Have you ever thought today about what is causing you to make your decisions for the future? In other words, how can we live our lives so that our decisions today are going to take us towards our awesome futures rather than making our decisions today as a way to reflect our past? What is calling us forward? Is it an idea that we are working toward, perhaps a place to live, a career, a relationship? You are on the adventure of your life. Don’t spend all your time longing for the homecoming. Enjoy the path, the journey.
This is the view from the mountain that I climbed every day while in Quepos, Costa Rica.
I recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a beautiful part of the world, close to the equator, filled with rain forests that supply the earth with abundant amounts of pure oxygen. It is vital to our ecosystem and beautiful in a very jungle-y way. During my trip, I met a man named Jay. Jay was part of a group of people whom I was traveling and practicing yoga with on this adventure.
Jay had expressed a desire to get healthy – not only to lose weight but to quit smoking and to experience life in a healthier way. What was holding him back? Really, it was the memory of his father’s health struggle and the old belief that he would not be able to accomplish his goals. After a few days of discussion, Jay and I began to practice 10 minutes of stillness daily. In being still, the brain and physical body can relax and space is created to allow life’s opportunities to be seen. Since then we have established a daily accountability format so Jay can try very hard to maintain this format. I will keep you posted on Jay’s progress toward reaching his health goals.
In order for us to move forward and shed some of these old beliefs, we need to create space in our brains to find new ways of thinking. In my work at the Cardiac Rehab Unit at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, we spend one session a week with each patient to recognize the mind-body connection. We teach various methods of stilling the mind and connecting the physical body to the brain. This includes breathing, guided visualization, and body scan. Evidence shows that this connection is vitally important to the healing process. I know from my own recovery after my brain hemorrhage that this connection cannot be ignored. The body can heal itself.
If you are interested in exploring the mind-body connection, please email me or call me at 248-390-8153 to schedule an appointment. Move forward with intention.
Recipe of the Month
This Butternut Squash Coconut Soup is one of my favorite fall recipes. Click on the link for the full recipe: http://bit.ly/2cnmZEp
