Water of Life

What are your favorite healthy summer beverages? I find I function best when I keep hydrated. Because of this, I also encourage my clients to drink water to keep their bodies hydrated after bodywork. Protein shakes and green smoothies can be healthy choices in moderation, but they do not substitute for water. We need water to live.

My favorite drink is a glass of water with a few sprigs of AppleMint leaves. I sometimes add lemons or limes in my infusion pitcher for a refreshing flavor. Occasinally I try fresh fruits in season or slices of cucumber in my water. Mostly I drink the water without any flavor at all, because the well water in my country home tastes very good. I am thankful for clean, safe drinking water any time I want it.

I’m a big fan of the Traditional Chinese Medicine viewpoint of drinking warm or room temperature water instead of iced drinks in the summer. That’s because water is typically considered cold, while the Stomach is a warm (Yang) organ. It takes some energy for the stomach to heat up the cold food, before transforming it into usable energy for our body to absorb. Our stomach prefers warm foods, which requires less energy to transform.

I sometimes allow my water to soak up the rays of sunlight. I envision the water becoming alive and energized by the rays of light (per Anthony William’s Life Changing Foods book.) I imagine my cells lighting up with this super-charged water.

Everything is vibration, even our words. Our bodies are made up of water, and can be influenced by vibrations around us and within us. I like to whisper words of love into my water before drinking it. I know that my cells have the potential to pick up the vibrational patterns of love and peace from the sound of my voice. The words that are positive carry a different frequency than the words that are negative. (Check out Dr Emoto’s experiments with water crystals.) When I drink water infused with the vibration of love and peace, I have the potential to create that frequency of vibration at the cellular level. I have a reminder on my water bottle to whisper healing words into the water before I drink it.

Are you well hydrated this season? What vibrational pattern does your glass of water carry to your cells? You might want to experiment with infusing your water with mint leaves, fruit or sunlight for a week or two as an experiment. Perhaps you will whisper affirmations in your water.  Perhaps you will just be more present in the moment and be grateful for the life-giving aspect of water in your life. What words will you whisper in your water? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

I raise my glass of water to life, to love and to peace. May it be so!

 

Advertisements

Spring 2018 Percolations

Spring is slowly arriving. My forsythia bush is almost ready to bud. Seeds that have been dormant all winter are poking up from under the earth. The crocus are blooming.

I’m excited to see Spring arrive. I’m like a seed, beautifully depicted in this painting by Pawel Jonca, ready to sprout with new projects and possibilities. I feel the energy rising in the world as well. I’m ready to Be the Change!

My most exciting “seed” that finally sprouted this Spring is a book of case studies that went to the publisher last week! I’ve collected 89 case studies and stories showcasing the work of 40 practitioners trained in Soul Lightening Clinical Acupressure and Process Acupressure. Thanks to Cathy Miller, president of Soul Lightening International, for collaborating with me on this project! I’m hoping those who read the book will discover the amazing benefits of our Seva Stress Release acupressure protocol as an effective tool for stress management. I love teaching this protocol to my clients and others in the community and hope to do more local workshops in the coming year.

Spring energy gives rise to dreams. Have you kept a dream journal to track what is happening in your internal landscape? I gain lots of insight into my inner world when I pay attention to dreams. I’m enjoying a monthly dream group with some friends and find it fascinating how our dreams give hidden insights, even the tiniest snippets of dreams we remember.

Spring is also the time when the earth gets lots of rain. Water bring vitality to living things. Are you keeping your body hydrated this spring? Check out these great ideas for flavor-infused water.  Here’s a Balance tip: Remember to drink room temperature water, which is better for your body than ice cold water.

Having trouble sleeping at night? Here is a great explanation of the Chinese Meridian Clock. The Horary Points are used at the time of day that you are having trouble sleeping (or staying awake) to reset the body’s circadian rhythms.  Waking up between 1 – 3 am? Gently hold the Liver 1 point on the inside nail bed of the big toe. Awake from 3 – 5 am?  Try holding the Lung 8 point on the thumb side of the wrist. You get the idea. Use the Horary points to reset your body’s internal clock.

Hint: If you are traveling a distance, set your watch for the timezone you are arriving at before you leave, then hold the Horary acupressure point for two minutes every hour for that time period on your watch until you arrive. You will reset your body’s clock and experience less problems with Jet Lag!

What new things are sprouting within you this Spring?

 

 

 

 

Rising Spring Energy

I love this time of year! Spring has finally arrived. My woods are full of green leaves and wild flowers. People are coming out of the winter doldrums to work on projects with new vigor.

What is waiting to burst forth in your life this spring? This is the time to balance the Wood element with a few simple acupressure points at the ribs and the feet. As you hold these points gently for two minutes, think about the things you wish to accomplish and devise a plan to take action and complete your goals.

I’ve been making lots of To Do lists to accomplish my goals. There are many projects and events happening this year. I discovered some creative bullet journal prompts to motivate me to keep on track.

Spring also brings fresh  foods back to the market. I’m buying local when I can.  I’m also focusing on eating as many healing foods as possible. Here are some great cucumber rolls to try.  Or try some healing cardamom in your chai tea!

Spring brings new routines. How about trying these tips for 30 days to a healthier you?  Many of the tips are consistent with the Be Well Decks (Balance Resource Cards) that I created to help my Breast Cancer patients make healthy lifestyle changes and prevent  the return of their cancer. What are the things you do to be well?

