Yoga

Personal Growth, Yoga

FOCUS on what matters most, put the rest in the backpack

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When it’s really tough, you don’t always have to go at it HEAD ON!

Jane is going through a divorce.  There is a lot at stake.  Finances.  Children.  Logistics of rebuilding a life.  Internal grief, lose, doubt … Jane is struggling with smiling at her children, figuring out how to move forward.  Her sleep sucks.  She feels as if shes drowning.

It can be overwhelming.  Leave you breathless.  Feeling lost.  Unsure.  Unsettled.

Divorce.  Job changes.  Illness.  Struggles within the family.  Life.  Any of these can make things just a little more interesting.

All of this can lead to taking the necessary next immediate steps difficult.

Sometimes we get stuck in the thought that we need to fix everything.  All at once.  Meet the challenges head on.  Feel like we’ve accomplished something because all the messy ends are taken care of.  One reason we trend towards this way of working through things is that we get super uncomfortable with the “unknown”.  So we work hard to find another “known”.

DOES THE WORK WELL ALL THE TIME?

We can get into a habit of forcing the situation, to get out of the “uncomfortable”.  That forcing action can be stressful, inefficient, less than optimal.   Detrimental to our health.  And maybe we miss a lesson we are set to learn.

Perhaps if we had waited in the “unknown” for a bit.  Experiencing the uncomfortableness of it, we find a different “solution”.  OR …. the “solution” comes to us organically.  We have faith and the situation works itself out.  Like magic.  And we learn how to be “more OK” with uncomfortable.  More flexible, less rigid.

WHEN IT GETS INTENSE:

1.  Write down on a sticky WHAT MATTERS MOST.  3 things.  Put that sticky(s) right in front of you.  FOCUS.

2.  Emotionally, mentally put the stuff NOT on the list in your backpack.   Intentionally leave it in the backpack until something on the WHAT MATTERS MOST list demands something out of the backpack.

WE ARE NOT HIDING, just focusing on what matters most, what we have control over, what we have energy and strength for.  We aren’t putting it in a box in the basement …. after all, the backpack is so very close to the heart, just not in our immediate sight.   Just on the backburner.

You’ll find that you gain strength.  Give yourself room to breathe and think.  Room for FAITH to work it’s magic.

So Jane, she’s really struggling with understanding why her ex-husband would do x,y and z.  And also struggling with his behavior, the choices that he’s making in regards to his children.  The first, is there really any answers that help and the second, can she control his behavior?  So she works everyday to put those things in her backpack.  Intentionally put the thoughts in her backpack EACH time they come into her mind/heart.  She works to FOCUS on herself, telling herself that the situation doesn’t change the fact that she is a ROCKSTAR.  This helps her to smile at her children.  Later on down the road she finds that she doesn’t need to understanding why he did x,y and z.  Perhaps she gains more self worth through it.  Maybe her actions that stem from that knowledge are visible to him, he organically changes as well.

HAVE FAITH
BREATHE
LET GO
BELIEVE IN THE NEXT AWESOME PLACE
(repeat)

Personal Growth, Yoga

2 Flavors of Fear

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Fear comes in TWO flavors.

Physical Fear and Irrational Fear

A bite of physical fear might taste something like the feeling of a near miss car accident or running from a wild animal.  Clear and present danger.  Fight or flight.  Get  your tail in gear or else.

Now irrational fear might taste the same, except that there is no danger, it’s all in your head.  The main causes of irrational fear come from assumptions, projecting, worrying about some future event.

Irrational fears can plague us, wreak havoc on your bodies, minds and souls.  Being in this constant state of trauma, drama and negativity.  (lack of faith)

We need to understand the difference between Real Fear and Irrational Fear

One keeps us alive.  One keeps us a prisoner, promotes slow death.

Homework:  develop awareness of when you taste fear.  Ask yourself … where is the fear coming from.  If it’s irrational, practice self love, acceptable and faith.

You are PERFECT just the way you are.

Personal Growth, Yoga

Why in the world would I slow down if it’s going to HURT?

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We are generally very busy. Lots of reasons why. Some we can do something about, some we can’t.

Do some of us NOT SLOW DOWN because in the quiet spaces, we hurt? Thoughts come up that SUCK. They are painful, stressful, frustrating to us.

We have money issues. We have problems with our kids that we might be ignoring. We carry around hurts from past relationships, packed away in a box in the basement (or is it?). Maybe there is a big fat elephant sitting on the marriage nobody wants to talk about it.

