Having Fun is Healthy for You!

Having fun relaxes the body. It decreases the amount of stress hormones floating around, like cortisol.  It releases endorphins, the happy hormones.  Having fun, laughing, enjoying yourself is very beneficial to your health, physical and mental.

We definitely need balance in our life.  We need to work and contribute, but sometimes we get too serious and stuck in a rut.  That's when we need to go have some fun.  Even if it's only for 30 minutes or so. Even if it's singing in the car or rolling down a hill.  Watch a funny movie and eat popcorn. Get in to a tickling game with your kids. Go out to lunch.  Do something, just do something fun today.

Action

Simple- have fun!

Reaching Out to People

We were never created to exist alone.  Just like they say "no man is an island."  We were made to need others in different ways.  We can be independent, but still need others' services or companionship.

We can live alone. We can work alone. We can travel alone. We can do lots of things alone, but we were made to connect with others in some way.  Computers and other technological devices have helped us in many ways.  They have made many things easier and more efficient. But they have the potential to isolate us as well.

I look at my kids, who are teenagers now. They don't have friends over or go out as much as they used to.  They text, video chat, instagram, facebook, etc their friends. Many people sit home and watch the news all day getting depressed about all the negative stuff going on in the world. People order things online or go to large chain stores and restaurants. What happened to going to small mom and pop stores and diners? What happened to kids playing in the neighborhood?

If you are feeling depressed, unmotivated, or lonely, are you isolating yourself in some way?  Do you go out? Do you talk to people? Do you get involved?  Reach out to others! It helps to connect to others.  It's energizing to our bodies, minds, and spirits when we connect.

Action

Reach out! Go out to a restaurant and sit at the bar/counter.  Go out with friends. Eat dinner with your family, even if it's in front of the TV. And reach out to others who may be alone. You'll feel your energy increase.  Find ways to connect with others. Connect with your spouse.  Connect with your kids.  Connect with your parents and siblings and friends.  Many of us seem to be missing that in this society.  Connect!

Being Grateful for 5 Things Today Energizes You

Being grateful energizes you. As you focus on something positive, you release tension in your body which converts to releasing energy in your system.  As you release energy, you utilize it better, feeling energized.

But to really be energized by this, you need to feel it, not just say or think it.  You need to feel the gratitude.  For instance, if you are grateful for your husband (or wife), why?  What is it you are grateful for regarding him. Is he reliable, punctual, caring, generous, or strong?  Is he always there for you?  If you lack gratitude for this person in some ways, think and feel all the ways you do or used to.  As you do, your feelings will increase and energize your body even more.

Think about 5 things in your life you are grateful for.  It can be anything.  I love to feel how grateful I am for the summer and the beach.  I picture myself there with the waves, the breeze, the warm sun on my skin, and I'm reading a good book.  I can visualize it so easily.  When I do that, I can feel how relaxing it is.  I can feel how my stress over other things just melts away. And when I feel grateful for all the times I've spent at the beach and for summer in general, I feel lighter and energized afterwards.

So thinking of and feeling gratitude for 5 things really charges you in a good way.

Action

Think of 5 things to be grateful for today.  Spend a few minutes feeling it.  It is really healthy for your body, like a mini-spa treatment for yourself.  There are so many things to be thankful for: being alive, being pain-free, being surrounded by people who love you, having a roof over your head, having a reliable car or a job.  You are blessed if you have kids, parents, or a spouse who are healthy.  Think of experiences you've been fortunate to have.  Getting through tough times is definitely worth being thankful for.

You'll feel lighter and happier realizing how much you have to be grateful for.  Enjoy!

Releasing Things from the Past

Our bodies hold onto a lot of things from our past.  If you can vividly recall something that happened in the past or can feel the feelings you felt back then or your heart starts to race just thinking about something, you may be holding it in your body.

Memories can hold in your mind, your body, and your spirit.  Psychological counseling can definitely help, but sometimes you can heal the mind and the memories can still be holding in the tissues in the body.  That's where my work comes in.  I help release the memories in the tissues.  They can actually store anywhere, including in the fascia( the soft tissue that surrounds everything), the bones, the muscles, and the organs.  I have had many people say, "I have already worked on this in therapy. I don't feel like it's an issue anymore."  And I get that and I can see they have released it in their mind.  But when I hold an area of tension and they allow themselves to think about what they think they have released, I can then feel them connect to it.  They then start to feel the feelings and sometimes start to cry or release in someway.  Their breathing may change, they may tense up in some muscles, they recall specific details, etc.

Once they release it from the body, they feel more relaxed and feel like it is more thoroughly released.  We hold onto a lot, not everything, but a lot.  Things that hold can be from anytime in your lifetime as well as from past lives.  We can hold memories of our childhood, car accidents, receiving bad news that stunned us, divorce stress, marital stress, the rushing around that comes with raising children, the sadness of getting older or weaker, stress of school, bullying, etc.

