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Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

How to use COLOUR to enhance your ENERGY and Wellness!




Add a dash of colour to anything and watch it come alive. Add even more and your world gets a heck of lot more fun!


Whether it's in a film like Avatar, on a bare wall with a Van Gough, Dorothy's red shoes down the yellow brick road, a spicy tumeric curry making your rice pilaf a golden delight, or the multitude of coloured dyes thrown in showers of rainbows during the Indian Holi Festival, colour definitely impacts our mood, and enhances well being.


Colour studies have been done for decades. Especially for the marketplace. In restaurants it's done to a science as to which colour enhances appetite more and will make you spend more out of your pocket.


We can use colour in numerous and profound ways in our daily life. What we wear does say and signal alot about our character and our personality. Do you know what your clothing says about you? your energy and message?


You have probably heard the expression "Oh she can pull that colour or pattern off so well!". And when she does wear that colour, it not only affects her own state, but also who and what she attracts into her life. Colour may allow us to connect to better circumstances and synchronicities.


Everything is energy, remember? You, me, the wall, the chair your sitting on, your car, the rocks in your backyard and EVERYTHING else. And that is a proven fact now!


To some degree we may be unconscious of what we are emitting outwardly and what we are taking in from the colours that surround us. So becoming conscious will help us project better intentions. And that goes for every aspect of our lives. So why leave COLOUR out? ;)


Colour truly has IMPACT!


You may walk into a room with red walls, and develop a very uptight feeling or sense of uneasiness. The longer you stay in there, the more intense the feeling and it may turn into outright anger.


Red can have this affect, as Feng shui suggests it may arouse passion and anger. So you often won't see red walls in homes or medical offices, or spas. A spa wants to invoke a sense of calm, tranquility and place to find some serenity. So often shades of light green are used as these create a healing vibe.


So pay attention to what you wear. The colours you choose will affect your own energy, and the energy of those you ATTRACT. Here is a small sample guide as to what each colour can offer you:



Red: Conveys ACTION, confidence and courage. It often will express a strong extroverted personality, sure of herself and holding a powerful demeanor. It will definitely send out a strong signal of strength and power.


When to put red in your life: You want to feel more confident, express authority or assertiveness. When you want to present yourself as bold and dynamic, and in females red may elicit a sexual signal and trigger arousal in men.

* Caution with this one on walls as it may create aggression or trigger anger. Red also denotes a sense of authority or prestige, like the Red Carpet at the Oscars or a red throne for a Queen. So for that first interview you may not want to pull out the red shirt for the VP sitting across from you. Intimidation just may not be the best tactic.


Black: Isn't really a true colour, but more a shade. Black absorbs light, and therefore is referred to as being the shade that absorbs energies of people, places or things. So wearing all black isn't reccomended on a consistent basis. Where lighter shades uplift and bring more inviting energies to you.

Black conveys a sense of secrecy or a desire to conceal oneself. Females tend to say that "black hides everything", meaning their perceived body imperfections and often is used in our wardrobe to appear slimmer. So in fact we use black to hide ourselves.


When to wear black: Try to break up your out fit by adding some colour to basic black pants or shirts. That way you aren't a magnet for every energy that passes your way. If you want to appear mysterious, and are going to a party or social event where you may not feel like revealing yourself, and need that protection black may be appropriate. For example it may be a day that you want to remain conspicous and not draw attention and need less from others, so black will help.

Caution: Wearing all black, or too often as in daily, becomes very restrictive to our energies and personal Prana or Life Force. The Life force is pure light and the opposite to this colour. Keep that in mind, when you are trying to elevate your vitality and vibrancy in energy. Black can literally deaden you long term.


White: White is also not a true colour, it actually is ALL colours coming together. It is the complete energy of light and conveys completeness and wholeness. White will express integration of energies and offer a sense of elevation to the one who wears it.

Often in the healing energy arts world, those who practice wear white. In , religious/spiritual ceremonies, priests, ministers, deacons, monks, and yogis will wear it to symbolize the union of spirit and oneness of the life force energy that permeates everything and everyone.


When to wear white: When you want to clear your energy blocks, when you feel stuck, or uncertain, or unclear about the direction of your life. White is like the Light of our essence and will bring clarity to confusion, uncertainty and will dissolve fear like no other. It truly works!


