Mellow Mudra

A mudra is an energy exercise using your arms and hands to unblock energy channels in your body. They have been used in many cultures for centuries and you may have experienced the use of a mudra in a yoga or meditation class.

Today, I will focus on the Mellow Mudra, an easy exercise to reduce stress and shift into your parasympathetic nervous system of rest, relax, digest. To better activate your vagus nerve, add humming or singing while you hold the pose.

1.  Bring your thumb over your index finger;

2.  Place the 3 fingers remaining on your forehead;

3.  Breathe deeply and add humming or singing. 

 

A wonderful book that will help you learn more about mudras is: Healing Mudras, Yoga for Your Hands by Sabrina Mesko. 

 

A Medicine Woman's Prayer

Ancient cultures have used the art of healing the body, mind, spirit using Medicine Women/Shamans/Healers for generations. Through prayer, herbs and rituals, the Medicine Women were able to offer healing and well-being to the individuals in the tribe.

 

Over time, people have become more and more open to a more holistic method of healing, as well. When I began my holistic study in the 1980s, many believed I crazy was to leave traditional medicine for something mostly unknown or considered alternative or 'Woo woo." I am so glad that I followed the path that has allowed me to support thousands of people.

I always incorporate my nursing code of ethics with each client I work with. I am grateful for the experiences I had with nursing school, traditional medicine and working in a hospital setting. And, for 35 years I have relied on holistic methods to support friends and clients and I love the message below that speaks to my belief as I support those who seek me out.

Post-Concussion Syndrome

In the past year I have had numerous friends and family members suffer a concussion. This always needs to be taken seriously and you don't have to actually hit your head to have a concussion! I speak from experience having suffered a traumatic brain injury when I was 18. Back then, the diagnosis and treatment was barbaric and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

 

Luckily, there are more diagnostic tools and treatment options today for concussions and post-concussion syndrome, in both the traditional medicine and holistic world. I have been fortunate to take several workshops and master classes with a Functional Neurologist who has presented information that is so valuable. 

 

If you have had a concussion recently or in the past, I highly recommend the book, Brain Save! by Dr. Titus Chiu. It is easy to read with step-by-step recovery techniques, supplements, exercises for rebuilding your brain and much more. 

Visit Dr. Chiu's website: www.brainsave.com  He has many articles worth reading along with healing resources. I am grateful to have found him and all of the valuable information that he offers.

Humming For Stress Relief

I'm still writing during holiday time. For many, this is both an exiting and stressful time of year. There are lots of expectations from both yourself and others. This could put you into an overwhelm mode and add to an already burdened nervous system.

A very simple technique to reduce stress or anxiety, activate your vagus nerve putting your Parasympathetic Nervous system into rest, digest and relaxation is HUMMING!

 

Everyone can hum. And, it has so many benefits.

• Increases oxygen in the cells which can benefit health and wellness;
• May lower blood pressure and heart rate;
• Enhances lymphatic circulation thereby clearing toxins from the body;
• Increases levels of melatonin a hormone that contributes to restful sleep;
• Reduces levels of stress related hormones;
  
• Releases endorphins that work as natural pain relievers and makes you feel good;
• Helps release trapped emotions from your Hyoid (throat) muscles;
  
• And, allows for better digestion.
  

Pay It Forward

I was doing a little Christmas shopping today and stopped at the Yankee Candle store. I have searched everywhere for pillar candles, the kind that stand on their own and are not in glass jars. I thought for sure that I could find them there. But, they don't carry them. Apparently people have sued Yankee Candle when they bought those candles, had a house fire! So, their candles are safely in jars.

However, my experience there was a wonderful one. The Christmas candles I love (the ones in jars) were on sale! I love a good sale for something that I want. The man who was checking out ahead of me had a case of candles, gifts and bags and decided to buy my 2 candles as well! I protested, as he didn't even know me. He still insisted. I told him I would make sure to pay it forward and do something nice for a stranger as he just did. 

This gesture warmed my heart today. The news these days is mostly about wrongdoing, crisis, war, etc. It's easy to forget that the majority of people are kind, considerate and generous.

If you have the chance, do something for someone else and enjoy the feeling it gives you.

