Several weeks ago I came across something regarding chakral imbalances and physical stressors. I’d always slightly known about them and learned a little in my yoga training but never really looked much into it. Anyway, I decided I would start a cleansing process. I thought I would spend like a week on each chakra and then, wah-lah, I’d be better than ever after seven weeks (because there are seven chakras). I started with the root chakra which deals with a sense of home, support and love. I’ve felt super lost for years and an imbalance in the root chakra can lead to actual physical abdominal pain and digestive issues so I was like “omg this is what I need to focus on.” I spent everyday for a week guiding myself through root chakra meditations, used essential oils associated with it and had pictures printed off and hung around my apartment of different visuals also associated with the chakra. Turns out…I needed five weeks of this to finally feel like it became balanced. And you know when that was??? The fifth week was the week of my crazy, intensive CycleBar training. I finally felt like I had a home, a family and people who cared. As silly as it sounds, I pretty much burst into tears one day during lunch as I ran back into the studio theater to grab my chapstick as I overheard someone from outside the doors ask the group, "Guys, where's Liv?" I was only gone for a matter of minutes and my absence was not only noted, but it was missed. After the training, our bond only grew stronger. Our group text never seems to stop dinging. Again, going back to being cheesy but something as simple as our group text gives me a sense of connection and love that I've never experienced. I never feel alone. I feel like I have seven best friends who are always ready to listen and joke and support. Then, things became super busy with more training, teaching and scheduling; I didn’t make time to move on to the next chakra, the sacral chakra. The sacral chakra’s affirmation is “I enjoy life fully” and deals with loving yourself completely without judgment, bringing true joy and pleasure into your life (way beyond the superficial) and self-esteem. This is the most self-conscious I’ve been in a while so again, its like a no-brainer….sacral chakra needs to be addressed. Guess what some of the physical pains associated with an imbalanced sacral chakra are?? Abdominal cramps, over-emotional state of being, increased anxiety. So honestly, I think that this whole tummy thing is a lot more than just food intolerances. One of the “setbacks” (and it only seems like a setback because I have a lot of work to do. This is a beneficial "setback" and not a setback at all) of adopting a super mindful lifestyle is that you open yourself up and expose all your weaknesses and pains to the ultimate state of vulnerability, causing more sensitivities and seemingly unexplainable reactions than what would seem “normal.” Last night, I reached out to someone who is legitimately growing more and more dear to my heart by the minute... she listened and offered so much love and support that again, I was brought to tears. The most grabbing thing she said? “You are truly radiant.” And you know what? I am. I am truly radiant and so are you. We always have been and always will be. Sometimes, we allow this early life and body to blind us from our true selves...our radiant selves. Want to know a little secret? Our radiance never goes away. That inner light is always there. We are always shining and powerful and full of love we just have to remember that. That's why I love yoga. Its not just something you DO. Its a legit lifestyle and leads to so much soul searching and peace and joy…. its not easy though. However, stay strong lovely beings. Let's support each other. I'm here for you.
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This is a very tricky question to answer simply. God is everything. All things. Every single thing, emotion, thought, rock, blade of grass, used tissue, beautiful sunrise....God is all. God is you, God is me, God is us, God is energy. We are all from God and have the power to tap into that energy source. We just need to wake up. Here is a poem that kind of explains the whole idea in a better way than I just tried to.... for the full article click here. Where is God? God is within you
God is the light of love that shines from every cell of your body The heart, a hand, the word God is the reaching out The utter compassion The selfless savior The strength to renew, rebuild, restore The Light Why must there be suffering? This is far more complex. Perhaps it is because through darkness we are reminded of our godliness We seek to find the light; we are challenged to move beyond obstruction To find our way out of the cold dark chasm and into the warmth of the Sun To move beyond the blackness of stagnation and into the shimmering brilliance of progress We believe it is our own Creation - our reflection. What of the innocent? What of the children? We believe we are all innocent, all children of the universe Trying to find our way out of the chaos Moving back to Source Some of the children are far more ancient than you Perhaps they have come to touch you ever more deeply For you are always moved by the innocence of the young These are thoughts that trouble us For we wish for you lives of joy and celebration We wish love and comfort for all the living of your realm… for the children And yet, we too have passed through pain to reach this place We know it as the soul’s progression Each must move through suffering to know bliss. We do not purport to have the answers to the riddle of creation. But we can tell you this. There where these souls have passed-far higher ground -so will you. There is light There is forgiveness And eternal Love abounds. The Light will Prevail. The Light Always Does A very wise friend once told me that there are two types of people in this world. The Pullers and the Pushers.
