Saturday, June 28, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Lovely In Her Bones
I know it's been exactly 7 weeks since I've posted to my blog. Why? The biggest reason is because of the month of JANUARY. I am so grateful to be in the accounting (QuickBooks) business because the first month of the year is typically crazy busy. And this year was exceptionally busy. Thank you God.
The flip side of that coin is that I spent many hours in my desk chair, staring at my monitor, and unfortunately many hours hunched over my keyboard. Not good, I know. I envy friends who have physical jobs as they get their exercise while working. But, we all know there is no one right, perfect answer. EVERYTHING has its trade-offs.
But since I returned from my training in Sedona, I have been toying with the idea of LIFE BEING EXERCISE. And today my thoughts were justifed when I found this article ~
How To Exercise Without Really Trying
This is very much what I have been thinking about. Why do we feel like we have to "go to" the gym, or "go to" yoga class, or "go to" Zumba, to get exercise? Certainly the social aspect of the "going to" makes it more enjoyable (or not ~ I guess it depends on one's personality).
Trust me ~ as a yoga instructor, I'm not saying "don't go to" class. However, typically a class lasts only 60 minutes, while the minutes we are typically awake during a 24 hour period, totals 960 minutes. Why can't we take advantage of those extra 900 minutes each day and use those moments to focus on our movements?
A good friend of mine has shared with me her inability to exercise at home, very similar to my challenge of creating a TRUE Home Yoga Practice. So I say to both my friend and myself .... CARPE MOMENTO. Let's make EVERY MOMENT be an exercise.
Here are the movements I have experimented with myself:
1. Let's start with something we ALL do ... sit on the toilet. Be aware of your leg muscles when lowering down and standing up. Don't hang onto the sink or wall ... inhale completely, and then exhale and sit down using the thighs, and drawing the belly in . Stand up on the inhale, again using the thigh muscles. You can also do leg extensions while on the pot. Slow the movement down, move with your breath, and FEEL it.
2. My mother was The Queen of this one. Use the extra few moments in bed each morning to stretch your arms and hands UP. Open and close the hands, do wrist circles, palms to the ceiling and twist the hands from side to side. Then roll on one side and do the yoga pose of cat and cow. Wake up your spine. BREATHE. Then visualize and plan your day from bed. What we think, we create.
3. When brushing your teeth ~ do legs lifts backwards, forward, and to each side. My electric toothbrush beeps every 30 seconds; there is my cue to change directions and/or sides. Be sure to bend over the sink using your core to hold you up instead hunching over the sink and resting your forearms.
4. When waiting for the microwave, do side-stretches or forward bends.
5. When at the sink, stand up on your toes and release. I also like to do this when standing in line at the grocery store.
6. Another fun experiment when standing in line .... imagine you have angel wings folded into your shoulder blades. While you're waiting, E X P A N D those wings and flap them free. You might be surprised at who turns to look at you; your energy DOES expand and light up when you do that.
7. When watching TV, get down on the floor and do some forward folds over your legs. You can still see the screen. Or if you can't tear yourself away from the TV show, at LEAST do it during the commercials. Even a few crunches during each commercial will add up to big benefits.
I bet everyone of us could add to this list, and I invite you to share your thoughts below. I struggle with going to exercise class just like most everyone else. But I bet we would all agree that once the class is over, WE FEEL GREAT. So let's take that thought one step further .... if EVERY MOMENT was an exercise, then we would feel great all of the time. And maybe because we DO feel great, we'd be more willing to GO TO that social exercise class and feel even better.
Hey ~ NONE of us are getting any younger, and as my wise sister recently said to me ...
WALK, or GET A WALKER.
Let's take advantage of every second of every day and make our Life a Living Exercise.
I welcome your ideas!
From my almost 60 year old heart to yours ~
Diana
The flip side of that coin is that I spent many hours in my desk chair, staring at my monitor, and unfortunately many hours hunched over my keyboard. Not good, I know. I envy friends who have physical jobs as they get their exercise while working. But, we all know there is no one right, perfect answer. EVERYTHING has its trade-offs.
