By Karen Best Wright

Published in Albemarle Tradewinds

AlbemarleTradewinds.com

Products to detox the body is big business. There is no shortage of products touting body detox. Three things to think about when it comes to detoxifying the body 1) Why detox, 2) How the body naturally detoxifies, and 3) How to assist the body in detoxing.

Why detox the body? Every day people are bombarded with a toxic environment. It may come from the food we eat with pesticides, additives, preservatives, and maybe even the water we drink. It may come from things we physically touch – plastics, cleaning products, poisons, soil in our gardens, or even the dirty public handrail we use when going up or down a staircase. Or it may come from the air we breathe – car fumes, dust, smoke, cleaning chemicals, and even manufacturing by-products. Toxins can damage organs such as the liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, and the heart.

The body has several natural detox processes. The liver starts the detox process by filtering the waste in the blood and excreting the toxins through the kidneys and intestines. Over-loading the liver, kidneys, and intestines with toxins will erode the healthy functioning of the organs.

The skin, being the largest organ of the body, also assists in removing impurities from the body through sweat and skin pores. However, toxins can also enter the body through the skin. Use protection when dealing with chemicals that affect the skin or lungs. The lungs remove carbon dioxide from the body and may remove other toxins through phlegm. Healthy organs can remove most of the toxins that enter the body.

However, the body may need additional help to remove harmful toxins that have been ingested or inhaled. The first step is to avoid toxic substances, to begin with – think smoking, food additives and preservatives, and even heavy perfumes or deodorants. Diligence will not prevent the consumption or inhalation of toxic substances completely. A simple Internet search will yield many products to purchase claiming to detox the body. Avoid as many toxins as possible, then start with a simple detox program.

Drinking plenty of water (coffee doesn't count), specific herbal teas, and certain foods will assist with body detoxing. Drinking lemon water is popular and simple. Dandelion root tea, Burdock root tea, green tea, and apple cider vinegar with "Mother" are also known to be good in detoxing the body. Foods such as fresh leafy greens, apples, broccoli sprouts, turmeric, spirulina, beets, and ginger are also helpful in removing toxins from the body.

Not removing the toxins in the body can result in damaged organs, illness, and even death. Make detoxifying the body a conscious and everyday part of life.

Meditation: Different Ways to Meditate

My first attempt at intentional meditation was no less than a total flop, at least in the way I was trying to learn to meditate. Just the word "meditation" means different things to different people. Consequently, I do not believe there is just one way to meditate. The purpose of meditation is to evoke a physiological change that relaxes the body and reduces the heart rate. Some people meditate to relax and rejuvenate the body, some meditate for spiritual enlightenment, and some meditate for both reasons.

As I mentioned, my first experience with intentional meditation didn't go very well. I was living at a yoga Ashram for a month several years ago to learn yoga and increase my spiritual abilities. As I sat on the floor in a room filled with others, the energy I felt emanating in the room was actually too overwhelming to me. So I often skipped out and spent the hour quietly walking down a rural dirt road. I would now call that a walking meditation or contemplation. At that time, I just thought I was failing at all attempts to meditate.

Over the years, I have had various experiences, some more enlightening than others. There are tons of materials and books on the market to teach about meditation, so my words will not be extensive on the subjective. Mostly, I will describe what I consider my more successful experiences.

My second real attempt to meditate brought an amazing experience. Since I didn't seem very capable of just "emptying" my mind of thoughts, I sat and focused on the palms of my hands and just felt. Before I realized it, I could feel the energy pulsating through my hands in the most amazing and calming way. I could tell it was not simply my pulse, because I could feel that too. I had two different energies moving throughout my body. I just sat, experiencing something completely new to me, and let the energy flow. I sat like this for about 45 minutes; then the sensation simply stopped. I wanted to grab it and say, "please come back." I sat there in total amazement and deep relaxation, feeling totally rejuvenated.

Another time, I was actually sitting in a group guided meditation session. This doesn't usually work very well for me, but something was different this time. Right off the bat, I could tell I had tuned out the woman guiding the session. I really have no idea what she was saying. I was off somewhere else. Eventually, I could hear her calling us back into reality, but before my body or mind was willing to join everyone else, I had an amazing spiritual experience that I will not even attempt to describe here.

