A summer cleanse: Reboot your system & find out what your body truly needs to thrive

Even though I would describe myself as something of a “health nut”, I’m not big on fasts and cleanses.  I get spacey and hungry. It feels too confining. I immediately feel victimized and deprived. And I eat really healthy anyway, so why suffer? That’s been my reasoning.

So this time, when I saw the email announcement for the summer cleanse from my local holistic pharmacy, I was intrigued.  The summer cleanse is all about decreasing inflammation. As Lilly Mazzarella, Certified Nutrition Specialist & Clinical Herbalist

Owner & Head Practitioner of Farmacopia, explains, “There’s flame retardant in our breast milk, PCBs in our subcutaneous fat, and pesticides accumulating in our thyroid glands. Our fingers absorb

What gives under pressure?

As my countdown to Chiapas continues, and my days and hours are filled with a mammoth translation marathon in preparation, I am noticing what is happening to my choices around time as my stress level increases.

Some days, time lies before me in an open expanse, inviting a feeling of spaciousness as I approach the day and my intentions for it. Saturdays and Sundays, and occasionally a week day, are like that.

Not this week. My dear friend and proofreading colleague Carolina, who is impatiently standing by on east coast time to proofread my translations like a horse chomping at the bit, jokingly suggests that next time they are visiting, her R.N. practitioner husband teach my hubby how to put in an IV so I don't have to eat and can keep working without leaving my desk.

Well that is not happening, but I am blessed to have a sweet gallant hubby who steps up to the plate and into the kitchen. Healthy home cooked meals around the table with family, non negotiable. Meditation, also a no brainier, forgive the pun. The more stress I am under, the more I need it. Less sleep, well, yesterday I would have said, no way. Today, as I lay wide awake and wired at 5 a.m. and surrendered to getting up, some of that went by the wayside too.

My daily hike in the outdoors, ah, sadly, that is not happening this week.

Sometimes during marathon focus periods, when life is such that whatever the task before us can't be eliminated, delegated, or postponed, because it is in fact the right thing to be doing, something has to give, for now.

Unfortunately, it is usually our self care that goes out the window, just when we actually need it the most.

So, it's helpful to pay attention, to stop and notice what gives under pressure ~ then we can sit a moment, think through our day, tune into our body/mind/heart/soul and then decide what to let go of, where to hunker down.

This too, shall pass, I remind myself as I take lots of deep breaths. And it’s all for a fabulous cause!

What about you, oh dear busy bee, what gives under pressure when you are under the gun?

             

De-cluttering magic – letting go of the stuff of life

Last week on the blogging trail I chucked out a load of burdensome mindsets from my back pack.  This week, I decided, it’s time to tackle the actual physical stuff that clutters my desk, my shelves and my drawers – and hence my mindset.

I’d say I am a pretty organized person – I have my neatly labeled files, my tidily arranged storage boxes, in theory a place for everything… but the reality is, that despite my best efforts, it just gets out of hand. A few days of busyness, and lo and behold, the inevitable piles of paper, the stacks of books, the this’s and that’s, mushroom like magic, like mutant viruses intent on conquering my space.

Now, I know it’s me… only me who prints the paper and buys the books and acquires all this stuff and brings it in to my space….. and believe me I have tried almost every known system for dealing with it. Over the years I have probably purchased at least a dozen books on organizing your life, de cluttering, feng shui, etc., and yet wherever I look, office, living room, bedroom closet, and of course my sock drawer… there is always just way too much STUFF!  And did I say books? 

Speaking of books, I happened upon this little gem over the weekend – The life-changing magic of tidying up – the Japanese art of de cluttering and organizing by Marie Kondo. Her revolutionary method, which challenges the conventional little-by-little approach to de-cluttering, advocates a once and for all system that, she promises, leads to lasting results.

This caught my attention. Although I came to the conclusion that lightening my metaphorical backpack on the blogging trail was a daily practice, I’m not so sure that de -cluttering as a daily practice actually works. It really hasn’t worked for me, and judging by the fact that Marie Kondo’s book has sold over 2 million copies, I don’t think it works for most of us either.

