Soda is full of sugar, and it’s bad for you. If you have fat around the middle of your body you can thank sugar for that. Seriously, research it. How do you kick a soda addiction? Replace it with something good, like nutrient infused water.
Here is a link to a recipe for Mint, Cucumber, Lemon water and here is what one of my readers has to say about it:
“i been trying [this] drink out for the last couple of days (and eating the contents in the evening!) well all i can say is it really has got things moving (and i didn’t know i had things which needed to be moved lol!) got to be good for me!!”
This recipe is supposed to be a “fat flush” drink:
This site lists 8 different “detox” water recipes:
http://bembu.com/detox-water-recipes
Truthfully, drinking some of these instead of soda may suck at first, until your taste buds change. Just proceed with the understanding that after you go a while without the soda (sugar) your taste buds will change over time. Once they do, the infused waters will actually taste good and the soda will eventually taste gross.
Also, for me, the more processed sugar I consume, the more I crave. As long as I stay away from it, I didn’t crave it.. but it generally takes about 2-4 weeks for the cravings to disappear after cutting processed sugar out completely.
Coconut water is also good for you but it may taste pretty disgusting at first, especially if it’s packaged. Again, as your taste buds change, the taste will improve. Coconut water from Young Thai Coconuts is sweeter and yummiliscious! Here is what they look like:
If you’re in the Wichita, Kansas area, you can find them at Green Acres, or you can save some money and go to an Asian store to buy them. Finally, you can even make one of my personal favorites, good old fashioned, home-made lemonade. Click here for the recipe. Cheers!
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PITCHER
35 oz water
7 Lemons
7 Oz Sweetener (Maple Syrup, Honey, etc)
Optional: Ice Cubes
SINGLE SERVE
2 Tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey
Juice of one fresh lemon
6-8 oz water
Optional: Ice Cubes
DIRECTIONS
Juice the lemon into a glass
Add Sweetener and Water, then stir
Optional: Add Ice
Lemons are incredibly healing. They are alkalizing, and have strong strong antibacterial, antiviral, and immune-boosting powers. They also have anti-oxidant powers and contain large amounts of vitamin C (nearly half the daily recommended dosage). Lemons also assist in healing and cleansing the liver and, did you know that lemons lower blood sugar? It’s true!
Back when I had metabolic syndrome, when my blood sugars would go higher than I wanted, I would drink fresh squeezed lemon juice in water to bring it back under control. I know it works because I tested my blood sugar levels before and after. Neat stuff! Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and they medicine be thy food”… there is something to that statement. After all, Hippocrates was was a pretty smart dude.
“Vitamin C travels through the body neutralizing any free radicals with which it comes into contact in the aqueous environments in the body both inside and outside cells. Free radicals can interact with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and also cause a lot of inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Since free radicals can damage blood vessels and can change cholesterol to make it more likely to build up in artery walls, vitamin C can be helpful for preventing the development and progression of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease.
Vitamin C is also vital to the function of a strong immune system. The immune system’s main goal is to protect you from illness, so a little extra vitamin C may be useful in conditions like colds, flus, and recurrent ear infections.
Owing to the multitude of vitamin C’s health benefits, it is not surprising that research has shown that consumption of vegetables and fruits high in this nutrient is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes including heart disease, stroke and cancer.”
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC CHALLENGE – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
KICK-START YOUR DIGESTIVE PROCESS FOR THE DAY
For the next three weeks, and on an empty stomach, try drinking freshly squeezed lemon juice in a warm (not hot) glass of water with a little bit of honey first thing in the morning to kickstart the digestion process for the day. and see what it does for your digestion. Let me know how it works for you! Read more here about the benefits of drinking warm water. Everyone is different, so test out quantities for yourself. For me personally, I drink about a quart of fluid in the morning, minimum. Most days I drink more than that. It seems the more fluid I take in the morning, the better my digestion.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
WHY AVOID PESTICIDES?
