Amira Ayad, PhD
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Ramadan... Let's Tame the Elephant!

6/4/2021

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Ramadan is approaching fast… One week to go.
In our daily life, our hearts grow unavoidably heavy, exhausted, and weary. Our fast-paced life, our endless mental chatter, our daily chores and tasks urge us to run and rush all day long. Even when we rest our bodies at the end of the day, we rarely give our minds a break. Our mind keeps running while watching the news, surfing the net, scanning social media, or following the latest soap opera. Once a year, Ramadan comes to help us reach inner peace in our hearts and souls. Ramadan is the perfect opportunity for soul regeneration, for renewing our intention and reconsidering our life mission and meaning. It is time when we are reminded to live in the moment, truly embrace our sacred connection with God, and let it touch our hearts and revive our souls. Once a year comes the time to recharge our spiritual energy, purify our hearts, and clear our minds along with ridding our bodies from toxic burdens. It is time for refueling and recharging for a whole year to come. But How?
 
Jonathan Haidt in his book The Happiness Hypothesis compared our subconscious mental reality to an elephant that has its own will. And, our analytical, logical conscious mind is the rider on the back of the elephant. The rider seems to hold the rein and direct the elephant right and left… But, don’t be fooled, the rider can never force the elephant into a direction it does not want to go. The elephant is the one running the show… If the rider wants to stay in control, he better tames the elephant… And the best way of doing that is by LISTENING to what the elephant needs.
On one hand, the elephant is wired for self-protection, he only sees what is directly in front of him. He feels immediate pains, seeks immediate pleasures, and is motivated by pure survival instincts (well, food and sex mainly!) … In other words, our elephant has the control button for dopamine release- our feeling good and motivation neurotransmitter. The rider, on the other hand, is a visionary. He can delay gratification for future upcoming success. Yet, he possesses limited strength. Long struggles against willpower exhaust him so his hands get loose on the reins and he lets the elephant roam freely.
 
In our everyday life, we exhaust our ‘rider’ by too many choices, decisions, and useless struggles… We end up stressed and drained because we wear ourselves out with 100s of little daily choices and temptations… from resisting this doughnut with our morning coffee to controlling our temper with daily traffic, to choosing the outfit that makes us look thin or sexy, to managing our cool with the new boss or new employee or teenage boy or toddler…. We face 100s of tiny choices, temptations, and self-control decisions that wear us out. Trying to just go through life with the illusion that only by willpower we can achieve everything is just that: An illusion.
We keep beating ourselves up because we are lazy, we are weak or we didn’t try hard enough. Cut yourself some slack… regardless of how hard you try or how strong you are you can never pull the elephant if he does not want to come along with you.
As we are talking about Ramadan, We have always learned that Ramadan fasting is there to strengthen this self-control muscle… it is there to train us to be more in control of our desires… but unfortunately, we got the mechanism all wrong… if we treat our fasting as a mere training of self-restriction and self-control… we will be further wearing off our self-control muscle… this is why we see fasting people in this holy month more irritable, stressed, angry, and doing all sort of wrong stuff that fasting should actually solve not cause.
 
For Muslims, Ramadan fasting is not a mere physical exercise that trains us to withstand hunger.
Neither is it a mere psychological exercise that trains us to control our desires, temptations and urges.
Rather, Ramadan fasting is first and foremost a spiritual practice. “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain piety (God-consciousness).” (Quran, 2: 183)
 
Training our self-control muscles does not mean pulling harder on the rein and fighting the elephant. On the contrary, it means making peace with this elephant and motivating him to walk the path we want to walk.
We can only do that if we slow down, silence the chatter, purify our hearts, and LISTEN.
We can only do that if we reach inner peace within our hearts and souls.
This peace is achieved by slowing down and silencing the mind chatter… reaching this inner stillness in an increasingly noisy world. The silence we cultivate should strengthen our connection with God, with ourselves, with our family, with the whole society, and with our life meaning and purpose.
 
