READ: Resurrecting Happy by Shasta Townsend
April 10, 2012 by Shasta
Filed under •-Feature, Health & Well-being, Natural Healing, Yoga
What do you want most in your life?
If you are like most people you would say, “To be happy.”
Even if you said more money, a lover, a nicer home ask yourself why you want those things. I would suggest in the having of them you believe you will be more happy.
What if you could just be happy now – even without them?
Our “American dream” culture suggests that we will be happy when we get more money, more status or more reputation but recently released studies suggest that although the wealth of the average North American has doubled in the last 50 years we are actually not any happier. So we have bigger houses and nicer cars but we are not actually happier.
So what does make us happy?
Research suggests humans are happiest when they focus on these three intrinsic values:
- Personal growth or connecting to who we really are as individuals and unfolding our purpose
- Cultivating close relationships or being apart of a community of like-minded people
- Being in service to others and the world
Happy me doing all three values!
I am not suggesting you abandon your Porsche and live in a yurt but if you are seeking to resurrect happiness then connect to yourself, connect to others and just lend a helping hand.
Rather than negating yourself take that course or learning that you feel called to.
Rather than isolating ask someone to go for coffee or just smile at a stranger.
Rather than saying it’s not your problem, pick up that piece of garbage or help someone with childcare.
I guarantee you will feel happier.
Like me you may have spent many years of life working, striving, wanting to improve, overcome, succeed and achieve – which is all good but in the end for what if we are not happy?
I dedicate this spring to the resurrection of happy! I still have a To Do list and love moving and shaking but at the top of my list every day is “Seek Happy.”
Much love to you all.
Namaste
Shasta
Shasta Townsend is a passionate lover of life, cultivator of possibility and guide to radiant being both on and off the Yoga mat. She is the creator and director of Balanced Life Yoga, a freelance wellness, travel and well-being writer and a leader in grounded transformational spirituality. Her love of freedom and joy and her intention to always expand takes her to fresh and exciting places on the mat and around the globe. She offers group and individual transformation to help people live a life they love. Her own heart-based creation, Balanced Life Yoga is a community of light, transformation and possibility. You can connect with her in class or private sessions there (www.balancedlifeyoga.ca) or on Facebook (and follow her exploits and unfoldings).
Join her for a special offering dedicated to happiness and potential:
Super-Power Brain & Life Creation with Shasta
- Tuesdays April 9-May 13 from 8:00-9:00 PM $99
YOU can be, do and have all that you seek. Join Shasta for a compelling and enjoyable journey into mindfulness, manifestation and metaphysics and learn how to train your brain to be super powerful, calm and present so you can create the life and success you seek the most. All levels. This course is open to everyone seeking to create a great life. You do NOT have to have any meditation, Yoga or spiritual practice. If you participated in our January session, please note we will review some aspects but much of the material will be new. Please join us again for a fabulous journey that will blow your mind!!!
Six weeks for only $99
READ: Yoga ~ A Menopause Alternative to HRT by Mache Seibel M.D.
March 21, 2012 by Mache Seibel MD
Filed under •-Feature, Health & Well-being, Holistic Living, Natural Healing, Natural Remedies, Yoga
Twenty years ago during a particularly stressful period of work, I began taking a yoga class as a non-pharmacologic antidote. I was running a center for reproduction and women’s health, working 24/7 and needed a way to relax. I had the good fortune to enroll with a yogini named Hari Khar Khalsa, and I took classes from her for a period of time. One day after class I asked her if she would be interested in teaching a yoga class to my patients to lower their stress. We began a series of yoga classes with the first hour consisting of us sitting on mats on the floor with my patients and discussing a health topic. I called them “Mat Chats.” The second hour was devoted to yoga with a focus on the medical topic we had just covered.
Over time, I not only received the benefit of lowering my own stress level through yoga, but also the benefit of Hari’s friendship and ultimately collaboration on A Woman’s Book of Yoga, a book that combines Eastern and Western medicine to help women at different stages of their lives. Since that time, I’ve suggested yoga to many of my patients. One group that I find it particularly useful for is women in and around menopause. They often tell me it helps them deal with their symptoms. Because many women either can’t or won’t take hormone therapy, finding an effective alternative is really important.