Being really BUSY helps to not hear and feel those thoughts. Or we …

Watch too much TV, those countless episodes of Walking Dead
EAT DRINK SMOKE
Exercise too much

You turn the TV off, you HEAR (or FEEL) the silence … then a thought comes up.  Maybe the fretting starts, the teeth grinding, the tears?  You go walk the dog and end up crying.

It’s so STINKING uncomfortable, painful and down right UNPLEASANT.

So why do it?

To feel the pain. To heal the heart.
To learn the lesson. To move on. To be refined by the fire.

Strength and courage. We all have it. Either within ourselves or a phone call away. Learning to be just fine even when we aren’t, that’s a big lesson. It’s worth it though.

STRENGTH & PEACE
To learn to FLY
To soar higher
Personal Growth, Uncategorized, Yoga

Lose yourself or harness your true power

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What do you do when life really throws one at you?

We could ….  crumbled to a heap.  Melt.

We could ….  get all mad and angry.

We could …. become cold and empty.

We could ….. Get all high and mighty.

All of these and more.

Those things that we are really attached to can be hard to apply the cliques.   Your child gets really sick.  You get laid off when it’s really bad timing.  You’re husband leaves you for another.  These things can really pack a punch.

Make you breathless.  Make your heart bleed tears.

Can we live the joy as much as we live the pain?
Can we love the pain as much as the joy?

To learn to be close to the intense pain and still be able to breathe is a skill.  To not run and hide, to breathe through it.

To cry out for help, to let that person share your pain, carry your burden for a bit.

To travel through the most intense part, knowing that it ebbs and flows.

To be open to hearing the wisdom when it does ebb.  To see the way forward.

To be brave enough.  Strong enough to go forward.

To know that you are strong enough, good enough to reach peace again.

LIVE OUT LOUD
LIVE FULLY
HAVE A BEAUTIFUL LIFE

…isn’t just about the roses. It’s about the thorns too. We must learn, experience, reach, love, let go, reach for help, listen and breathe.

Athlete, Personal Growth, Yoga

Living my faith and training for a marathon

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Heart Health Nugget

Your boss has thrown a curve ball at you. It’s really hit home, just might impact your time with your family, your todo list, your life rhythm. Perhaps you start worrying about it.

Random thoughts clog up your mind. Affect your sleep, day to day concentration, maybe that’s all you talk about with your husband. Maybe you can do something about it, maybe you can’t, maybe you should take action, maybe you should be patient.

Having a clear mind and heart, listening to your internal wisdom is hard to do when we are worrying, obsessing … not living by faith. Which is a muscle we need to develop and strength. Here is a practice that can help develop that strength, so when you really need it, it works well. Automatically.

When those random (or not so random) thoughts of worry travel thought your thoughts, simple turn your internal gaze to:

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  • repeating a short fav scripture. With reverence.
  • focus ALL your attention on three breaths, with each exhale being a bit longer, out your mouth, releasing stress. With reverence.
  • put your hand to your heart and feel your heart beat for 10 seconds. With reverence.
  • gaze at a tree for 10 seconds, seeing the roots that provide a strong foundation. With reverence.

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Practice this with the little things. Build strength of faith. That all will be well, your answers will come as they should. The help you need will be there!

LOVE LOVE LOVE

Yoga

Want to feel JAZZY!?!?!?

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INFLAMMATION cannot live in a highly Alkaline bloodstream! And Inflammation cannot exist when our immune systems are healthy.

More and More we are realizing that Inflammation results in (Cancer, Heart Disease, Diabetes, Arthritis, Gout, Kidney Disease…) which plays a huge role in taking our vitality away from us and keeping is sick, tired and depressed.

If this is true, then what foods help contribute to keeping inflammation under control?

By eating a high alkaline diet and drinking highly alkalized juices actually helps our Immune System stay strong so it can naturally not only fight off viruses, infections but most importantly…fight off inflammatory diseases!

