The Amazing Benefits of Meditation

First off, I think it is important to define the term due to the mass confusion surrounding the act of meditation. Meditation simply put is a deep and profound peace that occurs while the mind is silent, yet completely alert. Meditation is a state of thoughtless awareness. It is not an act of doing- It is merely a state of awareness.  Truly, one person could be in a meditative state while completing daily work duties, while another could be very far from meditation while sitting quietly in a lotus position on top of a mountain for hours. Now that we have discussed the simple truth of what meditation is, let’s take a look at what meditation isn’t. Meditation is not an act of religious worship. While meditation is incorporated in some religious philosophies such as Baha’i and Buddhism, meditation- the art of awareness can be practiced by any

yone from religious cats and spiritual folk to the good ‘old atheists. A peaceful, silent and aware mind has nothing to do with religion, and everything to do with stress reduction and self -awareness. While a person does not need to identify with any particular group to meditate, an open mind is definitely a desirable trait to get started with. Meditation is not a state of mind that can only be achieved by gurus or enlightened people. Personally, I underwent a full year of hour-long nightly meditation in 2008. I taught myself to meditate and incorporated bits of energy balancing visualizations that had been introduced briefly in my college courses. I basically winged it, and within a few months I was arriving in a mental, emotional and physical headspace that I knew without a doubt was the silent, peaceful awareness I was aiming for.

Now that we have demystified meditation to some degree, let’s take a look at some of the amazing health benefits that one can obtain through regular meditation. The following information is presented in a recent Harvard University study. State of mind affects the human body on a physical and genetic level, as

Far more “disease fighting genes” were active in practitioners of yoga and meditation, compared to those who practiced no form of relaxation. For example, in the meditating sample group, the “disease fighting genes” that were “turned on” protect against pain, infertility, high blood pressure and rheumatoid arthritis. Harvard then asked a separate control group to practice relaxation methods (meditation, yoga, mantras or repetitive prayer) every day for 15 minutes, and at the two-month mark, bodies changed. Genes that fight inflammation, kill diseased cells and protect against cancer began to “switch on”. Harvard lists the benefits experienced by the test group after two months of daily relaxation techniques, which are:

                     Improved Immunity

Emotional Balance

Increased Fertility

Improved IBS

Lower Blood Pressure

Reduced or cured inflammation

 Calmness

In short, meditation does not discriminate. Anyone looking to gain the amazing physical, mental, spiritual and emotional benefits of meditation can, in roughly two months if practiced correctly. The following is a meditation exercise you can get started with today. What are you waiting for? health and wellness are just around the corner.

Body Scan Meditation

Lie on your back with your legs uncrossed, your arms at your sides, palms up, and your eyes open or closed, as you wish. Focus on your Breathing, how the air moves in and out of your body. After several deep breaths, as you begin to feel comfortable and relaxed, direct your attention to the toes of your left foot. Tune into any sensations in that part of your body while remaining aware of your Breathing. It often helps to imagine each breath flowing to the spot where you're directing your attention. Focus on your left toes for one to two minutes.

Then move your focus to the sole of your left foot and hold it there for a minute or two while continuing to pay attention to your breathing. Follow the same procedure as you move to your left ankle, calf, knees, thigh, hip and so on all around the body. Pay particular attention to any areas that cause pain or are the focus of any medical condition (for Asthma, the lungs; for Diabetes, the pancreas). Pay particular attention to the head: the jaw, chin, lips, tongue, roof of the mouth, nostrils, throat, cheeks, eyelids, eyes, eyebrows, forehead, temples and scalp.

Finally, focus on the very top of your hair, the uppermost part of your body. Then let go of the body altogether, and in your mind, hover above yourself as your breath reaches beyond you and touches the universe.

This exercise was contributed by: www.holistic-online.com.

            

Create Mind Body Spirit Balance Through Holistic Wellness

What the Heck is Holistic Wellness?