But since I returned from my training in Sedona, I have been toying with the idea of LIFE BEING EXERCISE. And today my thoughts were justifed when I found this article ~
How To Exercise Without Really Trying
This is very much what I have been thinking about. Why do we feel like we have to "go to" the gym, or "go to" yoga class, or "go to" Zumba, to get exercise? Certainly the social aspect of the "going to" makes it more enjoyable (or not ~ I guess it depends on one's personality).
Trust me ~ as a yoga instructor, I'm not saying "don't go to" class. However, typically a class lasts only 60 minutes, while the minutes we are typically awake during a 24 hour period, totals 960 minutes. Why can't we take advantage of those extra 900 minutes each day and use those moments to focus on our movements?
A good friend of mine has shared with me her inability to exercise at home, very similar to my challenge of creating a TRUE Home Yoga Practice. So I say to both my friend and myself .... CARPE MOMENTO. Let's make EVERY MOMENT be an exercise.
Here are the movements I have experimented with myself:
1. Let's start with something we ALL do ... sit on the toilet. Be aware of your leg muscles when lowering down and standing up. Don't hang onto the sink or wall ... inhale completely, and then exhale and sit down using the thighs, and drawing the belly in . Stand up on the inhale, again using the thigh muscles. You can also do leg extensions while on the pot. Slow the movement down, move with your breath, and FEEL it.
2. My mother was The Queen of this one. Use the extra few moments in bed each morning to stretch your arms and hands UP. Open and close the hands, do wrist circles, palms to the ceiling and twist the hands from side to side. Then roll on one side and do the yoga pose of cat and cow. Wake up your spine. BREATHE. Then visualize and plan your day from bed. What we think, we create.
3. When brushing your teeth ~ do legs lifts backwards, forward, and to each side. My electric toothbrush beeps every 30 seconds; there is my cue to change directions and/or sides. Be sure to bend over the sink using your core to hold you up instead hunching over the sink and resting your forearms.
4. When waiting for the microwave, do side-stretches or forward bends.
5. When at the sink, stand up on your toes and release. I also like to do this when standing in line at the grocery store.
6. Another fun experiment when standing in line .... imagine you have angel wings folded into your shoulder blades. While you're waiting, E X P A N D those wings and flap them free. You might be surprised at who turns to look at you; your energy DOES expand and light up when you do that.
7. When watching TV, get down on the floor and do some forward folds over your legs. You can still see the screen. Or if you can't tear yourself away from the TV show, at LEAST do it during the commercials. Even a few crunches during each commercial will add up to big benefits.
I bet everyone of us could add to this list, and I invite you to share your thoughts below. I struggle with going to exercise class just like most everyone else. But I bet we would all agree that once the class is over, WE FEEL GREAT. So let's take that thought one step further .... if EVERY MOMENT was an exercise, then we would feel great all of the time. And maybe because we DO feel great, we'd be more willing to GO TO that social exercise class and feel even better.
Hey ~ NONE of us are getting any younger, and as my wise sister recently said to me ...
WALK, or GET A WALKER.
Let's take advantage of every second of every day and make our Life a Living Exercise.
I welcome your ideas!
From my almost 60 year old heart to yours ~
Diana
Monday, January 6, 2014
Twenty-Fourteen ...
That number just doesn't compute for me. Maybe it's because I have thought about that number for about 40 years of my life (since my 20's) and I just couldn't really imagine myself being here.
But here we are in Twenty-Fourteen. I'm here. And so are you.
So NOW what?
But here we are in Twenty-Fourteen. I'm here. And so are you.
So NOW what?
I have more questions than answers, but I do know one thing ...
WHAT DO YOU KNOW THIS YEAR?
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
A picture is worth ...
... a thousand words.
No longer putting off moving into my office waiting for the carpeting to be installed, Dennis was sweet enough to set up my Creative Corner Computer so I could create the below YouTube of my experience in Sedona.
It's funny to look back at the pictures 4+ weeks later. I didn't take ANY pictures during the many, MANY hours of yoga practice and training, but I obviously captured many images of our 4-times-per- week hikes in the beauty of Sedona. Gee whiz ... if you didn't know me, and you just watched this video, you'd think I was NEVER in training. But that is far from the truth.