So, as we are approaching the holy month, I invite you to slow down… relax… take a deep breath… roll back your shoulders… and LISTEN! Deep inside, your heart knows its path… it knows its mission, it knows its direction and its ultimate purpose… You just need to LISTEN… The silence you cultivate will strengthen your connection with your purpose, will refine your intention, and add to your sincerity.
And, of course, we cannot ignore that “elephant in the room! The pandemic… For the second time, Ramadan is coming during these challenging times. As we won’t be able to congregate in the mosques; and extended families and friends won’t be allowed to gather over dinner tables, this Ramadan offers yet another special opportunity for deeper reflection, deeper connection with God, and deeper restoration of the soul focusing on Divine love and service.
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Embracing the wisdom of your feminine cycle

26/2/2021

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Since the dawn of civilization, women intuitively knew about that ‘time of the month’ when they were more vulnerable. Not just physically, but also emotionally. They knew that there is a time when they needed more support, love and care; another time when they may need to be more self-centered (not selfish), introverted and reflective. And, there are other times when they are more sociable, giving, creative and expressive. Women’s menstrual cycles express these different needs at different times of the month; and women in all traditional and ancient cultures intuitively knew and followed its natural flow.
 
And, since the dawn of civilization, women also intuitively knew about that ‘time of life’ when they grow wiser and emotionally and spiritually stronger and braver. In traditional cultures, menopausal years are empowering years of wisdom and experiences, they relate the story of a soul reconnecting with its ultimate source of wisdom!
 
To regain the health of your second chakra, you need to learn from this traditional women’s wisdom. You need to stop suppressing your feelings with legitimate distractions and sweet indulgences and silencing your pain with pain “killers”. You need to listen to your Body Whispers® and follow your intuitive wisdom.
 
This week, let’s delve into the meanings and wisdoms of our feminine cycle… Let’s learn how to flow with its delicate nature and tune in to the valuable whispers our body is sending us every month
 
The female menstrual cycle with its regular repeated pattern of hormonal change carries regular repeated pattern of emotional change. It holds much more than the physical reproductive power. It holds the power of producing ideas, meaning, missions, and changes. By understanding its pattern, you can access your own deeply held feelings and needs, you can listen to your body and understand what is bothering you, what is annoying you, what makes you stressed, unhappy, sad, or frustrated and thus learn how to align your steps back on the right track.
 
 
Emotionally and spiritually speaking, we can divide the female menstrual cycle into four phases:

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1. The Follicular Phase: Preparation & Exploration
 
 
Follicular phase: starts with the period (day 1 of the bleeding) and ends by ovulation (mid cycle around day 13)
 
 
Follicular phase is the time when the eggs are ripening in women ovaries. At this time of the month your

  • Estrogen is balanced
  • Progesterone is low
 
Women at this time of the month are in their nurturing mode. They have the energy and mental ability for nurturing others… other people, other ideas, other projects… They are in the peak of their self-expression, quite sociable and outgoing. They are full of enthusiasm, open to new ideas, experimentation, explorations and experiences. Their left-brain logical thinking is dominating, so they seem very understanding, able to plan, analyze and organize their life and their work. They have full control over their thoughts and actions knowing what to say and what to hold back.
 
2. Ovulation: Illumination
Ovulation occurs around day 12 or 13 of the cycle. This is when the creative nurturing and exploration that took place during the first follicular phase is ready to give its fruit. A balance in the left-right sides of the brain (analytical-holistic thinking) is taking place and your ideas become clearer. You seem to suddenly understand life much better.
 
The ovulation is initiated by a rise in two hormones secreted from the pituitary gland in our brain (FSH and LH). These hormones cause your estrogen level to rise. Estrogen, besides being essential for ovulation, is also a brain messenger that stimulates your left-brain activity… more logical thinking, verbal fluency and understanding. At the same time, testosterone is secreted to increase libido. Again, testosterone is not merely a sex hormone, it enhances your visual-spatial mental powers, functions of your right brain.
So now at this time of the month, you become sexually attractive and more receptive to the outside world, more willing to care and being cared for, to give and receive love. You are more relaxed, content and understanding. You are in the peak of your mental and emotional creativity with clear view and ideas.
 It is like when the egg is ready for fertilization in our uterus, we are also emotionally and mentally fertile land for creative and innovative insights.
We came to look at this stage of our menstrual cycle as “the good stage” since we are much more valued by the outside world.
 
3. Then comes the Luteal Phase with its Premenstrual Nightmare: Incubation & Percolation
If no fertilization takes place, the cycle continues. The sexual phase is wrapped up and preparations are made in the uterus (and the body) for another cycle.
 
The Luteal phase starts with ovulation and continues after that with all the premenstrual or PMS days ending when we start the bleeding again signalling the beginning of the new cycle.
 
