7 weeks to wellness: the mind challenge

breathe:

You are the ruler of your house and the master of relaxation. You have taken stress by its horns and you have tamed the wild beast that it is, into a small, insignificant moment in your life. You experience Zen each and every day and you do not allow anything or anyone to ruffle your feathers. You are at peace and you are full of calm. If this describes you on a daily basis, then a congratulations is in order for you, following a grand ceremony of praise. If this is a place that appears peculiar, then lets make it more familiar. This is not a mysterious, foreign place, hidden from us commoners. This is a reality. We can all experience this state of Zen, if we choose to practice it. Why do we have to practice being in a calm, peaceful state? Because, we live in a society. A society where mortgages, car notes, rush-hour traffic, telemarketers, IRS, grocery store lines, poor customer service, strained relationships, insensitivity, environmental toxins and negativity are shared amongst us all. Even if you only have to deal with one of those items, the lovely woman standing in front of you in line, is possibly dealing with the other ten items listed. Her tumultuous energy is just as real and valid as your peaceful energy. They are all valid and deserve attention. We can serve others and ourselves by taking 10 minutes per day for meditation, quiet reflection, deep breathing, mindfulness/self-awareness or any other activity that allows you to turn it off. Take a break from the stimuli of the day. Breathe in the still that lovingly surrounds you. Feel the guardians and ancestors who walk with you. Be. Our longevity and self-preservation depends on our ability to calm our senses. The learned elders of many indigenous cultures all knew that sitting in silence was a medicine that far exceeded the physical therapies that were often accessed. Our healing is based upon our being. In order to simply be, we have to be acceptable with being in silence. It is an exercise in patience, humility and discipline.

This should also become a desired activity that does not require much vigor. If you have to force this activity, then it becomes a bit pointless. Allow your downtime to reflect you. If you are an artist, then turn to your easel. If you are a musician, then find meditation music that suits you. Use nature and her beauty and take quiet walks or gaze into a crystal bowl of water. Close your eyes and listen to your breath. Feel your heart beat and follow the blood (life flow) that courses through your vessels. The successful key to this activity is saying nothing. As you quiet the mind you quiet the body.

7 weeks to wellness: the simple challenge

conserve and reserve:

The goal of this challenge would be to avoid unnecessary spending. As we cleanse our bodies and minds, lets consider the toxic lifestyle of overspending and rampant consumerism. If you have been wondering when, where and how can I construct more disposable income, consider your current spending habits. If you find that things are currently fiscally astringent, how do we further reduce our daily debts? Calculate your gas costs and the “extra” trips made while driving. Can you stop at the grocery store that is on the way home versus driving miles outside of your daily route to your favorite store? Then consider driving vs. bicycling vs. public transportation. Do you really need that t-shirt, extra pair of socks, new tongue ring? Not to dampen the devices of self-expression, but let’s hold off until spring. You could be tossing out dollars every Monday when your postman brings you the weekly circular full of coupons.

Also, try buying what’s on sale at your local grocery. If broccoli is on sale, buy a good amount and freeze half of it. With the remaining portion: broccoli soup, raw broccoli and cashew salad, broccoli and carrot stir-fry (with a heaping mound of freshly grated ginger) and broccoli hummus, are all great ways of entertaining your recent discounted score.

Birthday celebrations approaching? Try baking a sweet treat or making a very personalized card or hand paint a mug. Upcyling clothing is always fun by adding new buttons or applying patches to torn garments. Be creative as we are in the middle of New York Fashion week.

The fun of this challenge is amplified when you set a period of time (such as three months) to not only reduce excess spending but to save. If you dropped $5 per week in a jar, you can see the savings adding up. Now, $5 may seem like a small amount to some, but the action of saving can become infectious. Once you have your $20 at the end of month one, you may decide to now save $20 per week.

Make it fun and make it count… literally. Happy savings!