Personal Note:

I used to wear black all the time and found it was the most "complimentary". I stopped doing that. I've got a butt and I'm now content with it. Done with the nonsense of disliking apparent "flaws". It really weighed me down and I often felt so tired as compared to when I began wearing more colour. So I still wear some black, much less and I always wear a bright scarf, or piece of jewellery or shoes to balance the energy.

I found that black really deadened the inner child and artist in me. The moment I started wearing more colour I felt more alive, and the flow of my creativity greatly improved!


Green: symbolizes growth, increase, expansion and abundance. It is also the colour which enhances healing and restoration. With green you also can support periods of change and transformation which rely upon growing and processing new things.


When to wear or use green: When embarking on a new path, starting a new project, desiring CHANGE in your life and needing the support to transform from the old self to the new Self. Green will balance any doubt or fear and invoke a very stable sense of energy to yourself, and your environment.

Green is also good for times when you are HEALING and desire to have less of a healing crisis. It helps us to transition from a less than optimal state, to the desired new state we deserve.


Violet/Purple: is a combination of red and blue and is my FAVOURITE colour!

These contrasting colours bring a balanced dynamic between the active red energy and the more cooling and passive essence of blue. It reminds me of the ying/yang symbol, because it embodies the energetic quality of dynamic contrast and similarity all in one!

This is the colour of the crown chakra, which connects us to the universal consciousness. Violet thus will invoke imagination, creativity, and very heightened sense of INSPIRATION. You will find your spiritual connection to Source enhanced in a way that allows you to communicate more openly and with greater clarity.


When to wear or use Violet: Violet clothing, gems and crystals are highly indicated when you want to improve your imagination, your ability to channel higher energies and healing. Or when you want to remove obstacles, and calm overactivity or elevate a depressed state. In essence it can re balance your connection to source and thus improve psychic or our sixth sense of intuition.


Yellow: represent intellectual and creative energies. Yellow symbolizes wisdom, and knowing. It also conveys joy and happiness on the emotional/feeling scale. It "brightens" up our day, our mood and state. It encourages the intellect and left sided part of our brain to function more acutely and efficiently.


When to wear or use yellow: When you want to look like a banana! Kidding. :) Yellow really works when you need to make important decisions like signing contracts, accepting new positions at work, deciding on a new business venture or partner.

It will also sharpen concentration and memory skills. So periods where performance is key, like analytical work, taking exams and tests for school or work would be greatly enhanced. Also when a risk of burn out from intellectual work is eminent, yellow will help support and fuel the adrenals and help ease these intense periods.



Blue: has calming properties and often will be used in nuseries or in the babies room in the home. It brings a sense of tranquility and soothes nervous tension. Artists use blue to create distance such as in deep blue skies.


When to wear or use blue: Blue opposes red , and often can balance an angered state or a period of intense agression. When you want to gain greater perspective on an issue, and need to distance yourself from an immediate situation.

Blue will encourage you to pause, take a breath, and not react instantly to a not so favoured situation. It will help you gain some calm whereby you can get centred again and then decide on how you want to proceed.


So if you know you will be going to an event such as a family gathering that may be stressful, you may want to wear blue or carry turquoise with you. A blue scarf and a big smile regardless of who or what is before you will ensure a smoother experience.


Colour rocks!


May your world be coloured and brightly painted every shade of the rainbow.



Namaste

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

5 Ailments you can treat naturally and without resorting to harmful medications.



Popping pills has become a disturbing habit among people looking to find relief from many common maladies. It is always wise to have a full physical, including a full blood panel analysis annually. This way you can rule out any serious conditions or pathologies. Ideally we want to prevent disease from taking place in the first place. Knowing the vital blood markers for health will help you identify any possible areas of concern.

If you suffer from occasional minor headaches, colds, cuts or bruises, coughs, or indigestion there are natural alternatives you can implement instead of reaching for the over the counter chemical based medications.

Remember each time you take a suppressing pharmaceutical drug, you are numbing and not healing the ailment you are experiencing. What you resist PERSISTS!