If this type of meditation does not work for you, at least practice simple deep breathing practices while relaxing each part of your body. Many people enjoy moving meditations with and without music, walks in nature, and other activities that produce an enjoyable relaxed meditative state, allowing for meaningful contemplation.

Deep breathing and relaxation help with stress reduction, pain management, and even improved problem-solving skills. To sum it up, time devoted to prayer and meditation always pays off - in one way or another.

When working with Karen as a health educator and wellness coach, you will be encouraged to discover ways that promote relaxation and peace of mind, opening up a new way of thinking, living, and changing your lifestyle habits.

Continued from Living Intuitively part 1:

My last post ended with the point that dreams are very personal and will most likely not mean the same to different people, even if dreaming about the same topic.

However, I do agree with the idea that when you dream about a house, the house often represents yourself. If you dream about being in a house, are you in the basement, kitchen, or attic, and what do those areas of a home represent to you? There are several good books available, I just avoid the ones which only focus on the idea that certain symbols always mean certain things.

Over the past many years, I have discovered there are four categories of dreams that I personally experience. These categories are as follows:

• Appear to be total nonsense - depends on what I watched on television the night before.

• Are teaching dreams - dreams where I am actually learning an important concept that helps me in my waking life.

• Are prophetic dreams - these are dreams that in some way or other come true. I may dream a family member is sick, and they are or soon will be. I may dream someone is in danger. These are particularly disturbing because I often can do nothing to prevent the event. But usually, there is still something in the dream that explains its purpose if I look hard enough. This may help me deal with the crisis, once it happens. These are always personal. I do not dream about national disasters ahead of time. At least not ones I understand.

• Demonstrate a stressed-out psyche - these dreams make it very clear that I am very stressed out in waking life, and I need to pay attention to what is going on.

Really paying attention helps build intuitiveness. However, do not make rash decisions, based on your "gut" feelings without rational thinking as well. On the other hand, you don't want your "thinking" to over-power your "feelings" either. Intuitiveness uses the two - feeling and thinking - balanced together.

Living Intuitively

Learn the difference between "intuitive thoughts and physical emotions." They can guide you to your highest good. Intuitive living produces creativity and peace, not fear.

Simply stating (perhaps oversimplifying) living intuitively is using your sixth sense in your everyday living. Keep in mind the expression of being intuitive can mean different things to different people. A mother's instinct that often proves true is being intuitive. Yet her intuitiveness may not go beyond her immediate life and those of her children. Others may refer to well-known psychics such as Edgar Cayce or Arthur Best as being intuitive. Everyone can learn to live intuitively, but not everyone receives answers about other people's lives, probably very few actually are intuitive to that extent.

Learning about your own intuitiveness is where the trickiness begins. Learning to understand and trust your "gut" instinct as something you should act upon, requires learning to pay attention and understand yourself and practicing receiving, without reacting. For example, just because you get a really bad feeling when you meet someone, does not necessarily mean that the person is a serial killer. It may mean that there is something about the person that triggers a negative memory from your subconscious that has nothing to do with the person you just met. However, the information - that initial instinct - may still be important in understanding yourself and helping you make decisions about yourself. Plus, there is always the chance that the person who sent your emotions into a tailspin really does have something to hide. So just be aware of what you are feeling and what is going on around you.

Growing into a more intuitive way of living will actually teach you to pay more attention to what is going on around you and your own inner thoughts and feelings, thus allowing you to be more open to the obvious as well as the less-than-obvious possibilities and obstacles you face.

Some people find it easier than others to develop intuitiveness. In fact, there has been some evidence that the sensitivity toward being intuitive runs in families. If this is the case, my guess is that eventually, science will figure out the brain connection of why some people are more naturally intuitive than others.

Intuitiveness may come in the form of sensing or feeling something (for me I describe it as a "swishy" feeling that just passed through me); heightened senses such as smelling, hearing, and seeing things others do not see; and having meaningful nighttime dreams that actually guide you in one way or another. I do want to caution you again that just because you have strong emotions about something, you need to figure out the "why" you are having the emotions. Are you tapping into your sixth sense or do you have an anxiety disorder and your emotions are coming from some hidden crisis you buried in your subconscious. However, that knowledge is still valuable.