I am so grateful for the experience I had with everyone, both faculty and students. I will ALWAYS REMEMBER everyone.
Brew a cup of tea, turn up the volume, sit back, and I hope you enjoy ~
No longer putting off moving into my office waiting for the carpeting to be installed, Dennis was sweet enough to set up my Creative Corner Computer so I could create the below YouTube of my experience in Sedona.
It's funny to look back at the pictures 4+ weeks later. I didn't take ANY pictures during the many, MANY hours of yoga practice and training, but I obviously captured many images of our 4-times-per- week hikes in the beauty of Sedona. Gee whiz ... if you didn't know me, and you just watched this video, you'd think I was NEVER in training. But that is far from the truth.
I am so grateful for the experience I had with everyone, both faculty and students. I will ALWAYS REMEMBER everyone.
Brew a cup of tea, turn up the volume, sit back, and I hope you enjoy ~
Monday, November 11, 2013
Calgon ~ No ... EPSOM SALT ...
... Take Me Away! Does you remember that Calgon slogan?
I believe we don't need to buy another "product" from a big corporation; simply go back to the tried and true Epsom salt and take the time to take a bath.
Of course it's rather ironic that I'm gaining this realization after REMOVING our soaking tub in our master bathroom to replace it with a huge walk-in shower. But I'm grateful that we KEPT the bathtub in our front bathroom so I can follow this advice.
What is Epsom salt anyway? After Googling (I love researching on the Internet!), I learned that it is Magnesium Sulfate, an inorganic salt made of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. The name was derived because one of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate was made in Epsom, England.
Potentially, more than half of all Americans are deficient in magnesium, which, like any deficiency, can lead to various health problems. Sulfate helps forms brain tissue and joint proteins, and can strength the wall of the digestive tract. I am all-for anything that I can do naturally to keep myself healthy, and taking an Epsom salt bath, 3 times per week, seems to have many benefits, just to name a few:
So ~ how does one take an Epsom salt bath? First of all, you buy the salt in any drug store. I bought mine at Walgreens. Dissolve 2 cups of Epsom salts in a bathtub full of warm water. I've read that super hot water strips away protective oil from your skin (that explains why I always feel so dry after being in our hot tub, not to mention the chemicals). I also love to add a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil to the stream of water filling the tub for a beautiful aromatic experience. And of course, PAMPER YOURSELF. Get some candles (battery operated are my favorite), turn on some soft music, and turn down the lights. Use this time to visualize your strong and healthy body. Stay in the water for at least 12 minutes. Rinse off any left-over salt, and be sure to moisturize your skin immediately after the bath. If you don't want to use a chemical-laden moisturizer, then try sesame, sunflower, or coconut oil. Sesame is very warming, while coconut is cooling. You can always try a mixture of different oils, as well. Experiment and have fun with it! Just be sure to have a special set of clothes to wear while the oil soaks into your skin.
My mother ALWAYS took a night shower. She told me that it helped her to sleep. Besides, who wants to crawl into bed with all of the day's germs still on the body? I've personally discovered that MOM WAS RIGHT (again). It DOES make me sleep much better. So I'm going to add these baths to my health regime.
I'm very grateful to Kim, my roommate in Sedona, as she is the one who brought this information to me after giving me a FABULOUS MASSAGE one evening in her in-home massage room. Because she worked on some muscles that were tender, she suggested I take an Epsom salt bath, drink a lot of water, and go to bed. And man, did I sleep that night! Thank you, Kim.
A note on Kim ~ if you find yourself in Sedona, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you book a massage with her. Her massage room is peaceful, her table includes an amethyst crystal biomat which is WARM, and her technique is crazy good. Check out her blog, too ~
Sedona Expressions
There are so many wonderful ways to keep ourselves healthy without buying into the drug culture. I encourage everyone to do their own research and try out different natural remedies before popping a pill. I believe God already gave us everything we need to naturally live a long and healthy life.
Believe in your own discernment and the wisdom of your body.