Headaches:

Remedy: WATER

Consider how well hydrated you are. How much water are you drinking daily? Also how many caffeinated beverages are you consuming? Caffeine based drinks rob your body of vital fluid, and the caffeine often can lead to tension based headaches. Often times headaches are a symptom of a poor diet and a low level of hydration. So cut out artificially sweetened foods and drinks (ie. aspartame based drinks like diet pop), processed foods such as white bread, baked goods, fried foods and anything that comes out of a fast food restaurant. ANYTHING processed has ADDITIVES and chemicals that may be TRIGGERING your headaches. Also you may have a food intolerance or allergy. Most offending allergens are: Wheat, corn, sugar, dairy, eggs, peanuts, soy and gluten.


Indigestion, Nausea, Upset Stomach:

Remedy: GINGER, PEPPERMINT, PRO BIOTICS

Indigestion can be caused by overeating, a food allergy, a virus, ulcers or other digestive diseases and STRESS. So for minor and occasional discomfort you can reach for ginger. Ginger is one of the best anti nausea and tummy settling herbs around. It can help with morning sickness for those expecting, motion sickness from traveling, and nausea brought on by flus or bacterial infections.

My motto with diets and health always is to get your nutrition from whole foods given by mother earth. Supplements have a place, however they should not be relied upon to achieve a sound diet. Probiotics is one supplement that I would say is required by everyone living in a modern industrialized nation. We are far too stressed, rushed, and eat poorly for the most part, to sustain a healthy digestive tract.

Probiotics is the best digestive and immune insurance you can invest in.

It is proven to increase overall immunity, prevent and treat digestive disease such as ULCERS, COLITIS and IBS and symptoms that lead to pathology such as constipation or diarrhea. Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria that will keep a healthy balance of flora in your system.





Sore Throat and Ulcers

Remedy: Licorice Root (tea or tincture formula)

Licorice is an herb with demulcent (soothing, coating agents) and expectorant (rids phlegm and mucous from the respiratory tract) properties. As such it is highly beneficial for minor upper respiratory tract ailments such as coughs, sore throats, and sinus infections. It is also HIGHLY beneficial to those with ulcers, and any inflammation in the digestive tract. Licorice helps to decrease the burning pain that ulcers are known for.

Inflammation is a symptom that should not be left ignored. Your body is telling you something is not balanced, and left supressed with pharmaceutical pills only will eventually cause more serious problems later on. Address the issue underlying the problem by really looking at your lifestyle and what needs to be CHANGED. You alone are responsible for what you eat and how you choose to live your days.


Bruises, Cuts, or Scrapes:

Remedy: Homeopathic Arnica, Olive Oil

Every single household should have Arnica in homeopathic form and topical cream in their medicine chest. This is one of the "miracle" first aid remedies for injuries and 1st stage trauma to tissues. I have seen arnica heal bruises, speed up the healing of bone injuries, muscles and tendons tears and ligament injuries. Nothing works like Arnica.

My own mother suffered a bad fall and nearly broke her nose. I gave her 3 doses of arnica minutes after the fall. She experienced no pain, no blood loss and bruising diminished within a few days!

A patient of mine who suffered minor injuries in a car accident reported that just 2 doses of Arnica (which he had in his car at the time of injury, smart dude!) right after the accident reduced bruising, and pain "miraculously". What should have been major bruising and pain from the impact on his shoulder and face, was minor and healed within 2 days of the accident! Go buy some now if you don't have any, it's really that good!

Olive oil is another healing agent you should consider for cuts and scrapes. The ancient egyptians not only drank this elixir for health, but they slathered it on their bodies to heal the skin. Olive oil has anti bacterial properties and will help heal cuts thereby reducing any chances of SCARRING. Its more than just a tasty salad dressing ;)


To your health always,

Namaste

Piera








Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The CURE to your STINKIN' THINKIN'!


It's really quite simple to manifest better and better outcomes in your life. It does require effort and daily practice of a certain type of mindset, attitude and perspective on life. 100 people could be given the same circumstances and depending on their attitude and belief system, the outcomes result in a myriad of ways.

How do you face each day? What do you bring to the table of your life situations? If you choose to believe in constraints, negatives, and limitations than that is your result. If you navigate this wondrous life we have with a sense of gratitude, appreciation and openness of mind than guess what, that is what you ultimately manifest over and over and over again.

