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Feeling Constipated? These Tips Will Help

At some point in their lives, everyone has experienced issues with constipation and elimination. Here are some Ayurvedic tips you can use to help get your system flowing naturally and more consistently.

Become Aware

Constipation and elimination tend to be sensitive topics that people don’t normally like to talk about. Even if it’s embarrassing, it’s important to become aware of your elimination patterns. Are you someone that goes every day? Once, twice, three times a day? Are you someone who goes once every other day or every couple of days? Notice the timing in your cycle.

It’s also important to notice the consistency. If you only go once a day, is there a large amount of stool? Does it float? Does it sink? Is it small? Is it hard?

Stay Hydrated

It seems simple, but a major cause of constipation is dehydration. Make sure you’re drinking 8-10 glasses of water per day. I recommend 8 oz. every hour. If you drink more than that per hour (some people like to guzzle it down), you will urinate it all out probably within 30 minutes and your body doesn’t have a chance to absorb the liquid into your digestive tract.

If you’re drinking plenty of water and it doesn’t seem to help, add a little bit of oil to your water. You can add coconut, sesame, almond or even olive oil. Just a tiny bit will make a huge difference: it will help moisturize the colon and enable your body to absorb the oil. Since the colon is a dry part of the body, it’s important to make sure it has some degree of moisture so the stool can flow through easily.

Alternatively, you can also just take a tablespoon of whatever oil you choose in the morning or at night before you go to bed.

Get Moving

If you’re constipated due to a mobility problem, that is, if your colon is slow or sluggish regarding moving things through, then you want to increase your exercise. You core muscles, or your abdominals, are especially important: when they contract and expand, that will help the stool move along the colon instead of getting stuck, stagnant and dried out.

Eat Intelligent Foods

Leafy green vegetables (lettuce, kale, spinach and broccoli) act as a colon sweep and are great to help the colon get the stool moving along. My recommendation is to incorporate a leafy green vegetable into every meal, particularly dinner. When you’re eating, consume the leafy greens last. So if you’re eating a pasta dinner and there is spinach on your plate, eat the pasta first and the spinach last. This will help move the stool through your body because raw vegetables are generally cool so you want to eat them last. This way your digestive fire stays stoked through the meal.

Was this helpful? What other tips do you use to help yourself stay regular? Leave a comment in the area below.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of “Blissful Living”

http://www.doublewidenetwork.com/index.php/Shows/detail/blissful_livng

info@healthhealingwellness.com

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

Preventative Medicine: Adopt A Morning Routine

Creating a morning routine is a very important aspect in Ayurveda to help the body maintain balance and manage stress. Clearly, our daily activities have a profound impact on our general health, and Ayurveda addresses this by stating guidelines for creating a daily routine that is actually considered a form of preventative medicine.

Depending on your dosha (vata, pitta or kapha) there will be variances in your routine, but for the most part the routine is intended to keep all doshas in a state of health, equilibrium and balance. It is a great way to have a stabilized behavior pattern so that we don’t get too overwhelmed and stressed through the day.

Create Your Routine

First, make a list of all the things you like or need to do in your day. Place all the activities in a specific order that will give you a sense of predictability and release you from having to figure out what’s coming next. Within your routine, your body will learn to relax as you complete the same tasks and activities at the same time each day.

Keep in mind the different stages of the day. Between the hours of 2 and 6 am is what we call the Vata time when everything is free-floating and all over the place. In the early morning, between 6 and 10 am, we have the cool, heavy energy of Kapha that can make us feel sluggish if we stay in bed. At midday, when the sun is at its peak, Pitta, the fire dosha, is dominant.

With this information, you can arrange your routine so you make the most of what you do on a daily basis. You’ll know at which times of day you feel sluggish, so you can plan to do activities that will remove some sluggishness.

Healthy Morning Routine

Here is an example of a healthy morning routine.

Generally, it’s best to arise with the sun or just before the sun, between the hours of 6 and 7 am. Just before sunrise is a good time to drink a nice warm glass of water with a drop of lemon essential oil to get your digestive fire going and get your metabolism on track. This is also the best time to empty your bowels.

Next, brush your teeth. Then you want to take care of your face and eyes. Gently wash your face, paying special attention to removing any sleep or cruddy stuff around your eyes. This is also a good time to blow your nose if you have mucus that has built up. Take a warm towel and place it on your face to allow the warmth to be absorbed.

Gargle with warm water that has a drop of lemon or peppermint essential oil to loosen up your vocal chords.

