Where have all the roses gone?

So, it's Valentine's Day and I'm wondering what my husband will bring. Maybe a card? Preferably some dark chocolate, a nice bottle of pink Prosecco or some beautiful roses.

But alas - most roses nowadays don't have that wonderful distinctive smell. It saddens me how this beautiful flower has been robbed of its true aroma. However, that is what happens with the modern hybrid rose. Breeders go for other qualities – stronger stems, bright and vivid colours, impressive size. They also go to great lengths to be disease resistant and bug repellent.

Personally, I wouldn't grow a rose without a smell - to me, it is like a nightingale without a song, winter without Christmas, chocolate with no taste, or wine without that little alcohol content...

Try This – But if you do receive odourless roses, how about adding a rose essential oil to your flowers to get the benefits of that fabulous smell they have been famous for down through the ages? And do forgive whoever sent them - they are trying their best in difficult market conditions.

Did you know that - You can make the most of the beneficial effects of many essential oils if they are used to target particular concerns or goals. This is something that can be easily tested by a good kinesiologist:) But there is no great need to test Rose essential oil. It has been used to help achieve emotional balance for hundreds of years. And its primary use is to open the heart chakra so one can experience unconditional love through relationships. And your life purpose can become clear as you express the energy of love. This is not limited to romantic love but to allowing yourself to love and be loved in many different ways and, possibly even more importantly, enabling you to see more clearly your best path in life and your unique value.

Try This Too - Place a few drops of rose essential oil over your heart (in the middle of your breastbone). Breathe deeply and enjoy the aromatics. And you may wish to look at some beautiful flowers or decorations for visual stimulation to maximise the effect. This will literally and metaphorically help you to open your heart.

My new direction:

I have been hugely impressed by the effects that essential oils have on people. I have also been very struck by the results when essential oils have been used with clients, so i am going to study them more thoroughly for their use in Health Kinesiology. Essential oils directly affect the limbic system – the primitive part of the brain concerned with basic emotions, mood, and memories. The stimulation of the limbic system also causes immediate reactions in both the nervous system and the endocrine (hormonal) system.

The effect of essential oils when used at the beginning of a health kinesiology session can open up the client's energy system and allow us to work very deeply. Used at the end of a session, they allow all the energy work from that session to be processed smoothly.

A Valentine Wish for You: Hopefully some of the ladies reading will have received some roses on Valentine's Day. And maybe they will even have that beautiful, distinctive smell of a real rose (grown in the wild, rather than from a Dutch factory). But even if you have not, maybe you would like to open your heart chakra. So, why not treat yourself to a little rose oil, let it work its magic and just see where the journey takes you?

So good luck, learn something and simply enjoy the moment! Even if it rains.
Thank you for reading my Newsletter.
If you found the information relevant and interesting, please share it with others.
Comments, queries or recommendations, please let me know.
If you need more help navigating to healthier living habits, just call me or e-mail me.

The Secret. To slimmer, richer, healthier you.

 

Do you have a New Year's resolution? Perhaps one of the usual ones: lose weight, exercise more, quit smoking, get out of debt, be more confident, find the right partner... How about really achieving one?

Did you know that...

It is commonly assumed that if a person has a problem then they want to solve it. Not at all! If there is a problem then on some level the person wants to have it. On which level? That's another story.

 Observation- from the kinesiologist's couch:)
In the past few months I have had several clients for whom a Fear of Change has manifested itself in respect to achieving some goal. On one hand, a client wants to be successful, but on the other hand, when tested, they don't feel that they deserve it or won't allow it to happen. And very commonly the basis for that is Fear of Change on a deep level.


Why is Fear of Change obstructing your progress?
Because, because, because – we don't want to accept reality as it is – which is that life is changeable, unexplainable, unforeseeable. Which is part of life's magic! But human nature means we want to “prepare for everything”, to make the outcome safe and guaranteed , and to take every possibility into account before making a move. And at the same time you are never really ready for all that change and as a consequence are simply anxious when contemplating it.


