Lifestyle

Photo by Ng Byrne
 
 

“Ultimately, self-compassion is a series of choices, a moment by moment conscious turning away from that which will harm your spirit toward that which will nourish and sustain you.

It is choosing, in any particular situation, and over and over again whether you’ll treat yourself well, or beat yourself up, whether you’ll deny yourself, or treat yourself as lovingly as you’d treat your child or your most precious friend.

Self-compassion means looking at yourself with kindness, with a conscious awareness of your sufferings, and in time, with a deep appreciation for the way you have transformed them.”

~ Daphne Rose Kingma 

See Mystic Mamma for an ever flowing resource of wisdom and inspiration, continually weaving a web of spiritual memory gems.

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze button one too many times, roll out of bed (eventually), and immediately connect to your digital devices. You rush through your morning, barely stopping to breathe, and then head off to work.

If you can relate, you might notice that when the day starts on a hectic note, the same vibes reverberate into the rest of the day, creating multiple experiences of physical or mental unease and discomfort.

If you are not one of these people, you might recognize how important it is to start your day with ease, care, and attention in order to move a little bit more smoothly throughout the day. You may notice how reactions soften and how it feels more accessible to take clear, appropriate action in ways that are more truthful to your values and yourself.

Most of us are probably interested in having a really great day—or at least a really nice morning—as often as possible, right?

Mindful morning practices are important for everyone and anyone, not because we all need to live like or become zen masters but because it’s a way to be nice to ourselves.

When we are thoughtful, it’s more natural to extend that kindness to others. Especially if we rarely take time for ourselves in the morning, it can be a powerful shift to begin each day with affection and appreciation for our minds, bodies, and the day ahead.

When we do begin the day in this way, with a mindful approach to ourselves and the opportunities ahead, we learn to pay more attention to ourselves and others throughout the entire day. How we start the morning is an extension into the remainder of the day. If we want to have a smooth 24 hours, it is only natural that it starts the moment we wake up.

The first sutra in the philosophical teachings of yoga translates to “now is the practice of yoga,” which goes far beyond flowing through a series of stretches, backbends, and so on. Simple enough, yet how often do we allow ourselves to be in the now, to witness and observe openly without judgment or cloudy vision? We can apply the same principles to how we wake up in the morning and begin the first few moments of being awake, aware, and alive.

Here are seven very simple ideas inspired by the mindfulness practices of yoga philosophy to incorporate into your morning routine and begin the day on a mindful note:

1. When you wake up, place a hand on your heart, chest, or belly.

Say hello to yourself and give thanks that you have woken up to another unique human experience.

2. Envision your day.

In yoga, it is important to practice paying attention to the present moment. You can keep your hands at your heart or in a mudra in order to anchor your awareness to the moment while you visualize how you want your day to unfold.

3. Practice yoga.

Whether in bed, on a mat, or in whatever space you have, take a few simple stretches to open up your body and prepare for the day. Even if it’s just a simple twist on your back in bed, or postures for the arms sitting upright at the edge of the bed—like gomukhasana or garudasana—or just a big, good morning stretch with the arms overhead when you stand up, all of these are a way of taking time for yourself and your body, for however long you have time to do so.

4. Drink water and chew your food.

Whether it’s good old H2O or hot water with lemon, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Enjoy breakfast without distraction if and when possible. If you do have to check email at your desk during breakfast, at the very least take a few pauses to chew thoroughly, taste your nourishing food, and breathe calmly.

5. Choose food for breakfast that will fuel you up instead of drag you down.

Whether you eat within one hour of waking up like some theories suggest or simply wait until you are hungry, listen to your body and respond accordingly. Eat enough to hold you over until lunch, and take it easy on pounding caffeine to avoid potential oncoming energy crashes later on. Opt for fresh ingredients that you can pronounce, and do your best to avoid excess sugar.