So, I’ve decided to set my sights this week on liberating myself from the too much stuff of life, for once and for all. Sound unrealistic or overly ambitious?  Perhaps. Yet I know from past experience with short lived de-cluttering results, that it feels so freeing, so spacious, so fresh…. to have a clean desk and a minimal amount of stuff.

So starting today, until I’m done, I’m following Marie Kondo’s advice. “Start by discarding, all at once, intensely and completely.”

It will be interesting to see where this leads. Want to join me dear reader?

Recipe for a happy marriage

I’ve been happily married to my honey for 13 years now, and along the way I’ve learned a few things. In honor of St Valentine’s Day, here are my secret ingredients:

1. The right person – and if you don’t get it right the first time, don’t loose heart! I’ve been married twice before, and for a variety of reasons… it didn’t work out. Of course at the time these relationships came to an end, it wasn’t easy and I felt like a failure. Divorce is usually messy and uncomfortable and downright painful.  With the benefit of time passing however, I can see that my former partners were a perfect match for where I was at on my spiritual journey.  I feel immense gratitude for the part they played in my life, for helping me become who I am today, and for fathering my beautiful children whom I can’t imagine life without!
2. Love, of course. It really is what makes the world go around. And of course, love is so much more than a feeling. I really like David Richo’s Five Keys to Mindful Loving: Attention, Acceptance, Appreciation, Affection and Allowing your partner to be themselves.
3. Being 100% responsible for the success and happiness of the relationship. Yes, you read me right. Not 50%, 100%. It makes an enormous difference to take full responsibility.
4. Laughter- I’ve realized that it really doesn’t pay to take myself too seriously. So, insert a big dose of light heartedness and a generous sprinkle of laughter. It makes everything so much easier, and more fun.
5. A healthy mix of togetherness and independence. We love spending time together, and have many shared interests. We also have our own independent interests and activities, and support each other in pursuing them, which allows us to grow as individuals and brings freshness and newness to our time together.
6. Be more interested in being happy than in being right – huge! Oh the renunciation that is required when you feel So justified in your rightness!
7. Say you're "sorry" when you mess up.
8. Don't take it personally when they are going through their stuff.  This one took me years to get.
9. Hold hands a lot.
10. Don’t try to change each other. Period.
11. Be grateful for each other and recognize how blessed you are to be sharing your lives.

How to stay strong – at any age

I recently came across the book Strength for Life by Shawn Phillips, and as these things usually do, it came at the perfect moment in my life. That is, I was ready, and more than ready, actually eager – to hear his message. 

This quote from Shawn  pretty much sums up this book’s theme:

  "Your body, the only one you will ever have, is the foundation of your life. And it’s either an anchor limiting your freedom and potential or a source of radiant energy, vitality and joy, elevating your life and the lives of those around you. It’s your choice… will yours be a source of strength, from which you will impact the world, or an obstacle, preventing you from your dreams and desires?"

This really hit home. Watching my 86-year-old mum and her 92-year-old husband struggling with balance and strength, I realized that now, (better late than never, right?) in my early 60’s, is the time to lay the foundation for strength, posture and balance so that I can be a strong and  agile 80 and 90 year old!

Strength training

And so, in order to do that, I have had to push beyond my comfort zone -  I love walking and hiking and swimming in natural bodies of water – and actually set foot in – the dreaded gym!   Now, I’m certainly not saying that training on machines in a gym with a trainer is the only way to get strong and fit, but for me, it was certainly the missing piece.

Think you’re too old? 

If you’re in my age group or beyond, you may be thinking, what’s the point. I’m to old to start…..  However, as I learned from Shawn Phillips, “You’re never too old to gain strength. The Human Nutrition Center on Aging found muscle growth in people ranging from 60 to 96 years old was statistically equivalent to younger people doing the same amount of training with their bodies.”  My own experience in seeing the changes in my body after a few short months certainly supports this.

How strong are you?