I believe we don't need to buy another "product" from a big corporation; simply go back to the tried and true Epsom salt and take the time to take a bath.
Of course it's rather ironic that I'm gaining this realization after REMOVING our soaking tub in our master bathroom to replace it with a huge walk-in shower. But I'm grateful that we KEPT the bathtub in our front bathroom so I can follow this advice.
What is Epsom salt anyway? After Googling (I love researching on the Internet!), I learned that it is Magnesium Sulfate, an inorganic salt made of magnesium, sulfur and oxygen. The name was derived because one of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate was made in Epsom, England.
Potentially, more than half of all Americans are deficient in magnesium, which, like any deficiency, can lead to various health problems. Sulfate helps forms brain tissue and joint proteins, and can strength the wall of the digestive tract. I am all-for anything that I can do naturally to keep myself healthy, and taking an Epsom salt bath, 3 times per week, seems to have many benefits, just to name a few:
- Improved heart and circulatory health
- Improves the ability of the body to use insulin
- Flushes toxins and heavy metals from the cells
- Eases muscle pain
- Regulates electrolytes which leads to improved nerve function
- Relieves stress ~ and we ALL know what a killer stress is
- Reduces inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
- Improves absorption of nutrients
- Restores pH balance (remember the pH strips I mentioned on the last blog?)
- There are even claims that it can reduce belly fat and help one lose weight!
So ~ how does one take an Epsom salt bath? First of all, you buy the salt in any drug store. I bought mine at Walgreens. Dissolve 2 cups of Epsom salts in a bathtub full of warm water. I've read that super hot water strips away protective oil from your skin (that explains why I always feel so dry after being in our hot tub, not to mention the chemicals). I also love to add a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil to the stream of water filling the tub for a beautiful aromatic experience. And of course, PAMPER YOURSELF. Get some candles (battery operated are my favorite), turn on some soft music, and turn down the lights. Use this time to visualize your strong and healthy body. Stay in the water for at least 12 minutes. Rinse off any left-over salt, and be sure to moisturize your skin immediately after the bath. If you don't want to use a chemical-laden moisturizer, then try sesame, sunflower, or coconut oil. Sesame is very warming, while coconut is cooling. You can always try a mixture of different oils, as well. Experiment and have fun with it! Just be sure to have a special set of clothes to wear while the oil soaks into your skin.
My mother ALWAYS took a night shower. She told me that it helped her to sleep. Besides, who wants to crawl into bed with all of the day's germs still on the body? I've personally discovered that MOM WAS RIGHT (again). It DOES make me sleep much better. So I'm going to add these baths to my health regime.
I'm very grateful to Kim, my roommate in Sedona, as she is the one who brought this information to me after giving me a FABULOUS MASSAGE one evening in her in-home massage room. Because she worked on some muscles that were tender, she suggested I take an Epsom salt bath, drink a lot of water, and go to bed. And man, did I sleep that night! Thank you, Kim.
A note on Kim ~ if you find yourself in Sedona, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you book a massage with her. Her massage room is peaceful, her table includes an amethyst crystal biomat which is WARM, and her technique is crazy good. Check out her blog, too ~
Sedona Expressions
There are so many wonderful ways to keep ourselves healthy without buying into the drug culture. I encourage everyone to do their own research and try out different natural remedies before popping a pill. I believe God already gave us everything we need to naturally live a long and healthy life.
Believe in your own discernment and the wisdom of your body.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Your Tongue Speaks Volumes
One of the coolest things I learned while in Sedona was about my tongue, an organ that is more vital than I realized. I was certainly aware of my tongue back in 2007 when I developed candida ~ an overgrowth of yeast ~ which caused crazy bumps and a thick white coating on my tongue. Not long after that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. So obviously I have paid A LOT OF ATTENTION to the state of my tongue since then.
But my Sedona experience taught me even more. I learned that the coating on my tongue actually consists of impurities, or toxins, that have been removed from my body, especially when I'm resting at night. That coating, which is called ama, indicates that there is an accumulation of toxins that the body is trying very hard to expel. If we don't remove this ama, then we aggravate ailments within the body, particularly digestive problems. And we all understand that the digestive system is critical to our health.
