Current trends in medicine

Last week I had the honor of attending and presenting at Christ Hospital's 2012 Medical Wellness Symposium.  Other presenters included Dr. Hans Diehl, creator of the Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), Dr. Roger Greenlaw, Lifestyle Medical Solutions and Dr. John Kelly, Lifestyle Health Education.

You can imagine this was a big deal for me to be up in front with all of these amazing doctors.  I got to spend the day listening to all the current trends and research coming from the CDC and from the work that many doctors and scientists are currently publishing on nutrition and health.  It was really interesting to see the scientific proof.  I want to share with you what some of the news is:

1. Being sick is really expensive and a burden on you, your family and your community.
2. Eating processed food (what I call non-food) is bad for you.
3. Eating meat is bad for you.
4. Eating dairy is bad for you.
5. Smoking is bad for you.
6. Alcohol in excess is bad for you.
7. People will change their habits when they are about to die.

Now I got to actually sit there and see the blood going sticky and gooey on the inside of a mouse's cheek after eating a fatty meal.  I also got to witness the separation of blood before and after a fatty meal.  It's so gross.  The healthy blood has a clear layer on top.  The fatty blood has yellow goop on top.   I got to see the statistics and learn that over 1/2 of the United State's population (150 million people) will be termed obese by 2020.  The actual life span of our children will be less than ours for the first time in recorded history.  That's right.  Your kids will die younger than you will die because of our gross American diet...lifestpan is decreasing. A person who gets diabetes over the age of 40 can expect their life to be reduced by around 18 years.

It was sad.  

Now the good news is that these same doctors and scientists have discovered that most disease is reversible.  In fact, Dr. Kelly who studies epigenetics was super excited because they have learned that nutrition is more powerful at turning off bad genes and turning on good genes than any drug or anything else you can do.  All you have to do is get rid of the above things and you will get healthy.  It's that easy.

Isn't it?

Sadly, it isn't that easy.  In Ayurveda, one of the seven causes of disease is called Prajnaparadha or "failure of intelligence."  That's a situation where a person knows that something is bad for them, yet they continue to do it.  Why?  I would argue that the substance they are imbibing is relaxing, giving pleasure or satisfying some emotional need.  How do you implement the change?  How do you get to the spot in your mind that makes bad choices even though you know it is contributing to poor health? 

I think that's where I can be of service.  I actually didn't need to see all of those gross things because I get to see the participants in The Elemental Cleanse on a daily basis.  They go through the Cleanse and they not only lose weight, but their skin clears, their eyes brighten and they start to love themselves.  When you love yourself and know that you your life has meaning, you stop making those bad choices.  It's a process that is well beyond simply knowing that something is good or not good for you.  It's about sitting in a body that you do believe is your holy temple and loving that body.  It's about learning other ways to relax and enjoy.  It's about healing from the traumas of life.

Join me for the Elemental Cleanse.  If I heard the stat right, there are around 150 million of you that I would like to help.  www.elementalom.com  Om Shanti, Pamela

Yoga and Christianity

I got a call from the mother of a potential student the other day. She was trying to find an appropriate class for her daughter to attend while she watched the new grandbaby. We talked extensively about body types, styles of yoga and the most efficient forms of exercise.

At the end of the conversation, she threw me the wildcard which is “She is Christian, and just wants to make sure that she won’t hear anything spiritual or anything like that. “

Sigh…..

I told her there were lots of places to a fitness version of yoga devoid of spirituality. Elemental OM is not that place because we are founded deep within the philosophy of Ayurveda. Yoga is one branch of Ayurveda that addresses the spiritual aspects of man. Most people don’t realize that about yoga. Most people think that since you are moving your body and learning to breath, that yoga must be about the body. It is not. Ayurveda is about the body. Yoga is about God.

I’m sure you’ve heard it said a million times that Yoga means to yoke or to join the body, mind and Spirit. It is the merging of three systems of being human into one divine expression of being. The body, as temple, moves to become healthy physically and energetically. The breath, as the life force animating you, moves to deeply bond the mind and the body. Moving in a devotional manner with intent, you fully realize your spiritual nature.

This experience is unique to each individual. There are 7 billion people on the planet and 7 billion ways to get to heaven. Your experience of yoga will be unique to you.

Ayurveda is not dogma. It is a philosophy that is ever expanding and all encompassing. It honors the unique nature of each individual. It is elegant and intelligent. It is a philosophy that honors that there is a creator, a spirit or a God. How you choose to visualize, connect to, talk to or be with this creator aspect is unique to you and probably very much connected to the family you were born into as well as the culture.

Gurus come in many forms. As my friend and teacher Mark Whitwell says, a Guru is a friend no more, no less. Of course you can call your partner, your family, your friends gurus easily because you are having a tangible relationship with them. Can you say that of God? Can you say that of Jesus? Are you in a conversation? Are you learning and feeling supported?

Yoga creates the conversation with that which you believe. Of course if you come to a class and the teacher is talking about a Monkey god or an Elephant god, you are not going to understand. That is Hinduism and probably doesn’t relate to you on an emotional level. Think of the other religion’s deities as you would a character from mythology. The stories and lessons are really good and there is much wisdom and insight to learn from them. You, however, are probably not going to start praying to a monkey or an elephant. For you, these are just stories to inspire.

You will hear all kinds of things in a yoga class meant to get you thinking and connecting. Yogis believe that Jesus was a guru. When you call in your guru or begin your conversation, call in Jesus. Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel that Jesus was your friend?

Traveling and Ayurveda

Happy Easter to All!

I'm spending my Easter in Destin, Florida with my 2 children and 2 of their friends. I set many intentions for this trip including trying to figure out how to feed 4 kids a healthy diet for the week, daily meditation and yoga on the beach and lots of time for reflection and journaling.

Of course, we make plans and God laughs so here goes:

12 hours in a very small car with 2 pre-teens and 2 teenagers. I have new respect for Green Day, Eminem, 50 cents and Snoop Doggy Dog. Yes it is possible to silently repeat mantra and jam to the grooves. On occasion, foot must be put down so the mama driver can have some peace. Thank God for MC Yogi. Kids now think yoga and mantra is a little cooler. Go Elephant Power!

Publix is not interested in organic. I did the best I could....

If you turn eating asparagus into a game of Fear Factor, kids will eat it.

Caution on Kundalini Meditation on beach: People will stare at you funny when you shake like a leaf all over your body at the end of Kundalini Kriya. Have children near so they will shake with you.

Kids will respectfully hover around you while you meditate peacefully on the beach....for about 1 minute. At that point they interrupt to ask you a question. Just treat it as a distraction, answer the question and go back to your meditation.

Sometimes it's hard to find a level spot in the sand for yoga. Just do a seated practice instead and go for a walk. Not worth tweaking a knee or shoulder.

Accept that traveling makes your Vata skyrocket. Be a little more quiet, take your triphala, hot bath first night helps and so does pasta!


Off to the beach to sit with Spirit. I can hear the whispers of eternity in the waves and the wind.

Om Shanti, Pamela