So…I Married A Foreigner

The first time that I was called a foreigner was while living in France. The lovely shop owner below my building was quite enamored with me being from eux Etats-Unis (the United States) or, so I would tell myself after each rude encounter with this gentleman. He was anything but polite. The bigger problem was that he sold baked items that would call my name every morning at about 5:45 a.m. and then would cordially invite me to partake in all their greatness. A little rudeness was not going to stand in the way of my love for all things sugary and sweet. I’m sorry, all things sugary and sweet..in France. As I walked into this boulangerie (bakery) one morning to have a meeting with my baked delicacies, I was in a bit of a rush and wanted to order something quickly, that was not on the menu. I felt confident enough in doing so for 1.) I observed other patrons doing this very same thing, repeatedly and 2.) I was officially a regular. Well, it was early and my french was still very new. I asked the shop owner in English (only because I overheard him speaking English to other customers for pain du chocolat (bread with chocolate). His response, in French, “You are in my country, therefore you speak my language, YOU are the foreigner!” I initially thought, it’s a bit early to be laying it on that thick. My second, knee-jerk response was, “I am not a foreigner.” As I said this to myself, I realized that I was. I am not in my “native” country and I only speak in English when calling the United States or when sharing the proper use of English expletives which was commonly demanded of me by the most civilized of strangers.

While living in Canada, the foreigner concept became more concrete with my frequent trips to Canadian immigration offices. When you have to seek out a U.S. consulate in a country, you realize that you, are very much a foreigner. The beauty of being called a foreigner is quite enchanting to me. It tells me that I am not of this place. Being of no place, makes me more a part of a global, universal existence, as opposed to identifying with one country, one state, one city and one neighborhood. I love the collective consciousness that comes with an active neighborhood, but that level of activity can be heightened by a global awareness. Think globally, act locally. Will do.

While wading in the existential pool of what it is to be a foreigner, this concept changes course quickly with regards to Americans and their views. How do I know…I married a non-American. The faces all turn askew when I say that my spouse was born in St. Lucia. I now realize that the main reason is that most Americans have not heard of St. Lucia (small island in the Caribbean). The second reason is the question of why would you have to marry someone who is not an American citizen. As if I have been persuaded in some way by this mysterious foreign person, only to gift him with a green card. When I continue to explain that he grew up in Canada, then there is a slight sigh of relief. Ohhh, he’s not foreign foreign. As that second designation of foreign would make him totally repulsive. My husband quickly managed to integrate into this culture, as many foreigners in the United States learn to master. It took a jedi force for him to rip the “eh?” out of his daily vocabulary. This was motivated by the consistent sound of snapping necks that mimicked a fourth of July night, that followed with each word that he would speak. I still hear the Torontonian in him, thank God! It is not the neck snapping that is an issue, it is the tirade of ridiculous, unwarranted and unintelligible comments/questions that will ensue. Do they ski everywhere in Canada? Yes. Isn’t it freezing in Canada? Only in the summer. What do they speak in Canada? Canadian. The most famous of all…is that the overseas Canada? Yes, and that sea is called Lake Ontario (or Lake Eerie, depending on your direction of travel).

The xenophobia (fear of foreigners) is very acceptable in this country. It is safe to not know. Almost comforting to not even care about anything outside of your state. I was an English-as-a-Second Language tutor in undergrad as well as a French tutor. An American student once remarked, “you like hanging with those foreigners.” Indeed I do. The foreign students always had an equal respect for other cultures while the American students only shared great hate that they were summoned to a tutor to learn another freaking language. How dare the university ask me to speak anything but English, I knew this school had some covert socialist agenda?!

The disdain that I encountered with a few Parisians was not that I was a foreigner, it was my attitude (the American attitude) as a foreigner. The perceived lack of care that comes with demanding a native French speaking man to speak in English. Now, what would I do if a woman speaking Portuguese approached me and demanded that I answered her in Portuguese. It is in those experiences of being on the other side that have allowed for a greater awareness, respect and appreciation for all cultures.

