Boundaries, Consent, and Embodiment

Howdy y'all (My North Carolina side is coming out :)

I just returned home after a long day soaking in info and holding space; I attended a yoga anatomy class, a sex-ed class taught by a most amazing woman, and to top it off, I led our Ogden monthly Full Moon Goddess Council. I am completely jazzed from the day as well as enjoying breaking my usual routine by staying up later than normal to bask in the magic of this intense Capricorn moon.

There are some key things I wanted to share that I KNOW will be extremely helpful and valuable to every single person reading this, if you don't already know and implement this information!

SO much of our human suffering stems from a disconnection/hatred/distrust relationship with our bodies. Anytime we don't listen to what the body wants in any given moment, and instead override it with our egoic minds we are reinforcing a distrust between our inherent being and our body. For example: say in the bedroom your partner and you are starting to get frisky but you don't actually want to have full on intercourse, yet you don't speak this out-loud/ or even fully honor that this is a boundary for your body. So, you pursue having intercourse because that is what is expected and the like. Maybe you feel OK afterwards, or maybe you don't. The point is, each time you don't honor the needs of your body you are creating more and more of a rift in the inherent mind-body trust. Thus, after not honoring the needs of our body for many many years, it becomes hard to know where your boundaries are, it becomes hard to fully love yourself, super hard to inherently trust yourself, and overall it just becomes a hot sticky mess.

The first step in beginning to learn how to set healthy boundaries and thus truly know how to take care of yourself, is to start by honoring the simple things on a daily basis that your body is asking for or not asking for.
For example, asking the body questions like:
-are you hungry?
-are you thirsty?
- what do you need right now?
-what would feel good to you right now?
-do you actually want to give this person a hug who is asking you?
- what type of music would feel good to listen to?
-if you are hungry body, what food sounds nourishing to you?

etc. Throughout the day we have plenty of opportunity to say yes or no to whatever life presents. More often than not though, we are not taking the little "sacred pause"* in order to truly drop into the body to listen to its visceral and energetic sensations that ultimately point the way towards our highest good.

*To practice the sacred pause, simply take a deep breath (closing eyes is optional) and truly listen/take the space to hear the bodily response however loud or quiet it may come. There is no prescribed amount of time to take the sacred pause, simply as much time as you need to take in order to break the unconscious/habitual response pattern and to respond in a way that is in alignment with your bodily sensations.

Generally a feeling of expansion or lightness in the body means "yes" "go for it" and the body will respond in a more pleasurable way.
Usually when we don't want something/something is bad for us/doesn't resonate with where we are in the moment, the body will produce a feeling of heaviness, contraction, downward flow of energy. This feeling of "nope" is produced differently in every body, but is generally pretty clear to read.

Think about smelling moldy trash, how does your body respond?
Think about smelling fresh roses, how does your body respond?
Think about having all your debts paid off and plenty of money left over, what happens in the body?
Think about having to spend 5 years in jail, what happens in the body?

Did you notice in one scenario you felt more expansive/good/light, where in the other scenario you might have felt stuck, dense, heavy? However the visceral reactions manifest in your body is perfect, but can you get a clear sense of a YES and a NO (leaning toward or away) in your body?
*If something is a maybe, that is a slightly different category, but for purposes of consent, all MAYBES are considered a flat out NO*

There can be long workshops taught about consent and boundaries, but for the purpose of keeping this blog to a readable and digestible length, I just wanna give you the foundation.

If something is a FUCK YES- it is a yes- go for it.
If something is a maybe, yeah, sure ok, why not,--- it is considered a maybe, and therefore considered a NO- so don't go for it.
If something is a NO- it is a NO. ANDDDD- GUESS WHAT: YOU DON'T AN EXPLANATION FOR YOUR NO*, NOR DO YOU NEED TO APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR NO. NO is NO. End of story.

So, when beginning to practice consent work and learning what your own yes and no boundaries are, here is a fun activity to try.

1. Play the "May I, game": You just need yourself and a partner. You both agree wholeheartedly (as in a Fuck Yes), to play this game. Partner 1 asks Partner 2 if they can touch/move/do something with/ a certain body part. Partner 2 will take a moment to take a "sacred pause" by closing their eyes and taking a deep breath, and fully allowing their awareness to rest inside their body waiting for a visceral/energetic YES/NO response from their body. As soon as Partner 2 has a clear answer (remembering a maybe is a no), they will say their answer out-loud. If it is a yes, proceed with the request. If it is a no, Partner 1 gets to acknowledge Partner 2's No, and NOT take it personal :) Then you switch. Keep going back and forth. If you are getting YES the whole time, see if you can purposely agitate an edge in your partner so they can fully experience getting to tap into their sacred NO, and speak it out-loud.

After you have completed the "game", feel free to share with your partner what came up. Was it easier to say Yes or No... why do you think it is that one is easier to say than the other? What was challenging? What was refreshing? How do you feel now that you have clearly stated your boundaries out-loud, how do you feel in your body as a whole?


In order to begin to develop a loving and trusting relationship with our body (the house of our soul), we must first listen to it. Like all good relationships, one must listen and honor what the other is requesting. The most important relationship we will EVER have in this life, is the relationship with our own bodies. Point blank. Bar none.... End of story. Our bodies= our human experience. Cultivating self-love will also come when we totally honor and love our bodies regardless of shape, size, sag, cellulite, bags, wrinkles, color, whatever. And, yes self-love also extends much deeper than simply our love and appreciation for our bodies, but this is a good place to start.
How can we ever expect to be in a healthy loving relationship with another human being, if we can't love ourselves first? Well.. let me tell ya- it just won't happen. Self love is foundational to having healthy relationships, and well just frankly, a healthy life.

