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Some Get Healthy Tea

Some sort of bug managed to sneak into our house. Two weeks ago Jenna had a high fever, I got knocked down a bit over the weekend (thus the sore throat of yesterday I suppose), and today Jacob’s home with a high fever.

I have this awesome tea that I make when I’m feeling under the weather and it almost always helps restore me quickly to health (I drank it over the weekend, but I guess I should have had a day or two more and I would have avoided the sore throat). I made a big batch of it this morning to knock this thing down once and for all.

I like to start with a big pot of boiled water, but then I move it all over to my slow cooker and keep it on the warm setting so I can enjoy it all day long. I usually take the tea bags out as they get pretty strong, but I leave the rest in the pot for the day.

Start with some sliced up ginger, cardamom, peppercorn, cloves, a cinnamon stick, and two tea bags (I used decaf green, but you could use black tea as well).

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Boil some water and fill it in your slow cooker (or just leave the pot on the stove if you don’t have a slow cooker), add the ingredients into the water

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Enjoy some nice, warm, healing tea

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Don’t you love the mug? I got it when we were home last summer 🙂

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Sore Throat and the Path of Least Resistance

Yesterday afternoon my throat decided to get sore. It was a rainy, cold day and I was already feeling kind of <meh> because of the weather, so it took me a while to decide that I actually should do something about said sore throat.

Thinking about dealing with my throat made me reflect on my Ayurvedic studies which I’ve been struggling with lately. I wasn’t exactly sure why it seemed so difficult lately and it was causing me a great deal of frustration. Over the last day or so every time I do some reading, look at my Facebook feed, or even do my morning meditation, I am being told that they way to abundance and to getting what I want is through the path of least resistance.

I am a longtime, hard-core resistor of the path of least resistance. If there’s an easy way and a hard as hell way to get somewhere, you can bank on the fact that historically I’ve been struggling part way down the path of most resistance. Looking over at the path of least resistance wondering how I missed the turn onto that path and how the F do I get there? Wait, maybe I’ll just push ahead a little more, struggle some more and then I’ll find that easy path? Sometimes I’ve even been on the path of least resistance and jumped over to the path of most resistance because I thought it was too easy, I should be struggling more, I didn’t deserve to be this happy…..

Sigh.

I’ve been doing this with my studies as well. I told myself that I’m already behind the ball because I didn’t have any knowledge about Ayurveda when I started (and it seemed like everyone else did), and so being intimidated I felt like it was a struggle. Ironically when I manage to just close these thoughts off, don’t think about what I know and what I don’t know and go with what my gut says is right I’m always on the right track. Which, of course, is true about everything else I do in my life also.

After 43 years of intensive research on the path of most resistance, I can assuredly tell you that it’s not a path conducive to success and long-lasting happiness. I can also tell you that the few times I’ve been able to really let go and relax into the path of least resistance that it is a path to success and happiness. So, considering it’s called the “path of least resistance” because it means that it’s the one that you should have to put the least amount of effort into – why is it so bloody hard to do sometimes? It should be a welcome, joyful path to follow all the time. With Unicorns and rainbows on it.

So, lying on the couch resisting the fact that I was having a sore throat and struggling and suffering with it and the knowledge that I knew of an easy way to solve it – I finally got up and took my cure-all for my throat.

Big ol’ gulp of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar. Nasty…. but it works. Throat’s already almost completely better.

So, I’m setting my intention that I will be making a concentrated effort to look out for that path of least resistance and following that towards the things that I want and the things that make me happy. Because true happiness is unselfish, loving, blissful, peaceful and easy. When you are happy doors open and that makes life so much easier than having to stop and try to open all those doors yourself.

