Mindful Wellness in an Unwell Season

To be sick is such an undertaking; physically, mentally and energetically. Of course we all want wellness and when we feel that we do not have it, it becomes our identity.  We feel awful, as we can’t find energy to move, our head pounds, our body’s vibrate differently as the immune system works so hard to purge the viral or bacteria infection that has invaded.   We would give anything to just feel “normal” again.  Living in the northern climate, it is the season of this unfortunate happening, for many.  Thus, I wanted to offer my advice and go to Recipe for Getting Well!  I see people struggle to find a balance of honoring the illness and making decisions to support that happening while trying to stay paced in our daily routines.

I would first offer that it is important to understand that when the body is sick, it is happening on a deep internal physical level, as well as the releasing of phlegm and/or other ways of evacuation that the system uses to rid itself of invading offenders.  The immune system kicks into overdrive and without getting to in depth here, it needs all the energy it can use to be able to fight with gusto! This means eating simple, light meals, and keeping lots of clean and clear liquids flowing.  The heavier you get with your food choices, the more energy then goes to the digestive process which slows down healing.  The old adage of “Starving a cold” is not so ridiculous, however it can be misperceived.  The other misconception, in my book, is that you must eat big meals to fuel your system during these times.  SO NOT TRUE.  So what do you do? I know what I do, and I know it works for me, and I want to share, as I do think I carry some weight in knowing the body and what is healthy and what is not. You can determine if it works for you, if you choose to try it, or if you are just curious, read on.

1. Eat Small, Eat Light, Eat Right.   My diet, when not well consists solely of liquid foods, with a protein source and sodium  to keep my energy levels and water retention good.  We need both, but what we do not need is an overload of carbohydrates as we need to rest, which means that we will not be doing much to burn those calories, and thus, the system will get weighed down as it works to metabolize them.  I understand the if you are vomiting, and you can only keep crackers down, you eat crackers, but it is not ideal for the internal environment of healing.  The liquids are important to keep the phlegm moving and the immune system moving.  It is so important to understand that the immune system does not have a pump, so we must keep it moving, or it will be stagnated and returned health will be slowed. The way to keep it moving, internally is through liquids.
2. Rest, Relax, Honor the Body’s need to heal.  We must give the body time to heal.  I understand that so many have things to do, places to be, people to see, but you will be functioning less than ideal in a state of illness. The other feeling here is that we must honor other peoples health and not risk spreading the germs to everyone we meet on our path.  The body that falls ill,  fell ill because it was not in an ideal state of immunity.  We all get sick, and I try to see it as a time of reset.  I think, “OK, I have been going, going, going, and now I have to sit and relax and restore my vitality again”. Not everyone feels this way, but I do believe that we can strengthen our immunity so that we are not as susceptible to falling ill.
3. Less Is Best, in accordance with medications.  When we are sick, and we take over the counter meds, we are treating the symptoms and pushing down the cause. I know it is horrible, and at times these medications can feel like a god send, but it is not healthy for you to get into a mindset that you need a decongestant to get through your day.  Let that stuff drain.  That is the only way to get it out.  In my personal experience with myself and others, once meds are taken, the time doubles that it would normally take to get back to thriving health.  These medications trick the nervous system, which creates a dramatic pause in the natural ability for quick healing.
4. Supplements Do Help but Not Necessary!  Our bodies know how to heal and want to heal.  That is the greatest truth of our physical constitution.  The body is actually amazing. I mean, ridiculously amazing!  A whole different topic, I could go on and on about.  I am so in love with the perfection of this body we house.  It is, by far, the most amazing creation, ever! Back to supplements for the body, there are a few key ones during time of weakened immunity.  Basic formula is Vitamin C, Zinc, and Garlic supplements.  These are my go to.  Everyone is different, but these three are my “Booya” remedy!  I envelop that with tea, homemade soup, oranges and apples and allow the natural process of healing to happen.
5. Positive Affirmations.  It may sound silly, but it is so true! Remind yourself of your body’s perfection.  Program yourself for great health.  Some of my favorites are as follows:  I am in perfect health. My body is in perfect health.  I am healing. I am grateful for a healthy body that knows how to heal. I choose health.  I also remind myself that there can be a gift in getting sick, which is, MY BODY AND MIND NEED REST.  It can be seen as a time of silent retreat and restorative action to be taken . This is mindfulness in action.  No-one likes being sick, but we can reframe it not to be so defeating, but remind us that we should be placing our health as the highest priority in life. I mean, honestly, what else is more important?  NOTHING!