Jusqu’à la prochaine fois (until next time)

[Please express your experiences or do you share a different perspective...would love to know]

7 weeks to wellness: the green challenge

Recycle, Reclaim, Reuse:

This would be the week to think about your contribution to the Earth’s demise or more nicely coined, your Carbon Footprint. If you are home alone, do you leave every single light on in the house? Do you have a 48-pack of bottled water sitting in your cupboard? Do you microwave your food in plastic? Better yet, are you microwaving every meal? The ultimate sin…you throw, actual recyclable containers in the regular garbage. Before you are taken to the public post to be flogged, you have time to redeem yourselves. Take one baby step at a time. If you do not already have recycle pick-up in your area, then contact your local City Hall to find out how to make this a reality. You may also find local recycling drop-off sites. For those seasoned recyclers, try composting your fruit and vegetable waste. Before your next birthday party, consider a consignment shop or making a nice gift basket of the giftee’s favorite-things. Re-gifting is the new gifting. Before you toss that old sweater, can you make alterations and turn it into something new. [now, if i see another iphone cozy, i will scream]. Visit local craft stores or websites for tips on “upcycling” your old clothing, furniture or accessories. This could turn out to be lots of fun and great way to bring in more income.

7 weeks to wellness: the sugar challenge

Switch the sugars:

Our sugar consumption has become a growing issue due to the many sources of sugars that we find in our foods these days. There is the basic white sugar, brown sugar (white sugar with molasses), high fructose corn syrup (hfcs), dextrose (corn) and artificial sweeteners (chemicals). Sugar (and the likes) can depress our immune systems and increase obesity due to their high calorie content as well as serve as one of the most inflammatory food items widely available to us. Inflammation leads to many unfortunate disease processes. Avoiding sugar can improve immune function, decrease pain and decrease the overall acidity/inflammation in the body. Sugar is also a stimulant, which triggers a brain/hormone response similar to heroin and cocaine. Our lovely addiction to sugar is simply that – an addiction. As I casually mention that this is a food item to avoid, I am also aware of the strength that is required (for some of us) in order to completely eliminate this from our daily menus.

How do I avoid sugar, it is in everything? The first rule would be to read labels. If you see sugar, hfcs, aspartame, sucralose, saccharin etc. added to a food, then avoid it. What if I am not sure if it has sugar? Then avoid it. We do not have to question the sugar in carrots, lettuce, brown rice or almonds. As we know that these foods all contain their natural sugars, we are also aware that there are no artificial sugars added. If you are buying a box of cookies and you do not see the word sugar, please understand, that there are some sugars present, simply in a different, synthetic form. Therefore, the second rule would be to avoid overly, pre-packaged foods. Rice, pasta, beans, nuts and seeds are all acceptable, as these can be sold in a package. Consider a food that has more than one ingredient. If there is a list of ingredients, then this would be a food to avoid as well. The third rule would be to substitute. Sugar consumption is a real issue for many, therefore you have to wean off as if it were a Schedule I narcotic. Replace sugar and sugary foods with fresh fruits and some vegetables (carrots). Drink freshly juiced vegetables and consider using dried fruits (unsweetened and unsulphured), stevia and honey are also acceptable alternatives.

The fourth and the last rule would be to keep it simple. The more thought and anticipation surrounding omitting sugar, actually makes this challenge more challenging. Sugar is unfortunately a comfort for many. Therefore, to be told to “cut it out”, already triggers emotions of lost, lack, suffering, grief, deprivation, anger, fear and resentment. If this occurs, know that the answer is NOT to eat something sweet. The solution would be to move into a new space of release, freedom and self-acceptance. Yes, it gets deep with sugar intake, as this has become the drug of choice. We have to be highly considerate of the current plans of self-medication all involving sugar. It is an easily accessible drug with little to no cost (free at office parties and any Holiday that occurs on a weekday). A stealth-like strategy must be applied when removing an old vice for a new one. What will my new vice be? I say health, as it is the real sweetness of life.