On the surface, the Pullers might seem better than you. They may seem unearthly intelligent, fit, friendly…you think that you can’t measure up. Indirectly though, they inspire you. They motivate you to better yourself because you see that it is possible. You see that the commonly dubbed “unattainable” is indeed, attainable. Not simply attainable, but achievable. So, the Pullers pull you up, in a way. They may not literally grab you by the hands and drag you out of a trench, but they’ll provide you with a vision. They’ll light that fire within yourself that pulls you in their direction—not as exact copies, but as a better you. We can all be a better us, we just need to wake up. The Pushers are seemingly the exact opposite. They can either literally or figuratively push you down. Whether they mock your values, disrespect your opinions, assault you physically, they are initially seen as negative. The Pushers, however, are just as beneficial to your enlightenment as the Pullers. The Pushers challenge your beliefs; they challenge you and all that you stand for. You can do one of two things: fall down and join them or use them as a resource to strengthen your own beliefs. You can redirect the energy. Instead of looking at it as being pushed down, redirect their criticism and use it to push yourself forward. Transform the hate into something else. Ultimately, it is up to you to push yourself forward and pull yourself up. As mentioned earlier, the Pullers may not even directly offer you advice of pull you up. That direction has to come from within. We need to have open enough minds and a sense of self-awareness that we can acknowledge what it is that we want to achieve with our lives, and go after it. If we wait around for someone to do it for us, for someone to tell us what to do, we will live quite under-par lives. So first, direct your energy inward. Search your soul and question yourself deeply. Thoroughly. Get to know the deepest parts of your being and become comfortable with them. Become best friends with your demons, neighbors to your weaknesses, babysitters to your doubts. Awaken that inner spark and pull yourself up. Work with all your heart to become the essence of yourself that you want to be. The light that exists within each of us has become hidden; as a society, as humankind, we’ve violently shoved it down to where we are almost completely unaware that it does exist. But, my friends, it does exist. Wake up. Look inside. Pull yourself up and push yourself forward. Namasté. How many of your are waking up each morning with some sort of unpleasantry? By "unpleasantry" I mean anything from stiff, achey limbs to a pounding headache to slight nausea. How many of you are treating your pains with over-the-counter or prescribed medications? Maybe after you pop that pill, move around and gets yourselves ready for the day you start to feel a little better. The unpleasantries become tolerable and you go about your day. Halfway through the day do your unpleasantries come back? Do you pop another pill, or two, and carry on? Maybe feel better after another hour? I want us all to stop and take a look at our medicine cabinets, glove compartments, purses and pockets. Let's switch from the pill-popping to body-nourishing. Yes, all those little anti-inflammatory and fever reducing pills are convenient; but do you know what they do? Before we even touch the side effects, let's just make it clear that these pills are merely TREATING THE SYMPTOMS of your unpleasantries. They mask the real problem. Most of us don't even back track to solve what the source of our unpleasantry really is. Please, ask yourself... "Why do I have a headache? Why are my joints aching? Why is my stomach churning right now?" Once we figure out the WHY of our unpleasantries, we can really get down to taking care of ourselves and preventing these things from happening in the future. I know what you're probably thinking... "Yes this sounds great. But really, I don't mind my unpleasantries too much. Ibuprofen seems to do the trick and it's what I have been doing for years. Think I'm okay, thanks." NOOOO please, no. What if your unpleasantry were something more serious? Some sort of infection or chronic flare-up or a type of cancer? Would you take me seriously then? I really believe that eating a nutrient-dense, whole food, mainly raw diet can help us not only cure and prevent our unpleasantries, but also introduce a whole new level of contentment and energy into our lives that we've never experienced before. How do you start? My friends, the answer is simple. (Although, I will say that this approach is easier said than done. BUT! Once you make the change and develop a habit and then lifestyle, you'll never want to go back.) If you want to get started right away and can't wait for my upcoming posts....check out these videos! The full versions are available on Netflix: "Food Matters" and "Forks over Knives" .....remember guys, EAT TO HEAL! Apart from the whole sodium-packed, gluten infested aspect of pizza, it really isn't that bad for you. Swap out the dough for a homemade, complex carb version (maybe use coconut, almond, rice or oat flour) or even a grain-free cauliflower crust. Make your own sauce using tomato paste, a variety of delicious pizza-flavor spices and no-salt-added organic tomato sauce. Skip the cheese altogether or go light, swap out a garlicky hummus or just sprinkle on some nutritional yeast (can be found at most natural markets...Whole Foods, Good Foods, Trader Joe's). *** Don't worry, I'll include a post on some healthier whole pizza options at a later date. Right now, this post is about capturing the pizza flavor in a delicious veggie side dish. Everything about it screams Supreme Pizza--the colors, the veggies, the aroma... Here's how to do it: Ingredients coconut or olive oil clove garlic, minced leek, chopped,bulb included organic white mushrooms, rinsed and chopped, stems included 1/4 bag turnip greens, chopped bell peppers (red or orange), chopped 1/3-1/2 cup liquid from reduced sodium manzanilla olives **optional-1/4 cup chopped olive medley (I say optional because the the juice gives enough of an olive-y flavor. However, if you're olive-obsessed like me, by all means add the extra olives) Warm oil in skillet on medium high heat then add garlic until fragrant. Add bell peppers and half of the olive juice and cover until peppers are slightly soft. Add leeks and turnip greens. Cover. Once the greens have reduced in size, add mushrooms and the rest of the olive juice. Cover for 2-4 minutes. And just like that, you're done! Super simple. Serve alongside chicken and overtop quinoa for an easy dinner. Or, add to a serving of eggs as a delicious way to start your day. Hell, even add on top of hummus-smeared toast or bagel. Enjoy!