At one time I was working government contracts as a Job Coach/ Trainer, and I was asked to create life coaching curriculum to motivate people to pursue further education or gain meaningful employment. This was a challenging endeavor as most of my clients were not physically/ mentally/spiritually or emotionally well due to the ups and downs of life, and being handed the short end of life's stick a few too many times. So, I created holistic wellness workshops to get the group thinking about creating health and wellness in their own lives, which was the first step in moving toward their educational or career goals. I mean, how on earth is someone expected to find and maintain employment when they are struggling with anxiety/ depression/ chronic illness / low self esteem etc? It was through this workshop and the practice of holistic wellness that I watched my clients transform their lives. 

Imagine a circle cut into four equal pie shaped parts. Each part represents an aspect of you that needs to be nourished in order to lead a happy, healthy and satisfying life. These parts are working collaboratively to balance your being. We can label these parts: physical, mental, spiritual and emotional. The name for this pie and its four encompassed parts is the wellness wheel. The principle behind the wellness wheel is that you are the wheel made up of four key wellness elements that work in unison to create wellness or unhappiness. All four parts need to be feeding and nurturing each other in order for the whole to function optimally. For instance, when we treat our bodies to exercise, our brains produce many " feel good chemicals" that assist in creating a positive mood, which in turn promotes healthy thought patterns. This example depicts how our physical quadrant is directly responsible for improving emotional and mental health. Likewise, if we focus on our spiritual practice (whatever that looks like for you personally- shamanism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism- if it feels good do it) we will typically feel a sense of inner peace, connectedness and trust in our life's path, which leads to stronger emotional and mental wellness. When we visit our doctor with complaints of an unexplained ailment, often times we are asked if we are experiencing stress in our lives, this is because healthcare professionals are acutely aware of the link between our mental and physical health. The point is, each quadrant in the wellness wheel is deeply intertwined, and if a person chooses to take small steps each day to focus on the improvement of each piece of the wellness wheel, great improvements are on the horizon. 

The following are some examples of activities that can be practiced to enhance your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional wellness, with one hour of dedication per day, you will be creating a happy, healthy and whole life. You deserve it. 

Physical- 

Exercise 3 times per week for a minimum of 30 minutes

Get your finances in order

Rearrange your living space, declutter

Try an organic raw food cleanse

Get tested for allergies

Create and repeat daily body positive affirmations 

Mental-

Practice crossword puzzles daily

Learn Cognitive Behavioral Therapy methods

Study a subject that stimulates you

Read a book

Spiritual-

Practice Meditation

Attend a drum circle

Join a church

Sit quietly in nature

Spend time with children

Sing

Emotional-

Seek counseling for unresolved issues

Connect with supportive family and friends

Read a self help book

Listen to uplifting music

Forgive yourself and others

What are you waiting for? Health and wellness are just around the corner!

Healthy, Beautiful, Real Women

Millions of people aren’t happy with the way they look. The National Eating Disorder Information Center estimates that up to 40% of 9 year old Canadian girls have dieted to loose weight- even when they were at a healthy, normal weight. There is a new group of trailblazers storming the Internet, newspapers and television who are trying to combat society’s current views of what an attractive body looks like. These fiery souls come with the tag lines “real women have curves”, “healthy is the new skinny” and other similar sentiments. While this can be seen as progress in a society that has long equated a woman’s worth with her ability to maintain a thin physical appearance, the argument is damaging and flawed. The argument is flawed because it shames thin women, leading us to believe that thin women aren’t healthy or real, and again this attitude places sole focus on a woman’s physical appearance. Does this new school of thought mean that in order to be “real” a woman must be curvy?