Action

Take a few minutes to recall some things that have happened in your past, even things that you think you have let go of or forgiven.  Do any memories start to stir something up inside?  Allow yourself to think about it and feel the feelings, the shock, the tension, the rushing, the confusion, anything is okay to feel.  Keep thinking and feeling until you feel it's gone.  Let it float away like a cloud.  You can then go about doing something else or think of another memory that may be held inside.  The more we can release, the lighter and happier we will feel.  As you release the past, it is easier to remain in the present and enjoy what's going on now. We weren't meant to carry our past with us.  Release and enjoy!

September is a good month for cleaning out things

Here in the US, September is a time when people are getting back to routine after the summer.  It's a great time to clean things out, shed things, and make room for new things.  This can include your body, your home, your office, your life, and your mind.

Cleaning out, whether inside or outside our bodies, lightens our energy levels and reduces the tension in our bodies.  All things are made of energy, so as you clear out clutter in your space and life, you release old energy that is no longer adding to your life in a positive way.  Even things that brought you pleasure in the past can be weighing you down now.  When you give away, sell, or throw away stuff you no longer use or need, you will feel lighter.  If you can recirculate or recycle where someone else can use it, you'll feel even better than just throwing it away.  But either way, release it from your space.

Where do you start?  Well, first sit down and make a list of the things you want to clean out.  Add all aspects of your life, body, and space.  What needs cleaning out? How do you want to feel?  What is the outcome you'd like to see.  How do you want your space to feel?  What do you want your surroundings to look like?  Who do you want around? What kind of experiences do you want? How do you want your body to feel and look?

Once you know the outcome you are looking for, look at your stuff, your life, your relationships.  What doesn't fit anymore?  Look at your schedule.  What's it look like?  Is it too busy?  What seems to weigh you down just thinking about it.

Once you know the outcomes you are looking for and what doesn't fit, prioritize the areas.  What changes are manageable? What is practical in your life right now to do? What would make the most impact?  What feels right?  Does cleaning out one area at a time feel better or making small changes in a few areas feel better?

One of the best pieces of advice that I can give is : do what feels good to you.  Everyone has theories on what's best, but listening to your gut supersedes it all.

Action  

So clean out this month.  Start small or start big.  What needs cleaning out?  Once you start, you'll feel energized and happier.  You'll feel so good, you'll want to continue.  Letting things go lightens you and frees you up for new things in your life, (hopefully new experiences rather than more material stuff). It gets easier as you go along and you'll end up with a lighter space, body, and life.

Getting back to routine and cleaning out the extras can feel really good. Enjoy!

The best thing you can do for your kids

The best thing you can do for your kids is to accept them for who they are.  Not only accept, but love and celebrate them as they are, not for who you want them to be.  Don't criticize them for their dreams or for their imperfections.  And to teach them to accept, love, and celebrate themselves and others as they are, imperfections and all.

Children who are criticized constantly, who think they are not good enough, or cannot gain their parents approval grow up to be hard on themselves and others.  They grow up thinking "I'm not good enough", "I have to be perfect", " I have to try harder to better myself in every way".  They never have enough. They look outside themselves for happiness because they don't have it inside. Or they look for approval from others.

Now I'm not saying to go to the extreme and faughn over your kids and act as if everything they do is great.  There needs to be a balance. There needs to be accountability. There need to be boundaries and limits.  Kids need to know where the limits are and have some structure in their life. But give them feedback on how to improve and know when good enough is.  They need to know everyone including themselves and their parents are not perfect.  We will all make mistakes.  Learn from them and move on. And that's what makes life interesting.

It's sad to see when a client of mine is on the treatment table wondering what was wrong with them, what terrible thing did they do to not be praised and approved of by their parents.  That's not even mentioning abuse or neglect that many kids have experienced. Hopefully this generation of kids has learned better.

Action

Love, love, love your kids or the kids in your life and let them know they are great just the way they are, faults and all.  Kids especially are going to make mistakes and not always behave how adults want them to, it's part of being a kid. Even adults make mistakes. Why would we ever fault for kids for it. Love and enjoy!

Watching What You Think About

"What you think about expands.  If your thoughts are centered on what's missing, then what's missing, by definition, will have to expand." This was a piece of wisdom in the book, Everyday Wisdom by Wayne Dyer that I read today.

It's true.  If you constantly focus on what's missing in your life, what's wrong with it, or what's wrong with the people in your life. You're going to miss out on what you do have, notice all the things wrong, and put strain on your relationships.  Life is not perfect. No person is perfect. Your spouse is not perfect. Your kids and parents are not perfect. Your friends are not perfect. Your boss is not perfect. You are not perfect.  Don't spend time on what's wrong or missing.  Focus on what's right. Focus on the things you do like about people. You did like something about them or you wouldn't have gotten into a relationship with them.