THIS is why it’s crucial we keep our juice intake highly ALKALINE in nature, but also our foods! Here’s a list of the top 10 Alkaline foods:

1. Spinach
2. Cucumbers
3. Celery
4. Almonds
5. Lemons/Limes
6. Alfalfa Sprouts
7. Asparagus
8. Apples
9. Garlic
10. Grapefruit

Remember, you can juice these as well! Also ALL LEAFY greens are highly alkaline, such as Swiss Chard, Kale, etc.,.  INFLAMMATION cannot live in a highly Alkaline bloodstream.  (source: Jay Kordich)

Want more help!?!?! I’m doing a FREE yoga/nutritious chat in July on pH. You will have the opportunity to purchase a simple kit to test your own pH. Simple. Cheap. $5.00

CLICK HERE FOR EVENT INFO

Super cheers, bk

Yoga

Nutrition & Exercise Tips for Type AB Individuals

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Less than 5% of the world’s population has Blood Type AB

Very rare, and the gentle offspring of Type A and Type B blood. This blood type has only been around for about 1000 years. Less than 5% of the world’s population has Blood Type AB. You combine the best and the worst of Blood Types A and B. Most foods that are bad for the Type A and Type B persons, are also bad for the Type AB person, with the exception of tomatoes.

The Blood Type AB person can tolerate tomato lectins well. Like Type A, you do not produce enough hydrochloric stomach acid to digest animal protein well, such as red meat and poultry, yet you do need some animal protein. Therefore, portion size is important, and with less frequency.

Be sure to take bromelain, a digestive enzyme derived from pineapple, to assist with the digestion of your animal protein meals. The best meats for you are lamb, mutton, rabbit and turkey. Also, avoid smoked and cured meats.

Foods that encourage weight gain Foods that encourage weight loss
  • Red meat
  • Kidney beans
  • Lima beans
  • Seeds
  • Corn
  • Buckwheat
  • Wheat
  • Tofu
  • Seafood
  • Dairy
  • Green vegetables
  • Spirulina
  • Sea kelp
  • Pineapple
Yoga

Nutrition & Exercise Tips for Type B Individuals

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Can digest all types of foods with ease

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  • Tolerant digestive systems
  • Cannot digest wheat products containing gluten very well
  • Can handle dairy products

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Persons with Blood Type B have tolerant digestive systems, and can tolerate most foods equally well, with some exceptions.

They are the lucky ones who can digest all types of foods with ease. However, the foods they should avoid are corn, buckwheat, lentils, peanuts, and sesame seeds, as these foods will tend to make them gain weight.

Just like the Type Os, Type Bs tend to have a problem with gluten in wheat products and wheat germ, which can cause a drop in their blood sugar levels, causing symptoms of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Blood Type Bs who want to lose weight should definitely avoid wheat products.

Type Bs can handle dairy products okay, compared to the other blood types. However, easy does it; if you consume too many high-calorie dairy products, you will gain weight! If you get hypoglycemia after eating a meal, sipping licorice tea would be beneficial for you. It is not advisable to take licorice supplements, however, unless under the supervision of a doctor.

Foods that encourage weight gain Foods that encourage weight loss
  • Chicken
  • Corn
  • Wheat
  • Buckwheat
  • Lentils
  • Peanuts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Green vegetables
  • Red meat such as lamb, mutton and rabbit; liver; turkey; pheasant
  • Eggs/low-fat dairy products, including eggs from chicken
  • Seafood, especially deep ocean fish such as cod and salmon, also flounder, halibut and sole
  • Licorice tea (Licorice tea is great to sip after a meal, as this will prevent hypoglycemia)
  • Soy foods
  • Olive and flaxseed oil
  • Oatmeal
  • Oat bran
  • Millet
  • Rice bran
  • Spelt
  • Puffed rice
Yoga

Nutrition & Exercise Tips for Type A Individuals

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People with Blood Type A were the original farmers and grain gatherers.

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  • Fragile digestive systems
  • Cannot tolerate animal protein
  • Classic “vegetarian”
  • Do not absorb Vitamin B12 properly
  • Prone to pernicious anemia
  • Usually lactose intolerant
  • Feel good after calming, centering exercises

[/tie_list]They have fragile digestive systems. These people cannot tolerate animal protein well, and should be the proverbial, classic “vegetarian” of the human species.

They also are usually lactose intolerant, as well. Persons with Blood Type A should avoid animal protein and dairy products, and would do well with whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables.

Tofu and Hawaiian Spirulina should become the Blood Type A person’s best friends.

Tofu and Hawaiian Spirulina contains high-quality vegetable protein. Persons with Blood Type A do not produce enough hydrochloric acid in their stomachs, and that is why they have a difficult time digesting animal protein well.

This also gives them a predisposition toward getting stomach cancer, and should never eat smoked or cured meats due to the sodium nitrites in them. Animal protein and dairy products tend to rot and ferment in their digestive tracts, and the toxic bacteria backs up into their tissues and muscles, thereby causing digestive distress.

