Personal Power to Heal, Lead, Grow, and Live Your Best Life

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The Cost of Wasting Time

 If you had to write your own eulogy to be read at the end of your long life, what would you want to say?

Would you fill it with work accomplishments?  With remembrances of fantastic vacations?  With stories of great friends and family?  Would it be happy and joyous, or would it be filled with regrets of wasted time and wasted opportunities?

Using an average of 75 years, we have approximately 27,400 days to live our best life.  If you consider that a third of that time is reserved for sleeping, you have roughly 18,300 days to create and live your reality.

Do you live life fully?  Do you make it a point to be aware of and thankful for each moment?  Do you value your time?  Or do you waste those precious moments with activities that don’t serve you?

What activities do you regularly waste time on? Watching TV? Playing games on your phone? Staying in a dead-end job that doesn’t fulfill you? What about these time-wasters:

  • Allowing yourself to become surrounded by negative people who suck the happiness out of the room. Maybe your time would be better served by spending less time with toxic people.  When all of that negative energy isn’t taking up space around you, you free up space to let positivity and joy into your life.
  • Complaining about things you have no control over. Take control of what you can to make your life better, but stop complaining and worrying about those things outside your control.  Spinning your wheels won’t move you forward, and won’t improve your life.
  • Being afraid (or too independent) to ask for help when you need it.   If you know help is available but you don’t ask for it, you can create feelings of isolation and aloneness. You slow down your progress.  And you deny someone the joy of helping someone else – you!
  • Chasing success, money, or happiness of the moment, rather than moving toward your ideal life.  Do you know what you want?  Have you decided what your ideal future looks like?  Are you living your life on purpose, or just flowing along someone else’s river?  Are you taking active steps to build your perfect future, or wasting precious moments?
  • Letting someone else dictate how you live your life.  Are you living someone else’s dream?  Are you taking actions that lead you toward someone else’s dream, or toward your own?

Are you living your best life?  Isn’t it time you made it a priority?  You – and your family – will be glad you did.

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Brain Fog

Ever been working and it feels like you are having to fight through cobwebs to get your thoughts straight?  Do you find it difficult to concentrate or focus for extended time periods?  You may have brain fog, which can negatively impact your life, your productivity, and your ability to focus.

So, what causes this, and what can you do about it? Let’s find out.

What is Brain Fog?

Brain fog is essentially a slowing or impairment of the cognitive functions that govern your ability to plan, organize, remember, and solve problems. Many times brain fog is the result of lifestyle and dietary choices, which lead to imbalances in hormones and nutrient levels. 

But more and more, my clients are experiencing brain fog as a result of prescribed medication.

You could consider brain fog to be the opposite of feeling motivated, level-headed, and calm. When your brain is foggy, you may feel somewhat confused, disoriented, or forgetful.  You may experience balance issues, and have problems making decisions.

When your thoughts are slow or hazy to come together, or when you can’t seem to concentrate, you may be experiencing brain fog. In more severe instances, brain fog can lead to feelings of depression and unhappiness as you seem to lose your ability to control your world or find inspiration in life. 

Causes of Brain Fog and How to Address Them

Lack of sleep is a common cause of short-term fogginess. When you don’t get enough sleep, your brain cannot properly restore neural connectivity, which regulates memory and learning. Chronic sleep deprivation can impair motor functions and the ability to reason in dramatic ways. So if you’re feeling foggy, examine your sleep habits and make adjustments that will give you at least seven hours of rest each night.

Dehydration can also be a culprit. Water is a great conductor of electricity.  Since your brain is nearly three-quarters water, a ‘water shortage’ can have a significant effect. Even just a small amount of dehydration can lead to confusion, impaired mental performance, and disorientation. Be sure you are drinking plenty of liquids, especially water, throughout your day to stave off the mental fog.

Poor eating habits can make it hard to concentrate or think clearly. Not only  does your brain need energy to work well, the micro-nutrients in your food supply essential fatty acids, amino acids, andother necessary compounds to your brain cells.

Eating too many refined carbohydrates and not enough fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins can leave your body and brain feeling sluggish. Focus on improving your diet and eating lots of whole foods that are primarily plant- based to help give your body and brain the nutrients they need to function at an optimal level.

Other factors that can contribute to mental fog include stress, inactivity, changes in your hormone levels, taking certain types of medications, and various medical conditions. Making changes to your diet and lifestyle to help lower stress, balance your hormones, and reduce your need for medications known to cause brain fog can all help you feel more mentally alert and engaged.

Certain medical conditions can cause severe or chronic brain fog, including Alzheimer’s, anemia, diabetes, migraines, and autoimmune disorders. If you suspect you have any of these, you should talk to your doctor about any other symptoms you may have.

