Non-Attachment vs. Detachment
“Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.” – Zen saying.
Article By Andrea
This to me has been an important concept lately, keeping in mind that we are always talking to ourselves anyway, right? So whats the difference? Being Non-attached means being detached, right? Not exactly, or at least not the way I see.
When I am detached from something, I do not care, at all… meaning I do not feel LOVE toward the situation, event, person, etc. I feel NOTHING at all. When I am detached from something, it is almost more of a defense mechanism to protect myself than a spiritual fruit of my practice. Anyone no matter how far along their path can feel detached… its built into the framework of the ego to detach in order to protect us. This is indifference, hidden anger, aloofness.
5 Energy Rich Foods
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.”
- La Rochefoucauld
Article By Andrea
In the hustle and bustle of today’s society, we ALL can use a little more energy. Why not get it from our foods? With the sale of “5 hour energy” and its myriad of derivatives on the rise, coffee as a daily staple, and over 25% of Americans consuming fast food regularly, I cannot help but think that the idea of “food as fuel” has been lost somewhere along the line. We are what we eat, and most of us are deficient is some vitamin or another.
My disclaimer of course is that I feel its important to take a multivitamin everyday that is packed full of minerals as well as vitamins. Which brings me to disclaimer number two, hydration. Its important to drink several glasses of water everyday. A large percentage of people are dehydrated which leads to fatigue, weakness, headaches, and joint & muscle pain. If that’s not a solid case for drinking more water, I don’t know what is.
That being said, here are 5 foods that will help fight fatigue, keep your immune system in tip top shape, and get you back on the top of your game: (more…)
Stress & the Mind Body Connection
Article By Heidi Rushforth
We’ve all heard that stress can be damaging to our health. Most people think that the symptoms of stress are acute; high blood pressure, sleep problems, inability to focus. But I would argue that stressful states of mind (including depression and chronic anxiety) are the culprit of many long-lasting and more serious illnesses.
How does stress lead to serious illness? Dr. Sapolsky, a leading neuroendocrinologist who studies stress and neural degeneration, describes the effects of stress like this: if you’re a zebra, and a hungry lion is chasing you, the adrenaline makes you run faster, think quicker, and helps you remember how you saved your skin the last time.
However, zebras, and most other mammals for that matter, don’t suffer chronic stress the way humans do. Once the zebra escapes, his stress is over, and he goes back to living life in the present-because he knows no other way. Zebras don’t have mortgages, traffic jams, or unpaid overtime. (more…)
One Reason Diets Don’t Last
Article by Nonamae Satya
What stands in the way of consistency is not that we don’t know what to do…we do. If I asked you right now what you could be doing to improve your health I’m sure you’d rattle off a list of should’s. So the problem isn’t what we don’t know…
Part of the problem is what we do know, on a deep heart level, but don’t want to fully face.
We haven’t yet dealt with the mental/emotional blocks or life circumstances that keep us eating unconsciously or emotionally.
As a society we’ll do just about anything to not think or feel, and we do this to the point where we weaken our will, we weaken our personal power, and we weaken our bodies. (more…)
How To Be Healthy During These Tough Economic Times
Article by Heather Cozen, MS MFTI
A few years ago, I composed a list titled “Resources for Living Cheaper, Greener, Happier and Sexier in Los Angeles.” It is my belief that to be a balanced individual, we must nurture our minds, bodies and spirits. Never has there been a more important time, with the economy as it is, to pull out this awesome list and put it to great use. While many of us are out of a job, looking for jobs, fearing we may lose our job or working really hard so we won’t lose our jobs, it detrimental that we strive for balance so we don’t lose our minds!
Because some of you reading this article will not live in Los Angeles, I will make my suggestions more general so that these things can be found in most cites. However, if you are interested in reading the Los Angeles list, visit my blog at http://heathercozen.blogspot.com/ where you will find my full list. Below are just a few ways to maintain balance in a cost effective way.
FOOD:
Cook! Cooking can not only save you money, but can also be fun, creative, and allow you to feel more connected to what you put in your body. Also, it can really impress someone you are dating or in a relationship with if you have some sweet cooking skills! (more…)
Happiness 101
“Seek not to change the World, but choose to change your mind about the World” – A Course In Miracles
Article By Andrea
We’ve heard it before right, that happiness comes from the inside. That money and fast cars won’t make you happy. But how do we know? I mean I FEEL happy when I get that new car, or when all my bills are paid and there’s still some money left over, don’t I?
Of course I feel good…but when we talk about happiness, we don’t really mean fleeting happiness. When we think about happiness, we mean lasting happiness; the kind of happiness that doesn’t go away when you lose everything. (more…)
Cleansing is MORE than a body journey…
Photo Credit: Bruce Rolff
Article by Nonamae Satya
http://www.HolisticApproachToWeightLoss.com
Cleanses are spiritual in nature…
We need awareness and space in our spiritual lives to thrive and develop. Cleansing provides one platform in which to explore space and spirituality.
A cleanse will give you the physical benefits of clarity of mind and body, increased energy, possible jump start to releasing unnecessary weight, etc. It will also, if you allow it, gift you a greater sense of self, closer relationship with your body, and increase your spiritual awareness.
(more…)
Self-Care 101
Article by Dr. Sara Lederer
http://www.davidplotkinphd.com/
Establishing and engaging in self-care techniques are a salient function of our ability to thrive as human beings. Self-care can be defined as anything that makes us feel whole, nourished, good about ourselves, brings about relaxation and has little to no negative consequences. Engaging in a lifestyle embedded with self-care- things that make us feel good about ourselves- as well as enhance our daily existences is quintessential. Self-care not only supports our daily functioning, but prepares us with coping skills for difficult times.
The following is an exploration of self-care techniques: (more…)
Humor Can Heal
love. light. laughter courtesy of jewelflyt, on Flickr
Article By Heather Cozen, M.S.
A psychology professor once asked my class, “What do you think the biggest form of stress relief is?” Students began to shout out the answers.
“Meditation!”
“Yoga!”
“Exercise!”
Our professor merely shook her head and stood for a moment in silence. Finally, she said, “None of these answers are correct. The biggest stress relief is actually FUN!” In this moment, the class let out simultaneous exhales, and my life was forever changed.
Transformation
Caccoon courtesy of danthejugglergrider, on Flickr
Article by Heidi Rushforth
What does it take to make a transformative change in one’s life? How many times have you made New Year’s resolutions, just to fall back into those old habits you wanted so badly to change?
Sadly, many of us need to ‘hit rock bottom’, as the expression goes, before we will make a lasting change. That may sound a little extreme – why would any sane person wait until things are absolutely at their lowest before they get serious about changing their lives?
