5 Easy Ways To Shift The Energy Of Your Life's Path
Easy is a relative word and is subject to much subjectivity.
1. Practice being mindful in every moment.
Excerpted from an article I wrote in 2012 for the Potsdam Food Coop's newsletter, {in my day, you know the uphill both ways to school - barefoot AND in the snow, mindfulness was simply called yoga, ; ) }
I have always urged and supported others to practice some form of mind, body, spirit "exercise" to bring a centered awareness into their life as this daily habit makes the process of healthy lifestyle change flow with ease & grace (seriously my friends, I am not pulling your yoga leg here!):
Easy is a relative word and is subject to much subjectivity.
1. Practice being mindful in every moment.
Excerpted from an article I wrote in 2012 for the Potsdam Food Coop's newsletter, {in my day, you know the uphill both ways to school - barefoot AND in the snow, mindfulness was simply called yoga, ; ) }
I have always urged and supported others to practice some form of mind, body, spirit "exercise" to bring a centered awareness into their life as this daily habit makes the process of healthy lifestyle change flow with ease & grace (seriously my friends, I am not pulling your yoga leg here):
When we stop the constant chatter inside our heads and still our minds through mindfulness activities (yoga and other body awareness exercises), we tend to make choices that are in alignment with what is best for our health without feeling deprived. This is because we have learned to live in the present moment and are aligned in body, mind, and spirit. That is the awareness that Yoga brings to our being.
A cluttered "chattery" mind and a body that is not aligned in mind, body, and spirit tends to make decisions based upon impulse and cravings without regard to what is best for long term health.
2. Practice daily mindlessness! Zone out. Stop the chatter. Pay attention to breath only.
When we are so bent on living a life of being mindful in every moment we forget to just let go and be... be mindless for a bit. Literally people, NOTHING, going on in our heads!
Check out this Daily OM post by Madisyn Taylor. It was fitting to this thought of mindlessness.
3. Sign up for someone's daily email or social media posts that are positive and inspirational.
Read them. Reflect on them. Allow the words to weave their magic into your body, mind, and spirit. Live the words for your own peace and for the peace of all who walk your path with you.
Hey... I wrote a book on daily reflections and inspirations. This book will gift you a year's worth of body, mind, & spirit magic. Go ahead... cast a spell for yourself.
4. Revel, truly revel, in who you are and your life's purpose on this planet.
Let your true self shine, shine, shine.
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine, this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."
Check out this youtube link for a bit of musical inspiration.
5. Offer kindness and compassion every where you go to everyone, every being, & everything. Seriously.
The natural - spiritual law of 3 fold:
"For all that we say and we do "for good or for ill, shall be returned to us threefold."
What goes around comes around baby! Make your karma & dharma shine, shine, shine! See the above song link for another deep dose of musical inspiration.
May Your Life Be Full Of Wild & Fun Adventures
&
Free From Ordeals.
: )
Walking The Red Road
22 years ago I was teaching School Health Education in the Syracuse City School District. The district graciously sent me "home" to a week long health conference at St. Lawrence University, Canton. I attended an amazing workshop presented by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man, Sioux Tribal Leader and purchased both of his books.
Now this was not my 1st experience with Native American culture; growing up 20 minutes from the Mohawk Nation and involved with the local lacrosse team, I was exposed to and aware of Native culture and philosophy. But honestly, traditional Native American spirituality is not something that was shared openly.
Over the past 22 years I have read many books by great Native American writers, healers, and visionaries. My latest book by Ehanamani, Dr. A.C. Ross, member of the Dakota Nation - Sioux Native Americans is titled "Mitakuye Oyasin." In this book, Ehanamani introduces me to the Native American principle of the Red Road.
22 years ago I was teaching School Health Education in the Syracuse City School District. The district graciously sent me "home" to a week long health conference at St. Lawrence University, Canton. I attended an amazing workshop presented by Ed McGaa, Eagle Man, Sioux Tribal Leader and purchased both of his books.