It’s no secret that pesticides are toxic. They’ve been linked to many health problems, including neurological and gastrointestinal problems, as well as problems in the endocrine and hormonal systems. After all, these chemicals are designed to kill, but guess what? The way they’re designed to work isn’t against any one species, so they often kill or harm organisms other than pests; including humans.
Aside from the fact that pesticides are harmful to the environment, long-term low-level exposure to pesticide residues in food as well as contact with pesticide residues in the air, water, soil, sediment, food materials, plants and animals, can lead to pesticide poisoning. Pesticide poisoning occurs when chemicals intended to control a pest affect non-target organisms such as humans, wildlife, or bees.
The World Health Organization reports that this long-term exposure to pesticides can “increase the risk of developmental and reproductive disorders, immune-system disruption, endocrine disruption, impaired nervous-system function, and development of certain cancers. Children are at higher risk from exposure than are adults.” In fact, any young and developing organism is particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of pesticides, even with very low levels of exposure.
These symptoms are often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect.
Toxipedia reports that “Pesticide exposure can cause a range of neurological health effects such as memory loss, loss of coordination, reduced speed of response to stimuli, reduced visual ability, altered or uncontrollable mood and general behavior, and reduced motor skills. These symptoms are often very subtle and may not be recognized by the medical community as a clinical effect. Other possible health effects include asthma, allergies, and hypersensitivity, and pesticide exposure is also linked with cancer, hormone disruption, and problems with reproduction and fetal development”.
How many neurologists, eye doctors, or psychologists ask their patients if they eat conventional or organic foods? How many doctors consider this as a root cause? How many doctors advise their patients to remove pesticide-ridden food from their diet tosee if there is any improvement?
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It is better to eat fruits and vegetables, even with pesticide residue, than to not eat vegetables and fruit at all. While we may not be able to fully eliminate the pesticides in our food, there are many steps we can take to reduce our exposure. Use the following tips and techniques to limit your exposure to pesticides:
Clean Fifteen/Dirty Dozen
Each year Environmental Working Group publishes two lists to aid in the selection of produce. The ‘Dirty Dozen’ list tells which foods are most contaminated with pesticides. The ‘Clean Fifteen’ list shares the opposite; which foods are least contaminated. Each year the lists change. Search for these titles followed by the current year for the most current list, or, follow this link.
Wash Your Produce Wash your produce thoroughly, even your organic produce, with any of these pesticide rinse recipes. Experts recommend rinsing in running water as opposed to dunking in a tub of water. Use a scrubber for produce with firmer skin, like carrots, potatoes and squash. If possible, dry your produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.
Rinse 1:
Soak your vegetables in a solution of 10% white vinegar* to 90% water (i.e.: one cup vinegar to nine cups water) and let it soak briefly, then swish it around and rinse well. This is not recommended for fragile fruits like raspberries; mine actually fell apart!
*Proper vinegars should have on the label that they are made from distilled grain alcohol or other similar language indicating natural products from distilling. Avoid 20% vinegar.
Rinse 2:
In India, studies show that a solution of Tamarind (at least 20mg) and Vinegar were effective in removing the pesticide residue, up to 95%. The study said the vegetables should be dipped in the tamarind-vinegar water for 15 minutes.
Rinse 3:
Mix one teaspoon of sea salt per one cup of water, let produce soak briefly, then swish it around and rinse well.
Liquid dish soap and bleach are not recommend for washing your fruits and vegetables. These chemicals can get trapped in the pores of produce, becoming difficult to rinse off, there-by adding residues to your produce.
NOTE: Don’t believe your food has pesticide residue? Take this test and see for yourself:
1. Buy one large bunch of organic grapes and one large bunch of conventional grapes.
2. Place each bunch in a large bowl or pan.
3. Squirt dishwashing detergent in each bowl/pan and swish it around, mixing thoroughly for one minute.
4. Carefully watch the water for evidence of pesticide residue.
Grow Your Own Food
The most sure-fire way to know for certain what’s in your food, is to grow your own.