I was delighted to discover that the February 2012 issue of the journal Menopause, finally proves yoga reduces menopause symptoms, hot flashes and improves sleep. This is the first study to do so. The article studied women between the ages of 50 and 65 with no yoga experience and who were not taking hormones or antidepressants. The study lasted 4 months and included two one-hour yoga sessions per week, which combined stretching exercises and breathing techniques. Compared to a group of women who only did stretching, the yoga group improved their sleep and their mental health, and also their menopausal symptoms. The researchers believe this is because yoga increases levels of the brain hormone -aminobutyric acid, which calms the brain. Yoga also seems to increase levels of the sleep inducing hormone melatonin.
Another benefit of yoga is that it amplifies the parasympathetic tone in the body, which aids relaxation and reduces the sympathetic tone – the so-called fight or flight hormones. This may be an important part of why sleep patterns improve and hot flashes are reduced. Most women observe that when they are stressed, their hot flashes increase.
As more and more women question whether or not to take HRT, and women with breast cancer are typically not able to take HRT, finally getting proof that an alternative approach reduces symptoms of menopause, lowers hot flashes and improves sleep is a great thing. So if you are looking for an alternative to HRT, or even if you are taking HRT and just want to help your insomnia, improve your mental health and your menopausal symptoms, grab your yoga mat, enroll in a yoga class with a good instructor, practice several times per week, and sleep tight. Namaste.
Click here for a FREE ebook Ten Top Stress Busters as my gift to Vivid Life readers.
Machelle (Mache) Seibel, MD is one of America’s top health communicators. Whether speaking, consulting, writing or composing he teaches people the health information they need and the perspective they require to stay well. His passion is to help America stay well. “It’s better to stay well than to get well.” Professor and Director, Complicated Menopause Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School 2004-Present Founder of HealthRock®, reshaping health education with music and entertainment Harvard Medical School faculty nearly two decades Past Medical Director, Inverness Medical Innovations (now Alere) 2008 Recipient, Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award, the University of Texas Medical Branch’s highest honor Multiple national awards for research, writing, music and patient education received Author/editor 14 books, over 200 scientific articles, past editor-in-chief of the medical journal Sexuality, Reproduction & Menopause Advisory board of Dr. Mehmet Oz’s HealthCorps initiative to fight childhood obesity Repeatedly voted into Best Doctors in America Hosted PBS and NYC TV episodes, frequent media expert http://www.doctorseibel.com/
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By any standards, I was a fat child. So much so that at 29 months old, I was dubbed Mighty Mite by a front page article in the Galveston Daily News. They ran the article because I was the fattest kid my age in all of Galveston County. People at the time thought “a fat baby is a healthy baby.” Now we know a fat baby often is not a healthy baby and much more likely to be a fat and unhealthy adult. In 2012, 1 in 3 children are obese. Mission Readiness, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization run by retired military leaders dedicated to investing in America’s youth, discovered that today, 27% of 17- to 24-year-olds, some 9 million, are too fat to…
5 Tools for Spring Renewal By Kimberly Carroll
Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” -Robin Williams This week ushers in the official start of Spring! Yes, we all know winter is invaluable in the way it forces us into that place of deep inward reflection where…blah, blah, blah. Ok, I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough ruminating…I’m ready to kick winter’s butt to the door and start seizing the revitalizing energy of SPRING!
READ: Yoga Body Beautiful – Fabulous Food Combining by Adrienne Kelly-Durys
February 16, 2012 by Adrienne
Filed under •-Headline, Food and Recipes, Health & Well-being, Holistic Living, Natural Healing, Weight Management, Yoga
Have you ever started your day out feeling great with lots of energy, a good appetite and a nice flat tummy…and then throughout the day as you eat what you think are healthy foods, your waistline begins to slowly expand until at the end of the day you are feeling tired and bloated and thinking “what the heck did I eat?”. The truth is it may not have been exactly what you ate, but how and when you ate it.
