How to Activate Your Self-Healing Ability

You hold all the power, wisdom and knowledge you need to heal your body, mind and soul no matter what you are going through or experiencing.

Your body is so powerful, so intelligent and so capable that you need not doubt its ability to heal.

Your body houses not only your blood and organs but also your soul, which is an infinite, limitless energy that can truly create miracles if you are open to them.

You may of heard of people healing their bodies, returning from life threatening illnesses or experiencing spontaneous healings. Despite what it may sound like to your rational mind, all of this is possible and is accessible to anyone.

Healing doesn’t necessarily mean that you are completely free of physical symptoms, but it does allow you to feel at peace with your situation or to accept your situation.

Sure, physical symptoms can disappear, sometimes even over-night, but that is not always the goal with healing.

True healing happens on an emotional and spiritual level first and then moves out into the physical realm.

For this reason, sometimes it is necessary for the internal work to be completed first before the external work can begin.

Sometimes your healing may just come in the form of an energy shift or an emotional shift. Other times, it may come in the form of a physical transformation.

I for one have experienced spontaneous healings on both a physical and energetic level and have heard countless stories all the time from people who have done the same.

This is not something that is limited to the uber-spiritual or to select people, it is available to everyone, as long as they are willing.

How to Activate Your Potential to Self- Heal

There is no room for the ego when it comes to self-healing. This means that you must leave your ego aside and step into the vibration of your soul.

Sometimes we have to go through physical, emotional, mental or even spiritual challenges or illnesses in order to get to where we need to be and this also needs to be honoured.

For true self-healing to occur, all personal egoic gain needs to be left at the door and your true desire to heal must come from wanting to tap into your highest path, which is beyond your rational mind.

You also have to truly want to heal and to let go of any attachments or feelings of dependency that you have created in regards to your personal challenge or illness.

Sometimes we can become so used to being “sick” that our ego begins to enjoy the pity party and attention that comes along with it.

Know that in order to be healed, this needs to be completely shed and let go of.

In order to self heal, you must be 100 percent willing and ready to be healed. 

Everyone is ready in their own time, and there is no judgement on what constitutes as feeling ready, however usually there is a strong sense of knowing that you are ready to let it all go.

Along with feeling ready you also have to allow yourself to be open to the possibility of being healed.

You have to believe in the potential for your body to heal itself and you must be open to the fact that you can instantly heal your life.

Once you have opened yourself to the possibility, you then have to step back and let it happen.

It may also help to ask for the assistance and guidance from your spirit guides or guardian angels.

They are always around you and always ready to help as long as you are ready to hear their messages.

Steps to Truly Heal Yourself

1. Leave your ego at the door- healing can happen on any level and the outcome may not be as your ego expects it to be.

2. You must be willing to be healed. You have to be willing to fully release and let go of your illness and to give up personal or egoic gains in regards to your healing.

3. You must be open to the idea of instant healing and be ready to let it happen.

4. Ask for assistance from your angels or spirit guides.

5. Once you have welcomed in the idea of healing, you must stay open to the signs, messages and synchronicities that occur. You must be willing to take divinely inspired action in order to assist with your healing process.

6. Give the process time. Healing has to occur energetically first and if you are too caught up in your egoic wants and needs, you may miss the subtle shifts in your vibration. After you have activated your healing process, you must remain open, accepting and grateful.

Activating Your Healing

Once you have prepared yourself to receive your healing, you must activate your healing by letting your body and soul know that you are ready.

Your soul contains the wisdom to heal you and through being ready you can unlock this wisdom and have it take effect.

Here’s how….

Find a quiet place. Sit and mediate for a few minutes to clear your mind.

Place your right hand on your belly and your left hand on your heart. Gently breathe in and out.

Start imagining a golden light surrounding your entire body. Imagine this golden light travelling up through your body from your toes to your head. As the light surrounds you, imagine it going into your body through the top of your head and down through your spine.

Continue mediating on this visual for at least 3-5 minutes until it feels strong in your mind.

As you watch the golden light pass through your body, imagine it healing and clearing everything that no longer serves you. Ask the light to heal and cleanse everything that no longer serves you.

Allow your breathing to get deeper and deeper and has you clear things with the golden light, allow your exhales to become longer and deeper, as if you are pushing out the stagnant energy.

