" Toxicity … "

Conversion, software version 7.0 

Looking at life through the eyes of a tire hub 

Eating seeds is a pastime activity 

The toxicity of our city, of our city 

No, what do you own the world? 

How do you own disorder 

Now somewhere between the sacred silence 

Sacred silence and sleep 

Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep 

Disorder, disorder, disorder 

When I became the sun 

I shone life into the mans' hearts 

~ System Of A Down ~ Toxicity ~

***

It seems like we might actually have Spring in the neighbourhood.  After a very long winter, it is definitely a welcoming change.  And, it is also the perfect time for the age old ritual of spring cleaning our homes.

The main idea is to cleanse and not introduce more unnecessary toxins in our lives ... which won’t happen if you continue to blindly use off the shelf products.  Yes, even “green” alternatives can contain harmful ingredients.  Beware, they usually refer to packaging rather than safety.

Sadly, the average household products have over 10 gallons of these toxic chemicals.  It is possible that the very thing you use to clean your house are actually among the primary sources of toxins and indoor pollution you expose you and your family to on a regular basis.

Which ingredients do you want to stay clear from? 

glycol ethers, phosphates, volatile organic compounds, phthalates, petroleum solvents, formaldehyde, chlorine, sodium lauryl sulfate and ... 

Why so toxic?

Many studies are concerned with chemicals known or suspected to be carcinogenic while others disrupt your endocrine system and can cause serious reproductive harm.  Cleaning sprays and laundry detergents directly affect your skin and lungs and go into your bloodstream, bypassing your liver and kidneys, which are our body’s natural defense system against toxins.  It is said that just one application of a typical household cleaner can leave dangerous chemicals lingering in your indoor air for hours on end.  Also it is good to note that Mixing ammonia and bleach together will cause extremely toxic vapors capable of serious harm.

Spring cleaning the non-toxic way involves using common household items such as white vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, 3% hydrogen peroxide and even vodka!  Trust me, these cut through dirt and sanitize just as well as their toxic counterparts.  

And one of the best website for finding age-old cleaning ideas that are safe but effective is http://greatist.com/health/27-chemical-free-products-diy-spring-cleaning

As always, do you research and don’t get sucked in by all the shady green marketing.  Toxic chemicals pose a significant health risk and we can reduce our exposure by making smart choices for ourselves and our environment.

" Circular … "

We are alive, to see the end of us 

Struggling to reach the finish line 

To designate our time to questionable lives 

So called meaningless, still there's no answer 

For this vulnerable reality comes 

Can't we break the cycle in which we reside? 

Objective achieved, the perfect machine 

We're drawing circles every day 

It takes only one step to be on your way 

Reflection, our time's up 

And over and over again 

Again, again 

~ Textures ~ Circular ~

***

Being human equates being emotional.  Experiences generate feelings & emotions that become excessive, or are repressed and turned inward.  This is when they can become pathological and cause dis-ease.  Once we understand this connection, we can begin to balance our bodies back to wellness … one modality,Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), offers some insight.

We consider emotions of joy, sadness and anger to be normal, normal in every day experiences.  And, sometimes even an organ within our body can be out of balance and produce emotional imbalances.  TCM believes that balancing the organ associated with the emotion will balance the emotion.  The difference is important to the practitioner, as well as you, in preventing a recurrence of the problem.  The practitioner will ask many questions to evaluate all aspects, not just the physical, with the intention that once the imbalance is corrected, the environment that created that imbalance no longer exists.  Yet we do have free will, and if we choose to continue in the environment, the imbalance will likely return as we are creatures of habit.

... emotions that do not have avenues for expression and release can create dis-ease and dis-harmony in the body manifesting as physical symptoms ...

TCM relies on a circular rather than a liner approach ... cause and effect ... balance and flow.  Therefore stuck emotions can lead to a blockage of the flow or a stagnation resulting in dis-ease.  How the dis-ease manifests is completely individualized depending on many factors, and your practitioner will assist you in determining the how.  It is believed that releasing emotions can release dis-eases.

The following related organs show symptoms when imbalance occurs ...