Other things you can do to help clear your mind and refocus when brain fog is getting in the way of your productivity include taking a brisk walk, spending time out in the sunshine, clearing away any clutter that may be distracting you, engaging in a mentally stimulating conversation or activity with someone else, or changing your environment.

Final Thoughts

Clearing away the fog can be simple matter of eating better, getting more sleep, and drinking plenty of water. When you need a quick pick-me-up in your day, it’s good to challenge your mind to something new or different for a short period.

Everyone’s situation is different.  What works for one person may not work for someone else, so it’s important to narrow down your specific issue and find out what’s causing or exacerbating your situation. Find some balancing strategies that work for you. Work on recognizing when you start to feel foggy, and be proactive to address it before it becomes a real problem.

If you know how to MUSCLE TEST, you can actually ask your body what might be contributing to your brain fog.  Is it a certain food/ingredient that your system can’t process well?  Is it a medication or supplement that isn’t reacting well with your body chemistry?  Do you need to drink more water?  Are you drinking the right type of water to meet your body’s needs?  Is your body absorbing the water you are providing? You might be surprised by what your body tells you when you ask targeted questions.

If you have not mastered the art of MUSCLE TESTING – and I suggest you do – get on my calendar.  We can test to find contributing factors that may be negatively impacting your ability to think clearly, retain information, make decisions, and lead your best life. 

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Benefits of Creating a Healthy Morning Routine

Do you have a daily morning ritual that you consistently follow each day? How you choose to start your day may hold the key to living a healthy, productive, and prosperous life.

Morning rituals have a way of setting the tone for the rest of your day. Wake up late, and you could find yourself running from one thing to the next to catch up. Toss and turn all night, and you might find yourself lagging, irritable, and exhausted. To avoid these types of scenarios, it is genuinely in our best interest to establish a healthy morning routine.

Routines are a chronological flow of events that we regularly execute. In simple terms, think of your daily routine as being a series of those common actions that you perform at the same time every day. Here are five benefits of creating a healthy morning routine.

Improve Your Stress Levels

Establishing a morning set of routines can do wonders for your stress levels. Morning exercise can have a powerful impact on your mind and body. Although morning exercise has a reputation for boosting your metabolism and burning calories, one of the most significant impacts it can have on your mind and body is the reduction of symptoms associated with stress. Exercise can reverse common negative side effects that accompany stress such as fatigue, pain, and the simple capacity to focus. Consistently including exercise in your morning routine can help to improve your mood and reduce stress.

Opportunity for Positivity

Establishing a healthy morning routine can place you on the path to positivity. Do not underestimate the significance of living in positivity. Positivity not only reduces stress levels but, according to the Mayo Clinic, researchers have found that positive thinking increases your lifespan, improves your cardiac health, enhances immunity levels, and promotes a higher quality of physical and mental well-being. What you do every morning can have a positive or a detrimental impact on your ability to practice positivity throughout the day. Exercise and the practice of meditation at the start of your day to reflect or bring about self-awareness can deliver a healthy abundance of positive vibes.

Mental Wellness

Morning routines have a magical way of also helping us to achieve a sense of mental wellness. They set the tone of normalcy. We know what to expect, and generally, at the end of our repetitive behaviors, there is some degree of a reward.

A Sense of Order

Some people function best when there is a sense of order in their lives. Establishing a morning routine can set you up for a great deal of organization for your day. That is not to say that it will serve as a protective force field against that thing called life that is guaranteed to disrupt your best-laid plans, but under what you may deem to be ordinary circumstances, a daily routine will ensure that the small things are not a distraction.

Productivity

Finally, a healthy morning routine gives us the immediate gratification of accomplishment. We can carry that feeling into the day, motivating us to conquer the remaining tasks that lie ahead of us for the day. Morning rituals can help to keep procrastination at bay. You can tackle complex items if you plan and leverage morning hours to get it done.

Developing a Morning Routine

Are you looking to establish a true morning routine? Don’t panic. Here are few tips to get you going.

  • 1. Drink a glass or 12 oz bottle of water upon waking up to hydrate your body after a long night’s rest.
  • 2. Meditate for 15 minutes while lying in your bed.
  • 3. Indulge in 15 to 30 minutes of exercise.
  • 4. Take a shower to soothe your muscles.
  • 5. Eat breakfast.
  • 6. Engage in positive thinking.
  • 7. Focus on 3 things you are grateful for.

In summary, establishing a healthy morning routine can prove beneficial physically, mentally, and emotionally.

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Chronic Stress

Alternative Treatments for Chronic Stress

Stress is an everyday word that you can encounter too often in this busy, fast-moving world. While a week’s worth of stress may easily be relieved after a Friday night with friends, stress over long periods of time can result into a wide array of conditions, encompassing physical, mental, and behavioral aspects.

