Balance your emotions naturally this holiday with flower essences.

Just as the holidays can be a time of fun and festivity they can also make us feel overwhelmed or even melancholy on occasion. The Bach Flower Remedies (a system of 38 flower essences that have been used in over 65 countries for 60 years) can help balance the emotions naturally and fend off feelings such as sadness, anxiety, confusion and fatigue. They can be used by people of all ages, as well as animals, and have no contraindications. They can be purchased at health food stores and taken directly on the tongue or in a glass of water or tea. Read on for some suggestions on which remedies might be particularly helpful for yourself, family or friends this holiday season.

Elm – For Feelings of Overwhelm

Elm is particularly helpful when you feel overwhelmed by responsibility. You’ve got a holiday dinner to serve and you’re running an hour late, you want to make it to your child’s recital but also have a holiday promo to write for work, or you have three term papers due before you leave for holiday break.  If these scenarios sound familiar you could really use some Elm!

Olive – For Feelings of Exhaustion or Fatigue

Olive can be useful whether you’ve been pulling all-nighters for a month or for today only you had to wake up at 3 am to pick your sister up from the airport and couldn’t fit in a nap. The Bach Flower Remedy Olive is a great energizing alternative to coffee or tea, which often cause energy levels to jolt and then crash which can put a strain on your adrenals.

Beech – For Feelings of Intolerance or Annoyance

The holidays are a time we typically see more of our extended family than usual which can present a challenge! Often family members trigger things for us which can be unnerving.  If you know you’ll be connecting with folks that have mannerisms or attributes that grate on you, but for whom you want to respond to compassionately, try Beech.

Honeysuckle – For Feelings of Nostalgia

If you or a loved one has recently moved, lost someone, or just won’t be with family or friends this holiday season, Honeysuckle may be a helpful remedy. Honeysuckle is indicated for those that aren’t fully present because they are constantly reflecting back to other places and people from times gone past.  This may happen by default during a viewing of It’s a Wonderful Life. 

Rescue Remedy – The Old Standby

Rescue Remedy is the only blend of flower remedies in the system.  It was created by Dr. Bach, the founder, to provide relief during times of emergency, which is open for interpretation and can be anything from being on a plane preparing for takeoff, to getting a crown worked on, to overdrawing the checking account. For our furry friends an emergency can be getting left with a pet sitter or even going to the groomers.

If you’d like more specific information on the remedies or are interested in a custom blend send me an email and we’ll chat.

Wishing a very happy holiday to you and yours!

In balance,

Jenica

Sometimes a practice can benefit from instruction or collaboration.

A practice is generally referred to as “habit or custom” as well as “a repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency.” While a practice can be a craft, skill, trade or profession it can also be considered a meditation, a discipline, or a commitment. In all cases, it involves continuous time and energy, as well as focus and patience which, with all the distractions of modern life, it seems that nearly everybody could benefit from. For these reasons I believe that “having a practice” of any variety, is a worthwhile pursuit for anyone.

Practicing something, whether it’s gardening or guitar, enables an individual to exercise not only their focus and patience but also their need for self-acceptance. Perhaps most important of all, it provides people with powerful evidence of progress which can lead to stronger self-worth. At the same time having a practice can take people within for solitary reflection and at other times can benefit greatly from collaboration with others. I’ve seen this in a recent recommitment I’ve made to yoga; one of the key practices in my life.

As a registered yoga teacher I’ve received many hours of yoga training and have provided yoga instruction for individuals ranging in age from 18 to 90. So recently when I joined the local YMCA in order to attend yoga classes, rather than teach them, I pondered why I was seeking instruction for something I already knew how to do. As I thought about it I discovered that I wanted yoga to be even more of a habit in my life than it currently was, which attending frequent classes would accomplish, but I also had the goal of acquiring a greater proficiency, which I hoped would come from quality instruction by other teachers.

In only two weeks, I have seen my yoga practice evolve to the next level, simply by joining my energies with those of others engaged in the practice, as well as being open to learning alternative styles and techniques from my instructors. For me personally, I realized that what my practice needed most at this time was the incorporation of the collaborative experience. At other times in my life, I’ve found the greatest rewards in personal practices in which I was my own best teacher.

