Tag Archives: Ayurvedic practitioner

blissful living, healthy living

Live Your Dream – Part 3

This is the third installment of a series of articles on how to step into the flow of life to accomplish your dream (read Part I HERE , read Part 2 HERE).

Essentially, there are three main components of living your dream: first, you must define the dream, next, you must say “YES!” to your dream, and finally, you must remember the intention you had when you stated your dream. Let’s dive in.

Define Your Dream

We all have dreams and ambitions, but for many people the specifics of the dream are fuzzy. We’d like to think that we have defined our dream, but in truth, we still only have a vague understanding of what we really want.

It’s important to know exactly what your dream is – otherwise, how will you be able to tell if you’ve achieved it or not? When working to get clear on your dream, try this:

Close Your Eyes. 

Sit alone in a peaceful place and close your eyes. Ask yourself, “What would I do if money were not an object?” Give yourself a few minutes, do some deep breathing, and let yourself be with the question until something pops up in your head.

Write Ideas Down. 

Once something comes up (and something will), write it down. It might even be a series of images-1ideas – write them down! Notice which of the ideas appeals to you most, and expand on that one. Use detail, and use the present tense with statements like, “I work with creative people and I share my gifts. I love what I do.”

Feel it in Your Body. 

Read out loud what you wrote, and notice what sensations come up in your body. Which parts of your dream feel best? Which parts may not be truly what you want? This will help you create a more real experience for yourself, and get more clear about what it is you actually want.

No matter what you’ve written, you will always have the opportunity to course-correct as you go – nothing is set in stone!

Say ‘YES!’ to Your Dream

Now that you’ve created this beautiful vision for what you want to do, post it where you can see it every single day. Let it become a source of inspiration for you so that you can go forth carrying that wonderful expectation! It will come knocking, and now your job is to say, “YES!” to this dream.

Positive affirmations are a powerful way to say, “YES!” to your dream. Here’s an example:

“I am the queen of feeling fabulous. I have fabulous days and I have fabulous moments in each day. I love, love, love feeling fabulous in my mind, body and spirit.” 

Notice that this affirmation is written in the present tense. Your dream is a choice that you can make now, in the moment, regardless of where you are on your journey. Say “YES!” to the present moment with the wording in your affirmation.

Remember Your Intention

And finally, remember the meaning of your dream. Sometimes we can get off track and lose focus of what we’re working on when all the initial euphoria wears off. Don’t be surprised if that sense of elation is replaced with some familiar discontent and negative voices: that’s a natural aspect of challenge that will occur.

Return to the paper where you wrote down your dream. That’s the truth – that’s the powerful intention behind your desire. Read it as often as possible to reinforce your confidence in your dream!

How are you living your dream, or not living your dream? What could you do today to powerfully step into the dream life you want and deserve? Leave a comment below to join the conversation!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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blissful living, health and wellness

Live Your Dream – Part 2

In my last blog post [LINK], I shared a few preliminary steps with you about how to get started living your dream. You already have access to your own wisdom; you just have to tap into it!

We talked about the importance of journaling to dive deep and figure out what excites you and where you get stuck. Next, we talked about setting an intention and confiding your dreams to the friends who will certainly hold you accountable.

Let’s pick up where we left off…

Step 3: Set Goals and Plan Them Out

When you’re building a long-term plan of action, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the many steps we have to take along the way. The key to enduring the ups and downs of your journey is to establish a regular system for approaching your goals. Once goal setting becomes a habit, it’s easy to fall back into it. You’ll look at your goals and intentions and be able to course correct to get back on the path if you veer off.

imagesStart by writing down three things you want to do today that fall in line with living your dream. Sounds simple and like it might not work, right? The simplicity of listing three things will propel you forward and keep you accountable to yourself. Monitor your results; identify the times of the day when you’re the most productive. Eat, sleep and treat your body well as you go along.

At the end of the week, reflect and ask what you learned over the past seven days; what did you do really well and what were your challenges? You’ll start to notice patterns. Use that pattern awareness as information to keep you motivated to accomplish those dreams even faster.

Step 4: Seek Support

It’s so important to have a community of people around you that supports you and understands your goals. Don’t be afraid to share what you want to do with others. Eventually you’ll find yourself completely surrounded with like-minded people, as the Universe is always bringing us whatever we put out. When you clarify and declare your dream, you’ll start encountering people that can help you live it.

