"There are greater wonders and mysteries wrapped up in the domain of Nature than have ever been dreamed of by man in his search for the supernatural."  -Dumont

The SNAIL

The snail has become or has always become my power animal. i have had a love affair with snails since childhood (2), i used to run around at day care and look for snails to get off of pathways to save them from being crushed by all that walk the path, including my self. fast forward to today.. the snail to me has become symbolic of my journey, or at least how i feel about my journey in this mom

ent.
The snail carries his home with him wherever he goes.. to me this represents learning to LOVe all of me, i carry it all wherever i go as well.. The more i integrate and LOVe all of me the less co-dependent i am on others to meet my emotional needs. This can create freedom from judgment, ownership, guilt, resentment, shame, blame, fear etc.. In essence i learn to LOVe the house i have created for myself, i become less likely to look to others to fill my perceived conscious and sub-conscious needs, which creates freedom for all of us to be more authentic, and move with less fear.
The snail moves slow, which to me represents the abilty to be aware and present in each moment.. to breathe.. to observe.. to respond.. to choose.. to be open to the surprises that come each day.. one can still MOVE fast, to be a snail is to be observant and mindful within, no matter the situation presented.
Lastly, the snail lays a smooth substance to glide over all surfaces, to me this represents the ability to navigate any terrain presented in my life knowing there is always a smooth substance of LOVe guiding me, and if i so choose, i can focus on the smooth path to navigate even the most challenging terrain..

Remember it's not exploring your feelings that produces change but self-knowledge and awareness. Don't try to change your reactions today. It's enough to see them more clearly. (The Power of the Enneagram audio tapes)

How is it possible?
To feel what I feel... about myself when i'm with you?
How is it possible?
To love with empathy.. compassion.. understanding..
How is it possible?
To get lost in your eyes..
To get lost in your laugh..
To get lost in your Heat..
To get lost in your Heart..
To feel lost and found simultaneously..
How is it possible?
Maybe................................. It's possible.. Because..
I fear less..
I trust more..
My energy flows into life..
My emotions are steady..
I am powerful..
I open my heart to you.. It flows like a river..
My words flow from my heart..
My words are filled with LOVe..
Trusting my intuition, about us..
TRUSTING..
Finding purpose in our journey..
IS IT POSSIBLE?
To LOVe me, and you, with ALL of me?
I think it is possible....

uhhhh-ohhhhhhh

Is it a possible that we hide in others aspects of ourselves that we are ashamed of, fearful of etc..?
Is is possible What we judge in others as negative is actually the externalization of our own self judgment, but to hide from the truth we project this onto others to create separation from our inner fears, and thus can judge others as having negative aspects and judge ourselves as more evolved, developed etc, and or not having these same aspects within?

Have you ever wondered why so many people are triggered and have huge emotional responses around their parents, or flat out do not like their parents at all?  Could it be possible if the above is true that those who really dislike their parents are only continually reminded of aspects of themselves which they dislike.. (A metaphoric look into the mirror of self)  Our parents being such a good reminder of the carbon copies that we are of them and how much self judgment we actually carry..???

illusion

i walk blindly, although i am convinced i can see. what i see is illusory.. or is it? i have tools to explore the illusion/delusion.. but are they really? tools to explore? could they be tools that create more illusion and d illusion which creates the thought that i may have a handle on infinity??? HAHAHAHAHAHA... I HAVE NO IDEA.. Although i have many ideas.. I laugh at myself and enjoy the mystery of what is now... or do i???

Crunchy Change

I was born on the zero second of a new Moon. Evidently,
this cosmic grace predisposes me to be comfortable with, or at least understand, the nature of change. I find this to be true, as I am a content and purposeful explorer of life.

Flowing with change is normal. Yet, embedded within it are crunchy feelings and torrential currents which we all encounter.

Change organically propels us into uncharted territory. We meet feelings of ungroundedness and wrestle with control. What used to be our life suddenly or stealthily bends into a new form; a form which disorients and frightens us.