Wonderment

 

wonderment /wŭn′dər-mənt/

noun

     1. Astonishment, awe, or puzzlement.

     2. Something that produces wonder; a marvel.

     3. Surprise; astonishment. 

I love watching our grandson - age 7 now - awestruck by almost anything. He's the definition of wonderment. A few months ago he wanted to be a helicopter pilot and had so many questions about getting his license and what it would be like to fly the copter. This week he wants to be a coder for video games. He's just as excited by that prospect as he was flying. His favorite gift at Christmas 2 years ago was electrical tape. Yes, you read that right. The tape meant that he and Grampy would be inventing airplanes and rocket ships in the basement! 

 

As Socrates said: "Wonder is the beginning of wisdom." Would you like a little more of that?

 

One Thing at a Time

Do one thing at a time. Phew! That's a hard one for me. I juggle many things at once and guess what ... I can never find where I left my phone because I wasn't paying attention. Then, I use up so much time trying to find what I lost. Crazy, huh?

The flower essence from Australia that is my constitutional remedy is Black-eyed Susan. You may have many of those flowers growing and blooming in the Fall. 

This flower essence is for those who are impatient, fast-moving, quick-thinking, constantly striving, always "on the go" and may also suffer from indigestion, headaches, muscle tension and adrenal stress. Black-eyed Susan is the remedy for stress.

Taking 7 drops, twice a day for 2 weeks of the remedy may allow you to turn inward and be still, slow down and find a sense of inner peace.

Ian White, creator of the Australian Bush Flower Essences - ABFE, offers two affirmations for Black-Eyed Susan:

"I am now able to achieve all that is necessary in a calm and peaceful manner."

"I am divinely guided to my Inner Self and I discover my own rhythm."

Visit the ABFE website - www.ausflowers.com.au 

I have studied with Ian on many occasions and have the Australian Bush flower essences which I have used for 30+ years. Reach out if you have any questions or wish to purchase an essence: optionstohealth@comcast.net  

 

52 Weeks to a Healthy, Happy, Calmer You!

January 2022 I wrote an eBook entitled, 52 Weeks to a Healthy, Happy, Calmer You. I wanted to encourage a reset of perception of the future.

Since change is not always easy, especially with unrealistic goals, my suggestion was to choose a new goal, change, self-care ritual, a habit to break, etc. each week. At the end of the week an assessment could determine if a new pattern was ready to be added. By building expectation and confidence slowly, the chance of success is realistic.

Here are suggestions for week 1 and week 2 of 2024. And, you don't have to wait until then!

WEEK 1

Take a 10 minute break, 3 times a day and just BREATHE. Notice your muscles relaxing, your brain clearing and your productivity increasing.

WEEK 2

Start a journal for the year: an aha journal for all of those unexpected moments, a food journal, a daily thoughts journal, a joy journal or anything that works for you.

 

Feel/Want/Willing Exercise

The Feel/Want/Willing exercise is a great tool for goal-setting, focusing and
clarifying your intention. Once you have taken the time to work with this exercise, it will become easier to think through the process whenever you feel stuck.

Give yourself about 15 minutes to do the following:

What’s pressuring me most right now?

• Take 3 minutes to write down everything that comes to mind, whether “reasonable” or not.
• Take 1 minute to review your list. You may want to edit, add or change, but
don’t delete anything.
• Take 1 minute more to pick your top 3 stressors. List them according to your priority.

Ask: (starting with your top priority stressor)

 • How do I FEEL when thinking about this?

• What do I WANT?

• What am I WILLING to do to have what I want (not what you want others to do)

 

Willingness accepts the premise that “I Can.” It puts you in a position of power. You are more willing to be MORE, do MORE (or do differently) in order to have MORE for yourself.

Beware the Tag Police

 "Under penalty of law this tag not to be removed except by the consumer."

Have you ever dared to remove the tag on a pillow or any product that you bought? I know you are chuckling to yourself thinking about it. On some level you believe that the tag has to stay on the pillow or product forever! What would happen if you actually went against the instruction, despite being the consumer?

How many times have you wanted to do or say something but felt that it went against what you were brought up to believe? Or, if you break tradition there would be repercussions.

Are you following the path that is best for you or are you doing what is expected? Is your movement forward going smoothly or is the road a little bumpy?

The following 10 questions are good ones to ask yourself and they may allow you to feel more empowered. Some are touch but necessary to ask. There is no "tag police" that will be monitoring your answers! Use these questions to step into your power and write the next chapter of your life.