Whatever the case for you at this juncture, I encourage you to practice, practice, practice.

In balance,
Jenica

Have you ever noticed how similar the cross section of a carrot looks to the very part of our body that we know carrots help; the human eye?

By now most everyone has grown accustomed to hearing about the Law of Attraction. A great many folks associated with the new age movement have been teaching about it and many have adopted it as an idea that resonates.  Recently I was talking with a homeopath in my area and he was telling me about one of the tenets of homeopathy; the Law of Similars. It struck me how similar (forgive the pun) the Law of Attraction is to the Law of Similars. Both strongly contend that like attracts like.  In fact, Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of The Law of Attraction even purport that our clichés, such as “Birds of a feather flock together,” hint at our innate understanding of the idea of like attracts like.

Homeopathy’s founder Samuel Hahnemann, proposed that substances that cause a certain effect in the body, can be used to treat that very effect when used in minute quantities.  For example, the homeopathic remedy influenzinum contains minute quantities of influenza (the flu virus) and is believed to assist the body in overcoming the symptoms of flu. If you think about it, this is much like allopathic medicine’s vaccine. The Materia Medica, homeopathy’s reference guide,  is filled with homeopathic remedies that are used to treat ailments you would think they would cause. The substance used in the remedy is like the ailment the remedy is for.

As a flower essence therapist I am accustomed to this idea because Bach, the originator of the essences, was greatly influenced by the work of Samuel Hahnemann.  As Bach formulated his own system of healing, which addressed mental and emotional issues, he quite intuitively looked at the characteristics of plants and knew the similar characteristics in people, that they would treat.  The Bach flower remedy Holly is used for anger and aggression, something we all feel from time to time.  This prickly disposition is treated with a plant that is covered in prickly, jagged edges; the Holly bush. We can also take the example of Wild Oat, a tall, pliable plant that waves every which way in the wind.  From the standpoint of Bach Flower Therapy, it is used to treat an individual who can’t choose a course and instead waves in and out of many pursuits. Interesting that we also have the cliché “Sow your wild oats” for when someone can’t commit.

The Law of Similars can also be seen in food and its benefits for the human body. Walnuts, which have two sides that resemble the two hemispheres of the brain are known to have good oils that help with cognition.  Kidney beans are tonifying to the kidney, carrots – which resemble the retina- help the eyes, and bright red tomato sauce and paste help the heart.  In foods, flower essences and homeopathy there are many, many more examples of this law in action.  The Law of Attraction takes this understanding and extends it to the energetic sphere  of thought and emotion, which is much harder to see and even harder to prove, but is still as easy to act on as eating a carrot.  Next time you are grappling with an issue, be it physical, mental or emotional, consider The Law of Similars and how it might inform your course of action.

In Balance,

Jenica

Physical exercise can be a healthy and effective means for releasing negative feelings.

Conflict and confrontation can be two of the biggest balance busters, but having some coping mechanisms in your toolbox can go a long way toward helping you keep your cool and maintain your health and well being during a difficult difference of opinion.  Regardless of whether a dispute is with a spouse, friend or business associate the following methods can be employed to help you stay balanced.

1)       Get clear about how you feel.  Are you feeling frustrated, disappointed, slighted or confused? If it’s hard to determine what you’re feeling, try using a feeling chart.  Knowing how you feel is the first step in allowing your needs and desires to be effectively understood and communicated.

2)      Move the energy.  Energy is powerful, and negative energy has the power to make you sick if you don’t release it from the body.  Try doing something physical that corresponds with the emotion you’re feeling, for example; a vigorous walk for frustration, restorative Yoga for sadness, hitting a punching bag for anger, or core-strengthening Pilates for feelings of victimization.

3)      Express yourself. Once you’ve taken the time to get clear and get centered it should be less challenging to express your feelings in a constructive way. Staying focused on the needs of yours that are not being met (and how to ask that they be considered) is key, according to communication expert Marshall Goldberg.  Consult his landmark text Nonviolent Communication for excellent guidance on empathic and effective communication.