A great first step in beginning the road (or deepening the road) to self-love, is cultivation of body listening and honoring your yes and no. This practice may seem easier said (or written) than done, and it is- but like all things, with practice it becomes less awkward and actually crazily enjoyable. :)
Using the tool of simply following your "fuck yes", and using it as a navigator in life (regardless of what culture and circumstances say), will make you the happiest person alive :) Pretty soon after enough cultivation and practice, your life will primarily be filled with things that you have said fuck yes to! HAHA how awesome is that? Life will become a lot less muddled and frustrating, because you are actively channeling your will through your boundaries. Your boundaries (your yes's and no's) are what create the framework for your life, and what also dictate your future.

Boundaries are sexy. Consent is hot.
Self-love through enacting boundaries and using consent language is the bees knees.
Imagine what the world would be like if we taught our kids this....


Probably much more to come on this subject! Thanks Melissa Hite for re-inspiring me in this realm :)

Dangers of Caffeine Addiction

"Everything is poison, there is poison in everything. Only the dose makes a thing not a poison"- Paracelsus 

Ok, so maybe you are reading this blog because you yourself have a Coffee, or caffeine addiction/habit. Maybe there is some part of you that already knows how bad caffeine is for your body, but because you have such an emotional connection with your daily cup of coffee (or 6), you have ignored the deeper messages coming from within. Well if you stick with me for the rest of this blog, I may very well convince you to quit cold turkey tomorrow. If you don't quit cold turkey, maybe this blog will be an inspiration to plan out a "weaning off" plan, in order to regain your own natural energy levels. In any case, if we want health and harmony within our bodies, and minds, we HAVE to get off the caffeine roller-coaster.


The following exerpt is taken from http://www.naturalnews.com/012352_caffeine_coffee.html

"When you consume caffeine, the drug begins its effects by initiating uncontrolled neuron firing in your brain, according to Stephen Cherniske in his book, Caffeine Blues. This excess neuron activity triggers your pituitary gland to secrete a hormone that tells your adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin.

Adrenaline is what gives athletes that winning burst of energy and Good Samaritans the ability to rescue people by lifting cars. Adrenalin is also the source of our "fight-or-flight" response, which enabled our prehistoric ancestors to escape from saber-toothed tigers and other predators. By stimulating your adrenal glands to produce Adrenalin, caffeine puts your body in this "fight-or-flight" state, which is useless while you're just sitting at your desk. When this adrenal high wears off later, you feel the drop in terms of fatigue, irritability, headache or confusion. At this point, you may reach for another "hit" of caffeine, followed by another, and another and maybe even one more. If you constantly keep your body on a caffeine high, you're constantly keeping your body in "flight-or-flight" mode.

Cherniske explains your body's "perspective" of this constant state: "Imagine you lived in a country that was always under threat of attack. No matter where you went, there was a perpetual state of alert. Not only that, but your defenses were constantly being depleted and weakened. Does that sound stressful? Caffeine produces the same effect on your body, like fighting a war on multiple fronts at the same time." Cherniske calls your body's constant state of alert "caffeinism," which is characterized by fatigue, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disturbance, irritability and depression.

After prolonged "caffeinism," your body enters a state of adrenal exhaustion. Your caffeine consumption has simply pushed your adrenal glands so much that they've burned out. Ralph T. Golan, ND, describes this unfortunate state in his book, Herbal Defense: "Caffeine forces your glands to secrete when they don't have much left to give, and they have to keep digging deeper and deeper, making you more and more tired over time. And over the years, it takes more and more coffee to get the same result. Some people reach the point of drinking half a dozen or more cups of coffee to get the same result and it's barely keeping them awake. That's severe adrenal depletion."

In other words, caffeine affects your body just like any drug. You start taking it slowly, but as your body develops a tolerance to it, you need more and more to feel the same effects. Eventually, your body reaches a point where it can't be without it; otherwise, you will start to experience withdrawal symptoms."

There is a book out there in the world called "Caffeine Blues: Wake Up to the Hidden Dangers of America's #1 Drug": by Stephen Cherniske.  If this blog doesn't convince you to quit caffeine, maybe reading through his whole book will.          buy book on amazon

Here are some key points taken from the book Caffeine Blues:

• If you drink in-organic coffee, you are pretty much just drinking a cup full of chemicals, coffee is one of the most heavily sprayed crops on Earth.
• Caffeine causes blood sugar swings
• Caffeine increases blood sugar levels and hormone levels
• Sleep disturbance/fatigue can be caused by caffeine
• Impairs children’s growth
• Tiredness
• Loss of B-Vitamins
• Menopausal Hot Flashes and their intensity can be linked to caffeine consumption
• Raises the risk of osteoporosis because it causes the body to lose calcium
• Causes a marked constriction in veins, limiting oxygen and nutrients to vital organs/tissues
• Methyluric acid is one of the breakdown products of caffeine and this can add to the Uric Acid burden of the body, leading to kidney disease and other issues
• Inflammation
• Exhausts the Adrenal Glands…. Which then causes ALL sorts of problems from chronic fatigue, to autoimmune diseases…
• Impairs immunity and also accelerates aging
• Inhibits DNA repairs
• Coffee contributes to ulcer formation because of it’s harsh acids
• Coffee interferes with the digestion of proteins
• Caffeine along with (fake fats, hydrogenated oils, and refined sugars) is totally foreign to the digestive tract, and thus causes a variety of issues
• Coffee increases risk of heart attack
• Caffeine is linked to depression
• Caffeine lowers the stress threshold of pretty much everyone

AND the list literally goes on and on and on…

“Let's face it, remaining healthy and strong throughout life is a battle. Caffeine is the Trojan Horse. It looks like a gift but instead delivers adrenal stress, low blood sugar, mood and energy swings, fatigue, depression, malnutrition, and disturbed sleep."(p. 94 Caffeine Blues)

Through other sources we see that caffeine also:

* Increases breast tissue cysts likelihood

*could cause incontinence

* can cause insomnia if taken too close to bed

* can cause indigestion

*Caffeine can be linked to miscarriage

* causes more forceful heart contractions

* can lead to increased anxiety and depression

* increases the amount of sugary beverages consumed

Taken from: http://www.caffeineinformer.com/harmful-effects-of-caffeine

Like I quoted earlier in this blog, "only the dose makes a thing not a poison". If we were to enjoy Coffee or any heavily caffeinated drink in moderation or on the rare occasion, it won't wreck the body nearly as hard as if we were to consume it every day. In fact there are definitely POSITIVES in drinking caffeine. One of my personal favorite uses of Coffee is as an enema. Some of the benefits of allowing warm organic coffee to flow up your ass are: flushing yeasts, parasites, heavy metals and bacteria from the gut, removing toxins from the liver by stimulating flow of bile, and removing free-radicals from the blood stream, among other health inducing benefits. So like anything, too much of anything is not a good thing.

