Saying N-O is O-K

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Most of us find it difficult to say no when asked to do a favor by a friend or colleague, or to take on something that we would really rather not.  

We may not want to disappoint the person doing the asking, or we may even be flattered that they are asking us to do something for them. 

However, when your daily schedule is already full, you need to prioritize and manage your time and energy.  Especially when dealing with the added stress and fatigue of peri-menopause and menopause.

Now is the time for self-care and de-stressing.

By saying NO to non-essential requests for your time and energy, you are saying YES to yourself.  

Certainly some requests are necessary to take on, but those that are not, are best politely declined.

Here are some phrases to try:

* Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get to that today.

* My schedule is just too full for that right now.

* I’ll consider it and get back to you.

* What a great idea, perhaps you could ask … to do that.

* That is not my area of expertise.

* Perhaps I could do that for you at another time.

* I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to help you this time.

* Thank you for thinking of me, but I have to decline.

You may think it’s just easier to say yes and then deal with the overload you put yourself under.  However, taking on more than you are comfortable with or even capable of can damage your health and wellbeing. 

It is well known that stress breaks the body down and weakens the immune system, leaving you vulnerable to everything from the common cold to cancer.  So, when you find your schedule overwhelming you, say no to others and yes to yourself.

What does that look like?

* Put your needs at the front of your list, not the end.

* Make sure you get enough sleep—7-8 hrs.

* Include joyful movement into your daily routine.

* Find what feeds your soul and do it as often as possible.

* Hang out with your friends.

* Play in the garden, get sun on your skin and dirt on your hands.

* Hug someone everyday.

* Honor your body by eating real, whole food.

* Walk barefoot in the grass.

* Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe deeply and visualize a loved one.

You should welcome every opportunity to reduce the stress and time commitments you put yourself under.  It’s time to lighten up.  Lighten up your schedule, your diet, your stress, your responsibilities, your overload.

For guidance and support on your journey to “lighten up” contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

 

Nourish Your Whole Colorful Self

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Color effects our everyday lives by influencing our mood and health.  I’m sure you can think of colors that fill you with energy and lighten your mood, while others make you feel heavy and down.

More than just a preference, we may be drawn to a color’s specific vibration.  Colors vibrate at frequencies which in turn correlate to body organs, emotions, and of course foods.

We can harness the healing power of color by surrounding ourselves in the full spectrum of the rainbow with the clothes we wear, the surroundings we choose, and the foods we eat.

Eating a variety of colorful foods ensures that we provide our body with an array of phytonutrients to protect our organs, antioxidants to lower inflammation, fiber to feed our microbiome and flush toxins, and an increased diversity of nutrients for longevity.

Food and Spirit’s Seven Systems of Health integrates the benefits of colorful eating with colorful living.  The seven “aspects” relate to the seven major chakras, or energy centers of the body.  Each aspect encompasses a specific color, endocrine gland, physiological activity, core issue, and food. 

The Root aspect’s color is red and relates to the adrenal glands.  It deals with core issues of safety, survival and tribe.  If for instance, if you are feeling ungrounded or stressed, you may want to eat some red meat, beets or other root vegetables and red colored foods, preferably in the company of your “tribe”.  The vitamin C in red colored foods support the adrenal glands to help you deal with stress.  Also, wearing something red, or adding red accents to your work space could help balance this aspect with the vibration of the color red.

The Flow aspect’s color is orange and the issues here are creativity, emotions and relationships.  To help bring energy into this aspect, which involves the reproductive organs, kidney and bladder, you would eat orange colored foods, fish and seafood, dietary fats and oils, nuts and seeds, and water to keep everything “flowing”.  Here, orange is the color to surround yourself with.  Playfulness and creativity in its many forms will feed this aspect, along with healthy relationships and emotional balance.

The Fire aspect’s color is yellow.  The pancreas is the gland involved, as well as other organs of digestion—stomach, liver, gallbladder and small intestine.  Here we are dealing with the core issues of energy, balance and power.  Those who struggle with balancing their energy, holding on to their personal power, or managing their work/life balance need to address their Fire aspect.  Eating yellow foods, soluble fiber, whole grains and healthy sweetness like stevia or raw honey, while keeping sugar consumption down and staying away from refined processed carbohydrates will help.  Wearing something yellow will allow its vibration to bring balance to this aspect as well.  

The Love aspect’s color is green, and as the name suggests it involves the heart as well as the thymus gland.  The breasts and lungs are also included in the Love aspect. Its issues are compassion, expansion and service.  Often those who over care for others without adequate self-love can find this aspect out of balance.  Leafy green vegetables, micro-greens, and other green vegetables will benefit the Love aspect.  Also, wearing green, bringing a plant to work, or ideally, walking in a forest while deep breathing, will lovingly surround you in the vibration of green.  

