Getting Rid of the Stress

One of stress relievers that Manuel and I partake in doing is him going skateboarding and me following him on my bike. You wouldn't believe it if I told you, but if you saw it, you'd be amazed. Manuel can skateboard so fast, it is hard for me to keep up with him riding a bike. Maybe you have seen him. He has been skateboarding for years along Bristol Street in Santa Ana.

In addition, we also practice Kundalini Yoga- allisone.info. We have tried all kinds of yoga in the past- hatha, Bikram, ashtanga, the list goes on and on; this has been the most effective for us. We particularly enjoy attending the class held by Ram Das Bir Singh. As a teacher, he is knowledgeable and uplifting. As a person, this man has helped us immensely in so many ways. He is a wonderful male role model with such an amazing heart. And in his class, is where we met. But getting back to stress relief, we enjoy the Kundalini Yoga because it incorporates mudra (hand positions used to stimulate certain areas in the brain or organs), mantra (sound to release and create vibration to change the energy), pranayama (breathing techniques) and asanas (body posture). I do admit that on some days when we are holding our arms out for twenty two minutes at a time I feel like quitting, but then have you ever tried to do that by yourself with no motivation? Well with our great teacher's help, I am doing this on my own as well. So yes, he has us do kriyas that we do not want to do but our teacher teaches us patience for the big payoff. The big payoff is finding out you can survive it and by working at it everyday it actually becomes easier. There has been a message that my teacher has been telling his students for years, tithe- one tenth belongs to God. He explains to us that everything we have is not ours (time, money, life). We have the choice to take it or to dedicate it. By dedicating one tenth of a day- a two and a half hour time slot dedicated to God, by dedicating one tenth of your money to God (charity); if you live selflessly and give to God you will receive all the blessings. And for those who are really tuning out because God has been introduced into the story, if you think about it you can fill a purpose greater than your own and that is God. It gets one out of the selfish mindset that Americans are raised with. Because as my husband always tells me, everything is connected; and it is. Every thought you have changes the vibration of the world and every action changes the world physically. It just reminds me of what is in the news a lot lately. Medication that people take is being urinated and is contaminating the water supply that we drink, bathe, and use for other purposes. Whether you are drinking water from the tap, or your filtration system, or getting bottled water, what exactly is in it? And the water you bathe in- your skin is a sponge. Yes you are absorbing water when you bathe and what is in that water? I am not trying to get paranoid on this subject but it is something to think about.

So getting back to getting rid of stress: tone down what you are thinking, exercise, try meditation, live honestly, because everything is connected with everything whether you like it or not.

Herbal First Aid Kit

I went to a Women's Retreat over the summer and had taken a seminar given by Aricia Zazo on an herbal first aid kit. I really enjoyed the information given and have adapted what I have and use with what she had suggested. I have been thinking about this for a couple of days and decided that this is something that can be useful to others. The following is not medical advice. I am just presenting what I learned at the workshop and am combining knowledge I have acquired over the years by using on myself and family members. I always suggest researching any advice- google is a wonderful search engine which usually can lead one to wikipedia to get accurate information.

Ingredients:
Raw Garlic
Feverfew (Herbal Extract)
Greenban (insect repellent)
Herbal Ed's Salve
Arnica Montana (Homeopathic)
Lavender (Essential Oil)
Peppermint (Essential Oil)
Tea Tree (Essential Oil)
Rose Geranium (Essential Oil)
Eucalyptus (Essential Oil)
Shea Butter
Rosemary (Essential Oil)
Lemon Grass (Essential Oil)
Echinacea Goldenseal (Herbal Extract)

Raw Garlic: As we know, garlic is wonderful for almost any ailment; high blood pressure, blood sugar level regulator, blood clot preventive, antioxidant. It is helpful for a multitude of reasons, but the most important, is that it is a natural antibiotic. If one feels a cold coming on, begin to ingest raw garlic in moderation. According to Yogi Bhajan "If a person is not obnoxiously offended by garlic smell when he is socially entertaining, he is a man with a very high standard."
Feverfew: In herbal extract form, it is suggested to get Herb Pharm brand http://www.herb-pharm.com/. Feverfew has been used for reducing fever, for treating headaches, arthritie and digestive problems. The main reason this is on the list is for Migraine headache relief.
Green Ban: Insect repellent and itch soother that contains: citronella, cajuput, lavender, safrole-free sassafras, peppermint, myrrh, and bergaptene-free bergamot oils in an emollient healing base of pure calendula, soy, and tea tree oils.
Herbal Ed's Salve: Another Herb Pharm product contains: Comfrey root, St. John's Wort, Calendula flower, Plantain leaf, Chickweed herb, Mullein leaf, Bees' Wax, and Bees' Propolis. For chapped lips, minor cuts and irritation. Although I have never used this product, it has come highly recommended from people that I trust. For a cream with kick, it is pretty potent, and I highly recommend is Gardener's Dream Cream by Aroma Crystal Therapy http://www.aromacrystal.com/index.php?page_id=26. Used as a massage cream I have found that it works wonders for sore muscles and body aches. I have used it on bug bites, burns and love it on chapped lips.
Arnica Montana: I typically use homeopathic medicine. Boiron http://www.boironusa.com/ makes these wonderful tubes where you twist the top to release the pellets. You take 5 pellets which are smaller than the size of a BB. The sugar tasting pellets are very easy to take. Arnica is used for bruises, trauma and muscle soreness. I have also heard that it is good for emotional shock after injury, nosebleeds, jet lag, and for those days where you feel like you have been run over by a semi-truck.
Lavender: This essential oil is wonderful. It smells good, you do not need to dilute it and it seems to work for just about anything: burns, sunburn (you can mix with aloe and witch hazel), diaper rash (mix with shea butter), bee stings, muscle cramps.
Peppermint: This oil should be diluted with oil or water. Peppermint oil is helpful for nausea, stomach/digestive , headache, and motion sickness.
Tea Tree: This essential oil is an antibacterial and antifungual. Especially good for cuts.
Rose Geranium: This essential oil is used for sore throat, PMS because it helps to regulate female hormones, depression, anxiety, and skin disorders.
Eucalyptus: This essential oil is used for congestion. By either inhaling or applying to the chest.
Rosemary: This essential oil is used for headache.
Lemongrass: This essential oil can be used for road rage
Echinacea/Goldenseal: Use this tincture when coming down with a cold. Put a few drops in a glass of orange juice or glass of water.