This ama also acts as a breeding ground for bacteria which can then contaminate the food (and liquids) we ingest. Ama also can cause bad breath.
Depending on where the ama is on your tongue, can also point to where the ailments are in the body:
But there is a very easy and simple solution to ridding oneself of this ama: regular cleaning of the tongue.
For less than $10, one can purchase a copper tongue scraper. There are many links on Google to buying one ~ but here is the exact same one that I'm using ~
http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Tongue-Cleaner-Exquisitely-Wrapped/dp/B008DEZOX8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_1
Since learning about this, I have adjusted my morning routine. Immediately after getting out of bed, I scrape my tongue. It literally takes less than 30 seconds. I then brush my teeth right away to make sure that all of that ama is out of my system. THEN I'll proceed with my morning beverage, which now is a cup of hot water (not coffee or tea). I do this because:
The other part of my morning routine is checking the pH of my saliva (acid vs alkaline). I do this right after scraping my tongue and before brushing my teeth. This is another 30 second routine that tells me if I'm keeping my body pH neutral. Again, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I was VERY acidic, so I'm highly motivated to stay out of that condition. It has been proven that cancer grows in an acidic environment. These are the pH strips that I use:
http://www.amazon.com/Ph-Test-Strips-Dispenser-Intervals/dp/B0007RSD0A/ref=zg_bs_3013605011_3
This is such an easy way to improve our health, and it takes very little time. I invite you to consider making these easy changes in your daily routine.
The smallest changes in our daily lifestyle DO MAKE the Biggest Difference.
But my Sedona experience taught me even more. I learned that the coating on my tongue actually consists of impurities, or toxins, that have been removed from my body, especially when I'm resting at night. That coating, which is called ama, indicates that there is an accumulation of toxins that the body is trying very hard to expel. If we don't remove this ama, then we aggravate ailments within the body, particularly digestive problems. And we all understand that the digestive system is critical to our health.
This ama also acts as a breeding ground for bacteria which can then contaminate the food (and liquids) we ingest. Ama also can cause bad breath.
Depending on where the ama is on your tongue, can also point to where the ailments are in the body:
But there is a very easy and simple solution to ridding oneself of this ama: regular cleaning of the tongue.
For less than $10, one can purchase a copper tongue scraper. There are many links on Google to buying one ~ but here is the exact same one that I'm using ~
http://www.amazon.com/Copper-Tongue-Cleaner-Exquisitely-Wrapped/dp/B008DEZOX8/ref=pd_sim_sbs_misc_1
Since learning about this, I have adjusted my morning routine. Immediately after getting out of bed, I scrape my tongue. It literally takes less than 30 seconds. I then brush my teeth right away to make sure that all of that ama is out of my system. THEN I'll proceed with my morning beverage, which now is a cup of hot water (not coffee or tea). I do this because:
- It flushes toxins from the body and aids digestion
- Cures constipation
- Aids weight loss by breaking down fat deposits in the body
- Good for cough and colds
- Improves blood circulation
- Reduces stomach, body, and head pain
- Increases sweating, which aids skin cells
The other part of my morning routine is checking the pH of my saliva (acid vs alkaline). I do this right after scraping my tongue and before brushing my teeth. This is another 30 second routine that tells me if I'm keeping my body pH neutral. Again, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I was VERY acidic, so I'm highly motivated to stay out of that condition. It has been proven that cancer grows in an acidic environment. These are the pH strips that I use:
http://www.amazon.com/Ph-Test-Strips-Dispenser-Intervals/dp/B0007RSD0A/ref=zg_bs_3013605011_3
This is such an easy way to improve our health, and it takes very little time. I invite you to consider making these easy changes in your daily routine.
The smallest changes in our daily lifestyle DO MAKE the Biggest Difference.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Ghee brings me GLEE!
I have read PLENTY of yoga and health magazines, all of which tout the benefits of eating ghee. Ghee this and ghee that. Well ~ now that I have actually EATEN ghee myself, now I understand how great it is.
AND EXPENSIVE.