Your life experiences are a direct reflection of the THOUGHTS, INTENTIONS, and BELIEFS you harbour on a consistent basis. Zig ziglar describes the negative, pessimistic outlook quite nicely by calling it "Stinkin' Thinkin' ". As one of this world's most renowned motivational speakers, Ziglar is a prime example of what can be done when you make the effort to surround yourself with positive PLACES, PEOPLE, and THINGS. He was a self made man, and proved that whatever your heart desires is possible if you can harness the power of your thoughts and beliefs. You are what you eat, say, do, think and believe. You just cannot escape that fact!

So EVERY single day you must do a check up from the neck up. This means you need to feed your mind, body and soul with POSITIVE energy, thoughts, beliefs, and INTENTIONS.
It truly is the only way to live a more successful, prosperous, satisfying and blessed life.


HOW TO BECOME A POSITIVE POWER HOUSE

1) Surround yourself with positive, successful, vibrant people

Just today I was fortunate enough to spend some time with a friend who exudes from every pore positive infectious energy. He helped me turn some of my limited thought patterns right around and see the scenario in a more prosperous light. You must check out his site and see what this guy offers to the world : www.http://SpiritSentient.com/ and http://JasonFonceca.com/


2) Rev up the Engine RIGHT when you first WAKE UP:

The first 5 minutes after you wake up are the most critical of your day. You can either gear yourself to approach the day with a head full of abundant awesomeness or you can settle in to your gloomy and limited mindset. Which sounds more fun? You have the choice EVERYDAY! Don't pass the buck and make excuses it's out of your control to get more out of your life. Excuses eventually causes regrets, which eventually cause you to resent and live in more pain and suffering. What do you really want in this life? Begin each morning seeing it, visualize it with every fabric of your being, make is so real that you can't help but be excited to live the passions and dreams in your life.

3) THOUGHTS+ BELIEFS+ WORDS= Actions & Outcomes

Every thought you have creates an outcome. Every BELIEF you harbour creates an outcome. Every WORD you utter creates an outcome. Do you see a pattern here? Change your thoughts, beliefs and words, and watch your world change. Don't take this lightly. THOUGHTS and WORDS become things. Talk crap, and you get crap. Think crap and guess what you get crap. So what do you really want in life?

4) Your BODY is your Temple:

I've touched on this in past blog posts. Some people take better care of their cars then their bodies. It blows my mind. You have to live in your body 24/7. Your energy level, your health and how you feel on a daily basis is a direct result of how you choose to take care of your body or not. Treat it with respect, give it healthy food, move it daily, and ultimately LOVE it and you won't feel like crap. If you can't get through a full day feeling strong, vibrant and motivated than you aren't taking care of your body. It is NOT NORMAL to feel tired, and lethargic for most of the time. Change your lifestyle habits and start to really care about the body you live in. You will be amazed at how much your life will improve on every level once you get this!

5) REVERENCE and GRATITUDE

I saved my favourite ones till last. The quality of of your life is in direct proportion to how much gratitude you feel towards all you have. Even for the bad, dark and ugly stuff. Yes LOVE IT ALL. Truly it all has a purpose and can drive you to achieve things you never would think were possible. The ugly messy things in life are there to point you to the direction of where you would rather be. They are there to teach you lessons about yourself and who you can be.

Reverence is so sacred and powerful in our lives. What do you really respect? What do you honour with all your heart and soul? What is your truth? What are the things you VALUE and would never ever settle for less? Give these things attention, love and care and watch how your external world changes in amazingly gratifying ways.

You need to ask yourself these questions. They are vital if your want to get CLEAR on what is IMPORTANT in your life. If you don't know what is SACRED and NON NEGOTIABLE in your life, than what is the meaning and value of your existence here? Too often we are lenient in this department. The "oh whatever" attitude is an empty, and very weak attitude to have. It will not allow you to live with passion, purpose and vitality.

I always welcome your feedback :)

Namaste

Piera






Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Power of Presence-How to live with less pain, more joy and enduring peacefulness.

"The greatest gift you can give is the quality of your presence". - Richard Moss


The more you live in the present moment, the greater your opportunity to transform your life from a stuck painful place to one embodying ease and peace.


What is the Ego? What prevents us to go beyond our illusions?