I recommend just taking a moment to revisit your addiction to caffeine. Check in with your body. Can you feel all of the slight or not so slight messages from your body letting you know you have crossed the line with your intake of caffeine? Beware of the mental justifications that will want to come up to assure you that "everything is fine". The emotional/psychological dependency on coffee may almost be stronger than our physical dependencies.... Coffee and caffeine are such a normal and accepted part of our culture, we hardly think twice about it. If you find yourself on this crazy roller-coaster of caffeine dependency and you wish to get off, here are a few links I suggest researching to help your transition to be as smooth as possible.

http://www.caffeineinformer.com/my-caffeine-detox

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9165/how-to-quit-caffeine-in-one-week-painlessly.html

https://healthyeater.com/quit-caffeine-coffee

http://www.prevention.com/health/quit-caffeine


Happy journey!! Let me know what you decide to do, or where you are at with your caffeine relationship!

Releasing Trauma through Shaking

I have recently discovered an amazing resource, that I am sure one day I will be trained in as well:) It is called TRE; short for Trauma Releasing Exercises. This is a technique that is designed to induce fatigue in the body through controlled exercises to elicit a natural tremor response from deep inside the nervous system. Once this tremor response kicks in, a person will experience various levels of shaking intensity. This shaking happens from alone, the conscious mind has nothing to do with it, (people can even carry on conversations while letting this process unfold).

This shaking response literally starts to unravel deeply buried stress and trauma stored in our tissues.  When we look to nature to start to understand our human bodies a bit better, we see that this shaking response happens in the wild. For example, in the wild, say a lion chases a gazelle, and the gazelle freezes (so much so the lion thinks it is dead). The lion runs off for a second to get his lion buddies to help with the feast, meanwhile the gazelle hops up suddenly and starts running away. The gazelle then shakes instinctively to release all of that pent up sympathetic nervous system energy (trauma-energy).

In humans we also have this fight, flight, or freeze response.  We are wired naturally to react in stressful situations- whether we are in a life or death situation like a car accident, or we get yelled at from our boss- our body responds in a similar manner. The sympathetic nervous system kicks in, and our hearts beat faster- muscles tense up- pupils constrict, and breathing gets tense. Because we have removed our species from the natural, primitive world (at least those of us in the West), the types of "danger" and "stress" we perceive has drastically changed. It used to be that every once in a while we would be on "high-alert" for that big animal predator, fight or run, then let the danger pass, shake it off, return to normalcy. Now-a-days, that predator never necessarily leaves. We can experience stress while driving, having an argument, hearing the kids screaming, hearing sirens, having a bad day, etc... and more often then not our sympathetic nervous system never gets a chance to shut off.  Our inherent stress-response system designed to activate for short periods of time, is now on constant over-drive. It is no wonder with most of us living extremely fast-paced, stressful, high intensity, highly stimulating life-styles that our bodies are screaming out. Long-term effects of constant stress have been linked to diabetes, obesity, depression, head-aches, infertility, lowered immune system, loss of sex-drive, and anxiety (among many other symptoms).

The good news is that the body already (just like the gazelle) has a built in stress-relief device, these are the neurogenic tremors that occur deep within the body in response to an extremely stressful situation. Most of us ( because "it is not socially acceptable") have turned off our body's natural stress-relieving mechanism and instead suffer from the consequences. Through learning Trauma Releasing Exercises, one has simple and effective tools to help the body naturally unwind stress and tension built up from the day (or from serious traumatic incidents).

The other day after watching a series of TRE videos, observing other people shaking, I ended up lying down with my legs up 90 degrees at the foot of the bed. I could start to feel a gentle tremor coming from my cervical spine, I allowed this tremor to grow on its own accord, and next thing you know my body was naturally unwinding and shaking totally on its own! I was amazed, this was the first time this had actually happened to me. Funny enough, earlier that day I had stated to my freeance' how I wanted to experience this particular form of release because I knew about it and wanted to know what it felt like. ( Ask and you shall receive :) That evening I allowed my body to fully unwind, move, twitch, shake, and twist into odd shapes. It felt so good and natural. I am definitely very curious about the long term effects of practicing TRE regularly, as I know it has helped many, many, many people recover from PTSD, trauma, and stress of all sorts.

The incredible importance of this technique will probably be discovered in years to come, when as a society we learn to take care of these bodies of ours. But in the mean time, just know that if you feel a natural shaking response coming on in response to a stressful or traumatic situation- LET IT HAPPEN... let it be. The body inherently knows how to take care of itself.

(I can just see this easy method being employed by all the veterans, rape victims, and other groups of highly traumatized individuals).

 When our bodies function optimally, we are able to fully live the life we were born to live. We feel healthy, strong, and rooted in our divine purpose. When we each live up to our fullest potential, the world becomes a better place- body by body, mind by mind, and healthy action by action.

7 Things You Can Do to Help Your Chronic Tiredness

It is shocking to discover just how many people in America suffer from sluggishness and low-energy. Without energy, it is almost impossible to feel motivated to want to do much of anything. Without energy life pretty much sucks, and it takes every ounce of effort one may have in order to just get through each day.

Now please understand that the culprit/s of why you may be experiencing low-energy are so vast, could come from so many different sources, and could also all be stacked on one another. Getting to the real reason why YOU may be feeling so tired and sluggish can only come from much research on your end or through working with a wellness practitioner or coach. For the purpose of this article though, I would love to address several key areas that are all too commonly overlooked for most Americans.