	HEART	SPLEEN	LUNGS	KIDNEY	LIVER
emotion	joy	worry	sadness	fear	anger
emotion out of balance	Lack of enthusiasm and vitality, mental restlessness, depression, insomnia, despair, confusion, anxiety, fidgeting, easily startled	Dwelling or focusing too much on a particular topic, excessive mental work	Excessive sadness, grief, or detachment, uncontrolled crying	Fearful, no willpower, insecure, aloof, isolated	Explosive anger, resentment, frustration, irritability, bitterness, moodiness
function	Regulates the heart and blood vessels, responsible for even and regular pulse, influences vitality and spirit. Connected to the tongue, complexion and arteries	Food digestion and nutrient absorption, the first step in the formation of Blood and Qi, holds blood in the vessels, connected to the muscles, mouth and lips, involved in thinking, studying and memory	Respiration, controls sweat and body hair, creates energy (Qi) from air and redistributes it throughout the body, works with Kidney to regulate the water metabolism, important part of the immune system and helps protect the body from viruses and bacteria, provides moisture to skin	Responsible for reproduction, growth and development & maturation, connected with lungs in water metabolism and respiration, responsible for bones, teeth, hearing and head hair	Stores the blood, responsible for the smooth flow of Blood and Qi throughout the body, regulates the secretion of bile, connected with the tendons, nails and eyes
symptoms indicating imbalance	insomnia, heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat, excessive dreaming, poor memory and concentration, dizziness, spontaneous sweating	Tired, loss of appetite, mucous discharge, poor digestion, abdominal distension, loose stools or diarrhea, weak muscles, pale lips, bruising easily, excessive menstrual blood flow, other bleeding disorders	Shortness of breath, fatigue, cough, catching colds easily, fever with chills, sore throat, runny nose, headache, asthma, chest oppression, pale complexion, dry skin	Frequent urination, urinary incontinence, vertigo, night sweats, dry mouth, poor short term memory, low back pain, sore or weak knees, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, hair that turns grey prematurely, hair loss and osteoporosis, lowered libido	chest distension, red face, bitter taste in the mouth dizziness, ringing in the ears, jaundice, menstrual problems (cramps, irregular or heavy periods), headaches, tendinitis, nausea, vomiting, sighing, breast tenderness, swelling and/or itching of the genitals, blurred vision, floaters, dry skin and hair

When we live in a fast paced world full of stresses on both our minds and our bodies.  Hence it is important to remember again that the cause of an imbalance may be occurring from events in your life and a practitioner cannot can’t remove the stress, only you can.  

Staying healthy isn’t easy but it is possible if you make it a priority.  Imbalance is everywhere.  Hence finding whatever brings you happiness and makes you feel good are the small things that are the keys to wellness.

“ Life is the journey we all share, and if we live it with mindfulness and wisdom, that journey will always lead to balance and happiness ... “

" The Best Of What's Around ... "

Hey my friend 

It seems your eyes are troubled 

Care to share your times with me 

Would you say you're feeling low and so 

A good idea would be to get it off your mind ...

... Whatever tears at her 

Whatever holds her down 

And if nothing can be done 

She'll make the best of what's around 

~ Dave Matthews Band ~ The Best Of What’s Around ~

***

Ever heard the saying “you are a product of your environment?”  I believe so.  You may recall recently I wrote about how excited I was to receive “The Biology Of Belief” By Bruce H. Lipton.  Specializing in cell biology, Dr. Lipton is an internationally recognized leader in bridging science and spirit; a key voice in new biology ... linking mind and matter and the profound effects it has on our lives.  

Science ... more and more evidence is showing that cells respond to environmental cues and these signals engage processes that can alter gene expression and thereby control the fate of the cells ... movement, survivial and even death.  Now some of you maybe thinking, but what about all the study supporting the correlation between genetics and dis-ease?  Yes, there are dis-eases that can be accounted for by a faulty gene, but they affect < 2% of the population.  

Dr. Lipton further explains this by “consider genes as molecular blueprints used in the construction of cells, tissues and organs.  The environment is a contractor, who reads and engages those genetic blueprints and is ultimately responsible for the character of the cell’s life.  It is a single cell’s awareness of the environment that primarily sets into motion the mechanisms of life”.

This hits home for me.  You see, when it came to my breast cancer diagnosis, there is no history of it in my family.  And at the time, my doctor casually stated that 5% of cases are heredity.  Therefore I strongly believe my environment and belief system played the greatest role in my health.

Spirit ... so is it possible that what happens throughout our lifetime can determine whether we develop many of the dis-eases our society faces today ... heart disease, diabetes and cancer.  The health of our cells are influenced greatly by our unconscious belief system ... one of the biggest environmental determinants.  These beliefs can either create an environment of growth or protection within our bodies.  Fear-based or love-based.  Stunting or empowering our cells to reach their full potential.  Our cells are always listening to our thoughts and beliefs.

Most of us have limiting beliefs that have accumulated through our childhood and the course of our lives.  Yet we can release these limits by changing the view of our world to a healthy one ... safe and loving, creating a sense of appreciation and respect for ourselves and others.  Believing we are loved, worthy, and cared for.  A new perspective to take you from a victim position to a co-creator of your destiny ... and from experience, trust me, it works.