Better health through the power of thought

"I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance, but by our disposition." 
- Martha Washington

“Thoughts become Things”- Mike Dooley

We are beings of vibration and that vibration determines our lives, the vibration comes from within, but the outside world can easily affect it and change it for better or for worse. A high vibration equals better mental and physical well-being and a low vibration equals unhappiness and poorer health.

In order to understand this vibration, we must come to grips with the universal truth of the power of thought, the guidance of feelings and their physical manifestations. We must realize that all physical things were once a non-physical idea that with time, intent and focus became physical. Just as an object has a shadow, that object is the shadow of an idea. A non-physical idea in turn grows with nourishment until it blossoms into an actual physical thing.

In regards to this idea, one can say that all physical life came from an idea, a non-physical plane of existence. As C.S. Lewis once said “You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”   The soul can be seen as the idea, which came into physical being, but since the non-physical isn’t physical it is hard to remember that we are truly beyond our physical selves. An idea is a thought, that when focused upon shall be given its place unto the physical world. Therefore when we think, we must be watchful and focus only on those things that we truly wish to see come about.  Abraham Hicks says that each moment of our lives is a constant manifestation of how we feel and think, it’s a reflection of our vibration.

Therefore we are our truly creating our world with our thoughts, our feelings are how we monitor those thoughts and the world around us is the result of those thoughts. Thinking this way tells us that it is imperative to monitor our thoughts at all times and to replace negative unhappy thoughts, with the opposite. This task of daily watching is perhaps the greatest obstacle in ones way to creating a healthier and more fulfilling life.

Daily reminders are extremely useful in helping one to remain on track of their thoughts and feelings. I can say it is imperative to remind yourself daily of the truth and power of your being, which is that “thoughts become things” – Mike Dooley. Past and repetitive thoughts and feelings created the things that surround you now.

Every day through television, radio or by other people we our bombarded with information about things that distract us from our true being, from being consistently happy.

Every time I listen to Abraham Hicks, read something by Mike Dooley or someone in that field of medicine I feel even better then I did before, even if I already felt great. This has brought to my attention that to consistently feel good and in harmony with the universe you must remind yourself daily of those good things.

In general it becomes difficult to live our daily lives if we don’t remind our selves of the universal truths that exist. Even if we think we are doing all right and feeling good, its always nice and helpful to get a little daily taste of those things that remind us of our true nature. Thinking positive and feeling good consistently are possible, but need practice and the higher we can raise our vibrations the better. The higher vibe we have, the higher vibe we put out and for it we get better health, better relationships and better manifestations.

Some people like to say that laughter is the best medicine and this is exactly why it is, because it raises your vibration, it is a very high form of manifestation of good feelings and positive thinking. There really is only one way to think and that is to think positive and there really is only one way to feel and that is to feel good.

So always remember that you are more then what you’re physical senses tell you, know that what you think and are thinking brought you to where are you. Give yourself a daily reminder of something positive, know that what brought you here is love and follow your heart as much as you can. If you desire change in your life, start with your thoughts and be as consistent with them as you can. Remember to remind yourself of something positive everyday and then one day you will notice that life is beautiful and you have made it so.

Be your truth.

Happy Halloween.

Top Ten benefits for getting an acupuncture treatment

Acupuncture is an age old healing modality, which is based off of how the internal organs work with relation to each other and to the rest of the body. There is no separation from the internal organs to the external bones and skin, so when manipulation is done on the outside, things are changed on the inside. Due to this, acupuncture can affect any part of the body internally and externally. No matter what you’re looking for to be treated, an acupuncture treatment will automatically induce a change, small or big. The following is a list of the benefits of acupuncture.

1.     Improves Digestion-

                        There are 14 meridians that make up the body, they intertwine each other like a spider-web, and their pathways go deep inside and can be manipulated by pressure on the outside. Two of these meridians are directly connected to the Spleen and Stomach, these two organs help breakdown food, turn it into energy and transport it all over the body.  When one of these organs is weak, there is an imbalance in the system, which can weaken all the other organs in the body. Weakness in the Stomach and Spleen can lead to symptoms like acid reflux, slow digestion, loose stools, poor appetite, bloating, burping and fatigue. A healthy diet is the first thing to check when it comes to anything medical, but acupuncture is a good a runner up. Through diagnosis an acupuncturist can locate the proper points, on the corresponding meridians and manipulate with acupuncture needles to effectively strengthen and induce balance back into the system.  Acupuncture works for all issues not just digestive ones, but in any case depending on how well you take care of yourself one or a few acupuncture treatments can help strengthen your digestion.