Whether it's cold, rainy, sleety, or blazing hot outside, this dish is sure to make your insides happy. It's equally yummy served warmed or cold and can easily be transformed into a main dish if you add something meaty (i.e. diced chicken, grilled salmon, shrimp, tofu, cubed eggplant or potatoes). What you need: 1 large spaghetti squash 1 bunch of swiss chard coconut oil 3-5 cloves of garlic, minced wasabi paste soy sauce or tamari red pepper flakes black pepper onion powder salt (optional) Preheat oven to 450 degrees and cook spaghetti squash until soft to the touch. Depending on the size of your squash, it could need anywhere from 30-50 minutes in the oven. Meanwhile, melt coconut oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Sauteé garlic until deliciously fragrant. Then add wasabi (make sure it "melts" and spreads evenly. Wash the chard to get all the gritty bits out and then chop into 1/2 thumbnail size pieces. Add to skillet and cook until soft and reduced in size. Add soy sauce or tamari and then check on the squash. If it's ready, cut the squash in half (long-wise) and remove all seeds. Separate the squash from the outer layer and place in a large bowl or upper ware container. Add red pepper flakes, black pepper, onion powder and more soy sauce (if you choose) to the squash and mix well. Fold in the chard mixture. Enjoy! Not going to lie, every time I make this dish my mind is immediately flooded with Harry Potter scenes and references. More particularly, the hanging shriveled head from the Prisoner of Azkaban who warns Harry of the pea soup. "Make sure you eat it before it eats you," the Head advises in his lovely Jamaican accent. Don't worry though, no carnivorous peas are going to be included in this recipe. Ingredients: 1 whole leek, bulb included (thinly chopped, keeping curcular shape) 1 1/2 cups shopped mushrooms (any variety...I used white) several dashes of tobasco or hot sauce of choice* pinch of black pepper splash of orange juice, pineapple juice or lime juice (perhaps even a combo) coconut oil or non-stick spray optional--> 1 cup cooked rice, quinoa or grain of choice Directions:
*the "tobasco" that I use is homemade from a family friend. He grows the peppers in his garden and has created a 5 star sauce that I've been in love with for years And there you have it! Leeky Shrooms, a dish that even Tom can't pass up. Tom from the Leaky Cauldron, Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter series
My weight changes so often I don't even pay attention to the scale anymore. One day, I'm closer to 116; the next, I'm barely 109.