The following are some great first steps to take if you are dealing with low energy levels. Like I mentioned before, the symptoms of “low-energy” can be the tip of the iceberg, and could be telling you that there is a more serious issue brewing underneath. Listen to the messages your body is sending you and take action right away.

# 1: RE-VAMP YOUR Diet!!!

Food is medicine. Our bodies are constantly creating new cells, that in turn run all of our precious organs. The cells that our bodies create need useable nutrition from the food that we put into our mouths each day. Most Americans really haven’t made the connection between food and health, and somehow assume that our bodies are like an awesome machine that would just keep working as long as it got crude oil. Nothing could be further from the truth. Well, actually it is always surprising to me just how long people do end up living on the standard american diet, while maybe not  a life lived in utmost health, it is still a life lived. But the point here is, our bodies depend on the food and water that we consume in order for all of its processes to continue to run smoothly. When one eats “empty calories”; processed food devoid of pretty much all essential nutrition, and drinks sodas (further demineralizes your body), where the heck is our body going to get the ESSENTIAL vitamins and minerals that it needs to run properly? All we need to remember is this: Food is Medicine. When we start treating our food as medicine, you would be surprised as to how little you will have to spend on actual “medicine:. The body is the most amazing creation. The body KNOWS how to heal itself, and is constantly striving to find homeostasis (balance). When given the right nutrition, water, and movement, you would be surprised to see just how much energy is gained back.

Now what is proper nutrition? Every BODY is unique in how it functions and what it needs. There is no ONE right diet for everyone on Earth. The best “generic” advice I can give though, is to ALWAYS stick to an organic Whole Food Diet. This means; cook meals at home with whole grains, legumes, grass-fed animal proteins, fruits, organic dairy (ideally raw, unpasteurized, unhomogenized), and sprouted nuts and seeds. Some people find that their body functions better with no dairy, or no animal products. Some people find that they can not tolerate wheat, or many other grains. Some people have reactions to night-shade vegetables and fruits, while some people are totally fine eating anything from the whole-food category.

Aside from sticking to a diet full of WHOLE foods, it is important to introduce friendly bacteria back into your gut. You can do this by eating raw, live fermented foods such as sauerkraut, fermented carrots, kombucha, yogurts etc. The gut is the second “brain” in the body. The gut microbiology play an important role in the forming of the Enteric Nervous System (ENS), a complex system of over 100 million nerves. The ENS is intrinsically connected with your brain through neural and endocrine pathways and the two are constantly in communication, making it seem as if there is only one brain and not two. As you can guess, the health of the gut is invariably connected to your mental health, and cognitive function.

2. Start to supplement your diet with Magnesium

We are pretty much ALL Magnesium deficient, due to the monocrop food grown in soil with a severe lack of minerals. Not to mention those Americans who drink soda and coffee, who are with every sip, stripping magnesium out of their bodies. Magnesium is SUCH an important mineral for the vital processing of over 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in your body including; protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is a major player in energy production, helps relax the nervous system, helps muscles relax and grow stronger, helps fix calcium properly and creates healthier bones, hydrates, alkalizes the body’s PH, improves digestion, and much more.

Click here to buy Ionic Trace Magnesium

It is important to take a magnesium supplement that is actually utilizable by the body.  Most magnesium supplements come in pill form and have to pass through the stomach and intestines before a mere %15 of its magnesium content can be used by the blood stream. A much more bioavailable form of magnesium is “Ionic-Trace”, or “Angstrom-Size” magnesium. This comes as a liquid, and the particle size of magnesium is so super tiny in this form, that the body absorbs this angstrom size magnesium right away through the bloodstream.

3. Check your relationship with Sugar

Sugar addiction is pretty much normal in our modern day American society. Most processed foods have sugar added to it. Sugar can be hidden in labels under various “disguise” names. The most dangerous one to stay away from is “high fructose corn syrup”, especially with the sickly rise of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) in our world today, corn being one of the main genetically modified crops.

When we are addicted to sugar, we are dependent on the continual high that the sugar gives us, serving as a non-sustainable energy boost. Ultimately this roller coaster of riding the blood sugar wave is very detrimental to your health and will result in major energy level crashes in the long run. Another important thing to mention here is that sugar feeds a yeast called Candida Albicans. When our bodies are healthy and in balance, there is a natural balance of the Candida yeast present in our system. Because the standard american diet consists of so many processed foods, white flours (convert to sugars), and sugars- the Candida balance in our guts can be easily thrown off by the overload of sugar into our system. Add a bit of antibiotic medicine for that last infection you had, and boom, you have a perfect recipe for Candida overgrowth. When Candida gets out of hand, you will start to experience various symptoms, one of them being fatigue, sluggishness, and low energy. So experiment with cutting out processed sugar from your diet and see how you feel.  

4. Drink LOTS of Clean Water

Great rule of thumb is to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces every day. If I weigh 120 lbs, I would drink 60 ounces of water AT least every day. More importantly though is to assess the quality of water you are drinking. Never drink tap water unless for some reason your tap water is sourced from a spring and is untreated.

The best source of water you can get is straight from a natural mountain spring. Now most of us don’t have that luxury to bottle our own water from a beautiful mountain spring, but we can buy spring water and have it delivered to our door. There is also a great website called www.findaspring.com where you can locate the nearest natural spring near you.

We want spring water because it is still alive with naturally occurring minerals and has been structured by the earth herself, to be best utilized by our bodies. If you can’t get spring water I would suggest buying a great home water purification system.

Why is it important to drink enough water? Our bodies are roughly %70 water. Every single process that goes on in our bodies depend on water. It is through having adequate water intake, that our body is able to consistently flush out toxins from our system. A buildup of toxins in our system can lead to loss of energy and sluggishness.

