Sunwarrior Product Shipment is in!

We just got a whole shipment of Sunwarrior Raw Vegan Organic Superfoods products in at Relaxing Alternatives. The last one went really fast, and I know some people were looking for products. Come on by to stock up. These products are fabulous! Very high quality!

Contact Relaxing Alternatives at 301-987-2300.
We’re located at 438 N Frederick Avenue, Suite 307, Gaithersburg, MD 20877.
Get Map and Directions.

If you can’t make it by, click here to order online.

See you soon!
Debra

What is chakra balancing anyway?

Balancing, aligning and healing the energy centers (chakras) of the body can help you to become more centered and grounded, gain clarity on your life’s purpose and move through life more conscious of your connection with the Divine.  But what the heck does this really mean, and how does it work?

To understand the significance of balancing, aligning and healing the energy centers of the body, it is important to look at the relationships between the centers, and their connections to the Qualities of the Divine.  This subject deserves an entire book, but for now, I’m going to summarize.  I know this is really long, but it’s worth the read. I’m assuming a basic knowledge of the Divine Qualities, also referred to as Soul Nutrients.  (For an explanation of divine qualities and their relationship to our human attributes, see the post “Nutrients of our Internal Soil” and the Joyfully Living webpages Soul Nutrient Healing and Spiritual Healing.)

 

GENERALLY SPEAKING:

The body has many energy centers.  Here we are going to talk about the seven main energy centers.

7. The Crown center represents relationship to Divine guidance.

6. The Head center (also referred to as Third Eye chakra) represents knowledge and intuition.

5. The Throat center represents standing in the truth of who you are and what you believe.

4. The Heart center represents wisdom, love, acceptance and relating.

3. The Solar Plexus center represents personal power, self-acceptance and self-esteem.

2. The Sacral center represents creativity and sexuality.

1. The Base or Root center represents trust in Divine – safety and provision.

 

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE CENTERS:

Your Crown center represents your relationship to the Divine.  This relationship informs your guidance, and your ability to see the big picture and gain larger perspectives on existence.

Your Base center represents your relationship to Earth.  This relationship informs your sense of safety and security, which affects your ability to trust on all levels.  This is where your belief in Divine Truth, when strong, can ground you in your state of “being” and connect you to the Earth.

The relationship between your head and heart centers is represented through what manifests energetically in the throat.

The relationship between the sacral center and the heart center is represented through energetic manifestations in the solar plexus.

The Heart is the CENTER ENERGY CENTER in this list.  It represents the alignment and honoring of the wisdom of the Divine, and the expression of that state of alignment and honoring.  This is where the expression of “self” meets reverence for the Divine.  This is the center WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER.

 

ABOUT THE HEART:

The Heart is effectively a hologram.  All of the energetics of the body come together here to form images which are reflective of the states of the whole.  The Heart is the center of wisdom of the body.  (Head is the center of knowledge; heart is wisdom.)  The Heart is a representation of your connection to spirit and your innate wisdom/alignment/embodiment of the qualities or attributes of the Divine.

Everything that exists in the body is represented through the heart.  Likewise, the heart’s alignment (or misalignment) with the attributes or qualities of the Divine are represented throughout the body.

The Heart is the place of

• Expression of creativity (in harmony with the sacral center).
• Expression of beliefs (in harmony with the head center).
• Honoring of and reverence for the wisdom of the Divine.
• Aligning with the attributes/qualities of the Divine, and ultimately your inner truth.

 

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEAD AND HEART:

The Head is the center of knowledge.  The Heart is the center of wisdom.  The relationship of Head to Heart is one of service, with the Head in service to the Heart, knowledge in service of wisdom.

The Heart is connected to the Divine and in service of the Divine.  The Heart is the center of wisdom or innate knowing of the Divine Qualities.

The Heart is the center for healing and transformation.  This is the doorway through which we return our human qualities to align with Divine Qualities.

 

MATTERS THAT MANIFEST IN THE THROAT CENTER:

Issues that can manifest in the Throat center include fear of standing in our truth – what we believe in or what we stand for; and issues that bring about disconnect or disharmony between the Head and Heart.