During the luteal phase, and before the period, estrogen levels drop.
Estrogen is known to increase the production rate and receptor density of serotonin (your feeling good neuropeptide), dopamine (your motivation hero), epinephrine and nor epinephrine (your stress-managing hormones) and Beta-endorphins (your natural morphines). So when estrogen drops, all those neuropetide levels drop with it… This explains the low mood, low motivation and low tolerance of the PMS time of the month.
During the luteal phase, the sudden drop of estrogen leads to progesterone dominance. Progesterone is responsible for calming down your brain chatter and cooling off your brain over excitement. Nature is designed this way to actually give us access to more clarity and calming time… This phase of your cycle is actually a blessing, a gift… you can see it as a little window that opens every month for you to peek into your intuitive wisdom and see more clearly. If you tune in and trust your Body Whispers®, you will see that this phase is there to give you a much needed time for yourself. Time to calm down and shift your focus inward. This is a right-brain oriented time, an invitation to see the ‘big picture’, to reflect and ponder.
 
The luteal phase is the perfect chance for whole life integration, for a holistic view. It initiates a meditation and evaluation mode that makes you wonder: what did I achieve so far? What needs to change in my life? What aspects of my work/relationship/social life aren’t working for me?
The luteal phase is there to tell you that you need to slow down in order for you to hear your intuitive voice and heed your inner wisdom.
 
During the follicular phase, your left-brain was more active, your logical thinking and analytical mind were alert, you were able to calculate your steps and rethink your words before uttering them, you knew what to say and what to hold back. During the Luteal phase, though, you find it harder to control your emotions and hold back your anger and tongue slips. This is the phase when you are harshly judged by your surroundings or highly medicated to turn off those inner whispers that society usually find inappropriate.
 
Telling a depressed, furious or anxious PMS sufferer to learn “self-control” or “manage her stress”, is like adding fuel to a raging fire… not only useless, but highly damaging. The debris that surface during this time of the month are but signs and warnings… your subconscious is sending you messages through your Body Whispers®. Silencing the messages is like shooting the messenger. The debris will still be there, but instead of rising to the surface, you are sending them inward to wreak havoc not only on your emotions but also on your physical body.
 
We all need to slow down and listen, we need to notice and learn, we need to connect with our inner wisdom and there is no better time to do that than our pre-menstrual window. During your luteal phase, your intuition is at its peak. You just need to tune in and trust. Journaling is most essential and most valuable at this time of the cycle. It helps you discover the missing elements in your life, unveil your hidden fears, worries, and bottled emotions and see clearly once more.
 
If we refuse to slow down and listen, the calming down of this time of the cycle turns into isolation and repression… and you end up with mood swings, anxiety, overwhelm, and depression.
 
4. Menses: Organization & Reorientation
The first day of bleeding starts our next cycle. The period is a biological and physiological cleansing phase. As your uterus is shedding its lining to prepare itself for a new cycle, it is time for you to start shedding your fears, anger, and worries;  and reorienting your life for a new beginning.
Menstruation is the ultimate time for letting go of what is troubling you, of your negative feelings, destructive emotions, fears, frustrations, blames, shame and grief. It is the ultimate time for reorientation, reorganization and ridding yourself of old baggage.
 
 
 
Take a moment now to tune into your body and reflect…
  • Which phase of the cycle are you in?
  • How to you feel, emotionally, physically and mentally?
  • Is there any part of your life/ of your soul that needs your attention?
 

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When the Heart is Whispering

16/2/2021

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As our theme this month is the heart, let’s explore the main dysfunctions I encounter in my practice when women’s heart chakra is out of order.
 
As I always say, healthy eating, healthy lifestyle, managing stress and proper nutrition & supplementations all play a major role in healing, but they are far from being the main piece of the puzzle… Over and over again, I come back to the same advice: LISTEN!
We need to learn how to feed our hearts and souls as we are learning to feed our bodies. Listening to your body whispers is a skill we all need to cultivate…


When Your Heart Hurts...

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Breast Cancer

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Mastitis (Breast Inflammation)

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Breathing Problems

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Warning: Again, as I always warn, if your ‘whispers’ reach a stage where they are manifested physically, you need to physically tend to the body with the proper nutrition, supplements and/or medical intervention from a qualified MD if needed along with tending to your heart and soul needs.
 
 
P.S. If you did not take the heart chakra Assessment… Here are your 20 questions.

