Light on Yoga March 4, 2010
Posted by Helen in Goals, Happiness, Wellness, Yoga.add a comment
Less than two months until yoga bootcamp, the first week of the yoga teacher training journey I’m embarking upon this year. I’m so excited and can’t believe how soon I’ll be immersed in yoga love – ahhh, heaven! Seriously, it’s the perfect staycation: a week away from daily life, immersed in yoga with an amazing guru (and 8 others who share my passion), filled with discussions, asana practice, meditation and the comforts of home to start and end each day. There’s something so magical about yoga to me and the more I learn, the more I love it so I really can’t wait! (Yep, I might be a yoga dork.)
To prep, I’m reading “Light on Yoga,” by B.K.S. Iyengar. I’m already absorbing so much and am eager to learn more and share. I’m going to document my experiences here at Balancing Wellness – so more to come! Namaste!
bad news can bring good opportunities February 27, 2010
Posted by Helen in Alcohol/Drugs, Alternative therapies, Balance, Change, Diet/Nutrition, Doctors, Food, Goals, Health, Quotes, Reproductive health, Stress, Wellness, Women's issues, Yoga.add a comment
I’m often torn about whether or not to share personal stories on my blog. While it’s relatively anonymous, there are readers who know who I am and I always feel a little bit vulnerable sharing things that are close to my heart. But after thinking about this post for the past week or so, I decided that it was important to me and others who might be going through something similar to share – so here goes.
I got one of those phone calls you never really like to get from my health insurance company last week- my bi-annual Pap smear came back irregular. The reason I get bi-annual exams is because I’ve been through this before (and I thought I beat it) and my doctor wants to watch to make sure my irregular cells don’t progress to cervical cancer. Last time we watched it for 2 years, and when it progressed to CIN3, one step below cervical cancer, I had a LEEP procedure and cleared the offending cells. It’s been just over a year and one clear Pap since then, and here we are again.
And while the news isn’t that bad (in fact, many cases regress on their own or are stopped well before they become cervical cancer and there are so many people with such worse health problems that I feel very lucky), it’s still not fun. Perhaps one of the most annoying aspects is the fact that there are things I can be doing to keep the cells from progressing to a worse state. But having not done enough research and not been told about preventive practices by my physician (don’t get me started on our current American state of “health” care – it’s really sick care run by pharmaceutical companies, but that’s another post for another day), I’ve been sitting and waiting – letting things get worse. The good news is that all that is changing – I’m doing my research and I’m using my lifestyle choices to make this go away. As Hippocrates said, “Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food.”
Our bodies are amazingly powerful, especially when given the right fuel – and I’m determined to do just that. I’ll post more specifics on my diets and experience as I go, but the changes involve juicing; raw, organic veggies at each meal; folic acid, vitamin E, and green tea catechin supplements; multivitamins; aloe juice; lots of water; no coffee but extra white and green teas; dedicated yoga practice; fresh air; less stress and more love!
And the timing couldn’t be better - I’ll finish my clinical nutrition certificate program in June and get my yoga certification by October, and we have some fun vacations with family and friends planned. Here we go!
guest post – gluten free sis February 25, 2010
Posted by Helen in Balance, Change, Diet/Nutrition, Food, Health, Wellness.1 comment so far
I’m a proud big sis. My little sister has an awesome blog, youaregolden.wordpress.com, and you all should check it out! She shares a lot of the same passions as me – happiness, food, fitness, health, etc – and today’s post on her experience going gluten-free is one I just have to share. I’m posting it in its entirety, but you should definitely go read her other posts! Enjoy!
A glutton for gluten
I suddenly have a new respect for people who have severe allergies. Or really just any allergies at all. Everytime I go to a doctor, they do their routine questioning. Do you smoke? Do you drink? Do you have any allergies? No, yes, and then I respond with my mom’s canned response. “Not that we are aware of.” I was always a little bitter about this. I mean a cool allergy could be something unique to tell people. “My throat swells up when I eat eggplant.” Or, “I get insane hives up and down my arms when I get within 4 feet of licorice.” I guess it really would only be fun if it was something I adequately disliked as well. (hence the eggplant and licorice) I couldn’t even imagine being allergic to peanuts. Seriously. How do you do that? I love peanut butter with all my heart. That is one of those things on my potential mate’s list that isn’t negotiable. That sounds ridiculous. But you must have heard those stories of someone with severe peanut allergies dying from kissing someone who ate something contaminated with a peanut. That would happen constantly. And I suppose feeling like you can’t breathe or swelling up isn’t that fun for a future hubby, at least not on a daily basis. I mean I know love takes some sacrifices. But peanut butter is not one I’m willing to make. And I can’t really ask someone to risk their life just to be with me. Right?
