give it up.

If you are to be successful in transitioning to better health this month you need to start with honor and gratitude for the physical body that you have. Say hello every day. Consciously surrender all your negative judgments and trust in your own perfect architecture.

BUSINESS PARTNERSHIPS PROJECTS

If you run a business and it is feeling stagnant, you may have to surrender to whatever truth you face about what needs to be done. Sometimes the attachment to an old intention or the way it could have happened or how something should have been done is what is standing in the way of movement. It will be challenging in business this month to navigate both the emotional conditions as well as the fire that want to inspire and spark movement.

This is a dance of patience, trust and neutrality as things in business and around projects, finances and partnerships shift and sway like tides in the ocean. Stay away from anger and bad behavior and don’t take things personally. Be a leader even if you don’t have a staff of hundreds but only yourself and your work in the world to manage.

It is a good month to uncover the weak spots in your projects and collaborations and to trust new people that are showing up in your life. The intentions you put into motion in February during the eclipse time are sorting themselves out with refinements as needed and magnetizing the support that will mobilize them into action. So pay attention to any piece of wisdom that you intuit is appropriate at this time.

ENVIRONMENT

More cleaning and clearing is needed. Surrender your clutter and the energy that it holds. Trust that the weather knows what it is doing. See everything as a blessing. Any loss, any new addition, any change: see all of it as a blessing and be blessed by it.

Surrender any disappointment you might feel on any given day about your personal environment or the greater environment.  Trust that it is all good.

The first part of the month is watery and a good time to work with the spirit of water as well as water itself. Bathing, cleansing, sauna, steam bath etc. is a good way to honor water and take advantage of the emotional surrender and cleansing that is possible. The later part of the month is fiery and dynamic and triggered to action. BE blessed by the action that shows up in your life instead of resisting how it might manifest.

In weather look for some extremes in water/fire that could include temperatures, storms, heat, sun spots, flooding and drought.

DATES AND TIME FRAMES

March 1-7: A watery time. Use it well for emotional surrender, clearing, cleansing, working with water and nourishing yourself emotionally. Music, beauty, pleasure, vulnerability, sensuality, love and serenity are all possible as long as you are in the right frame of mind and not in some battle with what you are reluctant to surrender. Slow down, take a breath, be present, be open and be kind. Allow the heart to open and the material that needs to be surrendered to surface, most of it overripe for the tossing.

This time frame is also very communal and cooperative and speaks to lots of help and support. All you need to do is ask. The more you get with the program, the more you will open to love and a deeper connection with all.

March 8-15: Watch resistance, stubbornness, disappointment, projections, people behaving badly and all the opportunities you have of acknowledging truth, taking action, giving in, giving something up and working on yourself. This can be an intense time where much can shift if it does not implode. Too much processing can create confusion and a feeling of being somehow disjointed.

There is a need for grounding and working with the earth. Too much water can wash away your will and leave you apathetic and ambivalent. Work things out with others, catch up with important relationships, follow persistent threads and do some more clearing of your clutter both physically and energetically.

March 12: Full Moon is Sunday, March 12, at 8:54 AM Mountain Standard Time. Pull yourself inward today and focus on the details that need attention. Our heads surface briefly out of the emotional watery soup that is supporting the deep surrender of old baggage. We may feel worn out with the process and exhausted by our own resistance. It is time to take a breath, take stock, acknowledge what has been surrendered and see what pieces are left. What are the next steps you need to take to keep the momentum going? There may be truth involved and there is definitely a need for trust.   (for those of you in Daylight Savings time zones Daylight savings time starts today as well.)

March 16-23: We move into a bit more stability during this time frame and dry out from the post eclipse emotional surges. It is a good time to turn focus to the action steps that will be needed to support you now. As we near the time of the equinox, there is more energy to vitalize action and more clarity to understand your truth. Commitments and decisions may be called for which will require trust. You may need to surrender those decisions to spirit and trust that it will all work out.

March 20: Spring Equinox is Monday, March 20 at 4:28 AM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Enter the fiery time of action, movement, and fruition. Use fire in a ceremony or ritual to surrender something that still needs to be unloaded. It can be symbolic as in burning a written narrative about what you are surrendering. Spring is renewal, taking the nourishment from the winter cycle and the freedom from surrender and weaving it into a new picture, a new expression and a new signature. Celebrate this newness, this rebirth in some way by doing something that represents an expansion and an upgrade.

