Many Blessings,
Michelle
Health Revolution Ayurveda is closed until January 2 and will reopen January 3. I look forward to seeing everyone in the New Year! I hope all of you have some love and peace in your winter season.
Many Blessings, Michelle
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These are photos of an article in the January 2014 issue of Oprah Magazine These are photos of an article in the January 2014 issue of Oprah Magazine
Today was about nourishing my body and feeding my soul. I enjoyed this delicious Nepali food for lunch, complete with my favorite cilantro chutney (the green stuff) and chai tea. Kris and I sat in front of a huge window and watched the snow falling in huge fluffy flakes while we ate.
After lunch, we went to a labyrinth near Belvedere Square. We walked the path in the snow, which added mystery to the experience. With each step, we had to find the path again. It was so quiet outside and the snow made everything look magical. Taking time out for self-nourishing activities is essential for clearing negative emotional patterns. Many people get so caught up in work that we don't get nourishing meals on a regular basis. It is important to have "check-ins" with yourself to make sure that you are not getting stuck in patterns that do not support your health. By having emotional cleansing each winter, we get a chance to evaluate where we are in life and whether we are doing what is best for ourselves. If not, we can decide what changes need to be made. As for me, at the end of this day, my mind was peaceful and my body was happy. I am definitely on the right track. On Day Four of my emotional/mental cleanse, Kris and I went Christmas shopping. Yeah, we did that. Sitting here now and thinking in the abstract about the idea of shopping anywhere this time of year during prime business hours, it doesn't sound like an activity I would enjoy...especially when I am in the middle of a process of reflection and meditation.
Emotional cleansing is about turning inward and creating awareness. Through meditative and mindfulness practices, I become aware of emotions that present obstacles to me. Is fear preventing me from realizing my goals? Am I responding with anger in situations where that anger is unwarranted? Rather than pushing the emotions away because they are uncomfortable, I allow myself to feel them fully without judgement. I explore the origin of the emotion and ask myself if it serves any positive function in my life. If the answer is that this emotion does not serve any good purpose, I set my intention to let it go and stop that pattern. I investigate what practices I need to build into my life to free myself from that emotion. Do I need to be more organized? Do I need to tame my mind and let go of fear? Do I need to involve others in my life to support me? My body and mind know what they need. I just have to reflect and access the information. Sometimes what I need is to sit still in meditation to access my inner wisdom. Other times I need to walk in the woods or read a book. Over the years, I have leaned to recognize the techniques that work for me. Day Four this winter was all about being in the moment and keeping my eyes open for ugly emotional patterns that I needed to undo. So with this open mind, what began as a quick trip to one store to buy a present for one person turned into a fun adventure. I do love giving presents, but usually the holiday shopping crowds keep me at home. This experience of just being in the moment took all the stress out of the situation. I have always believed that when we are on the right path, the universe gives us confirmation. Mine came today in an aisle at Target. Kris and I were shopping for a particular present for Sebastian. We got to the right section and the salesperson told us that they were out of that particular item. I said, "That's okay, we can choose something else for him." I have never been interested in being the crazed parent who frantically runs from store to store to find the one gift that their child "has to have" for Christmas. A man at the end of the aisle overheard us talking and then approached to say that he had taken the last two of the thing we came for. He then offered us one of his. We refused because he was also buying for his children. But, he came back around as we were still deciding what to get instead and just handed it to us! So not only did this guy give up a present to us, he would not take "no" for an answer. Then, when we walked out of the store, we were parked right next to one another. We talked about our kids and it turned out that Sebastian and his son are very similar, so this man gave us some tips on new places to go to find cool toys. Rarely in the last few years have I witnessed this type of interaction, which is what I believe the holiday season should be about. It should be about family and giving to others to make them smile. So my efforts of clearing the emotional baggage that I don't need anymore have indeed drawn the positive my way. Confirmation received! Today I have been reflecting upon events that I call "ego challenges". These challenges are moments when we have an opportunity to make a choice between feeding our ego and taming it. By recognizing our ego challenges, we find opportunities for developing our inner confidence.