And a final quote from Shawn: “How strong are you? How will you lift the world? How will you be a beacon of strength for others? These are the questions of utmost importance… Every one of us has a time limit to fulfill our destiny. Don’t be one who waits for the final buzzer to start to really live. Yesterday is a memory and tomorrow is a dream. Today is the day to make your mark—to make a difference.”

Take a peek at what this lovely 89 year old I met on a walk in Spring Lake  has to say about staying strong.  If you are having trouble viewing this video, click  here

What does it mean to me to live well?

What a wonderful question. To me, to live well means to live in alignment with my deepest knowing, truth, values, Self. To be true to myself, to my highest aspirations and deepest longings. To really live well means to be a place where Love shows up, to be more loving today than I was yesterday. To live well means to discover who I am meant to be, my reason for being here on this planet at this time, and to express that ever more fully and clearly. To be a clear channel for what Spirit wants to express through me.

To live well means to make meaningful heartfelt connections with others, to respect, honor, appreciate and enjoy all people. To live well means to cherish my friends and family, to allow them to fully be who they are and to rejoice in the love that we share. To live well means to enjoy the unique dynamics and dance of my roles as wife, mother, daughter, grandmother, sister, cousin, friend, colleague, teacher, student and all the other ways in which we connect and share life’s challenges, milestones and celebrations.

Celebration and compassion
To live well means to grow, stretch, expand, reach, and change while staying connected to that which is changeless. It means to not always believe my own mind, to question my perception of reality, to be willing to see the other side. It means to have a sense of humor and compassion for the human condition, including my own.

To live well means to celebrate life in every moment, to take the time to look up at the sky, listen to the birds, smell the roses, feel the sunshine on my face, breathe in the scent of springtime, walk on the beach. To live well means to allow the awe-inspiring beauty of nature to remind me of the infinite abundance and goodness of Spirit.

Nourishment, stewardship and renewal
To live well means nourishment – to enjoy the fruits of the earth with deep appreciation for its whole food goodness; to purchase my food directly from the farmers who grow or raise it with deep consciousness of the sacred dance of life and death and food; to cook with flair and creativity, to share delicious meals and good times with friends and family around the table.

To live really well means to be a good steward of this vehicle for Spirit that is my body – to care for it, feed it good food, exercise it, listen to its messages, enjoy its senses, appreciate its energy, vitality, strength, endurance.

To live really well means renewal – to spend time away from the hustle and bustle of daily life, exploring new places, enjoying nature, connecting with other cultures, sampling other cuisines, making new connections. To simply sit and be with no agenda. To let only inspiration guide my daily choice of activities. To share this time with family and friends, and also to have windows of solitude and contemplation.

Connection to the One Life
To live really well is to be a part of a spiritual community that nourishes my soul, helps me to connect to the One Life, encourages me to release old ways of seeing and being, uplifts my spirits, inspires me to adopt new attitudes and to be my best self, and offers me the opportunity of giving back in Seva.

Home is where the heart is

To live really well means to live in a home that radiates light and simplicity and color and comfort. Where every object has a place, a function, meaning. Where we enjoy the play of light on the flowering cactus, the heat of the fireplace on a cold evening, the warm evening breeze on the deck, the hawks nesting in the pine trees, our cat stretched out in the sunshine.

My work in the world

To live really well means to do work that I love and that is meaningful to me and to be compensated abundantly for doing so, not only monetarily but also with appreciation. To know that my work in the world brings value, wellbeing and joy. To allow my creativity and inspiration to flow into new ideas and ventures, to make a difference in the world, to help planet earth become a healthier place for our children and grandchildren and the generations to come. To live really well means to create new partnerships, to put together a team of inspired colleagues who are expressing their own gifts in the world and to generously compensate them for helping me to bring my ideas and vision into fruition.

Giving and appreciating

To live really well means to share generously of my gifts, my talents, my resources, my heart, my time, my attention, my caring, my understanding, my being.

To live really well is to enjoy and appreciate each and every moment of this wondrous thing called my life.

Empowered, health conscious, mothers and grandmothers

I absolutely love being a mom and adore being grandma- well, in our family we call that role Tutu – from the Hawaiian for grandmother. There’s that magic element that comes from being free of the existential angst that plagues us in our 20’s and 30’s, and having earned that hard won perspective that comes with time and life experience, that brings us into the present where children truly live.