For example, when heart reflects emotional pain, a person can retreat to his head in order to avoid the experience of pain in the heart, turning away from the heart’s wisdom and allowing mental faculties of the head to rule.  Given that the heart is the center of wisdom and innate knowing of our divine attributes and inner truths, when we abandon the wisdom of the heart for the rule of the head, we are not able to stand fully in our true beliefs.  Sometimes the beliefs of the head and heart appear to agree, but integration of the two is necessary for us to truly own our voice of truth. Otherwise, we find ourselves compensating in a roundabout way to try to align with what is deeply true for us.

Additionally, cultural importance is often placed on the head/brain, while heart-centeredness is sometimes seen as weak,  emotional, not in “control”, and even feminine as referred to as a less desirable or derogatory state.  Culturally, the head/brain dominance is seen as being in control, in charge, and is considered by many as a preferred or elevated state.

Uncovering the Truth about the wisdom of the heart and its connection to the Divine is a source of healing.  It is the pains and incongruences that we find in the heart that lead us through doorways to discover our inner truths that are present beneath the pains.  This leads us to a transformation of our human qualities to align with the attributes of the Divine. (See Spiritual Healing)

Thus, bringing your head and heart into right relationship is an honored state, honoring of your inner truth, the truth of who you are.  As the Throat center is about standing in your truth, owning your truth, speaking your truth and being your truth in the world, bringing these centers into balance and harmony with one another creates a state for healing and strengthening of the throat center.

 

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SACRAL CENTER AND HEART CENTER:

The Sacral center is the center of creativity and sexuality.  When the sacral center and heart center are connected, this brings through an expression of your creativity and your sexuality.  These expressions are made divine when the heart is aligned with the sacred qualities in reverence to the Divine.

The area of the sacral center houses the reproductive organs.  The qualities of creativity and sexuality are qualities that bring forth life.  Nurturing and caring, loving, holding and protecting of the child are basic natural instincts that a parent expresses for his or her child.

This area energetically houses matters related to the inner child.  The same qualities of nurturing and caring, loving, holding and protecting are qualities that the child needs in their development.  This stage also relates to the playfulness and innocence of the child.  The matters of the inner child reflect early development during the ages of around 3 to 7 years.

 

MATTERS THAT MANIFEST IN THE SACRAL AND SOLAR PLEXUS CENTERS:

At this very formative time of 3-7 years of age when we are very open and innocent, circumstances that may not even jolt an adult can be traumatic to a child.  A child can respond with fear and trust can be shaken.  When a child feels fearful and unsafe, he can begin to suppress parts of himself that may generate a response in his environment that perpetuates his fear and distrust.  This can actually stifle the growth of parts of his self, including dreams and gifts that he came into the world with.

As an adult, feelings of not liking yourself or who you have become are actually a grieving for the “you” that got left behind.  If you stifled the growth of a part of yourself and stashed it away to protect it, then it is difficult to love and accept yourself and to own your personal power in a way that is true to who you really are – these are matters reflected in the Solar Plexus center.  This in turn affects the way you accept and relate to others, which are matters of the Heart center.  (The good news is, there are ways to reconnect with these parts of yourself and nourish them with Spiritual Nutrients so that they may grow and “catch up” to you in your present stage of development.)

Matters of trust, safety, shame, guilt, suppressed anger and hurt can all lodge in the Solar Plexus area, blocking the flow of energy from the Sacral center to the Heart.

Culturally, there is a strong belief that creativity, playfulness and innocence are childish and immature.  Somehow to “grow up” means to become hardened, cynical, serious or constricted.  Somewhere along the way we are taught that beauty is separate from function, and that we are supposed to fit a certain mold that truncates a whole host of our human aspects.  It is no wonder that fear of expression and fear of criticism are such common matters of the Solar Plexus area, present in nearly everyone.

 

MANIFESTATIONS RELATIVE TO BODYWORK:

In bodywork, there is an important relationship between the diaphragm and the neck/shoulders.  The diaphragm is in the area of the Solar Plexus center, and the neck/shoulders are in the area of the Throat center.  Both of these areas were described above as areas that manifest incongruences or constricted energy flow in the relationship between Sacral center and Heart, and Head and Heart respectively.

Often constriction in one area can be related to constriction in the other.  The areas are directly connected via connective tissue, ligaments and nerves.  For instance, pain in the neck/shoulder area can be caused by constriction or inflammation in the liver.

