YOUR CELLS ARE LISTENING - HOW TALKING TO YOUR BODY CAN HELP YOU HEAL

YOUR CELLS ARE LISTENING - HOW TALKING TO YOUR BODY CAN HELP YOU HEAL

By wakeup-world.com - Therese Wade MSc

Every part of your body has its own consciousness or its own soul.” These transformative words, spoken by indigenous medicine women, began my journey within to discover the extraordinary healing capacity of the human body.

When this perspective was introduced to me, I was suffering from a severe chronic pain disorder. I suddenly imagined incorporating this concept into my meditation routine. I thought: Can my body hear me? Can I talk to it to gain its cooperation in healing this condition?

That night, after reaching a state of deep calm through meditation, I inwardly engaged my body in a heartfelt conversation, with hope, but having no idea what to expect. After about one hour of this focused communication, something amazing happened. My tissues began to respond. Connective tissue pulled and stretched apart layers of scar tissue. Nerves fired and my calf muscles began to perform flexion and extension exercises independently of my conscious control. As this response continued, one of my calf muscles that had become paralyzed by the neuropathic condition — diagnosed as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy — came back to life as electric-like jolts shot through the area.

My heart pounded as I realized that the path to my freedom from this condition had finally begun. With a background in acupuncture and Oriental medicine, I knew too well how prevalent chronic pain is in this country and I wondered what the implications of this phenomenon could mean to so many others who were suffering. As I continued to make progress with my condition, I organized my approach into a system that I could teach to clients and shifted my professional focus to hypnotherapy.

When instructing my clients, I explain that a regular meditation practice is necessary to train the brain to enter alpha and theta brain wave states. While in these states, communication between the conscious mind and the physical body is dramatically enhanced. I have found that when communicating, there are three key steps to gaining the cooperation of the body:

• Approach your body with genuine compassion, understanding that it is made up of conscious cells who experience emotions.
• Build trust by engaging your body in positive mental conversations about your desire for the two of you to cooperate and overcome the ailment.
• Allow changes in the conversation by using different thoughts and words that elicit spontaneous elevated emotions.

From my experience, the above guidelines are necessary to achieve dynamic healing responses in the body. I recently came across a very similar set of factors that were discovered by researcher Cleve Backster, who spent 36 years studying biocommunication in plant, animal and human cells. He referred to these factors as real intent, attunement, and spontaneity

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12 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR FRESH FOOD LAST LONGER

12 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR FRESH FOOD LAST LONGER

By wakeup-world.com - Dr Joseph Mercola

Each year, American households throw away $640 worth of food apiece, typically because they buy too much or fail to eat the leftovers.1 Many Americans succumb to grocery store marketing tactics that encourage impulse buys and larger purchases, yet when they bring such perishables home find they end up spoiling before being eaten.

A survey, conducted by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), revealed that three-quarters of Americans throw away food once a month while half do so once a week… And ACC’s survey poses just one estimate of food waste. A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) found Americans throw away $165 billion worth of food a year, which amounts to up to $2,200 per household.

Most of those polled by the ACC (79 percent) were concerned with the amount of money wasted by throwing away food, while half said they felt bad tossing food when others worldwide are hungry. A much less pressing concern were the environmental impacts, which concerned just 15 percent of respondents. However, food waste is the biggest collective “item” in US landfills. To keep up with so much waste, some cities have even started composting programs to help keep it out of the garbage stream.

The tips below, from TIME, can help you to make your food last longer so, ultimately, you waste less.

12 Food-Saving Tips

1. Onions

Store these in a paper bag in a cool, dark place (like a garage or basement) as long as the temperature is above freezing. This will keep onions fresh for more than two weeks. Storing onions in old pantyhose is another option and may help keep them fresh for up to eight months (tie a knot in between each one to keep them separate).

2. Cheese

Hard cheeses like Parmesan can last for months if stored properly. Remove the wrapper from the store, wrap the cheese in parchment paper, and follow with a layer of foil. This will help keep in moistness. And if you notice a spot of mould on hard cheeses, don’t throw it away!

Simply cut off at least 1 inch around and below the mould spot (keep the knife out of the mould itself so it will not cross-contaminate other parts of the cheese). After trimming off the mould, re-cover the cheese in fresh wrap.

3. Berries

Berries are highly perishable, so eat them quickly for best results. If you need to extend their shelf life by a day or two, rinse them in a mix of one part vinegar to three parts water.

4. Herbs

Herbs stay fresh by trimming the stems then placing them in a glass of water, similar to a bunch of cut flowers. A paper towel or baggie placed loosely over the top, and then stored in the fridge, will help keep them even fresher.

5. Apples

Store apples in your refrigerator in the bottom drawer, which has high humidity.

6. Tomatoes

Tomatoes should be left on the counter and eaten within a couple of days. Storing them in your fridge is not an option, as they’ll lose valuable flavour. But if you’ve accidentally stored tomatoes in the fridge, don’t toss them.

Letting them sit at room temp for 24 hours before eating can help to bring back at least some of their flavour. Another option? Use up refrigerated tomatoes in a sauce recipe, where the added flavours from onions, garlic, and basil are likely to cover up the tasteless tomato.

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SWEET POTATO AND MEAT OR VEGETABLE PIE WITH RED PEPPER OR TOMATO SAUCE

SWEET POTATO AND MEAT OR VEGETABLE PIE WITH RED PEPPER OR TOMATO SAUCE

By wholefoodsimply.com

Sauce Ingredients

2 red peppers or 2 – 3 tomatoes, quartered

110g/1/2 cup hulled tahini

juice of one lemon

Filling Ingredients

400g chopped cooked meat or extra roasted vegetables such as carrots and courgette

400g diced roasted sweet potato

200g/1 cup peas (optional, frozen is fine)

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place the red peppers or tomatoes, tahini and lemon juice into your blender or food processor.   Blend until smooth and well combined.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.   Pour over the sauce and gentle mix.   Divide the mixture between as many ramekins as people you are serving.   Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden on top and heated through.