So, my granddaughters being 5 and 9, and hoping for more down the road….I plan on being around for a long time. And not just being around; I plan on being a healthy, vibrant, active and financially abundant mom and Tutu so I can enjoy, nourish, nurture, support, play with and yes, why not, spoil them all!

So, what am I doing to ensure all this? Here’s my 7-point plan of action for physical, emotional and financial health for empowered, entrepreneurial moms and Tutu’s….

1. Nourish. I consume a wholesome diet of nutrient dense organic foods in their natural, unprocessed state, following the nourishing traditions that kept our ancestors healthy and vital. Whenever possible, I buy my food straight from the farmers who grow it or raise it. Do I eat perfectly all the time? No, I love to eat out and so I aim for the 80%/20% rule. Do I ever indulge? You bet! I love my Trader Joe’s biodynamic wine and my dark chocolate. I prepare my food with love, share it with passion, and eat it with a heart full of gratitude.

2. Cleanse. Let’s face it, we don’t live in the same world our ancestors or even our grandparents lived in. No matter how hard we may try to avoid them, we are deluged with toxins in the air we breathe, the food we consume, the water we drink. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the average person now has 212 environmental chemicals in their blood. Even our airways are contaminated with harmful radio and microwave frequencies from all of our wireless technology. It’s easy to freak out when you start thinking about it. Luckily, there are solutions. So I make sure to incorporate a cellular cleanse in my daily routine. I also try to use my technology judiciously and protect myself and my family with products that emit what my granddaughter  calls “happy energy” to counteract the harmful effects of artificial radiation.

3. Nurture. I nurture my soul by connecting to Life, God, Source, whatever term you use, through regular spiritual practice, involvement with my spiritual community, being of service, spending time in nature, devoting quality time to be with those near and dear to me. And I don’t hesitate to ask for help when I need it – whether it’s a friend or family member to talk with, a spiritual counselor to help me regain my perspective, a new book to open my mind. After all, we get by with a little help from our friends, right?

4. Move. Our bodies were made to move. Like many of us, my occupation means many hours either driving to my interpreting jobs, or sitting in front of my computer. I am also (yes, I have to admit it) a bit laissez faire when it comes to exercising. So I push myself to get out every day and move my body. I love walking and hiking and swimming in any natural body of water. Spending time with my 86 year old mum in England recently also made me realize I need to work on posture, balance and strength training so I can be an upright and steady old lady – hence I started working with an awesome personal trainer, and actually going to her gym, which I had sworn off ever setting foot in again after repeated failed attempts to stick with it! My strategy to make sure I really go: make appointments with my her and pay her ahead of time!

5. Gratitude. An attitude of gratitude is a key element of my wellbeing program. I’ve had my share of life’s traumas and dramas, and my adult kids have had their share of traumas and crises too… not your daily car broken down, kind of crises, well, those too… but I’m talking about those soul shaking, life altering kinds of crises that rock your whole world. I believe focusing on all that I am grateful for has saved me from despair many times, and enabled me to face life’s challenges with grace and strength and hope. For more on why gratitude is so important to me, read here.

6. Entrepreneurial lifestyle. I am not knocking jobs, by any means. For a free spirited Aquarian like myself, however, I find that being an entrepreneur is the perfect vehicle for me to express my deepest self, grow out of my comfort zone, make a living, and have the flexibility to do all the things I mentioned above. The trouble with being an entrepreneur however, is well, being an entrepreneur – by definition, a risky business – potentially very financially rewarding, but certainly no guarantee. Although in this day and age, even a job is no guarantee, as we all know. I can’t even admit to any significant success as an entrepreneur – YET. However, being blessed with a hard working husband, having made my decision to change my financial landscape in a significant manner, realizing I don’t have forever, doing the work to heal my limiting financial beliefs and act grown up when it comes to money and embarking on a learning journey with an amazing internet marketing venture, I am confident that I will get there!

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