1. Will there be any negative repercussions from following this advice, guidance, information?
2. Is this something that I should participate in?
3. Am I asking myself the right question? Do I need to ask anything else?
4. Am I making the best choice for my life purpose and direction?
5. Is this reasonable and in alignment with my morals and values?
6. Is there an easier way of doing this?
7. Do I need a second opinion or advice?
8. Is this something that I could let go of?
9. Is this best for me to be involved with?
10.  Am I staying true to myself?
    

Reduce Anxiety with 5-4-3-2-1

Everyone experiences anxiety differently. My clients report many distinct
symptoms that may be exclusive to them. Most would agree that the struggle is overwhelming, scary, uncomfortable, daunting or frustrating. 

During the two years of covid, clients and friends called me for guidance and self-help tools for the debilitating effects of feeling anxious.

This exercise is one opportunity that may reduce the feeling of anxiety as well as experiences of anger, pain, stress, writer's block, ADD and more.

 

Reducing Anxiety with 5-4-3-2-1:

 

Look for FIVE (5) things that you can SEE  

What are FOUR (4) things you can TOUCH that are near you

 

What are THREE (3) things you can HEAR

 

What are TWO (2) scents that you can SMELL

 

What is ONE (1) flavor you can TASTE 

 

 

Have You Laughed Today?

 

For 7 years I traveled 3 hours each way to Cape Cod to see my elderly parents who were in a nursing home. To make the trip more pleasant, I decided to buy a subscription to Sirius satellite radio. I have quite an eclectic list of programs from Motown music, Broadway, talk radio, Howard Stern and I find that one of  my favorite stations was Laugh USA, which highlights the great comedians (like Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, George Carlin) I also listened to the Joel Osteen show, which features positive messages! Both are full of laughs and inspirational stories.

In one show Joel Osteen, pastor of Lakewood Church, spoke about the power of laughter and the healing power that laughing brought to one of his friends who suffered from fibromyalgia. It reminded me of the wonderful workshops that I took in the 1980s with Dr. Bernie Siegal, author of the book, A Book of Miracles - Inspiring True Stories of Healing, Gratitude and Love. He, too, spoke of patients who turned their cancer death sentences around by changing their perspective, looking for joy each day and living life to its fullest.

I'm not suggesting that laughter "cures" and I'm not denying it either. In 1978, Norman Cousins, who has been considered the modern father of laughter therapy, wrote Anatomy of an Illness as Described by the Patient. He recounts his experience of watching comedy movies to recover from prolonged pain from a serious illness.

We can't overlook the 1998 movie Patch Adams about Dr. Hunter Campbell who decided at age 18, after three hospitalizations and a challenging life to never have a bad day. I can't do justice to his incredible spirit and life mission. Learn more by going to http://www.patchadams.org

So why do we need laughter? According to some studies, laughter may help physically to:

• Boost the immune and circulatory system
• Improve Blood Pressure readings
• Ease digestion
• Relax the physical body
• Increase endorphins (the body's natural painkillers)
• Improve memory  

Laughter is also the best medicine for:

• Reducing stress
• Improving sleep
• Attitude adjusting
• Enhancing quality of life

"From there to here and here to there, funny things are everywhere."

Dr. Seuss

How do you bring laughter into your life when it seems like nothing is funny?

• 
  Watch funny movies or TV shows
• Spend time with a friend or family member who always make you laugh
• Get a pet
• Watch Too Cute on Animal Planet or find laughable videos on You Tube
• Look for humor everywhere you go
  
• Initiate a laugh by making someone else laugh
• Have a pillow fight with a child - they will love you for it
• Do something that made you laugh when you were young
• Find a Laughter Yoga class
• Most of all... give yourself permission to laugh, no matter what!

"Humor is mankind's greatest blessing."

Mark Twain

Essential Oils for Healing

 I've had the great fortune to discover a company offering invaluable health-based information, summits and community interaction: www.healthmeans.com 

The first summit I attended was The Biology of Trauma, followed by The Anxiety Summit/Gut-Brain Axis, Mind-Body: The Vagus Nerve Connection and several others. The professionals who are interviewed range from traditional medical doctors, functional medicine doctors, therapists, neurologists, and many who have developed modalities to support a holistic approach to healing.