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Letting that Light Shine In

At church today we were celebrating the beginning of Advent. Pastor had the kids come up for the children’s sermon and she talked a bit about the meaning of the new season and why the church had different colours and some different decorations.
She showed everyone the Advent log that was at the side of the altar, and told us all that when the acolyte lit the first candle on the log we were going to sing a hymn about the Light of God.
Well, no sooner was the candle lit and the congregation singing about God’s Light than the dim church was lit up by a brilliant ray of sunshine blasting through the stain glass windows up top. Jacob and I looked at each other and ohhhed and ahhhed and I thought maybe it was just us who noticed that God in fact was making sure we knew that He was shining light in. I asked the kids during Children’s Chapel and every one of them had noticed the same thing. Their responses went from “cool” to “creepy” but they all noticed how our church was brightened when we were singing about letting the Light in.
I thought it was a pretty cool reminder of how brilliance, light and love can be found everywhere. Sometimes you have to look a little harder to find it, and sometimes (like today) it’s put right out there in the open, in the literalist of ways for you to find.

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You need to slow down for a minute there…

I didn’t get out for my morning walk until 4:20 this afternoon. When I did finally get there I had a lot of anxious thoughts swirling around in my brain and a lot of nervous energy I wanted to walk off. I got onto the path and Dottie immediately ran off to do her first of what would likely be 10,000 piddles. I let the flexi-lead stretch out and walked slowly past where she was doing her business.

An older gentleman approached me on the path and stopped and said “You need to slow down for a minute there.” I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant, so I asked him, he said “well, your dog wants you to stop so she can do her thing.” I laughed and said that she would be doing her thing every 10 feet down the path, but that yes – he was right. I should slow down.

I actually outright stopped for a minute and let Dottie sniff around while I looked at the river and took a few deep breaths. Wasn’t the reason I was here to slow myself down and reground my self and relax? So, why was I rushing?

When Jenna was little I used to take her in her stroller along on my walks with Dottie. Jenna would make me stop at every garden and smell all the flowers. Sometimes it would drive me nuts because I just wanted to walk and have quiet and think. But part of me knew she was spot on – that we needed to slow down and smell all the flowers that we passed.

This man pointed the same thing out to me again today. Slow down, don’t rush things, let them unfold.

I decided to spend the rest of my walk listing all the things I am thankful for. I let that dog sniff and smell and poke around and I counted blessings. My heart felt so much lighter and happier when I was done.

In my list of gratitude was the good fortune of running into that man on the path who helped focus me on the reason why I was there.

I needed to slow down for a minute….

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I ain’t missing you at all….

This morning I was listening to John Wait’s Missing You which apparently led me into a morning of self-reflection. The kids have been sick the past couple of days and as a result we have had the opportunity to completely slow down, which has given me time to reflect and read and work and play. Listening to this song this morning made me think of who-I-used-to-be. I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about who-I-really-am and how do I get to living that authentic life on a continuous basis. Lately I’ve realized that who-I-used-to-be and who-I-really-am are actually pretty close to the same thing.

In my mid 20s I made 4 major decisions that altered the course of my life. It doesn’t really matter what those decisions were – they were made long ago and with the best of intentions for my future, but as a result of those choices I went from a life on purpose to a life on default.

What does that mean? I used to be a dreamer, I had ideas of doing fun-filled and exciting things with my life. They were always a little unconventional, but being a bit different was something I used to embrace about myself. I may not always have been 100% sure about where the path I was on was going to take me, but I always was certain that I was enjoying the ride there.

When I switched to a life on default, I gave up on my dreams, I decided to take the safe route and choose stability over dreams and fun. Although I had no idea at the time, the result of this meant I was no longer being authentic to myself. Instead of being the star of my own life I chose to become a supporting character in other people’s lives. So, instead of writing my own life story on purpose the things that happened in my life happened in a supporting role, on default.

The result of this is that I have become one of those women in their 40s sitting with a basket full of unfulfilled dreams. The good thing is that I have now realized that I am the author of my own life story and that it is not only possible, but necessary for me to live a life on purpose. To realize that I can live with intention and passion and joy because all of that is my birthright.

I took the kids home this summer for our longest trip back in 9 years. Those 9 years have been fun, busy child-raising years – but they also have been difficult and unsettling years. We have moved several times – across Canada and to two different states. I really wanted them home for an extended time for many reasons, but one of them was that I wanted them to get to see who-I-used-to-be. I felt that they only knew a stressed out and unsettled mom and I thought it was important that they knew that I used to be a fearless badass. The unexpected bonus of this trip was that *I* remembered who-I-used-to-be and realized that that still is who-I-really-am.