My five stages of treating the seasons menacing visitors are as stated above.

I have a couple “go to recipes” that I would suggest, and if you are interested, let me know and I will add them to a comment here.  I can tell you this, even with the WORST case of flu I have ever experienced, I am back in action no more than three days later.

In a world of extroverted active hustle and bustle during the wintery season, seek some good ole comfort in caring for yourself; body, mind and spirit.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.  May your season be health filled, love infused and solace seeking!

Blessings~

Angela

Change Your Life

It is an interesting concept, to really comprehend, that what we focus on becomes our reality. However interesting, however cynical, however contemplative you may be, it is true. What the mind is constantly thinking, and what the body and emotions are feeling, is what you will experience, day to day. We have forgotten just how astounding the human brain and energy system is. We have become so compliant to the day to day routine that we forget that we have choices in this life that we are experiencing. 
There is a disease that is spreading through man, and that is a disease of the mind. It is a disease that allows you question your potential, your desires, your ability to create the life that calls to you in the moments of quiet calm. It is a disease that allows you to feel comfortable in situations that are not serving your highest good, because on some level you do not trust your self to be better than ok. It is a disease that allows you to sink down into the smallest part of the existence of your being, which is a tragedy and quite literally, a lower than life experience, that you have come to except as reality. This disease is not one you see, but feel. You see, the mind is a tricky thing. The mind is a very powerful antenna that is sending out vibes all day long and attracting back exactly what you are sending out into the world.
We must come to the space in which we experience our greatness, even for a moment, in which you begin to question what you have allowed to be your experience. This is my greatest hope for people. Find your peace, from that peace, find your strength, from that strength, find your courage, and from that courage, find your bravery to be vulnerable enough to begin to create the life you truly want. Nothing changes if you do not change. To break a cycle, to rise above, to change, to shift, is to know and become aware of the very thoughts and beliefs that keep you in the stagnant space you may be in.  
Take a step into a new existence, a new reality of affirming that you have the ability, the courage, the passion to begin to break out of any cycle you would like to change. This is where it begins, and this is where it ends, within you and within your minds thoughts. Write it down, make a note, record it and play it back, just be consistent. It is a very practical manner in which we use this power of the mind to shift our reality. Interesting, right? Attempt it! Trust it! Know it! The life you have envisioned, is not out of your reach, it is within you, and it is waiting for you to claim it. It’s not coming to get you, you must go to get it!  

This is truth, this is life, this is manifestation. You are a miracle and you perfectly created to have the life you choose, if you decide you are worthy and ready to to it!  
Move courageously, gently and so confidently into the new experience you wish to have, with yourself, and your whole life changes! Quiet the smallness of your ego and Light the fire of your soul! It all begins with a choice to say, I am willing to change my life! 
Happy Monday!  

Embrace your Greatness

Embracing your greatness is about recognizing you have not been living in your full potential. When we allow ourselves to live in smallness, live in less than we know we want, don’t feel confident enough to voice our feelings, or go after our dream, or speak our truth, or explore spaces we have had fear to explore, we are choosing to live in a small and closed off world. You are here as a being with the potential to experience greatness every day! It is only through circumstance and experiences of pain and discomfort that you have stopped expressing the greatness that is you. When you become aware of the fact that every trial and ever trauma is actually giving you the opportunity to experience the greatness within you, it changes everything. All perception, right? It’s easier than it seems, it is just your conscious mind and pride that keeps you in any space other than a place of feeling inspired, feeling confident, feeling in line with all you want to experience. The mind can get over focused on the negative and when this happens, you begin to defeat yourself with the habit of experiencing demeaning and negative self talk, when the more you become aware of this, you can truly simply shift this process. Recognize that your mind is just going in a habitual pattern of keeping you stuck in pattens of self rejection, blaming others for your pain, and playing small out of fear of rejection. Recognize that in the moments of fear or blame, you can look at the polar feeling, of forgiveness, of acceptance and of courage to experience something different than what you have been! Realize, today, that you can begin a new pattern. Today, start a pattern of self supporting and courageous self talk. Look at something you would like to achieve or experience and take a step towards it. When negativity arises, just simply remind yourself that you are choosing to shift this belief, this patterned thinking. Certainly, we know that beliefs are just programmed thought, right? So why not believe in yourself so much that you begin to create the momentum for great change in your life? Embrace your greatness, recognize where you have been playing small and end the cycle of self inhibition. It is serving no one but your self, and ultimately, that is not a positive thing. Denial of this truth is your enemy as your mind wants to keep you in your own intellectual debate of being a victim, being better than, or simply not being enough! Break this cycle!!!!! If you don’t, nobody will. It is not that you can’t, it is that you won’t… It is not that you can, it is that you WILL!!!