After this, give yourself a body massage with organic oil such as coconut, sesame or sunflower oil. It’s a good idea to massage before you step in the shower because it will help increase your circulation, help remove any toxic materials that have been sitting in your muscles over night, and help moisturize your skin. Be very careful not to get any oil on the bottom of your feet so you don’t slip in the shower!

Finally, if you have time after you’ve gotten your shower, do a little yoga or yoga asana postures to help balance your system.

Get dressed, have something to eat, and if you didn’t do your meditation or prayer before all of this, it’s a good time to do that. Now you’re ready to get started with your day.

This routine will set a precedent of calmness and tranquility as you go about your day. You will be able to handle any stressful situation that arises much more easily. What does your morning routine look like? Leave a comment below to join the conversation.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

http://www.stressassessmentmagic.com

Twitter: @rochelelawson

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

Beginner’s Guide to Aromatherapy – Part 1: What Are Essential Oils?

In Ayurveda, one of the natural modalities that is used to help a person achieve wellness and balance is called aromatherapy. Essential oils play a specific and very important role in our lives because they’re all natural and very healing.

The essences of the oil are extracted from the plants’ leaves, roots, seeds and flowers. When we use these highly concentrated molecules on our bodies, they interact with our bloodstream, either when we inhale them, absorb them or take them internally, and we benefit directly from the nutrients in the plant.

Keep in mind that plants and humans have evolved alongside each other for thousands of years and we basically have somewhat the same chemistry. However, when we extract the essential oil from the plant, we’re taking part of its critical survival mechanism and its immune system. That, when ingested, helps our bodies achieve health and well-being.

Aromatherapy

The beautiful thing about utilizing essential oils is the science of aromatherapy. This is more than just the smelling of essential oils, it goes way deeper.

When we inhale these wonderful essential oils, the sensory palate within our brain is stimulated. The reaction can seem subtle, but different oils activate different aspects within our body to promote a state of equilibrium and synchronicity. This manifests outwardly as less stress and anxiety, and an increased sense of happiness, joy and creativity.

So Ayurveda uses essence, or the science of aromatherapy, for many multi-dimensional facets of healing, depending on what the client’s needs may be. Sometimes it is best to ingest certain essential oils directly, which looks like taking a drop of oil just as we would take a spoonful of honey.

Prayer and Meditation

Essential oils have been utilized for thousands of years during prayer and meditation. The Catholic Church specifically uses incense such as frankincense and myrrh, which dates back to Biblical days. This is a great tool to enhance spirituality and bring us closer to God and Spirit.

In the simplest terms, aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of pure essential oils to enhance the skin, the body, the mind and the soul.

Today, try rubbing a dab of oil on various parts of your body, such as your forehead or your third eye, your temple, your ear lobes or behind your neck. It also feels good to rub it into the bottom of your feet. It will take about 20 seconds to absorb, and about 2-4 minutes for your body to begin processing the benefits of the oil. You will notice your anxiety decrease and feel your mood uplifted.

Now you know what essential oils are and how you can use them to support your body and mind. Next week, I’m going to talk about which oils to use, where to get them, and how they can improve your quality of life.

Did you find this article useful? Please share it with your loved ones and comment below.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

http://www.stressassessmentmagic.com

Twitter: @rochelelawson

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

Natural Tips to Help You Fall Asleep Faster

Most people have an idea of what to do in order to get a peaceful night’s rest, but for one reason or another they still find themselves tossing and turning. Their mind won’t quit – it won’t shut off.

We all know that lack of sleep can cause many significant health issues and increase stress levels. And yet, for about 50% of the nation’s population, getting a good night’s sleep is harder than mining for diamonds in Africa!

In Ayurveda, sleep is one of the three pillars of health. In order for our bodies to have perfect health and well being, we need to have time to relax and rejuvenate ourselves. With the intention of decreasing stress and reducing its effect on our bodies, here are some simple tips for falling asleep that have helped my clients and myself tremendously.

Lavender Essential Oil

Put a drop of highly therapeutic lavender essential oil on the bottom of each foot and massage it in to your skin. Use your finger to rub it in about 8-10 times. The oil will be absorbed into the body very quickly, and you can use the remaining oil on your shoulders. This will help to cool the winds of the mind and move into a relaxed state.

Make Your Diet A Routine

Eat three cooked meals a day, preferably at the same time of day. This will help the mind fall into a normal routine or pattern to decrease feelings of chaos and unpredictability. As much as you can, keep things stable and regular.