6. If possible, wait a while before plugging into cyberspace.

Consider meditating, journaling, or stretching before going down the interweb rabbit hole, and enjoy being with yourself, doing things for yourself in your own way and on your own time, with only yourself to answer to. Even if it’s just deep breaths before getting out of bed, take those precious moments to be with yourself, just as you are.

Peace, love, and mindful mornings.

Blog by Sasha Nelson

Intense cravings for junk food seem to be an almost daily occurrence for many of us. Sometimes I even catch myself salivating, Pavlov style, when I sit down to watch TV or listen to music — activities I normally would have grabbed a bag of popcorn for during high school.

But after dealing with said cravings one learns they carry with them a caveat — Giving in to the cravings doesn’t make them go away, does it? Why is that?

Science now has the answer, stating that the reason we get cravings is that our body is in need of minerals that do come from junk food but would be much healthier from other, more whole, foods.

Hunger vs. Craving

Hunger and craving are two very different bodily reactions.

Hunger is a very utilitarian, necessary function of the body. It lets you know it’s time to eat because your body needs fuel.

Cravings, on the other hand, are a different beast entirely. They serve not so much to tell your body it needs fuel but to tell your body it needs specific chemicals, one of which is opioids. This is the reason we often crave foods high in sugar and fat; these foods release opioids into our bloodstream and provide us with feelings of pleasure and even mild euphoria in some cases.

And that’s why so many of us love…

Chocolate

Chocolate is the most widely craved food in the world. It’s also actually linked to a nutrient many of us are deficient in: magnesium.

Some estimates state as many as 80 percent of Americans are lacking in this mineral. The symptoms of a magnesium deficiency? Anxiety, irritability and even insomnia.

This is why you might feel better and more relaxed after eating a chocolate bar. But did you know you can actually get magnesium from healthier sources?

Dark leafy greens, for example, are an excellent source of magnesium, as are seeds, nuts, fish, beans and molasses.

So what other commonly craved foods can be replaced with wholesome ones?

High-Sugar Foods

Love fuzzy peaches? Me too, I’ll admit.

It’s no surprise that sugary foods are among the most highly craved in the world. Deficiencies in five nutrients could be to blame if you find yourself craving them. Chromium, sulfur and tryptophan are among them, the latter being a serotonin (happy brain chemical) regulator.

Due to the amount of mineral deficiencies a sugar craving might suggest, you probably want to look at revitalizing your diet to restore your body’s mineral balance.

Carb Cravings

Another common type of craving comes up for things like pasta and bread. This can signal a deficiency in nitrogen, which can result in overall malnourishment. As such, if you find yourself craving lots of carbs, consider adding seafood to your diet, as fish contain a lot of the mineral.

Oily and Fatty Cravings

If you crave foods like fries, cheese and the like with high oil and fat content, it could be indicative of a calcium deficiency. Consider instead drinking raw milk or eating turnip greens and broccoli.

Salty Food Cravings

When you find yourself reaching for that bag of chips or popcorn (like I often do), reach instead for fish, nuts and seeds. These are healthy ways to gain the chloride or silicon your body is telling you it wants.

Blog by DavidWolfe.com

Photo by Gene Hanson

Radical, sudden, emotional, excruciating, higher centered, painful, ecstatic TRANSFORMATION. And, it’s all about LOVE.

July is a 2 Act Play. In the first act, the first two weeks, you are likely to get a tour of your emotions, fears and all the attachments that are in the way of this transformation. The second act begins on the 16th and brings love, compassion and a higher emotional centered energy to everything, anchoring this TRANSFORMATION through beauty and love.

We could also say that this month is all about love; transforming fear into power through love, transforming doubt into confidence through love, transforming old emotional wounds into great wisdom through love. It is an opportunity for us all to learn our lessons through the tough love of spirit and to finally begin to love and cherish ourselves deeply and unconditionally.

Much of what has happened in the world is because of fear: fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of entrapment, fear of abandonment, fear of what we may feel, fear of what we night not feel, fear of what we may lose, fear of losing control, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of being seen, and many others.