2.   Immune Boost-

                        The immune system is a defensive mechanism that allows certain cells in the body to find, keep out or destroy invading organisms that can cause sickness. The immune system can be considered part of the digestive system in conjunction with the respiratory system. In other words, the Spleen, Stomach and Lungs are the main organs that maintain the immune system.  The Spleen and Stomach is a working pair of organs that help each other breakdown food and transport that broken down energy into the rest of the body. Maintaining a healthy immune system is greatly dependent on your diet. A proper healthy diet is good fuel that keeps the body strong and able to fight of foreign organisms. The lungs control the external defensive system; they control the pores of the skin, what you breathe in through your nose and mouth. It is important to keep the lungs free of smoke so they can do their job of prevention. Although, when the digestive system is weak, it will cause a domino effect creating weakness in other organs including the lungs. Acupuncture can both strengthen the digestive and respiratory system through manipulating and balancing the spleen, stomach and lung meridians.

3.     3.Relaxation-

                        How can being stuck with needles be relaxing? Science cannot yet prove why or how acupuncture works. However, we do know that when the needles are inserted into the body the Central Nervous System is stimulated, including the hypothalamus and the pituitary glands.  This stimulation releases endorphins and/or endogenous opioids, which produce an analgesic effect for relieving pain.   Along with an analgesic effect, hormones are also secreted, which have been shown to have a balancing effect on parasympathetic and sympathetic systems.  In addition to pain relief, acupuncture has been shown to have other health benefits including regulating blood pressure and body temperature. Similar things also happen when you go to sleep, that’s why taking a nap is better then a cup of coffee. So acupuncture can be relaxing because it turns on or boosts the body’s healing system, which makes you tired. So in general after a typical acupuncture treatment you’ll have more energy then you did before, just like taking a nap.

4.     Helps Detoxification-

                        The human body is in a constant state of flux, every second that goes by 25 million new cells are created and destroyed. The body is always cleaning itself and does its best to go towards a state of optimal health. Although, our lifestyle choices may prohibit that from always happening, acupuncture has the ability to speed up the natural healing processes of the body. Through proper diagnosis, an acupuncturist can choose the right points along the body to help the body clean itself, along with adjunctive therapies like cupping. Cupping is a very old method that stimulates the body by creating a strong suction on the skin with glass cups, which open up muscle tissue to improve blood circulation into, tight or stagnate areas. Cupping is well known for its ability to help people get over colds by it strong method of moving blood and opening up the pores. Blood has many necessary functions, which include bringing oxygen to where it’s needed and removing waste to restore health. Cupping and acupuncture combined are a great way to invigorate the body to remove unwanted waste.

           

5.     Helps Alleviate Pain-

                        Acupuncture stimulates the Central Nervous System of the body, which in turn releases endogenous opioids, these opioids are like drugs that the body makes to cope with pain. When released they create an analgesic effect to relieve the pain. Acupuncture also stimulates blood and other energies to move in order to help the healing processes. Creating a quicker recovery time from injury and creates less of need for high doses of pain relieving medications.

6.      Improve Allergies-

                        Allergy symptoms are associated with the respiratory and the immune system. Depending on the actual symptoms like sneezing, headache, itchy nose and eyes, an acupuncturist may formulate differing diagnoses. In general acupuncture can be used to boost the respiratory system to strengthen the body’s defensive system in order to prevent allergens from invading the body. Symptoms like itchy eyes or headaches signify some sort of blockage in the body. This blockage restricts a free flow of energy to take place allowing the lungs/respiratory system to be weak. Through diagnosis an acupuncturist can locate these blockages in the body and remove them with needle manipulation. When energy can move freely within the body foreign invaders have a more difficult time entering the body causing an allergic reaction.

7.     Helps reduce cravings-

                        There are many theories as to why we have cravings; from food to drugs the list of cravings can be long. One perspective to take on the subject is that of imbalance. Each organ system is associated with certain emotions and food flavors: the kidneys are associated with fear and salt, the spleen with worry and sweets, the heart with joy and bitter, the liver with anger and sour and the lungs with grief and pungent. Be it food or not, when an organ system is weak a certain emotion may be over whelming and or a flavor may be craved. Fulfilling these cravings by either eating or by some other means is a way of trying to overcome this imbalance. Although, it is usually just a temporary fix and may lead to other health concerns. Through proper diagnosis and discussion an acupuncturist can determine, which organ or organ systems may be out of balance? With proper placement and stimulation of the needles, along with a proper diet change cravings can be over come over time.