So let me give you three Tips for getting out of this trap, and it's all just brainwork:

• Just think: we never know what will happen to us, but we know very well how we want ourselves to be. You know that you want to be calm, confident, and a happy person. Focus on the qualities you want to develop rather than the situations you want to change! For example, if you focus on developing your confidence, then that confidence can be brought to bear on whatever situation you wish to change. Focus and nurture those qualities you want to have each day like you would water a plant.
• You are constantly evolving and changing and will never be 100% finished but the very fact that you alive here and now, and that you have come through all life's experiences, tells you that you have overcome many challenges before and that you can continue to change and develop to cope with whatever life brings.
• Change is a fundamental principle of life. Therefore the best way to prepare for life's tasks is to calmly and happily accept the many possibilities and to see the lack of certainty ahead as an opportunity to be grasped rather than a danger to fear. Embrace change- it allows you to be the person you want to be!

If you would like more support and personal help in shifting your consciousness towards achieving your goals, contact me, and we will test your readiness and openness to this, and if necessary – we can realign all your resources so that your body and mind work with you, to strengthen your motivation and to help you make the changes you need.

Let's talk about sex, baby...

As promised last month I am going to write about sex. Think of it as my early Christmas gift to you:) Not just because sexual energy is the most powerful energy we have. And also not just because a wonderful client has given me permission to share her story with you. But simply because of the beauty of connectedness that this topic brings.

Case Story

I have a lovely client who, among other things, told me that her anticipation and enjoyment of sex had significantly reduced and that she found she had become quite evasive when her husband showed any physical affection because, who knows – maybe he will want more.. and more. The situation was very stressful, because she wanted to be intimate with her husband, but she simply could feel almost nothing anymore and sex had become a tremendous source of frustration. And she was told that she should simply accept that she was getting older and changes were starting. Maybe.

We decided to look at the issue anyway. Before we started a session, we discussed that maybe the issue is related to changes in her endocrine system (and i have homeopathic vials of quite an amount of different hormones to do corrections), or possibly related to overall stress and simply some invigorating supplement was needed. However – during the session an issue concerning self-realization came up. By further 'investigation' it became clear that she always had to have a lot of people around her whom she could call 'friends' and who loved to be around her, but her private moments were periods of boredom which ended with watching TV. Somewhere along life's road she had lost interest in her own self and no longer enjoyed her own company or took pleasure in private and intimate moments. By working on this issue, we were able to make big improvements in her primary concern.

The “Moral”

So – why am I writing all this right before Christmas? Well, like Christmas, much of the joy of sex comes from the sense of anticipation. And, like London or Christmas, if we are tired of sex we're maybe tired of ourselves or life. But there are easy ways to rekindle that energy and zest for life, Christmas and sex. The beauty of this story (as with many others) is that the solution to problems may lie in completely different areas from where they manifest! Do you think that your hormones are playing tricks with you or slowly dying? Eh, check your life, your attitudes, and take steps to re-charge your life quite literally! If you find it difficult to manage this yourself, there are plenty of simple techniques you can use or people, like myself, who can help.

Health Tip

And my health tip of this month is simple, it's also the first rule of Health Kinesiology – there is always a way! If you cannot get to Rome via one road (somebody in authority has told you that you are getting old or you can't do this and you can't do that), ask yourself “What else is possible? Is there another road to Rome?” Yes, there always is!

I wish you Advent with anticipation and Christmas – full of miracles!

What is better - sex or laughter?

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily. Said Zig Ziglar, American Sales Trainer and Author

Also laughter, like sex, often doesn't last very long, so I recommend doing it as often as you can.

And I thought -  WHICH IS BETTER FOR YOU, SEX OR LAUGHTER?

Well, it's still quite early and the kids haven't gone to bed yet, so let's start with laughter.

Case story
Recently I saw a client who was complaining that she feels cold most of the time. As part of the session I did a 5-element balance with her (a procedure based on the Chinese Law of Five Elements which represent all aspects of the universe and natural cycles of the earth). The 'weakness' showed up in a couple of meridians. However, in order to balance them all she had to laugh happily and with appreciation say out loud “I love myself”. After doing that her whole system was instantly strong and robust. Such a pleasure and benefit in just one go! As a homework for her I “prescribed” (tested) that she should laugh significantly more. She said – but how if there is not so much to laugh about? Do i need to pretend? Well, yes, pretend and force yourself. If your life would depend on that – wouldn't you look out for something to laugh about, even if you have to work hard to find it. She simply was not allowing herself to express joy or was actively suppressing it.