We have reached a point in our evolution where it is time to break out of the cocoon of fear and allow ourselves to soar with new wings from a place of love. This will not happen overnight, but we have a chance this month at a good start.

So the first couple of weeks may not be an easy time. You may have to revisit your emotional psyche and do a bit of clearing. You may feel triggered, impatient, reactive, emotional, cranky, irritated, out of sorts, discouraged, overwhelmed, defensive, mistrusting, and have a general feeling that nothing is working in your life. There is a pressure to transform something, but the clarity is not there yet. This too shall pass. Meet this time with discipline around your practices and self-care. Focusing on how you can better support yourself and who you are is key to your own personal transformation. Set strong intentions to be affected only by the positives around you and don’t take other people’s negativity and reactions personally.

When fear comes up, as it will, examine it and see it to be the illusion that it is. Especially fear of “what could happen” is not grounded in anything real. It is imagined and fabricated from a library of past events that should really cease to run the show. Your instinctive center as well as the first chakra hold all of your survival information that often triggers fear. It is important that you work with your instinctive center this month and bring it into present time so it is not triggered by old programs and past karmic experiences.

So in these first two weeks you get a chance at “karmic clean-up” and completions. Completions are an important factor in allowing transformation. To the extent that you are holding on to how something “should have been or should have happened”, you have not completed that experience for yourself and therefore holding yourself back from your own evolution and getting in the way of your own transformation. Forgive and move on. Focus on completion, letting go, and bringing yourself into the present. If everyone could simply focus on eliminating fear by being present and acknowledging love, we could truly change the world.

Remember that whatever it is you feed, that is what will grow. So feed the love, not the fear.

The second half of the month brings with it the higher emotional center. This is the energy of love, connection, agape, a huge open heart and an experience of essence connection. It is the same influence that we had in the 1960’s that initiated the incredible creativity and revolution in music, art, relationships, community and radical innovative ideas. The higher emotional center is the fuel that will feed a new version of creative revolution more focused on spirit and with a greater sense of maturity and purpose.

During this time, you may feel yourself greatly inspired to do something radical and outside your comfort zone. It is a time to connect with others, to feed your creativity, to come up with new ideas and to fall in love with yourself, your life and everything around you.

How the month shows up:

YOU PERSONALLY

Radical personal transformation is possible. Start with taking care of yourself, loving yourself, giving yourself the time and space for emotional assimilation, clearing, healing, and allowing yourself to prioritize your life according to what matters the most to you. Give yourself permission to be irritated and cranky as long as it does not affect others. Be careful of impatience and judgment and always move yourself to a place of compassion and forgiveness.

You have the opportunity this month to end up not recognizing yourself (in a good way). Things could be that different. Transformation can happen suddenly with a huge change in your life that may appear to be challenging at first. This could bring up blame, judgment and possibly even anger. Trust in spirit that whatever you are drawing towards you as an experience is somehow integral to the big picture of your life unfolding in the right way.

Make sure this month to take time for yourself in the area of self-care. How can you best support your own priorities? How can you take better care of yourself as your own most valuable possession? Remember to have compassion and forgiveness and to be in love with yourself.

RELATIONSHIPS

This is a trying month for relationships in the first half and a beautiful month for relationships in the second half. As you focus on your own emotional needs and self-care in the first half, it will become very apparent who does not support you and who does. Don’t take it personally. It may be time to move on.

Important relationships that have been somewhat stagnant have an opportunity to rekindle some creativity and inspiration as long as they don’t get mired in blame, resentment and misunderstandings. Transformation is most radical in the relationship with yourself that that of course will influence all your relationships.

Because of the need for completion of karmic cycles as well as letting go of the past, many relationships will be affected. Some will go by the wayside and some will go through deep transformation into something new. Radical transformation can include sudden changes in relationships, some beginning and some ending.

