You may be a stay at home mum who feels stuck, exhausted and drained. Or, maybe you are juggling your career, home, spouse and kids while deep inside, you feel the void… you feel incomplete, un-fulfilled… even depressed or anxious at times. In both cases, your heart is whispering that something needs to change in your life or your body is screaming with symptoms and complaints that no one can give you an answer for.
You desperately want to rediscover joy… but you keep looking for it in all the wrong places… You are running all day long and don’t even know what you are running from or towards… like a hamster in a wheel… caught in an endless cycle of rushing and hurrying… a vicious cycle. Your body is sending you messages that you need to slow down but you keep masking those “Whispers” with analgesics, antidepressants, or maybe comfort foods and soap operas– Soon, and without you even noticing, anxiety kicks in.
 
In your rush, you sometimes get a glimpse of fleeting moments of joy… you look for it in a piece of cake… in a cigarette… in a funny movie… momentary pleasures that you cannot sustain… Joy became a mirage… it’s never right and never enough… you are going on a downward spiral into this dark lonely place.
 And, on top of it all, you are overwhelmed by this feeling of guilt when you dare to take time for yourself… you feel selfish, so you keep prioritizing others over your own needs.
 
At the root of it all, it is a lack of self-love… You feel that you are not enough… you’re not worthy of a better life, a better treatment… Those are lies… The reality is that you deserve better… you have an inner strength… you’re brave… you just need to believe in your self worth… in your abilities. You have to give yourself the acknowledgement and compassion you would give to a friend in need.
 
Today, I want you to pause… Breathe… and, reach for the stillness within you…
Today, I want you to give yourself permission to embark on a journey… your healing journey… Body & Soul healing…
 
So, for a start, let me ask you… What brings you the most joy these days?
 
And, what is the one thing that you can do today to prioritize yourself?
​

It is estimated that nearly one quarter of Canadians suffer from hypertension, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. But, it is interesting to know that most cases of hypertension are classified as primary or essential hypertension, which means that the exact reason for blood pressure rise is not known.
 
Although conventional medicine attribute the cause of hypertension to dietary choices, sedentary lifestyle and stress, traditional medicines have always added a deeper mystical understanding. In traditional medicine, blood is our lifeline. The smooth flow of blood in our blood vessels represent a smooth, harmonious, and joyful life flow. When the flow of life is constricted/restricted, so would be the blood inside its vessels.
 
According to ancient Indian medicine, at least one of the first four main chakras are associated with hypertension problems: the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the solar plexus, and the heart chakra.

• The first chakra is your root, your foundation. It holds your primary sense of belonging – belonging to a family in its larger sense including the feeling of safety, home, peace, and harmony. The first chakra regulates musculoskeletal health along with the adrenal function, which determines our tolerance/response to stress – the adrenaline secretion that, when activated, prepare the body to fight or flee (raising heart rate, increasing blood pressure and slowing down digestion). Furthermore, chronic stress sustain the release of cortisol, a hormone that raises blood pressure, blood sugar level, causes muscle tension, and suppresses immune function.

 

• The second chakra It is the centre of creativity, joy, passion, physical and emotional intimacy, and life flow. It mainly controls sexual organs and to a large extent body fluids, a main player in the blood pressure regulation.  Our kidneys regulate water and electrolyte balances – managing blood pressure.

 

• The third chakra is the seat of your emotions. Those deep feelings of love and hate, courage and fear, acceptance and anger,... all are lodged here in your solar plexus, stored in your liver, gall bladder, and stomach. Many -or maybe most- of the malfunctions at this centre arise from repressed, unregulated or uncontrolled emotions and unmanaged life stresses. Poor digestion and nervous stomach are common disorders associated with the third chakra malfunctions. Worry, anxiety, and unmanaged daily life stresses are early signs of “gut feeling” that need to be addressed. And, stress is the main culprit in cardiovascular problems including hypertension.

