Holistic Lifestyles

Discovering Ayurveda has been a true gift in my life, as it touches upon every aspect of one's life and lifestyle, offering insights for deep, continued healing and wellness. This healing and wellness is for soul and mind, as well as body, and is a truly holistic system.

The other marvelous aspect of these teachings has been that all of the teachers seem to emphasize that they, and the sages who developed the system five thousand years ago, desire to share this healing wisdom with anyone who wishes to learn. Unlike some cultures who prefer to keep their wisdom isolated (often because of historic harm), most Indian teachers take the approach of offering the Ayurvedic benefits into the world. They were taught that these wellness teachings are a gift to all people, not only to those born in India.

I was completely enthralled by the latest free audio by SoundsTrue, a conversation with the delightful and wise Acharya Shunya - HERE.

Yoga for Wrist and Knee Recovery

I came to Yoga late in life. It wasn't until about 2009 -- when I was 48 -- that I really began exploring Yoga, which then led me into studying Ayurveda. Since then, it's one of the few body-movement programs that I've enjoyed long-term, other than walking and hiking. I think I've stuck with it because it is conscious movement, it encourages an embodied and mindful approach to moving the body on multiple levels including the subtle energy level. I'm not an "exercise person" but the holistic approach of Yoga suits me.

Anyway, since my accident last year, when I broke my leg and arm, I've been feeling frustrated by not being able to get back to Yoga very well. I've been able to maintain certain parts of the practice through modifications while sitting in a chair, but now I want to get back to the mat, if possible. The following videos have been quite helpful, so I wanted to share them with you. Even with these, I do have to make my own mindful modifications since both my knee and wrist are in recovery process. So, be mindful of where you are at, and maybe these videos will be helpful to you or someone you know, as they have been for me.

This first video is for recovery from knee surgery, or if there is knee pain.

This second video is for recovery from wrist injury.

Also, I am not a Yoga instructor, so if you're unsure about anything in the videos, please contact your personal Yoga teacher.

The Alchemy of Our Dark Emotions

We all know what the so-called negative emotions are, and how we try to avoid or suppress them, both in ourselves and in others. But what if we dug into a true healing of self, and allowed our friends and loved ones to do so as well, from these emotions?

Miriam Greenspan, in her evocative, inspirational book Healing Through the Dark Emotions: the wisdom of grief, fear, and despair, writes:

"When I call them dark, I don't mean that they are bad, unwholesome, or pathological. I mean that as a culture we have kept these emotions in the dark--shameful, secret, and unseen. As a result, we tend, for the most part, to shun them. But the emotions that we reject and suppress can become dark in an altogether different sense: like a rich, fertile soil from which unexpected flowers can bloom."

Matt Licata, in a recent post on his blog A Loving Healing Space, writes of these dark emotions that:

"While it may appear otherwise, this very disturbing material is not a mistake, but is sacred. It is not pathology, but path."

While the effort may seem daunting, I can confirm that it is worth the space and time we allow for the process to unfold. And, unlike conventional drugs (anti-depressants, etc.) that promulgate avoidance of these dark emotions, flower essences instead provide subtle, gentle support as we move through the emotions. For an intense "dark night of the soul," Waratah (image to the left) is a powerful partner; for the variety of other ways in which despair (or grief or fear) may appear in one's life, there are myriad other flower essence choices. We are not alone on the path of healing.

The Five Petal Path of Healing

Different people are drawn to the systems, methods, and/or remedies that seem to resonate with them. This is why we see such a plethora of energy healers or teachers, natural health consultants, or holistic practitioners using different approaches. We all want to heal and offer healing to others, be they people or animals, but we find our own unique way into this healing. It can appear confusing or even contradictory, but I have faith that you will find what calls to you; all you have to do is open up your heart, body, and mind.

Through nearly 20 years of study and experience, the system of healing and wellness that has evolved for me is what I call the Five Petal Path. I am putting together a slide show video that I hope will explain this system clearly to you, so that you can apply it in your own life, if you wish, or inspire you to create your own unique system. However, in the meantime, the next few posts will offer some introductory thoughts.

All of these modalities or petals interconnect and flow into each other, so while I may present them as separate, they are an integrated holistic approach to healing. You will see that there is a pale pink circle around the flower; this represents many aspects of subtle life, from soul or spirit and inner work to pure energy work such as Reiki, prayers, mantras, mudras, ritual, including working with energy fields/bodies. All of the petals of healing -- Flower Essences, Homeopathy, Cell Salts, Food & Spices, Lifestyle (including Ayurveda and Yoga) -- are enhanced by pure spiritual or vital force energy. And, at the core of flowering on the Five Petal Path is the ancient wisdom of "know thyself" or knowing one's nature, inside and out. I have found that when this holistic weave is embraced, we don't have to worry about what is called a "healing crisis" by some practitioners.

As always, if you have any questions or need help, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Blessings!

Broken Bones & Natural Support

Everyone will tell you that broken bones hurt. Unfortunately, I can now confirm that personally.

In September 2016, I fell and broke both my left arm and leg. The leg did not require surgery, but the arm did, as I had a complete fracture of both the ulna and radius near the wrist. As you can see from the photo, which was taken about 10 days after my surgery, fixing my arm was in itself traumatic to the tissue (plate, screws, and pins were required) as are most surgeries.

The reason for this post is to share some of my experience in using natural remedies during the healing process. I chose not to use the prescribed pharmaceuticals for pain (which were opioid derivatives, as are most strong pain-killers), and stuck instead with homeopathic remedies, flower essences, cell salts, and therapeutic herbs.

We're Not Alone

Whether one is recovering from a physical injury or struggling with an emotional situation, flower essences can help. We are not alone!

Americans, in particular, seem to think that we have to "go it alone" or "do it ourselves." Oh sure, we may obtain a therapist or attend group meetings or read books, but then we figure our improvement has to be made through either willpower or contemplation or creativity without any assist from natural remedies. Even many so-called natural approach practitioners are so averse to conventional medicine that they refuse to even consider allying themselves with Nature in her essential form.

As you've probably guessed, I'm more than willing to accept help from the Plant Kingdom and its emissaries, the Flowers (and other plants). Flower Essences are energetic, not material substances (other than the liquid their vibrations are suspended within), yet they are dynamic and powerful infusions of loving support from a world that wants to connect with us and help us create beautiful, peaceful lives.

Open yourself to infinite possibility and accept a flower's help in your life.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Blessings!

Befriending Our Dark Emotions

Many of us can struggle when feeling grief, fear, or despair. But what if we were to befriend those emotions when they come upon us?

I invite you to consider the thoughts shared by Miriam Greenspan in the article Through A Glass Darkly. The author uses a term -- emotional alchemy -- to describe the journey through our dark emotions, and I find it beautiful.

When asked if "negative" emotions can make us sick, Greenspan replied:

Yes, I do, when they are unattended to. When we don’t know how to handle their intense energies, they can become stuck. Research shows that depression and anxiety have a connection to heart disease, immune disorders, cancer, and other ailments. This doesn’t mean that emotions cause cancer. Thinking so makes it easier to ignore research on how environmental contaminants, for instance, are linked to cancer. But stuck emotions do put stress on the body. That’s one reason why mindfulness and the metabolism of emotions are so important. If we don’t digest the emotion, it just sits in our bodies and contributes to ill health. 

And remember that giving attention to these dark emotions and processing them can be gently, subtly assisted by our friends the flowers in the form of flower essences.