It is important this month to be emotionally open, to process and heal old relationship wounds, and to take full responsibility for your part on the karmic wheel of relationship lessons. Get to the place of complete acceptance and love. It will serve you well.

HEALTH AND THE PHYSICAL BODY

We mentioned the self-care piece which is integral to the month. If you practice it, your health and well-being will improve. Put yourself first this month through self-love and miracles can happen. Love your body and your body will love you.

The physical body wants to move. It is a good month to take up dancing, running, sports, aerobics and other ways to move the body.

Well-being this month includes the movement of energy. You may be inspired to take road trip or have a change of scene, do some travel and be stimulated by other environments and information. Shake it up, change it up, change your routines, be available for something to change and transform.

ENVIRONMENT

There is a pressure to transform everything including environments. Completion and clearing of what represents the old is important. What are you holding on to? What is your motivation for doing so? Examine your environment with new eyes and be ruthless about making change. Anything that is old energy or a “someday I will do something with this” needs to be either let go of, completed or revitalized.

Work with the energy of love and make sure you love your environment. If you don’t, it will be difficult to feel supported by it. If there are things that irritate you, ask yourself why? What are you putting up with that does not resonate with you? What can you transform? If you share your environment, where can you be accommodating, less resistant and more accepting without completely compromising yourself?

As to nature and the greater planetary environment, look for events that will cause the greatest transformation. These may be sudden and radical and could even be devastating. But they also create the opportunity to bring communities together on a foundation of love and compassion in order to experience a higher emotionally centered time through it all. In this way the fear that may be generated through an experience beyond our control can be transformed into power through love.

BUSINESS/PARTNERSHIPS/PROJECTS

Your personal transformation will inform what happens in your business, and with your projects and partnerships. If you put yourself first as we are suggesting, whatever needs change will go through a transformation. Watch irritability and impatience as energy that has been on hold for a time is suddenly ready to move. Focus on connecting with the higher purpose of a project and a higher vibration that is possible in all business and partnerships.

Priorities and motivation play a big part in what goes through transformation this month. Be in love with your work. Be in love with your partners. Be in love with your business. Be in love with your service. If you are not, you should be putting your energy into something where you can be.

DATES AND TIME FRAMES

July 1-7: A testy time where you could be irritated by the smallest things. Don’t try and solve everything or figure everything out. Not everything is your problem. Patience, compassion and trust in right timing is the theme for this week. Slow down, relax, be in your heart. The rest will take care of itself.

Examine your fears as they come up, release them, and put some energy into the practical organization of your life, especially your self-care as a priority.

July 4: New Moon is Monday, July 4, at 5:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). This is an emotional moon and in keeping with the themes for the month, use it to focus on your self-care, your personal needs and healing your heart. How do you heal your heart? You love yourself, you cherish who you are and you treat yourself like you would treat the most valuable thing in your life. Pay attention to beauty and allow the higher emotional center to be activated in you through the beauty you see in your life and all around you.

You can be greatly inspired during this time, or you can get mired in your judgments, cynicism, and all the nasty negative feelings you have been holding on to for so long, maybe even lifetimes. It is time to move on from all of it, to put yourself first, to forgive others and to allow the transformation that wants to happen to begin to unfold. Spend some time in and around water today if you can, and use it to nurture and feed something new and unique to you that wants to grow and emerge.

Be patient with others, accommodate them in your life, but take care of yourself first.

July 8-15: This time frame easily lends itself to depression, anxiety, looking at the negatives, feeling unworthy, discouraged, despairing and lethargic. Don’t resist the emotions but at the same time do not indulge. It will not serve you.

Put good boundaries around your allotted time for whining and complaining, and then get over it. You probably all have a lot going on in your life that can use some attention. Prioritize and nurture what you value most. Instead of just holding on and waiting for this time to be over, use it wisely. Take every reaction, every fear, every negative emotion and transform it into something else through love.