DO 
- Smile consciously: the muscles used when smiling stimulate our autonomic nervous system to release endorphins, opiates and serotonin – hormones that sustain our sense of well-being, optimism and self-esteem. 
- If you hate the idea of forcing a smile, hold a pencil between your teeth for 1 or 2 min a day – that also will activate your smile muscles, leading your heart rate to decrease and causing you to feel happier. 

AND/OR

- Do a quick burst of belly laughter: 2/3 of seratonin – the feel-good hormone - is produced in the gut. So laugh out loud and long.
- If you hate the idea of laughing out loud and expressfully, then massaging your belly will produce similar results. Or exercise your abdominal muscles. I, personally, would choose laughter. 

To help you get started, here's an anecdote I heard from a very sexy young man about a married Belfast couple listening to the radio as the song 'When I Fall in Love' was playing. “Who's that singer?” the husband asks. “Nat King Cole,” his wife replies. “Aye,” says he, “but if it's Nat King Cole, who is it then?” 

Don't miss next month's News letter when I present the case for sex... perhaps :) 

Thank you for reading my Newsletter.
If you found the information relevant and interesting, please share it with others.
Comments, queries or recommendations, please let me know.
SPECIAL WINTER OFFER: Recommend a friend or family member to HkwithDace and get £10 off your next session! Offer lasts till 31.12.2012.

It's the season to get hot and steamy

Autumn is here again- what happened to the Summer?- which means that our old friend, the flu could be just around the corner. Should we be afraid? Well, in the local health centres they are certainly warning us to get our flu vaccines. And who knows – maybe soon some of us will have to endure SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), many will have runny noses, chest infections and so on. Many more will get lucky and have nothing of the kind. But the thing we fear most at this time is the dreaded flu!

I agree – a dose of the flu is about as welcome as a cold shower. Nobody wants that. Nobody wants to get sick. And fear of flu is real and can leave us feeling vulnerable.

So, what do i think about the flu? Well, as a health therapist I would say that catching the flu is a sure sign of good health!

Flu, like many acute illnesses, is in fact a great gift that enables you to clear yourself of any toxic overload. Having a flu from time to time is a sure sign that you are healthy and your body is still able to produce an acute episode –a fever - to combat and release toxicity.

So what does a high temperature do to us? It thins the body fluids which is very important, especially for the efficient movement of lymph in the body, and it allows blood to come to the surface of the skin. Thus a movement is created, especially in stagnant areas, causing the body to sweat and detoxify. I still remember my childhood days when my grandmother or mother (a certified therapeutic nurse) made me put my feet in a hot mustard bath and drink warm tea when i felt below par. This raised the body's temperature, enabling gentle perspiration and that alone did the trick. Next morning I would wake up feeling refreshed, as if I hadn't been unwell. Now I know why. The simplest detoxifying procedure was working its miracles.

However, many people have lost the ability to generate acute illness and fever for a day or two (don't get me wrong – very high or prolonged temperatures need special attention). This indicates that the immune system is suppressed; in other words the immune system is not able to 'express' itself 'openly', so the toxins remain stuck within the body.

I believe that with the reduction of acute illnesses we have also seen a dramatic increase in chronic 'incurable' conditions - 'cold' conditions. People who suffer from chronic illnesses often cannot even remember when they last had some acute episode of fever and sweating. Their bodies are unable to do this anymore, possibly because of suppressive treatments. There is no development more positive in a person with chronic illness than gaining the ability to create an acute illness. The fever of an acute illness burns away some of the chronic load and so begins to unlock new potential.

And yet – I certainly don't want to catch the flu this winter! And I hope you can escape it as well, so here is a simple, basic but very effective tip for you, in addition to good nutrition and regular exercise.

One of the most natural methods of prevention (the best cure) is to regularly artificially raise the body's temperature to create movement in the body and recreate the heat needed to burn off toxicity. It is also beneficial for people who have lost the ability to produce enough heat with their own body to do it should start it very gradually.

