Remembering the Basics
We all get wrapped up in our daily lives of things to do, places to go, people to see, or websites to surf. We easily forget that some the simple things in life that would assist our health and balance greatly! Let’s look at a few today and be mindful of them in our lives.
Basic #1: Water. Hydration. Flow. With the shelves filled with flavored, carbonated, caffeinated beverages and the even the selections of coffees, teas and various flavorings so plentiful, are we drinking enough pure, filtered, non-carbonated water? Reading the labels of various products, we find various food dyes and/or additives to enhance the flavor of the drink. (Side Note: Many food dyes are banned in other countries, while the FDS still allows them here!) These products may serve as rare treat for us, but our focus is best redirected back to simple water.
The first question we need to ask ourselves when feel hunger is: Is it hunger? Or is it thirst?
The next question, are we simply feeling empty inside? Often times we feel a need to fill a gap, an emptiness within us. We usually fill the void with food, but we need to ask ourselves is it food we crave or do we have an emotional need that needs to be filled? Or do we have a physical need for activity and movement? Most of the time it is water, action, resolution to a problem or the innate connection to universal energy that we truly crave.
Western medicine reports our bodies are approximately 60% water! The role water plays within us includes nourishing the cells around our organs and joints as a cushion from our activity and protect from injury. Water is also a key player in our body converting food to energy as well as absorbing nutrients. Red flags for dehydration include dizziness, dry skin, headaches, muscle cramps and even confusion! Water is vital for our body functions as well as clearing away old energy within us. When any type of energy work is performed (massage, reiki, meditation/attunements), we are reminded to drink plenty of water to flush the toxins through us. If we are taking any type of medication or supplements, flushing this through our body is essential for absorption and elimination.
If we feel that plain water is too boring for us, we can add organic lemon, lime, cucumbers, berries or similar natural products to our water. If we are fortunate to have access to therapeutic essential grade oils, add a drop of this to flavor the water as well. We will be sure to rotate the flavors as to not be bored with one or another.
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Basic #2: Posture! How often do we hunch over our desks and digital devices or slouch when binge watching the latest show or movie series? Take note, when our body is not aligned, the energy we are trying to keep moving through our bodies, cannot flow easily. Sitting with a straight back and shoulders back may sound like something little, but it is huge when it comes to supporting good health. When our skeletal structure is aligned and properly supported, the joints, tendons and muscles are protected and safe from injury. Proper posture can, believe it or not, boost your mood, reduce aches/pains/headaches and improve your lung capacity allowing more air to flow which in turn has a whole host of benefits. Another major set of organs that benefit from proper posture – our digestive system! This system can also benefit from good posture, especially those of us with even just random abdominal issues. A great reminder for children, adults and seniors, across the board, to take note and address our posture now by honoring proper form and as we start, be sure to give all those posture muscles a break!
Another key ingredient to working with our posture is stretching! How often do we rush into our workout or finish a workout without doing any form of stretching? As much as our muscles enjoy a simple walk, weights, or complete workout, be sure to stretch! As long as we are on stretching ~ how often do we sit at a desk or our office chair for hours on end? We need to remind ourselves to get up and take a quick walk or if we are able to stand while working, let’s do it! Sitting for hours on end is as unhealthy as not drinking water!
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Basic #3: Activity. While the luxuries of life are special treats, many of us have come to rely on them and utilize them for every little thing. We order our groceries on-line so we don’t visit the stores to walk and move. We hire other people to do our yard work and our housework. We drive everywhere and normally park close to entrances so we don’t need to walk. We take the elevator or escalator instead of the stairs. Our bodies were designed to move! For centuries, we worked the fields. We churned butter and spent more time standing and cooking / baking our own food. We stayed active. Now while we consider it a luxury to not have to do things, our sedentary lifestyle raises havoc on our weight, sluggish circulation and even our emotions. Let us be conscious of our activities and be sure to get some exercise everyday ~ a 30 minute walk, exercise video or check out countless on-line resources for a variety of workouts or alternatives to get us moving.
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Basic #4: From the principles of Hermeticism: As Above, So Below and As Within, So Without. Simply a reminder that the world we see around us, is a reflection of our inner world. This can be a huge concept to grasp, but if we view the news or a stressful situation with friends/family members, etc,; this may be what is playing out within us. How many of us have so much ‘stuff’ in our homes, cars, and offices? We want the latest gadget, electronic, or clothing fad, we accumulate all this stuff. This stuff, however, is also energy. Everything is energy, everything moves, everything has a vibration. If we surround ourselves with ‘stuff’, it is very possible, the items we think bring us joy; may in fact be draining our energy. Feng Shiu is a well-known Chinese practice known for the placement and alignment of furniture and possessions and the balance of the Five Elements in an area, but it is also clearing out energy and allowing energy to flow freely through our homes and through US! Let’s take some time and collect clothes we no longer wear, books we have read, yard tools broken and never repaired and clean them out of our space to allow energy to flow more easily around us.
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Basic #5: Chemicals / Toxins. We can consider ourselves notified, if we didn’t already recognize this! There are chemicals, toxins, food dyes, and negative energy all around us. From the foods we eat, to body care products we pour, rub and massage into our skin, to the air pollutants we breathe in day in and day out, the list goes on and on! For many of us, the first major step is reading labels and if you can’t pronounce it or KNOW what the product is don’t eat it, don’t use it and do rub it onto our skin!
Our skin is our largest organ, contains 19 million cells. Every inch of skin has over 1,000 nerve endings and many of us can read skin as clearly as facial expressions, if we pay attention. We’ve all noted when we are not feeling well, how the hue and color of our skin can actually change. How about when we are embarrassed? Many of us turn a lovely shade of pinky red. Cold sores that developing on our lips can be a sign of an imbalance in the body. There is an entire science to this connection called Psychodermatology, which studies skin disorders based on the connection of the mind and the skin. A good lesson to all of us, even when we try to hide our feelings and emotions, it is not only our energy and aura that share the information with others, it is also our skin!
Unlike our other organs, this one is fully accessible to us. When we have a bruise, we can treat it and see the ‘imbalance’ right there in front of us. If it is dry, we can rub organic fractionated coconut oil or chemical free lotion on to the area. If a muscle is tight underneath the skin, we massage the area in hopes of some relief. But there is one powerful aspect that many of us may not realize, the skin is a thin layer between our physical body and our energetic body. Right under the skin, there are various points on the body where meridian points begin and end. These points are utilized in acupuncture, acupressure, reflexology, shiatsu, massage and many others! The practice of moxibustion simply is waving smoke from medicinal herbs over the meridian location being addressed and the smoke penetrates to skin to flow to the subtle energy system within our bodies. While many of us may not be able to afford to see a trained practitioner for a professional session, we ourselves can massage, apply pressure, manipulate and give attention to our skin (remembering that our attention to anything provides energy to that focus).
Extra credit for if we do a little more research and find a reflexology or meridian chart to find where specific organs and body parts reside energetically on other parts of our body. There are also quick and easy acupressure tips and tricks to try for everything from easing simple headache to other more serious dis-ease.
As always, we’ll have fun in the new modalities we try and focus on our health and well-being and not the craziness that often controls our thoughts.
Sacred Light Integrations - www.sacredlightintegrations.com