March 24-31: This is a time of action. What have you always wanted to do that you have been afraid to do? What have you always wanted to share that you have been afraid of sharing? What have you always wanted to express that you have been afraid of expressing? Now is the time for courage. Surrender you fear and inhibitions and harness that fire rooster for your own medicine. Be seen, be heard, be acknowledged. Reciprocate this exchange by responding to others with honor, encouragement and compliment. Your container is bigger and you have to trust that it is being filled with the right intentions and experiences. Do some work during this time to fill it also with love, light and awe.

March 27: New Moon is Monday, March 27 at 8:58 PM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Watch for misguided aggression and fiery overreactions. Be the neutral observer instead of getting into the fray. This is a good day to put some boundaries around your newly birthed self and spend some time by yourself and way from reactivity and judgment. Use the fiery potent energy to vitalize your own intentions and fill up the spaces that are now free as a result of what you have surrendered. Work with the sun and be out on nature.

Have a wonderful month!

Blessings,

Lena from powerpath.com

A Sufi poem written in 1317, says the human heart is the spiritual organ or the interface between the body and the “other world.”(1)

The poem says it is through the special faculty of the heart that we may come to know hidden secrets.(2)

The poem further explains when body and spirit strike together like flint and steel, light is created, illuminating the two worlds.

Our life’s experiences are like flint and steel, striking together in the form of our problems, worries and everyday challenges.

Tapping into the wisdom of the heart won’t make our problems go away, but the more we connect to the innate wisdom of our heart the more we can open our heart wide enough to accommodate all of life’s experiences more fully.

The challenge is knowing how to recognize the intuition coming from the heart from the reaction coming from the mind and its societal conditioning. It requires that we listen less to the chatter of our own mind and its fears and negative conditioning.

It takes practice, like everything else in which we want to excel.

The real challenge is how to uncover the subconscious behaviour patterns lurking behind our reactions.

Our childhood experiences tend to form our perceptions and condition our responses in sometimes negative ways. This sets up a non-coherent neuron pattern that activates negative behaviour responses in spite of our best intentions.

When we consciously tune in to heart-centeredness, we create a buffer around our heart that absorbs the negativity coming from others and the environment. The heart’s innate wisdom offers us positive and life-enhancing alternatives to unpleasant situations by “knowing” the hearts of others and responding accordingly and compassionately.

One way to view the “hidden secrets” of the heart is to consider how the rhythm of the heart is harmonically connected to space-time.

For example, the heart beats 4,320 times per hour—1/10th of which when squared is equal to the speed of light (accurate to .002). The number of heartbeats in 2 hours (8,640) harmonically relates to the diameter of the Sun (864,000 miles) and the number of seconds it takes the Earth to rotate around its axis in a day (86,400).

The number of heartbeats in half an hour (2,160) is the diameter of the Moon.

The rhythm of the human heart is sensitive to changes in the heartbeat of Earth and to all life within the global community. When we realize our heart beats in time to everything in the Universe, including the fabric of space time itself, we understand that all possibilities are available to us.

The limitless possibilities surrounding the heart’s wisdom is also embedded in the physiology of the heart’s circulation system, which acts like a möbius coil that produces a self-generating scalar field of unlimited potential.

It is a self-generating field of love and harmony, sensitive to the vibrations of the thoughts and feelings surrounding it.

When we tap into the feelings of caring and acceptance, we reinforce the vibration of harmony and joy, arising from the heart’s connection to the scalar quantum field—Universal Intelligence—the wellspring of unconditional love.

The more we expand our love-buffer the less we react to people or events with anger and frustration. Instead, our heart expands wide enough to embrace and neutralize the negativity of others.

In this way, we can have a positive influence on others and our surroundings.

Love is contagious.

It takes practice to stay present in the heart’s scalar field. Its harmonious vibrations are subtle and delicate. It requires that we re-tune ourselves to its presence and gentle guidance.

One way to realign ourselves to our heart’s love field is through deep breathing.

When we deep breathe, we are synchronizing our heart’s subtle rhythms to the vibration of the Universe. In time, we will distinguish the connection to the gentle whisper of heart-consciousness from the mechanical reactionary patterns coming from our head.

At the point where we feel this connection, we can radiate this feeling throughout our body and then extend it to those around us and beyond.

When we tap into the heart’s positive vibrations, we will discover that we can ride through the events of our daily lives like riding on a magic carpet.

Circumstances magically change and obstacles present themselves as dance partners.

***

 Notes:

1. Garden of Mystery (Gulshan-I raz), Mahmud Shabistari, Trans. Robert Abdul Hayy Darr, Archetype, 2007, p. 204
2. Ibid p.89

Via Stephen Linsteadt 

Today I have a Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl recipe that offers you a wonderful option for anytime of year. It’s rich, sweet, creamy, and satisfying. Enjoy this Pumpkin Bowl for breakfast, lunch, a snack, or dessert. You could even have it for a satisfying but light dinner.