Numbers don't matter. Focus on how you feel--pay attention to your energy levels, ease of digestion, the way you feel in your clothes. These photos show my body's changes over the span of 9 weeks. Want to know what I did? I listened to my body. I paid more attention to its red flags and subtle messages, and then catered to those needs versus what I thought I needed. But let's backtrack a few... I have a rough history with food. If I solely ate based off of what I thought I needed, I'm sure I could convince myself to not eat anything at all. I remember telling myself, "You didn't deserve this," after every time I ate. Once that goes on for so long, anyone would start to associate a negative connotation with eating. The deserving-factor came about for a few reasons. I honestly can't remember when I went into this mindset because it goes as far back as I can remember. I have memories of counting the exact number of goldfish I would put into my ziploc bag as a snack before heading off to seventh grade at my new public school. I remember cutting protein bars into thirds and telling myself, "You can have this portion for breakfast, and this as a snack and then if you eat it slowly, this may be okay for lunch too." I remember waking up around 5:30/6am before high school so that I could either run at least three miles down the RJ Corman Trail near my family's home or make the mad dash to the gym so I could get in round one of two, sometimes three, in before being forced to sit all day in classes. Then, I remember the shame I began to associate with eating. I believed that if I didn't burn X-many calories then my body didn't need any extra,at all. I adopted the calorie-burned-equals-calorie-deserved mentality. So, let's say my watch said that I only burned 800 calories from my multiple workouts that day...then 800 calories was what I tried to keep my consumption around. The gym became my home. I started to become very small. And fragile. My immune system essentially sucked. Doctors scared me with the early signs of osteoporsis. My periods stopped for five years. Then, I remember going into a deep, deep depression that I'm not even going to begin to touch in this post. I started drinking alot. I didn't really watch what I ate and started eating in private so that no one could tell me I didn't deserve the food. I lost all motivation to do anything, even the only thing that seemed to give me purpose: working out and teaching fitness classes. I started to feel extremely uncomfortable eating around others and therefore, didn't. I remember going weekends without food if I went on a trip or spent that time with a partner. I also remember binging when I woud finally return home, only to purge because I felt so guilty. Long story short, I have had quite an unhealthy relationship with food and the whole concept of eating. All the stomach acid and digestion disruption I caused from restriction and purging led to a wide array of tummy troubles. Now, I can't digest a lot of foods and I often experience pain after after eating which makes banishing the negative association quite difficult. For me, eating meant pain. It went from meaning pain as in guilt and shame to pain meaning actual, physical pain. So even when I fully tried to get better there was so much damage that I needed to reverse. The physical pains from eating were so uncomfortable that it became all I could think about. I began to plan my entire days around when I would eat so that I could time out the pain appropriately. (For example, if I knew I had a social event later that day, I either wouldn't eat at all or I would wake up extremely early and try to eat enough nutrients to keep me going for the day...but I knew I had X-many hours for the pain to hopefully go away that I could be fully engages with those whom I was visiting with). It affected every aspect of my life; the pain interfered with work, social outings, sleep and so I decided to go to the doctor and end the suffering. I found out that I'm experiencing a form of IBS (which sadly, is chronic) but also due to my past of eating disorders. Over the past two years where I've been really trying to cure unhealthy mindset on food, reintroducing normal eating habits has proven quite difficult. My doctor prescribed a certain medication for IBS that helps with intestinal spasms but really, mindful eating is what has saved me. I've adopted a sort of intermittent fasting approach (learn more by following the link--I will do a separate post on this within the next week, also) to eating so that I give my digestive system a good break between meals. Technically, I still time my days around when I eat because I still experience pain; but it's far more tolerable. With intermittent fasting, I eat all my nutrients within a certain time frame so that my digestive system doesn't have to work all day long. Some may argue that several small meals a day is good for your metabolism and that I am hindering my metabolic health this way. However, as you can see from the photos my body and its ability to grow and strengthen has not been hindered by this eating approach. What good is look lean and sculpted if you can't hike 6 miles uphill to your favorite sunset spot? What if you deprive your body of so many nutrients that you physically can't muster the energy to drive 25 extra minutes and support your sister in her cheer competition after you get off of work (yes, that how week you can become from consistly starving yourself. It sounds like an exaggeration; but really, sometimes that energy could not even remotely be mustered)? Are you willing to sacrifice life experiences for the sake of your temporary physical appearance? Intermittent fasting has taught me to look at food as what it is-fuel. Food is fuel for our bodies to do the things we love to do. So now, I know that I must eat and I strive to fill my body with the food and nutrients it needs so that I can actually live life. Since it's still an actual painful process considering my past, I have to go about it with a somewhat-scientific approach. Here's what I mean: Before every meal:
As I eat, I think about what I am eating and what I want the food to fuel me to do. For example, if I'm eating an avocado I will picture the avocado and where it came from, then think, "This will help be do 30 more kettlebell swings later." This way of eating has helped me slow down and really think about what I am doing. It has helped me to stay energized and able to take and teach more classes plus stay productive at work. Added bonus....my abs appeared! Magic. I know that I only briefly mentioned some of the topics in this post; I will into more depth later in separate posts. Until then, peace and love! Get sweaty. Fuel yourself. ~yoginiliv E-mail [email protected] for more information or if you have any questions. You can also see the Contact page for a larger image of these descriptions and links to social media accounts.
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AuthorNature-loving, adventure-seeking, holistic and wellness advocate: Yoginiliv. Archives
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