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Balance, Health, Control.

5/9/2013

12 Comments

 
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Balance, Health, control. Yoga teaches us to be flexible with things that come to us in life that we cannot control.  We learn how to stand strong through different challenges and bend with the wind. This is balance and with practices that helps one balance their body with movements and breath, their mind with movements and breath, then one's spirit is calmed and balanced within.  A central balance is the goal to maintaining health and well being. It is when one is tense, stressed, foggy, worry-filled and more that their body takes on different forms.  Some days holding one asana (yoga pose) for a long period of time works and feels right, other times it doesn't and the energy needs to be focused on another asana to help move it out, or balance it within.

When the understanding of Prana and Qi arrive one can see how different exercises are needed in life.  When one feels a tense muscle, there is stagnation in the tissues and more blood flow and movement is needed to help shift the toxins out of the tissue and push them out of the body through the detoxification pathways. With regular movements this happens naturally, yet our society is in various routine patterns of physical movements that lock one's body into patterns for many hours at a time. That can lead to Qi stagnation and later blood stagnation if the body isn't moved in other ways.  After working on a computer for hours, one may naturally jump up and stretch in different ways, this is of high importance. Stretch it out, look silly for a minute if other are watching.  You may be actually showing them a healing technique or even a way to free them from a locked patterns they are in. They may even jump up and show you a stretch, ahh.

Control, the more flexible we are with our body the more control we can have over our health.  Once one's detoxification pathways are more open, our muscles are more nourished as they are used and our mind is calmed as we shift out different emotions that may be hidden.  This leads into the reiteration of the importance of diet as the food one eats directly affects the tissues of the body giving one strength and vitality. Healthy food, clearer mind, stronger body.

Namaste


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Meditate

2/18/2012

9 Comments

 
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There are many different styles and intentions of meditation practices, finding one that inspires and is healing for you is very personal. Meditation is a health care practice for your mind, body and soul that can speed up healing processes and calm emotions.  It can help you stay focused while taking a test, and has shown to improve mental clarity and memory amongst many other benefits.
   
Meditation can be done sitting in a chair, sitting on the floor, laying down, and even while walking in a crowd.  It is as versatile as it needs to be giving us many ways to connect with ourselves.  Here are some pointers I give to my patients who want to start a meditation practice for the first time.

~ Start out with short meditations a few days a week to see how you feel with it. When you were a child you learned to crawl before you walked, and you walked before you ran.  There are many different "muscles" that you train when starting to build a meditation practice.  Meditation is also a great detoxifier for the body and mind making each session unique.

~ Position - you may find that you are more comfortable in one position than another to sit for a period of time without falling asleep or your legs falling asleep.  Over time these positions may change for you.

- Ready - To start, set a timer so you don't have to worry about checking a clock and turn your phone ringer off. For your first few times see where sitting for 3 minutes takes you, close your eyes, focus on taking slow, full breaths in and out. If your mind wanders to all the things you have to do, that's O.K., if you start to fade out and clear your mind, that is O.K. too.  There is no right or wrong with starting to get your self used to spending time with yourself.


~ Remember - Each time you may feel and think different.  Keeping a meditation journal is a wonderful way to track your personal progress and patterns.

Enjoy!


   

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Grounding with Nature's Roots

11/18/2011

8 Comments

 
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Eating with the seasons used to be the only option, but today with options from all over the world one's overall well being can get confused and ungrounded.  Certain foods grow at specific times of the year and location to help balance the changes the seasons have on our systems.  We are now deep in the season of Fall as the elements become dryer, colder and lighter with the wind picking up to help move things in a stronger and faster way.  We can feel these attributes in our body, and with our thoughts and emotions. Below is a list of a few of the root vegetables of the season and their health promoting benefits according to Chinese Medicine. 

Beetroot - 
Tonify and builds the blood, promotes Qi (energy, Prana) circulation in the body, especially with the Heart, Liver, Small Intestine and Large Intestine. By tonifying blood our body has more nutrients and when we are nourished, we feel more settled and grounded within ourselves. The temperature is neutral, it counteracts cold and the flavor is sweet.

Carrots -
Tonify Qi, and help circulate Qi throughout the body.  They help remove toxins and counteract heat and damp heat in the body.  Carrots nourish our Liver, Lung and Spleen. Their temperature is neutral and their flavor is sweet.

Yams - Tonify and build Qi and Yin.  By balancing and nourishing the Yin in our body we help to calm and ground ourselves.  Yams nourish our Kidneys, Lung and Spleen. Their temperature is neutral and their flavor is sweet.

Incorporating root vegetables into meals can help strengthen one's body and calm their mind throughout changes in their life as well, not just in the Fall.  Understanding the different health benefits of food is a medicine we all can use.

Cheers to your health~ 



8 Comments

    Author
    Jennifer Saferstein M.S., L.Ac., A.P.

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