Being present in this very moment encourages you to detach from the ego and the constructs it builds from past and future thoughts. The Ego's aim is to keep you identified with a certain "me" it creates from past experiences, and conditioning. So we come to believe we are our titles, our status in society, our traumas of the past, our cars, homes, bank accounts and even our diseases. You thus fall asleep to your true, or higher Self. A Self that needs nothing to exist. It doesn't need praise, discouragement, antagonism or constant approval. The higher Self is pure awareness, experiencing everything as an observer and unconstrained being.

The power of presence has become one of my main focuses in my work and life. If we can incorporate more and more moments of just "being" instead of doing we are offered an immense opportunity to truly awaken to the blessings at hand.

How much has passed you by because you became enthralled by negative states and thoughts? How much of that thinking was based in the past or future?

So you are living in illusions, with events that either do not exist any longer, or haven't even manifested. The moment I realized I was doing this I couldn't believe how insane it truly is to live that way.

That is why we experience pain, suffering, "dis-ease", and all that is opposing our true peace filled Self. We may then hurt others and project the pain, because all too often it becomes unbearable to sustain ourselves. We may neglect our own needs because the Ego will convince you, you need to be liked, and approved by others. We begin to own other's baggage with feelings of guilt and self blame because again we are fiercely scared we may lose all the supposedly "unconditional" love given to us.

This is our true pain. It is our separateness from our Source, and if I may, God. Every time we lose our Core Connection to that Source, the One that creates and gives life to everything, we feel pain. It's really that simple. We are never separate from God. It is only that we fall asleep and lose awareness of the Presence.
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How to Become Present: 3 Simple Practices:

One great thing about being present, is that we realize how blessed and amazing our lives really are. Staying stuck in the past or anticipating the future keeps us in a state of dissatisfaction and we easily lose perspective of all the abundance already present in our lives.


1) Stop/Pause:

Take 5. Drop everything, shut it all off, and just be. Make it a habit to just take a 5 minute pause twice in your day, and feel your body, your breath and check in to see what is happening inside. You can also pause just before you leap out of bed, before starting the ignition, before you take the first bite of your lunch, or just before you say something in a moment of conflict. It is not as time consuming as you may think, it just requires regular practice and effort.


2) The BreathBold:

This is the cornerstone of everything. It literally is. The breath is what animates you, a direct link to your inner being, and physiologically, a key tool to relax the central nervous system and adrenaline stress response. Breath from below the belly button, inititating the inhale there and allow the chest to fill and follow. Exhale in the opposite manner, allowing the chest to fall and then contract the lower abdomen.

Breath into your pain, whether its physical, mental or emotional. Being present with uncomfortable sensations gives us the opportunity to feel what is really going on, and not suppress the emotional state. You grow to realize that pain is fleeting, a momentary thing and not your essential Self. You come to your most compassionate self when you can just allow yourself to be human.



3) Prayer/Meditation:

In prayer we find the opportunity to forgive, accept ourselves and others, and practice gratitude. These three things are based on love. They are what heals our wounds, our suffering, and our physical illnesses.

In prayer and meditation you can let go, of your judgement, your anger, your guilt, your need to defend and realize there is a higher path. One that enables you to see how blessed and love filled you already are. Once we come to this place, then we can share and offer that outwardly, creating positive change and transformation in our lives and with those we love.


Wishing you many moments of the now,

Namaste

Piera








Thursday, March 24, 2011

What is Yoga?




So you have started a yoga practice I hear!

FANTASTIC!

I'm excited! Ecstatic! Love love love that you are exploring a new terrain! Yoga can open new paths in your life you never thought possible. It has for me, over and over and over again. I started practicing about 10 years ago and haven't looked back.

In the beginning it was just a "condiment" to my fitness routine. I would take a class maybe once or twice a week, to undo the damage I was doing in the gym with weight lifting and running. Eventually I "awakened", and I mean that in a literal and figurative sense. I literally felt more connected to my own intuition, and the process of unraveling years of "stuff" just began to happen. Not always pretty, and for the greater part very very rewarding.

For me Yoga allowed me to step out of my mind, and into my body, and further on into deeper realms of my essence. Again, it's a process. It never really gets done, and the magic, the beauty of this thing we call Yoga is that every single time you come onto your mat, you experience a whole new practice. Even if you did the exact same class, with the exact same sequences, it never ever is the same!!!