My personal intuitive abilities have mostly been centered around my own life and those of my family. Occasionally, unannounced or not sought after, they may be about someone else, but not frequently. For example, whenever I was pregnant (I have 8 children), I would dream about whether or not I was carrying a boy or girl. My husband and I would decide on baby names before the baby was born based on my dreams (this was before ultra-sounds). I really didn't think this odd. My brain (subconscious mind) knew what my body was nourishing. I really didn't see it as some amazing spiritual experience. It was just something that happened. 

I personally pay close attention to my dreams and usually keep a dream journal. Dreams use a lot of symbolism, so they often cannot be taken at face value. They need to be figured out if they seem meaningful enough to put forth the effort. I don't personally subscribe to some of the theories I have read in many books. Dreams are very personal. I believe two people can dream about similar things, yet they may mean something very different to each person. For example, if two people dream about a snake, one person may have a pet snake and the dream means something positive, while the other person is terrified of snakes and the dream has a totally different meaning.

Dreams are only one way someone may experience being intuitive. More on dreams will be written in my next post. The important aspect is to try and become perceptive on whether your feelings come from a buried negative part of your subconscious mind or what I call the Sacred Mind, which to some would be called their higher consciousness.

To be continued...

Self-Empowerment: What does it mean?

It means being the person you want to be
and following the path you want to follow.

Self-empowerment is not about what you do.

Self-empowerment is about who you are.

When you feel helpless in your circumstances, you are not self-empowered. When you are dependent on others to make decisions for you and provide for your every need, you are not self-empowered.

Five Toxic Words NOT to Say

Should – Ought to – Need to - Have to - Must

These five words can be toxic, in that they do not create a sense of self-empowerment; rather they can produce feelings of guilt, resentment, and hopelessness.

Three ways to empower yourself

1. Be aware and pay attention to the words you say. Are you saying any toxic words to yourself or others?

2. When you catch yourself saying a toxic word, mentally throw the word into a fire and let it burn to ashes. Do this every time you hear yourself utter a toxic word.

3. Purposely and with awareness use the words could, choose, and want.

When you are aware that your behavior or circumstances are harmful to you or someone else, using these toxic words may or may not motivate you to change your behavior or circumstances. The goal is to change your behavior by becoming self-empowered and changing your situation from the inside out, not by being forced to by outside influences. When you let others have control over your emotions and actions, you give them your power.

Choose for yourself carefully. For example, if your current situation warrants a major change, telling yourself you should, ought to, need to, have to, or must do this or that, will likely cause you anxiety and produce little change. Instead, after considering all options for your current situation, write down the following:

1. Things you could do;

2. Things you choose to do;

3. Things you want to do, and

4. Things you will do.

By doing this you are becoming more self-empowered and developing the ability to create what you want to create in your life. Sometimes, however, you may want something; but you are not willing to choose the course of action to achieve your desire, but at least you are taking responsibility for your situation. The act of taking personal responsibility for yourself promotes personal growth, which is itself a sense of self-empowerment.

Stress "management" has become a multi-million dollar industry.

Everywhere you go there are books and magazine articles on stress management. There are entire websites dealing with stress.

But let me clarify one thing. I do not like the words "stress management." When I am dealing with excessive stress, the last thing I want is needing to "manage" one more thing. I prefer the terms "easing stress, de-stressing, or stress relief."

Stress is part of everyone's life; some stress is beneficial and some detrimental. What is the most detrimental to our health is stress that builds up and does not get released.

Unrelieved stress can cause depression, anxiety, and chronic diseases. Stress that builds up can complicate chronic diseases such as hypertension, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes, along with other conditions.

Many things can cause stress than can become toxic if we do not balance our lives and reduce stress. From childhood to our elderly years, stress is everywhere. We must never negate the stress that children experience as well as the elderly. And adults of all ages and backgrounds live through stressful events.

What complicates stress is when we feel hopeless to do anything about it. How we view stress, the actions we take to reduce it, and accepting it when it cannot be changed are important things to remember when analyzing our stress levels.

What causes you stress?