Energetically speaking, given what has been described as the main attributes honored in each center, if you are constricted in an area of self-acceptance, self-love, self-esteem and personal power, how can you stand in the truth of who you are and what you believe?  And if you are unable to stand in the truth of who you are and what you believe, how can you be in a state of self-acceptance, self-love, self-esteem and ownership of personal power?  It makes perfect sense the areas would be connected physically and energetically, and constriction in one area would have a direct effect on the state of the other area.

 

SUMMARY:

Let’s recap the relationships between the centers:

The Crown is Connected to Divine Guidance.

The Base is Grounded through Trust of the Divine.

The Heart is in Reverence of the Divine, its wisdom and all of its attributes.

When Knowledge is connected to and in service of the Heart, this leads to ease of owning and standing in Truth, an attribute of the Throat center.

Likewise, when Creativity and Sexuality are expressed honestly and sincerely through the Heart, this leads to Self-Acceptance, Self-Love, Self-Esteem and ownership of Personal Power, attributes of the Solar Plexus center.

Therefore, clearing and balancing each energy center, bringing them into balance and harmony with each other, improving their relationships with each other, will have profound effects on the overall spiritual connection and alignment of the entire being with divine attributes, purpose and connection.

The Soul Nutrient Healing is designed to support and facilitate the concepts outlined in this article. This healing will help you to open to your Divine Guidance, ground to the earth by increasing your faith and trust in Divine Provision, and open your heart to reverence of Divine Wisdom.

I am offering a special on the Soul Nutrient Healing for the month of February. Only $70 for a one-hour session. Regular price is $95. That’s $25 this month only. To take advantage of this offer, call Relaxing Alternatives to schedule your appointment: 301-987-2300. You can also purchase your session online now – for yourself or as a gift for a friend.

Protein Shakes & Smoothie Recipes!

I want to share with you a recipe that I love! Plus there’s a link to download a free Sunwarrior Superfoods Smoothie Recipe Ebook below!

The recipe is a protein shake made with the fabulous raw, vegan, sprouted organic superfoods by Sunwarrior. I started using it while training for a half-marathon, and it made a world of difference in my stamina and recovery.

There are 2 versions below – one for the workout days and one for the non-workout days. I admit I don’t measure. Play around with quantities to get the taste and texture you prefer. Add your favorite ingredients as desired. If you come up with a good one, email me.

Version 1 – If you’re taking it with a workout:

1 scoop Sun Warrior Natural Protein (can be Brown Rice protein or Warrior Blend)

1 tablespoon Activated Barley (this stuff rocks!)
1/2 – 1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao powder (raw ground chocolate beans – available in health food stores and online)
10-12 oz Coconut milk or coconut milk beverage
1/2 – 1 Tablespoon Raw Agave Nectar
1/2 – 1 organic banana

Blend well and enjoy!

Version 2 – lower calorie and lower carb for the non-workout days:

1 scoop Sun Warrior Natural Protein (can be Brown Rice protein or Warrior Blend)
1 tablespoon Activated Barley (this stuff rocks!)
1/2 – 1 Tablespoon Raw Cacao powder (raw ground chocolate beans – available in health food stores and online)
10-12 oz Almond Milk
1/2 – 1 Tablespoon Raw Agave Nectar

Blend well and enjoy!

Click here to order your Sun Warrior products online, or visit us at Relaxing Alternatives in Gaithersburg, MD, to pick up products in person. Call first to confirm availability – 301-987-2300.

Check my blog and newsletters for more recipes as they come in.
I’m working on recipes for homemade protein bars. Email me if you have protein bar recipes to share.

Here’s the form to download the Sunwarrior Superfoods Smoothie Recipe Ebook:

I hope you enjoy these!
Thanks a bunch!
Have a Joyful Day!
Debra

Got Constipation?

Got Constipation?

If your answer is yes, you’ve got a lot of company – over 4 million “friends” in the US alone!  In fact, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complaint, responsible for over 2.5 million annual doctor visits and over $725 million of spending on laxatives each year.

 
 

What is constipation?

The medical definition is having fewer than three bowel movements per week.  However, most natural and holistic health practitioners suggest we should have 2-3 bowel movements per day for optimum health.  I often hear people say, “I go 2-3 times per week, and that’s ok because that is what is normal for my system.”   But think about this:  Just because something is normal for your system, does that mean it is what is best for your body?

