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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Eating Wisely to Cleanse and Revitalize

I have a diet that most people would consider to be healthy. Most of the time I eat organically grown fruits and vegetables and try to get my fruits and vegetables from locally grown sources. I avoid processed ingredients and listen to what my body says it needs and how much of it is needed. However when I get super busy or am traveling a lot, I often find myself getting creative to make sure that I stay on cue with eating what is best for me and my dosha. One way I do that is to “Go Green,” which means increasing my fruit and vegetable intake.

When I have been on a long and extended trip as soon as I return from my trip, I dive head first into my “Go Green” diet. This involves me going through a short 4-9 day detox or cleanse based on what I eat, to rid my mind and body of the toxins that I pick up when I travel. I don’t like making rules for myself around food other than eating what is right for my dosha so after I “ Go Green,” I go back to eating my normal cycle for my dosha. It is during my “Go Green” way of eating that I increase my intake of fruits and vegetables by 60-70% and I do my best to eat the freshest food possible.

If you have ever done a cleanse/detox you know that it is a process of clearing the mind and the body. You will experience more clarity, energy, you will feel more hydrated and will notice that your cravings for sweets have either diminished or are gone, just to name a few of the benefits. In Ayurveda the cleanse/detox process is called Panchakarma. I give this information just as some baseline information for you to keep in the back of your mind to think about exploring as I go on.

If you’re like many people that are becoming more health conscious, you are probably paying more attention to what you are putting into your body. This awareness opens up a whole new way of what you think when you see food. Fresh produce is one of the best things that we can eat for our bodies and mind. Fresh produce contains many of the vital nutrients that the body needs to function optimally Summer is a great season to incorporate into you eating plan more fresh fruits and vegetables because of all that we have available to us during this season. It’s no mystery that the season invites us to replenish, nourish and revitalize ourselves

Longer days increase our exposure to sunlight, creating a biological surge of energy and optimism. This is perfect season to take a look at your diet. By incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet, especially when they are right for your dosha, will allow the body to naturally hydrate itself, synthesize and process the nutrients within the food more efficiently and naturally allow the colon to sweep itself out which aids the body in naturally removing toxins.

I know it sounds simple to just add more fruits and vegetables to what you eat, but we all know that changing eating patterns ever so slightly can be complicated. The body adapts to what we feed it and eating certain ingredients can be difficult and even physically uncomfortable. Also with all the busyness and activity that the summer season brings dietary adjustments can be even harder.

I would like to share with you how you can increase the fruits and vegetables that you eat without much difficulty at all.

The first step is to eat more salads. This does multiple things such a provide nutrients to the body and also it helps to naturally cleanse the colon. Be creative with your salads by dressing them with lots of fruits and vegetable combinations such as mango, red pepper, papaya, mint and lime juice or grapes, cucumber, bell peppers and carrots. Remember a salad is something that you can have anytime of the day that is nourishing and hydrating.

You can have a salad as the main meal for your lunch and a side salad with your dinner.
For dinner you can make some pasta and add fresh bell peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini or mint in the pasta and then have a side salad with arugula, grapes, strawberries, peaches, pears or plums with a nice vinaigrette dressing.
For breakfast you can make a smoothie with strawberries, apples, carrots, kale, spinach, pineapple, peaches, mango, or plums with ice and a little coconut water.

The second step is know that your system will be taking in nourishment as it goes through a natural detoxification process an in order to stabilize your energy and avoid fatigue, I am suggesting that you eat more fruits and vegetables as snacks in between meals.

Have carrot or celery sticks for snacks; eat a handful of grapes or a plum, peach, pear or apple.
Enjoy a slice of a cantaloupe, honey dew or water melon. – {these are naturally hydrating fruits and contain a high content of water}.
Grab some blueberries, raspberries or cherries as a wholesome, healthy and energizing snack full of antioxidants and nutrients.
To boost energy on the spot, eat an orange, tangerine or squeeze a little fresh lemon or lime juice into water or coconut water for an uplifting and naturally hydrating and energizing drink.

Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself or too structured with eating wisely. Have fun by experimenting and listening to what your body says to you. If your body is feeling good and your mind is clear then keep eating the produce that you are eating. It just may be right for your dosha. If you are experiencing challenges within your mind and body then you may need to make some adjustments to eat what is right for your dosha. You can learn more about your dosha by visiting www.freegiftsfromrochele.com and taking the mini dosha quiz. Eating what is wise and right for your body type (dosha) will help you to eliminate toxins from your mind and body so that you can clear the clutter to make space for a more beautiful you.

Wishing you health and wellness.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Twitter:@rochelelawson

http://www.rochelelawson.com/contact

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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Why Detoxification is Vital to Your Health

I strongly believe that detoxification is something we should all do periodically. I suggest people do it four times a year, with one of those times being a very deep detox. Let me explain why.

We are surrounded by toxic materials 24/7. Many of them we know about, but many of them are so new that we’re not aware of how they are affecting us.

Let’s first define a toxin as anything that leads us to a behavior that’s not natural or conducive to our overall benefit. Our goal as healthy humans is to ingest things that uplift us, whether that’s organic food or media that promotes love and community.

Body Toxins

At this point, most of us are aware of the pesticides in our produce and the hormones in our meat products. Cell phone towers are contaminating our soil, which then contaminates our plants, animals and water sources.

Every time you take a warm shower, your pores are opening up and allowing all the toxins in the water source to rush into your skin. If you’re not using a filter on your showerhead, you’re setting yourself up to absorb a lot of chemicals that you probably didn’t even know about.

The prescription medication you’re taking may be helping one symptom that you have, but I’d be willing to bet that it’s wrecking havoc on another part of your body.

Its simple things like this that cause your digestive system to become sluggish or your whole body to be out of balance.

Mind Toxins

Our minds suffer from toxic entertainment that causes us to be on edge all the time, which causes stress. ( https://ayurvedahealing.org/2014/01/27/how-stress-is-…ng-your-health/)

Sexual innuendo is so prevalent in our society now that you see it (and hear it) everywhere you go: in commercials, in music lyrics and in magazines. We’re constantly being bombarded with messages that aren’t necessarily healthy and can lead to destructive behavior.

What your mind sees, it perceives as real. When you watch a violent television show, it plants a seed in your mind that begins to move toward reality. At the same time, when you have a vision board and see the wonderful things you want for your life every morning when you wake up, a more healthy seed is planted.

Time to Detox

Let’s allow things in that are here to uplift the body and let it flow as a river instead of getting backed up and stopped.

Detoxing gets rid of all the toxic material within us so we can build healthy cells and have a strong body and a calm, peaceful and balanced mind. Choosing the right detox for you depends on how much time you have and how intense you’re ready to go. To do it effectively, you must do exercises to keep your mind at peace and connect you with spirit.

If you’re ready for a detoxification process, let’s talk. Follow THIS LINK to get started today.

Wishing you Much Health and Wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Twitter:@rochelelawson

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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Holistic Health is the Key to Optimal Health

Did you know that everything you need to be completely healthy and well is available to you right now? Listening to your inner wisdom and divine guidance to access optimal health is 100% possible, and in my experience, a Holistic Health approach is an excellent way to treat the mind, body and spirit.

In truth, it is possible to combine a Holistic Health regime with a traditional Western medicine practice and still have fabulous results. But if you’re newer to the idea of Holistic Health, it may be confusing it is necessary to keep your body functioning well. Here is a basic explanation of what Holistic Health is, and how it’s different than traditional Western medicine.

Traditional Western Medicine: Treating the Signs and Symptoms

Traditional Western medicine tends to focus on the signs and symptoms that are presenting. Whether it is an injury, a cold or virus, bacterial invasion or a disease process that’s already manifest, you’re likely to be prescribed pharmaceutical medications for just about everything.

