Suffering through the Holidays

I'm back at the studio after our Thanksgiving holiday and expected to see tons of excited energy as people come off of their long weekend of celebration and begin to plan for Christmas. I didn't see that. I saw lots of people suffering.

Holidays are tough. I can honestly say that because I'm one of the happiest people that I know and I too woke up on Turkey Day a little blue. I had intended to wake up with a big smile and thoughts of gratitude, but when I opened my eyes, I felt sad. I went through my whole bag of yogi tricks. I meditated. I prayed. I ran through a whole list of things to be grateful for. I went to a yoga class. I was still blue.

My plans for a family dinner had fallen through so I invited myself to a friends. It just wasn't the same...and there's the "aha moment"....it wasn't the same. I have to pause and ask, "the same as what?" That question is actually the answer. There is no same. Everything is always changing, but for some insane reason at the holidays, we want some sense of sameness. The need for sameness causes our suffering.

I grew up in a typical house where we piled in the car and drove to grandma's for dinner. After my parents divorced, it tended to just be my mom and I which was very sad. I vetoed the holidays for a very long time, but then I got married and had kids and once again we would pile in the car to grandma's. Of course, I then got divorced and now find myself establishing new traditions AGAIN. I also find myself worried about my children and what traditions they are or are not growing up with. I can't find a single sameness in these past 40 turkey days.

I know that my inner core is happy. I know that my unhappiness stems from expectations based in memories of the past and desires based in future needs. I know that everything is always changing and I know to embrace that. I know to wake up each day and ask for more uncertainty than the day before. I do know these things. I haven't quite figured out how to reconcile my knowing and being, but I do have a plan to get through December happily:

My Plan:

• Meditation Daily.
• Positive Affirmation: December is my month of fun and joy!
• Lots of Karma Yoga: selfless service to others
• Stick to my eating/sleeping routine during the week...have a total blast on the weekends.
• Eat whatever I want when I am out celebrating and worry about it in January.
• Give and receive lots of hugs.
• Plan for 2010...work on those Intentions and Desires I'm always talking about.
• Embrace Uncertainty with the certainty that my life is just how it should be.
  

Please feel free to make my plan your plan. If you find yourself on your own or sad come to yoga or just hang out at the studio! It really does make you happy to surround yourself with good energy and people.

Happy Holidays!

Probiatics and digestion

When preventative medicine fails, you find yourself in a situation where Western Medicine is the only way to go. Yesterday I had a root canal. It could have been prevented, but I probably would have needed to know a little more at a very young age when I developed a cavity in that tooth. The cavity led to a filling which led to teeth grinding which led to a crown which ended in the root canal. Some metaphysicist somewhere would probably tell me it started in my emotional body and I need to release something, but I will tell you that at that very young age when I got that cavity, I didn't know about the emotional body either.

It wasn't all bad. Lots of numbing medicine and 38 minutes later I was free and at the pharmacy filling a prescription for antibiotics. Having a passion for holistic medicine, I was struck by the absolute necessity for taking this broad spectrum antibiotic that will not only kill the bacteria settled in the bone of my jaw, but also all the other "good" bacteria in my body. Back to prevention, I realize I need to add some probiotics into my diet to keep my digestion strong. I would have simply just grabbed some yogurt, but I ran across the table below which I found very interesting. Apparently, there are different probiotics for different things. I hope you find it helpful too.

I guess the lesson is that when prevention fails, you need to go to your doctor. When he prescribes medicine, educate yourself about the side effects and make some decisions on diet, routine and supplements that can facilitate your recovery and minimize side effects.

