Nature's Little Helpers: Part I

I used to be one of those people who ate a horrible diet full of artificial colors, ingredients, and junk, never exercised, never drank water, got hardly any sleep, treated my body (and soul) like crap. And yet, I wondered why I felt equally like crap all the time, or why my skin looked so dull and full of blemishes, why my hair was constantly and profusely shedding every time I ran a brush or my fingers through it, and why it was so dry with so many split-ends. I wondered why I had no energy or motivation to do things, or why my inner and outer body suffered so much.

Simply put, I was not giving my body what it needed. Our body is both simple and complicated. It is a glorious machine that has many cogs and gears that each miraculously do their job, but they each need a little something from us to function optimally, and in that, our body is simple. If we want to look our best, feel our best, and do our best, then it’s important that we listen to the signals our body is giving us, and act accordingly.

All the symptoms I mentioned above are classic signs of dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, non-adequate sleep, not enough sunshine, and no exercise.  People curse their body for showing these symptoms, wondering why they have horrible acne, digestion issues, headaches, or why their energy has plummeted so low, but they never want to take responsibility for the fact that maybe they aren’t treating their body the way it needs to be treated—the way it’s asking to be treated.

Granted, we are human and we aren’t perfect; nor do we all have the time to always get 30 minutes of sunshine, those 8 hours of sleep, make the perfect, healthy meal, or get in that 1 hour of exercise or 3 liters of water a day—and that’s okay. It is because of these reasons that I decided to take a little help in the aforementioned departments, and start supplementing my body with a few “little helpers.”

The following things that I will be talking about in this series entitled “Nature’s Little Helpers” have greatly helped me on my journey to becoming my greatest version. Not only have I seen a significant change on the outside, but I’ve also seen a tremendous change on the inside as well. People underestimate just how strong the mind-body connection is, and how much what we do on the outside affects what happens on the inside, and how we feel on the inside/what’s going on within our bodies, affects how we look on the outside.

These are a few things that have dramatically changed my life—in the realms of appearance, energy, vitality, and health—and I hope that they work for you as wonderfully as they worked for me. Because there are so many things that I wish to include, this too will be a weekly series. Today’s spotlight is on: magnesium!

Magnesium

It is estimated that 80-90% of people may be magnesium deficient. (Test results vary according to sample error, such as ethnicity, race, age, location, diet, etc. of participants.)

Signs of magnesium deficiency are everywhere, if you know what to look for; however, the symptoms are so common that they constantly slip beneath the radar. Almost everyone you come into contact with is most likely suffering in some way from magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body. Along with being a mineral, it is also the most important electrolyte for the body, being the controller of the 3 other important electrolytes: potassium, sodium, and calcium. Electrolytes are incredibly important for the body. They are what allow us to be living, breathing, electrical beings, and are responsible for all electrical activity and brain conductivity in the body.

Furthermore, magnesium is responsible for over 300 reactions in the body, and is needed by every single cell in the body. It plays a vital role in hundreds of enzyme systems and functions related to cell metabolism, protein synthesis, and the utilization of fats and carbohydrates. Without electrolytes like magnesium, your body cannot function optimally. Your muscles can’t operate, your heart can’t beat, your body can’t regulate temperature, your liver can’t detoxify, your nerves can’t transmit impulses, and your brain can’t properly receive signals. Long story short, we need magnesium to live. If we don’t get enough of it, we start to lose energy and suffer from endless symptoms—everything from muscle pains and aches, to hair loss, fatigue, and migraines.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include brain fog, lethargy/fatigue, constipation, anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle cramps, migraines, hormone imbalance, chronic back pain—the list goes on and on. In fact, according to Dr. Norman Shealy, “Magnesium deficiency may be responsible for more diseases than any other nutrient.” I, for one, used to be plagued with every single one of these symptoms and didn’t know why. I used to get excruciating leg cramps every single night that would wake me up from a dead sleep, and I would have to get up and dance and jump around my room at 4 am, cursing my body while trying not to scream in pain.

I know what you’re probably thinking: “But my blood test results are fine. My doctor never mentioned anything about magnesium deficiency.” That’s because only 1% of your body’s magnesium resides in the blood! It is in your cells, tissues, and bones, and these cells get robbed on a daily basis to keep your levels high enough, so that the body doesn’t go into cardiac arrest; which means that your cells can be and most likely are completely depleted, causing all kinds of problems to occur, which keep you from living a truly full and abundant life of vitality, which you deserve.

Now that we’ve gone over why magnesium is so important, let’s go over how to get it!

Magnesium is abundant in leafy greens like spinach and chard (although magnesium is far richer in organic greens that are grown in nutrient-rich soil that hasn’t been depleted. Translation: go to the Farmer’s Market!), nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds and almonds, as well as black beans, avocadoes, and my favorite: dark chocolate. (And who doesn’t love an excuse to eat more chocolate?! I think I’m feeling a bit magnesium-deficient as we speak. Where are my Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups?!)