5. Avoid Caffeine

Caffeine wrecks havoic on the body. I will list a few things that caffeine causes, and/or is linked to:

-increased loss of B-vitamins (through urine)

-contributes to irritibilty, anger, headaches, nervousness

-increases calcium loss

-short term mood elevation- but rebounds to depression

-causes sleepiness, tiredness, and feeling disorganized

-constricts veins- causes limited supply of oxygen and vital nutrients to tissues/cells

-burns out adrenal glands- and if untreated can lead to an autoimmune disease

-mood disorders

-inflammation

-been shown to inhibit DNA repairs

-linked to GastroIntestinal problems like IBS, heartburn, bloating, colitis, food allergies…

-coffee interferes with the digestion of protein

-caffeine lowers the stress threshold in nearly everyone

As you can see with this fraction of a list, I have already covered many reasons why caffeine should be eliminated. While this may seem like a daunting task, once the body has gone through coffee/ or caffeine withdrawals, and has gotten over the hump, you will slowly start to regulate your own energy levels. Over time, you will see life is actually much better on the other side of the fence where caffeine doesn’t rule the world. Having low-energy could very well be caused by adrenal exhaustion through the use of your daily cup of coffee or 5.

6. Get enough sleep-

Americans have had a weird relationship to sleep for the last half century. Many believing that the key to “success” is to work more, sleep less, because as they say “ I can sleep when I am dead”. Well, how about if you don’t sleep, you will end up dead right quick buddy. :) This may seem obvious but if you are feeling constantly drained- check your relationship and quality of sleep in your life. Are you getting less than 7-8 hours consistently a night? Is your sleep deep and solid, or light and easily disturbed? Do you spend the last waking moment before sleep taking care of work, or staring into a screen? If so, it may be time for a sleep makeover. Make a “winding down ritual” for yourself every evening; make sure to turn off all electronics in your bedroom, drink a soothing calming tea before bed, drop some lavender essential oil on your feet, and/or try meditating for 10 minutes before you hit the pillow. Sleep is when the body regenerates itself, where the day’s events are processed, and where energy is restored. If you are constantly running around busy as a busy in your daily life, and you live on limited sleep, chances are you are doomed to a life of sluggishness, and less than ideal energy levels. Make sleep a priority for yourself, you deserve at least 7-8 hours of good sleep a night.

7. Check your relationship to stress

Stress kills. Literally. Stress sends our cortisol levels through the roof as well as keeps our nervous system in fight or flight mode (sympathetic nervous system). Cortisol wears out our adrenal glands over time- and will make it that your mojo up and left.

In a nutshell if you want more energy- take a look at your life and see what areas could use some improvement as far as stress goes. Address what you can, then take it upon yourself to incorporate as many relaxation practices as you can throughout your days/week in order to help counter the raging stress hormones that likely flood your body.

I could literally keep writing about all of the different causes for having “low energy levels” because the causes are so vast and inclusive. But for the purpose of keeping this blog manageable, lets just call it quits for now :)

As always, in radiant health, and longevity,

Norianna

5 Things You Can't Do When You Have A Cold

I just wrote a post about 15 things you CAN do while you have a cold. I thought it would be kind of hilarious to point out at least 10 things you CAN'T* do while under the same spell....
*Can't in this context means to take with a grain of salt. I am not saying you can't because of course everyone can do anything they please... An alternative title for those that are linguistically picky can be:

5 Things that you probably wouldn't want to do while under the influence of a Cold:

1. Make Out: If you make out you might die. It becomes almost impossible to breath. Your nose drips all over your partner... and you might make weird piggy sounds.

2. Sing for any worthwhile Audition: I don't know about you, but when my nose is stuffed I just sound like a nasely broad trying to sing... would never work if I was trying to win a contest or anything where I need to actually sound like a superstar.

3. Feel motivated: Now... I have had degree's of "Cold Sickness". The last few that hit me were over in 3 days and not bad at all. This current bugger has had me on a roller coaster, each night thinking the next day I would get better, when only to wake up with a more congested head the next morning. It is pretty dang hard to feel motivated to get much shit done, plan my next business move, organize anything, deep clean the house....or anything related to action. So this is when I throw in the towel and allow myself to be the lazy person I usually dread. I usually end up thinking, "well, well, well... look here, I now have ALL this free time cause I feel like shit, and I may as well watch movies that are educational, or you-tube some relevant information." But, when the shit hits the fan as they say, the last thing I ACTUALLY want to do is feel productive or "on top" of it in any way. Instead why not smoke a big bowl, drink some homemade mead, and watch America's Got Talent on YouTube?


4. Look Sexy: Now for most of us it doesn't matter what we wear, do, or say- sexiness just literally oozes from our pores making men and women drool like baby puppies.  For the few out there that have a hard time getting that sexy groove on, even in the midst of sickness- there are probably plenty of online programs that specifically speak to you as the target audience. Cause I know that we ALL want to feel hellishly sexy even in the midst of the not so sexy cold.




5. Run Out of Toilet Paper:  It might be a challenge. Depending on the severity of your case....
If it seems like you are starting to get low on on that precious TP- you may want to assess your situation quickly. See if anyone in the household feels well enough to run to the store to buy some more. If not, or if you live alone, you could always go knock on a neighbors door and try not to look TOO embarrassed. For an eco-friendly version, you can use old socks, or cloth rags as an alternative to outlandishly wasting so many trees as an attempt to stop your nose from running off your face.

15 Things to Do when You have a Cold

Don't know what hit me.
All I know is that Monday my partner, Phoenix, and I woke up and looked at each other and said "huh, I don't feel too good today".
First time in history that we have been sick with the exact same thing starting on the same day....
Shhh... kind of our secret.... but we enjoy everything together- even being sick. It adds to the coziness and
"I don't give a fuck" factor when your best friend/lover is in the same condition as you. We are double the trouble now folks, and here are somethings you could do if you end up in this same boat

Some DO it yourself at home cold remedies:

1. Garlic Garlic Garlic:  - Eat garlic in everything, raw or cooked. Garlic is natures anti-biotic and of course keeps the vampires away!

2. Lemon Water and Raw Honey: - Start your morning off with some warm water, mix in some raw honey (1 tbsp, or to taste) and squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Create this concoction as often as you would like.