When I dissect the idea of women innately despising their bodies (or at least parts of their bodies), I am personally left with two root causes. The media plays a huge role in the current issue, however, for the purpose of this article I will focus on the idea that women have been taught by other women to dislike their bodies. Ask yourself this question: Is there a time in your life when you have ever watched a woman lovingly admire herself in the mirror and make a comment such as “Wow, am I ever grateful for this hot body”? Chances are you have had experiences closer to the ones I encountered growing up, where a woman I admired would look into the mirror with distain and immediately criticize her own body, or ask me if she looked fat in her outfit. I even witnessed women who were extremely thin telling themselves they looked fat (How annoying, especially when I weighed a good 40 lbs more than them. talk about a slap sandwich). But I see now, those women truly believed they were fat due to the sickness we breed in North America surrounding body image.  It is these experiences of viewing our mothers, sisters, cousins and grandmothers tragically disapproving the image staring back at them in the mirror, that colour the way we think about our own bodies. These experiences teach us how to hate our own body. So, let’s give our girls a fighting chance at self-esteem and allow them to see us compliment ourselves the next time we get into a bathing suit, or stand in front of the mirror in our skivvies. This small act repeated will give girls permission to embrace what they have, and see themselves as perfectly imperfect.

 

What about shifting the focus to personal characteristics when discussing what makes a woman “real” or beautiful? How about we change our statements to focus on traits/ values/ characteristics/ virtues when discussing what makes a woman stand out? Tag lines and company names like “healthy is the new skinny” and “real women have curves” are just playing into the old this body is good and that body is bad thinking that got us in a headspace of self loathing in the first place. Ultimately, instead of trying to balance the scale between what is reasonable vs. unreasonable in terms of our own expectations of ourselves, we need to step off the scale completely. So, here is an idea and a challenge: Let’s stop trying to validate women based on their curves or lack thereof. Let’s show our daughters what an act of self love looks like.  Let’s have the courage to step naked in front of a mirror, like what we see, and admit it. Most of all, let’s have the nerve to not give a damn about what others think or say about our appearance; because if you ask me, it doesn’t get more healthy, beautiful or real than that.

Life Coaching Questions that Can Free Your Mind

Life Coaching is a relationship between the coach and their client that focuses on determining where the client is, where they want to be, and how they are going to get there. Life coaching is a series of strategic questions and observations that are designed to assist clients in developing and accomplishing goals. Through a series of self assessment activities, the client will become aware of their own thoughts, feelings and behaviours that are standing in the way of their personal progress. The client will also become aware of their unique strengths and talents that will assist in them in moving toward their goals. 

Coaching encourages clients to become their most authentic selves, and to start living the life they have always dreamed of. Once the client is self aware, and has determined some of the thoughts and behaviours that are keeping them stuck in their current life situation, they will begin to explore their dreams and passions to decide where they would like to be in life. 





The following list represents just a few of the many goals my clients have accomplished through our coaching sessions: 

• Transitioning to a more fulfilling career field
• Ending/ beginning a personal relationship
• Becoming physically fit, energetic and healthy
• Developing self esteem and a positive body image
• Improving romantic relationships
• Starting a successful small business
• Long term travel and adventure
• Positive mental attitude

The difference between counseling and coaching is that counseling looks to the past for answers, and finds therapeutic benefit in resolving issues from the client’s past. Coaching on the other hand develops a client’s problem solving behaviours and is future focused and goal oriented. The following are some examples of questions a Life Coach would ask their client. Answer these questions as honestly as possible, and have fun with your answers. Take a few minutes to relax and use these questions as a jumping off point in your own personal learning laboratory. There are no wrong answers. The purpose of these questions is purely to provoke creative thought and awareness. If you find this activity especially fun, liberating or interesting, perhaps you would like to hire a life coach to get you started in the process of living a life you love.

Water: The Easy and Cheap Health Habit, with a Huge Overall Benefit

When creating goals to achieve a life you love, often times it can feel overwhelming to take such a giant leap from where you are currently to where you would like to be. A classic example of goal overwhelm is a person who would like to loose 100 pounds. This is not an easy feat by anyone’s standards. A big goal like this usually comes with big excuses such as; a gym membership is expensive, the gym is far from my home, I don’t know how to cook healthy meals, I will have to spend a fortune on a new wardrobe, I don’t have time to count calories and hit the gym four nights per week. It is human nature to sabotage ourselves when we are on the verge of positive change. It is far easier to stay the same than it is to grow into the person we aspire to become. Over the next few months, I will be writing this column about the easiest health habits with the biggest pay off to incorporate into your daily routine. These habits will not leave room for any excuses or self- sabotage, they are cheap, easy and require very little effort, but the immediate results are fantastic. ENJOY!

