Movement

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The Art of Healing Movements

Tai Chi & Qigong

These healing movements provide physical and emotional wellbeing. Both practices aid in improving overall functionality of vital organs while reducing stress.

Tai Chi - “The Source, the Beginning”

"The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong." - Lao Tzŭ The Tao Te Ching

Five Elements: earth, fire, water, metal and wood

A healthy body has physical and emotional balance. Energy or Chi originates in the kidneys, holding two opposite elements, fire and water. The balance of these two element affects the other organs. The kidneys are in charge of filtering the blood that circulates throughout the body. It is important to keep the kidneys in great health in order to keep the whole body in balance.

Traditional Chinese Medicine uses the five elements in the practice of acupuncture to provide balance and harmony in the body. Energy travels through meridians along the body connecting all organs. Think of meridians as highways connecting from head to toe. When there is an imbalance in the body, the highways get backed up and creates a traffic jam. This traffic jam results in aches, pains, adrenal, sleep and emotional imbalances, autoimmune disorders and diseases (dis ease).

The movements of Tai Chi & Qigong (Chi Gung) massage the belly near the kidneys activating a flow of energy to then be distributed to the other organs. Adding Tai Chi to your physical and mediation practices nourishes the kidneys and balances the whole body. Some of the many benefits of Tai Chi and Qigong; improved sleep, flexibility, mood and balance, reduces stress and creates circulation for the blood and lymphatic system.

Beginners Tai Chi by Don Fiore - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxcNBejxlzs

Qigong or (qi gong, chi gung) Chi = Life Energy

The main principles of Qigong:

  1. Breathing

  2. Movement

  3. Focus

  4. Visualization

  5. Sound or Chanting

Beginners Qigong by Thicke Man Tue - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFg61faohLY

Tai Chi and Qigong can also be performed in a seated position.

Be patient with yourself especially if you’re used to Cross Fit or HIIT (high intensive interval training) style of exercise. Tai Chi and Qigong are practices with little to no immediate visual transformations, the shifts happen subtly with time and consistency. Calmness will mostly likely be the first noticeable difference with beginner Tai Chi and Qigong. Be safe and stay balanced!

*Consult a licensed medical professional before attempting any new physical activity if you are under the care of a physician or have a serious diagnosis. Do your own research, ask questions and listen to your instincts when making decisions for your personal healthcare.

Tincture Time

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Pink Buddha Tea

Restore | Hydrate | Balance | Alkaline

Himalayan Pink Salt - rich in minerals and beneficial in aiding in the body’s detoxification. Himalayan Pink Salt hydrates, improves digestion, balances mood, soothes body aches in a bath and lowers blood pressure as it contains less sodium than table salt.

Buddha Hand Citrus - one of the oldest citrus fruits is sometimes referred to as Fingered Citron. The sweet and fragrant skin of a Buddha Hand is the only part to be used on this fruit as the inside is filled with pith.

Here is a simple recipe for a delicious hydrating and restorative tea…

  • 1 teaspoon of Himalayan Pink Salt

  • Zest of one “finger” of the Buddha Hand citrus

  • Adding boiling water

    • Add a drop of raw honey (Manuka if possible) if you choose

*Please consult a medical professional if you’re taking medication or have a health diagnosis and are under the care of a physician before drinking any tea or tincture. I am not a medical professional. Please ask your health care providers question and trust your instincts when it comes to your health.

Home Sanctuary

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CREATING A SPACE FOR MENTAL WELLNESS

“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.” - Anonymous

  1. Find a small corner or spot near a window.

  2. Think about what scent make you feel at peace. Some examples are Lavender, Vanilla, Citrus, Peppermint, Sage, Sandalwood and Palo Santo (my favorite) just to name a few. This scent can be in the form of essential oils, candles, room sprays or incense.

  3. Choose calming music like; Tibetan singing bowls, nature sounds, theta waves, ASMR, a guided meditation or silence if you dare. There are YouTube channels for each of these examples. Also, set a timer if you are new to meditation or if you’re incorporating a meditation practice into your busy daily routine. Now, choose a word like; peace, focus, me, health, love, strive, strong… to repeat silently when your mind wanders.

  4. Use a floor pillow, couch cushion or a folded blanket for support. Sit with a straight back, chin parallel to the floor, hands resting on your knees, shoulders, neck and face relaxed. A way to ensure you are relaxing those muscles is by tightening all of your muscles and holding it for 5 seconds and then let it all gooo.

  5. You’re all set. Enjoy and go easy on yourself since this is a practice.

Deep Breathing: Take 30 deep breaths slowly. It’s okay if you feel lightheaded for a minute. It will pass and you will feel invigorated.

Wellness Tea

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Photo by tina natalini

Photo by tina natalini

Daily Healing Spice Tea Recipe

This easy to make anti-inflammatory mixture was created to be a remedy for so many ailments. Each ingredient has vast benefits from cell repair to regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels, Add a dash or three of each and adjust to your personal preference. Enjoy!

  1. Cinnamon (Ceylon)

  2. Garlic Powder

  3. Cayenne

  4. Ground Turmeric

  5. Ginger

  6. Cardamom Seed

  7. Cumin

  8. Italian Parsley

This mixture makes an aromatic and delicious soup broth. Add your favorite vegetables with some tapioca flour for thickening and nutritional yeast in place of cheese.

*This recipe is not a cure for any diagnosed disease and I am not a licensed medical professional. Please check with a physician before creating this recipe as some spices and herbs interfere with certain medications. Be safe, do your research, ask questions and use your intuition when making health decisions.

Rewording

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Do you remember being asked countless times as a kid, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

I certainly do and I cannot remember what I said…probably something creative or strange, I’m guessing. For young adults the pressure is on and a well thought out plan for structure and stability are expected when this question comes in at 90 mph. What we wanted to do for the rest of our lives had better been good or we would be in for many follow-up questions with no way out. Kind of glad those days are gone. But wait…Fast forward through trials, errors, wrong turns and misjudgments to our own annual life audit which leads to the emotional beating up of oneself for a while. A common coping strategy may be something chocolate flavored or fermented. We all know by now that exercise and a healthy snack will keep us from our dark place, right? Yeah, that stuff usually follows the meltdown, but rarely saves us from it. Or there is always the advice from my feisty grandmother, “don’t look back if you can’t laugh, shithead.” (That’s her loving, lifelong nickname for me—not kidding, I have the birthday cards to prove it.) Anyway, at this point in the life audit, goals start to take shape and the vision boards get assembled adjacent to countless pro and con lists. “What do I want to do?” “Who do I want to be?” “What is my purpose?”

For some reason, these questions seem so strange to me today. As an avid pinner, I often use Pinterest as a vision board. It has become a mental break for me to look outside of myself to see beautiful products, ideas and lifestyles. It’s fun, but it can spill over and blur reality a bit.

This morning, I had a mini awakening and wanted to reword the question “who do I want to become,” and changed it to “who will I become from being me,” rather than what do I want to become. Arthur Ashe’s quote “start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can,” became more clear to me. If you think about it, “what you want to be” is like wearing clothes that don’t fit or planting lemon seeds and expecting carrots to grow. The phrases we use and the questions we ask ourselves and others are important so they need to be accurately worded.

Who did I become from being me? What version of myself will I become in 20, 30 or 40 years? It’s a journey not found on Pinterest boards. This is original and I am definitely still discovering new parts every day.

Happy New Year!