Archive for March, 2007
Perfect Health
March 1st, 2007
What this book is about
This book contains Ayurvedic methods of getting and staying healthy. Deepak Chopra explains that there are 10 different body types (dosha) and once you figure out what yours is you can follow the guidelines for the diet and lifestyle suggested for your type to obtain and maintain Perfect Health for yourself.
My experience
I am a Vata-Pitta. My dominant dosha is Vata and sub-dosha is Pitta. That means I need to do things to stay warm in the fall and Spring, as my tendency is to get too much Vata during those times and get out of balance. I love my Vata balancing tea at this time of the year and the calming Spice Mix that I sprinkle on my food to balance Vata. I love sprinkling it on buttered popcorn. (Yes, I’m supposed to have butter.)
Winter into Spring
Right now is the time to make sure you take care of Kapha. Kapha is slow moving and, if you have eating Kapha aggravating foods all winter you will wind up with a melt-down (cold) because you have created an imbalance and now the body has to rebalance. I guess that’s why he recommends the Neti pot to help us through the melt-down and get us back into balance. The best way to stay healthy is to follow the recommended lifestyle and diet for your dosha. (Unless, of course you are totally in the flow and open to your connection to Source energy. Then you are always in a place of Well-Being, right?)
Is it right for you?
Ayurveda is a 5000 year old method of health and healing. Some people say that it’s a tried and true system and others say that things change so rapidly and we are continually receiving new scientific studies that something 5000 years old is no longer relevant. You have to decide for yourself what works for you. You’ll know by how you feel. And I’m not just talking about how it makes you feel once you discover your dosha (body type) and are on the appropriate diet for a while. Just thinking about a particular type of diet can give you a clue. Keeping in mind the Law of Attraction, we now use our guidance system to know what’s the best thing to do. Once you get to know a little more about Ayurveda you can think about following it and see how you feel. If it feels good to you, try it. If not, don’t. Always trust your guidance system. It knows best. To give you an example: I was just about to link the "Law of Attraction" phrase above with search results for the "law of attraction" on this site. It didn’t feel right to me so I didn’t do it. What did feel right was to link the words to my review of the book of the same name, so that’s what I did. See? Guidance always tells us.
View book details at Amazon.com: Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide, Revised and Updated Edition
Practicing the Power of Now
March 1st, 2007
What this book is about
The "essential teachings, meditations and exercises from The Power of Now", this book is actually an abridged version of the original that sums it all up for easy reference. You can find the meditations and exercises you want to use in this shorter book.
My experience
I found this book easy to navigate. I listened to the book on CD in the car for a while and found it beneficial to go back and forth between the abridge version and the full version. Sometimes I just needed to go deeper (full version) and sometimes I needed a quick reminder (abridged version). Check them both out and see which works best for you.
Comments
If you are really into getting deep with this material I suggest the original: The Power of Now. If you aren’t sure but want to know what it’s all about, then this book is great. You can always get deeper with the full version later.
Read my review of The Power of Now
View book details at Amazon: Practicing the Power of Now: Essential Teachings, Meditations, and Exercises from The Power of Now
Hot Stone Therapy
March 1st, 2007
Warmth on a cold winter day
Spring is almost here but if you’re looking for a way to get warm during these cold winter days (for those of you far enough north that it’s cold) and pamper yourself with a massage, Hot Stone Therapy might be for you. Warmer than California Dreamin’, this therapy will give you enough warmth to feel like you’ve spent your day on a tropical beach.
How it works
Basalt stones are heated and placed on your chakras, meridians or other energy centers to warm and relax you before you are massaged. Basically, the hot stones are there to enhance your relaxation and the effects and experience of the massage. Some hot stone therapy sessions include aromatherapy while others use plain massage oil. Sometimes the stones are placed directly on your skin and sometimes there is a cloth or blanket between you and the hot stones. The particular type of massage that goes with the hot stones is also different from one spa to the next, at least it can be. The session you get is going to depend on which spa you go to, so find out what the therapy entails and choose your spa based on what you want to experience: aromatherapy or plain oil, Swedish or other massage, hot stones on your skin or on the other side of a blanket. Sessions typically last 90 to 120 minutes.
My experience
The first hot stone therapy massage I got was amazing. It was done by a private masseuse who had her own office. She came highly recommended by a close friend. She spent almost two hours working on me with the hot stones and aromatherapy. She put the stones on my back and used them for the massage, too. This was during the Spring. I came out of her office relaxed, rejuvenated and well, relaxed. It was great.
Comments
To find a reputable spa ask your friends for references to places they have found to be up to your standards.
Caution
Everyone has a different tolerance for heat so make sure you tell the spa and therapist if you have any issues. If the stones are too hot for you during the session, say so, for your own sake. You know what feels right to you and you want to feel good. Right?
Disclaimer
This is just my experience. I’m not a doctor and I don’t know your body’s condition or your belief systems so use this advice/information at your own discretion and reasoning.
Posted in Healthy Body