 

• The fourth is the heart chakra, the centre of love with all its meanings - romantic and spiritual, physical and metaphysical. Your heart is the link between your physical realm and your spiritual one, that’s why balancing your heart energy is essential in achieving holistic balance. And, balance means taking care of whole of you: body, mind, heart & soul. The heart chakra regulates heart function and blood circulation in addition to lungs and breathing.

 
As you can see, more than one chakra is always involved in any health challenge—especially in chronic physical disorders like hypertension. Restoring your health entails managing all aspects of your life (physical, mental , emotional , and spiritual).[1]

 
Energy Restoration:
 
If you find it hard to control your blood pressure, it is time to listen closely to your own body… What is your body trying to tell you? What message is it trying to deliver? Which of the four Chakras is/are out of balance?
 
 
First Chakra

• Strengthen your support. Family support is an essential element in your foundation’s health. Think about the house you live in. How could your feel more “at home”?
• Connect with Nature.
• Be aware of your movements, especially your daily routine activities. Movement is a powerful energizer of our first chakra.
• Prepare Food for Your Family.
• Clear the Clutter. Living in a clean, orderly, and uncluttered environment is a first chakra energizer.
• Get a Foot Massage.
• Support your adrenals – Your adrenals need coenzyme Q10, vitamin C, B vitamins, and omega 3 oils.

 
Second chakra

• Water has a powerful cleansing effect on all of the energy system. You can restore your second chakra balance through bubble baths or warm showers. You can energize it by standing under the rain, going to the beach or practicing water sports like swimming and water skiing.
• Live with passion. The second chakra is the centre of creativity and life enjoyment. To energize it, you need to find pleasures, meanings and values in everyday experience. You need to step out of your comfort zone and try new stuff that makes you happy and bring you material, spiritual, mental, and emotional satisfaction.
• Adopt a New Hobby. Learning a new skill or adopting a new hobby is about adding gratification to your life and also about boosting your creative powers, the two main sides of your second chakra.
• Engage Your Senses. Let your sensual indulgence flow naturally and spontaneously throughout your daily experiences by cultivating awareness of your five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch). Although your life should be structured, planned, and organized (functions of the first chakra), it should be far from rigid. Flexibility, harmony, and flow are essential for a healthy second chakra.
• Simplify and beautify your Surrounding.

 
 
Third Chakra

• The sun is a major third chakra booster. UV rays of sunlight help lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, increasing heart efficiency, boosting metabolism, increasing sex hormones levels, and sustaining the health of the eye retina.
• Finding your path, your true vocation and life calling is essential for establishing health, vitality and happiness. The journey starts here at your solar plexus by re-evaluating your resources, your strengths, your talents and potentials; by boosting your self-confidence, self-worth and self-esteem; and by committing to your true values and vocations.
• Love who you are, acknowledge your human limitations and be less critical and judgmental of yourself. Surround yourself with a loving, caring, and compassionate community. Connect with your family and friends and receive and give support. A healthy support system is essential in a stressful world.
• Breathing Exercises adjust, synchronize, and harmonize the diaphragm movement thus restoring balance not only at the third chakra level but also at whole body levels.

 
Fourth Chakra

• Awareness. The first step in restoring heart balance is actually recognizing that we are tumbling out of balance. Awareness is the key in every aspect of your life. Ironically, the more we struggle to stay in control, the less balanced we become.
• Perform a Random Acts of Kindness. Serving others feed your heart.
• Keep smiling. Studies in the field of positive psychology show that pessimism is very strongly associated with poor health and heart problems. Research has proven over and over again that the feeling of optimism, having a life meaning, mastery of your conditions and experiences, and having positive attitudes and emotions towards life are major indicators of your susceptibility to heart and cardiovascular diseases. These findings were more indicative of predicted death from heart attacks and cardiovascular problems than more conventionally stated risk factors like high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, diet and lifestyle habits, obesity, smoking, and personality types.
• Learn your love language. Love, the essential food for the heart, is a very important asset in relationship building. Dr. Gary Chapman, the author of The Five Love Languages, sees that each person understands and communicates love in his/her own language – be it gifts, acts of service, words of appreciation, physical touch… To restore your heart energy, you need to understand, receive, and deliver the right messages of love. 