This Information was gathered from Health.com

Name	Helps fight	Dosage	Purchase info
Culturelle supplements	Antibiotic stomach upset, colds and flu, maybe eczema	One capsule a day	$22.99 for a 1-month supply; drugstores
Florastor supplements	Antibiotic stomach upset, traveler’s diarrhea	Two capsules a day	$35.99 for 50 capsules; drugstore.com
Digestive Advantage and Sustenex supplements	Antibiotic stomach upset	One capsule a day	$10.49–$15.99 for a 1-month supply; drugstores and natural-products stores
Fem-Dophilus or RepHresh Pro-B supplements	Vaginal and urinary infections	One capsule a day	$17.49–$31 for a 1-month supply; drugstores and natural-products stores
DanActive dairy drink	Colds and flu	One (3.3-ounce) bottle a day	$2.69 for a 4-pack; supermarkets
Attune bars	Colds and flu	One (80- to 170-calorie) bar a day	$1.60–$2.10 per bar; supermarkets and natural-products stores
Align supplements	Irritable bowel	One capsule a day	$29.99 for a 1-month supply; select drugstores
Good Belly probiotic fruit drink	Irritable bowel	One (2.7-ounce) bottle a day	$4.49 for a 4-pack; select supermarkets and natural-products stores
Stonyfield organic yogurt	Eczema	One cup a day	$1.99 for a 4-pack; supermarkets and natural-foods stores

Holiday tips to stay healthy

The holidays tend to be a time when our bodies and minds drift out of balance. We tend to eat too much, drink too much and adjust our routines to accommodate travel, family and friends. This is all really good stuff. When you are having fun and feeling joyful...stay with it. As you begin to close your holiday, however, you may feel symptoms of imbalance including poor digestion, lethargy and interrupted sleep. Pull yourself back to balance quickly (or avoid going out of balance all together) by incorporating the following tips into your holiday.

Tips to prevent or cure holiday imbalance:

Walk each day.
Be Silent each day.
Be Alone some of each day.
Speak kindly to yourself and others each day.
Be thankful each day.
Add lots of ginger tea to your routine to facilitate digestion.

Two Days of Silence

After days of feasting, fast.

After days of sleeping, stay awake

one night. After these times of bitter storytelling, joking, and serious considerations, we should give ourselves two days between layers of baklava in the quiet seclusion where soul sweetens and thrives more than with language.

-----Rumi

Plants

I love my plants. I don't have many because I have much fear and guilt due to past experiences that left many dead. I'm sorry guys.

I love these creatures because they communicate so clearly. When they need attention, nourishment and love, they simply droop in the most dramatic sad way. When I continue to not meet their needs they turn brown and lose body parts. The past has shown that if left ignored, they will leave me.

I wish humans were so clear in their communication. Honestly, I can figure it out in another human, but I wish I personally had the opportunity to simply droop when I need attention, nourishment and love. I hope that I wouldn't need to go further and actually turn brown and lose body parts, but it would attention. I can confirm that the plants and I share the same habit of leaving when ignored.

We are trained to put on our happy faces and just go out in the world. Grief is a badge of shame. Anger is a shunned emotion. Sadness may be contagious and those showing it should be avoided. Perhaps these are all just subtle or not so subtle displays of drooping. What is going on behind the happy faces?

I'm going to start thinking of humans as plants. When their heads are down, when their eyes don't meet mine, when their voice is enthusiastic in a false tone, when they answer that they are "fine", I'm going to pay attention. I'm going to nourish and love them through kind words, kind deeds, compassionate listening and hugs. Please do the same for my inner plant.

Namaste.

Do only that which you do not regret

The theme of "boundaries" continues to come up. I've been reluctant to address this theme as I don't really understand it. For me, boundaries seem instinctive and I truly haven't felt the need to put too much thought or time into them. When I was younger, I had none. Now that I have been through some of life, I feel that I probably do have some. I did a little research and found out that most psychologists would categorize the following as healthy boundaries:

• You are not responsible for others.
• You do not take on the moods and feelings of others.
• You do not please others.
• You are not a Victim.
• You say No.
• You express your wants and needs.

Ouch. It appears to me that in different situations or with different people, I have different boundaries. It also comes to me that establishing boundaries that are healthy means putting effort into every situation and every person that I encounter. This is work. This means detangling myself from needy people, distancing myself from total grumps and energy suckers, being myself, being strong and confident, saying no without guilt, KNOWING what I want and need and finally finding my voice to communicate to the other what my needs are. This also seems like a fluid process in that I am constantly changing. What does this mean from a yogic perspective?