Stress is the body’s response to the pressure perceived from our surroundings. While a small daily dose of stress might be normal, exposure to excessive stress for a prolonged period can lead to more serious diseases and behavioral disorders.

Chronic stress is one of the known culprits for developing anxiety, depression, asthma, heart issues, diabetes, and even for premature death.

Conventional versus Alternative Treatment

Conventional medicine often focuses on treating the mind and the body separately. But in most recent studies, more scientific evidence shows the interconnection between the body and the mind through certain metabolic, hormonal, and biochemical changes that the body undergoes when it is under stress.

On the other hand, proponents of alternative treatments have long since believed that the body reacts differently when the mind and body are in a state of imbalance.

Primarily, the focus of alternative medicine is to treat the body and the mind as a whole, creating a unified balance that promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

All Natural Methods to Relieve Stress

Aromatherapy

Ever heard of lavender and bergamot? These are just two of some popular essential oils that are known for producing aromas found to be effective in relieving stress and muscle tension. Other extracts from certain plants and flowers can bring this wonderful effect to anyone who has inhaled the scent. For an even better result, combine aromatherapy with massage.

Massage

Swedish, Shiatsu, Thai – these are just some of the most popular massage techniques that are used worldwide. In general, massage therapy helps relaxes the muscles and improve blood circulation. This not only reduces stress levels, but alleviates pain as well.

You can go from gentle to deep tissue massages, depending on your tolerance. However, if you suffer from any musculoskeletal condition, make sure you to seek your doctor’s advice first to ask if massage is appropriate for you.

Meditation

Meditation is an ancient practice in Asia that was used to maintain peace and tranquility. It offers a wide range of physical, emotional, and mental benefits, including the relief of stress.

Meditation involves different principles and practices, but commonly involves deep breathing exercises and repeating positive thoughts mentally.

Aside from helping the person achieve a calm state of mind, the deep breathing exercises also offer added benefits such as increasing the intake of oxygen-rich air. And oxygen feeds the cells, thereby aiding in healing of the body and mind.

Yoga

Yoga is sometimes considered as a form of meditation and vice versa. The discipline combines physical and mental aspects to control stress, involving specific poses and controlled breathing aimed at unifying the body, mind, and spirit.

Just like meditational practices, yoga can relieve and prevent chronic stress through relaxation techniques.

Acupressure and Acupuncture

These two ancient Chinese arts of healing are based on the concept of life energy or “chi”, which stimulates the body’s own healing ability. Any malady that the body acquires is attributed to the interruption in the flow of chi, when the body’s natural pathways are blocked.

Acupressure and acupuncture are aimed at freeing the pathways from these blocks by working on certain points. Whereas acupressure uses finger pressures on those points, acupuncture employs insertion of very fine needles through the skin on the same points.

Hypnotherapy

Through hypnosis, the power of the unconscious mind is unlocked, which in turn offers relaxation and a renewed, positive outlook that combats stress.

Final Thoughts

Every person develops their own unique way to cope with stress, and alternative treatments only present a few of these options. It is best to engage in a practice that you enjoy and can commit to in order to see long-term results.  Finding the source of the stress by utilizing intuition and gentle healing techniques can create a new reality. Book a session and explore your current reality so you can expedite the creation of a new you.

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Mindful Meditation

Mindful Meditation for Brain Health

Introduction to Mindful Meditation

Meditation is a form of alternative medicine that has been associated with a number of benefits, specifically to the individual’s mental health, such as decreased stress levels and improved mood. Mindfulness, in particular, is a form of meditation that involves intense concentration and focus on the present.

Mindful meditation requires awareness of one’s thoughts and actions in the present, putting aside all thoughts of the past and the future.

Meditation in Holistic Care

No matter who you are or the stressors in your life, meditation is a sure fire way to improve wellbeing. Those who meditate will attest to its powers. Meditation masters can literally detach themselves from any type of chaos and outside noise by simply going into their minds and into a meditative state.

Enlightenment is often experienced by those who meditate. It brings them closer to their internal feelings, and who they are deep inside.

In holistic medicine, meditation is often used to treat those with anxiety, depression, and stress. It can help relax, calm, and provide a truly 100% natural and effective treatment method with numerous health benefits.

Here are Some Key Points to Remember When Performing Mindful Meditation:

  • Be aware of your own breathing – pay attention to the sensation of air entering your nostrils and leaving your mouth, and the rise and fall of your belly.
  • Let each thought come and go, without suppressing or ignoring each of them. Stay calm and focus on your breathing.
  • If you get distracted, simply follow your thoughts without being too hard on yourself.

Mindful Meditation Evidenced-Based Study

A recent study published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” online journal suggested that a few hours of mindful meditation or integrative body-mind training can help improve mood, self-control, and response to stress.