Buy From Your Local Farmer’s Market
If growing your own food is not an option, consider buying from your local Farmer’s Market. Local growers often use less pesticides and are more likely to grow organically. Locally grown food is healthier. In fact, many believe that eating locally grown non-organic is healthier than eating organic that’s been shipped in from another location, as long as it’s been cleaned properly.
Buy Organic
Contrary to popular belief, organic does not mean ‘pesticide free’. However, pesticides used in organic produce are derived from natural sources, as opposed to being manufactured synthetically. Also, most organic farmers employ techniques such as insect traps, disease-resistant crop selection, predator insects and beneficial microorganisms.
Peel Your Food & Discard Outer Layers
Discard the outer layer of leafy greens and, if you can not grow your own or buy organic, you can always peel the food to strip the outer layer that is believed to holds a higher concentration of the pesticide.
Ferment Your Food
Studies now show that the act of fermentation degrades the pesticide in the food. In one study, the insecticide degraded at a rapid pace until day three, and by day nine, the chemical had degraded completely. Researchers identified four strains of lactic acid bacteria that were responsible for this effect.
Eat a Variety
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will minimize the potential of exposing yourself (and getting an over-exposure) to one specific pesticide.
Trim the Fat
Pesticide residue will accumulate in the fats of fish, poultry and other meats. Trimming the fat will reduce your exposure to these chemicals.
If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.
Love to you!
Jodi
Source(s)
ewg.org
toxipedia.org
World Health Organization
National Pesticide Information Center
Health.howstuffworks.com
Mercola.com
articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com
npic.orst.edu
3/4 small head cabbage, roughly chopped
5 small fresh tomatoes
1.5 cups celery, diced
1.5 cups shredded carrots
1.5 small onions
1.5 red bell pepper, diced
1-2 red chili peppers
1 green chili (Anaheim chili)
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
1 tsp tumeric
1-1.5 tsp garlic/ginger paste
1/8 tsp red chili pepper
Himalayan Sea Salt
White Pepper
Coconut Oil
Broth or Bouillon Cubes (I used Chicken flavor)
Green Onion (Optional)
Chop the following and place in a dish together:
Dish 1
Red Chili Peppers
Anaheim Pepper
Red Bell Pepper
Onion
Dish 2
Celery
Carrot
Dish 3
Cabbage
Tomato
Heat the coconut oil in a pan.
1. Add turmeric, red chili pepper, and garlic/ginger paste; stir.
2. Add Dish 1 (Red Chili Pepper, Anaheim Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Onion), salt and pepper to release the flavor – 1-2 minutes.
3. Add Celery and Carrots; sauté until tender.
4. Add water (or broth), enough to cover about 2″ above the vegetables.
5. Add Oregano, Basil, and, if not using broth, bouillon cubes (I added 3 cubes based on the amount of water in the pan).
6. Add cabbage and tomato. Bring to a boil, then simmer until cabbage is tender.
7. Add green onion before serving
This was taken in Tirruvanamalai, while sitting in front of Mount Arunachala. Does this remind you of an angel or of any particular deity? Is it a random entity? Or just a highly active imagination?
What do YOU think?!
If you look closely you can even see the outline of… wings!
The face (although my drawing is far more handsome lol):
Today is the final day of the 21 day Panchakarma treatment, and I am so glad.
I get to broaden my horizons on the food front and have bananas, apples, and avocado again. I can even have eggs or yogurt if I want, woo hoo!! Oh! And I get to have Mysore dosa and Thali again! Yeess!!!
Week two was smooth sailing, after the initial experience with the nose drops. I did miss the deep-tissue massages, though. Ayurvedic massage just isn’t my preference. I was told that weeks one and two focused more on on stirring up and releasing toxins, while week three was more focused on replenishing nutrients.
In week three, I got to receive the deep tissue massage again, and the complimentary treatment this week was a technique called Basti. It is the most powerful of the five main procedures of Panchakarma. To all my friends with narcolepsy and neurological disorders, basti is supposed to be *the* treatment for those with neurological disorders.