July 16-22: Finally, we have come into a time where everything seems to open up including our hearts. All the lessons this week are about how to live with one foot in both worlds, the world of magic, spirit, higher centered energy of love and a connection to all; and the world of the mundane where you take care of your basic needs and responsibilities, clean up after yourself and make sure all your security needs are met.

One minute you are cleaning the refrigerator with you focus simply on the task, and the next minute you are inspired by the magic of creation all around you. During great transformation, there may be times when you simply do not recognize yourself or your surroundings. You may be driving down a very familiar road but if your mind goes to a higher state, you may no longer recognize the road.

These experiences are designed to expand consciousness and transform energies. Welcome them instead of being fearful. Be inspired during this time by the possibilities. Look forward.

July 19: Full Moon is Tuesday, July 19, at 4:57PM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Work with the earth during this full moon. It is a time to ground and anchor new truth, new personal practices, new intentions, new resolutions, new relationships and new ideas. If you are still operating out of old structures, they may take the opportunity to self-destruct.

In fact, this full moon could bring in a time of witnessing the self-destruction of old outdated structures. On the other hand, it can also bring in a new frequency of energy that invites us all to play in that higher emotional center. Focus on love!

June 23-31:  A time of being in love. It is a time to do whatever you can to focus on love, loving yourself, loving the process, loving the lessons, loving the support, loving spirit, loving your environment, loving your creativity, loving your work and service, loving the magic of life, and to just be in love with everything. This is a higher centered time of emotional revolution, of seeing things differently, of having a new unique experience of your life, of access to more power, bliss and inspiration and to really feel like you are setting your life on a satisfying path.

If you are not there yet, have patience. Perhaps there is something that need to be completed first in order to free you up for transformation or perhaps there is still fear. Just keep working at it, chipping away at the armor of attachment and falling more deeply in love with yourself and others.

Have a great month!

Lena

Blog by thepowerpath.com

Photo provided by Sterling hospitals

This is Pralhad Jani, a man who lives in India as a sadhu, meaning ‘good man’ or ‘holy man’. He is said to have not taken any food or water since 1940! He claims to live solely on the power of the sun, putting the modern understanding of the nutritional requirements for health to the ultimate test.

Prahlad left home at the age of 7 to live in the wild and find his purpose. After four years on a deep spiritual journey, at age 11 he had an intense awakening and no longer required any food or drink. He needs only to lie in the sun and pull Prana (essential life force) from its massive energy. He is now 85 and continues to live alone in the forest, connected in a fascinating sense to the wild world that is his home. He awakes each day at the auspicious time of 4am and spends most of his time in deep meditation. His life is one of complete and absolute devotion.

Twice he has been under medical observation to test his claims. He was placed in a sealed room with a sealed toilet; once for 10 days and another time for 15. Though he has lived nearly his entire life as a hermit, he agreed to these tests as an understanding of how his body copes under his unique conditions could save the lives of others. Each time he took no food or water and passed zero stool or urine.

The testing was met with praise and skepticism, some seeing issues with the tests. He was given 100ml of water a day to gargle and clean his mouth, as well as being allowed to bathe. For some people this showed a flaw in what was meant to be an absolute test, suggesting he may have swallowed some of the water.

This seed of doubt in our society is understandable, given the current status of our collective perception. The fact-based education that we receive has given us a certain scientific understanding of the human function, and life in general. This understanding in many ways has been a very enlightening and beautiful thing, but in some ways it has been blinding.

In the Shiva Sutras it is stated “knowledge is bondage”. In other words; knowledge is attachment, ignorance is bliss. This man is free from a modern perception of what his body needs, he is of the absolute conviction that he thrives on light and energy, and thus he simply does.

In addition to the doubt cast on Prahlad’s way of living, there has also been supporting scientific evidence brought about by this time in observation. At the beginning of his testing he showed decreased levels of appetite related hormones, which did not increase throughout the experiment. His physiological need for food is significantly lower than others, proving that his body is extremely adapted to a life of extreme fasting, at the very least. In addition, his body showed to be producing urine, yet not excreting any. This was very puzzling for doctors and further study is planned to see how his body is using the urine, which builds up in his bladder but does not leave the body.