Regular doctors want their patients to feel better and they know that if they make the signs and symptoms disappear, the patient will be happier. However, even though the person feels better, they still have the disease process or the illness because the root cause was not resolved.

Holistic Health: Prevention is Key

Holistic Health is a health modality that is focused on mind, body and spirit. The belief is that if any of those three aspects are not quite in sync, it manifests as illness in the body.

If we aren’t quite functioning at our highest level in any of the three areas, health challenges will arise at the weakest points in the body. Mind, body and spirit vitality are necessary for total health and well-being.

With a focus on prevention (although disease and illness treatment does occur as well), the Holistic approach uses natural remedies instead of pharmaceutical medications, which can be toxic and harmful to the body. The ultimate goal of Holistic Health is to restore and maintain balance in the mind, body and spirit.

Mind, Body and Spirit Connection

The belief is that what exists in the mind will manifest in the body because the two are deeply connected. Connecting with spirit as you focus on healing you mind and body allows for a greater semblance of peace, rest, and rejuvenation. There is a direct link between all three of them.

Illness can manifest in many ways that you may not expect, including anxiety and worry, lethargy, anger and rage issues. All these things will eventually present themselves in the body on a more physical level.

Peace and balance in mind, body and spirit helps the body naturally strengthen so it has a line of defense against disease and illness.

My first choice for health and wellness is Holistic. Have you had an experience with Holistic Health? What was it like? Leave a note in the comments below to join the conversation.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

twitter:@rochelelawson

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Thank you for your response. ✨

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction

Calming Mind Chatter

One of my favorite things to do is to meditate. It is so calming and nurturing to my mind, body and soul. It is one of my favorite ways to restore my energy, clarity and focus. I often receive some amazing information when I meditate especially when I reach the point where everything is quiet and still within. It wasn’t always like this, I remember when I first began to meditate my mind would chatter non-stop. I felt like it was going 100 miles per minute. There were times that I would get so wrapped up in the mind chatter that at the end of my mediation session I wasn’t sure if I received any benefits. However later I discover that even though it may have appeared that I was not benefitting through the times of non-stop mind chatter, I was actually benefitting beyond my belief.

Study after study has shown the tremendous benefits that mediation has on the mind and the body. Neuroscience can show us what happens in the brain when we meditate. For instance areas of the brain associated with stress slows down and parts of the brain associated with feeling joy, peace and compassion become active. The evidence that meditation triggers positive changes within the brain and the body is overwhelming whether we are meditating with mind chatter or not.

For the beginner meditator who is not aware of the positive changes occurring within the brain and the body, the mind chatter may be just enough to frustrate them to the point where they feel like they want to quit. If you fit into this category, don’t fret because I want to understand that you are not alone and there are some things that you can do to assist you with the mind chatter.

One of the things you can do is just let the mind chatter. Don’t get wrapped up in the chatter just let the thoughts come and go. Let the thoughts come in and let them roll out similar to watching the waves of the ocean roll in to the shore and roll back out the ocean. Just let them be without focusing on what they are and why they exist. When you practice meditation regularly, you will begin to notice that part of the mind that is untouched by thoughts. You might experience that deeper layer of consciousness as a pure sense of being or as a sense of being a witness. Sometimes it feels as if you have plunged into the deeper water of the mind, where it is calm while all the time the mental chatter continues. In other words the mind can keep thinking but you are not affected by those thoughts.

Another tool that you can use is your breath. It is a wonderful way to assist you with not getting too wrapped up and focused on the thoughts that are flowing into your mind.

As a matter of fact, each time you feel that you are beginning to focus on the chatter within your mind shift your focus to taking in a deep breath and letting it out. The breathing helps to distract you from the mind chatter while allowing your body to take in much need oxygen and release the toxic carbon dioxide. Mindful breathing is a form of pranayama and is so yummy to use during the mediation process.