When I intuit the energy of someone dealing with unwanted change I see the sharpness of energy that feels like an attack. An attack on everything they have known. Change can toss our lives right out of the window and our emotions along with it.

Sigh....

Fall whispers to us, "Change can be dazzling." What has bloomed in your life may need to fall away, making room for an opportune beginning. Change brings us face to face with our curious cyclical power. Can you feel it?

Like a temple top rising above kaleidoscopic leaves you, too, have a peaceful hidden temple sequestered within your shifting life. It is always there. It is your heart. It is your soulful consciousness that eternally knows.

If the crunchiness of change has exposed some messy stuff, mosey into it. Roll around. Toss it in the air. Rest in it and listen. If you find anxiousness or fear, know you are closing the gap toward truth.

When you touch fear, kick it, or dare to merge with it you have the opportunity to fuse the vulnerable honesty of who you are with who you are becoming.

In celebration of crunchy change, I'll add to Gandhi's concept. Here's to the crunch! Here's to the power within - your power to embrace the change you wish to see in your life and to be in the world.

I will leave you with this knowing: "No matter the change you face, you have equal or greater amounts of courage and curiosity with which to meet that change."

"Nothing ever goes away, until it teaches us what we need to know"

-Pema Codron

GOUNDED GOPHER MEETS BLISS BUNNY

Be aware of the transformational process, no matter what type you are. "The two processes—the psychological and the spiritual—are connected and need not be considered separate; they are stages in the full development of the complete human being." (Understanding the Enneagram, 366)

Be aware of the transformational process, no matter what type you are. "The two processes—the psychological and the spiritual—are connected and need not be considered separate; they are stages in the full development of the complete human being." (Understanding the Enneagram, 366)

Do not take everything so personally, thinking that every remark is aimed at you. A critical or hostile remark does not reflect the whole truth about you. Do not go over it in your mind. Get reality checks from others—ask them what they meant. (Understanding the Enneagram, 339)

The spiritual path has nothing to do with being "bad" or "good", it has to do with being authentic.

it's not endlessly exploring your emotions that produces change but self-knowledge and awareness. Don't try to change your reactions today. It is enough to see them more clearly.

A bio-dynamic farmers crop is not growing as "planned".  Harvest is coming.  The farmer is full of many fears - money, food, family, lots of future thinking.  The farmer thinks for an instant about using fertilizer to speed natures process, but that goes directly against all the farmer knows.  The farmer knows that if he uses chemical fertilizer his crop may come as "planned" but his crop will not be bio-dynamic and his crop will not be as nutrient rich or as "happy".  The farmer decides to trust Great Spirit.  This crop never comes to harvest.  The farmer loses money etc...  The farmer has "hard times", but the farmer learns much from this experience, and through this experience his family becomes much closer and stronger.   They make it through the hard times and the next harvest is "unexpectedly" perfect AGAIN. 

Apply this scenario to RELATIONSHIPS
We are bio-dynamic farmers, we have ego "plans" that do not always turn out the way we expect.  We think..  but harvest is coming! Fears arise, anxiety settles in and we get lost in the future rather than being present in this moment.  We may think of pressuring others to get what we want (chemical fertilizer) but on the conscious path we know that if we pressure others to meet our wants we may end up with very resentful relationships (nutrient empty, unhappy crops).  We may not get what the "i" wants and this may be perceived as "hard times", but we will always get exactly what the "i" needs in terms of lessons and experience.  We can then turn the "hard time" perceived by the "i" into periods of great personal evolution.  Every moment is perfect and full of LOVe "i" just "need" to change my perception.

