Tag: soul

Spring Cleaning for the Body, Soul, and Mind

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Spring is here. Sort of. I live in Michigan so spring is a relative term. Monday it snowed. Tuesday it was 60 degrees. Michiganders have learned to go with the flow. After this never-ending winter, spring really is on the horizon. Birds are chirping. Days are getting longer. The sun is getting warmer. All good things!

We spend time cleaning our homes and cars, but what about us? Spring is the perfect time to give yourself some TLC.

Spring Cleaning for your BODY

If you live in a harsh winter climate, your skin is probably showing signs of suffering. Cold weather does a number on our skin. If you don’t already, this is a great time to start dry body brushing. You can read more about that here. Slough off that dry, dead winter skin!  After sloughing, moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Coconut oil is my favorite body moisturizer. Putting on a thick layer before bed from neck to toe makes for a great night’s sleep. Warm it up first to make it feel even better!

Don’t forget about the rest of your body. Remember your toes that haven’t seen the light of day in 3- 6 months? Treat them to a pedicure. I have a history of ingrown toenails (gross I know) so I get pedicures regularly.  But the first one in spring is always the sweetest.

Sunscreen. We have a love/hate relationship. I love sun-kissed looking skin, but I hate wrinkles, lines, and sunspots. If I could rewind life and fix one bad habit, it would be my lack of sunscreen in my youth. Now I wear it every day and you should too! The sun is starting to feel warmer and the damaging rays are intensifying, so find a sunscreen you like and apply at least once a day. I like Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen Lotion with Broad Spectrum SPF 45, 3 fl. Oz (Pack of 2). In the winter I use SPF 30, in the summer SPF 45. I have extremely oily skin and this is the one sunscreen I’ve found that doesn’t make me look extra greasy.

Get back on track with good habits. Get outside. Your whole entire being will thank you! A little fresh air goes a long way! Cleanse. I love the idea of a cleanse, but I hate doing them! So, if you’re like me and don’t want to jump in with both feet, try a modified cleanse. Cut out refined sugar and add lots of water. If you think water is boring, spice it up by adding lemon wedges or orange slices. Simply making those 2 small changes will benefit your body immensely. If you need help reducing sugar, try Sweet Defeat. It works great at reducing sugar cravings. Even if you cave in and eat something sweet, it changes the taste and I promise you won’t want more!

Spring Cleaning for your SOUL

It’s no coincidence that Easter falls during springtime. This is a great time to renew your focus on what’s really important. If you haven’t already, find a routine that works for you. Start praying. Make a list of things you are grateful and thankful for. Read the Bible. I promise this is time well spent and you will reap the rewards. When springtime rolls around, you don’t simply step outside and plop flowers into the ground. You must take time to cultivate the soil and prep. A healthy routine will form the perfect foundation for the seeds you wish to sow.

Find a church. If you don’t already have one, start searching. Big. Small. Contemporary. Traditional. With all the choices today, there’s something for everyone. It doesn’t matter as long as the message is the same – Jesus died for us to pay the price for our sins, then rose again. Believe and you will have eternal life.

Let go of past hurts. This can be a toughie, but you can’t move forward into tomorrow when you are dragging all of yesterday’s baggage. If you don’t feel like you can do this alone, find someone to talk to. I am a firm believer that the whole wide world could benefit from therapy. Just saying.

Spring Cleaning for your MIND

Oh, what a downer a cluttered mind can be! Spring is the PERFECT time to rid your mind of the negative thought patterns that have found a home. Kick them out. Turn OFF the negative voice and turn UP the positive voice. For some of us (ok fine, for me) this can be a full-time job. Don’t give up. It IS possible. My mind can’t rest when things are a mess, so for me, spring cleaning my mind is a by-product of spring cleaning my home. Get rid of things you don’t need. The less clutter, the more room to relax, literally and figuratively.

Find a mentor. When I hear the word ‘mentor’ a few names come to mind so I am extra lucky. If you don’t have one, pray for one! I would say “find one” but I’ve found from past experience it rarely works that way. Mentors tend to find YOU instead of the other way around.

Detox from social media and technology as much as possible. If I added up all the time I spend, or should I say waste, on social media, I would probably be shocked and ashamed. Put your phone down and read a book instead. My goal is 12 meaningful, helpful, educational books this year. So far I am on track to exceed my goal. I love learning and reading is a great way to learn.

“Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seeds. You can grow flowers or weeds.” -Unknown

The bottom line

Spring is here. Plant the seeds of change now and watch your healthy habits bloom!

“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed…Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.” -Henry David Thoreau

What are some other ways you can get your whole self ready for spring? I’d love to hear your ideas!