When we eat a meal (or even a snack for that matter), our bodies produce digestive enzymes in order to effectively digest and assimilate our foods.But the human body is not designed to digest more than one type of food at a time, and it is difficult for our bodies to produce multiple different types of enzymes to break down different foods. For example, foods such as melons that turn into simple sugars require only 15-30 minutes to digest while the proteins in nuts and meat could take up to 4 hours to digest and assimilate. Improper food combining is one of the major causes of digestive discomfort. The results of poor food combining leads to: bloating, indigestion (and heartburn), poor assimilation of nutrients, lack of energy, weight gain, bowel discomfort and toxic build up in the colon. The following are some easy-to-follow guidelines for proper food combining for optimal digestion and health:
Combinations that work:
- Leafy greens + veggies + proteins
- Leafy greens + veggies + fats
- Leafy greens + veggies + starches
- Fruit and desserts should be eaten alone
Combinations to avoid
- Starch + Fruit
- Starch + Protein
- Protein + Fruits
If you are stuck feeling bloated and heavy after a meal with any improper food combinations, try sipping on a peppermint or ginger tea. This will help soothe the stomach and help in the digestion process. Wishing you happy and healthy food combining!
Adrienne Kelly-Durys is a Certified Nutritional Practitioner, 500Hr RYT and lover of feeling good in mind and body. She teaches Yoga and wellness classes at Balanced Life Yoga and specializes in detoxing and nourishment. Classes include Power Hour Yoga, Core Yoga and Strength Therapy, Power Hour +Bonus and Holistic Nutritional Consulting. http://www.balancedlifeyoga.ca
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I worked in a Health Food store for over four years, and I recall each year right after the holidays there would be a rush of customers who would come in to the store asking the same thing: “Do you have anything that can help me lose weight?” As an employee at the store, it was my job to suggest a product that would help them shed some pounds, whether it was an herb to help suppress their appetite, or a supplement to help increase their metabolism. But these products never really addressed the elephant in the room that was asking “what about changing your diet, or how often are you exercising?”
Healthy and Tasty Memphis Eats by Carolyn Scott-Hamilton
Memphis, the birthplace of rock n’ roll, home to Elvis and famed Beale Street, this music city right on the banks of the Mississippi River. Known for it’s bbq, I was beyond delighted with incredible food that was abound for a little ol’ vegan. The city is rich with history and boasts some famous folks but now, it’s quickly becoming a hub for great special diet culinary finds!
READ: Ancient Science for Modern Women by Jaisri M. Lambert
February 2, 2012 by VividLife Editorial
Filed under •-Feature, Ayurveda, Health & Well-being, Holistic Living, Natural Healing, Natural Remedies
Ayurveda is a collected wisdom of ages and sages, and is extremely relevant to today’s
woman. Ayurveda is, first and foremost, a science of preventative living through the
application of accrued wisdom. Traditionally, women are the first teachers of preventative
living; often, however, modern women do not care for themselves first, even though they
must—for a healthy self, family and community.
Physically, digestion is the principle focus of health; psychologically, one’s life
philosophy is the primary focus of health; spiritually, meditation and selfless service are the
primary focus of health. Observing these together produces health and happiness for a
woman and beyond.
Transformation through Digestion
“Agni,” (meaning metabolic fire in Sanskrit) implies transformation—the food
transforms into you, the image transforms into a name, the experience transforms into
wisdom. These parallel digestive processes involve heat (tapas), which implies austerity.
Restraint is necessary to choose suitable foods to be eaten at a suitable time. Serve the main
meal at noon and a lighter meal in the evening.
Food science in Ayurveda is based on the “Law of the Six Tastes” rather than on the
relationship between proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, which are isolated
food components. Today’s woman would do well to simplify food fads and to move toward
classical concepts of nourishing herself and her family by considering the taste on the tongue
of foods served daily.
“Shad rasa” (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent) describes the global effects
of substances at all four stages of digestion. While Western science does not yet discuss the
post-digestive effect of foods, Ayurveda talked about sub-atomic assimilation (the emotional
interface of mind and body) thousands of years ago.
The process of eating is meant to both cure and prevent disease. Most disease can be
cured or managed by adjusting the food habits passed down from time immemorial through
mothers and grandmothers, who taught their children good food choices and healthful lifestyle habits to help prevent illness. Herbs to take and observances to remember were
passed down from generation to generation in the kitchen.
An experienced Ayurvedic practitioner can offer advice on specific food choices for
individual women and their family members. Herbal supplements may, from time to time,
be needed for unresponsive symptoms to help maintain balance.
Thoughtful Nourishment
Ayurvedic medical science is based mostly in the Sankhiya philosophy of creation, as
expounded by the great sage Kapila, who taught that the soul is eternal and takes on various
transiting “coverings” (koshas). These soul coverings include the acculturalization body,
which nourishes itself through mental repetition; the respiratory covering, which nourishes
itself from oxygen in the air (prana); and the physical body, which nourishes itself from daily
food intake.