Now this was not my 1st experience with Native American culture; growing up 20 minutes from the Mohawk Nation and involved with the local lacrosse team, I was exposed to and aware of Native culture and philosophy. But honestly, traditional Native American spirituality is not something that was shared openly.
Over the past 22 years I have read many books by great Native American writers, healers, and visionaries. My latest book by Ehanamani, Dr. A.C. Ross, member of the Dakota Nation - Sioux Native Americans is titled "Mitakuye Oyasin." In this book, Ehanamani introduces me to the Native American principle of the Red Road.
The Red Road is a mind set, a way of thinking that carries one through their day's decisions. It is a way to make the best decision for you and the greater good, right now in this moment, without having that decision be the only choice you have for the rest of your life.
Let me give you an example:
- Someone offers me a large chunk of gooey dessert. My Red Road decision looks like this: "Not now, not today, this is not best for my health." Now this does not mean I can't decide tomorrow to have a gooey hunk of dessert. It just means that right now I am going to make the best decision for my health, for my higher self, for the greater good.
Taking the Red Road path in life gives you the emotional / spiritual comfort of not crossing out the possibility forever.
We have all done this sort of lifestyle planning... "I am not going to"
- eat desserts ever again
- drink alcohol ever again
- eat pasta and bread ever again...
Then maybe 2 days or 2 weeks into our "not going to" lifestyle plan we have gooey desserts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Taking the Red Road path in life spares the feeling of deprivation. It is a choice to do the best right now, in this moment.
I find that all paths of spiritual growth and transformation work on this same principle of mindfulness and choosing to do what is best for our personal growth or higher self. I have practiced yoga daily for 16 years and yoga teachings us, through practice, to make healing choices without our feeling deprived. A post I wrote in 2013 delves deeper into this Red Road perk of yoga: Why I Love Yoga And Other Thoughts On Whole Food, Whole Health Healing
We can also compare Red Road and yoga to other spiritual teachings: Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Reiki... any deep and true spiritual teachings.
Open the door to new possibilities, take the first step on your personal Red Road Path... a lifestyle that supports health and healing.
If I can be a helpful part of your health repair plan, give me a shout! Happy Spring.
Energy Out = Energy In
We will not be talking about calories here.
I was having a chat recently about good luck and bad luck, why not so happy things seem to happen more to some people. I brought up the idea of our energy, the energy we put out in the world with our thoughts, words, and actions. I made the suggestion that perhaps if our thoughts and words are mostly negative in nature we may be actually drawing these negative happenings to us.
The response I received was this: "That's impossible. No one is in control of what happens to them."
So I then threw out this immediate thought: (I am not always good with on the spot thoughts but I do love teachable moments. Ask my kids!)
"If some one is part of a prayer list, ladder, or tree, they are called upon to say prayers for another person or family when there is a sickness or some hardship. The person then sends prayers, i.e. positive energy, to this person or family in need. Is this not using thoughts, our mind's energy, to create a positive response or outcome?"
We agreed on this.
So my next thought I threw out was... "If we can use our thought process to move energy in a positive direction for someone else, does it seem reasonable that our thoughts and words can do the same for us?"
"Point well made" was the response.
So I ask you to ask yourself questions:
- What kind of energy do I put out into the world with my thoughts, words, and actions?
- Is there a correlation between my positivity or negativity and the general events in my life?
The energy we put out in the world comes back to us ten times over.
Whatever you put out to the univere is what you will get back from the universe. This is one of the essential threads of the universe.
Positive out = positive in
Love out = love in
Joy out = joy in (Yes, I am using all positive examples here... for a reason. It is positive!)
Is your life not heading in the direction you want it to? Try on a new attitude. Make positive thoughts, words, and actions part of your every minute thinking and doing. You will find positive thoughts, words, and actions filling your life!
Positive energy is healing to mind, body, and spirit.
Happy healing!
PS If you enjoy what you read here on The Whole Food Healer Blog... pass it along to friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, people you pass on the street! Share health. The healthier we are as a community, the more positive healing energy for us all!
PPS Talk about positive energy, pop on over to this page and get a copy of the recordings from the Radiantly YOU telesummit. Best 9 bucks you ever spent!