If I could rewind time I would go back and do the opposite of those 4 choices I made. But, there are many things about the life that I live now that are wonderful and beautiful and fun and I would never, ever trade them for the world. So, I will live with the life I’ve created quite happily. However, it’s wonderful to know that I now also have the ability to create my own future.

I thought taking the safe route would lead to security and stability and in reality it did exactly the opposite. Which, as I was singing badly but happily (even more happily when the kids started covering their ears telling me to stop, because that is funny) to my song this morning, made me think “If I had followed those dreams earlier in life I probably wouldn’t be in any worse shape than I am now, except I would have known that I tried.” Instead of that being a sad thought it was actually quite empowering. What do I have to lose now by following dreams? Seriously.

I think it’s freaking awesome that we all get to write our own life stories and that we can choose to live our life on purpose!

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My Source, My Balance, My Ayurveda…

I was doing some work for my Ayurveda class today and while daydreaming got to thinking about this blog and how it’s a blog about Ayurveda, but it may not always appear to be about Ayurveda. But in a very deep sense it is all about Ayurveda. One of the things that is stressed in my studies is connection to the Source. Without connecting yourself to Your True Self, and The Source; you will never be able to maintain a proper balance – which is vital for true health.

A lot of what I write about here is how I’m discovering my own connection to The Source. To awaking and opening My True Self, which lives inside me, and connecting to The Source which is everywhere. You can call The Source whatever you want (God, The Universe…) but I’m understanding that there is a urgent need within me to realign myself with The Source and with who-I-really-am. This alignment is the balance that we search for in our spiritual lives but also in our physical lives. This keeps us healthy in body, mind and soul. Ayurveda is a lifestyle of keeping your body and soul in balance for optimal health. Learning how to achieve that balance is quickly becoming my life’s work.

For most of my life I have believed that the only way to achieve things is to work hard. To get out there and *do* something to prove myself.  To suffer through things to get to the reward at the end. Lately I’ve been thinking…. what if that’s not the best way to go about things? Because all the hard work in the world isn’t going to bring freedom, happiness and peace if I haven’t followed my bliss, balanced my soul, connected to The Source.

What if, instead, the way to achieve the things I want in life is to stop and balance my soul?

Because I feel like I have spent years running like mad on a treadmill and not getting anywhere. Sweating, crying, swearing but not actually moving and missing a lot of the fun.

When I first started my studies I learned that pretty much any condition that a patient would come in for – anxiety, high blood pressure, blood clotting issues, weight gain/loss, you name it – one of the standard prescriptions is to include meditation twice daily into your lifestyle. I understood this on a basic level that it was a good thing to slow down and connect yourself to Source, but lately I’ve been understanding it on an entirely different level. If we aren’t connected and balanced we can’t enjoy good health. If we aren’t listening to that inner voice that guides us and tells us what our dharma, our bliss, our reason for being is then we aren’t in balance and can’t enjoy perfect health. Connecting to that Inner Self and aligning it with the Source, the Higher Power, is how we achieve balance, bliss, and health.

No amount of running around and fixing things on the outside is going to fix what’s broken on the inside.

My reading this morning pretty much summed up all of these thoughts that I’d been mulling over on my walk this morning (this is why my walks are so important). Here’s an excerpt:

The primary reason that people feel a shortage of time is because they are trying to get too much leverage out of their action. If you are unaware of the power of alignment and are making little or no effort at finding your personal alignment—if you are overwhelmed or angry or resentful or ornery, and from those emotional perspectives, you are then offering your action to try to accomplish things—you are very likely experiencing a severe shortage of time.