• High-stress job

• No job and not enough money

• Difficult relationships

• Illnesses

• Being a full-time caregiver

• Depression or anxiety

• Lack of a support system

• Unhealthy environment (work or home)

• Loneliness

• Too much to do

The list can go on endlessly. The stress you are experiencing will determine specific needed action.

Obviously, if you just lost your home in foreclosure, doing jumping jacks and deep breathing exercises will not solve your house problems. But enjoyable healthy activities and a proper diet may help you deal with the stress better, have a better outlook on life, and actually help you come up with creative ideas to solve your problem. Listen to everything that comes into your mind to see if it offers you ideas and ways to improve your stress levels.

Years ago when I was a single mother going to school, I was so stressed that I couldn't even breathe deeply. As I was learning yoga and deep breathing practices, I would cough every time I tried to take a deep breath. I was mega stressed. I realized that when I was the most stressed, I actually would hold my breath unconsciously. That certainly didn't help matters. With practice, I learned how to relax enough to at least breathe properly.

Check out my Wellness Way coaching program to help you get your stress under control. But beware, we will be talking a lot about what you eat and how proper nutrition can help with stress. Your body will thank you for it.

Energy Healing, What is it?

Energy medicine is identified by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) in the United States as one of five natural healing modalities. However, theories and approaches vary among practitioners. More mainstream medical specialists are giving credence to various forms of energy healing. This is a modality that needs to be researched and experienced by individuals in order to make the decision if it is a viable route of healing for them

No ethical energy healer would recommend ignoring medical advice and treatment when it is necessary. Energy healing is most often used as a complementary approach to healing, rather than as an alternative to medical care.

My First Experience with Healing

When I was about 27 years old and a mother of six young children, I had a kitchen fire that severely burned my foot. I was in the hospital for about ten days with a dangerous infection. I spent several months in pain with an itchy ugly thick scar covering the entire top of my right foot. A friend told me about her sister who was learning foot reflexology. I had never heard of foot reflexology, but as she was just learning it, she agreed to come to my home for a very small fee to practice on my feet.

She had to be extremely careful with my right foot since the top was still very tender and covered with a scar that was about an inch thick. After massaging my feet using the traditional Chinese technique for foot reflexology, she put her hands around my feet (without touching them) and proceeded to do something I had never experienced. She just held her hands circled around each foot. The foot with the recovering burn on it began to feel like someone was pulling on it, even though she was not touching it at all. The pulling feeling was so strong that my foot actually arched and pointed, reaching towards her. After finishing the session, I looked at my foot. I could hardly believe what I saw. I looked at her, looked at my foot again, and then said, "Do you see what I see?" She said, "Yes, I don't know what to think." Remember, she was a student and just learning about this herself. To simply explain what I saw, the thick ugly scar tissue was thin. The scar was still a bit discolored, but the thickness had actually disappeared right before my eyes.

Now being the scientific thinker that I am, I did not believe anything magical had happened. Whatever she had done,  divine energy, or God had done through her, had simply made the liquid in the scar dissipate back into my system. The amazing thing was that it never became thick again. The only time you can tell that my foot was burned is if I have been barefoot in the sun and I get a tan. The scarred part of the skin does not tan.

That was only the beginning of my learning about natural healing. I personally have had some amazing unexpected experiences. However, I am not claiming that it works for all situations and for all people.

On a very personal note, I attribute all healing to divine power, and my personal goal is to merely be a helper to assist in the healing process.

In regards to physical activity, find your passion and start, small if you need to. Even jumping jax and dancing alone in the living room is a good place to start, along with the go-to jumping rope. Continue this if that is your style. However, many people need others to help keep them motivated. Probably many of us do, and that is okay.

Find your passion and get started!

Do something every day, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem.

Fitness activities need to be enjoyable and stimulating, even while pushing yourself enough to gain health benefits. Both aerobic-type activities (dancing, walking fast, sports, etc.) and strength-building activities are needed. Weight-bearing activities not only improve muscle mass but increase bone density, especially needed in post-menopausal women.

Remember! Sedentary lifestyles lead to excess weight and chronic diseases. Physical activity is necessary for individuals of all ages, from children to the elderly.