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Don't Ignore The Call

9/2/2021

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In 2004, I set out on a self-exploration journey to learn more about my religious and spiritual teachings and to map out my own healing journey. At the time, I working on my Ph.D. in Natural Health, and as a side project, I started documenting my personal "Healing Body & Soul" path. I had no formal religious education at the time and did not even know how to properly read the Qur'an with the correct pronunciation (Tajweed). It was a fascinating journey, packed with synchronicities and discerning moments. Every step was leading to the next in such an organic flow as if the road has always been there waiting for me to follow. Soon, my side project grew to take over my Ph.D. thesis, which suddenly shifted from researching the healing effects of herbs to the healing effect of Islamic spirituality.
 
The healing journey that I was crafting for myself ended up as a roadmap for many others. My first book, Healing Body & Soul: Your Guide to Holistic Wellbeing Following Islamic Teaching, started as a personal journey for healing my own body, mind, heart, and soul through a deep dive into my cultural and religious teachings that I knew very little about. It was my personal attempt to make sense of many religious rituals that seemed foreign when they were stripped away from their spiritual nature. This process of healing and self-exploration did not just benefit me but was useful for thousands of others who later read my books and listened to my teachings. And, I am and will be forever grateful.
I would have never been here, sending you this email, wouldn’t I have taken the first step and followed this subtle voice inside me that pointed towards a totally unfamiliar path. Don’t brush off those whispers, don’t ignore the call just because you do not fully grasp the whole picture or understand the full meaning. I am not suggesting that you do any drastic dramatic changes either. All I’m asking is for you to take the first step: read that book, enrol in that course, write that blog, paint that picture… whatever this first step looks like for you… Take it! Don’t ignore the call!
 
 
And, since February is the month of the heart… I have 20 questions to help you listen and reflect on the health of your Heart Chakra… You can find them HERE.
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Let's Connect... Monthly Virtual Coffee Chat

2/2/2021

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My word for the year of 2020 was “Safe”… Safety has been a concern for me for years… Maybe not as much as physical safety, but more of a psychological and emotional safety. It is no secret that 2020 has been as far from “safety” as one could have imagined. Yet, this overwhelming chaos forced me to redefine what safety meant to me.
 
Safety is a function of our first chakra, our root and foundation.  It is our anchor, one of our basic needs. It is related to the feeling of belonging, of being part of a community, a tribe, a family, a society where you feel acknowledged, welcomed, heard, seen, and understood. Safety also encompasses the concept of structure… a predictable, yet flexible, framework that governs our life.
 
Somehow, I’ve mistaken safety for predictability. I expected life to flow on my own terms, following my designed timeline. Although my Islamic faith taught me that life challenges are here for a reason. It taught me content, trust in God, and resilience, I was still uncomfortable with ambiguity. I’ve always hated surprises (I have good reasons for that, believe me). I noticed that I take good care to walk with my clients at their own pace holding the space for them to explore their own chaos taking all the time they need. I wasn’t that tolerant with myself, though. I wanted to know – for better or worse, it didn’t matter. I just needed to know, NOW! I dreaded the chaos, the mess I was involuntarily thrown into.
 
So, last year, I started my journey of learning to “walk in the dark”… to embrace the mess in my life. Now, I am seeing the chaos and the mess as essential parts of my learning and growing journey. I now know that safety is about learning to walk in the dark… about finding light in the midst of a sombre journey. And, belonging starts from within… from my connection with my own self and with God… 2020, was a year I had to spend in my “Innermost Cave”, in the “belly of the whale,” as Joseph Campbell puts it. It was a year of deep reflection; a year when my loneliness turned into blessed solitude and my mind-chatter gave way to a peaceful silence. Yes, the anxious worry shows its ugly face from time to time; yet, I’ve learned to reach within for my “Inner Castle,” in the words of St. Theresa of Avila, where I find my safe haven in the presence of my Lord.
 
My word for 2021 is “Connection”… I’m seeking to deepen and strengthen my connection with God, with myself, with my family, my friends, my community, the earth, and the whole Cosmos. And, since connecting is an essential part of “Connection”, I am inviting you to join me on the Second Monday of every month in a friendly “Coffee Chat” via Zoom, where we “connect,” chat, support one another and help one another heal.
 Totally Free, no strings attached…
 
Our first Zoom meeting will be on Monday, February 8th  at 6:00 PM EST.