Continue this for 10 minutes or so. Allow yourself to feel any emotions or blocks that arise and try to push past any ego driven thoughts or distractions.

Once you have completed your mediation, say a little prayer or blessing to your higher self, angels and/or spirit guides and ask them to help you to heal and release all that no longer serves you. Ask them to support your ability to spontaneously heal.

You may also want to speak to your “illness” and let it know that while you are grateful for its presence in your life, that you would like it to pass on. To do this, you first must accept your situation and honor it for what it has taught you.

There are no rules to this, but hopefully this gives you some guidance and understanding of how to activate your ability to self-heal.

This is not designed to replace the advice of a medical professional, however your body is an amazing, intelligent instrument that contains so much power and knowledge.

Hopefully this exercise helps you to tap in to your strength and to return faith into the beautiful being that you are.

by Tanaaz

http://foreverconscious.com/activate-self-healing-ability

Intuitive Eating: 8 Luscious Ways to Heal Your Body With Food

Tell me, how many diets have you tried in the last 5 years?

If you’re like me, you’ve done a grand royal tour of almost all of them … French woman diet, low carb, slow carb, Mediterranean, low fat, high protein, raw, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free … you name it and I’ve probably tried it. Yet, like me, you may try out a diet for a few months but soon feel off-kilter, as though you’re eating too much of one thing, or eating too little of another. You may also feel tired, achy, moody, bloated or even nutritionally deficient due to your strict dieting regime.

As you sheepishly reach over to that bag of French Fries you’ve been craving to devour for 2 months, you wonder, “Where the hell did I go wrong?” Then, with guilt weighing heavily in your nether regions you start the dieting cycle again. And again. And again. And again. This can go on for years or even a whole lifetime.

If you’re struggling to find your “miracle” diet, I understand your frustration, I really do. While I’m not obese (although I’ve gained 10 extra kilos in the past 5 years), I’ve attempted to use diets as a way to help me reduce my chronic fatigue and skin problems. And let me tell you, some of them DO work. Some diets are really great at helping you lose weight and feel more energized and healthy. But the truth is that eventually I get bored and sick of them. Why? Because I’m a bit of a rebel at heart: I hate following the rules of others – I prefer to make my own, and sooner or later I feel boxed in. And that makes my inner free spirit scream.

Enter: intuitive eating. Yes, even the briefest mention of using your intuition to pick the food you eat sends eyebrows soaring and noses wrinkling. But although intuition is a trait we all possess that can’t be measured or quantified, I have relied on it for the past 6 months to guide me through my eating habits. Since deciding to try out intuitive eating I have felt my chronic fatigue subside and my body gain more vibrant energy, I have experienced more mental clarity, clearer skin and a permanent loss of 3 kilos (which is a bonus that I didn’t expect).

Most of all, I actually ENJOY intuitive eating because I don’t feel controlled or confined by the rules and restrictions of pre-established diets. I take full and absolute responsibility for my eating.

What is Intuitive Eating + How Can You Do It?

Intuitive eating, also known as mindful eating, is not a diet, it is a way of life. As dietitian and author of “Intuitive Eating” Evelyn Tribole writes, intuitive eating:

• Rejects the diet mentality that we’ve been conditioned into, and instead promotes a healthy relationship with food
• Is about developing a mindful understanding of your body and its cues
• Is about understanding the difference between emotional eating and bodily hunger
• Helps you to find satisfaction when eating

We live in a society that is constantly bombarding us with messages such as “You must diet in order to be healthy,” “Your body must be controlled,” “Eat this delicious food!” “Don’t eat that delicious food!” “If you aren’t toned and skinny you are abnormal,” “This diet will change your life!” and on, and on, and on. There are so many conflicting and extreme messages out there on TV shows, news programs, commercials, advertisements, movies and celebrity lives that we are exposed to every day. We are constantly told that we aren’t good enough and that we need to be improved in some way … and all for the profit of big companies like Weight Watchers, Slim-Fast and Jenny Craig.

Just think about it … it’s in every dieting brand and company’s best interest to keep you fat, unhappy and/or unhealthy … or else completely financially reliant on what they sell to you!

Now, I’m not saying that every diet name, brand or company is bad for you. Far be it! In fact, if you’re morbidly overweight at the moment you may benefit greatly from the smorgasbord of diets available out there. These can help you initially reduce your weight to a healthy level so that later you can try out intuitive eating. On the other hand, if you are of average weight and struggle with a variety of non-life-threatening issues and would like to improve your general health and well-being, I think intuitive eating will be a great fit for you.

