Is the flu going to get you?  How to avoid catching a cold

“Health is the consciousness of the unreality of pain and disease; or, rather, the absolute consciousness of harmony and of nothing else” Mary Baker Eddy

Have you ever wondered if Mother Teresa worried about hugging the sick and less fortunate?  And there is Amma ji, the hugging mother, who still hugs thousands a day; even those who are ill or unwashed.  I’m sure these women did not worry about picking up germs!  What they did was embody a state of well-being: a consciousness of health! 

Getting back to catching flu or a cold, I think yes, if you think you will catch it, you will.  Over the years, I have cleaned up my sloppy thinking and I am healthier during all seasons because of my thinking and eating habits!  Refrain from allowing past flu episodes, colds and allergies to dictate how present and future health should be, nor does it mean, one should be sloppy in eating or lifestyle, and leave health totally up to positive thinking. Don’t worry yourself sick!

When you feel weakness in the body, give yourself a complete rest for a few hours.  Avoid the mindset of weakness and complaining!  Practice optimism and focus on happy thoughts!   Simply rest, stay calm and practice long deep breathing many times throughout the day.  In addition, keep yourself warm and do minimal activity.  Drink mostly hot water throughout the day along with other hot drinks like soup broth, miso soup and or herbal teas.  The body knows how to heal, just be gentle and soothe yourself.

Well, when I feel a little under the weather, my favorite hot drink consists of one cup of hot water with one half fresh lemon or lime squeezed, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 1/4 tsp ginger powder, 1/4 tsp coriander powder and 1/3 tsp sea salt or black salt. 

“The average disease would be practically harmless if it were not for the life and the power that it receives from the patient. We magnify our ills, and thus make them worse, and we increase their life and power by living for them and placing ourselves at their mercy. If we would look upon an ailment as insignificant, and then proceed to arouse the finer elements and forces of mind and body, those elements that can undermine and remove any conditions, we would soon restore perfect health and order.” Christian Larson

About that sweet tooth…

Ekongkar's Baked Burfi Kulfi Cake

At my house we tend to get creative in the Kitchen. Sometimes, too creative… But always tasty! Here's my favorite new dessert that combines the delicious flavors of Indian sweets with the rich nuttiness of a nice warm cake. I hope you enjoy it! For more comprehensive instructions, or other cooking videos from our kitchen, visit BodyMindSoulWellness's youtube channel :)

Happiness is a Butterfly

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Last summer, while on a phone call, standing barefoot on the grass in my backyard enjoying the sunshine, I was also watching a white and brown butterfly in the distance.  While talking, I extended my left arm out and silently invited the butterfly to come and sit on my arm.  As I continued with my phone conversation, I kept my arm extended and within a few minutes, the butterfly came and sat on my arm very briefly and then flew away.  I again invited the butterfly, it came and stayed on my arm just a little longer and then flew away.  Then for the third time, I invited the butterfly; this time, instead of my arm, it sat on the back my hand for a very long time!  It was truly a magical moment!  A few weeks later, I had a similar experience with a different butterfly and it was still so much fun!  

Try it sometime and communicate with the Butterfly Spirits as they soon will be arriving with the warm weather!

How to Cook Mouth Watering Greens for Vitality and Health!

I try to incorporate leafy greens into our meals at least once a day. Dark leafy greens are especially high in vitamins and minerals. Most people will experience a boost in physical energy when dark leafy greens are consumed regularly; my family loves them! Some greens that I like to use are Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, Beet Greens, Mustard, Arugula, Watercress, Cilantro, Mint, Basil, Bok Choy Greens, Kale, Swiss Chard, Escarole, Yo Choy Sum (Similar to Bok Choy), and Spinach.

Greens are especially known for their high chlorophyll, a wonderful nutrient for keeping the body full of health and vitality. To allow for maximum absorption of chlorophyll, it is important to keep the cooking time under 5 minutes, because overcooking will turn them brown and reduce their chlorophyll levels. The thicker the leaves, the longer the cooking time.

Some people will start adding greens to their diet after they have had some health scare! Eat them now! Use the following videos as basic guidelines on how to cook mouthwatering greens at home:

How to motivate yourself to reduce excess weight.  Some butter please?