Anywho, after years of doctors telling me I might be gluten-intolerant, and that going g-free might be an improvement in my health and diet; I’ve finally done it. Well, I’ve done it for 7 days. But hey, you have to embrace small victories in life, right? I have a co-worker who has been g-free for over 20 years, so I know it’s possible, even though right now I keep thinking how I’ll never have a Reese’s again in my life? (AHH. What? Surely I can take little exceptions.) (more…)
tinybuddha February 11, 2010
Posted by Helen in Change, Energy, Happiness, Quotes, Spirituality, Stress.add a comment
I’m a huge fan of tinybuddha. I’m a follower on Twitter (@tinybuddha) and email subscriber and I just love the little moments of peace and wisdom the updates give me during my busy and sometimes stressful days.
Today’s quote was perfect for me. We’re pretty busy at work right now and one of my biggest frustrations is the fact that I feel like I’m constantly reacting – responding to client issues, requests, and emails all day, all very similar to each other, without really focusing on one client or project for a long period of time. I much prefer being proactive – planning, strategizing and reaching out with helpful insight and ideas. And even though I can’t do much to slow the pace (our department is hiring and restructuring, I just need to be a little patient!), today’s quote reminded me that changing my outlook might make a world of difference.
“Wisdom consists not so much in seeing as in foreseeing.” -Hosea Ballou
One of the reasons the company I work for has been so successful has been its ability to innovate, to foresee client needs and design programs that grow with them. And while I’m far from lead of product development and definitely always want to live in the present, I want to be more appreciative of all the little lessons I learn and not just see them as daily tasks, but as a way to glimpse into the future. If we’re dealing with the same things over and over again then we’re not progressing, we’re only seeing, and that’s not how I want to live my life. (And I’m sure my clients wouldn’t want the same wellness program and issues year after year, after year!) Attitude adjustments are always easier said than done for me, but I might just print out this quote and put it on my computer to remind me 
tidbits from nutrition class: garlic and flax February 3, 2010
Posted by Helen in Alternative therapies, Detox, Diet/Nutrition, Food, Health, Wellness.1 comment so far
I’m sitting in nutrition class right now (shh!) and thought I’d share some quick facts we’re learning about garlic and flax – two great super foods!
Garlic is a great natural remedy and can be used for almost everything! It’s detoxifying, can lower cholesterol, helps to eliminate parasites, can be used as a natural remedy for ear infections, keeps away mosquitoes, and helps improve the immune system. Eat your garlic and read more about it at Spark! Wellness.
Flax seems to be in everything these days! My favorite crackers from Trader Joe’s are covered with flax seeds and are soo yummmy!! Flax seeds (and oil) are great for your health: they have anti-inflammatory power, lower cholesterol, supply omega 3s, and may prevent some cancers. Read more at HealthCastle.
poison into nectar January 24, 2010
Posted by Helen in Balance, Energy, Goals, Happiness, Quotes, Spirituality, Yoga.add a comment
Great yoga class this morning. My practice was very minimal this week (I have my usual excuses of being busy and traveling, but I’m ready to stop making excuses and get my act together – less talk, more action!). But I love Sunday vinyasa at La Jolla Yoga Center with Josh Vincent and am so glad I made it today.
Josh is the newest of my favorite teachers and has an amazing presence and teaching style. I always leave his class with new knowledge and inspiration – a sure sign of an awesome class. Today after pushing us to perfect our full side plank, vasisthasana, he reminded us of a Hindu quote – that our practice may be poison at first, but it will soon become nectar.
(Me in vasisthasana. I’m getting there – I think I need to lift my hips more. And yes, I’m wearing my FT60 )
I found a reference to the Bhagavad Gita quote Josh was telling us about on the Atma Jyoti Ashram website.
“That which in the beginning is like poison but in the end like nectar; that happiness, born from the tranquillity of one’s own mind, is declared to be sattwic.” (Bhagavad Gita 18:37)
(Note: In Hinduism, sattva is one of the three qualities of nature (gunas); it manifests as balance, purity, calmness.)