When we focus on the good, we will see more good things happen. When we focus on other people's goodness, we will see more of it and we will allow them to relax and be happier. Spending time looking at the good is a good use of our time and energy. It also allows us to relax when we can be happy with life just the way it is and with those around us just as they are. And relaxing is always good for our health.

Action

Relax and let people be. Enjoy today without thinking about what's missing or how it can be better. Just one day and see what happens.  Enjoy!

5 quick ways to energize yourself at work

Even if you love your work, you can feel like you are dragging and trying to get through the day, especially after lunch.  When you do, try one of these ideas.


1. Go for a five minute walk around the office, home, or outside.  It doesn't matter where you are, go walk.       Do something physical to get out of your head.  It will stir up the energy in your body.

2. Clean up your desk.  Organize what you are working on and put away what you are not.

3. Take a mental break and think about how you can improve your work space.  Think about how you can       organize your space, bringing a plant, picture, or fountain to work.  Make sure you clear out any pictures       or objects that don't make you feel good.  Look at your stuff, is there anything that weighs you down or         doesn't add to your happiness.

4. Go grab a drink or snack, something healthy hopefully, but something that puts a smile on your face.

5. Do some stretches right in your chair.  Release the tension in your neck, shoulders, arms, torso, hips, and       legs.  Stir up that energy.

Time to wake up and get back to work.  have fun!

How to be guided by God

God, or your higher power, the universe, whatever you call him/it is real and here to guide us.  (I use God, because that works for me, but use what works for you.)  God can guide us if we remain calm and centered. That's when we can hear, feel, or see His guidance.  He guides in large decisions and small ones.

How to feel that guidance is the question.  I, myself feel or hear His guidance one step at a time.  I don't see the whole picture like some people do.  I get one step at a time.  It can be frustrating at times, but it has made me grow in patience and faith throughout the years.  It has also given me comfort in knowing that I don't have to see the big picture.  It feels like less responsibility or burden to not have to know all the answers.  When I don't get guidance in some way or I am confused about a decision, I have learned then it's not time to make a decision yet.

My way of getting calm and centered is sitting or lying down and just talking to God and then give Him a few minutes to put some thought, word, or feeling into me.  I usually feel it come from my heart, or stomach, or from out of the blue.  I have come up with a technique to feel more inside myself, less in my head and more in my body, and more centered that I now use.  I am actually putting it into an ebook, which I will hopefully have available within a week or so for others to use.  But you can use whatever works for you, like meditation, deep breathing, or other centering practices.  Saying the rosary or others prayers can also center you. Once you feel more inside your body than in your head, give yourself some time to feel or hear Him.

Action

So go ahead and try it.  You may get one step at a time like me or see an even bigger picture.  Ask for guidance on something small at first if you want and test it out.  Just make sure you follow through if it is an action to take.  It may be to just wait on something.  The answer will be different for different things, but trust it will be the right thing.  When I get an answer, I feel peaceful and right inside.  And I just know it's right. Just like I did before writing this blog.  I wanted to do this for days and never got an answer until today. Once I sat down to write, it all poured out.  Then I went over it all and cleaned it up, but it felt right.

Try it and see!

What to do when you are feeling anxious

When you are feeling anxious about something, even if you don't know what it's about, you are experiencing fear of the unknown.  You may not know how something is going to turn out.  You may not know how someone is going to react.  You may feel a general unease about everything.  Some people just feel it all the time.

Somewhere you picked this up.  It could have been how your parents reacted to things when you were growing up and you learned that reaction.  You could have experienced an incident where you picked that up, like a car accident that took you by surprise or being taken advantage unexpectedly by someone.  It could have come from living in a period of uncertainty or stress for awhile.

When you experience this anxiousness, you are holding too much energy in the top of the body.  In this case, you can be holding too much in the rib cage and lung area as well as the adrenal glands, which are under the back ribs on each side right above the kidneys.  You can also be holding energy in the neck if you are trying to hold it all together and not speak about it. You can also hold it in your head around your eyes into the temples, forehead, and jaw.  You might experience headaches with this. Your mind may be racing or constantly trying to find a solution or keeping fearful thoughts away.  You can feel any one of these or a combination.

Action

What should you do?  You need to expend or move this excess energy. Here are some ideas:

1.  Go exercise.  Use up this energy.  Totally focus on your body.  Get out of your head.

2.  Sit and breathe.  Imagine this extra energy moving into other parts of your body, especially into your lower body and legs.  You can imagine the extra energy going out of your feet into the ground.  This helps to even out the energy and ground you.  Then imagine the energy in your body moving up and down evenly through your body. You'll feel sturdier and stronger.

3.  Go do something fun, something you like and get your mind off what you are worrying about.  You are shifting the energy to another topic.