What will you choose today?

Happy Tuesday!

Book Club ~ Chapter 11 ~ The Untethered Soul ~ Pain, The Price of Freedom

This chapter challenges you once again to really look at the way that the pains and old wounds that sit in your heart are effecting your life daily.  The truth is that no true transformation or growth happens until we are willing to take an uncomfortable look at the reasons why things in our lives keep happening and to shift to a higher spiritual and free mental existence.  You see, emotions are just emotions.  I don’t mean to sound uncompassionate because I certainly am.  I just know that they are like little annoying bugs that you can’t stand to see or feel on you so you do anything to avoid them and certainly don’t want anyone to think that you have bugs on you.  Emotions are energy.  They are either an energy that expands you in a feeling of happiness and everything being good, or they are an energy, that if doesn’t feel good, we tend to hold them in and hide them in hopes that no one will know our weakness.  When you were abandoned by a parent as a child, you built a belief that people will always leave you so you better always be on your best behavior, always be perfect and never bring problems or failures to the table because surely people will leave you.  It is the same as when you went to grandmas and she baked homemade cookies and the smell and feeling of eating those cookies was so deliciously delightful, the energy of that will stay with you and when you are around fresh baked cookies you will feel expanded with happiness and good feelings because of what it represents for you energetically or emotionally.  Since the feelings and energy you experience from grandmas cookies are so pleasant you welcome that to your awareness.  When we have a painful event that leads to the thought or fear that we may be left alone or someone may leave us we then react quite differently.  we tend to do anything we can to defend, resist and protect from anything like that happening.  And if it does happen we experiences so much pain for a light experience because  of the deep seated pain that has been sitting for so long. When he speaks of the way that people hide in friendships,  You want to make sure that everyone likes you because if they don’t like you, you must be awful, there must be something wrong with you and so you try harder and harder to be the person that everyone likes.  How tiring.  It tires me just typing that thought.  You try to keep a busy schedule with friends and always try to keep your day filled so that you don’t have to think about any of the painful events or feelings that lurk inside.  So the only way to move to freedom is to recognize that you are doing this, and to recognize that those painful emotions that lie deep must come up and out.  It most likely will be painful, but temporary, like unplugging a clogged sink, the pressure before the water flows again is intense but once it is cleared, you are free!  Watch and see how you try to hide from your pains.  Be aware.

 

Perspective changes make this quite easy to do as well.  I love how he humbles the reader by asking you to walk out side, look up in the sky, notice all the stars, the trillions of stars, and realize that if you were standing on any of the surfaces of those stars you would see our planet as the same of a trillion others.  Then realize you are just here, standing on this round sphere of dirt and that it is your life.  I mean, ultimately, that is your existence, and then think of how juvenile things can enter into your life as if it  is the end of the world if Sally doesn’t like your outfit.  Forget about Sally, Forget about your clothes, you are you, and you are being offered the opportunity to find the greatest experience of life which is freedom to be who you are. the awareness and courage to let things that come to you pass through you without resistance or pain.  The reality is that you can not spend your life resisting any negative experiences.  IT won’t happen. So the powerful thing to do is to learn that  there are going to be negative things that happen and that it okay.  We just learn to not attach to them and then we experience them for what they are and are free from holding on to hang of it.  Like a wave from the ocean just washing over you, and then it is gone.  

 

We are learning to be less resistant to the world around us, we are learning to take responsibility for how we feel and learning to be at peace with these emotions that we make so all encompassing.  We must learn to move with them and let them go.  We must learn to ask why are these things bothering us, and when we really look, with no fear, we learn that it is not about what is happening in that moment.  We are responding from an old wound and we are being offered the perfect opportunity to let it go and be free!  

 

Freedom and peace is what we all desire.  If you do not recognize this, you have a long way to go to attain the peaceful  and spiritual experience of life you may think you do!  Keep letting go, keeping being vulnerable and keep allowing yourself more joyful experiences that not!  

 

Happy Saturday! 

 

Blessings ~ 

 

Angela