Tag Archives: Rochele Lawson

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

Uncover Your Innate Happiness, Naturally.

Most people experience some sort of depression at some point in their lives. Sometimes the unhappy feelings last for shorter and more manageable amounts of time, but sometimes unhappiness and a general feeling of “gloom” can last for weeks, months or even years.

Often people want to be happy but they don’t know which key will unlock their happiness and surround them with love and lightness. It can be incredibly frustrating.

The truth is our brains are equipped to unlock the door to happiness. We just have to know which key to use in order to release it!

 

Experience Happiness Naturally

Science shows that each of us has the innate ability to release our natural anti-depressants without the aid of pharmaceutical drugs. With some work facilitated by health care providers like me, we can discover how to be happy without the use of medication.

Our natural ability for happiness is actually more powerful than any kind of narcotic drug: it’s available any time because it lies within you, and like a muscle, you can learn over time to use it effectively.

Self-judgment, negative thoughts and self-criticism are most often the culprits that cause people to feel unhappy or depressed. Many people may feel that, at some point in their lives, they let themselves down; these repetitive and crushing thought patterns make it very difficult to experience joy and happiness.

 

Anti-Depressants Ultimately Make the Situation Worse

When people are feeling chronically unhappy, they will often act out or do things that are inappropriate. Excessive alcohol use, drug abuse and sex addiction are some of the more common ways people act out that may lead them to be prescribed an anti-depressant like Prozac or Wellbutrin.

3Ironically, people tend toward addictive behavior in an attempt to relieve their depression, but what ends up happening in the long run is the opposite. Each time they engage in the addiction, they push happiness farther away. It’s like sludge. It becomes more and more difficult to get through the sludge when you think that it is the key to your happiness.

Often, the prescription drugs that are meant to solve the problem of depression only become the next addiction. If possible, it is best to seek natural remedies for depression.

 

Mindful Meditation to Tap into Happiness

Meditating regularly is one of the keys to experiencing happiness and relief from depression. It allows us to improve our moods by eliminating or limiting negative self-talk that can be harmful.

Find a quiet space, and sit comfortably for at least ten minutes a day. Take the time to connect with yourself and notice any thoughts that come and go. You may soon be able to pinpoint negative thoughts that keep you stuck in a place of unhappiness – and that’s the first key to releasing them and experiencing joy.

4Mindfulness is so important because it helps us practice self-compassion, connect with our purpose, strengthen our coping skills and release feel-good endorphins that improve overall well being.

Little by little, by practicing good habits like meditating, exercising, playing with children or animals, and doing things we love with the people we love, we strengthen our ability to connect with our happiness. It is the key to unlocking the gates of sustained, day-to-day joy.

 

Could you benefit from experiencing more joy in your life? If you would like to have a complimentary call with me to talk about natural ways to relieve depression and tap into your natural happiness, let’s talk. Click HERE to connect with me.

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, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, Uncategorized

Natural Solutions for Coping with Pain

There are more than 100 million adults in the United States that deal with some sort of pain every single day. More than half of these people feel that they have little or no control over their pain… and countless others have turned to narcotic medication to manage the discomfort on a daily basis.

Some people have been on medication for so long and their tolerance is so high that the medicine does absolutely nothing for their pain.

In all my years of being a health care professional, I’ve seen a lot more people suffer from pain due to various issues than from Diabetes, heart disease and cancer. That’s a lot of pain!

It seems like I’ve been getting a higher than usual number of requests from my clients for herbal pain ointment, so this week I’d like to share some holistic steps you can take to help manage pain in your life.

 

Is Your Pain Chronic or Acute?

businesswoman migraineEssentially, pain is the body’s way of telling the brain that something is not quite right. It may be an indication that we’re out of alignment, there’s something growing in the body that shouldn’t be there or an adjustment is needed. It’s a clue that we need to pay attention to correct something.

There are two types of pain: acute pain and chronic pain.

Acute pain is when you’re walking down the street and you bump your ankle. You’ll think, “Ouch, that hurts!” The sharp pain you feel in that moment in your ankle is acute.

Chronic pain is when you’ve bumped your ankle, it’s painful, but you don’t get it checked by a doctor. Maybe you’ve fractured a bone, but you don’t know because you haven’t seen a professional. Despite the continued pain, you never go to see anyone and you have an ongoing aching sensation in your ankle for months or even years.

After so much time, it’s possible that you’ll forget how you hurt your ankle in the first place. The fracture will likely heal improperly and the body will be out of alignment, which will cause ongoing pain.

In general, any pain that lasts longer than 6 weeks is considered chronic pain.

 

Natural Solutions to Relieve Pain

Finding pain relief is important. When people suffer from ongoing pain, they can’t concentrate as well, their sleep becomes interrupted and their natural energy resources are quickly depleted.

Mindful Meditation. Many of us try to ignore or “work through” pain, but when we pay attention to and acknowledge our pain, it helps shift our consciousness. Mindful meditation reminds us that instead of trying to only solve the pain with an outside solution, we can also work on it from the inside. Studies suggest that the greatest benefit of mindful meditation is an enhanced ability to cope with any physical discomfort that may occur.

Many people experience anger, irritability and moodiness when they suffer from chronic pain. When you begin to practice mindfulness, you’ll find that coping with pain is easier. You will likely also find that irritability, anger and depression are reduced as the body and mind work together more harmoniously.

Self-Care Massage. Take good care of yourself when you’re experiencing pain through massage. Use coconut, almond or sesame oil and start with your feet: rub them lovingly and thank them for supporting you. Next, move on to your ankles, your legs, your knees, and continue until you reach the top of your head. With each new body part, give thanks and show appreciation.

At the end of your meditation, thank the Universe for allowing you to have time to check in with your body and go about your day. You will feel better.