There simply is not enough action in the world to compensate for the misalignment of Energy, but when you care about how you feel and you tend to your vibrational balance first, then you experience what feels like a cooperative Universe that seems to open doors for you everywhere. The physical effort required of someone who is in alignment is a fraction of that required to someone who is not. The results experienced by someone who is in alignment are tremendous in comparison with the results experienced by someone who is not. If you are feeling a shortage of time or money, your best effort would be to focus upon better-feeling thoughts, to make long lists of positive aspects, to look for reasons to feel good, and to do more things that make you feel good when you do them. Taking the time to feel better, to find positive aspects, to align with who-you-really-are, will net you tremendous results and help you balance your time much more effectively.

Hicks, Esther; Hicks, Jerry (2008-08-12). Money, and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Wealth, Health, and Happiness (Kindle Locations 3585-3591). Hay House. Kindle Edition.

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There simply is not enough action in the world to compensate for the misalignment of Energy. These were powerful words to me. Because I can guarantee that I spent a massive amount of energy on action trying to compensate for the misalignment of Energy. And paid for it dearly. The good thing is that my body and soul are forgiving. I can feel now that I am coming into a better balance that I have more energy, I’m happier, I am accomplishing more but *doing* less. I am so thankful for that shift.

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Share the Love

Yesterday morning I was trying to figure out what to do for Children’s Chapel. There’s always a set lesson, but after that I have to come up with something to do with them for the rest of the time. The past few weeks we’ve been colouring – which at first was a huge hit, but lately has gotten a little boring. I knew it was time to shake things up, but I was at a loss as to what to do.

I remembered last year I’d played a ball game with them that they’d really enjoyed, but didn’t really have much to do with the fact that we were in church. It truly had been a time filler game, and I was hoping for something a bit more. I got to thinking about how much I enjoy the beginning of our time together when we share the best part of our week, or something we are thankful for. It sets the tone for the rest of the lesson, and it lets us all get to know each other a bit better. I decided to see if I could figure someway to combine those two things and came up with a pretty simple game.

We all had to get in a circle and one person would throw a ball at another person. When that person caught the ball, they’d have to say something nice about the person who threw the ball. Wanting to make sure it passed the “cool test” I told my kids what I was thinking about and they both seemed really positive about it. In fact, when we got to church they suggested the three of us throw the ball together and practice so we would know how smoothly the game went. It started out with them being a little awkward and silly: “Your farts stink” Your farts don’t stink” (both of which sadly enough were something each kid took as a compliment), but it quickly turned into genuine kind words “You’ve always got my back” “I like how you are a good brother to me” “You’re a good friend to me”. I could see the smiles on their faces grow and I knew it actually was working.

The same thing happened with all the kids at Children’s Chapel. At first they were a little shy and self-conscious “I like your shoes” “I like your hair”, but it soon got much, much deeper “I like how you are always kind to others” “I like how you always smile” “I like how you always let your little light shine”. I could see them smiling more and more and they all seemed to really enjoy it.

Near the end one of the littler kids got a little antsy and pulled a small bouncy ball out of his pocket and wanted to know if we could play with it. I said if we all sat down we could roll it so we didn’t super bounce out one of the windows. Not sure if they were getting bored I added that they could stop saying the compliments if they wanted and just roll the ball. As my daughter pointed out after though “Mom, did you notice that even after you said they didn’t have to keep saying nice things, they kept on doing it?” Which I had. Because that’s the excellent thing about saying nice things. Once you start, they snowball into more and more nice things, and they become easier and easier to say.

I know my heart left a little happier after our time together. I noticed too that the kids said more kind things to each other during the day.

So easy, and yet so powerful.

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I’m being selfish (and that’s ok)

A spin off from my post yesterday about loving yourself like you would love others is that being selfish can actually be a good thing. Not selfish maybe in the terms that we normally think about them in, but selfish in that it’s a good and needed thing to look after yourself first. As a woman, and a mother this was something that I struggled with for years. Fortunately I had an overwhelming anxiety issue followed by a body break down that turned me around and made me start to look at things in a different way. I realized that if I didn’t start looking after myself – being selfish – that I would have nothing left to give to anyone at all.