Whether you join an exercise class, hire a private trainer, exercise with a DVD, walk with a friend, or dance alone at home to your music, anything is better than nothing. Getting started today if you do not already have a regular exercise program is vital to your long-term health and wellness.

Fitness and Physical Activity

There are probably few people who would argue against the importance of fitness and physical activity in regards to our overall health and well-being.

Research repeatedly shows the importance of living a physically active lifestyle in reducing stress, maintaining proper weight, and preventing and reducing chronic diseases.

What do you think about when you think about exercise?

• Enthusiasm

• Dread

• Work out at the gym

• Running a 5K

• Walking around the neighborhood

• Playing sports

• Aerobics class

One thing is certain, not every type of exercise is right for every personality type. There are people who love to exercise and people who do not. Part of the problem is when people who think they do not like to exercise concentrate on the types of exercise they do not like. They then simply assume they do not enjoy exercising.

Many years ago, I saw myself as a person who simply did not like to exercise. I really did not like it. The truth was, I did not like the types of exercises that many others thrive on. After taking a little quiz I found in a magazine about fitness (many years ago) what I discovered was that I simply did not like to exercise in a loud group, such as in an aerobics class. Others loved it. I did not. I tried running. That seemed to be the in-thing at the time. I fell and broke my foot, cracked 2 ribs, and sprained my ankle. So much for my running days. I was frustrated.

I discovered; that I like to walk quickly either by myself or with a partner. I like weight training; I like ballroom dancing (probably because I am dancing with one person at a time). I like hiking in the mountains; I do not like aerobic classes. In short, I like nature and I like to be alone, with a partner, or with a small group of individuals.

Other people thrive on loud music, large crowds, and competition. There is no right or wrong thing to like best. I encourage clients to discover their exercise personalities. A person is much more likely to succeed with a fitness program if they select activities they enjoy, not ones they are supposed to enjoy.

Mindfulness can be a bit tricky to understand and even trickier to practice for many of us. By definition, mindfulness is the act of living in the moment and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is all about "being" rather than "doing."

It is easier to explain with examples such as taking a mindful walk, eating a mindful meal, or even mindfully rocking a child. When taking a mindful walk, you would actually feel yourself breathe, feel the physical and emotional sensations of your body, and notice the surrounding environment (e.g., the different shades of green in the trees or the smell of freshly cut grass or the spring blossoms).

I can remember living on a farm as a child. During the summers I would often spend my time in the woods or the meadows feeling as though I was simply part of nature. I remember my delight in picking bluebells in the "upper woods" and playing house in the "lower woods." Even to this day, when I am on a quiet nature walk, away from cars, phones, and computers, I feel as though I simply belong there.

However, much of my life is typical - running here and there, or working on the computer for hours on end, not even noticing what is going on around me. Or worse, I am noticing everything that is going on and it is so overwhelming that I have to work to tune it out. The goal of mindfulness is to be alert yet relaxed, while focusing on what we are doing, or rather being.

Some explain this feeling as being in the "flow." This means experiencing something in such a positive enjoyable way that distractions go unnoticed. We are so used to having to multitask, that being mindful and being in the flow, is sometimes hard to even imagine.

The following are some ideas to help start practicing mindfulness, these will improve your ability to be aware of your experiences and your feelings.

• Be aware of smells, sights, and sounds around you without judgment.

• Notice how your body feels at different times of the day or after specific activities.

• Notice your emotional feelings. Do you feel calm, nervous or anxious, angry, or pleasantly content? What is happening in your environment?

• When you eat, pay attention to what, when, and why you are eating. Is it because you are really hungry, or are you bored or upset? Or is it simply out of habit (eating while you watch television)

Being mindful (paying attention) can actually help you understand yourself and help in making decisions. An example might be feeling irritated for no apparent reason, but when you pay attention, you notice that you can hear two television sets on in the background, sirens blaring in the distance, and maybe an offensive smell coming from somewhere. The opposite is also important, noticing and paying attention to what actually feels good enhances your state of happiness and sense of peace.

While working with Karen's Wellness Way coaching program, you will be encouraged to pay attention and note what you actually did and felt during the day. This can give you a better understanding of why you do what you do, as well as promote a sense of well-being.