A fun way to prepare these bowls for multiple people is to make as many servings of the main smoothie mixture as you need, then offer a selection of toppings for friends and family to create their own personalized flavor explosion. This recipe used pecans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, blueberries and dried cranberries. Other wonderful options are raspberries, strawberries, banana, apple, pear, coconut, brazil nuts, raisins, dates, and dried figs. The possibilities are endless and they’re fun to put together!

Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 large banana

1/2 – 1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon raw honey

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping ideas: blueberries, dried cranberries, raw pumpkin seeds, pecans, chia seeds, etc

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Start with 1/2 cup of coconut milk and add more if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Pour into a bowl and add your toppings of choice. Fresh or dried fruits, seeds, nuts and coconut are great choices.

Enjoy!

What could be better for your heart than living the sweet life? Not much. Studies show that a happy person with a positive attitude and a rich, rewarding life will have better heart health than someone with the opposite personality traits—even if the happy, positive person eats a poor diet or has some unhealthy lifestyle habits. Why? Because the happy person is continuously producing high levels of a gas called nitric oxide from her blood vessel walls—the uber neurotransmitter produced by everything from pleasurable thoughts to eating green vegetables. High nitric oxide levels, in turn, result not only in much better circulation, but also in high levels of serotonin and beta-endorphins—the feel good hormones that are so satisfying you won’t turn to sugar.

Sugar—whether in white foods, candy, or alcohol—acts like an opiate in the body. Eating foods that quickly turn to sugar quite literally medicates pain—both emotional and physical. But beware. Sugar is eight times more addictive than heroin in susceptible individuals. If you use sugar to boost your mood, to hold at bay feelings of longing or loneliness, or to improve your tolerance for physical pain, you’ll find yourself in a vicious cycle that makes it very difficult to stop eating sugar. This is not about willpower or your being “bad.” It’s about understanding the chemistry that fuels cravings and then doing something about it.

To recover from sugar addiction, you need alternative activities that raise your nitric oxide levels and thus “happy” neurotransmitter levels in your brain and body. Think about the last time you were madly and deeply in love. Were you craving sugar or other illicit means to boost your self-esteem? No. You felt high on life—emotionally full—and probably thought very little about food, unless it was to plan a romantic dinner.

Bad habits are hard to break. You have to replace the habits with something you enjoy even more. This keeps you from craving sugar or whatever other addiction is undermining your health. There are four activities that will help you break your sugar addiction, and if you ask me, these are much more enjoyable then even the gooiest chocolate brownie. They are sex, exercise, meditation, and engaging in regular, pleasurable activities.

• Sex. ‘Nough said! If you don’t have a partner, be your own partner! Set the stage for self-pleasuring starting with a luxuriating activity like stretching followed by a bubble bath, reading a steamy novel, or creating a sexy playlist.
• Exercise. Exercising 30-45 minutes a day, 4-5 days per week is not only great for your heart, studies show it can decrease depression by 50%. This can be as simple as taking a walk!
• Meditation. A stressful lifestyle in which you are working too hard, worrying too much, and sleeping too little results in high levels of the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine. And these stress hormones cause us to crave sugar and put on weight. Like exercise, meditation is an excellent way to lower stress hormones.
• Engaging in regular, pleasurable activities. Have lots of contact with humans or pets. Dancing, potluck suppers, celebrations, or going to the theater are some ideas. Or do something you’ve always wanted to do—and find a new social group to do it with. This is one of the best ways to increase nitric oxide levels.

One of the most pleasurable things I do is either go out to eat in a nice restaurant with good friends and family or cook with others here at home. Who you eat with and how you eat matters! Those who regularly sit down to eat dinner with others are far healthier than those who eat standing up or in the car. I know that I just don’t feel as satisfied when I eat alone—even if I eat the exact same food! And if the food isn’t particularly healthy, pray over it before eating it. It will help elevate the entire experience.

You have the power to create a sweet life—while also keeping your blood sugar stable. GET FULL OF THE JOY OF LIFE. Deliberately pursue healthy and sustainable pleasure, so you can savor the real sweet life!

p.s. If you’re not ready to give up sweets entirely—or if you’re someone who is satisfied with just one bite—here is a happy compromise: Eat sweets only with others—in celebration. Look at your calendar in advance. And choose the one day of the week or month when you can eat whatever you want. Savor sweets slowly, like you were dancing in the moonlight with a lover. Eat sensually and joyously. You will notice that you feel satisfied with far less food.