If you are on my newsletter list or on Body Whispers FaceBook group, you'll get all the details.

Hope to see you there.
 
Have a wonderful day,
 
Amira
 
 


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What’s your favourite way of SLOWING DOWN?

15/12/2020

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​Do you feel that you are running and rushing all the time?
Are you tired and exhausted?
It’s as if you’re looking for something but don’t know what it is…  Your mind is working nonstop… Your mind chatter is torturing… And, there are those heart palpitations and speeding heart beats… Your breathing becomes shallow and your hormones a mess… PMS, pre-menopausal symptoms, thyroid issues… You have low tolerance to people and daily annoyances… Sounds familiar?
 
In the past month alone I had more than 20 clients and students approaching me regarding their anxiety issues… 
Anxiety is very individualized condition. It comes in various shapes and forms, different severity and intensity. It carries different pains and signs and poses varying challenges for its sufferers. The DSM (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) lists more than 30 different disorders under anxiety… Yet, if you dig at the core of it, no one really knows what anxiety is and where it comes from…

New studies link anxiety to autoimmune disease, Hashimoto Thyroiditis being a common one I see in my practice… Yet, is it a cause or an effect of the autoimmune disease? No one really knows. What we know for sure is that anxiety increases inflammation in the body and the inflammation in its turn increases anxiety… A viscous cycle. Turning on the furnace in our cells turns it on in our brain and vice versa.
 
I see anxiety as a gentle (or may be not so gentle at times) warning sign sent our way to tell us that we’re over doing it… over thinking, over acting, over working… We need to slow down… slow down the pace of our life and the speed of our thoughts… we need to close those pop-up windows that keep surfacing out of no where and jamming our mental screen. We need to slow down this crazy chatter and endless clutter of to-dos, ideas, information, worries, and fears… 
 
My favourite way of slowing down is taking a deep breath, grab my journal and do a “Brain Dump”… Pouring my thoughts onto the pages gives my brain a break…  It helps me organize my thoughts and decide on what I need to keep in my mind and what I need to let go of…
 
Hit reply and let me know, what’s your favourite way of SLOWING DOWN?
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It’s time for some self-love

8/12/2020

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Some days you feel that you don't want to leave bed in the morning… nothing worth waking up for. And, there are those random aches and pains that you can’t even begin to define… It feels like you are stuck in a dark place that you can’t define or get out of, even with every ounce of your will power.
 
Your chest is tight… you can’t breathe… can’t take in life… you feel like a zombie… The days pass by without any meaning… You no longer enjoy anything, even the things you used to love: your kids, your morning walks, your books, the friendly chat with your partner, the taste of ice cream or chocolate… Everything is meaningless… joyless… Your relationships are getting complicated… you feel the disconnection… from your spouse, your friends, your family… You don’t understand them, or maybe they don’t understand you… They can’t tolerate your state … But, you’ve tried to change this state… you’ve tried to get out of this dark place… you’ve tried so hard… you simply couldn’t... You couldn’t lift up this heavy heart, lighten up those dark nights, or brighten up this gloomy mood… Now, you are blaming yourself… beating yourself up for not being good enough… not being strong enough, or brave enough… Now, you’re sinking even deeper and deeper into this darkness…
 
The biggest misunderstanding of the ‘positive thinking’ theory is believing that we should be happy and cheerful all the time. We even feel guilty, ungrateful, and ashamed if we let our tears fall or our anger boil… Emotions are but signs and signals. They are there to let us know that something is not right, something is not working, something needs to change…
 
Deep at heart, you are brave, you are confident; you are the one who holds your house, your family, your kids, your community together… But, you’re also a beautiful fragile soul that has been running on dry for so long and now feels stuck, depleted, and exhausted.
 
You’re a kind, caring, loving heart that nurtured everyone around it and now endures the silent pain of emptiness, loneliness, and boredom…
 
You’ve tried for so long to keep up with the demands of everyday life… of everyone’s life… and you ignored your body, heart, and soul needs for so many years… you’ve put your dreams on hold, you ignored the whispers your body kept sending you and you even silenced the screams with analgesics and anti-depressants.
 
I have seen women staying on painkillers, anti-depressants, and anti-anxiety medications for years trying to cope with their stressful reality, life demands, and loneliness.
 