However, food is not the only way to get magnesium, and we may not always find ourselves with these particular foods, let alone eating enough of them to really make a difference. There are many other ways to get magnesium that I enjoy, including:

Epsom salt baths- Take a scoop of 100% pure Epsom salts and add a few drops of lavender essential oil. Like nature’s Valium, this bath will have you feeling blissfully zen, peaceful, and sleepy in no time.

Ionic magnesium drops - I prefer this to the magnesium citrate/oxide capsules you see in stores because they have a much higher bioavailability, which means that they are better absorbed by the body. (I’ve found that Amazon is the best place to find these for a good price!)

Magnesium lotions - Magnesium can also be applied topically to the skin and absorbed that way. This is usually a method used by those who are more so looking to use magnesium for muscle aches, pains, and cramps.

Dissolving powders (i.e. “Natural Calm”) This is a powder that you mix into water or a cup of tea before you go to bed, but is more so for if you are taking magnesium for its calming effects and to help you sleep. It can be found at health food stores and online.

Ever since I started supplementing magnesium and incorporating more magnesium-rich foods into my life, my body and mind have completely changed. I can think more clearly, I have tons of energy instead of suffering from chronic fatigue, I sleep better and fall asleep more easily, I now have motivation to exercise and accomplish my daily tasks, my leg cramps and chronic lower-back pain are completely gone, my hormones are finally balancing out, my digestion is better, and so much more. It’s truly amazing to see how much making such a simple little change as including more magnesium in my diet and daily ritual has improved my quality of life, and I encourage you to try it and do the same!

Lesson to take away from all this? GET MAGNESIUM IN YOUR LIFE!

Meditation 101: Part I

One of the things that has had the most profound, deep, and significant effect on my life is meditation.

Unlike most things in this world, where some people can benefit it and others can’t, meditation is something that truly everyone can benefit from and use, and I would even argue, needs.

It doesn’t matter what religion you are or what your beliefs may be, or whether or not you’re spiritual or in to new age elements—anyone can meditate.

Meditation can be tailored to any person. Whether you’re simply looking to relieve some stress, trying to connect to your higher self, or even connect to a higher power, meditation is a great way to help you on your path to becoming your greatest version.

Meditation forces you to look inward and connect with yourself. It forces you to face your inner demons, and all those things that have been pushed deep beneath the surface. It compels you to get to know yourself—without judgment—and to take a moment in your hectic schedule, in this busy world, to just breathe.

Meditation has done so much for me since I started it about a year ago. It has made me a more compassionate, loving, patient, tolerant, and caring person. It has relieved my stress and depression that used to follow me like a dark cloud everywhere I went. It also forced me to confront years of issues that I had pushed deep down into the nefarious ether of my psyche, so that I could truly heal and get to know myself without hindrance or judgment. It has made me more happy and easy-going, and changed my entire vibe. Most of all, it has made me connect—connect to myself, people , nature, the universe, Earth, and something else I can’t quite put my finger on, and although I can’t see it, I feel it, and I know it’s there.

I was always one of those people that thought meditation was some “new-age hippie mumbo jumbo” that hipsters did because they wanted to seem “deep.” I was a very angry, judgmental person back then, full of fear—fear of myself, of others, the unknown, things I didn’t understand… Now if I don’t meditate at least once a week, I find myself slipping into old habits of anger, sadness, depression, darkness, intolerance, impatience, and most of all, extreme road rage. (Can I get an “amen!”?)

But it was when I truly allowed my mind to become silent, that I could finally hear my heart speak; and every meditation I found myself closer to who I truly wanted to be. Because of this, meditation is what I chose to do my first blog post on, as I feel everyone can benefit from it, and it has left such an indelible mark on me and my life, and I know it will do the same for you. This is going to be Part I in my “Meditation:101” series, which will be full of different meditation techniques, advice, as well as tips and tricks. Whether you’re a novice or you’ve been meditating for awhile, there will be a little something for everyone to take away from this series.

One thing I constantly hear from people is that they’ve “tried meditation but they couldn’t quiet their mind and kept thinking thoughts.” And to that I say, what kind of a human are you? Thinking thoughts? What’s the matter with you! Oh, for shame! But in all seriousness, you are human! So, of course, you are going to think thoughts! We all do, and it’s perfectly normal. The key is to allow those thoughts to come into your mind, to acknowledge them without judgment, and then let them pass. Soon you’ll find that your mind will begin to still, and your thoughts will float away, and what you will be left with is beautiful.

The second thing I always hear from people is, “I don’t really know how to meditate.” Well, my dear friends, never fear; I’ve got your back. I am going to teach you some of my favorite meditation techniques and tips, and we’ll have you Ohm-ing your way to tranquility faster than you can say “Namaste!”