Quite honestly, it’s been a long three weeks and, I can’t say I feel much different from when I started Panchakarma. Many people say they have a lot of weight loss from Panchakarma and I haven’t noticed this ‘side benefit’ personally. My roommate did say he thought I had lost weight. I don’t know. Maybe I can find a scale tomorrow.
Perhaps it is because I already had a pretty clean diet to begin with, that I haven’t seen major results from this cleansing procedure/technique. Perhaps it is because I had a few cheat days. I will never know. I do wish I had gone to a facility to have this treatment done, as opposed to an ‘outpatient’ type clinic. Next time I will go to a facility. In the facility they provide meals for you, do your laundry, give you a gentle yoga practice daily, practice pranayama, and keep you on schedule. It would have been good for me to have that structure and to not have to worry about cooking my own meals, sourcing ingredients, doing dishes, traveling, and figuring everything out.
During the Panchakarma I was not allowed to do morning yoga practice. The theory is that the body needs the energy to support the cleanse. I was allowed to do an evening practice, but I didn’t. Aside from taking care of daily duties, like cooking, cleaning and laundry, I just took this time to focus on allowing my body to detox and heal. Some days I was simply tired from the process itself.
Now, I must rebuild my body’s strength so that I can start practicing yoga again and get strong enough to take Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training. I’ve got my work cut out for me. I am nowhere near having the strength I need for Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training right now. It’s time to re-build my strength and my body. Can I do it?!??? Time will tell.
My ego is having a heyday with this one. It can be so intimidating walking into a yoga class with a bunch of hard-core, seasoned ashtangees, when you don’t even know the series and haven’t got the strength to complete it. It can be twice as intimidating, having the memory challenges that I have. I just have to keep telling myself that putting myself out there is better than being the gal sitting on the couch at home, and to hell with what anybody else thinks!
The only way to truly get over my fear is to bask in it until it dissolves, and that means to thrust myself, full-force, in the midst of my fear so that I can experience it fully. Deep breath, “I can do this”.
So, after I get myself to the point that I can do the Sun Salutations five times each, I will be seeking a studio to practice at again. And yes, I will be asking my divine to give me strength and the courage to once again step outside of my comfort zone and do this. Wish me luck!
What have you been putting of lately, out of fear? Are you letting fear of failure keep you from trying something new? You know, often times, when we allow ourselves to fully experience our fear, it will simply disappear. What fear have you been running from? What fear can you thrust yourself into and experience fully?
You were born with divine potential. How can you reach this divine potential if you do not gather the strength and courage to face your fears? Truth is, when you exhibit courage, you inspire others to do the same, and others will follow your lead.
Aristotle, he was a pretty smart dude, and he said, “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others”.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Do one thing today that scares you. If you don’t feel you have the courage, ask your divine to give you the strength and to carry you through it.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -♥
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Previously, I shared my experience with you about the phenomenon of the divine holding the coin to the wall… and I’m sure this was really hard for most of you to believe, having not experienced it yourself. I was actually able to get some videos of this phenomenon at a different site; the Nandi bull in Mysore.
I’m sure it may still be hard for some to believe. I showed one of these videos to a friend here in Mysore, and even seeing a video, she refused to believe there wasn’t some trick behind it. She was just certain that there was tar on the bull, or that it was magnetized. It’s unfortunate that her mind wouldn’t let her believe… because it’s such a beautiful, sacred experience.
If you ever get the chance to come to India, bring coins with you.. because this is one experience you must have before you leave; especially if you lack in faith.
Here’s a video of me, channeling my divine to accept my offering. It’s one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Notice, in the second video, you can see the coin sliding beneath my finger-tips, so it’s evident that the bull is not magnetized or tarred:
One person said they felt electricity come through their arm. I don’t remember what the other said. Personally, I felt heat come through my arm. Thank you to my beautiful friends for being a testimony to the divine for the world to see. Thank you to Spirit for allowing the recording and flowing through on this day <3
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
If you lack in fath, see how you lack in faith. Ask your divine to reveal itself to you; to give you an experience that you can’t deny; an experience that you can carry with you for a lifetime and never doubt again.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
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The Five Tibetan Rites is the new coffee! Before I started doing the Sun Salutations, I started my day performing 21 sets of each of the five Tibetan rites.. and if I skipped a day I most *definitely* could feel it! This truly was my Morning ‘Cup-a-Joe’.
