On being authentic
Have you ever wondered why it is really comfortable being around some people, yet others make you want to run a mile? I’ve been pondering on that one a lot recently. This isn’t about social or personal issues, like halitosis or being outspoken or aggressive (or saccharine), this is more about those subtle feelings you can get in the pit of your stomach that suggest you like or dislike being in the company of someone.
Just lately I’ve been in the company of some truly authentic folk who have really helped me clarify what this issue means to me, and why. It feels good having a clearer understanding.
People who are great to be around are those who are at ease with themselves and comfortable speaking their truth. They are secure in their own skin and have nothing to prove, no axe to grind and no message they need to ram home at any cost. These people can be rich or poor, any skin colour, age, race or gender as such considerations are pretty much irrelevant to their authenticity. Theirs is a truth that transcends such mortal considerations, it is a truth found from going within and getting to know themselves as eternal beings connected to source energy.
We are all the same, we are all expressions of source having a human experience (or being an animal or a tree or some other living thing). Everything emanates from source, is fundamentally of spirit and will return whence it came. And none of this has anything to do with religion, which IMHO is little more than a cynical manipulation of information to keep the masses uninformed and in fear. We have nothing to fear. We are spiritual beings and processes like meditation, movement and finding grace and inner peace all serve to help us reach our own authentic state. Even if all we do is remind ourselves to breathe and focus on the breath as a regular daily practice, it will have an impact on our state, on our wellbeing.
So what stops us speaking our truth? What holds us back from speaking from our hearts, and instead has us speaking what we believe others want to hear? Why do we hide behind suppositions, half-truths and pretence? Because we are afraid. We fear ridicule, rejection, failure and everything that comes with being an outcast or being labelled as inappropriate. In the past, grim punishments were meted out to those who dared to be different and it is my view that some of the fear from those dark times still resides in our group consciousness. We still harbour deep concerns that if our truth is revealed, the walls of our existence will come tumbling down.
So I’m trying an experiment…
If I find myself being afraid or fearful, I will bring myself into the present by noticing what is around me a simply breathing. Encouraging my awareness of what is so, right here, right now, and really feeling my breath will serve as a reminder that I am alive – and all is well.
These small steps towards being present may take me closer to living as an authentic being – and speaking “my” truth. I’m so grateful that I’m free to express my thoughts and speak from my heart.
May your day be filled with everything you seek.
Putting everything behind you
Amazing what you can find out there when it is too cold to venture out and surfing the net is a viable alternative!!
The end of the year is fast approaching. Everyone is set on making merry except for the fact that the weather is being very, very obstructive.
I guess we’ll all stay in, eat, drink and be merry and then suddenly.. we’ll look in the mirror and “Yikes”… where did all that come from?
Well, a bit of sensible eating here and there (not too many carbs, being reasonable with alcohol etc) is one way to approach it, the other is to resolve that the New Year will bring new opportunities for personal development and fitness.
Many New Year resolutions fall by the wayside as they are too demanding – there is basically too much involved and it is too great a change to a person’s regular routine. However I have found this one exercise system which focusses on the bane of every woman’s existence – her rear end. Basically it is a way of exercising your behind into a better and firmer shape. Woo hoo!
This effective routine comes with a promise that we don’t need to work out for hours to get results.
I’m going to give it a go… If you are interested, check out this link for more details:
http://bit.ly/ggxw6e
Let’s put it all behind us in 2011!
Food, glorious food – losing weight easily
In 2002 I sustained an injury which was serious enough to bring all training and fitness activities to a halt. Gradually I healed and began exercising again and all the weight that piled on began to go. However, the last 10 lbs has been hanging on for a while so I took matters into my own hands and went on The Dukan Diet.
I’m now 10lbs lighter and a whole lot happier, even though this is a very meat based diet and a little hard to digest sometimes, I haven’t been hungry and the weight has just melted away. More exciting, others I know who are following the same diet are getting the same results.
If you are vegetarian it will work for you, too, but be more restrictive. Not sure whether this will work for anyone on a vegan diet.
This is an easy regime with simple rules and an easy to understand four-step process. You need to read the entire book – don’t skim or you’ll miss key points and advice! If you follow this through to the end you’ll be amazed at the weight loss and how well you feel. I’m delighted!
