Joy in aloneness

 
self love-harbin hot springs-osho

I just came back from two magical nights at Harbin Hotsprings.  And, I spent a good 36 hours of those two days - by myself.

As a person who spends a lot of time speaking and relating as part of my life as a yoga instructor, I was noticing the introverted side of myself longing to be in silence.  It felt so nice to spend that time alone with my thoughts, my books, my writing and my own mind.  It was also fitting since my yoga class themes for the week have been the difference between loneliness and aloneness.

Osho says, "Loneliness is the absence of the other, while aloneness is the presence of one's self."   If we can shift our perspective on loneliness to "aloneness" it is no longer seen as negative.  It can actually be something we enjoy.

We live in a time where most people are afraid to be alone.  As soon as we are with only ourselves, we go to the computer or our cell phone to feel connected again.  Because of this, we have lost sight of the benefits of our own aloneness.

I see yoga as a tool for people to regain access to their aloneness.  Being alone with the body and breath is no longer seen as negative, but crucial in order to take care of ourselves, be with our pain and emotions and recharge our energy levels.  Time alone - without computers and cell phones is when great insights arrive and when guidance is received from intuition.

Through yoga we access our aloneness through movement and breath.  Even though we are in a room full of other people - we are all there together, to be alone, to be totally present with ourselves.

What would it be like to accept yourself fully?  To delight in your own aloneness and presence?

In a culture where we put so much emphasis on the other - it's time we turned our seeking to ourselves.  All the love and acceptance we seek in the outside world can be found within.  This love can be accessed within yourelf, for yourself in aloneness.

 

 

Natural cures for 5 different kinds of headaches

 
Self Love-body wisdom-detox

What if someone told you finding the right cure for your headache was as simple as figuring out what kind of headache you have?  According to Annemarie Colbin of FoodAndHealing.com, this is exactly what you should do.  After listening to her lecture through my school, I was ecstatic to know my regular tension headaches would dissipate after drinking a glass of lemon water with honey!  According to Annemarie, there are 5 kinds of headaches, with 5 specific cures.  If you are unsure of what kind of headache you have, try one of these cures and wait to see the results.  If you don't notice any change, you can always try another.

1. Expansive Headache An expansive headache is from eating too many sugary foods.  To cure this kind of headache you want to eat something from the Contractive side of the spectrum in the diagram below (salty foods.)

2. Contractive Headache A contractive headache is also described as a tension headache.  It can arise from tightness in the jaw, eating too much meat, or not eating enough food in general.  It can be cured by eating healthy sweet foods that are more "expansive."  Some common contractive headache cures are applesauce, juice, lemon water with honey, or italian ice.

You want to eat mostly balanced foods on this spectrum.  You will notice if you eat too many foods on the expansive or contractive end, your body naturally gravitates to eat foods on the opposite end to find balance.  For example, people that eat a lot of meat, generally also drink coffee and are addicted to sugar and/or alcohol.  Lessening meat intake lowers the cravings for these expansive foods.

3. Liver Headache A liver headache is also known as a migraine.  Migraines occur when you eat too much fat on an empty stomach (such as a bag of potato chips).  This puts strain on the liver and causes a migraine.  The liver is connected to the health of our eyes - so that's why you may see spots or have poor vision during a migraine.  Luckily there is a natural cure: - Squeeze 1/2 an organic lemon into a glass then simmer the peel for 10 minutes in 2 cups of pure water.  - Let the boiled lemon peel water cool then add it to the juice and drink.

4. Caffeine Headache This kind of headache arises when you stop drinking caffeine.  The cure for this one is to drink a little caffeine.  In order to stop drinking coffee or black tea, gradually drink a smaller amount at the same time each day to avoid a caffeine headache.

5. Structural Headache A structural headache is the kind of pain that arises from a misalignment in the body.  The cure for a structural headache is yoga and/or chiropractic adjustments.