The Journey Begins

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My journey to ‘be wholly’ didn’t happen over night. I’m actually still a work in progress. But I’ve finally come to the realization that true health happens when we take into consideration all moving parts. That belief has developed over the years, along with my love for writing, which has led me to where I am now. This is how I got here…
Rewind to the 80’s. Where everything was neon and life as a kid was way different than it is now. Sigh. We played outside, out of sight from our parents for hours on end. My mom actually had this really embarrassing bell that she rang when it was time to come home. You could hear it from anywhere in our neighborhood. My kids would be mortified. Anyhow, we had a Nintendo that I played on my black and white basement TV. My grandma would quickly “die” during her turn so I could play again. We had dinner at home together on Sundays. We didn’t fill every spare second with something.
Ah the good ole days!
I started exercising at a young age. I remember using my mom’s aerobic step and working out to VHS tapes. Physical fitness was always top on my list. I enjoyed exercising, but mental and spiritual health were not as important. Honestly, they weren’t even really on my radar until my 20’s. Growing up we went to church, but I figured that was enough to feed the spiritual side of me. Time ticked on and physically I managed. Aside from my destructive teen years of doing stupid things ignorant teens do, I had taken pretty good care of myself physically. But the lack of mental care was catching up with me and anxiety had reared its very ugly head. I found some relief with a low dose of Xanax as needed. At the time it felt like the right solution. In retrospect, it was more of a band-aid.
Fast forward to 2004…a lot less neon…thank God because this is the year I got married. It wasn’t long before the babies started showing up. Three to be exact. 2005. 2007. 2012.
Insert hormonal tidal wave. Whoa.
The tidal wave wasn’t working for me. After trying a few different things, I decided to see a therapist. I thought maybe this could help me manage my moods a little better, but in reality, my PMS seemed to be the biggest trigger. My doctor’s solution was a bigger band-aid. Prozac. The long list of side effects was a bit intimidating, especially since I historically get the weird ones. The discussion was pretty short and sweet. He suggested Prozac because it’s hard to test for hormone levels because they fluctuate so frequently. Oh, and exercise 3 times a week. Dude! I already do that!
I found this baffling. This is the 21st Century! How is this possible?! No blood test to check hormones? This can’t be! This led me to find an alternative. There had to be some way to treat the problem rather than the symptom. My therapist gave me the name of someone she had seen herself for various issues. A holistic person that uses “weird techniques” to help her feel better. Um. Ok. Weird. Right up my alley!
This was my entrance into the Holistic world. I started seeing an Ayurvedic practitioner. I had no clue what that was and honestly didn’t care. I just wanted help! Turns out Ayurveda has Indian roots. It’s a whole body healing system that is over 3,000 years old. Ayurveda believes the mind, body, and spirit need to balanced to achieve overall wellness. She used a combination of herbs, oils, and other natural remedies to treat my issues. 5 years later, I have noticed a drastic improvement in my overall well-being. Oddly enough, this approach has fixed things I didn’t even know needed fixed…

  • My stress and anxiety is better maintained. Notice I said “maintained.” Stress will never go away. There will always be stress in our lives but we can learn to manage it! I still take an herbal blend to help with my anxiety as needed. I love this non habit-forming natural option! Years ago I would experience so much tension that my upper back and shoulders would hurt. This tension would always lead to a headache. It was a vicious cycle. Today that tension is gone! On days where I get super stressed or anxious, I can feel it creep in, but now I have the tools I need to prevent it from getting worse.
  • My energy levels are better, partly a result of drinking more water and getting better sleep. So basic, yet so helpful!
  • My sinus issues are drastically better. I went in knowing this was an issue I wanted fixed. I started using a nose oil. I can’t begin to tell you how life changing this has been for me. The year prior to my first visit I took an antibiotic 9 times in one year! A CT Scan had confirmed I had chronic sinusitis. Duh. I started the nose oil and the following year I had 2 sinus infections. I now average about one a year – huge improvement for me! No more over drying nasal sprays that didn’t work!
  • My mood has improved! While I still struggle with some PMS, my overall mood is much better! I am able to find the good in most situations and am WAY more grateful for everyday things!
  • I am eating better, which in turn has improved my digestion. Less sugar. More whole foods. Less caffeine (I will NEVER give up Iced tea) Just not happening! I still have ‘those days’ where I eat ice cream for dinner or fast food for lunch, but I usually feel like crap afterward!

Ayurveda has been very helpful for me, but I do not limit myself. I recently saw a medical doctor that uses a lot of alternative options such as accupuncture in conjunction with his medical practice. How awesome is that? I see a Chiropractor who keeps me straight (no pun intended) I’ve tried some homeopathic options. I diffuse essential oils. I see Bessie, my reflexologist (and substitute grandmother) about once a month. She is awesome and you will be hearing more about her later! While I still get an occasional antibiotic when I’m sick and get yearly check ups, I try to keep an open mind & be open to all options. I find in most cases, a combination of all of the above works best for me!
All of these things have worked great for me, but I have to give credit where credit is due! God. I know He led me to this lifestyle and now my spiritual life is a priority. We found a church we liked and became involved. I actually look forward to going every Sunday and get bummed when we can’t. I read devotionals every day and spend much more time in prayer. I have begun to understand the difference between happiness and joy (Joy is an amazing thing) When I slack in my spiritual life, I suffer emotionally and anxiety takes over.
When all of these things come together, it makes me feel great. When I feel great, it’s contagious and I want to make others feel great! The more I make others feel great, the better I feel. It’s like this big ole happy circle of greatness! I love reading a devotional and sharing it with a friend who needs to hear just those words! I love finding a remedy for something and sharing that success with someone facing the same issue. I love dragging my friends along to exercise class or taking a walk together on a nice, sunny day! On vacation recently, I overheard someone at the pool talking about his recent high blood pressure diagnosis. I politely apologized for eaves dropping on his conversation and then told him everything I knew about naturally lowering blood pressure!
My “real job” as Insurance Agent and my full-time job as mom & wife take up a lot of time, but I love the opportunity to write. I am not used to sharing what I write, so this adventure is new for me. I am excited to see where this leads. Follow me! The best is yet to be!

When I slack in my spiritual life, I suffer emotionally and anxiety takes over.

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