We feed our ego when... ...we compare our accomplishments, appearance, status, etc. to those of others. ...insecurity causes us to respond defensively to another person or situation. ...we make decisions based upon how we want to be perceived rather than choosing what we truly want. ...we make excuses for our decisions rather than standing in our power. ...we say what we think others want to hear instead of expressing ourselves honestly. ...we don't accept responsibility for the consequences of our decisions. ...we ignore our higher self and the need for feeding our spirit. Spiritual development happens from engaging in activities that open our creativity, deepen our sense of connection and strengthen our feelings that we are part of a community. Spiritual practices are a vital part of creating your balance as a whole and healthy person. Such practices include: -helping others in your community -writing poetry -dancing -singing -hiking or walking outdoors -creating artwork -appreciating the artwork of others -watching a live theatre or music performance -gardening -meditation -mindfulness practices -breathing exercises -religious activities -reading (the kinds of books will vary depending on the individual and what they identify as spiritual development) -taming competitive impulses We all have to check our egos for personal growth. Pay attention to the moments when you feel like someone else is challenging your knowledge. Be okay with others assuming that you know less than you do. Focus your attention outward and think more about how to help others than about what others can do for you. You will be surprised how wonderful the world becomes when your ego is not controlling you. "Whatever is good for me is good for everyone else."
-My new mantra Yesterday I went to see my friend, Genevieve, for an energy clearing session. I felt much lighter afterwards. I have learned over the years that many people who are not healers in some capacity expect that any health professional can take care of all their own health needs, i.e., if a health professional "really knows" what they are doing, they should not need anyone else's help. If someone were to have that assumption, they might wonder why I would need an energy clearing. After all, I do chakra balancing and energy healing for other people. Couldn't I just do it for myself too? The answer to that question lies in pathology, the process by which disease occurs in the body. In the West, we are accustomed to separating the mind and the body. We think of psychiatric medicine as being separate from physical medicine. In Ayurvedic models of illness, the mind and the body are not separate. After all, the brain lives in the body and runs all of its functions. What happens in the mind affects the body, and what happens in the body affects the mind. Therefore, whenever we have an imbalance of any kind, both mind and body are involved. Further, the mind cannot perceive itself. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be completely objective about our own condition. In order to get accurate and objective treatment for imbalances of any kind, it is important to involve someone outside of ourselves. There is a lot of self-healing that can take place, but we cannot perceive ourselves in the way that another health practitioner can. For complete healing to take place, we need someone who can observe us and tell us the things that we ourselves are incapable of seeing. Quite often, another practitioner can tell us the things that are difficult to hear but need to be said. Without being unprofessional, I can at least reveal that I am facing a huge crossroads in my life at this point. My practice has grown rapidly over the last two years, to a point where I am feeling overwhelmed. This is a wonderful problem to have, but still one that needs addressing urgently. Whenever we begin to feel heavy and burned out, it is important to take stock of what really matters to us. We need to let go of things that can be let go, and put our energies into the endeavors that will serve our best and highest good. In my work with Genevieve, we were able to clear blockages that had been preventing me from clearly seeing the directions I need to take moving forward with my career. I can now clearly envision my path forward, which will allow me to continue providing high quality care in a personal and affordable manner. Above all, it is important to me that I stay true to my vision. Part of my vision is to avoid taking the position of the "expert" by creating levels of distance between myself and my patients. Levels of distance include having a receptionist and not scheduling appointments myself. My vision also includes providing one-on-one education that empowers individuals to take charge of their own health. Staying true to my vision has been increasingly difficult to do as my practice has grown so quickly. I believe that health practitioners of any kind, mainstream or "alternative", should continually strive for personal growth and model health and balance for their patients/clients. I believe that it takes great courage and strength to take stock of where I am and where I need to go, and to do so with absolute conviction that I will make the changes that need to be made...however radical they may be. I am facing this emotional cleansing process with total openness for receiving the lessons the universe has for me. All of this brings me back to my mantra: "Whatever is good for me is good for everyone else." This mantra came up in my clearing session yesterday and epitomizes the changes I need to make in my Ayurvedic practice. I need to take care of myself so that I can be my best self for healing others. If I am continually extending office hours and causing chaos for my family and myself, that is not beneficial. Maybe at the time one person will be happy that I stayed late to see them, but in the long run it creates strain on me. If I am not living a balanced life, I cannot provide the best service possible for my patients. So be prepared, everyone: 2014 is going to bring changes, but they will be more beneficial for all of us. Much love, Michelle "Any problem you won't still be thinking about 6 months from now is just a temporary inconvenience."