Spring can also bring stress to our lives with all the projects and opportunities available. What are you doing to keep your stress levels  in balance? This interesting article suggests showing compassion to others through service is a great way to feel good and reduce stress. Daily meditation is also a great way to slow down the pace.  Create space to breathe in your day.  Take a breath. Be present in the moment.

I’d love to year what new possibilities are waiting to blossom in your life this year?

May you be well!

 

 

 

Letting go and embracing ease

As the days begin to get longer and the hot muggy weather is replaced with cooler days, it’s time to look at our routines. I’m focusing on embracing ease as I move in the next few months.

Take a moment and PAUSE. Does your routine flow smoothly, with ease?  Are you ready to let go of something so that you can slow down?

Perhaps there is one more burst of energy for a task or project, just like those leaves give one last burst of color. Maybe you are ready to hand over a responsibility to another person, so you are free to focus on a project you are passionate about. I have a project on the back burner that is calling my name.

Just like those fall leaves, I’m ready to let go and move into a slower pace. What about you?

Part of my focus on embracing ease this year is to consolidate websites and blogs, so DW Healing Arts will now be located at www.dwhealingarts.com. I hope you enjoy the new website and newsletter. You can sign up for this monthly newsletter in the bottom right hand corner of my website.

May you be well!

 

 

 

How do you release stress?

I recently experienced some stress-related symptoms which forced me to slow down and pause. I had an opportunity to practice several different stress management techniques that I usually teach my clients. It was nice to have multiple tools to use. I wonder what stress management tools are most popular and which tools tend to be used less often by my friends and readers.

I need your help. Would you take a moment to respond to the survey below? What technique do you prefer to release stress in your life?

Stress Release Survey

Are there stress management techniques that you prefer to use at work or at home? Are there tools that you use that are not listed in the survey? My interest is to see which techniques are most popular and which techniques may need more education when I introduce these tools with my clients.

Happy Spring! May you be well!

From the BeWell Decks at BalanceResourceCards.com

 

 

February Self Love

Dear Friends,

I’ve talked to several people recently who are feeling overwhelmed by stressful life situations. They want to know how to regain balance in their life. I often share a wellness tip like breathing techniques, simple stretches or a spiritual practice such as gratitude or creativity. This mini break in their routine can help reset a sense of balance in life.

Does this sound like someone you know? Have you been feeling tired, weary or overwhelmed with life? Maybe it’s time to practice self love with self care! You can find resources like these in my monthly DW Healing Arts newsletter. Check out some of the free “downLOVEables” on my website or purchase a set of Wellness Cards for yourself or a friend. Give yourself permission for self care!

I have a new shipment of Balance Resource Cards ready for my family, friends and colleagues who are seeking wellness and self care ideas. The decks contain a total of 72 cards featuring self care tips to bring balance to your body, mind and spirit. People who already have a set of cards like the daily tangible reminders for self care.

My Balance Resource Cards are now available for $12 a set online.

Why so many cards divided into two unique decks?

•  Use one deck for home and one deck for work
•  Find cards to challenge you or cards that are quick/easy to do
•  Avoid boredom with your routine with abundant options
•  Keep one deck for you and one to share with a friend
•  Place a deck on your bedside stand and one for your desk

Weekend Percolations 28Jan2016

Welcome to 2016! It’s hard to believe January is almost over. Here’s what’s percolating:

I hope you have been developing some healthy self care practices with the daily wellness tips posted on my  Balance Resource Cards blog. The beginning of the year is a good time to try new routines and figure out a regular rhythm of healthy living. What is working for you?

I’m enjoying Sheila Pai’s Nurturing You workbook full of self care tips to cultivate peace, ease and joy. What are you doing to nurture yourself this month?

There are some great articles in the free Retreat and Resort winter issue of Millin’air, designed by Katherine Carey. Have you been on a retreat recently? What things would you include in your perfect retreat?

In the blog Glimpses of Healing and Hope, Janie Halteman shares about choosing a word for the year. Did you Find Your Word for 2016? I used Susannah Conway’s 5 day email ecourse to narrow down my choices. Eventually the word “spacious” caught my attention while using An Artful Breath‘s card deck.

Spirituality and Practice has a great review of the most spiritually literate films in 2015. How many suggested films have you seen?

Nichola Veitch has a Yoga Love interview series. She recently interviewed Dal Kular and Caroline Donohoe aka The Book Dr. These women inspire me to return to practices like yoga and qigong which help to balance my body, mind and spirit.

Leanne Lindsey has a Bucket List for 2016 consisting of several lists of things she wants to accomplish this year. What is on your 2016 Bucket List to Be, Do, Read, Learn and Visit?

Are you a multipotentialite? This great TED talk by Emilie Wapnick explains why some of us don’t have just one calling. Multipotentialites are innovative people who work at the intersection points of multiple interests and collaborate with specialists. What are your passions and interests?

A friend just launched a new potty training product called Potty Duck. Who knew potty training could be so much fun! Where was this product when my kids were at this stage?

My son is doing a media internship with SoulPancake this semester, so we have been watching lots of great videos including my favorite, Kid President. We also started reading Rainn Wilson’s memoir The Bassoon King, hilariously told by Rainn Wilson (founder of SoulPancake) and his well-known character Dwight Schrute (The Office).

What’s percolating with you?