The Inner Voice A weekly newsletter from Debbie Jensen-Grubb, RYT500 September 9, 2013 - Issue 48 |
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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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Greetings!
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I read a remarkable story the other day about Sallie's Crying Tree about a young girl who found solace in a tree. How curious, I thought, to find solace in a tree.
Then I was helping a friend to pack her most treasured belongings for a cross country move, leaving friends and family behind. To see how these items eased her heart a bit in the leaving by taking something of each person, or event in her life, with her began to awaken me to how we deal with change and endings (even when we instigate the change).
I began to search the web to find out why we do these things and found the meaning of solace, and discovered how we find solace in an infinite variety of things. It seems there are many paths and portals to finding solace. People, pets, pictures, music, nature, books, meditation, exercise, or a meaningful object are all just some of the things that people can find solace in.
Finding solace essentially means finding peace. It brings comfort and consolation to us when unwanted events occur that we have no control over. It allows us to hold onto something tangible while we work our way through yearning, sadness, and pain.
What items bring you solace? What items have you held on to or carried with you for years because they are a link to a memory of another time, person, place, or event? If we look around we will see that we may have many such items in our homes, offices, cars, wallets, or pocketbooks that by just seeing them touches and soothes our hearts even if just for a moment.
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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.
Divine protection. Safety. Peace. The Intelligence of the Universe operates at every level of life. |
| Joke of the Week - hee hee | |
This is the story of the night my ten-year-old cat, Rudy, got his head stuck in the garbage disposal. I knew at the time that the experience would be funny if the cat survived, so let me tell you right up front that he's fine. Getting him out wasn't easy, though, and the process included numerous home remedies, a plumber, two cops, an emergency overnight veterinary clinic, a case of mistaken identity, five hours of panic, and fifteen minutes of fame...click on the title to read the rest of the story.
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Yoga Poses That Comfort
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 Finding solace in this world has become a necessity in these days and times. Yoga can be a balm to the stress we face every day. The poses that we practice in our class can be used to aid us in whatever we are needing in our lives.
The ones that are best for finding comfort are the forward bends. Their inward nature can promote introspection, they stretch the spine bringing release to the nervous system it houses, and counteract compression of the discs that sit between the vertebrae.
As it opens up the back, it compresses the front of the body causing a total exhalation of air from the lungs, and gives a beneficial massage to the organs of the body supporting digestion. By bending the body into the natural primary 'C' curve that it was in when in the womb, forward bends can improve the circulation around the spine.
Forward bends, by stretching the back body and bowing our heads towards our heart, begins to calm the mind. It creates a safe, protective setting that allows us to slow down and decrease the amount of sensory stimulation which begins to release the accumulated tensions...ones we don't even realize we are holding.
These sheltered poses brings us respite from our stressful existence, giving us the port in the storm we all need at times and enables us to find solace in this bittersweet world.
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Nutrition Prescription - Apple
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We have all heard the old adage pictured to the left. Many times the wisdom words that make it into a saying like this and last a lifetime are because there is so much truth to it. The apple is one of the first fast foods that was available to us. Portable, nutrition-packed, cleansing, the apple has it all!
One problem with today's apples is the fact that they are one of the most pesticide-sprayed foods that there is today, which is why the apple is one of the foods that I will only eat organically. Better yet, grow an apple tree in your own yard.
The apple has zero cholesterol, zero fat, zero sodium. It is high in fiber, high in anti-oxidants, and high in water content. It acts as one of the best medicines to oppose the aging of the brain. Eating an apple a day can provide you with 7% of the carbohydrates needed to fuel your body, giving you energy for your day. More energy = more activity = weightloss = feeling your best. Yea!
One of the tricks to being your healthiest is keeping your digestive system clean and working well. The apple is one of the best cures for intestinal health. It gets waste moving out along with all of the toxins with it.
The apple also stimulates the saliva in your mouth that helps with the healthy growth of teeth, helps to whiten teeth, as well as reduces the bacteria in your mouth. By eating the apple whole you clean plaque off of your teeth from the big bite you take, it also makes your teeth and gums stronger.
Mother Nature knew us humans pretty well. She knew that we get bored eating the same foods everyday, so she gave us a whole variety of this awesome food. Gala, Pink Lady, Granny Smith, Red Delicious, the list goes on and on. If you are tired of eating one kind, switch it up on your taste buds and eat a different type of apple for awhile! Make it fun and interesting.
Oh, and no, eating a piece of apple pie or strudel does not count as eating an apple-a-day! You have got to eat the apple plain, or with a little nut butter, for its best health benefits. Oh, and it is best to keep the apple peel on because it is full of health benefits for your body.
This little fruit can even be made into other delicious forms such as applesauce and apple juice! Both are a great way to get the all benefits of this handheld nutritional powerhouse, as long as it is not overheated. You can cut up a bunch of apples, put them in the crockpot on low, let them simmer all day, and voila!...applesauce! If you have a juicer, making your own apple juice is a no-brainer for healthy drinking. You can add some to some seltzer water for a little sparkle to your day.
The apple is so delicious that you never mind eating it. Make eating an-apple-a-day a new healthful habit in your life, you will begin to feel the difference soon. I like to cut my apples up in quarters and eat it throughout the day as a nice pick-me-up. Besides, knowing I'm doing something nourishing for myself makes me feel good too! A delicious way to support a circle-of-wellbeing that will help you to build and grow and make more healthful decisions in your life! It all starts with just holding the little apple in your hand.
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Ponderings - Solace
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 Transitional times are ever-present throughout history and in personal life scenarios. Everyone handles them differently. Some people never leave the hometown in which they grew up in because the familiarity is supportive to them, yet others are nomadic, either by choice or chance, yet carry artifacts of remembrance with them. Each one creates a space of solace that helps them to soothe the unpredictability of this world we all live in. We can see this whenever people are facing a fearful change in their lives. Like when someone (adult or child) goes to the hospital and carries something from home to be with them. There are times in our lives that can be heart wrenching and unnerving. It is a healthy emotional response to hold onto to something that allows us to recall the good times or the people that we miss. Certain objects can soothe, comfort, and reassure us. They also remind us that times weren't always difficult, that we are loved, and that the winters of our lives will soon once again begin to turn around, soon we will begin to feel the warmth and happiness of the Spring and Summer of life again. These things provide an emotional anchor to 'feel good' memories or associations, making us feel a little bit better in the here and now. But don't wish away your life, longing for another time, place, or person, instead learn the skills that the season offered you. Hold on gently to whatever brings you solace, and move forward looking to new beginnings, knowing that a little piece of your heart (that little child within) will always be comforted and hugged whenever you need it, just by holding, thinking of, being in, listening to, smelling a...whatever, to bring you solace in this moment right now.
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Emotions are what move us through life. If we get stuck in one we lose the ability to enjoy the others. Having something to transfer our emotions to frees us up to begin to move forward. Change is an inherent part of our lives. As we move through challenging experiences, while holding onto a remembrance of times gone by, we can muster up the strength, confidence, and courage to face whatever life brings us.
Thank you!
Hugs and Namaste,
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Please join me in my next TWO workshops...
 Yoga Nidra
October 6, 2013
1:00 - 2:30 p.m. |
Yoga for the Upper Torso
 October 26, 2013 |
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