After watching several presentations with Jodie Cohen, founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, www.vibrantblueoils.com , I decided to study further with her and delve more deeply into essential oils. For 35 years I have studied and used flower essences for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual healing but hadn't had the opportunity to learn more about the healing properties of essential oils, which play a role in transporting valuable nutrients to the cells for healing.

I highly recommend Jodie's most recent book, Essential Oils to Boost the Brain & Heal the Body. It covers everything you would want to know about the benefits of using oils to regain control of your health as well as all of the ways to use the oils. It is well written and researched which speaks to Jodie's start as an investigative journalist. Her weekly emails contain invaluable information about the body, mind, spirit and challenges that we all face. She explains the various essential oils for the given topic. Her website also has a blog section with her research and knowledge that is so inspiring and helpful. It's worth spending time there.

Divine Intervention?

For most of my adult life, I've believed in angels, guides, messengers of God/Higher Power, synchronicity. I love when things happen that can't be explained. Is there really Divine intervention? I'd like to think so. I'm really not very woo woo but I have so many stories and happenings that can't be explained logically.

This story is about Mikey, the cat. We got Mikey when we lived in a 200 year old house that had the wide, pine floors that were polished to a shine. Mikey as a kitten would come skidding around the corners in the house and eventually got the nickname "Skids." He cracked us up.

After living in the house for 7 years, we were able to break ground on a new house in the same town. We sold the wonderful 1790 house and rented a house in the next town as it would take close to a year to excavate the property and build the house.

When we moved into the rental house, we kept Mikey and our Maine Coon, Wyatt, inside for a few weeks. We didn't want them wandering off. Finally, we let them out for a little bit and I stayed with them to see if they would take off exploring.

Then the day came when Wyatt came in for a snack but didn't have Mikey with him. I knew Mikey wouldn't miss a meal so I wasn't concerned until nighttime arrived with no sign of Mikey. Morning came ... no Mikey. I went through the neighborhood asking if they would check to see if Mikey had gotten curious and gotten locked into a garage. No Mikey. I put up signs and the children asked every day if we had found him.

The people who bought our house called several times and thought they had a Mikey sighting. Could he have walked about 10 miles back to the house we sold? By the time we drove to the house, he was nowhere to be found.

Months went by and no Mikey. Around Halloween, our neighbor across the street said she thought she knew where he was! Her daughter worked at a local vet's office, her car had broken down and my neighbor went to pick her up. She was convinced that Mikey was the cat that someone brought to the office hoping the owners would be found. 

I arrived first thing in the morning at the animal hospital. I walked in and looked to my right and there was a skinny Mikey in a kennel looking at me!! Apparently, Mikey found himself at another neighbor's house that was about a mile away. After a few days of feeding him they brought him to the vet hoping someone would claim him.

What are the odds? 

1. I had only waved to my neighbor and never had a chance to talk until that day

2. Her daughter worked at the animal hospital that Mikey was brought to.

3. The daughter's car broke down and had to be picked up

4. The people who fed Mikey brought him to the animal hospital that connected all the pieces of the puzzle.

Wait...there's more. Weeks later, I ran into our neighbor who lived in the woods next to the 1790 house we had sold. She rescued cats and had about 10 of them. Mikey used to walk through the tall grass to her house to get a treat and visit with all of the kitties. She happened to go to animal hospital with one of her cats, saw Mikey but didn't recognize him. She told the staff to call her if no one claimed him and she would take him home! I think once she had fattened him up, she would have known who he was and called us.

Was this coincidence, a lucky happening or Divine intervention? We'll never know but I like to think Mikey had an angel helping him find his way back to us. After all, wasn't he a furry angel?

 

If You Can't Fix It - Feature It

This became the mantra in our household when we purchased a house that was constructed in 1790. Boy, did it have character and charm. And, we also heated the outside on many cold nights. But the nooks and crannies, built-in bookcases and walk-in fireplaces made up for the less than adequate heat and electrical system.

Over one of the large fireplaces with the original beehive over that I adored, was a 12 by 24 inch indent in the wall. I spent many hours trying to decide what to do with the space. Out of the blue, my husband said:

                "If you can't fix it, feature it."

What a brilliant idea! I then discovered that I had an antique clock that had belonged to my great-grandparents that just happened to fit exactly in the space. Voila! The look couldn't have been more perfect.