Regardless of the finer scientific details, it is agreed upon by both sides that this man has lived a very extreme life of devotion and isolation, taking little to no food and water for over 7 decades.

Beings like Prahlad take our perceptions of ourselves and the world we live in and turn them upside down, which is something we greatly need! We have gone from a life where imagination and reality are in union, to one where they are distinctly separate. It is through the infinite perception that the practical, functional advances in our abilities and nature take place.

– Jordan Ross Dore
 
 

Heart-2-Heart Holistic focuses on working together with clients to achieve their health goals and regain a sense of balance through the mind/body/spirit connection. It all comes down to one thing. You are the key to feeling your best! Terra will assist with the helping hands and support to get you there together.

Some of the services provided are:
Aromatherapy/Lymphatic drainage massage, Chakra balancing/boosting, Nutrition, Reflexology, Reiki, as well as more bodywork and various in-depth intuitive treatments that work on the energetic level.

Terra has studied the Holistic Health and Divine Connections Training programs offered through Transformational Arts College of Spiritual Training in Toronto, On, Canada.

Website: www.heart-2-heartholistic.com
Facebook: Heart2Heart Holistic
Instagram: @heart2heartholistic
Blog: https://heart2heartholistic.wordpress.com
YOUTUBE: Heart-2-Heart Holistic

-Good body work out

When you do yoga in the sand, your body has to work a whole lot harder.

This is because sand isn’t a stable surface–it moves and shifts underneath you, and you constantly need to make small adjustments to maintain each pose. This causes you to use more of the muscles in your legs, feet, core, and arms, including many muscles that you might not normally use.

-Balance

Along with building muscle, sand can also greatly improve your overall balance.

This is, again, because of the uneven and ever-changing nature of the surface itself. Once you get the hang of it though, you might find the sand a better means of support for your body, since you can learn to contour it to your movements. Over time, you’ll be really digging into those balance poses and finding a stability you didn’t know you had.

And, because it’s also a much softer and more shock-absorbent surface than a wooden or cement floor, sand can be gentler on your knees and joints–major bonus.

-Clears your mind and heart

The warmth of the sand, sound of the waves, smell of the ocean, and the gentleness of the wind can all help bring you to a calmer, more peaceful place.

-Breath of fresh air

One of the most important aspects of yoga is remembering to just breathe. This helps give your muscles the oxygen they need to be at their best, and it helps channel your inner calm.

When you combine the practice of breathing more deeply and fully with the crisp, fresh air at the beach, you’ll be cleaning out your lungs, bringing more oxygen to your body, and improving your overall energy.

-Sunshine!

It’s a fact that most people don’t get enough vitamin D, a deficiency which could lead to health problems over time. The good news is that your body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to sunlight–another perfect excuse to hit the beach for some yoga!

Photo by Huffington Post

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”
―Thich Nhat Hạnh, Stepping into Freedom: Rules of Monastic Practice for Novices

Yogic breathing is a fundamental practice in the study of yoga. As one of the limbs of Patanjali’s eight-limbed path, yogic breathing or pranayama, is defined as the “control of life force” and is aimed at increasing vital energy in the body and mind.

For students of yoga, the benefits of yogic breathing are numerous. Students report feeling more calm and centered; they report that it can help mitigate intense emotional feelings, and help them sleep better. For most yoga students, the practice of conscious breathing is foundational to the practice of yoga.

Intrigued by these reports, scientists have begun to turn an eye to this practice. Why is yogic breathing so helpful? What are the key benefits to this practice? A key research finding is that yoga can increase stress resilience. But how? The answer to this question lies in understanding one of the primary systems affected by yoga practices—the autonomic nervous system.