This exercise, given by Stuart Wilde, involves going to the supermarket to the butter section, extending your arms out and holding exactly the pounds of butter that equal the excess weight that your body is carrying; for example, if your body is ten pounds overweight, then hold ten pounds of butter.  The purpose is to feel and understand the extra stress being put on the heart to deliver the blood through the body with all excess fat around.  So, do take care of your heart and be focused and determined to be at your healthy weight!
     
        “We never repent of having eaten too little.” Thomas Jefferson

Four Easy Steps To Get What You What

(or at least increasing the chances of getting what you want!)

Sometimes we can feel easily irritated by family members or colleagues because we feel that we have not been understood.   It takes conscious effort, non-judgement and awareness to identify and articulate our own needs and carefully listen to what others may be needing.  Marshall B. Rosenburg, Phd, the author of Non-Violent Communication, gives a four step process which can be helpful in making any communication better.  These four steps of communication are Observations, Feelings, Needs and Requests.

The first step, “Observation” is when we describe an event or a situation that we want to talk about.  The second step, “Feelings” is when we identify and articulate the emotion that is being felt.  The third step, “Needs” is when we reflect on the emotion and identify the actual need.  The last step, “Requests” is when we ask for something that we feel may help us meet our need.  The key word here is “request” and not “demand.”  A request is an unconditional way of asking without getting upset if we do not get what we want.    

Some years back, not too long after I had read Marshall Rosenburg’s book, I remembered a day when I was feeling irritated and at that moment I had put the “4 step process” in use.  As I had reflected on my irritation, I realized that although I was feeling irritated by the fact that my husband was spending endless hours on the computer, my real need was that I wanted a little social time with him.   So I said to him, “Honey, I’m feeling a little lonesome, I would love to have your company right now.” He immediately responded and joined me for a cozy chit chat.  Try it sometime!

The four step process can also be used not only while listening to our own inner dialogue but also when listening to others to find out what they really need and what they really are requesting.  When we are consciously communicating, we will most likely be following these steps naturally, however, it is good to check in with ourselves and make sure we are communicating effectively from a place of kindness, non-judgment and clarity. Happy chatting!

"The most important thing in communication
is to hear what isn't being said."
~Peter F. Drucker~

How to stop procrastinating and 

How to start accomplishing! Tip 1

Often, it is too easy to delay the process or task that we least prefer.  Sometimes the delay is caused by focussing on the “how” part of the task and the “how” really does not sound fun!  When we take the time to focus on the outcome or result, we are more likely to accomplish the task on hand.  For example, if we are going on a vacation which is going to require some 15-20 hours of air travel, we rarely concentrate on the discomfort of a closed confined space with poor air quality and bad food because we stay focussed on the fun and exciting activities that we will be doing on the trip!  

Likewise, when we take each activity and focus on what the completion feels like, we will already have begun!  Next time your closet needs organizing, ask yourself, “What will it feel like after it is organized?”  When you tell yourself repeatedly, “My closet will feel so good when it’s organized,” you will want to get started!  Before long you will have a clean closet.  More tips to be continued later! 

I hope this post is useful for you, but mostly I hope this post is useful for my son! :)

"The best way to get something done is to begin."        ~Author Unknown 

From my kitchen to yours: A delicious healthy greeny tahini chutney!

How about some tiger walking? And secrets from “Born to Run”

During my martial arts training, our walking forms required a toe-heel, toe-heel placement, a very quiet, sleek walk like a tiger!  This toe-heel practice is an excellent way to strengthen the calves and ankles.

A very similar style is described in the book "Born to Run", where author, Christopher McDougall sets off to research a tribe of the world's greatest distance runners and to learn their secrets. One of the techniques he discovered is running barefoot with the fore foot landing much like the toe-heel, toe-heel strike.  Normally when most of us walk in our runners, our foot placement generates a heel-strike (heel-toe, heel-toe).  

During my walks or at home, I frequently take some time to practice the toe-heel, toe-heel placement.  By bringing my awareness to my feet, I have noticed that my foot placement is much better; my toes are not curling up and that my calves and ankles have gotten stronger.  Overall, my feet are much happier!  Try it and see how your feet feel! Watch the posted video to learn more.   

“Good walking leaves no track behind it.” Lao Tsu