How? One of my favorite routines in the dark, cold, wet season is on Monday evenings, while my husband is busy working on his projects, to take a very warm bath (38-40 degrees) to heat myself up and get those fluids running. Sometimes I add Epsom salt or essential oils. In Latvia (and many other northern countries) it is a tradition to take a steam bath or dry bath at least once every week. The immune system will be very grateful.(Please note this does not apply if there is any risk of haemorrhaging, high blood pressure or during pregnancy or menstruation.)

That way the body will either avoid the winter threats or experience reduced symptoms of all these bugs. And yet - if it happens - maybe it is just a sign that we need to take a little time for ourselves and simply do nothing for a few days?

Of course, if you are really concerned about getting the flu, you can get a flu jab (which sometimes may cause the flu) though, personally, I would not- check http://www.naturalnews.com/037302_flu_vaccines_H1N1_infections.html ).

So good luck, learn something and simply enjoy the moment! Even if it rains.
Thank you for reading my Newsletter.
If you found the information relevant and interesting, please share it with others.
Comments, queries or recommendations, please let me know.
If you need more help navigating to healthier living habits, just call me or e-mail me.

Fifty Shades of Grey but one lesson now

Everywhere we look right now we see either the Olympics or Fifty Shades of Grey. So I ask myself, what should I focus on for this newsletter? I toss the coin – Fifty shades! The huge bombshell of sales and all the talk about it appeals to my natural human curiosity. I know I shouldn't but I simply have to find out what all the fuss is about.

It could simply be that sex sells, especially fantasies. Just that this time the packaging, timing, excellent marketing and all those things happen to be in place. But that doesn't fully explain the phenomenon, because there is loads of such erotic literature aimed at women. Why didn't A.N. Roqealaure's Sleeping Beauty Trilogy sell millions of copies? It is also about a lovely young girl who is kissed by a prince, raped and then made a sex slave, which is almost identical to 50 Shades.

Maybe we prefer the fantasy version with the decadent, extravagant lifestyle and trappings rather than the disturbing, criminal stories – women tortured in cellars and killed and filmed for pleasure. Or by huge luck, they manage to escape or are rescued. These are the tales of childhood, like Little Red Riding Hood. In my own childhood, I remember my father, a policeman, telling me such tales from real life, in a soft voice, but with the same moral lessons and the same characters- dominants and submissives.

I'm not that keen on reading in English- I prefer my Shakespeare or Yeats in Latvian, after someone else has deciphered and translated it into easy language for me- so I asked my husband to check it out. He read 1.5 pages and put it back. No style, no depth, trashy, he said (though I'm pretty sure I caught him 'double-checking something' a little later..) So I started to read it myself.

And yes, there is simple, direct language and the story is not new. It is again a retelling of Sleeping beauty. And while 50 Shades may not be a literary masterpiece, the symbolism of the tale is interesting. I will just draw attention to how Anastasia took the decision to get into such a 'relationship' (she obviously didn't have the benefit of my father's bedtime stories). She does it under pressure and under the fear of losing something potentially precious. She hopes that he will change (although i wonder why it is that women always hope that their man will change, but men hope their women won't?).

So my HK advice - if you find yourself in a dilemma- personal, professional or practical- and whatever you do (or don't do) doesn't feel right and could have unpleasant consequences,

firstly, don't rush. Decisions taken under pressure or when feeling below par will usually be regretted and there is a very simple physical explanation for this. When we are under huge stress we can lose up to 80 % of blood in the fore-brain, so inevitably the decision-making process is faulty. When we are under acute stress, the loss of blood from our fore-brain causes us to limp directly into a fight-flight-or freeze response. Chronic stress, something that bothers you even for a few days, has the same effect, only over a more drawn-out period.

How do we counteract this? One very simple technique- which is also a natural reaction, see how clever our bodies are!- is to place your fingers over your forehead (on the horns). This draws blood back to your fore-brain. Hold until you feel the pulse beat in your forehead. As we all know, stress can leave us vulnerable to physical illness and this technique can also help to protect us from that. You may also find it beneficial to place your other palm horizontally over the back of your head- the theory is that there are fear reflex points here- for maximum benefits.