(Alternatively you could do it all in a large baking dish and adjust the cooking time accordingly.)

NO BAKE ORANGE AND POPPY SEED CAKE - GLUTEN FREE

NO BAKE ORANGE AND POPPY SEED CAKE - GLUTEN FREE

By wholefoodsimply.com

320g/4 cups desiccated coconut

12 medjool dates, seeds removed

zest of two oranges

juice of one orange

40g/1/4 cup poppy seeds

Line a loaf tin with baking paper overhanging the sides. Mine measures 19.5cm x 9.5cm.   Place the ingredients except for the poppy seeds into your food processor. Blend at high speed until the mixture is completely broken down, well combined and sticking together.   Add the poppy seeds and mix to combine.   Press the mixture firmly into your prepared tin and place in the fridge for several hours to set (approximately three hours).

AVOCADO BROWNIES

AVOCADO BROWNIES

By thehealthymaven.com

Ingredients

1 large avocado

110g/1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

100g/1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 large eggs

60g/1/2 cup coconut flour

60g/1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175C.  In a blender or food processor combine avocado, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla.   Add these ingredients to a large bowl and whisk in eggs.   Add in coconut flour, cocoa powder, sea salt and vanilla and stir until well-combined.   Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish with coconut oil and add batter.   Place in oven to bake for 25 minutes (slightly less for fudgier brownies or slightly longer for more cake-like brownies).   Allow to cool for 20 minutes before cutting into 16 brownies.   Keep them on the counter in an airtight container at room-temperature for up to 2 days or for a longer shelf-life store in the fridge or freezer.

LIVING WITH EASE - WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?

LIVING WITH EASE  -  WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN?

By alwayswellwithin.com - Sandra Pawula

“Ego says, ‘Once everything falls into place, I’ll feel peace.’ Spirit says, ‘Find your peace, and then everything will fall into place.'” –  Marianne Williamson

Living with ease doesn’t mean sleeping late every day, becoming a beach bum, or forgetting your responsibilities.  Although these may be helpful short term practices to balance over-exertion.

In essence, living with ease requires a delicate balance that includes both relaxation and alertness.  If you’re over-relaxed on a regular basis you’ll slump into sleepiness or inertia.  If you’re too alert, you’ll feel wound up and ready to snap.

“When we are relaxed and happy, there is a gentle rhythm back and forth between the two branches [of the nervous system], undulating between automatic charge and discharge, and between arousal and relaxation.  This gentle rhythm gives us a sense of well-being and success in managing our lives.” – Gina Ross, Beyond the Trauma Vortex, Into the Healing Vortex.

Every individual varies in terms of the amount of stimulation he or she needs, wants, or can tolerate.  The same goes for relaxation.  Living with ease means finding your own sweet spot, which blends a good mix of serenity with a sense of being awake in the world.

Have you found the right balance for you?

Be Intentional to Turn the Tide of Stress

In modern life, we’re encouraged to be on almost all the time.  The advent of mobile phones and social media has pushed us into manic interaction with little relief, amping up stress levels to never-before-seen proportions.

But don’t we personally admire – even prefer – people who can accomplish with a sense of relaxed easiness, people who seem well in their skin, people who embody carefree dignity?

Some people may have been born with easygoing genes, but for most of us learning to live with ease requires an intentional process.  It means turning the tide of stress, which might feel off-putting at first if you’re used to letting it flow.  But what could be more enjoyable than learning to relax?

What Does It Mean to Live with Ease?

This is what living with ease means to me:

• You take responsibility for your thoughts, emotions, words, and actions rather than placing blame on others.
• You know your stress triggers and have adapted your life accordingly.
• You’re aware of your personal early warn signs of stress and are willing to act in advance before stress forms into an avalanche.
• You’ve learned and implement preventative relaxation strategies so your nervous system stays in balance or returns to calm soon after distress occurs.
• You’re compassionate towards yourself rather than giving yourself a hard time.
• You politely say no when your boundaries are violated.
• You know and respect your limits.
• You pay attention to signs from your body.
• You follow your intuition without ignoring your intellect.
• You’re open to looking at your deeper patterns that invisibly encourage operating in stress mode.

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4 REASONS I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

4 REASONS I DON'T BELIEVE IN THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

By alwayswellwithin.com - Sandra Pawula

Some of my friends online and off are advocates of the Law of Attraction.  They are the sweetest of people who truly wish the best for themselves and others.  From this perspective, I think their philosophy bring wonders of positivity to our world.

There are, however, a few sticking points that keep me from abiding comfortably with the Law of Attraction.  Ways in which it might lead you astray.  Here’s what I think.

1.  It seems to encourage you to desire possessions, and positive circumstances.

Life is constantly changing.  There are periods of gain and periods of loss.  When we learn to accept this cycle gracefully, we come to see that genuine happiness comes from within, and doesn’t depend on the externals of life.

Desire, on the other hand, is like drinking salt water.  It just makes you thirst for more.  Then, if it doesn’t manifest, disappointment, discouragement, and even shame may result.

“What is born will die,
What has been gathered will be dispresed,
What has been accumulated will be exhausted,
What has been built up will collapse,
And what has been high will be brought low.”

When you understand the fluid nature of reality, you can open to the richness in each moment instead of hankering after something else.

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