I like to think of intuitive eating as the magical process of transforming the way you eat, perceive food and understand your body. Intuitive eating is also a terrific way to hone your intuitive and mindfulness skills, your mind-body connection and your development of self-love.

Here is what I’ve learned:

1. Get rid of all distractions and focus solely on your food.

Yes! That means closing the laptop, turning off the TV, putting away the mobile phone and closing the book or whatever other distractions there are around you (such as busy environments). If possible, find a quiet place free of distractions to enjoy your food. If finding a quiet place isn’t possible, at least try your best to focus solely on your food despite what is going on around you. Binge eating is often enhanced by a lack of mindfulness when eating. When you fully pay attention to the food you’re eating, the tastes and the textures, you can better control your portions and feel fuller for longer.

2. Chew your food properly!

I kind of feel like a scolding mother or prim old woman writing the last sentence, but it’s true! Most of us don’t chew our food properly. Instead, we give our food a few chews, then gulp it down quickly. In fact, it’s estimated that the average person chews their food about six times before swallowing. The reality is that we should be chewing soft food (e.g. bread, bananas) about 5-10 times, and harder food (e.g. meat, vegetables) up to 30 times per bite. Why? Chewing your food more breaks it down better for your body to absorb. Chewing food properly also has the added benefits of helping you to feel fuller, reducing bloating and indigestion and getting more nutrients from your food.

My trick? I generally don’t count how many times I chew my food because it gets laborious and takes away the joy of eating. Instead, I ensure that every bite has lost its texture, then swallow.

3. Give yourself permission to eat slowly.

The truth is that most of us rush around due to our (often) unnecessarily busy lifestyles. Eating is one experience of many that gets pushed to the side and left unappreciated. This is so sad because experiencing food is such a great joy! If you’re like me you’re probably in the habit of shovelling down your food like there’s no tomorrow. I like to refer to myself as an Overly Enthusiastic Eater because I’ve been known to polish off an entire dish in 2 minutes flat. I have such a voracious appetite that I’ve beaten many males to the finish line of eating … no wonder eating slowly has been such a struggle for me!

If you’re in the same boat, I implore you to at least try eating slowly for 1 week. At first you’ll struggle and probably forget a few times, but after a while you’ll get the hang of it.

I find that the more slowly and mindfully you eat, the less you consume (therefore the more money you save), and the more grounded you feel.

4. Ask, “Do I really need to eat, or is this just a mental/emotional craving?”

There is a big difference between reaching for mashed potatoes out of stress/boredom and reaching for mashed potatoes because you need your daily fix of vitamin B6. Learning to decipher your cravings can be super difficult. Untangling your web of emotions from your cravings takes a lot of dedication, forgiveness and self-awareness. Intuitive eating is not just about tuning into what your body really needs – it’s also about getting in touch with your emotions/thoughts and learning to express and release them in healthy ways.

5. Pay attention to the sensations in your body.

Intuitive eating is like yoga for the stomach: it’s all about tuning into your inner sensations and working with the energy you currently have. On top of everything I’ve mentioned in this article, intuitive eating is also about determining when you authentically feel hungry or full. Take time to stop and experience what your body is going through: are you feeling fatigued and is your stomach grumbling? On the other hand, do you feel satiated, yet still hungry for more food? Learn to listen to the messages your body is sending you.

6. What do you really feel like eating?

This is a tricky question. There is a very fine line between what we think we need and what we really need. Intuitive eating isn’t about indulging any and every craving (including that large mound of cookies in the pantry). In fact, I recommend revamping your entire kitchen (if you’re in the position to) and throwing away or donating food items which you KNOW are bad for you. This will make your job way easier. I often find that when I’m craving for something like hot chips, what I really need is some form of healthy carbohydrate because I haven’t had an appropriate portion that day. Or perhaps you may have cooked yourself soup, but what you really feel like is a fresh salad. Learn to be flexible and open to your needs.

7. Educate yourself.

Life is about balance. Don’t expect to have much success with intuitive eating if you know nothing about basic nutrition. Explore what others say about nutrition, read studies and also be aware that you may have food intolerances (such as to gluten, soy or lactose) that need to be dealt with. The more you know, the better informed you’ll be to make intelligent gut-centered decisions.