One’s thoughts are generated by a precipitation of qualitative tendencies and repeated
choices, which in turn generate the secretion of a fluid neuro-transmitter. This
communication then enters the general circulation to nourish and form our bodily tissues.
Qualitative mental influences have a greater impact on well-being than food choices, and
therefore are more important in the prevention and healing of disease. It’s best to maintain
one’s focus on emotional balance. A mother is the first guide to restrain the child from -
potentially harmful practices, and she teaches by example. So, once again, a woman must
care for the self first to best care for others.
Resting Meditation
Providing rest to the mind is critical to maintaining mental and emotional equilibrium.
Joy comes from the contentment of everyday satisfactions such as appropriate food,
meaningful work, loving relationships and opportunities to serve in the world.
A woman needs to take time to withdraw from worldly life in order to re-charge and discharge her “batteries,” which can be unduly affected by stress. Taking 20 to 60 minutes daily
in the morning and evening for quiet introspection refreshes the consciousness and restores
creative enthusiasm to the mind. Sit facing east for ease in receptivity to the inner light of
gladness. Sit with the back straight and relax the body deeply, gradually. Focus the attention
in the third eye (located approximately behind and between the eyebrows) and return the focus
there if the mind wanders. Follow the breath until the mind become quiet behind the
root of the eyebrows. Let the mind rest between respiratory phases.
Morning meditation supports the day to unfold with grace and alignment, while evening
meditation supports preparation for deep rest and repair of the body’s cells. If you awaken
early in the early morning, sit in meditation, which will to help provide deeper restoration to
your body than will fitful sleep.
Seva (Selfless Service)
In Ayurveda, the spiritual priorities used to guide difficult decision-making are:
God/Goddess first, family second and community third. “God” (cultivating love) is first by
giving priority to meditation and the remembrance of our divine nature, according to one’s
personal style and beliefs. Secondly, decisions are made in favour of the family’s needs.
Ayurvedic teaching is to put oneself in the first position of family, that is, to put one’s own
self-care first. Next in priority is the spouse’s needs, then the parents’ or children’s,
depending on the ages and stages of need, and then other family members.
If energy or resources such as time or money remain, up to half can be given away to the
community as selfless service. To give hidden donations with no consideration for return is
meritorious and helps ensure enduring spiritual health and strength. If only one-tenth or
one-fortieth can be spared, this is still very effective in cleansing spiritual imbalances such as
fear or judgment while strengthening faith and tolerance. With loving kindness, such as
volunteering or many daily kind acts for the family or community, happiness, freshness and
creativity return to the mind, heart and body.
Once again, it is common for women to take the last place in the priority chain, but
really they need to put themselves first. Only then can excellent care of self and others be
created and sustained.
Women and Public Health
Throughout history, women have upheld family and community health. Nowadays, the
responsibilities of women have further increased and stress has grown as a result. However,
practice of the basic principles of food science, herbology and loving kindness is enough to
sustain individual health even in today’s busy lifestyle. Still, the realization of the importance
of self-care is absolute. Taking time to rest while menstruating, for example, is a single
important gesture to make each month for self-care. The consequences of not observing rest during the flow are costly for society. The consequences of hormonal replacement therapy
for birth control and menopause management are also costly for women and their society, as
are the consequences of imbalance, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Ayurveda is a universal science of everyday living, brought to us through an ancient oral
tradition of living principles of ancient wisdom. Living includes eating, sleeping, thinking,
relating, working and, indeed, all of life. When a woman accepts that her life is of the utmost
importance, the balance and health that results benefits not only her but those she loves as
well.
Jaisri M. Lambert has studied and taught Ayurveda since 1990. See the HANS “Calendar
of Events” at http://www.hans.org for her upcoming lectures, classes and appearances.
Jaisri can be reached at (604) 290-8201 (Canada) or (408) 378-2880 (US).
Her website is http://ayurveda-seminars.com
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READ: The Only Question that Matters in 2012 by Shasta Townsend
January 18, 2012 by Shasta
Filed under •-Feature, Health & Well-being, Meditation, Metaphysical, Natural Healing, Personal Growth, Spirituality, Yoga
We are living in a zone of change in 2012. We are beginning the 5th world age according to many ancient prophecies including the Mayans. According to the Mayans there is a window of time that is called the zone of change and it is from 1980-2016. That’s when we can expect and see a lot of change. We are halfway though that window. We are already living the prophecy.