           

8.    8.  Help Reduce Side-Effects From Medications-

                        Today the public’s awareness of the side effects of certain medications is well known and unwanted. Although at times it is necessary for us to have to take a certain medication to help alleviate pain or over come some other issue. Acupuncture can help eliminate side effects and let the medication do what it was intended for. Medications for pain will most often affect the digestive system and can cause constipation.  Acupuncture can be used to restore balance to the organs that are associated with digestion and bowel movements, while leaving the medication to cause the pain relief it was intended for. There are many medications that are prescribed on a daily basis and all with their own list of side effects. Acupuncture can be effectively used to fend of those unwanted side effects as well reduce the recommended medication dosages over time. Do to its track record of helping with side effects Acupuncture is growing in its recognition as a complimentary medicine to western traditional medicines.

9.     Release of Muscle Tension-

                        Got a stiff neck or shoulders, or maybe had a long day just standing on your feet and now you have a small case of plantar fasciitis? In any case, rest with heat and ice may offer some relief, but it may not do the trick.   Acupuncture is a great way for moving these areas of stagnation like knots that feel tight and uncomfortable. You can think of the human body, as a miniature planet with its own rivers and streams, when these rivers are damned up there is stagnation and pain.  Acupuncture needles placed in specific points along the body can strengthen the rivers to push through and break up the damn causing relief. Depending on the painful condition, how chronic the issue is, where it is, and how well you take care of yourself it may take one or multiple acupuncture treatments to take care of it.

10  Improve Emotional Conditions-

                        Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes that the body and mind are one and the same. Like a bond, chronic physical issues can lead to emotional issues and vice versa. Each organ system is attributed its own emotion and each organ is intimately tied to each other organ.  When there is a weakness or imbalance in one organ it can lead to depression, anger or a variety of other emotional issues. Through proper diagnosis an acupuncturist can decipher, which organ system or systems is out of balance. Just like treating a physical pain issue the emotional aspects of the body can be put back on track. Although emotions are on a deeper level then the physical body it may take multiple acupuncture treatments to help relieve severe emotional issues and a bit more work on the patients part.

I hope these ten benefits have been helpful in showing you what acupuncture can do. With the changing season upon us I recommend going out and finding a local acupuncturist to help keep your body and mind in tip top condition. If you have any questions or comments please let me know! Thank you!

A Simple Meditation Technique For Beginner's

I have been meditating for the past 10 years and have experimented with different types and ideas, from visualizing to tensing my muscles to relax. I have lately come a cross a simple and effective way to get my self into a centered state. All it takes is 15 minutes a day. I’ve learned it from Esther, Jerry and Abraham Hicks. I highly recommend their Getting Into The Vortex CD or just looking them up on Youtube to find out what they’re all about.

The true goal of meditation is to allow your body and mind to relax, or in other words to offer less resistance. Resistance is a term used to describe the idea of not being true to your true nature. In today’s world most people walk around and live in an overall tense, stressful and on the go mind set. Spending most of the day in a busy way, is not healthy overall and is a form of resistance. The state of relaxation is hardly sought after. When we are in a relaxed state, we feel calmer, happier, more creative, healthier and overall more in-tune with our true selves. The idea of meditation is to learn how to relax, let go of resistance and be able to remain in that state while not meditating.

The first and hardest step is the key to meditation. It must, with out a doubt, be done every day, this is the hardest, but most crucial step. A habit must be formed out of it, doing it daily and preferable at the same time each day will train and tune your body into the idea of meditation or state of relaxation. Forming the habit over time will make the process of centering your self easier and easier. In time the idea is that with daily practice you will be able to remain centered/relaxed and offer less resistance in any chaotic environment with out having to meditate first.

Secondly, your spine must be held straight, the body is like an antenna, the straighter the spine the better signal you’ll get. Although, the signal you’re trying to receive is from with in. Another result from holding your spine straight allows for deeper breathes to take place, which assists in the relaxation process, the deeper the breath the deeper you can meditate.  Your legs can be held in any comfortable position, so long as you can sit still for about 15 minutes. Your hands also can be kept in any comfortable position, either in a Mudra position as you would see on any Buddhist statues or religious icons or just resting your hands on your lap. The key is comfort below and stability above.

Thirdly, loosely focus on your breathing, by loosely I mean do not pressure yourself to focus on your breathing. If your mind drifts away let it and once you have recognized that your thoughts drifted just place your attention back to your breath.

Breathing is an action that our body’s do on a subconscious level, but yet we can have control over it at the same time. To pay attention to the breath is to pay attention to our subconscious. The more we do this the more we begin to understand our deeper selves along with the outside world.