3. Spicy Foods:- The heat in spicy foods combat the damp cooling nature of the "cold". Cayenne pepper is a great spice to use, it helps with circulation, breaking down mucus, is anti-fungal, digestive aid, helps with migraine headaches, lymphatic stimulant, and has anti-bacterial properties.
* You can make a kick ass drink from the following:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (raw)
1 tbsp raw honey
1tsp cayenne pepper
1 wedge of lemon
        Bring water to a boil, add in ACV to the water in a mug, then, add in honey and cayenne and lemon, stir well!

4. Stay away from dairy products and excess sugars: - eat as clean of a diet as you can consisting of whole, organic, pure foods. Plenty of vegetables, fresh soups, and nourishing proteins.

5. Green Juices: Juice some celery, kale, beet greens, green apple, spinach, parsley... anything green and vibrant and DRINK-! Green juices give you much needed vitamins and minerals to help strengthen your immune system to kick that cold!

6. Use a Neti Pot! http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Neti-Pot

7.Gargle with Salt Water: - Make a solution of warm water with sea salt (1/2 cup of water to 2-4 tablespoons salt) and gargle heftily, several times throughout the day. This is particularly useful if you have sore throat symptoms.

8. Increase Water Intake:  DRINK WAY more then you normally would. "Normal" should be 1/2 your body weight in ounces. If I way 120 lbs my "normal amount" would be 60 ounces. If I have a cold I could be drinking anywhere from 80-120 ounces in order to help my system flush out all those unfriendly toxins.

9. Cayenne, Raw Honey, Garlic blend: Not the most tasty thing you will try, but this little trick does pack a punch. Mix up 1 tablespoon of pure honey with 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper with 4 cloves of crushed raw garlic- AND eat! NOT on an empty stomach- or it might burn up your stomach a bit!

10. Make Fire Cider and TAKE IT -http://www.mommypotamus.com/fire-cider-recipe/

11. Make Miso Soup:
 Miso Ginger Soup

1-2 tbsp organic miso, probably one of the lighter ones like Aka but feel free to experiment with any type

3 cups water
1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced or minced
1/2-1 clove garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped kale, chard, cabbage, broccoli or spinach
1 cup of sliced carrot, celery, pepper, mushroom or other veg
juice half lemon
dash cayenne pepper
Optional: 1/4 cup cubed firm tofu, tbsp chopped cilantro, chopped green or red onion.

12. Lots of Vitamin C: Best kind ever is getting your hands on some liposomal vitamin c- liposomal vitamin c is actually directly absorbed into your cells instead of going through the digestive tract like most vitamin c supplements do.  This stuff kicks ASS- BIG TIME! 

13. REST!-  pretty self explanatory. Watch movies, read books, and basically just don't give two fucks... 

14. Take a bath: Add some yummy essential oils like Eucalyptus, Rosemary, or Frankincense. Add sea salt. Get some nice relaxing music playing. Light some candles. Enjoy.... 

15. Do some yin yoga:  Check out this youtube link for a great "class" to try at home! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sDPQyWZJi0

Importance of Clean Water!

I think most people underestimate the power of fresh clean water. 

I know several friends who buy organic food and are relatively health conscious but still drink their water out of their tap. It kind of drives me crazy...

 I go to restaurants and get served water, when I put it up to my mouth all I smell is that delicious smell of chlorine.... I think...."why??". There is no way I am drinking that- it tastes terrible and is pretty darn terrible for me. I am appalled that more restaurants don't bother putting in a freaking water filter. It is not that hard people. 

Perhaps it is because there is a general under-education phenomenon surrounding water. Importance of clean water is not something that is taught in schools (at least it wasn't while I was in school) or really talked about publicly. I sincerely hope that most people are aware that fluoride and chlorine are some of the main ingredients in most public tap water, (including pesticides, hormones, nitrates, and salts of many dangerous metals), although I suspect a lot of the American population is still in 2016 totally in the dark about this. Fluoride is still sold in toothpaste as something that is beneficial for teeth, even though there have been so many countless studies done proving that fluoride is linked to: brain damage, lowering IQ in children, arthritis, thyroid disease, damaged sperm, increased infertility, genetic damage, cell death, dementia, bone fractures, muscle disorders, and so much more. It is appalling that in this day and age we are still using such harmful chemicals in our precious water under the "guise" that it is for sanitary purposes. There are much safer and nicer ways to clean our water than to put shit loads of chemicals and toxins into our precious water supply. 

Water like most of our Earth has been completely disrespected. It is such a terrible disgrace. Water is life. 

When we poison our waterways we disrupt the harmony of life within our own bodies as well as without. Everything is connected. When a dam is put up in a river- it affects the flow of salmon, which affects the migration of bears, which in turn disrupts every single part of that local ecosystem. When we fuck with Mother Earth, thinking that we as mindless humans know better than she does, we are ultimately fucking over ourselves, destroying the beautiful planet that we have the privilege of living upon. Humans are here to be stewards of the land- which means to deeply listen to the environment around us to be able to help nature evolve and transform in an even more elegant way. Our job is to watch over the plants and animals around us, building our lives in harmony with the already established ecosystems where we live. Rather than the opposite that is happening far to frequently, which is to dominate and conquer nature, viewing her as a threat, obstacle, or commodity to sell for personal profit. 

Water is sacred. Native people from around the world have always known this and have worshiped and paid respect to water. They knew that without this precious resource life would not thrive on Planet Earth. 

Water is also a message carrier, it crystallizes vibrations into its cells. From the work of Masaru Emoto- we can see that when water crystals are frozen and taken enlarged pictures of, they can either manifest beautiful geometric shapes based on the frequencies of love, peace, hope, gratitude, etc. Or, they can manifest broken ugly not quite anything geometric shapes based on the frequencies of hate, anger, revenge, etc. Can you imagine what ingesting hate water would do to your own energetically sensitive cells, versus ingesting love water? Can you imagine how the lakes or rivers of the world respond when they are raped, poisoned, and disrespected? Can you imagine how this energetically ripples out to the creatures and plants? 