Blog by Dr. Christiane Northrup

I get a lot of emails and facebook questions about the healthiest options for drinking water and best water filters. To be honest, this is something I’ve been researching in depth for years, and am only now writing about it since I’ve finally been able to try all of the options.

Finding the healthiest and most nutrient dense food options is extremely important, but to some degree, finding the best water options can be even more important! Some sources of water can contain hundreds of chemicals and many of these chemicals can be more easily absorbed from water than from food.

What’s In Your Water?

If you are drinking tap water, the answer to that question is 300+ chemicals and pollutants, according to research from the Environmental Working Group. Among these contaminants are:

• Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs) such as pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. These chemicals are found in most municipal water sources and even in well and other sources due to agricultural run-off and contamination. Research links certain VOCs to damage in the reproductive system, liver, kidneys and more.
• Heavy Metals like lead and mercury are found in some water sources and have been linked to any health problems.
• Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals are chemicals that may mimic or interfere with the normal hormones in the body and these chemicals are being found in increasing amounts in the water supply. From this testimony before a congressional committee on the issue: “Over the past fifty years, researchers observed increases in endocrine-sensitive health outcomes. Breast and prostatic cancer incidence increased between 1969 and 1986 ; there was a four-fold increase in ectopic pregnancies (development of the fertilized egg outside of the uterus) in the U.S. between 1970 and 1987 ; the incidence of cryptorchidism (undescended testicles) doubled in the U.K. between 1960 and the mid 1980s ; and there was an approximately 42% decrease in sperm count worldwide between 1940 and 1990 .” These chemicals are known to affect animals when they enter the water supply as well.
• Fluoride:  This is perhaps the most controversial of the contaminants in water (if something like water contaminants can be controversial!) because it is purposefully added to the water and there is much heated debate about the benefits/harm of this. Anyone who listened to the Heal Thy Mouth Summit is well aware of the potential dangers of Fluoride thanks to Dr. Kennedy, but the short is: If fluoride has any benefit, it would be directly to the teeth, as drinking the fluoride has not been statistically shown to increase oral health at all. Additionally, fluoride has been linked to thyroid problems and other disorders when consumed internally.

So what are the options for those of us not interested in drinking a chemical cocktail every time we are thirsty?

Bottled Water:

Bottled water has started falling out of favor lately and with good reason. Mark’s Daily Apple did an in-depth analysis of why, but bottled water is not a good option for several reasons:

• Chemicals from the plastic bottle itself can leech into the water
• In most cases, the water itself is no different than tap water
• Bottled water costs more in many cases that drinking tap water
• Water bottles are a major source of consumer waste each year!

Verdict: Not the best option on price, taste, or health so I skip it. That being said, having a bottle of water is very convenient, and there are some great sustainable options. Glass and steel water bottles are my personal favorites!

Pitcher Water Filters

Pitcher water filters like Brita use Granulated Activated Charcoal to remove some contaminants. They are less expensive than other filter options upfront, but require frequent filling (especially for large families) and cartridge replacement (making them more expensive in the long run). Since the carbon is not solid, it does not remove all toxins though these filters will improve taste.

Pitcher filters will reduce chlorine, but are not effective at removing VOCs, heavy metals, endocrine disruptors or fluoride. This category also includes faucet mount external filters, which use the same technology.

Verdict: Better than nothing, but doesn’t remove the worst offenders and is somewhat costly to use compared to other options.

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

Reverse Osmosis filtration uses a membrane which removes many contaminants from water. It is usually paired with a Granulated Activated Charcoal filter to remove chlorine and many mount under the sink and have a holding tank. The semipermeable membrane separates many contaminates (which usually have a larger particle size that water) from the water and rejects a large amount of water in the process.

The result is a waste of several gallons of water for every gallon filtered and many naturally occurring minerals (including calcium and magnesium) are also removed from the water. We used this type of filter for a long time but added trace minerals back in to the water to replace the ones that are filtered out. It does remove a large amount of contaminants but is not the best option, in my opinion.

Pros: Removes a large amount of contaminants. Many unites are stored under the sink and have a simple spigot over the counter for getting the water. Does reduce arsenic, asbestos and heavy metals. Does remove fluoride.

Cons: Wastes more water than it produces. Does not reduce VOCs or endocrine disruptors. Requires adequate water pressure to work so it is not usable if home water supply is cut off. Takes up to an hour to filter one gallon of water and filters need to be replaced regularly. Removes necessary minerals from the water.