8. You need strong-willed dedication.

Don’t get me wrong: intuitive eating is not for everyone (although I wish it was).Studies have shown that while many people who initially try out intuitive eating lose more weight than those counting calories, sooner or later they begin packing on the pounds again. This is due to a lack of self-discipline which often comes as a result of hectic mental, emotional or physical environments. There is no denying it: you definitely need strong-willed dedication in order to reap the benefits of intuitive eating. In fact, at the beginning intuitive eating can be even harder than dieting because it requires you to rewire your brain and learn to approach eating in a completely different way. But all the effort is completely and utterly worth it in the end, especially if you hate following the rules of diets and like to feel responsible for, and in-tune with, your body.

***

Do you have any advice to share on mindful or intuitive eating? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences below.

Finally, if you want more info about intuitive eating, check out Tribole’s book here.

Photo by: Sharon Mollerus and LaVladina

by ALETHEIA LUNA

http://lonerwolf.com/intuitive-eating/

Do These 7 Things to Lose Weight and Heal Your Body

There’s the hard way and the easy way to improve your health and lose weight. Simple changes to your food and lifestyle can make all the difference in your success. Here are 7 incredibly effective yet easy tips for improving your efforts and adding more balance and harmony into your life.

1. Start your morning off with at least 4 cups of warm water.

• add lemon
• add ginger
• add ACV

Why: Wake up your digestive tract, improve bowel movements, cleanse your system and give your body the hydration it needs to release toxins and water retention.

2. Eat something green breakfast with a bit of coconut oil.

• cruciferous veggies
• green smoothie
• greens powder

Why: Great source of phytonutrients, antioxidants and vitamins, nourish yourself, ward off candida and yeast problems that could be leading to infections, skin problems and weight gain. Low sugar and anti-aging.

3. Do a 20 minute movement routine or meditation. 

• Breathing
• Morning yoga
• Brisk walk
• Stretching

Why: You’re setting the pace for your day, waking up your body, increasing flexibility, getting the blood flowing and jump-starting your metabolism.

4. Plan your day the night before. 

• Prepare your meals if you’re going to be out of the house
• Have your water and lemon/ginger all set up and ready to make first thing
• Set your intentions for the day (healthy eating, movement, self-care)

Why: Setting these intentions and being prepared the night before will help enhance your dedication to your own health, keep motivation strong and make it easier to succeed. Having prepared before hand will also support you in keeping consistent which is essential to any lifestyle shift.

5. Pick a self-loving reason to improve your lifestyle.

• Feeling good
• Having more energy
• Being a great example for your children or friends
• Avoid making your goal solely physical in nature (looking better, weight loss etc.)

Why: You want to focus on the feeling, feeling good, feeling vibrant, feeling happy, rather than focusing on what you are not – like thinner, prettier, whatever it is you’re beating yourself up over. When you’re changing your lifestyle, let it come from a place of wanting to feel great because you love yourself enough to give your body that gift rather than it feeling like a punishment for your current way of being.

6. Stop eating 2 hours before bed time. 

• Drink water
• Take liver and kidney cleansing herbs
• Do something restorative

Why: giving your system time to wind down without the focus on digesting food will allow your organs to detox, your body will be able to release excess weight more easily and you will have a better nights rest. This results in enhanced weight loss, healing, and more will power the following day to keep you going in the right direction with your new lifestyle.

7.  Have a plan that encompasses mind, body and soul.

• Have a clean-eating plan for what you’re going to put in your body over the next 30 days.
• Find movement that is fun and enjoyable for you that you can form a habit around.
• Get an idea of what you need to feel emotionally supported.

Why: You’ve heard the saying plan to fail if you fail to plan, right? Couldn’t be more true. The thing about healing through diet and lifestyle, or losing weight, is that it takes time and consistency. But when you’re without a plan, it’s easy to fall off the wagon, or if you don’t see results quick enough as we’re trained to expect in our culture, give up all together.

With a plan, you have a steady road-map that you can fall back on, and as long as you have emotional support and a plan to keep your body moving each day, you’re set up for success. If you feel you need external help or support, make sure you honor yourself enough to reach out.

By Sheleana Aiyana

http://www.youngandraw.com/do-these-7-things-to-lose-weight-and-heal-your-body/