Human beings, inherently being the stewards of this Earth have an inherent responsibility to take care of her. Human consciousness is such a profound thing (a whole other blog post- we will just keep it short here). Our consciousness/thoughts have a direct impact on the structure of water. Now expand this idea out further and realize that adult human beings are by weight approximately 65% water. When we think or feel negative emotions it has a direct impact on the structure of the water inside our bodies- turning the molecules of our bodily fluid into dis-organized, chaotic messes. This in turn, affects the energetic flow inside our bodies, disrupting messages being sent throughout the body, and seriously dampening the overall quality of the body. 

Water is life- repeat after me. Water is LIFE. Life depends on water. The quality of life depends on the quality of the water, not only the chemical physical breakdown of quality, but also the energetic quality. When water is disrupted from an energetic standpoint due to negative human consciousness, it will obviously affect the physical quality of water. In order for life to thrive and to evolve to its highest capacity it needs the highest quality of water, because water is the building block, the foundation of all life. When the foundation is strong, healthy, and stable (like the beautiful geometries of healthy water), the life that it is growing will reflect health and vitality. 

On a purely physical standpoint, I am sure you can imagine what would happen to your body overtime (being that it is made up of mostly water), if you were to consume day in and day out poor quality water ridden with poisons. Yep, you guessed it. The body is so resilient, but eventually over time the detoxing capacities of your body would start to fail due to inadequate water quality poisoning your cells. Various systems of your body would start to become ill and affected. The integrity of your structure would start to match the vibration/quality of your water. Your body would start to look like those broken geometric structures we see in Masaru Emoto's crystalline pictures. 

Yet- because we know human consciousness ultimately is extremely powerful and can override and affect our "physical environment", we know that through a sweet and simple prayer we can actually change the crystalline structure of that water. Through loving and positive intention we can heal dis-eased water, as you can see from the above pictures. This also drives home the fact that our emotions and intentions totally affect our body being that it is mostly water. Gratitude, love, acceptance, and joy create beautiful harmonious crystalline shapes at a cellular level which in turn promotes health and vitality! 

To tie this all together- lets remember that the quality of our cells and bodily functions will only be as good as the quality of the water it receives. When the water is clean the body can stay clean. When the water is contaminated, the body will struggle to stay clean. 

This video summarizes so much of what I was just writing. Leave it to the original inhabitants of Northern America to still understand the inter-relatedness of all of life.... 

Degrees of clean water:

*Filtered Water: depending on the filter and what it removes effectively, you are able to purify tap water to remove fluoride, chlorine, heavy metals, and pesticides among other contaminates. There are usually no natural minerals that get left behind in the water- leaving it clean but without life force. 

*Reverse Osmosis Water: has been forced through membranes that remove larger particles of contaminants but severely lacks minerals and is acidic, disrupting the natural acid/alkaline balance of your body. 

*Distilled Water-  can be any kind of water that has been vaporized and collected leaving behind contaminants  and minerals. This is a very cleansing water and should only be drunk sparingly for it leaches precious minerals from your body. 

*Bottled water- is usually hard to trust the source of the bottling and the overall quality of water. Often the packaging contains harmful chemicals in the plastics such as BPA (bisphenol a) that end up leaching into the water making what was once clean- contaminated (especially when the plastic water bottles have been in the sun or heat).

*Deionized water- has ionized impurities and minerals removed but not necessarily bacteria or pathogens.

*Well Water- comes from a hole drilled into the ground that taps into a water source- it is usually best to filter this water even though it comes from a well, because most soils have been totally polluted by pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides which naturally also seeps into the water. Best to check the quality of the well water before drinking. 

*Spring Water- in my opinion is the best water one can drink if you can get it from a clean spring and ideally fresh. In an ideal world we would all have access to a fresh clean spring where we can just go and drink straight from the source (Utah is amazing for that kind of experience). Spring water is usually pushed up through many layers of rock (natural filter) and rises to the surface as pure as can be complete with naturally occurring minerals and vital life force energy, structured from mama Earth. 

So my friends, not only is it important to drink enough water (1/2 your body weight in ounces)- but more importantly let us concern ourselves with the QUALITY of water that we are drinking. Let us also practice more loving kindness and respect for our natural waterways and our own drinking water. It maybe a good practice to start blessing and thanking our water before drinking it. Even putting positive words (love, gratitude, acceptance, respect, joy) on a water bottle, or a large water container will help increase the vibration of that water. 

_______________________________________________________________________________

Taken from Dr. Mercola's website: 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/26/whole-house-water-filtration.aspx

The Problem with Government Mandated Urban Water Treatments

If you live in a city and rely on the local water processing plant to provide you with clean water, I have some disturbing news for you: You simply cannot trust municipal sources or government agencies to keep your water clean.

Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. recently told ABC News that there are more than 140 chemicals in U.S. drinking water supplies that are not regulated by the EPA. This includes, gasoline, pesticides, rocket fuel, prescription drugs and more.

Further, more than 20 percent of U.S. water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last six years, yet fewer than six percent of the violations were ever fined or punished! This is to say nothing of the violations that go unnoticed in this time of budgetary restraints and lack of regulation and oversight!

You can get a good idea of what types of contaminants could be in your drinking water right now by viewing this awesome graphic from GOOD Environment. 

Is there Sewage Spilling into Your Drinking Water?

As a result, sewage spilling into waterways is a common occurrence. In fact, the New York Times reported that in the last three years more than 9,400 of the 25,000 U.S. sewage systems have violated the law by dumping untreated or partially treated human waste, chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers, lakes and other waterways.

Some natural lakes and bodies of water are now either approaching "dead", unable to support life, or are dead. And these dead bodies of water continue to be the source of drinking water for millions of people!

Male frogs and bass are now found in nature with ovaries growing on their testes, and seven year-old girls are now reaching sexual maturity. Scientists have linked both of these phenomenon to the estrogen mimicking hormones now commonly found in our lakes, streams and drinking supplies.