“The Tibetan Rites are a collection of 5 yoga postures that became widely known after a man by the name of Peter Kelder wrote a book entitled The Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth in which he claimed to have received these exercises from Tibetan monks.
The Five Tibetans activate the primary chakras (primary energy center within the subtle body) and stimulates energy flow through them. When these energy centers are activated, the corresponding nerves, organs and glands are also stimulated.
If that’s too much ‘hocus pocus’ for you, then consider the fact that these exercises tone and strengthen the major muscle groups, contributing to a strong and resilient physique. It’s amazing how quickly you gain strength through doing the Five Tibetans daily. This practice is the *only* thing that saved me when I embarked on Yoga Teaching Training; had I not been doing these daily, I would have never passed the course.
The benefits of doing these rites are incredibly numerous, some of which are the following:
looking younger
sleeping better
feeling refreshed and energized
minimizing of health issues, especially spine-related issues
feeling an enhanced sense of well-being and harmony
having a very high overall level of energy”
If you’re just beginning, you can start with doing three of each rite, and slowly work your way up to where you can perform 21 of each rite daily. Set a goal for yourself. When I initially started, my goal was to add one of each rite each week. Then I knew I would be doing 21 of each rite after 21 weeks. Much to my surprise, it was easy to add one after three to four days. Soon, I was doing seven.. and then one day I just tried to see if I could do 14 of each rite and I could do it very easily! So I stepped up my game! You will be surprised at how fast you gain strength if you do these daily and consistently!
I have taught these rites to many friends, and they all say they have a noticeable increase in energy-levels throughout the day when they make these rites their daily, morning practice. If you try them and feel a difference, please come back and post your experience so that others can benefit!
Don’t hesitate to contact me on my facebook page with any questions.
If this page has inspired or helped you in any way please subscribe, share, comment, and like my facebook page.
Love to you!
Jodi
Further Explanation of the Rites and their benefits (1. source of quoted text above):
My day is full of love and light!! It rained all day. Rain is a blessing. A kind man offered me a free ride home on the back of his scooter so I didn’t have to walk in the rain. On the way, it started to rain really hard so we had to pull over and wait under a tree until the rain let up.
Across the street I saw two men fighting.. over trash. That was a sobering experience. To think that trash can be so valuable that it’s worth fighting over. As I watched from the other side of the road, I began to give both men distance Diksha. They were getting physical, slapping and shoving one another, and then one of them picked up a big rock and raised it as if he was going to bash the other guy in the head with it. I turned my head, I couldn’t look.
As I drew down even stronger forces of energy, channeling it toward these two men, I could feel my hands heat up while the energy emanated from them. “Good”, I thought, “Something is making it’s way over there”. While I continued to send energy their way, I prayed for their peace and prosperity; then I prayed for Spirit to break up the fight and resolve it fairly. I urged for the bag to be broken up and divided fairly.
Suddenly, a bigger man from my side of the street started hollering at them, then he crossed the street, stepped in and broke up the fight.
I gave thanks, and about that time, it also stopped raining, so the driver took off. As we passed the three men, the large bag was being opened and one of the me was taking items out of it. Perhaps they were making a fair division? Who knows.
As I climbed the stairs to my apartment, showing gratitude to my divine, I realized… it wasn’t just the man that broke up the fight that Spirit was expressing through… Spirit was expressing through all four of us… Interacting with itself…
It kinda blew my mind a little bit lol.
Was this timing divinely orchestrated so that the energy work and prayer would take place? Or would the man have intervened anyway? Nobody knows, but it sure leaves one to wonder at the magical possibilities of life!
Later, I got notice that a package arrived, then another kind man gave me a ride to the mail place. I was elated to receive a box with my favorite chocolate and an awesome water bottle and baggies. Ziplock baggies!! What a luxury item to have in this country!! Great for keeping the ants out of my chocolate, ha ha ha!!