 
Now, it is your turn to reflect. Which aspect(s) of those chakra energy is missing from your life?
What do you need to change/ add/ eliminate?
Listen to your body… What does it need in order to heal?
Write your own healing prescription…

________________________________
[1] It is very important to note here that if the malfunction reaches a stage where it is manifested physically, an experienced physician should be consulted. The advice given here can in no way compensate for a proper medical intervention or treatment, when such is required. 

In the past month alone I had more than 20 clients and students approaching me regarding their anxiety issues…
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…
 
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.
 
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 knows for sure. What we know is that anxiety increases inflammatory markers in the body and the inflammatory markers in their turn increase anxiety- creating a viscous cycle. Turning on the furnace in our cells turns it on in our brain… Does this contribute to the onset of autoimmune disease? I believe so.
 
I have my own theory about anxiety, though. (I have my own theory about pretty much everything in my life I guess). I see the tendency to be anxious as a special personality trait… it is part of our character… in our genes… it is part of who we are…
 
People who are prone to anxiety are usually the over-achievers. Those who care and carry on with life on a full drive mode… They are the creative type, with a mind loaded with ideas, thoughts, plans and lists… a mind like a super World Wide Web firing in all directions ALL THE TIME!
I know… because this is how my mind feels like… And, this is totally fine… This is who I am and it is perfectly ‘normal’… my ‘normal’…
 
Who defines ‘normal’ anyway?
Who decides what ‘normal’ is or isn’t?
 
We’re all different and this is part of our charm. We complete and complement each other…
 
Anxiety-prone people are idea generators. We’re experts at connecting the dots, at seeing patterns in the randomness of chaos… We’re there to charge, drive and achieve… We’re here to move stagnated waters and shake sluggish sloth…
But, we can overdo it at times… We can burn the candle at both ends… We can scorch ourselves alive… we can keep running and running till we run out of breath… we can keep spinning on the hamster wheel till the wheel is ablaze…
So, our body sends us a signal… a Whisper to remind us that we need to slow down … This Whisper is our anxiety…
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 pace 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, worry and fears… 

​The best way of slowing down is meditation. I won’t list here the science behind it and the endless proofs of the positive effects of meditation on your health… The main thing is that it works. It has been proven time and time again that it does work. And, this is what matters.
 
There is no right or wrong way of meditating… The main idea is to sit in this silent space… And, with every exhalation, gently push away any surfacing pop-ups … let them float away like fluffy clouds…
 
Some people find it easier to focus on their breath; others choose a word or a phrase to focus on, be it an affirmation or a religious reminder of the Divine Names and Attributes… a name or attribute that you need to embody now in your life. Others choose a simple word that they need to live by like peace, love or let go… Again, it doesn’t really matter… What matters is carving the time in our busy hectic schedule to actually meditate EVERYDAY…
 
It is okay if you find yourself unable to calm down the chatter or turn off the pop-ups… it is totally fine… just sit with it and keep breathing… You’ll get there. 

​In every day life, we bump into people and they bump into us… It doesn’t hurt… we all learn, we grow, we toughen…
But, when we have an open wound, bumping could be really painful… people do not see, our wound. It is hidden under layers and layers of clothing… So, when they accidentally bump into us and we scream and shout in pain, they don’t understand… And it’s not their fault… they didn’t cause our wound, they are not responsible for it, they don’t even know it is there.
 
We need to take a break… sit by ourselves for sometime, tend to our wound, gently clear it, cleanse it, disinfect it…
Pouring disinfectant on our wound might burn even more; but neglecting it will make it even worse. It will drill down to our core, infest and intoxicate our system… we need to purify, revitalise and refresh… may be we’ll need some help from a friend, a family member, a coach or a therapist… or may be we just need to sit by ourselves for some time… Whatever it takes…
 
When we heal our wound, we’ll be ready to mingle through life again… only then, everyday bumping won’t hurt as much… it will toughen our skin further and teach us to better navigate through life in the future.
 