FIRE
Nutrition | Digestion

Nutrition

Eating whole fresh food from a sustainable organic source will give you the energy needed to create change in your life.  Healthy soil creates healthy plants, healthy plants feed and create healthy animals, healthy happy animals feed and create healthy, happy, human beings.  A critical step towards health is getting to know where and who your food comes from.  Do your best to seek out small local farmers and talk to them about their farming practices.  If you do not have access to local sustainable sources look for the freshest organic sources you can find.  The term “organic” has been bought and paid for; it no longer guarantees a pure, healthy source for food.  Large scale agriculture can now produce food to be sold as “organic”.

These farms are using organic pesticides and fertilizer which is a better choice than conventional but you will still be ingesting a large number of chemicals and the food will not be as vital because of the dead soil.  Nature loves diversity!  Seek out farmers that use a polyculture system (meaning more than 1 crop); farmers that rotate their crops, compost and rotational graze for meat production are raising soil that is full of health, which produces healthier plants and animals.  The vitamin, mineral and enzyme content are higher in truly organic or biodynamic food and these substances each play extremely important roles in creating a healthy body.  Prepare food for increased or maintained nutrition, and easier digestion.  Healthy cooking is a science within itself, we recommend taking a few cooking classes on how to cook, prepare, and organize healthy food for yourself and your family.  Much of the nutritional work that is published advocates higher carbohydrate consumption than WE (unless your metabolic type is carbohydrate or higher carbohydrate mixed).

It is important to note that not all calories are created equal, Healthy fat from pasture raised animals function much differently in the body than a conventional animal.  All mammals store excess toxins in their fat. When you eat conventional animals and their fat you are getting a significant dose of toxins that you will not receive with a pasture raised animal.  Every meal should consist of high quality fat, carbohydrate, and protein in the right proportions for your dynamic metabolic type.

Digestion

Your health is only as good as your digestive system.  If your digestive system is sub-optimal you will not utilize and convert all this good food into a new healthy body.  Healing your gut takes time and patience. Being mindful of slowing your eating down (trying to chew each bite 50x), not watching the news or stressful media while eating, avoiding foods that you are intolerant or allergic to, and whenever possible start your meals with raw or fermented foods.

Eating every 3-4 hours gives your digestive system a much needed rest between meals.  If you wait longer than this to eat, your body will move into a sympathetic state, meaning it will store fat and bring sugar levels up by breaking down lean mass.  Mild hunger is a sign that you are creating an opportunity to use your own body fat as energy but drowsiness is a sign that have moved into a sympathetic state.  After each meal you should feel a normal state of well being, good mental focus, no cravings, optimal response to exercise, and clarity of thought.

Prepare food for increased or maintained nutrition

When preparing food to eat we encourage raw or slow cooking. The real nutrition within animal products such as fat-soluble vitamins, enzymes and omega 3 fatty acids can all be denatured with higher temperatures.  80 degrees is usually best for slow cooking.  Invest in a ceramic crock pot, put food in the oven before you leave to work and let your food cook for the day, when you return home you will have a healthy meal waiting for you.  If you cannot slow cook your food daily, it is fine to use a lower temperature to cook your foods when you return home, just remember slower is better.  A very easy way to always have nutritious food available is to cook a large dinner and use the leftovers for the next day’s breakfast and lunch.

Raw food, especially raw animal products have been given a bad reputation and rightly so when you study the poor farming methods utilized by most farmers. Poor farming methods leave the finished animal product in a sub healthy state, which is more prone to unhealthy spoilage.

Some food will not release nutrition or block the absorption of nutrition if not prepared correctly such as nuts, seeds, grains, cruciferous vegetables. Having these foods raw can play havoc on your digestive system.

We recommend the following for quality cookware (Ceramic, Ceramic coated Iron, Titanium)
http://www.mercola.com 
http://www.lecreuset.com
http://www.saladmaster.com

A full-spectrum nutritional cookbook with a startling message–animal fats and cholesterol are vital factors in the human diet, necessary for reproduction and normal growth, proper function of the brain and nervous system, protection from disease and optimum energy levels. Includes information on how to prepare grains, health benefits of bone broths and enzyme-rich lacto-fermented foods.

