" Used ... "

“ ... You come walkin' round here

Actin' like we're somethin', ohh

Then you up and disappear

And make it real clear that we're nothin'

I've been used

Damaged by you

Yeah cuz I've been used

Guess I knew

Cuz that's what you do ... “

~ Hayden Panettiere ~ Used ~

***

The catch phrase used these days is “mindfulness”.  With many defining it as “heart-mind”, being present and being fully aware in the moment.  Mindfulness can be viewed as a holistic approach or tool that can have profound affects on your mind, behaviours, habits, health and well-being.  

Yet mindfulness can and has been overused too.  Some consider it a social movement, others a lifestyle trend.  When mindfulness becomes something we do than the essence of what it is, fades.  Rather, mindfulness is a part of emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion and kindness ... which are our natural states of being.  Mindfulness is a constant not something you do once in awhile at meditation class.

And so mindfulness carries a big intention.  It has been said to be “the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment, and non-judgementally”

My teacher explains  that when practicing mindfulness, an intimately attentive frame of mind arises, where we experience relaxation and alertness, and overall equanimity.  Mindfulness is not a badge of enlightenment or a successful achievement.  There are no expectations or requirements.  Allowing us to BE fully and give permission for others to BE them.

Being mindful, being present as we are, authentically.  Giving our fully attention and awareness to the one in front of us in that moment.  Selecting our words with compassion and kindness. And appreciating what life has to offer, regardless of the challenge or joy.  

... its about moments. moments of being true. and being you. moments of listening to your heart. and following where it leads. moments to nurture your soul.and nourish your mind. so find your power. and stop hiding. admit your pain and fears. admit your love. and dare to live. shine your light sweet soul. all the way home ... 

www.walkstrong.ca

" Yin Yang ... "

“ … All Evergreen

No Histamine

All I, all I, all I

Really, really, really

Wanna do, is zag along with you

I got infinite ammunition

Coming out the Yin Yang

I got limitless stealth positions

Extract the champion

Extract the Champion

Coming out the Yin Yang … “

***

~ USS ~ Yin Yang ~ 

Thanks to a hot yoga practice, my affinity towards the idea of yin and yang and strengthened.  Generally speaking, Yin is defined by passiveness, reflectiveness, internally and softness while Yang is an expression, passion and energy.

Recognizing the symbol, Yin (mostly black) and Yang (mostly white) are two opposites.  When combined, their strengths and weaknesses balance each other.  And balance between Yin and Yang is how we create balance and harmony between ourselves and our surroundings … allowing us to co-exist. 

And I think it is safe to say that most people live a Yang lifestyle … personalities, philosophies, elemental preferences and aesthetic tastes.  However, there is a Yin side that exists in all of us, a form of our tendency towards personal reflection and introspective thought … a gentler side.  It is also important to note that yang and yin are not necessarily exclusively male or female.  We all have Yin or Yang “ish” at differing levels within us.  

According to TCM, each food has an energetic property of Yin or Yang.  Therefore, foods are thought of as complimentary pairs that are constantly shifting in relationship to one another.  Hence we absorb cold and hot energy from the foods we eat and medical conditions are manifestations of these Yin-Yang imbalances.  It is believed that we can heal ourselves by correcting our imbalances with the appropriate Yin-Yang foods.

Yin is to Yang 

Night is to Day

Quiet is to Busy

Cold is to Hot

***

The below is for information purposes ONLY … 

ALWAYS consult your health practitioner directly for Medical Advice.

Common health conditions and their imbalances include…

Conditions affected by too much heat (yang) in the body:

High blood pressure, skin rash, hot flashes.

Consume: Cool or cold foods that promote yin energy.

Conditions arising from too much cold (yin) in the body: 

Fatigue, depression, muscle ache, stuffy nose, cough with clear white phlegm, fluid retention.

Consume: Warm or hot foods that promote yang energy.

Conditions that alternatively arise from too much cold or heat in the body: 

Constipation, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, headache.

Consume: Some conditions are helped by either hot or cold foods. 

The treatment for the conditions mentioned here depends on your own symptoms. A holistic doctor can help you determine whether you will be helped by yin or yang foods.

Yang foods include … (hot) Cayenne pepper, dried ginger, soybean oil, cinnamon, black pepper, chili powder, horseradish, lamb, trout and whole green or red peppers … (warming) Cherries, coconut, lemons, raspberries, cauliflower, mustard greens, onion, coffee, garlic, fresh ginger, chestnuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, chicken, shrimp, mussels, lobster, turkey, yogurt, butter.

Yin foods include … (cooling) Apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, spinach, Swiss chard, celery, soybeans, buckwheat, sesame oil … (cold) Papaya, watermelon, grapefruit, tomatoes, asparagus, cucumbers, summer squash, romaine lettuce, seaweed, barley, tofu.

Neutral foods are believed to be nourishing to everyone—and don’t increase the yin or yang balance in the body. Neutral foods include apricots, figs, pineapple, beets, cabbage, carrots, olives, pumpkin, string beans, yams, eggs, oats, almonds, peas, peanuts, rice, beef, oysters, pork, whitefish, salmon, sardines, herring and saffron.