4)     Take extra care of yourself. During and after a challenging conflict or confrontation remember to do the things that keep your mind calm and your immune system bolstered. For natural ways to promote calm try taking a bath with lavender essential oil, listening to a soothing CD, meditating or taking Rescue Remedy, a natural remedy effective in promoting relaxation and sleep which, along with good nutrition and taking a high quality multi-vitamin, assists in strengthening the body’s defenses.

5)      Envision the best outcome.  Focusing on and intending your desired outcome is one of the best approaches to conflict resolution.  Thinking about the best outcome creates positive chemical responses in the body and mind and sets the wheels in motion for aligning your words and actions with that outcome.  When visualizing a resolution consider the question “what outcome would be for the highest good?”

In Balance, Jenica

Organic yogurt is abundant with probiotics.

Given the origins of their name (Pro-Latin for “in favor of”-and biotic-Greek for “pertaining to life”) we can deduce that these organisms are advocates of vitality.  Indeed, probiotics are our body’s tiny yet tremendously powerful balance boosters. For centuries probiotics were simply consumed by way of cultured foods.  The book Nourishing Traditions provides a thorough account of how foods such as yogurt, kefir, tempeh, kimchi and  sauerkraut were eaten regularly in their respective regions and thus supplied highly helpful bacteria to their consumers.

However with the advent of refrigeration fewer foods were cultured, and with pasteurization and processing of much of our food supply many good cultures were removed (along with vitamins and minerals). At the same time our foods have more sugar (according to the FDA the average American ingests 20 tsp of added sugar everyday) and less fiber (which is stripped from grains such as white flour and white rice). In addition, the consumption of antibiotics, both intentionally for infection, and inadvertently through our food supply (which is laced with antibiotics found in conventionally raised meat and dairy products), kills off good bacteria.

Probiotics are natural aids to the digestive tract.

Enter yeast. Yeast and other pathogens thrive in an environment of excess sugar, including sugars found in alcohol and fruit, and thus easily flourish in the Standard American Diet (aptly abbreviated SAD). Without probiotics-yeast’s natural foe-yeast is allowed to thrive in our bodies and in doing so wreak all kinds of havoc. Yeast and good bacteria both vie for space in the host body, particularly in the intestinal tract; yeast consuming sugars and emitting toxins into the bloodstream and probiotics breaking down foods and enabling more thorough digestion, assimilation and elimination.

When I discovered probiotics I was absolutely amazed at the instantaneous relief I got from an array of ailments that were all rooted in my imbalanced intestinal environment.  After one week I had clearer skin, less bloating and greatly improved digestion and elimination.  Once I became educated I began consuming probiotics daily in an effort to obtain yeast/probiotic equilibrium and looked into ways to include more good bacteria into my diet by consuming cultured yogurt, cottage cheese and other foods.  I am not a proponent of daily supplementation use for life so I now weigh my consumption of whole and cultured foods with that of sugary foods and alcohol and take probiotics when I know the scales to be off kilter.

There is abundant literature on clinical trials which have shown probiotics to help all sorts of ailments such as Crohn’s, IBS, Vaginitis/Yeast Infections, Thrush, colic in babies, weakened immune systems and more, and the World Health Organization agrees that probiotics “confer a health benefit on the host..” If you think you may benefit from the use of probiotics talk to your doctor or naturopath.  Be sure to look for probiotics that are high in the billions per serving and ideally are refrigerated.  New Chapter, Ethical Nutrients and Bio K all offer high quality options.

In Balance,

Jenica

My intention for this blog is for it to be a source of information and inspiration, so check back often for a dose of good energy and food for thought.  We’ll cover topics including but not limited to yoga, meditation, flower essences, reiki, spirituality, seasonal cycles, holistic health for people and animals, supplements, healthy eating, recipes and cooking, nature, gardening, conservation and more. If you’d like to be reminded when I post a blog, just subscribe in the upper right hand corner.

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy Summer Solstice.  The longest day of the year is an opportunity to give thanks to the Sun and all the warmth and sustenance it provides us with.

I also want to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day and to thank fathers everywhere for the role they have in our lives.

Today is a fitting day for celebration in many ways.  As you enjoy family, friends, food, fun, music, nature, or any combination of these, think of the joy these simple pleasures give you.

The power of joy and gratitude is immense; powerful enough to move mountains (and create balance).  So enjoy your day to the fullest!