When I was in Sedona, my FABULOUS roommate, Kim, gifted me with a beautiful, 14 ounce, glass bottle of "100% Organic Pure Indian Foods, grass-fed Ghee", with a price tag that said $19.50. After being very impressed that she would even give me such a gift, my next thought was "will I really eat this?" and if I like it, "Dennis will have a cow if I buy a $20 bottle of stuff that he doesn't like or understand".
Then I proceeded through my 30 day Yoga Teacher Training and discovered that
So I did a little more research and learned this ~
So, I tried my hand at making it while I was in Sedona. WHAT A JOKE! I burned the *&^% out of it and made Kim's kitchen stink for about 48 hours (sorry Kim!).
Then one of my fellow yoga students suggested that I make it in a crock pot. So when I got home last week, I bought a mini crock pot and tried it again today. I followed the directions from this website ~
How to make ghee in a crockpot
... and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! The only thing I changed from the website above was I turned the crockpot on high to MELT the butter, then I took off the lid, turned it to low, and let it do its thing for 7 hours. And look at the result!
That same original bottle that cost $19.50, cost me only $4.99 for a pound of organic, unsalted butter. And it looks and tastes EXACTLY like the $19.50 version. And I loved being able to give my ghee all sorts of love and attention while it was transforming itself from butter into ghee.
Now ~ what to do with it? EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH REGULAR BUTTER. I've already used it to saute everything, poured it on air-popped popcorn, made grilled sandwiches, added it to my kitchari, and put it on crackers. To me, it tastes just like butter, if not better. AND I know it's doing lots of great things for my body.
And the best part ... EVEN DENNIS LIKES IT.
So yes, ghee brings me GLEE!!
I invite you to try making it, too. If you do, please let me know your experience and how you use it.
We all do learn from eachother.
AND EXPENSIVE.
When I was in Sedona, my FABULOUS roommate, Kim, gifted me with a beautiful, 14 ounce, glass bottle of "100% Organic Pure Indian Foods, grass-fed Ghee", with a price tag that said $19.50. After being very impressed that she would even give me such a gift, my next thought was "will I really eat this?" and if I like it, "Dennis will have a cow if I buy a $20 bottle of stuff that he doesn't like or understand".
Then I proceeded through my 30 day Yoga Teacher Training and discovered that
- I LOVE Ghee
- It's easy to make!
So I did a little more research and learned this ~
- Ghee has a very high smoke point and doesn't burn when cooking
- It reduces cholesterol
- Good for your nerves and brain
- Helps to control eye pressure and helps with glaucoma
- Stimulates stomach acids to help with digestion
- Rich in antioxidants
- Helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals from food
- Strengths the immune system
- Inhibits the growth of cancerous tumors (I especially like this!)
So, I tried my hand at making it while I was in Sedona. WHAT A JOKE! I burned the *&^% out of it and made Kim's kitchen stink for about 48 hours (sorry Kim!).
Then one of my fellow yoga students suggested that I make it in a crock pot. So when I got home last week, I bought a mini crock pot and tried it again today. I followed the directions from this website ~
How to make ghee in a crockpot
... and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! The only thing I changed from the website above was I turned the crockpot on high to MELT the butter, then I took off the lid, turned it to low, and let it do its thing for 7 hours. And look at the result!
Hey ~ it matches my shirt!
That same original bottle that cost $19.50, cost me only $4.99 for a pound of organic, unsalted butter. And it looks and tastes EXACTLY like the $19.50 version. And I loved being able to give my ghee all sorts of love and attention while it was transforming itself from butter into ghee.
Now ~ what to do with it? EVERYTHING YOU DO WITH REGULAR BUTTER. I've already used it to saute everything, poured it on air-popped popcorn, made grilled sandwiches, added it to my kitchari, and put it on crackers. To me, it tastes just like butter, if not better. AND I know it's doing lots of great things for my body.
And the best part ... EVEN DENNIS LIKES IT.
So yes, ghee brings me GLEE!!
I invite you to try making it, too. If you do, please let me know your experience and how you use it.
We all do learn from eachother.
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