4.  Think of an affirmation or spiritual saying that helps to soothe you, like "God is in control", " I trust life to take care of me", etc.  Keep it short and repeat it all day long or until you feel relaxed.

5. Imagine this energy as air.  Start punching into a pillow or punching bag imagining exhaling this air out of you.

Once this energy is expended or moved, you will feel less anxious, more relaxed, and lighter.  Try not to go back to worrying.  Keep doing any one of the above ideas whenever you start to feel anxious, the sooner the better.

If you have any other ideas or want to share your experience with one of the above ideas, please do. I'd love to hear.  Enjoy!

Today is the day to have fun!

Even if you have to work today, today is the day to have fun. Today is the present.  It is really the only day we are guaranteed to have.  We don't know what tomorrow holds.  So stop holding off until someday in the future to having fun.

So what can you do today to add fun to it?  Can you smile more and laugh with anyone around you?  Can you enjoy lunch outside?  Can you put on happy music?  Can you sing to yourself?  If you are not working, can you imagine you are in vacation-mode and do things at a slower, more relaxed pace?  Can you go to the beach or a park and soak up some sunshine and fresh air?  Can you you cancel some things on your to-do list and do something you would rather do?

Having fun is soooo healthy for you!  Smiling and laughing relaxes the nervous system and takes some load off your body's systems to allow healing and restoration.  Working rigorously and having no fun may seem productive, but it is detrimental to the body.

Action

Go have fun!  Or make your day more enjoyable in some way!  I give you permission to enjoy life!

What is your calling?

I think everyone wants to know what their calling is, if they haven't found it yet.  Your calling is what you feel you are meant to do here while on earth.  A calling is something you enjoy, feel passionate about, love to do, and it contributes to the world in some way.  You don't have to be famous for it.  It doesn't have to bring you a lot of money, (though that would be nice, right?)  It is about something you love and makes your little corner of the world a happier place.

"How can I figure out what my calling is?"  Is that what you are thinking?  I think it's part of our path to grow into it.  When I was in college as an accounting major (because I was good at math), someone was looking into physical therapy schools.  I thought, "Oh that sounds fun.  Helping to teach people to walk again sounds like more fun than sitting behind a desk." So I looked into PT as a major and it happened that my college had it as a Masters program.  I had already told myself I was done after 4 years, not going to school any longer than that.  But when I thought about PT, that all went out the window.  I just knew I wanted to do it.  I didn't know how much money I would make.  It didn't matter.  A school adviser told me it was really hard to get in; the program only took 20 students a year and only 10 from instate.  I most likely wouldn't get in.  I didn't care what he thought. I just knew I could. Well, I did all I had to do and got in!

After I graduated,  I started working in outpatient care and after 2 years I got bored with it.  Someone was learning about a technique called CranioSacral Therapy.  I thought "how cool".  I wanted to learn it.  I started taking lots of the classes.  And so on.  I kept following what I wanted to learn about. I kept following what I loved.  And throughout the years, I kept learning and life kept shifting and giving me challenges and opportunities to change and grow.

Now I treat people in a holistic way.  I have my own practice and I look at the whole body and how each area affects the other as well as how the body, mind, and spirit affects the other.  I help people reach a balance in their body as well as their body, mind, and spirit.  I can feel the energy move inside people. That's so cool to me.  Maybe not to you, but I love it.  I also love being a mom and a wife.  So I do all three and try to keep it all in balance.

Sorry for the long story, but it's the only way I can think of to show you how to find your calling or passion.  It is a process, a life journey.  If you keep following what you love, the path will appear one step at a time.  I would never have thought of all of that when I was thinking about PT school.  Never.

Action

So, it's your turn.  What do you love to do?  What could you talk about or do all day long?  What could you be doing where time just flies by?  What would you be willing to do anything for to be doing this?  It doesn't even matter if it's something you'd be paid for.  Some people's calling is not their job.  They might coach little  league baseball or volunteer at a soup kitchen.  It doesn't have to be a job.  It can also turn into one if you want later.

Start thinking about what you love.  Ask God for guidance.  Feel what's inside you.  It doesn't matter what others think.  It's about being true to yourself and letting your passion out to make the world a happier place.  It's about making you a happier person and letting that shine onto other people.  Take the time and find out.  Start little by little, one step at a time. It's totally worth it!

What's your purpose in life?

I've been thinking about this question a lot lately.  I think everyone wonders what their purpose in life is.  But I think purpose is different than calling or "what we are meant to do".  I think the purpose of life is to enjoy life and to love and contribute to the world at the same time.  It's to grow and learn and make the world a better place in some way.  So if that's the purpose, we all have a purpose to be here.  It is to love, help, learn, and have fun!  So everyone has a purpose!  