Taking back our power
Several women I know have been diagnosed with breast cancer this year and undergone the horrors that pass for ‘treatment’ in this modern world of science and medicine. Having been cut, poisoned and burned and had their immune systems horribly compromised, I’m happy to say they are on the road to recovery. However no-one seems to acknowledge some of the basics when it comes to female health.
My first bone of contention is diagnosis – how is it that testicular cancer tests are via blood samples and sonogram – a painfree process that does not involve crushing or compressing soft tissue, yet women are given mammograms which can be agonising and arguably damage the tissue that has been compressed. [ for those who don't know, each breast is compressed horizontally then vertically between two metal plates, and then x-rayed ]. On a personal note, this is agony for me and I’m not going through it again. Ever!
There are blood tests, thermography and ultrasound methods for diagnosing women yet these are not the first recourse.
One has to wonder why. Expedience? Money? Goodness only knows.
Research has been carried out both independently and by Harvard researchers that strongly suggests the humble brassiere could be one of the culprits by creating conditions that permit the body to head down the road to disease. Research indicates that wearing a bra for more than 12 hours daily can constrict lymphatic flow, raise tissue temperature and affect blood circulation to the breast. All of these will limit the removal of toxins and as we all know, we live in a world full of pollutants.
So my vote is for taking back our power – try an experiment. Go braless for two weeks, or a month and see whether any ongoing problems dissipate.
For further reading, see these articles:
http://www.all-natural.com/bras.html
http://www.wisegeek.com/do-bras-really-cause-breast-cancer.htm
(this one has a comment from a breast cancer researcher at the foot of the page)
http://www.007b.com/bras_breast_cancer.php
Further reading:
Your Life in Your Hands: Understand, Prevent and Overcome Breast Cancer and Ovarian Cancer
Spread a little happiness
Do you eat toast? Jacket potatoes? Corn on the cob?
What do you spread on these wholesome staples to make them tastier?
If it is margarine, then do you know what is in your ‘healthy’ spread?
Many margarines are just ONE MOLECULE away from being plastic. They are often made from hydrogenated fats (this means the hydrogen is added, often through a heat process, which changes the structure of the product).
You can test this for yourself. Buy a small tub of your preferred brand and leave it open, somewhere shady for a few days, or a week.
Notice whether there is any insect activity. Are there any fruit flies or other critters feeding from it? Is there any mould growing? Is it turning rancid, rotting or generally breaking down due to microorganisms feeding on it?
If it remains untouched, then it is not actually food!! If even the tiny creatures that break down waste matter are not interested, you are looking at a tube of nutritionally void non-food which is nearly plastic.
To quote from a number of sources:
Would you melt your tupperware and spread it on your toast?
I don’t think so.
Welcome to the wonderful world of “food” marketing where nutritional value comes a poor second to profit.
For us it is butter all the way. Mankind has been making and eating butter for thousands of years so let’s stick with a natural food that our bodies can process.
Holiday freebies
As a lifelong proponent of self-help, self-development and general personal growth, I want to share details of a site which gives away lots of personal development goodies every year.
All you need to do is sign up for their newsletter and you will be able to download all kinds of amazing self-development tools – absolutely free!
If you are interested in anything in the personal development realm – from EFT to mind-mapping to weight loss and healthy alternative remedies – this is an amazing resource to have at your fingertips.
The Self-Growth Giveaway site offers so many downloads, you had better clear some space on your hard drive (and some time in your schedule) to make sure you can take full advantage of their offers. I signed up for this last year and still haven’t had time to read everything.
Highly recommended!
Dealing with overindulgence!
Looking foward to the festivities? When all the shopping has been done, the presents have been opened, the food eaten and the Queen has spoken to one and all, what is the best way to cope with the aftermath of all the rich food and alcohol?
Here are a few simple suggestions which may help:
Rich food immediately calls to mind heartburn and indigestion. Rising acid is no fun when everyone wants to play party games! After years of using various over-the-counter products, my partner stumbled on a remedy for his persistent heartburn which has changed his life.
What does he use now?
Almonds.