16 years ago we left the 1790 house and built a new home. The overly eager excavators decided that I needed a fire pit. They moved huge rocks to an area in the back yard creating what I considered an eyesore. When I saw what they had done, I didn't have the heart to tell them that it wasn't what I considered a fire pit and moving the rocks would have taken a lot of effort. They were so proud of their accomplishments. Luckily, I already had my mantra from the last house. After much thought, I decided that they had created the most wonderful location for a water element. My husband and I dug out a place for a small pond, added a waterfall, planted some flowers and this is one of my favorite features on our property. It is a serene, inspirational place for me to meditate, read or just listen to. My cat also gets great enjoyment sunning on a rock and watching the chipmunks,

If you can't fix it, feature it, can be applied to many situations that have nothing to do with decorating, building or any material thing. For example, Emme, best known as one of the first plus-size models, has featured her wonderful attributes rather than try to fix what the modeling world considered adequate. Thanks to her advocacy, many women have been able to embrace their bodies and shape. Emme adds author, television personality, designer and celebrity to her many accomplishments due to her bravery to feature rather than fix herself.

Dr. Steve Maraboli, a motivational speaker, author and Behavioral Science Academic has an inspirational quote:

"There is nothing more pure, more beautiful, than a woman being unapologetically herself; comfortable in her perfect imperfection. To me, that is the true essence of beauty."

Amy Purdy, who became a double amputee at the age of 19 was one of the celebrities on Dancing with the Stars 2014. As a result of Meningitis she could not fix the situation she found herself in and she sure has featured it. She is an accomplished athlete and snowboarder who has won numerous World Cups and won a Bronze medal at the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

"We can complain because the rose bushes have thorns or rejoice because thorns have roses."

           - Abraham Lincoln

 

Face Reading Blog

 Now that I am back writing, I am taking time to update this blog as well as my face reading blog: www.gingersfacebook.blogspot.com

Face reading has been a big part of what I offer with my business. I had the wonderful opportunity to study with Daniel Whiteside in the 1980s. His parents had done a 5 year research study with facial structures and their associated behaviors. Daniel took it to another step when he joined forces with Gordon Stokes who had been the educational director with Touch for Health. What a duo!

Understanding individual facial traits has allowed people to gain a greater respect for themselves and what they offer to the world. I invite you to gather more information on my blog and have fun with it. 

When I finally decided to write a book about face reading, I was surprised at how much fun it was. I wrote in my own style: concise with pictures and stories. I am not a novelist!

Juggling "things"

 Just because I CAN do many things at once, doesn't mean that I SHOULD!

.....because when I do, the circuits in my brain get confused. I lose focus and have a hard time juggling everything that is on my list. 

Can you relate? Have you tried to be a Superwoman?

Don't let a health crisis or challenge force you to burn your Superwoman cape! Now is a good time to tune in and and listen to your wise little voice that encourages you to be the best YOU. 

Stephen R Covey says, "Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important." He also said, "When you have too many top priorities, you effectively have no top priorities."

That's a lot to think about!

Possessions

 From the book, Start Where You Are, by Meera Lee Patel, she asks:

"If you could own only four possessions for the rest of your life, what would they be?" 

This question is harder than you think. My husband and I played around with this. We said, well definitely a car. But, we decided that we could rent or lease. Well then, a house. We could also rent. As we listed different possessions, we concluded that most of what we owned could easily be given up. They are all just "things." 

Meera's book has so many questions like the one above. It really gets you thinking and gives you a better idea of who you are and what you value.

 

Overwhelm Support

 Overwhelm occurs when your nervous system is stuck in freeze mode: fight, flight, freeze. If you can't run or fight, you protect yourself by becoming immobile. Jodie Cohen, founder of Vibrant Blue Oils writes:

"The freeze response kicks in when the survival system has decided that whatever is facing us is too overwhelming."

So, what do you do? I encourage you to visit the website: www.vibrantblueoils.com

Jodie is an authority on essential oils. Her extensive blogs on the overwhelm response are from many different perspectives. Her book, Essential Oils to Boost the Brain & Heal the Body is a must have. You will feel like you have gone back to school and you will be armed with meaningful information to support your body, mind, spirit.

 

If you are a facilitator for healing or simply interested in learning more to help yourself become healthier, I recommend the information and summits at www.healthmeans.com

Come back to my blog for more information on the nervous system. I will continue to post simple techniques for supporting your brain and body.