I just love that! So for the ADD kid in all of us, this is a god send :)


Yoga means "union" in the broadest sense of the term.

You are "yoking" the Self in you with the Self of every other thing, person and place in existence. Ok perhaps that is a little hard to wrap your mind around right now. Let's just start with the union of You to You.

Essentially yoga nurtures the "Core Connection" we all are capable of. Yoga is thought to be only the physical practice of the asanas (poses) on the mat. However the real yoga is in every single moment, every single experience and every single breath. So what we learn on the mat, is useless if we are not bringing that "union" or "Core Connection" further into our daily lives.

Once we engage that Core Connection I so often talk and teach others to do, we initiate a very profound process that enables us to release stress, focus, and participate from a place of presence. The chaotic mind recedes into the background, and you essentially become free to feel and live at your highest level. You come to learn how being present, in this moment, right here and right is true liberation from suffering. It is our attachments to our past, our future, and ultimately the identity we have created about ourselves.

So Yoga allows you to let go, and let go, and let go some more.

If you can take one thing away from this today, please let it be the following. The only thing you have that is real is this very present moment. What happened this morning, doesn't exist. What you may think will happen in 2 months from now doesn't exist. Only your thoughts create this things, and they appear to be real for you. They appear to be your "reality". Why hang on to illusions, or things that don't exist? When you can be here, right now, enjoying what is.

To your health always,

Namaste

Piera


Thursday, March 3, 2011

How to breath to Nirvana in 5 minutes!


Feeling a little blah? Are you struggling to feel more energy and less of the heaviness and low vibes you may be experiencing lately? We all want to get to Nirvana at some point...well most of us at least can admit to wanting joy and a more satisfying life experience. So where do we turn?

Inwards.
Its starts with YOU.

You can buy all the "magic" energy pills, go on a extreme diet, get the great new self help book out there, or repeat affirmations till your blue in the face, but all of that is not the best direction to take.

The energy and capacity to feel your authentic true vibrant self is already within.

What do I mean by this?

Many of us are grasping outwardly. I call this the "grasping syndrome". We look, reach, seek, and GRASP outside of ourselves continuously. We look for another to love us, to accept us, and to acknowledge our needs. It gets to the point you don't even know your doing it. Your on AUTO MATIC PILOT , AND black berry, iphone, ipad, youtube, msn messenger, skype, twitter, facebook, stumble upon, google, fire fox, RSS feeds, Flickr, and on and and on and on.

THIS is a huge energy vampire, that can suck the life out of you.

We look to material things, media icons, what Sally next door with the white picket fence, 2 kids, gorgeous husband, and beautiful 5 bedroom house is doing. We COMPARE ourselves to externals and then wonder why we keep feeling tired, unhappy and unsatisfied.

The connection to feeling better, more joy, more love, and eventually FANTASTIC starts by simply stopping all the chaos in our minds, stopping physically, and taking a moment and being with YOURSELF. I call this "pushing the PAUSE button".

Sounds too easy? A fairy tale fantasy to get your wish? Give it a try, what's the worst that can happen?

Assign yourself 5 minutes, 2 times in your crazy day. Ya I know, we all are BUSY, and have NO time apparently. 5 minutes, can be while your sitting on your toilet.(I'm exaggerating here, and I know you get the picture). Let's stop making excuses, and get to the work we need to do to live our best, and fullest life.

Here is how:

5 minutes - 2 times in your day.

Sit, listen to your breath, elongate the breath till you can count 4 seconds for every inhale, and 4 seconds for every exhale, and just be. You'll reset your whole nervous system, get clarity and springboard yourself from YOUR own center, not Sally's!

Allowing yourself to be more creative, productive and living what you are passionate about in life is so very possible, if you take the initiative to do something for your health and well being on a consistent basis.

Because, frankly if your not loving what you do, who you are and what you have then you got some work to do on YOU. Breathing isn't all that difficult and the best place to start ;)

See what happens, and let me know :)

Namaste

Piera


Sunday, April 25, 2010

My little Pink Book -Write to make Right





I bought my first diary at the age of 10. I remember how special it was to me. I saved up enough allowance money and decided I would get a really snazzy one at the fancy card store.