Dear fragile soul, where are you hurting? What wound(s) do you need to take care of before the pain becomes unbearable, before it robs sleep off your eyes and wipes the smile off your life? What wound(s) do you need to take care of before it gets so inflamed and sore that even passing by it without even touching it hurts?
 
It’s okay to announce it… it is okay to tell everybody: “Excuse me as I need some time for my self… I’m working on some personal issues right now” You are actually doing them a favour, you’re giving them permission to work on their own personal issues, because, you know what, we all have wounds and we all hide them under layers and layers of make up, clothing and embellishment.
 
Some wounds have been there for so long that we forgot about them… we wonder why a tiny bump or even a friendly pat could hurt so badly… we hid our wounds so well that even we fail to acknowledge their presence…
No wound can heal when buried… it needs to be exposed… it needs the fresh air and gentle breeze and sometimes it needs to be disinfected…
 
So, dear beloved soul, don’t hide your wounds… Carve time off your busy schedule to tend to your injuries and hurts… Carve time off your busy schedule to heal…

A couple of weeks ago, I attended a meeting with natural health women entrepreneurs… We were discussing the challenges we are all facing in building and maintaining our businesses while trying to spread the message we believe in.  A friend summed it up in: “We need to learn to feel secure in midst of insecurity”… This immediately resonated with me… It brought me back to the meaning of TRUST…

Do you trust that you are loved; you are guided, you are protected by the highest power of all… By God?
Do you feel that your life, your trials, your challenges and pains have a higher meaning and reason? Do you believe that they have a purpose that may not be clear to you just yet?

The whole ‘New Agey’, ‘mind-body’ movement trained us years back to re-formulate our thoughts… call our problems challenges and our pains lessons. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as that… This ‘reformulation’ business led people to deny their pains and problems and to even beat themselves up for not being ‘grateful’ enough or powerful enough or wise/enlightened enough to withstand them… We can fool everyone, but we cannot fool ourselves… We can fake a smile on our lips, but we cannot fake it in out hearts…

Re-formulation should start with acknowledgement… acknowledgement that we are human, with all the human limitations… We have the right to feel pain, to cry, to be frustrated, to object… We have the right to scream in anger and fall down in tears… this is not lack of gratitude. These are rightful human emotions. If we do not let them out, they will eat us on the inside.
This of course does not give us the right to be nasty, inconsiderate or rude, nor to be wimpy and whiny all the time… It just give us the right to be human… vulnerable and fragile at times.

From this vulnerability, strength and wisdom are born… Vulnerability is not weakness… It is the ultimate strength…
Strength to be ourselves…
Strength to know that we are enough… good enough, beautiful enough, wise enough…
Strength to embrace our pains and problems, learn from them not sink with them in a hollow pit…
Strength to show up everyday in life and keep going despite the wounds, despite the pain…
Strength to take off the cardboard mask that we were hiding behind and announce to the world who we truly are…
Strength to trust deep in our heart that we are loved, we are guided, we are protected in every step along our path…
Strength to admit that we might not understand the wisdom behind our current suffering, we might not be ‘happy’ about our pains and challenges; yet we are grateful… and our gratitude doesn’t mean we’re helpless… it doesn’t mean we’re victims… it doesn’t mean we have to succumb to our current reality… It means we stand up… show up… and keep going trusting that we are loved, we are guided, we are protected every step along our path…

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 do not make our troubles disappear. They do not mend our broken hearts, pay our bills, restore our self-esteem, or fix our severed relationships... 
The answer is not in hiding… the answer is in keeping the momentum…

Sometimes, I find it difficult to live with full awareness and mindfulness in our modern reality – especially with the street filled with absent-minded cartoon hunters looking for Pokémon!