Nourishing Traditions  by Sally Fallon

Raw & Fermented Foods

The focus on raw or slow cooked eggs, meat, fat, dairy, lacto-fermented foods is very important to the health of your body and your digestive system.  These foods will have a higher enzyme content, which will increase the absorption rate of amino acids, fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins.  In our experience most clients walk through our doors with a digestive system that is not fully functional because of processed foods, stress, and improperly prepared foods. Taking your time to eat raw and fermented foods as well as bone broths will help heal your gut, and help create a higher level of health and wellness within.  If you find yourself short on time to create dishes like these a fantastic food co-op that prepares many great healing dishes is Three Stone Hearth.

http://www.threestonehearth.com/

Vitamin D

A great way to optimize Vitamin D levels is through safe, smart and limited sunscreen-free exposure to the sun.

Here is a general rule:

Older people need more sun exposure than younger people, larger people more than smaller people, northern people more than southern people, dark skinned more than light skinned, winter people more than summer people and sun phobics more than sun worshippers.

Get 15-30 minutes of unprotected sun exposure 2-4 times per week.  After that, use sunscreen.  Once the sunscreen is on, you cannot manufacture Vitamin D. Always avoid sunburn.

The synthesis of Vitamin D comes from the fatty acid secretions in the skin.  Avoid washing the skin with soap for up to 48hrs after getting sun, as this will wash away the vitamin D before it enters the circulation.

The richest nutritional source of Vitamin D can be found in fermented Cod Liver Oil. We recommend Green Pasture because of the high source quality and minimal processing of their products. http://www.greenpasture.org/public/Home/index.cfm

WE Cleanse Seasonally

You will generally reach your set point level of body fat just by living our principals.  Once this becomes your lifestyle, if you are not happy with your body fat or you want to gain muscle we can make intelligent choices on how to reach these goals.  Slow consistent loss of body fat is important because you will need to detoxify the stored toxicity in your fat as you burn through the stored energy.  This is why we advise a seasonal cleanse for the last two weeks of every season.  This cleanse will help your detoxification systems to run optimally for the next phase of your training.

WE cleanse follows the principals above, removing the following:
All grains, seeds, legumes (nuts ok, except peanuts)
Caffeinated beverages
Alcohol and drugs
All root vegetables except carrot and ginger
All fruits except berries, green apples, grapefruit, lemon, lime, avocado, and tomato

In addition to the above we recommend consulting with Kanako Kobayashi Nutrition Consultant who can suggest specific supplemental protocols for detoxification and overall health.  contact@feedingwellnes.com

Here is a list of foods that we promote and their optimal preparation.
Pastured Beef 
Raw – cured in Lemon Juice
Slow cooked 80 degrees > 4hrs
Seared in white hot stainless or cast iron pan 1min max (inside bloody)
Pastured Lamb
Slow cooked 80 degrees > 4hrs
Seared in white hot stainless or cast iron pan 1min max (inside bloody)
Pastured Pork & Chicken
Slow cooked 90 degrees > 4hrs
Sustainable Seafood
Raw – cured in Lemon Juice
Slow cooked 80 degrees > 4hrs
Seared in white hot stainless pan inside raw
Dairy
Raw
Cultured
www.organicpastures.com
www.claravaledairy.com
Salad Greens, Fresh Herbs
Raw
Carrots & Beets 
Raw
Green Apples, Berries, Grapefruit, Avocado, Lemons & limes
Raw
Zucchini, Pumpkin, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes
Slow cooked less than 100 degrees
Lightly steamed or sautéed in high quality fat (coconut oil, butter, ghee)
Cruciferous Vegetable family
Slow cooked less than 100 degrees
Lightly steamed or sautéed in high quality fat (coconut oil, butter, ghee)
Nuts, seeds, legumes & grains
Soaked, sprouted, fermented

Without internal peace...  one will not reach external peace...