We are seeing great and beautiful things happening but for many people it is uncharted territory. We are living in a zone of change but it’s not necessary that something bad is going to happen. However it is a key time to begin to reflect and shift our thinking patterns so we may create a life based in joy, sustainability and collaboration. Much of our thinking patterns are based on false assumptions of competition and lack. Many choices are based in fear. The new age asks for cooperation, innovation and faith. We are the generation that bridges two worlds. This is no ordinary time. It is a time to reflect on all our assumptions, paradigms and roles.
This is the time to APPLY the spiritual teachings in combination with the new science to find solutions to our own challenges as well as the global challenges. This is the time to ask the only question that really matters…
This is the year to ask and answer Who Am I?
Am I a limited body trying to compete, fight and overcome the meagerness of life?
Am I a lone individual in a caustic sea of strangers with little more than my wits to protect me?
Am I a mistake, a misdeed, a wrong-doing?
Or
Am I Divine creator whose 50 trillion cells reflect my own potency, creative power and ability to regenerate, renew and birth whatever my soul desire may be?
Am I a light being whose appearance on this earth at this time has a specific, deep and meaningful purpose to my own life and the entire planet?
Am I being of joy, love and infinite potential that is cared for by a Field/Energy/Divine being that continually has my back so that I may give wings to my own soul?
This is the time of awakening or remembering. It is a time to step fully into love. It is about expanding our consciousness beyond the old creationist myths of limitation and realizing that the entire cosmos is based in love and cooperation. Love is what we are, we are not victims of fate, karma or chance but we are Divine creators. The loving universe we exits within is primed to make our dreams come true. It is up to us to allow our dream or not.
At the moment many of us are straddling two different world: the commonsense world of fear, struggle, blame and victim-hood that is mirrored by the news media and the other world that is the emerging world of love, joy, healing and spiritual awareness that is bubbling up behind the scenes and sometimes very much at the forefront within the ever expanding group of light workers who are holding a new consciousness.
Once we fully step into this new reality, everyday life takes on a sense of true possibility and we feel more and more alive. We realize that the outer world is a reflection of the inner world. There is no separation between inner and outer as more and more of us live in this place of possibility and connection we literally begin to change the world.
Most of us have internalized messages regarding fear and unworthiness whether they came from our religion, media or family. It is time to release the cold, critical, repressive inner voice – that place of judgment within that keeps us feeling trapped and dis-empowered. The only inevitable result is anxiety, depression, illness and pervasive disillusionment.
This great awakening is about all of us maturing and realizing our own greatness. It is time for all of us to realize we are Divine creators. We don’t have to deserve or get over our karma. The universe has infinite resources that can fulfill everyone’s needs. Ask and it is given – it is that simple. We can be or do or have anything.
Wishing you all infinite possibility.
Namaste,
Shasta
And remember to tune into Shasta’s Vivid Life Radio Show Possibility 101 every Wednesday at 4:00 pm eastern standard time on www.vividlife.me
A celebrated transformational leader and a leading pioneer in embodied spirituality and Yoga, Shasta has inspired hundreds of people through her breakthrough methods for awakening and empowering your inner voice and divine power. Director, founder and senior teacher with Balanced Life Yoga, she delivers public talks, seminars and trainings on evolution and empowerment. She draws on a wide variety of techniques including Yoga, Shamanism, meditation, energy healing, coaching and the Law of Attraction. She is especially appreciated for her passionate way of allowing individuals to make sense of their world and embodied, holistic means to become the change they wish to see. As early as in her teenage years, Shasta embarked on her journey as a spiritual explorer which led her to India, where she studied yoga, meditation and energy healing. She has studied with many remarkable mentors and she has undergone thousands of hour’s intense practice of meditation and spiritual studies. Shasta has taken every opportunity to become adept in her field through her own practice as well as through extensive training in yoga, group dynamics, meditation and spiritual counseling. www.balancedlifeyoga.ca
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2012 is here and with its approach there are many interesting ideas, theories and reactions to the numerous changes we find ourselves in. We are at the beginning of a New Era and many are reflecting on what has been and what they would like now to be a more fundamental part of their inner and outer experience and what their intentions are for this exciting era. Others find themselves reflecting as to how yet another year has slipped by without fulfilling all their goals and dreams.
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