Stress became a common denominator in our every day life. And with stress we’ve gradually lost our ability to enjoy and savour life.

A study by UCLA found that women respond to stress differently than man. In addition to the famous fight and flight response, we, women, experience what the researchers called ‘tend and befriend’ response… This is an innate healing mechanism that makes us go out and seek fiends to talk to and chat with and seek others in pain, need or distress to help and nurture…

Historically, this ‘tend and befriend’ was an amazing natural remedy that generates enough oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin to lift our mood and re-motivate us into action. But, today, this is not the case any longer… “befriending’ shifted from the cozy, warm, caring kitchen table into the vain, competitive coffee mornings where we compare the latest iPhone models, fashion styles , restaurant and desserts… Befriending became empty gatherings where everyone seeks to gain ‘something’ out of it even on the expense of others. We’re depleted and exhausted so we go on a full survival mode and all we do is suck energy out of each other.

Even ‘tending’ is no longer a volunteer, heart-felt act that kept us in touch with our blessings and filled our hearts with genuine satisfaction and gratitude… It became another marketing tool, marketing our ego: ‘see how good and generous I am’ it says. Instead of filling our well, we deplete it even further.

No more! Let’s today decide to stop this endless race… let’s today decide to live with full awareness and mindfulness… But, how?

We need to Slow Down!

“But I have so much to do, endless lists… work… kids… studies… responsibilities… You don’t understand!”

I do. Believe me. I have my share as well. We all do. And, the only thing that works is actually slowing down…Believe me, it works… It worked for me, for 100s of women I taught and for 1000s of my readers…

Take 10 minutes every morning to put down all your thoughts on paper… Brain dump, as a friend of mine calls it. Write down everything, even your to-dos and tasks, your pains and complains… it is all fine… even whining is fine. After all this fog is dumped, clarity will start to shine again.

For many of us, the fog could be so thick that it will take weeks or even months to lift… Keep going… Please don’t stop and don’t doubt the process… keep going even when you feel this is leading no where… keep going even when you feel tired, depleted and exhausted… especially if you feel tired, depleted and exhausted.. Keep going… 10 minutes every morning just 10 minutes… you owe it to yourself, this will do all the difference believe me!

Soon you’ll see your dreams, your hopes, your blessings and your loved ones resurface on those pages… soon you’ll find that the day has more hours and the time is slowing down… What you are slowing down is not your action, it’s your endless mind chatter that goes on and on and on up there…
Soon, you will find clarity… you will find answers…

And, whenever you find yourself caught in the ‘tend and befriend’ response ask yourself: “Is it real friendship that adds meaning to my life and supports me?”
“is it real ‘tending’ that adds meaning to others’ life and supports them?”If it is not ‘real’ than you don’t need it in your life!

In his book ‘Deep Healing’, Emmett Miller relates an experiment performed at NASA. One of the training procedures the astronauts have to go through before being considered as qualified for actual spaceship travels is a difficult simulation experiment in which the astronaut is put in a situation resembling an actual burning spaceship. The trainee should be capable of handling this emergency situation and getting everything under control in the shortest time possible.
Different biological parameters of the astronauts were measured (blood pressure, heart rate, pulse…) to determine how well they performed under stress.  The astronauts were divided into two groups, only one of which was given a button, which they called the ‘Panic Button’. If they find the stress unbearable, they were instructed, pushing the Panic Button will immediately end the experiment.

The procedure went on, and, at the end, the groups’ performance was evaluated. The group having the ‘Panic Button’ not only showed much lower level of stress as indicated by the measured biological parameters, but also their level of performance, decision making, and creative solutions for the problems at hand were way better than the group having no way out of the experiment. Yet, this is not the most fascinating result, the most fascinating thing about this experiment was that neither of the two groups actually used the ‘Panic Button’.
 
Just knowing that you actually do have a way out, that you have a 'Button' and pressing it will solve all your problems and end all your misery, make you think straighter, control your reactions, keep your calm and normalize your biological functions even if you never do actually press this Button!
 