In India, an owner ropes his cow to an object (a tree, a post, a fence) while its young. As the calf grows older, he doesn’t realize his own strength to break free and his mind is conditioned to believe he can only go as far as the rope will reach.
When the cow is grown, the rope is removed, but the cow has been conditioned by his experiences. As such, he will not wander from his post. He does not realize his own freedom and he can not see past the illusion in which he lives.
Like the cow, you, too, have been conditioned by your own experiences. Perhaps you’ve been bound with ropes like, “how could you be so stupid?”, “You idiot!”, “you’ll never amount to anything”, or “sometimes I wish you were never born”.
Maybe you’re bound by your own self judgements of feeling like you’re ‘not good enough’. Perhaps the relentless teasing by the other children are bound so tightly around you that you don’t dare take a chance or try something new today, for fear of failure, rejection, or ridicule.
Now that you’re older, the situations are no longer there… the rope is no longer there… so what’s stopping you?
What would become available to you if you were able to see your own strength and act on it; if you were able to realize your own freedom?
If you want something you’ve never had then you’ve gotta do something you’ve never done.
Realize your own strength and break out of the illusion!
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Ask your divine to show you how the ropes that bind you are not even real, to show you your own strengths, and to open your eyes to the freedom that you have, to be you. If you’re inspired, come back and share your experience so others can benefit; I’d love to hear about it!
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
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Here is my apartment for the time being. I live with others. I have my own room and bathroom, but I share the commons area (kitchen, dining room, and living room) with others:
Living Room:
Dining Room:
Alter Room:
Kitchen:
Laundry:
Bedroom:
Bathroom:
There you have it! That’s where I live! Although I must admit, most places in Mysore are nothing like this. The down side is that it’s right on the busy street and the constant honking and traffic noise can get to you. Also, there’s a cell phone tower on top of the building. Lucky thing I have custom-fitted ear plugs and my invisible super sonic EMF reflector, ha!
Something’s happening. You may not know it yet, but it’s taking the world by storm.. and it’s contagious. If you read this post, you will likely catch it. You’ve been warned. You see, it’s the divine (or call it what you will – Spirit, Creator, God, the Universe.. what ever resonates with you). It’s God’s Love Bug… the divine expressing itself through-out the Universe, in a language we can all understand; in the language of the divine.
The divine talks to us all the time, through various avenues, and one very powerful means of communication is through visual symbols. The language of the divine is Love, so how can the divine express love visually? Through hearts!
Yes. Hearts! Seriously folks, check out these pictures. They are just a very small sampling of the collection I’ve captured, throughout my journey in India, of this phenomenon.
The divine is everywhere, expressing itself through hearts, to show you that you’re not alone, that your divine is with you every second of the day and will always be with you.
The divine expresses itself through love. Through a piece of paper on the floor or ground – or through trash:
Through the rocks:
Through the animals – seriously folks, I can’t make this stuff up lol! There are too many miracles here to deny it. How many perfectly shaped heart rocks have you seen in your life time? How many animals with hearts? Aside from the two pics of me kneeling by the calve, these are all different animals that have crossed my path! Even the calf that looks the same on the second row.. notice one has white legs and the other doesn’t.
It expresses through food; a ‘Good Morning’ message from the divine in your breakfast fruit salad, a treat given to you from a friend, the shape of freshly delivered pizza, or even a left over crumb (Note: These fruit salad pictures were taken on separate occasions):
Through trees and leaves, through the way the grass grows, through the asphalt and other nature bits:
But how do I know it’s the divine? Well, stay tuned for that story. However, I will share this: I was walking down the street discussing this with a friend. Suddenly he stopped in amazement. I asked him what was going on. He said he asked God, “if this is real, then show me a heart”. He then looked down and there was a heart on the sidewalk right by his foot! It looked like an oil stain of some sort, or perhaps something wet on the cement. Later, I went back to take a picture of this heart – and it was gone. True story! Life is full of miracles (if you remain open to them)!! Check out today’s Soulystic Suggestion below and open yourself to God’s miracles today.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Ask your divine to open your eyes to be able to see the signs He is sending to you. Ask Him to let you know that He is with you at all times, and that you are not alone <3 Marvel at the miracles that unfold next.