I’ve heard it likened many times to the lecture the flight attendants give before take off about the oxygen masks. Blah, blah, blah, when they come down secure it to yourself first before helping anyone else, blah blah blah. I’ve heard this for a lifetime and never really thought much about it until I had children. Then I thought how difficult it would be for me to put my mask on myself while watching my child struggle for breath. It wasn’t until later that I realized how much worse it would be for me to be trying to put the mask on my child and pass out myself from lack of oxygen possibly harming the both of us (thank God no actual life or death situation like this has happened to us). But it’s a very good analogy – if you have not looked after yourself you are in no situation to help others. At least not effectively or for a long period of time.

Being selfish does not mean that I expect the world to revolve around me. I don’t expect to be waited on hand and foot, nor do I expect that we only will do the things that are of interest to me. That’s not how it works when you’re part of a family unit (or any other kind of unit). And it’s not what makes for a better person.  But, it means that I know that I’m a better me if I get at least 8 hours of sleep, do some exercise, meditate, do some yoga, eat a balancing diet, have some laughter, and do things that make me happy. When I take time to nurture these important parts of me it makes me not only a happier person on the inside, but a better and happier person to take out into the world. I have more to give, I can share love, happiness and laughter.

Learning to respect these parts of what makes me a better me has also made me learn to respect these parts of other people. And to realize that what makes other people a better them can be different from me, and that’s ok. We all are here to write our own life story. I can’t write yours and you can’t write mine. In the same note, you are not here to judge my life story, nor am I here to judge yours. I think as long as we are selfish enough to really dig deep and follow our dharma, our bliss, find our deepest desires, seek out those things that truly make us happy; that our life stories can be written side by side in harmony.

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Love thyself as thy neighbour

Sunday morning I was meeting for coffee (or tea in my case) with a wonderful friend of mine. We try and meet up every Sunday morning before church and visit, check in with each other and also discuss our spiritual goals. We each pick something we want to work on for the week and then discuss how it went the following week. Although on the surface the two of us are completely different (she’s a math teacher and loves to run. When I finished high school the best moment was realizing I would never have to take math again and I’m much happier as a walker than a runner), we actually have a lot in common on our spiritual journeys.

About a year ago I was reading an article that was talking about the quote “love thy neighbour as thyself” and how today it needs to be reversed. My friend brought up the same idea last Sunday and it got me thinking about it again.

I think that although we should always be showing and sharing love towards others, that applying the phrase “love thyself as thy neighbour” is one that would have great impact on many of us if we implemented it in our lives.

Now that I’m paying more attention again to my self talk I realize that I say things to myself that I would never ever say to someone else. Sure, someone may have called me fat (that’s my trigger one), and it may even have been someone whom I considered a friend, a trusted person, but the “fat” that I called myself thousands of times after that were much, much worse than some other person’s opinion of me. Because really, what they think or feel about me does not matter nearly as much as what I tell myself about myself. I’m the one who has to live with me, grow old with me, share every moment with me. Why on earth would I be saying mean things to myself? I’m the one person who should have my own back, always be in my corner.

And yet, for some reason, I’ve allowed myself to say some really hurtful things to myself. Not even intending to. Just that idle background chatter that goes on quietly underneath everything. Like a song on repeat playing quietly in the background.

But, what if the myself I was talking to was one of my kids? Would that song on repeat say “you’re never going to lose that 10 lbs you talk about, gawwwwd you should at least do your hair, those jeans make your butt look fat, eat a cupcake – it won’t make a difference anyway”? No the song on repeat if I was inside their heads would be “you’re a perfect child of God, He made you perfectly, you’re such a good friend, look at your beautiful smile, I love being around you, you bring joy into the world, you’re so smart (and maybe – I came as close to perfection as exists when I made you, I can’t believe I made you with my body).

But, if I love myself as my neighbour I would be saying those things to me all the time. I can guarantee I would be a much happier, healthier person if that was the soundtrack playing in the background of my life.  Not only would I be in a better place inside myself, but I would be sharing that joy and love with the rest of the world making it a better place to. Which I think should be a goal of all of us – to bring joy and happiness to the world.

So, that is my intention. Pay attention to that inner soundtrack, put on some happier tunes, and love myself as my neighbour.