 

Drink More Water: 

We all know we should be drinking enough water every day, but why? And how much is enough? The body is made up of about 60% water, and while the old standard of drinking 8- 8oz glasses of water per day has not been substantiated, one should be drinking more fluid daily than they are expelling through urination, sweating, bowel movements etc. The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake for men is roughly 3 liters, and an adequate intake for women is 2.2 liters of total beverages per day. These intake levels would change for pregnant or nursing women, athletes, people in hot climates and people with health conditions that cause excess loss of fluids. 

Water assists many bodily functions such as; digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, providing moisture to ears nose and throat and maintenance of body temperature. Water can also help control calories; switching out soda or sugary juices for water helps to lower daily caloric intake. If you are substituting a glass of water instead of a can of coke every day for a month, your calorie savings will be 4650 calories per month. It takes cutting 3500 calories to loose 1 pound. Therefore, just by cutting out a can of coke per day, and switching it for water, you would loose over one pound per month. Choosing foods that are higher in water content and more filling will also help you trim calories, and your waistline. Some examples of water rich foods are; fruits, vegetables, broth based soups, beans and oatmeal. H2O also helps maintain normal bowel function. When you don’t get enough fluid, the colon pulls water from stools to maintain hydration and the result is constipation. Water energizes muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which results in muscle fatigue. Muscle fatigue saps our energy and makes even the most active person want to park their butt on the couch all day. So keep hydrated to keep energy levels up! Water also helps skin to look young and fresh, as dehydrated skin appears more dry and wrinkled. Your kidneys do an amazing job of cleansing and ridding your body of toxins, as long as your intake of fluids is adequate, so be sure to get enough water for detoxification purposes. How do you know if you’re getting enough fluids? Your urine flows freely, is light in colour and free of odor. By drinking the recommended amount of water you are guaranteed to notice immediate health benefits from healthy colon and skin to weight loss. Water is easily accessible and very low in cost. There are no excuses as to why you can’t do your body a great favor and pour yourself a cool refreshing glass of water right now. ENJOY!

Clean Eating on a Budget

When discussing organic food and eating clean, a valid concern for many is the higher cost of most certified organic products. Enjoying pesticide, antibiotic and herbicide free food is relatively convenient and inexpensive through the summer months within our local markets and farm stands around many rural, but finding organic groceries during the winter time can be difficult and costly. Personally, I try to eat organic as often as possible, and while there is still argument surrounding the nutritional benefits of eating organic depending on the organization funding and conducting the research, my choice to eat clean makes sense to me based on my research and discussions with nutritionists, farmers, naturopathic doctors and health care professionals. I buy 80% of our household meats from Windmill Meats in Salmon arm, because the animals are raised and killed in cruelty free ways, they are grain fed, and they aren’t given antibiotics or steroids. These meats are not certified organic, and therefore the prices do not reflect typically hefty certification costs. With a little research, you too may find that there are local farmers practicing humane and healthy meat practices in your area. Finding affordable organic winter produce nearby has proven to be a little more challenging, and has been the inspiration for this article. While pregnant and shopping at a wholesale style budget grocery store, I was very turned off by the thought of eating pesticide -laden fruits and veggies. I was more insecure about the idea of feeding a multitude of chemicals to my unborn baby. So out of necessity, I turned to good old Google in the grocery isle to find out which inexpensive, non-organic produce was safe for my baby and I to eat. I was absolutely thrilled to find a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group that  lists 15 non- organic foods that are practically pesticide free, otherwise known as the “Clean 15”. Here is the list in no particular order.

•      Onions
•      Avocados
•                 Pineapple
•      Mango
•      Sweet Peas
•               Asparagus
•               Kiwi
•               Cabbage
•                Egg Plant
•      Cantaloupe
•      Watermelon
•      Grapefruit
•      Sweet Potatoes
•      Sweet Onions
•      Sweet Corn (non GMO)