Communication, Children, Curiosity, Confidence, and a lot more besides
Category Archives: Women
BREATHING TO BALANCE EARTH GROUNDING AND UNIVERSAL SOURCE CONNECTION
StandardIt will soon be yet another new year, and I would like to share some posts that might help with that positive new start:
We need to be in balance to live optimally on this planet. We are spiritual beings who have come to live in a physical body to experience and learn from life here. We need to be connected to out Earth Mother Root to ground us here, as well as maintain a connection with our Universal Father Wisdom. I want to suggest a way of doing this through the breath and then go on to suggest a couple of other things.
First we need simply to practice slow deep breathing as a basis for this. Breathe in slowly and deeply, then pause for a few seconds before breathing out again, also slowly. Pause again for a couple of seconds before breathing in again. Count if it helps you to focus. The in breath and out breath may differ slightly in length, so find what suits you best. The pause between the in and the out breath may be slightly longer than the pause between the out and the next in breath, again find out what suits you best.
At the end of the out breath you may also like to add a harder little blow to get every last bit of air out, but in the second phase of this exercise you may find it easier to discard that tactic again. For now I just want you to think about nurturing yourself through your breath. The in breaths should be filling your lungs deep down with good clean air and the out breaths should be clearing out that air again along with any stale stuff left in the nooks and crannies.
Phase two then focuses on the few seconds where you pause between breathing in and out. You should not be holding your breath in a forced way for too long, just a gentle relaxing pause, where you can start to focus on forming and drawing on your connections.
Firstly, in the gap between in and out breaths, I want you to feel as if the universe is pouring into you through your head, your throat, the top of your spine, your heart, whatever works best for you. Feel the immense peace, love, wisdom. Feel it renew your life force, your confidence in being yourself, your sense of knowing wonderful things, and your sense of being cared for. You might sense colours such as purple, dark and light blues, green, and pink. Also maybe pure white. Just let them swirl around and within you, trusting in their beautiful healing, strengthening, renewing, and balancing properties.
Secondly, in the gap between the out and the in breaths, focus on your connection with the earth that allows us to live here, feel it like a root drawing up the energies of vitality into your body through your feet, up your spine, and into the abdomen. Feel a sense of security, safety, strength, nurturing and protection. You may sense colours such as red, orange, and yellow. Also maybe gold. The yellow and orange can also flow directly into your abdomen via sunlight, or via picturing autumn leaves dancing in the breeze for example, and the gold tends to flow around you rather than into you.
Enjoy this as often as you like. Through everything we do in our lives, we can feel these connections aligning us, enabling us to function more optimally. After a bit of practice it only takes a few seconds thought to focus on the connections to boost ourselves if we are feeling tired, or fearful, or before an event such as having to give a speech, sing, write an exam, run a race, face up to any demanding situation with poise and grace.
If you have sinus issues you can use a similar thing to obtain some relief, and balance in your head. Press a finger against one nostril and breathe slowly through the other. Then pause at the top while you change your finger to the other nostril. Now breathe out through the second nostril, then pause briefly again at the bottom before breathing in again through the same nostril you just breathed out of. Then swap over at the top of the breath again back to the first nostril and breathe out through that. Do it about five times for each nostril then stop and just relax – feeling the head and sinuses come to balance. Don’t overdo it or it will make you dizzy. You can use this simply as a sinus clearing exercise, or can include the visualizations and perceptions mentioned above.
Another thing you may like to try is to imagine that your spine is the staff in the centre of the medical symbol, and that the two spirals around it are the powerful red coming up from the earth root, and the pure white coming down from the original universal source, twining together to support you with everything you need to be master of yourself.
I will be adding more blogs for new year inspiration over the next few weeks……….
depression, addiction, and even weight issues, can all be linked to mineral imbalance
StandardCELL FUNCTION AND MINERALS
We depend on proper cell function for our bodies to be able to work properly and enable us to experience good mental and physical health.
The cell process is basically that we hold calcium and sodium inside our cells during daylight hours, then when night comes, these move out of the cells – taking toxins with them, into the lymph, then blood, etc.
At night we have magnesium and potassium instead inside the cells. If we are short of these then they cannot move into the cell, displacing the calcium, sodium, and toxins, so the toxins get stored up and cause problems.
These electrolytes are very important for detoxifying, plus we need lipids (omega 3 & 6 oils), plus lots of water for hydration, and for the correct electrical charges to be in place around the cells. The omega 3 and 6 oils cannot be made by our bodies so have to be ingested to increase cell membrane permeability and for various other functions.
WATER
Water is very important. If we are dehydrated (which is quite common) then we are not able to get rid of the toxins from our bodies as we should. Toxins build up all the time from normal bodily processes, and are usually eliminated by the exchange of minerals in and out of the cells, and then carried out via the lymph, which becomes sluggish if there is not enough water in the body. If we become quite dehydrated, our bodies will tend to become ill in an effort to raise the temperature enough to get stagnant lymph flowing and clear the toxins that have built up. Also, if we are dehydrated, then the cells store extra cholesterol in their membranes in order to keep the water they do have, so the process tends to be a bit of a vicious cycle.