I knew a woman who was contemplating leaving teaching in order to design and make jewelry. It was scary for her – she was a salaried, tenured teacher. How could she leave this profession for her dream and be able to live off it? She told her plans to some co-workers and friends. News of her desire and talent eventually got beyond her inner circle to an external circle of people she didn’t even know. People bought her jewelry through the friends she’d shared her dream with, her support group.

She was getting so much business that she was able to go from full-time teaching to part-time and then was able to leave it altogether. She now has a full jewelry business. She wasn’t afraid to let others know what her dream was and surrounded herself with supportive people.

It doesn’t make you a weak person to ask for help. Ask from a place of strength; if you appear frayed or vulnerable when asking for assistance, you’ll attract similar people.

Make a choice to live your dream; don’t straddle the line. If your dream is grandiose or seems farfetched or unrealistic to other people, who cares? It’s not their dream. It’s yours. So make a choice and take these steps to go forth and live your dream.

Dare to be bold, and share your dream in the comments below!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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blissful living, health and wellness

Live Your Dream – Part 1

Think back to when you were a little kid. Did you have a dream of becoming a nurse, doctor, successful artist, actress or engineer? As we grow up we can get distracted by ideas that other people feel are best for us but that don’t fit what our dream lives could be.

Most of us are bombarded by other people’s opinions about what we should be doing or how we should be living. But there is no “should.” Whose standards are we listening to?

My Mercedes Benz Story

When I was in high school I declared to all my friends that I’d be driving a Mercedes Benz by the time I was 30. I went to college and forgot all about my intention, let alone the fact that I’d shared it with my friends.

15 years later I re-connected with one of those high school buddies. While we were catching up on the phone she said, “So are you driving a Mercedes yet?” I was about 31 or 32 and I said, “Yes, I am; how did you know that?”

I’d completely forgotten that it had been a dream of mine. But because I’d shared my dream it was out in the Universe and returned to me with powerful energy. Here and in my next blog I’ll share a few steps to get you started living your dream.

Step 1: Make the Unconscious Conscious

Unknown-1Find out what you already know about yourself. When something’s missing in your life, deep down you know it even if it’s not completely conscious yet. Notice what you’re resisting when it comes to living your dreams. Ask yourself, “What would I tell my best friend about living my dream? What am I hiding from or afraid to do?” Ask these questions, take out your journal and write down what comes to you. This will help you understand what you already know.

Go back later and read what you wrote. This will give you an opportunity to examine what might be holding you back or discover what you’re frightened of or are excited about. You’ll gain clarity about the next action steps.

You may need to do this process a couple of times since some of the information will be hidden beneath the surface. The really beneficial insights rest at the buddhic level, meaning deep inside us.

Step 2: Set Your Intention & Confide Your Dreams to Friends

If you’ve identified your dreams and they still feel like nothing more than a fantasy, set an intention to help you move forward. As long as your dream benefits others, setting an intention will bring you into alignment with your dharma, your purpose. That’s your heart’s desire. Intention gives energy and direction to action and eliminates the other options that may be bright shiny distractions as you pursue your dream.

I strongly suggest you confide in your friends when you’ve clarified your dreams. It could be two months, 12 weeks or 21 years from now, but they will keep you accountable because you mentioned something to them that’s important to you. Everyone wants you to live your dream!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog post next week. I’ll outline some additional steps I want to share with you about how to go for and LIVE your dream!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating

Mindfulness at Home

When I come home in the evening, I typically say hi to everyone, look around the house and see a lot that hasn’t been done. I start mindlessly sweeping the floor, dusting or cleaning the bathroom…

A few hours later I’ve got a sparkling house but haven’t interacted with anyone in my home.

Do you feel bombarded on a daily basis by busy work? If left unchecked, these distractions can disconnect us from our primary relationships. I want to share some insights with you about how to bring attention and mindfulness into your key relationships.

Use Dinnertime to Connect

In our busy society, many people don’t sit down with the family to talk about what happened during the day, the problems and issues that arose or how they may be feeling. Dinnertime is fragmented in many households because the kids may have already eaten or the husband comes home late.