MINDFUL STRETCHING

When we are stretching we are addressing much more than just the length tension relationships of our bodies.  We are stretching our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies.  Stretching is a powerful healing tool, but to use it as such we must bring awareness and intention to our stretches.  This is a basic guide to your corrective stretching program, there are many ways to be mindful during your stretching, choose a few or one from the list below and watch as your body releases and opens up.

1.       Stretching should not be a painful experience, if your baby was crying would you pick up your baby and shake him/her around?  Most of us would probably pick our baby up and soothe him/her, relax and show love.  Go into your stretching with the mindfulness that your tight areas are “crying babies”, you want to soothe them and love them, by doing this you will get a much better release and it will be a good practice in mindfulness and loving yourself.

2.       Mindful stretching is a good time to bring awareness to posture and your breathing, never miss an opportunity to be mindful of deep 3D breathing and postural alignment.  The more often we are aware the easier it is to change and let go what no longer serves us.

3.       Be aware of the images and thoughts that arise during each stretch, the body will guide you as to what may be energetically stored in these tight areas.  Journal these images and thoughts, bring what you would like to share and we can explore the deeper meanings together.

4.        Your stretching can be used as chakra/zone work, use your EMBH book and correlate each stretch to a given chakra/zone.  You can breathe in the correlating chakra/zone color as you do each stretch; imagining each cell breathing deeply with you and releasing what no longer serves you.  You can repeat correlating mantras during each stretch or as above you can pay attention to the correlating lessons from each level of chakra/zone.  Stretching is a great opportunity to get to know yourself.

5.       As you stretch you can also imagine every cell in your body taking a deep breath with you, especially focusing on the areas of tightness or pain.  Imagine with each inhale you are bringing in nourishment, oxygen, healing etc, and with each exhale you are simply letting go anything that no longer serves you.  Intend those areas to open up and release, imagine them in your mind’s eye gaining more range and letting go of tension.

6.        It is also a great idea to stretch in the evening before bed.  This will not only set you up for a good night sleep but it will also have profound effect on your length/tension relationships.  You will be healing and regenerating throughout the night in alignment without gravity pushing you back into your old patterns.   If you have the time in the evening it may serve you well to do longer static holds during your stretching (1:00+), this will be a more relaxing mindful stretching session as compared to the contract/relax method. 

NO MATTER WHAT!!!  I would ask myself, "Is it a possibility that somehow this event serves my stories (emotional needs?)  I would guess that until I re-intergrate all the "seperated" parts of my ego "un-healed in my perception" that I will continue to manifest what I think I DO NOT WANT, but what unconscious to my present consciousness DOES WANT..   is that a possibility?  in this moment i think so..

"we do not know our own best interests"  Our egos have many wants desires etc..  but Source Spirit has already written the story and every single event is placed in our lives as experience and growth no matter how much it goes against the WILL and DESIRE of our ego.

I always ask why am I triggered..  lets be clear triggered does not mean mad..  it can mean mad, sad, jealous, envious, angry, shame, fear, guilt, any feeling that does not create levity in you would be a trigger, and be careful of tricking yourself into feeling levity and denying underlying truths of yourself..

Infinite...  is much greater than we think... 

Teaching health is very easy when YOU are the lesson.
                                                                                            -Paul Chek

consciousness is infinitely layered.  once i think i have a grasp on my own consciousness, another layer appears..

 infinity is much larger than i thought...

silly ego..  silly shadow..  silly me.. silly spirit...  playing games

ah the journey continues..  