The Truth aspect’s color is aquamarine blue and its associated gland is the thyroid.  This aspect represents the issues of authenticity, choice and voice.  To strengthen this aspect and your thyroid, you may want to wear a beautiful aquamarine scarf to bathe your thyroid in the vibration of this amazing color.  Or wear turquoise or lapis lazuli jewelry.  Soups, sauces, sea plants, teas and juices all support this aspect.  Being in touch with your authentic truth, and choosing to speak it with confidence, will both empower you and help balance this aspect. 

The Insight aspect’s color is indigo and involves the pituitary gland and the brain itself.  The issues here are intuition, reflection and visualization.  To heighten these abilities wear indigo jewelry or clothing, or visualize images of an indigo night sky, bringing the vibration of that color into your energy realm.  Foods that nourish the Insight aspect include caffeine, chocolate, spices and blue-purple foods like wild blueberries.  Strengthening this aspect will help with alertness, cognitive functioning and restorative sleep. 

The final aspect of Spirit is represented by white, which is actually all of the colors of the spectrum and encompasses the light energy of the universe.  Chi, Prana, Source, God, whatever name you put to it, this aspect reflects our connection to spirit.  The gland of the Spirit aspect is the pineal gland.  This gland distinguishes light and dark, and regulates our sleep/wake cycles.   The core issues here are connection, purpose and soul.  Detoxing and fasting are beneficial for this aspect.  Also eating healthy white foods like cauliflower, coconut products, onions and garlic, and choosing purifying foods like organic foods and lemons.

The vibration of white light has been shown to improve conditions associated with depression.  One could argue that depression could stem form a disconnection from spirit, or life.  When we experience awe, wonder, gratitude and joy we are connecting to spirit. 

Reducing electromagnetic frequencies, getting in touch with your purpose, meditation, Qi gong, staring at the star filled night sky, swimming in the ocean, or just getting out in the bright sunlight everyday will all help balance the Spirit aspect.

Carrying these seven aspects into how we live our lives will make for a more integrated, FULL life experience.  More ColorFULL, PlayFULL, PowerFULL, MeaningFULL, TruthFULL, ThoughtFUL, and SoulFULL.

For support and guidance on your journey to nourishing your whole colorful self, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.

 

Lift Your Spirits With A Vision Board

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A vision board is a college of pictures and words that you create to help you visualize your goals, dreams and desires for your life.

It is virtually impossible to reach a goal that you cannot first visualize.  Visualizing your goals gives them power.

While envisioning your desires pay attention to how it looks, feels, smells and tastes to incorporate all of your senses.

Where are you?  Really look around, take it all in.

Who are you with?  Are you alone?  With a loved one?  In a supportive group?

How are your feeling?  Relaxed?  Excited?  Motivated?  Loved?  Joyful?

What are the scents you are smelling?  Flowers?  Food?  Perfume?  The ocean? The forest?

What are you tasting?  Delicious food?  Passion?  Success?

In making a vision board you are putting images to your desires, thus helping you to visualize and validate them.

You want to focus your desires in a positive way, so select images that portray positivity.  Vision boards should elicit positive emotions and vibrations to cement those positive thoughts and belief into your subconscious, which as we know runs the show.

The beauty of a vision board is that it is individualized and personalized to reflect who you really are and what you desire, empowering you and your dreams.

Use this as an opportunity to connect with your roots, your creativity, your gut, your heart, your authenticity, your inspiration, and your soul.

In doing so you are bringing energy into: 

  1. Your center of stability, or 1st chakra (Root)

  2. Your center of creativity, or 2nd chakra (Sacral)

  3. Your center of motivation and energy, or 3rd chakra (Solar Plexus)

  4. Your center of love, or 4th chakra (Heart)

  5. Your center of truth, or 5th chakra (Throat) 

  6. Your center of inspiration and visualization, or 6th chakra (Third Eye)

  7. Your center of soul connection, or 7th chakra (Crown)

With all of these energy centers activated, (your third eye will be on fire!) you are sure to produce a truly inspired vision board.

Putting together your motivational images and words keeps your desires and dreams in focus, helping to bring clarity to your choices and goals.

Keep your vision board somewhere you will see it often as a reminder of your life goals, and a motivator to act on your dreams.

You may want to make a vision board once a year to fine tune and adjust your images to better focus your desires and keep you moving forward on your life journey.

Let a vision board help you to envision the life you want to create for yourself, then go live it!

For support and guidance on your journey of life and inspiration, contact me for a free 15 minute consultation at nina.lynn@me.com.