*Essential oils- These are concentrated extracts of plants. Some can be very dangerous. Do not apply directly to skin without diluting (with the exception of lavender and tea tree). Also please research essential oil companies before purchasing- determine an essential oil is a pure essential oil and that it is distilled without the use of harmful chemicals. Because of their concentrated nature, essential oils generally should not be applied directly to the skin in their undiluted or "neat" form. Some can cause severe irritation, or provoke an allergic reaction.

Mixing lavender oil and tea tree oil make a wonderful natural hand sanitizer.

Communication

Communication can be one of the most confusing aspects of being a human. When you say something clear and concise, the listener is looking, nodding and giving feedback; you have a feeling inside that you are confident that the two of you are "on the same page," then you find out that you aren't. Just this simple transaction can lead to great pain. We are potty training Zoe, our new puppy. We have given her a specific area in which to relieve herself, we take her to that spot after she wakes up from a nap or eats. Yet after three weeks, she will be at her designated spot, cry to be let back into the house or try to run in past me, the human barricade at the door, and find a nice spot on our floor to reliever herself. DOH! It is so nice to have a new member of the family at the house. She has made herself at home with Manuel, the cats, and I. Learning how to communicate to one who does not know your language definitely requires patience and understanding. Sometimes Manuel and I feel like we are frustrated with Zoe, but she just looks at us with those eyes and that wagging tail that just make you want to laugh and pick her up, but sometimes that will not be beneficial to the upbringing of this new family member. I watch how the cats interact with Zoe. There is no messing around. If the cat does not like the puppy nipping at his tail, he turns around and starts boxing the puppy. Thank goodness the cats are declawed so even when I hear the puppy crying, I know she is not getting pulverized.

Communication between not just pets is important. More recently, communication between my husband and I especially. Most of the time, I feel that Manuel and I are on the same page. Our flow and energy together is amazing. When we work together, things get done so smoothly, efficiently, and quickly. Before we got married, we felt that we communicated the same. For some reason after some time has passed and we have been married a little over a year, we are beginning to learn that men and women communicate differently. So the item I believe that is most in communication is CLARIFICATION, CLARIFICATION, CLARIFICATION. So a word of advice: even when you believe that you are on the same page, make sure you get a verbal clarification from the one you are communicating with so that you do not run into mishaps later on.

Enough on communication for now, the porch project aka: House of Guru Ram Das Project is doing well. Manuel, David and Joe (David and Joe pictured above) have been working hard to complete phase I of the House of Guru Ram Das. Today they should be completing the primer for the porch and the front porch should be done for now (they are waiting to find out the color of the rest of the house before painting the primer area- so it matches the rest of the house). The security screen door in the front has also been installed. I also wanted to mention that these three men are putting a lot of hard work and effort into this project. They are working from the good of their hearts, they are not on a payroll; there isn't enough funding for that. Another item of mention is David. David is working on crutches. He has a broken leg and has been working faithfully on this project despite his physical handicap. To me, that is dedication.

Since the Last Time

One morning I had woken up with a spider bite on my leg. As the day progressed, so did the swelling at the site of the bite. Soon, I admitted myself into an urgent care facility. I was given a myriad of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and allergy medication. By the next day, things were worse. My entire body was red with rash, I was freezing inside, I had a fever. I went back to the doctor's and found that I had a reaction to the antibiotics. Within two weeks, I was back to "normal." Whatever normal is. Since the announcement of my engagement last year, the relationship with my family deteriorated. Control issues really surfaced and got out of hand. I wished all the family turmoil could have lasted only a couple of weeks just like the spider bite. But instead, it has been a toxic and disgusting situation that has had a very long duration. Things between my sister and I are mended. My mother and I are trying to mend our relationship. My mother and sister came for a visit last week and got to meet the new member of our family, Zoe ( a doxie mix puppy). The visit went well and I am glad that perhaps in the future we can be family again.





Onto my next tangent, I want to thank goodness for my husband, Manuel who has been right beside me during all of this toxic family blah. Even though my family may not agree, I am married to the most compassionate and loving man. We were at his mother's house this weekend for a couple of birthdays/reunion. The place was packed, but it was nice to be in the presence of family love.

Before I end this blog, I wanted to mention that I entered Zoe in a cutest dog contest for the Orange County Register Newspaper. If you agree with me, please vote for her as well. Thank you. (Zoe from Anaheim) http://ocregister.upickem.net/engine/Welcome.aspx?contestid=2913