-Danial Orange Monday was the first day of my winter emotional cleanse. Lucky for me, the snow day afforded me the opportunity to stay indoors and get my game plan together. The first step was to set my intentions for emotional release. My intentions for Monday were to gather my healing team and to decide what I wanted to accomplish during this cleanse. Remember, emotional cleansing is about letting go of emotional patterns that are no longer helpful. These patterns manifest in how we create our daily routine, what happens in our jobs, and our relationships with other people. My healing team would be the people who were going to provide support for me during my emotional cleanse. I considered the following: What emotions have been coming up most frequently that are preventing me from experiencing life fully? What choices am I facing at this point in my life? How is emotional baggage impacting my ability to make life choices with confidence and clarity? What kind of support do I need? Are there other healers who would be helpful to me during this process? Considering these questions, I was able to identify situations that were evidence of energetic blockages for me. Having identified those situations, I felt a lack of intuitive clarity about how to move forward. I decided to take a break from self reflection and call my friend, Genevieve to chat. Genevieve is a superb energy medicine practitioner. During the course of our conversation, Genevieve offered to do an energy clearing with me to help my process. That is how things tend to work for me. When I am open to opportunities, whatever I need always shows itself to me. As soon as she offered, I knew an energy clearing was the perfect beginning for my emotional cleanse. We set my appointment and that night I went to bed looking forward to making progress the next day. P.S.- If anyone wants to learn more about Genevieve and her work, here is a link to her website: http://www.violetladies.com/#2808 I am enjoying the lovely snow in Baltimore. Our neighborhood was so peaceful yesterday and I got a nice workout shoveling the sidewalk. I spent the day with my family, mostly reading and drinking tea. It was a nice break from our normally full days.
Whenever it snows, I think about how we all need to slow down. Nature gives us this opportunity in winter, yet so many of us resist it. We push ourselves to keep up the pace of activity we created during spring and summer. The Ayurvedic life is all about creating balance. We find our best health by living in harmony with the cycles of nature. It is easy for me to just make a list of what the appropriate activities are for this time of year, but it is more valuable for you to discover this knowledge yourself. Think for a minute about what our bodies want to do during this winter season. Are we gaining or losing weight? Are we feeling more or less energetic than we did during summer? Look at the pictures below that go with this post. What qualities do you see? Are there many active creatures? Is it dry, wet, hot, or cold? What is happening in nature when it is cold outside? What are the animals and plants doing? Consider these things before reading on. ********************************** In order to stay healthy, we need to balance the qualities in the environment with our diet, exercise, and daily activities. If it is hot outside, we need more cooling foods. If it is cold, we need heating meals. We also need to take our activity cues from the animals outside. When they are more active, our bodies will be able to handle more physical work. When the creatures are hibernating, our bodies will be more inclined toward mental activity. What we see in nature lets us know what we should be doing. Winter is time for more mental endeavors, while spring and summer are the times for increased physical activity. Winter is the time for deepening spiritual practices, meditating, and learning new things. It is normal and healthy for us to gain a little weight (5-10 pounds) during this season, and to lose it when springtime comes. Our bodies want to build immunity and insulate our nerves to be protected from the cold weather. We should be mindful of the season and let our bodies conduct their seasonal activities. We should be living in harmony with our bodies instead of fighting them by doing detox and holiday weight loss programs. We achieve our best health by choosing activities and foods that are seasonally appropriate. I don't know about you, but I would much rather be 5 pounds heavier and able to fight off all the winter colds and viruses. When it is cold outside, we need to create balance by bringing heat into our bodies. Raw foods are cooling and inappropriate during this season. Think about how we all tend to gain weight in the colder weather. Our metabolisms slow down to allow us to conserve our nutritional resources. Raw foods always require the digestion to work harder because our body has to break down the food so we can use the nutrients. Cooking food breaks it down a little bit and makes it easier for us to digest. In the winter when our digestion is naturally slower, we should help ourselves out by eating cooked foods. There is no need to make our bodies work harder than necessary, especially when they are already working to build strong immune systems to fight winter viruses. Dieting and detoxing right now is like making your body do triple work: in addition to 1)building immunity and 2)preparing the body to deal with cold, a detoxing body makes the kidneys and liver work extra hard to eliminate the toxins being released from the deep tissues. It is more beneficial to detoxify in the springtime, when the season's harvest gives us detoxifying foods in the form of leafy green veggies. In spring, our bodies are ready for detoxifying. Most of us naturally begin to lose our winter weight