Water for re-hydration purposes has to be either pure water, or herbal tea (not infusions), with nothing added. There are loads of interesting herbal teas. I particularly like echinacea and raspberry – the echinacea helps the throat etc, and boosts immunity, but needs the raspberry (or something) flavour. Lemon and Ginger is also very good for clearing out and for the digestive system.
MINERALS
Our diets are affected by soil depletion and pollution as well as by the way food is processed, so we do need to use supplements to replace some missing ingredients, and try to be careful about what we eat and drink.
It is quite easy to become deficient in magnesium as there is not much left in the soil especially in particular areas. (The same applies to things like selenium.)
Shortage of magnesium (known as “the great soother”) often means we seek other things to try to soothe us – like sugar, alcohol, or drugs. Putting on weight or other effects of having too much sugar can cause depression, and so can feeling dependent on things like alcohol or drugs.
I have to watch out for a shortage of potassium (available from bananas and also strawberries), but am not sure yet why I tend to have this lack.
We apparently quite often misplace calcium in our bodies rather than being short of it, if the cell membranes are stopping this process of electrolytic exchange, then it has to go somewhere else.
We are unlikely to be short of sodium, in fact if the sodium levels are too high, it can interfere with this process, and you may need zinc to help redress the balance.
Of course, there are many other vitamins and minerals needed for proper body function, so this is only scratching the surface, but I would like to encourage people to educate themselves about these things so that they can make their own choices about their health in an informed way. I believe that we can recover from pretty much anything in a natural way if we have the right information to make the right choices.
Iodine in the thyroid is supposed to maintain body temperature, among other things, but a lack of minerals, and stress, can have a huge effect on this process. If people’s average body temperature is lowered then it is much harder to regain health. Fluoride that has been added to water and/or toothpaste tends to block the absorption of iodine because it attaches to the receptors that were meant for attracting the iodine.. Nitrates and nitrites (from fertilizers and thus in our water) also have this effect (also chlorine, chloride, bromine, and bromide).
The contraceptive pill is said to contain a lot of copper, which does not result in a good balance particularly in young girls as it emulates the conditions of a woman in labour, and also reduces the amount of zinc present at a time (puberty) when the body really needs it. Low zinc increases the likelihood of co-dependent and/or addictive behaviours, which could perhaps go a long way to explain why so many young girls are drinking and smoking so heavily. ‘The pill’ also contains synthetic estrogens which are building up in our water and affecting other life forms down the food chain.
OTHER FACTORS
If we become too acidic it affects our digestive enzymes and so we can become short of essential vitamins and minerals due to not being able to absorb them properly via our digestive systems. We need to ensure that our detoxification system is working to reduce acidity, as our normal metabolism process produces acidity as a matter of course.
Stress from relationships, jobs, money worries, etc can lead to dehydration, as can unresolved emotions from the past, and as can electromagnetic interference from having too many gadgets etc around us. Stress and negative thoughts attract similar vibrations, thus we seem to attract more bad luck when we are already down, and become vulnerable to depression. We are meant to be in tune with the earth and the universe. Everything is possible if you live in harmony with all around you.
We need to stop focusing on treating our symptoms and find solutions at the root. We need to ensure our bodies have what they need to function as they are meant to, getting rid of things they don’t need in a natural way, rather than burying the symptoms only to end up getting worse. Taking too many medications or other drugs only adds to the stress we are putting on our bodies, and also tends to reduce our overall temperature, which as we have said is not good for our health either.
Surely we should also be trying to stop the widespread use of toxins in our environment that are destroying our soil, our water, and even our air. Clean soil, air, and water are things we ought to have a right to, along with freedom of thought, and of speech.
Everything in our natural world and out there in the universe is inter-connected, so we need to be open to that connection, not closed off by fear, allowing other people to dictate to us. Once we understand our bodies needs we can obtain health and happiness and freedom. Our bodies are amazing, so let’s try to pay heed to what they need and help them to help themselves!
See my article – An Holistic approach to Loving our Bodies and our Lives
and Respecting your Body and choosing sound relationships
RADIANCE-SOLUTIONS for Total Wellbeing and Creativity
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Tell the Home Office to break its contract with Serco now. | SumOfUs
StandardIntention II – Positive Mind and Body Talk
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If you have a major op =then yes you have a tough time and it’s fine to talk honestly about it and expect people to be sympathetic and make allowances for you – for example you won’t be able to do a lot of physical work for a while, and you will need time to rest and recuperate.
However, after a bit you need to move on to a new reality. You can’t expect your body to heal itself properly if your thoughts remain stuck in the past reality – the pain and the trauma.
Our bodies are very good at repairing themselves, even after a major operation, especially if we give them a little help. “My body is amazingly good at healing itself” – say that now to yourself, and to your friends, instead of dwelling on the previous reality – the reality now is that yes, you had an op in the past, but your body is healing itself and you are recovering.