A lack of sufficient hydrochloric acid in their stomachs is another reason that persons with Blood Type A do not absorb Vitamin B12 properly from the foods they eat. Vitamin B12 is normally found in red meat, although B12 is also found in superior vegetable protein foods such as Hawaiian Spirulina, soy products and sea kelp.

Supplementing Blood Type A diet with Vitamin B12 and iron is critical.

This inability to absorb Vitamin B12 sufficiently from food tends to make the person with Blood Type A prone to pernicious anemia. Therefore, supplementing the diet with Vitamin B12 is critical.

Also recommended is supplementation with digestive enzymes such as betaine, bromelain and papain. Bromelain is derived from pineapple, and assists with the digestion of animal protein. Betaine will help to increase the amount of hydrochloric acid in their stomachs.

The best exercise for these persons is not the heavy, vigorous workouts, but more calming, centering exercises like Tai Chi, Hatha Yoga and golfing. These soothing types of exercises will relieve the Blood Type A person’s stress in a more beneficial way.

Foods that encourage weight gain Foods that encourage weight loss
  • Meat
  • Dairy food
  • Kidney beans
  • Lima beans
  • Wheat (in excess)
  • Sugar
  • White flour
  • Vegetable oils, such as olive and flaxseed
  • Soy foods
  • Spirulina
  • Vegetables
  • Pineapple

Other foods to avoid:

Meat & Poultry bacon, beef, ground beef, buffalo, duck, goose, ham, hart, lamb, liver, mutton, partridge, pheasant, pork, rabbit, veal, venison, quail.
Seafood anchovy, barracuda, beluga, bluefish, bluegill bass, catfish, caviar, clam, conch, crab, crayfish, eel, flounder, frog, gray sole, haddock, hake, halibut, herring (fresh & pickled), lobster, lox (smoked salmon), mussels, octopus, oysters, scallop, shad, shrimp, sole, squid (calamari), striped bass, tilefish, turtle.
Cheeses & Dairy American, blue cheese, brie, butter, buttermilk, Camembert, casein, cheddar, colby cheese, cottage, cream cheese, edam, emmental cheese, gouda, gruyere, ice cream, Jarlsberg, Monterey Jack cheese, Muenster cheese, Parmesan, provolone, Neufchatel, sherbet, skim or 2% milk, Swiss, whey, whole milk.
Oils corn, cottonseed oil, peanut, safflower, sesame.
Nuts & Seeds brazil, cashews, pistachios.
Beans & Legumes copper, garbanzo, kidney, lima, navy, red beans, tamarind beans.
Cereals cream of wheat, familia, farina, granola, grape nuts, wheat germ, seven grain, shredded wheat, wheat bran.
Breads & Muffins English muffins, high-protein bread, matzos wheat, multi-grain bread, pumpernickel, wheat bran muffins, whole wheat bread.
Grains & Pastas white & whole wheat flour, semolina & spinach pasta.
Vegetables cabbage (Chinese, red, white), eggplant, lima beans, mushroom (domestic), olives (black, Greek, Spanish), peppers (green, jalapeño, red, yellow), potatoes (sweet, red, white), tomatoes, yams.
Fruits bananas, coconuts, mangoes, melon (cantaloupe & honeydew), oranges, papayas, plantains, rhubarb, tangerines.
Juices orange, papaya, tomato.
Spices capers, plain gelatin, pepper (black, cayenne, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, white), vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red wine, white), wintergreen.
Condiments ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles, pickle relish, Worcestershire sauce.
Herbal Teas catnip, cayenne, corn silk, red clover, rhubarb, yellow dock.
Beverages beer, distilled liquor, seltzer water, all sodas, black teas.
Yoga

Nutrition & Exercise Tips for Type O Individuals

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Blood type O is the oldest blood type in the world.

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  • Hardiest digestive systems
  • Meat-eaters, need animal protein for good health
  • Cannot digest wheat products containing gluten very well
  • Digestive systems contain a lot of stomach acid
  • Low thyroid and sluggish metabolisms
  • Feel good after vigorous workouts

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People with Blood Type O have the hardiest digestive systems. They are the meat-eaters. Persons with Blood Type O need animal protein for good health, as well as vegetables and fruits. However, carbohydrates should be kept to a minimum, since the Blood Type O person cannot digest carbohydrates very well, especially wheat products containing gluten.