The fourth step you must remember that there is no true goal to be sought through mediation, but only to relax and through repeated relaxation sessions you’ll be able to remain more relaxed in a typical active state. Do not make relaxing your goal, otherwise it will become very difficult, instead just sit straight, comfortably and loosely focus on your breathing.

Doing this for 15 minutes a day is more then adequate. In Chinese medicine it takes 15 minutes for all the energies of the body to go one full lap around. So 15 minutes is all it takes to get your body used to a new idea and behavior. Consider it a reboot for your body and mind.

I hope this weeks article has been helpful and informative, if you have any questions or comments please let me know. Thank you and have a great week.

Causes and Acupressure Treatment for Constipation.

Uh-oh. Not going anywhere for a while?  Everyone at some time or another has experienced some form of constipation. Peoples bathroom habits vary greatly, some people go multiple times a day, while others may go once every other day. Both are perfectly normal, but if you only go once every other day and you feel uncomfortable about it then you are definitely constipated. The longer you don’t go, the harder and dryer the stool becomes making a bowel movement even more difficult to pass.

So what’s the cause and how to get things moving? First off, are you drinking enough water or eating enough fiber? Always stay hydrated and eat your veggies, not only will eating right help you to have healthy bowel movements, but you’ll be in better health over all.

Is your case of constipation acute or chronic? If you’ve had this issue for a while, there is probably more to the picture then meets the eye. In Chinese medicine, the body and mind are pretty much the same thing, so if you’ve had trouble letting go of your bowels for quite some time, you probably have a slight case of depression and are also having some emotional trouble letting go of something else. To help the situation I recommend taking a closer look at your self and try to meditate on what’s bothering you and do your best to accept the situation and let go of it. Also, if you are depressed and taking medication for it, the medication might be the reason for the constipation. Most medications have some sort of side-effect attached to it, talking to your primary care is probably the best way to find a way around the issue.

On the other hand if your situation is acute and rare, the better off you are, maybe you had too much to drink last night or you don’t exercise as much as you used to. Alcohol is a form of heat and when over consumed it can dry up your bowels, red wines and hard liquors are usually the case. Unless mixed with something like orange juice, which is cold and damping and can help move the bowels right along. Although for some people drinking a lot alcohol overloads your digestive system and you may end up with a slight case of the runs the next day.  As is the case for drinking to much beer, beer is considered to be damping and can weaken your digestive systems ability to hold onto to anything at all.

As for exercise like jogging, which gets your blood flowing and everything else moving, lack of it will do the opposite. For those of you have a short temper or stressful lifestyle, this might also be a cause for constipation. When stress levels rise, so do other things in the body, which keep things bound and tight. A good jog, relaxing shoulder massage or even a long hot footbath should help unbind things and send energy back down.

Laxatives. What’s the deal? In short, only use them for a short time, over use can cause a number of side effects such as severe imbalances of body fluids, addiction, colon damage and even re-bound constipation.  If you really want to take one it’s best to ask you’re primary care or maybe even the pharmacist at the store, especially if you’re taking other forms of medication. An important rule of thumb while on meds is to always be extra cautious when taking some thing else, because you never know how it’ll react with your daily dose of what ever else you’re taking.

So what can you do to help get things moving along? Well I recommend going to an acupuncturist, but if you can’t, some good belly rubbing just might do the trick.  First off it’s best if you can take a few minutes and lie down on your back and take a couple of deep breaths. You can then rub your belly in circles with your palm starting from the right side going to the left. Doing that for a few minutes slowly or around 50 times with a comfortable pressure should cause a domino effect in the stomach and you may start to hear some gurgling noises in the area. You can also take a deep breath in and on the exhale apply pressure to the area just under your rib cage on both sides with your fingertips. If this becomes uncomfortable, just stop, but doing this will help release any tension in your diaphragm allowing more air to come into your system to help move things along. You can also take a few minutes to massage your belly in straight line just going down the middle.

Doing these belly rubs won’t make you run to the bathroom, but they will help regulate your system, especially if done on a regular basis. If done on a regular basis, after waking or before going to sleep at night it will strengthen your stomach and its ability to digest food along with the chain reaction that takes place afterwards. In the end to have healthy digestion and bowel movements it’s always good to drink plenty of water, eat plenty of greens and do a little daily belly rub.

 I hope this has been a helpful tip and if you have any, questions, comments or clarification on something I’d love to hear it.

Thanks for stopping by Acuthink!