If you don’t do this, not only might your friends start getting a bit impatient with you – your own body will be confused. It’s as if the individual cells and the organs are not sure whether they are supposed to be carrying out repairs or not, because you are giving them mixed messages. You need to focus your intention on getting better, and your body will go along with it.
It’s the same when you want to move forward with your life in other ways – you need to send out clear messages about what your intentions are – and things happen more easily. If you are confused in your thoughts then how can you expect to get things going smoothly? It can be very useful to make out plans with logical steps to take as well. Life Coaching can really help you with this if you are not sure how to go ahead. It is so much better to choose to do things because you have devised a plan for moving towards a goal, than it is to do things out of fear – to avoid consequences.
So, if you are struggling to fall asleep at night for example, you can also set your intentions to help you out here. Instead of focusing on things you fear, like bad dreams, you can actually say to yourself – “I intend to have a good night’s sleep tonight and get some proper rest”. You can also add “It is my intention to only wake up at 9 am”, for example, instead of worrying about waking up during the night.
If you are using a crutch like alcohol or sleeping pills, then don’t worry about that either – take control of the plan by saying to yourself “I am using this as a tool for the moment, but it is my intention to move past that. I am learning about other tools I can use instead, such as positive thinking, and meditation to help relax me”, for example.
There are many different types of meditation, and ways we can use this wonderful tool – so there is something to suit everybody.
You can simply use deep breaths to help relax your body and then visualise yourself in a beautiful place of your choice, and notice all the wonderful things around you. This has the added advantage of keeping your mind too busy to start thinking of negative things, or going in useless circles trying to solve some issue.
Letting our monkey minds run away with us uses up energy and achieves nothing, so meditation is great for stilling this wheel spinning type activity and de-stressing. If such thinking keeps returning, then just imagine setting the thoughts aside on a shelf next to you and go back to your beautiful visualisation.
My favourite sort of visualisations are to imagine myself in some place in nature, where I can explore the details using all my senses to bring it alive, what can I see, feel, hear, smell, and sometimes even taste. But you can imagine yourself anywhere you like, out or playing games with friends, or having a family meal, for example is fine too.
Some people like to focus on just the breath, or on a single object such as a flower or a flame, in order to still their minds, but the visualisation is easier to use in that it does help deflect other thoughts. It takes much more practice to just be able to still the mind at will without using distracting tactics.
It depends how good you are at visualising as to what methods you might choose, so just experiment and find out what suits you.
You can also relax your body by focusing on it bit by bit and telling it to relax – your scalp, your face, your eyes, your jaw, your neck, your shoulders, and so on. Some people like to clench the muscles then relax them, but I prefer to just relax them. You can repeat the same area several times if you feel there is more to relax there. Or you can say, “Can I relax this any more?” “Can this area feel any lighter than this?”
Another alternative is to do a few exercises before meditating, just stretching or sort of warm up or loosening up exercises, not a huge big deal – it gets your system flowing before the meditation.
You don’t have to be physically still in your visualisation to relax. Although you may be sitting still imagining it – you could be visualising yourself chatting and laughing or dancing or running about, as long as you are enjoying yourself and not wound up about anything. In fact, there are even such things as active meditations where instead of sitting still to meditate, you use movement such as rhythmic walking, dancing, or laughter to let go of tensions and focus the mind.
You could even try making sounds such as growling, yapping, howling – as you go up the scale – which can give you a sense of being set free to play. And you can use singing, toning, or humming, where the different vibrations of various sounds literally roll; around the body, affecting different parts of it, a little bit like internal massage. The movement and sound also helps ground you very well.
Learning and using any such techniques gives you the power of taking control of, and responsibility for, your way forward, and thus also helps you build confidence or self-assurance., so meditation really is a great tool. You can also have a lot of fun with it.
You can even use your mind as a tool to solve problems without having to dwell on them – just set your intention for the answer to pop up later and stop worrying about the situation – and usually that works just fine. Worrying is a total waste of energy anyway and it gets you nowhere by itself.
You can also set your intention to process and let go of issues and your mind and body will find a way to do just that. Stop hanging on to things that hurt you.
Even if you do catch yourself in negative talk or thoughts, just say “But that was then and NOW it is my intention to move forward….” or just tell your mind to stop doing that and re-direct it. Try to use affirmations in the present tense when talking to yourself – so instead of “I am planning to do it”, say “I am doing it.“ Soon it will become a good habit to talk positively to yourself as well as to others.
We all come from the original stream of pure consciousness, innocent and free, until we allow things to drag us down – but we can return to that lightness of being by learning to use tools that help us take back control of our physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing.
Link to blog on Personal Change Management
Link to blog on Heart Centred Communication
Link to blog on Evolution of Communication
Avaaz – Stop the Anti-Women Gag Rule
StandardHow to take time for yourself
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The World’s my Baby (but let’s get local)
StandardThe World’s my Baby (but let’s get local). Article about trying to support local community sustainability.
Total Well-being 