How the autonomic nervous system regulates our stress response

The autonomic nervous system is connected to physical processes such as digestion, respiration, heart rate, immune function, peristalsis, and even sexual arousal. This system has two branches, the sympathetic system and the parasympathetic system.

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is our fight-or-flight response. It helps us to mobilize energy to complete a task—whether it’s a work-related task or the task of predatory survival. In small doses, the SNS is essential, but when it goes into overdrive the body and mind suffer. The decreased blood flow to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and prolonged high blood pressure caused by the fight-or-flight response can lead to digestive problems, cardiovascular disease, and anxiety, among other conditions.

The other branch of the system is the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), often called the “rest and digest” or “calm and connect” system, which allows us to recoup from the stresses of life. If you find yourself breathing slowly and deeply, feeling a sense of calm and peacefulness, you can guarantee that your PNS is activated, enhancing digestion, increasing blood flow to the GI track, lowering the heart rate, and enhancing sexual arousal.

This system also activates certain parts of the brain, dampening fear-response regions and increasing the reflective, responsive regions. The result? More reflective, conscious behavior and action; an increased feeling of calm; and greater mental flexibility and creativity amid life’s challenges.

Stress resilience is a balance of these two systems. It’s not that stress-resilient people don’t have periods of SNS activity, but they can easily bring the PNS back online and de-escalate the SNS when the task, or stressor, is over. They experience a fluid flexibility between the two systems.

Yogic breathing techniques to support the nervous system

The respiratory system is the one system of the ANS over which we have conscious control. And because air intake is essential for life, the brain responds to the respiratory system with urgency. That’s why yogic breathing can make such an impact on overall health. It’s a place where we can begin to plug into our nervous system and support its overall function and balance.

Most of us have experienced that the way we breathe can impact both our body and mind. Now there’s a collection of research studies backs up these effects. One pranayama technique that has been shown to improve stress resilience is Coherent Breathing, which is essentially full yogic breathing with a focus on finding the number of breaths per minute (usually between 3.5 and 6) to optimize the effect on stress resilience.

In their book,The Healing Power of Breath, Richard P. Brown and Patricia L Gerbarg argue that when this “sweet spot” is found, the electrical rhythms of the heart, lungs, and brain become synchronized. They report that this breath rate can “induce up to a tenfold improvement in heart-rate variability,” a measure of stress resilience. Researchers have found that this sweet spot can open the capillaries to optimize blood flow, bringing more oxygen to the body.

The impact of the body on the mind

This impact on physiology has a “trickle-up effect” on the mind. Research shows that yogic breathing positively impacts mood. A few studies show that yogic breathing technicques reduce anxiety and depression. Why? Researcher Chris Streeter from Boston University believes it’s because yogic practices stimulate the vagus nerve (which is part of the PNS), and this effect ripples out to the body and brain, increasing neurotransmitters in the brain that reduce anxiety.

This mind/body connection is central to yoga. Yoga teacher and writer Michael Stone writes, “Physiology and psychology are two ends of the same stick. You can’t work on one without the other.” Nowhere is this truer than with conscious breathing, which acts as a medicinal tool, increasing well-being and peace of mind.

Written by Angela Wilson of Kripalu.org

I love my job! I get so excited when I learn new and cool facts about the simplest remedies in our world. What draws me to nutrition so much is how our physical bodies are so connected to earth, and how nature provides us with beautiful fruits and vegetables and the affects they have on our body. In many aspects of my life, simplicity is my favourite. The simple nature of only adding olive oil and fresh lemon juice to a salad. It’s a beautiful thing. My latest ‘simple trick’ comes from the luscious, pink citrus fruit, grapefruit.

This powerful fruit has been in the medical field since the early 1970’s and has been one of the most heavily researched citrus fruit out there. In a 1990 study, grapefruit seed extract was found effective in killing over “800 bacterial and viral strains and 100 strains of fungus”. However, as a non-toxic, natural remedy, it had none of the side effects of other treatments. Known for having antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral and antibiotic properties, this is another addition to my ‘medical cabinet’ hidden in my backpack.