I remember like it was yesterday. It was pink, and had a little girl on the front cover, and shiny metalic patterns all over it. I fell in love with it and bought it right on the spot. The lady behind the counter excitedly demonstrated how to use the little lock on the side so that all my 'private' messages would only been seen by my eyes. "WOW!!!" I thought. I can actually just be ME and NO ONE can stop me!

I fell in love with writing and haven't stopped journaling ever since.

In my childhood that little book meant more to me than any barbie doll, candy bar, video game, or pretty dress around. It gave me my own personal space to say, be and do whatever I pleased. Growing up I often felt very stifled and controlled being raised by a traditional Italian family. They had the best intentions and did the best they could. I admire them in so many ways. But struggles for establishing boundaries always was an ongoing issue.

That little pink book, gave me the ability to VOICE my feelings in a very safe way, especially when things didn't always feel so safe. I filled pages and pages of feelings, thoughts, emotions and ideas I had about what I saw around me and how I felt in my world. I could say whatever I wanted and no one was going to CORRECT me, or judge my ideas. or lay on any guilt trips for the words I had inside.



My little Pink book was my salvation when I wanted to talk and no one was there to listen.
When I wanted to share when no one was there to accept my gifts. When I just wanted to be silly, and create imaginative out of my world stories that no one really was interested in listening to.

I'm not sure I would have made it through as well as I did if it weren't for my little Pink book. Even today I find writing to be such a therapeutic tool. I can't leave it for too long without getting the itch to let it out on paper.

Begin a journal today. If you already have, bravo! If you haven't then really consider starting one and you will magnify your efforts of achieving greater self awareness and healing.

Journaling will give you the opportunity to let go of the past, will present you with what you are right now, and will enable you to begin the healing process in a very safe and insightful way. Through the process of putting words down on paper, you will allow that INNER voice to express itself. You will be able to effectively do self inquiry whereby you illuminate the dark areas of your life. You can come to terms with them, embrace them and ACCEPT them for what they are. Your darkness gains light and you integrate the learning you need to grow more aware, and present to your higher Self.

Here are some ideas of journal styles you can use to begin writing consistently:

1) Abundance Journal:

Begin every morning or last thing before bed with a journal entry of what you are APPRECIATIVE of in your life. I call this an Abundance Journal. Just free flow write everything you feel so gracious for. This is powerful in soo many ways. You are reminded of just how much you have in life everyday. This encourages you to stay on top of your goals, and keeps the fire beneath your desires stoked like mad!

2) Accomplishment and Goals Journal:
Everyday or night you write what you have accomplished or any goals you have reached or want to set. Its purely a tool to stay CONNECTED with your desires to manifest all the things you want in life. You can explore goals more closely and fine tune your approach in areas that need more attention. You will realize any patterns that may be limiting you or actually allowing you to forge forward. Its amazing how writing down your goals on a consistent basis can solidify your accountability to everything you want to achieve in life. Its like your own personal contract. Harder to let yourself down when its stares right back at you on paper!

3) Feelings/ Emotions Journal:

This type of journal is very useful for emotional eaters, people with addictions and patterns of self abuse, emotional trauma, mood disorders such as anxiety or depression, and much more.
Emotions like I have said in other posts, are the MOVEMENTS of your feelings in the body. They are transient. Not like scars that don't ever go away.

Writing down your feelings and emotions allows you to pour out your heart, so that you aren't HOLDING all that in. It frees you up, lightens your load, and allows you to just vent without being subject to anyone's intervention. You get to just say it like you feel it in a safe and healthy way. It's a great middle step to take before you confront others. For some confronting others is the hardest thing possible. So getting it out on paper helps begin the process of not stuffing down feelings, and denying they exist in the first place.

Write to make right!

Would love your feedback! How do you journal? How does it help you deal and heal?

Love and Light!

Namaste

Piera

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

5 simple ways "Program" Your Body to Heal, Stay Young and Thrive!






Stress ages us. It comes in numerous forms. From overworking or staying in jobs we don't like. Stress in the form of toxins we inhale, ingest and absorb from the environment and foods we eat. Stress due to dysfunctional relationships, family issues and loss. Or the stress of financial burdens or never feeling we have enough.

The body feels it ALL. Everyday we have a choice to accept our experiences or not. We can manage stress or let it manage us. How do you fare in this department?