Type O Individual will do well on a high animal protein, low carbohydrate diet; and, dairy products should be kept to a minimum.

Persons with Blood Type O produce a lot of hydrochloric acid in their stomachs, and it is this great abundance of stomach acid that allows them to digest animal protein favorably. And, because their digestive systems already contain a lot of stomach acid, they should avoid drinking coffee, since coffee will cause them to produce even more stomach acid, and this tends to make them prone to peptic ulcers, especially if they are constantly under a great deal of stress. They should drink more green tea, instead of coffee.

Persons with Blood Type O tend to have low thyroid and sluggish metabolisms; therefore, they should supplement their diets with sea kelp and seafood to obtain natural iodine to stimulate their thyroids.

The best exercises for these persons are the vigorous workouts like jogging, power walking, aerobics, weight training, etc. The harder they exercise, the better they will feel. Get the heart rate going, and sweat up a storm to burn calories, alleviate stress and eliminate depression!

Foods that encourage weight gain Foods that encourage weight loss
  • Wheat gluten
  • Corn
  • Kidney beans
  • Navy beans
  • Lentils
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprout
  • Cauliflower
  • Mustard greens
  • Sugar
  • White flour
 Sea kelp (iodine)

Seafood: bluefish, cod, hake, halibut, herring, mackerel, pike, rainbow trout, red snapper, salmon, sardines, shad, snapper, sole, striped bass, sturgeon, swordfish, tilefish, white perch, whitefish, yellow perch, yellowtail.

Red Meat: beef, buffalo, heart, lamb, liver, mutton, veal, venison; Vegetables: kale, spinach, broccoli.

Other foods to avoid:

Meat bacon, goose, ham pork.
Seafood barracuda, catfish, caviar, conch, herring (pickled), lox (smoked salmon), octopus.
Cheeses & Dairy American cheese, blue cheese, brie, buttermilk, Camembert, casein, cheddar cheese, colby cheese, cottage cheese, cream cheese, edam, emmental cheese, goat milk, gouda, gruyere, Jarlsberg cheese, kefir, Monterey Jack cheese, Muenster cheese, parmesan, provolone, Neufchatel, ricotta, skim or 2% milk, string cheese, Swiss cheese, whey, whole milk, yogurt, all varieties and ice cream.
Oils corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower.
Nuts & Seeds brazil nuts, cashew, litchi, peanuts, peanut butter, pistachios, poppy seeds.
Beans & Legumes copper, kidney, navy, tamarind, lentils (domestic, green & red).
Cereals cornflakes, cornmeal, cream of wheat, familia, farina, grape nuts, seven-grain, shredded wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ.
Grains & Pastas bulgur wheat flour, couscous flour, durum wheat flour, gluten flour, graham flour, soba noodles, semolina pasta, spinach pasta, sprouted wheat flour, white flour, whole wheat flour.
Vegetables avocado, cabbage (Chinese, red, white), cauliflower, white & yellow corn, eggplant, domestic & Shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, olives (black, Greek, Spanish), potatoes (red & white), alfalfa sprouts, brussel sprouts.
Fruits blackberries, coconuts, melon (cantaloupe & honeydew), oranges, plantains, rhubarb, strawberries, tangerines.
Juices apple, apple cider, cabbage, orange.
Spices capers, cinnamon, cornstarch, corn syrup, nutmeg, black & white pepper, vanilla, vinegar (apple cider, balsamic, red & white wine).
Condiments ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles (kosher, dill, sweet & sweet pickle relish).
Herbal Teas alfalfa, aloe, burdock, coltsfoot, corn silk, echinacea, gentian, goldenseal, red clover, rhubarb, Saint-John’s Wort, senna, shepherd’s purse, strawberry leaf, yellow dock.
Beverages coffee (regular & decaf), distilled liquor, all sodas, black teas.

 

Exercise Tips for Type O Individuals

More than any other blood type, O’s rely on physical exercise to maintain physical health and emotional balance.

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  • O Individuals Respond well under pressure to vigorous exercise.
  • O Individuals Need efficient metabolism to stay slim and energetic.
  • O Individuals Need constant and intensive training program.

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O individuals are athletes. They have more physical strength, and needs exercise to release stress, worries, fears and anxieties. Doing so helps them better assimilate information more quickly later on. For an O individual, vigorous exercises such as hiking, bicycling, swimming and jogging are best—and a morning routine suits them well. If they will exercises first thing in the morning, they goes through the day calmer, more peaceful, and better at problem solving.

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