My family saw me at home but somehow I wasn’t part of their lives. I asked myself how I could change that. I’m so used to believing that I’m being mindful, but I was surprised to realize that I was actually operating from the other end of the spectrum!

We have to choose over and over again to be fully present with our families, whether the encounter is casual or lengthy. Dinner is a great time to increase engagement because sitting around the dinner table really invites connection. Meals have been important throughout history as a primary way family, friends and associates interact and bond. When you make mealtime a mindful experience for your intimate circle, you’re able to deepen your relationships even further.

Create Connection Rituals

Experiment with assigning different family members little tasks like setting the table, Unknownlighting candles or making a salad dressing. Say a little prayer or give thanks before you eat. This will prepare the body to receive the food. To keep interruptions at bay, make unplugging from phones and smart devices a house rule.

When you’re trying to form a new habit, consistency is important. Decide on a start time for dinner and commit to it, no matter what. You may have to shift by a few minutes when you take into account that schedules can go awry, but make the effort to maintain this as a sacred time. Don’t let the commitment fade into oblivion. Once you start neglecting it, it’s easier to ditch family dinner the next time. Then you lose that mindful connection at home.

Mindful Listening

As each person around the table speaks, the others can consciously engage with their food. While someone has the floor, don’t interrupt but be mindfully present to what that person is saying and simultaneously engaged in the process of eating your meal. This will help the body fully absorb the food’s nutrients.

Regardless of whether the person speaking needs to be vulnerable or not, there’s a way to engage with those you love. Attentiveness and a lack of interruptions bring mindfulness to the group effort.

What ritual can you create to get your family on board to experience a mindful dinnertime? Let me know in the comments!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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ayurveda, blissful living, healthy living, stress reduction

Creating Inner Peace, Ojas-Style

This is the last of four blog posts about ojas, the Ayurvedic term for your immune system (read last week’s post HERE. Let’s take a look at practices that foster inner peace.

Silence and Self-Reflection

We can get so critical of ourselves if we feel we aren’t achieving enough or being grateful for who we are. This is something I do a lot. Instead of criticizing yourself for not living up to your own expectations, remember to reflect and go into peaceful silence.

Something as simple as relaxation actually replenishes the ojas. Take a little time for yourself during the day to find silence. That rest can help you maintain vital inner and outer beauty. It doesn’t have to take a long time; two to five minutes is plenty. Sit in silence (with your eyes closed if you can) and strengthen your ability to engage in self-reflection. You can do it in the car, radio off, or if you’re in the bathroom do a slow, deep breathing practice for a minute or two.

Appreciating yourself helps cultivate a more positive mental state, which allows you to build ojas in a naturally graceful way. Even if there are people in your life you’d rather kill, be grateful because they’re here to teach you something!

When you’re grateful for those experiences instead of being critical or beating yourself up, you’ll feel happier, for one, and that feeds the ojas, which gives a lasting sense of contentment. Whenever you’re in a grateful state you step away from the opposite.

Gratitude tends to magnetize more contentment into your life, and when you’re content that’s a phenomenal way to naturally build up ojas.

A Peaceful Pose

Unknown-2Peaceful poses reinforce healthy ojas. If you practice one peaceful yoga pose a day before you go to bed, in class during the day or during your morning ritual, you’ll build your ojas.

I like to do child’s pose – anyone familiar with yoga knows child’s pose. The more relaxed you get, the deeper you sink into the yoga mat – it feels wonderful. Another great pose is shavasana, when you lie prone for several minutes. The longer you do it the more relaxed you get. It also just feels great.

Evening Calm Down Routine

This a wind-down ritual that helps you sleep very well at night. Fill the bath with warm water and add one to three cups of Epsom salts. You can find versions made with lavender, milk and honey or eucalyptus. I recommend the lavender, and then add a tablespoon of honey, two cups of whole milk and a few drops of lavender essential oil under the running water.

You can also add other essential oils depending on what your dosha is: for vata dosha, use rose or geranium; for pitta dosha, use frankincense and for kapha, use juniper. Light a candle and sit in the bath for 20 minutes. Optionally, you could light an incense stick if you want.