We can help in many easy way:
1. Being a parent raising kids
2. Taking care of your parents as they get older
3. Helping others enjoy life
4. Listening and comforting others
5. Passing on what you've learned to others
6. Keeping your neighborhood clean and safe
7. Watching out for other people's kids
8. Making meals for others
9. Loving and accepting others as they are
10.Praying for others

These are just a few of the many, many ways to help in life. Purpose is all about contributing to the world.

Now some of you may be rolling your eyes at me for this blog, right? It sounds silly that I'm writing this.
But for some it is an eye-opener.  Some people think they have no purpose.  Can you image not thinking you are here for a reason?  How sad.  That does not feel good inside, let me tell you.  It's like a hole, emptiness, numbness, or a deadness.

But don't confuse purpose with calling, or passion, or "what we are meant to do".  Some people feel that a purpose has to be this great thing that they are known for or paid for.  They think that they have one purpose in life and if they haven't found it, they have failed.  But if we do all these other things helping others in some way, how have we failed?

Everyone has a purpose and there are many ways to meet that purpose as you can see.  It is a very heavy feeling inside if you feel you don't have purpose here on earth. That is a very basic, elemental need we have to be needed and useful.

Action

Rethink purpose.  We all have purpose.  We all can help and love in some way and enjoy it at the same time. If you still don't feel you have a purpose, why?  Where does that come from?  Or where does it not come from, meaning did you not learn that you have a purpose?

When you can get into your being very deeply that you have a purpose, you can heal that emptiness.  Let it radiate through you that you most likely are already fulfilling your purpose.  Say and really feel, "I have a purpose and I'm already doing it.  The world needs me.  I am awesome and I help in my own unique way, in a way that works for me and I enjoy.  I am here to enjoy life and make it a better, happier place."  Shout it if you have to to really feel it.

A calling is something different and I'll blog on that next, but first you need to feel you have a purpose.  If not, happiness and health are hard to come by.  Your body, mind, and spirit need you to know you have a purpose and are adding to the world!

Thank you for your comments

I want to thank everyone who have left comments.  It is amazing to know people are reading my posts and like them. (Comments that are left as anonymous or have a blog address to check out don't get posted because my program sees them as spam. But I still get them and love to get them.  I have to see how they can be posted.)  I hope to respond to each one, but it has blossomed in the last couple weeks, that I need some time to respond. Someone must really be sharing the link with others. I am truly grateful!  I hope my posts are helping people.  There are way too many people stressed out, unhappy, unhealthy, and discouraged about life.  It's sad. But I know for a fact that it doesn't have to be, so I hope you can heal yourselves and your lives and live your dream life using my blog!

 I also want to thank all who are reading the posts, bookmarking the pages, and signing up to follow by email or blogger.  It is so cool.

Some people have asked me about what host I use for my blogs that they might be able to use too.  At the moment, I am using blogger.com which shows as blogspot in my address.  So if you go to blogger.com and set up an account, you can either do it for free with blogspot in your address or pay a fee to use an address you choose.  It's easy to then pick a template and customize with colors, fonts, etc.  I used the watermark template and then changed my colors.  I hope that helps.  Another good blog site to use is wordpress.com, which I may switch to if it helps me more.  I have my website, paulasilvamspt.com, but would like to put it all together in one place.

My contact info for people to email me is paulasilvamspt@gmail.com or go to my website and leave a message.  Some people have asked how to contact me and communicate.  I would love that.  If you have questions or comments or want to tell me any great news how my blog has helped, I would love that.

When you find something that you love to do and you feel like it's what you are meant to do, it all falls into place.  That's happening for me now.  So I hope you find what you are meant to do and then let it all fall into place.

Thanks again!

Imagination and Positive Energy

It is extremely healthy to relax and bask in some healthy, positive energy.

How do you do that?  One way is by using your imagination.

Take some time and just let your mind wander for awhile.  Imagine your ideal life.  What would you do if you had all the money you needed, that money was not an issue.  What would you do if you had the freedom to decide?  Who would you have in your life?  What would you be doing?  Where would you live?

Some people cannot even imagine what that would be like. A lot of people actually can't imagine that.  You might say, "Paula, why do that to myself?  I would only be teasing myself."  Well, for one thing, if you can't imagine it, then that is probably one reason you don't have it.  You can't go where you can't imagine.

Secondly, and even more importantly, your body needs a good healthy flow of positive, high frequency energy to stay healthy.  We are electrical in nature and need that high frequency energy to function at our best. You know what I'm talking about.  When you are depressed or stressed about something, you feel tired, you get sick easily, you don't have the energy or motivation to do anything.  Now if you are excited about something, doesn't that automatically make you feel energized, like you can do anything.  You can run down the street when you are excited, right?

Your imagination can produce those same reactions.  Imagine what you would love life to look like.  Imagine the people around you.  Imagine places you would visit.  Imagine and feel.  That's the important part.  Feel what it would feel like.  Play it out in your mind and feel it all.  Think of conversations you'd have and activities you'd do.  Feel how happy or relaxed or excited you'd feel.