Choose A Bedtime

Ideally, go to bed by 10 pm and wake up by 6 am to set a predictable pattern for the mind. Use the lavender oil on your body about 15 minutes before you’re ready for lights out to relax your body.

Remove Electronics

Turn off the television and any electronic equipment in your room! The electromagnetic energy and radiation that comes from these devices keep your mind alert, especially if your cell phone makes a sound every time you receive a message. Ideally, turn off the TV at least 15 minutes before you go to bed and keep all electronics away from the area where you sleep.

Drink Warm Milk

Make a nice, warm, yummy drink to help relax your body: warm 4-6 oz. milk and put a pinch of nutmeg in it. Allow the nutmeg to be absorbed and enjoy. If you’re lactose intolerant, this recipe still works great with other kinds of milk (coconut, almond, soy, etc.).

Nutmeg is a natural sleep inducer because it allows melatonin to release naturally, but be careful not to add too much as it can be harmful to the body.

Diffuse Essential Oil

A diffuser is a container that you fill with water and a couple drops of essential oil. It works similar to a mister or vaporizer to add essential oils into the atmosphere, and is a lovely way to help your body relax. Let it be part of your 15-minute ritual before you go to bed.

Meditation

Try a 5-minute meditation to calm the mind. It doesn’t have to be formal, it can be as simple as laying in bed with the lights off and giving gratitude for the things that happened during the day.

When thoughts come up, repeat the word “calm” to yourself. Say, “I am calm, I am at peace, I am relaxed and I’m being restored.” Repeat this phrase and allow the rambling thoughts to disappear. Eventually you’ll fall off into slumber and have a great night’s sleep.

Are you ready to create more relaxation and peace in your life? Visit: http://www.stressassessmentmagic.com to discover the best ways to promote health and vitality for your body type.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

http://www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

Twitter: @rochelelawson

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

Ayurveda Herbs for Dissolving Stress

In Ayurveda, we understand that there is a need to create inner calm without diminishing our alertness and awareness of our surroundings. Herbal remedies are a great way to support this naturally without creating brain fog (which is often a side effect of pharmaceutical drugs).

When herbs are ingested, your body receives the natural medicine right from the plant. Pharmaceutical drugs are also created from flora, only the drug companies extract the natural medicine from the plant and tinker with the chemical composition in ways that can have harmful side effects.

Scientific research has shown that utilizing herbs can reduce stress and anxiety as well as create a sense of calm and heightened alertness. They allow us to build up Ojas, the essence that helps keep our immune system strong.

There are several herbs that I like to call the “worry-free” or “stress-free” herbs because they enhance the power of mental processing. The herbs I’m about to talk about have a special nature: they relax the anxiety in the mind, bring us a sense of awakening and enlightenment, and help us to feel connected with Mother Nature in a natural, nourishing way.

Jatamansi, Greater Galangal and Ashwagandha

These herbs help enhance the mind’s overall ability to fight stress. They’re thought of as the cleansing herbs because they clean out the toxins of the mind and help open up the gap for understanding and awareness.

Between stress and calmness is a gap where our intelligence resides. We always want to tap into this intelligence to heighten our level of clarity and enlightenment.

How to Use Them

I suggest making a tea with these three herbs. You can combine all three of them together, or use the one at a time.

Place ½ – 1 tsp herbs into a tea steeper with boiling water. Allow the tea to sit about 3-5 minutes. The longer you let it steep, the stronger and more effective it will be.

You can use natural sweeteners like agave nectar, but the tea will be delicious without any sweetening as well. Sip on the tea and watch what happens with your mind: you will find yourself becoming more clear, focused, stress-free and anxiety-free.

How to Buy Them

Often these herbs are already formulated in tea bags, but you can also get them in capsules at different health food stores. The capsules are basically the dried herbs that is crushed and put in the gel caps.

I recommend purchasing the best quality, organic, non-GMO herbs online from Banyan Botanicals or Mountain Rose Herbs. Sometimes these herbs are imported so you’ll have to wait a little longer; often there may be a wait for Jatamansi and Ashwagandha because they are such potent and powerful medicines. You can also contact me at info@healthhealingwellness.com] for help in purchasing the products.

If you’re ready to improve your health in a meaningful and natural way, visit http://www.stressassessmentmagic.com] for some easy and free ways to enhance your well-being.

Wishing you much health and wellness!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

http://www.freegiftsfromrochele.com

Twitter: @rochelelawson

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

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