Technique #1: Find your Ujjayi

Too often in life, we forget to breathe—I mean really breathe—and the funny part is, we aren’t even conscious of it. If you actually bring your attention to it, you will find that most of the time you are breathing shallow, rapid breaths with long breaks of holding your breath in between, especially during times of stress, frustration, or being so immersed in a task that it consumes you.

Imagine your body is full of stagnant energy, in the form of pent-up emotions, feelings, and other toxic junk—both physical and metaphysical. The more you take deep breaths in (fresh air/energy) and exhale long breaths out, the more you are releasing all of that stagnant energy and negativity that’s pent up in your body and causing you pain and stress—physically, mentally, and emotionally. After just a few minutes of using this technique that I am about to teach you, you will feel renewed and refreshed.

This is a breathing technique that focuses on what’s called deep, diaphragmatic breathing, which first fills your entire lower belly, then rises to the lower ribcage, and finally, moves into the upper chest and throat. You will literally be breathing with your entire body, rather than just one part of it.

Tip #1: You want to both inhale and exhale through your nose, keeping the mouth closed at all times. Narrow your throat a bit, so that when you breathe you can hear it. It should make a sound like the ocean, and you should feel your breath against your throat. Imagine if you were breathing through a straw, or breathing against a window and very slowly trying to fog it up. It’s like that, except with your mouth closed!

Tip #2: Make sure your inhales are about the same length as your exhales. To start, it helps to count, so that you can have a guide. It also gives you something to focus on if you’re new to meditation and have a hard time tuning out your thoughts and mind’s chatter. For example: Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. In your head you can slowly chant: “Inhaling, 2, 3, 4, Exhaling, 2, 3, 4.” This will force you to measure your breaths and be mindful, which is what meditation is all about. Be mindful of your body and breath, taking slow, measured breaths rather than just inhaling slow, and then exhaling it all out in one big rush.

Tip #3: Put your hand on your belly. Pretend it’s a balloon. Breathe in slowly and deeply to 4 counts, and imagine that the balloon (your stomach) is slowly filling with air. Once it does and it’s filled to maximum capacity, allow that breathe to go even further, filling up your ribcage, and then your upper chest, all the way up to your throat. Hold it for a second or two, paying attention to how good and unusual it feels to be breathing with your entire body, filling up your entire diaphragm, and how full you feel.

Now, your instincts are going to be to immediately exhale hard and fast, because you’re not used to breathing this way. Resist the urge to let it all go. Imagine that you have an allowance of air, and you can’t spend that allowance all at once. It needs to last you. Instead, tighten up your throat and slowly and measuredly release the breath to the count of 4, feeling the balloon (your stomach) deflating as you do. Allow the balloon and your lungs to empty completely before starting the process again. Try this a few times to get used to how it feels. Get in the groove of it and get used to breathing with your entire body. Assess the effect it’s having on your body, mind, and spirit.

Tip #4: When you take big inhales, it is customary for a lot of people to inhale into their lungs and upper body instead of their belly, which causes their shoulders to thrust up and chest to thrust out. This is what we want to avoid. Instead, try to keep your entire body stationary and still, except for your belly. Your shoulders should not rise, nor should your chest. Allow only your belly to move.

Once you’ve gotten comfortable enough with the process, you are ready to begin your meditation. Let’s begin.

1) Find a quiet place where you won’t be bothered for at least 5-10 minutes. Sit down on the floor cross-legged, or lie down on your bed/the floor. Keep your back straight, but in a natural posture. Don’t force your posture up rigidly, which creates an arch in your back.  Instead, just imagine yourself straight, tall, strong, and grounded, like a tree.

2) Close your eyes, and focus on the area between your eyes on your forehead. This is your third eye, and what you will connect to during your meditations. During the meditation, you may even see faint bursts of color in this area, or feel pulsating. To feel grounded, keep your palms flat on your thighs (or at your sides and flat on the bed if you’re lying down). To receive energy, keep your palms open and up.

3) Take a few breaths the way you normally would breathe. Assess your breathing. Do you breathe quick and sporadically, or long and slow? Are your breaths shallow or deep? Are your inhales longer than your exhales, or vice versa? This will give you a better idea of what you need to change and how.

4) Start by taking your first deep diaphragmatic breath. Make sure your lungs are completely emptied of air, and then inhale into your belly slowly. Keep in mind you want this inhale to last for 4 counts, so allot for that. Measure your breath slowly so it lasts. Start by chanting in your mind, “Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4.” Keep your throat narrow and slightly tight, as if breathing through a straw, and make the sound of the ocean against your throat. Keep breathing this way and get settled into this newfound way of breathing. Breathe deep into your belly, feeling it fill up with air and protruding with every inhale, and feel it deflate and flatten as you exhale.