Feel how good you'd feel to pay off the bills you owe.  Feel how happy you'd feel to be able to bless others. Imagine going out to eat and giving the waiter/waitress a big tip and the smile on their face.  Imagine paying for groceries for the person in line behind you.  Imagine taking your kids to an amusement park for the day and the happiness radiating off them.

Action

It is so good for us to let our minds out of the prisons we've put them in by being stressed and worried.  Give your mind a vacation.  Let it soak up good energy.  Do that for 15-30 minutes and see how you feel.  Do that a few times and see how you feel.  See what ideas start coming to mind and what opportunities start showing up.  It's healthy for you and can change how you see things.  It also has the magic to change the things you see.  Imagine away!

Releasing Emotions and Memories

Most people don't realize how much stress affects us.  This stress can be related to something we are experiencing right now or from something in the past.

Today, I thought I'd blog about past stuff.  Even if you don't think about something that happened in the past, it could still be affecting you in some way.  You may have mentally moved on, but it could still be lingering in the body somewhere in the tissues.  Take for instance, a car accident that you may have had.  Emotions of shock, fear, anger, confusion, etc. as well as the memories of the impact and the repercussions can still be stored in the body.

Say that you saw the accident as it was about to happen, you may have taken a deep breath and tensed up to brace yourself for the impact.  Your ribcage could have retained the memory and held the pattern of being inhaled and has remained that way to an extent even years later.  You may find yourself always bracing for things that might happen in life or "holding your breath".  If you didn't see the accident about to happen, getting rear-ended at a stop sign, you may have "gotten the wind knocked out of you".  One minute everything was fine, then "wham" something hits you from out of the blue.  Your ribcage can actually get stuck exhaled and then doesn't expand as much as it should.  You can find yourself feeling jumpy, tensing up at the slightest sound.  After such a surprise, people say they feel like they are "waiting for the other shoe to drop".  They find it hard to relax.

Another thing to happen in either case is feeling shocked or stunned by the accident.  This can "freeze" a person in the moment. They can find themselves in a place years later where they feel frozen, unable to move forward in life.

These emotions and memories and many more can get trapped in the body.  Releasing them from the tissues allows your body to heal and lighten it's load.  You then feel lighter.  It's not that you have to do anything with it, you just have to release it.  How do you do that?

Action

Think back to the accident or any other situation that you feel might be held.  Go through it step by step, thinking how it went.  Where were you going at the time?  Were you happy or stressed?  What condition were you in?  Think about the details.  What were you wearing?  Who were you with?  Everything you can think of.  Now "feel" what you were feeling.  That's the key.  Allow yourself to feel the shock, fear, aggravation, confusion, etc.  Where do you feel it in your body?  Feel it!  Just feeling it can release it.  Go through it all, even the aggravation of dealing with it after and how it may have affected your life.  No need to get stuck in it now.  Feel the anger toward the driver, but feel it out of you.  Don't waste another minute carrying the anger forward. Do the aftereffects affect you today?  Do you have to be careful of what you do because of the fear of aggravating your neck, back, etc.?  Does it keep you from doing what you want to do?

If you find it overwhelming,  Seek counseling to help you sort it out.  Doing this may bring up issues that the mind may need help understanding.  Or you can have a friend sit with you and ask you questions.  But ask them not to give advice.  That's not what you need in releasing.  What you feel is what you feel, whether pretty or not.  Don't deny the feelings, that's often why they are stuck.  If you need to cry, then cry.  If you need to scream, then scream.  Let it out.  Finish with a nice deep breath with the intention of releasing the emotions and memories.  In the next couple days, you may feel more emotional or tired, just let it be.  It will pass. You'll probably always remember the events, but the emotional charge should release.  If not, do it again another day.  You may have other pieces to release.

This can be done with many issues.  I'll address other situations with questions in other posts.  But for today,  release and move on.  Life is too short to be burdened by the past.  Enjoy!

Going With Your Gut

I know I've talked about this before, but I feel like it needs repeating.  I'm going with my gut today on this.  Maybe this is exactly what you need to be reminded of today.  Go with your gut.

Your gut is your connection to your deeper self and God.  God doesn't work through fear or guilt.  He works through peace.  When you feel peace in your gut about something, that is the right choice.  That's your answer you are looking for.  Trust it and see what happens.

When you listen to your gut on a regular basis, it is very healthy for your body and you will see anxiousness and fear subside.  Your body will relax.  You'll see life is not perfect, but it's perfect for you as it is.  Enjoy the life you have and stop looking at others' lives.  Another person's life is not for you or it would be so already.

Action

Simple, go through your options and see what feels right in your gut.  What feels peaceful inside, even if it's not exactly what you want to do in the moment but know you need to do.  And sometimes it is exactly what you want to do but feel guilty or afraid about it. Go with the peace.