Psychological Boundaries	Yogi Thoughts
You are not responsible for others.	Practice non-attachment. The best thing you can do for a person is to be kind, compassionate and understanding. Listen, but know that you can never fix another person's problem. The soul's journey is singular.
You do not take on the moods and feelings of others.	Assume that the entire universe is conspiring for your success. Surround yourself with supportive and loving friends and family. (Yes, that means some people in your life will go away).
You do not please others.	Listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right, then it isn't. Only do what resonates in your heart.
You are not a Victim.	Take responsibility for your life. Every choice you have made to this date has put you in this moment. If you don't like this moment, then change it by making better choices today. Always ask: Does this bring myself and others happiness? If the answer is yes, it is the right choice.
You say No.	Say No.
You express your wants and needs.	Work on your intentions and desires. Know what you want. Love yourself enough to know that if you express yourself and the other person can't honor it, then you don't need that person in your life.

Good luck yogis. We will be working together on this one!

Elemental OM and Leela!

Yogis,

You hear me say it all the time...

The ONLY reason that we exist is for leela...to play!

We are having so much fun playing at the Elemental OM studio. Please join us for any of the following:

• I am being interviewed this afternoon between 3:30 and 5 pm on WAIF radio 88.3. Tune in if you would like to hear a little discussion about Ayurveda!

• I am presenting at YogahOMe on this Thursday, November 19th at 7:30 pm on the same topic. The lecture is FREE. You will learn about the origins of Ayurveda, take dosha quizzes, take balance quizzes and learn a little bit about the Elemental Immersion (our Ayurvedic cleanse). I will be running the Immersion at YogahOMe in January. If you are closer to Oakley than Lebanon, you may want to consider this. It will be Sundays at 5:30 for 4 weeks beginning January 24th.

• I am presenting at the Victory of Light Festival on Saturday, November 20th at 3 pm. It's a big deal for me, EOM and Lebanon! We are actually listed 3rd on their website which will drive awareness! It is $12 to get into the Festival. All the lectures are FREE and there are a ton to choose from.

• Lisa Pratt is "playing" this Wednesday at noon and Thursday at 7 pm with you guys. Ralph Dehner is "playing" Reiki with you on Friday and Saturday!

EOM would like to thank all of you for your support over the past year! You are the reason that we are here. When I say that this studio is your studio and not mine, I truly mean it. I have been visiting a lot of studios lately and we really do have something magical going on in Lebanon!

Shanti,

Pamela

Your Emotional Body

shopping

Lessons attributed to the Dalai Lama for 2008 Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. When you lose, don't lose the lesson Follow the three R's: Respect for self, Respect for others and Responsibility for all your actions. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. Spend some time alone every day. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality. Be gentle with the earth. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exeeds your need for each other. Judge your success by what you had to give up to get it. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Water, the Emotional Body Apa in Sanskrit Ayurveda recognizes 5 great elements that combine to make the 3 Elements or body types, Wind, Fire and Earth The 5 great elements are space, air, fire, water and earth. Space and air combine to create THE WIND Fire and a little bit of water combine to make THE FIRE Earth and water combine to make THE EARTH All things have a little bit of water in them along with the other elements. In Ayurvedic terms, the Element Water is the force of cohesion. It is what makes everything stick together. It is the “love” factor. Balancing Water in Your Body At elementalOM, we believe Water has a special role in creating a life of balance. Water is viewed as your emotional body. It is the experience of love. Without love, you cannot experience health. Follow the links below to explore the element Water in your life. Emotional Clearing Formula True Love Soul Profile Intentions and Desires Hugging Manifestation The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga Meditation Affirmations & Prayers Water facts and environmental concerns Each person on earth is created from 45% - 75% water. Each person on earth would die within 3 days of not receiving water. We are in the mists of a global water crises. Take action in your home with these easy steps......CLICK HERE Fun sources for environmentally friendly products preserveproducts.com Recycline makes Preserve®– a line of stylish, high performance, eco-friendly products for your home. As a company, we strive to combine socially and environmentally responsible business practices with groundbreaking design to create products that people feel good about having in their homes. We believe that choosing eco-friendly products doesn’t mean having to sacrifice quality, price, or performance. We believe they should make you feel good.

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