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The Inner Voice
A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500
February 25, 2013 - Issue 26
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The Daily Yoga Poses Poster |  FREE!!! For all who receive this newsletter my first ever poster to download and print out! Thank you for joining The Inner Voice newsletter! (You need to open it in another window and print it from there.) |
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Quick Links
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This weeks reading can be seen here at The Daily OM.
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To access past issues click here:
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****Announcement****
Beginning in April
(due to popular demand ~ yea and thank you!)
I will be adding a new class to my schedule: Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.
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| Greetings! |
 Living simply is a popular motto these days.
For me it has become even more clear as I work within the framework of a new dietary lifestyle of monitoring the histamine levels of the food I eat - sort of like Weight Watchers point system (see Newsletter 22). In this new way of eating I am not to eat leftovers because the older the food is, the greater it's histamine levels. This has been an exercise in discipline for me because I am the refrigerator-cleaner-outer in my house and love the ease of just putting some leftovers quickly together and calling it a meal. In fact I purposely used to buy larger quantities (think Costco or BJ's) so that I could have leftovers. Now I buy my meals fresh everyday (except for breakfast) like they did in the ancient times. I am buying smaller quantities, just what I need for that day, which has awakened me to the amount of excess we have in our grocery stores. What if each of us just bought what we needed for that day? How much could be saved in money, waste, and weight gain? Now I've begun to think of where else can I begin to simplify and only take what I need. I can see that this will be an ongoing process and a change that will permeate my lifestyle. It will be a path that I will be curious to follow to see where it leads. |
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Opening the Shoulders
|  Did you know that your shoulders actually come from your shoulder blades? The scapula (shoulder blades) sit towards the outer (lateral) sides of the ribs and create the shoulder sockets (glenohumeral joint).
When our shoulders become rounded it is often more from a forward motion of the head which pulls on the scapula bringing them up and moving the lower ribs back. We then stick our chins out which crunches the vertebrae in our necks causing headaches, nerve damage, and disc herniation.
To undo all of this you must strengthen the upper back to aid in keeping the head back and in balance. Also, getting the scapulae to slide on the back is extremely important to release the rotator cuff muscles.
A simple action you can do now is move your head back as you draw the chin slightly down, hug the elbows into the waist, and move the shoulder blades apart. Now you will feel the upper back muscles working. Breathe into the back of your heart as you maintain these actions.
Do this whenever you think about it. Soon you will be standing upright, looking graceful and poised. You will breath better too.
Follow the above short sequence focused on this area that will get your shoulders moving in every direction.
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| Rib-Tickler of the Week - hee hee |
Two factory workers are talking and the woman says,
"I bet I can get the boss to give me a day off".
The man replies, "How are you going to do that?"
"Just wait and see," she says.
She then hangs upside-down from the ceiling.
The boss comes in and says "What are you doing?"
The woman replies, "I'm a light bulb."
The boss then says, "You have been working so much you have gone crazy. I think you need to take the day off!"
The man starts to follow her out and the boss says to him, "Where are you going?"
The mans says, "I'm going home too. I can't work in the dark."
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| Mantra | |
A mantra is a sound or phrase that aids in the concentration of meditation. It is a Sanskrit term and literally means 'instrument of thought'. Here you will find a suggested mantra to use during the week (from Louise Hay's 'Heal Your Body'). Just repeat it whenever you need a lift.
I stand tall and free.
I love and approve of me.
My life gets better every day.
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Nutrition Prescription - Chia Seeds
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 Whenever I hear about chia seeds the first thing that pops into my head is that old 1980's commercial where a ceramic ram would grow 'hair' when watered. Did you know that about 500,000 'pets' are still sold annually?!? The chia seed has since redeemed itself since those days and is being seen as the one of the most nutritional foods that you can eat. It is grown in Mexico and Guatemala primarily and is still a main food source there. The Aztecs and Mayans cultivated it long ago and it was considered as important as maize to them. It was the basic survival ratio for their warriors. It's purported that one tablespoon was enough to sustain a person for 24 hours. Often compared to flax seeds it has other major benefits. The chia seed does not have to be ground up for it's nutrients to become available for digestive assimilation. Also, it has so many antioxidants that the seeds don't deteriorate and it can be stored for a long time without it going rancid. What it is heralded for the most is the amount of omega-3's they provide - even more than salmon. It also furnishes loads of soluble fiber to keep things moving and many important minerals such as calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc. Chia seeds are a complete protein too which is a boon for vegans/vegetarians since beans and nuts are not, this means you don't have to combine it with other food to get the full benefit and it will give you a stable level of energy all day. One big advantage is how it forms a gel when allowed to soak in water for 30 minutes. This gel can be used in place of butter so you can cook with less fat. This gel also slows down digestion to keep you full longer and helps with losing weight. In so doing it also helps diabetics to balance their blood sugar by slowing the conversion of starches into sugars. This is one seed that even people with diverticulitis can eat because of this gel-like action. The soaking also helps keep the seeds from sticking in your teeth. ;-) A good and quick recipe is to soak 2 tablespoons of chia seeds in 3 - 4 ounces of water for 5 minutes, add fruit (banana, berries, apples) and honey to taste. You can add it to your yogurt, smoothie, cereal, or salads just by sprinkling a little on. Research is showing that by adding it to chicken feed their eggs and meat are higher in omega-3's and adding it to cattle feed will improve their milk and meat too. It can be added to baby formula and baby food without fear. Another blessing from this simple little plant is that insects don't like it! No insecticides are needed, so it's most often organic! This is also great for our environment. This simple little plant seems to be a complete boon and praised on every page that I researched. I'm definitely going to be adding it to my grocery list from now on! |
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Ponderings - Live Simple
|  Living simple is simply living life with a bit more ease. It's letting go of all the perceived frustrations placed upon us, by ourselves or others, and just receiving from life what we really need. It turns out that all that we really need isn't all that much.
As I adjust my eating it is getting easier to fix myself meals, before there was so much to choose from - too much. My body is now telling me that I don't need so much variety of food, to keep it simple and basic. I am finding that I am getting back to the foundations of nutrition. Pure, uncomplicated, quintessential foods are the best for me. Unadorned food, made good with simple herbs and spices, not drowned in sauces. It is a replica of what I am attempting to achieve in life:
to have just enough, plain and simple.
To me having enough means living an uncluttered life on the outside and cultivating a richness within. It means living with quality instead of quantity. To slow down and appreciate being instead of having. To do things more slowly. To be more environmentally friendly by using ingredients in my kitchen to make my cleaning supplies. To live intentionally and with integrity in a simple, healthy, joyful manner with peace, kindness, and love.
These are my goals. I use my yoga and meditation to achieve them. It is a constant crusade of monitoring - my thoughts, emotions, societal demands, and schedules. Always reminding myself to come back to the breath, to live in the moment, to enjoy the things that I all ready have. In the end a well-crafted life is not measured by how many belongings we can acquire but by the quality connections that are made along the way.
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How can you simplify your life? Perhaps look at what is causing you anxiety, pain, or frustration and begin to find a way to release or change it. It takes time, deliberateness, and determination with little baby steps, stops and starts, and patience. It is worth every effort though, as peace and harmony begin to infuse your life.
Namaste,
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The workshops for March are:
Healthy Joints Workshop: HIPS
Saturday, March 9th
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
and
Yoga Nidra
Sunday, March 3rd
1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
You can register at 410-720-4340 or online at www.columbiayoga.com
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