6 Steps to Strengthen Mind-Body Connection

6 Steps to Strengthen Mind-Body Connection

1.  Close your eyes and take a deep breath
2.  Scan the body
3.  Be aware of any sensations, pleasant or unpleasant
4.  Notice where the sensations are coming from
5.  Let your awareness travel around the body
6.  Follow these sensations until they disappear

The Natural Comforter:

How acupuncture can help release the body of pain

For those suffering from chronic pain conditions like arthritis, acupuncture can provide some much needed relief. Its effectiveness in treating these conditions has been documented, and the pain-relief it brings relies on using the body's own natural pain killers. This makes it an attractive option for people who either want to avoid taking pain medication for their arthritis or who haven't had much success with traditional pain killers.

Acupuncture works by stimulating the energy meridians of the body, which causes a chain reaction of sorts. The insertion of the needles into the meridian points makes the muscles feel full, causing a dull ache. This sends a signal to the brain to release the body's natural pain-relief chemicals known as endorphins. These prevent the pain messages that the body is sending from reaching the brain, circumventing the feelings of pain. By using different combinations of needles in the meridians, the acupuncturist can direct the pain-relief to the areas that it's needed, thereby reducing the need for drugs for pain-relief.

Additionally, arthritis isn't the only condition of chronic pain for which acupuncture provides relief. Besides alleviating the pain of common conditions like headaches or menstrual cramps, researchers are taking a serious look at how acupuncture can help with the symptoms of cancer.

The disease brings its own distress with it, including severe pain. Most of the time, patients suffering from an aggressive cancer like pancreatic of mesothelioma cancer must rely on drugs and chemicals to not only fight off the cancer, but to also treat the pain of intense treatments. The results often make the patient physically sick with some patients reporting the treatment for the cancer being worse than the cancer itself. Medical acupuncture treats both the pain and the nausea in a natural way, and it can be given to the patient in an outpatient setting.

Finally, using acupuncture in addition to other natural therapies like good nutrition helps return the body to homeostasis—the state in which the body maintains a healthy balance in all its systems. Bodies that get out of balance or come out of homeostasis are vulnerable to disease or even death because of the imbalance. These natural therapies combined with acupuncture greatly increase the life expectancy and well-being of a person. I have seen this first hand with grandparents suffering from arthritis and friends contemplating the use of acupuncture during cancer treatment.

There many studies and personal anecdotes proving its effectiveness; why not try it out? Since, acupuncture moves the body back into this whole state, allowing the body to naturally heal itself, because it no longer needs its energy to fight off disease.

Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the world with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return!! Leonardo di Vinci

Therefore, DARE TO SOAR, my friends!!

CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE YOGA CLASS

Oh Happy Week....I begin teaching a beginner yoga class through Central Arizona College this week. Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 8:30 to 9:45 at the Women's Club in Casa Grande, Arizona. I am sooo excited. I will also add some of my Yoga Nidra (sleep) teachings throughout the Fall semester. It's going to be exciting, juicy and as my friend Jen says, "gnarly". Lots of friendly familiar faces and lots of new ones that I look forward to meeting.

GRADUATION

Today was bittersweet....Graduation from Yoga Teacher Training (YTT). After six short months of being with the same group of wonderful friends and teachers, I can call them family...It's been an amazing journey - opening myself up to new friends and new experiences. My journey continues now with new experiences in teaching and meeting new friends....
I would like to thank everyone who has supported me on my journey - I couldn't have done it without all of you....from my family, friends who let me practice my teaching on them, teachers who helped me with my studies, and my classmates who were always there to lend an ear and just be there for support and love, and my greatest support of all, my husband John Robert. I love and appreciate all of you.

My heart is full today!!

YOGA AROMA

Last weekend I attended an Aroma Yoga class at Spirit of Yoga (SOY), part of Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA), in Tempe, Arizona.
Yesterday, I took the information I learned and taught an Aroma Yoga class to 6 beautiful women in Casa Grande. Opening the 4th Chakra, our heart chakra. We used JOY, PEACE AND CALM, VALOR and ABUNDANCE oils. The class started with a beautiful heart opening centering using PEACE AND CALM. We then moved on to warm up stretches. As we came to standing, we used the ABUNDANCE oil and proceeded with "HA Airplane" pose with lots of noice, releasing of negative energy and many giggles and smiles.
I love my students...they are amazing women with open hearts and a willingness to try anything I put in front of them...most days I feel I get more from them, that I am giving.
We moved on to a heart opening sequence, cool downs and a beautifl aroma savasana using VALOR (so earthy and grounding)...before everyone left, I gave them an option of staying an learning VITAFLEX on their feet, using the essential oils....all 6 of them stayed.
Thank you Tracy Griffiths for teaching me a beautiful Aroma Yoga class that I was able to pass on to my students....I love spreading the love!

YTT IS COMING TO AN END

I can hardly believe that we only have 4 more classes in our YTT Program (Yoga Teacher Training). We started our class in January with 50 students, and we now have a core of 20....I've gotten to know the majority of those 20 students really well. We've become a family. So, it is bittersweet that class is ending, as I will miss my new friends and teachers - but I am really ready to give up the hour drive every Monday and Wednesday morning and afternoon....I have learned so much from this class on so many different levels. I have loved the emotional ups and downs, class parties, and now supporting each other as we complete our practicums.

My body, soul and spirit has been changed in these past 6 months, my husband says that I seem so much happier - I have found a passion - and am now finding ways to share that passion with others....Isn't this what life is all about?

A HUGE thank you to my teachers, Christy Burnette, Astara Robinson and Walter Williams - you have made this journey memorable...I have learned so much, and yet, have so much to learn. Thank you for drawing the passion out of me.