The last suggestion that I have to offer to you is to simply let yourself keep coming back to the sensations of the breath in the body, or the felt sense of energy in the heart or the vibratory quality of a mantra. A mantra is something that you repeat throughout your meditation session such as the word, “Om” or “Peace.” By doing these things in time you will notice the thoughts drift more and more into the background while the underlying sense of being comes more into the foreground and what a wonderful feeling that is.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochele Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

www.rochelelawson.com

www.meditationsforbliss.com

twitter:@rochelelawson

www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy living, stress reduction

Do You Have Resilience?

I’ve always thought that I was a pretty resilient person however after recently reading an article on resiliency; I realized that I have some work to do. Let me explain. You see there was a 40 year study conducted on the island of Kauai and it involved the development of children. During this period close to 700 children were observed in the area of their development. What was observed was that 1/3^rd of the children grew up to be contented, successful and caring adults. The conclusion for this was that it was due to their great resiliency. These children had the ability to not let things get them down and to find happiness despite adversity.

Psychologists have discovered that resilient people share some of the same characteristics. It is based on this information that I discovered that I needed to do some more work in this area. Take a look at the information below to see if you have the characteristics of resiliency.

1) Emotional control: Changing from a negative state of mind to a positive state

of mind is not a challenge for highly resilient people.

2) Considered behavior: Resilient people are not easily distracted. They pursue

their goals with concentration and discipline. They do not give into their whims.

3) Causal analysis: In negative situations they ask “why” instead of indulging in

being angry.

4) Empathy: They are able to see things from another person’s point of view

and can change their perspective based on this information.

5) Realistic optimism: They harbor no illusions about reality. ( It is what it is).

They have an optimistic outlook on life.

6) Goal orientation: These people are always setting new goals and work at these

goals consistently.

7) Self- belief: They believe they can change themselves and their lives.

Now that you know some of the qualities of a resilient person, how many of these qualities do you exhibit or do you need improvement in areas?

After looking at these qualities and realizing that I needed to do some work in some areas to improve my resiliency, I decided to examine my practice of wellbeing to see how I could improve my resiliency. What I discovered is that I have some tremendous tools that I use and share with my clients to improve their health that can actually be used improve resiliency too. I have decided to share some of the tools that I use that are geared toward overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles and bounce back after a crisis.

Use the little irritations and challenges in your daily life as opportunities to train yourself to become more resilient.

Often people wish the world would change to suit them but in reality it just does not work that way. It is much easier to change yourself because you posses the ability to interpret and evaluate incidents in many different ways. You have the ultimate control over how you think and feel. If you have difficulty in this area here is something that may help you.

Find out which attitudes and convictions are responsible for your negative emotions. Once you do this ask yourself why you feel this way. Feel free to write this down in a journal or on a piece of paper. Writing it out helps you to see it in a more realistic and personal manner. Then write a new conviction opposite of what you have just written down that identifies how you want to feel. Cross out the old one and keep the new one with you where you will come across it frequently such as in your pocket, purse or wallet. Each time you come across it read it silently and once out loud.

While you can’t expect to change your old convictions immediately, when you realize how fabulous your new thoughts make you feel you will want to make the new thoughts a permanent part of your life. What is important to note is that as you do this you are increasing your flexibility while becoming more resilient.

Another tool you can use to increase your resiliency is to understand and question your negative emotions. Let me explain. The same situation may trigger different emotions in different people; the key is to understand what this reveals about you. When you know what makes you respond the way you do, it will become easier to control your emotions. For example, if you are often angry, ask yourself if it is because you feel someone has violated your rights or if it is something else. Being aware of this can be the key in permanently changing your convictions to a more positive state.

In Ayurveda, the goal is to keep the mind and body in a state of balance“bliss” as much as possible and increasing your resiliency is a great way to help your mind and body stay in a state of “bliss.”

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochele Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

www.rochelelawson.com

www.meditationsforbliss.com

twitter:@rochelelawson