in the spring because our bodies are ready to let go of things that were stored over the winter. Springtime is the perfect time for a good cleanse, when the natural cycle of our bodies, seasonal influences and seasonal foods support us. In winter, we need digestive support. The spices we associate with holiday foods, such as ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, aid digestion during the winter months by bringing heat into the body. Right now, we need a bit more protein in our diets in order to keep the nervous system healthy. We also need healthy fats like olive oil. Not having enough fat and protein in the diet during the winter can cause fatigue, anxiety, lack of mental focus, high sensitivity to the cold, poor circulation, cold hands and feet, tooth sensitivity, feelings of being ungrounded, constipation, gas and bloating, dry skin, and poor immunity. I typically do emotional cleansing during the winter. In Ayurveda, "emotional cleansing" is really another way of saying "meditation and personal growth practices". This week, I am beginning my own emotional cleanse. The purpose of winter emotional cleansing is to free ourselves from old habits and emotional patterns that no longer serve us. As emotional cleansing is highly personal, I will not be posting all the details here. I will provide some updates about what practices I choose. If you are looking for ways to be healthier this holiday season, consider the mental and emotional aspects of health. Look for meditation practices and ways to foster connection with the natural flow of life. Deepen your spiritual side. Learn to enjoy being still. Tending to our psychology now gives us better overall health and prepares us for more physical activity when the warmer weather comes. If anyone out there feels like they could use some emotional cleansing of their own, I am happy to help. I can design a personalized plan based on your individual needs. For details, contact me at: [email protected] The month of November pushed me to my limits in many ways. I am not one to divulge too much about my personal life, but I will say that I was overwhelmed on many different fronts.
I am continually seeking ways to simplify my business and personal life, so November forced me to make decisions about how I am going to create simplicity with a rapidly growing Ayurveda practice. I am determined to be one of the few people who owns a business and also carves out time in my schedule for family. If I don't model work-life balance, how can I recommend it to my patients? Events this month really tested my commitments and affirmed for me that no matter what, my family comes first. I am sure it will come as no surprise given my profession that I am usually the caretaker of others. I am the listener for my friends and the one people rely upon when they need advice. I love that many of my mom friends call me when one of their children is sick, and that I can provide them with helpful suggestions. Truly, nothing makes me happier than to help someone else. What I don't often do is ask for help from others. I tend to be a fiercely independent person. I think that many of us perceive it as weakness to admit that we might need some support. In November, with the perfect storm being created by various family events and workload, I couldn't have done it alone. I reached a point where I realized that if I didn't ask for help, I was going to lose my balance. So was I going to choose pride over sanity? No way! I reached out to my friends and colleagues and I was very impressed by their responses. I knew I had amazing people in my life, but it surprised me to see how many of them wanted to help. People sent energy and prayers from all over the world, messages of love and good wishes. My colleagues were supportive with healing techniques like energy medicine, massage, acupressure, and just being there to listen. It made me feel very loved to see how many people responded when I reached out and asked for support. I have actually never in my life done that. I had never put up a prayer request in church, never an announcement on Facebook about needing some good vibes. But when I finally did, it was well worth it. November left me exhausted, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Thank you to all the wonderful people who helped me get through it. I am going to go take care of myself now, by enjoying a chai tea and lunch from my favorite Baltimore Nepali restaurant, The Belvedere Towers Cafe. Then, an afternoon nap to revive this Vata lady. Being healthy depends on having a healthy balance in life. It's alright if you experience temporary chaos that infringes upon your ability to take care of yourself. Do the best you can and know that it will pass. However, if your "normal" includes not having enough time for self care on a day-to-day basis, things need to change.
Everyone needs daily time to cook meals, exercise, sleep enough, meditate, and do something recreational that is not work-related. Take a few moments to reflect upon the amount of self-care time that is built into your current daily schedule. Then consider what small changes you can make to build in some "me" time. If you can build in a one-minute daily meditation practice, that is a good place to start. If you can make a cup of tea and sit for 15 minutes to enjoy it, that is also a good start. Remember that we get out of our self-care habits little by little, most often without even noticing. We get caught up in the busy day-to-day and one day we realize that we don't even take time to cook our meals anymore. Don't get discouraged! All you need is to make a one percent change every day. This is the approach called "kaizen" in Japanese. After 100 days, you will have improved something in your life by 100 percent. Small changes add up to big ones! Be patient with yourself. |