I guarantee if you do this evening calm down ritual, you will sleep phenomenally well, whether you’ve just been to the gym or had a stressful day. Not only will you sleep really well, you’ll be building ojas and will smell super yummy!

What healthy rituals do you do to decompress? Share your practices in the comments below.

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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ayurveda, blissful living, healthy living

Ojas – Stoking Your Digestive Fire

In this third of four blogs about our ojas (read the previous blog post HERE), I’m going to focus on a vital component of building a strong digestive fire: how and what we eat. Let’s go!

Food, Glorious Food

Unknown-1A conscious, mindful eating practice and healthy digestion helps us build our ojas. Be very selective about what you put into your bodies to keep strong during cold and flu season.

Although there are now ‘healthier’ options available at restaurants like McDonald’s or Jack in the Box, do your best to avoid food grabbed on the fly, especially fast food. Get the highest quality, organic, non-GMO food you can afford.

Become One with Your Meal

Don’t wolf it down! These days, people often don’t connect with their food. Taking the time to be mindful sets you up to receive the food properly and actually stokes the digestive fire.

Take a few minutes to be thankful for your food. As you eat your yummy meal, the digestive fire gets hotter, allowing food to be metabolized in an appropriate way. Then you won’t have pieces of undigested food sitting in your body creating ama (toxins) that then get pushed through the digestive tract.

What’s the benefit? Keeping the body in balance blocks illness from coming in. Illness only happens when we’re in an imbalanced state or not taking in proper nutrition. Healthy food is your prime energy source.

Some especially healthy foods include organic milk, almonds, sesame, honey, rice, pineapple, mango, kale and spinach. It’s not necessary to eat these foods exclusively but incorporating more of them into your diet increases the quality of your nutrition.

Good Fat

Cooking with clarified butter, known as ghee, builds ojas. You’ll get the yummy taste of butter without the unhealthy fats. Omega 3s, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats are great sources of healthy fat, and remember to use coconut oil for cooking. Olive, almond, chia and flaxseed are also excellent oils to not only build ojas, but they’re great for heart health as well. Women with a higher intake of healthy fat have firmer, smoother skin!

A Magical Recipe

Stay away from white or any processed sugars. They promote inflammation, which can lead to a whole host of diseases, and will decrease your ojas. Use stevia or agave instead, or add mango or coconut to your plate so you can have a sweet without adding something bad to your diet.

When I talk about sweets, know that I really had to work on it because I’m a sugar addict! Rice pudding contains the good fats I talked about and gives you the sweetness you want. Gather these ingredients:

  • ½ cup basmati rice
  • 4 cups organic milk (I prefer almond or coconut milk because I’m lactose intolerant)
  • 4-6 cardamom seeds – bruise them a little to allow the essential spice to come out
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/8th to ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon powder)
  • 2–4 TBS honey or organic agave syrup
  • 1 handful of pistachios or almonds. Almonds are good for all doshas.

Rinse off the raw rice. In a heavy-bottomed pan, add the rice, milk, cardamom and cinnamon and bring to a boil over low heat. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn’t burn. Check the texture and cook until the mixture is slightly thick but easy to stir. Remove the cinnamon stick and the cardamom pods (unless you used the powders). Stir in the agave or honey and let it cool. Toss in the nuts. I also like to add raisins or goji berries.

When I was pregnant with my daughter this was the only thing I could eat in the morning that didn’t cause morning sickness and was very nurturing to both of us. Funny that now my daughter doesn’t like rice pudding!

Do you have a favorite healthy go-to snack that’s healthy and satisfying? Share in the comments below how you build healthy ojas!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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ayurveda, health and wellness, healthy living

How to Strengthen Your Ojas

In a previous blog post, I defined ojas, agni and ama, the three building blocks that contribute to a healthy immune system (read it HERE). Now let’s jump in and talk about specific steps you can take to strengthen your ojas!

Worry – A Great Way to Ruin Your Day

It happens to all of us. First thing in the morning, we might find ourselves worrying about our day, compulsively checking email or Facebook or thinking about problems. This habit sets us up to not have a good day. A worried, depressed state also disrupts our ojas, particularly if it becomes a chronic habit.

