Spring Water is Sexy!

Anyone else think springwater is super sexy?

Since I moved back to Santa Cruz this September I've been catching my own drinking water at a local spring. 

I've never been a fan of Santa Cruz drinking water (it tastes like pennies to me) but for years I drank it anyway due to the convenience of it coming right out of my tap without my effort. 

After some major life shifts in the past year though, I committed to stop choosing to settle with what is convenient and start going after what I REALLY want. 

What I really want is water without chemical treatments, that is alive with beneficial microbes and activated with mineral ions. What I really want is water that is filtered by the earth close to where I live and not trucked in or piped from somewhere far away. I get all that now and damn it feels good! It is empowering to have a connection to the water I drink.

If you are interested in having a deeper connection to your water, 

Findaspring.com is a great resource! 

Inner Light

Being a healer is like being a lit candle. If another candle needs a light, it will not hurt the healer at all to share: light just spreads and grows.  We all have the ability to heal ourselves and to help others heal. It is easy to share your light if you are willing to open.  

A simple yet powerful meditation I have recently been practicing to help find inner light is to watch a candle with unbroken focus as its flame dances and flickers.  You can try it for even a short amount of time and find the benefit of being more at peace and centered in the present moment. 

Watching the flame reminds me of how little I really control. Its unpredictable nature becomes entrancing and makes me feel connected to my own inner light.  

Sleep Heigene

Sleep Heigene 

Sleep is vital to our cognitive function and lacking sleep can greatly affect our health and well being. A Sleep Test Technician spoke to my anatomy class yesterday about how the brain reacts during sleep.  He introduced us to a concept called "Sleep Heigene."  Ways to have clean, healthy sleep.  Because many people out there suffer from sleep disrders, I thought it was interesting enough to share.

- Do not eat or exercise heavily 2 hours before bed
- Do not drink alcohol right before sleeping (Alcohol-induced sleep sends you right past stages 1-3 of sleep and right into REM which will leave you easily awoken when the alcohol metabolizes.)
-Our brains are very sensitive to light.  Avoid exposing yourself to computer, tv, tablets, and phone screens an hour before bed.  Also try to have low- lighting in the hours before bed.
-Many sleep medications will mess with your brain waves.  If you are to use sleep aids, choose natural ones like melatonin (two natural sources of melatonin are bananas and oatmeal so consider this as a pre-bed snack.)
- Avoid naps during the day and try to sleep at night when its is dark- it is better for the brain to have a full sleep cycle than little spurts of sleep here and there.

Winter Ayurveda Daily Health Routine

The crisp of winter is in the air!  This week I took a wellness workshop with my friend and Ayurvedic Practitioner, Bridget Puchaslky who had some great tips for staying healthy through the season.

Ayurveda is an Eastern science for maintaing the balance and health of the body, mind, and spirit.  According to ayurveda, there are 4 elements to one's purpose in life: duty (dharma), financial sustainability (artha), Fulfillment of positive desires (karma), and enlightenment (moksha).

The following routine is a guide to maintain health during the winter season:
-Wake around 7 am
-Gentle oil massage on feel, legs, arms, and abdomen
-warm shower
- observation of the tongue and scraping
-Drink warm water to stimulate bowels
-yoga (sun Salutations, lion's breath, chest opening poses and twists, bellows breath)
-Sit in Sunlight Daily
-Exercise Daily
-Stay warm with layers and wear a scarf to protect the throat
-Tea: 1/2 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and a pinch of cloves to improve circulation
- Eat less dairy, and focus on foods with lighter, warmer constitutions.
- Get plenty of sleep!

The Path Less Traveled

It takes courage to march to the beat of my own drum. 

Some don't understand why I don't walk the beaten path like everyone else. 

I can't. 

My heart won't let me. 

I am true to myself. 

My days are numbered and this is the one life I have to live. 

Choose Happiness

When you feel lazy and unmotivated, try to remember something that makes you truly happy and follow your bliss. Be forgiving of yourself and listen to what your body and energy need. Health and happiness are choices we make. What kind of life are you choosing? To change the way you think and feel, visualize yourself in bliss: picture yourself on a hammock by the beach or under a waterfall or at the top of a mountain. Go to a place where you are not worried or afraid. Tip: To get rid of stressors, write them down. When you can see what is causing your stress, you can work on ways to decrease it.

Channeling

When you are a channel for good energy, more good energy comes you way!

When things in life are not flowing so smoothly or you feel stuck, there are two questions to come back to:
-What wants to be expressed through you?
-What are you needing to let go of?

There is a balance between taking in and letting go. Find the balance and you will find that stuck energy start to flow!

Surrender!

What can I let go of today? how can I surrender?
What do I not need in this moment that I am holding onto?

I vow from this day forward I will be true to myself. There is no need to put on appearances or show off. What i have is great. it is good enough. there is no sense in pretending to be anything more or less because what I have is rich and wonderful.

I vow to speak truth, not exaggerate, not stretch the truth to make myself sound better. I will get where I need to be eventually. There is no use in making a building if the support structure is not there.

I vow to trust that the direction I go is right and will lead me to where I need to be.