Healthcare: East and West

When it comes to healthcare, many people think you have to choose Eastern or Western philosophy.  I think you can choose both.  They both have their strengths and weaknesses.  I see health in general as a range from vibrant health to crisis, with the middle being the point at which symptoms appear.  Both approaches can help anywhere along the range, but for the most part,Western medicine is really good at bringing a person from crisis to the center.  Western medicine tends to halt once you have no symptoms.  Eastern medicine can take over and bring you to vibrant health.  I'm sure there is overlapping of the two as well.(This is my view anyway. Others may not agree.)

If you were in an accident and your arm is hanging off, you would want to go to the emergency room and have it sewn back on, not go get acupuncture.  If you are proactive and eat well, take vitamins, get massages, acupuncture, and other bodywork, you may remain healthy and not need medication for blood pressure, etc.  You can maintain a sense of balance in your body and not tend toward crisis.  But things do happen in life where crisis can occur.

 Why do you have to choose one or the other? Why can't you integrate the two.  Why can't you take supplements and medicine if you know how they will work together?  There are professionals out there who can help you with that.  This can be your physician, a naturopath, a homeopath, etc.  Why not get regular bodywork, eat well, stay active, and check in with your doctor on a regular basis.  And then if you do get sick or injured and natural remedies are not enough, then seek help from specialists, medication, surgery, etc.

It doesn't have to be one or the other.  And sometimes it takes more than one approach to help.

Action

The only action I can say to take here is to keep an open mind.  Ask friends and family what has worked for them.  More and more people are integrating the two.  And what may work for one person doesn't always work for someone else. You have to listen to your gut and see what resonates with you.  Try different things and see what helps you.  It may take a combination of resources to help you.  No one practitioner knows everything. You can also research therapies, etc on the computer. If I can help in your search, please let me know.  Good luck and keep an open mind.

Get One Thing Done Today

Get one thing done today.  That's it.  Make sure you get one thing done today.  When you add that up in a year, that's 365 things you got done!

When you wake up in the morning and think about all that needs to get done, you might feel like staying in bed.  You can feel overwhelmed even before you start your day.  Some people stay in bed and give up already. Some get up and start the day cranky. Some get up and fiddle around not really being effective. And some get up and go at it, collapsing at the end of the day feeling exhausted and not having enjoyed the day at all..

If you really think about it, the things we think we "have" to do, aren't as important as we think.  Not enough to waste a day.  We may feel productive by getting it done, but at what expense?

Why not look at your day as if you are going to enjoy it as best as you can and in the process get one thing done.  Just one thing.  If you end up feeling energized by it and want to do more, then that's fine.  But you just have one thing on your "to do" list.  That way you want to get out of bed.  And you start out the day on a good note and full of energy.  You haven't depleted your energy with your thinking.

That one thing may be cleaning a room or a closet, paying bills, or organizing tax papers.  Some days, when you are feeling tired, that may be going to work and that's it.  Some days, that may be taking care of your kids making sure you are nice to them and that they are still alive at the end of the day.  We try to fit too much into a day some times, get cranky, and wonder why we are tired.

The weekends should be for fun, not to catch up on everything. We waste the whole weekend and then Monday comes and we are out of steam already.

Action

Obviously, the action today is: "Get one thing done today".  Today, mine was to write a blog.  I have been meaning to write for a week, but had too many things on my "to do" list.  Three days ago, my friend reminded me of this idea of the "one thing".  Since then,  I  have gotten three things done that have been weighing on my mind.  I enjoyed doing that one thing and then enjoyed the rest of the day full of energy.  So take it from me: do one thing today.

Following Your Dreams

Following your dreams is very important to your health.  It's not selfish.  It's following your heart's desires.  It's listening to what's inside you.  And that's good for you, those you love, and the world in general.  It brings happiness and good energy to the world.

There is a saying: "Don't die with your music still inside you."  We were all put on earth with a song in us.  That song means a gift, a passion, a dream, or whatever you call it.  We were meant to let it out.  It doesn't matter if you become famous or not.  It doesn't matter if you make money from it or not.  It doesn't have to reach a lot of people.  It just needs to be released from you, one way or another.

I have had a dream of writing a book for years.  I knew it wasn't time to do it yet, but I always thought I would and hoped I would.  Well, I finally did!  I have been working on it for over a year.  I finally submitted it to a self-publishing company to put it all together.  It doesn't matter if it is a best-seller.  It doesn't matter if only one person reads it.  It only matters that I did it.  I let my song out.  I will not die with it inside.

I encourage everyone to do the same.  Holding a dream inside and not following it holds in a great energy that needs to be expressed.  It causes not only tension in the body, but a sadness of something not being birthed.  Don't die with your song in you.