We all have a built-in Panic Button... Sometimes our calamity, pains, problems or challenges are the ultimate test of our faith… Do we really believe that we are in safe hands; that we are always taken care of no matter how hard our test seems to be?

How strong is our faith? This faith is what brings peace to our heart, this faith is what gives us all the energy, strength, and stamina we need to proceed forward even when the tunnel is so dark and the pain is excruciating. We believe deep in our heart that we will never be given a burden that we cannot handle; we believe deep in our hearts that the light is there, the fog will soon lift and the pain will be part of a laughable and cherished memory.

Hypertension has become a common problem of our modern life. The causes of which are wide and varied. Here again, conventional medicine offers symptomatic treatment. Pharmaceutical medicines that lowers blood pressure could be life saving, no doubt, but still, we need to reach the root cause to achieve healing. Most cases of hypertension are classified as primary or essential hypertension, which means that the exact reason for the raised blood pressure is unknown.

Cardiovascular system diseases like hypertension, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis and heart problems are the number one cause of death in the USA. A part of course is largely due to bad habits like smoking, junk food, fatty diet, sedentary lifestyle… but the major risk of heart disease remains the emotional and psychological factors or what cardiologists classified as Type A behavior pattern.  Being always on the rush, stressed, worried, and anxious, holding anger, hostility, or grudge, feeling frustrated, oppressed and overwhelmed are main culprit in the condition. In our modern world, stress became a common denominator. It originates primarily from the autopilot state we are all running on, from a  mindless attitude of living that led us to losing life meaning, motivation and drive. High occupational demands, lack of social support, increased individualistic mentality, competitiveness, disappearance of family ties and community networks are all adding to the deadly mix.

Data shows that the best predictor for heart attack isn’t, as pharmaceutical companies want us to believe, high cholesterol levels or hypertension; it isn’t even smoking or fatty food; instead, it’s job dissatisfaction!!!
Studies on Americans from Japanese origin who still kept their community spirit and supportive social system showed better physical health conditions, even if they shifted to ‘junk food’ diet, compared to their counterparts who aborted Japanese social traditions of love and support. That's why when I am discussing hypertension healing methods here, I cannot stress hard enough the importance of an overall supportive lifestyle and holistic approach to life:

·         Practice regular aerobic exercise like walking and jogging at least 4 times a week for 20 minutes each time. Physical activity is proven to reduce stress, boost the mood and heal and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
  ·         Get your share of appropriate relaxation and rest and synchronize your sleeping pattern with day and night cycle. 
  ·         Manage your stresses through a supportive community, family ties, hobbies,  journaling...
  ·         Purify your heart from anger or resentment, forgive yourself and others, send and receive love to your surroundings. Love  is a major life saver.

Now concerning your diet:

·         Eat lots of green leafy vegetables, fruits and raw vegetables. Have a big bowl of salad with your lunch and dinner.
  ·         Avoid refined carbohydrates and simple sugar, instead consume more whole grains, beans and legumes for their high fiber and nutrients content.
  ·         Apples, oat bran, asparagus, bananas, broccoli, cabbage, green leafy vegetables, raisins, squash, sweet potatoes, flaxseed oil and flax seed, olive oil, and garlic, all have great healing powers to the cardiovascular system and blood pressure. Include them regularly in your diet.
  ·         Eat fish especially fatty fish like salmon, tuna and sardines at least twice a week for their omega 3 fatty acids content.
  ·         Reduce your consumption of fatty food, red meat and deep fried foods.
  ·         Reduce the salt in your diet as much as you can. Read the label for hidden salt and sodium in  Soft drinks, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sugar substitutes, meat tenderizers, soy sauce…

Consult your physician about the use of useful supplements like essential Fatty acids (flaxseed oil, primrose oil, EPA), antioxidants (Selenium, vitamin A,C &E), Vitamin B complex, magnesium, potassium and Co enzyme Q10.