Stress profoundly impacts your mind, body and deeper higher self. Everytime you tell yourself something negative with self reproaches or put downs, you are informing EVERY CELL in your body how unworthy and awful they are.

Think about that! Every cell, every atom every molecule of your being is keenly aware of its energetic environment. Which is EVERYTHING. If energy is everything, and everywhere, and everyone then your thoughts, feelings, actions, WORDS and beliefs are PURE ENERGY as well.

How do you speak to yourself? What kind of language are you using on a regular basis with yourself and others? Start to pay attention to this! You are programming every cell of your body each time you think a thought, feel a feeling, say a word, or repress it all.

I often give the example of how we speak to children and infants. When not screaming at them for being naughty, we would never intentionally hurt them or abuse them in any way, shape or form.


So why do we do that to OURSELVES?




Have you said any of the following to yourself?:
  • Your are so dumb, you can't get anything right
  • Your fat and ugly. Or " I have such a fat butt, my abs are gross, or I look like a cow!"
  • I can't do anything because of my pain, ailment, disease. Life is so unfair!
  • My parents, my spouse, my friends are to blame for my crap.


Where does the power lie in all of that negative talk? It's not within you when you place it on the external.

5 ways to "Program" Your Body to Heal

The following are all mind body spirit tools to enable Core Connection Healing.

  1. Visual Guided Meditation
Make time to sit or lie down in stillness and quiet. Find a space you feel safe and not distracted. Close your eyes and just get creative! Visualize your whole body flooded with healing light. Or if you are struggling with an illness or disease, VISUALIZE the cells of your organs or place of pain healing, getting stronger and more vibrant. Send the energy of the universe to whatever area needs your love and attention. The more often you go inwards and see yourself healing from within the stronger your immunity gets and overall vibration.

Book suggestion:

I highly recommend reading the book SPIRIT, BODY, HEALING by Michael Samuels- A doctor and modern day living Shaman. The whole book teaches the power of visualization to heal and overcome disease states. He gives detailed accounts of patients with debilitating and terminal illnesses and how so many found healing and new found realities with visualization practice.



2. The Art of Pausing

Stop yourself. I mean literally stop your actions, body and thought processes, especially in those moments when you get so riled up you think the world will collapse on you. Just stop, close your eyes and go inwards. Begin to intercept the anxiety, frustration, sense of panic or loss of control. This helps the body begin to interrupt habitual patterns. I've seen this work so well with people struggling with drug, alcohol or food addictions. We need to get out of AUTOMATIC PILOT mode and into PRESENCE.

So pause more throughout your day. Pause before you get out of the shower, pause before you leave your car, just pause and be still. It only requires a mere 30 seconds at a time. It will help you SLOW down




3. Positive Self Talk


STOP the self abuse and self loathing! It reinforces false beliefs and tells all the cells and energetic vibrations in your body they are not worthy of health, love and happiness. Give your body, mind and soul a fertile ground of positive thoughts and affirmations on a DAILY basis. Just like you brush your teeth everyday, talk to your whole being with respect, love and admiration everyday.



4. Feeling the Body


Without getting too kinky, I suggest you feel yourself physically. Get your mind out of the gutter and stay with me here ;) Place your hands on the various Chakra meridians on your body and feel the energy there. For example, in a lying down position with eyes closed, bring both hands to the heart center or chest area and feel the energy there. Its almost instantaneous! The very moment your hands comes into contact with your chest you connect to a power center of sorts.

We really lose a connection with our physical bodies, so that getting right into the body requires pure physical touch as one means to core connect. Another way would be to receive Reiki or other bodywork therapies such as massage or cranial sacral therapy. The touch of another human being is one of the most powerful ways to connect to our innate healing abilities. I'll expand on that in future posts!



5. Pranayama or The Practice of Mindful Breathing:

The Breath is involved in any mindfulness practice you engage in. I probably will never blog any posts that doesn't at least mention it once. It's that vital. The breath is your connection to your core. It is your direct connection to achieving presence and in that state of awareness you are able to tap in, tune into your inner teacher. The breath also gets you out of SURVIVAL mode, by calming the CNS (central nervous system) and lowering cortisol levels naturally. Get breathing!

To learn more about breathing techniques and Pranayama, please send your questions and comments here!

Be well and always travel on your path with a light touch and a deep soul!

Namaste

Piera