And, if you can lessen the stress, fear or anxiety, you will think more clearly. Maybe a different solution or perspective on the problem will come to you. Simply place your fingers on your forehead, but hold a little longer than usual until you feel the blood come back into your fore-brain and the stress disappear.

So good luck, learn something and simply enjoy the moment!

Thank you for reading my Newsletter.

If you found the information relevant and interesting, please share it with others.

Comments, queries or recommendation, please let me know.

If you need more help navigating to healthier living habits, just call me or e-mail me.

How lovely it is to do nothing.. and then to rest afterwards

This is the time to go back to basics. 

Many of us live life at a constantly fast pace. With caffeine, energizers or simply by sheer force of will. 
It is like ‘slapping’ the body all the time to move on and on and on.
We continue slapping our bodies like a jockey might whip a horse during a race. However, for a horse, after the race is finished, a shrewd trainer ensures that it gets a good rest and plenty of relaxation before it races again. 

Not the same with ourselves.  We immediately begin the next race. And then – crash!- at some point we suddenly realize that we don’t feel refreshed, even after a long sleep, or that our sleep is hugely disturbed and we can’t recharge ourselves, or that we are already so tense that rest and relaxation is difficult to achieve.

Before this happens, how can we ensure that it doesn’t happen?

Once, when I was studying biology, a teacher asked us how we distinguish a living system from a non-living system? The fundamental building blocks (chemicals in Periodic Table) are the same in both. 

A living organism - the teacher said - is a ‘system repairing itself on the go.’ Whereas non-living systems can be taken to a garage like a car, stopped completely, dismantled, and then put together while stationary until it is ready to run smoothly again. A living system can’t do that. It must repair itself while the engine and all its parts are running and functioning. And the only way to do it is: to make time for doing nothing. 

Resting.

Because it is only during this time that the body truly recharges, repairs itself, detoxifies.

So how can we help our bodies to recharge, to repair themselves, to take that necessary deep breath and to move on with a fresh start? How do we avoid serious collapse, fatigue and burnout?

1. Simple. By doing nothing at least once a day or, preferably, a few times per day. Try taking at least 5 minutes of absolute rest initially. Just start small, and see how it feels.

2. Or, for maximum benefit, lie down in a semi-supine position (head supported, knees drawn up; or ‘corpse’ yoga pose). You can add little extras – listening to certain types of music e.g. Mozart, baroque music, or Enya will bring your brain rhythms into alpha waves automatically – the state where healing and upgrading takes place. If you don’t feel like listening to music or if it is not appropriate, you can simply place headphones with music playing on your belly –four finger widths below the navel. This is the acupressure point that is most receptive to sound. Thus you bring your body into calm and your mind into alpha waves, and the recharge – boom – happens!

3. If that is not possible because of work circumstances, then just sit quietly and breathe deeply into your belly for a minute or so. Remember, you will perform better at work if you are properly rested.

The optimal amount and time needed for rest can be established for each individual through muscle testing. One client of mine was feeling pressurised at work and struggling to meet certain targets. We tested that if she took 17 minutes sitting down and doing nothing each working day she would quickly start to feel better. And the feedback I received from her was that she didn’t just feel better, she was easily meeting her sales and productivity targets.

Your body will be very grateful to you for giving it regular rest during a day. You will notice that:

-          you can get through more things from your to-do-list with ease (rest increases the speed of your productivity)

-          your sleep during the night will improve

-          you don’t crave sweets or coffee or such (if you did) as much as before.

But more than that – the real value of taking time for rest and doing nothing during day means:

that you are the priority for yourself

You are the most important and valuable asset in the whole to-do-list! Mark it in your daily planner: 2pm-2.10pm – rest. Choose to stop the madness for a moment.

Of course, if you have already hit the point of burn-out and you feel like you cannot rest, or sleep, or recharge anymore, then you will need to consider other options initially – your body will need support in coming back to its normal state - some energy work or therapy might be needed and/or supplements to help the body to get back on track. And then get into the habit of regular rest and relaxation and even, like the wise Spaniard, occasionally doing absolutely nothing and that should do the trick!