Yes, you read that correctly. Almonds. Not the ready-salted or roasted kind, but raw, untreated almonds which are still wearing their thin brown skin (ie, not blanched).
The method is simple. When heartburn or reflux is imminent, simply chew four to six raw almonds. Keep chewing until they have formed a liquid paste in your mouth. Swallow the paste and wait for your symptoms to subside. If the first round doesn’t have the desired effect, you can repeat this as often as needed. Two or three attempts should do the trick. This natural remedy is great since it doesn’t taste like eating chalk, is safe for anyone who can tolerate almonds, and has no side-effects. As almonds are a food, rather than a medicine, they are safe for the elderly, pregnant women, children – in fact, for anyone who can chew them!
The important part is that you must chew them to a paste and not swallow larger almond chunks.
This brings me to chewing. Most of us don’t chew our food enough which, in itself, can lead to heartburn and indigestion, not to mention other digestive tract difficulties. Does anyone recall being told as a child that you need to chew once for each tooth in your mouth? It may sound daft but chewing properly can help prevent a variety of ailments, including indigestion. It can also assist anyone trying to lose weight. Chew more and you will eat less, because the message from your digestive system to your hypothalamus (part of the brain which regulates many body mechanisms, including appetite and hunger) usually takes around 20 minutes to arrive. So if you take longer to eat your food, you will feel full sooner!
Alcohol is fine in moderation, but at this time of year we tend to go to extremes. A hangover is not just a sign of toxic aftermath in the liver, it can also indicate dehydration. To combat the morning after the night before, you may want to balance alcohol consumption with approximately the same amount of water. For example, a pint of water for every pint of beer! This can be tricky to put into practise, but ultimately your liver and kidneys will thank you for remembering them!
Of course, anything in excess is not good for you – that includes water, so I guess I’m suggesting that moderation in all things is the best approach to the festivities!
Have fun – but not at the expense of your overall good health.
Health is for life – not just for Christmas!
The threat to our health freedom
Despite assurances from various anonymous government bodies, the threat from the EU Directive and from Codex Alimentarius continues to darken our health horizon. We need to make people aware, we need to act, to sign petitions, and to let people know that our freedom to take supplements at realistic doses, to choose what we put into our bodies and to opt for natural alternatives both in terms of food and medicine is under grave threat.
It is not just a threat to big business but to the health and welfare of future generations. If the insidious legislative erosion of our rights continues – and if we remain asleep and oblivious to the threat – we will wake up one day and realise that freedoms we have been taking for granted have gone.
It is easier to prevent something than cure it!
Sign petitions – take action – be heard by government and act to curtail the encroachment of Big Pharma into our food, our medicines and our choices.
The Shop Holistic site has a very clear and well put together page with links to a petition and other information about Codex, as well as suggested courses of action.
So please – ACT NOW!
Jack Frost is nipping at everything
Goodness me, but it is chilly. I’ve been thinking about all the things I need to do… then putting them off until it gets warmer. However, all this procrastination really isn’t warding off the cold.
There is an old saying about cold feet, that suggests the best way to warm them is to cover your head.
Not sure whether this would work, but I’m sooo coooold that, frankly, if the low temperatures persist , I may have to invest in one of these…
Oh but then I’d need shoes to match…
…maybe I’ll wait until it gets warmer…
Happy feet!
After just six weeks of using something different to help deal with plantar fasciatitis and various other foot problems, I’m amazed at the difference in the way my feet are feeling. Having discovered Magnsium Oil, almost by chance, it seemed churlish not to at least give it a try.
Within 2 weeks of using this spray on supplement, morning and evening, I found a marked improvement in the way I was feeling. My feet were not as tender and the inflammation and pain from the fasciatitis was greatly reduced. Now I am able to do most of the things I could do before all the problems began and really want to share the benefits so that others can enjoy them, too. There is lots of info online about the product and the effects, but one result I had not expected was a reduction in the size of a bunion! I am documenting this with photos to make sure I’m not dreaming, but not only is it relatively pain-free, now, but it is about half the size it was! Amazing.
After shopping around, the cheapest place to buy it is on Amazon (click here).
If you find it cheaper anywhere else, please let me know!