Action
Listen to what's inside you that's itching to get out.  Feel what it feels like inside at the thought of it coming true.  You can feel the excitement, nervousness, and happiness it would bring, don't you?  Then listen to God, or your higher power or center, of what steps to take to get there.  It may take time and have to be done step by step, but once it happens, there is no greater feeling.  Follow your dreams!


(And now that my time is freed up again because the book is out of my hands, I'm excited to get back to blogging again.  Sorry for the lapse in writing.)

Spice Things Up

Now that it's February, especially here in the north east area, we can use some spicing up.  I find I can start feeling bored or tired staying indoors most of the time.  It's a great time to make some changes to freshen things up.

I love change!  I don't need to move far away, sell my house, or make major life or relationship changes to freshen things up. Sometimes it can be small changes.  For instance, I like rearranging furniture in a room.  As kids, my sister and I would either change around our rooms or swap rooms for something new.  It was so much fun and the next few weeks, we would love to hang out in our rooms.  Even when I was 9 months pregnant, I remember sliding furniture around in the living room in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep.

As you can see, I just changed how my blogsite looks.  It needed a little freshening.  We can always change things back if we don't like it.  I also played around with my website look.  I can get tired of things easily.

I like change so much, I have had to start painting rooms in my house a neutral color and using color in the pillows, curtains, and other accessories because my husband was tired of me repainting rooms.  I also have a neutral color house and shutters.  I just change the color of the front door on occasion.  It has already been 3 different colors in the last 10 years.  And I'm ready to change it again.  I also plant different color flowers each spring in the front yard to freshen things up.  I've also painted my office a neutral color of a silvery-grey and have deep red accents.  Those accents may change as spring comes along.

Sometimes I like to change up my hair, makeup, clothes, etc.  I also like to go get my car washed and get a new car freshener.  These may all be small changes, but I feel refreshed and happier when I do them.

Happiness is one of the most important things we can do for our health.  So if these little changes can make me happy, then great; it doesn't cost much or take much effort.

Action

Do something to spice things up.  It doesn't take much, but you may find you get a little hooked and want to make more changes.  It gets addicting.  Have fun!

In with the New Year!

Happy New Year!  

Doesn't it make you feel hopeful for something fresh and new?  That's what's great about the new year.

This is the time to close out the old and make space for the new.  First we need to wrap up the old year. We can keep all the good memories, successes, and lessons learned from the old.  We can recap on good feelings, good relationships, and good change we saw in ourselves and the world around us.

Next, we can and need to let go of the negative stuff. It will weigh us down mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  Forget the disappointments, the failures, the losses, and the traumas.  I know that sounds hard to do, but we will carry it in our bodies if we don't.

You may have lost someone close to you.  Allow yourself to grieve and then move on knowing that they are in a much better place free from the worries, sadness, and hurts of life.  Their spirits are freely floating around and they are watching over us.  Some people may not believe that, but I have seen time and time again how clients of mine have felt their loved one's presence and signs of them around.  Remember the good things about them and let go of the sadness.  They would want you to.  They want to see you happy.  They share that happiness with you.  They don't want you to be sad.

We also need to forgive others, for our sake.  We carry them around energetically with us if we don't.  It's okay to be mad for awhile, but then you have to let them go for your health.  Forgiving them doesn't mean you have to stay in relationship with them.  Either distance yourself in some way, move on or vow to not allow them to walk all over you.  Teach them to treat you differently.

The great thing about a new year is that we can release whatever happened this past year and leave it in the past.  Once we release the past and close out 2013, we can then move on to 2014.

How do you want next year to turn out?  What do you hope for?  What kind of person do you want to be? What do you want to experience?

Before you start writing a list of things to do for a new year's resolution, start with a vision.  Have the picture in mind.  How do you want to see yourself?  How do you want to see your life?  Keep it broad.  What feelings do you want to feel?  Do you want to be happy?  Do you want to see yourself getting up every morning happy and ready for the day hopeful that it will be great?  Do you want to see yourself smiling and laid back enjoying life?  Start with the snapshot.

Then make the vision more specific in what you see around you.  Do you envision a new location, a new career, a new relationship?  Maybe you already have this and you just envision it being better.  Maybe there is a bigger plan in mind and you see it starting to take shape this year.  Change can take time.  As long as you are moving forward in ways you want, don't worry how long it takes.  I think life is a journey and that there is a bigger plan for our lives.  We just need to stay in tune with it.

Once you have a better focus on what you want, break it down into small, manageable pieces. Don't start with a scary to-do list that requires lots of motivation, which of course dies out quickly.  Think about what you can do this week to work toward your vision.  Then each day, wake up and assess what can be done today.

Action

Recap:
1. Close out 2013.  What was good?  What do you want to let go of?
2. Form a broad vision of you and life in 2014.
3. Funnel it down into a more focused vision.
4. Organize it into weekly goals.
5. Each day, meditate on what you can do today.