The study, which was published on June 11, 2012, involved 68 undergraduates from the Dalian University of Technology in China. The students were divided into relaxation-training and meditation-training groups. Each of the group underwent either a 30-minute relaxation training or integrative body-mind training over a period of two weeks, totaling 5 hours of training for each group.

Researchers of this study found changes in the brain’s “white matter”- a part of the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex – after performing mindful meditation after just a short period. These changes weren’t observed in the brains of those who underwent relaxation training. None of the participants from both groups had any previous meditation training experience.

A non-invasive, MRI-based technology known as diffusion tensor imaging was used to observe the white matter in the brains of the students, together with other imaging technology that measures the white matter’s ability to adapt and change.

The researchers focused on certain areas of the brain that were most susceptible to these physical changes, and measured these areas before and after mindful meditation training.

The white matter is an area in the brain that affects how it learns, and coordinates and relays information among the various brain regions. According to the authors, understanding the white matter in relation to training, learning, and human development can potentially prevent various mental conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, depression, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and even addiction, disorders that all involve the anterior cingulate cortex of the brain.

The most common problem with meditation, just like with any other alternative form of medicine, is that scientific evidence is often lacking.

There is an argument that people who have practiced meditation may have been “conditioned” to feel positive about the therapy, and thus have responded favorably to the training.

This study, on the other hand, offers a quantifiable result that is based on scientific evidence. Because the actual structural changes that the brain went through were observed and measured, this breakthrough study opens up a number of new possibilities in the world of alternative medicine.

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Ayurveda

Ayurveda Uses and Health Benefits

Known as an ancient healing system originating in India, Ayurveda is a holistic medical system that focuses on a spiritual way of life. Highly individualized, the Ayurveda treatment can incorporate a wide variety of methods such as changes in diet, exercise, herbal therapy, massage, and meditation.

History

Written between the second and fourth centuries, the first recorded book of Ayurveda is believed to be based on an older oral tradition. Focusing most of its attention on digestion, the book discusses all the principles of Ayurveda. Ayurveda tradition influenced the development of traditional Chinese medicine, which served to further the development of Ayurveda.

The Principles

Ayurveda states that the body contains three forces known as the tri-dosha. The dosha are vata, pitta, and kapha and work in unison. It is said that each person is dominated by one of these dosha. Other aspects of the body that Ayurveda considers are 5 sub-dosha, 7 tissues, 4 states of agni, and 14 body systems.

The principle of Ayurveda is that all of these body systems must be working in balance in order for the body to be healthy. It is believed that disease occurs in the body when one or more of these systems is out of balance. For example, excessive kapha is said to cause people to suffer from obesity.

The Practice

Ayurveda does not only focus on the physical health of a person but also the emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness in order to obtain perfect health and to treat and prevent disease. The path to healing is specific to an individual, as each person’s body is unique and may respond in different ways.

Diet is one of the basic principles in Ayurveda, and is used as one of the primary methods of healing. It is believed that different foods strengthen or weaken different dosha; therefore, people are prescribed a specific diet according to their personal needs. This differs from our usual approach to food where we categorize foods as healthy or unhealthy. In Ayurveda, a specific food may be healthy for one person unhealthy for another.

Herbs are also used in Ayurveda in the same way. Herbs that balance one person’s body may create imbalance in someone else.

Scientific Evidence

We are all individuals. It makes sense that our medical treatments should be individualized, but modern medicine is grounded in protocols that treat people as a similar group rather than individual parts. Ayurveda treatment is grounded in the individual’s reality.

Since the treatments are so highly individualized it is challenging to find scientific measurements to provide proof for the theories of Ayurveda. Although Ayurveda as a whole is somewhat lacking in scientific proof, the herbal remedies have been studied in several trials and were shown to improve heath dramatically.

Uses and Benefits

Ayurveda focuses more on preventing diseases rather than curing them. Treatments are not given to the ailments, but to the body as a whole. Ayurveda is used to eliminate toxins from the body and create a natural balance to reach optimal health. Ayurveda is not a treatment for disease, but is a way of life thought to further the prevention of disease. Here are a few of the benefits of practicing Ayurveda:

  • Treat Respiratory problems – Studies have shown that using Ayurveda can help address respiratory issues that accompany colds and flus.
  • Improve circulation – Treatments such as the use of essential oils or massage help to relax your body and herbal treatments help improve blood flow as well as oxygen distribution throughout the entire body.
  • Skin issues – Bloodletting by use of leaches or needles has been shown to help with issues such as acne, eczema, and skin blemishes.
  • Relaxation benefits – Treatments such as medicated baths or massage help with the relaxation of the mind and body. Along with relieving stress, these treatments are said to help balance and heal one’s mental state.

Research is ongoing when it comes to the treatments used in Ayurveda. Even though a robust body of scientific proof is not available, those who have used the practice rely on their own experiences as the evidence of its validity.

For more information, see the resources available on the internet.