I saw women going ballistic every ‘time’ of the month and others suffering from hot flashes and menopausal symptoms having no idea what their body was trying to tell them…
 
I believe that we all have what it takes to live a healthy, happy & successful life. I believe that our body has the amazing power to heal and that our soul has the innate wisdom to find happiness.
 
You’re not alone… Data shows that the rate of antidepressants use in the US has increased by almost 400% between the late 90s and early 2000s.
 
No one of us wants to be among those statistics… do we?
 
It’s time to move forward… it is time to remember this sweet old dream you’ve  placed on the shelf years ago and allowed it to disappear under a pile of dust.
 
It’s time to find clarity… to release the blocks on your path that kept you unhappy, unfulfilled and stuck for so long…
 
It’s time to focus on what truly matters… on YOU!
 
The first step is Naming your feelings... What are you really feeling? Is it grief, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, worry… Dig beneath the surface … How do you feel? Where do you feel it in your body? And, then, acknowledge those feelings… own them … Your emotions are not you… they are yours… Acknowledge your right to be scared, hurt, exhausted, or angry… It is ok to feel sad or mad... It is ok to feel down, depressed, or gloomy … It is ok to lose motivation and drive … Acknowledge your vulnerable human nature... cut yourself some slack…
 
So, today, Pause… Take a deep breath… and, give yourself some self-love and compassion… What act of self-love will offer yourself today?
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Slow Down and Listen to the Whispers

1/12/2020

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​It all starts as subtle whispers... or, maybe mild symptoms like headache, heartburn, insomnia, or racing heartbeats... But you ignore the whispers... you pop a pill when you have a headache or an antacid when your stomach objects... or, maybe you watch a movie to distract your thoughts or burry your boredom in a double chocolate cheesecake only to hate yourself, even more, when you step on the bathroom scale at the end of the day...
 
All what you are doing is neglecting your body’s warnings, or even worse, suppress those warnings with quick fixes so that the whispers just shut up and stop bothering you... But, the whispers won’t go away, they will keep getting louder and louder until they turn into shouts and screams now requiring medical intervention and you end up with an official diagnosis... a ‘label’ that needs a prescribed medication.
But, the medicine won’t solve the problems you are facing at work... it won’t force your son to study... it won’t heal your broken heart... pay your bills... fix your relationship... calm your anger or ease your fears...
All what it does is suppress those whispers... it makes them stop nagging so that you can step back on the hamster wheel and keep spinning... non-stop.
 
I’m here to remind you to slow down the pace of your life and listen to those Body Whispers®… You are the only one who can listen, decode, decipher, and devise a healing plan…
 
Your body possesses an amazing healing power. If you give it what it needs, it will achieve all the healing… and what it needs is not just food, drink, vitamins, minerals, or supplements… but also emotions, feelings, mental patterns, and spiritual needs…To restore your health, you need to look at your health from a much wider perspective, wider than drugs or even herbs and vitamins… you need to work on your body as well as your mind, your heart and your soul.
 
So, today, it is time to Slow Down and Listen to the Whispers: What is one thing you can do today to help you slow down?
 
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How do you take care of your weary body and exhausted soul?

17/11/2020

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Life is a struggle… no one can deny that… at any point in our life we face some form of challenge… be it physical, emotional or spiritual… It’s always there… it is there to teach us something… to help us grow… If we are not challenged, if we are not pushed out of our comfort zone we stagnate… life becomes boring… meaningless and aimless. And, on the other hand, if we succumb to the challenge and fall into the victimhood and helplessness mentality, we’ll fail to grasp the wisdom, we’ll fail to heed the message sent our way… we’ll fail to grow, learn, and advance… And, the lesson will keep repeating over and over again… it will resurface in our life in different shapes and forms until we get it… and, when we finally get it, it will soon be time for the next lesson, the next challenge… This is life!
 
How many times did you feel the need to press a pause button?
How many times did you feel the need to just stop and catch your breath?
How many times did you find yourself running and racing, not even knowing why are you rushing or where are you heading?
Life doesn’t always run smoothly. Sometimes you feel like it’s tough to even get out of bed in the morning.
But, hibernating or escaping does not make our troubles disappear. They do not heal our bodies, mend our broken hearts, pay our bills, restore our self-esteem, or fix our severed relationships... 
 
Life challenges are inevitable, but making the decision to stay fully alive, joyful and engaged is a choice.
 