***

www.walkstrong.ca

" 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 ... “

" Courage ... "

Watch the band through a bunch of dancers.

Quickly, follow the unknown

With something more familiar.

Quickly, something familiar.

Courage, my word. It didn't come. It doesn't matter ... 

Simple explanation

For anything important any of us do.

And, yeah, the human tragedy

Consists in the necessity

Of living with the consequences.

Under pressure. Under pressure.

Courage, my word. It didn't come. It doesn't matter.

~ Tragically Hip ~ Courage ~

***

Feeling like it was time to re-fuel my soul, I've been watching Tony Robbins on Oprah’s Life class.  And it has helped me gain a new perspective around “living with courage”.  Living a fearless life really equates living with courage.  From the first moment when Tony walked on stage, he exposed the myth of living a fearless life. 

Tony said, "There's no such thing. Fear is a natural instinct that we are born with. Living fearlessly isn't necessarily accurate. You can't live a totally fearless life, because if you're never afraid, you can't be courageous. To have real courage, you have to be afraid of something."

Makes sense right?  And we may not realize that we are always stepping outside our comfort zones ... as we experience life changing events.  Change is inevitable.  So accepting fear instead of ignoring it is the first step as a reminder to embrace and accept that we are human. 

Now ever think of courage as a muscle?  Not me.  Yet  master life coach Tony Robbins says that “courage is a muscle that has to be strengthened”.  We can work this muscle as we set ourselves up for success by working at living a courageous life ... a constant work in progress ... a lifestyle that takes practice.

I realized that it is important for me to understand where the fear is coming from first instead of convincing myself that I am not afraid.  I need to face my fear head on.  That in itself is a scary thought ... afraid to face your fear.  But when you do, you can begin to understand where your story originates from.   Then you have have the ability to change it, if you have a strategy ... an individual approach to deal with your fear.

Thanks to Oprah & Tony, I have been re-affirmed to strengthen my courage muscle by continuing to work on my state of mind in my current journey with cancer ... not to just survive but to thrive by continue to take all that powerful fear energy and transform it, redirect it and focus on healing, nurturing, loving and living.

My Daily Mantra: Everything I want is on the other side of fear

" Naturally ... "

How you choose to express yourself

Its all your own and I can tell

It comes naturally, 

it comes naturally

You follow what you feel inside,

It's intuitive, you don't have to try,

It comes naturally,

It comes naturally

~ Selena Gomez ~ Naturally ~ 

***

13 months of natural living ... I have had no salt, no spices, no meat, no fish, no dairy.  I have used no hair colour, no makeup, no perfume, no nail polish, no metal jewellery.  I have had Hippocrates soup twice a day, baked potatoes twice a day, vegan meals, oodles of daily natural supplements, coffee enemas (3 to 5 times a day).  13 months of a very clean, natural, holistic lifestyle to rid the cancer and heal my body.  And, this may seem extreme and intense, and it is ... but it has to be as cancer is a serious dis-ease requiring serious treatment.  

To think everyone is going to be inspired to do the same is naive ... and the thought may be, “why should I?  I don’t have cancer?” ... But what if you lived your life in a manner that ensures you don’t have to take extreme measures one day?  What if you tried to live a clean lifestyle now?  It is possible because we don’t like dirt in our lives on all levels ... physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  

Since I have been asked several times about how to, I thought I would blog about shifting into a cleaner, natural lifestyle ....

Begin with cleaning up your addictions.  Addictions to drugs, alcohol, cigarettes or gambling are the obvious ones when taken to an extreme and abused.  But what about the Internet, food, TV, work, shopping ... you will be able to identify what is your vice as addictions tend to suck up your time and resources.  They deplete of energy and make you feel unsatisfied.  Be honest with yourself and and make an effort to get rid of them.

Next try cleaning up your priorities.  These can be great but you can have too many ... we are not superheros so to feel balanced you need to make choices.  Some things have to be at the top of your list while others can be left behind for a while.  When you choose the right priorities, everything will fall in place and you will feel satisfied with the choices you make in life.

Now try cleaning up your diet.  I find a clean diet so beneficial as it brings my mind in balance with my body and soul.  Eliminate fast foods, highly processed foods, go organic!, add fresh produce (as much as possible), make your own food so you know what’s truly in it, eliminate added sugar and salt from your meals.  From experience, what I eat affects how I feel, how much energy I have and the obvious, how healthy I am. 

Next step is cleaning up your goals.  These are similar to priorities.  Manage goals in different areas of your life without sacrificing your sanity.  When your lifestyle turns into a lengthy to-do list, you will feel out of control and balance.  Right here right now ... focus on what matters most.  Set up a goal and break it down into bite-size pieces to tackle.  Re-evaluate them and make sure they are aligned with your priorities.

Remember the basic premise of a natural lifestyle is one that makes you feel like a whole person.  This includes any way of living of being that allows you to feel as if you are being nurtured and are given the freedom to grow.  Start paying attention as you know what makes you happy and feel complete within your physical body, emotional mind and sacred spirit.  The key to personal well-being lies within each of us individually ... the question is not whether we can, but how committed we are.