Verdict: Certainly better than a lot of options out there and does remove fluoride, but not the best due to its waste of water and costly filters.

Distilled Water

The distillation process uses heat to cause the water to become steam. The steam rises and moves to a cooling chamber where it turns back into liquid, leaving behind many contaminants. This type of filtration reduces large particles like minerals and heavy metals but does not remove endocrine disruptors or VOCs since they vaporize at equal or lower temps that water and rise with the steam. It does effectively kill bacteria.

Pros: Removes a large amount of contaminants. Does reduce arsenic, asbestos and heavy metals. Does remove fluoride.

Cons: Does not reduce VOCs or endocrine disruptors. Home distillation systems are often large and expensive. Use a large amount of electricity and will not work in power outages. Removes necessary minerals from the water. Long term use can cause mineral deficiencies.

Verdict: Better than bottled water, but definitely not the best option out there, especially for home situations.

Solid Block Carbon Filters

Recognized by the EPA as the best option for removing chemicals like herbicides, pesticides and VOCs. Quality carbon block filters will remove chemicals, pesticides, bacteria, fluoride (with filter attachment), heavy metals, nitrate, nitrites and parasites. Most are gravity based and can safely transform any type of water into safe drinking water including rain water, pond water and even sea water (though these types of water will clog the filters much more quickly and are not ideal!) It will even filter water with food coloring to create clear water (yes, I tested it…)

This is the option that we use now and my only complaint is that it does take up counter space. The advantages are that it is gravity based and will work even without electricity or running water. While these types of units can be more pricey that pitcher filters or other filters up front, they seem to be the least expensive in the long run and require the fewest filter replacements (a big plus for me!). These types of filters also don’t remove naturally occurring minerals from the water, making it the best tasting filtered water option, in my opinion.

Using a filter calculator, I’ve determined that the specific system we use won’t need to be replaced for over 20 years with our current usage (though I’m guessing our usage will increase as the kids get older).

The most common type of this filter is the Berkey and it comes in many sizes for different uses. It can even be used camping to filter river water for drinking! (Tested this too and it saved one of my brother in-laws from Giardia when other members of his group got it while camping)

Pros: Filters VOCs, heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, nitrates/ites, bacteria, parasites and other chemicals. Very inexpensive per gallon cost and infrequent filter replacement. Great tasting water. Doesn’t require electricity or water pressure to work. Portable options can even be used while traveling.

Cons: Does require counter space and does have to be manually filled (not a big deal for us, we just fill at night and we have plenty of water the next day). More expensive up front. Does not remove endocrine disruptors and there are some concerns with third party testing with some brands.

Verdict: A good option, especially in places where under-counter or permanent systems are not an option. We uses this one for years before our current system.

Under Counter Multi-Stage Filters:

After years of research and trying most of the options above at some point, we finally found and switched to an under-counter multi-stage water filter system that meets all of the criteria and exceeds them. I review the one we personally use in depth in this post, but in short, it filters water through a 14-stage process that utilizes most of the methods listed above, along with others like UV and adds minerals back in. During the filtration process, water goes through these stages:

Stage 1 – Five Micron Pre-Filter
Stage 2 – Internal Coconut Shell Carbon Filter (like Berkey)
Stage 3 – Reverse Osmosis Membrane (Purifier #1) (like regular RO but more efficient)
Stage 4 – Mixed Bed De-Ionization Purifier (Purifier #2)
Stage 5 – Mixed Bed De-Ionization Purifier (Purifier #3)
Stages 6 & 7 – Homeopathic Restructuring – Erasing Memory, Molecule Coherence
Stage 8 – Holding Tank – standard tank holds about 3 gallons of pure water. Other tanks are available.
Stage 9 – Ultraviolet Light – 14 Watt
Stage 10 – Reprogramming – Adding Natural Mineral Properties
Stages 11-12 – Far-Infrared Reprogramming
Stage 13 – Coconut Shell Carbon Post-Filtration
Stage 14 – Alka-Min (Alkalizing, Ionic Remineralization)

It removes fluoride, lead, chlorine, MTBE, chromium-6, nitrates, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, water-borne illness and more.

We absolutely love this water filter and I’ve recommended it to my own family members.

Pros: Removes the widest range of contaminants. Very easy to use with no manual filling required. Spigot attaches near sink for easy use. Water tastes great.

Cons: Must be installed under the sink. We had to hire a plumber for this, though we probably could have figured it out ourselves, I was just reluctant to try.

Verdict: The best option I’ve found and the one we currently use.

Blog by Wellness Ma Ma