2Are you looking for natural solutions to manage chronic pain? I would love to talk to you about how I can help. Click HERE to set up a complimentary call with me to talk about what you can do today to find relief from your pain.

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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Be Mindfully Present in Love

People often think that once we become intimate with another person, it will be peaches ‘n cream, lovey-dovey, last-forever kind of love. We expect that the prince found his princess; they’re going to ride off in the sunset, live a fairytale lifestyle and be happy forever.

But that’s not quite reality. In romantic relationships, intimacy can’t be cooked up all at once; it has to build and grow and there are many actions and habits we can take on a daily basis to demonstrate our tenderness toward the other person.

Take the Other into Consideration

imagesIn partnership, one of the most important things is to take the other person into consideration and pay close attention to detail. Sometimes we believe that we will be happy “if only my partner fulfills my needs…” but in this instance, the act of giving can be just as fulfilling if not more fulfilling than the act of receiving.

Asking questions like, “How will this action affect my partner? If I make this choice, will it affect him or her positively or negatively?” is a great first step to taking the other person into consideration.

Something as simply as making dinner for your loved one can build intimacy and trust between two people. When we bring kindness to anything we’re working on, and especially intimate partnerships, it creates a feeling of closeness, desire and being wanted. It facilitates love.

Complete Communication

Communication is about so much more than words, and body language is vital when it comes to the long-term success of a relationship. Bring mindfulness into your interactions with your partner: how do you feel when you’re speaking to your beloved? Do you make eye contact, or don’t you? Do you talk about how you feel, or do you stick to logistics?

So many of our modern conveniences make quick communication easier, but take away the subtle nuance of our interactions. Simply choosing to pick up the phone when you need to communicate with a loved one – even if it’s just to tell him or her what time you’re meeting for dinner – can make a world of difference.

When you have a phone call with another person, you can physically hear that person’s voice. Unconsciously, you may begin to visualize how that person looked when you last saw them; how they smelled, perhaps how they felt when you touched them.

Now, just by picking up the phone, so many more of your physical senses have become engaged!

Set Aside the Distractions

One of my friends has a wonderful boyfriend. When they’re together, he demands that she not work because he doesn’t want her to do anything but focus her attention completely on him. He does the same for her when they’re together.

At first, this was a challenge for her. She thought, “Well, I have to work! How else can I make money and support myself?”

He pointed out that yes, of course she needed to work, but not when they’ve specifically set aside time to be together. The two of them don’t live together, so when they choose to spend time together, it makes sense that they would focus 100% on the other person to build intimacy and trust.

Now when they spend time together, they choose to prioritize each other. Work gets done during work time, but they both now know that tenderness and intimacy can only blossom when they invest the time and energy into each other.

Take a Moment

Today, take a few minutes to think about how you will honor your partner. Maybe you’ll set aside time to really listen to them and ask about their day, or maybe you’ll look closely at them and notice something that you hadn’t noticed before.

If you’re looking for ways to bring more mindfulness into your romantic relationship, click HERE to access the complimentary Bliss Kit!

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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Mindfulness in the Work Place

In the last article, I talked about what it means to be mindful and what tremendous benefit mindfulness can be in your home life (read the article HERE)

When we work, we have one agenda: to do our job, and to do our job well. That can feel like a lot of pressure in our modern world that constantly demands everything be faster, smarter and cheaper.

How can you keep your sanity (and inner peacefulness) as you navigate through these challenges?

Is the Success Worth the Sacrifice?

WF_20120906_NEWS02_120909979Work is stressful, there’s no doubt about it. No matter what job you hold, there’s always the pressure to do well and earn your keep. We always want to achieve results and reap the rewards but sometimes the effort required of us can feel so overwhelming that we find ourselves in a constant state of stress.

Many times workers will sacrifice their emotional and physical well-being in an effort to achieve what we perceive to be success in the work place. It isn’t until something happens – sickness, lack of sleep, traumatic emotional event, excessive conflict between co-workers – that we begin to realize it’s time to take a different approach.

Recognize the Challenge and Approach it Mindfully

If you’re feeling stressed at work and experiencing conflict with your coworkers, it’s important to first recognize the challenge you’re facing. Most often, there will be a difference of opinion or ideals, but that difference can be resolved if both people are willing to acknowledge the value of the other’s input and contribution.

When you encounter obstacles like this, notice how you’re feeling inside. Take a few minutes to listen to yourself unconditionally… and then offer the same act of kindness to the other person. Listen to him or her as you would wish someone to listen to you in a conflict, and allow that person to express their aspirations, concerns or worries that are coming up.

Reframe the Problem

It’s always good to reframe the problem in order to constructively create a solution. Negative emotions can sometimes transform simple problems into threats, challenges and major ordeals when they don’t really have to be that big of an issue.

Invite others to creatively reshape their challenges and redefine their goals in collaboration with you. Look at the situation objectively: is this road block actually a road block?

Here’s an example of what this looks like in action:

Not too long ago, one of my friends gave a presentation at work. It was well received, and the company decided to integrate his suggestions. However, although they used his ideas, they didn’t give him any credit, promotion or acknowledgement for his contribution. At this point, it would have been easy for him to turn the situation into a big problem, but instead, he reframed the situation by telling himself, “I didn’t get recognized for the wonderful job I did… but deep down inside, I know I did the best I could and I was successful at achieving my goal of making a positive impact on the company.”

Now, he has a constructive belief built around the experience instead of bringing himself and others down with negative thoughts and talk.

It always takes an effort to be mindful in our lives, but you also always have a choice. Choose to stand in your power as a positive, mindful employee and you’ll see big changes in the way others interact with you in the workplace!

What practices do you implement to stay mindful at work? Leave a comment below to add your two cents!

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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