Derived from grapefruits pulp, seeds, and white membrane, this bitter substance is used topically and internally. Due to the extracts broad-spectrum anti-pathogenic effect, this powerful stuff can solve intestinal problems by simply adding a few drops to your water.

Due to the places that I travel, digestive and intestinal imbalances are more common to pop up than the more developing countries. Taking the risk of travelling in such areas, I am always seeking natural ways to fight such. Well, personally I have found the perfect remedy. This extract is powerful against bacterial and viral strains, as well as single-cell organisms (parasites). As simple as adding a few drops to your water a day, protect your intestinal flora and save yourself a sketchy clinic visit lost in the jungle with a language barrier to top it off.

I cannot leave out the other incredible healing properties that GSE has to offer. From one side of the world to another, a common ailment GSE is used for back home in Canada is Candida. Candida is a yeast-like fungal organism found in small amounts in the intestinal tract. The amount of candida can increase due to environmental factors, dietary habits and climates. Symptoms of candida over-growth include constant headaches and fatigue, depression, multiple types of food reactions or allergies and brain fog. These organisms feed on sugar, or anything that converts to sugar in the digestive tract (refined cards, pasta, pastries and cookies). They also thrive in a damp environment, and living in a city like Vancouver, it is quite common to have candida-overgrowth. GSE’s antifungal properties help combat Candida infestations by killing the yeast cells that have taken over the intestines.

The great thing about taking grapefruit seed extract for digestive complaints is that it leaves the beneficial bacteria in your system intact (very important for immunity). Compare that to other antimicrobial treatments that can leave your intestine empty of these helpful organisms.

I recommend taking the dosage appearing on the bottle itself. Because GSE is so popular, many companies are selling synthetically made remedies. Always be sure to buy high-quality supplements from natural health food stores or organic groceries to ensure you are feeding your body top-notch products.

I have complied a list of associated health benefits performed by Grapefruit Seed Extract:

• Powerful natural antiseptic

• Antiviral and anti-fungal agent

• Preventitive towards cancer

• Colds and flus (take at first signs of cold + flu)

• Dandruff

• Earcaches

• Sore throats (dilute a few drops in water and gargle)

• Promotes healing of wounds and scars

• Cholesterol lowering properties

• Psoriasis

• Muscle fatigue

• Promotes hair growth

• Toning the skin

• Reduces acne and oily skin

• Treating headaches

• Stress relief

• Water purifier (excellent for hikes, trekking, over-night camping. Add 10-25 drops/gallon, shake and let stand for a few minutes)

• Environmentally friendly fruit and vegetable wash for removing toxins

• Great general immune booster

• Can be added to soaps for an added anti-microbial and viral effects

Don’t forget, this fruit is also delicious in its pure form! Slice up and sprinkle with cinnamon for breakfast or a mid-morning snack!

**Nutrition facts**

• Contains moderate levels of B-Complex (essential in energy generation)

• Rich in dietary fiber (acts as bulk laxative)

• Rich in Vitamin A (key for good vision and and a healthy immune system)

• Excellent source of Vitamin C – powerful natural antioxidant

• 100g of fresh grapefruit contains adequate amount of potassium electrolyte which helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure

GRAPEFRUIT AND THYME LEMONADE

*Summer in a glass*

 1 cup organic raw cane sugar
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs (about 8), plus more for garnish
6 cups water
2 1/2 cups fresh organic grapefruit juice, about 4
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, about 1 large lemon

Bring sugar, thyme and 1 cup of water to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Let mixture cool completely then strain into a pitcher.

Add 5 cups water, grapefruit and lemon juice and stir until well combined. Poor into individual glasses and serve with ice and a fresh thyme sprig, if desired.

Pucker and Enjoy!

Wellness Wednesday Wisdom from nutritionist and Breathe in Life guide Meghan Trompetter.