Nearly every municipal water supply also has fluoride (a highly toxic poison) added during water treatment, which is detrimental to your health. Europeans have known for many years that fluoride is toxic and have long since removed it from their water supplies, but it still is used in the United States.

And then there are disinfection byproducts, or DBPs. If you have not heard of DBPs before, you need to pay close attention as it turns out that DBPs, not chlorine, are responsible for nearly all the toxic effects of chlorinated water. Chlorine by itself is relatively harmless, but its side effects, by producing DBPs, cause nearly all of the problems -- including reproductive disorders and cancer.

So when you help yourself to a glass of water from your kitchen faucet, it may look much more pure than it actually is.

The Hazards of Chlorinated Water: Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs)

The main chemical used to disinfect the tap water you receive at your house is chlorine. While your local government is quick to assure you that there is relatively no danger from drinking chlorinated water, that simply is not the case, because the levels of chlorine disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that are produced by this process are both dangerous and alarming.

There is actually no safe level for many things found in drinking water, including heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and DBPs. The truth of the matter is it would cost the government trillions of dollars to provide truly clean water into the pipes of your house.

The resources to provide this just aren't there. It never has been and it probably never will be, especially with the downturn in the US economy.

The government is much more concerned with providing water that doesn't kill you through diarrhea and it does a good job at that, although some microorganisms (cysts and parasites) do survive the chlorination process (cryptosporidium, Giardia, for instance) and can lead to isolated outbreaks of disease and even death to those with compromised immune systems.

If you have not heard of DBPs before, you need to pay close attention as it turns out that DBPs, not chlorine, are responsible for nearly all the toxic effects of chlorinated water. Chlorine by itself is relatively harmless, but its side effects, by producing DBPs, are what cause nearly all of the problems.

As it turns out, DBPs are over 1,000 times more toxic than chlorine, and out of all the other toxins and contaminations present in your water, such as fluoride and miscellaneous pharmaceutical drugs, DBPs may be the absolute worst of the bunch.

The most common disinfectant byproducts formed when chlorine is used are:

• trihalomethanes (THMs)
• haloacetic acids (HAAs)

The EPA takes the dangers of THMs -- which are measured in parts per billion -- very seriously and regulates these compounds. The maximum annual average of THMs in your local water supply cannot exceed 80 ppb (parts-per-billion), and the maximum annual average of HAAs permitted by EPA regulations is 60 ppb.

However even though these are allowed, ideally it would be best to have zero. These levels have been regularly adjusted downwards over the years as science progresses and gain a deeper appreciation of their true toxicity. If you are like me and obtain your water from a private well, then DBPs are a non-issue as they are only produced when chlorine is added, and it's highly unusual to add chlorine to most all private well water systems.

How Can DBPs Harm Your Health?

Trihalomethanes (THMs) are Cancer Group B carcinogens, meaning they've been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals.

DBPs have also been linked to reproductive problems in both animals and humans, and human studies suggest that lifetime consumption of chlorine-treated water can more than double the risk of bladder and rectal cancers in certain individuals.

One such study found that smoking men who drank chlorinated tap water for more than 40 years faced double the risk of bladder cancer compared with smoking men who drank non-chlorinated water. A second study found that rates for rectal cancers for both sexes escalated with duration of consumption of chlorinated water. Individuals on low-fiber diets who also drank chlorinated water for over 40 years more than doubled their risk for rectal cancer, compared with lifetime drinkers of non-chlorinated water.

As the vast majority of the U.S. population continues to receive and consume disinfected or chlorinated drinking water, we can assume that Americans are consuming disinfection byproducts every single day, and the number of related cancer cases could be substantial.

Drinking Chlorinated Water is not the Only Health Concern

But the sad truth is, the chlorine, DBPs, and toxic chemicals found in your urban water supply also pose a health threat to yourlungs, and it can damageyour appliances.

Why?

Because when you heat the water, in your shower, your bath, your dishwasher or your sink, you are releasing chlorine, DPBs, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, herbicides – all of it – into the air you breathe! And onto your skin, your body's greatest tool for absorbing chemicals. It's true. By taking a seven-minute shower you are exposed to more chlorine, DPBs, and VOCs alone than by drinking a gallon of tap water.

And this is significant for two reasons:

• The chlorine that enters your lungs is in the form of chloroform, a carcinogen, and chlorite, a byproduct of chlorine dioxide. These forms of chlorine hit your bloodstream instantly before they have a chance to be removed by your organs of detoxification.
• The DBPs that enter your body through your skin also go directly into your bloodstream. And the warm or hot water maximizes absorption by your skin. So unless you are regularly taking one minute cold showers, your body is like a sponge for these airborne toxins every second you spend in a shower.

In fact it's estimated that only five percent of all volatile organic compounds make it down the drain of your shower. The other 95 percent are sent into the air you breathe, or directly into your bloodstream.

By the way -- bathing in municipal tap water is not a solution to avoiding the damage done in the shower, because the hot water on your skin facilitates absorption, and your skin is drinking in all those harmful DPBs every second that you lay luxuriating in that hot bath.

Now, this is painful news to a lot of people. Because you don't really want to look at your shower as your home's greatest source of toxic indoor pollution, do you? For some people, that long morning shower or that luxurious nighttime bath is one of the highlights of your day!

Additionally, the chlorine and DPBs are not great for your skin and hair, either. You know how you feel after you swim for even a little while in a chlorinated pool? The dry skin, the red eyes, the damaged hair – all of this chemical damage is going on in your home's shower and bath as well!

And the harsh chlorine and disinfection byproducts that assaults your skin in the bath or shower is also doing unnecessary damage to your appliances!

Your dishwasher, hot water heater, sinks, tubs, faucets, toilets and washing machine all have metal parts that chlorine, a harsh oxidizer, will actually slowly eat away with every drop of water. So another reason to eliminate the chlorine and disinfection byproducts is to minimize the damage you are doing to your appliances, which will help them last longer and let you avoid costly repairs that you could have prevented by filtering the water coming into your home.