If you catch the GLB (God’s Love Bug), please share your photos with me on my Soulystic Living Facebook page! Too many people feel isolated and alone these days, let’s get this message out to the world!!
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
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Truth is, in all things, there are positive and negative aspects. Your experience in any given situation depends on which aspect you seek.
I took this picture of a cow pattie the other day:
When you look at this picture, do you see a disgusting cow pattie, or do you see amazing hearts provided by nature? I see four hearts, how about you?
It really is about choice. Both positive and negative exist, but the one you focus on is the one that will be your experience. If you look for the negative, that’s what you will find and experience. If you look for the positive, you will find and experience that also.
As you go through this day, which will you be looking for? Come to the Light Side, it’s a lot more fun!
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – SOULYSTIC SUGGESTION – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
Choose any suggestion below to deepen your spiritual connection with your divine:
* – Ask your divine to give you the experience of the positive side of the situations you face today, then make the effort to see the positive in each situation. This evening, reflect and journal your experience.
* – Ask your divine to show you the positive side of a challenging situation you may be experiencing.
* – Ask your divine to change your focus and teach you how to see the positive in all things.
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
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Hello beautiful people! Yesterday as I walked to my panchakarma appointment, I found four coins on the ground amongst a bunch of motorcycles. I knew immediately upon picking them up that they were meant for someone else, so I tucked them away in a separate compartment in my wallet; knowing the divine would reveal this person to me later in the day and that I would recognize that person when s/he showed up.
Bear in mind that in some parts of India, people in the streets will often ask for money, but that’s not been a common experience for me in Mysore. Children have asked for American coins or quarters, but they do not generally ask for money.
As I was leaving the treatment place a boy was standing outside the fence. I was in the process of calling a friend when he said hello. I quickly said hi before dialing the last number. The boy patiently stood there during the entire phone conversation, which was odd (this is not typical behavior in my experience). Before I ever hung up the phone, I already knew he was the one to whom I was to give the money.
When I got off the phone I looked at the boy and, with his limited English, he said, “Please. Money.” He didn’t look poor, but it’s really not for me to judge; I knew he was to be the recipient of the coins. I asked him if he speaks English. He gave me a confused look, almost with a brief expression of fear behind it, and remained wordless. I smiled, open my wallet, fetched the coins and gave them to him. His face lit up, he smiled back, then we both went our separate ways.
A beautiful example of the divine working through one person to help another. Who knows what the boy needed the money for. Maybe he was taking it to help his grandmother. Maybe he needed something for school. Maybe he said a prayer and this experience was to deepen his faith, or, maybe the experience was to deepen mine (or yours, through my sharing). Perhaps he simply had a strong desire for a sweet, or something, and he put that out to the Universe and it was returned through me.
Who knows? It’s really not up to me to figure out. I can only speak for my own experience, and for me, it was an honor to allow Spirit to flow through me to another. It literally made my day. I left that encounter with a hop and a skip in my step, in awe of how the divine had orchestrated this entire process to fulfill this boy’s need or desire. I marveled at how perfectly orchestrated everything had to be in order for Spirit to flow through me; from the timing of when I left the house to the timing of when the person got off the motorcycle and dropped the coins, to the precise timing that I was leaving my appointment – even right down to the fact that the divine knew that I would save the coins and give them to the right person instead of keeping them for myself.
Ask your divine to flow through you today and to show you how you can help another in need <3
♥ – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – ♥
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The word panchakarma literally means “five actions”, and in panchakarma there are five different procedures used as a therapeutic way of eliminating toxins from the body. I started panchakarma last week. Each day I go to the clinic, check in with the doc, then go for my treatment. At first, I felt like I was in heaven! But then? Shit got real lol.