In the beginning it is normal for spiritual practice to be boring or even annoying and upsetting. But at the end it will be all sukha: happiness and ease. For it never really is poison, but only seems so to the distorted mind-mirror of those bound in ignorance.
I’m already starting feel like my practice is a nectar, although some asanas and meditation still frustrate me. I’m searching hard for my sattvic happiness! Happy Sunday
day 2 of vegan cleanse: fail! January 19, 2010
Posted by Helen in Detox, Diet/Nutrition, Food, Goals, Health, Tips, Wellness.add a comment
I started my cleanse really well. Yesterday I had a green dream juice (spinach, parsley, ginger, lemon, apple), some almonds and a banana for breakfast. I had whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce for lunch, followed by a colorful salad and vegan tamales from Whole Foods for dinner. They’re soooo good, I highly recommend them – I got pumpkin raisin and vegetable.
Today, not so good! I started well with lots of fruit for breakfast. We had lunch catered at work for winning the Halloween costume contest and I should have known the options would be limited. But I kinda thought that since I work at a wellness company there would be some options. Not so much, unless you call turkey, roast beef and ham options. Rather than scraping off the meat and cheese and avoiding the cookies, I dug right in like the fatty I am. 
Minor setback!
Don’t worry, I’m not giving up. What good is failing if we don’t learn from our mistakes?! Lesson of the day: when you really want something, do everything you can to make it happen, don’t leave it in the hands of others. Sometimes it’s as simple as packing your lunch
vegan cleanse January 18, 2010
Posted by Helen in Change, Diet/Nutrition, Food, Goals, Health, Wellness.2 comments
I’ve been inconsistent with my eating habits for the past couple of weeks (really healthy somedays, crap the others) and could use a cleanse, so I’ve decided to go vegan for the week. I’ve done fruit diets before and haven’t lasted longer than 3 days, so I feel like it’s unrealistic to me to eat all raw or all one type of food. Instead, I’ll focus on eating clean, simple foods free of animal products. The last time I went vegan for a week was to prep for my colonic, and I really like the way I felt, so why not stick to what works for me?
My goal is one week – starting today and ending Sunday, but I may extend it to two weeks depending on how I feel. I’ll keep you posted on my progress and any new recipes I try! I’m traveling to Texas this week, so it’ll be a bit of a challenge to stick with it, but it’ll be a good test of my will power and creativity!
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!
Polar FT60 January 17, 2010
Posted by Helen in Exercise/Fitness, Goals, Health, Products, Wellness.2 comments
I think I’ve become a little bit of a fitness nerd. Ever since starting as a wellness consultant, I’ve gotten the chance to try out some really cool gadgets, the latest being the Polar FT60 heart rate monitor watch. Two words: life changing.
No seriously, it’s pretty amazing. (more…)
mid-month update January 16, 2010
Posted by Helen in Balance, Change, Diet/Nutrition, Exercise/Fitness, Goals, Happiness, Health, Mental health, Random, Stress, Wellness, Yoga.add a comment
It’s January 16 – wow, 2010 has been flying by so far! It’s been a busy month for us, and I’ve been doing a great job on some of my goals (not taking work home, being more zen, getting lots of exercise) and not so great on others (100 days of yoga, cooking). Time to refocus!
I have been good at eating healthily, mostly by making salads, sandwiches, soups, and stir fry and I’m hoping to be a little bit more adventurous in cooking some healthy and hearty meals. I think I need to pick my recipes and make a list…!
I haven’t been very good about my yoga practice or goal of 100 days of yoga. I’m on day 32, so that’s awesome, but I should be somewhere in my 40s – I have work to do! Weekends are great because there are tons of great classes, but weekdays are a little tough when I have to motivate myself after a long day. I think I found a time that works, so this week I’m making it part of the routine. Let’s hope it sticks!
But I have been walking a ton (I wear a smart pedometer that downloads steps to a website through my work’s wellness program, and I get about 8,000-10,000 steps a day – about 4- 5 miles). My schedule is busy: I’m up at 5:45, run with the dogs, feed them, get ready for work, take dogs out for a short walk, head to work, work work work, back home at 5:30, short walk, feed the dogs, yoga, long walk with the dogs, make dinner, eat, tv/work/sleep? I thrive on lots of exercise (I’m like a puppy too!) so it’s been great for me.
I’m also taking lots of time to rest and enjoy life too! (as are Lincoln and Winston, they love chilling outside ) Hope you are too!