Rather than hit the ground running, create a slower-paced morning ritual that allows you to connect to the part of your body and mind that’s happy to be alive. Make a choice to consider the beauty of what the day has to offer without worrying about everything else around you.

The Morning Ritual

This is what I do on a daily basis when I’m not traveling. To set the tone to handle daily life, I wake up in bed and take a couple of slow, deep breaths. I give thanks for the day and slowly get up. In the bathroom, I wash my face and go through my elimination process.

I recommend using healthy oils on your skin. Use an oil like sesame prior to getting in the shower, then reapply after you get out. It nourishes the skin and helps curtail dryness. Sesame oil is a little bit heavier and nurtures all the body tissues. Lighter oils that I suggest are almond or sunflower. For fall and winter, make coconut oil your last choice if you can’t find the others. It works just as well, but tends to have a cooling effect on the skin so it’s best suited for the warm weather months.

images-1Tea and Meditation

Once I’m up, showered and dressed, I light a candle and maybe some incense. I sit down and meditate for a few minutes and finish the ritual with a cup of tea. Somehow a lovely, steaming cup of tea anchors me to go forth confidently through my day.

Try it yourself for a week and see if you notice how the tone you set in the morning lasts throughout the day to maintain that calm.

How do you usually start your day and is it setting the tone you really want? Let me know in the comments!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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ayurveda, health and wellness, healthy living

Know Your Ojas!

This is the first of four posts to investigate the topic of ojas. Let’s dive in!

What is it?

In Ayurveda, ojas is the end product of good digestion and metabolism and is believed to connect consciousness and matter. In the West it’s more commonly referred to as your immune system or your immunity.

When we talk about strengthening your ojas, we mean building your immune system. A strong ojas keeps you free from illness and disease. Ayurveda is all about balancing your mind and body to prevent illness.

Our Inner Fire

images One of the most important principals in Ayurveda is the maintenance of the health of your agni, or digestive fire. If you don’t have strong digestive fire, you can’t efficiently absorb the nutrients and elements you take in.

A strong agni helps us digest properly and also process all aspects of life including the experiences and memories we have and the impressions we pick up from our environment. Efficiently burning food also staves off excess weight.

Strong vs. Weak

Strong agni, including our day-to-day experiences in life, creates a more balanced state, which aids in the prevention of illness. Weak agni doesn’t properly absorb nutrients and creates toxic buildup, waste and residue. That buildup is called ama (toxins), which get stuck in the colon and putrefy. Yuck.

Ojas, agni and ama go hand-in-hand to create a healthy, balanced body. Strong ojas helps us experience the nectar of life – now you understand what they are and why they’re important.

Next week, I’ll give you some tips you can start using right away to strengthen your ojas, so stay tuned!

What steps do you take to keep yourself in a balanced state? Share your comments below!

Wishing you peace to your mind, wellness to your body and tranquility to your spirit.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN, AHP, CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous and The Wellness Architect

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ayurveda, blissful living, healthy eating, healthy living

Why a Gentle Detox is Perfect Now

This is the perfect opportunity to slow down and tune in to yourself.

Though we may eat lighter in the summertime, our bodies can still build up multiple toxins from rushing to pack in a ton of activities. Certain dietary habits, keeping the kids occupied and technology overload all contribute to the build up.

The juncture between the heat of the summer and winter’s cold provides a perfect opportunity to recognize bad habits and then embrace healthier ones as you transition into fall and winter. I recommend that people synchronize four detoxes a year with each change of seasons. Fall is a natural time of transition when we want to feel more vibrant and clear.

Doing a gentle detox will not only facilitate the removal of toxins from your body, it will strengthen your immune system against wintertime viruses.

7-Day Detox

I offer three specific detox programs, from gentle to very deep and intense. A gentle detox program will reset your body and mind, and my 7-Day Detox program is safe, effective and based on Ayurvedic principles.

Popular cleanses that ask you to take extreme measures are not designed to support you in the long run. They’re meant to help you purge quickly.

When you detox too quickly, you remove some (but not the majority of) toxins so it leaves your body in an imbalanced state.

In my 7-Day Detox program, your body will cleanse itself physically and mentally but you’ll also lose some weight. I’ve had clients lose anywhere from five to ten pounds. Most importantly, you’re nourishing your body with yummy food. Continue reading →

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