It’s challenging to deal with life stresses, endless to-do lists… kids, house and workloads…
It is challenging to deal with this Busy Mind That Won't Switch off
It is terrible to experience your energy being drained and your vitality gradually fading...
It is torturing to drag your body out of bed every morning as you fight low motivation and random aches and pains that you don't even seem to define
And, worst of all are those negative thoughts and doubts that never cease to creep in your mind.
And, if you’ve ever heard yourself saying, “I am not good enough”, or “why bother, I will never be able to make it” … it’s ok. Join the club... I’ve been there, lived there for years and still go there from time to time.
 
This is why I know that despite all the challenges, inside your heart lay all the wisdom and strength you need to restore your life… And, in your body lays an amazing healing power that is waiting for you to unleash.
 
So, let me ask you, what is the one act of self-care and compassion that you can do today to take care of this weary body and exhausted soul?
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Do you believe you can make your dream a living reality?

10/11/2020

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Are you feeling stuck, tired, and depleted? You cared for everyone and about everything. You have put your dreams on hold for so long that you don’t even remember what they were any more. Or, you might have achieved many successes, climbed the corporate ladder, took care of the home and the kids… and feel that you should be happy… but you are not.
 
Inside you, there is something missing… the joy… the excitement of everyday life… you are feeling incomplete, un-fulfilled… maybe even depressed, bored, or lonely… You are hungry for more… more joy, more love, more peace, more energy, more impact in the world… You crave excitement… You crave passion.
 
You’ve tried in the past to fight depression, random aches and pains, brain fog, or chronic illness and fatigue but failed… You are still feeling stuck, depleted and overwhelmed… You still feel lost, unfulfilled, and are hungry for more despite all your efforts. You’ve been wondering why you just can’t manage to live joyfully, excited and inspired… Dear exhausted soul, if you’ve been concerned that you just can’t find motivation and passion that make you jump out of bed in the morning looking forward to the new day, it is not your fault.
 
I don’t want you to lose sight of your dream. … I know you have a dream … that’s why you’re here reading those words. It doesn’t matter whether it is a big or a small dream… Whether you just want to be happy or pain-free or you want to heal yourself or embark on a mission to heal the world… regardless of the size of your dream… it is important to you and I believe you can make it a living reality.
But, what matters the most, do you believe you can make your dream a living reality?
 
David Feinstein in his book The Promise of Energy Psychology, says that in order to change our life, we need first to be receptive for this change. While we logically accept and wish for those positive changes (like being happy, losing weight, healing our body, taming with our anger, calming our anxiety…) many of us hold this inner conflict that is unconsciously running the show, blocking our progress and hindering our healing.
 
Don’t underestimate this subconscious resistance. It cannot be simply overcome by will power, in fact, the harder you try, the tougher the resistance becomes… The more strictly you hold on to that diet, the more stubborn those fat cells become in holding on to your waist line… the stronger you push to hold your temper and repeat those mantras, the louder those anger bursts erupt at the most unexpected time… Your relentless efforts produce opposite results as your subconscious is trying to protect you at all cost. It is trying to hold on to some values or beliefs you acquired years back and don’t even realize they existed… “Those fats will keep men away, so I won’t be hurt by another failed love story”; “This anger keeps me safe in a hostile world”; “This drama feeds my muse”… Those are the inner stories that run in our heads all the time…To heal, you need to unravel those deeply held tales… you need to challenge them, you need to change the story you run in your head and write your own new version…

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    About the Author

    Hi, I'm Amira... I'm all for simple, natural, uncomplicated life... My core values are derived from my Islamic faith... My definition of wellness includes lots of smiles, human interactions, delicious food, music, joy, colorful paint, Mediterranean sunshine, blue sky and turquoise sea, care, love, compassion and deep heart-felt peace.
    I love learning… I love books and art supplies… And, I am saddened by human conflict and intolerance.
     
    I am an introvert who loves being around people... I love building communities and gathering around the kitchen table... I am a teacher at heart... I simplify complex health science and speak openly about heart and soul stuff...

    I've been helping people on their health and healing journey for more than 20 years now and I am committed to be authentic, caring and a beacon of love and peace.

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 Disclaimer
My wellness coaching, workshops, teachings, and all the services I provide are at all times restricted to education, teaching and training on the subject of natural health matters intended for general natural health well-being and do not involve the diagnosing, prognosticating, treatment, or prescribing of remedies for the treatment of any disease, or any licensed or controlled act which may constitute the practice of  medicine. 
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