The children seem to have kicked the virus! They still have a cough, the little one in particular but we're much better around here and just in time for Halloween!

During the course of being housebound I fell into a conversation with a friend of mine, Darleen Degrieck. Darleen is a yoga instructor and a practitioner of ayurveda. I had posted that I believed the body is a self-healing organism and that it wants to be well and wants to return naturally to a state of wellness and that if allowed to it will do that. I also apply that to weight loss. If we allow it our body will naturally return to its optimal weight. We just need to feed it and nourish it properly both with the foods we give it and the thoughts we think.

She sent me a quote from a draft she is working on with some colleagues about influenze from the Ayurvedic perspective. I could apply this to general wellness as well as weightloss and I thought I would share it here with you.

"For me the gem of Ayurveda is that it is a practice of self-love and self-care. Disease is dis-ease, lack of ease, lack of flow, and it begins in the mind (hence the usefulness of Yoga, which teaches us how to manage and control the modifications of the mind). Nourishing thoughts and beliefs serve to nourish the body. Destructive thoughts and beliefs have the opposite effect. (I can honestly not say if the vaccine is effective or not, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not terribly interested in engaging in the debate, except to reiterate the obvious that worry, anxiety and fear are not nourishing emotions.) If anything, I believe it's a question of choice. And we have the choice to believe and even rejoice in our inherent wellness and the cellular intelligence of the physical body. We can engage our minds in this practice of well-being by steering our focus towards the things that we love, laughing as much as possible, having fun with our children, removing should from our vocabulary, singing, dancing, caring more about what we think about ourselves than what others think about us, being in nature, trusting, releasing judgment, developing deep appreciation for and understanding of what we've already lived. Loving the body that carries our soul on this journey is paramount. To choose our thoughts and intentionally direct our focus is the ultimate practice of self-empowerment. Thus, if you choose to vaccinate, be firm in your belief that it is the best possible choice.

For us in the northern climates going through a period of seasonal transition, with weather conditions that are erratic, cooling and drying, the natural inclination is to nourish the body with foods that are comforting, wholesome and grounding. The season of eating clear, fresh, raw foods for balancing heat is passed, and we are now wanting to cook stews and soups, and eat nourishing grains. This is the best time of year for eating meat, if you choose to partake. Taking time for "cocooning" follows the natural and environmental cycles. Alignment with nature is a very nourishing and grounding practice."

If you are interested in reading more from Darleen's point of view you can see her blog. and she also recommended a book by one of her teachers Dr. John Douillard, The Three Season Diet.(click link to purchase on Amazon)










My Writing Blog

There was a movie called Death Becomes Her that was out a few years back that starred Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Isabella Rossellini and Bruce Willis. In the movie Meryl Streep drinks a potion and after she has finished the bottle the Isabella Rossellini character who gives it to her says "And now a warning" to which Meryl Streep replies"Now a warning?" Well, I feel a bit like Meryl Streep today, without the academy awards and the large bank account.

I've been using the hypnosis download and I love it. I know it's working, I see signs. I just don't spend every waking moment thinking about food or what I'm going to eat, I have a very laid back attitude and except for the "noticing" that I do for this blog I have spent very little time thinking about diet, exercise, weight or body image. I feel like right now I'm pretty close to normal and I have complete trust.

So why the warning? Well one thing I'm noticing is how emotional I am. Resentments are near the surface and I'm ready to burst into flames at a moments notice. I'm an emotional eater. Now that I don't have my crutch, cookies, suddenly I have to actually deal with my emotions and I have no practice. I feel a little bad because I've definitely been less patient lately and my family has born the brunt of it. I'm sure I am not doing any long term damage but they have to be noticing.

The remedy is simple. Now I have to learn to deal with my emotions instead of burying them. I have to be careful not to find another unhealthy crutch. This time is very familiar, it reminds me of how I felt when I quit smoking many years ago. Suddenly I was a different person. Cookies fixed it that time but it was an unhealthy fix.

I've been meditating and noticing and I'll likely get a second hypnosis CD to help deal with the stress of life a little differently. I also plan to continue with the yoga practice I have begun. There can only be good benefits from that.

All in all, so far, this is a positive experience. I still can't tell you what the hypnosis download actually says. I never remember. No matter how much I try I drift off, even sitting up. And I wake up at the end. Maybe that's a normal part of the practice. Meanwhile if you decide to go forward with something like this keep in mind that you may need to adjust your emotions accordingly and learn new ways to cope beyond the Ben and Gerry's.

Affirmation: Today I go forward with trust that the path I've chosen is a good and positive one. All the signs point that way.

Namaste

I apologise for neglecting this blog and I'm recommitting to it. I've been busy though, to be fair to myself. Spring has sprung and I've been outside! You know, that place that was buried in a white blanket of cold all winter that now is coming back to life! In a few moments I'll be going out again for a walk in the fresh spring air but I noticed comments at the bottom and feel I should be here for a while.

I've been well. Nutrition has been my focus this week and I've been eating really good food. I love black bean soup and found a wonderful simple recipe online. And yesterday I made honey baked lentils, a simple recipe that is absolutely delicious. I'm going to post both recipes here shortly!

Nutrition has never been my problem. I eat quite a healthy variety of foods. My problem is with eating either too much or complimenting my delicious healthy food with too much of the not so optimum type. Ice cream is a big weakness of mine. I can't leave the container alone. I admit it. I'm an icecreamaholic. I've taken to buying mint chocolate chip for the kids because it's the only kind I don't like.

The yoga is fantastic. We did another session on Monday and it was great. There were 4 of us and I felt both super relaxed and rejuvenated at the same time. I like the instructor and she's very patient and supportive of our newness to the practice. I've been trying to practice a bit at home, particularly the balance poses. My kids are excited to help and this morning I was awakened to my three year old doing Mountain Pose in the bed. I guess mountains can lay down too!

And walking..oh the walking is fantastic. I pull the kids in the wagon, hitch the doggie to the side and go..we walked two hours yesterday with stops for milk and groceries. I bypassed the liquor store although there was a Chianti in there calling my name. I like a little red with dinner but I think I'll wait until Saturday and get nice one in town for Saturday's dinner.

I was brave enough on Sunday to try a pair of pants on and they were toooooooo tight. They haven't ever been tight on me. Winter is not a good friend to my waistline. The triumphant part of all of that is the fact that it didn't set me back at all. I have accepted that I've got some work to do and I've committed to following through.

Thank you for joining me along the way.

PS..while I don't record calories or anything right now I am a member of Spark People and find it wonderful and encouraging and best of all it's free! There is some wonderful advice and inspiring stories of people who have made wonderful changes in their lives in the areas of health and fitness. I encourage you to check it out. There is a link on the right of this page.