5) Keep focusing on your breath. Let it be your anchor, your focal point, your hold on your concentration. For people that have a hard time quieting their mind when meditating, this is the perfect way to get your mind off your daily life and thoughts, and give you something else to focus on. If thoughts do enter your head, that’s fine! Don’t judge them, don’t chastise yourself; just allow them to float away and dissipate, and come back to your breath.

6) Keep doing this for a few minutes, and soon you will find that you don’t even need to count anymore. Your body will remember what to do, and quickly adopt this new and improved, healing way of breathing. Just lose yourself in the sound of your breath, the full feeling of breathing with your entire body, or the calm sense of tranquility that washes over you with every exhale.

Once you are done, open your eyes, and take notice of how much different the world looks. You will notice that colors seem brighter, things seem more calm and serene. Assess how you feel, and how it differs from how you felt before the meditation. Do you feel more at peace, more calm, less stressed, less angry? Some people even cry during their first few meditations like this because it taps into things that you have had buried, as if your breath literally reached deep down inside you and pulled it up to the surface. If so, that’s okay too. In fact, that’s great! Allow yourself to cry and feel the huge release that comes with it.

Meditation doesn’t always have to be all about peace, calm, and happiness right away. Sometimes meditation forces us to face our deepest fears or negative emotions in order to attain a true sense of peace, calm, and happiness, that can only be attained once we face that which plagues us. Either way, allow the meditation to give you its gifts, and receive them without judgment. This is your journey, nobody else’s, and it will affect you in a unique and special way that is unlike the way it affects anyone else. Express gratitude to yourself for taking this chance today, and for taking a little bit of special time out just for yourself, because you deserve it and you’re worth it. Congratulations. You are now one step farther on your path to becoming your greatest version.

Introduction

Greetings, fellow souls!

I have created this blog to be a place where unique souls can collide and vibe together, learn together, and grow together. I want this to be a haven where people can come to express themselves, share information and passions, vibe with one another, and hopefully, gain something from the content I contribute.

This blog is going to be the kickstart to my new career. As some of you know, I have been very unhappy at my job of the past 7 years. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a very artsy, non-conformist, free-spirited passionate individual who loves to live life to the fullest, and that "Accounting" is the last thing I'm passionate about, let alone what I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing.

I've finally decided to take a leap of faith and do something crazy—I am quitting my job to pursue my dream and passions. I don't have a backup plan, I don't have a safety net, and I don't know what this year will bring—and it's scary as hell. But it's also exciting, amazing, and brave, and nothing good in life ever came easy. This blog will be the kickstart to my new journey, new career, and what I want to do with my life, which is to inspire people every day, and to compel you to live life passionately, fearlessly, lovingly, vivaciously, and to the fullest!

I will share everything on this blog from my travels and camping adventures, tips on health, wellness, and improving oneself to become their best version, how to live life more happily, passionately, and stress-free, how to meditate, natural remedies, how to detox in a toxic world, my passion for creating art and journaling, my passion for nature, crystals, and all things metaphysical, ways to heal yourself—mind, body, & spirit—to glimpses into my soul and random musings about the universe, and even awesome vegan recipes—some healthy and some not, but ALL of them damn tasty!

These are all huge passions of mine, and they have made my life better and made me a better version of myself. In fact, it is through these passions that I was able for the first time in 10 years, to kick my addiction and get clean. I am now 1 year+7 days clean, and going strong. I have started to build a new, more fulfilling life. I hope that in sharing this content, that I can encourage and inspire others to do the same—to live life fearlessly, passionately, and vivaciously, with open eyes, minds, and hearts, so that we may leave our imprint on the world and make it a better place before we go. I have created this blog to be a place where unique souls can collide and vibe together, learn together, and grow together. I want this to be a haven where people can come to express themselves, share information and passions, vibe with one another, and hopefully, gain something from the content I contribute.

I would love it if you could support me in this endeavor and what I am trying to accomplish here, and simply click on the link and start following my blog. (If you're on a mobile device, you can read the blog, but you can't subscribe. Once you're on a desktop, click "subscribe to posts" at the bottom and you will receive email notifications every time I make a new post.) It would mean the world to me. It truly would. 

Taking a chance and a leap of faith isn't easy. For 7 years I have stayed in a job where I am miserable because of that very fact, and because I was scared that if I tried something else, that there was a possibility I would fail. We all have that fear, and we let it control us. In fact, I have done it my entire life. But I feel I have so much to share with the world that I haven't yet shared, and I have such a deep and profound desire to create and to touch others' lives, and I want to share that with all of you. So, if you could follow my blog, and help me on my journey to following my passion, as well as helping you find the passions that reside within yourself, I would so very much appreciate it.

So let's all collide, vibe, and share!