WE HLC Essentials
AIR
Thoughts | Self Love
Thoughts
Your thoughts will have a profound effect on every aspect of your life.  This includes your health, your emotional state, your life path, and your ability to succeed.  Most people think about what they don’t want the majority of the time therefore drawing the very thing they don’t want towards them.  It would also serve us well to look into what our unconscious thoughts are and how they are creating our current reality.  It is easy to have a daily mantra of positivity, but if the unconscious records that play in your sub-conscious are opposed to your conscious thoughts of positivity then your manifestations will continue to be created by the unconscious.  Shakespeare said ‘There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so’.
Being clear on what you want and need creates a solid path to your dreams. Taking the time each week to write out four key goals and their associated action steps will enable you to start living for you. If you are not living for your goals, you are living for someone else’s.
The Grand Canyon test and the coin test always serve me well
Grand Canyon test = Speak out to the Grand Canyon your current goal “I want to be healthier” for example, what echoes back?  “I WANT to be healthier” try stating your goals or dreams in the affirmative “I want to be healthier” would become “I AM healthier” what echoes back “I AM healthier”.  This is a much more powerful way of affirming your change and new path.
Coin Test = every thought we have has a shadow (tails) or light (heads) side.  When you pay attention to your thoughts you can always take out your coin and look at both sides.  If you goal is to be healthier and you have the thought “I am not doing enough to create health in my life” take out your coin and look at the other side “I am doing enough to create health in my life”, then ask yourself which thought better serves you and will help you towards your goal of creating health?  I would choose “I am doing enough to create health in my life”, this can serve as a positive motivator to creating the needed change.  You can use the coin with every thought you have about any subject and you will be amazed to watch your thoughts and nero-pathways change.
Think Before You Buy
Before you invest money, time or energy into any choice, take a moment to think about what you’re supporting with this choice and does it fit in with your values and your health & fitness goals.  Are you supporting sustainable farmers, local producers, and mother earth?  Many choices we make are for short term fulfillment and over the long term take us further from what we really want. For example, buying takeout food maybe easier than purchasing good quality food and cooking yourself, but in the long run your body will suffer and it will slowly get harder to look and feel the way you would like.

Take Personal Responsibility
True health and fitness is everyone’s birthright and individual responsibility. Obtaining coaching from a Health and Fitness Professional is helpful, but ultimately optimal health and fitness comes from owning your own choices. This means researching and understanding any modifications you are going to make.  At WE Holistic Lifestyle Coaching we encourage critical thinking and want people to read up on any of the information that we offer.
Latest research on food, health, and healthcare
http://thehealthyskeptic.org/
Paul Chek’s program for personal mastery
http://www.ppssuccess.com/
Self Love
We believe that each and every aspect of these principals boils down to taking the time out to truly learn to love you.  Self love is necessary to take conscious control of each and every decision you make.  Ask yourself, why do I make this choice?  Why do I react this way?  Why does this person trigger me?  Why do I eat more or less when I am stressed?  Why do I self sabotage my goals?  Taking the time to ask why, may give you the keys to change old habit patterns.  Asking why can soothe the ego and open up your right brain to give you an intuitive answer, learn to trust this voice that whispers to each of us.  To truly change we must find the roots of how, why, and what we perceived to create the current situation.  Self love is the key to all change.
Love Yourself
You will feel the most significant experience, you will become ecstatic if you can feel that the whole existence needs you, that you will be missed, that if you are not here there will be a gap, you will be missed.  You are not unnecessary, you are not superfluous; you have tremendous significance.  Hence love yourself.  You are needed as much as the trees, as the flowers, as the birds, as the sun, as the moon, as the stars.  You have to be here and you have a right to be the way you are.
-Osho

"By offering freedom you will be free. Freedom is the only gift you can offer to god's sons, being an acknowledgment of what they are and what he is. Freedom, is creation because it is love. Whom you seek to imprison you do not love, therefore when you seek to imprison anyone, including yourself, you do not love him and you cannot identify with him. When you imprison yourself, you are losing sight of your true identification with me and with the father".

Why do I do what I do and can I be conscious enough in each moment to do what I do from the higher self and be conscious enough in those same moments to recognize why I may want to do and sometimes do, do from the lower self......  In each moment there is opportunity for spiritual growth and psychological healing.   Sounds possible to me at least in this moment.

THE EGO.S MANTRA = SEEK AND DO NOT FIND