In week one, I was given internal ‘medicine’ to take daily. Each day I would awaken, take the internal meds, then go to the clinic for my check-in. After check-in, I would receive a head massage and a full body deep-tissue massage, then I would go into the steam box. The steam box is typically a big wooden box that encompasses your body, with a slot for your head to poke through the top. It releases hot steam inside, which opens your pores and assists in the elimination of toxins (see pictures below).
I also got some funky, dukey-lookin’ stuff put on my head, that I had to leave in for two hours. That put a damper in my daily plans lol. Walking home with this mess on my head every day was fun! No. Seriously! The looks I got were priceless!
I loved the beginning of week one! Even though I was on a limited diet, I still had a host of foods to choose from that were quite delicious – including my ‘Health Idli’s’ (if you’re subscribed to my Facebook page you know what these are). The massages were to live for, and I left feeling so relaxed. However, toward the end of the week, everything changed.
During the fourth and fifth day I was really, really tired. I came home after each treatment and fell asleep. Also, on the fifth day, I was very emotional. I went for my check-in and the next thing I know I’m bawling at the doctor’s desk! For those of you who aren’t familiar with detoxing the body, crying is a symptom – it always gets worse before it gets better! The doctor and I talked for about an hour and I cried most of the time. Then I went in for my treatment and cried during the head massage. After that I went home and, yes, cried some more.
STEAM BOX
The next day I wasn’t supposed to take any internal meds and man I felt a total difference! For that one day I had energy for a change! On this day I also was on a liquid diet, as a preparation for the following day’s ‘purgation’. I drank fresh coconut water most of the day, and had one bowl of soup.
I was excited to start week two, because I knew I would no longer be walking around with dukey-head lol. That meant I could actually go somewhere after treatment and get some things accomplished. Instead of the head massage and treatment, I was going to get a face massage and some nose drops. COOL!
The doc warned me that, after the drops, I would need to spit and clear my nose, so to go to the bathroom after the face massage take care of it. She also warned me to not snort the drops. So the man put the drops in my nose and I had to let it drip towards my brain for a couple minutes. I didn’t fully snort it.. but.. I did inhale a little harder than normal. I figured, I’m paying good money for this cleanse and I want it to be effective, right? What was I thinking?!
After my face massage, I felt fine, so I went straight into the steam box. Suddenly, just after I’m closed into the steam box, my throat starts to burn and I can’t breath without coughing. I expected throat symptoms, no biggy. Next, my eyes start burning. Now I’m confused, because doctor never mentioned anything about eyes burning. “Why are my eyes burning?!”, I wonder. I ask the man if my eyes are supposed to burn. “No”, he says.
Okay, honestly? I may as well have snorted habanero sauce; I’m pretty sure it would have given similar effects. “Holy heck!!”, I think, “What IS that stuff?!” I feel like someone placed a torch behind my eyeballs and they were burning from the inside out, like an inferno is inside my head. Tears were streaming down my face, unprovoked by me. I am now choking on, what seems like fumes in the back of my throat. A steady burning sensation hurled through my nose, and it began to run.. I’m pretty sure it eventually just went completely numb at some point.
Walking home I probably looked like a drunkard on crack whose best friend just died; walking all cock-eyed with my eyes all bloodshot, tears steady streaming down my face. My throat was sore, my nose was still burning, and I’m pretty sure at this point that I no longer have nose hairs. As soon as I got home a roommate asked if I was okay; he thought I was really upset and had been crying. Later, a different roommate asked me if I was sick with a cold or something. A good hour to hour and a half passed before it finally settled down and I’m not going to lie, it sucked.
So much for shopping and sight-seeing after treatment! Let’s hope tomorrow is more gentle lol. There you have it, folks. That’s my adventure for the day and my initial experiences with panchakarma. Okay, okay. It wasn’t THAT bad, of course I’ve exaggerated for sheer entertainment purposes lol. I can’t give an honest review of panchakarma until I’m through the entire treatment, but don’t let this post scare you away from it; I hear that many celebrities swear by it and come to India to have it done annually.
What’s the weirdest or funniest experience you’ve had with a cleanse?