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Positive Intentions with Pirate

I have been reading a lot lately about the power of positive intention and how what it can do in your life. I firmly believe that your thoughts and and feelings become your actions and create the life around you. It’s a harder pill to swallow when you realize that the life you have created isn’t the one you would have chosen had you realized you in fact were the one who was creating it, but it’s a wonderful feeling of freedom and personal power when you realize that the only one writing the story of your life is you and you can choose what’s going to be in that story.

I was walking this morning thinking of proofs in my life that I am able to create positive intentions. What have I truly believed I am capable of, have trusted in fully, and then allowed that process to manifest itself?

My thoughts turned to Pirate my awesome pony and all the amazing things that we were able to do together. People had little faith in us – I was inexperienced and he was a rebel ranch pony. Yet we would go out and jump the moon and compete in classes that we were told were way beyond this. How did we succeed? We both believed strongly that we could do it. And then we went and did it.

Years ago I competed in tetrathalon through my Pony Club. I loved it and although I wasn’t a very strong runner, I was pretty good and swimming and shooting and always was at the top in the riding portion. The reason for my success in the riding was because of the amazing partnership I had with my 14.2hh welsh/arab pony Pirate. He was one tough little dude who had no fear and really loved running and jumping. We worked well together and trusted each other in a full and complete way that does not happen with many relationships. To say I trusted him with my life is a literal statement. There were many times where we could have been in life or death wrecks and we trusted each other to work our way safely out of them.

The cross country course for tetrathalon had a 20 second window that you were supposed to finish in in order to not have any penalty points. People got their stop watches ready (this was the 80s – that was it for technology) and prepared and stressed about the window. I knew that there was no way I was ever going to be able to hold onto Pirate and fiddle with my watch at the same time, so the first time we competed I decided that Pirate and I had a really good cross country pace, that we always had a blast out on the course, and that we would just go and let it be.

Well, this decision lead to a clear round and a time right smack in the middle of that 20 second window. This was an amazing accomplishment we achieved every single time we competed in tetrathalon with one exception.

One year at Nationals we were flying around the course when suddenly Pirate ran out from a jump. It was one of the more “normal” jumps on the course and I couldn’t figure out what had set him off. We turned around and flew at it again and finished that course without any more hiccups. In fact – that course was one of the most amazing rides I ever had with him. And it was a huge example of our trust. One of the jumps was a wagon, and as he was landing he misstepped and landed face first. Both my feet touched ground on either side of him and I remember sitting there while he gathered his legs underneath him and he leaped up, galloping on like nothing had ever happened. The final jump was one that had been used in steeplechases and although we were only jumping 3’3″ with the brush it was well over 5′ (the horses were expected to drag their feet through the brush). We galloped up to it and finally got to the point where neither of us could see over to the other side of the jump. He went right up to it and then stopped. He stopped long enough that I had time to think, well I guess this is it – the jump was too high. Suddenly I felt a huge surge of power from underneath and next thing I knew we were flying through the air, clearing that jump like it was nothing.

We went through the finish and I found out that we not only had that refusal but also had a 20 second penalty. Later on one of the other parents came to the judges and showed them a video he had happened to be taking (and this was a huge coincidence because in 1987 people weren’t just standing around taking videos of everything). On the video you could see a small child run out in front of the jump we were heading towards. While I hadn’t seen him, Pirate obviously did and that was why he swerved away from the jump. The amount of time we were over the 20 second window was exactly as long as it had taken for us to turn around. So, had the child run-in not happened we would once again have had a perfect time.

I learned many things from this competition. One was that because I decided that Pirate and I were going to always be right in the 20 second window we were. I didn’t fuss or force it, I just knew that was our pace time and that was how we rolled so we would make it on time. I had the positive intention of being within the window and then just went and allowed it to happen. Another was that sometimes things don’t go according to plan (kid in front of jump) and that I would not have wanted to win at the expense of that kid’s safety – I was thankful Pirate made the decision of safety. Finally I learned how important it is to have a partner you trust fully to run with. Having someone who you know so well, trust so fully and enjoy so freely makes any experience one that is truly cherished.

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