What is happening in your colon while the waste matter is waiting to be eliminated?  By Friday, Tuesday’s burger isn’t so nutritious any more.  As it sits, it can become toxic, upsetting the balance of bacteria in the colon and releasing harmful toxins into your bloodstream, affecting other systems of the body as well.  Frequent constipation can be responsible for abdominal bloating and pain, fatigue, brain fog, headaches, skin problems, joint pain, and even more serious health conditions.

 

Why are so many people constipated?

A number of factors contribute to constipation, and often there is a combination of factors at play.  The most commonly stated causes are dehydration, lack of fiber, lack of exercise, some medications and “ignoring the urge”.

• The standard recommendation for daily intake of water is half your body weight in ounces, so if you weigh 140 pounds, you need 70 ounces of water each day.  Add more for exercise and if you drink diuretic beverages such as coffee, tea or alcohol.

• Eat at least 5 cups of fresh fruits and vegetables per day in a form as close as possible to the way they come from the earth, and limit your intake of processed foods.  This ensures a diet high in fiber and natural water content.

• Exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes per day 5 days per week, with at least 2 days of resistance exercise.  Exercise increases circulation and diaphragmatic breathing and relieves stress, all of which contribute to your gastro health.

• Medications that may cause constipation include pain relievers, anti-depressants, anti-convulsants, iron supplements, some high blood pressure medications, some antacids and more.  If you take one of these medications and suffer from constipation, contact your healthcare provider to discuss alternatives.

• When you’ve got to go, by all means go!  Have you ever played host to the “I don’t have time for that right now” voice?  Not high enough on the priority list?  Just like you make time for breakfast or working out, it’s important to make time for your daily movements, especially in the morning.  I make sure to give myself 2 hours of awake time before I have to leave the house in the morning.

 

Another very important often overlooked cause to add:  STRESS!

• Tune in to your abdomen.  Do you sense a free flowing river or New York City rush hour grid lock?  Tension held in the abdominal cavity can constrict the natural motility of the digestive organs necessary to move the food along its tract.  Awareness is a key first step.

• Are you breathing?  Stress can lead to shallow breathing.  Practice taking full breaths with the diaphragm moving down into the abdominal cavity as the lungs fill.  It’s like giving yourself a massage from the inside out!

• Fight or Flight? Or Rest and Digest?  Stress puts us into the Fight or Flight mode, activating the sympathetic nervous system and deactivating the parasympathetic nervous system.  Taking time and awareness to sit in a relaxed state with our foods stimulates the Vagus nerve, the main nerve of the parasympathetic nervous system, to innervate the digestive system organs to begin peristaltic movement, secrete digestive juices and open the GI sphincters.

All of these recommendations, including the management and release of stress, can greatly improve your digestion and elimination habits. Sometimes these lifestyle changes can take a while to implement and take effect.  Meanwhile, it’s important to remove the toxic buildup that has been accumulating in your system.  One popular solution we offer is colon hydrotherapy.

 

How Colon Hydrotherapy can help constipation

Colon hydrotherapy provides a safe alternative to the $725-million common solution of laxatives.  Some laxatives can have harmful side effects and with consistent use can lead to dependency and decreased bowel function, especially the harsh stimulant laxatives that stimulate muscle contractions to expel stool.

Colon hydrotherapy, also known as colonics, is a safe, effective method of eliminating waste from the large intestine without the use of drugs.  During a session, warm purified water is introduced into the colon, and the waste is softened and loosened, resulting in evacuation through natural peristalsis.  Most people claim feeling lighter, mentally clearer and more energetic after just one colonic treatment!

Some people feel uneasy about the thought of colon hydrotherapy, but most people feel so much better after a treatment, they can’t believe they waited so long to try it!  If you have questions about the procedure and would like to discuss whether colon hydrotherapy is right for you, contact me for more information.

We have a mantra in the colon hydrotherapy field – better out than in!  Don’t let constipation, bloating and gas drag you down.  “Unfriend” the 4 million and put the pep back in your step today!

 

Raw Vegan No-Cook-ies – Coconut & Almond Macaroons!

This one is super simple!! Only 3 ingredients!

Combine equal parts of ground almonds and finely shredded coconut.

Drizzle in Grade B Maple Syrup until you have the consistency of slice and bake cookie dough.

Roll the dough into a log and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so.

Remove from fridge, slice and place on tray.

Dehydrate in dehydrator or oven until they reach the consistency of a chewy cookie.

Enjoy!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!